BUD-Spot1
Budapest Ferenc Liszt Airport – Spotting Guide
- last modified on June 1, 2026
The Budapest Liszt Ferenc Airport (BUD/LHBP) is the biggest Airport in Hungary and located 15km south-east of the downtown. The airport was opened in 1950 and named after the hungarian composer Liszt Ferenc in 2011. In 2023 14,7 million passengers flew via BUD.
The Airport was the Hub of the hungarian national carrier Malév, but in 2012 they went bankrupt. Today the Airfield is being used by LCC Airlines and some europaen Airlines which connect Budapest to other important Cities in Europe. At the moment there are some intercontinental flights served by Emirates or Qatar Airways. But there are also plenty cargo operations by ASL, Cargolux, UPS, FedEx, Qatar Airways Cargo, MNG Cargo or Turkish Cargo can often been seen at the most important airport in Hungary, too. In addition, BUD gets some pretty nice business and governmental planes as it is Hungary’s biggest airport.
Airport can be reached easily from Kalvin tér or Deak Ferenc tér (both right in the city center) with the busline “100E” in only ~30 minutes for 2200 HUF.
Written by Severin Hackenberger, Dániel Nagy, Marcell Bernát and Zoltan Péter Pásztor. Last change: May 2026 – general update after CL finals
| Rating | |
| Movements |  |
| Airline Variety |  |
| Photo Locations | |
| Weather | |
| Airport Information | |
| Runways | |
| 13R/31L | 3010m × 45m concrete |
| 13L/31R | 3707m × 45m concrete |
| Terminals | |
| Terminal 1 | Closed for public flights since 2012: now it is used for General Aviation/Business Jets (there is a separate GAT – General Aviation Terminal on the northern side), some VIP, Charter (e.g. sports teams) and certain Cargo (DHL, FedEx/ASL, UPS, Hungary Airways, YTO Cargo) flights |
| Terminal 2A | Sky Team and Star Alliance Flights and almost all “Schengen-flights” |
| Terminal 2B | One World Flights, “Non-Schengen-flights” and Low-Cost-Carrier (e.g. FR, W6, DY) |
| Spotting Information | |
| Ladder | Needed at some points, but there is always an alternative spot where you do not need one. |
| Car/Public Transport | Car is necessary as public transport is quite poor except to the terminal. |
| Restrooms | Available in the terminals and the mentioned restaurants (or gas stations). |
| Drinks/Food | There is a big shopping center called Market Central south of the airport with lots of different shops (Tesco, Lidl, etc.) and Restaurants (Starbucks, Burger King, etc.) |
| Hotels | There is the ibis and Tribe Hotel right next to the terminal. Latter offers better locations for plane spotting (see Spot 16). |
| Season | In summer there are some extra flights, but there aren’t enough to determine main- or off-season. Just some more flights to Egypt. However, winter has terrible weather… |
| Runway Usage | |
| General | Preferred Runways: below 6kts tailwind component, 31 is the preferred direction, regardless of the wind direction
Default usage: Regardless of the direction, the Right runway is used for arrivals, the Left one is used for Departures Exceptions:
Be aware, that in the mornings between 5am and 8am the preferred direction is 13 to reduce departures and noise over Budapest city, however ATC starts changing the direction back to 31 if the wind permits as soon as the morning departure wave ends – at around 7:15-7:30. |
| 13R/31L | 31 usage: 31L departures / 13 usage: 13R arrivals |
| 13L/31R | 31 usage: 31R arrivals/ 13 usage: 13L departures Most bizzer and a few freighter will use this runway all the time; doesn’t matters, which direction and activity are here normally. |
Farm mound - Arrivals 13R and 31L departures
| WHERE | If coming from the city, drive on “Bélatelepi út” and turn left with the 90° curve into “Baross u.”. After a short time, turn right into “Felsöbabád u.” again and drive till you see the path shown below on your right with the “Don’t drive in sign”. Get rid of your car here by the roadside as we did and take the dirt road for about 400m till the marked kink in the path on the map. Turn a bit right and after another 50m you’ll see a little gate on your left. Enter and walk till the gate.
Maybe you will be forced to climb over the small fence on your way then, if the gate doesn’t work. The spot is accessible by public transport, too: take bus 98 from Kőbánya-Kispest metro station and disembark at “Orgoványi utca” stop. Then just walk down “Felsöbabád u.” for about 500m and then turn right into an unnamed road which is supposed to be private, but normally nobody cares. After about 400m on this dirtrack you will get to the fence and see the mound there. Exact spot (where the mound is) is hard to find. Mark on the map is exactly set there! It might be needed to climb a small fence on your way to the mound, but normally there’s a gate; situation changes all the time! |
| WHAT | 13R arrivals and departures 31L. |
| TIME | Light from sunrise till late morning in the summer and in the winter almost unuseable, just a few hours after sunrise. |
| MISC. | There is nothing nearby, so bring what you need. A ladder is not needed on the mound here although the perimeter fence is relatively tall. However, you can make it without a ladder since there is a hummock, or you can shoot through the fence. If doing so, make sure that you do not touch the fence. This activates the alarm system of the airport security team. Also, please note that part of this spot is located on private property. The owner of the farm is friendly with the spotters, so please do not litter or do any harm. If you are visiting in the summer season, please do not smoke at the spot, or make sure that you blow out the cigarette stub because it may cause a fire. Be aware of wild dogs or cats around here. Normally no problem, but might be strange. Heat haze can cause problems, especially on hot summer days. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100-400mm |
View from main street – take this path:
Once at the fence, take this gate and go to the marked mound:
View from the mound’s top:
Baross utca crashgate - Arrivals + Line-Ups 13R
| WHERE | By Car: At the 90-degree turn on Bélatelepi út / Baross utca there is a small road leading into the forest towards the crash gate. You may park your car along that small road, however note that as it is a road used by ARFF (Airport Rescue & Firefighting) in case of emergencies, make sure it’s not blocked – the Armed Security Guard (FBŐ – Fegyveres Biztonsági Őr) may remind you about this. By Public Transport: Take bus 98 / 198, get off at the “Bélatelepi út / Baross utca” and walk up the small road leading to the crash gate. Once at the crash gate, you may move up and down along the fence as per your desire. |
| WHAT | 13R Arrivals and Line-Ups. |
| TIME | Early summer mornings only. |
| MISC. | Ladder needed. Haze may be an issue on really hot days/later mornings. Nothing around. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-300mm B748F: 75mm / B739: 125mm |
Cargohill - Arrivals/Departures 13R + Departures 31L + late vacators Arrival 31L
| WHERE | This spot can be reached with public transport from “Köbanya Kispest” metrostation. Take the Airport Bus 200E and disembark at the 3rd stop called “Szemeretelep vasutallomas”. Then, cross under the overhead highway towards “Igló utca”, and it’s ~5 minutes walk straight to the hill, just follow the road as it turns right all the way next to Hungarocontrol’s building. After some time you’ll see some roadtraingates, then jsut climb the hill on your right.
If you want to drive there by car from the terminal, just take the Ferihegy highway into city direction. Be sure to take the lower level (drive right) just a few houndred meter after you passed the old Terminal 1 on your right. After around 500m you have to turn right into the “Igló utca” and follow this road until you didn’t get to a control gate. Just park your car on the right and climb up the dome. |
| WHAT | Arrivals and Departures on RWY 13R and Departures on RWY 31L, but most of them are already pretty high. You can also get some late vacators from RWY 31L after arrival.
You can also take nice night shots from here – EXAMPLE. |
| TIME | In summer from late morning till sunset and in the winter from around shortly after sunrise till sunset. |
| MISC. | No ladder needed. For little drinks/snacks (and maybe restrooms, we don’t know) you can visit the gas station which is next to the Ferihegy highway into city direction (from here). |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 30-300mm Departure A321 = 155mm / ERJ170 Arrival = 240mm / B789 Arrival = 85mm |
Highway 4 - Heavy 31L Take-Offs above street
| WHERE | This spot is quite unique, it is located above/around highway number 4 and gives you the unique and famous view with take-offs just above the street and traffic. You can either position yourself by the roadside somewhere or one of the two bridges here: either the pedestrian bridge or the car bridge a but further down the highway. However, you can also take nice pictures from the roadside somewhere as you can see below. You can also get here by public transport, as local bus lines stop at multiple nearby bus stop and Pestszentlőrincv train station is also around the corner. |
| WHAT | From here you can take the famous pictures with heavy take-offs just above the street and traffic. |
| TIME | Best in the afternoon hours during B747 take-offs. Autmun and Winter are better as there is less haze; in summer this spot is hard to use. |
| MISC. | Rather worth a visit for heavy takeoffs. Be aware of the cars passing by once standing/walking by the roadside. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 200-500mm |
Thanks to Dávid Tiszavölgyi for providing some nice examples:
Pedestrian bridge:
Roadside:
GAT - Apron + 13R Arrivals + 31L Take-Offs
| WHERE | By Car: Park at the P+R car park on the southern side of the terminal and walk up to the spot along the front wall/entrance of Terminal 1. You can now either position yourself north or south of the GAT, there are small parts to look over on both sides. The General Aviation Terminal parking is restricted, although on some rare occasions you MAY find it open. By Public Transport: Get off the 200E bus at the “Ferihegy Vasútállomás” stop and walk to the spot along the road on the sidewalk and then along the wall/entrance of Terminal 1Sometimes, especially once high VIP guests are arriving/departing, you may be send away by police from the fence. Then proceed to the parking area of Menzies staff a bit northeast as an alternative for Departures. |
| WHAT | 13R arrivals, 31L departures / arrivals, Taxiway G movements, traffic parked at Stand R106 (SpiceJet) or R108 (Motor Sich). At the alternative back in the parking most aircraft </=A321 and B738 will be visible; heavies will be too low and still behind the buildings. |
| TIME | Summer: runway from early noon till sunset, ramp (depending on the angle of the aircraft) mostly only last hours before sunset Winter: Midday till sunset. |
| MISC. | There is nothing nearby as the terminal is closed, so bring what you need. At the fence, a 5-step ladder is a must to get above the solid fence + barbwire on top of it. If you don’t have a ladder, better go to the alternative directly. Also, be prepared to be sent away by the Armed Security Guard (FBŐ – Fegyveres Biztonsági Őr) coming out of the GAT – then go back to the parking/alternative.At the alternative, there are quiet a few lamps and poles you have to take the pictures in between. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Fence: 45-200mm -> B744 takeoff = 125mm / Stands = 45mm Alternative: 100-300mm -> Global 6000 = 280mm / A321 = 240mm |
Alternative for Departures if you get send away from the fence:
Pedestrian Overpass - 31L Departures
| WHERE | The pedestrian overpass above the railway station / the “Ferihegy Vasútállomás” stop of the 200E bus: at the top of the stairs leading down to the railway platform towards the city centre, there will be a narrow opening just above the handrail through which you can see the runway. |
| WHAT | 31L departures only. |
| TIME | Midday till sunset roughly. |
| MISC. | There is nothing nearby, so bring with you what you need. The hole to photograph through is quite narrow, a normal lens will not fit through it. Also, you can only see a small portion of the runway, obscured by light poles, stand markings, etc. – you need good reflexes, a camera with a fast burst rate and some luck to get 1 or 2 clean shots. Heat haze is a BIG problem here for most of the year. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 200-400mm B744: 200mm / B738 or A319: 400mm |
Gas station meadow - 31L Arrivals
| WHERE | This spot can be found on the meadow located north of the Shell gas station which is just along the highway from the city to the aiport. At the last junction, you have to turn off to the south towards a shopping mall and there you will find the Shell on your left. Just west of this facility is a little dead end road, drive to its end and park your car there. Then continue by foot onto the meadow for another 5 minutes. You can also use the parking of the Market Central mall: the parking here is only free for the first 2 hours now with 300HUF/hour afterwards. You can park there a few times a day for free, but after you have left the parking and want to return, 60 minutes have to pass. |
| WHAT | From here you can spot 31L Arrivals. |
| TIME | Early noon till sunset. |
| MISC. | You can get food/drinks in the gas station just next to the parking spot. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100-400 Sabb 340 = 290mm |
Parking and Terminal Driveway- Foreginers Non-Schengen-Apron + 31L arrivals
| WHERE | This spot is located around the Non-Schengen apron: you can either… 1. stand inside the Holiday parking southwest of the terminal. You can park your car close by a bit southwest for roughly 2,5 Euro for an hour and come here or even reach the airport normally by public transport and walk here. The spot is no exact location rather the area along the fence. 2. locate yourself by the roadside of the terminaldriveway which is pretty easy to find. Honestly, it’s no exact position again rather the area along the driveway. Just come to the southwestern end of the terminal and walk along/climb the dirt hill, which offers a narrow path at the top, where you can spot from. |
| WHAT | Aicraft using the foregin part of the non-schengen finger (e.g. Aeroflot, AlMasria, EgyptAir, Emirates, Shanghai Airlines, Qatar,…) and arrivals on 31L, which are rare though (if, mostly cargo or bizjets). |
| TIME | Light from sunrise till late morning in the summer and in the winter almost unuseable, just a few hours after sunrise. |
| MISC. | No ladder needed as it’s useless and very dangerous here. Everything needed inside the terminal facilities, which are very close for sure. Heat haze can be a problem for arrivals, especially on hot summer days. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-300mm A223 (side shot) = 90mm |
Option in the parking:
Option on the terminal driveway:
Tribe Hotel - Apron and runway 31L
| WHERE | The “Tribe Airport Hotel” is a brand new hotel right next to the terminal and the Ibis Hotel. A massive bonus of the Tribe is the rooftop bar which faces the airport and has at least a 180 degrees view around. You can also spot from the hotel rooms! |
| WHAT | Apron and runway 31L line-ups. |
| TIME | Best from sunrise until noon. Be aware of heat haze! |
| MISC. | Everything you need is given at this location. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Unkown |
Smoking terrace - Terminal 2A Schengenapron + nearby taxiways + 31R departures + 13L Arrivals
| WHERE | This smoking terrace is inside BUD Terminal 2A and can be reached only AFTER the SECURITY CHECK WITH AN VALID BOARDING PASS.
After passing the security, head to the upper floor – the foodcourt. Then walk to the floors north-western end, pass the “leroy Bistro” on your left and follow the signs to the smoking terrace. Just after passing the electronical doors, turn left to glassfront, where we took our example pictures from. This corner is quite quit and not that smoky, that’s why we stood here. We marked on the map, where you can take pictures from once you arrived on the terrace. Quite important, as subjects and angle of view can change along this “route”. |
| WHAT | From here you can see parts of the apron infront of Terminal 2A as well as parts of the nearby taxiways. 13L Arrivals and late 31R departures are okay as well. |
| TIME | Depends on what you want to take a picture of! The RWY 13L/31R has light from late morning till sunset in summer and in the winter from around shortly after sunrise till sunset. On the other RWY 13R/31L you will have backlit and distance is too high for good shots. On the apron it depends on the angle and position of the aircraft, but almost unuseable from late afternoon on as you’ll have backlit from this timepoint on for the most activities. |
| MISC. | No ladder needed as it’s useless here. Everything needed inside the terminal facilities, which are very close for sure. Heat haze is a problem here. If you don’t like or bear smoking smell, you should avoid this spot. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 50-400mm A321 = 185mm / B789 on runway = 250mm / A320 pushback = 70mm |
Example overview along the glassfront – this one was taken next to the mentioned door:
Visitor terrace - Terminal 2A Schengenapron + nearby taxiways + 31R departures + 13L Arrivals
| WHERE | The visitor terrace is landside on the top of BUD Terminal 2A. Just follow the signs inside the terminal(s) and you will get to the small terrace which is fully glazed.
This spot is located BEFORE the SECURITY CHECK and can be entered without one. We marked on the map, where you can take pictures from once you arrived on the terrace – subjects and angle of view can change along this “route”. |
| WHAT | From here you can see parts of the apron infront of Terminal 2A as well as parts of the nearby taxiways. 13L Arrivals and late 31R departures are sort of okay as well. |
| TIME | Depends on what you want to take a picture of! The RWY 13L/31R has light from late morning till sunset in summer and in the winter from around shortly after sunrise till sunset. On the other RWY 13R/31L you will have backlit and distance is too high for good shots. On the apron it depends on the angle and position of the aircraft, but almost unuseable from late afternoon on as you’ll have backlit from this timepoint on for the most activities. |
| MISC. | No ladder needed as it’s useless here. But you can stand on the benches and try to shoot thru the free space between glass and net as the glass is often dirty! Everything needed inside the terminal facilities, which are very close for sure. Heat haze is a problem here. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-300mm A350 on far away taxiway = 120mm / B738 on ramp in front = 110mm |
View to the east:
View to the northwest:
Example overview along the glassfront:
Mound Cargo City - Taxiway A8
| WHERE | This spot is located within the Cargo City employee parking lot – you can enter without any issues, the first hour is free, afterwards every subsequent hour costs 500 HUF (about 1.25EUR). Most parking spaces will have company designations, if at all possible, avoid them and try parking in unmarked spots. From there walk up to the fence – you may choose a suitable position along based on the movement. The bus also serves the cargo city thus the spot is reachable by public transport, too. |
| WHAT | Runway 13L/31R, Taxiway Y / A8 movements. Aircraft parked on the taxiway just west between the spot and the LCC ramp/apron (which this spot was famous for earlier) cannot be seen anymore due to a newly build wall! Due to a freshly built antenna, views onto the taxiway of aircraft turning out of the Cargo City are limited now. The maximum aircraft size which you can shoot here now is a B77F (only 1 picture then as well). Anything bigger (like B748) is not visible in full aircraft size. |
| TIME | Afternoon until sunset. |
| MISC. | Ladder HIGHLY recommended, especially for Runway movements. Although you may find some holes in the fence, it is wired with motion detectors, which will alert security. Heat haze is an issue in the summer especially if the grass is not cut (often the case). Keep a low profile, security/police may come around and check ID, especially if Israeli airplanes are about to move. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 35-200mm Taxiway Y: B744 = 35mm, A321 = 55mm / Runway: A321 = 200mm, B762 = 135mm |
Cargo City - Cargo apron + 13L/31R
| WHERE | Cargo City (CC) is the new cargo terminal of Budapest Airport (opened in 2020), located next to RWY13L/31R between TWY X and Y having 2 stands (C1 and C2) for serving even two 747s at the same time. It’s used by most of the cargo airlines (Cargolux, Qatar Cargo, Turkish Cargo, Korean Cargo and ad hoc cargo services). Daily cargo flights (UPS, DHL, TNT, FedEx) are still using the T1 terminal. Simply take the official way to Cargo City and park again on the dirt part and walk up to the fence or walk here from the upcoming location “Spottertree”. So this spot is either right at the fence or on the nearby mounds – depending on what you wanna shoot exactly… |
| WHAT | The cargo apron as well as the runway 13L/31R: best here are 13L departures and 31R arrivals. |
| TIME | Cargo City is on the afternoon side of the airport but it is possible to have good light conditions in the morning when the aircraft is entering/leaving the apron. But in general, evening is the best. |
| MISC. | Nothing around. There are some small holes in the perimeter fence, so ladder is not needed, but you will have more opportunities if you have one. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 15-300mm 15-105mm for cargo apron / 70-300mm for landing aircrafts |
Spotterdomb - 31R arrivals + late 31R Line-Ups + Heavy 13R Arrivals
| WHERE | Follow the M4, heading Szolnok, until you have the possibilty to exit for Vecses/Ecser, so exit the M4 there. Turn left onto the “Uj Ecseri” ut and follow this road for about 500m – then turn right onto the road “400”. After about 2km turn right again onto “Ecseri ut”. Follow this road and park your car after you crossed the M4. Now just walk for ~5 minutes following the signs towards the location along the dirty path – we marked the route on our map as well. Then you have various options: Option A: official hill Option B: another gap offering nice views onto aircraft turning off after 13L arrivals and where arriving airplanes are just in front of a little gap in the treerow Option C: arriving aircraft are still above the trees here. |
| WHAT | Departures, if the planes take the last taxiway to enter the runway, and arrivals on runway 31R. Plus heavy 13R Arrivals. |
| TIME | In summer from late morning till sunset and in the winter from around shortly after sunrise till sunset. |
| MISC. | There is nothing nearby, so bring with you what you need. The “Spotterdomb” is well known by the general public, so it can be a bit crowded in the weekends. Heat haze is a BIG problem here. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 30-300mm B767 on taxiway = ~45mm / B744 on taxiway = 40mm / A321 on arrival = 230mm / B747 arrival = 110mm |
Option A:
Option B:
Option C:
Dirtroad - Arrivals 31R
| WHERE | Follow the M4, heading Szolnok, until you have the possibility to exit for Vecses/Ecser, so exit the M4 there. Turn right onto the Uj Ecseri ut and follow this road for about 800m – then exit the roundabout at the 3rd exit towards “VGP Park Aerozone 2” (ignore the “no entry” sign, you can drive here). At the next roundabout, take the 1st exit towards “VGP Park Aerozone 2 A, B, E Épületek”. At the end, turn left onto the dirt road. After about 100 meters you have to turn left, then follow the road to the right. Now follow this path until you want and just park your car there. It depends on the perspective you like the most! If you are in a rush, you can also stop earlier along Dobro Car Parking marked on the map as well. The angle is almost the same, the aircraft are just a bit higher and you’re a bit farther away. |
| WHAT | Arrivals on runway 31R only. |
| TIME | In summer from late morning till sunset and in the winter from around shortly after sunrise till sunset. |
| MISC. | There is nothing nearby, so bring with you what you need. If it is rainy it can be dangerous to drive on the path, because your car may get stuck. If so, just park your car next to the roundabout and walk to the spot. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-300mm Dirtroad: B747 = 125mm / A320 = 200mm Dobro Car park: B747 = 145mm / A320 = 270mm |
Option Dirtroad: example spot along the dirtroad somewhere
Option Dobro cars:
Field - Arrivals 31R + 13L Silhouette Departures
| WHERE | Follow the M4, heading Szolnok, until you have the possibility to exit for Vecses/Ecser, so exit the M4 there. Turn right onto the Uj Ecseri ut and follow this road for about 800m – then exit the roundabout at the 3rd exit towards “VGP Park Aerozone 2” (ignore the “no entry” sign, you can drive here). At the next roundabout, take the 1st exit towards “VGP Park Aerozone 2 A, B, E Épületek”. At the end, turn left onto the dirt road. Follow this path until you get to the arrival lights, then turn right, drive until you want and just park your car there. It depends on the perspective you like the most! |
| WHAT | Arrivals on runway 31R only, on summer evenings you can take nice silhouette shots from here as well. |
| TIME | In summer from sunrise till early midday/late morning and in winter almost unuseable. |
| MISC. | There is nothing nearby, so bring with you what you need. For silhouette shots, a ladder is needed unless you want to shoot through the mesh. If it is rainy it can be dangerous to drive on the path, because your car may get stuck. If so, just park your car next to the roundabout and walk to the spot. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100-300mm A320 = 210mm |
Meadow East - Arrivals 31R + Departures 13L
| WHERE | Continue by car on the dirt road along the fence/treeline until you reach the position marked on the map roughly at the second taxiway onto the runway. Then you can just park your car on the meadow here and go stand by the fence now. Be Careful the roads are in bad conditions! |
| WHAT | 31R Arrivals and 13L Departures. |
| TIME | On early summer mornings only. |
| MISC. | A ladder is needed. But nothing around. Way in here can be bumpy, especiall after heavy rainfalls. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100-400mm B757 = 160mm |
Thanks to Szabolcs Papp for the pictures:
Eastern runway fenceside - 13L/31R Movements
| WHERE | Yet again, just continue on the dirt toad, but first this will lead you away from the fence a bit. However, try to keep left and head towards the fencefront again as soon as possible. Then you can just stand somewhere along the front on the meadow at any of the options listed below: A, B or C. Be Careful the roads are in bad conditions! |
| WHAT | All movements on runway 13L/31R. |
| TIME | Only useable on early summer mornings. |
| MISC. | Heat haze is an issue, especially once the grass is not freshly cut. Nothing around, but a ladder needed. The road in here is a horror after lots of rain and already tough/bumpy on dry days. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100-400mm |
18A:
18B:
18C:
No examples yet, but spot looks like THIS.
Vörösmarty utca - Arrivals 13L
| WHERE | This spot is located in the suburb of Rákoshegy. Just turn off Ferihegyi út to the west into a small road called “Vörösmarty utca”. You can leave your car by the roadside on grass pits there and directly photograph from here. |
| WHAT | 13L Arrivals only. |
| TIME | Early summer mornings only. |
| MISC. | Nothing around, keep a low profile. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-300mm B737 = 230mm |
Storage hall - Arrivals 13L
| WHERE | This spot is quiet far away from the terminal and can´t be reached with public transport. If you want to drive there by car from the terminal, just take the Ferihegy highway into city direction. Be sure to take the lower level (drive right) just a few houndred meter after you passed the old Terminal 1 on your right. After around 2km you should see a gas station on your right. turn right just after the Petrol gas station onto the Csévéző ut. Follow this road for about 1,5km until you can see the Lőrinci út on your left. After 800m you have to turn right into the Bocskai István ut and after 650m you can park the car and search for your favourite spot and perspective you like the most! |
| WHAT | 13L Arrivals only. |
| TIME | In summer from late morning till sunset and in the winter from around shortly after sunrise till sunset. |
| MISC. | No ladder needed and no restrooms near to this spot. For little drinks/snacks you can visit the gas sattion which is next to the crossing of Ferihegy highway and Csévéző ut. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-300mm ERJ170 = 135mm / Cessna 650 = 175mm |
You can reach Cargohill with train too; Take the S50 train to Monor, it departs from Budapest Nyugati, in the heart of the city.
The marking for Spot 13 Option B is incorrect, it should be here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ybHnXKUBq53VvDS39
News on Spot 4:
Unfortunately, the building is not abandoned anymore. It meanwhile belongs to the BUD airport authority.
When I arrived, several people with ID‘s were staying on the stairs. I asked them politely if I may stay there to take pictures (facing away from the building). They called a colleague, who seemed to be kind of an security officer, wearing a shirt with „BUD airport“ markings.
We had a short and friendly chat, but he explained to me, that the building as well as the street leading to it is private property (with „do not enter“ streetsigns) and he needs me to leave. He apologized and told me, I could stay wherever I want (behind the „do not enter“ signs).
So unfortunately, another spot is gone…
Thanks for the update, Timo. I just updated the guide accordingly.
Spot 10, parking at the moment is not an option due construction. I’m not sure if you’ll be able to park there in the future but it appears that a full service road has been installed and is no longer a gravel road.
The Spottertree (spot 12) was cut down.
🙁
Thats not nice 🙁
-Julian
There is still a big tree in near enough the spot that is mentioned. I’m not sure if it was the original but I imagine easy enough to climb.
Yes, the tree is there but the platform on it is gone.
Just returned from a city break in Budapest. Can any of the local spotters provide me with the identity of the derelict aircraft by the fire station visible from the terminals at Liszt Ferenc Airport. It had a white fuselage and dark blue tail. My photograph does not match either HA-LHB or P4-RMB previously quoted in various sources so would appreciate any help. Many thanks
It is D-AIRE (former Lufthansa A321): D-AIRE | Airbus A321-131 | Untitled | Daniel Nagy | JetPhotos
Hi! If I have some 4-5 hours between flights, can I go on foot from Liszt Ferenc Airport 2 to the Spotterdomb (location 13) or to the nearby location 11? I don’t mind walking 2 or 3 kilometers, but I’d like to know if you are allowed to walk from the main terminal building towards Cargo city or if it is a cars-only road.
Hi,
The road next to cargo city closed to vehicle traffic, but you can cross by walk.
@ugur Thank you for your reply! Best regards!
If there is rain, what spots have a roof or something to prevent me from wetting my clothes?
You can get wet at all spotter points.
I am staying at the airport next week, what spots can be reached on foot?
Hi, can you please tell me how is the cargo traffic during the weekends? Thanks!
Hi, there is no regular cargo traffic but you may see some Aerotrans services there these days on weekends.
-Julian
Thanks so much!
Also, do you have any idea if Spot 13 is reachable after rainy days?
Thanks!!
Yes, you can reach there even slowly days 🙂
Sunday, very good.
-korean csrgo
-Qatar cargo
Nowadays you can see Korean Air Cargo’s 747 on Sunday. Flight radar says 777 but it will be 747 🙂