Fisherman's Bastion, Budapest...

London to Budapest in 24 hours, by train...

The train journey from London to Budapest is safe, easy & affordable and takes just 24 hours, by Eurostar to Paris and high-speed TGV from Paris to Munich, then overnight sleeper to Budapest.  Or there are connections via Paris and Munich, or via Brussels, Cologne & Vienna.  Timetables, prices and how to buy tickets for all these options are explained below in a step-by-step guide.

Train times, fares & tickets...

Which route to choose?

London-Budapest by Eurostar to Paris, TGV to Munich & sleeper train to Budapest

London-Budapest by Eurostar to Paris, CNL sleeper to Munich & RailJet to Budapest

London-Budapest by Eurostar to Brussels, Cologne-Vienna sleeper, Railjet to Budapest

London-Budapest by Eurostar to Paris, TGV to Munich, hotel, Railjet to Budapest

London-Budapest by Eurostar to Paris, TGV to Zurich, hotel, Railjet to Budapest

London & East Anglia to Budapest via Harwich-Hoek, the ferry alternative to Eurostar.

Scotland & the North of England to Budapest by ferry from Hull or Newcastle

Budapest Keleti railway station facilities

Hotels & accommodation in Budapest

Tailor-made holidays & escorted tours to Budapest by train, not plane.

On other pages...

Train travel from Budapest to other European cities

Train travel from other European cities to Budapest

General European train travel information

Buying connecting train tickets from other UK towns & cities

Taking your bike   Taking your dog  

Luggage   Left luggage facilities

Sponsored links...

Useful country information

London to Budapest

Which route to choose?

• Option 1:  Morning Eurostar to Paris, TGV to Munich & EuroNight sleeper train to Budapest.  The fastest & most time-effective option, so either this or option 2 are usually the routes to start with.  Morning departure from London, morning arrival in Budapest next day.

• Option 2:  Afternoon Eurostar to Paris, City Night Line sleeper to Munich & RailJet to Budapest.  Very similar to option 1 in terms of speed, comfort & time-effectiveness, but with an afternoon departure from London and an afternoon arrival in Budapest next day.  Whether option 1 or 2 works out cheaper depends on what prices you get for your date of travel.

• Option 3:  Eurostar to Brussels, Thalys to Cologne, sleeper to Vienna & Railjet to Budapest  An alternative via Brussels rather than Paris.  It involves an extra change compared to options 1 & 2 and takes slightly longer (though not much), but it avoids the 10 minute walk from Paris Nord to Paris Est if that's a problem for you.

• Option 4:  Morning Eurostar to Paris, TGV to Munich, hotel, Railjet to Budapest.  If you prefer daytime trains to sleepers, this is the quickest all-daytime option, with an overnight hotel in Munich.  It takes longer than options 1-3, but it's potentially the cheapest of all, at least until you add the cost of the hotel.  Morning departure from London, afternoon arrival in Budapest next day.

• Option 5:  Morning Eurostar to Paris, TGV to Zurich, hotel, Railjet to Budapest.  The scenic route!  Another all-daytime option, taking longer than option 4 but involving a scenic ride through the Arlberg Pass between Switzerland & Austria, see the video here.

• The ferry alternative to Eurostar: London & East Anglia to Budapest via Harwich-Hoek.  Useful if you want to avoid the Channel Tunnel or if there are problems affecting Eurostar, if you need to travel at short notice when all the cheap Eurostar tickets are sold out, if you need to take a dog or cat, if you live in East Anglia so can easily get to Harwich, or if you'd like to see Amsterdam on the way.

• By ferry from the North of England.  If you live in the North of England or Scotland, you can by-pass London by taking a DFDS ferry from Newcastle or P&O ferry from Hull to Holland, then trains to Budapest.

Option 1:  By Eurostar to Paris, TGV to Munich, sleeper to Budapest...

This is probably the easiest & cheapest way to reach Budapest, with daily trains, a convenient mid-morning departure from London, cosy sleeper berth at night and a breakfast-time arrival in Budapest the next day, with all that sightseeing ahead of you.  If you'd prefer a departure from London later in the day, see option 2.

London ► Budapest

• Day 1:  Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 10:25 (11:01 on Saturdays) arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 13:47 (14:17 on Saturdays). It's a 10 minute walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.

• Day 1:  Travel from Paris to Munich by 200mph double-decker TGV Duplex on the TGV-Est high-speed line, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 15:19 and arriving Munich Hauptbahnhof at 21:36.  Cafe-bar available.  In Munich, you can have a late dinner or a beer at the typically Bavarian Mongdratzerl restaurant located inside the Hauptbahnhof while waiting for the sleeper to Zagreb, it's open until late.

• Day 1:  Travel from Munich to Budapest overnight on the EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre, leaving Munich Hauptbahnhof at 23:40 and arriving Budapest Keleti station at 08:55 next morning (day 2).  The Kalman Imre has a modern air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin), a modern couchette car (4 & 6 berth compartments) and ordinary seats (not recommended).

Budapest ► London

• Day 1:  Travel from Budapest to Munich overnight on the EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre, leaving Budapest Keleti station at 21:10 and arriving in Munich at 06:15 next morning.  The Kalman Imre has a modern air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin), couchettes (4 & 6 berth compartments) and seats (not recommended).  In Munich, you can have breakfast at the Mongdratzerl restaurant inside the Hauptbahnhof.

• Day 2:  Travel from Munich to Stuttgart by high-speed ICE, leaving Munich Hauptbahnhof at 09:45 and arriving Stuttgart at 12:01.

• Day 2:  Travel from Stuttgart to Paris by high-speed double-decker TGV Duplex, leaving Stuttgart at 12:55 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 16:35.

• It's a 10-minute walk from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare du Nord.

• Day 2:  Travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 18:13 (19:13 on Saturdays), arriving London St Pancras at 19:39 (20:39 on Saturdays).

How much does it cost?

Each train is ticketed separately, so add up the price for each leg of the journey.  On the sleeper train, berths are sold individually, so one ticket means one bed, the other beds in your compartment will be sold to other passengers.  For sole occupancy, simply book 1 ticket in a single-berth sleeper or 2 tickets in a 2-berth sleeper or 4 tickets in a 4-berth couchette & so on.

How to buy tickets by email...

If you'd prefer to have someone book it for you, just click here and a booking form will appear which lists all the trains you need to book for any of the options on this page.  Fill it in & email it to sales@europeanrail.com.  European Rail will make the reservations and call you back to confirm the cost.  If you're okay with the price you can give them your credit card details and they will send you the tickets.  European Rail is an experienced agency equipped with the German Railways reservation & ticketing system, so they have access to all the cheap fares for travel via Germany.  They charge a £35 booking fee which includes postage to any UK address, or they can send to any address worldwide if you pay the courier fee.  Seat61 gets some commission if you buy tickets using this form.

How to buy tickets by phone...

What are the trains & scenery like?

London to Paris by Eurostar:  See the Eurostar page.

Paris to Munich by TGV Duplex...  Watch the TGV Duplex video guide

Sit back with a glass of red and enjoy the ride - book an upper deck seat for the best views.  The train has power sockets for laptops & mobiles at all seats in both classes, and a cafe-bar serves drinks, snacks & microwaved hot dishes.  First class passengers on this route are given a simple but tasty meal box with a small bottle of beer or wine served at their seat, included in the fare.  The train soon leaves the Paris suburbs behind and speeds across a vast wide open plateau of woods and farmland at up to 200mph, past picturesque French villages of the Champagne region.  After an hour or two, the train leaves the high-speed line and slowly meanders through pretty wooded hills, the countryside eventually flattening out towards Strasbourg.  On leaving Strasbourg, look out for Strasbourg cathedral on the left with its famously missing second tower.  Minutes afterwards you rumble across the river Rhine into Germany, before heading on to Stuttgart and Munich.
TGV Duplex at Paris Est. These impressive 200 mph double-deck trains link Paris & Munich, a relaxing journey with reading book & glass of wine...		2nd class seats on TGV Duplex upper deck.  There's a mix of unidirectional seating and tables for 4 like this...

1st class seats on the upper deck, with a 'club duo' on the left, a 'club quatre' on the right.		A TGV Duplex.  The red near the door indicates 1st class, pale green indicates 2nd class.

Munich to Budapest by Kalman Imre sleeper train...  Watch the video

This modern Hungarian sleeper train is safe & comfortable, in the privacy of your own sleeper or in the economical couchettes.  There's time for dinner in Munich before boarding, I recommend the typically Bavarian Mongdratzerl restaurant located inside the Hauptbahnhof, open until late.
Cosy & inviting, a hotel on rails, this is the modern air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car of the Kalman Imre at Munich Hauptbahnhof...  The sleeping-car has 10 compartments with washbasin, each of which can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth room, with toilets at the end of the corridor.  The fare includes a light breakfast of coffee, juice & croissant. Exterior photo courtesy of István Halász.  Watch the Hungarian sleeping-car video.

6-berth couchettes...		4-berth couchettes		Hungarian couchette car at Munich

Good morning Budapest!

Option 2:  By Eurostar to Paris, sleeper to Munich & RailJet to Budapest...

This is a good & affordable option, with a departure from London later in the day if that's important.  Stop off for a while In Paris if you like!

London ► Budapest

• Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 15:31 (14:01 on Saturdays), arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 18:47 (17:17 on Saturdays).  On Fridays, there's also a 16:01 Eurostar arriving 19:17.  In Paris, it's a 10 minute walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.  By all means take an earlier Eurostar if you'd like to spend some time in Paris, or if it has cheaper seats available.

• Travel from Paris to Munich overnight by the City Night Line sleeper train Cassiopeia, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est daily at 20:05 and arriving in Munich at 07:10 next morning.  It has sleeping-cars (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments, economy with washbasin or deluxe with shower), 4 & 6-berth couchettes & ordinary seats, see the photos & information below or click for more pictures & information about this City Night Line sleeper train.

• Travel from Munich to Budapest by air-conditioned Austrian RailJet train, leaving Munich at 09:27 and arriving in Budapest Keleti station at 16:49.  A bar-bistro car is available, so treat yourself to lunch.  Watch out for great views of the Salzburg citadel on the right as you cross the River Salzach at Salzburg. More pictures & information about this RailJet train.  Map of Budapest showing Keleti station.

Budapest ► London

• Travel from Budapest to Munich by air-conditioned RailJet train, leaving Budapest Keleti station at 13:10 and arriving in Munich at 20:34.  A bar-bistro car is available, so treat yourself to lunch.  More pictures & information about this RailJet train.  If you have a first class ticket, you'll find a business lounge in Budapest near platform 9, open 06:00-21:30 daily open for anyone with a 1st class international ticket to, from or via Budapest (not open to railpass holders).

• Travel from Munich to Paris by the City Night Line sleeper train Cassiopeia, leaving Munich daily at 22:50 and arriving at Paris Gare de l'Est 09:24 next morning.  The trains has ordinary seats, couchettes (6-berth & 4-berth) and sleeping-cars (1, 2 or 3-bed compartments, deluxe with shower or economy with washbasin).  More pictures & information about this City Night Line sleeper train.  Walk from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare du Nord.

• Travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Nord at 11:13 and arriving London St Pancras at 12:30.

Introducing the City Night Line Paris - Munich sleeper train...

The Paris-Munich overnight train is one of the German Railway's excellent City Night Line sleeper trains.  Called the Cassiopeia, it has a modern Comfortline sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3-berth deluxe compartments with private shower & toilet and 1, 2 & 3-berth economy compartments with washbasin.  There is a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in economy sleepers, and all sleepers have power-points for laptop computers.  It also has modern air-conditioned couchettes with a choice of berths in a 4 or 6-berth compartment, and ordinary seats (not recommended).  Inclusive fares are charged covering travel plus sleeping accommodation.  The sleeping-car fare includes a light breakfast. More pictures and information about this train.

Dinner before you board?  There's no restaurant or bar car on the City Night Line sleeper, but for a good meal in a classic Parisian brasserie before boarding the sleeper train in Paris, catch the earlier 14:01 Eurostar & dine at the Brasserie Terminus Nord directly across the road from the Gare du Nord.  Alternatively, you can have a meal or beer at the Brasserie Flo at the Gare de l'Est whilst waiting for your sleeper, it's just inside the entrance in what was once the left luggage office.  For a cooked breakfast in Munich or evening meal before boarding the Paris-bound sleeper on your return, try the typically Bavarian Mongdratzerl restaurant, located in the hauptbahnhof itself.

1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper: The most comfortable option, economy with washbasin or deluxe with shower & toilet.		4-berth couchettes:  Ideal for families, much more space per person than 6-berth couchettes.		6-berth couchettes:  A very economical option, far better than a seat for just a few euros more...		Night Train to Munich...  The Comfortline sleeping-car of the Paris to Munich sleeper train boarding at Paris Gare de l'Est... More pictures & information about this train...

Introducing the Munich - Budapest RailJet...

RailJet is Austria's brand-new high-speed train, linking Munich, Salzburg, Vienna & Budapest, also Zurich, Innsbruck & Vienna.  Designed to run at up to 230km/h (143 mph) on sections of upgraded track, it currently reaches 200km/h on part of the route, but in other parts snakes around beautiful scenery at a more sedate pace.  Look out for great views of Salzburg citadel & castle on the right as you cross the river Salzach approaching Salzburg.  RailJet has three classes, Economy (2nd class), First (1st class), and Business class (€15 supplement over normal first class).  From 1 March 2012 Business class replaced Premium Class with the same seating but a reduced surcharge and free drinks but no free meals.  The Railjet has a bistro car providing drinks, snacks and hot dishes, which are served on proper china at your seat in first and business classes.  TV screens in each car tell you the train's speed, show a map indicating your location, and post a list of next station stops and times.  A great way to travel - simply order one of the regional beers from the bistro, sit back and enjoy the scenery...  More pictures & information about this RailJet train.

"The RailJet has landed..."  RJ 63, the morning RailJet from Munich has arrived spot on time at Budapest's historic Keleti station...		Business class costs €15 more than normal 1st class...		Economy class on RailJet, comfortable open saloons with large picture windows.  Some seats are around tables, most unidirectional.

How much does it cost?

How to buy tickets online...

Anyone from any country can book this way, at the cheapest prices.

• When does booking open?  Booking usually opens 120 days ahead for Eurostar, 92 days ahead for other trains, but I strongly recommend waiting until 92 days so you can buy all tickets together, doing a dry run on both sites first to check times and prices.  This way, you can confirm all train times before booking a non-refundable, non-changeable Eurostar ticket.  Hotel accommodation can be booked before booking your trains risk-free if you use a site such as www.booking.com with free cancellation.

• Step 1, go to www.bahn.de, the German Railways website, and book the City Night Line sleeper train from Paris to Munich & back, just look for the CNL train with 0 changes in the search results.  The search results will show cheap Savings fares and fully-flexible fares for each type of seat, couchette & sleeper.  You pay online and print your own tickets.  Easy!  The prices shown on www.bahn.de are in euros and are the total cost for all passengers selected, not per person.  I recommend registering when it asks you so you can easily log in and check or re-print your tickets at any time.  Always book the sleeper train first and check its arrival & departure times before booking a non-refundable Eurostar ticket, as times can vary.  Allow at least 90 minutes on the outward journey and 1 hour on the return to make the connection in Paris.

• Step 2, still on www.bahn.de, now use the journey planner to bring up the connecting Munich-Budapest RailJet (RJ) train shown in the train times above, and buy the ticket.  It will show if any cheap special fares are available.  You simply print out your own Online Ticket.

• Top tip:  If you want to stop off in Vienna for (say) a day, when booking the Munich to Budapest train at bahn.de simply look for the 'Via (1)' box and enter 'Vienna', then enter 24:00 in the 'hh:mm stopover' box.  It'll then book you a 24 hour stopover in Vienna, but still let you buy a cheap fare from Munich to Budapest (if it's available, obviously).  You can even spend a few hours in Salzburg on the way as well, by entering Salzburg in the via box and (say) 04:00 in the stopover box, then clicking 'add another stopover' and entering Vienna & 24:00.  All still for €39!

• Step 3, now go to www.eurostar.com to book your Eurostar tickets between London and Paris.  Use the Eurostar times above as a guide, but by all means book an earlier Eurostar outwards, or a later Eurostar on the way back, if this has cheaper seats available of if you'd like to stop off in Paris for a while.  You print your own ticket.

• You don't live in London?  www.eurostar.com sells cheap through tickets from 130 UK towns and cities to Paris, not just from London.  If your town isn't listed, you can buy a separate ticket up to London to connect with Eurostar, see the advice on buying connecting tickets from other UK towns & cities here.

• Want to choose your exact seat on Eurostar?  www.eurostar.com allows you to choose a seat from a numbered seating plan, look closely for the 'choose exact seat' link towards the end of the process.  See tips on choosing the best seats on Eurostar.

How to buy tickets by email...

If you'd prefer to have someone book it for you, just click here and a booking form will appear which lists all the trains you need to book for any of the options on this page.  Fill it in & email it to sales@europeanrail.com.  European Rail will make the reservations and call you back to confirm the cost.  If you're okay with the price you can give them your credit card details and they will send you the tickets.  European Rail is an experienced agency equipped with the German Railways reservation & ticketing system, so they have access to all the cheap fares for travel via Germany.  They charge a £35 booking fee which includes postage to any UK address, or they can send to any address worldwide if you pay the courier fee.  Seat61 gets some commission if you buy tickets using this form.

How to buy tickets by phone...

If you'd prefer to book by phone, just call Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card charge, no charge for debit cards), or a booking agency such as European Rail on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 Saturdays, £35 booking fee).

Tailor-made travel & hotel arrangements...

A hassle-free option is to get a reliable specialist agency such as Railbookers to arrange your whole trip, with train bookings, hotels and transfers all sorted with one phone call.  Just tell them when and where you want to go, and they'll create the best rail holiday or tour for you.

In the UK, call  020 3327 0761 or see www.railbookers.com.

In the USA & Canada, call toll-free 1-800-408-3280 or see railbookers.com.

In Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526 or see www.railbookers.com.au

In New Zealand call toll-free 0800 002 034 or see website.

Option 3:  London-Budapest via the Cologne-Vienna sleeper...

This runs daily, and also avoids any walk between stations if that's important to you.

London ► Budapest

• Travel from London to Brussels by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 12:58 and arriving in Brussels Midi at 16:08.

• Travel from Brussels to Cologne by high-speed Thalys train, leaving Brussels Midi at 17:28 and arriving in Cologne Hauptbahnhof at 19:15.

• Travel from Cologne to Vienna by daily EuroNight sleeper train, leaving Cologne Hauptbahnhof at 20:05 and arriving in Vienna Westbahnhof at 08:56.  This Austrian Railways sleeper train has sleeping-cars (1 & 2 berth compartments, plus two 1, 2 or 3 berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet), 4 & 6-berth couchettes and seats.  The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee in the morning.  The train travels along the famous Rhine Valley between Koblenz and Frankfurt, so if you are in a sleeper and your compartment happens to be on the left-hand side of the train, switch off the lights and watch the Rhine pass by, mountains and castles lit by moonlight, while sipping a glass of Riesling.  Wonderful!  Click for more pictures & information about this EuroNight train.

• Travel from Vienna to Budapest by air-conditioned Railjet train, leaving Vienna at 09:48 and arriving Budapest Keleti station at 12:49.  Watch out for the crossing of the Danube just before arrival in Budapest.  Map of Budapest showing Keleti station.

Budapest  ► London

• Travel from Budapest to Vienna by air-conditioned Railjet train, leaving Budapest Keleti station at 15:10 and arriving Vienna Westbahnhof at 18:12.  More pictures & information about this RailJet train.  If you have a first class ticket, you'll find a business lounge in Budapest near platform 9, open 06:00-21:30 daily open for anyone with a 1st class international ticket to. from or via Budapest (not open to railpass holders).

• Travel from Vienna to Cologne by daily EuroNight sleeper train, leaving Vienna Westbahnhof at 20:00 and arriving at Cologne at 08:42 next morning.  This modern Austrian sleeper train has a sleeping-car (1 & 2 berth sleepers with washbasin plus two 1, 2 or 3 berth deluxe sleepers with private shower & toilet), couchettes (4-berth & 6-berth) & ordinary seats.  The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee in the morning.  The train runs along the Rhine Valley in the morning, past castles and the legendary Lorelei Rock.  More pictures & information about this EuroNight train.

• Travel from Cologne to Brussels by high speed ICE train, leaving Cologne at 11:43 and arriving Brussels Midi 13:35.

• Travel from Brussels to London by Eurostar, leaving Brussels Midi at 15:56 (14:52 at weekends) and arriving London St Pancras at 17:03 (16:03 at weekends).

Introducing the Austrian Railways EuroNight train from Cologne to Vienna...

This was originally a German Railways City Night Line train, but in December 2009 it became an Austrian Railways (ÖBB) EuroNight sleeper train, with sleeping-car, couchettes & seats.  The sleeping-car has compact 1 & 2 bed compartments with washbasin, plus two deluxe compartments with 1, 2 or 3 beds plus private shower & toilet.  The sleeper berths come fully made up with sheets and duvets, and all sleeper passengers get mineral water in the evening and a light breakfast served in their compartment next morning.  Towels & toiletries are provided, including shampoo and shower gel in the deluxe sleepers.  In the more economical couchettes, you can book a couchette in a cheaper 6-berth compartment or a less-crowded 4-berth compartment.  Each couchette is provided with sheet, blanket and pillow, and couchette passengers get a small bottle of mineral water and a light breakfast in the morning with tea or coffee.  When waiting for the northbound sleeper train at Vienna Westbahnhof, if you have a sleeper ticket (as opposed to couchette or seat ticket), you can use the first class ÖBB Club Lounge, with complimentary drinks.  More pictures & information about this EuroNight train.

1 or 2 bed sleeper: The most comfortable option. Standard sleepers have a washbasin, deluxe sleepers a private shower & toilet.		4 & 6-berth couchettes:  The economy option, ideal for families.  Couchettes are basic padded bunks with rug & pillow.  This is a 6-berth couchette.		Above:  The Austrian sleeping-car or schlafwagen. Sleeper & couchette passengers receive a complimentary light breakfast with tea or coffee in the morning. More pictures & information about this EuroNight train

On board the Railjet train from Vienna to Budapest...
"The RailJet has landed..."  A Railjet train from Vienna has arrived spot on time at Budapest's historic Keleti station, built 1881-1884...		Business class costs €15 more than normal 1st class...		Economy class on RailJet, comfortable open saloons with large picture windows.  Some seats are around tables, some are unidirectional.

How much does it cost?

* This is the supplement you pay if you have a railpass.  A 1st class ticket or pass is required for deluxe single or deluxe double sleepers.

** Children under 15 travel free if accompanied by a fare-paying adult, but must pay the berth supplement shown here.

Savings fare = Special cheap fare, book in advance, limited availability, no refunds, no changes to travel plans. 

Normal fare = fully flexible, refundable, buy any time.

How to buy tickets online...

Anyone from any country can book a London-Budapest journey in either direction using a combination of the Belgian Railways website www.b-europe.com and the German Railways website www.bahn.de.  Bookings open 92 days before departure, you can't book before reservations open.  As this method involves two websites, do a dry run on both sites to check prices and availability before booking for real.  Before starting to book, I recommend noting down each specific train you want to book using the train times recommended above, and the date of departure.  Obviously, remember that your date of travel from Cologne back to Brussels will be the day after your departure from Vienna to Cologne!

• Step 1, book your London-Cologne ticket:  Go to the Belgian Railways international website www.b-europe.com and book a ticket from London to Cologne and back using the train times on this page as a guide.  You print off your own tickets.  B-europe.com can book both Eurostar+Thalys and Eurostar+ICE, and their booking system handles this two-leg journey well, finding the cheapest prices for each leg.  Allow plenty of time for the connection in Cologne, preferably at least an hour when connecting with a sleeper train.  Remember that your return departure date from Cologne is the day after your departure from Vienna!  By all means take an earlier train from London to Cologne, or a later train returning from Cologne to London, if this has cheaper fares available or if you'd like some time in Cologne.

• Cheaper tickets?  You can also try the German Railways website www.bahn.de for booking your London-Cologne tickets, as they offer London Spezial fares from London to Cologne from €59 each way.  However, you'll only find these fares on journeys which involve the two or three German ICE trains between Brussels & Cologne, not on those involving Thalys.  In the outward direction that means leaving London much earlier (at 10:58, 08:58 some days) and spending some time in Cologne.

• Step 2, book from Cologne to Budapest & back:  Now go to the German Railways website, www.bahn.de, and use the journey planner to book from Cologne to Budapest, looking for the option that corresponds to the train times above, with 1 change using the EuroNight (EN) train from Cologne to Vienna and the RailJet (RJ) connection from Vienna to Budapest.  You print your own ticket.  Booking from Cologne to Budapest all in one go is cheaper than booking separate Cologne-Vienna and Vienna-Budapest tickets, as Cologne-Budapest can be the same price as Cologne-Vienna.

• Stopover in Vienna?  If you'd like a stopover of anything up to 24 hours in Vienna, simply enter 'Vienna' in the 'via' box and the number of hours in the 'stopover' box, and you'll get the same cheap fares (if available) but with a stopover in Vienna.  If you want a longer stopover, this mean buying separate tickets Cologne-Vienna and Vienna-Budapest.

• Also check prices at www.oebb.at:  You can also book the Cologne-Vienna EuroNight train at the Austrian railways website www.oebb.at.  I find the German bahn.de website easier to use and prices were the same until recently, but now I'm seeing €39 with couchette on oebb.at when it's €59 at bahn.de.  So check both sites!  Go to www.oebb.at and click 'English' top right.  Use the journey planner to find trains from Cologne (Koln in German) to Vienna (Wien in German), and identify the evening EuroNight (EN) train with 0 changes in the search results.  Click 'Ticket and prices', then click 'English' again if it lapses back in to German.  Now click 'Passengers' and enter passenger details.  Click 'Calculate fare' and you'll see possible fares.  Click the cheapest fare shown (for example, click 'fr.€29.00 EUR'), then select the cheapest fare shown and make sure you use the couchette & sleeper buttons bottom left to choose your accommodation.  You pay by credit card and print out your own tickets.  Easy!  The prices shown on www.oebb.at are in euros, and are the total cost for all passengers selected, not per person.  Tip: When registering, UK is listed as 'Vereinigtes Konigreich', USA as 'Vereinigtes Staaten von Amerika'.  Add a Vienna to Budapest ticket at the same site.

• If you're travelling from a UK town or city north of London, you can buy a special add-on ticket from almost any station in Britain to London International (St Pancras)

How to buy tickets by email...

If you'd prefer to have someone book it for you, just click here and a booking form will appear which lists all the trains you need to book for any of the options on this page.  Fill it in & email it to sales@europeanrail.com.  European Rail will make the reservations and call you back to confirm the cost.  If you're okay with the price you can give them your credit card details and they will send you the tickets.  European Rail is an experienced agency equipped with the German Railways reservation & ticketing system, so they have access to all the cheap fares for travel via Germany.  They charge a £35 booking fee which includes postage to any UK address, or they can send to any address worldwide if you pay the courier fee.  Seat61 gets some commission if you buy tickets using this form.

How to buy tickets by phone...

The best agency to call to book this trip is probably Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card charge, no charge for debit cards).  Alternatively, call www.europeanrail.com on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 Saturdays, £35 booking fee, but may have more time to help).  Click here for more information on how to buy European train tickets.

Option 4:  London to Budapest by daytime trains with overnight stop in Munich...

If you prefer to travel on daytime trains rather than sleepers, you can travel very affordably from London to Budapest with an overnight hotel stop in Munich.

London ► Budapest

• Day 1:  Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 10:25 (11:01 on Saturdays) arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 13:47 (14:17 on Saturdays). It's a 10 minute walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.

• Day 1:  Travel from Paris to Munich by 200 mph double-decker TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 15:19 and arriving Munich Hauptbahnhof at 21:36.  Cafe-bar available.

• Stay overnight in Munich - search for hotels.

• Day 2:  Travel from Munich to Budapest by air-conditioned Austrian RailJet train, leaving Munich at 09:27 and arriving in Budapest Keleti station at 16:49.  A bar-bistro car is available, so treat yourself to lunch.  Watch out for great views of the Salzburg citadel on the right as you cross the River Salzach at Salzburg. More pictures & information about this RailJet train.  Map of Budapest showing Keleti station.

Budapest ► London

• Day 1:  Travel from Budapest to Munich by air-conditioned RailJet train, leaving Budapest at 13:10 and arriving in Munich at 20:34.  A bar-bistro car is available, so treat yourself to lunch!  More pictures & information about this RailJet train.  If you have a first class ticket, you'll find a business lounge in Budapest near platform 9, open 06:00-21:30 daily open for anyone with a 1st class international ticket to. from or via Budapest (not open to railpass holders).

• Stay overnight in Munich - search for hotels.

• Day 2:  Travel from Munich to Stuttgart by high-speed ICE, leaving Munich Hauptbahnhof at 09:45 and arriving Stuttgart at 12:01.

• Day 2:  Travel from Stuttgart to Paris by 200 mph double-decker TGV Duplex, leaving Stuttgart at 12:54 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 16:35.  In Paris, it's a 10-minute walk from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare du Nord.

• Day 2:  Travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 18:13 (19:13 on Saturdays), arriving London St Pancras at 19:39 (20:39 on Saturdays).

• Alternatively, if you don't mind an early start, a direct TGV train leaves Munich at 06:26 arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 12:35.  Walk to Paris Gare du Nord. A Eurostar leaves Paris at 15:13 arriving London St Pancras at 16:39.

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris starts at £39 one-way, £69 return.

• Paris to Munich by TGV starts at €39 (£34) each way.

• Munich to Budapest starts at €39 (£34) each way.

How to buy tickets...

• Booking opens 92 days in advance.  Eurostar in fact opens 120 days ahead, but I recommend waiting so you can book all tickets together, doing a dry run first on both websites to check times before booking a non-refundable, non-changeable Eurostar ticket.

• Buy your Eurostar ticket at www.eurostar.com.  You can buy tickets not just from London but from 130 UK towns & cities.  You print your own ticket.

• Buy your Paris-Munich ticket at www.bahn.de.  You print your own ticket.  I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log in at any time and check or re-print tickets.

• Buy your Munich-Budapest ticket as a second transaction at www.bahn.de.  You print your own ticket.

A variation:  London to Munich via Brussels & Frankfurt...

On day 1, you can also travel London to Munich via Brussels and Frankfurt rather than Paris.  If you can find one of the (sometimes elusive) London Spezial fares this can even be cheaper, as these start from just €59.  See if there's a London-Munich London Spezial fare available on your travel date using these special links: 

London to Munich departing 08:58 on Sundays

London to Munich departing 10:58 on any day except Sundays

Munich to London departing 06:32 Mondays-Fridays

Munich to London departing 10:28, on Saturdays

Munich to London departing 10:28 on Mondays-Fridays & Sundays

What are the trains & scenery like?

London to Paris by Eurostar:  See the Eurostar page

Paris to Munich by double-decker TGV Duplex...  Click for TGV Duplex video guide

Sit back with a glass of red and enjoy the ride - book an upper deck seat for the best views.  The train is equipped with power sockets for laptops & mobiles at all seats in both classes, and a cafe-bar serves drinks, snacks & microwaved hot dishes.  First class passengers on this route are given a simple but tasty meal box with a small bottle of beer or wine served at their seat, included in the fare.  The train soon leaves the Paris suburbs behind and speeds across a vast wide open plateau of woods and farmland at up to 200mph, past picturesque French villages of the Champagne region.  An hour or two later, the train leaves the high-speed line and slowly meanders through pretty wooded hills, the countryside eventually flattening out towards Strasbourg.  On leaving Strasbourg, look out for Strasbourg cathedral on the left with its famously missing second tower.  Minutes afterwards you rumble across the river Rhine into Germany, before heading on to Stuttgart and Munich.

TGV Duplex to Munich at Paris Est...  These impressive 200 mph double-deck trains link Paris & Munich, a relaxing journey catching up on your reading over a glass of wine.  And it isn't expensive if you follow the advice on this page!  Watch the TGV Duplex video		The upstairs landing on a TGV Duplex showing the stairs down to the entrance door...

2nd class seats on the upper deck.  There's a mix of unidirectional seating & some tables for four like this.		The cafe-bar in a TGV Duplex upper deck in car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks and microwave-style hot dishes....

1st class seats on the upper deck, a 'club duo' on the left, a 'club quatre' on the right.		A TGV Duplex.  The red near the door indicates 1st class, pale green 2nd class.

Munich to Budapest by Railjet...

Railjet first class, with black leather seats...		Business class...		Railjet restaurant...

"The RailJet has landed..."  Train RJ 63, the morning RailJet from Munich has arrived spot on time at Budapest's historic Keleti station, built 1881-1884...		Economy class on RailJet with large picture windows.  Some seats are around tables, some are unidirectional.   More pictures & info about RailJet

Option 5:  London to Budapest by daytime trains, with overnight stop in Zurich.  The scenic route!

This option not only keeps you on daytime trains with an overnight hotel in Zurich, rather than using a sleeper, it's the scenic option, as it takes you right through the fabulous Arlberg Pass route through the Alps between Switzerland and Austria hugging the valley wall with the mountaintops high above and the valley floor way below.  You then travel on right across the Austrian Tirol.  This option uses a new direct Railjet train between Zurich and Budapest.

London ► Budapest, the scenic route...

• Day 1:  Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 13:31 (14:01 on Saturdays) arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 16:47 (17:17 on Saturdays).  Cross Paris by metro to the Gare de Lyon.

• Day 1:  Travel from Paris to Switzerland by high-speed Lyria TGV, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 18:23 arriving in Zurich at 22:26.  A cafe-bar is available on board.  This particular departure is an impressive 200 mph double-deck TGV-Duplex, I recommend booking an upper deck seat for the best views.

• Spend the night in a hotel in Zurich.  Search Zurich hotels at Booking.com.  For something special, look no further than the superb Hotel Schweizerhof, located right next to Zurich station.  One of my favourite hotels, they'll even send a uniformed commissionaire to meet you at the station and carry your bags across the road.

• Day 2:  Travel from Zurich to Budapest by air-conditioned Austrian Railjet train, leaving Zurich at 10:40 and arriving at Budapest Keleti station at 21:54.  This smart modern Railjet train travels all along the Zürichsee and Walensee lakes, then snakes at low speed through the mountains of the Arlberg Pass in the Alps and across the Austrian Tirol (watch the video!), with great views of the citadel at Salzburg as the train crosses the river Salzach, then via Vienna onwards to Budapest.  A bistro-restaurant car is available, so treat yourself to lunch - in first & business class, a stewardess will take your order and serve your food at your seat.  For the best views, find an unreserved seat on the left hand side of the train leaving Zurich, that way you'll be on the lake side of the train out of Zurich, the train reverses at Buchs, they you'll be on the right-hand (valley) side of the train through most of the Arlberg Pass, and on the side for views of Salzburg.  If you have a first class ticket, you can use the first class lounge at Zurich Hauptbahnhof with complimentary tea, coffee, beer and snacks, located upstairs on the platform 3 side of the station, look for signs to the SBB Lounge (not open to railpass holders).  More pictures & information about this RailJet train.  Map of Budapest showing Keleti station.

Budapest ► London, the scenic route...

• Day 1:  Travel from Budapest to Zurich by air-conditioned Railjet train, leaving Budapest Keleti at 06:05 and arriving in Zurich at 17:20.  A bistro-restaurant car is available, so treat yourself to breakfast and lunch - in first & business class, a stewardess will take your order and serve your food at your seat.  More pictures & information about this RailJet train.  It's a really scenic ride - the train travels via Vienna, past Salzburg's impressive citadel, through the Austrian Tirol, snakes through the scenic Arlberg Pass in the Alps (watch the video!), then along the Walensee and Zürichsee lakes to Zurich.  For views of Salzburg castle, the Zürichsee lake and most of the Arlberg valley, find an unreserved seat on the right-hand side of the train leaving Budapest (this advice allows for the train changing direction at Vienna and Buchs).  If you have a first class ticket, you'll find a business lounge in Budapest near platform 9, open 06:00-21:30 daily open for anyone with a 1st class international ticket to, from or via Budapest (not open to railpass holders).

• Spend the night in a hotel in Zurich.  Search Zurich hotels at Booking.com.  For something special, look no further than the superb Hotel Schweizerhof, located right next to Zurich station.  One of my favourite hotels, they'll even send a uniformed commissionaire to meet you at the station and carry your bags across the road.

• Day 2:  Travel from Zurich to London using any of the services suggested on the London to Switzerland page.  For example, leave Zurich at 07:34, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 11:37, Cross Paris by metro to the Gare du Nord), and the 13:13 Eurostar from Paris Nord will get you back at London St Pancras at 14:36.  Or have a lie in and take a later option.  If you have a first class ticket, you can use the first class lounge at Zurich Hauptbahnhof with complimentary tea, coffee, beer and snacks, located upstairs on the platform 3 side of the station, look for signs to the SBB Lounge (not open to railpass holders).

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris starts at £39 one-way, £69 return.

• Paris to Zurich by TGV starts at £21 each way in 2nd class, from £70 in 1st class.  See the Switzerland page for full details.

• Zurich to Budapest starts at €48 (£42) each way in 2nd class, €78 (£68) in 1st class.

How to buy tickets...

• Booking opens 92 days in advance.  Eurostar in fact opens 120 days ahead, but I recommend waiting so you can buy all tickets together, doing a dry run first to check times before booking a non-refundable, non-changeable Eurostar ticket.

• UK residents can book both the London-Paris & Paris-Zurich trains at www.raileurope.co.uk.

• Alternatively, anyone from any country can buy the London-Paris Eurostar ticket at www.eurostar.com with self-print tickets, then the Paris-Zurich ticket at www.voyages-sncf.com with either self-print tickets or ticket collection in Paris.   At www.eurostar.com you can buy tickets not just from London but from 130 UK towns & cities to Paris.

• Currently, you cannot buy the Zurich-Budapest ticket online all in one go, except at www.raileurope.co.uk which only sells expensive full-price tickets costing over £100.  So here's the clever way to book cheap fares online: 

• Step 1, book the 10:40 Railjet (Railjet 165) from Zurich to Vienna from just €29 at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.  For English, click 'English' top right.  Use the journey planner to bring up trains from ZURICH to VIENNA (which will appear in German as WIEN).  Enter the number of people in your party and your dates and time of travel.  Locate the 10:40 'Railjet' train with 0 changes in the search results and click on the 'ab €29' link - this means 'from €29', it will show the cheapest price available for that train.  Now select 'SparSchiene Schweiz' (= Swiss Saver Fare).  A reserved seat is not essential, it's optional for an extra €3 and not a bad idea.  You print your own ticket.  No changes or refunds are allowed at the cheapest prices, of course.  Tip: When registering, the UK is listed as 'Vereinigtes Konigreich', USA as 'Vereinigtes Staaten von Amerika'.

• Step 2, now use www.oebb.at again to book Vienna to Budapest on exactly the same train (Railjet 165, leaving Vienna at 18:54. 

• Step 3, if you are making a return trip, use www.oebb.at again to book Railjet 162 at 06:05 from Budapest to Vienna.

• Step 4, again using www.oebb.at, now book then Railjet 162 again from Vienna to Zurich leaving Vienna at 09:14.

• Total cost from €48 (£42) each way!  Why can't www.oebb.at do the whole Zurich-Budapest trip in one go?  It's something to do with it only being set up for journeys to and from Austria.  You won't get the same seat for the whole journey, if you want to avoid switching seats you'll need to book by phone and pay extra fees, possibly without access to the cheap fares.  It's your call!

What are the trains like?

London to Paris by Eurostar:  See the Eurostar page

Paris to Zurich by double-decker TGV Duplex...  Click for TGV Duplex video guide

These impressive 200 mph (320 km/h) double-deck TGVs are being phased in on the Paris-Zurich route over 2012 & 2013, replacing single-deck Christian Lacroix TGVs.  I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views of the scenery.  The stairs to the top deck are short, wide and easy, and there are luggage racks and toilets both upstairs and downstairs.  You walk through the train to the cafe-bar at the upper deck level.
Boarding a double-deck TGV Duplex at Paris Gare de Lyon.  You can now easily travel from London to Zurich by Eurostar & TGV-Lyria just an afternoon & evening, relaxing with a good book and a bottle of wine.  Watch the TGV Duplex video		The upstairs landing on a TGV Duplex showing the stairs down to the entrance door...

2nd class seats on the upper deck.  There's a mix of unidirectional seating & some tables for four like this...		The cafe-bar on the upper deck in car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks and microwave-style hot meal dishes....

1st class seats on the upper deck, with some tables for two & some tables for four.		A TGV Duplex.  The red near the door indicates 1st class, pale green 2nd class.

Zurich to Budapest by Railjet...

Railjet first class, with black leather seats...		Business class...		Railjet restaurant...

"The RailJet has landed..."  A Railjet from Austria has arrived spot on time at Budapest's historic Keleti station, built 1881-1884...		Economy class with large picture windows.  Some seats are around tables, some unidirectional.   More Railjet info & pictures.

Scenery on the Arlberg Pass route...          Watch the Video

Soon after leaving Zurich, the Railjet is running alongside the Zürichsee, then along the Walensee...		The train cuts across Liechtenstein, passing non-stop through Schaan-Liechtenstein station...

Mountain scenery and snowy peaks all the way, as the air-conditioned Railjet enters Austria en route to Hungary...

In the Arlberg pass itself, the railway hugs the valley side, snaking along past fir forests and meadows...		In first & business classes, food is served at your seat on proper crockery as the scenery passes.

London & East Anglia to Budapest via ferry

	London to Amsterdam by Dutch Flyer train & ferry...  A train takes you from London's Liverpool Street station directly to the ferry terminal at Harwich.  You walk off the train, into the terminal, get your boarding card & cabin key at the Stena Line check-in desk and walk straight onto the overnight ferry to Hoek van Holland.  The new superferry Stena Hollandica is the largest ferry of its kind in the world.  See the Netherlands page for more details...
	Cosy cabins:  The overnight Harwich-Hoek ferry is a floating hotel.  All passengers travel in a cosy private cabin with en suite shower & toilet and satellite TV.  This is the cheapest 2-berth cabin...
	A Captain's Class cabin with double bed...

If you want to avoid the Channel Tunnel, perhaps if problems are affecting the Eurostar service or if you suffer from claustrophobia, you can travel by train and ferry instead.  Indeed, if you need to travel at very short notice when cheap Eurostar tickets are unavailable, the rail & sail option may still be affordable.  I don't recommend travelling via Dover & Calais, because bus transfers are now required between station and port in both Dover and Calais, and you can no longer buy combined train & ferry tickets this way.  Instead, I recommend using the excellent integrated rail & sail service via Harwich & Hoek van Holland, because trains arrive right at the ferry terminal in both Harwich and Hoek, through tickets are available from London to any Dutch station.  This is also a handy option if you live in East Anglia.  After a day exploring Amsterdam, take the sleeper to Munich and onward Railjet train to Budapest.  Here's how:

London & East Anglia ► Budapest

• Day 1:  Travel overnight from London to Amsterdam by Dutch Flyer train & luxury ferry.  You leave London's Liverpool Street station at 19:32 on a train to Harwich International.  At Harwich, the station is right next to the ferry terminal and you walk off the train into the terminal, check in at the Stena Line desk and walk straight onto Stena Line's luxurious overnight superferry Stena Hollandica to Hoek van Holland.  All passengers travel in cosy private cabins with en suite toilet & shower, free WiFi & satellite TV.  Deluxe Comfort class & Captains class cabins are also available, with complimentary minibar.  You can get on board the ferry around 9pm, have a late dinner in the restaurant and settle into your cabin.  The ferry sails at 23:15 and arrives at Hoek van Holland at 07:45 Dutch time next morning.  At Hoek, the station is right next to the ferry terminal.  Take the next available local train to Rotterdam and change for an InterCity to Amsterdam Centraal, arriving around 10:14.  This Dutch Flyer London-Netherlands train & ferry service is a fully-integrated service with special fares from London to Any Dutch Station which cover the train to Harwich, the ferry and onward train to anywhere in the Netherlands, see the Netherlands page for full details.  The same special fare from London is valid from any National Express East Anglia station, for example Norwich, Cambridge, Romford, Ilford or Ipswich.

• Day 2:  Spend the day in Amsterdam.  Left luggage lockers are available, and all the sights are easy walking distance from Centraal station.

• Day 2:  Travel overnight from Amsterdam to Munich by City Night Line sleeper train, leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 20:31 and arriving Munich at 07:10 next morning (day 3 from London).  Seats, couchettes and sleeping-car are available, including some sleepers with en suite toilet and shower.

• Day 3:  Travel from Munich to Budapest by air-conditioned Railjet train, leaving Munich at 09:27 and arriving Budapest at 16:49.  Bistro-bar available.

Budapest  ► East Anglia & London

• Day 1:  Travel from Budapest to Munich by air-conditioned Railjet train, leaving Budapest at 13:10 and arriving in Munich at 20:34.  A bar-bistro car is available, so treat yourself to lunch.  If you have a first class ticket, you'll find a business lounge in Budapest near platform 9, open 06:00-21:30 daily open for anyone with a 1st class international ticket to, from or via Budapest (but not railpass holders).

• Day 1:  Travel from Munich to Amsterdam by City Night Line sleeper train, leaving Munich daily at 22:50 and arriving in Amsterdam at 08:56 next morning.  The trains has ordinary seats, couchettes (6-berth & 4-berth) and sleeping-cars (1, 2 or 3-bed compartments, deluxe with shower or economy with washbasin).

• Day 2:  Spend the day in Amsterdam.  Left luggage lockers are available.

• Day 2, evening:  Travel overnight from Hoek van Holland to London by Dutch Flyer train & luxury ferry.  Take the 18:46 InterCity to Rotterdam and change for the local train to Hoek van Holland Haven.  Check in at the Stena Line desk, then walk onto the luxurious superferry Stena Britannica and sail overnight to Harwich in a snug private cabin with shower, toilet, satellite TV and free WiFi.  The ferry sails from Hoek at 22:30 Mondays-Fridays or 21:30 Saturdays & Sundays and arrives at Harwich International at 06:30 next morning (day 3), UK time.  Take a train on to London arriving 08:45-08:59 (day 3).  See the Netherlands page for full details about the 'Dutch Flyer' train & ferry service.

How much does it cost?

• London to Amsterdam starts at £45 per person each way, plus the cost of a cabin.  Cabins start at £30 for a single berth cabin or £43 per cabin for a 2-berth, and are compulsory on the night sailing.  The fare covers the train from London to Harwich, the ferry, and onward Dutch trains from Hoek van Holland Haven to any station in the Netherlands, see the Netherlands page for full details of fares and cabin types and costs.

• Amsterdam to Munich by City Night Line sleeper train starts at €59 one-way with a couchette in 6-berth, €69 with a couchette in 4-berth, €104 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper, €144 with a bed in a single-bed sleeper. 

• Munich to Budapest starts at €39 one-way.

How to buy tickets online...

• Step 1, buy a Dutch Flyer train & ferry ticket from London to Amsterdam as shown here.

• Step 2, book your trains from Amsterdam to Budapest:  Go to the German Railways website www.bahn.de.  You will need to book in two separate stages to see the cheap fares.  First book Amsterdam to Munich looking for the direct CNL train with 0 changes.  Then book Munich to Budapest looking for the direct RJ train with 0 changes. If you prefer you can book by phone, call DB's UK office on 08718 80 80 66, lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 at weekends.

How to buy tickets by phone:  Special booking form

• To buy tickets for the Dutch Flyer from London to Hoek van Holland plus onward train tickets to Budapest or almost anywhere in Europe, fill in the special booking form and email it to European Rail.  They will call you back with a price, usually within 24 hours.  Using the booking form can save a long phone call while they take details and work out trains & prices.  If you'd rather call them, phone 020 7619 1083, but please say you're calling about Dutch Flyer & onward train tickets to Budapest as shown on 'Seat61'.  Their lines are 08:30-18:00 Monday to Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday.  Note that there's a £35 fee for phone or email bookings, but this is for the whole booking, not per person or per ticket.  European Rail are one of the few agencies (if not the only agency) who can sell both the Dutch Flyer and onward European train tickets.

	DFDS Seaways Princess of Norway about to sail overnight from Newcastle to Amsterdam...
	A Commodore deluxe cabin with minibar, satellite TV, shower & toilet.  See the video...
	A standard Seaways class cabin with shower & toilet on DFDS Princess of Norway from Newcastle to Amsterdam.

Naturally, one option is to take a train up to London, then travel to Hungary as described above.  You can buy special connecting train tickets from most UK stations to London International, see advice on buying connecting train tickets to London.  But DFDS Seaways (www.dfds.co.uk) run an excellent daily cruise ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam overnight, and P&O Ferries (www.poferries.com) sail overnight from Hull to Rotterdam.  After a day in Amsterdam, take the excellent City Night Line sleeper train from Amsterdam to Munich with connections to Budapest.  So why not by-pass London, and have a day in Amsterdam into the bargain?

Scotland & the north of England ► Budapest

Budapest ► Scotland & the north of England

• Day 1:  Travel from Budapest to Munich by air-conditioned Railjet train, leaving Budapest at 13:10 and arriving in Munich at 20:34.  A bar-bistro car is available, so treat yourself to lunch.  If you have a first class ticket, you'll find a business lounge in Budapest near platform 9, open 06:00-21:30 daily open for anyone with a 1st class international ticket to, from or via Budapest (but not railpass holders).

• Day 1:  Travel from Munich to Amsterdam by City Night Line sleeper train, leaving Munich daily at 22:50 and arriving in Amsterdam at 08:56 next morning.  The trains has ordinary seats, couchettes (6-berth & 4-berth) and sleeping-cars (1, 2 or 3-bed compartments, deluxe with shower or economy with washbasin).

• Day 2:  Spend the day in Amsterdam.  Left luggage lockers are available.

• Day 2, late afternoon/evening:  Travel overnight by cruise ferry from Holland to Hull or Newcastle, whichever is most convenient for where you live, arriving next morning (day 4).  Transfer to the station and take a train home.  For full details of train & ferry times and how to buy tickets for each of these routes, see the UK-Netherlands page.

Fares & how to buy tickets...

• To check train fares and buy train tickets to Harwich, Hull or Newcastle, see www.thetrainline.com or www.nationalrail.co.uk;

• To check ferry fares & book the ferry online, go to www.dfds.co.uk (Newcastle-Amsterdam), www.poferries.com (Hull-Rotterdam).

• To book Amsterdam-Munich-Budapest trains, go to the German Railways website www.bahn.de.  I recommend booking in two stages.  First book Amsterdam to Munich looking for the direct CNL train with 0 changes.  Then book Munich to Budapest looking for the direct RJ train with 0 changes. If you prefer you can book by phone, call DB's UK office on 08718 80 80 66, lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 at weekends.

Budapest Keleti station

One of Europe's classic railway stations...   Map showing station

Most major international trains arrive and depart from Budapest's historic Keleti (east) station, built between 1881 & 1884.  There's a British connection, too, as the facade sports two statues, of James Watt and George Stephenson.

A classic facade...  The Danube and all the city sights are a 20 minute walk straight down the road in front of the station.		Platforms 6-9 at Budapest Keleti.  1-5 are a short walk away down platform 6, platform 10 upwards is a walk along platform 9.

Domestic & international ticket offices...

The domestic ticket office is downstairs off the end of platforms 6-9, although there's also a small office upstairs on platform 9.  The international ticket office is separate, accessed through a signed passageway a little way along platform 6.  You'll usually find staff who speak reasonable English, and credit cards and euros are accepted.

Collecting tickets bought online at www.mav-start.hu...

Tickets bought online at www.mav-start.hu must be collected from the small blue self-service machines at Budapest Keleti.  There are at least two machines, one located as shown below, just inside the closed-off main station facade behind the buffer stops for platforms 6-9.

Just enter your reference number on the touch screen, then touch 'Bevitel' ('enter'), and your tickets will print.  Easy!  A second machine is located inside the south side entrance hall along platform 9.

Luggage lockers & ATMs...

Lockers are located in a room near the buffer stops at the near end of platform 9.  There are large and small lockers, most accepting Forint coins, a few accepting euro coins, see the left luggage page for current prices.  There is a change machine if you only have Forint notes.  There is an ATM for cash withdrawals right next to the internet ticket collection machine shown in the photograph above.

First class lounge...

Anyone with a first class international ticket to or from Budapest can use the first class lounge before or after their train.  It's located a little way along platform 9, it's the last set of double doors on the right before you reach the exit hall, marked 'Business lounge' above the doors.  The lounge offers complimentary tea, coffee, soft drinks & snacks, although no WiFi.  1st class Eurail or InterRail holders with a reservation can also use the lounge, as can anyone with a ticket for a single-berth sleeper, see www.mav-start.hu for more details.

The entrance to the lounge on platform 9.		The first class lounge is open daily 06:00-21:30...

Somewhere to eat before catching your train...

A good place to wait for your train over an inexpensive meal, coffee or beer in grand surroundings inside the station is the Baross restaurant in the corner near the buffer stops on platform 6, usually open 8am to 8pm, credit cards accepted.  For something upmarket near the station, try the Rosenstein Restaurant, www.rosenstein.hu.  At the opposite end of the scale, there's a MacDonald's, Burger King and KFC outside across the road on the platform 6 side of the station.  There are of course plenty of stalls and kiosks inside the station, where you can stock up on snacks, soft drinks and beer.

Holidays & tours to Budapest by train

If you want a holiday to Hungary by train not plane, but want someone else to organise all the train tickets & hotels for you, two specialist companies can do just that.  Railbookers offer tailor-made individual holidays with departure on any date you like, whereas Great Rail Journeys offer escorted tours with specific departure dates.

Railbookers tailor-made train holidays & breaks to Budapest...

Railbookers can tailor-make a flight-free holiday to Budapest for you, with train travel & hotels, for however long you like, leaving on any date you like.  Why not combine a visit to Budapest with Prague and Vienna, 6 nights from around £689 per person.  Indeed, they can arrange any tour of Eastern Europe you like to your own specification, with trains reserved, hotels booked and transfers arranged...

  UK call 020 3327 0761, www.railbookers.com. 

Call toll-free 1-800-408-3280 or www.us.railbookers.com.

Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526, www.railbookers.com.au. 

  New Zealand call toll-free 0800 002 034 or see website.

Great Rail Journeys, www.greatrail.com, 01904 527120...

GRJ offers a 13-day escorted tour to Vienna, Budapest & Prague from £1,750, with 1st class train travel and 5* or 4* hotels.  Great Rail Journeys also offer holidays by train to other European countries.  Check the tour details online, then call 01904 527120 to book or use their online booking form.

The Thomas Cook European Timetable

The Thomas Cook European timetable has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency & climate information.  Published since 1873, it costs £14.99.  It's essential for any serious traveller and an inspiration for armchair travellers.  Still not convinced you need one?  More information on what the Thomas Cook Timetable contains.  You can buy the latest monthly edition online at www.thomascookpublishing.com with worldwide delivery or buy it in person from selected UK branches of Thomas Cook (ask at the bureau de change), or from W H Smiths in Victoria station in London.  Or buy the twice-yearly independent traveller's edition with laminated cover from Amazon.co.uk:  Winter/Spring 2012/13 edition (Dec 2012 to June 2013) or (when available) Summer/Autumn 2013 edition (June to Dec 2013)

The Thomas Cook Rail Map of Europe is the best and most comprehensive map of train routes right across Europe, from Portugal in the west to Istanbul, Moscow & Ukraine in the east, from Finland in the north to Sicily & Crete in the south.  High speed & scenic routes are highlighted.  Highly recommended!  Buy online at www.amazon.co.uk (worldwide delivery).  See an extract from the map.

Paying for a guidebook may seem an unnecessary expense, but it's a tiny fraction of what you're spending on your whole trip.  You will see so much more, and know so much more about what you're looking at, if you have a decent guidebook.  For independent travel, the best guide is either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide.  Both are excellent.  The Lonely Planet range offers an in-depth guide for Hungary or a guide covering all the countries in Eastern Europe.  You won't regret buying one..! 

Click the images to buy at Amazon.co.uk...

My own book, an essential handbook for train travel to Europe based on this website called "The Man in Seat 61", was published in June 2008, and is available from Amazon.co.uk with shipping worldwide.

Find hotels in Budapest...

Other hotel sites worth a try...

• www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.

• www.booking.com is my own preferred hotel booking system (Hotels Combined being a search/comparison system).  It has a simple interface, a good selection in most countries worldwide, useful online customer reviews of each hotel, and decent prices, usually shown inclusive of unavoidable extras such as taxes (a pet hate of mine is systems that show one price, then charge you another!).

Backpacker hostels...

www.hostelbookers.com:  If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels.  Hostelbookers offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in Budapest and most other European cities at rock-bottom prices.

Travel insurance & health card...

Get travel insurance, it's essential...

Never travel without insurance from a reliable travel insurer with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover.  It should also cover loss of cash (up to a limit) & belongings, and cancellation. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year (I have an annual policy myself).  Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, though, see the advice on missed connections here.  Here are some suggested insurers, Seat61 gets a little commission if you buy through these links, and feedback from using insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome.

In the UK, use www.confused.com to compare prices & policy features across major insurance companies.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65 (no age limit), see www.JustTravelCover.com.

        If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct's other websites.

   If you live in the USA or Canada, try Travel Guard USA.

Get an EU health card, it's free...

If you're a UK citizen travelling in Europe, you should apply for a free European Health Insurance Card, which entitles you to free or reduced rate health care if you become ill or get injured in many European countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with the NHS.  This replaced the old E111 forms as from January 2006.  The EHIC card is available from www.ehic.org.uk.  It doesn't remove the need for travel insurance, though.

Get a spare credit card, designed for foreign travel with no currency exchange loading & low/no ATM fees

Taking out an extra credit card costs nothing, but if you keep it in a different part of your luggage you won't be left stranded if your wallet gets stolen.  In addition, some credit cards are better for overseas travel than others.  Martin Lewis's www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad.

You can avoid ATM charges and expensive exchange rates with a Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or their multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card, see www.caxtonfx.com for info.

Get an international SIM card to save on mobile data and phone calls...

Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, and if you're not careful you can return home to find a huge bill.  Consider buying a global pre-paid SIM card for your mobile phone from www.Go-Sim.com, which can slash costs by up to 85%.  Go-Sim cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide, and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries.  It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills when you get home.  It also allows cheap data access for laptops & PDAs.  A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't expire if it's not used between trips, unlike some others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone number' for life.