Does the 3-day 'metro' pass also allow you to use the trams and buses?

Sorry but I could not find any clear info on this on the net. Thanks

Yes, we found it to be a great deal! The only negative I found, was a feeling of disappointment that a ticket inspector never asked to see my pass, so how could I prove that I was entitled to so casually stroll onto the metro/tram, without a concern in the world>
As an aside, we found our eyes riveted on the map inside the metro/tram car, comparing each name on the map to the sign on the station. We stayed near Mexico ter, which amused me (the word being so different from Hungarian)

Moxie - The transportation pass is great! You can ride the train (as long as you're within the city boundries of Budapest), trams, metro and buses. Remember to sign the back of the card. As tomboy said, we also found it a great deal - we never got stopped by the red arm-banded ticket inspector either - we only spotted them during the rush hour. It's quite easy to get around Budapest as they have an excellent transportation system. ENJOY!

oops - forgot to mention that the pass isn't valid on either the funicular, The Children's Railroad and/or the chairlift (all on the Buda side-the last 2 being in the Buda hills).

Oh, yes, the funicular. For its length, it's fairly expensive. About $5 for a ride only maybe 90 seconds.
At least with a carnival ride you get a thrill. Maybe they could have it jolt or something, to make it seem more worthwhile. Halfway down, I was thinking, "maybe we should have taken the bus"

What is the alternative method to get up to the Castle District if you don't take the funicular up to the top? I assume there must be a bus that will take you up there for the people who live and work there.

Yes, there's a bus (several?). We took the subway (Metro) from somewhere east of the Parliament, under the river, to its Buda stop. Walked up the stairs, caught a bus to the top of the hill to see the Castle etc. Took funicular down. Here's a hyperlink to the Budapest Metro website which will give you the idea that: 1)it's VERY easy to navigate the town 2)the connections are good 3) it's a user-friendly transit system. Maps readily available.

Budapest transit fares and passes: http://www.bkv.hu/angol/jegyek/index.html

I know it depends on what you want to see, but does anyone have an opinion on whether the 3-day Budapest Card is worth it?

Doesn't my opinion count?

Got one in September. I was there almost exactly three days and did use the subway and the trams often, so I used the transit part of it. But I went to fewer museums than I thought, so in the end it wasn't worth it to me. I would have been better off just buying a 3-day transit pass and paying full price at the few museums I went to. Then again, I came out only $5 or $6 behind, so what?

The Museum part: why don't you figure out how many museums you will want to go to? If it's a whole bunch, it probably is worth it for the card, unless you will not use the Metro or the trams much. The Transit part: my philosphy is not to fool with tickets and just buy a day pass/multi-day passes whenever I'm in a city using transit - and in Budapest it's especially complicated because you have to use a new ticket each time you transfer. A pass is just easier. If perhaps you will stay in central Pest or something and rarely use the Metro, maybe you won't need it, but Budapest is a big city and unless you have a car/plan to drive everywhere, you will likely use it a few times at least.

Andrew

if you are not planning to use the museum part of the pass, i think buying metro cards at the station for numerous rides is just as interesting and in the end, cheaper.( good also for buses).

we were also there for three days and realized we would not be using the museum part of pass enough to make it worth while.

depending on where you are staying, you may not be able to walk anywhere.. but we did a nice combination of walking.

there is a bus that goes from the sofitel hotel area straight up to the castle hill in a few minutes. i believe it is 16.

the transport is execellent.

we took train oursleves also to szentendre one morning the weather was nice.

i have trip report with details, but i do not know any easy way to dig into my numerous posts to find it. it was from last year.

From the Charles Bridge, it's an easy enough walk up to the Royal Palace. In February, there was a queue for the funicular and for the distance it travelled it seemed more of a novelty ride than anything else.

Of course I meant the Chain Bridge, not the Charles Bridge in my earlier post!

I'd been helping friends plan a Prague trip, still had Prague on my mind and had a momentary lapse.

We're just back from three nights/four days in Budapest and perhaps because we enjoy walking as a way to get to know a city we used very little of the subway system. Our hotel was very central and we walked pretty much everywhere we wanted to go. I agree with others who have said to study the museums you may want to visit and let that be a big factor in deciding whether you buy a pass. Keep in mind that most or all museums are closed on Monday. The fewere the museums, the less economical the pass will turn out to be. Budapest is great--have fun.

We did not get any kind of pass for our recent four night visit to Budapest. We bought one book of ten tickets for the metro and that worked out perfectly for us.

About the pass for museums keep in mind that the National Gallery, National Museum and Fine Art Gallery are free.

We had one week in Budapest. We mostly walked, used the train a few times but bought as needed at station. We took the boat ride (From near the Marriott) up to the Danube Bend to Szentendre and the train back. That was nice city break. Add up your museums first/ those didn't make sense for us either. Have fun ! One of my fav vacations. Great food and I recommend the opera if it is available - it was a wonderful night and tickets are extremely reasonable - for some reason we don't go at home but always when we travel - it was one of our highlights. Dinner, opera, dancing. perfect.

may i ask where you went dancing after/with dinner?
We hope to go back to budapest next year, and i would love to add an evening of dancing . thanks.