Track upgrading 2019-2026, direct trains cancelled
The 350 km (220 mile) railway from Budapest to Belgrade is largely straight over flat terrain, but speeds were slow and journey times long. Major reconstruction started in 2019 which will raise line speed to 200 km/h and cut journey time to 2h40 by 2026. Direct Budapest-Belgrade express trains have been cancelled since 2019, but it's now possible to travel between these cities by train, changing at Szeged and Subotica. This will get easier from 24 November 2024 when part of the line reopens.
Budapest-Belgrade
until 23 November 2024
Budapest-Belgrade
from 24 November 2024
Until 23 November 2024:
The determined traveller can travel from Budapest to Belgrade by train if they don't mind a long, slow, but interesting journey across rural Serbia with 3 changes, as shown below, see route map.
The journey is possible thanks to a cross-border local service introduced in 2023 from Szeged in Hungary to Subotica in Serbia. You then take a local train from Subotica to Novi Sad over a meandering rural line which avoids the closed-for-rebuilding main line, see route map. You then travel from Novi Sad to Belgrade by 200 km/h SOKO train, the rebuilding of this section of the main line was completed in 2022.
Incidentally, if you've read Graham Greene's novel Stamboul Train, much of the action takes place when the Orient Express stops at Subotica. Subotica - pronounced Subboteetsa - is an interesting place to spend a few hours, and the schedule gives time for lunch in both directions. If you take this route, feedback appreciated.
Budapest ► Belgrade
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Step 1, leave Budapest Nyugati at 05:50, change Szeged, arrive Subotica 10:24.
You take a Hungarian Intercity train from Budapest to Szeged, 1st & 2nd class with cafe-bar, then a local train from Szeged to Subotica, 2nd class only, no catering. Have lunch in Subotica, the town worth a look around.
Check these times at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu.
There's rebuilding work at Subotica, expect all trains to use a temporary platform just outside the original station.
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Step 2, leave Subotica at 15:05, arriving Novi Sad 18:41.
This is a local train, 2nd class only, no catering so bring your own supplies.
It's an adventure across rural Serbia. The train travels via Sombor, changes direction at Bogojevo, then heads through Gajdobra.
Check times at the Serbian Railways website w3.srbvoz.rs/redvoznje/en.
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Step 3, leave Novi Sad at 19:00 arriving Belgrade Centar at 19:36.
This is a 200 km/h air-conditioned double-deck SOKO train.
Check times at the Serbian Railways website w3.srbvoz.rs/redvoznje/en.
Belgrade ► Budapest
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Step 1, leave Belgrade Centar at 08:09, arriving Novi Sad at 08:45.
This is a 200 km/h air-conditioned double-deck SOKO train.
Check times at the Serbian Railways website w3.srbvoz.rs/redvoznje/en.
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Step 2, leave Novi Sad at 09:15, arriving Subotica 12:54.
This is a local train, 2nd class only, no catering.
The train typically leaves from Novi Sad's platform 9. It travels via Gajdobra, changes direction at Bogojevo then heads through Sombor.
Have lunch in Subotica, the town is worth a look around.
Check times at the Serbian Railways website w3.srbvoz.rs/redvoznje/en.
There's rebuilding work at Subotica, expect all trains to use a temporary platform just outside the original station.
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Step 3, leave Subotica at 16:37, change at Szeged, arriving Budapest Nyugati 21:09.
Check these times at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu.
Subotica to Szeged is by local train, 2nd class only, no catering. Szeged to Budapest is by express train, 2nd class only, no catering.
How much does it cost?
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Budapest-Subotica costs €25.80, fixed-price, any date.
Or save money by splitting the booking: Budapest-Szeged from €6 in advance or €10 standard price + Szeged-Subotica €5 standard price.
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Subotica-Novi Sad costs around €6.
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Novi Sad-Beograd costs around €5.
How to buy tickets
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Eastbound, buy a ticket from Budapest to Subotica at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu.
Tip: After looking up the direct times it's cheaper to split the booking: Budapest-Szeged & Szeged-Subotica. Booking Budapest-Szeged separately also allows you to travel 1st class on this bit if you want.
Then buy tickets from Subotica to Belgrade at the station in Subotica, or use the Serbian Railways website webapi1.srbvoz.rs/ekarta/ to book Subotica to Novi Sad then Novi Sad to Belgrade. It's only available in Serbian, but easy enough with a little help from Google Translate.
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Westbound, buy a ticket from Belgrade to Subotica at Belgrade Centar. If they can sell to Szeged or Budapest great, but you'll probably have to buy a ticket from Subotica to Szeged at the station in Subotica, and buy a ticket from Szeged to Budapest either at the station in Szeged on in the MAV app on your phone.
Alternatively, buy a ticket from Belgrade to Novi Sad then Novi Sad to Subotica using the Serbian Railways website webapi1.srbvoz.rs/ekarta, it's only available in Serbian, but easy enough with a little help from Google Translate. Then book from Subotica to Budapest at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu.
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Interrail & Eurail passes cover all these trains. A seat reservation is required between Budapest & Szeged, make this at the station in Budapest or Szeged. A seat reservation is required for 200 km/h SOKO trains between Novi Sad & Belgrade, around €1, make this at the station.
From 24 November 2024 (provisional)
Things change for the better on 24 November 2024, when the rebuilt Subotica-Belgrade main line reopens and direct 200 km/h air-conditioned SOKOL trains link Subotica with Belgrade regularly. The Budapest-Belgrade journey will become much faster, with just 2 changes at Szeged & Subotica. The Hungarians now need to finish upgrading their part of the line, direct Budapest-Belgrade trains should resume in 2026. The timetable below is subject to confirmation.
Read downwards, each column is a departure you can take. You change trains at each dark grey bar.
How much does it cost?
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Budapest-Subotica costs €25.80, standard 2nd class price, any day, any date.
You can save money by splitting the booking:
Budapest-Szeged starts at €6 in 2nd class, €8.50 in 1st class or €16 in Premium 1st class, booked in advance.
Szeged-Subotica costs €5, standard 2nd class price.
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Subotica-Beograd will cost around €12, exact price to be confirmed.
How to buy tickets
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Step 1, buy a ticket from Budapest to Subotica (or vice versa) at the Hungarian Railways website jegy.mav.hu.
Click EN for English.
Tip: First run a Budapest-Subotica enquiry to check train times, I then recommend booking the Budapest-Szeged train and Szeged-Subotica train as two separate transactions. This makes it significantly cheaper and you can select 1st class (or Premium 1st) on the Budapest-Szeged train if you want, with an option to select your seat from a seat map. You don't get this if you book Budapest-Subotica as one transaction.
Tip: When booking Budapest-Szeged you'll see each train listed twice. The first is the Intercity (IC) with 1st & 2nd class, air-conditioned with reserved seats. The second is for the cheaper Gyorsvonat (Gy) carriages attached to the same train which are older with no air-con, seat reservations, power outlets or WiFi. Select the first one!
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Step 2, buy a ticket from Subotica to Belgrade (or vice versa) at the Serbian Railways website webapi1.srbvoz.rs/ekarta/. It's only available in Serbian, but easy enough with a little help from Google Translate.
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Interrail & Eurail passes cover all these trains. A seat reservation is required between Budapest & Szeged, make this at the station in Budapest or Szeged or using jegy.mav.hu, as explained here. A seat reservation is required for 200 km/h SOKO trains between Subotica & Belgrade, around €1, this cannot be done online, make it at the station when you reach Serbia.
Route map
What's the journey like?
Step 1, Budapest to Szeged by Intercity train
These comfortable Hungarian Intercity trains have air-conditioned 1st & 2nd class, a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Seat reservation is compulsory and included with your ticket. There are one or two 2nd class Intercity cars with seats in an open saloon and one first class Intercity car with a cafe-bar counter.
Built in 2021, the first class car has a small 15-seat 1st class open saloon, two 6-seat 1st class compartments and two spacious Premium 1st compartments each with 4 electrically-reclining leather seats. A higher fare is payable for Premium 1st, shown as 1+, this includes a complimentary cup of tea/coffee from the cafe counter.
You can check the train formation, car numbers & seat maps at www.vagonweb.cz. Change cs to English, click Train formations, then look for Hungary & click IC.
You can select your seat from a seat map if you book this train at jegy.mav.hu, separately from the Szeged-Subotica train.
A number of older non-Intercity cars are attached, these are classified Gyorsvonat (Hungarian for express) and listed on the MAV website as a separate train. They have no reserved seats, no air-con, no WiFi or power outlets and more basic interiors. Stick with the Intercity cars!
A Budapest to Szeged Intercity train at Budapest Nyugati. The yellow stripe indicates the 1st class car. Photos courtesy of Josef Blazej.
Step 2, Szeged to Subotica by local train
This is an air-conditioned diesel train, 2nd class only, there's a toilet but no catering so bring your own food & drink. Hungarian and then Serbian border guards come on board during the journey to check passports.
The 08:58 & 17:58 from Szeged and the 13:37 from Subotica are a Serbian diesel train like this, seen at Szeged. Photos courtesy of Josef Blazej.
The 14:58 from Szeged and 07:37/16:37 from Subotica are a Hungarian diesel train like this. Photos courtesy of Stephen Gallagher.
Step 3, Subotica to Belgrade by SOKO train
From 24 November 2024, you take a swish 200 km/h double-deck SOKO train from Subotica to Belgrade Centar. Built by Swiss firm Stadler, these modern air-conditioned trains have 1st & 2nd class with refreshments, toilets, power outlets at all seats & free WiFi. Soko is Serbian for falcon, hence the logo!
A 200 km/h double-deck SOKO train at Belgrade Centar. Courtesy of Hugo van Vondelen.
Until 23 November 2024, you travel from Subotica to Novi Sad on another Serbian local train like the Szeged-Subotica one, 2nd class only with toilet. It takes the rural route through Sombor, Bogojevo & Gajdobra, avoiding the still-closed main line. Then you take a 200 km/h double-deck SOKO train from Novi Sad to Belgrade Centar. Photo courtesy of @AndyBTravels, DiscoverByRail.com.