Book online:  You can now book many international trains from Budapest to neighbouring countries at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu.  Look for these yellow ticket collection machines at Budapest Keleti station....  Location of internet ticket collection machines at Budapest Keleti station

I want to go from Budapest to...

       Select your destination... ----------- Most popular ----------- Amsterdam Berlin Bratislava Brussels, Bruge Dubrovnik Krakow Munich Paris Prague Salzburg Venice, Florence, Rome & Italy Vienna Zurich, Basel, Geneva & Switzerland ---------- All destinations --------- Somewhere else in Hungary... Alicante Amsterdam Athens & Greece Avignon Barcelona Basel (Basle) Belgrade Berlin Bern (Berne) Brasov Bratislava Brussels Bruges (Brugge) Bucharest Cannes Cluj Cologne Copenhagen Dubrovnik Dusseldorf Faro Florence Frankfurt Geneva Gothenburg Graz Hallstatt Hamburg Helsinki Innsbruck Interlaken Istanbul Kiev & Ukraine Krakow Lausanne Linz Lisbon Ljubljana London & UK Luxembourg Luzern (Lucerne) Lviv (Lvov), Ukraine Madrid Malaga Malmo Milan Monaco - Monte Carlo Montenegro - Podgorica, Bar Montreux Moscow Munich Naples Nice Oslo Paris Porto Prague Rome St Moritz St Petersburg Salzburg Seville Sighisoara Sofia Split Stockholm Thessaloniki Timisoara Venice Verona Vienna Warsaw Zagreb & Croatia Zermatt Zurich

       Click here for journeys starting in another city.

       Train information is current for 2017.

This page explains how to travel by train from Budapest to other cities across Europe, with the cheapest tickets usually online direct from the operators with print-at-home or collect-at-station tickets & no booking fees.  It doesn't matter where you live, in Europe or overseas, you can buy train tickets from Budapest as shown below and save money over expensive railpasses or travel agent mark-ups.

For information on Budapest Keleti station & 1st class lounge, click here.

For coffee, beer or meal before your train, try the Baross restaurant on platform 6.

Minimal disruption due to refugees...

The Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu is the place the check for any updates.  Trains resumed running all the way to Vienna, Salzburg & Munich in November 2015.  Trains to Zagreb & Croatia resumed in March 2016.  Most routes are normal, you may not even see any refugees when you travel, whatever you see on the 'news'.

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...

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Budapest to other destinations in Hungary...

• 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 advice on how to use mavcsoport.hu & how you collect your tickets.

• 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.

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Budapest to London...

• See the London to Hungary page for train times, fares & how to buy train tickets between Budapest & London in either direction.

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Budapest to Paris from €78...

Option 1, 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...

• Step 1, travel by excellent Hungarian sleeper train leaving Budapest Keleti at 20:40 and arriving Zurich at 08:20 next morning.  See sleeper video and the photos below as this train is identical to the Budapest-Munich one.

  Fares start at €59 with a couchette in 6-berth, €69 with a couchette in 4-berth, €99 in a 2-bed sleeper with washbasin or €129 in a single-bed sleeper with washbasin.

  You can easily book this train at either the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (you print your own ticket) or at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu (see advice on how to use mavcsoport.hu & how you collect your tickets in Budapest - don't worry if the MAV website doesn't seem to recognise Zurich, just type it in and run the enquiry anyway).

• Step 2, now travel from Zurich to Paris by 200 mph TGV-Lyria high-speed train, leaving Zurich HB at 09:34 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 13:37, booked at www.trainline.eu from €25.  In winter a quick additional change in Basel is needed.

Option 2, by Hungarian sleeper train to Munich and high-speed TGV to Paris.  This is very similar to option 1, but via Munich, and it takes a little longer.

• Step 1, travel by excellent Hungarian sleeper train leaving Budapest Keleti at 20:40 and arriving Munich at 06:10 next morning.  Book this train at www.bahn.de with fares from €49 in a 6-berth couchette, €59 in a 4-berth couchette, €79 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €139 in a single-bed sleeper, see sleeper video.

  If you buy tickets for the sleeper train at www.bahn.de you simply print your own ticket.  You can also book at www.mavcsoport.hu with ticket collection in Budapest, although it can be more fiddly than using bahn.de, see advice on how to use mavcsoport.hu & how you collect your tickets.

• Step 2, now travel from Munich to Paris by ICE train and double-deck high-speed TGV Duplex, leaving Munich Hbf at 07:46 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 14:05 with one easy change at Stuttgart, also booked at www.bahn.de from €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class.  I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views.

  Bahn.de may initially suggest the 08:28 from Munich, but I recommend using the Adjust transfer time feature to get an earlier departure from Munich and a longer more robust connection in Stuttgart.  There's a direct TGV to Paris leaving Munich at 06:23 or 06:28, but ignore it as this is too tight to be a sensible connection.  You print your own ticket for this part of the journey.

Option 3, by Railjet from Budapest to Munich, overnight stop, TGV from Munich to Paris. This is the fastest & cheapest all-daytime option.

• Day 1:  Travel from Budapest to Munich on any Railjet train you like, from €39 booked online at www.bahn.de with print-at-home tickets.  These smart Austrian Railjets leave every couple of hours, up to and including the 15:40 from Budapest Keleti arriving Munich 22:31.

• Stay overnight in Munich, search here for hotels.  Hotels right 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.

• Day 2:  Travel from Munich to Paris by TGV from €39 booked online at www.bahn.de with print-at-home tickets.  The direct 06:23 (06:28 at weekends) TGV Duplex arrives Paris Est at 12:05, 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.

Option 4, by Railjet from Budapest to Zurich via the Arlberg Pass, overnight stop, then TGV-Lyria to Paris.  This is the scenic route! 

• Day 1:  Travel from Budapest to Zurich by air-conditioned Railjet train, leaving Budapest Keleti at 06:40 and arriving in Zurich at 17:20. 

  A bistro-restaurant car is available, so treat yourself to breakfast and lunch - in first & business class, a stewardess will take your order and serve your food at your seat.  More pictures & information about this RailJet train. 

  It's a really scenic ride - the train travels via Vienna, past Salzburg's impressive citadel, through the Austrian Tirol, snakes through the scenic Arlberg Pass in the Alps (watch the video), then along the Walensee and Zürichsee lakes to Zurich.  For views of Salzburg castle, the Zürichsee lake and most of the Arlberg valley, find an unreserved seat on the left-hand side of the train leaving Budapest (this advice allows for the change of direction at Buchs!). 

  If you have a first class ticket, you can use the business lounge in Budapest near platform 9, open 06:00-21:30 daily open for anyone with a 1st class international ticket to, from or via Budapest.

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

• Day 2, travel from Zurich to Paris in 4h03 by any TGV-Lyria high-speed train you like.  For example, the 07:34 from Zurich arrives Paris Gare de Lyon at 11:37 or the 09:34 arrives in Paris at 13:37.

• How much does it cost?  Budapest to Zurich starts at €13 + €29 = €42 if pre-booked.  Zurich to Paris starts at €21 if booked well in advance.  Fares work like air fares, cheap if booked 2-3 months ahead, much more expensive bought on the day.

• How to buy tickets...

  Step 1, book Budapest to Vienna Hbf from just €13 using the Hungarian railways website www.mavcsoport.hu - you have to book to Vienna as it won't book to Zurich.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets. 

  Step 2, book from Vienna to Zurich on the same train (RJ162) at the Austrian railways website www.oebb.at from €29.  It leaves Vienna Hbf at 08:48.  In this case you'll get a print-at-home ticket. 

  Step 3, now book Zurich to Paris at either www.loco2.com or www.trainline.eu from €25 and again you'll get a print-at-home ticket.

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Budapest to Nice, Cannes, Monaco, Marseille, Avignon...

Option 1, using the Vienna-Milan sleeper then a scenic coastal ride...

• Step 1, take the 15:40 Railjet train from Budapest to Vienna from €13 booked at www.mavcsoport.hu or www.oebb.at, whichever is cheaper.  You print your own ticket at oebb.at, or collect tickets in Budapest if you use mavcsoport.hu.  By all means book an earlier train and have an afternoon in Vienna.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.

• Step 2, travel from Vienna to Milan by Nightjet sleeper train Allegro Tosca leaving Vienna Hbf every day at 19:23 arriving Milan Centrale at 09:10.  Fares from €59 with a couchette in 6-berth, €69 with a couchette in 4-berth, €99 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €139 in a single-bed sleeper, deluxe sleepers with shower & toilet are also available.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment.  Book at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at and print your own ticket.

• Step 3, travel from Milan to Monte Carlo & Nice by comfortable Thello train from just €15, leaving Milan Centrale at 11:10 arriving Nice 16:00.  Buy tickets for this train at www.trenitalia.com.  It's ticketless, you just quite the booking reference on board.  Note that on Trenitalia, Monte Carlo is listed as Monaco-Monte Carlo.  Plain Monaco is Italian for Munich!  It's a lovely scenic ride along the Italian Riviera between Genoa and Nice.

• Change in Nice for frequent trains to Antibes, Cannes, Marseille, Avignon.  Check times & buy tickets at www.trainline.eu or buy at Nice station.

Option 2, by direct Russian sleeper train every Friday...

• Take an early morning Railjet train from Budapest to Vienna from €19 booked at www.oebb.at.  You print your own ticket.

• The Moscow-Nice express enables you to leave Vienna Hbf every Friday around 12:41 arriving Nice 08:34 next morning.  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 - see advice on using it.

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Budapest to Brussels & Bruges...

Option 1, by sleeper train to Munich, then daytime trains to Brussels...

• Step 1, travel by excellent Hungarian sleeper train Kalman Imre leaving Budapest Keleti at 20:40 and arriving Munich Hbf at 06:10 next morning.

  Book this train at www.bahn.de with fares from €49 in a 6-berth couchette, €59 in a 4-berth couchette, €79 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €139 in a single-bed sleeper, see sleeper video and see the couchette & sleeper photos above.

  Tickets for this train bought at bahn.de can't be printed at home, they are sent by regular post to anywhere worldwide.  If you need to go at short notice or want a collect-at-station option you can book at www.mavcsoport.hu with ticket collection in Budapest, although it can be more fiddly than using bahn.de, see advice on how to use mavcsoport.hu & how you collect your tickets.

• Step 2, now travel from Munich to Brussels on luxurious ICE trains, also booked at www.bahn.de from €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class with print-at-home tickets.  There are various options to choose from, for example you could leave Munich Hbf at 06:52, change at Frankfurt, arrive Brussels Midi at 13:35.  Change in Brussels for half-hourly trains to Bruges.

Option 2, by day train to Munich, the Vienna-Cologne Nightjet sleeper train, then day train to Brussels......

• Step 1, travel from Budapest to Vienna by smart modern Railjet train leaving Budapest Keleti at 15:40 and arriving Vienna Hauptbahnhof at 18:21.  Book this online from €13 at www.mavcsoport.hu.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.

• Step 2, now travel from Vienna to Cologne on the excellent Austrian Nightjet sleeper train leaving Vienna Hauptbahnhof at 20:39 and arriving at Cologne Hbf at 08:15 next morning.  You can book this sleeper train at either the German site www.bahn.de or the Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at with fares from €59 with a couchette in 6-berth, €69 with a couchette in 4-berth, €99 in a 2-bed sleeper or €139 in a single-bed sleeper.  Deluxe sleepers with en suite shower & toilet are also available.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment.

• Step 3, now travel from Cologne to Brussels by high-speed ICE3 train leaving Cologne Hbf at 09:43 and arriving Brussels Midi at 11:35.  Book this at www.bahn.de, fares from €19.  You can book through to Bruges or anywhere in Belgium if you like, on the same website as one transaction.

Option 3, by day trains with overnight stop in Munich...

• Step 1, travel from Budapest to Munich by smart Austrian Railjet train leaving Budapest Keleti at 15:40 and arriving Munich around 22:42.  By all means take an earlier train, they run every couple of hours.  Book this train at www.bahn.de with fares from €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class.

• Stay overnight in Munich, search here for hotels.  Try the Sofitel Munich Beyerpost, Eden Hotel Wolff, InterCity Hotel or (budget) the Pension Locarno, all right next to the station with great reviews.

• Step 2, now travel from Munich to Brussels on comfortable ICE trains, also booked at www.bahn.de from €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class with print-at-home tickets.  There are lots of options to choose from:  For example, you could leave Munich Hbf at 06:52, change at Cologne, arrive Brussels Midi at 13:35, but by all means have a leisurely breakfast and take a later train.  Bahn.de can only book German-run ICEs, so Munich-Brussels journeys involving Thalys trains between Cologne & Brussels will need to be booked at www.b-europe.com.

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Budapest to Amsterdam from €98...

Option 1, using the Vienna-Cologne Nightjet sleeper train...

• Step 1, travel from Budapest to Vienna by smart modern Railjet train leaving Budapest Keleti at 15:40 and arriving Vienna Hauptbahnhof at 18:21.  Book this online from €13 in 2nd class or €29 in 1st class at www.mavcsoport.hu.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.  Have dinner in Vienna.

• Step 2, now travel from Vienna to Cologne on the excellent Austrian Nightjet sleeper train leaving Vienna Hbf at 20:39 and arriving at Cologne Hbf at 08:15 next morning.  You can book this sleeper train at either the German site www.bahn.de or the Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at with fares €59 with a couchette in a 6-berth compartment, €69 with a couchette in a 4-berth compartment, €99 in a 2-bed sleeper with washbasin or €139 in a single bed sleeper with washbasin.  Deluxe sleepers with en suite shower & toilet are also available.  The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast served in your compartment.

• Step 3, now travel from Cologne to Amsterdam by high-speed ICE3 train leaving Cologne Hbf at 08:44 and arriving Amsterdam Centraal around 11:28.  Book this at www.bahn.de, fares from €19 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class.  You can book through to anywhere in the Netherlands.

Option 2, by sleeper train to Munich, then daytime trains to Amsterdam...

• Step 1, travel by excellent Hungarian sleeper train Kalman Imre leaving Budapest Keleti at 20:40, arriving Munich Hbf at 06:10 next morning. 

  Book this train at www.bahn.de with fares from €49 in a 6-berth couchette, €59 in a 4-berth couchette, €79 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €139 in a single-bed sleeper, see the sleeper video and couchette & sleeper photos here.

  Tickets for this train bought at bahn.de can't be printed at home, they are sent by regular post to anywhere worldwide.  If you need to go at short notice or want a collect-at-station option you can book at www.mavcsoport.hu with ticket collection in Budapest, although it can be more fiddly than using bahn.de, see advice on how to use mavcsoport.hu & how you collect your tickets.

• Step 2, now travel from Munich to Amsterdam on luxurious ICE trains, also booked at www.bahn.de from €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class with print-at-home tickets.  There are lots of options to choose from:  For example, you could leave Munich Hbf at 07:55, change at Frankfurt, arrive Amsterdam Centraal at 15:28.

Option 3, by day trains with overnight stop in Munich...  If you prefer daytime trains and a hotel...

• Day 1, travel from Budapest to Munich by smart Austrian Railjet train leaving Budapest Keleti at 15:40 and arriving Munich around 22:42.  By all means take an earlier train, they run every couple of hours.  Book this train at www.bahn.de with fares from just €39.

• Stay overnight in Munich, search here for hotels.  Hotels right 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.

• Day 2, travel from Munich to Amsterdam on luxurious ICE trains, also booked at www.bahn.de from €39 with print-at-home tickets.  There are lots of options to choose from:  For example, you could leave Munich Hbf at 07:55, change at Frankfurt, arrive Amsterdam Centraal at 15:28, but by all means take a later train such as the 09:55 from Munich, change at Frankfurt, arriving Amsterdam at 17:28.  Just avoid any journey in the search results with the word 'BUS'.

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Budapest to Zurich & Switzerland from €39...

Option 1, by direct sleeper train - the comfortable & time-effective option...

• A direct sleeper train leaves Budapest Keleti at 20:40, arriving Zurich at 08:20 next morning.  The sleeping-car is identical to the one shown in this video and the sleeper & couchettes are identical to the ones shown in the photos above. 

  Fares start at €59 with a couchette in 6-berth, €69 with a couchette in 4-berth, €99 in a 2-bed sleeper with washbasin or €139 in a single-bed sleeper with washbasin.

  You can easily book this train at either the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (you print your own ticket) or at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu (see advice on how to use mavcsoport.hu & how you collect your tickets in Budapest - don't worry if the MAV website doesn't seem to recognise Zurich, just type it in and run the enquiry anyway).  Check both sites to see which is cheapest!

• Check onward trains from Zurich to anywhere in Switzerland and buy print-at-home Swiss tickets at www.sbb.ch, or just buy at the station in Zurich as no reservation is necessary for Swiss domestic trains.

Option 2, by daytime Railjet train from €39 - the scenic option, through the wonderful Arlberg Pass...

• A direct daytime Railjet train links Budapest with Zurich, leaving Budapest Keleti at 06:40 and arriving Zurich HB at 17:20 after a fabulous scenic journey 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.

• The Hungarian Railways (MAV) website www.mavcsoport.hu can now usually book this direct train, see tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.  It can't book business class, only 1st & 2nd class.

• The other way to book this trip is to use the Austrian Railways site 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 and it's also useful if you have any trouble booking this train at the Hungarian Railways site:

  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 or €44 in Business 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 or €64 in Business class.  You'll get a print-at-home ticket so you can just stay on board the train as it passes through Vienna.

  Tip 1:  Seat reservation is optional, for around €3 fee per seat (though a reserved seat is included automatically if you book a Business class ticket).  You'll need to make good use of the ability to book specific seats from Vienna to Zurich so you book the same seats you were given for Budapest to Vienna, to save you having to switch seats in Vienna.

  Tip 2:  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 from €39 upwards - this will be significantly cheaper than buying a separate Swiss domestic ticket for an onward journey from Zurich, as these are expensive.

• Seat reservation is optional on Railjet trains, but if you choose to make one you'll obviously pay the small fee twice (once for each booking on each website) and will probably have to switch seats in Vienna unless you can use the 'choose exact seat' feature on oebb.at to book the same seats in the same car on each leg.  It's probably best not to bother reserving and just sit where you like, at 6am in Budapest where the train starts you'll have a choice of plenty of empty unreserved seats.  The electronic display on the wall by each seat shows which seats are available and which are reserved.

• 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 to Zurich HB arriving at 21:20.  This is booked at www.oebb.at in exactly the same way, by splitting the booking in Vienna.

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Budapest to Venice, Milan, Florence, Rome & Italy...

Option 1:  You can easily reach Italy using a smart Austrian Railjet train to Vienna in just 2h41, then a Nightjet sleeper train from Vienna to Venice, Florence, Milan or Rome.  It's a safe, comfortable & time-effective way to travel, from city centre to city centre with no airports and no flights...

• Step 1, travel from Budapest to Vienna by smart Austrian Railjet train. 

  If you're going to Bologna, Florence, Rome or Milan, you can leave Budapest Keleti at 15:40 and arrive Vienna Hbf at 18:21.  By all means book an earlier train and visit Vienna for a few hours and have dinner there.  If you're going to Venice, you can take the 17:40 from Budapest arriving Vienna Hbf at 20:21.

  Book this train from Budapest to Vienna at the Hungarian railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, booking opens 60 days ahead.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.  Fares from €13 in 2nd class or €29 in 1st class.

• Step 2, an excellent Austrian Nightjet sleeper train called the Allegro Tosca leaves Vienna Hbf at 19:23 for Florence SMN (arriving 06:19), Rome Termini (09:22) & Milan Centrale (09:10), and another called the Vienna-Venice Express leaves from Vienna Hbf at 21:27 for Venice Santa Lucia arriving 08:24.

  Fares start at €59 with a couchette in 6-berth, €69 with a couchette in 4-berth, €99 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €139 in a single-bed sleeper.  Deluxe sleepers with en suite shower & toilet are also available.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment.

  The best & cheapest way to book these sleeper trains is at the Austrian railways website www.oebb.at - look for the cheap Sparscheine fares and print your own ticket.  If you don't see the type of sleeper you want with the cheapest fare selected, try the higher fare and see if the sleeper option appears.

• Step 3, onward tickets from Rome to Naples or Sicily or from Milan to Genoa (for example) can be bought separately at either 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, no booking fee, read this advice on using it first).

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.

Option 2, by daytime trains with overnight stop - if you prefer day trains & hotels to sleepers.

• Day 1, take a smart Austrian Railjet train from Budapest to Vienna in 2h41.  Trains run every hour or two through the day, for example you can Budapest Keleti at 17:40 arriving at Vienna Hbf at 20:21.

  Fares start at just €13 in 2nd class or €29 in 1st class, you can buy tickets at either the Hungarian Railways site www.mavcsoport.hu (usually the cheapest way, with ticket collection in Budapest)  or the Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at (with print-at-home tickets). 

• Stay overnight in Vienna.  Hotels near the station with good or great reviews include the Motel One Vienna Hbf,  GraetzlHotel, Hotel Schani Wien.

• Day 2, travel from Vienna to Venice by early morning EuroCity train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 06:25 and arriving at Venice Santa Lucia at 14:05.  It's an early start, but this train takes the wonderfully scenic Semmering route through Austria via Graz so sit back and enjoy the ride.  There's no catering car, so bring a picnic, although there may be a refreshment trolley.

  Fares start at just €29 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class, buy tickets at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at, you print your own ticket.

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Budapest to Barcelona & Spain

Option 1, using a time-effective sleeper train Budapest-Zurich then Geneva to Barcelona by high-speed TGV...

• Step 1, take the direct EuroNight sleeper train leaving Budapest Keleti at 20:40, arriving Zurich at 08:20 next morning.  The sleeping-car is identical to the one shown in this video.

  Fares start at €59 with a couchette in 6-berth, €69 with a couchette in 4-berth, €99 in a 2-bed sleeper with washbasin or €129 in a single-bed sleeper with washbasin.

  You can easily book this train at either the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (you print your own ticket) or at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu (see advice on how to use mavcsoport.hu & how you collect your tickets in Budapest - don't worry if the MAV website doesn't seem to recognise Zurich, just type it in and run the enquiry anyway).  Check both sites to see which is cheapest!

• Step 2, take any Swiss domestic train you like from Zurich to Geneva, times & prices & online tickets are at www.sbb.ch.  Tip:  If you book the sleeper using www.oebb.at you should be able to save money by booking through from Budapest to Geneva all in one go, which will then include the Zurich-Geneva Swiss train in one inclusive price.

• Step 3, travel from Geneva to Barcelona by TGV.  There's usually a TGV leaving Geneva at 12:41 every day, change trains at Valence (arrive 15:10, depart 16:21) arriving Barcelona Sants at 20:34, but times vary.  Fares from €59 in 2nd class or €99 in 1st class.

  Book this leg at www.loco2.com (anyone from any country, no booking fee, print-at-home tickets) or www.trainline.eu (anyone from any country, no booking fees, with seating options, print-at-home tickets).

  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, Béziers 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.

• Stay overnight in Barcelona - see suggested hotels here - and take direct onward trains to Madrid, Alicante, Seville or Malaga next day, booked at either www.loco2.com (easy, prices in € or £) or www.renfe.com (prices in €, can be fiddly).

Option 2, by daytime Railjet train through the scenic Arlberg Pass, hotel in Zurich, then TGV...

• Step 1, a direct daytime Railjet train links Budapest with Zurich, leaving Budapest Keleti at 06:40, arriving Zurich 17:20 after a fabulous scenic ride through the Arlberg Pass, watch the Arlberg Pass scenery video.  There's a restaurant car for breakfast & lunch, or in 1st & business class your order will be taken and food & drinks served at your seat.

• As the MAV website won't book this journey, the cheapest way to book it is in two stages:  First, use the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu to book from Budapest to Vienna from €19 with ticket collection at Budapest Keleti station.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.  Second, then use the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at to book from Vienna to Zurich on the same train (RJ162) from €39, with self-print tickets.

• Stay overnight in Zurich.

• Step 2, take any Swiss domestic train you like from Zurich to Geneva, times & prices & online tickets are at www.sbb.ch.

• Step 3, a TGV leaves Geneva at 12:41 every day, change trains at Valence (arrive 15:10, depart 16:21) arriving Barcelona Sants at 20:34.

• Book this leg at www.loco2.com (anyone from any country, no booking fee, print-at-home tickets) or www.trainline.eu (anyone from any country, no booking fees, with seating options, print-at-home tickets).

  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, Béziers 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.

• Stay overnight in Barcelona - see suggested hotels here - and take direct onward trains to Madrid, Alicante, Seville or Malaga next day, see www.renfe.com.

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Budapest to Lisbon & Portugal

• 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.

• Day 1, take the direct EuroNight sleeper train leaving Budapest Keleti at 20:40, arriving Zurich at 08:20 next morning.  The sleeping-car is identical to the one shown in this video.

  Fares start at €49 with a couchette or from €89 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper.

  This train can be booked online at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.

• Day 2, travel by high-speed TGV leaving Zurich 09:34 changing at Mulhouse and arriving Marseille St Charles 17:16, with fares from around €60.

  Book this journey at either www.loco2.com (in € or £) or www.trainline.eu (in €).

• Spend a pleasant evening in Marseille & stay overnight.  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.

• Day 3, travel from Marseille to Madrid Atocha by direct AVE high-speed train, leaving Marseille St Charles at 08:03 and arriving Madrid Atocha at 15:45, with fares from €49.

  Book this train at either www.loco2.com (in € or £) or www.trainline.eu (in €).

• Day 3, transfer from Madrid Atocha to Madrid Chamartin by local train and take the excellent 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.loco2.com (easy to use, prices in € or £) or www.renfe.com (fiddly to use, in €) or www.petrabax.com/renfe (easy, prices in $, with a small mark-up).  Booking usually opens 60 days ahead, sometimes less.

• Change in Lisbon for trains from Lisbon Santa Apolonia to Porto or from Lisbon Oriente to Faro, Albufeira and the Algarve, book this at Portuguese Railways www.cp.pt.

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.

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Budapest to Copenhagen, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Oslo & Scandinavia...

Option 1, by sleeper train to Berlin then daytime trains to Copenhagen...

• Step 1, travel from Budapest to Berlin by EuroNight sleeper train Metropol, leaving Budapest Keleti at 20:05 every night, arriving Berlin Hbf at 09:07.  The train has a sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments and a couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments.  Fares start at €49 with a couchette in 6-berth, €59 with a couchette in 4-berth, €89 in a 2-bed sleeper or €129 in a single-bed sleeper.

  Book this train at either www.mavcsoport.hu, see advice on how to use mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets in Budapest or at the German Railways site www.bahn.de with tickets sent to any address worldwide, allow a week or two for tickets to arrive.

• Step 2, travel from Berlin to Copenhagen by comfortable trains with one easy change at Hamburg Hbf, times vary but you can usually leave Berlin Hbf around 10:39 and arrive Copenhagen around 18:19.

  The Hamburg to Copenhagen trains go onto a ferry between Puttgarten & Rødby, one of the few places in Europe where trains still get shunted onto ships.  It's an interesting experience in its own right - you must leave the train and go upstairs into the ship's passenger accommodation during the 50-minute crossing, but you can leave your luggage on the train. 

  Book this from €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class at www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.

• Stay overnight in Copenhagen.  Hotels in Copenhagen near the station with good reviews include the Nimb Hotel (5-star luxe), Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (5-star), Axel Guldsmeden (4-star), Andersen Boutique Hotel, First Hotel Mayfair (3-star), Hotel Ansgar (3-star), City Hotel Nebo (2-star).

• Step 3, travel from Copenhagen to Malmö, Gothenburg by regular Öresund Link train or Copenhagen to Stockholm by direct X2000 train booked at Swedish Railways www.sj.se or www.snalltaget.se.  You print your own ticket.

Option 2, by daytime trains with overnight stop in Hamburg...

• Day 1, travel from Budapest to Hamburg by comfortable air-conditioned EuroCity train with restaurant car from just €39 booked at www.bahn.de.  There is a direct EuroCity train from Budapest Keleti at 07:25 arriving Hamburg Hbf at 21:15.

• Stay overnight in Hamburg.  Suggested hotels in Hamburg next to the Hauptbahnhof with good reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski.

• Day 2 if you're going to Copenhagen:  Travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen from €29 booked at www.bahn.de.  There are various departures.  From March until October there's an 07:25 from Hamburg Hbf arriving Copenhagen 12:22.  Alternatively, all year round there's a comfortable 09:28 ICE-TD train arriving Copenhagen at 14:22.  The Hamburg to Copenhagen trains go onto a ferry between Puttgarten & Rødby, one of the few places in Europe where trains still get shunted onto ships.  It's an interesting experience in its own right - you must leave the train and go upstairs into the ship's passenger accommodation during the crossing.

• Day 2 if you're going to Stockholm, Gothenburg or Malmo:  Travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen by luxurious ICE-TD train then from Copenhagen to Stockholm by X2000 train (or from Copenhagen to Malmo or Gothenburg by Öresund Link local train) all from €39 booked as one through journey at www.bahn.de.  The Hamburg to Copenhagen train goes onto a ferry between Puttgarten & Rødby, one of the few places in Europe where trains still get shunted onto ships.  It's an interesting experience in its own right - you must leave the train and go upstairs into the ship's passenger accommodation during the crossing.  For example, the 09:28 ICE from Hamburg will get you onto the 16:34 X2000 from Copenhagen arriving Stockholm at 21:39 - book Hamburg to Stockholm departing 09:28 using this link.

• Day 2 if you're going to Oslo or Norway:  Travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen from €29 booked at www.bahn.de.  From March until October there's an 07:25 arriving Copenhagen 12:22, a comfortable Danish IC3 train.  Alternatively, all year round there's a comfortable 09:28 ICE-TD train arriving Copenhagen at 14:22.  The Hamburg to Copenhagen trains go onto a ferry between Puttgarten & Rødby, one of the few places in Europe where trains still get shunted onto ships.  It's an interesting experience in its own right - you must leave the train and go upstairs into the ship's passenger accommodation during the crossing.  Then travel from Copenhagen to Oslo by cruise ferry with a comfortable cabin reserved, and bars and restaurants on board.  She sails from Copenhagen daily around 16:30, arriving in Oslo around 09:45, see www.dfds.co.uk for times, prices & online tickets.  Highly recommended!  Alternatively, stay the night in Copenhagen and travel from Copenhagen to Oslo by train the following day, from €46 booked at Swedish Railways www.sj.se.

Option 3, by daytime trains with overnight stop in Berlin...

• Day 1, travel from Budapest to Berlin by comfortable air-conditioned EuroCity train with restaurant car from just €39 booked at www.bahn.de.  There are occasional direct trains and other options with a change in Prague.  For example the direct 07:25 from Budapest arrives Berlin Hbf at 18:58.  You can also try booking this at www.mavcsoport.hu.

• 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.

• Day 2, travel from Berlin to Copenhagen from €39 booked at www.bahn.de.  For example, you can leave Berlin Hbf at 07:06, change at Hamburg, arriving Copenhagen at 14:22, or there are later trains.  Just avoid any journey which is shown in the search results with the word 'BUS'.

• For Stockholm, you can travel from Berlin to Stockholm in a day from just €39 booked as one through journey at www.bahn.de.  For example, depending on the day and date you could leave Berlin Hbf at 07:06 and arrive Stockholm at 19:39 with a change at Hamburg and Copenhagen, or there are later trains.

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Budapest to Helsinki...

• Although you can travel to Stockholm then take a ferry to Helsinki, you'll probably find it easier to take a direct ferry from Germany to Helsinki.

• First, check for Finnlines ferries from Travemünde or Rostock to Helsinki at www.finnlines.com.

• Then use www.bahn.de to find connecting trains from Budapest to Travemünde or Rostock.  Allow plenty of time for a transfer to the ferry terminal and the ferry check-in.

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Budapest to Munich from €39...

Option 1, by EuroNight sleeper train - the time-effective option...

• An excellent direct EuroNight sleeper train called the Kalman Imre leaves Budapest Keleti at 20:40 every night, arriving at Munich Hbf at 06:10.

• It has a comfortable air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and an air-conditioned Hungarian couchette car with 4 & 6-bunk compartments, plus ordinary seats - but always book a couchette or sleeper for comfort & security.  See the Hungarian sleeping-car video.

• Fares start at €49 in a 6-berth couchette, €59 in a 4-berth couchette, €79 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €139 in a single-bed sleeper, morning tea or coffee included.

• You can buy tickets in either direction at the German Railways site www.bahn.de,

  Tickets for this train bought at bahn.de can't be printed at home, they are sent by regular post to anywhere worldwide.  If you need to go at short notice or want a collect-at-station option you can book at www.mavcsoport.hu with ticket collection in Budapest, although it can be more fiddly than using bahn.de, see advice on how to use mavcsoport.hu & how you collect your tickets.

Option 2, by daytime Railjet train...

• Smart modern Austrian Railjet trains link Budapest Keleti with Munich every couple of hours in 6h51 with fares from €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class.

• You can easily check times & buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de.

  Tickets for this train bought at bahn.de can't be printed at home, they are sent by regular post to anywhere worldwide.  If you need to go at short notice or want a collect-at-station option you can book at www.mavcsoport.hu with ticket collection in Budapest, although it can be more fiddly than using bahn.de, see advice on how to use mavcsoport.hu & how you collect your tickets.

• You get a great view of Salzburg fortress on your left as you cross the River Salzach, soon after leaving Salzburg station.

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Budapest to Berlin from €39...

Option 1, by sleeper train - the time-effective option...

• A direct EuroNight sleeper train leaves Budapest Keleti every night at 20:05, arriving Berlin Hbf at 09:07.

• It has a modern air-conditioned Czech sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed deluxe sleepers with shower & toilet, 1, 2 & 3 bed standard sleepers with washbasin, and a couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments.  The sleeping-car has a shower at the end of the corridor for standard sleeper passengers, and morning tea or coffee is included in the fare in the sleepers.

• Fares start at €49 with a couchette in 6-berth, €59 with a couchette in 4-berth, €89 in a 2-bed sleeper or €129 in a single-bed sleeper.

• You can buy tickets in either direction at the German Railways site www.bahn.de.

  Tickets for this train bought at bahn.de can't be printed at home, they are sent by regular post to anywhere worldwide.  If you need to go at short notice or want a collect-at-station option you can book at www.mavcsoport.hu with ticket collection in Budapest, although it can be more fiddly than using bahn.de, see advice on how to use mavcsoport.hu & how you collect your tickets.

• UPDATE FOR DECEMBER 2017:  In spite of being popular with passengers, the Budapest-Berlin part of the Metropol is being discontinued from the timetable change on 10 December 2017, the usual railway politics and mishandling.  A great shame.  You'll still be able to take the Budapest-Prague sleeper and change there for a morning train to Berlin, but arrival in Berlin will be significantly later.

Option 2, by daytime EuroCity train - the leisurely option...

• A smart air-conditioned EuroCity train with restaurant car leaves Budapest Keleti at 07:25 arriving Berlin Hbf at 18:57 with fares from just €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class.  Later departures are possible at 09:25 and 11:25 with one easy change in Prague, also from €39.

• Take a good book and enjoy a daytime trip across Europe through 4 countries, with an inexpensive waiter-served meal and beer or wine in the restaurant car.  There's beautiful scenery along the Elbe River between Prague and Dresden, too.

• You can buy tickets in either direction at German Railways site www.bahn.de.

  Tickets for this train bought at bahn.de can't be printed at home, they are sent by regular post to anywhere worldwide.  If you need to go at short notice or want a collect-at-station option you can book at www.mavcsoport.hu with ticket collection in Budapest, although it can be more fiddly than using bahn.de, see advice on how to use mavcsoport.hu & how you collect your tickets.

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Budapest to Frankfurt, Cologne, Hamburg & Germany from €29...

• Smart modern Railjet trains link Budapest Keleti with Munich every two hours 07:40 to 15:40 taking just 6h58 from €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class, with onward connections for anywhere in Germany, sometimes changing in Munich, sometimes at Vienna.

• You can check times & prices and buy tickets from Budapest to anywhere in Germany at the German Railways website www.bahn.de.

• As well as buying tickets at www.bahn.de, you can also book at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.

• For Hamburg, there's a direct EuroCity train from Budapest Keleti at 07:25 arriving Hamburg Hbf at 21:15, with fares from €39, bookable at www.bahn.de.  Or you can take the Budapest-Berlin EuroNight sleeper train then a daytime ICE train to Hamburg Hbf,  You can book this as one transaction at www.bahn.de - in the search results look for option with 1 change marked EN,ICE.  Or consider taking a Budapest-Vienna Railjet booked as shown above then the Vienna-Hamburg EuroNight sleeper train booked as shown on the Trains from Vienna page.

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Budapest to Vienna from €13...

• Modern Austrian Railjet trains and the occasional air-conditioned Hungarian EuroCity train link Budapest with Vienna in only 2h41, leaving every hour or two throughout the day.  It's easily the best way to travel between these cities.

• Trains leave from Budapest Keleti station and arrive at the new Vienna Hauptbahnhof - many trains then continue to Vienna Meidling.  They ceased serving Vienna Westbahnhof in December 2015.  You can get off at whichever station is most convenient for your hotel, it's the same price.

• Cheap advance-purchase fares start at €13 in 2nd class or €29 in 1st class if you pre-book.  On the day at the station you can buy a ticket for €33 in 2nd class if you follow the advice below.

• You can buy a ticket at the station on the day if you like...  Reservation is not compulsory so these Budapest-Vienna trains can never sell out and you don't need to pre-book if you don't want to.  It's easy to buy tickets at the station on the day.  From Budapest to Vienna, ask for a €33 unlimited-availability 4-day return ÖBB Austria TripTicket even if you're only going one-way as this is cheaper than paying the €38 full-price one-way fare and you can simply throw away the return half.  That's what everyone does!  There's no 1st class Austria TripTicket, so if you insist on going 1st class it's full-price €62 one-way, plus an extra €15 if you want the deluxe Railjet business class (see the Railjet page).

• But it's cheaper to book in advance.  You can buy tickets online from either the Austrian or Hungarian railway websites, each with advantages and disadvantages as explained below - I'd check prices at both, as sometimes one has cheaper fares available than the other.

  - Option 1, buy tickets at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu with ticket collection from the yellow ticket machines at Budapest Keleti, with fares from €13 in 2nd class or €29 in 1st class.  I find that the Hungarian Railways site often has cheaper fares available than the Austrian one for the same train, but you can't book Business class this way and booking only opens 60 days before departure.  As tickets need to be collected in Hungary, don't try and use mavcsoport.hu to book journeys starting outside Hungary.  See my general tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how you collect your tickets.

  - Option 2, buy tickets at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at with print-at-home tickets, fares from €19 in 2nd class or €29 in 1st class.  The advantages of using oebb.at are that you can choose an exact seat from a numbered seating plan, you can book Business class as well as 1st & 2nd class, and booking opens 90 days before departure rather than 60.  You can use oebb.at to buy tickets in either direction, as tickets are print-at-home.

• Booking tips if you use mavcsoport.hu...

  Tip 1, the MAV website only sells special limited-availability cheap tickets plus the unlimited availability Austria TripTicket round trip fare.  It cannot sell full-price regular tickets when the cheap deals sell out.  So when the cheap fares sell out for a given train in a given class, that train disappears from the search results.  And if there are no cheap fares left at all on any train that date in the class you have selected, it shows 'no offers available'.  If this happens, don't panic!  The train is not full, nor can it be 'sold out'.

  Tip 2, if you were trying for 2nd class, re-run the enquiry with 1st class selected.  I've seen 'no offers available' in 2nd class the day before travel, but when I re-ran the enquiry as first class, a €29 1st class cheap ticket appeared, at least on some trains.

  Tip 3, if you see no cheap fares on the train you want in either class, re-run the enquiry with a dummy return journey set up for the following day.  You'll then always see a €33 4-day 2nd class return fare (it's €43 with unlimited public transport in Vienna included) which is cheaper than paying the €38 full-price one-way fare.  In fact, as this 4-day return has unlimited availability you can buy it in person at the station on the day, but it saves time to buy it online and collect it from the yellow ticket machines.  Note:  The MAV website may only list a few oddly-timed trains when you select the €33 ÖBB TripTicket ticket, in fact it is not tied to any particular train, you can take any departure you like with this ticket, whether or not it is shown on the website.

• Seat reservation is optional on Railjet trains, for a small extra fee.  Adding a seat reservation is a good idea if you plan to travel at busy times or if there's a small group of you and you want to be sure of seats together, but it's by no means essential and when travelling solo I don't usually bother.  If you arrive in good time for your train at Budapest Keleti where it starts, you'll usually have your pick of many empty unreserved seats.  The electronic display on the wall next to each seat will show you which seats are available and which are reserved.

• Railjet business class, a treat!  You can't book the extra-comfort Railjet business class at www.mavcsoport.hu, but you CAN book it if you use the Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at instead.   At www.oebb.at, simply book a 1st class ticket from Budapest to Vienna, look for the selector to make an optional seat reservation, then select the €15 Business class option.  You can even choose an exact seat from a seating plan if you use www.oebb.at! 

  Alternatively, if you buy a 1st class ticket from www.mavcsoport.hu (which can sometimes be cheaper than oebb.at, depending how the price level quotas work) you can either pay the €15 fee on board the train (just find any empty business class seat and pay the conductor) or you can pay it at the international booking office at Budapest Keleti down a passageway off platform 6.  It normally only takes a couple of minutes, a numbered queuing system operates and the staff understand enough English!

Budapest to Salzburg...

• Smart modern Railjet trains link Budapest Keleti with Salzburg every two hours through the day on their way to Munich, journey time just 5h12, see the Railjet information page.  An excellent option!

• You can travel from Budapest to Salzburg for as little as €29 in 2nd class or from €45 in 1st class if you book in advance, or for €39 bought at the station on the day, if you follow the advice below.

• The easy way to buy tickets is at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at - Book from Budapest to Salzburg, booking opens 90 days ahead, and if you choose to make a reservation you can choose an exact seat from numbered Railjet seating plan.  You can also treat yourself to Railjet Business Class if you book this way, simply book a 1st class ticket, choose to make a seat reservation, then choose a €15 Business class seat reservation.  Once you're booked, you simply print out your own ticket.  Simples!

• Alternatively, you can buy tickets at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, but only a maximum of 60 days ahead, the advantage is that it can sometimes have cheaper fares available than oebb.at for a given train.  But this is important so listen up!

  Here's what you don't do:  You don't go to www.mavcsoport.hu and book one-way from Budapest to Salzburg, because all you'll see in the search results is a cheap fare for the 21:00 night train, not the daytime Railjets.  Why is this?  Mavcsoport.hu only sells certain selected cheap advance-purchase tickets, not all tickets, and for some reason there are no special cheap one-ways on MAV's system for Budapest-Salzburg by daytime trains.

  So here's what you do do...  Go to www.mavcsoport.hu and book from Budapest to Munich from €29 2nd class or €45 1st class and simply get off in Salzburg, this is both straightforward and perfectly legitimate.  It's as simple as that!!  All Budapest-Munich Railjets call at Salzburg, by all means use mavcsoport.hu to check times for that.  To book from Budapest to Munich, you must type its German name 'Munchen' into the destination box as it doesn't recognise the English name 'Munich'.  Don't worry if it doesn't seem to recognise 'Munchen', just go with it.  If you have any problems, you can also book Budapest to Munich tickets at the German Railways site www.bahn.de, although tickets will need to be posted to you for an extra €3.90 or so.

  Incidentally, if you wanted a return ticket, no problem, www.mavcsoport.hu sells 4-day returns from Budapest to Salzburg from €39 in 2nd class (though there's no 1st class equivalent) valid on any train with unlimited availability.  You can buy at this price at the station on the day, as long as you ask for the 4-day return ÖBB Austria Trip Ticket.  It's perfectly legitimate to use it one way and throw away the return half.

  See my tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how you collect your tickets.

Budapest to Innsbruck...

• There's one direct Railjet train from Budapest Keleti to Innsbruck leaving at 06:40 but many later departures are available through the day with one easy change at Vienna Hbf or Salzburg.  Journey time around 7h00 centre to centre.  You can travel from Budapest to Innsbruck from as little as €32.

• The easy way to buy tickets is at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at - Book from Budapest to Innsbruck, booking opens 90 days ahead, and if you choose to make a reservation you can choose an exact seat from numbered Railjet seating plan.  You can also treat yourself to Railjet Business Class if you book this way, simply book a 1st class ticket, choose to make a seat reservation, then choose a €15 Business class seat reservation.  Once you're booked, you simply print out your own ticket.  Simples!

Budapest to other destinations in Austria...

• First, try buying tickets at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how you collect your tickets.  This may work for some destinations, for example Budapest to Graz.

  For other destinations in Austria such as Klagenfurt, Villach, Hallstatt, Kitzbühel or St Anton for example, book in two stages like this:

  Step 1, use www.mavcsoport.hu to book from Budapest to Vienna Hbf from €13 (read the booking tips in the Budapest to Vienna section above).  Note down the arrival time at Vienna Hbf, and allow perhaps 45 minutes between trains. 

  Step 2, now go to the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at and book from Vienna Hbf to your final destination from €19, usually getting a print-at-home ticket.

• See my tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how you collect your tickets

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Budapest to Prague from €19...

Option 1, by air-conditioned EuroCity train...

• Smart air-conditioned EuroCity trains with restaurant car leave Budapest Keleti for Prague Hlavni every two hours taking 6h43 city centre to city centre.  A very comfortable and civilised option!

• For train times, fares, photos & travel tips, see the Budapest to Bratislava EuroCity train page.

• Fares start at €19 in 2nd class or €35 in 1st class if you book in advance at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu with ticket collection from the yellow ticket machines at the station in Budapest or you can now book at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz/eshop with print-your-own tickets.  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.

A EuroCity train from Prague to Budapest about to leave Prague Hlavni...

Restaurant car...		2nd class open plan saloon seating...

Option 2, by safe & comfortable sleeper train - the time-saving option

• For train times, fares, photos, tips & how to buy tickets, see the Budapest to Prague sleeper train section.

Standard sleeper set up as a 2-berth, with blind down & washstand open.  Each room can be used with 1, 2 or 3 beds.		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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Budapest to Bratislava from €9...

• Air-conditioned EuroCity trains with restaurant car leave Budapest Keleti every hour or two for Bratislava taking just 2h45.  For train times, fares, photos & travel tips, see the Budapest to Bratislava EuroCity train page.

• You can buy Budapest-Bratislava tickets in advance from just €9 at the Hungarian Railways site www.mavcsoport.hu with ticket collection from the yellow ticket machines at the station in Budapest.  Limited availability, no refunds, no changes.

  If you want 1st class, here's what you must do:  If you ask www.mavcsoport.hu for a 1st class ticket from Budapest to Bratislava you won't see any prices or tickets at all.  So instead, ask for a one way 1st class ticket from Budapest to Brno and you'll see cheap 1st class advance-purchase fares from €29, limited availability, no refunds, no changes, just buy one of those.  Brno is the first major stop beyond Bratislava, you simply get off in Bratislava when the train stops there as they all do.  This is perfectly legitimate, so no worries.

  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.

Lunch in the restaurant car...		2nd class compartment		1st class compartment

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Budapest to Warsaw from just €19...

Option 1, by direct sleeper train...

• There is a direct overnight sleeper train from Budapest Keleti (depart 20:05) to Warsaw Centralna (arrive 06:45) with economical couchettes (4 & 6 berth) and comfortable, safe and civilised sleeping-cars (1, 2 or 3 bed compartments with washbasin or 1 & 2 bed deluxe compartments with en suite toilet and shower, a sleeper is the recommended option, you'll be safe and snug - see the photos below). 

• Fares from €29 with a couchette in 6-berth, €39 with a couchette in 4-berth, €59 with a bed in a safe & cosy 2-bed sleeper.

• You can now book this train online at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu.  Booking opens 60 days ahead.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.  For single occupancy, book 2 tickets in a 2-bed sleeper.

The Budapest to Warsaw train has a modern air-conditioned sleeping-car with standard & deluxe compartments like this one.		Deluxe sleeper, set up as a 2-berth, showing TV & wardrobe.		Deluxe sleeper:  En suite shower & toilet...

Option 2, by direct daytime EuroCity train from €19...

• A smart air-conditioned EuroCity train with restaurant car leaves Budapest Keleti at 08:22 and arrives Warsaw Centralna at 18:05.

• Book online at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu with fares from just €19.  Booking opens 60 days ahead.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.

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Budapest to Krakow from just €54 including a bed in a 2-bed sleeper...

• There is a direct sleeper train from Budapest Keleti (depart 20:05) to Krakow (arrive 07:09).  In the sleeping-car, this train is a comfortable, safe and very time-effective option.  What's the Budapest to Krakow 1, 2 or 3 bed sleeping-car like? 

• You can usually book this train online at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu.  Booking opens 60 days ahead.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.

• If booking online at mavcsoport doesn't work - it sometimes doesn't, either because the cheap fares are sold out or because MAV staff have forgotten to load the necessary data - either pick up the phone and book that way - although you'll only get full-flex tickets this way, not the cheapies as those are only sold direct by MAV or use reliable Polish agency www.polrail.com and pay for tickets to be sent to you.  In the UK you can DB (German Railways) UK phone line on 08718 80 80 66.

The Budapest to Krakow & Budapest to Warsaw trains have smartly-refurbished Polish sleeping-cars like this, with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin...		Cosy 2-bed sleeper with washbasin...

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Budapest to Sighisoara, Brasov & Bucharest from €29...

Option 1, by time-effective sleeper train...

• The safe & comfortable EuroNight sleeper train Ister leaves Budapest Keleti around 19:10 and arrives Sighisoara at 06:56, Brasov at 09:32 and Bucharest Nord around 12:10 next day.

• This train has economical couchettes (6 berth) and comfortable, safe and civilised sleeping-cars (1, 2 or 3 bed compartments with washbasin, a sleeper is the recommended option, you'll be safe and snug).  It's a really scenic journey in the morning, as the train passes through the Carpathian mountains.  See the photos below.  There's no restaurant car so take your own picnic and bottle of wine.

• Fares start at around €49 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper if you book in advance direct with Hungarian Railways online at www.mavcsoport.hu.  Booking opens 90 days ahead.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.

Deluxe sleeper...  The en suite toilet & shower in a deluxe sleeper from Budapest to Bucharest.  Courtesy Andy Brabin.		A sleeper set up as a  1-berth compartment with middle & top berths folded away against the wall.  Courtesy Andy Brabin.		The Budapest-Bucharest Ister:  This is the modern air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car.  The letters above the windows say 'Voiture-Lits - Sleeping-car - Carrozza Letti - Vagon de Dormit'...  Welcome to your hotel on rails, some compartments even have an en suite toilet & shower.

The vagon cuseta (couchette car) on the Ister, at Budapest.		6-berth couchettes.		4-berth couchettes.

Option 2, by daytime train...

• There are a couple of comfortable air-conditioned daytime trains between Budapest & Brasov or Bucharest.  They take a day, but bring a bottle of wine and a good book and enjoy the adventure of a scenic ride across Transylvania and through the Carpathian mountains.

• Fares start at an unbelievably cheap €29 if you book in advance direct at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu.  Booking opens 60 days ahead.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.  For Bucharest, type 'Bucuresti'.

An InterCity train to Romania (left) about to leave Budapest.		There may be no restaurant car so take your own picnic and beer or wine...

Air-conditioned 2nd class seats used on the Traianus from Budapest to Bucharest.  Or take your own picnic with beer or wine...

Budapest to Cluj, Timisoara, Sibiu, Sighişoara....

• The daytime and sleeper trains shown above call at various points within Romania, and there are also a couple of additional daily trains between Budapest and Cluj or Timisoara.

• Simply use www.mavcsoport.hu to find train times and book your chosen journey.  Booking opens 60 days ahead.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.

• 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.

• Some destinations such as Sighişoara require a change of train within Romania.  For example, the overnight Ister will take you from Budapest to Sibiu, change there for Sighişoara.  In this case you'd book Budapest to Sibiu and buy an onward ticket separately at Sibiu.

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Budapest to Belgrade for €15...  Or to Montenegro for €35...

Option 1, by one of two daytime trains...

• The InterCity train Ivo Andric leaves Budapest Keleti at 08:05 and arrives at Belgrade main station at 16:22.  This train has two Serbian air-conditioned cars, hopefully the air-con will be working, there's no catering car so bring your own supplies of food and beer.

• The EuroCity train Avala comes through from Vienna and leaves Budapest Keleti at 12:05 arriving Belgrade main station at 20:15.  This has smart air-conditioned Hungarian coaches.  This is the most comfortable train to take if you can, but there's no catering car so bring your own supplies of food and beer.

• Fare-wise, there's an unlimited special offer from Budapest to Belgrade of just €15, you can even buy this at the station on the day, or you can book it online at  www.mavcsoport.hu with collection in Budapest.  Booking opens 60 days ahead.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.

• If you're heading for Montenegro, a daytime and overnight train link Belgrade with Podgorica and Bar over one of the most scenic lines in Europe, fare around €20 paid at the station on the day.  For train times, fares & photos see the Belgrade to Montenegro page.  Change at Podgorica for a bus to Budva or Kotor.  If you need a hotel in Belgrade, try the historic Hotel Moskva.

Above:  The Serbian EuroCity train from Budapest to Belgrade, seen at Budapest Keleti.  Just €15!

Option 2, by overnight train...

• An overnight sleeper train called the Beograd leaves Budapest Keleti at 22:25 and arrives in Belgrade main station at 06:13. 

• The train has an elderly Serbian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments.  It should also have an elderly Serbian sleeping-car, see the Budapest-Belgrade sleeper video here, but Serbian Railways are short of serviceable sleeping-cars so this isn't operating at the moment.

• The fare is just €15 (a permanently-available unlimited special offer) plus €8 supplement for a couchette in 6-berth or €10 for a couchette in 4-berth.  I recommend 4-berth as there is much more space per passenger.  A clean sheet, pillow and blanket are provided for each berth.  Unlike the seats cars which have no lock on the compartment doors, the couchette compartments have both a normal lock and security chain so you'll be both safe and snug.

• You can easily buy tickets online at Hungarian Railways www.mavcsoport.hu with ticket collection in Budapest.  Booking opens 60 days ahead.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets from the yellow ticket machines.

• If you're heading for Montenegro, a daytime and overnight train link Belgrade with Podgorica and Bar over one of the most scenic lines in Europe, fare around €20 paid at the station on the day.  For train times, fares & photos see the Belgrade to Montenegro page.  Change at Podgorica for a bus to Budva or Kotor.

The Belgrade to Budapest night train, arrived at Budapest Keleti...		Serbian 2-bed sleeper...		Elderly Serbian 6-berth couchettes...

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Budapest to Sofia...

Option 1, sleeper to Belgrade then day train - the most time-effective option...

• Step 1, an overnight train with couchettes links Budapest and Belgrade, leaving Budapest Keleti at 22:25 and arriving in Belgrade main station at 06:13.  It has an elderly Serbian couchette car with 4 & 6-berth compartments.  It should also convey an elderly Serbian sleeper with 1, 2 & 3 bed sleepers, but Serbia is short of serviceable sleeping-cars so usually doesn't.

  You can book a Budapest to Belgrade couchette online at www.mavcsoport.hu for €15 fare + €10 couchette supplement.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.

• Step 2, a daytime train called the Balkan then leaves Belgrade main station at 09:25 and arrives at Sofia central station at 20:10.  This train has 2nd class seating only, there's no catering so bring your own picnic and beer.  Buy a ticket for this train at the station in Belgrade for around €22, it cannot be booked online and there are always places available.

Option 2, day train to Belgrade, overnight stop, onward train to Sofia - the all-daytime option with overnight hotel.

• Step 1, take the EuroCity train Avala leaving Budapest Keleti at 12:05 and arriving Belgrade main station at 20:13 - this has smart air-conditioned Hungarian coaches - there's no catering car so take your own picnic and wine or beer.  Book this at Hungarian Railways at www.mavcsoport.hu for €15, see tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.  If you'd like to have a pleasant evening in Belgrade, there's an earlier train from Budapest leaving Budapest Keleti at 08:05 and arriving Belgrade main station around 17:00.

• Stay overnight in Belgrade.  I recommend the excellent & historic Hotel Moskva which is 10 minutes walk from the station, at the end of Belgrade's main pedestrianised shopping street, see map of Belgrade showing station.

• Step 2, travel from Belgrade to Sofia on the Balkan, leaving Belgrade station at 09:25 and arriving Sofia central station at 20:10.  This train has 2nd class seating only, and there's no catering so bring your own picnic and beer.  Buy a ticket for this train at the station in Belgrade for around €22, it cannot be booked online and there are always places available.

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Budapest to Ljubljana from €19...

• There's a comfortable air-conditioned EuroCity train called the Citadella direct from Budapest to Ljubljana every morning leaving Budapest Deli (Deli station not Keleti station!) at 08:30 and arriving Ljubljana at 16:30.

• There's no catering car so take your own picnic & beer or wine.  There are other journey options involving a change of train which you can find using the online timetable at www.bahn.de/en.

• You can pre-book this route online from just €19 at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.

• Bought at the station on the day, expect to pay around €39.

• There's also a daily direct InterCity train from Budapest Keleti to Rijeka, at 05:45 arriving 16:41.

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Budapest to Zagreb for €29...

• There are two daily direct trains from Budapest to Zagreb every day.

  In the morning, the InterCity Kvarner leaves Budapest Keleti at 05:45 arriving Zagreb 11:39 & Rijeka 16:41.

  In the afternoon the InterCity Rippl-Rónai leaves Budapest Keleti at 14:45 arriving Zagreb at 20:59.

• Both trains have comfortable air-conditioned Hungarian coaches, the Rippl-Rónai 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 - select English, then composition then Hungary then IC.

• You can buy a cheap €19 or €29 ticket online at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.

  Booking tip:  www.mavcsoport.hu only sells special cheap advance-purchase fares, it cannot sell regular full-flex fares if no cheap fares are left or if none exist in the first place for that route, class or train.  You may well find cheap fares are available in 2nd class for these trains, but no such cheap fares in 1st class.  If so, just stick with 2nd class.  It is simply not worth buying a 1st class full-flex ticket at the station for perhaps €70 just to get 2 inches more legroom compared to a €19 advance-purchase fare for an almost-as-comfortable 2nd class carriage.  You may also find cheap fares are available for the afternoon train but nothing for the morning train, I have no idea why that is!  If you insist on the morning train or travelling in 1st class, you'll have to book at the station.

• There are other journey options involving a change of train which you can find using the online timetable at www.bahn.de/en, but you'll need to book these at the station as these cannot be booked online.

The Intercity train Rippl Ronai at Budapest station, showing it's comfortable & modern air-conditioned coaches, both Croatian (foreground) and Hungarian (background).  A great way to travel.  Courtesy of Jonathan Hounsome.

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Budapest to Split & Dubrovnik...

Option 1, direct sleeper train in summer - comfortable & very time-effective...

• From mid-June to early September there's a direct sleeper train called the Adria leaving Budapest Keleti around 18:15 and arriving Split around 07:57 next morning.  It has a comfortable sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin) and a couchette car (4 & 6 bunk compartments).

  This Budapest to Split sleeper train can be booked online at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, from €79 with couchette or from €92 with a bed in a cosy 2-bed sleeper.  You collect tickets from the yellow self-service machines.

• Take a bus from Split to Dubrovnik.  There are buses every hour or even 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 2, via Zagreb all year round - allows you to stop off in Zagreb, and can work out cheaper.

• 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.  You collect tickets from the yellow self-service machines.

• Step 2, now take the sleeper train from Zagreb to Split, or stay overnight in Zagreb and take one of the two daytime trains next day as it's a scenic ride.  You can book this online at the Croatian Railways website www.hzpp.hr, a ticket for the daytime trains is only about €20.  The daytime trains run every day, the sleeper runs daily in summer, several times a week in winter, see the trains from Zagreb page for more details & photos of the trains.

• 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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Budapest to Sarajevo...

• The direct Budapest to Sarajevo train was sadly discontinued in 2012.  However, you can easily take the afternoon train from Budapest to Zagreb from €29 as above, stay overnight in Zagreb (the city is well worth a stop), then travel from Zagreb to Sarajevo on the daily train leaving around 09:00, buy this ticket at the station in Zagreb, see the Zagreb-Sarajevo train details here.  Zagreb to Sarajevo is a nice scenic route, take a picnic and beer or wine and enjoy the ride.

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Budapest to Lviv, Kiev & Ukraine...

• A comfortable direct train called the Latorca links Budapest with Lviv (Lvov) & Kiev, leaving Budapest Nyugati station (not Keleti station, mind) at 07:23 every day arriving Lviv at 22:24 the same day and Kiev at 07:43 next morning.

• The train has one or two Ukrainian sleeping-cars with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin.  Passengers for Lviv use the sleepers in their daytime seats mode even though it's a daytime journey, as only the sleeping-cars run across the border into Ukraine.

• Bought at the station in Budapest, Budapest to Lviv costs around €54 with a seat in a comfy 3-bed sleeper compartment.  The fare to Kiev is around €69 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper.  You can find these fares in the information pages of the Hungarian version (but not necessarily the English version) of www.mavcsoport.hu.  Fares will be slightly higher if booked from outside Hungary.

• You can check times at www.bahn.de but it cannot be booked online, only by phone.

• The photos below show the sleeping-cars of the Warsaw to Kiev Kiev Express as the Budapest to Lviv & Kiev train uses identical sleepers.  You can check the formation of this train if you like at www.vagonweb.cz  Click the UK flag for English, then 'Composition' then IC against Hungary MAV and look for the Latorca.  It will show you the carriages that make up this train, and if there's a camera logo you can click to see more photos, too

The Kiev-Budapest train in Poland.  The cars with the yellow stripe are the Ukrainian sleeping-cars, the blue and grey cars beyond them are Hungarian daytime cars attached at the border.  Courtesy of Scott Keir.

Changing the wheelsets at Chop. Courtesy Simon Schubert		A cosy sleeper compartment...		...with washbasin.

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Budapest to Moscow & St Petersburg...

Option 1, via the Warsaw-Moscow Polonez - 3 times a week, reduced from daily in June 2017...

• Day 1, take the daily sleeper train from Budapest to Warsaw Centralna as shown above.  Book this online as shown. 

• Day 2, spend most of the next day in Warsaw, see Warsaw Centralna station & city information.   Warsaw's historic old town is a 20 minute walk from Centralna station - if you fancy a modest splurge, the celebrated Ufukiera restaurant (www.ufukiera.pl) is excellent and right on the square in the heart of Warsaw's old town.  The Palace of Culture (a wedding cake style Soviet skyscraper and distinctive Warsaw landmark, www.pkin.pl) is right next to the station and has a viewing terrace on the 30th floor.

• Day 2 evening, take the daily sleeper train Polonez leaving Warsaw Centralna at 15:50 on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays and arriving Moscow Belorussky station next day at 11:45 (late March to late October) or 12:45 (late October to late March) (day 3 from Budapest).

  The Polonez is now operated with Russian carriages, using brand-new Austrian-built sleeping-cars with 4-berth compartments introduced in 2014, see panorama photo inside one of these modern sleepers.  Eastbound, these 4-bed sleepers only exist on the Polish reservations system as 2nd class 4-berth, so if you want dual or single occupancy you have to buy up multiple berths in one compartment.  Westbound there's no problem, as the Russian reservations system is configured book these compartments as 1st class single, 1st class double or 2nd class 4-berth.  A Russian restaurant car is attached between Brest (on the Polish/Belarus border) & Moscow. Map of Moscow showing Belorussky station.

  To book the Warsaw to Moscow sleeper, most nationalities except the USA can try http://en.voyages-sncf.com, which may work - tickets are sent by regular post to most countries except the USA, but you MUST make sure 'Other countries (EUR)' is selected top right.  The UK version uk.voyages-sncf.com does not correctly book this train, it tries to sell an open ticket with no reservation which is no good to anyone.  If you're Dutch, you should use nl.voyages-sncf.com.

Alternatively, you can easily book the Polonez by contacting highly-recommended Polish train ticketing agency www.polrail.com - their booking system is at http://booking.polrail.com.  They can arrange train tickets for international trains starting in Poland with tickets collected in Warsaw or (at extra charge) shipped to any address worldwide.

Don't forget to arrange both your Russian visa and Belarus transit visa as the train runs via Belarus.

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.

Option 2, via Kiev, avoiding need for a Belarus visa...

• Step 1, travel from Budapest to Kiev by direct sleeper train Latorca as shown above.

• Step 2, travel from Kiev to Moscow by overnight train, there are several trains every night, perfectly safe for westerners in spite of any tensions between Russia & Ukraine.  This route avoids Belarus and the need for an expensive Belarusian visa.  To buy tickets, pick up the phone - in the UK try ticketing agency International Rail on 0844 248 248 3 (lines open 0900-1700 Mon-Fri).

The Polonez train from Warsaw to Moscow uses Russian air-conditioned sleeping-cars, pictured below, with compartments which can be used as 1st class 2-berth or 2nd class 4-berth (shown below right), with a shower & toilets at the end of the corridor.  See panorama photo inside one of the new Russian sleepers.

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Budapest to Athens, Thessaloniki & Greece...

• Trains are back!  The Greek government cancelled all international trains to and from Greece in 2011 but trains from Belgrade and Sofia to Thessaloniki were reinstated from May 2014.

• Step 1, Budapest to Belgrade:  Travel from Budapest to Belgrade on the EuroCity train Ivo Andric leaving Budapest Keleti at 08:05 and arriving Belgrade at 16:32.  The fare is just €15 as explained above.  Or take the overnight train also explained above which gives you a whole day to explore wonderful Belgrade, left luggage available.  Take your own picnic and a beer or two, as there's no catering car on these trains.

• Step 2, Belgrade to Thessaloniki:  Take the reinstated Belgrade to Thessaloniki overnight train which leaves Belgrade at 18:50 and arrives in Thessaloniki in Greece at 10:07 next morning, with both a seats car and a Macedonian couchette car with 6-berth compartments.  Update:  It's reported that since August 2015 this train has been bustituted for the last bit from Gevgelija on the Greek border to Thessaloniki, because of the refugee situation.  Feedback appreciated.  It is also affected by engineering work in Serbia, and is likely to be cancelled except in summer June-September 2017.

• 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 www.europeanrail.com or DB's UK office on 08718 80 80 66, but they can only access full-price international tariffs, so the cost will be around €75 including couchette.

• Step 3, Thessaloniki to Athens:  Now take a comfortable air-conditioned InterCity train to Athens.  Trains link Thessaloniki with Larissa and Athens every couple of hours, journey time around 5½ hours.  You should make one around 12:04 arriving Athens around 17:24.  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 from just €9 online in advance at www.trainose.gr, with print-at-home tickets see the step-by-step advice on using trainose.gr here

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Budapest to Istanbul & Turkey for €65...

Option 1, via Bucharest.  This route used to take two nights, but now requires an extra night in a hotel in Bucharest as the connection between trains in Bucharest is now too tight for a reliable same-day connection.  But it's a scenic route, with comfortable sleeping-cars as well as couchettes on both overnight trains.

• Step 1, take the comfortable EuroNight sleeper Ister leaving Budapest Keleti around 19:10 and arriving Bucharest Nord around 12:00 next day.  Fares from €39 with couchette or from €59 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper if you pre-book at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.  There's a dining-car for dinner and breakfast, and superb scenery as the train climbs through the Carpathian mountains between Brasov and Bucharest.

• Spend a day and night in Bucharest.  It's theoretically possible to make a same-day connection in Bucharest, but over the last few years the connection between these two trains has got shorter and shorter, and is now just half an hour.  Not enough - you may well miss this connection if you try it.  I therefore recommend a day and night in Bucharest, although this means a 3-night trip not 2.

• Step 2, travel by train from Bucharest to Istanbul, leaving Bucharest Nord at 12:45 and arriving Istanbul Halkali station at 07:00 next morning.  This journey is explained in detail with pictures on the London to Turkey page, just ignore the London to Budapest part.  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.  Couchettes (4 & 6-berth) and a sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments) are available between Dimitrovgrad (depart 00:16) and Istanbul, and should be available between Bucharest & Istanbul as a direct train from 2 June to 30 September 2017.

  Halkali is a suburban station 25km west of Istanbul, you simply use a taxi or regular local bus BN1 from Halkali to downtown Istanbul, allowing at least an hour for this.  Take Turkish lira with you to pay for the bus or taxi as there is no ATM at or near Halkali station.  The bus is dirt cheap, but a taxi will cost around 60 YTL (€16).  The train is using Halkali as they are still working on reconstruction of the line into Istanbul.

• You cannot book the Bucharest to Istanbul train online, so either buy a ticket when you reach Bucharest (cheapest option, places always available) or book by phone.

Option 2, via Belgrade & Sofia.  This route takes 2 nights, includes a day to explore Sofia and is very cheap.

• Step 1, travel from Budapest to Belgrade either using the overnight train for €15 + €9 couchette as shown above, or using one of the two comfortable daytime trains for just €15 and staying the night in Belgrade, perhaps at the excellent & historic Hotel Moskva just 10 minutes walk from the station at the end of Belgrade's main street.

• Step 2, take the daytime train from Belgrade to Sofia, leaving Belgrade station at 09:25 and arriving Sofia Central Station at 20:10.  Buy this ticket at the station for around €21, there are always places available, even on the day.  It cannot be booked online, and there's no need.  2nd class seats only.  There's no catering car so bring your own picnic and wine or beer.  Important:  Check here for updates about this train.

• Step 3, take the overnight train from Sofia to Istanbul, leaving Sofia Central Station at 21:00 and arriving Istanbul Halkali at 07:00 next morning.  Fare €20 plus €9 couchette supplement or €26 supplement for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper, bought at the international ticket windows at Sofia station.  There are always places available.  Please read the Important update box on the London to Turkey page.

  You'll notice that it's a tight connection in Sofia which may be broken if there's a delay, so factoring in a 24-hour stopover in Sofia might be a good idea.

  Halkali is 25km west of Istanbul, you simply use a taxi or regular local bus BN1 from Halkali to downtown Istanbul.  Take Turkish lira with you to pay for the bus or taxi as there is no ATM at or near Halkali station.  The bus is dirt cheap, but a taxi will cost around 60 YTL (€16).  The train is using Halkali as they are still working on reconstruction of the line into Istanbul.

• The Belgrade-Sofia-Istanbul journey is explained in more detail with photos on the London to Turkey page.

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Budapest to other destinations...

• For journeys to neighbouring countries, try www.mavcsoport.hu.

• Some journeys cannot be booked online, buy at the station.

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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 020 3327 0761, 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.

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Hotels in Budapest & other cities

Other hotel sites worth trying...

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

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

Backpacker hostels...

• www.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.

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