This page explains how to travel comfortably by train from Bucharest to other key European cities, and how to buy the cheapest tickets. Click here if your journey starts in another city. Information current for 2023.
I want to go from Bucharest to...
Brasov,
Sighisoara, Constanta & other destinations within Romania
Sofia, Veliko Tarnovo &
Bulgaria
All other destinations: London,
Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Spain
Before you buy your tickets
Take a moment to read these tips for buying European train tickets. It answers all the usual questions, "Do I need to book in advance or can I just buy at the station?", "Can I stop off?", "Are there Senior fares?" and that old favourite, "Should I buy an $800 railpass or just buy a 35 point-to-point ticket online?". Click here to understand how far ahead you can buy train tickets.
At Bucharest Gara de Nord, international tickets are bought from ticket window 1 in a room marked Case de Bilete with a large blue sign, not far from the information kiosk in the centre of the station, see the photos here so you know what to look for.
European train travel FAQ
How to buy tickets for trains within Romania...
-
Most domestic trains in Romania are run by CFR, Romanian State Railways. You can book Romanian trains at www.cfrcalatori.ro.
Click the UK flag top right for English. This is easy enough to use and normally happily accepts non-Romanian credit cards, although it only books the compulsory-reservation mainline trains, not local trains. You print your own ticket. Local tickets should just be bought at the station. Feedback is always appreciated!
-
There are 2 or 3 private operators in addition to CFR (Romanian State Railways). It can be better to use the journey planner at mersultrenurilor.infofer.ro as this shows all operators including CFR, with links to book tickets on each operator's site.
-
Private operator Astra Trans-Carpatic... A swish modern night train with sleepers & couchettes is now running between Constanta, Bucharest, Simeria & Arad run by private operator Astra Trans-Carpatic, see www.astratranscarpatic.ro (change RO to EN top left for English). This is the top choice for travel between these cities.
Bucharest to Budapest & Hungary...
Option 1, by sleeper train - the time-effective option...
-
A sleeper train called the Ister leaves Bucharest Gara de Nord at 18:25, Ploeşti Vest 19:02, Braşov 21:03 or Sibiu 23:44, and arrives at Budapest Keleti at 08:50 next morning.
It has a safe, comfortable and civilised Romanian air-conditioned sleeping-car with 1, 2 or 3 bed compartments with washbasin and a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.
A sleeper is the recommended option, you'll be safe and snug, although couchettes are fine. A bar-bistro is attached between Bucharest and Simeria, serving inexpensive drinks, snacks and hot dishes - or take your own picnic and bottle of wine to consume in your sleeper. In spring & summer when it's light, the scenic ride through the Carpathian mountains between Ploesti & Brasov is wonderful.
-
There is also an earlier sleeper train, the Dacia Express. This leaves Bucharest Nord at 14:50, Ploesti 15:27, Brasov at 17:17, Sighisoara at 20:33 and arriving Budapest Keleti 05:20, final destination Vienna. The Dacia Express has a modern air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car of the latest type, some deluxe sleeper compartments have a private toilet & shower. It also has a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments.
-
There's also a later sleeper train, the Muntenia. This leaves Bucharest Nord at 21:55 and arriving Budapest Keleti 12:50. It has a couchette car from Bucharest to Budapest with 4 & 6 berth compartments, but no sleeping-car. However, a Romanian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments is attached between Bucharest & Timisoara Nord and you can continue to Budapest in the seating cars.
-
Fares start at 39 with a couchette in 6-berth, 46 with a couchette in 4-berth, 69 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 84 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 162 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself. All prices per person per berth.
-
Book this train at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro. Booking usually opens 90 days ahead.
Click EN top right for English. For Bucharest enter Bucuresti. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. Feedback appreciated.
Tip: If you want to use the Muntenia and travel in the sleeping-car which is attached between Bucharest & Timisoara, you'll need to (1) book the sleeper from Bucharest to Timisoara Nord on train D 78 using the Romanian Railways domestic website www.cfrcalatori.ro, then (2) book a seat from Timisoara to Budapest on train D 78 using the Romanian Railways international website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro.
 |
 |
|
|
A 1, 2 or 3-bed sleeper with washbasin. Larger photo. |
The sleeping-car (vagon de dormit) on the westbound Ister at Bucharest. Sleepers convert from beds to private sitting rooms for day use. Courtesy of DiscoverByRail. |
 |
 |
|
|
The vagon cuseta (couchette car) on the westbound Ister, boarding at Bucharest. Couchettes convert from bunks at night to seats by day. Courtesy of @AndyBTravels, DiscoverByRail.com . |
4 or 6-berth couchettes. Larger photo. |
Option 2, by daytime train from 29...
-
There are a comfortable air-conditioned Intercity trains between Bucharest, Brasov & Budapest. These Bucharest/Brasov-Budapest trains take most of the day, but take a bottle of wine and a good book and enjoy the great scenery on an adventure across Romania, through the Carpathian mountains and into Transylvania.
The Traianus leaves Bucharest Nord at 05:40, runs via Craiova, Timisoara & Arad and arrives Budapest Keleti at 20:50.
The Fogaras leaves Brasov at 06:55, runs via Sibiu & Simeria and arrives Budapest Keleti at 18:50.
-
Advance-purchase fares in 2nd class start at 29. Standard tariff is approximately 49 in 2nd class or 74 in 1st class.
-
Buy tickets at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro. Booking usually opens 90 days ahead.
Click EN top right for English. Bucharest is listed as Bucuresti (Romania). You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
Tip: As of December 2020 you can also buy tickets at the revamped Hungarian Railways (MAV) website jegy.mav.hu from 26.30 and load them into the MAV app on your phone (tickets cannot be printed out). It will now work even in the 'inwards' direction towards Budapest.
 |
|
The Intercity train Traianus from Bucharest to Budapest has modern air-conditioned Romanian carriages. Three cars travel all the way, additional cars & a bar car are attached from Bucharest to Drobeta Turnu Severin. Above, the Traianus at Budapest Keleti. |
 |
 |
|
|
On the left, the daytime train to Bucharest is about to leave Budapest Keleti... |
Comfortable 2nd class seats on the Budapest to Bucharest train. There are power outlets under the tables. Larger photo. |
 |
 |
|
|
A bar car is attached from Bucharest to Drobeta Turnu Severin. Photos courtesy of @AndyBTravels, DiscoverByRail.com. |
||
Option 3, Bucharest to Budapest using the Astra Trans Carpatic...
-
A privately-run deluxe sleeper train called the Astra Trans Carpatic operates from Bucharest to Arad, with cars of a higher standard than most Romanian trains - some sleepers have a private shower & toilet. Have breakfast in Arad, then take an air-conditioned day train to Budapest. This is slower than the direct trains, but higher-quality, remarkably cheap and well worth considering.
-
Step 1, travel from Bucharest to Arad overnight on the Astra Trans Carpatic, leaving Bucharest Nord at 20:20 and arriving Arad at 07:33.
The Astra Trans Carpatic has an air-conditioned sleeping-car with 1 & 2 bed deluxe sleepers with en suite toilet & shower, 1 & 2 bed standard sleepers with washbasin, shower at the end of the corridor. It also has a swish air-conditioned couchette car with 4-berth compartments, and ordinary seats. See virtual tour of the Astra Trans Carpatic (please let me know if that link stops working).
Fares: Deluxe single-bed sleeper 330 Lei (67), deluxe 2-bed sleeper 240 Lei per person (49), single-bed sleeper 270 Lei (55), 2-bed sleeper 210 Lei per person (43), bed in 4-berth couchette compartment 147 Lei (30).
Book online at www.astratranscarpatic.ro. You print your own ticket.
Have breakfast in Arad, there are food outlets in the shopping mall next to the station and a Lidl across the road, or it's a 10-15 minute walk into the pleasant town centre.
-
Step 2, travel from Arad to Budapest, leaving Arad at 09:03 and arriving Budapest Keleti at 12:50.
This air-conditioned Intercity train has 2nd class seats. There's no catering car, so bring your own food & drink.
Fares start at 10.80 if you book in advance, even a few days.
Buy a ticket at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it. Booking opens 60 days ahead. You must show the ticket on the MAV app on your phone.
 |
|
The sleeping-car at the rear of the Astra Trans Carpatic, at Arad. See virtual tour of the Astra Trans Carpatic. Courtesy of @AndyBTravels, DiscoverByRail.com. |
 |
 |
|
|
4-berth couchette compartment on the Astra Trans Carpatic... |
Deluxe sleeper, set up as a single. Courtesy of @AndyBTravels, DiscoverByRail.com. |
Bucharest to Vienna & Austria...
-
The Dacia Express leaves Bucharest Nord at 14:50, Ploeşti Vest 15:27, Braşov 17:17, Sighisoara 20:33, Simeria 22:38 arriving Vienna Hbf 08:21.
The Dacia Express has Romanian Railways' most modern type of air-conditioned sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin plus several deluxe compartments with en suite shower & toilet. It has a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6-berth couchette compartments and ordinary seats. A bar car is attached between Bucharest and Arad, serving drinks & snacks, or take your own picnic and bottle of wine along. The scenery through the Carpathian mountains between Ploesti & Brasov is wonderful!
Change in Vienna for Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck,
-
Booked online in advance, fares start at 49 with couchette in 6-berth, 59 with couchette in 4-berth, 69 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 150 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself.
-
Book at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro. Booking usually opens 90 days ahead.
Click EN top right for English. Bucharest is listed as Bucuresti (Romania), for Vienna you should use the German spelling Wien. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
-
Alternatively, daily all year round, you can take the daily Ister from Bucharest to Budapest as explained above and change at Budapest Keleti onto a smart Austrian railjet train for Vienna. Railjets leave Budapest for Vienna every couple of hours taking just 2h45.
 |
 |
|
|
The Dacia Express sleeping-car at Vienna Hbf. The Dacia has an air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car of their most modern type. Each compartment can be sold as a single, double or triple. Most have a washbasin, two compartments have a shower & toilet. Beds fold away to form a private sitting room for day use. Sleeper photo courtesy of @PaliparanDotCom. Larger photo. |
||
|
|
 |
|
|
The Dacia Express couchette car, boarding at Vienna Hbf. There is one Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6-berth compartments, bedding provided. Larger photo. |
||
 |
|
Carpathians: Alpine scenery as the Dacia Express passes through the Carpathian mountains. Courtesy @PaliparanDotCom. |
 |
|
Transylvania: The Dacia Express passes villages in rural Transylvania. Courtesy of @PaliparanDotCom. |
Bucharest to Sofia, Veliko Tarnovo & Bulgaria...
-
A train leaves Bucharest Gara de Nord at 10:55 every day and arrives Sofia central station at 20:10.
In summer from 9 June to 9 October 2023 this is a direct train, or rather, a 2nd class through car.
At other times of year it's modern air-conditioned Romanian diesel unit from Bucharest to Ruse arriving 13:45, then a Bulgarian train leaves Ruse at 14:20 for Sofia.
A separate portion runs from Bucharest Gara de Nord to Veliko Tarnovo arriving at 20:41. Again, this is a direct train from June to October, at other times of year you change trains at Ruse & Gorna Orjahovitsa.
There's no catering so bring a picnic and some wine or beer. It's a lovely scenic ride, crossing from Romania into Bulgaria over the Danube between Giurgiu & Ruse on Europe's longest steel bridge, 2.5 Km long, then meandering at slow speed through the valleys of Bulgaria.
You can confirm this schedule at the Bulgarian Railways website www.bdz.bg. Click English top right. Click Menu then look for International rail-routes, go to the Bucuresti-Sofia page and open the pdf timetable.
-
The fare is 34 standard tariff, bought at the station or online.
-
You can book this journey at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro.
Click EN top right for English. For Bucharest, enter Bucuresti.
Tickets must be collected from the ticket office at Bucharest Nord (or another Romanian station), so only use this site for one-way or round trip journeys starting in Romania. Feedback would be appreciated.
If you have any problems, simply buy the Bucharest to Sofia ticket at the station in Bucharest when you get there.
-
Money saving tip: You can save over 10 if you split the booking, if you don't mind grappling with two websites. First book from Bucuresti to Ruse at bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro on the 11:00 departure, this should cost around 12. Click EN top right for English. Bucharest is listed as Bucuresti (Romania). Tickets must be collected from a CFR station ticket office in Romania such as Bucharest Nord. Now go to the Bulgarian Railways website bileti.bdz.bg, register, then buy from Ruse to Sofia on the same train, 14:15 from Ruse train 463, which should only cost 10 or so. You may have to switch seats at Ruse of course, if you book this way! The Bulgarian ticket should be print-at-home, but might need to be collected at Ruse. Feedback appreciated.
Bucharest to Thessaloniki, Athens & Greece
Option 1, via Sofia...
-
Step 1, travel from Bucharest to Sofia by daytime train, as shown above.
-
Stay overnight in Sofia. The Hotel Favoritan is inexpensive with great reviews just 10 minutes walk from Sofia station.
-
Step 2, travel from Sofia to Thessaloniki by daytime train as shown on the Trains from Sofia page.
-
Step 3, travel from Thessaloniki to Athens by Greek Intercity train, these run regularly, see the Trains from Athens page.
Option 2, direct sleeping-car, once a week in summer...
-
In previous years a direct sleeping-car has operated from Bucharest to Thessaloniki once a week in the summer months. Due to Covid-19 it won't run in 2021.
Bucharest to Istanbul..
-
A direct Bucharest-Istanbul couchette car runs in summer, see the Bucharest to Istanbul page for details.
-
When this direct couchette car isn't running, you take a series of connecting trains from Bucharest to Dimitrovgrad in Bulgaria, where you join the sleepers & couchettes of the Sofia-Istanbul Express to Istanbul, see the Bucharest to Istanbul page for details.
 |
 |
|
|
Boarding at Sofia. |
4-berth couchette compartment with berths folded away. |
 |
|
Across Bulgaria... Lush green scenery as the train descends the Shipka Pass... |
 |
|
Good morning Turkey! Dawn breaks as the train speeds east towards Istanbul... |
Bucharest to Belgrade & Serbia...
IMPORTANT UPDATE: The incompetent Romanian & Serbian Railway managers have had a disagreement, and since August 2017 the Timisoara-Vrsac trains have been terminating one station short of Vrsac, meaning there are currently no trains at all across the Serbian/Romanian border, completely destroying this international route. Until or unless this incompetence is resolved, you are advised to travel from Bucharest to Budapest then Budapest to Belgrade. I'll keep the original advice below in case the situation is resolved:
-
There is no longer a direct train between Bucharest & Belgrade, but it's easy to travel between these cities in comfort by train. It's difficult to find online as www.bahn.de/en doesn't recognise the local route via Vrsac, so listen up!
-
Daily except Sundays, two local trains link Timisoara in western Romania with Belgrade's lesser-known Dunav station. The journey involves one easy change at the border at Vrsac.
-
Timisoara Nord depart 07:48, arrive Vrsac 08:52, change at Vrsac, Vrsac depart 09:40 arriving Belgrade Dunav 11:23. But see update above!
-
Timisoara Nord depart 16:36 arrive Vrsac 17:35, change at Vrsac, Vrsac depart 18:25, Belgrade Dunav arrive 20:08. But see update above!
-
To connect with these trains, either take a day train or the overnight sleeper train from Bucharest to Timisoara Nord, you can book this section at www.cfrcalatori.ro.
-
Buy tickets from Timisoara to Belgrade at the station in Timisoara, fare 42 RON (about 9), no reservation needed for this bit, and no online or advance booking possible.
Bucharest to Chişinău & Moldova
 |
|
The Prietenia from Chişinău to Bucharest about to leave Chişinău. Photos courtesy of Malcolm B & Peter Brogdale. |
Bucharest to all other destinations...
Option 1, using the Bucharest to Budapest sleeper train Ister...
-
Step 1, travel from Bucharest to Budapest on the sleeper train Ister, leaving Bucharest Gara de Nord at 18:25, Ploeşti Vest 19:02, Braşov 21:03 or Sibiu 23:44, arriving Budapest Keleti at 08:50 next morning.
It has a safe, comfortable and civilised Romanian air-conditioned sleeping-car with 1, 2 or 3 bed compartments with washbasin and a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.
A sleeper is the recommended option, you'll be safe and snug, although couchettes are fine. A bar-bistro is attached between Bucharest and Simeria, serving inexpensive drinks, snacks and hot dishes - or take your own picnic and bottle of wine. In spring & summer when it's light, the scenic ride through the Carpathian mountains between Ploesti & Brasov is wonderful.
Fares start at 39 with a couchette in 6-berth, 46 with a couchette in 4-berth, 69 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 84 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 162 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself. All prices per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro. Booking usually opens 90 days ahead.
Click EN top right for English. For Bucharest enter Bucuresti. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
You can also buy tickets at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it. Booking opens 60 days ahead. For Bucharest, type Bucuresti. You show the ticket on the MAV app on your phone.
-
Step 2, travel from Budapest to other European cities, as shown in more detail on the Trains from Budapest page. I'd allow at least 2 hours between trains in Budapest, just in case of delay.
For Bratislava, a EuroCity train leaves Budapest Nyugati at 11:29 and arrives Bratislava Hlavna at 14:03. Book this at the Hungarian Railways website jegy.mav.hu with fares from 9.50.
For Prague, a EuroCity train leaves Budapest Nyugati at 11:29 and arrives Prague Hlavni at 18:37. Book this at the Hungarian Railways website jegy.mav.hu with fares from 20.
For Zagreb, a train leaves Budapest Deli at 15:35 and arrives Zagreb at 22:10. Book this at the Hungarian Railways website jegy.mav.hu with fares from 20, or buy at the station.
For Krakow & Warsaw, spend the day in Budapest. A sleeper train leaves Budapest Nyugati at 19:29, arriving Krakow Glowny at 05:46 and Warsaw Gdanska at 08:56. Book this at the Hungarian Railways website jegy.mav.hu although at the time of writing this won't book sleepers or couchettes (this may change, feedback appreciated)
For Munich, a railjet train leaves Budapest Keleti at 11:40, arriving Munich Hbf at 18:31. Book this at the German Railways website www.bahn.de, fares from 27.90, you print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. Change in Munich for Stuttgart & Cologne.
For London, see the London to Romania page.
|
|
|
|
|
A 1, 2 or 3-bed sleeper with washbasin. Larger photo. |
The sleeping-car (vagon de dormit) on the Ister boarding at Bucharest. Sleepers convert from beds to private sitting rooms for day use. Courtesy of DiscoverByRail. |
|
|
|
|
|
The vagon cuseta (couchette car) on the Ister, boarding at Bucharest. Couchettes convert from bunks at night to seats by day. Courtesy of @AndyBTravels, DiscoverByRail.com . |
4 or 6-berth couchettes. Larger photo. |
Option 2, using the Bucharest to Vienna sleeper train Dacia Express...
-
Step 1, travel from Bucharest to Vienna by Dacia Express, leaving Bucharest Gara de Nord at 14:50, Ploeşti Vest 15:27, Braşov 17:17, Sighisoara 20:33, Simeria 22:38 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 08:21.
The Dacia Express has a modern air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin plus several deluxe compartments with en suite shower & toilet, and a couchette car with 4 & 6-berth couchette compartments. A bar car is attached between Bucharest and Arad, serving drinks & snacks, or take your own picnic and bottle of wine along. The scenery through the Carpathian mountains between Ploesti & Brasov is wonderful!
Booked online in advance, fares start at 49 with couchette in 6-berth, 59 with couchette in 4-berth, 69 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 150 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself.
Book at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro. Booking usually opens 90 days ahead.
Click EN top right for English. Bucharest is listed as Bucuresti (Romania), for Vienna you should use the German spelling Wien. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
-
Step 2, travel from Vienna to other European cities, as shown in more detail on the Trains from Vienna page. I'd allow at least 1½ to 2 hours between trains in Vienna, just in case of delay.
For Bratislava, a regional train leaves Vienna Hbf every hour at xx:17 minutes past each hour for Bratislava Hlavna, taking just 1h06. The fare is 10.20, either buy at the station or at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (more fiddly, same prices, in ). You print your own ticket.
For Prague, a railjet train leaves Vienna Hbf at 11:10 arriving Prague Hlavni at 15:35. Fares start at 14, book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (more fiddly, same prices, in ). You print your own ticket.
For Munich, a railjet train leaves Vienna Hbf at 10:20, arriving Munich Hbf at 14:32. Book this at the German Railways website www.bahn.de, fares from 27.90, you print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. Change in Munich for Stuttgart & Cologne.
For Berlin, a ICE-T train leaves Vienna Hbf at 10:13, arriving Berlin Hbf at 17:53. Book this at the German Railways website www.bahn.de, fares from 37.90, you print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
For Nuremberg & Frankfurt, an ICE-T train leaves Vienna Hbf at 11:13, arriving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 17:36. Book this at the German Railways website www.bahn.de, fares from 27.90, you print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. Change in Frankfurt for Hamburg, Cologne, Dόsseldorf.
For Zurich & Switzerland, a railjet train leaves Vienna Hbf at 13:28, arriving Zurich HB at 21:20. Book this at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (more fiddly, same prices, in ). You print your own ticket.
For Venice & Italy, a railjet train leaves Vienna Hbf at 12:18, arriving Venice Santa Lucia at 20:05. Book this at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (more fiddly, same prices, in ). You print your own ticket.
For Paris, an ICE-T train leaves Vienna Hbf at 11:13, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf onto an ICE3 train running daily except Saturdays arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 22:52. Book this at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee), you print your own tickets or can show them on your laptop or phone.
For Brussels, an ICE-T train leaves Vienna Hbf at 11:13, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf onto an ICE3 train arriving Brussels Midi at 21:35. Book this at the German Railways website www.bahn.de, fares from 49.90, you print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
For Amsterdam, an ICE-T train leaves Vienna Hbf at 11:13, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf onto an ICE3 train arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 21:58 (22:30 weekends). Book this at the German Railways website www.bahn.de, fares from 49.90, you print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
For London, see the London to Romania page.
For Barcelona & Spain, first travel to Zurich as shown above, and stay overnight. Next day, travel to Geneva, Lyon then Barcelona as shown here.
-
Tip: The Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro will - remarkably - book journeys from Romania as far afield as Paris, but it usually applies expensive standard-tariff fares for parts of such journeys outside Romania. You're usually better off using bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro to book from Romania to Budapest or Vienna, then using a site such as www.thetrainline.com to book from Budapest or Vienna to Germany, Paris and so on.
Option 3, using a daytime train from Bucharest to Budapest, overnight stop in Budapest, then onward train...
-
Step 1, travel from Bucharest to Budapest by daytime Intercity train.
The Traianus leaves Bucharest Nord at 05:40, runs via Craiova, Timisoara & Arad and arrives Budapest Keleti at 20:50.
The Fogaras leaves Brasov at 06:55, runs via Sibiu & Simeria and arrives Budapest Keleti at 18:50.
Advance-purchase fares in 2nd class start at 29. Standard tariff is approximately 49 in 2nd class or 74 in 1st class.
Buy tickets at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro. Booking usually opens 90 days ahead.
Click EN top right for English. Bucharest is listed as Bucuresti (Romania). You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
Tip: As of December 2020 you can also buy tickets at the revamped Hungarian Railways (MAV) website jegy.mav.hu from 26.30 and load them into the MAV app on your phone (tickets cannot be printed out). At the time I write this it will only book seats (not couchettes or sleepers on night trains) but it will now work even in the 'inwards' direction towards Budapest.
-
Stay overnight in Budapest. Top choice for an inexpensive stay next to Budapest Keleti is the Intercity Hotel just across the square in front of the station. Also try the Royal Park Boutique Hotel, the inexpensive Baross City Hotel across the road or the Elit Hotel two minutes walk away. Of course, if you want to push the boat out, the luxurious Corinthia Hotel opened in 1896 was almost certainly the inspiration for the 2014 film The Grand Budapest Hotel, 20 minutes walk or 9 minutes by taxi from Keleti station. More hotels in Budapest.
-
Step 2, travel from Budapest to other European cities, as shown in more detail on the Trains from Budapest page.
For Vienna, a railjet train leaves Budapest Keleti at 07:40, arriving Vienna Hbf at 10:21, or there are later departures every hour. Book this at the Book this at the Hungarian Railways website jegy.mav.hu with fares from 13 or if you have any problems, www.thetrainline.com.
For Bratislava, a EuroCity train leaves Budapest Nyugati at 05:29 and arrives Bratislava Hlavna at 08:03, or there are trains at 07:29, 08:29, 09:29 and every 2 hours through the day. Book this at the Hungarian Railways website jegy.mav.hu with fares from 9.50.
For Prague, a EuroCity train leaves Budapest Nyugati at 05:29 and arrives Prague Hlavni at 12:37, or there are trains at 07:29, 09:29 and every 2 hours through the day. Book this at the Hungarian Railways website jegy.mav.hu with fares from 20.
For Zagreb, a train leaves Budapest Deli at 15:35 and arrives Zagreb at 22:10. Book this at the Hungarian Railways website jegy.mav.hu with fares from 20, or buy at the station.
For Ljubljana, a train leaves Budapest Deli at 09:00 and arrives Ljubljana at 16:35. Book this at the Hungarian Railways website jegy.mav.hu with fares from 20, or buy at the station.
For Krakow & Warsaw, a train leaves Budapest Nyugati at 08:12, with a portion for Krakow Glowny arriving 17:12 and a portion for Warsaw Centralna arriving 19:34. Book this at the Hungarian Railways website jegy.mav.hu.
For Munich, a railjet train leaves Budapest Keleti at 07:40, arriving Munich Hbf at 14:32, or there are later departures roughly every 2 hours. Book this at the German Railways website www.bahn.de, fares from 27.90, you print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. Change in Munich for Stuttgart & Cologne.
For Berlin, a railjet train leaves Budapest Keleti at 06:40, change at Vienna Hbf and arrive Berlin Hbf at 17:53. Fares start at 46.90 in 2nd class or 59.90 in 1st class. Alternatively, the direct EuroCity train Hungaria with restaurant car leaves Budapest Nyugati at 07:29 arriving Berlin Hbf at 19:02. Book at German Railways www.bahn.de. For details, see the Budapest to Berlin section.
For Switzerland, a railjet train leaves Budapest Keleti at 06:40 and arrives Zurich at 17:20. Change in Zurich for anywhere else in Switzerland. Book at www.thetrainline.com and print your own tickets.
For Italy, catch the 07:40 railjet train to Vienna from 19.90 and take the afternoon 12:18 railjet to Venice from 29.90, book each train at www.thetrainline.com and print your own tickets.
For all other destinations, see the Trains from Budapest page
Hotels in Bucharest & other cities
Other hotel sites worth trying...
-
www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.
Backpacker hostels...
-
www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.
Travel insurance & VPN
|
|
|
|
|
Always take out travel insurance...
Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash and belongings, up to a sensible limit. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself. Here are some suggested insurers. Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.
www.staysure.co.uk
offers enhanced Covid-19 protection & gets 4.7 out of 5 on
Trustpilot.
www.columbusdirect.com
is also a well-know brand.
If you live in the USA try
Travel Guard USA.
|
|
Get an eSIM with mobile data package
Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a mobile data package for the country you're visiting and stay connected. Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM card so you don't need to buy a physical SIM, including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list. Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.
|
|
Get a Curve card for foreign travel
Most banks give you a poor exchange rate, then add a foreign transaction fee on top. A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month at time of writing. The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.
How it works: 1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android. 2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses. 3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card. 4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app. You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.
I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader. The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than digging a card out). I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great. See details, download the app and get a Curve card, they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.
|
|
Get a VPN for safe browsing. VPNs & why you need one explained
When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure. A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi. It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply. See VPNs & why you need one explained. ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription. I get a small commission to help support this site.
|
|
Always carry an Anker powerbank
Tickets, reservations, vaccination records and Interrail or Eurail passes are often held digitally on your mobile phone, so it's vital to keep it charged. I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over if I can't get to a power outlet. Buy from Amazon.co.uk or from Buy from Amazon.com.