Bicycle and Dog Transport to Be Free of Charge on Trains in Budapest

In the new year, the transport of bicycles and dogs in Budapest will become free of charge on all vehicles of MÁV Group, where it was previously only possible for a fee, the railway company announced.

At the request of the Ministry of Construction and Transport and based on the feedback and needs of the passengers, another favorable change will be introduced from January 2025: Within Budapest, bicycle and dog transport will be made free of charge on most trains, HÉVs, and Volán buses. (Since 2021, the Volán bus company is owned by MÁV Group.)

The free travel will only apply to services operated by the MÁV Group on which bicycles and pets can currently be transported within the capital for a fee.

The transport of dogs will be free of charge for travel within the capital on all suburban and domestic trains without seat tickets, on interurban Volán services and on HÉVs (suburban railways).

HÉV locomotives. Photo: Wikipedia

On rail – on all suburban and domestic trains without seat tickets – and on HÉV services (H5, H6, H7, H8, H9), there will be no charge for bicycle and scooter transport.

On InterCity and express trains, as well as on some international trains, the purchase of a bicycle ticket will remain compulsory for travel within Budapest. In the case of Volán, as in the past, it will not be possible to carry a bicycle on the capital’s bus services (this is due to the design of the vehicle and closely related passenger safety).

Photo: Wikipedia

According to the announcement, the free transport will be conditional on the passenger having one of the following passes: a valid Budapest pass, a full fare or discounted Pest county pass, or a country pass, or a jobseekers’ monthly pass, entitling the passenger to free travel within the capital.

The necessary bicycle or dog tickets still have to be purchased when traveling outside the administrative boundaries of Budapest, but since the spring fare reform, it has become cheaper, simpler and more convenient for most users,

the statement recalls.

As of March, the price of a regular bicycle or dog ticket is HUF 500 (EUR 1.21) – for a single, uninterrupted trip on any route for a bicycle or a dog, but with a monthly valid Cycling Country Pass for only 4,950 HUF (EUR 11.90) (with seat ticket exchange if necessary), With a Dog Country Pass, you can travel with a bicycle or a dog, for HUF 1,890 (EUR 4.56) on almost all MÁV-START, GYSEV and HÉV lines, subject to the transport conditions of the service providers, while only the Dog Country Pass is valid on Volán lines.

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Via MTI, Featured image: Facebook/MÁV

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