Budapest Blog

OK, so you want to rent a bike in Budapest? Make your bike rental decision informed. Riding a bike in Budapest is fun and not fun: conditions are not so much acceptable presently, although Budapest could potentially offer one of the greatest urban cycling experiences ever. Once the bike culture will be even more improved (more careful drivers, a lot more biking routes). Attitude towards biking in Budapest has changed a lot in the past few years, Critical Mass movement has grown stronger than ever, and luckily, more and more pubs and bars offer bike parking facilities. So enjoy it, but don’t expect to have conditions like in Amsterdam. Here’s a pic from Budapest Critical Mass :)

Good to know:

• Geography: Budapest has two parts. Buda is hilly and Pest is totally flat, easy to bike.
• Public transport with bike: you cannot travel on the metro= underground with bike, on trains you must buy a ticket for your bike (nominal fee, but a must).
• Biking routes: bike routes are oftentimes shared with pedestrians, who are not used to speeding bikers, please be careful.
• Cars vs. Bikes: car drivers don’t really like bikers (euphemism), and unfortunately won’t typically yield to bikers or pedestrians – again, be careful.
• Bike thieves: unlike in the Netherlands, for instance, you should NOT leave your bike unlocked – it will disappear in a moment. Lock it safely, lock it well.

There are some bike rental places in Budapest (some ask for a deposit). The ones that are conveniently located are the following:

Bike Base

BikeBase rental offers a wide range of bikes, from MTBs to city cruisers, plus you can also rent customized biking tours.

• Bikes: from mountain bikes through city cruisers to children’s bikes, something to suit all ages and styles.
• Extras: (included in the price) helmet, locks, tour tips, map, if outside Budapest: panniers, repair tool kit
• Address: Podmaniczky utca 19, 1065 Budapest
• Phone: 00-36-70-625-85-01 or 00-36-1-269-59-83
• Opening hours: 9 am – 7 pm (earlier or later too, if arranged via phone)
• Rental prices:

8 EUR (2 000 HUF) for 24h
14 EUR (3 500 HUF) for 48h
Special price for longterm rent. If you cannot pick up or return the bike to the shop, for a nominal fee, Bike Base will collect or deliver anywhere within Budapest city limits.

Budapest Bike

Besides renting bikes here, the guys also promise to take you to places you should not but might miss, to help with avoiding tourist traps while in Budapest, to point out where to go and what to see. You can also rent biking tours here for about 5000 HUF (dirt cheap in Budapest), or Pub Crawl bike tours (min 4 pubs, 4 hours) for 20 euros.

• Bikes: Gepida Alboins (women’s & men’s)
• Extras: (included in the price) helmet, chain, lock and limited insurance as stated in the rental contract.
• Address: Wesselenyi u. 18. Budapest 1077
• Phone: 00-36-30-944-5533
• Rental Prices:

6 hours: 2000HUF
1 day: 3000HUF
2 day: 5000HUF
3 or more days 2500HUF /day

Budapest Tourist Map shows the different bike rental locations (check the green bicycle map icon)

View Larger Map

Bringo Hinto

BringoHinto rental offers bikes and bike carts or kids cars, etc. on Margitsziget (Margaret Island).

• Bikes: mountain & city bikes, adult and kid bike carts
• Address: Hajos Alfred setany 1., Budapest 1138
• Phone: 00-36-329-2746

Lowe Alpine

• Bikes: Caprine Nexus 3 city bike (color: bordeaux)
• Extras: helmet, lock, basket container
• Address: Bajcsy-Zsilinszky ut 17. 1065 Budapest,
• Phone: 00-36-1-311-4055
• Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10.00-18.00 Sat 10.00-14.00
• Prices:

1-5 h 1500 HUF
24 h 3500 HUF
36-48 h 5500 HUF
7+ days 2000 HUF

Some useful Cycling words in Hungarian:

• bike: bringa (brin-gah), bico (bits-oh), bicaj (bi-tsoi)
• bicycle: kerekpar (care-ache-phaar)
• wheel: kerek (care-ache)
• pump: pumpa (poom-pah)
• lock: lakat (lock-ot)
• berel (bay-rel)

Please help me to update the info. Thanks.