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Of the factors influencing the rise of dental tourism in Budapest amongst the top has to be low cost air travel from the UK

One of the reasons it has lately become so feasible for people to travel to Budapest for dental treatments is the proliferation of low cost airlines that regularly fly in and out of Budapest’s Ferihegy [ferry-hedge] airport. This is set to continue for a long time especially since the British Airport Authority (BAA) has just bought a 75 year contract to exclusively run and develop the airport. The airport as it stands now was modernized a few years ago and there has been significant investment from new EU money into the roads feeding it. The new investment from BAA will turn it into the major hub for the entire east European arena. BAA has even hinted at installing a high speed rail link into the city center which should cut journey times down from 45 minutes to under 20 minutes.

The airport’s main terminal is terminal 2 but there is the older terminal, rebuilt in the last year or so, which services many of the no-frills airlines. Conveniently it is slightly closer to the centre of Budapest cutting up to 10 minutes off the journey time which has to be a first for most discount destinations who usually fly to airports well outside the target city.
Of course not everyone wants to go the no-frills way and there are still a few traditional airlines left who offer in-flight food and that little bit of extra service and leg room.

British Airways

Another favourite of ours but, with a noticeably older fleet of aircraft, for us they are just pipped at the post by Malev. If your loyalties lie firmly in the UK then this is the choice for you. Service is good with crew being sourced entirely from home. The food has recently been hit by catering staff strikes in the UK forcing them to offer hot deli-style wraps but as the flight is so short (usually under 2 hours 30 minutes) it shouldn’t be enough to irritate. As with most airlines these days price is strictly controlled by availability. The less seats available the higher the price you pay. Booking online is a breeze offering you a choice of fare options around your intended travel dates. They now even offer online check-in which gives you a chance to pick your seats up to 24 hours in advance. Flights from Heathrow for around £120-£180.

Online Booking: www.BritishAirways.com
Telephone Booking: 0870 850 9 850

Easy Jet

If you can do without the frills then you could save a packet with one of the most consistently good budget airlines out there

We used to enjoy the mad stampede onto the plane, trampling all who were unfortunate enough to get in our way! But those days are long gone with the introduction of new civilizing priority boarding procedures. Those most at risk from the stampede now go on first followed by those who turn up early for check-in. Recently introduced is a speedy boarding option costing between £7.50 to £15 which buys you a place at the head of the queue. But you can still sit anywhere you like. And you still have to pay for your food and drink.

As with all no-frills airlines, booking in advance is essential for cheap flights and you should watch out for regular ticket give aways for as little as 99p each way. The usual taxes and additional charges seem to be very reasonable in comparison to most airlines charging, only £5 for Budapest.
The range of places you can fly from and back to makes this certainly the most flexible of airlines. Flights from Gatwick. One way prices start from £14.99 in low season and £20.99 in high season plus charges which means, if you are first to the tickets, you should usually be able to get there and back for between £50 and £100.

Online Booking: www.easyjet.com
Telephone Booking: 0905 821 0905

Wizz

A recent addition to the value-oriented airlines. A jointly owned Hungarian and Polish company formed this company just over 1 year ago with a fresh fleet of Airbus A320’s they claim to be the largest in Central Europe. I’d also add that they have possibly the largest number of seats ever squeezed into an A320 providing good leg room only for those under 5ft 6in . That said, the cabin crew are pleasant and upbeat taking the lead from airlines like Virgin. Food and drink are well priced and they even offer specials on certain combinations. Flights are up to 4 times a week from Luton only but at very reasonable times. Their web site is good and offers pricing around your requested dates. Pricing per ticket is competitive but watch out for the additional charges which can be over £20 per airport. A reasonable off peak return should come in at between £65 and £100. Have been known to offer great discounts occasionally including ones that drop the taxes as well.  Flights are currently available from Luton, Birmingham, Belfast and Glasgow.

Online Booking: wizzair.com
Telephone Booking: +48 22 351 9499
(There is no UK number but the operators speak good English)

Jet2

Originally operating under the name Channel Express and founded by Philip Meeson, Jet2 has now refreshed its fleet with sparkling new 737 and 757’s. Currently proudly serving the north of England they are the airline of choice for those travelling to Budapest from anywhere seriously north of Watford. Winner of numerous awards including ‘Best Short Haul Airline’ and ‘Most Punctual Airline – flying into Amsterdam’. If you have time to spare and are flexible on your travel dates you can find some real bargains using their web site’s original ‘low fare finder’. Reasonably you should expect to pay around £90-£110 for a return but factor in the amount you’d normally have to spend on train tickets to London and you’re quids in. As a side note, fortunately the planned route cancellation from Manchester to Budapest has now been canned for the foreseeable future.  Flights are currently available from Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh.

Online Booking: www.jet2.com
Telephone Booking UK: 0871 226 1737
Telephone Booking Ireland: 0818 200017
Telephone Booking Hungary: +36 1999 1444

Ryan Air

Recently resuming flights to Budapest from Bristol, Manchester, Glasgow, and Stanstead, Ryanair in many ways sets the bar for bargain airlines

As with all low cost airlines booking in advance can save you a lot of money and conversely booking at the last moment can cost the earth.
Ryan Air has pioneered the budget airline experience saving you money by removing the costly romance of air travel.
Recently introduced is mandatory online check-in for which the charge is £5. Anyone not printing their boarding pass 4 hours before take-off will be charged £40 per person to use the old style check-in at the airport. This applies to all passengers even those wishing to check hold luggage.
As with all Budget airlines food and drink is available for a price on the aircraft.
You should also check the current baggage weight restrictions carefully before setting off as penalties apply.
That said Ryanair last year flew over 65 million passengers so they must be doing something good

Tourist Information

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or Email: customerServices@SmileSaversHungary.co.uk

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