10 tips to help you have a great experience using Bubi public bikes during the Sziget Festival
The MOL Bubi bike-sharing system is not only environmentally friendly and fast, it's also a healthy way to get around and keep fit. Needless to say, with a real festival lifestyle, everyone needs a little extra exercise, right? The good news is that you can even do just that with Bubi. We've put together ten tips on what to look out for to make sure you're still having a good time cycling during the Sziget Festival.
1. Enjoy the festival using Bubi bikes, but remember, there is no bike station at the festival site. The closest bike station to Óbuda Island is at the intersection of Kórház utca and Polgár utca and at Szentlélek tér. From there you can walk to the entrance of the festival in an hour, or you can take the suburban railway (HÉV) from Szentlélek tér station to Filatorigát station. We're happy if you choose MOL Bubi to get to the festival, but please make sure you lock your bike at a MOL Bubi station, not at the bike rack at the entrance to the Sziget, and there is no station on the festival grounds. Why? We'll answer that in a separate section.
2. Never tried the Bubi public bikes? It's about time then, because it's a joy to ride. The MOL Bubi is the greenest mode of transport in Budapest, and it's available 24/7. You can pick up your bike at 197 stations across the city, so it's a great way to combine it with other forms of public transport. It's easy to use: download the MOL Bubi app for your iPhone here, for your Android phone here , or if you have a Huawei phone here , choose whether you want to ride by the minute and Pay as You Go or buy a pass and you're ready to roll. How does the public bike-sharing service work? Here’s more details. If you'd rather watch a tutorial, check out this link.
3. Where is the nearest bike station? On the MOL Bubi website and in the app, we have a map showing all 197 bike stations. You can also see how many bikes are available at any given location. You'll find stations around many of Budapest's landmarks, including the Parliament, Heroes' Square, Dohány Street Synagogue, Széchenyi, Rudas and Gellért Thermal Baths, or even on Andrássy Boulevard. Our pro tip for planning your journey: use the BudapestGO app, as you can set up your trip to include Bubi when planning your route. Here’s how. If you come across a bike at an off-station location, feel free to pick it up.
4. Would you like to buy a long-term pass or pay as you go? If you are registered with a non-Hungarian address in the MOL Bubi app, you can only use bikes on a Pay As You Go basis. In this case, each minute started costs 40 HUF. If you are registered with a Hungarian address, it would make more sense for you to choose the monthly or annual pass. If you use a pass, note that the first 30 minutes of each ride are free of charge. If you exceed this, you will be charged 40 HUF for each additional minute of use. If your journey is longer than 30 minutes, we advise you to stop at a bike station within 30 minutes, return the bike and pick up another one to continue your journey.
5. Ride in pairs Are you going to Sziget with your partner, your friend, your child or maybe your boss? Guess what? You can use two bikes at the same time with one registration at no extra cost. When the two of you are cycling together, make sure you keep track of the 30-minute free ride limit, too.
6. Cycle safely! When you're using a Bubi public bike, just like in any other mode of transport, always look out for other road users as they look out for you! You can find our tips for safer cycling on our website, scroll to the bottom of the page.
7. Always finish your ride at a bike station! Why did we emphasise in Section 1 that you should lock your bike at the nearest station to the festival venue, either Kórház utca–Polgár utca or at Szentlélek tér? Because you can only end your MOL Bubi ride at one of our 197 stations. This is to make sure that other users can always find a bike, and there are no bikes lying around the city haphazardly. If you do drop off your bike at an off-station location, you will have to pay a 5,000 HUF service fee.
8. Double check to make sure your ride is terminated Before you leave the station, don't forget to check that you have finished your bike use for sure. Make sure you've pressed down the smart lock lever - this will be accompanied by three beeps - and check in the app that the bike return process is shown as successful. What can you do if you have problems terminating your ride? Here’s a summary.
9. Any questions or problems? On our website, we have compiled answers to all possible questions about using Bubi. You should browse through the FAQ first. If you don't get an answer to your question, please call our customer service on + 36 1 3255-255 between 6:00 in the morning and midnight, Monday to Sunday.
10. Ride a Bubi bike on the way home, but only if... ... if you're sober. Please take care of yourself and do not use Bubi under the influence of alcohol. If you had a good time at the festival, take a taxi or find transport options at www.bkk.hu/sziget.
Photo: Sziget Festival Official