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Cosy single-berth sleeper in the Munich-Budapest sleeping-car. Book online at www.thetrainline.com
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Introducing the EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre
Every night, a comfortable EuroNight sleeper train called the Kalman Imre links Stuttgart & Munich with Budapest. The train has an air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 or 3 berth compartments with washbasin and an air-conditioned Hungarian couchette car with a bunks in 4 & 6 berth compartments, ideal for families. Centre to centre overnight, it saves time even compared to flying and saves a hotel bill too. The train is named after the composer Emmerich Kálmán.
What's the
couchette car like?
Video: Munich to Budapest
by sleeping-car
Trains from
Munich to
other cities &
daytime trains Munich to Budapest
Trains from
Budapest to
other cities &
daytime trains Budapest-Munich,
Budapest-Zurich
Train times 2025
This sleeper was extended to start/finish in Stuttgart from December 2022.
How much does it cost?
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Munich to Budapest (or vice versa) starts 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. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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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 gender. 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, buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com in €, Ł or $, overseas credit cards no problem.
Option 2, you can also book in € at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at.
Booking for this sleeper train opens up to 6 months before departure, but less than this for dates immediately after the mid-December timetable change. More about when European train bookings open.
Look for the direct overnight train with 0 changes. You print your own ticket and can board the train.
If you have any problems (for example, you see no sleepers), also try Hungarian Railways at www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice on using it.
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Interrail & Eurail passholders can make reservations online with no booking fee following the instructions here.
What's the train like?
Eastbound, the Stuttgart-Munich-Budapest cars run combined with sleeping-cars & couchettes from Stuttgart to Venice & Zagreb. Westbound, the Budapest-Munich-Stuttgart cars leave Budapest combined with sleepers & couchettes bound for Zurich.
Sleeping-car
The Stuttgart-Munich-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 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 over the door to the corridor. The compartments have normal locks plus a security deadbolt which can only be locked & unlocked from inside. There's clean bedding, a washbasin, soap, towel, bottled water, fruit juice.
When you board, you'll find a complimentary fruit juice in your compartment and (in single-berth sleepers only) a small 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. See generic sleeper numbering plan.
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.
Couchette car
The Stuttgart-Munich-Budapest portion of this train also has a comfortable Hungarian couchette car. The couchette car has a side corridor off which open 9 compartments, each of which can be used as 4-berth or 6-berth. Clean sheets, blanket and 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. These couchette cars were built in the early 1990s by Spanish manufacturer CAF, they've now been refurbished with an attractive new blue & white exterior colour scheme. See generic couchette car numbering plan. Click the compartment images for larger photos.
Travel tips
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Should you take the sleeper or a daytime train between Munich & Budapest?
You can travel between Munich & Budapest by railjet train leaving every two hours and taking about 6h50, or on the Kalman Imre overnight sleeper. The sleeper saves time and saves a hotel bill, it's also an interesting experience. There is some pretty scenery between Munich and Salzburg, but most of the route including the Vienna-Budapest sector, is flat. So although a daytime train ride across Europe is always interesting, on this route you're not missing any spectacular scenery.
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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 overnight in a seat, it's a false economy, always book a couchette or sleeper for both comfort and security. It's worth paying a little more 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 ideal, you're 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, 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. A sleeper is obviously the best option for solo travellers & couples not budget-restricted. 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.
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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 how sleepers are numbered. See how 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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A beer or dinner before you board?
In Stuttgart, try the Biergarten Im Schlossgarten for dinner and a beer or two, or use the Steigenberger Graf Zeppelin Hotel bar across the road from the station as your VIP waiting lounge, see the Stuttgart station guide.
In Munich, I recommend the typically Bavarian Haidhauser-Augustinerkeller, 9 minutes walk from Munich Ost, see the Munich Ost station guide.
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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, Munich & Budapest stations are safe at night with plenty of people around. The sleeper or couchette car attendant will normally greet you on the platform just 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. See Munich Ost station guide. See Budapest Keleti station guide.
Departing from Stuttgart or Munich Ost, the cars to Budapest leave combined with sleepers and couchettes to Zagreb & Venice.
Departing from Budapest Keleti, look for Stuttgart & Zurich, the two portions of the Kalman Imre leave Budapest combined. It usually leaves from platform 6 or 7, and is usually ready for boarding half an hour or so before departure.
Tip: You can see the train formation at www.vagonweb.cz, which might help you find your car. Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations. For the eastbound train from Stuttgart & Munich, scroll down to Germany, click EN then look for EN463 Kalman Imre. For the westbound train, scroll down to Hungary then click EN and look for EN462 Kalman Imre. Click the camera icon under each car for photos.
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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 & 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 couchette cars have WiFi, the sleeping-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
Video: Budapest to Munich by sleeper
A westbound journey from Budapest Keleti to Munich, showing the couchettes, sleeper and on-board service.