Airline tickets from Chisinau to Budapest

Direct flight Chisinau - Budapest: the only airline and flight time

The Chisinau - Budapest route is served only by Wizz Air: the flight was launched in March 2024, and since then it has been the only direct carrier on this route. The flight takes about 1 hour 30 minutes, one of the shortest international flights from Chisinau overall.

Flights operate several times a week, usually on Thursdays and Sundays, convenient for covering a weekend without losing workdays. It's worth checking the exact schedule for the dates you need in the search form at the top of the page: with low-cost carriers, departure days often change from season to season.

When tickets are cheapest: from €28

According to the price calendar above, it's cheapest to fly in October and November: a ticket can be found from €28. Almost the rest of the year holds a stable price of around €30, and only August (€43) and especially September (€61) are noticeably more expensive: the September spike is usually linked to the last wave of summer holidays and the end of the vacation season in Europe.

Since Wizz Air is the only carrier on this route, there's no price competition here like on more popular routes: it's better to book tickets in advance, 1-2 months ahead, rather than count on last-minute sales.

How to get from Budapest airport to the city and how much it costs

Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD) is located about 16 km southeast of central Budapest. There's no direct train from the airport; you can get there by bus or taxi.

Transport	Travel time	Cost	Details
Express bus 100E	about 30-40 minutes	about 900 forints (€2-3)	goes straight to Deák Ferenc tér, where there's a nearby metro connection
Regular bus 200E + metro M3	about 45-50 minutes	about €1-1.5 for a ticket	cheaper than the express, but with a transfer at Kőbánya-Kispest
Taxi	about 35 minutes	about €26-32	order it from the official Főtaxi stand in the arrivals area, which has fixed zone-based rates

The 100E bus is the most convenient if you don't have heavy luggage and are heading to central Pest. A taxi makes sense late in the evening or if you're traveling as a group.

Ferenc Liszt airport: what's important to know

The passenger terminal is divided into sectors 2A and 2B, with a free shuttle running between them (a few minutes' ride), so if you have a connection, check the sector number in advance. The terminal has ATMs, currency exchange desks, cafes and duty-free shops.

If you're planning to withdraw Hungarian forints right after arrival, the rate at the airport ATMs is usually somewhat worse than in the city: it's more advantageous to withdraw a minimal amount for the first few hours and find an ATM in the center for the rest.

Visa and passport for a trip to Budapest

No visa is needed. Hungary is part of the Schengen area, and citizens of Moldova with a biometric passport can stay there without a visa for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. The rule has been in effect since April 28, 2014 and applies to tourist and business trips.

A biometric passport specifically is mandatory: a regular Moldovan ID card is not valid for entering Hungary. The passport's validity must end no earlier than 3 months after the return date — this is the standard requirement of Schengen border control. At the border you're sometimes asked for a return ticket, accommodation booking and confirmation of sufficient funds for the trip.

How much money to bring to Budapest

Budapest is noticeably cheaper than most Western European capitals, and the difference is felt from the very first day.

Budget level	Accommodation (per night)	Food (per day)	Transport and entertainment
Budget	€15-20 for a bed in a hostel	€10-15 (goulash or lángos for lunch, a simple dinner)	a day pass about €2, entry to mid-range thermal baths from €15-20
Mid-range	€50-70 for a room in a 3-star hotel	€20-30 per person	the same city transit network, a ticket to Széchenyi baths on peak days about €35-38
Comfortable	from €120 for a room in a 4-5 star hotel	from €40 per person	taxis instead of public transport, tours and a Danube cruise

Local currency: the Hungarian forint, not the euro. Euros are sometimes accepted at tourist spots, but at an unfavorable rate, so it's better to pay by card or with forints withdrawn from an ATM. You can pay by card for almost everything, including public transport and markets.

What to bring back from Budapest

The Central Market Hall (Központi Vásárcsarnok) on Váci street, the city's oldest and largest covered market, is great for buying things to take home. On the ground floor: ground paprika, paprika pastes like Erős Pista and Piros Arany, Pick salami, cheeses and Hungarian wines, primarily Tokaji. On the second floor, the souvenir section: Kalocsa embroidery, painted Easter eggs, porcelain and leather goods. It's better to visit the market in the morning on weekdays, before 9:00 am: fewer tour groups, and the market is closed on Sundays.

Among drinks, it's worth getting a bottle of Zwack Unicum, an herbal liqueur considered almost a national symbol in Hungary. Those with a sweet tooth will like the Szamos brand marzipan figures: in Hungary they're made with particular attention to detail, even though marzipan itself doesn't originate here. For vintage items and Soviet antiques, you can head to the Ecseri flea market (Ecseri Piac), where prices are noticeably lower than in souvenir shops in the center.

When to fly: unusual but beautiful dates for a trip

• November-December, Christmas markets: the main one takes place at Vörösmarty Square, with mulled wine, craft stalls and an ice rink. It coincides with one of the cheapest periods for tickets.
• March-April, Budapest Spring Festival: for a couple of weeks the city turns into a venue for classical music and opera concerts, while flight prices still hold at off-season levels.
• August, Sziget Festival: a week-long music festival on Óbuda Island, one of the largest in Europe. Plane tickets this month are more expensive than average (about €43), but for music lovers it's worth it.
• September, wine festival at Buda Castle: tastings of Tokaji and other Hungarian wines with a view of the Danube. It falls in the most expensive month for flights, so it's better to book the ticket in advance.

The essentials in brief before a trip from Chisinau to Budapest

Parameter	What's important to know
Time difference	Budapest is 1 hour behind Chisinau
Currency	Hungarian forint, euros are not accepted in most places or are accepted at an unfavorable rate
Language	Hungarian; English is well understood in the center and tourist areas
Outlets	type C/F, 230V, no adapter needed for a trip from Moldova
Emergency number	112, works throughout Hungary, just like in Moldova
Tipping	at restaurants around 10% is usually expected, it's often not included in the bill in advance, check with the waiter

All that's left is to choose the dates and buy a Chisinau - Budapest ticket. The search form at the top of the page will show the nearest Wizz Air flights and the current price for the selected dates.