Cosy single-berth sleeper in the Munich-Budapest sleeping-car.  Book online at www.thetrainline.com

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.  City centre to city centre overnight, it saves time even compared to flying and saves a hotel bill too!  The train is named after the composer Emmerich Kálmán.

  Train times

  What's the sleeping-car like?

  What's the couchette car like?

  Travel tips

  Route map

  How much does it cost?

  How to buy tickets

  Video:  Munich to Budapest by sleeping-car

  Munich Hbf station information

  Budapest Keleti station information

  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 2023

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.

Sleeper train Kalman Imre, boarding on platform 12 at Munich Hbf.

The 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 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 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 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 (in single-berth sleepers only) 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.  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.

Sleeper, set up as a 3-berth...		Sleeper, set up as a 2-berth...

Corridor...		2-berth sleeper, looking towards the corridor.		Washbasin...

Sparkling wine (single only) & breakfast menu.		Breakfast, included in the fare...

The 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 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.  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.

Hungarian couchette car in the new colour scheme.		4-berth couchettes		6-berth couchettes...

6-berth couchettes & corridor.		Hungarian couchette car at Budapest Keleti.

Travel tips

• 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 if you've not travelled by sleeper before.  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.

• Sleeper, couchette or just a seat?

  For solo travellers on a tight 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, it's a false economy, always book a couchette or sleeper on a night train 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 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, 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.

• 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 sleepers are numbered.  See the way couchettes are numbered.

• 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.

• Dinner before you board?

  In Munich, I recommend the typically Bavarian Augustinerkeller, 9 minutes walk from the station, see the Munich Hbf station page.

• 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 station information.  See Budapest Keleti station information.

  Departing from Stuttgart or Munich Hbf, the cars to Budapest leave combined with sleepers and couchettes to Zagreb & Venice.

  Departing from Budapest Keleti, look for Munich & 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 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 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.

• 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 information about luggage on European trains.

• 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.

• 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.

• See general tips & advice for European train travel. 

Route map

How much does it cost?

• Munich to Budapest starts at €59 with a couchette in a 6-berth, €69 with a couchette in a 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 for these cheapest prices.

• Berths are sold individually, one person = 1 ticket = 1 bed.  So 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.

• 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

• Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem.  Look for the direct overnight train with 0 changes.

  If you have any problems booking couchettes or sleepers on this train at www.thetrainline.com, 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 information about when European train bookings open.

  If you book at www.thetrainline.com or www.oebb.at you simply print out your own ticket and can board the train.

  If you have any problems (for example, you see no sleepers), also try the Hungarian Railways site at www.mavcsoport.hu - see my advice on using it first.

• Interrail & Eurail passholders can make reservations online with no booking fee following the instructions here.

Video: Budapest to Munich by sleeper

A westbound journey from Budapest Keleti to Munich, showing the couchettes, sleeper and on-board service.

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