Budapest Keleti station information   Budapest Nyugati station information   Budapest Déli station information

This page explains how to travel by train from Budapest to other cities all over Europe, and how to buy tickets the cheapest way.  Train information is current for 2020.  Suggested hotels in Budapest.

Before you buy your tickets...

Take a moment to read these important tips for buying European train tickets.  They answer all the usual questions, such as "Do I need to book in advance or can I just buy at the station?", "Can I stop off?", "Are there Senior fares?" and that old favourite, "Should I buy an $800 railpass or just go online & buy a €35 point-to-point ticket?".  And most important, click here to understand how far ahead you can buy train tickets.

European train travel FAQ...

Budapest to other destinations in Hungary...

• 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 €79...

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 from Budapest to Zurich by EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre, leaving Budapest Keleti at 20:40 and arriving Zurich HB at 08:20 next morning.  See more information about the EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre.

  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 with washbasin or €129 in a single-bed sleeper with washbasin.

  Book this train at www.trainline.eu (easiest, in €, £ or $, international payment cards no problem) and print your own ticket.

  If you have any problems, you can also book the Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at or the Hungarian Railways site www.mavcsoport.hu with ticket collection in Budapest although it can be more fiddly than trainline.eu, see advice on how to use mavcsoport.hu & how to collect tickets.

  Tip:  If you like, you can check the consist for this train, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using the excellent www.vagonweb.cz.  Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Hungary, click EN and look for Kalman Imre.

• 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 13:38, booked at www.trainline.eu from €29 in 2nd class or €51 in 1st class.

2-berth sleeper. Larger photo.		Step 1, Budapest to Zurich by sleeping-car, seen here at Budapest Keleti.  More information about this train.  Photos courtesy of Matthew Williams.

The sleeper from Budapest, arrived in Zurich...		4-berth couchettes		6-berth couchettes.

Step 2, TGV-Lyria from Zurich to Paris.  There's no check-in, just walk up & get on.		The cafe-bar, serving tea, coffee, beer, wine, hot & cold snacks & microwaved hot dishes.  Larger photo.

2nd class (standard class) with a mix or unidirectional seats & tables for 4.  Seats are 2+2 across car width.  360º photo.		1st class seats, used for standard première and business première.  Seats are arranged 2+1 across the car width. 360º photo.

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

• Step 1, travel from Budapest to Munich by EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre leaving Budapest Keleti at 20:40 and arriving Munich Hbf at 06:10 next morning.  See more information about the sleeper train Kalman Imre.

  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.

  Book this train at www.trainline.eu (easiest) and print your own ticket.

  If you have any problems, you can also book the Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at or the Hungarian Railways site www.mavcsoport.hu with ticket collection in Budapest although it can be more fiddly than trainline.eu, see advice on how to use mavcsoport.hu & how to collect tickets.

  Tip:  If you like, you can check the consist for this train, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using the excellent www.vagonweb.cz.  Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Hungary, click EN and look for Kalman Imre.

• Step 2, now travel from Munich to Paris by ICE train & double-deck high-speed TGV Duplex, leaving Munich Hbf at 07:28 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 14:05 with one easy change at Stuttgart, 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 with a tight connection in Stuttgart, but I recommend using the Adjust transfer time feature to get an earlier departure from Munich for a more robust connection.  There's a direct TGV to Paris leaving Munich at 06:46 (06:23 on Sundays), but I'd ignore it as it's too tight to be a robust connection.  You print your own ticket for this part of the journey.

Step 1, Budapest to Munich on the Kalman Imre. More information about this sleeper train.		2-bed sleeper. Larger photo

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

Step 2, by 200mph double-deck TGV Duplex to Paris.  This is a TGV Duplex at Paris Gare de l'Est.

Cafe-bar on upper deck in car 4 (or 14), serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks & microwave-style hot dishes.		2nd class seats on upper deck.  There's a mix or tables for 4 and unidirectional seating.  360º photo.

1st class seats on upper deck, a 'club duo' on the left, a 'club quatre' on the right.  360º photo.		A TGV Duplex in Paris.  The red near the door indicates 1st class, pale green indicates 2nd class.

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 by smart Austrian railjet train, for example the 15:40 from Budapest Keleti arriving Munich Hbf 22:31, but they run every 2 hours so by all means take an earlier one to spend a pleasant evening in Munich.  Railjet trains have a bistro-restaurant, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the railjet information page.

  Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class booked online at www.bahn.de with tickets sent to any address worldwide for a small fee.  You can also book at Hungarian Railways www.mavcsoport.hu with tickets collected from the yellow self-service machines in Budapest. 

• 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.  For dinner in Munich I suggest the Augustinerkeller, www.augustinerkeller.de a few minutes walk from the station.

• Day 2, travel from Munich to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Munich Hbf at 06:46 (06:23 on Sundays) arriving Paris Est at 12:33 (12:05 on Sundays) - but by all means 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.

  Fares from €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class booked online at www.bahn.de with print-at-home tickets.  A direct 200 mph TGV Duplex The TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar & power sockets at all seats, book an upper deck seat for the best views (= any seat number >60).

Option 4, by railjet from Budapest to Zurich via the scenic 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 Zurich HB 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.  There are power sockets at all seats and free WiFi, see more pictures & information about railjet trains.

  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 (see the Arlberg Railway page & 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!).

  Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.

  Buy a ticket at the Hungarian railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.

  Note that you can't book business class using www.mavcsoport.hu, although you could buy a cheap 1st class ticket then buy the business class upgrade separately at the station, or make a reservation-only booking from Budapest to Feldkirch at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at by fin ding and selecting the train, then clicking More services and Ticket already exists.  There is only a tiny chance someone will be reserved in your seat for the last 90 minutes from Feldkirch!

  If you have any problems getting mavcsoport.hu to sell a Budapest-Zurich ticket for this train, the workaround is to use the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at to first book Budapest-Feldkirch and then book Feldkirch-Zurich on the same train (RJ162).  You can then print your own ticket for both segments and can also book business class, although of course this means you're paying the €15 business class upgrade twice!

  If you have a first or business 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.

• Stay overnight in Zurich.  Search Zurich hotels at Booking.com.  For something special, look no further than the superb Hotel Schweizerhof, located right next to Zurich HB.  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 HB arrives Paris Gare de Lyon at 11:38 or the 09:34 from Zurich HB arrives Paris Gare de Lyon at 13:38.

  Fares start at €29 in 2nd class (standard) or €51 in 1st class (standard première).  Fares work like air fares, cheap if booked 2-3 months ahead, much more expensive bought on the day.

  Buy a ticket for this train at either Raileurope.co.uk (in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or www.trainline.eu (in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or www.tgv-lyria.com (in €, no booking fee) and you'll get a print-your-own or show-on-smartphone ticket.

A railjet train pauses at Vienna...

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

A railjet arrived at the impressive modern Vienna Hbf spot on time.  More photos & information about railjet trains		Economy class on railjet, in open saloons with large windows.  Some seats around tables, most unidirectional.

The mountains of Austria...

In the Arlberg pass itself, the railway hugs the valley side, past fir forests and meadows...		In railjet first & business class, the stewardess takes your order & serves lunch at your seat...

The railjet clips a corner of Liechtenstein, passing non-stop through the little station of Schaan-Vaduz.  Once in Switzerland, the railjet runs alongside the Zürichsee, then along the Walensee...

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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, travel from Budapest to Vienna by swish modern railjet train leaving Budapest Keleti at 15:40 arriving  Vienna Hbf 18:21.  Trains leave every hour or two, by all means book an earlier one and have dinner in Vienna.

  Fares start at €13 booked at www.mavcsoport.hu or from €19 booked at www.trainline.eu or www.oebb.at, buy from whichever is cheaper.  You print your own ticket at trainline.eu or 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 leaving Vienna Hbf every day at 19:23 and arriving Milan Porta Garibaldi at 08:10.

  Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €69.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €89.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €139.90 in a single-bed sleeper, deluxe sleepers with shower & toilet are also available.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. 

  Book this train at either www.trainline.eu (easiest) or Austrian Railways' own website www.oebb.at and print your own ticket.

  Transfer from Milan Porta Garibaldi to Milan Centrale by taxi (€6, 10 minutes) or walk (25 minutes) or local train.

• Step 3, travel from Milan to the South of France by comfortable Thello train from just €15, leaving Milan Centrale at 11:10 and arriving Monte Carlo at 15:37, Nice Ville at 15:53, Antibes 16:13, Cannes 16:26 & Marseille St Charles at 18:31.  It's a lovely scenic ride along the Italian Riviera between Genoa and Nice.

  Buy tickets for this train at Raileurope.co.uk (in €, £ or $, easy to use, a small booking fee applies) or www.trenitalia.com (more fiddly, requires Italian place names, but no fee).  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!

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

• Take a railjet train from Budapest Keleti to Vienna Hbf from €19 booked at www.trainline.eu or www.oebb.at.  You print your own ticket.  Allow plenty of time in Vienna.

• The Moscow-Nice express enables you to leave Vienna Hbf every Friday around 22:44 arriving Nice 18:30 next day.  Clean and modern 2 & 4 berth sleepers with washbasin, shower at the end of the corridor, 1 & 2 bed deluxe sleepers with toilet and shower, restaurant  car, it's identical to the excellent Paris-Moscow train shown here.  Book online at Russian Railways www.rzd.ru.

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Budapest to Brussels & Bruges from €56...

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

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

  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, see more information about the EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre.

  Book this train at www.trainline.eu (easiest) and print your own ticket.

  If you have any problems, you can also book the Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at or the Hungarian Railways site www.mavcsoport.hu with ticket collection in Budapest although it can be more fiddly than trainline.eu, see advice on how to use mavcsoport.hu & how to collect tickets.

  Tip:  If you like, you can check the consist for this train, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using the excellent www.vagonweb.cz.  Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Hungary, click EN and look for Kalman Imre.

• Step 2, now travel from Munich to Brussels on luxurious ICE trains, leaving Munich Hbf at 06:48, changing at Frankfurt Flughafen, arriving Brussels Midi at 13:35.  Change in Brussels for half-hourly trains to Bruges.  ICEs have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.

  Book this at www.bahn.de and print out your ticket or load it into the DB Navigator app to show on your smartphone.

Budapest to Munich on the Kalman Imre.  More information about this sleeper train.		2-bed sleeper. Larger photo

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

Munich to Frankfurt & Brussels by ICE...		ICE3 2nd class seats.  Larger photo.

ICE3 1st class, with leather seats.  Larger photo.		ICE3 bistro car.  See sample menu.

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 Hbf at 18:21.  The railjet has a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Book this online from €13 in 2nd class or €29 in 1st class at Hungarian Railways www.mavcsoport.hu.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.

• Step 2, travel from Vienna to Cologne by excellent Austrian Nightjet sleeper train leaving Vienna Hbf at 20:38 and arriving at Cologne Hbf at 08:15 next morning.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment, see the Nightjet information page.

  Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €69.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €89.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €139.90 in a single-bed sleeper.  Deluxe sleepers with en suite shower & toilet are also available.

  Book this sleeper train at www.trainline.eu or www.oebb.at.  You print your own ticket.

• Step 3, travel from Cologne to Brussels by high-speed ICE3 train leaving Cologne Hbf at 09:43 and arriving Brussels Midi at 11:35.  The ICE has a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Book this at www.bahn.de, fares from €19.90 in 2nd class or €49.90 in 1st class.  You can book through to Bruges or anywhere in Belgium at www.bahn.de as one transaction for one inclusive price.

• NEW!  From 19 January 2020, the Vienna-Cologne Nightjet sleeper train will be extended to Brussels twice a week, with no need to change in Cologne.  It will leave Vienna Hbf at 20:38 on Wednesdays & Sundays and arrive Brussels Midi at 10:55 the following morning.  It's hoped this will increase to daily from the timetable change in December 2020.  Note that it won't be extended to Brussels from 2 July to 29 August.

Step 1, Budapest to Vienna by railjet, seen here on platform 9 at Budapest's historic Keleti station.  More information about railjets.

Economy (2nd) class...  Larger photo.		First class...  Larger photo.

2-berth regular sleeper with washstand.  Larger photo.		The toilet & shower in a deluxe sleeper...		Step 2, Vienna to Cologne by comfortable Nightjet sleeper train.  More information about Nightjet trains...

Austrian couchette car or liegewagen.  Couchettes are the economical option, flat bunks with rug & pillow.		6-berth couchettes, the cheapest option...		4-berth couchettes, ideal for families.  Larger photo.

Step 3, Cologne to Brussels by ICE.  More info about ICE3.		ICE3 2nd class seats.  Larger photo.

ICE3 1st class, with leather seats.  Larger photo.		ICE3 bistro car.  See sample menu.

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 Hbf at 22:42.

  The railjet has a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  By all means take an earlier train, they run every couple of hours.

  Book this train at the German Railways website www.bahn.de with fares from €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class.  Tickets are sent to any address worldwide for a small fee.  You can also book at Hungarian Railways www.mavcsoport.hu with tickets collected from the yellow machines in Budapest.

• Stay overnight in Munich.  The Sofitel Munich Beyerpost, Eden Hotel Wolff, InterCity Hotel or (budget) the Pension Locarno are all right next to the station with good or great reviews.

• Step 2, travel from Munich to Brussels on comfortable ICE trains, for example leaving Munich Hbf at 06:48, changing at Frankfurt Flughafen, arriving Brussels Midi at 13:35 - but by all means have a leisurely breakfast and take a later train.  ICE trains also have bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.  Book this at www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.  There are lots of options to choose from.

Option 4, by sleeper to Prague then day trains to Brussels - the cheapest option from €64!

• OK, so this isn't the fastest option.  But an amazing €29 fare between Prague & Brussels from Czech Railways plus a €35 fare from Budapest to Prague including a bed for the night makes it the cheapest!  The trains are just as good quality as other routes, too, see the photos here.

• Step 1, take the sleeper train Metropol from Budapest to Prague, leaving Budapest Keleti at 19:25 and arriving Prague Hlavni at 08:13 next morning.  This train has a modern air-conditioned sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed sleepers with washbasin also several deluxe compartments with en suite toilet & shower, and a couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments.  Morning tea or coffee is included in the fare in the sleepers.  Have a full breakfast in Prague.

  Book this train from €35 with couchette, €46 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €71 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself at Czech Railways www.cd.cz & print your own ticket.  Or book at Hungarian Railways www.mavcsoport.hu with ticket collection from the yellow ticket machines.

  Alternatively, you could take any daytime train you like from Budapest Nyugati to Prague Hlavni from €20, see the timetable here.  Then stay overnight in Prague:  Hotels with good reviews next to the station include the Esplanade Hotel (a good choice, I've stayed there myself), Falkensteiner Hotel Maria, Chopin Hotel.  Budapest to Brussels from just €41...

• Step 2, travel from Prague to Brussels by train.  You don't get much control over the trains or route, it involves 3 changes and takes a day, but it's true.  You can go from central Prague to central Brussels in comfort by train for as little as €29.  For example:

  Prague Hlavni depart 10:43, change Cheb, Nuremberg & Frankfurt (Main) Hbf arriving Brussels Midi at 21:35.

  Simply use the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz to book from Prague to Brussel, but (and this is the important bit) you must click More options then click Travel via and put Cheb in the via box.  You'll see fares from as little as €29 (about 757 Czech Koruna) via a route with 3 changes at Cheb, Nuremberg & Frankfurt.  Or treat yourself to first class from €43, about 1096 Koruna.  You print your own ticket.

  There's nothing cut-rate about the trains:  You travel on a swish air-conditioned regional train from Prague to Cheb and from Cheb to Nuremberg, then by top-quality high-speed ICE train from Nuremberg to Frankfurt and Frankfurt to Brussels, complete with bistro-restaurant cars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the photos here.

Budapest to Prague by sleeping-car.  This is the Prague-Budapest sleeper at Prague.

Standard sleeper set up as a 2-berth, with blind down & washstand open.  Each room can be used with 1, 2 or 3 beds.  Enlarge photo.		The same sleeper with berths folded away & seats folded out, washstand closed.  Very similar to a deluxe, but without the shower & toilet.		Deluxe sleepers are similar to standard ones, but with a bit more floorspace & compact shower & toilet instead of washstand.		Just like a hotel, the corridor in a Comfortline sleeping-car.  There's a shower at end of the corridor for standard sleeper passengers.

Scenery between Nuremberg & Cheb.  Courtesy of Arnaud Loneux.		Hills & forest between Cheb & Prague.  Courtesy of Arnaud Loneux.

Easy & relaxed interchange at Cheb...  The blue train on the left is the Czech train to & from Prague, the red train on the right is the German regional train to & from Nuremberg.

ICE3 from Frankfurt to Brussels, at Brussels Midi.		ICE3 2nd class seats.  Larger photo.

ICE3 1st class, with leather seats.  Larger photo.		ICE3 bistro.  See sample menu.

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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 Hbf at 18:21.

  The railjet train has a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book this online from €13 in 2nd class or €29 in 1st class at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.  Have dinner in Vienna.

• Step 2, travel from Vienna to Cologne by Nightjet sleeper train leaving Vienna Hbf at 20:38 arriving Cologne Hbf at 08:15 next morning.

  Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper.  Deluxe sleepers with en suite shower & toilet are also available.  The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast served in your compartment, see the Nightjet information page.

  Book this sleeper train at www.trainline.eu or www.oebb.at and print your own ticket.

• Step 3, now travel from Cologne to Amsterdam by high-speed ICE3 train leaving Cologne Hbf at 08:41 and arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 11:28.  The ICE has a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book this at www.bahn.de, fares from €19.90 in 2nd class or €49.90 in 1st class.  You can book through to anywhere in the Netherlands.  See suggested hotels in Amsterdam.

Step 1, Budapest to Vienna by railjet, seen here on platform 9 at Budapest's historic Keleti station.  More information about railjets.

Economy (2nd) class...  Larger photo.		First class...  Larger photo.

2-berth regular sleeper with washstand.  Larger photo.		The toilet & shower in a deluxe sleeper...		Step 2, Vienna to Cologne overnight by Nightjet sleeper train.  More information about Nightjet trains...

Nightjet couchette car or liegewagen.  Couchettes are the economical option, flat bunks with rug & pillow.		6-berth couchettes, the cheapest option...		4-berth couchettes, ideal for families.  Larger photo.

Step 3, Cologne to Amsterdam by ICE.  More info about ICE3.		ICE3 2nd class seats.  Larger photo.

ICE3 1st class, with leather seats.  Larger photo.		ICE3 bistro car.  See sample menu.

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

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

  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, see more information about the EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre.

  Book this train at www.trainline.eu (easiest) and print your own ticket.

  If you have any problems, you can also book the Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at or the Hungarian Railways site www.mavcsoport.hu with ticket collection in Budapest although it can be more fiddly than trainline.eu, see advice on how to use mavcsoport.hu & how to collect tickets.

  Tip:  If you like, you can check the consist for this train, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using the excellent www.vagonweb.cz.  Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Hungary, click EN and look for Kalman Imre.

• Step 2, now travel from Munich to Amsterdam on luxurious ICE trains, for example, leaving Munich Hbf at 07:52, changing at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 15:28.  There are various options to choose from, look for options with 1 change.  ICE trains have a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class

  Book this at www.bahn.de.  You print your own ticket or can load it into the DB Navigator app to show on your smartphone.  See suggested hotels in Amsterdam.

1.  Budapest to Munich by sleeper, see more information about this sleeper train.		2-bed sleeper. Larger photo

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

2.  Munich to Amsterdam by ICE...		ICE3 2nd class seats.  Larger photo.

ICE3 1st class, with leather seats.  Larger photo.		ICE3 bistro car.  See sample menu.

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 Hbf around 22:42.  The railjet train has a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  By all means take an earlier train, they run every 2 hours.

  Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.

  Book this train at www.bahn.de.  Tickets are sent to any address worldwide for a small fee.

• Stay overnight in Munich.  Hotels next to the station with good or great reviews include the Sofitel Munich Beyerpost, Eden Hotel Wolff, InterCity Hotel or (if you're on a budget) the Pension Locarno.

• Day 2, travel from Munich to Amsterdam on luxurious ICE trains, for example leaving Munich Hbf at 07:52, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 15:28.  By all means take a later train such as the 09:28 from Munich, change at Cologne Hbf, arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 17:28.  All ICE trains have a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.

  Book this journey at www.bahn.de.  You print your own ticket or can load it into the DB Navigator app to show on your smartphone.

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Budapest to Zurich & Switzerland from €39...

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

• The EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre leaves Budapest Keleti at 20:40 every night, arriving Zurich HB at 08:20 next morning.

  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, see more information about the sleeper train Kalman Imre.

  Book this train at www.trainline.eu (easiest, in €, £ or $, international payment cards no problem) and print your own ticket.

  If you have any problems, you can also book the Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at or the Hungarian Railways site www.mavcsoport.hu with ticket collection in Budapest, see advice on how to use mavcsoport.hu & how to collect tickets.

  Tip:  If you like, you can check the consist for this train, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using the excellent www.vagonweb.cz.  Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Hungary, click EN & look for Kalman Imre.

• 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.

2-berth sleeper. Larger photo.		The sleeping-car to Zurich, at Budapest Keleti. see more information about this sleeper train.  Photos courtesy of Matthew Williams.

The sleeper from Budapest, arrived in Zurich...		4-berth couchettes		6-berth couchettes.

Option 2, by daytime 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.  There are power sockets at all seats & free WiFi in all classes.

• Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.

• Buy tickets at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.

  Note that you can't book business class using www.mavcsoport.hu, although you could buy a cheap 1st class ticket then buy the business class upgrade separately at the station, or make a reservation-only booking at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at as explained in step 3 below.

• You can also buy tickets at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at as follows, which usually works out a bit more expensive but gives you more control over seating if you choose to reserve seats, it allows you to book luxurious business class seats and it's also useful if you have any trouble booking this train at the Hungarian Railways site.  Do not try booking Budapest to Zurich all in one go, as you'll only see silly full-flex fares of over €140.  Split the booking like this:

  Step 1, first use the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at to book the 06:40 from Budapest to Vienna (train RJ162) with fares from €19 in 2nd class or from €29 in 1st class 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.

  Do not add any optional seat reservation or pay for a business class upgrade when buying these tickets because then you'd pay the €3 seat fee (or the €15 business class fee) twice and would have to switch seats at Vienna, which would be silly. This is how to add an (optional) seat reservation and/or business class upgrade all the way from Zurich to Budapest:

  Step 3, after buying the tickets, make a seat reservation separately using the Austrian Railways (ÖBB) website www.oebb.at.  You set up an enquiry from Budapest to Zurich, instead of clicking the red Single tickets and Day tickets button, you click the grey Seat only (no ticket) button.  In the search results, locate and select the 06:40 direct train.  You can now buy a stand-alone €3 seat reservation from Budapest all the way to Zurich, or, if you bought 1st class tickets, a stand-alone €15 upgrade to business class.  Easy when you know how...

  Tip:  You can book through to any station in Switzerland, the ticket will then include an onwards Swiss train to Geneva, Basel, Interlaken, Zermatt, or wherever, at inclusive prices significantly cheaper than buying a separate Swiss domestic ticket for an onward journey from Zurich, as these are expensive.

• If you prefer a later departure from Budapest, you can take the 09:40 railjet train to Vienna and change there onto the 15:56 railjet train from Vienna Hbf to Zurich HB arriving at 21:20.  This is booked at www.oebb.at in exactly the same way, by splitting the booking in Vienna.

A railjet on platform 9 at Budapest's historic Keleti station.  More information about railjets.

Economy (2nd) class...  Larger photo.		First class...  Larger photo.

The mountains of Austria...

In the Arlberg pass itself, the railway hugs the valley side, past fir forests and meadows...		In railjet first & business class, the stewardess takes your order & serves lunch at your seat...

The railjet clips a corner of Liechtenstein, passing non-stop through the little station of Schaan-Vaduz.  Once in Switzerland, the railjet runs alongside the Zürichsee, then along the Walensee...

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

Option 1:  By railjet train to Vienna & Nightjet sleeper train to Italy - the most time-effective option...

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, take the 15:40 railjet train from Budapest Keleti arriving Vienna Hbf 18:21.

  If you're going to Venice, take the 17:40 railjet train from Budapest Keleti arriving Vienna Hbf at 20:21.

  Fares start at €13 in 2nd class or €29 in 1st class.  Why not book an earlier train and have dinner in Vienna, or spend an afternoon there?

  Book your train from Budapest to Vienna at either the Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at with print-your-own tickets or the Hungarian railways website www.mavcsoport.hu with tickets collected in Budapest.  Booking opens 60 days ahead.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets. 

• Step 2, now travel from Vienna to Italy overnight while you sleep aboard an excellent Austrian Nightjet sleeper train.

  A Nightjet leaves Vienna Hbf at 19:23 arriving Bologna Centrale 05:20, Florence SMN 06:19 & Rome Termini 09:22 with a portion for Milan Porta Garibaldi arriving 08:10.

  Another Nightjet leaves Vienna Hbf at 21:27 arriving Venice Santa Lucia in central Venice at 08:34.

  Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €69.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €89.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €139.90 in a single-bed sleeper.  Deluxe sleepers with en suite shower & toilet are also available.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment, see the Nightjet information page.

  Book these Nightjet trains at either www.trainline.eu (easiest) or the Austrian railways website www.oebb.at.  You print your own ticket.

  Tip:  If you like, you can check the consist for these trains, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using the excellent www.vagonweb.cz.  Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Austria & click nj.

• Step 3, onward trains from Rome to Naples, Rome to Sicily or Milan to Genoa (for example) can be booked separately at either www.trainline.eu (easy to use, recognisees English place-names) or www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, the small booking fee will be refunded if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR) or Italian Railways own website www.trenitalia.com (more fiddly to use, requires Italian language place names, 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.

Step 1, Budapest to Vienna by railjet, seen here on platform 9 at Budapest's historic Keleti station.  More information about railjets.

Economy (2nd) class...  Larger photo.		First class...  Larger photo.

Step 2, take the nightjet sleeper train from Vienna to Italy.  This is the Vienna-Venice nightjet, arrived at Venice Santa Lucia.  See more nightjet information, photos & video.

2-berth deluxe sleeper.  360° photo.		...en suite toilet & shower.		4-berth couchettes.  360° photo.

Sunrise as the Munich-Venice Nightjet crosses the causeway over the lagoon into Venice.  Courtesy of Andreas Wiedenhoff.

Option 2, Budapest to Venice in a single day from €42 - comfy & scenic...

• Step 1, travel from Budapest to Vienna by smart modern railjet train leaving Budapest Keleti at 07:40 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 10:21.  The excellent air-conditioned railjet train has a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Fares start at just €13 in 2nd class, €29 in 1st class or €44 in business class (= premium 1st class).

  Book this train at either www.trainline.eu (easiest to use, you print your own ticket) or Hungarian Railways www.mavcsoport.hu (more fiddly but can sometimes be a bit cheaper, see my tips for using it and how to collect tickets from the self-service ticket machines.

  If you have a 1st class ticket you can use the ÖBB first class lounge at Vienna Hbf between trains, with complimentary tea, coffee & soft drinks.

• Step 2, travel from Vienna to Venice by modern Austrian railjet train leaving Vienna Hbf at 12:25 and arriving Venice Santa Lucia right on the banks of the Grand Canal in central Venice at 20:05.  See the Vienna to Venice by train page for more information, tips, photos & video.

  The air-conditioned railjet train has a bistro-restaurant, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  It takes the beautifully scenic UNESCO-listed Semmering route from Vienna to Graz, a real treat - see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semmering_railway.  Treat yourself to lunch with wine as the mountains glide by...

  Fares start at just €29 in 2nd class, €44 in 1st class or €59 in business class (= premium 1st class, a real treat). 

  Book this train at either www.trainline.eu (easiest to use, you print your own ticket) or if you have any problems, Austrian Railways' own website www.oebb.at, also with print-your-own ticketing.

The afternoon railjet to Venice, about to leave Vienna Hbf.  More photos & info about Vienna-Venice railjets.

A railjet boarding at the impressive modern Vienna Hbf.		Economy class on railjet...

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

The railjet travels over the famous Semmering Railway, opened in 1854 and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  See the Vienna to Venice by train page for more information, photos & video.

Option 3, by daytime trains with overnight stop - same as option 2, but an overnight stop breaks up the journey nicely...

• Day 1, travel from Budapest to Vienna in 2h41 by smart Austrian railjet train.  Trains run every hour or two through the day, for example you can leave Budapest Keleti at 17:40 arriving at Vienna Hbf at 20:21, but by all means take an earlier train for an afternoon in Vienna.  Railjet trains have a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Fares start at just €13 in 2nd class, €29 in 1st class or €44 in business class.

  Buy tickets at either www.trainline.eu (easiest to use, you print your own ticket) or the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu (more fiddly but can be cheaper, ticket collection in Budapest).

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

• Day 2, travel from Vienna to Venice on the early morning railjet train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 06:25 and arriving at Venice Santa Lucia in central Venice on the banks of the Grand Canal at 14:05.

  It's an early start, but this train takes the wonderfully scenic UNESCO-listed Semmering route through Austria via Graz so sit back and enjoy the ride - see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semmering_railway.  The railjet train has a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  See the Vienna to Venice by train page for more information, tips, photos & video.

  If you'd like a morning in Vienna, a second railjet train leaves Vienna Hbf at 12:25 arriving Venice Santa Lucia at 20:05.

  Fares start at just €29 in 2nd class, €44 in 1st class or €59 in business class (= premium 1st class a real treat).  Buy tickets at www.trainline.eu (easiest to use, you print your own ticket) or Austrian Railways' own website www.oebb.at, also with print-your-own tickets.

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Budapest to Barcelona & Spain

Option 1, by daytime railjet train through the scenic Arlberg Pass, hotel in Zurich, then TGV...

• Step 1, a direct railjet train links Budapest with Zurich, leaving Budapest Keleti at 06:40, arriving Zurich HB at 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.

  Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.

  Buy a ticket at the Hungarian railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.

  Note that you can't book business class using www.mavcsoport.hu, although you could buy a cheap 1st class ticket then buy the business class upgrade separately at the station, or make a reservation-only booking from Budapest to Feldkirch at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at by fin ding and selecting the train, then clicking More services and Ticket already exists.  There is only a tiny chance someone will be reserved in your seat for the last 90 minutes from Feldkirch!

  If you have any problems getting mavcsoport.hu to sell a Budapest-Zurich ticket for this train, the workaround is to use the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at to first book Budapest-Feldkirch and then book Feldkirch-Zurich on the same train (RJ162).  You can then print your own ticket for both segments and can also book business class, although of course this means you're paying the €15 business class upgrade twice!

• Stay overnight in Zurich or Geneva.  In Geneva, hotels with good reviews near the station include Hotel Cornavin Geneve, Hotel Les Arcades, ibis Styles Geneva Gare.

• Step 2, if staying in Zurich, take an early morning Swiss domestic train from Zurich HB to Geneva, for times, prices & tickets see www.sbb.ch.

• Step 3, travel from Geneva to Barcelona by train.  You'll usually find a TER regional train leaving Geneva at 11:30, change trains at Lyon Part Dieu (arrive 13:25, depart 14:28) onto a direct AVE-S100 high-speed train arriving Barcelona Sants at 19:33.

  Fares start at around €69 in 2nd class.

  Book from Geneva to Barcelona at Raileurope.co.uk or www.trainline.eu (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or en.oui.sncf (in €, a bit more fiddly, but no booking fee).  You print your own 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.

• Step 4, take a high-speed train from Barcelona Sants to any Spanish destination next morning, check times & book at Raileurope.co.uk.

  For Madrid:  AVE-S103 high-speed trains link Barcelona Sants with Madrid Atocha every hour or two in as little as 2h30 from €35.

  For Cordoba, Seville & Malaga:  An AVE-S112 high-speed train leaves Barcelona Sants at 08:30 arriving Cordoba 13:12 & Seville Santa Justa at 14:02 with a separate portion going to Malaga Maria Zambrano arriving at 14:30.

  Alternatively, or why not spend a morning in Barcelona and take the afternoon 15:50 AVE S112 high-speed train to Cordoba, Seville & Malaga arriving in the evening?  Fares for all these trains start at €45. 

  For Granada:  A direct AVE S112 high-speed train leaves Barcelona Sants at 06:50 arriving Granada at 13:15.

  For Valencia & Alicante:  EuroMed trains link Barcelona with Valencia & Alicante regularly through the day, for example one leaves Barcelona Sants at 08:15 Mondays-Fridays arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 10:55 & Alicante 12:45 or at 10:15 every day arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 12:55 & Alicante 14:48.  Fares from €23.

Mt Canigou & the Pyrenees...  One of the highest peaks in the mighty Pyrenees, the 2,784m (9,137 feet) high Mt Canigou dominates the skyline on the right of the train all the way from Perpignan to Girona, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canigou.  More photos of what to see on the Paris-Barcelona train journey.

Option 2, sleeper to Zurich, train to Marseille & overnight stop, morning train to Barcelona - a pleasant option...

• Day 1, take the EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre leaving Budapest Keleti at 20:40 and arriving Zurich HB at 08:20 next morning.  See more information about the sleeper train Kalman Imre.

  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 www.trainline.eu (easiest) or at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu (see tips for using it & how to collect your tickets.  You can also book it at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at.

• Day 2, travel by high-speed TGV leaving Zurich HB 13:34 changing at Dijon and arriving Marseille St Charles 19:37, with fares from around €60.  Times vary, check for your date online.

  Book this journey at either Raileurope.co.uk or www.trainline.eu (both sites easy to use, in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or en.oui.sncf (in €, a bit more fiddly but no booking fee).

• Stay overnight in Marseille.  Inexpensive hotels with good reviews just outside Marseille St Charles station include the Ibis Marseille Centre Gare St Charles, Holiday Inn Express Marseille St Charles.

• Day 3, travel from Marseille to Barcelona & Madrid by direct AVE-S100 high-speed train, leaving Marseille St Charles at 08:02 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 12:34 and Madrid Atocha at 15:41, with fares from €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.

  Book this train at either Raileurope.co.uk or www.trainline.eu (both sites easy to use, in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or en.oui.sncf (in €, a bit more fiddly but no booking fee). 

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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 EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre leaving Budapest Keleti at 20:40 and arriving Zurich HB at 08:20 next morning.

  Fares start at €49 with a couchette or from €89 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper.  See more information about the sleeper train Kalman Imre.

  This train can be booked online at www.trainline.eu (easiest) or at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu (more fiddly, see tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets).  You can also book it at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at.

• Day 2, travel by high-speed TGV leaving Zurich HB 13:34 changing at Dijon and arriving Marseille St Charles 19:37, with fares from around €60.  Times vary, check for your date online.

  Book this journey at either Raileurope.co.uk or www.trainline.eu (both sites easy to use, in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or en.oui.sncf (in €, a bit more fiddly but no booking fee).

• Stay overnight in Marseille.  Inexpensive hotels with good reviews just outside Marseille St Charles station include the Ibis Marseille Centre Gare St Charles, Holiday Inn Express Marseille St Charles.

• Day 3, travel from Marseille to Madrid by direct AVE-S100 high-speed train, leaving Marseille St Charles at 08:02 and arriving Madrid Atocha at 15:41, with fares from €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.

  Book this train at either Raileurope.co.uk or www.trainline.eu (both sites easy to use, in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or en.oui.sncf (in €, a bit more fiddly but no booking fee).  Transfer from Madrid Atocha to Madrid Chamartin by local train.

• Day 3,  take the Trainhotel Lusitania sleeper train from Madrid to Lisbon overnight, leaving Madrid Chamartin at 21:50 and arriving Lisbon Oriente at 07:20 and Lisbon Santa Apolonia for the city centre at 07:30.

  The Lusitania has cosy shared 4-berth sleepers, 1 & 2 bed private sleepers with washbasin, and Gran Clase 1 & 2 bed sleepers with en suite shower & toilet, plus a cafe-bar serving drinks, snacks and hot meals. 

  Book this train at Raileurope.co.uk (easy to use, prices in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or www.renfe.com (much more fiddly to use, in €, sometimes rejects overseas payment cards, but no booking fee) or www.petrabax.com (easy, prices in $, with 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 the Portuguese Railways website 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 daytime trains with overnight stop in Hamburg...

• Day 1, travel from Budapest to Hamburg by EuroCity train Hungaria leaving Budapest Nyugati at 07:40 arriving Hamburg Hbf 21:15. 

  There's a restaurant car for lunch and great scenery along the Elbe river valley between Prague and Dresden.

  Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.  Book at www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.

• Stay overnight in Hamburg.  The Hotel Reichshoff Hamburg is just 200m from the station, features art deco-based design and gets great reviews.  Other hotels next to Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski.  If you're on a budget, private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf start at around £33 for one person or £49 for two people booked at www.hostelworld.com.

• Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen by Danish IC3 intercity train, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:53 arriving Copenhagen at 13:33.

  Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class.  Book at www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.

• Day 2 if you're going to Stockholm:  Travel from Copenhagen to Stockholm by X2000 train leaving Copenhagen at 14:10 and arriving Stockholm Central at 19:38.  Book from Hamburg to Stockholm at bahn.de as one transaction using this link.

• Day 2 if you're going to Gothenburg or Malmo:  Travel from Copenhagen to Malmo by Oresund train every 30 minutes taking 39 minutes, or from Copenhagen to Gothenburg by Oresund train every hour taking 3h53.  Book Hamburg to Malmo or Gothenburg (= Goteborg Central) at www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.

• Day 2 if you're going to Oslo or Norway:  Travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen from €29.90 booked at www.bahn.de, using the 08:53 train arriving Copenhagen at 13:33.  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 2, by sleeper train to Berlin then day trains to Copenhagen...

• Day 1, travel from Budapest to Berlin by sleeper train Metropol leaving Budapest Keleti at 19:25 and arrives Berlin Hbf at 09:48 next morning.

  The train has an air-conditioned sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, an air-conditioned couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and 2nd class seats.  In the sleepers, a light breakfast is included in the fare.  See the photos in the Budapest to Berlin section.

  Fares start at €39 with a couchette in a 6-berth, €59 with a couchette in a 4-berth, €129 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, €139 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €179 in a single-bed sleeper.  The sleeper fare includes a light breakfast, served in your compartment.

  Book the sleeper online using this special link to trainline.eu (easiest) or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at.  Booking usually opens up to 90 days ahead.  You print your own ticket.

• Day 2, travel from Berlin to Copenhagen leaving Berlin Hbf at 10:38, changing at Hamburg Hbf onto a Danish IC3 intercity train, arriving Copenhagen at 17:33.  If you'd prefer a safer connection with lunch in Berlin, you can also leave Berlin Hbf at 14:38, changing at Hamburg Hbf onto a Danish IC3 intercity train, arriving Copenhagen at 21:33.

  Fares from Berlin to Copenhagen start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.

  Book this at www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.

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

• Day 1, travel from Budapest to Berlin by air-conditioned EuroCity train Hungaria leaving Budapest Nyugati at 07:40 arriving Berlin Hbf at 18:42.

  There's a restaurant car for lunch and great scenery along the Elbe river valley between Prague and Dresden.

  Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.  Book at www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.

• 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 leaving Berlin Hbf at 10:38, changing at Hamburg Hbf onto a Danish IC3 intercity train, arriving Copenhagen at 17:33.

  Fares from Berlin to Copenhagen start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.

  Book at www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.

A Danish IC3 train at Copenhagen station.  IC3s now work all the Hamburg-Copenhagen trains.

A 125 mph X2000 train from Copenhagen to Stockholm....		2nd class seating on the X2000.  All seats have power sockets for laptops & mobiles...		Self-service buffet car on the X2000 to Stockholm. More info on X2000 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.

• Step 1, check for Finnlines ferries from Travemünde or Rostock to Helsinki at www.finnlines.com.

• Step 2, now use www.bahn.de to find connecting trains from Budapest to Travemünde or Rostock.  Allow plenty of time (2-3 hours) 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...

• The excellent EuroNight sleeper train 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 more information, photos & video about the sleeper train Kalman Imre.

• 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.

• Book this train at www.trainline.eu (easiest) and print your own ticket.

  If you have any problems, you can also book the Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at or the Hungarian Railways site www.mavcsoport.hu with ticket collection in Budapest although it can be more fiddly than trainline.eu, see advice on how to use mavcsoport.hu & how to collect tickets.

The Kalman Imre, at Munich. More information about this sleeper train.		2-bed sleeper. Larger photo

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

Option 2, by daytime railjet train...

• Smart modern Austrian railjet trains link Budapest Keleti with Munich Hbf every couple of hours in 6h51 with fares from €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.

• You can easily check times & buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de.  Fares are dynamic, so book ahead for the cheapest prices.

  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.

Railjet first class, with black leather seats...		Business class...		Bistro-restaurant car...

Economy class on railjet, in open saloons with picture windows.  Some seats around tables, most unidirectional.		A railjet about to leave Budapest Keleti.  More photos & information about railjet trains.

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Budapest to Berlin from €39...

Option 1, by EuroCity train Hungaria - the leisurely daytime option...

• A comfortable air-conditioned EuroCity train called the Hungaria leaves Budapest Nyugati at 07:40 arriving Berlin Hbf at 18:42

  The Hungaria uses Hungarian Railways' very latest air-conditioned cars with power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  It has a modern Hungarian waiter-service restaurant car serving inexpensive meals and beer or wine.  Take a good book and enjoy a daytime ride across Europe through 4 countries with beautiful scenery along the Elbe River between Prague & Dresden, see the photos & video here.

  If you like you can check the train formation & see what the carriages are like at www.vagonweb.cz - Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Czechia and click EC then look for the Hungaria.

  If you prefer there are also later departures at 09:40 and 11:40 with one easy change at Prague Hlavni.

• Fares start at just €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.

• How to buy tickets, method 1...

  Buy tickets in either direction at German Railways site www.bahn.de.  Easy to use, but tickets for this train bought at bahn.de can't be printed at home, they are sent by regular post to anywhere worldwide for a small fee.  A seat reservation is optional but a good idea, it can be added to the booking for a small fee.

• How to buy tickets, method 2

  If you need to go at short notice or just avoid any danger of tickets going missing in the post, book at Hungarian Railways www.mavcsoport.hu, tickets are collected from the self-service machines at the station in Budapest.  It's a bit more fiddly than bahn.de, see advice on how to use mavcsoport.hu & how you collect your tickets.

• How to buy tickets, method 3 - get a digital ticket that can be printed out:

  (1)  Use www.bahn.de to book from Breclav (the first stop in the Czech Republic) to Berlin on the same train, EC172 leaving Breclav 11:07.  You'll get a digital ticket which can be printed or loaded into the DB Navigator app to show on your smartphone.  Fares start at €29.90.

  (2)  Now go to Czech Railways www.cd.cz and add a ticket from Budapest to Breclav on the same train, EC172 leaving 07:40.  Fares from €21. You print your own ticket.  Easy!

  (3)  A seat reservation is optional but a good idea.  If you want one, go to www.cd.cz again, book from Budapest to Berlin, but do not click the green price button, look for the link underneath which says I want a reservation only.  This gets you a stand-alone seat reservation.  Job done!

The Berlin-Budapest Hungaria with the latest air-conditioned Hungarian cars.  Photos courtesy of Siddhartha Verma.

2nd class seats on the Hungaria...		Restaurant car on the Hungaria...

Between Prague & Dresden the train runs along the pretty river Elbe, or Labe in Czech.  One of Europe's major rivers, the Elbe eventually flows into the North Sea at Cuxhaven near Hamburg.  Watch for river boats, even the occasional paddle steamer.  See the photos & video of this part of the journey here.

Option 2, by EuroNight sleeper train Metropol - the time-effective overnight option, saves a hotel bill too...

• A comfortable air-conditioned sleeper train called the Metropol leaves Budapest Keleti at 19:25 and arrives Berlin Hbf at 09:48 next morning.

  The train has an air-conditioned sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, an air-conditioned couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and 2nd class seats.  In the sleepers, a light breakfast is included in the fare.

• Fares start at €39 with a couchette in a 6-berth, €59 with a couchette in a 4-berth, €129 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, €139 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €179 in a single-bed sleeper.  The sleeper fare includes a light breakfast, served in your compartment.

• Book online using this special link to trainline.eu (easiest) or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at.  Booking usually opens up to 90 days ahead.  You print your own ticket.

• Although operated by Hungarian Railways (MAV), for this train MAV hire in the sleeping-car & couchette car from the Slovakians, see photos of the sleeping-car here & photos of the couchette car here.  The sleeping-car If you like, you can see the formation of this train at www.vagonweb.cz - Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Hungary, click EN  then select the Metropol.

• A request:  If you get any good photos of this train inside or out in sleepers or couchettes, please let me know!

A 2-bed double sleeper (above left) in the air-conditioned Slovakian sleeping-car on the Metropol from Budapest to Berlin.  Above right, a morning view of the Budapest-Berlin couchette car (nearest the camera) and sleeping-car in the morning light... Each sleeper compartment is fitted with 3 beds so can be sold as a single, double or triple.  Sleeper compartments convert to comfortable private sitting room for evening use.  A light breakfast is included in the fare.  See larger photo.  See more photos of this type of sleeping-car. Photos courtesy Helmut Uttenthaler.

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

• Smart modern railjet trains link Budapest Keleti with Munich Hbf every two hours 07:40 to 15:40 taking around 6h52 from €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 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 Nyugati at 07:40 arriving Hamburg Hbf at 21:15, with fares from €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class, bookable at www.bahn.de.  Or take a Budapest-Vienna railjet train booked as shown above then the Vienna to Hamburg Nightjet sleeper train, booked as shown on the Trains from Vienna page.

• For Hamburg, also consider taking the Budapest to Berlin EuroNight sleeper train as shown in the Budapest-Berlin section above, then a fast train from Berlin to Hamburg in just 1h45 more from €19.90, booked at www.bahn.de.  That's the time-effective option!

Direct Austrian railjet train from Budapest to Munich.  This is a RailJet train at Budapest Keleti...  More photos, video & information about Railjets		Business class costs €15 more than normal 1st class...		Economy class on railjet, comfortable open saloons with large picture windows.  Some seats around tables, some unidirectional.

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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 2h40, leaving every hour or two through the day.  It's easily the best way to travel between these cities.  Fares from €13 in 2nd class, €29 in 1st class or €44 in super-duper business class.

• See the Budapest to Vienna by train page for timetable, fares, how to buy tickets & travel tips.

Austrian railjet trains link Budapest with Vienna every 2 hours.  This is a railjet at Budapest's historic Keleti station...		Business class costs €15 more than regular 1st class...		Economy class on railjet, comfortable open saloons with large picture windows.  Some seats around tables, some unidirectional.

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.  The railjet trains have a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, an excellent option, see the railjet information page.

• You can travel from Budapest to Salzburg for as little as €39.90 in 2nd class or from €59 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 easiest way to buy tickets online is at www.trainline.eu - booking opens up to 180 days ahead, although it may not be possible to add an optional seat reservation if you book more than 90 days ahead.  To treat yourself to railjet business class, simply select 1st class then the €15 Business class upgrade.  Once booked you simply print your own ticket.  Easy!

• You can also buy tickets at Austrian Railways' own website www.oebb.at, a little more fiddly to use and the same price as Trainline, but it may allow specific seat selection from a carriage plan.  It also gives print-your-own tickets and booking also opens up to 180 days ahead.

• You can also buy tickets at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, but only a maximum of 60 days ahead, but it sometimes has cheaper fares available than oebb.at or Trainline for a given date and 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.  Or no fares at all.  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.

  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 for €59 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 Hbf 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 easiest way to buy tickets online is at www.trainline.eu - booking opens up to 180 days ahead, although it may not be possible to add an optional seat reservation if you book more than 90 days ahead.  To treat yourself to railjet business class, simply select 1st class then the €15 Business class upgrade.  Once booked you simply print your own ticket.  Easy!

• You can also buy tickets at Austrian Railways' own website www.oebb.at, a little more fiddly to use and the same price as Trainline, but it may allow specific seat selection from a carriage plan.  It also gives print-your-own tickets and booking also opens up to 180 days ahead.

Budapest to Graz, Hallstatt & 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 at either www.trainline.eu or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.  As a general rule, look for journeys with the fewest changes.

• 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 Nyugati for Prague Hlavni every two hours taking 6h33 city centre to city centre.  A very comfortable and civilised option!

  Note that since December 2017 these trains have started from Budapest Nyugati station, not Keleti.

• 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

• A comfortable sleeper train leaves Budapest Keleti at 19:25 arriving Prague Hlavni at 08:13, with sleeping-car and couchettes.

• The sleeping-car is a modern air-conditioned Comfortline type with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, plus three deluxe 1,2 or 3 bed compartments with en suite toilet & shower.  There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers, and morning tea or coffee is included in the fare. There is a couchette car with 4 & 6 bunk compartments.

• Book at Czech Railways www.cd.cz and print your own ticket.

• For train times, fares, photos, tips & full details of 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.  Larger photo.		The same sleeper with berths folded away & seats folded out, washstand closed.  Very similar to a deluxe, but without the shower & toilet.		Deluxe sleepers are similar to standard ones, but with a bit more floorspace & compact shower & toilet instead of washstand.		Just like a hotel, the corridor in a Comfortline sleeping-car.  There's a shower at end of the corridor for standard sleeper passengers.

Budapest to Český Krumlov...

• Step 1, travel from Budapest to Linz by swish Austrian railjet train with free WiFi and restaurant car.  There are departures at 06:40 then every two hours from 07:40 to 13:40, journey time 4h04.  Book this at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at with advance-purchase Sparschiene fares from €39.90 upwards.  You print your own ticket.

• Step 2, travel from Linz to Ceske Budejovice by comfortable air-conditioned Czech train.  These leave every two hours or so, journey time 2h16.  Book this at Czech Railways www.cd.cz from €7 in advance or €22 on the day.

  Tip:  You can usually choose a train giving you a tight 10-minute connection in Linz or a leisurely 2h10 connection with time for a wander in Linz.  If you want the tight connection, I'd either buy the higher-priced International Ticket fare for around €22 as this is good for any train that day, or buy a €7 First Minute advance-purchase fare but accept that if there's a delay and you miss your specified train you may have to pay €22 for a new ticket.  Or simply buy two €7 First Minute fares, the second one for the later train as a back-up!

  Incidentally, Ceske Budejovice might sound more familiar by its former Germanic name, Budweis. That's right, where the name of the beer comes from! The town is worth a look around in its own right. Why not take an earlier train and have a wander into the old town?

• Step 3, take the little branch line train from Ceske Budejovice to Český Krumlov run by private operator GWTR.  This runs every hour or two taking 44 minutes, you can look up times at jizdnirady.idnes.cz/vlaky/spojeni.  It costs 40 CZK, about €1.55.

  Buy a ticket for this local train on the day, either from the distinctive green & orange GWTR ticket office at Ceske Budejovice station or from the ticket machines on board the GWTR local train which accept cash or contactless Visa/MasterCard.  No reservation necessary or possible.

  You'll find  more information about Český Krumlov, the GWTR local train, taxis between Český Krumlov station and old town, and how to travel from Český Krumlov on to Prague, on the Cesky Krumlov page.

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Budapest to Bratislava from €9...

• Air-conditioned EuroCity trains with restaurant car leave Budapest Nyugati every hour or two for Bratislava Hlavna taking just 2h23.  For train times, fares, photos & travel tips, see the Budapest to Bratislava EuroCity train page.

  Note that since December 2017 these trains start from Budapest Nyugati station, not Keleti.

• 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 €19...

Option 1, by direct sleeper train...

• A safe & comfortable EuroNight sleeper train leaves Budapest Keleti at 19:25 every night, Warsaw Centralna at 09:40.

  It has economical couchettes in 4 & 6 bunk compartments and a comfortable, safe & civilised sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin or 1 & 2 bed deluxe compartments with en suite toilet & shower.  A sleeper is the recommended option, you'll be safe and snug.  The sleeper is of Polish Railways latest air-conditioned type, see the photos below.

• Fares start at €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 book this train 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.

• If booking online at mavcsoport doesn't work - it sometimes says No offer available, either because the cheap fares are sold out or because MAV staff have forgotten to load the necessary data, or because they have decided to sell at full-price which their website doesn't sell - do one of the following:

  Option 1, pick up the phone and book that way, although you'll only get full-flex tickets this way, not cheap advance-purchase fares as those are only sold direct by MAV.  In the UK you can DB (German Railways) UK phone line on 08718 80 80 66.  Alternatively, anyone from any country can order tickets from reliable Polish agency www.polrail.com and pay extra for tickets to be sent to you, although again, this will cost a lot more than buying a cheap advance-purchase ticket from Hungarian Railways direct.  For cheapness, consider option 2 below...

  Option 2, consider catching the 18:40 EuroCity train from Budapest Keleti to Vienna Hbf, then using using the 22:10 Vienna-Warsaw sleeper train instead, see times & fares here.  Or by all means book an earlier train from Budapest and have dinner in Vienna!  You can easily buy a cheap sparschiene fare in a couchette or sleeper from Vienna to Warsaw at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at with ticket collection from an ÖBB ticket machine in Vienna.  Then buy a ticket from Budapest to Vienna at www.mavcsoport.hu or www.oebb.at.  Simples!

Modern Polish sleeping-car of the type used Budapest-Warsaw.  Photo courtesy of WieselFahrer...

Standard sleeper in evening/morning mode with seats folded out.		Standard sleeper set up as a 3-berth.  It can also be sold as a single or double.		Deluxe sleeper, set up as a 2-berth, showing TV & wardrobe.		Deluxe sleeper:  En suite shower & toilet...

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

• A smart air-conditioned EuroCity train called the Varsovia with Polish seating cars and a Hungarian restaurant car leaves Budapest Nyugati at 08:40 and arrives Warsaw Centralna at 19:05.

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

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

Option 1, by daytime train...

• A smart air-conditioned EuroCity train with restaurant car called the Varsovia leaves Budapest Nyugati every day at 08:40 bound for Warsaw, and it conveys a through car from Budapest to Krakow, arriving Krakow Glowny at 18:07.

  The through car is comfortable, modern & air-conditioned with 2nd class seats.  If you insist on going 1st class you will have to switch trains at Bohumin just after 14:00, where the through car is switched between trains.  A Hungarian restaurant car is available Budapest-Bohumin and a Czech bistro car runs Bohumin-Krakow.

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

Option 2, by sleeper train.  Safe, comfortable & time-effective...

• A direct EuroNight sleeper train leaves Budapest Keleti at 19:25 every night, arriving Krakow at 06:22.  It has economical couchettes in 4 & 6 bunk compartments and a comfortable, safe, civilised, carpeted sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin or 1 & 2 bed deluxe compartments with en suite toilet & shower.  A sleeper is the recommended option, you'll be safe and snug.  The sleeper is of Polish Railways latest air-conditioned type, see the photos below.

• You can usually book this train online at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, although it won't book deluxe sleepers so just stick with regular ones.  Booking opens 60 days ahead.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.

• Tip:  If booking online at mavcsoport doesn't work - if it says No offer available, either because the cheap fares are sold out or because MAV staff have forgotten to load the necessary data, or because they have decided to sell at full-price which their website doesn't sell - try one of the following workarounds:

  Option 1, It's reported that the MAV website only sells berths in triple sleepers, not in doubles - and from online checks this seems to be the case.  So if you want to book 2 people in a 2-berth sleeper or 1 person in a single-berth sleeper, simply book 3 people in 3-berth instead, making sure you run the enquiry with 'own compartment' selected.  This gets you sole occupancy of one whole sleeper compartment from €49 x 3 (which is still cheaper than paying full-whack for a double or single) and you can simply fold one or two of the three beds away to convert it into a double or single.  Easy when you know!

  Option 2, pick up the phone and book that way, although you'll only get full-flex tickets this way, not cheap advance-purchase fares as those are only sold direct by MAV.  In the UK you can DB (German Railways) UK phone line on 08718 80 80 66.  Alternatively, anyone from any country can order tickets from reliable Polish agency www.polrail.com and pay extra for tickets to be sent to you, although again, this will cost a lot more than buying a cheap advance-purchase ticket from Hungarian Railways direct.  For cheapness, consider option 3 below...

  Option 3, consider catching the 18:40 EuroCity train from Budapest Keleti to Vienna Hbf, then using using the 22:10 Vienna-Krakow sleeper train instead, see times & fares here - the Vienna-Krakow(-Warsaw) sleeper arrives at Krakow coupled to the Budapest-Krakow(-Warsaw), they are two portions of the same train.  By all means book an earlier train from Budapest and have dinner in Vienna!  You can easily buy a cheap sparschiene fare in a couchette or sleeper from Vienna to Krakow at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at with ticket collection from an ÖBB ticket machine in Vienna.  Then buy a ticket from Budapest to Vienna at www.mavcsoport.hu or www.trainline.eu or www.oebb.at.  Simples!

Modern Polish sleeping-car of the type used Budapest-Krakow-Warsaw.  Photo courtesy of WieselFahrer...

Standard sleeper in evening/morning mode with seats folded out.		Standard sleeper set up as a 3-berth.  It can also be sold as a single or double.		Deluxe sleeper, set up as a 2-berth, showing TV & wardrobe.		Deluxe sleeper:  En suite shower & toilet...

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Budapest to Brasov & Bucharest from €29...

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

• The safe & comfortable sleeper train Ister leaves Budapest Keleti at 19:10 arriving Brasov 09:53 & Bucharest Gara de Nord at 12:30 next day.

• The Ister has a comfortable, safe & civilised sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and a couchette car with 6-berth compartments.

  Take a picnic and bottle of wine as there may not be a bar car until the train gets to Romania.  It's a really scenic journey in the morning, as the train passes through the Carpathian mountains between Brasov & Ploesti, have your camera to hand!

  Tip:  If you like, you can check the consist for this train, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using the excellent www.vagonweb.cz.  Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Hungary, click IC and look for Ister.

• Fares start at €39 with a couchette, €59 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, €86 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper.

• Buy tickets online at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, clicking EN for English top right & using Bucuresti for Bucharest.

  Booking usually opens 90 days ahead.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets from the yellow-self service machines.

  Tip 1: If www.mavcsoport.hu won't offer tickets for a 2-bed or 1-bed sleeper, simply book three tickets in a 3-bed sleeper to get sole occupancy of a whole sleeper compartment.  Simples!

  Tip 2:  If you're going to Brasov and it says No offers available, that just means they have forgotten to program in any allocation for Brasov.  Try booking from Budapest to Bucuresti instead, you'll then often find places available, then you simply get off in Brasov.

A 1, 2 or 3-bed sleeper with washbasin.  Larger photo.		The sleeping-car (vagon de dormit) of the Ister at Budapest Keleti.  Sleepers convert from beds to private sitting rooms for day use.

The vagon cuseta (couchette car) on the Ister, at Budapest.  Always book a couchette, not just a seat.  Couchettes convert from bunks at night to seats for day use.		4 or 6-berth couchettes.  Larger photo.

Enjoy breakfast in the bar-bistro eastbound, or an evening beer westbound.  The bar-bistro is attached between Simeria & Bucharest.  Bar-bistro photos courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry.

Option 2, by daytime train...

• There comfortable air-conditioned daytime trains between Budapest & Romania, an epic journey from Hungary into Transylvania

  The comfortable air-conditioned InterCity train Traianus leaves Budapest Keleti daily at 07:10 and arrives Arad 12:43, Timişoara Nord 13:33 & Bucharest Nord at 23:55.  A Romanian cafe-bar car is available for snacks & drinks.

  Another air-conditioned IC train leaves Budapest Keleti 07:40 and arrives Brasov 23:48, running via Cluj.  Another air-conditioned IC train leaves Budapest Keleti 09:10 via Simeria & Sibiu and arrives Brasov 23:54.

• Fares from Budapest to Brasov and other Romanian cities 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.

The morning train from Budapest to Bucharest at Budapest Keleti, with modern air-conditioned Romanian carriages...

On the left, the daytime train to Bucharest is about to leave Budapest Keleti...		Comfortable 2nd class seats in an air-conditioned Romanian carriage.  Larger photo.

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

• The Dacia Express sleeper train leaves Budapest Keleti at 23:10 and arrives at Sighisoara 11:22.

• Two daily air-conditioned trains link Budapest with Cluj, leaving Budapest Keleti at 07:40 & 13:40, journey time around 7h30.

• The comfortable air-conditioned InterCity train Traianus leaves Budapest Keleti daily at 07:10 and arrives Timişoara Nord at 13:33.

• Simply use the Hungarian Railways website 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.

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Budapest to Ljubljana from €19...

• A comfortable air-conditioned EuroCity train called the Citadella runs direct from Budapest to Ljubljana every morning, leaving Budapest Déli (that's Deli station, not Keleti) at 09:00 and arriving Ljubljana at 16:40.  There's no catering car so take your own picnic & beer or wine.

  Book online from just €19 at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.  Suggested hotel in |Ljubljana.

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

• In summer late June to mid-August there's also a sleeper train leaving Budapest Déli around 20:30 arriving Ljubljana around 06:00 and continuing to Koper on the Adriatic coast.  The train has couchettes (4 & 6 bunk compartments) and a sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin).  Book online at www.mavcsoport.hu.

• There are other journey options involving a change of train which you can find using the online timetable at www.bahn.de/en.

• 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 from €15...

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

  In the morning, the InterCity Gradec leaves Budapest Déli at 06:35 arriving Zagreb 13:01.  Runs 6 June to 13 September 2020.

  In the afternoon the InterCity Agram leaves Budapest Déli at 15:35 arriving Zagreb 21:05.  Runs every day all year round.

  Both trains travel along the southern shore of Lake Balaton, a scenic section of line.  If you get any good photos, let me know!

• Both trains have comfortable air-conditioned Hungarian coaches, the Gradec also has Croatian air-con and non-air-con cars.  There's no catering car so take your own picnic & wine.  You can check the train formations at www.vagonweb.cz - Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Hungary then click Ex.

• You can buy a cheap ticket for either €15 or €29 online (depending on availability) at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu.  See tips for using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.  Suggested hotels in Zagreb & Split.

  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 date, train or class.  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 €15 advance-purchase fare for an almost-as-comfortable 2nd class carriage.  If you insist on 1st class, or see no cheap fares, 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 at Budapest with comfortable & modern air-conditioned coaches, both Croatian (foreground) and Hungarian (background).  A great way to travel.  Courtesy of Jonathan Hounsome.

The train runs along the southern shore of Lake Balaton, Hungary's largest lake.  Courtesy of Della Mcvay.

The train passes fields of sunflowers...  Courtesy of Louise Donnelly.

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Budapest to Split & Dubrovnik...

Option 1, all year round via Zagreb - allows you to stop off in Zagreb.

• 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 a daytime train next day as it's a lovely scenic ride.  A ticket for the daytime trains only costs €20 or so, you can book online at the Croatian Railways website www.hzpp.hr.  See the trains from Zagreb page for more details & photos of the trains.  Suggested hotels in Zagreb & Split.

• 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.

The daytime trains to Split:  These fast, tilting, air-conditioned ICN trains link Zagreb & Split once or twice a day through great scenery.  Above right, first class seats on the train to Split.  You can now buy tickets online at www.hzpp.hr.

Scenery between Zagreb and Split seen from the train...  Photo courtesy of Páraic Maguire.

Option 2, using direct sleeper train Adria from 14 June to 6 September 2020...

• A direct train called the Adria runs from mid-June to early September, leaving Budapest Keleti at 18:55 every evening arriving Split at 08:37 next morning.  It has a comfortable Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments and a couchette car with 4 & 6 bunk compartments.

• The fare is around €79 with couchette or from €92 with a bed in a cosy 2-bed sleeper.

• Check to see if it is bookable online at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu.  If not, you will need to book at the station or by phone with a ticketing agency in your home country.

• For Dubrovnik, take a bus from Split.  There are buses every hour or even every half hour, run by several companies.  Journey time between 3h45 and 4h35, fare around €13-€17.  Buy a ticket at the bus station in Split.

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Budapest to Sarajevo...

The direct Budapest to Sarajevo train was sadly discontinued in 2012, and the Zagreb-Sarajevo direct train is also currently suspended across the Croatian-Bosnian border.  But you can still travel from Budapest to Sarajevo by train with a short break in the middle by taxi, like this:

• Step 1, take the comfortable afternoon train from Budapest to Zagreb from just €9 as shown in the Budapest to Zagreb section above.

• Stay overnight in Zagreb - the city is well worth a stop, so taking the morning train from Budapest is a better idea.

• Step 2, travel from Zagreb to Sarajevo by train (mostly), see the Zagreb to Sarajevo by train page for details & current status.

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

• The Budapest-Belgrade line is out of action from February 2019 for a planned 33 months.  It's being rebuilt for 200km/h operation which will eventually reduce Budapest-Belgrade journey time to 3½ hours.  See further details & read latest updates about this engineering work.

• A train leaves Budapest Keleti at 11:57 every day arriving Novi Sad at 18:44.

  Novi Sad is about 90km from Belgrade, you make your own way from there to Belgrade, there are many local buses available.

• You might consider going Budapest to Zagreb as shown here, staying overnight and/or visiting that city, then taking the daily Zagreb-Belgrade train as shown here.

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Budapest to Sofia...

The Budapest-Belgrade line is currently blocked by upgrading work, so the best route is now via Bucharest...

• Step 1, travel from Budapest to Bucharest by daytime train across Transylvania as shown above.

• Stay overnight in Bucharest.

• Step 2, travel from Bucharest to Sofia by daytime train as shown on the train from Bucharest page.  You leave Bucharest Nord at 11:00 and arrive Sofia in the evening after a pleasant day meandering across the Danube and through the river valleys of Bulgaria and the Shipka Pass.

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Budapest to Lviv, Kiev & Ukraine...

Option 1, Budapest to Lviv & Kiev by direct sleeping-car.  See Ukrainian news report showing the new Vienna-Kiev sleeping-car service...

• A Ukrainian sleeping-car leaves Budapest Keleti at 19:40 every evening and arrives next day at Lviv at 09:10 & Kiev at 16:14.  Introduced in December 2017, this Ukrainian sleeping-car has comfortable 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, see the photos below.  It comes through from Vienna.

  Bought at the station in Budapest the fare is around €54 with a bed in a cosy 3-bed sleeper.  However, this direct sleeping-car is proving popular and can leave fully-booked, so it's best pre-booked.

  The best way to pre-book tickets for this train is via reliable agency www.polrail.com, with tickets posted or couriered to you for a small fee.  Polrail are based in Poland so charge in zlotys, but as they have access to Ukrainian ticketing system they are good for booking this train.  You cannot currently book online with ÖBB although you could try emailing or calling their telesales via their website www.oebb.at.  Feedback would be appreciated.

  Booked through Polrail (in zlotys, converted here into euros):

  Budapest to Kiev costs around €103 in a 3-berth sleeper €114 in a 2-berth sleeper, or €184 in a single-berth sleeper.

  Budapest to Lviv costs around €87 in a 3-berth sleeper €95 in a 2-berth sleeper, or €152 in a single-berth sleeper.

The Vienna-Budapest-Kiev sleeping-car at Kiev Pass.  Photos courtesy of Helmut Uttenthaler.

The sleeper is jacked up to have its bogies changed at Chop on the Ukrainian border.  Photo Helmut Uttenthaler.

The Vienna-Kiev sleeper at Vienna Hbf... Courtesy of Helmut Uttenthaler.		The sleeper corridor.  Courtesy Helmut Uttenthaler.		1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper compartment.

Option 2, Budapest to Lviv by daytime train for €26...  Also a useful alternative for Budapest-Kiev if the direct train is full...

• This is an inexpensive and comfortable way to travel from Budapest to the beautiful city of Lviv.  The Latorca used to have through cars from Budapest to Lviv, but it was always cheaper to switch trains and rebook at the border so the through cars aren't running any more.  You now need to change trains at the border, but that makes it now online-bookable (well, almost) and cheaper!

• Step 1, travel from Budapest to Chop on the Ukrainian border by air-conditioned Hungarian intercity train Latorca, leaving Budapest Nyugati station at 07:23 every day arriving Chop at 13:40.

• Step 2,  travel from Chop to Lviv & Kiev by Ukrainian train called the Desna, leaving Chop at 16:58, arriving Lviv at 22:25 and then travelling overnight to Kiev, arriving 07:27.

• To buy tickets:

  Step 1, pre-book Budapest to Zahony on the 07:23 InterCity Latorca from Budapest Nyugati for around €17.50 at www.mavcsoport.hu.  You collect tickets from the blue or yellow machines in Budapest.

  Step 2, Zahony to Chop costs €2.50, you buy this at the station at Zahony.  The train spends an hour at Zahony station, so plenty of time!

  Step 3, pre-book Chop to Lviv for around €6 in a 4-berth sleeper or €12 in a 1st class 2-berth at the Ukrainian Railways website www.uz.gov.ua on train 81 Desna leaving Chop at 16:58.  Or book to Kiev if going there, obviously!

• Feedback and any photos of the Hungarian or Ukrainian train inside or out would be most welcome, please email me if you travel this way!

• Alternatively, you can travel via Mukachevo instead of Chop, this may be a better place to spend a few hours than the border station at Chop!

  Step 1, travel from Budapest to Mukachevo, leaving Budapest Nyugati at 07:23 every day arriving Mukacheve in Ukraine at 15:20.  Just one through carriage runs direct to Mukachevo, with air-conditioned 2nd class open-plan seats, power sockets available for laptops & mobiles.  Tickets from Budapest to Mukachevo cannot be booked online, so buy at the station for €23, there are usually be places even on the day.  You can check times for this train at www.bahn.de/en or www.mavcsoport.hu.

  Step 2, now travel from Mukacheve to Lviv or Kiev on the Desna, leaving Mukachevo at 18:02 and arriving Lviv at 22:18 & Kiev next morning at 07:27.  This train can be booked online at www.uz.gov.ua.

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Budapest to Moscow & St Petersburg...

Option 1, via Kiev avoiding need for a Belarus visa - recommended route...

• Step 1, travel from Budapest to Kiev by direct sleeper train as shown above.  Leave Budapest in the evening of day 1, arrive Kiev late afternoon on day 2.

• Step 2, travel from Kiev to Moscow by sleeper train, there are several trains every night, perfectly safe for westerners in spite of any tensions between Russia & Ukraine.  Train 6 leaves Kiev at 19:36 arriving Moscow Kievskaya station around 10:09 next morning, which would be day 3 from Budapest.  This route avoids Belarus and the need for an expensive Belarusian visa so it's the route I'd recommend.

  The fare is around €92 with a bed in 4-berth kupé or €180 with a bed in a 2-berth spalny vagon.

  You can ask www.polrail.com to book this for you too, or you can book tickets from Kiev to Moscow at the Ukrainian Railways site https://booking.uz.gov.ua/en/ booking from Kyiv to Moskva Kievskaya.  You collect tickets at the station in Kiev.  Feedback appreciated!

Option 2, using the daily Prague-Moscow sleeper train...

• Step 1, travel from Budapest to Bohumin in the Czech Republic near the Polish border on the comfortable air-conditioned EuroCity train Bathory, leaving Budapest Nyugati at 08:40 arriving Bohumin at 14:09.  Book from Budapest to Bohumin online at Czech Railways www.cd.cz from €19 and print your own ticket.

• Step 2, travel from Bohumin to Moscow by Russian sleeper train, leaving Bohumin at 14:40 every day arriving Moscow Belorussky at 16:58 next day (the day after you leave Budapest).  You can check times at the Russian Railways website www.rzd.ru.

  If this seems like a tight connection, don't worry.  The Prague-Moscow sleeping-cars get coupled up to the Budapest-Poland Bathory and run combined as one train between Bohumin, Warsaw & Terespol on the Poland/Belarus border.

  This train uses impressive Austrian-built sleeping-cars with 4-berth compartments built in 2014, see photos of this type of sleeper here & see panorama photo inside one of these modern sleepers.  Each compartment can be sold as 1st class 1-berth, 1st class 2-berth or 2nd class 4-berth.  The train consist of two or three sleeping-cars which start their journey in Prague.  There's a bistro car in Poland and a Russian restaurant car is attached between Brest (on the Polish/Belarus border) & Moscow.

  The fare is approximately €120 with a bed in a 4-berth sleeper. €180 in a 2-bed sleeper or €215 in a single-bed sleeper.

  You can book this train online at Czech Railways www.cd.cz and print your own ticket.  This is the recommended method.

  Alternatively, you can book with Russian Railways at www.rzd.ru although it's a little quirky and may not accept some overseas credit cards.

  Don't forget to arrange both your Russian visa & Belarus transit visa as the train runs via Belarus. See my important update about travel to Russia through 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.

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Budapest to Athens, Thessaloniki & Greece...

Option 1, overland by train via Belgrade - direct route, but cancelled until further notice...

• Step 1, Budapest to Belgrade:  Travel from Budapest to Belgrade using the daily train from Budapest to Novi Sad & onward bus as shown above.

• Step 2, Belgrade to Thessaloniki:  Travel from Belgrade to Thessaloniki overnight on the Hellas Express leaving Belgrade Topcider station at 18:21 June-September and arriving in Thessaloniki in Greece at 10:08 next morning, with both a seats car and a Macedonian couchette car with 6-berth compartments.  Update:  Following the migrant crisis, this train is temporarily (but indefinitely) replaced by a bus between Gevgelija on the Greek/Bulgarian border and Thessaloniki.  Feedback appreciated.

  This train now only runs in summer, June-September.  See here for exact dates.  It will not run at all at other times of year.

• The fare from Belgrade to Thessaloniki is €34 + around €8 couchette supplement if you buy at Belgrade station (there will always be places available on the day) or you can pre-arrange through the excellent Mr Popovic at the Wasteels office in Belgrade, see this advice on the Serbia page.  You can also book the Belgrade-Thessaloniki train (but not onward trains to Athens) using a western European ticketing agency such as Trainseurope or DB's 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 now only 4h09 after a significant speed-up in May 2019.  You should make the 12:15 arriving Athens at 16:24.  It's a wonderfully scenic ride, past Mount Olympus and the Aegean, then through the mountains south of Larissa, see the photos & information here.  You can buy train tickets from Thessaloniki to Athens online in advance at www.trainose.gr, with print-at-home tickets see the step-by-step advice on using trainose.gr here.

Option 2, overland by train via Belgrade & Sofia... 

• This route is still running, so even though it means going east from Belgrade to Sofia then south from Sofia to Thessaloniki and on to Athens, it's the only choice until or unless the direct Belgrade-Thessaloniki route is restored.

• Step 1, travel from Budapest to Sofia as shown above. 

• Stay overnight in Sofia.  The Hotel Favoritan is inexpensive with great reviews just 10 minutes walk from Sofia station.

• Step 2, take the Sofia to Thessaloniki train then a connecting train to Athens as shown here.

Option 3, by ferry from Italy.  This is a somewhat round-about route but a viable option whilst trains from Belgrade to Greece remain cancelled.

• Step 1, travel from Budapest via Vienna to Venice as shown above.

• Step 2, take a ferry from Venice to Igoumenitsa or Patras in Greece, try www.minoan.gr or www.anek.gr.  You could also use a ferry from Ancona or Bari, try www.superfast.com.

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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 sleeper train Ister leaving Budapest Keleti around 19:10 and arriving Bucharest Gara de Nord around 12:30 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 no dining-car so take a picnic and bottle of wine.  Enjoy the superb scenery as the train climbs through the Carpathian mountains between Brasov and Bucharest.

• Spend a day and night in Bucharest.  In Bucharest, the Hotel Ibis Gara de Nord is walking distance from the station, inexpensive and gets reasonable reports.  Search for other hotels in Bucharest.

• Step 2, travel by train from Bucharest to Istanbul as follows:

  In summer from 6 June to 5 October 2020 there's a direct couchette car from Bucharest to Istanbul leaving Bucharest Gara de Nord at 11:00 and arriving Istanbul Halkali station at 05:20 next morning.  It's modern Turkish air-conditioned couchette car with 4-berth compartments.  See the Bucharest to Istanbul page for full details.

  Until 5 June & from 6 October 2020 you leave Bucharest Gara de Nord at 11:00 on a series of connecting trains for Dimitrovgrad, picking up a sleeper leaving Dimitrovgrad at 23:40 and arriving Istanbul Halkali station at 06:20.  The Dimitrovgrad-Istanbul sleeper train has two air-conditioned Turkish sleeping-cars (1 & 2 bed compartments) and a Turkish couchette car with 4-berth compartments.  See the Bucharest to Istanbul page for full details.

  It's a leisurely journey across Romania, over the Danube on the world's longest steel girder bridge (2.5km), and through rural Bulgaria including a descent through the lovely Shipka Pass.  There's no catering, so bring a picnic and some wine or beer and enjoy the ride.  Halkali is a suburban station 25km west of Istanbul, you can take a frequent Marmaray suburban train from Halkali to Istanbul Sirkeci in the city centre, see the Bucharest to Istanbul page for details of how to make this transfer.

  When the through couchette car runs you should be able to buy tickets online at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro.  Click EN top right for English.  For Bucharest enter/select Bucuresti (Romania) and for Istanbul enter/select Halkali (Turkey).  Tickets must be collected from a CFR station ticket office in Romania such as Bucharest Nord, so only use this site for one-way or round trip journeys starting in Romania.  Feedback would be appreciated.

  Alternatively, tickets can be arranged by agency Paralela 45 Turism, www.paralela45.com.  They can source train tickets starting in Bucharest, so far recommended by several seat61 correspondents.  Feedback would be appreciated.

  In the off-season when there's no direct train, buy your tickets at the international ticket window at Bucharest Gara de Nord.  It's reported that instead of simply issuing an open ticket from Bucharest to Istanbul (or even to Dimitrovgrad) and letting you use all the trains, you need to buy a ticket to Ruse, then rebook (or pay on the train), but don't let that put you off, it's easy enough to pay as you go.

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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

Suggested hotels in Budapest...

• For something affordable near Budapest Keleti station, but with decent reviews try The Baross City Hotel just across the road from Budapest Keleti station or the Elit Hotel two minutes walk down the road.

• For something affordable near Budapest Nyugati station, try the 3-star  T62 Hotel just across the road or the even cheaper 3-star Star Inn Budapest Centrum a few minutes walk away, both with good reviews.  The 4-star Radisson Blu Béke Hotel is just one block along the road from the station.

• For something different, but relatively inexpensive the floating hotel MS Maribelle gets great reviews, it's a river cruise boat permanently moored on the Pest side of the Danube close to the fortress with views across the river of the Hungarian Parliament.

• For something special & historic, go for the New York Palace Hotel, opened in 1894 and housing the famous New York Cafe on its ground floor.  It's just 14 minutes walk from Keleti and gets fabulous reviews.  As luxury hotels go, it's pretty affordable.  Or there's the venerable Corinthia Hotel, formerly the Grand Hotel Royal, another famous hotel dating from the late 19th century.  It's 20 minutes walk from Keleti or 9 minutes by taxi.

My favourite hotel search site: www.booking.com www.booking.com is my favourite hotel booking site and I generally prefer booking my hotels all in one place here.  You can usually book with free cancellation - this allows you to confirm your accommodation at no risk before train booking opens.  It also means you can hold accommodation while you finalise your itinerary, and alter your plans as they evolve - a feature I use all the time when putting a trip together.  I never book hotels non-refundably.  I have also come to trust their review scores - you won't be disappointed with anything over 8.0. Tip:  It can pay to compare prices across multiple hotel sites:  HotelsCombined.com is a price comparison site which compares hotel prices on Booking.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, Accor, Agoda and many others.  Though if there's not much in it, I prefer keeping all my bookings together in one place at www.booking.com.

Other hotel sites worth trying...

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

Backpacker hostels...

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

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