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How to travel by train from

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How to travel by train from the UK to Budapest & Hungary...

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Train operator in Hungary:

MAV (Magyar Allamvasutak) www.mav.hu, www.elvira.hu for times & fares

All-Europe online train times    Eurostar times & fares.

 

 

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Time:

GMT+1 (GMT+2 from last Sunday in March to last Saturday in October)

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Page last updated:

25 June 2009.  Train times valid from 14 June to 12 December 2009.


 London to Budapest by train...

  Fisherman's Bastion, Budapest.  It's easy to reach Budapest by train..!

Fisherman's Bastion, Budapest...

The train journey from London to Budapest is safe, easy & affordable and takes just 24 hours, by Eurostar to Paris and high-speed TGV from Paris to Munich, then overnight sleeper to Budapest.  Or there are connections via Paris and Munich, or via Brussels, Cologne & Vienna.  Timetables, prices and how to buy tickets for all three options are explained below in a step-by-step guide.

On this page...

London-Budapest via Paris & the Munich-Budapest sleeper

London-Budapest via Paris & the Paris-Munich sleeper

London-Budapest via Brussels & the Cologne-Vienna sleeper

On other pages...

Buying connecting train tickets from other UK towns & cities

Scotland & North of England to Budapest avoiding London    West Country & South Coast to Budapest avoiding London

Taking your bike   Dogs   Luggage   Left luggage facilities in Paris   General information    European train travel help line

Sponsored links:

   


Option 1:  London to Budapest by Eurostar to Paris, TGV to Munich & the Munich-Budapest sleeper...

This is probably the easiest & cheapest way to reach Budapest, with daily trains, a convenient mid-morning departure from London and a breakfast-time arrival in Budapest the next day, with all that sightseeing ahead of you.  If you'd prefer a departure from London later in the day, see option 2.

Train times London ► Budapest

  • Day 1:  Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 10:25 and arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 13:47.  It's a 10 minute walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.

  • Day 1:  Travel from Paris to Munich by TGV on the new TGV-Est high-speed line, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 15:24 and arriving Munich Hauptbahnhof at 21:38.  Cafe-bar available.

  • Day 1:  Travel from Munich to Budapest overnight on the EuroNight sleeper train 'Kalman Imre', leaving Munich Hauptbahnhof at 23:40 and arriving Budapest Keleti station at 08:54 next morning (day 2).  The Kalman Imre has a modern air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin), a modern couchette car (4 & 6 berth compartments) and ordinary seats (not recommended).

Train times Budapest ► London

  • Day 1:  Travel from Budapest to Munich overnight on the EuroNight sleeper train 'Kalman Imre', leaving Budapest Keleti at 21:05 and arriving in Munich at 06:15 next morning.  The Kalman Imre has a modern air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin), couchettes (4 & 6 berth compartments) and seats (not recommended).

  • Day 2:  Travel from Munich to Stuttgart by high-speed ICE, leaving Munich Hauptbahnhof at 09:40 and arriving Stuttgart at 12:00.

  • Day 2:  Travel from Stuttgart to Paris by high-speed TGV, leaving Stuttgart at 12:55 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 16:34.  It's a 10-minute walk from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare du Nord.

  • Day 2:  Travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 18:13 (there's also a 17:43 on Fridays) arriving London St Pancras at 19:34 (18:59 on Fridays).

On board the Kalman Imre sleeper train to Budapest...

 

Cosy & inviting, a hotel on rails, this is the modern air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car of the 'Kalman Imre' waiting to leave Munich Hauptbahnhof on its overnight journey to Budapest, across Germany, Austria & Hungary...  The sleeping-car has 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, toilets at the end of the corridor.  You're looking through the windows into the corridor, most of the compartment doors are open, waiting for guests to board.  The lettering above the windows reads 'hαlσkocsi - schlafwagen - voiture-lits - sleeping-car'.  Under the windows, the logo 'Utasellato' is the Hungarian railways sleeping-car & dining car service.  The train also has more economical couchettes with 4 & 6 berth compartments, but if your budget will stretch just a bit, the sleeping-car is the best way to travel.

Photo courtesy of Istvαn Halαsz.

How much does it cost?

Each train is ticketed separately, so add up the price for each leg of the journey.

 1. London to Paris

     by Eurostar:

From £35 one-way or £59 return 2nd class.   Child, youth & senior fares

From £99 one-way or £175 return 1st class.  Advice on one-way Eurostar fares

 

 2. Paris to Munich

 by TGV:

From £34 one-way, £68 return in 2nd class

From £53 one-way, £106 return in 1st class.

Limited availability, book in advance to get these fares.

Full fare £81 one-way, £142 return.

 
 3. Munich to Budapest

 on the Kalman Imre:

In a

seat:

In a couchette In the sleeping-car
6-berth 4-berth 3-berth 2-berth single
 Savings fare one-way: £24 £33 £41 £58 £66  £108
 Savings fare return: £48 £66 £82 £116 £132  £216
 Full fare one-way: £79 £91 £96 £101 £116  £175
 Full fare return: £158 £182 £192 £202 £232  £349

Savings fare = Special cheap fare, book in advance, limited availability, no refunds, no changes to travel plans. 

Normal fare = fully flexible, refundable, buy any time.

How to buy tickets online...

The best & cheapest way to buy tickets is online, because there's no booking fee and all the special offers are there for you to see.  It involves three stages on two websites, so it's best to engage brain, jot down exactly what specific trains you want to book on what dates, and do a dry run on both sites to check prices and availability before booking for real.  Here's how to buy tickets online:

  • Bookings open 90 days before departure, you can't buy tickets before reservations open.

  • Step 1, go to www.raileurope.co.uk and using the train times on this page as a guide, book the train from Paris to Munich & back.  Add it to your basket.

  • Step 2, still on www.raileurope.co.uk, click 'continue shopping' and book the Eurostar from London to Paris & back.  By all means take an earlier Eurostar outward or a later one returning if it has cheaper seats available.  Add it to your basket.

  • Step 3, go to www.bahn.de and buy a sleeper or couchette ticket from Munich to Budapest on the direct overnight sleeper train, looking for the cheap 'Savings' fares.  Your simply book online and print out your own ticket in .PDF format using your PC printer.  Easy!  I recommend registering when it asks you before completing the purchase, so you can easily retrieve any bookings.

How to buy tickets by email...

If you'd prefer to have someone book it for you, just click here and a booking form will appear which lists all the trains you need to book for any of the options on this page.  Fill it in & email it to sales@europeanrail.com.  European Rail will make the reservations and call you back to confirm the cost.  If you're okay with the price you can give them your credit card details and they will send you the tickets.  European Rail is an experienced agency equipped with the German Railways reservation & ticketing system, so they have access to all the cheap fares for travel via Germany.  They charge a £25 booking fee which includes postage to any UK address, or they can send to any address worldwide if you pay the courier fee.  Seat61 gets some commission if you buy tickets using this form.

How to buy tickets by phone...

I f you prefer to buy tickets by phone, call Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 Sat & Sun, no booking fee), or www.europeanrail.com on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 Saturdays, £25 booking fee). Click here for a list of agencies and other useful information on how to buy European train tickets.


Option 2:  London to Budapest by Eurostar, the Paris-Munich sleeper & RailJet...

This is a good & affordable option, with a departure from London later in the day if that's important.  It runs daily for most of the year but only 4 times a week in winter.  Stop off for a while In Paris if you like!

Train times London ► Budapest

  • Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 15:29, arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 18:56.  It's a 10 minute walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.

  • Travel from Paris to Munich overnight by the City Night Line sleeper train 'Cassiopeia', leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 20:20 and arriving in Munich at 07:16 next morning.  This excellent train runs daily in summer, but only 4 times a week in winter.  It runs daily until 13 Dec 2008, then on Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays until 26 March 2009, then daily until 2 November 2009, then on Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays again.  It has sleeping-cars (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments, standard with washbasin or deluxe with shower), 4- & 6-berth couchettes & ordinary seats, see the photos & information below or More pictures & information about this City Night Line sleeper train.

  • Travel from Munich to Budapest by air-conditioned Austrian RailJet train, leaving Munich at 09:27 and arriving in Budapest Keleti station at 16:49.  A bar-bistro car is available, so treat yourself to lunch.  Watch out for great views of the castle & citadel on the right as you cross the Danube at Salzburg. More pictures & information about this RailJet train Map of Budapest showing Keleti station.

Train times Budapest ► London

  • Travel from Budapest to Munich by air-conditioned 'RailJet' train, leaving Budapest at 13:10 and arriving in Munich at 20:34.  A bar-bistro car is available, so treat yourself to lunch!  More pictures & information about this RailJet train.

  • Travel from Munich to Paris by the City Night Line sleeper train 'Cassiopeia', leaving Munich at 22:44 and arriving at Paris Gare de l'Est 09:30 next morning.  This excellent train runs daily in summer, but only 4 times a week in winter.  It runs daily until 13 Dec 2008, then on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays until 25 March 2009, then daily until 1 November 2009, then on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays again.  The trains has ordinary seats, couchettes (6-berth & 4-berth) and sleeping-cars (1, 2 or 3-bed rooms, deluxe with shower or standard with washbasin).  More pictures & information about this City Night Line sleeper trainWalk from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare du Nord.

  • Travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Nord at 11:13 and arriving London St Pancras at 12:29.

Introducing the City Night Line Paris - Munich sleeper train...

The Paris-Munich overnight train is one of the German Railway's excellent City Night Line sleeper trains.  Called the 'Cassiopeia', it has modern 'Comfortline' sleeping-cars (1, 2 & 3-berth deluxe rooms with private shower and toilet, 1, 2 & 3-berth standard rooms with washbasin.  There is a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in standard rooms, and all rooms have power-points for laptop computers), modern air-conditioned couchettes (choose between a berth in a 4- or 6-berth compartment), and ordinary seats (not recommended).  Inclusive fares are charged covering travel plus sleeping accommodation.  The sleeping-car fare includes a light breakfast. More pictures and information about this train Travel tip:  For a good meal in a classic Parisian brasserie before boarding the sleeper train in Paris, catch the earlier 14:04 Eurostar & dine at the Brasserie Terminus Nord directly across the road from the Gare du Nord.  For a cooked breakfast in Munich or evening meal before boarding the Paris-bound sleeper on your return, try the typically Bavarian Mongdratzerl restaurant, located in the hauptbahnhof itself.
Sleeping-car compartment (1 2 or 3 berths)   4-berth couchette compartment on Paris-Munich overnight train   6-berth couchette compartment on Paris-Munich overnight train  

The sleeping-car on the Paris-Munich overnight train boarding at the Gare de l'Est

1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper: The most comfortable & civilised option, standard with washbasin or deluxe with shower & toilet.

 

4-berth couchettes:  Ideal for families, much more space per person than 6-berth couchettes.

 

6-berth couchettes:  A very economical option, far better than a seat for just a few euros more...

 

Above:  The 'Comfortline' sleeping-car of the Paris to Munich sleeper train boarding at Paris Gare de l'Est...

More pictures & information about this train...

Introducing the Munich - Budapest RailJet...

RailJet is Austria's brand-new high-speed train, linking Munich, Salzburg, Vienna & Budapest.  It will soon also link Zurich, Innsbruck & Vienna.  Designed to run at up to 230km/h (143 mph) on sections of upgraded track, it currently reaches 200km/h on part of the route, but in other parts snakes around beautiful scenery at a more sedate pace.  Look out for great views of Salzburg citadel & castle on the right as you cross the river Salzach approaching Salzburg.  RailJet has three classes, Economy (2nd class), First (1st class), and Premium (25 euro supplement over normal first class).  It has a bistro car providing drinks, snacks and hot dishes, which are served on proper china at your seat in first and premium classes.  TV screens in each car tell you the train's speed, show a map indicating your location, and post a list of next station stops and times.  A great way to travel - simply order one of the regional beers from the bistro, sit back and enjoy the scenery...  More pictures & information about this RailJet train.

The morning RailJet train has arrived in Vienna.   Premium class seats on the Munich-Budapest RailJet train   Economy class seats on the Munich-Budapest RailJet train
"The RailJet has landed..."  Train RJ 63, the morning RailJet from Munich has arrived spot on time at Budapest's historic Keleti station, built 1881-1884...   Premium class costs 25 euro more than normal 1st class...   Economy class on RailJet, comfortable open saloons with large picture windows.  Some seats are arranged around tables, some are unidirectional.

How much does it cost?

 1. London to Paris

 by Eurostar:

From £35 one-way or £59 return 2nd class.   Child, youth & senior fares

From £99 one-way or £175 return 1st class.  Advice on one-way Eurostar fares

 
 2. Paris to Munich

 by sleeper train (per person):

In a

seat

In a couchette In the sleeping-car
6-bunk  4-bunk  3-bed  2-bed  1-bed  2-bed

+ shower

1-bed

+ shower

 Savings fare, one way from: £27 £45 69 euro (£60) £64 £73 £128 £91 £174
 Savings fare, return from: £54 £90 138 euro (£120) £128 £146 £256 £182 £348
 Normal fare, one-way: £110 £124 197 euro (£171) £143 £161 £198 £213 £250
 Normal fare, return: £186 £212 394 euro (£342) £244 £274 £336 £362 £424
 Child under 15 with own berth: £55 £62 74-95 euro (£64-82) £71 £80 £98 £106 £124
 Child under 6 without own berth: Child under 6 sharing berth travels free...
 
 3. Munich to Budapest

 by RailJet

 Economy class special fares from 39 euro (£33) one-way or 78 euro (£66) return

 Economy class full price 105 euro (£91) one-way, 210 euro (£182) return.

 First class special fares from 69 euro (£60) one-way or 138 euro (£120) return

* Savings fare = Special cheap fare, book in advance, limited availability, no refunds, no changes to travel plans. 

Normal fare = fully flexible, refundable, buy any time.

How to buy tickets online using www.raileurope.co.uk...

This is probably the easiest way to book.  Booking this way involves two websites, so do a 'dry run' first on both sites to check prices and availability before booking for real.

  • Step 1, go to www.raileurope.co.uk , and book the sleeper from Paris to Munich.  Tickets can be sent to any UK address or can be collected at the station.  Only UK credit cards are accepted.  It's best to book the Paris-Munich sleeper train first and double-check arrival an departure times before booking the Eurostar connection, in case times vary from the ones shown above.  Also, for some reason it won't book 4-berth couchettes.  If you've a child aged 4- 5 or 12-14 please read this note.

  • Step 2, after booking the Paris-Munich sleeper train, add it to your basket & click 'continue shopping'.  Now book the Eurostar from London to Paris and back.  Use the recommended Eurostar times above as a guide, but by all means book an earlier Eurostar outward or a later Eurostar on the way back if these have cheaper seats available or if you'd like to stop off in Paris.

  • Step 3, now go to the German Railways website www.bahn.de, use the journey planner to bring up the connecting Munich-Budapest RailJet train shown in the train times above, and buy the ticket, looking for any cheap fares.  You then simply print out your own Online Ticket.  I recommend registering when it asks you before completing the purchase, so you can easily retrieve any bookings.

  • Top tip:  If you want to stop off in Vienna for (say) a day, when booking the Munich to Budapest train at bahn.de simply look for the 'Via (1)' box and enter 'Vienna', then enter '24:00' in the 'hh:m stopover' box.  It'll then book you a 24 hour stopover in Vienna, but still let you buy a cheap 39 euro fare from Munich to Budapest (if it's available, obviously).  You can even spend a few hours in Salzburg on the way as well, by entering 'Salzburg' in the via box and (say) '04:00' in the stopover box, then clicking 'add another stopover' and entering 'Vienna' & '24:00'.  All still for 39 euro!

How to buy tickets online using www.bahn.de & www.eurostar.com...

Sometimes www.raileurope.co.uk has the cheapest fares for the Paris-Munich sleeper, sometimes www.bahn.de is cheaper, so it's worth checking both sites.  Bahn.de can book all accommodation, including 4-berth couchettes, though for some reason never offers solo travellers berths in 3-bed sleepers (but raileurope.co.uk will!).  If you book using the bahn.de site, children under 6 go free, children under 14 can get the child rate.  However, if you book the Paris-Munich sleeper using www.bahn.de you'll need to book the Eurostar separately at www.eurostar.com, so do a 'dry run' first on both sites to check prices and availability before booking for real.

  • Step 1, go to www.bahn.de, the German Railways website, and book the direct overnight sleeper train from Paris to Munich & back.  The search results will show cheap 'savings' fares (if available) and fully-flexible fares for each type of seat, couchette & sleeper.  You pay by credit card and print out your own tickets.  Easy!  The prices shown on www.bahn.de are in euro, and are the total cost for all passengers selected, not per person.  I recommend registering when it asks you before completing the purchase, so you can easily make the next booking and retrieve all bookings later.  Always book the sleeper train first and check its exact arrival & departure times before booking the Eurostar connection, as times can vary.  Allow at least 90 minutes on the outward journey and 1 hour on the return to make the connection in Paris.

  • Step 2, still on www.bahn.de, now use the journey planner to bring up the connecting Munich-Budapest RailJet train shown in the train times above, and buy the ticket.  It will show if any cheap special fares are available.  You simply print out your own Online Ticket.

  • Top tip:  If you want to stop off in Vienna for (say) a day, when booking the Munich to Budapest train at bahn.de simply look for the 'Via (1)' box and enter 'Vienna', then enter '24:00' in the 'hh:m stopover' box.  It'll then book you a 24 hour stopover in Vienna, but still let you buy a cheap 39 euro fare from Munich to Budapest (if it's available, obviously).  You can even spend a few hours in Salzburg on the way as well, by entering 'Salzburg' in the via box and (say) '04:00' in the stopover box, then clicking 'add another stopover' and entering 'Vienna' & '24:00'.  All still for 39 euro!

  • Step 3, go to www.eurostar.com to book your connecting Eurostar tickets between London and Paris, using the Eurostar times above as a guide.  By all means book an earlier Eurostar outwards, or a later Eurostar on the way back, if this has cheaper seats available of if you'd like to stop off in Paris for a while.  Eurostar tickets can be sent to any UK address, self-printed or collected up at the station.

How to buy tickets by email...

If you'd prefer to have someone book it for you, just click here and a booking form will appear which lists all the trains you need to book for any of the options on this page.  Fill it in & email it to sales@europeanrail.com.  European Rail will make the reservations and call you back to confirm the cost.  If you're okay with the price you can give them your credit card details and they will send you the tickets.  European Rail is an experienced agency equipped with the German Railways reservation & ticketing system, so they have access to all the cheap fares for travel via Germany.  They charge a £25 booking fee which includes postage to any UK address, or they can send to any address worldwide if you pay the courier fee.  Seat61 gets some commission if you buy tickets using this form.

How to buy tickets by phone...

If you'd prefer to book by phone, just call Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card charge, no charge for debit cards), or a booking agency such as European Rail on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 Saturdays, £25 booking fee).


Option 3:  London-Budapest via the Cologne-Vienna sleeper...

This runs daily, and avoids any walk between stations if that's important to you.

Train times London Budapest

  • Travel from London to Brussels by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 12:57, arriving in Brussels Midi at 16:03.

  • Travel from Brussels to Cologne by high-speed Thalys train, leaving Brussels Midi at 16:55 and arriving in Cologne Hauptbahnhof at 19:15.

  • Travel from Cologne to Vienna on the excellent City Night Line hotel train 'Eridanus', leaving Cologne Hauptbahnhof at 20:06 and arriving in Vienna (Westbahnhof) at 09:04.  The 'Eridanus' has sleeping-cars, couchettes, reclining seats & a bar-bistro car, see the photos & information below.  The train travels along the famous Rhine Valley between Koblenz and Frankfurt, so if you are in a sleeper and your compartment happens to be on the left-hand side of the train, switch off the lights and watch the Rhine pass by, mountains and castles lit by moonlight, while sipping a glass of Riesling.  Wonderful!

  • Travel from Vienna to Budapest by air-conditioned EuroCity train, leaving Vienna at 09:50 and arriving Budapest Keleti station at 12:49.  Watch out for the crossing of the Danube just before arrival in Budapest.  Map of Budapest showing Keleti station.

Train times Budapest  London

  • Travel from Budapest to Vienna by air-conditioned EuroCity train, leaving Budapest Keleti station at 15:10 and arriving Vienna Westbahnhof at 18:08.

  • Travel from Vienna to Cologne overnight, leaving Vienna Westbahnhof at 19:54 and arriving at Cologne at 08:42 next morning.  This train is the excellent City Night Line hotel train 'Eridanus', with double-deck sleeping-cars (1, 2 or 3-bed deluxe sleepers with en suite shower & WC, 1, 2 or 3-bed standard sleepers with washbasin), couchettes (4-bunk or 6-bunk), reclining seats and a bar-bistro car.  See the information & photos below.

  • Travel from Cologne to Brussels by high speed Thalys train, leaving Cologne at 10:45 and arriving Brussels Midi 13:01.

  • Travel from Brussels to London by Eurostar.  On Mondays-Fridays, leave Brussels Midi at 14:59 and arrive London St Pancras at 15:56.  On Saturdays & Sundays, depart Brussels Midi at 14:29 and arrive London St Pancras at 15:26.

Introducing the City Night Line sleeper train 'Eridanus' from Cologne to Vienna...

The City Night Line 'Eridanus' is a travelling hotel, with bar-bistro car, modern 'Comfortline' sleeping-cars with 1, 2 & 3-bed deluxe sleepers with private shower & toilet, 1, 2 & 3 bed standard sleepers with washbasin, couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and reclining seats.  A wonderful way to travel!  The sleeper berths come fully made up with sheets and duvets.  All sleeper passengers get mineral water in the evening and a light breakfast served in their compartment next morning, deluxe sleeper passengers also get a complimentary glass of wine in the evening.  Towels and toiletries are provided, including shampoo and shower gel in the deluxe sleeper.  Couchette passengers get mineral water, each couchette is provided with clean sheets, blanket and pillow.  The bar-bistro is open to all passengers, and it's normally open to about 2am.  If you like, you can book a table for dinner in the restaurant car before you travel, by emailing service@citynightline.ch.  When waiting for the northbound City Night Line train at Vienna Westbahnhof, if you have a sleeper ticket (as opposed to couchette or seat ticket), you can use the first class station lounge, with complimentary drinks. City Night Line website: www.bahn.de/citynightline.

Sleeping-car room as used on the Cologne-Vienna night train   City Night Line sleeper train to Vienna:  4-berth couchettes    

City Night Line sleeper train to Vienna: reclining seats

A sleeping-car as used on the Cologne-Vienna overnight train

1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper: The most comfortable & civilised option. Standard compartments have washbasin, deluxe ones a  shower & toilet.

 

4 & 6-berth couchettes:  Ideal for families.  Couchettes are basic padded bunks with rug & pillow.  This is a 4-berth compartment.

   

Above:  Reclining seats.  Although a couchette is far better for sleeping!

Above:  One of the new 'Comfortline' sleeping-cars as used on the Cologne-Vienna City Night Line sleeper train 'Eridanus'.

More pictures of City Night Line sleeper & couchettes

On board the EuroCity train from Vienna to Budapest...

2nd class seats on a EuroCity train from Vienna to Budapest     The restaurant car on a EuroCity train from Vienna to Budapest
Above:  2nd class seats on an air-conditioned EuroCity train from Vienna to Budapest...   Above:  The Hungarian restaurant car on some Vienna to Budapest EuroCity trains.  The set menu costs around 15 euros, a small bottle of wine about 2.80 euros.  Treat yourself..!

How much does it cost?

 1. London to Cologne

 by Eurostar + Thalys:

 One-way fares start at £51 London-Brussels + £14 Brussels-Cologne = £65. 

 Return fares start at £59 London-Brussels + £28 Brussels-Cologne = £87.

 Fares vary like air fares, so book in advance to get the cheapest prices.

 
 2. Cologne to Vienna

 by City Night Line (per person):

In a seat In a couchette In the sleeping-car
6-berth 4-berth 3-berth 2-berth single

2-berth

+ shower

single

+ shower

 Savings fare one-way from: €49 (£42) €59 (£51) €69 (£60) €79 (£68) €89 (£77) €139 (£120) €129 (£112) €169 (£146)
 Savings fare return from: €98 (£84) €119 (£102) €138 (£120) €158 (£136) €178 (£154) €278 (£240) €258 (£224) €338 (£292)
 Normal fare one-way: €147 (£127) €163 (£141) €173 (£150) €183 (£159) €203 (£176)  €239 (£207) €289 (£251) €329 (£286)
 Normal fare return: €294 (£254) €326 (£282) €346 (£300) €366 (£318) €406 (£352)  €478 (£414) €578 (£502) €658 (£572)
 Child under 14 with own berth: Savings fares for children slightly lower than adult Savings fares, child full fare 50-60% of adult normal fare
 Child under 6 without own berth:

Child  under 6 sharing a berth travels free...

 
 3. Vienna to Budapest

 by EuroCity train

 £35 one-way, £70 return 2nd class

 £53 one-way, £106 return 1st class

If you book this journey at www.oebb.at, the flexible fare is 34 euro (£30) one-way or 68 euro (£59) return, but a special fare 19 euro (£17) one-way or 38 euro (£34) return is often available (no refunds, no changes).

Savings fare = Special cheap fare, book in advance, limited availability, no refunds, no changes to travel plans. 

Normal fare = fully flexible, refundable, buy any time.

How to buy tickets online at www.raileurope.co.uk...

The easiest way to book this journey is at www.raileurope.co.uk, because all the trains can be booked as a single transaction on one UK-based website.  If you live outside the UK, or want to book 4-berth couchettes (which for some reason raileurope.co.uk currently won't do) use www.eurostar.com & www.bahn.de instead (see the next section).  It's a good idea to compare prices for the Cologne-Vienna train between www.raileurope.co.uk & www.bahn.de as they can differ.

  • Step 1, go to www.raileurope.co.uk, but resist the temptation to enter 'London' & 'Budapest' all in one go as this won't find the cheapest fares.  Remember that booking opens 90 days before departure, you can't book before then.  First, enter 'Cologne' & 'Vienna' and book the overnight train from Cologne to Vienna and back. Obviously, in the search results simply look for the direct train with no changes.  For some reason it won't book 4-berth couchettes, and may struggle with 2-berth sleepers with shower, but if you have any difficulties like this simply book using www.bahn.de instead, as described in the next section.  Add this ticket to your basket and click 'continue shopping'.

  • Step 2, still at www.raileurope.co.uk, now book the train from Brussels to Cologne & back, using the train times above as your guide.  Add this ticket to your basket and click 'continue shopping'.

  • Step 3, still at www.raileurope.co.uk, now book the Eurostar from London to Brussels & back, using the train times above as a guide.  By all means take an earlier Eurostar outwards, or a later one back, if it has cheaper seats available or if you'd like to stop off in Brussels.  Add this to your basket an click 'continue shopping'.

  • Step 4, still at www.raileurope.co.uk, now buy a ticket from Vienna to Budapest and back.  Add to your basket and proceed to the payment stage.  Tickets can be sent to any UK address and normally arrive within a couple of days.  Only UK credit cards are accepted. 

  • Alternative step 4:  You can save a fiver each way by buying the Vienna-Budapest ticket online at www.oebb.at, the Austrian Railways website, printing out your ticket in .PDF format.  As well as flexible tickets, there is often a 19 euro (£17) special fare available (no refunds, no changes to travel plans at this price).  Simply select 'English' top right, then click 'Online-tickets' top left, then click 'international tickets' and make your booking.

  • Booking tips:  Also try booking from London to Cologne (shown as Koln) at www.eurostar.com, as sometimes a through fare is cheaper than booking each leg separately at www.raileurope.co.uk.

  • Advice on buying connecting train tickets from other UK towns & cities

How to buy tickets online using www.eurostar.com & www.bahn.de...

This method involves two websites, so do a dry run on both sites to check prices and availability before booking for real.

  • Step 1, go to either www.eurostar.com or www.raileurope.co.uk and using the train times on this page as your guide, book a ticket from London to Cologne & back (Cologne is listed as Koln on the Eurostar website).  It's a good idea to try both of these websites, as sometimes one is cheaper than the other, for some strange reason.  Bookings for Eurostar+Thalys open 90 days  before departure, and the further ahead you book, the more likely you are to see the cheapest fares.  Tickets can be posted to any UK address or collected at St Pancras on departure.  Make sure you allow plenty of time for the connection in Cologne, preferably between 1½ & 2 hours when connecting with a sleeper train.  It's obvious, but remember that your return departure date from Cologne will be the day after your departure date from Budapest!  Top tip:  If you don't see any sensibly-priced London-Cologne through fares, go to www.raileurope.co.uk and try booking in two stages, first London-Brussels & back, then Brussels-Cologne & back, using the train times above as your guide.  This can be cheaper!

  • Step 2, go to www.bahn.de and buy a ticket from Cologne to Vienna aboard the direct City Night Line sleeper train.  Your simply book online and print out your own ticket in .PDF format using your PC printer.  Easy!  Make sure you select the type of couchette or sleeper that you want.  Bookings for City Night Line open 90 days (3 months) before departure.  I recommend registering when it asks you before completing the purchase, so you can easily retrieve any bookings.

  • Step 3, you can easily buy a Vienna-Budapest ticket at the station when you get to Vienna, as no advance reservation is necessary, you just buy a ticket and hop on.  Or to save time at the ticket office you can buy a ticket online at www.oebb.at, the Austrian Railways website, printing out your ticket in .PDF format.  Alternatively, you can easily buy  Vienna-Budapest tickets at www.raileurope.co.uk for £27.50 one-way, £55 return, tickets sent to any UK address.

  • Advice on buying connecting train tickets from other UK towns & cities

How to buy tickets by email...

If you'd prefer to have someone book it for you, just click here and a booking form will appear which lists all the trains you need to book for any of the options on this page.  Fill it in & email it to sales@europeanrail.com.  European Rail will make the reservations and call you back to confirm the cost.  If you're okay with the price you can give them your credit card details and they will send you the tickets.  European Rail is an experienced agency equipped with the German Railways reservation & ticketing system, so they have access to all the cheap fares for travel via Germany.  They charge a £25 booking fee which includes postage to any UK address, or they can send to any address worldwide if you pay the courier fee.  Seat61 gets some commission if you buy tickets using this form.

How to buy tickets by phone...

The best agency to call to book this trip is probably Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card charge, no charge for debit cards).  Alternatively, call www.europeanrail.com on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 Saturdays, £25 booking fee, but may have more time to help).  Click here for more information on how to buy European train tickets.


 

 Escorted tours to Budapest by train

 

01904 527120

If you want a holiday to Budapest by train, but would prefer to travel with fellow travellers, a tour manager and all the legwork done for you, there is one company who offers this.  Seat61 gets some commission to support the site if you book your holiday through this link or phone number.

Great Rail Journeys, www.greatrail.com, 01904 527120...

GRJ offers a 13-day tour to Vienna, Budapest & Prague from £1,750, with 1st class train travel and 5* or 4* hotels.  Great Rail Journeys also offer holidays by train to other European countries.  Check the tour details online, then call 01904 527120 to book or use their online booking form.

 


 

 The Thomas Cook European Timetable

Thomas Cook European Timetable -  click to buy onlineThomas Cook Rail Map of Europe - buy onlineThe Thomas Cook European timetable has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency & climate information.  Published since 1873, it costs £13.99.  It's essential for any serious traveller and an inspiration for armchair travellers.  Still not convinced you need one?  More information on what the Thomas Cook Timetable contains.  You can buy the latest monthly edition online at www.thomascooktimetables.com with worldwide delivery or buy it in person from any UK branch of Thomas Cook (ask at the bureau de change), or from W H Smiths in Victoria or Kings Cross stations in London.  Or buy the twice-yearly independent traveller's edition with laminated cover from Amazon.co.uk:  2009 edition (June to December 2009)

The Thomas Cook Rail Map of Europe is the best and most comprehensive map of train routes right across Europe, from Portugal in the west to Istanbul, Moscow & Ukraine in the east, from Finland in the north to Sicily & Crete in the south.  High speed & scenic routes are highlighted.  Highly recommended!  Buy online at www.amazon.co.uk (worldwide delivery).  See an extract from the map.


 

The Man in Seat 61 book - click to buy onlineLonely Planet Eastern Europe - buy online at Amazon.co.ukLonely Planet to Hungary - buy online at Amazon.co.ukPaying for a guidebook may seem an unnecessary expense, but it's a tiny fraction of what you're spending on your whole trip.  You will see so much more, and know so much more about what you're looking at, if you have a decent guidebook.  For independent travel, the best guide is either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide.  Both are excellent.  The Lonely Planet range offers an in-depth guide for Hungary or a guide covering all the countries in Eastern Europe.  You won't regret buying one..! 

Click the images to buy at Amazon.co.uk...

Or buy direct from the Lonely Planet website, with shipping worldwide.

My own book, an essential handbook for train travel to Europe based on this website called "The Man in Seat 61", was published in June 2008, and is available from Amazon.co.uk with shipping worldwide.


 

 Hotels & accommodation

Find a hotel in Budapest or anywhere in Europe...

It's easy to book hotels online to go with your train tickets, but there are almost too many hotel booking websites to choose from.  So try www.hotelscombined.com (just use the search box below).  This is not a hotel booking site, but a free search tool which searches all the main hotel booking sites for you (Expedia, Travelocity, LateRooms, Opodo, Venere and many others) to find the cheapest hotel rates on the net.  Set up in 2005, it's an amazing system and probably the best place to start for booking any hotel online in any country, worldwide.

 

◄◄◄ Search all the major hotel

booking websites at once...

Hotel reservations? Find the right hotel first. Compare here.

Powered by Hotelscombined.com

Other hotel sites worth a look...Click to book a hotel or guesthouse online with Venere.com

Also try the Budapest hotels page at www.venere.com.  The price you see is the price you pay, and you just pay the hotel when you get there.  After you've booked, you can change or cancel your reservation in line with the hotel's own change and cancellation policy.

Backpacker hostels...

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


 

 Travel insurance & health card

Travel insurance..

Travel insurance is boring, but a necessity, so never travel without it.  Make sure your cover is adequate, at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover, from a reliable insurer.  It should also cover loss of cash (up to a limit) and belongings, and cancellation. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year (I have an annual policy myself).  Here are some suggested insurers.  Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.

  If you live in the UK, get quotes from Direct Line, Columbus Direct & the Environmental Transport Association (click the banner below).

I've used Direct Line myself and on one occasion, successfully claimed back the cost of non-refundable Eurostar & trainhotel tickets to Spain when we cancelled the trip because my mother fell ill.  ETA offer discounts on insurance for non-flying trips, so give them a try too although I have yet to use them myself.  Feedback from using insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome!

      If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, see Columbus Direct Australia.

  If you live in the USA or Canada, see Travel Guard USA.

EU health card...

UK citizens travelling in Europe should carry a European Health Insurance Card.  This replaces the old E111 forms as from January 2006.  The EHIC card is available free from www.ehic.org.uk and entitles you to free or reduced rate health care if you become ill or get injured in many European countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with the UK's NHS.


 

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