Bratislava to Budapest by car: via Rajka or through Slovakia

There are two main ways from Bratislava's main station to Keleti station in Budapest: south on the D2 to Rajka, or east through Slovakia to Komárno. On OpenStreetMap routing the Komárno route is about 8 km shorter but roughly 25 minutes slower without traffic, so apps can swap between them. To see today's times, compare this route on Mapssy.

The routes at a glance

Via Rajka

The D2 crosses the Danube on the Lafranconi bridge and runs south past Petržalka. You need a vignette only for the last 9 km, from the Jarovce junction to Čunovo at the border. To skip it, take the old road through Rusovce, which has its own crossing at Rajka.

In Hungary the M15 runs about 14 km to the M1 near Mosonmagyaróvár, and the M1 roughly 160 km on to Budapest. The last 78 km, from the Concó rest area to the M0, are inside the widening works.

The M1 works

MKIF, the M1's operator, is adding a third lane each way between the M0 junction (km 16) and the Concó rest area near Bábolna (km 94). The two phases are due to finish on 31 August 2028 and 31 August 2029. From late September 2026, traffic in both directions between the M0 and Tatabánya moves onto one carriageway in stages, with 90 km/h on open stretches and 70 km/h near junctions.

Both routes pass through the works, since even the Komárom junction (km 85) lies inside them. Closures are on MKIF's M1 site, and the autumn layout is in our Vienna to Budapest guide. MKIF's M1 pages say nothing about works on the M15, so check Útinform before you go.

Through Slovakia via Komárno

The R7 runs south-east from Bratislava to Holice, and its 25 km from the D4 junction need a vignette. Road 63 then bypasses Dunajská Streda and reaches Komárno after roughly 60 km of two-lane road through villages, with a 90 km/h limit between them. With road 13 on the Hungarian side, the two-lane part is about 70 km.

At Komárno, the Monostor bridge (opened in 2020) is about 3 km upstream of the old bridge between the town centres. Road 13 leads from it to the M1 at the Komárom junction. Some apps use the old bridge instead, which is about 2 km longer.

This route pays off when the D2, the Rajka crossing or the M1 west of Komárom is blocked. On a clear road the two-lane section makes it slower.

Vignettes

In Slovakia, buy on eznamka.sk, its app or an official point of sale such as a petrol station, and avoid resale sites. A 1-day vignette (€8.10, valid until midnight on the chosen day) covers either the D2 to Čunovo or the R7 to Holice.

In Hungary, buy the e-vignette before you join the M15 or M1. The daily one (5,550 Ft for the chosen calendar day) is cheapest for a same-day return, and the 10-day one (6,900 Ft) covers a later trip back. The 60-minute window after entering is only for drivers who join by mistake. Without a valid e-vignette the surcharge is 27,790 Ft if paid within 60 days, or 95,730 Ft after that.

If you drive this way often, the M1 regional e-vignette costs 15,000 Ft a year for a car and covers the M1 and M15. Prices are for 2026, checked 26 September 2026; full lists are in our vignette guide.

Border checks

On 26 September 2026 the European Commission's list showed no border checks by Slovakia or Hungary. A route through Austria, via Jarovce and the A6 and A4 to Hegyeshalom, is different: Austria checks traffic at its Slovak and Hungarian borders until 15 March 2027 (see border checks in 2026), and you need an Austrian vignette as well as a Slovak one for the 2 km of D4 at the border.

Why apps may pick different routes

With the two routes so close in length, the choice rests on the speed each app expects. A queue at Čunovo, an M15 closure or slow traffic west of Komárom can tip one app towards Komárno. With tolls avoided, an app may take the old road to Rajka. More in why navigation apps show different arrival times.

In your app's route overview, M15 or Rajka means the south route, and R7 or 63 means Slovakia and Komárno. A6 or Hegyeshalom means Austria. If the route looks odd, check whether avoiding tolls or motorways is switched on (app settings).

Arriving at Keleti

The M1 ends at Budaörsi út on the Buda side. Keleti is across the river at Baross tér, so apps also differ on the Danube bridge or the M0. Since 1 July 2026 most districts have removed their parking meters, so street parking is paid by app, text or call; zones and the Kelenföld P+R are in the Vienna to Budapest guide.

Checklist

• Slovak e-vignette for the D2 to Čunovo or the R7 to Holice.
• Hungarian e-vignette bought before the M15 or M1, with plate, country code and category (D1 for ordinary cars) checked.
• Closures checked on MKIF's M1 site or Útinform.
• Today's times compared on Mapssy.
• A way to pay for Budapest parking by phone.