Cheap flights from Dublin to Budapest

December is the cheapest month on this route, helped by low demand between the Christmas rush and the New Year. Spring and early autumn are pleasant in both capitals but busier, and the summer school holidays push fares up on both sides. Midweek departures from Dublin usually cost less than Friday and Sunday flights, when weekend breaks fill the cabins. Hungarian public holidays and school breaks in Ireland draw crowds at certain times, so book those dates early. If your plans are flexible, let the price calendar pick the month and the weekday for you.

Direct flights exist on this route, and the low-cost carriers on the list — Ryanair, Vueling Airlines, Norwegian and Transavia France — are the ones to watch when you only want a seat and a small bag. Aer Lingus sits in the middle: a full-service name that still sells straightforward point-to-point tickets. The rest of the list, KLM Cityhopper, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Swiss and Lufthansa, usually means a connection through a hub, with a checked bag often included. What differs is baggage: low-cost fares charge extra for a cabin trolley and a hold bag, while full-service tickets tend to include one checked item.

Budapest has one main airport, Ferihegy, and it sits well outside the city centre rather than on its edge. The usual ways in are the airport bus that links to the metro, a shared shuttle, or a taxi, and the ride takes a while, so allow for that on an evening arrival. Buy your public transport ticket before boarding and validate it, because inspectors do check. Taxis are best booked in an app or taken from the official rank rather than from someone who approaches you in the arrivals hall. If you land late, check the last bus and metro times before you commit to a flight that arrives after midnight.

Currency

HUF (Ft)

Power sockets

Type C, F · 230 V

Language

Hungarian

Emergency number

112, 104, 105

Driving side

right

Calling code

+36

Internet domain

.hu

EU / Schengen

EU member, Schengen area

Population of Budapest

1.7 M (2025)

Time zone

UTC+02 (Europe/Budapest)

Country facts: Wikidata

• Dublin has a single airport, so there is no wrong side of the city to leave from — just check the terminal on your booking.
• On low-cost tickets, add a cabin bag and a checked bag to the total before you compare it with a full-service fare.
• If a connection is on separate tickets, leave a long gap, because a missed leg is your problem and not the airline's.
• Bring a passport or national ID card, since Hungary sits in the Schengen area and Ireland does not, so border checks apply.
• December is the cheapest month, so if your dates are fixed to summer or the Christmas period, book earlier.
• Check whether your fare lands you at Ferihegy late at night, when buses into the centre thin out.