London Heathrow to Budapest Ferenc Liszt
1488 km great-circle distance, typically flown in 2h 16m with 8 airlines operating direct service from London Heathrow (LHR) to Budapest Ferenc Liszt (BUD). Cheapest fares are usually in January (around £63 return), with peak prices in August (around £156). Departures on a Tuesday tend to undercut weekend prices on this corridor.
Flying from London Heathrow
Heathrow is the UK's main long-haul hub and the airport where full-service carriers concentrate their schedule rather than chase price. Expect five terminals, fast Tube and Elizabeth Line links into central London, and a route map that skews toward business-traveller frequency: more daily slots, fewer fare wars. Short-haul fares from Heathrow tend to run a little higher than Gatwick or Stansted on the same corridor — the trade-off is a wider choice of airline and a more reliable timetable.
Arriving in Budapest
Budapest Ferenc Liszt is 16 km southeast of the city, with bus 100E running direct to Deák Ferenc tér in 35 minutes for 2200 HUF. Ryanair, Wizz and easyJet drive most UK traffic; BA adds Heathrow service. Budapest holds its value through winter (off-peak fares from £39 from London bases) — the spa-and-cafe city break is cheaper in November–February than at any other time.
Who flies LHR to BUD?
| Airline | IATA | Flight time | Cabin |
| British Airways | BA | 2h 16m | Economy |
| Aer Lingus | EI | 2h 16m | Economy |
| Lufthansa | LH | 2h 16m | Economy |
| Air France | AF | 2h 16m | Economy |
| KLM | KL | 2h 16m | Economy |
| Iberia | IB | 2h 16m | Economy |
| ITA Airways | AZ | 2h 16m | Economy |
| SAS | SK | 2h 16m | Economy |
8 carriers fly direct on this corridor. Frequencies vary by season — summer and winter holiday peaks see additional flights.
Best time to fly LHR→BUD
Synthesised from 12-month price aggregates. Cheapest months in green, peak in red.
Estimated baseline. Prices update on a 30-day cadence as Travelpayouts data refreshes. Cheapest day-of-week typically Tuesday.
London to Budapest FAQs
Direct flights from London Heathrow (LHR) to Budapest Ferenc Liszt (BUD) take approximately 2h 16m for the 1488 km journey, plus 30–60 minutes of taxi, climb and descent. Total airport-to-airport time depends on cruise winds and air-traffic queueing on approach.
January is typically the cheapest month on this route, with one-way fares from £48. August is the peak — expect prices 2–3× higher. Book 4–8 weeks ahead for best fares; last-minute prices on this corridor rise sharply inside two weeks of departure.
8 carriers operate direct service from London Heathrow (LHR) to Budapest Ferenc Liszt (BUD): British Airways, Aer Lingus, Lufthansa, Air France, KLM and 3 more. Frequencies vary by season and carrier — British Airways typically operates the highest weekly count on this corridor.
UK passport holders generally do not need a visa for short stays in Hungary (Schengen-area members allow 90 days in any 180-day window). ETIAS pre-authorisation will apply once live for European destinations. Always check gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/hungary before booking.
Budapest Ferenc Liszt (BUD) is the primary international airport for Budapest. Allow 30–60 minutes for the ground transfer by train, express bus or taxi, depending on traffic and time of day. Most European hub airports sit 10–25 km from their host city centre. See the airport's official website for current train and shuttle timetables.