Last Chance to Ride Budapest’s Historic Nostalgia Trams This Season

Last Chance to Ride Budapest's Historic Nostalgia Trams This Season
Event October 23, 2025 8:00 am - October 26, 2025 8:00 pm
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Author Dani Pesti
Image source BKK

Time travelers, vintage enthusiasts, and history buffs, this is your final call. Budapest’s beloved nostalgia tram season draws to a close this October, offering one last long weekend to experience the city’s meticulously preserved historic vehicles before they return to their winter rest. Since May, these rolling time capsules have transported passengers not just across the city, but back through decades of Budapest’s rich transportation heritage.

The 2025 nostalgia season has been operating every weekend from May through late October, giving visitors the chance to explore Budapest aboard authentic vintage trams that once defined daily life in the Hungarian capital. These aren’t replicas or theme park attractions—they’re genuine pieces of living history, some dating back over a century, lovingly restored and maintained by Budapest’s public transport company BKV.

Final Weekend Schedule

Thursday, October 23
Tram 2624 operating on the Kamaraerdei Ifjúsági Park to Móricz Zsigmond körtér route

Friday, October 24
Bengali Tram 1233 running from Lehel tér M to Káposztásmegyer, Megyeri út

Saturday, October 25
Nostalgia Tram 3430 traveling from Közvágóhíd H to Jászai Mari tér
Bengali Tram 1233 on a circular route from Örs vezér tere through Rákospalota MÁV-telep and Mexikói út

Sunday, October 26
Tram 2624 running from Közvágóhíd H to Jászai Mari tér

The Regular Nostalgia Lines

Beyond the special weekend routes, Budapest operates three permanent nostalgia lines throughout the season, each offering a unique perspective on the city.

N2 Nostalgia Tram
Often ranked among the world’s ten most beautiful tram routes, the N2 glides along the Pest embankment of the Danube. From your vintage wooden seat, you’ll pass the majestic Parliament Building, cross views of Budapest’s iconic bridges, gaze across at Buda Castle perched on the hillside, and take in the dramatic silhouette of Gellért Hill. This route transforms sightseeing into a genuine time-travel experience, combining stunning views with authentic period atmosphere.

N18 Nostalgia Tram
The N18 route connects Szent János Hospital to Csóka Street, passing through Széll Kálmán Square, Krisztina Boulevard, Szent Gellért Square, and Bartók Béla Street. Starting from the shady trees of Városmajor, this line emerges onto the spectacular Danube embankment before continuing to the Kelenföld district. The journey showcases both Budapest’s leafy residential neighborhoods and its grand riverside architecture.

N19 Nostalgia Tram
Experience the unrivaled panorama of the Buda riverside aboard the N19. This route takes you past imposing buildings, famous thermal baths, historic market halls, elegant bridges, and lush green parks. At Deák Ferenc Square, you can visit the underground metro museum, and at Clark Ádám Square, you’ll find easy access to the Buda Castle Funicular.

Tickets and Pricing

Nostalgia Single Journey Ticket: 600 HUF
Valid for one trip without transfers, interruptions, or return travel on nostalgia vehicles

Best deals of Budapest

Nostalgia Day Pass: 2,400 HUF
Unlimited travel on all nostalgia routes within Budapest city limits for one full day

Children’s Tickets: Available at reduced rates for students from elementary school age until their 15th birthday

Tickets can be purchased through the BudapestGO app, at BKK customer service centers, or directly from staff aboard the vehicles, where contactless card payment is now accepted. This modern payment integration makes riding these century-old trams refreshingly convenient for international visitors.

The Urban Transport Museum Closing Weekend

The nostalgia season’s finale coincides with the closing weekend of Budapest’s Urban Transport Museum in Szentendre. Located next to the HÉV suburban railway terminus, this beloved museum celebrates its 33rd anniversary this year. The museum showcases vintage trams and other historic transport vehicles in a hands-on environment where nostalgia comes alive.

For the final weekends of October, the museum offers a special treat: functioning tram simulator experiences every Saturday and Sunday. The ICS tram simulator takes you on a virtual journey along the entire Buda section of tram line 19, placing you in the driver’s seat for an authentic operating experience.

Simulator Operating Dates: October 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, and 25-26, 2025
Location: Urban Transport Museum, Szentendre, next to the HÉV terminus
Museum Final Day: October 31, 2025 (reopens in April 2026)

Please Note: Ferry Service Suspension

BKV river ferry services will not operate on Thursday, October 23, 2025, due to the national holiday. Ferry service resumes normal operations from Friday, October 24.

Why This Experience Matters

Budapest’s nostalgia trams represent more than quaint tourist attractions. These vehicles—some dating back to 1906—carry the stories of generations who built, rode, and loved this city. Tram 2624, for instance, was built in Buda in 1906, spent decades in service, enjoyed a stint in Amsterdam, and returned home in 2004 for careful restoration. The brown wooden tram 611 was manufactured in 1908 and narrowly escaped demolition in 1975 before being restored to its original glory.

Riding these vintage vehicles offers something no modern tram can provide: the authentic sounds, smells, and sensations of early 20th-century urban transport. The wooden floors creak, the bells clang with distinctive tones, and the mechanical systems operate with satisfying precision. Meanwhile, the routes themselves showcase Budapest at its most beautiful, traveling along the Danube embankment past UNESCO World Heritage sites and architectural treasures.

For visitors to Budapest, this final weekend represents the last opportunity until next May to combine world-class sightseeing with genuine historical immersion. After October 26, these beautiful machines return to their depots for winter maintenance, and the city’s streets lose a touch of their vintage charm until spring arrives again.

Don’t miss your chance to step aboard a piece of Budapest’s living history before the season ends.

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Last Chance to Ride Budapest's Historic Nostalgia Trams This Season