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A cosy 2-berth sleeper in the Berlin-Budapest sleeping-car. Book online at www.thetrainline.com
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Berlin to Bratislava & Budapest overnight
Every night, a comfortable Hungarian Railways EuroNight sleeper train called the Metropol links Berlin with Bratislava & Budapest. The train has a comfortable air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 or 3 berth compartments with washbasin and an air-conditioned Hungarian couchette car with bunks in 4 & 6 berth compartments, ideal for families. City centre to city centre overnight, it saves time compared to flying and saves a hotel bill.
What's the
couchette car like?
Bratislava Hlavna
station guide
Trains from Berlin to
other cities &
daytime trains
Berlin
to Budapest
Trains from
Budapest to
other cities &
daytime trains Budapest-Berlin
Train times 2024
What's the sleeping-car like?
The Berlin-Budapest portion of this train has one Hungarian sleeping-car. Inside the sleeping-car it's air-conditioned, carpeted, quiet and civilised. The sleeping-car has a side corridor off which open 10 sleeper compartments. Each compartment can be sold as a 1, 2 or 3 bed room with upper, middle & lower berths folded out as required. Luggage goes in the big recess above the door to the corridor. The compartments have normal locks plus a security deadbolt which can only be locked & unlocked from inside. There's crisp clean bedding, a washbasin, soap, towel, bottled water, fruit juice.
When you board, you'll find a complimentary fruit juice in your compartment and (if you have a single-bed sleeper) an individual bottle of Hungarian sparkling wine. Morning tea or coffee and a light breakfast are included in the fare, you're given a menu in the evening and can choose 7 items from the list. You can pay extra items if you want additional items.
This route is scheduled to use one of Hungarian Railways CAF sleeping-cars as shown below, occasionally they use one built by DWA instead as shown here.
Sleeper berths are sold individually, if you don't want to pay for a single-bed sleeper you can book one bed in a 2 or 3 berth and share with another passenger of the same gender. Compartments are single-sex unless your party occupies the whole compartment. An excellent way to travel.
What's the couchette car like?
The train also has a comfortable couchette car, with a side corridor and 9 compartments, each of which can be sold as 4-berth or 6-berth. Clean sheets and a pillow are provided, the doors have a normal lock and security lock or chain, there are several European-type 2-pin 240v power outlets in each compartment. Toilets and washrooms at the end of the corridor. Couchette compartments are not segregated by gender, as you do not normally get fully undressed. See generic couchette car numbering plan. Click the interior image for larger photo.
Travel tips
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Should you take the sleeper or a daytime train?
You can travel from Berlin to Budapest by daytime EuroCity train taking a leisurely 11 hours, or by overnight sleeper. The sleeper is much more time-effective and saves a hotel bill too, it's also an interesting experience if you've not travelled by sleeper before.
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Seat, couchette or sleeper?
For solo travellers on a budget, a couchette is fine, you get a flat bunk in a safely lockable compartment and can sleep just as well as in a sleeper - never travel in just a seat, always book a couchette or sleeper on a night train for comfort and security. It's worth paying a little extra for a couchette in a 4-berth compartment as you get a lot more space per person than in a 6-berth.
For families, a 4 or 6 berth couchette compartment is the ideal choice, you're all together in one compartment and can have a blast - bring a bottle of wine for mum & dad. Paying more for two separate 2-berth compartments in the sleeping-car probably isn't worth it (unless you've older kids and mum & dad want a break!). If there are 5 of you, you can buy 6 tickets for sole occupancy of a 6-berth couchette compartment, simply add a phantom child to the booking.
But the carpeted sleeping-car has a quieter, more civilised atmosphere and it's obviously the best option for solo travellers & couples not on a tight budget. Some families and many solo travellers prefer it: A bed in a shared 3-bed single-gender sleeper doesn't cost that much more than a bunk in a 4-berth couchette compartment. In the sleeper, you get a proper fully-made-up bed with duvet (in couchettes you get a blanket, sheet & pillow and arrange them yourself), there's a washbasin in the compartment, and a light breakfast is included.
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Berth numbering
This often confuses people. They get berths 21 & 25 and think that they aren't in the same 2-berth sleeper compartment. Of course they are! See the way sleeper & couchettes are numbered.
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Is the overnight train safe?
Yes. In the sleeping-car or couchette car it's comfortable and safe for families, solo females, for anyone. Compartments in the sleeping-car & couchette car have a normal lock (which can be opened from outside by leys used by railway staff) plus a security deadbolt and/or security chain which can only be locked and unlocked from inside. An attendant is on duty in the sleeping-car & couchette car throughout the journey, in the attendant's compartment at the end of the corridor.
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Finding & boarding your train
As with virtually all European trains, there's no check-in. Just stroll into the station, find your train and get on, any time before it leaves. And yes, Berlin, Bratislava & Budapest stations are safe at night, with plenty of people around. The sleeper or couchette car attendant will normally greet you on the platform outside the sleeping-car or couchette car entrance door and check your reservation. He'll come round and see you soon after departure to take your ticket or pass.
Berlin Hbf station guide. Budapest Nyugati station guide. Bratislava Hlavna station guide.
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Luggage
You take your luggage with you into your sleeper compartment and simply stick it on the luggage racks above the window, over the door to the corridor, or on the floor. Nobody weighs it, measures it, or worries about how much you take. More about luggage on European trains.
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Power sockets & WiFi
There are several 240v European-type power outlets for laptops & mobiles near the washbasin in each sleeper compartment and near the window in each couchette compartment. The sleeping-car has free WiFi, the couchette car may not be fitted. Mobile data reception works fine for most of the journey.
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Food & drink on board
There's no restaurant car, so bring any provisions (and maybe a bottle of wine!) for the evening. In the morning, the sleeper fare includes tea or coffee plus a few breakfast items, served in your compartment.
Route map
How much does it cost?
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Berlin to Budapest (or vice versa) starts at €59 with a couchette in a 6-berth compartment, €69 with a couchette in 4-berth, €99 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €129 in a single-bed sleeper. Fares are dynamic like air fares, so book ahead for these cheapest prices.
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Berths are sold individually, one person = 1 ticket = 1 bed. You don't have to pay for sole occupancy if you're travelling solo on a budget, you can book one ticket and get one bed in a shared 2 or 3-bed sleeper with other civilised sleeper passengers of the same sex. But if you book 1 person in a single-berth sleeper or 2 people in a double or 3 people in a triple, you'll get sole occupancy of a whole compartment.
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If you have a Eurail or Interrail pass you pay the sleeper or couchette supplement, see prices on the Interrail/Eurail reservations page.
How to buy tickets
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Option 1, book at www.thetrainline.com in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem. Look for the direct overnight train with 0 changes.
Booking for this sleeper opens up to 6 months before departure, less than this for dates after the mid-December timetable change. More about when European train bookings open. You print your own ticket.
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Option 2, you can also book using the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at. Use this if you have any problems at www.thetrainline.com.
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Interrail & Eurail passholders can make reservations online with no booking fee following the instructions here.