Miskolc in Hungary

Get in

Miskolc doesn't have an international airport, the nearest ones are in Budapest and Debrecen.

By train

The main railway station is Tiszai Station (Tiszai pályaudvar in Hungarian.) The trains going through Northern Hungary all stop in Miskolc, the city can be reached by train from all the major cities (although if you come from the Transdanubian region, you might have to change trains in Budapest which means you have to find your way through the city to the Keleti station.)

See the website of Hungary State Railways for information on trains, travel time and prices. The site is available in Hungarian, English and German (this link leads to the English version.)

You should try to take the Intercity trains, they're much cleaner than regular and international trains, they don't stop at every small town and a seat is reserved for you. Intercity trains are a bit more expensive and it's better to reserve your seat days before the travel, because they are usually full.

The Tiszai station is well connected to the other parts of the city, both tram lines and many bus lines have their end station there.

By car

Miskolc can be reached from the West on Highway M3, which recently reached the city. The highway connecting Miskolc with Debrecen has also been finished. You have to pay toll if you want to drive on a highway.

By bus

Since Miskolc is well connected to the rest of the country by railway lines, there are fewer bus lines connecting Miskolc to other cities. See this page on information on buses. Unfortunately it's available in Hungarian only. Here are the words you need to know to use it: honnan : from (enter the city where you are), hova : to (enter destination), keresztül : through, mikor : when (year-month-day), keresés : search (click on it after entering parameters.) Now you get a page detailing time of departure, time of arrival and length of journey.

naponta: every day, munkanapokon: on workdays (Monday–Friday), Munkaszüneti napok kivételével naponta: every day except Sundays.

Get around

By bus

If you need info on bus lines, go to the mass transport company's site and click on Menetrend. At Viszonylat choose the number of the bus to see the time tables. (1V and 2V are the tram lines.)

Bus lines important for tourists include: * Bus 1 connects the Tiszai railway station with the downtown and Diósgyőr district * Bus 2 starts at Búza tér and goes to Tapolca * Bus 5 starts in Diósgyőr and goes to Lillafüred * Bus 15 also starts in Diósgyőr and goes to Ómassa.

Prices:

Ticket (for one travel only): 200 Ft** Same ticket bought on bus: 300 FtTen tickets (gyűjtőjegy) : 1700 FtGeneral ticket (valid for all buses & trams for one day): 1000 Ft** Same for 3 days (tourist ticket): 1900 Ft** same for 7 days (tourist ticket): 2600 Ft

Tickets are the same for bus and tram. General & tourist tickets are not valid on Bus 7 after it leaves Miskolc (Bus 7 is the only city bus that leaves Miskolc; it goes to the nearby town Felsőzsolca.)

You can buy bus tickets at several places, at the Tiszai, on Búza tér (where the intercity buses arrive) and at newsstands.

(You can buy bus tickets from the driver too, but it's a bit more expensive and the driver won't have change, you have to pay the exact amount. Generally it's not recommended to buy tickets on the bus.)

Penalty if you don't have valid ticket: 3000 if you pay immediately, 6000 if you don't have money with you and have to pay later.

Buses usually open the first door only because it is part of the driver's job to check if everyone has tickets. They open the other doors only if someone wants to leave the bus at that door, and if you get on the bus through those doors, the driver might ask you through the loudspeaker to show your ticket.

By tram

There are only two tram lines, 1 & 2. The end station to both of them is at Tiszai station. Tram line 1 goes to Diósgyőr, its end station is near the castle. Tram line 2 goes to the metal factory. Be sure to leave Tram 2 at latest at Újgyőri főtér ' and change trams if you want to go to Diósgyőr. The castle is much prettier than the factory. ;-)

By car

Foreigners sometimes find it hard to find their way in the city. City maps are sold in every bookstore and at some newsstands. There are some road signs, but not too many.

On foot

This is recommended for the downtown only. Many of the tourist attractions are quite far from the city centre.

Széchenyi Street is mostly a pedestrian precinct, the tram lines go along it, but cars use it only occasionally.

Drivers in Miskolc are usually not as polite as in smaller and more civilized towns like Eger (i.e. they don't give way to pedestrians), but they are not as close to kamikaze pilots as drivers in Southern countries. :)