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This page explains how to travel by train from Budapest to other cities all over Europe, and how to buy tickets the cheapest way. Train information is current for 2021. Suggested hotels in Budapest.
Before you buy your
tickets...
Take a moment to read these important tips for buying European train tickets. They answer all the usual questions, such as "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 go online & buy a 35 point-to-point ticket?". And most important, click here to understand how far ahead you can buy train tickets.
European train travel
FAQ...
Budapest to other destinations in Hungary...
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Domestic Hungarian train tickets are easily and cheaply bought at the station in Hungary, or you can buy them online at www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it
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Over 65? Any EU citizen over 65 years old can travel FREE anywhere on the Hungarian Railways domestic network. Yes, unlimited free travel in Hungary! You still need to go to the ticket office and get a free ticket to your chosen destination, and you must still pay any fast train supplement. Or you can book online at www.mavcsoport.hu, looking for the 'Reduction' drop-down menu and selecting 'Person over 65'. If you want 1st class you must pay the difference between 1st and 2nd class fares before boarding. Trams and buses are also free if you're over 65. The free travel only applies to EU citizens.
Budapest to London...
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See the London to Hungary page for train times, fares & how to buy train tickets between Budapest & London in either direction.
Budapest to Paris from 79...
Option 1, Budapest to Paris in a single day...
You can travel from Budapest to Paris in a single day, across Europe in a chill-out day with a good book and lunch in the restaurant car. The scenery on this route across Austria & Germany is very pleasant, although not spectacular. For a more time-effective overnight journey, see option 2 or 3 below. If it's scenery you want, see option 4 through the lovely Arlberg Pass with an overnight stop in Zurich.
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Munich by railjet train leaving Budapest Keleti at 07:40 arriving Munich Hbf 14:32.
The railjet has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Look out for Salzburg's Fortress Hohensalzburg on the right as you cross the River Salzach after leaving Salzburg Hbf.
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Step 2, travel from Munich to Stuttgart by ICE, leaving Munich Hbf at 15:28 arriving Stuttgart Hbf at 17:45.
The ICE has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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Step 3, travel from Stuttgart to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 18:52 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 22:24.
The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I recommend a cosy upper deck seat.
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How much does it cost?
Budapest to Munich starts at 29.90 in 2nd class or 59.90 in 1st class.
Munich to Paris starts at 39 in 2nd class or 69 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
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How to buy tickets...
Before you start, check times by running a Budapest to Paris enquiry at the German Railways website www.bahn.de - but change Duration of transfer from standard to at least 35 minutes before running the enquiry. In the search results, look for a journey with just 2 changes. At this stage it will only show silly-money prices, but don't worry, we're going to fix that by splitting the journey to book. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
First book from Budapest to Munich at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my tips for using it. Booking normally opens 60 days ahead. You can also book using the German Railways website www.bahn.de which opens booking up to 6 months ahead, but tickets cannot be printed, they are sent to any address worldwide for a small fee and can take 1-2 weeks to arrive.
Then book from Munich to Paris using the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.
Tip: You should change Duration of transfer from standard to at least 45 minutes. Otherwise it'll put you on a later train with a risky 10-minute connection in Stuttgart into that last train of the day from Stuttgart to Paris, it makes sense to leave earlier and have a longer interchange.
Option 2, by Hungarian sleeper train to Zurich and high-speed TGV-Lyria to Paris. This is the fastest & most time-effective option, & saves a hotel bill too...
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Zurich by EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre, leaving Budapest Keleti at 20:40 & arriving Zurich HB 08:20.
The Kalman Imre has an air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and an air-conditioned Hungarian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, see more information about this sleeper train. In sleepers, morning tea or coffee is included.
Fares start at 49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 88.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
Book this train 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 fares, in ). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Tip: If you like, you can check the consist for this train, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using the excellent www.vagonweb.cz. Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Hungary, click EN and look for Kalman Imre.
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Step 2, travel from Zurich to Paris by TGV-Lyria, leaving Zurich HB at 09:34 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 13:38.
The TGV-Lyria travels at up to 320 km/h (199 mph), with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More information about TGV-Lyria.
Fares start at 29 in 2nd class or 51 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the French Railways website en.oui.sncf (in , more fiddly, but no fee). Booking normally opens 120 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your smartphone.
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Zurich by sleeper train. The sleeper train from Budapest to Zurich & Munich is seen here boarding on platform 6 at Budapest Keleti. More information about this train. Courtesy of David Frankal. |
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1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper. |
4-berth couchettes. |
6-berth couchettes. |
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Step 2, take a TGV-Lyria from Zurich to Paris Gare de Lyon, a 320 km/h double-deck high-speed train. |
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The cafe-bar on the upper deck in car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks & microwave-style hot dishes... |
2nd class seats, this is upper deck seating. There's a mix or tables for 4 and unidirectional seating. 360Ί photo. |
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1st class seats on the upper deck, a club duo on the left, a club quatre on the right. 360Ί photo. |
A TGV-Lyria at Paris Gare de Lyon. You enter on the lower deck, with 9 stairs up to top deck. |
Option 3, by Hungarian sleeper train to Munich and high-speed TGV to Paris. Similar to option 1, but via Munich, and it takes a little longer.
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Munich by EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre leaving Budapest Keleti at 20:40 & arriving Munich Hbf at 06:10.
The Kalman Imre has an air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and an air-conditioned Hungarian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, see more information about this sleeper train.
Fares start at 49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 88.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
Book this train 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 ). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Tip: If you like, you can check the consist for this train, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using the excellent www.vagonweb.cz. Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Hungary, click EN and look for Kalman Imre.
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Step 2, travel from Munich to Paris by ICE train, leaving Munich Hbf at 07:28, change at Stuttgart Hbf, arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 14:19.
The ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.
Tip: Bahn.de initially suggests the 08:28 from Munich with a tight connection in Stuttgart, but I recommend using the Adjust transfer time feature to get an earlier departure from Munich for a more robust connection. There's a direct TGV to Paris leaving Munich at 06:46 (06:23 on Sundays), but I'd ignore it as it's too tight to be a robust connection.
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Munich by sleeper train Kalman Imre, seen here boarding on platform 6 at Budapest Keleti. More information about this train. Courtesy of David Frankal. |
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1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper. |
4-berth couchettes. |
6-berth couchettes. |
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Step 2, take a high-speed ICE train to Paris, seen here at Paris Gare de l'Est... |
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Bistro-restaurant car... |
Lunch in the restaurant car... |
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2nd class seats... |
1st class seats... |
Option 4, by railjet from Budapest to Munich, overnight stop, TGV from Munich to Paris. This is the fastest & cheapest all-daytime option.
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Day 1, travel from Budapest to Munich by railjet train, for example leaving Budapest Keleti at 15:40 & arriving Munich Hbf 22:31.
Or take an earlier train and spend a pleasant evening in Munich, these trains leave every 2 hours. Railjet trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the railjet information page.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 56.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this train at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, for this route tickets are sent to any address worldwide for a small fee.
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Stay overnight in Munich. Hotels next to the station with good or great reviews include the Sofitel Munich Beyerpost, Eden Hotel Wolff, InterCity Hotel or (if you're on a budget) the Pension Locarno. For dinner in Munich I recommend the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de) at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf, see walking map.
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Day 2, travel from Munich to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Munich Hbf at 06:46 (06:23 Sundays) arriving Paris Est at 12:33 (12:05 Sundays).
Or have a leisurely breakfast and take the 08:28 ICE from Munich to Stuttgart where you change onto a TGV Duplex to Paris, arriving 16:05.
The 320 km/h (199 mph) TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this train at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.
Option 5, Budapest to Zurich via the scenic Arlberg Pass, overnight stop, then TGV-Lyria to Paris. The scenic route!
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Day 1: Travel from Budapest to Zurich by air-conditioned railjet train, leaving Budapest Keleti at 06:40 and arriving Zurich HB at 17:20.
The railjet train has a restaurant car, treat yourself to breakfast and lunch - in 1st & business class, a steward will take your order and serve your food at your seat. There are power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more information about railjet trains.
It's a wonderfully 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 (see the Arlberg Railway page & watch the video), then along the Walensee and Zόrichsee lakes to Zurich. For views of Salzburg castle, the Zόrichsee lake and most of the Arlberg valley, find an unreserved seat on the left-hand side of the train leaving Budapest (this advice allows for the change of direction at Buchs!).
Fares start at 39 in 2nd class or 59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Buy a ticket at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it. Booking opens 60 days ahead.
Note that you can't book business class using www.mavcsoport.hu, although you could buy a cheap 1st class ticket then buy the business class upgrade separately at the station, or make a reservation-only booking from Budapest to Feldkirch at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at by fin ding and selecting the train, then clicking More services and Ticket already exists. There is only a tiny chance someone will be reserved in your seat for the last 90 minutes from Feldkirch!
If you have any problems getting mavcsoport.hu to sell a Budapest-Zurich ticket for this train, the workaround is to use the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at to first book Budapest-Feldkirch and then book Feldkirch-Zurich on the same train (RJ162). You can then print your own ticket for both segments and can also book business class, although of course this means you're paying the 15 business class upgrade twice! Booking opens up to 6 months ahead on oebb.at.
If you have a 1st or business class ticket, you can use the business lounge on platform 9 at Budapest Keleti, open 06:00-21:30 daily with complimentary tea & coffee.
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Stay overnight in Zurich. For something really special, the 5-star Hotel Schweizerhof is one of my favourite hotels anywhere, just across the road from the station. They'll even send a uniformed commissionaire to meet you & carry your bags from the train. For something cheaper, also next to the station with great reviews, try the 4-star Hotel St Gotthard or the excellent 3-star Hotel St. Josef, 7 minutes walk from the station, see walking map. If you're on a tight budget you can book private rooms in a one-star hotel or backpacker hostel near the station at www.hostelworld.com.
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Day 2, travel from Zurich to Paris on any TGV-Lyria you like. For example, the 07:34 from Zurich HB arrives Paris Gare de Lyon at 11:38 or the 09:34 from Zurich HB arrives Paris Gare de Lyon at 13:38.
TGV-Lyria high-speed trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 29 in 2nd class (standard) or 51 in 1st class (standard premiθre). Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Buy a ticket for this train at either www.raileurope.com (in , £ or $, easy to use, small booking fee) or www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, easy to use, small booking fee) or the French Railways website en.oui.sncf (in , more fiddly, no fee). Booking normally opens 120 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your smartphone.
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A railjet train pauses at Vienna... |
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Railjet first class, with black leather seats... |
Business class... |
The restaurant... |
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A railjet arrived at the impressive modern Vienna Hbf spot on time. More photos & information about railjet trains |
Economy class on railjet, in open saloons with large windows. Some seats around tables, most unidirectional. |
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The mountains of Austria... |
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In the Arlberg pass itself, the railway hugs the valley side, past fir forests and meadows... |
In railjet first & business class, the stewardess takes your order & serves lunch at your seat... |
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The railjet clips a corner of Liechtenstein, passing non-stop through the little station of Schaan-Vaduz. Once in Switzerland, the railjet runs alongside the Zόrichsee, then along the Walensee... |
Budapest to Nice, Cannes, Monaco...
Option 1, using the Vienna-Milan sleeper then a scenic coastal ride...
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Vienna by railjet train, leaving Budapest Keleti at 15:40 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 18:21.
The modern Austrian railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Have dinner in Vienna, see suggested restaurants.
Fares start from 19.90 in 2nd class, 29.90 in 1st class or 44.90 in business class (= premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards accepted, small booking fee, Booking opens up to 6 months ahead) or at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu (more fiddly, in Hungarian forints, booking opens 60 days ahead, see my advice for using it).
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Milan by Nightjet sleeper train leaving Vienna Hbf every day at 19:23 and arriving Milan Porta Garibaldi at 08:10.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 or 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.
Fares start at 49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, 59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, 69.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, 89.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or 139.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways own site www.oebb.at (same prices, more fiddly, in ). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Spend the morning and have lunch in Milan, as at present there's no earlier robust connection.
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Step 3, travel from Milan to Ventimiglia by Frecciabianca train, leaving Milan Centrale at 15:10 and arriving Ventimiglia at 18:54
This is a lovely scenic ride along the Italian Riviera between Genoa & Ventimiglia. There's a refreshment trolley.
Fares start at 19.90 in 2nd class or 26.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Buy a ticket at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com. Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. It's ticketless, you just quote the booking reference on the train.
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Step 4, travel from Ventimiglia to Monaco, Nice or Cannes by TER local train, leaving Ventimiglia at 19:25, arriving Monte Carlo 19:55, Nice Ville 20:25, Cannes 21:08.
The fare is 8, though promotional fares of 5 or 7.50 are sometimes available. 2nd class only.
Buy a ticket at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com. Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your smartphone.
You'll find full details of the journey from Milan to Nice with photos & tips on the Nice to Italy by train page.
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Step 1, Budapest to Vienna by railjet, seen on platform 9 at Budapest's Keleti station. More information about railjets. |
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Economy (2nd) class... Larger photo. |
First class... Larger photo. |
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Step 2, Vienna to Milan by Nightjet sleeper train, seen here at Vienna Hbf. More information about Nightjet trains. |
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Deluxe sleeper. Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room. Larger photo. Video of deluxe room |
The same deluxe sleeper in evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out. Larger photo. |
Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided. Larger photo. |
Standard sleeper set up as 2-berth, washstand open. It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth. Larger photo. |
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6-berth couchettes... |
4-berth couchettes... |
Couchette car on the Nightjet sleeper train... |
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Step 3, Milan to Ventimiglia by Frecciabianca train in 3h45. Here, a Frecciabianca is boarding at the magnificent Milan Centrale... |
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2nd class. Larger photo. |
1st class. Larger photo. |
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Step 4, take a TER local train from Ventimiglia to Monaco, Nice & Cannes. Ventimiglia to Nice takes an hour along the coast. Here, a TER rolls into Juan les Pins station, between Nice & Cannes. |
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Coastal scenery from the upper deck of the TER from Ventimiglia to Nice & Cannes... |
Option 2, by direct Russian sleeper train every Friday...
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Take a railjet train from Budapest Keleti to Vienna Hbf from 19.90 booked at www.thetrainline.com or www.oebb.at. You print your own ticket. Allow plenty of time in Vienna.
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The Moscow-Nice express enables you to leave Vienna Hbf every Friday around 22:44 arriving Nice 18:30 next day. Clean and modern 2 & 4 berth sleepers with washbasin, shower at the end of the corridor, 1 & 2 bed deluxe sleepers with toilet and shower, restaurant car, it's identical to the excellent Paris-Moscow train shown here. Book online at Russian Railways www.rzd.ru.
Budapest to Brussels & Bruges from 56...
Option 1, using the Vienna to Brussels Nightjet sleeper train on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Sundays - the most time-effective option...
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Vienna by railjet train, leaving Budapest Keleti at 15:40 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 18:21.
The modern Austrian railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Have dinner in Vienna, see suggested restaurants.
Fares start from 19.90 in 2nd class, 29.90 in 1st class or 44.90 in business class (= premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards accepted, small booking fee, Booking opens up to 6 months ahead) or at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu (more fiddly, in Hungarian forints, booking opens 60 days ahead, see my advice for using it).
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Brussels by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 20:13 on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Sundays, arriving Brussels Midi at 09:55 next morning.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has two air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has a couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and an ordinary seats car. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.
Tip: If you have a sleeper ticket, you can use the ΦBB first class lounge at Vienna Hbf before boarding, with complimentary snacks & wine.
Fares start at 49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, 59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, 89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, 109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or 159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards accepted, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (more fiddly, in , same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Option 2, using the Vienna-Cologne Nightjet sleeper train - on days when the direct Vienna-Brussels Nightjet isn't running...
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Vienna by railjet train, leaving Budapest Keleti at 15:40 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 18:21.
The modern Austrian railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Have dinner in Vienna, see suggested restaurants.
Fares start from 19.90 in 2nd class, 29.90 in 1st class or 44.90 in business class (= premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee, Booking opens up to 6 months ahead) or at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu (more fiddly, in Hungarian forints, see my advice for using it).
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Cologne by Nightjet sleeper train leaving Vienna Hbf at 20:13 and arriving at Cologne Hbf at 06:51 next morning.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has several couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.
Tip: If you have a sleeper ticket, you can use the ΦBB first class lounge at Vienna Hbf before boarding, with complimentary snacks & wine.
Fares start at 49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, 59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, 89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, 109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or 159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at (a little more fiddly, in , has been known to reject some international cards). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, less than this when the mid-June or mid-December timetable changes intervene. You print your own ticket.
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Step 3, travel from Cologne to Brussels by high-speed ICE3 train leaving Cologne Hbf at 07:42 and arriving Brussels Midi at 09:35.
The ICE3 has a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start from 18.90 in 2nd class or 27.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. You can book through to Bruges or anywhere in Belgium as one transaction for one inclusive price. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.
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Step 1, Budapest to Vienna by railjet, seen on platform 9 at Budapest's Keleti station. More information about railjets. |
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Economy (2nd) class... Larger photo. |
First class... Larger photo. |
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Step 2, Vienna to Brussels by Nightjet sleeper train. Above, the inaugural southbound train is ready to leave Brussels the following night, the first scheduled sleeper train to leave Brussels in 16 years - naturally, the Man in Seat 61 was on board! More information about Nightjet trains. |
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Deluxe sleeper. Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room. Larger photo. Video of deluxe room |
The same deluxe sleeper in evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out. Larger photo. |
Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided. Larger photo. |
Standard sleeper set up as 2-berth, washstand open. It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth. Larger photo. |
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6-berth couchettes... |
4-berth couchettes... |
Couchette car on the Brussels-Vienna Nightjet... |
Option 3, by sleeper train to Munich, then daytime trains to Brussels...
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Munich by EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre leaving Budapest Keleti at 20:40 & arriving Munich Hbf at 06:10.
The Kalman Imre has an air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and an air-conditioned Hungarian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, see more information about this sleeper train.
Fares start at 49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 88.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
Book this train 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 (in , more fiddly, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Tip: If you like, you can check the consist for this train, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using the excellent www.vagonweb.cz. Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Hungary, click EN and look for Kalman Imre.
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Step 2, travel from Munich to Brussels by ICE train, leaving Munich Hbf at 06:48, changing at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Brussels Midi 13:35.
ICEs have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Change in Brussels for half-hourly trains to Bruges.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Munich by sleeper train Kalman Imre, seen here boarding on platform 6 at Budapest Keleti. More information about this train. Courtesy of David Frankal. |
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1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper. |
4-berth couchettes. |
6-berth couchettes. |
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Step 2, Munich to Frankfurt & Brussels by ICE... |
ICE3 2nd class seats. Larger photo. |
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ICE3 1st class, with leather seats. Larger photo. |
ICE3 bistro. See this month's menu. |
Option 4, by day trains with overnight stop in Munich...
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Munich by smart Austrian railjet train leaving Budapest Keleti at 15:40 and arriving Munich Hbf at 22:33.
The railjet has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. By all means take an earlier train, they run every couple of hours.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class, 56.90 in 1st class or 71.90 in business class (= premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. Tickets are sent to any address worldwide for a small fee. You can also book at Hungarian Railways www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it.
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Stay overnight in Munich. The Sofitel Munich Beyerpost, Eden Hotel Wolff, InterCity Hotel or (budget) the Pension Locarno are next to the station with good or great reviews.
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Step 2, travel from Munich to Brussels by ICE train, for example leaving Munich Hbf 06:48, changing at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Brussels Midi 13:35. But by all means have a leisurely breakfast and take a later train. ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 27.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or you can show it on your laptop or smartphone.
Option 5, by sleeper to Prague then day trains to Brussels - the cheapest option from 64!
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OK, so this isn't the fastest option. But an amazing 29 fare between Prague & Brussels from Czech Railways plus a 35 fare from Budapest to Prague including a bed for the night makes it the cheapest! The trains are just as good quality as other routes, too, see the photos here.
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Step 1, take the sleeper train from Budapest to Prague, leaving Budapest Keleti at 19:25 and arriving Prague Hlavni at 08:13.
This train has a modern Czech Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3 bed sleepers with washbasin and three deluxe compartments with en suite toilet & shower, and a couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments. Morning tea or coffee is included in the fare in the sleepers. Have a full breakfast in Prague.
Fares start at 35 with couchette, 46 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 71 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself.
Book this train at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz. Booking normally opens 90 days ahead and you print your own ticket.
Alternatively, you could take any daytime train you like from Budapest Nyugati to Prague Hlavni from 20, see the timetable here. Then stay overnight in Prague: Hotels with good reviews next to the station include the Esplanade Hotel (a good choice, I've stayed there myself), Falkensteiner Hotel Maria, Chopin Hotel. Budapest to Brussels from just 41...
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Step 2, travel from Prague to Brussels by train. You don't get much control over the trains or route, it involves 3 changes and takes a day, but it's true. You can go from central Prague to central Brussels in comfort by train for as little as 29. For example:
Prague Hlavni depart 10:43, change Cheb, Nuremberg & Frankfurt (Main) Hbf arriving Brussels Midi at 21:35.
Simply use the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz to book from Prague to Brussel, but (and this is the important bit) you must click More options then click Travel via and put Cheb in the via box. You'll see fares from as little as 29 (about 757 Czech Koruna) via a route with 3 changes at Cheb, Nuremberg & Frankfurt. Or treat yourself to first class from 43, about 1096 Koruna. Booking normally opens 90 days ahead. You print your own ticket.
There's nothing cut-rate about the trains: You travel on a swish air-conditioned regional train from Prague to Cheb and from Cheb to Nuremberg, then by top-quality high-speed ICE train from Nuremberg to Frankfurt and Frankfurt to Brussels, complete with bistro-restaurant cars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the photos here.
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Budapest to Prague by sleeping-car. This is the Prague-Budapest sleeper at Prague. |
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Standard sleeper set up as a 2-berth, with blind down & washstand open. Each room can be used with 1, 2 or 3 beds. Enlarge photo. |
The same sleeper with berths folded away & seats folded out, washstand closed. Very similar to a deluxe, but without the shower & toilet. |
Deluxe sleepers are similar to standard ones, but with a bit more floorspace & compact shower & toilet instead of washstand. |
Just like a hotel, the corridor in a Comfortline sleeping-car. There's a shower at end of the corridor for standard sleeper passengers. |
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Scenery between Nuremberg & Cheb. Courtesy of Arnaud Loneux. |
Hills & forest between Cheb & Prague. Courtesy of Arnaud Loneux. |
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Easy & relaxed interchange at Cheb... The blue train on the left is the Czech train to & from Prague, the red train on the right is the German regional train to & from Nuremberg. |
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ICE3 from Frankfurt to Brussels, at Brussels Midi. |
ICE3 2nd class seats. Larger photo. |
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ICE3 1st class, with leather seats. Larger photo. |
ICE3 bistro. See this month's menu. |
Budapest to Amsterdam from 69.80...
Option 1, using the Vienna-Amsterdam Nightjet sleeper train - the easiest, most comfortable & time-effective option...
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Vienna by railjet train, leaving Budapest Keleti at 15:40 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 18:21.
The modern Austrian railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Have dinner in Vienna, see suggested restaurants.
Fares start from 19.90 in 2nd class, 29.90 in 1st class or 44.90 in business class (= premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards accepted, small booking fee, Booking opens up to 6 months ahead) or at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu (more fiddly, in Hungarian forints, booking opens 60 days ahead, see my advice for using it).
Tip: If you have a sleeper ticket, you can use the ΦBB Lounge at Vienna Hbf between trains, with complimentary tea, coffee, wine & WiFi.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Amsterdam by Nightjet sleeper train leaving Vienna Hbf 20:13 & arriving Amsterdam Centraal 09:58 next morning.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.
Fares start at 49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, 59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, 89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, 109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or 159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways own site www.oebb.at (same prices, in , a little more fiddly). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
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Step 1, Budapest to Vienna by railjet, seen on platform 9 at Budapest Keleti station. More information about railjets. |
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Economy (2nd) class... Larger photo. |
First class... Larger photo. |
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Step 2, Vienna to Amsterdam by Nightjet sleeper train seen here at Vienna Hbf. More information about Nightjet trains. |
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Deluxe sleeper. Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room. Larger photo. Video of deluxe room |
The same deluxe sleeper in evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out. Larger photo. |
Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided. Larger photo. |
Standard sleeper set up as 2-berth, washstand open. It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth. Larger photo. |
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6-berth couchettes... |
4-berth couchettes... |
Couchette car on the Nightjet train... |
Option 2, by sleeper train to Munich, then daytime trains to Amsterdam...
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Munich by EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre leaving Budapest Keleti at 20:40 & arriving Munich Hbf 06:10.
The Kalman Imre has an air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and an air-conditioned Hungarian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats, see more information about this sleeper train.
Fares start at 49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 88.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
Book this train 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 ). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Tip: If you like, you can check the consist for this train, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using the excellent www.vagonweb.cz. Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Hungary, click EN and look for Kalman Imre.
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Step 2, travel from Munich to Amsterdam, leaving Munich Hbf at 07:45, changing at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Amsterdam Centraal 15:28.
You travel on comfortable ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone. See suggested hotels in Amsterdam.
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Munich by sleeper train Kalman Imre, seen here boarding on platform 6 at Budapest Keleti. More information about this train. Courtesy of David Frankal. |
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1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper. |
4-berth couchettes. |
6-berth couchettes. |
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Step 2, Munich to Amsterdam by ICE... |
ICE3 2nd class seats. Larger photo. |
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ICE3 1st class, with leather seats. Larger photo. |
ICE3 bistro. See this month's menu. |
Option 3, by day trains with overnight stop in Munich... If you prefer daytime trains and a hotel...
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Day 1, travel from Budapest to Munich by railjet train, leaving Budapest Keleti at 15:40 and arriving Munich Hbf at 22:33.
The comfortable Austrian railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. By all means take an earlier train, they run every 2 hours.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class, 56.90 in 1st class or 71.90 in business class (= premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. For this route, tickets are sent to any address worldwide for a small fee.
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Stay overnight in Munich. Hotels next to the station with good or great reviews include the Sofitel Munich Beyerpost, Eden Hotel Wolff, InterCity Hotel or (if you're on a budget) the Pension Locarno.
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Day 2, travel from Munich to Amsterdam, leaving Munich Hbf at 07:45, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Amsterdam Centraal 15:28.
By all means book a later train, for example the 09:28 from Munich Hbf, change at Cologne Hbf, arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 17:28.
All ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this journey at www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.
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Step 1, Budapest to Munich by railjet, seen here on platform 9 at Budapest Keleti station. More information about railjets. |
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Economy (2nd) class... Larger photo. |
First class... Larger photo. |
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Step 2, Munich to Amsterdam by ICE with 1 easy change in Frankfurt. ICEs have a restaurant, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Above, an ICE3M at Amsterdam Centraal. More information about ICE |
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2nd class seats on an ICE3M. Larger photo. |
1st class seats on an ICE3M. Larger photo. |
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Food is served on proper china with metal cutlery. I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier! See current month's menu. |
Restaurant car: This is the small 12-seat restaurant on an ICE3M. ICE3 classes 403 & 407 have a larger restaurant area. Larger photo. |
Budapest to Zurich & Switzerland from 39...
Option 1, by sleeper train - the safe, comfortable & time-effective option...
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The EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre leaves Budapest Keleti at 20:40 every night, arriving Zurich HB at 08:20 next morning.
The Kalman Imre has an air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and an air-conditioned Hungarian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats see more information about this sleeper train.
Fares start at 49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 88.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
Book this train 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 ). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Tip: If you like, you can check the train formation, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using www.vagonweb.cz. Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Hungary, click EN & look for Kalman Imre.
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Check onward trains from Zurich to anywhere in Switzerland and buy print-at-home Swiss tickets at either www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, small booking fee) or the Swiss Railways website www.sbb.ch (in CHF, more fiddly).
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The sleeper train from Budapest to Zurich & Munich is seen here boarding on platform 6 at Budapest Keleti. More information about this train. Courtesy of David Frankal. |
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1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper. |
4-berth couchettes. |
6-berth couchettes. |
Option 2, by daytime train from 39 - the scenic option, through the wonderful Arlberg Pass...
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A swish modern railjet train links Budapest with Zurich every day, leaving Budapest Keleti at 06:40 & arriving Zurich HB at 17:20.
It takes a fabulously scenic route through the wonderful Arlberg Pass, watch the Arlberg Pass railjet video and you'll see what I mean. There's a bistro-restaurant car for breakfast & lunch, or in 1st & business class your order will be taken and food & drink served at your seat. There are power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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Fares start at 39.90 in 2nd class, 59.90 in 1st class or 74.90 in business class (= premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com. This is by far the easiest way to buy tickets, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee, just book Budapest to Zurich as one simple transaction. If you want business class, select 1st class then look for the +15 business class reservation. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
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Alternatively, you can buy tickets at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it.
Booking on mavcsoport.hu only opens 60 days ahead. Note that you can't book business class using www.mavcsoport.hu, although you could buy a cheap 1st class ticket then buy the business class upgrade separately at the station, or make a reservation-only booking at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at as explained in step 3 below.
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You can also buy tickets at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at as follows, which usually works out a bit more expensive but gives you more control over seating if you choose to reserve seats, it allows you to book luxurious business class seats. Do not try booking Budapest to Zurich all in one go. Split the booking like this:
Step 1, first use the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at to book the 06:40 from Budapest to Vienna (train RJ162) with fares from 19 in 2nd class or from 29 in 1st class.
Step 2, now use the www.oebb.at again to book exactly the same train (RJ162 leaving Vienna Hbf at 09:30) from Vienna to Zurich with fares from 29 in 2nd class, 49 in 1st class. You print your own tickets so you can just stay on board the train as it passes through Vienna.
Do not add any optional seat reservation or pay for a business class upgrade when buying these tickets because then you'd pay the 3 seat fee (or the 15 business class fee) twice and would have to switch seats at Vienna, which would be silly. Here's how to add an (optional) seat reservation and/or business class upgrade all the way from Zurich to Budapest:
Step 3, after buying the tickets, make a seat reservation separately using the Austrian Railways (ΦBB) website www.oebb.at. You set up an enquiry from Budapest to Zurich, instead of clicking the red Single tickets and Day tickets button, you click the grey Seat only (no ticket) button. In the search results, locate and select the 06:40 direct train. You can now buy a stand-alone 3 seat reservation from Budapest all the way to Zurich, or, if you bought 1st class tickets, a stand-alone 15 upgrade to business class. Easy when you know how...
Tip: You can book through to any station in Switzerland, the ticket will then include an onwards Swiss train to Geneva, Basel, Interlaken, Zermatt, or wherever, at inclusive prices significantly cheaper than buying a separate Swiss domestic ticket for an onward journey from Zurich, as these are expensive.
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If you prefer a later departure from Budapest, you can take the 09:40 railjet train to Vienna and change there onto the 15:56 railjet train from Vienna Hbf to Zurich HB arriving at 21:20. This can be booked as one simple transaction at www.thetrainline.com, or can be booked at www.oebb.at by splitting the booking in Vienna as explained above.
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A railjet on platform 9 at Budapest's historic Keleti station. More information about railjets. |
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Economy (2nd) class... Larger photo. |
First class... Larger photo. |
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The mountains of Austria... |
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In the Arlberg pass itself, the railway hugs the valley side, past fir forests and meadows... |
In railjet first & business class, the stewardess takes your order & serves lunch at your seat... |
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The railjet clips a corner of Liechtenstein, passing non-stop through the little station of Schaan-Vaduz. Once in Switzerland, the railjet runs alongside the Zόrichsee, then along the Walensee... |
Budapest to Venice, Milan, Florence, Rome & Italy...
Option 1: By railjet train to Vienna then Nightjet sleeper train to Italy - the comfortable, time-effective option...
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Vienna by smart Austrian railjet train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
If you're going to Bologna, Florence, Rome or Milan, take the 15:40 railjet train from Budapest Keleti arriving Vienna Hbf 18:21.
If you're going to Venice, take the 17:40 railjet train from Budapest Keleti arriving Vienna Hbf at 20:21.
Why not book an earlier train and have dinner in Vienna (see suggested restaurants), or spend an afternoon there?
Fares start at 19.90 in 2nd class, 29.90 in 1st class or 44.90 in business class (= premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee, Booking opens up to 6 months ahead) or at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu (more fiddly, in Hungarian forints, booking normally opens 60 days ahead, see my advice for using it).
Tip: If you have a sleeper ticket, you can use the ΦBB Lounge at Vienna Hbf between trains, with complimentary tea, coffee, wine & WiFi.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Italy overnight by excellent Nightjet sleeper train...
A Nightjet leaves Vienna Hbf at 19:23 every evening, arriving Bologna Centrale 05:20, Florence SMN 06:19 & Rome Termini 09:22 with a separate portion for Milan Porta Garibaldi arriving 08:10.
Another Nightjet leaves Vienna Hbf at 21:27 arriving Venice Santa Lucia in central Venice at 08:34.
These comfortable Austrian Nightjet trains each have an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.
Fares start at 49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, 59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, 69.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, 89.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or 139.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways own site www.oebb.at (same prices, more fiddly, in ). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
Tip: If you like, you can check the train formation, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using the excellent www.vagonweb.cz. Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Austria & click nj.
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Step 3, onward trains from Rome to Naples, Rome to Sicily or Milan to Genoa (for example) can be booked separately at either www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, recognisees English place-names, small booking fee) or www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, the small booking fee will be refunded if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR) or Italian Railways own website www.trenitalia.com (more fiddly to use, requires Italian language place names, read this advice on using it first). I'd allow at least an hour between the nightjet arrival and any onward train. Italian trains normally opens for booking 120 days ahead.
Budapest to Italy by train...
Simply hop on an afternoon railjet train from Budapest to Vienna, have dinner in Vienna, then board the sleeper to Italy.
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Step 1, Budapest to Vienna by railjet, seen here on platform 9 at Budapest's historic Keleti station. More information about railjets. |
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Economy (2nd) class... Larger photo. |
First class... Larger photo. |
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Step 2, take the nightjet sleeper train from Vienna to Italy. This is the Vienna-Venice nightjet, arrived at Venice Santa Lucia. See more nightjet information, photos & video. |
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2-berth deluxe sleeper. 360° photo. |
...en suite toilet & shower. |
4-berth couchettes. 360° photo. |
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Sunrise as the Munich-Venice Nightjet crosses the causeway over the lagoon into Venice. Courtesy of Andreas Wiedenhoff. |
Option 2, Budapest to Venice in a single day from 42 - comfy & scenic...
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Vienna by railjet train, leaving Budapest Keleti at 07:40 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 10:21.
The excellent Austrian railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 19.90 in 2nd class, 29.90 in 1st class or 44.90 in business class (= premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at either www.thetrainline.com (easiest to use, in , £ or $, Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, small booking fee) or Hungarian Railways www.mavcsoport.hu (more fiddly, in forints, booking normally opens 60 days ahead, see my advice for using it).
Tip: If you have a 1st class ticket you can use the ΦBB Lounge at Vienna Hbf between trains, with complimentary tea, coffee & WiFi.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Venice by railjet train leaving Vienna Hbf at 12:25 and arriving Venice Santa Lucia at 20:04.
The air-conditioned railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. It takes the beautifully scenic UNESCO-listed Semmering route from Vienna to Graz, a real treat - see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semmering_railway. Treat yourself to lunch with wine as the mountains glide by... See the Vienna to Venice by train page for more information, tips, photos & video
Fares start at 29.90 in 2nd class, 44.90 in 1st class or 59.90 in business class (= premium 1st). Again, fares vary like air fares.
Book this train 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 ). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
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The afternoon railjet to Venice, about to leave Vienna Hbf. More photos & info about Vienna-Venice railjets. |
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A railjet boarding at the impressive modern Vienna Hbf. |
Economy class on railjet... |
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Railjet first class, with black leather seats... |
Business class... |
The restaurant... |
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The railjet travels over the famous Semmering Railway, opened in 1854 and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See the Vienna to Venice by train page for more information, photos & video. |
Option 3, by daytime trains with overnight stop - same as option 2, but an overnight stop breaks up the journey nicely...
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Day 1, travel from Budapest to Vienna by railjet train, leaving Budapest Keleti at 17:40 arriving Vienna Hbf at 20:21.
Or by all means take an earlier train for more time in Vienna. Railjet trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 19.90 in 2nd class, 29.90 in 1st class or 44.90 in business class (= premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, small booking fee) or the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu (more fiddly, in forints, booking normally opens 60 days ahead, see my advice for using it).
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Stay overnight in Vienna. Hotels near Vienna Hbf with good reviews include the Motel One Vienna Hbf, GraetzlHotel, Hotel Schani Wien.
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Day 2, travel from Vienna to Venice on the morning railjet train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 06:25 and arriving Venice Santa Lucia at 14:14.
It's an early start, but this train takes the wonderfully scenic UNESCO-listed Semmering route through Austria via Graz so sit back and enjoy the ride - see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semmering_railway. The railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. See the Vienna to Venice by train page for more information, tips, photos & video.
If you'd like a morning in Vienna, a second railjet train leaves Vienna Hbf at 12:25 arriving Venice Santa Lucia at 20:04.
Fares start at 29.90 in 2nd class, 44.90 in 1st class or 59.90 in business class (= premium 1st). Again, fares vary like air fares.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (more fiddly, in , same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Option 4, via Ljubljana - the cheapest option at short notice, with a chance to see Ljubljana & Trieste on the way...
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Day 1, take the morning train Citadella from Budapest to Ljubljana, as shown in the Budapest-Ljubljana section above. You arrive late afternoon, enjoy a pleasant evening in Ljubljana.
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Stay overnight in Ljubljana. Consider the Hotel Slon which I have used myself, 13 minutes walk from the station with good reviews, or the Petkovek River View Hotel, 800m (10 minutes walk) from the station with great reviews.
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Day 2, travel from Ljubljana to Venice, taking the early morning regional train to Trieste then the another regional train to Venice, arriving late morning, see the Venice to Ljubljana page for timetable, fares & how to buy tickets. By all means take a later train from Trieste to Venice to see something of Trieste (one of Italy's most under-rated cities). You buy tickets at the station on the day, they cannot sell out.
Budapest to Barcelona & Spain
Option 1, by daytime railjet train through the scenic Arlberg Pass, hotel in Zurich, then TGV...
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Zurich by railjet train, leaving Budapest Keleti at 06:40 & arriving Zurich HB at 17:20.
It takes a fabulously scenic route through the wonderful Arlberg Pass, watch the Arlberg Pass railjet video and you'll see what I mean. There's a restaurant car for breakfast & lunch, or in 1st & business class your order will be taken and food & drink served at your seat. There are power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 39.90 in 2nd class, 59.90 in 1st class or 74.90 in business class (= premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com. This is by far the easiest way to buy tickets, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee, just book Budapest to Zurich as one simple transaction. If you want business class, select 1st class then look for the +15 business class reservation. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. Using www.thetrainline.com means you can buy all your tickets together in one place.
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Step 2, take a Swiss domestic train from Zurich HB to Geneva, for times, prices & tickets see either www.thetrainline.com (easiest, small booking fee) or the Swiss Railways website www.sbb.ch. If you book a cheap Supersaver ticket, I'd allow at least 30 minutes between trains. Booking for Swiss domestic tickets only opens 60 days ahead, buy this ticket after booking all the others if you like, trains can't sell out.
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Stay overnight in Geneva. Hotels with good reviews near the station include Hotel Cornavin Genθve, Hotel Les Arcades, ibis Styles Geneva Gare.
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Step 3, travel from Geneva to Barcelona by train, leaving Geneva at 11:30 by TER regional train, changing trains at Lyon Part Dieu (arrive 13:34, depart 14:28) onto a direct AVE-S100 high-speed train arriving Barcelona Sants at 19:33.
Geneva-Lyon costs a fixed-price 29.60. Lyon-Barcelona starts at 39 in 2nd class or 59 in 1st class, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book from Geneva to Barcelona at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, small booking fee) or the French Railways website en.oui.sncf (in , more fiddly). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own tickets or can show a mobile ticket on your smartphone.
Between Valence & Barcelona you'll follow the same interesting route taken by the Paris-Barcelona TGVs, see the photos & video on the Paris to Barcelona page. You'll pass the Chateau de Montfaucon on the River Rhone, Bιziers cathedral, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Montpelier and Perpignan, the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks, and get great views of the imposing Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees, visible all the way from Perpignan to Girona.
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If you're going further into Spain, stay overnight in Barcelona... Suggested hotels close to Barcelona Sants with good or great reviews include the Hotel Barcelo Sants (4-star, great reviews, directly above Barcelona Sants station itself, recommended), AC Hotel Sants by Marriott (4-star, just 50m from the station), Hotel Catalonia Roma (3-star), Hostal Baler (2-star), Hotel Transit (1-star), Meeting Point Hostel (inexpensive private rooms & dorm beds).
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Step 4, next morning, travel from Barcelona Sants to anywhere else in Spain. Check times & buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com, booking for Spanish trains normally opens 60 days ahead, but this varies.
For Madrid: AVE-S103 high-speed trains link Barcelona Sants with Madrid Atocha every hour or two in as little as 2h30 from 35.
For Cordoba & Seville: Take the direct AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Barcelona Sants at 08:30 arriving Cordoba 13:12 & Seville Santa Justa at 14:02. Fares start at 53. Alternatively, spend a morning in Barcelona and take the 15:50 AVE S112 high-speed train to Cordoba & Seville.
For Malaga: Take the 09:00 AVE high-speed train to Madrid Atocha arriving 11:45, then the 13:00 AVE high-speed train to Malaga Maria Zambrano, arriving 16:05. Alternatively, spend a morning in Barcelona and take the direct 15:50 AVE S112 high-speed train to Malaga.
For Granada: A direct AVE S112 high-speed train leaves Barcelona Sants at 08:30 arriving Granada at 14:52.
For Valencia & Alicante: EuroMed trains link Barcelona Sants with Valencia & Alicante regularly through the day, for example one leaves Barcelona Sants at 08:15 Mondays-Fridays arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 10:55 & Alicante 12:45 or at 10:15 every day arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 12:55 & Alicante 14:48. Fares from 23.
For Santiago de Compostela, A Coruna & Vigo, there's a morning Alvia train to Galicia, see details here.
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Mt Canigou & the Pyrenees... One of the highest peaks in the mighty Pyrenees, the 2,784m (9,137 feet) high Mt Canigou dominates the skyline on the right of the train all the way from Perpignan to Girona, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canigou. More photos of what to see on the Paris-Barcelona train journey. |
Option 2, sleeper to Zurich, train to Marseille & overnight stop, morning train to Barcelona - a pleasant option...
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Day 1, travel from Budapest to Zurich by EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre leaving Budapest Keleti at 20:40 & arriving Zurich HB at 08:20.
The Kalman Imre has an air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and an air-conditioned Hungarian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, see more information about this sleeper train.
Fares start at 49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 88.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
Book this train 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 ). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
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Day 2, travel from Zurich to Marseille by high-speed TGV, leaving Zurich HB 13:34, changing at Dijon & arriving Marseille St Charles 19:37.
Times vary, so check for your date online. Fares start at around 60.
Book this journey at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, small booking fee) or the French Railways website en.oui.sncf (in , more fiddly, no fee). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your smartphone.
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Stay overnight in Marseille. Inexpensive hotels with good reviews just outside Marseille St Charles station include the Ibis Marseille Centre Gare St Charles, Holiday Inn Express Marseille St Charles.
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Day 3, travel from Marseille to Barcelona & Madrid by AVE-S100 high-speed train, leaving Marseille St Charles at 08:02 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 12:34 and Madrid Atocha at 15:41.
Fares start at 39 in 2nd class or 59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, small booking fee) or en.oui.sncf (in , more fiddly, no fee). Booking normally opens 120 days ahead.
Budapest to Lisbon & Portugal
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There are many options and permutations, but here is a suggested option taking 2 days, 3 nights with a pleasant evening in Marseille included. By all means stop off on the way wherever you like.
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Day 1, travel from Budapest to Zurich by EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre leaving Budapest Keleti at 20:40 & arriving Zurich HB at 08:20.
The Kalman Imre has an air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and an air-conditioned Hungarian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, see more information about this sleeper train.
Fares start at 49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 88.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
Book this train 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 ). Using www.thetrainline.com will allow you to buy all the tickets for this journey together in one place. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
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Day 2, travel by high-speed TGV leaving Zurich HB 13:34 changing at Dijon and arriving Marseille St Charles 19:37, with fares from around 60. Times vary, so check times for your date online.
Book this journey at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the French Railways website en.oui.sncf (in , more fiddly, no fee). You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your smartphone.
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Stay overnight in Marseille. Inexpensive hotels with good reviews just outside Marseille St Charles station include the Ibis Marseille Centre Gare St Charles, Holiday Inn Express Marseille St Charles.
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Day 3, travel from Marseille to Madrid by AVE-S100 high-speed train, leaving Marseille St Charles at 08:02 & arriving Madrid Atocha at 15:41.
Fares start at 39 in 2nd class or 59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, small booking fee) or the French Railways website en.oui.sncf (in , more fiddly, no fee). Transfer from Madrid Atocha to Madrid Chamartin by local train.
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Day 3, take the Trainhotel Lusitania sleeper train from Madrid to Lisbon overnight, leaving Madrid Chamartin at 21:50 and arriving Lisbon Oriente at 07:20 and Lisbon Santa Apolonia for the city centre at 07:30.
The Lusitania has cosy shared 4-berth sleepers, 1 & 2 bed private sleepers with washbasin, and Gran Clase 1 & 2 bed sleepers with en suite shower & toilet, plus a cafe-bar serving drinks, snacks and hot meals.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, prices in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.renfe.com (much more fiddly to use, in , may rejects overseas payment cards, see this advice on using it) or www.petrabax.com (easy to use, in $, small mark-up). Booking usually opens 60 days ahead, sometimes less.
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Day 4, travel from Lisbon Santa Apolonia to Porto or from Lisbon Oriente to Faro, Albufeira and the Algarve by train, with fares from 15. Book this at the Portuguese Railways website www.cp.pt and print your own ticket.
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Gran Clase sleeper, in evening mode with the seats folded out... |
...return from the cafe-bar to find the beds made up... |
Gran Clase sleepers have a toilet & shower... |
The trainhotel from Madrid to Lisbon is an articulated Spanish Talgo train. Seen here at Madrid Chamartin station. |
Budapest to Munich from 37.90...
Option 1, by EuroNight sleeper train - the time-effective option...
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The EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre leaves Budapest Keleti at 20:40 every night, arriving at Munich Hbf at 06:10.
The Kalman Imre has an air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and an air-conditioned Hungarian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, see more information about this sleeper train. Morning tea or coffee is included in sleepers.
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Fares start at 49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 88.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
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Book this train 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 ). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Munich by sleeper train Kalman Imre, seen here boarding on platform 6 at Budapest Keleti. More information about this train. Courtesy of David Frankal. |
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1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper. |
4-berth couchettes. |
6-berth couchettes. |
Option 2, by daytime railjet train...
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Smart modern railjet trains link Budapest Keleti with Munich Hbf every couple of hours in 6h51, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class, 56.90 in 1st class or 71.90 in business class (= premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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How to buy tickets, if you don't mind tickets by post...
Check times & buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. Fares are dynamic, so book ahead for the cheapest prices. Tickets for this train bought at bahn.de can't be printed out, they are sent by regular post to any address worldwide for a small fee.
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How to buy tickets, if you want a digital ticket that can be printed out...
You can also book at www.raileurope.com instead (easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee), this sources its fares from the Austrian Railways ticketing system (so prices will differ from bahn.de, sometimes cheaper, sometimes more expensive) with tickets that can be printed out. Alternatively, try the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu which sources fares from the Hungarian ticketing system so can differ from both bahn and raileurope, although their website is more fiddly than either bahn.de or raileurope.com and has some quirks, see advice on how to use mavcsoport.hu.
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You get a great view of Salzburg fortress on your left as you cross the River Salzach, soon after leaving Salzburg Hbf.
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Railjet first class, with black leather seats... |
Business class... |
Bistro-restaurant car... |
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Economy class on railjet, in open saloons with picture windows. Some seats around tables, most unidirectional. |
A railjet about to leave Budapest Keleti. More photos & information about railjet trains. |
Budapest to Berlin from 39.90...
Option 1, by EuroCity train Hungaria - the leisurely daytime option...
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A comfortable air-conditioned EuroCity train called the Hungaria leaves Budapest Nyugati at 07:40 arriving Berlin Hbf at 18:42
The Hungaria uses Hungarian Railways' latest air-conditioned cars with power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. It has a Hungarian waiter-service restaurant car serving inexpensive meals and beer or wine. Take a good book and enjoy a daytime ride across Europe through 4 countries with beautiful scenery along the Elbe River between Prague & Dresden, see the photos & video here.
If you like you can check the train formation & see what the carriages are like at www.vagonweb.cz - Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Czechia and click EC then look for the Hungaria.
If you prefer there are also later departures at 09:40 and 11:40 with one easy change of train at Prague Hlavni.
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Fares start at 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
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How to buy tickets, if you don't mind tickets by post...
Buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Easy to use, but tickets for this train bought at bahn.de can't be printed out, they are sent by regular post to anywhere worldwide for a small fee. A seat reservation is optional but a good idea, it can be added to the booking for a small fee. Tickets take at least 1-2 weeks to arrive. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
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How to buy tickets, if you want a digital ticket...
If you need to go at short notice or want to avoid any risk of tickets getting lost in the post, book at Hungarian Railways www.mavcsoport.hu. It's a bit more fiddly than bahn.de and booking only opens 60 days ahead, see my advice on how to use mavcsoport.hu.
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Another way to get a digital ticket...
(1) Use www.bahn.de to book from Breclav (the first stop in the Czech Republic) to Berlin on the same train, EC172 leaving Breclav 11:07. You'll get a digital ticket which can be printed or shown on your smartphone. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. Fares start at 29.90.
(2) Now go to Czech Railways www.cd.cz and add a ticket from Budapest to Breclav on the same train, EC172 leaving 07:40. Fares from 21. Booking normally opens 90 days ahead. You print your own ticket. Easy!
(3) A seat reservation is optional but a good idea. If you want one, go to www.cd.cz again, book from Budapest to Berlin, but do not click the green price button, look for the link underneath which says I want a reservation only. This gets you a stand-alone seat reservation. Job done!
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The Hungaria from Budapest to Berlin, boarding at Budapest Nyugati. Photo courtesy of David Frankal. Photos below courtesy of Siddhartha Verma. |
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2nd class seats on the Hungaria. Larger photo. |
Restaurant car on the Hungaria. Larger photo. |
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Between Prague & Dresden the train runs along the pretty river Elbe, or Labe in Czech. One of Europe's major rivers, the Elbe eventually flows into the North Sea at Cuxhaven near Hamburg. Watch for river boats, even the occasional paddle steamer. See the photos & video of this part of the journey here. |
Option 2, by EuroNight sleeper train Metropol - the time-effective option...
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A comfortable air-conditioned sleeper train called the Metropol leaves Budapest Keleti at 19:25 and arrives Berlin Hbf at 09:51 next morning.
The train has an air-conditioned sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, an air-conditioned couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and 2nd class seats. In the sleepers, a light breakfast is included in the fare.
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Fares start at 49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 88.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
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Book this train 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 ). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
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Although operated by Hungarian Railways (MAV), for this train MAV hire in the sleeping-car & couchette car from the Slovakians, see photos of the sleeping-car here & photos of the couchette car here. The sleeping-car If you like, you can see the formation of this train at www.vagonweb.cz - Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Hungary, click EN then select the Metropol.
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A request: If you get any good photos of this train inside or out in sleepers or couchettes, please let me know!
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A 2-bed double sleeper (above left) in the air-conditioned Slovakian sleeping-car on the Metropol from Budapest to Berlin. Above right, a morning view of the Budapest-Berlin couchette car (nearest the camera) and sleeping-car in the morning light... Each sleeper compartment is fitted with 3 beds so can be sold as a single, double or triple. Sleeper compartments convert to comfortable private sitting room for evening use. A light breakfast is included in the fare. See larger photo. See more photos of this type of sleeping-car. Photos courtesy Helmut Uttenthaler. |
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Budapest to Hamburg from 39.90...
Option 1, by EuroCity train Hungaria - the leisurely daytime option...
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A comfortable air-conditioned EuroCity train called the Hungaria leaves Budapest Nyugati at 07:40 arriving Hamburg Hbf at 21:18
The Hungaria uses Hungarian Railways' latest air-conditioned cars with power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. It has a Hungarian waiter-service restaurant car serving inexpensive meals and beer or wine. Take a good book and enjoy a daytime ride across Europe through 4 countries with beautiful scenery along the Elbe River between Prague & Dresden, see the photos & video here.
If you like you can check the train formation & see what the carriages are like at www.vagonweb.cz - Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Czechia and click EC then look for the Hungaria.
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Fares start at 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
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How to buy tickets, if you don't mind tickets by post...
Buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Easy to use, but tickets for this train bought at bahn.de can't be printed out, they are sent by regular post to anywhere worldwide for a small fee. A seat reservation is optional but a good idea, it can be added to the booking for a small fee. Tickets take at least 1-2 weeks to arrive. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
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How to buy tickets, if you want a digital ticket...
If you need to go at short notice or simply avoid any risk of tickets getting lost in the post, book at Hungarian Railways www.mavcsoport.hu. It's a bit more fiddly than bahn.de and booking only opens 60 days ahead, see my advice for using it.
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Another way to get a digital ticket...
(1) Use www.bahn.de to book from Breclav (the first stop in the Czech Republic) to Hamburg on the same train, EC172 leaving Breclav 11:07. You'll get a digital ticket which can be printed or shown on your smartphone. Fares start at 29.90. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
(2) Now go to Czech Railways www.cd.cz and add a ticket from Budapest to Breclav on the same train, EC172 leaving 07:40. Fares from 21. You print your own ticket. Easy! Booking normally opens 90 days ahead.
(3) A seat reservation is optional but a good idea. If you want one, go to www.cd.cz again, book from Budapest to Hamburg, but do not click the green price button, look for the link underneath which says I want a reservation only. This gets you a stand-alone seat reservation.
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The Hungaria from Budapest to Hamburg, boarding at Budapest Nyugati. Photo courtesy of David Frankal. Photos below courtesy of Siddhartha Verma. |
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2nd class seats on the Hungaria. Larger photo. |
Restaurant car on the Hungaria. Larger photo. |
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Between Prague & Dresden the train runs along the pretty river Elbe, or Labe in Czech. One of Europe's major rivers, the Elbe eventually flows into the North Sea at Cuxhaven near Hamburg. Watch for river boats, even the occasional paddle steamer. See the photos & video of this part of the journey here. |
Option 2, by EuroNight sleeper train Metropol - the time-effective option that saves a hotel bill...
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Berlin by sleeper train Metropol, leaving Budapest Keleti at 19:25 and arriving Berlin Hbf at 09:51 next morning.
The train has an air-conditioned sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, an air-conditioned couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and 2nd class seats. In the sleepers, a light breakfast is included in the fare.
Fares start at 49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 88.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
Book this train 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 ). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Although operated by Hungarian Railways (MAV), for this train MAV hire in the sleeping-car & couchette car from the Slovakians, see photos of the sleeping-car here & photos of the couchette car here. The sleeping-car If you like, you can see the formation of this train at www.vagonweb.cz - Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Hungary, click EN then select the Metropol.
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Step 2, travel from Berlin to Hamburg by ICE train, for example leaving Berlin Hbf at 11:38 and arriving Hamburg Hbf at 13:24.
ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I'd allow at least an hour between trains in Berlin in case of delay.
Fares start at 18.90 in 2nd class or 29.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.
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A 2-bed double sleeper (above left) in the air-conditioned Slovakian sleeping-car on the Metropol from Budapest to Berlin. Above right, a morning view of the Budapest-Berlin couchette car (nearest the camera) and sleeping-car in the morning light... Each sleeper compartment is fitted with 3 beds so can be sold as a single, double or triple. Sleeper compartments convert to comfortable private sitting room for evening use. A light breakfast is included in the fare. See larger photo. See more photos of this type of sleeping-car. Photos courtesy Helmut Uttenthaler. |
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Option 3, using the Vienna-Hamburg Nightjet sleeper...
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Vienna by smart modern railjet train leaving Budapest Keleti at 15:40 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 18:21.
The excellent Austrian railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Don't risk any tight connections when catching a sleeper train.
Fares start at 19.90 in 2nd class, 29.90 in 1st class or 44.90 in business class (= premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easiest to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, booking opens up to 6 months ahead, small booking fee) or Hungarian Railways www.mavcsoport.hu (more fiddly, in forints, booking opens 60 days ahead, see advice for using it).
Tip: If you have an onward sleeping-car ticket you can use the ΦBB Lounge at Vienna Hbf between trains, with complimentary wine & WiFi.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Hamburg by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 20:13 and arriving Hamburg Hbf at 08:47.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has several couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.
Fares start at 49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, 59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, 89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, 109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or 159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at (a little more fiddly, in , same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Budapest to Frankfurt, Cologne, Dόsseldorf & Germany from 29...
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Swish modern railjet trains link Budapest Keleti with Munich Hbf every two hours from 07:40 to 15:40, taking around 6h52.
Railjets have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Change in Vienna or Munich for connections to anywhere in Germany.
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Fares start at 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
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How to buy tickets, if you don't mind tickets by post...
Check times & buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Fares are dynamic, so book ahead for the cheapest prices. Tickets bought at bahn.de can't be printed out, they are sent by regular post to any address worldwide for a small fee. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
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How to buy tickets, if you want a digital ticket that can be printed out...
You can book at www.raileurope.com instead (easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee), this sources its fares from the Austrian Railways ticketing system (so prices will differ from bahn.de, sometimes cheaper, sometimes more expensive) with tickets that can be printed out. Alternatively, try the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu which sources fares from the Hungarian ticketing system so can differ from both bahn and raileurope, although their website is more fiddly than either bahn.de or raileurope.com and has some quirks, see my advice on how to use mavcsoport.hu.
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For Hamburg, there's a direct EuroCity train from Budapest Nyugati at 07:40 arriving Hamburg Hbf at 21:18, with fares from 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class, bookable at www.bahn.de. Or take a Budapest-Vienna railjet train booked as shown above then the Vienna to Hamburg Nightjet sleeper train, booked as shown on the Trains from Vienna page.
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For Hamburg, also consider taking the Budapest to Berlin EuroNight sleeper train as shown in the Budapest-Berlin section above, then a fast train from Berlin to Hamburg in just 1h45 more from 18.90, booked at www.bahn.de. That's the time-effective option!
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Budapest to Munich by railjet, seen on platform 9 at Budapest's Keleti station. More information about railjets. |
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Economy (2nd) class... Larger photo. |
First class... Larger photo. |
Budapest to Vienna from 9...
Option 1, by Railjet & EuroCity train jointly operated by Austrian & Hungarian national railways.
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Modern Austrian railjet trains and older but still comfortable air-conditioned Hungarian EuroCity train link Budapest with Vienna in only 2h40, leaving every hour through the day. It's easily the best way to travel between these cities.
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Fares start at 19.90 in 2nd class, 29.90 in 1st class or 44.90 in business class (= premium 1st class, only on railjets).
Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
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Buy tickets 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 ). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
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See the Budapest to Vienna by train page for train times, fares, how to buy tickets & travel tips
Option 2, by private open-access operator Regiojet, 2 trains per day from 9...
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In July 2020, private open-access operator Regiojet started running 2 trains a day between Budapest & Vienna with 4 classes (lo-cost, standard, relax & business) and fares from just 9, book at www.regiojet.com. Although railjets are excellent and EuroCity trains comfortable, I can certainly recommend Regiojet.
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See the Budapest to Vienna by train page for train times, fares, how to buy tickets & travel tips.
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Budapest to Vienna by railjet, on platform 9 at Budapest Keleti. More information about Budapest-Vienna trains. |
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Economy (2nd) class... Larger photo. |
First class... Larger photo. |
Budapest to Salzburg...
Option 1, by direct railjet train - fastest & most frequent...
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Smart modern railjet trains link Budapest Keleti with Salzburg Hbf every two hours through the day on their way to Munich, journey time just 5h12. The railjet trains have a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, an excellent option, see the railjet information page.
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Fares start at 39.90 in 2nd class, 59.90 in 1st class or 74.90 in business class (= premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
However, you can find advance-purchase fares from 29 in 2nd class or 56 in 1st class at the Hungarian Railways website.
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Buy tickets 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 (in , a little more fiddly, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, although it may not be possible to add an optional seat reservation if you book more than 60 days ahead. For railjet business class, select 1st class then the 15 Business class upgrade. You print your own ticket.
You can also buy tickets at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it. Booking only opens 60 days ahead, but it may have cheaper fares than oebb.at or Trainline for a given date & train. It can't book business class. You print your own ticket or can show it in the MAV app on your smartphome.
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Railjets link Budapest to Salzburg every 2 hours, seen here on platform 9 at Budapest Keleti. More information about railjets. |
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Economy (2nd) class... Larger photo. |
First class... Larger photo. |
Option 2, by competing Regiojet train to Vienna and Westbahn train to Salzburg - often cheaper, with easy online booking...
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Private open-access operator Regiojet runs two trains per day from Budapest Deli station to Vienna Meidling, where their trains connect with partner operator Westbahn's trains to Salzburg Hbf. Regiojet & Westbahn have teamed up to offer cheap through tickets from Budapest to Salzburg with low fares that stay low even at short notice. In fact, they remain low even on the day of travel.
Departures from Budapest Deli station are at 07:45 & 15:45.
Budapest-Vienna takes 2h40, you have an hour & a half for coffee in Vienna, then Vienna-Salzburg takes 2h48.
See photos & a description of the 4 classes on RegioJet trains here. I highly recommend Business class, with complimentary sparkling wine, Illy coffee and bottled water, or Relax class with complimentary Illy coffee and bottled water. Regiojet offers excellent at-seat service. See photos of Westbahn's excellent double-deck trains here.
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Regiojet offers special through fares in partnership with Westbahn from 34.90. Regiojet's fares remain low, even at short notice.
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Buy an e-ticket online at www.regiojet.com.
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A RegioJet train in its distinctive yellow & grey colours, see interior photos of RegioJet trains here |
Budapest to Innsbruck...
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There's one direct railjet train from Budapest Keleti to Innsbruck Hbf leaving at 06:40 but many later departures are available through the day with one easy change at Vienna Hbf or Salzburg Hbf. Journey time around 7h00 centre to centre. You can travel from Budapest to Innsbruck from as little as 32.
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The easiest way to check times and buy tickets is at www.thetrainline.com. Booking opens up to 180 days ahead, although it may not be possible to add an optional seat reservation if you book more than 90 days ahead. To treat yourself to railjet business class, select 1st class then the 15 Business class upgrade. You simply print your own ticket. Easy!
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You can also buy tickets at Austrian Railways' own website www.oebb.at, a little more fiddly to use and the same price as Trainline.
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Budapest to Munich by railjet, seen on platform 9 at Budapest's Keleti station. More information about railjets. |
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Economy (2nd) class... Larger photo. |
First class... Larger photo. |
Budapest to Graz, Hallstatt & other destinations in Austria...
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First, try buying tickets at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it. This may work for some destinations, for example Budapest to Graz. Booking normally opens 60 days ahead.
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You can book from Budapest to any Austrian destination 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 (in , more fiddly, same prices). As a general rule, look for journeys with the fewest changes. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
Budapest to Copenhagen, Malmφ, Gothenburg & Stockholm...
Option 1, by daytime trains with overnight stop in Hamburg...
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Day 1, travel from Budapest to Hamburg by EuroCity train Hungaria leaving Budapest Nyugati at 07:40 arriving Hamburg Hbf 21:18.
There's a restaurant car for lunch and great scenery along the Elbe river valley between Prague and Dresden, see the photos here.
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Stay overnight in Hamburg. The Hotel Reichshoff Hamburg is just 200m from the station, features art deco-based design and gets great reviews. Other hotels next to Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget, private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf start at around £33 for one person or £49 for two people booked at www.hostelworld.com.
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Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen by Danish IC3 intercity train, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:55 arriving Copenhagen at 13:33.
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Day 2 if you're going to Stockholm: Travel from Copenhagen to Stockholm by X2000 train leaving Copenhagen at 14:10 and arriving Stockholm Central at 19:38. Book from Hamburg to Stockholm at bahn.de as one transaction using this link.
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Day 2 if you're going to Gothenburg or Malmo: Travel from Copenhagen to Malmo by Oresund train every 30 minutes taking 39 minutes, or from Copenhagen to Gothenburg by Oresund train every hour taking 3h53. Book Hamburg to Malmo or Gothenburg (= Goteborg Central) at www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.
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How much does it cost?
Budapest to Copenhagen starts at 49.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class.
Budapest to Stockholm starts at 59.90 in 2nd class or 99.90 in 1st class.
These are German Railways Sparpreis through fares. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
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To buy tickets...
You can buy a through ticket from Budapest to Copenhagen, Stockholm, Malmo or Gothenburg from the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
To get the overnight stop in Hamburg, click Add intermediate stops and enter Hamburg Hbf in the via box and 10:00 in the 'hh:mm' box. Click here to open bahn.de all set up with the necessary parameters, just enter your date of travel and passenger details and if necessary change Copenhagen to Malmo, Gφteborg Central or Stockholm.
In the search results, look for journeys with the fewest changes, for example just 1 change when going from Budapest to Copenhagen. Adjust departure time & stopover time if necessary to get the trains you want either side of Hamburg.
Tickets are posted to any address worldwide, in this case they can't be printed out. You have to allow 1-2 weeks for tickets to arrive.
Tip: If you'd prefer a digital ticket than can be printed out or shown on your smartphone, here's how: Instead of booking from Budapest to Copenhagen, book from Breclav to Copenhagen, Stockholm, etc. Breclav is the Hungaria's first stop in the Czech Republic. Add the overnight stop in Hamburg using the Add intermediate stops feature as normal, but this time set departure time to 11:00. In the search results, look for the 11:07 departure from Breclav direct to Hamburg, train EC172. You'll now get a digital ticket, as German Railways have the necessary agreement with the Czech Railways. Now go to the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz and buy a ticket from Budapest to Breclav from 20 on the same train, the 07:40 departure, train EC172. You can print this ticket out.
Tip: If you have any problems you can split the booking into stages: Book from Budapest to Hamburg & Hamburg to Copenhagen using www.bahn.de. Then book Copenhagen to Gothenburg or Stockholm at either www.sj.se (in Krona, can struggle with some overseas credit cards, no booking fee) or Omio.com (in Krona, , £ or $, small booking fee, quick & easy to use and readily accepts overseas credit cards).
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Step 1, Budapest to Hamburg on the EuroCity train Hungaria, seen here boarding at Budapest Nyugati. Photo courtesy of David Frankal. Photos below courtesy of Siddhartha Verma. |
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2nd class seats on the Hungaria. Larger photo. |
Restaurant car on the Hungaria. Larger photo. |
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Between Prague & Dresden the train runs along the pretty river Elbe, or Labe in Czech. One of Europe's major rivers, the Elbe eventually flows into the North Sea at Cuxhaven near Hamburg. Watch for river boats, even the occasional paddle steamer. See the photos & video of this part of the journey here. |
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Step 2, Hamburg to Copenhagen by Danish IC3... This is the late afternoon Hamburg-Copenhagen IC3 leaving platform 5 at Hamburg Hbf on a busy summer day. The yellow stripe above the windows indicates first class, located at one end of both 3-car units. More information about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey. |
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Boarding a Danish IC3 train at Hamburg Hbf... |
1st class seats on an IC3 train. Larger photo. |
Option 2, by sleeper train to Berlin then day trains to Copenhagen...
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Day 1, travel from Budapest to Berlin by sleeper train Metropol leaving Budapest Keleti at 19:25 and arriving Berlin Hbf at 09:51 next morning.
The train has an air-conditioned sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, an air-conditioned couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and 2nd class seats. In the sleepers, a light breakfast is included in the fare. See the photos in the Budapest to Berlin section.
Fares start at 49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 88.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
Book this train 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 ). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
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Day 2, travel from Berlin to Copenhagen by train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 10:38 by ICE train and changing at Hamburg Hbf onto a Danish IC3 intercity train, arriving Copenhagen at 17:33.
If you'd prefer a safer connection with lunch in Berlin, you can also leave Berlin Hbf at 14:38, change at Hamburg Hbf onto a Danish IC3 intercity train arriving Copenhagen at 21:33.
Fares from Berlin to Copenhagen start at 37.90 in 2nd class, 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or smartphone.
Option 3, by daytime trains with overnight stop in Berlin...
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Day 1, travel from Budapest to Berlin by air-conditioned EuroCity train Hungaria leaving Budapest Nyugati at 07:40 arriving Berlin Hbf at 18:42.
There's a restaurant car for lunch and great scenery along the Elbe river valley between Prague and Dresden.
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Stay overnight in Berlin. The 3-star Meininger Hotel or InterCity Hotel are ideal as they are right next to Berlin Hbf and a 10-minute walk from the Reichstag or a 15-minute walk from the Brandenburg Gate, relatively inexpensive and get good reviews. If you want to push the boat out, try the famous & historic Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin right next to the Brandenburg Gate. If you're on a tight budget, try the cheaper Motel One Berlin-Hauptbahnhof just behind the station or see www.hostelworld.com.
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Day 2, travel from Berlin to Copenhagen by train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 10:38 by ICE train, changing at Hamburg Hbf onto a Danish IC3 intercity train arriving Copenhagen at 17:33.
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Fares from Budapest to Copenhagen start at 49.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book from Budapest to Copenhagen at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
To build in the overnight stop in Berlin, click Add intermediate stops and enter Berlin Hbf in the via box and 10:00 in the 'hh:mm' box. You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or smartphone.
Tickets are posted to any address worldwide, in this case they can't be printed out. You have to allow 1-2 weeks for tickets to arrive.
Tip: If you'd prefer a digital ticket than can be printed out or shown on your smartphone, here's how: Instead of booking from Budapest to Copenhagen, book from Breclav to Copenhagen. Breclav is the Hungaria's first stop in the Czech Republic. Add the overnight stop in Berlin using the Add intermediate stops feature as above, but this time set departure time to 11:00. In the search results, look for the 11:07 departure from Breclav direct to Berlin, train EC172. You'll now get a digital ticket, as German Railways have the necessary agreement with the Czech Railways. Now go to the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz and buy a ticket from Budapest to Breclav from 20 on the same train, the 07:40 departure, train EC172. Booking at cd.cz normally opens 90 days ahead. You can print this ticket out.
Budapest to Oslo & Norway...
Option 1, via Hamburg & Copenhagen - by train all the way...
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Day 1, travel from Budapest to Hamburg by direct EuroCity train Hungaria as shown above.
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Stay overnight in Hamburg. The Hotel Reichshoff Hamburg is just 200m from the station, features art deco-based design and gets great reviews. Other hotels next to Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget, private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf start at around £33 for one person or £49 for two people booked at www.hostelworld.com.
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Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Frederikshavn then take the overnight DFDS ferry from Frederikshavn to Oslo as explained here. A private cabin on the ferry with en suite toilet & shower is remarkably affordable, and saves a hotel bill.
Option 2, Budapest to Oslo via the Kiel-Oslo Color Line cruise ferry - the most comfortable way to Oslo...
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Day 1, travel from Budapest to Vienna by smart modern railjet train leaving Budapest Keleti at 15:40 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 18:21.
The Austrian railjet has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Don't risk any tight connections when catching a sleeper train.
Fares start at 19.90 in 2nd class, 29.90 in 1st class or 44.90 in business class (= premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easiest to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, booking opens up to 6 months ahead, small booking fee) or Hungarian Railways www.mavcsoport.hu (more fiddly, in forints, booking opens 60 days ahead, see advice for using it).
Tip: If you have an onward sleeping-car ticket you can use the ΦBB Lounge at Vienna Hbf between trains, with complimentary wine & WiFi.
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Day 1, travel from Vienna to Hamburg by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 20:13 and arriving Hamburg Hbf at 08:47.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.
Fares start at 49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, 59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, 89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, 109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or 159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
Book this train 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 (in , a little more fiddly, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
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Day 2, travel from Hamburg Hbf to Kiel Hbf by regional train, these leave several times each hour taking 1h10, fixed-price fare around 23.
In Kiel, the Color Line ferry terminal is only 5-6 minutes walk from Kiel Hbf, but allow several hours between train & ferry for the ferry check-in and in case of delay.
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Day 2, sail from Kiel to Oslo by luxurious overnight Color Line ferry, with a full range of en suite cabins, suites, bars, restaurants and lounges. The m/v Magic or m/v Fantasy normally sails at 14:00 arriving Oslo at 10:00 next morning (Day 3 from Budapest).
Check times & buy tickets using the Direct Ferries website or www.colorline.com.
Make sure you're on deck next morning as the ship sails through spectacular scenery up Oslo Fjord. The ship docks at the modern Color Line terminal about 2 km from the city centre. Color Line provide transfer buses to Oslo Sentral station costing 55 krone, or there are plenty of taxis. If you have little luggage it's possible to walk. See map of Oslo showing ferry terminal.
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This photo is taken from the exit of Kiel station, so you can see how close the ferry is. It's a 5-6 minute walk across the harbour, with a street lift up to a connecting walkway which takes you to the ferry terminal. If you have reserved one of what Color Line call their "5 star suites", check in at the desk rather than the machines and you'll be directed to a special lounge to wait with free tea, coffee, juice, snacks & WiFi. You'll also have priority boarding of the ship. Photos courtesy of Andrew Leo. |
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Boarding the Color Line ferry to Oslo in Kiel... |
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A 5 Star Suite on the ferry... |
More cruise liner than ferry! The restaurant. |
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Wake up to this.... |
Budapest to Helsinki & Finland...
Option 1, using a Finnlines ferry from Germany to Helsinki - the easiest option...
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Finnlines sail from Travemόnde in northern Germany to Helsinki every day, boarding from 22:30 to 24:00 and arriving Helsinki Vuosaari ferry terminal at 09:00 2 nights later. First go to www.finnlines.com to check sailing dates, times & to book the ferry. Then travel as follows:
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Berlin by sleeper train, as shown in the Budapest to Berlin section above. Book this as shown.
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Step 2, travel from Berlin to Lόbeck Travemόnde Skandinavienkai Terminal like this:
Travel from Berlin Hbf to Hamburg Hbf on a comfortable ICE train, then take a local train from Hamburg Hbf to Lόbeck, these run every 30 minutes during the day, hourly in the evening, journey time 42-43 minutes.
At Lόbeck, leave the station and follow the signs to the ZOB bus station. Lόbeck is a good place for dinner with plenty of bars & restaurants in the old town 5 minutes walk from the bus station.
Now take a bus from Lόbeck bus station to Travemόnde Skandinavienkai Terminal (this is not the same stop as Travemόnde Skandinavienkai), the bus ride takes 28 minutes, the last bus goes around 21:00.
You can check journey times and buy a ticket from Hamburg to Travemόnde Skandinavienkai Terminal at the German Railways website, just use this link to bahn.de as it has the bus times in its database as well as the trains, or you can find bus information at www.xn--sv-lbeck-95a.de.
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Step 3, sail from Travemόnde to Helsinki with Finnlines.
At the terminal, walk into the unassuming building next to the bus stop for check in. You're looking for a large building marked HafenHaus and with a green neon Check in sign by the front door. After check-in, you go downstairs to a large waiting hall, with a bar/cafe open until 10pm, toilets and a large supermarket open until 01:30 selling alcohol and chocolate.
Check-in normally opens at 21:00 and the ship boards from 22:30 to 24:00, foot passengers are driven onto the car deck in a minibus. The ship sails at 03:00 arriving at Helsinki Vuosaari ferry terminal outside Helsinki at 09:00 the following day (2 nights from Hamburg).
The ship may not be quite as glamorous as some other cruise ferries on the Baltic, but it has all the essentials: Comfortable cabins with private shower & toilet and free internet access (but not WiFi, so bring a network cable), restaurant, shop, bar, sundeck, and (naturally, being Finnish) a sauna. It's a very civilised way to travel.
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Step 4, transfer from the Vuosaari ferry terminal to central Helsinki. Helsinki's new Hansa Ferry Terminal in the Vuosaari Harbour is 16 km east of central Helsinki. There is a bus connection (bus 90B) between Vuosaari harbour and Vuosaari metro station. Take the metro from Vuosaari into central Helsinki, journey time 25 minutes. Map of Helsinki showing Vuosaari.
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One of Finnlines 3 star class ferries to Helsinki. Courtesy of Finnlines. |
Cabin on the ferry... |
Option 2, by train to Stockholm, then ferry to Helsinki...
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Step 2, travel from Stockholm to Helsinki either by direct overnight cruise ferry, or by daytime or overnight ferry to Turku and connecting train to Helsinki as shown on the Trains & ferries from Stockholm page.
Budapest to Prague from 16...
Option 1, by air-conditioned EuroCity train from 19...
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Air-conditioned EuroCity trains with restaurant car leave Budapest Nyugati for Prague Hlavni every two hours taking 6h33 city centre to city centre. A very comfortable and civilised option! More details...
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Fares start at 19 in 2nd class or 35 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Limited availability, no refunds, no changes. These cheap fares are often available even just a few days or a week or two ahead. The full-flex fare is around 67 in 2nd class if you buy on the day at the station.
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Book at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz and print your own ticket, or at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it. Booking normally opens 90 days ahead on cd.cz or 60 days ahead on mavcsoport.hu.
Note that since December 2017 these trains have started from Budapest Nyugati station, not Keleti.
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For train times, fares, photos & travel tips, see the Budapest to Bratislava EuroCity train page.
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A EuroCity train from Prague to Budapest about to leave Prague Hlavni... |
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Restaurant car... |
2nd class open plan saloon seating... |
Option 2, by competing Regiojet train...
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In addition, starting 31 July 2020, private open-access operator Regiojet now operates 2 trains a day from Budapest to Prague with 4 classes (lo-cost, standard, relax & business) and fares from just 16, book at www.regiojet.com. More details...
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A RegioJet train at Vienna Hbf. More photos & information about Regiojet trains... |
Option 3, by safe & comfortable sleeper train - the time-saving option
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A comfortable sleeper train leaves Budapest Keleti at 19:25 arriving Prague Hlavni at 08:13, with sleeping-car and couchettes.
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The sleeping-car is a modern air-conditioned Comfortline type with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, plus three deluxe 1,2 or 3 bed compartments with en suite toilet & shower. There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers, and morning tea or coffee is included in the fare. There is a couchette car with 4 & 6 bunk compartments.
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Book at Czech Railways www.cd.cz. Booking normally opens 90 days ahead. You print your own ticket
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Standard sleeper set up as a 2-berth, with blind down & washstand open. Each room can be used with 1, 2 or 3 beds. Larger photo. |
The same sleeper with berths folded away & seats folded out, washstand closed. Very similar to a deluxe, but without the shower & toilet. |
Deluxe sleepers are similar to standard ones, but with a bit more floorspace & compact shower & toilet instead of washstand. |
Just like a hotel, the corridor in a Comfortline sleeping-car. There's a shower at end of the corridor for standard sleeper passengers. |
Budapest to Českύ Krumlov...
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Linz by swish Austrian railjet train with restaurant car & free WiFi. There are departures at 06:40 then every two hours from 07:40 to 13:40, journey time around 4h04. Book this at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at with advance-purchase Sparschiene fares from 39.90 upwards. You print your own ticket.
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Step 2, travel from Linz to Ceske Budejovice by comfortable air-conditioned Czech train. These leave every two hours or so, journey time 2h16. Book this at Czech Railways www.cd.cz from 7 in advance or 22 on the day. Booking normally opens 90 days ahead.
Tip: You can usually choose a train giving you a tight 10-minute connection in Linz or a leisurely 2h10 connection with time for a wander in Linz. If you want the tight connection, I'd either buy the higher-priced International Ticket fare for around 22 as this is good for any train that day, or buy a 7 First Minute advance-purchase fare but accept that if there's a delay and you miss your specified train you may have to pay 22 for a new ticket. Or simply buy two 7 First Minute fares, the second one for the later train as a back-up!
Incidentally, Ceske Budejovice might sound more familiar by its former Germanic name, Budweis. That's right, where the name of Budweiser beer comes from! The town is worth a look around in its own right. Why not take an earlier train and have a wander into the old town?
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Step 3, take the little branch line train from Ceske Budejovice to Českύ Krumlov run by private operator GWTR. This runs every hour or two taking 44 minutes, you can look up times at jizdnirady.idnes.cz/vlaky/spojeni. It costs 40 CZK, about 1.55.
Buy a ticket for this local train on the day, either from the distinctive green & orange GWTR ticket office at Ceske Budejovice station or from the ticket machines on board the GWTR local train which accept cash or contactless Visa/MasterCard. No reservation necessary or possible.
You'll find more information about Českύ Krumlov, the GWTR local train, taxis between Českύ Krumlov station and old town, and how to travel from Českύ Krumlov on to Prague, on the Cesky Krumlov page.
Budapest to Brno...
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The Budapest-Prague EuroCity trains link Budapest Nyugati with Brno every 2 hours or so, journey time just 3h57.
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Advance-purchase First Minute fares start at 21. The full-flex fare bought on the day is around 51.
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Book at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz. Booking normally opens 90 days ahead and you print your own ticket.
The cheap fares have limited availability, specified train only, no refunds, no changes to travel plans.
You can also book at the Hungarian Railways site www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it.
Budapest to Ostrava...
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A direct EuroCity train leaves Budapest Nyugati for Ostrava at around 08:40 every morning, journey time 5h20. Later departures are possible every 2 hours or so with one easy change of train at Breclav.
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Advance-purchase First Minute fares start at 17. The full-flex fare bought on the day is around 62.
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Book at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz. Booking normally opens 90 days ahead and you print your own ticket.
The cheap fares have limited availability, specified train only, no refunds, no changes to travel plans.
You can also book at the Hungarian Railways site www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it.
Budapest to Bratislava from 9...
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Air-conditioned EuroCity trains with restaurant car leave Budapest Nyugati every hour or two for Bratislava Hlavna taking just 2h23. For train times, fares, photos & travel tips, see the Budapest to Bratislava EuroCity train page.
Note that since December 2017 these trains start from Budapest Nyugati station, not Keleti.
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Buy Budapest-Bratislava tickets from just 9.50 at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it. Limited availability, no refunds, no changes. Booking normally opens 60 days ahead.
If you want 1st class, here's what to do: www.mavcsoport.hu doesn't sell 1st class tickets from Budapest to Bratislava. So go to the much easier-to-use Czech Railways website www.cd.cz and book a one way 1st class ticket from Budapest to Brno, which is the next stop after Bratislava, just over the border in the Czech Republic. You'll see cheap 1st class advance-purchase fares from 29, limited availability, no refunds, no changes. You print your own ticket. You now simply get off in Bratislava when the train stops there as they all do. This is perfectly legitimate, no worries.
Note that although booking at cd.cz opens 90 days ahead, you can only add an optional seat reservation if you book 60 days or less before travel, as cd.cz has to source the reservation from the Hungarian Railways system, and they only load seat reservation data 60 days ahead.
If you want to stay flexible and buy tickets at the station on the day of travel, there's a permanent unlimited-availability round-trip special offer for 17.50 in 2nd class which is the cheapest on-the-day ticket even for a one-way trip. There are no 1st class cheap deals, so if you insist on 1st class and buy on the day, a full-flex full-price 1st class fare costs over 65.
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A Budapest-Bratislava-Prague EuroCity train seen at Prague Hlavni. Most trains on this route are Czech like this, a few use Hungarian and/or Slovakian carriages. More photos & information. |
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Restaurant car... |
2nd class open plan saloon seating... |
Budapest to Kosice & Poprad Tatry...
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There are two direct Intercity trains every day between Budapest Keleti and Kosice in Slovakia, early morning and late afternoon, journey time 3h29. The trains use comfortable air-conditioned Slovakian carriages, with 1st & 2nd class compartments. Seat reservation is required.
Change in Kosice for a train to Poprad-Tatry, another 1h15.
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You can buy tickets from Budapest to Kosice at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu (see my advice for using it).
Online advance-purchase fares start at 13.20 in 2nd class or 19.80 in 1st class. Booking opens 60 days ahead.
Buy a Kosice-Poprad ticket at the station when you get to Kosice, or try the Slovakian Railways website www.zssk.sk.
Budapest to Brasov & Bucharest from 29...
Option 1, by time-effective sleeper train...
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The safe & comfortable sleeper train Ister leaves Budapest Keleti at 19:10 arriving Brasov 09:54 & Bucharest Gara de Nord at 12:33 next day.
The Ister has a comfortable, safe & civilised air-conditioned sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and a couchette car with 6-berth compartments. Take a picnic and bottle of wine as there may not be a bar car until the train gets to Romania. It's a really scenic journey in the morning, as the train passes through the Carpathian mountains between Brasov & Ploesti, have your camera to hand!
There's also an earlier train, the Muntenia leaving Budapest Keleti at 15:05 arriving Bucharest Gara de Nord 08:30. This has a couchette car and seats cars, but no sleeper. You'll miss the scenery between Brasov & Ploesti through the Carpathians, but may prefer the earlier arrival!
There's also a later train, the Dacia Express, leaving Budapest Keleti at 23:10 arriving Bucharest Gara de Nord at 16:04. This train starts its journey in Vienna, and has seats, couchettes & a modern Romanian air-conditioned sleeping-car of the latest type.
Tip: If you like, you can check the consist for all these trains, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using the excellent www.vagonweb.cz. Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Hungary, click IC and look for Ister, Dacia or Muntenia.
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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.
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Book at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro. Click EN top right for English. Booking opens 60 days ahead. For Bucharest type Bucuresti. It can book seats, couchettes or sleepers. For Hungary to Romania journeys you print your own ticket.
You can also normally book at the Hungarian Railways website www.mav-start.hu, see my advice on using it. For Bucharest type Bucuresti. You show your ticket in the MAV app on your smartphone. However, since MAV revamped its website in 2020, it can't book couchettes or sleepers, only seats, though this should be fixed at some point.
Tip If the system won't offer tickets for a 2-bed or 1-bed sleeper, simply book three tickets in a 3-bed sleeper to get sole occupancy of a whole sleeper compartment. Simples!
Tip: If you're going to Brasov and it says No offers available, that just means they have forgotten to program in any allocation for Brasov. Try booking from Budapest to Bucuresti instead, you'll then often find places available, then you simply get off in Brasov.
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A 1, 2 or 3-bed sleeper with washbasin. Larger photo. |
The sleeping-car (vagon de dormit) of the Ister at Budapest Keleti. Sleepers convert from beds to private sitting rooms for day use. |
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The vagon cuseta (couchette car) on the Ister, at Budapest. Always book a couchette, not just a seat. Couchettes convert from bunks at night to seats for day use. |
4 or 6-berth couchettes. Larger photo. |
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Enjoy breakfast in the bar-bistro eastbound, or an evening beer westbound. The bar-bistro is attached between Simeria & Bucharest. Bar-bistro photos courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry. |
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Option 2, by daytime train from 26.30...
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There are comfortable air-conditioned daytime trains between Budapest & Romania, an epic journey across Transylvania...
The comfortable air-conditioned InterCity train Traianus leaves Budapest Keleti daily at 07:10 and arrives Arad 12:37, Timişoara Nord 13:27 & Bucharest Nord at 23:59. 1st & 2nd class. A Romanian cafe-bar car is available for snacks & drinks.
Another air-conditioned IC train leaves Budapest Keleti 10:10 via Simeria & Sibiu and arrives Brasov 00:55. 2nd class seats only.
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Advance-purchase online fares start at 26.30 in 2nd class or (on trains which have 1st class) 40.50 in 1st class.
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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 must show the ticket on the MAV app on your smartphone.
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The morning train from Budapest to Bucharest at Budapest Keleti, with modern air-conditioned Romanian carriages... |
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On the left, the daytime train to Bucharest is about to leave Budapest Keleti... |
Comfortable 2nd class seats in an air-conditioned Romanian carriage. Larger photo. |
Budapest to Cluj, Timisoara, Sibiu, Sighişoara....
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The Dacia Express sleeper train leaves Budapest Keleti at 23:10 and arrives at Sighisoara 10:34.
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Two daily air-conditioned trains link Budapest with Cluj, leaving Budapest Keleti at 07:40 & 13:40, journey time around 7h30.
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The comfortable air-conditioned InterCity train Traianus leaves Budapest Keleti daily at 07:10 and arrives Timişoara Nord at 13:27.
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Use the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu to check train times & buy tickets. Booking opens 60 days ahead. See my advice for using mavcsoport.hu.
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Sometimes mavcsoport.hu won't book to some smaller destinations, and it will say no offers available. But if you can identify that the train you want continues to Brasov or Bucharest using the online timetable at www.bahn.de/en, you can use www.mavcsoport.hu to book from Budapest to (say) Brasov and simply get off when the train stops at your chosen station. This is perfectly legitimate. Better to buy a 29 ticket from Budapest to Brasov and get off at Sibiu than to buy an expensive full-price ticket from Budapest to Sibiu.
Budapest to Ljubljana from 15...
Option 1, by daytime train all year round...
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A comfortable air-conditioned EuroCity train called the Citadella runs direct from Budapest to Ljubljana every morning, leaving Budapest Dιli (that's Deli station, not Keleti) at 09:00 and arriving Ljubljana at 16:37. There's no catering car so take your own picnic & beer or wine.
Advance-purchase fares start at 15. Bought at the station on the day, expect to pay around 40.
Book at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it. Booking opens 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it in the MAV app on your smartphone. Suggested hotel in Ljubljana.
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There are other journey options involving a change of train which you can find using the online timetable at www.bahn.de/en.
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There's also a daily direct InterCity train from Budapest Keleti to Rijeka, at 05:45 arriving 16:41.
Option 2, by sleeper train, summer only...
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In summer late June to mid-August there's also a sleeper train leaving Budapest Dιli around 20:30 arriving Ljubljana around 06:00 and continuing to Koper on the Adriatic coast. The train has couchettes (4 & 6 bunk compartments) and a sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin). Book online at www.mavcsoport.hu.
Budapest to Zagreb from 15...
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There are one or two direct trains from Budapest to Zagreb every day.
In the morning, the InterCity Gradec leaves Budapest Dιli at 06:35 arriving Zagreb 12:51. Runs from 5 June to 12 September 2021.
In the afternoon the InterCity Agram leaves Budapest Dιli at 15:35 arriving Zagreb 21:05. Runs every day all year round.
Both trains travel along the southern shore of Lake Balaton, a scenic section of line. If you get any good photos, let me know!
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Both trains have comfortable air-conditioned Hungarian coaches, the Gradec also has Croatian air-con and non-air-con cars. There's no catering car so take your own picnic & wine. You can check the train formations at www.vagonweb.cz - Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Hungary then click Ex.
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You can buy a cheap ticket for either 15 or 29 online (depending on availability) at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it. Booking opens 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it in the MAV app on your smartphone. Suggested hotels in Zagreb & Split.
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There are other journey options involving a change of train which you can find using the online timetable at www.bahn.de, but you'll need to book these at the station as these cannot be booked online.
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The Intercity train at Budapest with comfortable & modern air-conditioned coaches, both Croatian (foreground) and Hungarian (background). A great way to travel. Courtesy of Jonathan Hounsome. |
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The train runs along the southern shore of Lake Balaton, Hungary's largest lake. Courtesy of Della Mcvay. |
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The train passes fields of sunflowers... Courtesy of Louise Donnelly. |
Budapest to Split & Dubrovnik...
Option 1, all year round via Zagreb - allows you to stop off in Zagreb.
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Step 1, take a train from Budapest to Zagreb as shown in the Budapest to Zagreb section above. You can book this online at Hungarian Railways www.mavcsoport.hu from 29. see my advice for using mavcsoport.hu.
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Step 2, now take the sleeper train from Zagreb to Split, or stay overnight in Zagreb and take a daytime train next day as it's a lovely scenic ride. A ticket for the daytime trains only costs 20 or so, you can book online at the Croatian Railways website www.hzpp.hr. See the trains from Zagreb page for more details & photos of the trains. Suggested hotels in Zagreb & Split.
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Step 3, take a bus from Split to Dubrovnik. There are buses every hour or even every half hour, run by several companies. Journey time between 3h45 and 4h35, fare around 13-17. Buy a ticket at the bus station in Split.
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The daytime trains to Split: These fast, tilting, air-conditioned ICN trains link Zagreb & Split once or twice a day through great scenery. Above right, first class seats on the train to Split. You can now buy tickets online at www.hzpp.hr. |
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Scenery between Zagreb and Split seen from the train... Photo courtesy of Pαraic Maguire. |
Option 2, using direct sleeper train Adria from 14 June to 6 September 2020 (2021 dates not confirmed)...
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A direct train called the Adria runs from mid-June to early September, leaving Budapest Keleti at 18:55 every evening arriving Split at 08:37 next morning. It has a comfortable Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments and a couchette car with 4 & 6 bunk compartments.
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The fare is around 79 with couchette or from 92 with a bed in a cosy 2-bed sleeper.
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Check to see if it is bookable online at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it. If not, you will need to book at the station or by phone with a ticketing agency in your home country.
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For Dubrovnik, take a bus from Split. There are buses every hour or even every half hour, run by several companies. Journey time between 3h45 and 4h35, fare around 13-17. Buy a ticket at the bus station in Split.
Option 3, using the Regiojet sleeper from Budapest to Zagreb & Split (with bus to Dubrovnik) - summer only, 3 times a week, recommended!
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Open-access operator Regiojet introduced this overnight train from Prague to Rijeka last year and it was the surprise runaway success of 2020, with every 500-seat train averaging 90% occupancy and carrying tens of thousands of passengers on holiday. It will be back for summer 2021, expanded to call at Budapest Kelenfold and serve Zagreb, Rijeka and Split, with bus connections to other resorts along the Adriatic coast.
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It will run 3 times a week from 29 May until 27 September 2021, increased to daily in July & August.
It will leave Budapest Kelenfold at 00:05 on Saturday, Monday & Wednesday mornings (daily in July & August), arriving Zagreb 05:17 & Split 13:44. The train is due to pull in from Prague at 23:40 (Fri, Sun, Tue nights), so you can board before midnight.
This excellent Regiojet train has 4-berth couchettes & seats. The couchette fare includes all necessary bedding and a light breakfast. There's excellent on-board at-seat service from an extensive menu, with complimentary bottled water and excellent Illy coffee. There's free WiFi.
On most departures there's a bus connection from Split to Dubrovnik, arriving Dubrovnik bus station at 18:10.
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The fare is 34.90 in a seat or 41.90 with a couchette in a shared 4-berth compartment, or 125.60 for sole occupancy of a whole couchette compartment for 1 to 4 people.
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Buy an e-ticket online at www.regiojet.com. Booking is a breeze, it even allows you to choose your exact place from a carriage plan. Booking for summer 2021 opens 18 February.
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The holiday train... Above left, Regiojet overnight train at Prague Hlavni. Above right, a 4-berth couchette compartment on this train, in daytime mode. The seat back hinges up to form the upper berths. See video of this overnight journey, taken during the 2020 season. |
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Arrived in Croatia... |
Couchette... |
Budapest to Sarajevo...
The direct Budapest to Sarajevo train was sadly discontinued in 2012, and the Zagreb-Sarajevo direct train is also currently suspended across the Croatian-Bosnian border. But you can still travel from Budapest to Sarajevo by train with a short break in the middle by taxi, like this:
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Step 1, take the comfortable afternoon train from Budapest to Zagreb from just 9 as shown in the Budapest to Zagreb section above.
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Stay overnight in Zagreb, I suggest the historic Esplanade Hotel, Palace Hotel or Central Hotel, all near the station with good reviews. The city is well worth a stop, so in summer, taking the early morning train from Budapest is a better idea.
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Step 2, travel from Zagreb to Sarajevo by train (mostly), see the Zagreb to Sarajevo by train page for details & current status.
Budapest to Belgrade for 15... Or to Montenegro for 35...
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The Budapest-Belgrade line is out of action since February 2019 for a planned 33 months. It's being rebuilt for 200 km/h operation which will eventually reduce Budapest-Belgrade journey time to 3½ hours. See further details & read latest updates about this engineering work.
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A train leaves Budapest Keleti at 11:57 every day arriving Novi Sad at 18:44.
Novi Sad is about 90km from Belgrade, you make your own way from there to Belgrade, there are many local buses available.
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You might consider going Budapest to Zagreb as shown here, staying overnight and/or visiting that city, then taking the daily Zagreb-Belgrade train as shown here.
Budapest to Sofia...
The Budapest-Belgrade line is currently blocked by upgrading work, so the best route is now via Bucharest...
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Bucharest by daytime train across Transylvania as shown above.
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Stay overnight in Bucharest. The Hotel Ibis Gara de Nord is a few minutes walk from the station, inexpensive and gets reasonable reports. Search for other hotels in Bucharest.
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Step 2, travel from Bucharest to Sofia by daytime train as shown on the train from Bucharest page. You leave Bucharest Nord at 11:00 and arrive Sofia in the evening after a pleasant day meandering across the Danube and through the river valleys of Bulgaria and the Shipka Pass.
Budapest to Warsaw from 19...
Option 1, by direct sleeper train...
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A safe & comfortable EuroNight sleeper train leaves Budapest Keleti at 19:25 every night, Warsaw Centralna at 08:33.
It has economical couchettes in 4 & 6 bunk compartments and a comfortable, safe & civilised sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin or 1 & 2 bed deluxe compartments with en suite toilet & shower. A sleeper is the recommended option, you'll be safe and snug. The sleeper is of Polish Railways latest air-conditioned type, see the photos below.
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Fares start at 49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 88.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
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You can book this train at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it. Booking opens 60 days ahead. For single occupancy, book 2 tickets in a 2-bed sleeper.
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If booking online at mavcsoport doesn't work - it sometimes says No offer available, either because the cheap fares are sold out or because MAV staff have forgotten to load the necessary data, or because they have decided to sell at full-price which their website doesn't sell - do one of the following:
Option 1, pick up the phone and book that way, although you'll only get full-flex tickets this way, not cheap advance-purchase fares as those are only sold direct by MAV. In the UK you can DB (German Railways) UK phone line on 00 49 (0)30 311 68 29 04. Alternatively, anyone from any country can order tickets from reliable Polish agency www.polrail.com and pay extra for tickets to be sent to you, although again, this will cost a lot more than buying a cheap advance-purchase ticket from Hungarian Railways direct. For cheapness, consider option 2 below...
Option 2, consider catching the 18:40 EuroCity train from Budapest Keleti to Vienna Hbf, then using using the 22:10 Vienna-Warsaw sleeper train instead, see times & fares here. Or by all means book an earlier train from Budapest and have dinner in Vienna. You can easily buy a cheap Sparschiene fare in a couchette or sleeper from Vienna to Warsaw at www.thetrainline.com or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at with tickets that can be printed out. Then buy a ticket from Budapest to Vienna at www.thetrainline.com or the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, also with tickets that can be printed out. Simples!
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Modern Polish sleeping-car of the type used Budapest-Warsaw. Photo courtesy of WieselFahrer... |
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Standard sleeper in evening/morning mode with seats folded out. |
Standard sleeper set up as a 3-berth. It can also be sold as a single or double. |
Deluxe sleeper, set up as a 2-berth, showing TV & wardrobe. |
Deluxe sleeper: En suite shower & toilet. Click the photos for larger images. |
Option 2, by direct daytime EuroCity train from 19...
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A smart air-conditioned EuroCity train called the Varsovia with Polish seating cars and a Hungarian restaurant car leaves Budapest Nyugati at 08:40 and arrives Warsaw Centralna at 19:05.
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Book online at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu with fares from 19. Booking opens 60 days ahead. See tips for using mavcsoport.hu.
Budapest to Krakow from 19...
Option 1, by daytime train...
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Two modern air-conditioned through cars leave Budapest Nyugati every day at 08:40, arriving Krakow Glowny at 17:39. They run from Budapest to Bohumin attached to the Budapest-Warsaw EuroCity train Varsovia, they then run from Bohumin to Krakow attached to the Prague-Krakow Cracovia.
The 2nd class through cars are comfortable, modern & air-conditioned with power sockets at all seats. If you insist on going 1st class you will have to switch trains at Bohumin just after 14:00, where the through car is switched between trains. I recommend sticking with 2nd class.
A Hungarian restaurant car is available from Budapest to Bohumin, reached around 14:00, and a Czech bistro car runs from Bohumin to Krakow, see the photos of the bistro on the Prague-Krakow page.
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Book online at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu with fares from 19. Booking opens 60 days ahead. See my advice for using mavcsoport.hu.
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Above, the Budapest-Krakow through cars, seen at Katowice attached to the rear of the Prague-Krakow Cracovia... |
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Hungarian Railways are starting to use their latest international cars on this route, with power sockets, wheelchair provision, bike spaces and an unusual interior layout with some open-plan seats with tables for four and several 5-seat semi-compartments like the one shown above right. Click the images for larger photos. Photos courtesy of Discoverbyrail.com. |
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Option 2, by sleeper train. Safe, comfortable & time-effective...
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A direct EuroNight sleeper train leaves Budapest Keleti at 19:25 every night, arriving Krakow Glowny at 05:41.
The train has a comfortable, carpeted sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin or 1 & 2 bed deluxe compartments with en suite toilet & shower, it also has a couchette car with 4 & 6 bunk compartments. A sleeper is the recommended option, you'll be safe & snug. The sleeper is of Polish Railways latest air-conditioned type, see the photos below.
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Fares start at 49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 88.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
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You can usually book this train online at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, although it won't book deluxe sleepers so just stick with regular ones. Booking opens 60 days ahead. See my advice for using mavcsoport.hu.
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Tip: If booking online at mavcsoport doesn't work - if it says No offer available, either because the cheap fares are sold out or because MAV staff have forgotten to load the necessary data, or because they have decided to sell at full-price which their website doesn't sell - try one of the following workarounds:
Option 1, It's reported that the MAV website only sells berths in triple sleepers, not in doubles - and from online checks this seems to be the case. So if you want to book 2 people in a 2-berth sleeper or 1 person in a single-berth sleeper, simply book 3 people in 3-berth instead, making sure you run the enquiry with 'own compartment' selected. This gets you sole occupancy of one whole sleeper compartment from 49 x 3 (which is still cheaper than paying full-whack for a double or single) and you can simply fold one or two of the three beds away to convert it into a double or single. Easy when you know!
Option 2, pick up the phone and book that way, although you'll only get full-flex tickets this way, not cheap advance-purchase fares as those are only sold direct by MAV. In the UK you can DB (German Railways) UK phone line on 00 49 (0)30 311 68 29 04. Alternatively, anyone from any country can order tickets from reliable Polish agency www.polrail.com and pay extra for tickets to be sent to you, although again, this will cost a lot more than buying a cheap advance-purchase ticket from Hungarian Railways direct. For cheapness, consider option 3 below...
Option 3, consider catching the 18:40 EuroCity train from Budapest Keleti to Vienna Hbf, then using using the 22:10 Vienna-Krakow sleeper train instead, see times & fares here - the Vienna-Krakow(-Warsaw) sleeper arrives at Krakow coupled to the Budapest-Krakow(-Warsaw), they are two portions of the same train. By all means book an earlier train from Budapest and have dinner in Vienna! You can easily buy a cheap Sparschiene fare in a couchette or sleeper from Vienna to Krakow at the www.thetrainline.com or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at with tickets that can be printed out. Then buy a ticket from Budapest to Vienna at www.thetrainline.com or the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, also with tickets that can be printed out. Simples!
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Modern Polish sleeping-car of the type used Budapest-Krakow-Warsaw. Photo courtesy of WieselFahrer... |
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Standard sleeper in evening/morning mode with seats folded out. |
Standard sleeper set up as a 3-berth. It can also be sold as a single or double. |
Deluxe sleeper, set up as a 2-berth, showing TV & wardrobe. |
Deluxe sleeper: En suite shower & toilet. Click the photos for larger images. |
Budapest to Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn...
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Day 1, travel from Budapest to Warsaw overnight by EuroNight sleeper train, as shown in the Budapest to Warsaw section above.
Fares start at 29 including a couchette. Buy a ticket at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it. Booking opens 60 days ahead. You've now a morning free in Warsaw.
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Day 2, travel from Warsaw to Kaunas & Vilnius, leaving Warsaw at lunchtime, changing at Bialystok and arriving Kaunas in Lithuania in the evening, with connections to Vilnius, see the Warsaw to Vilnius page for details. Warsaw-Vilnius costs around 24, buy a ticket at the station in Warsaw.
Budapest to Lviv, Kiev & Ukraine...
Option 1, Budapest to Lviv & Kiev by direct sleeping-car. See Ukrainian news report on the introduction of the Vienna-Kiev sleeping-car service...
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A Ukrainian sleeping-car leaves Budapest Keleti at 19:40 every evening and arrives next day at Lviv at 09:10 & Kiev at 16:14.
Introduced in December 2017, this Ukrainian sleeping-car has comfortable 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, see the photos below. It comes through from Vienna.
Bought at the station in Budapest the fare is around 54 with a bed in a cosy 3-bed sleeper. However, this direct sleeping-car is proving popular and can leave fully-booked, so it's best pre-booked.
The best way to pre-book tickets for this train is via reliable agency www.polrail.com, with tickets posted or couriered to you for a small fee. Polrail are based in Poland so charge in zlotys, but as they have access to Ukrainian ticketing system they are good for booking this train. You cannot currently book online with ΦBB although you could try emailing or calling their telesales via their website www.oebb.at. Feedback would be appreciated.
Booked through Polrail (in zlotys, converted here into euros):
Budapest to Kiev costs around 103 in a 3-berth sleeper 114 in a 2-berth sleeper, or 184 in a single-berth sleeper.
Budapest to Lviv costs around 87 in a 3-berth sleeper 95 in a 2-berth sleeper, or 152 in a single-berth sleeper.
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The Vienna-Budapest-Kiev sleeping-car at Kiev Pass. Photos courtesy of Helmut Uttenthaler. |
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The sleeper is jacked up to have its bogies changed at Chop on the Ukrainian border. Photo Helmut Uttenthaler. |
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The Vienna-Kiev sleeper at Vienna Hbf... Courtesy of Helmut Uttenthaler. |
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The sleeper corridor. Courtesy Helmut Uttenthaler. |
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1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper compartment. |
Option 2, Budapest to Lviv by daytime train for 26... Also a useful alternative for Budapest-Kiev if the direct train is full...
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This is an inexpensive and comfortable way to travel from Budapest to the beautiful city of Lviv. The Latorca used to have through cars from Budapest to Lviv, but it was always cheaper to switch trains and rebook at the border so the through cars aren't running any more. You now need to change trains at the border, but that makes it now online-bookable (well, almost) and cheaper!
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Chop on the Ukrainian border by air-conditioned Hungarian intercity train Latorca, leaving Budapest Nyugati station at 07:23 every day arriving Chop at 13:40.
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Step 2, travel from Chop to Lviv & Kiev by Ukrainian train called the Desna, leaving Chop at 16:58, arriving Lviv at 22:25 and then travelling overnight to Kiev, arriving 07:27.
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To buy tickets:
Step 1, pre-book Budapest to Zahony on the 07:23 InterCity Latorca from Budapest Nyugati for around 17.50 at www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it.
Step 2, Zahony to Chop costs 2.50, you buy this at the station at Zahony. The train spends an hour at Zahony station, so plenty of time!
Step 3, pre-book Chop to Lviv for around 6 in a 4-berth sleeper or 12 in a 1st class 2-berth at the Ukrainian Railways website www.uz.gov.ua on train 81 Desna leaving Chop at 16:58. Or book to Kiev if going there, obviously!
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Feedback and any photos of the Hungarian or Ukrainian train inside or out would be most welcome, please email me if you travel this way!
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Alternatively, you can travel via Mukachevo instead of Chop, this may be a better place to spend a few hours than the border station at Chop!
Step 1, travel from Budapest to Mukachevo, leaving Budapest Nyugati at 07:23 every day arriving Mukacheve in Ukraine at 15:20. Just one through carriage runs direct to Mukachevo, with air-conditioned 2nd class open-plan seats, power sockets available for laptops & mobiles. Tickets from Budapest to Mukachevo cannot be booked online, so buy at the station for 23, there are usually be places even on the day. You can check times for this train at www.bahn.de or www.mavcsoport.hu.
Step 2, now travel from Mukacheve to Lviv or Kiev on the Desna, leaving Mukachevo at 18:02 and arriving Lviv at 22:18 & Kiev next morning at 07:27. This train can be booked online at www.uz.gov.ua.
Budapest to Moscow & St Petersburg...
Option 1, via Kiev avoiding need for a Belarus visa - recommended route...
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Kiev by direct sleeper train as shown above. Leave Budapest in the evening of day 1, arrive Kiev late afternoon on day 2.
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Step 2, travel from Kiev to Moscow by sleeper train...
There are several trains every night, perfectly safe for westerners in spite of any tensions between Russia & Ukraine. Train 6 leaves Kiev at 19:36 arriving Moscow Kievskaya station around 10:09 next morning, which would be day 3 from Budapest. This route avoids Belarus and the need for an expensive Belarusian visa so it's the route I'd recommend.
The fare is around 92 with a bed in 4-berth kupι or 180 with a bed in a 2-berth spalny vagon.
You can ask www.polrail.com to book this for you too, or you can book tickets from Kiev to Moscow at the Ukrainian Railways site booking.uz.gov.ua/en/ booking from Kyiv to Moskva Kievskaya. You collect tickets at the station in Kiev. Feedback appreciated!
Option 2, using the daily Prague-Moscow sleeper train...
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Bohumin on the EuroCity train Bathory, leaving Budapest Nyugati at 08:40 arriving Bohumin at 14:09.
Book from Budapest to Bohumin at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz with fares from 19. Booking normally opens 90 days ahead, you print your own ticket.
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Step 2, travel from Bohumin to Moscow by Russian sleeper train, leaving Bohumin at 14:40 every day arriving Moscow Belorussky at 16:58 next day (the day after you leave Budapest). You can check times at the Russian Railways website www.rzd.ru.
If this seems like a tight connection, don't worry. The Prague-Moscow sleeping-cars get coupled up to the Budapest-Poland Bathory and run combined as one train between Bohumin, Warsaw & Terespol on the Poland/Belarus border.
This train uses impressive Austrian-built sleeping-cars with 4-berth compartments built in 2014, see photos of this type of sleeper here & see panorama photo inside one of these modern sleepers. Each compartment can be sold as 1st class 1-berth, 1st class 2-berth or 2nd class 4-berth. The train consist of two or three sleeping-cars which start their journey in Prague. There's a bistro car in Poland and a Russian restaurant car is attached between Brest (on the Polish/Belarus border) & Moscow.
The fare is approximately 120 with a bed in a 4-berth sleeper. 180 in a 2-bed sleeper or 215 in a single-bed sleeper.
You can book this train online at Czech Railways www.cd.cz and print your own ticket. This is the recommended method.
Alternatively, you can book with Russian Railways at www.rzd.ru although it's a little quirky and may not accept some overseas credit cards.
Don't forget to arrange both your Russian visa and Belarus transit visa as the train runs via Belarus. See my important update about travel to Russia through Belarus.
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For St Petersburg it's best to travel via Moscow. Moscow to St Petersburg takes as little as 3h50 by daytime Sapsan trains, or can be done an a number of traditional overnight sleepers. See the train travel in Russia page to buy tickets within Russia.
Budapest to Athens, Thessaloniki & Greece...
Option 1, overland by train via Belgrade - direct route...
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Step 1, travel from Budapest to Belgrade using the once-a-day train from Budapest to Novi Sad & onward bus as shown above.
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Step 2, travel from Belgrade to Thessaloniki overnight on the Hellas Express leaving Belgrade Topcider station at 18:21 June-September and arriving in Thessaloniki in Greece at 10:08 next morning, with both a seats car and a Macedonian couchette car with 6-berth compartments.
Following the migrant crisis, this train is temporarily (but indefinitely) replaced by a bus between Gevgelija on the Macedonian/Greek border and Thessaloniki. Feedback appreciated.
This train now only runs in summer, June-September. See here for dates. It will not run at all at other times of year.
The fare from Belgrade to Thessaloniki is 34 + around 8 couchette supplement if you buy at Belgrade station (there will always be places available on the day) or you can pre-arrange through the excellent Mr Popovic at the Wasteels office in Belgrade, see this advice on the Serbia page. You can also book the Belgrade-Thessaloniki train (but not onward trains to Athens) using a western European ticketing agency such as Trainseurope or DB's English-speaking line on 00 49 (0)30 311 68 29 04, but they can only access full-price international tariffs, so the cost will be around 75 including couchette.
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Step 3, travel from Thessaloniki to Athens by comfortable air-conditioned InterCity train. Trains link Thessaloniki with Larissa and Athens every couple of hours, journey time now only 4h09 after a significant speed-up in 2019. You should make the 12:15 arriving Athens at 16:24. It's a wonderfully scenic ride, past Mount Olympus and the Aegean, then through the mountains south of Larissa, see the photos & information here. You can buy train tickets from Thessaloniki to Athens online in advance at www.trainose.gr, with print-at-home tickets see the step-by-step advice on using trainose.gr here.
Option 2, overland by train via Belgrade & Sofia...
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This route is still running, so even though it means going east from Belgrade to Sofia then south from Sofia to Thessaloniki and on to Athens, it's the only choice until or unless the direct Belgrade-Thessaloniki route is restored.
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Stay overnight in Sofia. The Hotel Favoritan is inexpensive with great reviews just 10 minutes walk from Sofia station.
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Step 2, take the Sofia to Thessaloniki train then a connecting train to Athens as shown here.
Option 3, by ferry from Italy. This is a somewhat round-about route but a viable option whilst trains from Belgrade to Greece remain cancelled.
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Step 1, travel from Budapest via Vienna to Venice as shown above.
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Step 2, take a ferry from Venice to Igoumenitsa or Patras in Greece, try www.minoan.gr or www.anek.gr. You could also use a ferry from Ancona or Bari, try www.superfast.com.
Budapest to Istanbul & Turkey for 65...
Option 1, via Bucharest....
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Step 1, take overnight train Muntenia leaving Budapest Keleti at 15:05 and arriving Bucharest Gara de Nord at 08:30 next day.
The train has a comfortable Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats (but no sleeping-car). There's no dining-car so take a picnic and bottle of wine. The Muntenia is named after the region of Romania in which Bucharest is situated.
Fares start at 39 with couchette in 6-berth, 49 with couchette in 4-berth.
Book at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro. Click EN top right for English. Bucharest is listed as Bucuresti (Romania). For Hungary to Romania journeys you print your own ticket.
Tip: A sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments is attached at Timisoara Nord, reached around 21:40. If you want the extra comfort and privacy of a sleeper, simply use bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro to book a seat from Budapest to Timisoara then a sleeper from Timisoara Nord to Bucuresti Nord. The sleeper is of the classic wood-panelled ex-German Railways type.
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Step 2, travel from Bucharest to Istanbul by train as follows:
In summer from 6 June to 6 October 2021 (subject to conformation) there's a direct couchette car from Bucharest to Istanbul leaving Bucharest Gara de Nord at 11:00 and arriving Istanbul Halkali station at 05:20 next morning. It's modern Turkish air-conditioned couchette car with 4-berth compartments. See the Bucharest to Istanbul page for full details.
Until 5 June & from 7 October you leave Bucharest Gara de Nord at 11:00 on a series of connecting trains for Dimitrovgrad, picking up a sleeper leaving Dimitrovgrad at 23:40 and arriving Istanbul Halkali station at 06:20. The Dimitrovgrad-Istanbul sleeper train has two air-conditioned Turkish sleeping-cars (1 & 2 bed compartments) and a Turkish couchette car with 4-berth compartments. See the Bucharest to Istanbul page for full details.
It's a leisurely journey across Romania, over the Danube on the world's longest steel girder bridge (2.5km), and through rural Bulgaria including a descent through the lovely Shipka Pass. There's no catering, so bring a picnic and some wine or beer and enjoy the ride. Halkali is a suburban station 25km west of Istanbul, you can take a frequent Marmaray suburban train from Halkali to Istanbul Sirkeci in the city centre, see the Bucharest to Istanbul page for details of how to make this transfer.
When the through couchette car runs you should be able to buy tickets online at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro. Click EN top right for English. For Bucharest enter/select Bucuresti (Romania) and for Istanbul enter/select Halkali (Turkey). Tickets must be collected from a CFR station ticket office in Romania such as Bucharest Nord, so only use this site for one-way or round trip journeys starting in Romania. Feedback would be appreciated.
Alternatively, tickets can be arranged by agency Paralela 45 Turism, www.paralela45.com. They can source train tickets starting in Bucharest, so far recommended by several seat61 correspondents. Feedback would be appreciated.
In the off-season when there's no direct train, buy your tickets at the international ticket window at Bucharest Gara de Nord. It's reported that instead of simply issuing an open ticket from Bucharest to Istanbul (or even to Dimitrovgrad) and letting you use all the trains, you need to buy a ticket to Ruse, then rebook (or pay on the train), but don't let that put you off, it's easy enough to pay as you go. Tip: Instead of booking Budapest to Bucharest at bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro, try booking Budapest to Giurgiu, as this gets you to the last stop in Romania before Ruse, with reservation on the Bucharest-Ruse train. You can buy the one-stop ticket from Giurgiu to Ruse in Bucharest, or on the train.
Budapest to other destinations...
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For journeys to neighbouring countries, try www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it.
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Some journeys cannot be booked online, buy at the station.
Railbookers
custom-made tours
Custom-made tours using trains...
If you just want to buy train tickets at the cheapest price, book online as shown on this page. However, if you want someone to sort out your whole trip for you, arranging all your trains, hotels and transfers, and to look after you if anything affects your arrangements, talk to Railbookers. Railbookers can tailor-make a train trip around Europe to your own specification. Just tell them what you want and they'll advise you on the best trains, routes & hotels. They get good reports and a lot of repeat business! They now have offices in the UK, North America and Australia.
UK call 0207 864 4600,
www.railbookers.co.uk.
US call free 1-888-829-4775,
see
website.
Canada call free 1-855-882-2910,
see website.
Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526,
see website.
New Zealand call toll-free 0800 000 554 or
see
website.
Hotels
in Budapest
Suggested hotels in Budapest...
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For something affordable near Budapest Keleti station, but with decent reviews try The Baross City Hotel just across the road from Budapest Keleti station or the Elit Hotel two minutes walk down the road.
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For something affordable near Budapest Nyugati station, try the 3-star T62 Hotel just across the road or the even cheaper 3-star Star Inn Budapest Centrum a few minutes walk away, both with good reviews. The 4-star Radisson Blu Bιke Hotel is just one block along the road from the station.
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For something different, but relatively inexpensive the floating hotel MS Maribelle gets great reviews, it's a river cruise boat permanently moored on the Pest side of the Danube close to the fortress with views across the river of the Hungarian Parliament.
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For something special & historic, go for the New York Palace Hotel, opened in 1894 and housing the famous New York Cafe on its ground floor. It's just 14 minutes walk from Keleti and gets fabulous reviews. As luxury hotels go, it's pretty affordable. Or there's the venerable Corinthia Hotel, formerly the Grand Hotel Royal, another famous hotel dating from the late 19th century. It's 20 minutes walk from Keleti or 9 minutes by taxi.
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.