The train ride from London to Budapest is safe, comfortable & affordable and takes less than 24 hours.  Take an afternoon Eurostar to Brussels, the excellent Nightjet sleeper train to Vienna and an onward railjet train to Budapest.  Or take Eurostar to Paris and a high-speed TGV to Stuttgart, then a Hungarian sleeper train to Budapest.  Or travel by daytime trains with an overnight stop in Munich or Zurich.  Times, fares and how to buy tickets are explained below.

	Which route to choose?
	London to Budapest by Eurostar to Brussels, sleeper to Vienna, train to Budapest
	London to Budapest by Eurostar to Paris, sleeper to Vienna, railjet to Budapest
	London to Budapest by Eurostar to Paris, TGV to Stuttgart, sleeper to Budapest
	London to Budapest by daytime trains with overnight stop in Munich
	London to Budapest by daytime trains with overnight stop in Zurich - the scenic route!
	London & Cambridge to Budapest via ferry from Harwich
	UK to Budapest via ferry from Newcastle or Hull
	Starting from other UK towns & cities

International trains to & from Budapest

  Trains to Budapest from other European cities

  Trains from Budapest to other European cities

Useful train travel information

  Budapest Keleti railway station facilities

  Hotels in Budapest - suggested places to stay

  Useful country information: currency, dial code...

  Holidays & tours to Budapest by train

  General European train travel information

  Taking a bike    Taking a dog

  Luggage   Left luggage at stations

  Travel insurance, mobile data, VPN & other tips

Route map:  London to Budapest by train

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Useful country information

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London to Budapest

Which route to choose?

• Option 1, lunchtime Eurostar to Brussels, Nightjet sleeper to Vienna & railjet train to Budapest.  The easiest, most comfortable & time-effective option, using the Brussels-Vienna Nightjet on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays.

• Option 2, lunchtime Eurostar to Paris, Nightjet sleeper to Vienna & railjet train to Budapest.  A similar easy, comfortable & time-effective option, using the Paris-Vienna Nightjet, also Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays.

• Option 3, morning Eurostar to Paris, TGV to Stuttgart, sleeper to Budapest.  A time-effective option with daily departures, dinner in Stuttgart and a comfortable Hungarian sleeper train to Budapest arriving next morning.

• Option 4, morning Eurostar to Paris, TGV to Munich, overnight stop, railjet to Budapest.  If you prefer daytime trains and a hotel to sleepers, this is the option for you.  London to Munich by Eurostar & high-speed double-deck TGV on day 1, overnight hotel, then Munich to Budapest by fast railjet train on day 2.

• Option 5, the scenic route:  Morning Eurostar to Paris, TGV to Zurich, overnight stop, railjet to Budapest.  Another all-daytime option with an overnight hotel, longer than option 4 but with wonderful scenery through the Arlberg Pass from Switzerland to Austria, see the video.  If it's scenery you want, this is the option for you.

• Option 6, the ferry alternative:  London & Cambridge to Budapest via the Harwich-Hoek ferry.  London to Amsterdam with a cosy private cabin with shower & toilet on the overnight Harwich-Hoek van Holland ferry, fast trains to Munich and sleeper to Budapest.  Useful if you want to avoid the Channel Tunnel or if Eurostar fares are expensive, if you need to take a dog or cat, or if you live in East Anglia.

• Option 7, by ferry from Hull or Newcastle.  By-pass London, taking a DFDS ferry from Newcastle or P&O ferry from Hull to Holland, for onward trains to Budapest.

Which option is cheapest?  You have to go online and see, because each option involves several tickets and the price of each ticket varies like air fares.  However, at short notice, the ferry options are usually cheaper than Eurostar.

Can you go out one way, back another?  Yes!  Almost all European train fares are priced one-way, so you can book one-way out on one route and one-way back on another.  Eurostar is the exception where a return fare is cheaper than two one-ways, so book London-Paris or London-Brussels as a round trip if you can.

Can you stop off?  Of course!  Simply book trains either side of the stopover on whatever dates you want.  Each part of these journeys is ticketed separately in any case (for example, the Eurostar, the sleeper train and the onward train), so it's no problem to stop off on the way at any of the key interchange points.

What if you're not starting from London?  See advice about starting your journey from elsewhere in the UK.

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Option 1, London to Budapest using the Brussels-Vienna sleeper

This is the easiest, most comfortable & most time-effective way from the UK to Hungary.  Take Eurostar to Brussels, the excellent 3-times-a-week Nightjet sleeper from Brussels to Vienna, then a connecting train to Budapest.  Option 2 is almost identical, but via Paris rather than Brussels, so check that out too.

London ► Budapest

• Step 1, travel from London to Brussels by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 13:01 and arriving Brussels Midi 16:06.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include lunch with wine.

  A later 15:04 departure is possible, but the 13:01 is a safer connection as the sleeper is occasionally retimed earlier.

  Tip:  At Brussels Midi, the Pullman Hotel bar makes an excellent VIP waiting room.

• Step 2, travel from Brussels to Vienna by Nightjet, leaving Brussels Midi at 19:06 on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, arriving Vienna Hbf 10:13. 

  The comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two Comfortline sleeping-cars each with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet.  There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers.  The train has two couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.  See the guide to Nightjet accommodation.

  There's no restaurant car, but in sleepers or couchettes you can order drinks, snacks and hot dishes from a room service menu, served in your compartment.  The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee, served in your compartment.

  Tip:  If you have a sleeping-car ticket or a 1st class ticket for the onward train to Budapest, you can use the ÖBB lounge on arrival at Vienna Hbf to wait for your onward train, with free WiFi and complimentary tea, coffee & snacks.

  Tip:  You can check the train formation, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using www.vagonweb.cz.  Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations and search for NJ 425.

• Step 3, travel from Vienna to Budapest by railjet, leaving Vienna Hbf at 11:40, arriving Budapest Keleti 14:19.

  Don't risk connection with earlier trains.  Railjets have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  In 1st & business class food orders are taken & served at your seat.  Look out for the crossing of the Danube just before arrival in Budapest.  Map of Budapest showing Keleti station.

Budapest ► London

• Step 1, travel from Budapest to Vienna by railjet, leaving Budapest Keleti at 13:40 and arriving Vienna Hbf 16:20.

  The railjet has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  More about railjets.  By all means book an earlier train and spend an afternoon in Vienna.

  Tip:  If you have a 1st class ticket, you can use the business lounge at Budapest Keleti on platform 9 with complimentary refreshments & WiFi.

  Tip:  If you have an onward sleeper ticket, you can use the ÖBB lounge at Vienna Hbf, with refreshments & free WiFi.

• Step 2, travel from Vienna to Brussels by Nightjet, leaving Vienna Hbf at 18:13 on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Sundays, arriving Brussels Midi 09:55.

  The comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two Comfortline sleeping-cars each with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet.  There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers.  The train has two couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.  See the guide to Nightjet accommodation.

  There's no restaurant car, but in sleepers or couchettes you can order drinks, snacks and hot dishes from a room service menu, served in your compartment.  The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee, served in your compartment.

• Step 3, travel from Brussels to London by Eurostar, leaving Brussels Midi at 12:56 arriving London St Pancras 13:57.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include lunch with wine.

How much does it cost?

1. London to Brussels by Eurostar	From £52 one-way, £78 return 2nd class.  From £97 one-way, £168 return 1st class.  Child fares
2. Brussels to Vienna  by Nightjet sleeper train  one-way per person per bed	In a seat	In a couchette		In the sleeping-car
		6-berth	4-berth	3-berth	2-berth	1-berth	3-berth + shower	2-berth + shower	1-berth + shower
Fares start at:	€29.90	€49.90	€59.90	€89.90	€109.90	€159.90	€99.90	€139.90	€189.90
3. Vienna to Budapest	From €19 each way 2nd class, €29 each way 1st class.

All these fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.  Return fares are twice the one-way.

On the sleeper train, berths are sold individually, one ticket means one bed, other beds in your compartment will be sold to other passengers.  For sole occupancy, simply book 1 ticket in a 1-berth sleeper or 2 tickets in a 2-berth sleeper or 4 tickets in a 4-berth couchette and so on.

How to buy tickets

• Step 1, book the nightjet sleeper from Brussels to Vienna at www.thetrainline.com and add to basket.

  Using www.thetrainline.com allows you to book all your tickets in one place, in €, £ or $, small booking fee.  About Thetrainline.

  Booking for the Nightjet opens 2-6 months ahead, it varies.  More about when bookings open.  Child under 6?  See here.

• Step 2, now use www.thetrainline.com again to book the London-Brussels Eurostar and add to basket.

  Eurostar bookings open up to 11 months ahead, but I'd wait and book the sleeper first so you can confirm times & availability.

  You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.

• Step 3, now use www.thetrainline.com again to book the Vienna-Budapest train, add to basket & check out.

  You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.

• Tip:  If you're travelling from a town or city north or west of London, see advice on buying tickets to connect with Eurostar.

• Tip:  After booking, you can use Manage your booking at www.eurostar.com to choose a better seat from a seat map, see tips on choosing a seat.

Another way to buy tickets

• Alternatively, you can book direct with the operators, it's more work with separate bookings on different websites, but no booking fee.  In all cases you print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

• Step 1, book the London-Brussels Eurostar at www.eurostar.com.

• Step 2, book the nightjet sleeper at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.

• Step 3, book Vienna-Budapest at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.

Or use an Interrail pass

• Pass or point to point?

  Let's be clear, a pass will not save money over the cheapest point-to-point advance-purchase fares you might see if you book a few months ahead.  But when point-to-point fares are expensive (for example, at short notice) OR you want the flexibility to change your mind, re-route or reschedule as necessary, a pass might be what you need.

  If flexibility is what you want, buy the pass.  If it's about saving money, you'll have to check point-to-point prices and do the maths.

  It's worth doing the maths if you are under 28, if you have kids (kids get a free pass when accompanying an adult but still need to pay reservation fees) or if you live a long way from London (as a pass covers you from your home station to London).  Passes are available in 1st & 2nd class, a 2nd class pass is all you need to book any type of sleeper on the Nightjet, even a deluxe.

• How to use a pass for a trip to Hungary

  Step 1, buy a 4-days in 1-month Interrail pass from www.raileurope.com (click Rail passes and select Europe) or www.interrail.eu, see pass prices on the Interrail page.  You load the pass into the Railplanner app on your phone.

  A 4-day pass is enough to get from most regions of Britain to anywhere in Hungary & back again.

  A 4-day pass gives you unlimited train travel on any 4 dates you choose in an overall 1 month period.  The first travel day can be any date you select in the 11 months after buying the pass, the overall 1 month period starts from that date.  Learn about how Interrail passes work here.

  Step 2, make a Eurostar passholder reservation from London to Brussels & back, see prices & how to make Eurostar passholder reservations online.  Tip:  Eurostar passholder availability is limited, so check availability before buying a pass.

  Step 3, make a couchette or sleeper reservation on the Nightjet sleeper at www.oebb.at following the instructions here, method 1.  Prices can be found on the Interrail reservations page.

  By all means go out one way, back another, with an Interrail pass you can use almost any of the trains & routes to/from Hungary shown on this page, find out how to reserve the relevant trains using the Interrail reservations guide.

  Step 4, reservations between Vienna & Budapest are optional, you can make one at www.oebb.at following the instructions here, method 2.

Have your trip arranged as a package

• Railbookers are a train travel specialist who can put together a UK-Hungary trip as a package, including rail travel, hotels & transfers.  You'll find a range of suggested tours & holidays on their website which can be customised to your requirements.  One of their most popular trips is Ultimate Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest with train travel from the UK - it can be customised to include train travel both ways, just ask.  Another top seller is their holiday to Berlin & Prague with travel to & from London by train.

    UK call 0207 864 4600, www.railbookers.co.uk. 

    US call free 1-888-829-4775, www.railbookers.com.

    Canada call free 1-855-882-2910, www.railbookers.com.

    Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526, www.railbookers.com.au. 

    New Zealand call toll-free 0800 000 554 or see website.

• Byway (Byway.travel) is a UK-based eco-holiday firm with a 5-star TrustPilot rating.  If you're nervous about booking train travel yourself, book a UK-Budapest train trip through Byway as a package, including hotels and starting from any British station you like.  Byway includes package protection, a 100% Covid refund guarantee, free disruption and re-planning and on-demand WhatsApp support while you're away. 

  To see pre-configured packages from London to Budapest, use the journey planner on their website.

  Or they can build a trip to your requirements, call 0300 131 7173 (open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, from outside the UK call +44 300 131 7173) or email them or use this contact form.  Please say you heard about them from Seat 61.

How to buy tickets by phone

• It's better to book online to avoid phone booking fees and see for yourself which trains are cheapest.  Most agencies only work weekday office hours, you can book online 24/7.  But if you want to book by phone, see my list of UK-based ticketing agencies.

What's the journey like?

1. London to Brussels by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Brussels in just 2 hours, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Plus and Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure.  St Pancras station guide.  Brussels Midi station guide.  In Brussels, I recommend using the Pullman Hotel bar as your VIP waiting room.

Eurostar e320 at St Pancras.  More about Eurostar.		1st class: Plus or Premier seating.

Standard class.  Larger photo.		One of two cafe-bars, cars 8 & 9.  Larger photo.

2. Brussels to Vienna by Nightjet

This Austrian Railways (ÖBB) Nightjet train has two sleeping-cars, two couchette cars & seats.  Each of the two sleeping-cars has nine 1, 2 or 3 bed compartments with washbasin, plus three deluxe compartments with 1, 2 or 3 beds with shower & toilet.  The sleeper berths come made up with sheets and duvets, sleeper passengers get mineral water in the evening and a light breakfast served in their compartment next morning.  Towels & toiletries are provided, including shampoo and shower gel in the deluxe sleepers.  In the more economical couchettes, you can book a couchette in a 6-berth compartment or a less-crowded 4-berth compartment, each provided with sheet, blanket, pillow & bottle of water.  Couchette passengers get tea or coffee, rolls & jam in the morning.  When waiting for the northbound sleeper train in Vienna, if you have booked a sleeper you can use the ÖBB lounge with complimentary refreshments & WiFi.  More about Nightjets.  Vienna Hbf station guide.

On 20 January 2020, the inaugural Nightjet left Brussels for Vienna, the first scheduled sleeper train to leave Brussels in 16 years.  Above, that inaugural train is seen ready to leave Brussels Midi on 20 January - naturally, the Man in Seat 61 was on board!  More about Nightjets.

Deluxe sleeper.  Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room.  Larger photo.  Video of deluxe room		Same deluxe sleeper in evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out.  Larger photo.		Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided.  Larger photo.		Standard sleeper set up as 2-berth, washstand open.  It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth.  Larger photo.

6-berth couchettes.		4-berth couchettes.		Couchette car on the Brussels-Vienna Nightjet.

3. Vienna to Budapest by EuroCity or railjet train

The swish Austrian railjet train has business class, 1st class & 2nd class (in that order!).  All seats have power sockets and there's free WiFi.  There's a restaurant car although in 1st & business classes a steward takes food orders and serves you at your seat.  EuroCity trains use older but still comfortable air-conditioned Hungarian carriages, usually with a restaurant car.  More about Vienna-Budapest trains.  Budapest Keleti station guide.

A railjet about to leave Vienna.  More about railjets.

Business class.  About.		14-seat restaurant & bar counter.

First class.		Economy class.

The railjet has landed.  A railjet has arrived spot on time in Budapest's historic Keleti station, built 1881-1884

Back to top

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Option 2, London to Budapest using the Paris-Vienna sleeper

Almost identical to option 1, but via Paris instead of Brussels.  Option 1 involves an easy same-station change in Brussels from Eurostar to Nightjet, this involves an easy 7 minute walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est, that's the only real difference.  The Paris-Vienna & Brussels-Vienna Nightjets run on the same 3 days of the week, in fact they run coupled together between Mannheim and Vienna.

London ► Budapest

• Step 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 14:31, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 17:48.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include lunch with wine.

  In Paris, it's an easy 7 minute 500m walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.

  Tip:  I'd take the 12:31 Eurostar from London and have dinner in Paris, see suggested restaurants near the Gare du Nord & Gare de l'Est.

• Step 2, travel from Paris to Vienna by Nightjet, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 19:12 on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, arriving Vienna Hbf 10:13.

  The comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two Comfortline sleeping-cars each with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet.  There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers.  The train has two couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.  See the guide to Nightjet accommodation.

  There's no restaurant car, but in sleepers or couchettes you can order drinks, snacks and hot dishes from a room service menu, served in your compartment.  The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee, served in your compartment.

  Tip:  You can check the train formation, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using www.vagonweb.cz.  Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations and search for NJ 469.

• Step 3, travel from Vienna to Budapest by railjet train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 11:40, arriving Budapest Keleti 14:19.

  Don't risk connection with earlier trains.  Railjets have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  In 1st & business class food orders are taken & served at your seat.  Look out for the crossing of the Danube just before arrival in Budapest.  Map of Budapest showing Keleti station.

Budapest ► London

• Step 1, travel from Budapest to Vienna by railjet, leaving Budapest Keleti at 13:40 and arriving Vienna Hbf 16:20.

  The railjet has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  More about railjets.  By all means book an earlier train and spend an afternoon in Vienna.

  Tip:  If you have a 1st class ticket, you can use the business lounge at Budapest Keleti near platform 9, with refreshments & free WiFi.

  Tip:  If you have a sleeper, you can use the ÖBB lounge at Vienna Hbf before boarding the sleeper, with refreshments & free WiFi.

• Step 2, travel from Vienna to Paris by Nightjet, leaving Vienna Hbf at 18:13 on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Sundays, arriving Paris Est 09:39.

  This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two Comfortline sleeping-cars each with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet.  There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers.  The train has two couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.  See the guide to Nightjet accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.

  There's no restaurant car, but in sleepers or couchettes you can order drinks, snacks and hot dishes from a room service menu, served in your compartment.  The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee.

  In Paris, it's an easy 7 minute 500m walk from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare du Nord, but I'd allow 2-3 hours between trains in case of delay.

• Step 3, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 13:12 arriving London St Pancras 14:30.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include lunch with wine.

How much does it cost?

1. London to Paris by Eurostar	From £52 one-way, £78 return 2nd class.  From £97 one-way, £168 return 1st class.  Child fares
2. Paris to Vienna by  Nightjet sleeper train  one-way per person per bed	In a seat	In a couchette		In the sleeping-car
		6-berth	4-berth	3-berth	2-berth	1-berth	3-berth + shower	2-berth + shower	1-berth + shower
Fares start at:	€29.90	€49.90	€59.90	€89.90	€109.90	€159.90	€99.90	€139.90	€189.90
3. Vienna to Budapest by railjet	From €19.90 each way in 2nd class, €29.90 each way in 1st class.

All these fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.  Return fares are twice the one-way.

On the sleeper train, berths are sold individually, one ticket means one bed, other beds in your compartment will be sold to other passengers.  For sole occupancy, simply book 1 ticket in a 1-berth sleeper or 2 tickets in a 2-berth sleeper or 4 tickets in a 4-berth couchette and so on.

How to buy tickets

• Step 1, book the nightjet sleeper from Paris to Vienna at www.thetrainline.com and add to basket.

  Using www.thetrainline.com allows you to book all your tickets in one place, in €, £ or $, small booking fee.  About Thetrainline.

  Booking for the Nightjet opens 2-6 months ahead, it varies.  More about when bookings open.  Child under 6?  See here.

• Step 2, now use www.thetrainline.com again to book the London-Paris Eurostar and add to basket.

  Eurostar bookings open up to 11 months ahead, but I'd wait and book the sleeper first so you can confirm times & availability.

  You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.

• Step 3, now use www.thetrainline.com again to book the Vienna-Budapest connection, add to basket & check out.

  You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.

• Tip:  If you're travelling from a town or city north or west of London, see advice on buying tickets to connect with Eurostar.

• Tip:  After booking, you can use Manage your booking at www.eurostar.com to choose a better seat from a seat map, see tips on choosing a seat.

Another way to buy tickets

• Alternatively, you can book direct with the operators, it's more work with separate bookings on different websites, but no booking fees.  In all cases you print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

• Step 1, book the London-Paris Eurostar at www.eurostar.com.

• Step 2, book the nightjet sleeper at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.

• Step 3, book Vienna-Budapest at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.

Or use an Interrail pass

• Pass or point to point?

  Let's be clear, a pass will not save money over the cheapest point-to-point advance-purchase fares you might see if you book a few months ahead.  But when point-to-point fares are expensive (for example, at short notice) OR you want the flexibility to change your mind, re-route or reschedule as necessary, a pass might be what you need.

  If flexibility is what you want, buy the pass.  If it's about saving money, you'll have to check point-to-point prices and do the maths.

  It's worth doing the maths if you are under 28, if you have kids (kids get a free pass when accompanying an adult but still need to pay reservation fees) or if you live a long way from London (as a pass covers you from your home station to London).  Passes are available in 1st & 2nd class, a 2nd class pass is all you need to book any type of sleeper on the Nightjet, even a deluxe.

• How to use a pass for a trip to Hungary

  Step 1, buy a 4-days in 1-month Interrail pass from www.raileurope.com (click Rail passes and select Europe) or www.interrail.eu, see pass prices on the Interrail page.  You load the pass into the Railplanner app on your phone.

  A 4-day pass is enough to get from most regions of Britain to anywhere in Hungary & back again.

  A 4-day pass gives you unlimited train travel on any 4 dates you choose in an overall 1 month period.  The first travel day can be any date you select in the 11 months after buying the pass, the overall 1 month period starts from that date.  Learn about how Interrail passes work here.

  Step 2, make a Eurostar passholder reservation from London to Paris & back see prices & how to make Eurostar passholder reservations online.  Tip:  Eurostar passholder availability is limited, so check availability before buying a pass.

  Step 3, make a couchette or sleeper reservation on the Nightjet sleeper at www.oebb.at following the instructions here, method 1.  Prices can be found on the Interrail reservations page.

  By all means go out one way, back another, with an Interrail pass you can use almost any of the trains & routes to/from Hungary shown on this page, find out how to reserve the relevant trains using the Interrail reservations guide.

  Step 4, reservations between Vienna & Budapest are optional, you can make one at www.oebb.at following the instructions here, method 2.

Have your trip arranged as a package

• Railbookers are a train tour & holiday specialist who can put a trip together as a package, with rail travel, hotels & transfers to your specifications.  As you're booking a package, they'll also take care of you if anything happens such as a strike or delay.  One of their most popular trips is Ultimate Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest with train travel from the UK - it can be customised to include train travel back to the UK as well, just ask them.  Also a top seller is their holiday to Berlin & Prague with travel to & from London by train.

    UK call 0207 864 4600, www.railbookers.co.uk

    US call 1-888-829-4775, www.railbookers.com

    Canada call 1-855-882-2910, www.railbookers.com

    Australia call 1300 971 526, www.railbookers.com.au

    New Zealand call 0800 000 554 or see website

• Byway (Byway.travel) is a UK-based eco-holiday firm with a 5-star TrustPilot rating.  If you're nervous about booking train travel yourself, book a UK-Budapest train trip through Byway as a package, including hotels and starting from any British station you like.  Byway includes package protection, a 100% Covid refund guarantee, free disruption and re-planning and on-demand WhatsApp support while you're away. 

  To see pre-configured packages from London to Budapest, use the journey planner on their website.

  Or they can build a trip to your requirements, call 0300 131 7173 (open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, from outside the UK call +44 300 131 7173) or email them or use this contact form.  Please say you heard about them from Seat 61.

How to buy tickets by phone

• It's better to book online to avoid phone booking fees and see for yourself which trains are cheapest.  Most agencies only work weekday office hours, you can book online 24/7.  But if you want to book by phone, see my list of UK-based ticketing agencies.

What's the journey like?

1. London to Paris by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Paris in just 2 hours 20 minutes, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Plus and Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure.  St Pancras station guide.  Gare du Nord station guide.

2. Paris to Vienna by Nightjet

This Austrian Railways (ÖBB) Nightjet train has two sleeping-cars, two couchette cars & seats.  The two sleeping-cars each have nine 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3 bed deluxe compartments with shower & toilet.  The sleeper berths come 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.  Towels & toiletries are provided, including shampoo and shower gel in the deluxe sleepers.  In the more economical couchettes, you can book a couchette in a cheaper 6-berth compartment or a less-crowded 4-berth compartment, each provided with sheet, blanket, pillow & small bottle of water.  Couchette passengers get tea or coffee, rolls & jam in the morning.  When waiting for the northbound sleeper train in Vienna, if you have a sleeping-car ticket you can use the ÖBB lounge with complimentary refreshments & WiFi.  More about Nightjets.  Paris Gare de l'Est station guide.  Vienna Hbf station guide.

3. Vienna to Budapest by EuroCity or railjet train

The swish Austrian railjet train has business class, 1st class & 2nd class (in that order!).  All seats have power sockets and there's free WiFi.  There's a restaurant car although in 1st & business classes a steward takes food orders and serves you at your seat.  EuroCity trains use older but still comfortable air-conditioned Hungarian carriages, usually with a restaurant car.  More about Vienna-Budapest trains.  Budapest Keleti station guide.

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Option 3, by Eurostar to Paris, TGV to Stuttgart, sleeper to Budapest

Another good way to reach Budapest, this time with daily departures, a convenient morning departure from London, cosy sleeper berth at night on a comfortable Hungarian sleeper train with a morning arrival in Budapest and a full day's sightseeing ahead of you.

London ► Budapest

• Step 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras 10:24 Mondays-Fridays & Sundays arriving Paris Gare du Nord 13:50.

  Or on any day of the week you can leave London St Pancras at 09:31, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 12:50.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include breakfast.

  In Paris it's an easy 7 minute 500m walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.

• Step 2, travel from Paris to Stuttgart by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 15:55 Monday-Friday & Sunday arriving Stuttgart Hbf 19:04.

  Or if you left London at 09:31, you can leave Paris Gare de l'Est by TGV Duplex at 13:54 on any day of the week, arriving Stuttgart Hbf 17:04.

  The 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

• Step 3, travel from Stuttgart to Budapest by sleeper train Kalman Imre, leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 20:29 and arriving Budapest Keleti 09:19.

  The Kalman Imre has an air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, an air-conditioned Hungarian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.  The sleeper fare includes a light breakfast.  More about this sleeper train.

Budapest ► London

• Step 1, travel from Budapest to Stuttgart by sleeper train Kalman Imre leaving Budapest Keleti at 20:40, arriving Stuttgart Hbf 08:38.

  The Kalman Imre has an air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, an air-conditioned Hungarian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.  The sleeper fare includes a light breakfast.  More about this sleeper train.

  If you have a sleeping-car ticket you can use the business lounge at Budapest Keleti on platform 9 with complimentary refreshments & WiFi.

• Step 2, travel from Stuttgart to Paris by high-speed ICE train, leaving Stuttgart at 10:52, arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 14:07.

  The high-speed ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Do not risk earlier connections.

  In Paris, it's an easy 7 minute 500m walk from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare du Nord.

• Step 3, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 17:12 & arriving London St Pancras 18:32.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include dinner with wine.

How much does it cost?

All these fares vary like air fares.  Each train is ticketed separately.  On the sleeper, berths are sold individually so one ticket means one bed, other beds will be sold to other passengers.  For sole occupancy, book 1 person in a single-berth sleeper or 2 people in a 2-berth sleeper or 4 tickets in a 4-berth couchette and so on.

How to buy tickets

• Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com.

  This lets you book all your tickets together in one place, in plain English, in €, £ or $.  Small booking fee.  About Thetrainline.

  Booking opens up to 11 months ahead for Eurostar, 6 months for Paris-Stuttgart & the Stuttgart-Budapest sleeper.  You can book hotels risk-free before booking trains using www.booking.com with free cancellation.  More about when train booking opens.

• Step 1, go to www.thetrainline.com and using the train times on this page as a guide, book the Eurostar from London to Paris & add to basket.

  If you're returning, book Eurostar as a round trip as Eurostar return fares are cheaper than two one-ways.  With the TGV & sleeper train it doesn't matter, a round trip is simply two one-ways and it can be easier to book one way at a time & add to basket.

  By all means book an earlier Eurostar out or a later Eurostar coming back, if it's cheaper or if you'd like to stop off in Paris.  Remember that your return date from Paris is the day after you leave Budapest.

• Step 2, still on www.thetrainline.com, book the TGV from Paris to Stuttgart and add to basket.

• Step 3, still on www.thetrainline.com, book the sleeper from Stuttgart to Budapest, add to basket & check out. 

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

• You print your own tickets.  After booking, you can use the Manage your booking link at www.eurostar.com to change your seats on a seat map, see tips on choosing a seat on Eurostar.

Another way to book tickets

• Alternatively, you can buy tickets for each train from the relevant train operator with no booking fee, but this means using 3 different websites and the fares should be the same.  Do a dry run on all 3 sites to confirm availability before booking for real.  If you're new to European train travel, I'd stick with www.thetrainline.com.

• Step 1, go to German Railways int.bahn.de and book the TGV from Paris to Stuttgart & back.

  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.  Easy!  I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

• Step 2, now go to the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at and book the sleeper from Stuttgart to Budapest.

  Bookings usually open up to 90 days ahead and you print your own ticket.  You can also use the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu but it's more fiddly.

• Step 3, now add the connecting Eurostar from London to Paris at www.eurostar.com.

  Remember that your return date will be the day after leaving Budapest.  Use the recommended Eurostar times above as a guide, but by all means book an earlier Eurostar outwards, or a later Eurostar on the way back, if it's cheaper or if you'd like to stop off in Paris.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Or use an Interrail pass

• Pass or point to point?

  Let's be clear, a pass will not save money over the cheapest point-to-point advance-purchase fares you might see if you book a few months ahead.  But when point-to-point fares are expensive (for example, at short notice) OR you want the flexibility to change your mind, re-route or reschedule as necessary, a pass might be what you need.

  If flexibility is what you want, buy the pass.  If it's about saving money, you'll have to check point-to-point prices and do the maths.

  It's worth doing the maths if you are under 28, if you have kids (kids get a free pass when accompanying an adult but still need to pay reservation fees) or if you live a long way from London (as a pass covers you from your home station to London).  Passes are available in 1st & 2nd class.

• How to use a pass for a trip to Hungary

  Step 1, buy a 4-days in 1-month Interrail pass from www.raileurope.com (click Rail passes and select Europe) or www.interrail.eu, see pass prices on the Interrail page.  You load the pass into the Railplanner app on your phone.

  A 4-day pass is enough to get from most regions of Britain to anywhere in Hungary & back again.

  A 4-day pass gives you unlimited train travel on any 4 dates you choose in an overall 1 month period.  The first travel day can be any date you select in the 11 months after buying the pass, the overall 1 month period starts from that date.  Learn about how Interrail passes work here.

  Step 2, make a Eurostar passholder reservation from London to Paris & back, see prices & how to make Eurostar passholder reservations online.  Tip:  Eurostar passholder availability is limited, so check availability before buying a pass.

  Step 3, make a passholder reservation on the Paris-Stuttgart TGV for around €18 each way using the official Interrail reservation service.

  Step 4, make a couchette or sleeper reservation on the Hungarian sleeper at www.oebb.at following the instructions here, method 1.  Prices can be found on the Interrail reservations page.

  By all means go out one way, back another, with an Interrail pass you can use almost any of the trains & routes to/from Hungary shown on this page, find out how to reserve the relevant trains using the Interrail reservations guide.

Have your trip arranged as a package

• Railbookers are a train travel specialist who can put together a trip as a package, including rail travel, hotels & transfers.  Their website has a range of suggested tours & holidays which can be customised to your requirements.  One of their most popular trips is their Ultimate Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest which starts by train from the UK.  It can be customised to include train travel back to the UK as well, just ask.

    UK call 0207 864 4600, www.railbookers.co.uk

    US call free 1-888-829-4775, www.railbookers.com

    Canada call 1-855-882-2910, www.railbookers.com

    Australia call 1300 971 526, www.railbookers.com.au

    New Zealand call 0800 000 554 or see website

• Byway (Byway.travel) is a UK-based eco-holiday firm with a 5-star TrustPilot rating.  If you're nervous about booking train travel yourself, book a one-way or return UK-Hungary trip through Byway as a package, including hotels & starting from any British station you like.  Byway includes package protection, a 100% Covid refund guarantee, free disruption & re-planning and on-demand WhatsApp support while you're away.

  To see pre-configured packages from London to Budapest, use the journey planner on their website.

  Or they can build a trip to your requirements, call 0300 131 7173 (open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, from outside the UK call +44 300 131 7173) or email them or use this contact form.  Please say you heard about them from Seat 61.

How to buy tickets by phone

• It's better to book online to avoid phone booking fees and see for yourself which trains are cheapest.  Most agencies only work weekday office hours, you can book online 24/7.  But if you want to book by phone, see my list of UK-based ticketing agencies.

What's the journey like?

1. London to Paris by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Paris in 2h20, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Plus and Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure.  St Pancras station guide.  Gare du Nord station guide.

2. Paris to Stuttgart by TGV Duplex   See the video

In Paris it's an easy 7 minute 500m walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est for the TGV to Germany.  Sit back with a glass of red and enjoy the ride - book an upper deck seat for the best views.  The train has power sockets at all seats & free WiFi in both classes.  A cafe-bar serves drinks, snacks & microwaved hot dishes.  The train soon leaves the Paris suburbs behind and speeds across a vast wide open plateau of woods & farmland at up to 320 km/h (199 mph), past picturesque French villages of the Champagne region.  An hour or two later, the train leaves the high-speed line and slowly meanders through pretty wooded hills, the countryside eventually flattening out towards Strasbourg.  On leaving Strasbourg, look out for Strasbourg cathedral on the left with its famously missing second tower.  Minutes afterwards you rumble across the river Rhine into Germany, before heading on to Stuttgart.  Paris Gare de l'Est station guide.

3. Stuttgart to Budapest by sleeper train Kalman Imre   See the video

Cosy & inviting, the photo below shows the air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car of the Kalman Imre.  The sleeping-car has 11 compartments with washbasin, each of which can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth room, with toilets at the end of the corridor.  The fare includes a light breakfast of coffee, juice & croissant.  More about the sleeper train Kalman Imre.  Budapest Keleti station guide.

Good morning Budapest!

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Option 4, London to Budapest with overnight stop in Munich

If you prefer to travel on daytime trains rather than sleepers, you can travel very affordably from London to Budapest with an overnight hotel stop in Munich.

London ► Budapest

• Day 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar.

  On Mondays-Fridays & Sundays leave London St Pancras at 10:24 arriving Paris Nord 13:50.

  On Saturdays, leave London St Pancras at 12:31, arriving Paris Nord 15:48.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include breakfast (before 11:00) or lunch (after 11:00).

  In Paris it's an easy 7 minute 500m walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.

• Day 1, travel from Paris to Munich by direct TGV Duplex.

  On Mondays-Fridays & Sundays it leaves Paris Gare de l'Est at 15:55, arriving Munich Hbf 21:36.

  On Saturdays it leaves Paris Gare de l'Est at 17:54, arriving Munich Hbf 23:26.

  The 320 km/h double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.  Times may vary, check your date at int.bahn.de.

  On Saturdays you can also leave London at 09:31 to connect with a TGV leaving Paris at 13:54, change at Stuttgart, arriving Munich 19:12.

  Alternatively, you can travel from London to Munich by Eurostar & ICE train via Brussels & Cologne, see the London to Munich timetable here.

• Stay overnight in Munich.

  The affordable Eden Hotel Wolff & NH Collection München are across the road from the station's north side exit with great reviews.  Or consider the more upmarket 25 Hours Hotel The Royal Bavarian, Excelsior by Giesel & Mercure City Center.  For a splurge, the luxurious Sofitel Munich Beyerpost occupies the former Royal Bavarian Post Office building of 1896-1900, at the station's south side exit.

• Day 2, travel from Munich to Budapest by railjet.

  You can leave Munich Hbf at 07:22 arriving Budapest Keleti 14:19, or leave Munich Hbf at 09:28, arriving Budapest Keleti 16:19.

  Or there are later trains, check times at int.bahn.de.

  The railjet has a restaurant car, treat yourself to lunch - 1st & business class passengers have their food & drink orders taken & served at their seat.  There are power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Watch out for great views of the Salzburg citadel on the right as you cross the River Salzach at Salzburg. More about railjet trains.  Map of Budapest showing Keleti station.

Budapest ► London

• Day 1, travel from Budapest to Munich by railjet, leaving Budapest Keleti at 15:40 daily, arriving Munich Hbf 22:32.

  If you'd prefer an earlier train, another railjet leaves Budapest Keleti at 13:40 arriving Munich Hbf 20:31, or at 11:40 arriving 18:31.

  Or there are earlier trains, check times at int.bahn.de.  A restaurant car is available, treat yourself to lunch or dinner - 1st & business class passengers are served at their seat.  There are power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  More about railjet trains.

  Tip:  If you have a 1st class ticket you can use the business lounge in Budapest on platform 9 with complimentary tea, coffee & soft drinks.

• Stay overnight in Munich.

  The affordable Eden Hotel Wolff & NH Collection München are across the road from the station's north side exit with great reviews.  Or consider the more upmarket 25 Hours Hotel The Royal Bavarian, Excelsior by Giesel & Mercure City Center.  For a splurge, the luxurious Sofitel Munich Beyerpost occupies the former Royal Bavarian Post Office building of 1896-1900, at the station's south side exit.

  Tip:  For dinner, I recommend the Bavarian food & beer at the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de) at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf, see walking map.

• Day 2, travel from Munich to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Munich Hbf at 06:51, arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 12:32.

  The 320 km/h double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.  Watch the sun rise over Bavaria and the morning mist clear, see the Munich-Paris TGV video!

  If you'd prefer a later departure from Munich, there are later options via either Paris or Brussels, see the Munich to London timetable here.

  In Paris, it's an easy 7 minute 500m 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 15:12 & arriving London St Pancras 16:30.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include lunch with wine.

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in Standard, £97 one-way or £168 return in Plus (1st class).

• Paris to Munich by TGV starts at €39.99 each way in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.

• Munich to Budapest starts at €37.99 each way in 2nd class or €56.99 in 1st class.

• All these fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

How to buy tickets

• Step 1, buy your Eurostar ticket at www.eurostar.com.

  Booking opens up to 11 months ahead.  If returning, always book Eurostar as a round trip as with Eurostar return fares are cheaper than two one-ways.  You print your own ticket or can load it into the Eurostar app on your phone.

• Step 2, buy your Paris-Munich ticket at int.bahn.de.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  More about when booking opens.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.  I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log in at any time and check or re-print tickets.

• Step 3, buy your Munich-Budapest ticket as a second transaction at int.bahn.de.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

What's the journey like?

1. London to Paris by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Paris in 2h20, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Plus and Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure.  St Pancras station guide.  Gare du Nord station guide.

2. Paris to Munich by TGV Duplex   See video guide

In Paris it's an easy 7 minute 500m walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est for the TGV to Germany.  Sit back with a glass of red and enjoy the ride - book an upper deck seat for the best views.  The train has power sockets at all seats & free WiFi in both classes.  A cafe-bar serves drinks, snacks & microwaved hot dishes.  The train soon leaves the Paris suburbs behind and speeds across a vast wide open plateau of woods & farmland at up to 320 km/h (199 mph), past picturesque French villages of the Champagne region.  An hour or two later, the train leaves the high-speed line and slowly meanders through pretty wooded hills, the countryside eventually flattening out towards Strasbourg.  On leaving Strasbourg, look out for Strasbourg cathedral on the left with its famously missing second tower.  Minutes afterwards you rumble across the river Rhine into Germany, before heading on to Stuttgart & Munich.  Paris Gare de l'Est station guide.  Munich Hbf station guide.

3. Munich to Budapest by railjet

Austrian railjet trains have business class, 1st class & 2nd class (in that order!).  All seats have power sockets and there's free WiFi.  There's a restaurant car, in 1st & business classes a steward takes food orders and serves you at your seat.  More about railjets.  Munich Hbf station guide.  Budapest Keleti station guide.

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Option 5, London to Budapest with overnight stop in Zurich. The scenic route!

This option not only keeps you on daytime trains with an overnight hotel in Zurich, rather than using a sleeper, it's the scenic option as it takes you through the Alps via the fabulous Arlberg Pass between Switzerland and Austria, hugging the valley wall with the mountaintops high above and the valley floor way below.  You then travel on right across the Austrian Tirol.  This option uses a direct railjet train between Zurich & Budapest - although the way cheap tickets work you're better off having a lunch stop in Austria!

London ► Budapest

• Day 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 12:31, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 15:48.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include lunch with wine.

  Cross Paris by taxi or metro to the Gare de Lyon, 2 stops on RER line D. 

• Day 1, travel from Paris to Switzerland by TGV-Lyria, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 18:22 arriving Zurich HB 22:26.

  This double-deck high-speed train travels at up to 320 km/h (199 mph), with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, and seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  There are earlier departures from London to Zurich if you'd like more of an evening in Zurich, see the London to Zurich timetable here.

• Stay overnight in Zurich.

  For something special, the 5-star Hotel Schweizerhof is one of my favourite hotels anywhere, just across the road from the station.  They'll even send a uniformed commissionaire to meet you & carry your bags from the train.  For something cheaper, also next to the station with great reviews, try the Ruby Mimi Hotel or the excellent 3-star Hotel St. Josef, 7 minutes walk from the station, see walking map.  If you're on a budget, book a private rooms in a 1-star hotel or backpacker hostel near the station at www.hostelworld.com.

• Day 2, travel from Zurich to Budapest by smart modern railjet, leaving Zurich HB at 10:40 and arriving Budapest Keleti 21:19.

  The railjet has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Treat yourself to lunch - in first & business class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat.  More about railjet trains.  Map of Budapest showing Keleti station.

  This is a lovely scenic ride, passing the Zürichsee & Walensee lakes, then snaking at low speed through the mountains of the Arlberg Pass in the Alps and along the River Inn across the Austrian Tirol, watch this video.  You get great views of the citadel at Salzburg as the train crosses the river Salzach, then it travels through Vienna and on to Budapest.  For the best views, find a seat on the left hand side of the train leaving Zurich, that way you'll be on the lake side of the train out of Zurich, the train changes direction at Buchs, they you'll be on the right-hand (valley) side of the train through most of the Arlberg Pass, and on the side for views of Salzburg.

Budapest ► London

• Day 1, travel from Budapest to Zurich by railjet, leaving Budapest Keleti at 06:40 and arriving Zurich HB 17:20.

  The railjet has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Treat yourself to lunch, in first & business class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat.  More about railjet trains.

  The train travels over the flatlands to Vienna, then crosses the river Salzach past Salzburg's impressive citadel, through the Austrian Tirol, it snakes through the scenic Arlberg Pass in the Alps (watch the video!), then along the Walensee and Zürichsee lakes to Zurich.  For views of Salzburg castle, the Zürichsee lake and most of the Arlberg valley, find a seat on the left-hand side of the train leaving Budapest (this advice allows for the train changing direction at Buchs).

  Tip:  If you have a first class ticket, you can use the business lounge in Budapest on platform 9 with complimentary tea, coffee & soft drinks.

• Stay overnight in Zurich.

  For something special, the 5-star Hotel Schweizerhof is one of my favourite hotels anywhere, just across the road from the station.  They'll even send a uniformed commissionaire to meet you & carry your bags from the train.  For something cheaper, also next to the station with great reviews, try the Ruby Mimi Hotel or the excellent 3-star Hotel St. Josef, 7 minutes walk from the station, see walking map.  If you're on a budget, book a private rooms in a 1-star hotel or backpacker hostel near the station at www.hostelworld.com.

• Day 2, travel from Zurich to London using any of the services shown on the London to Switzerland page.

  For example, leave Zurich HB at 07:34 by TGV-Lyria arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 11:38.  Cross Paris by metro or taxi.  The 13:12 Eurostar from Paris Gare du Nord arrives London St Pancras 14:30.

  Or leave Zurich HB at 09:34 arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 13:38.  Cross Paris by metro or taxi.  The 17:12 Eurostar from Paris Gare du Nord arrives London St Pancras 18:32.

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in Standard, £97 one-way or £168 return in Plus (1st class).

• Paris to Zurich by TGV-Lyria starts at €29 each way in 2nd class or from €79 in 1st class.

• Zurich to Budapest by railjet starts at €48.40 each way in 2nd class, €72.30 in 1st class.

• All these fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

How to buy tickets

• Booking at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com allows you to buy all your tickets together in one place, easily in plain English, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem.  Small booking fee.

  Booking for Eurostar opens up to 11 months ahead, for TGV-Lyria 4 months ahead, for the Zurich-Budapest train up to 6 months ahead.  I recommend waiting until all trains are open for sale so you can confirm times before buying a non-refundable Eurostar ticket.  More about when bookings open.

  I suggest booking in stages like this, first doing a dry run to check times & prices.  Read the detailed booking tips here.

• Step 1, go to www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, book from London to Paris and add to your basket.

  If returning, book London to Paris as a round trip, because Eurostar return fares are cheaper than two one-ways.  All the other trains are priced one-way where a round trip is simply two one ways, it can be easier to book one way at a time.

  On Eurostar, a reserved seat is included.

  Always allow at least 60 minutes between trains outbound, 90 minutes inbound, ideally more.

• Step 2, still on www.raileurope.com, book from Paris to Zurich and add to basket.

  On TGV-Lyria, a reserved seat is automatically included.

• Step 3, still on www.raileurope.com, book from Zurich to Budapest for the following day, add to basket & check out.

  Seat reservation on the railjet is optional, I recommend adding a seat reservation when prompted, for an extra €3 per seat.

  Tip:  If you like, you can break up the journey by taking the 08:40 departure from Zurich and spending 2 hours having lunch in Innsbruck.  Just book Zurich-Innsbruck and Innsbruck-Budapest as two tickets.

• You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.

Another way to buy tickets

• Alternatively, you can book direct with each train operator.  This means separate bookings on different websites, prices should be the same, but no booking fees.  In all cases you print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.

• Buy the London-Paris Eurostar ticket at www.eurostar.com. 

• Buy the Paris-Zurich ticket using the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com. 

• Buy your Zurich-Budapest ticket using the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at. 

Or use an Interrail pass

• Pass or point to point?

  Let's be clear, a pass will not save money over the cheapest point-to-point advance-purchase fares you might see if you book a few months ahead.  But when point-to-point fares are expensive (for example, at short notice) OR you want the flexibility to change your mind, re-route or reschedule as necessary, a pass might be what you need.

  If flexibility is what you want, buy the pass.  If it's about saving money, you'll have to check point-to-point prices and do the maths.

  It's worth doing the maths if you are under 28, if you have kids (kids get a free pass when accompanying an adult but still need to pay reservation fees) or if you live a long way from London (as a pass covers you from your home station to London). Passes are available in 1st & 2nd class.

• How to use a pass for a trip to Hungary

  Step 1, buy a 4-days in 1-month Interrail pass from www.raileurope.com (click Rail passes and select Europe) or www.interrail.eu, see pass prices on the Interrail page.  You load the pass into the Railplanner app on your phone.

  A 4-day pass is enough to get from London to anywhere in Austria & back again via this route.

  A 4-day pass gives you unlimited train travel on any 4 dates you choose in an overall 1 month period.  The first travel day can be any date you select in the 11 months after buying the pass, the overall 1 month period starts from that date.  Learn about how Interrail passes work here.

  Step 2, make a Eurostar passholder reservation from London to Paris & back, see prices & how to make Eurostar passholder reservations online.  Tip:  Eurostar passholder availability is limited, so check availability before buying a pass.

  Step 3, make a passholder reservation on the Paris-Switzerland TGV-Lyria, €29 each way, see cost of reservations & how to make them.

  Step 4, seat reservations from Zurich to Budapest are optional, but a good idea.  Make them at www.oebb.at using method 2 as shown here. 

  By all means go out one way, back another, with an Interrail pass you can use any of the trains & routes to/from Hungary shown on this page, find out how to reserve the relevant trains using the Interrail reservations guide.

Have your trip arranged as a package

• Railbookers are a train travel specialist who can put together a tour or short break for you as a package, including rail travel, hotels & transfers.  On their website you'll find a range of suggested tours & holidays by rail which can be customised to your own requirements.  As you're booking a package, they'll take care of you if anything happens such as a strike or delay.

    UK call 0207 864 4600, www.railbookers.co.uk

    US call free 1-888-829-4775, see website

    Canada call free 1-855-882-2910, see website

    Australia call 1300 971 526, see website

    New Zealand call 0800 000 554 or see website

• Byway (Byway.travel) is a UK-based eco-holiday firm with a 5-star TrustPilot rating.  If you're nervous about booking train travel, book a one-way or return UK-Hungary trip through Byway as a package, including hotels and starting from any British station you like.  Byway includes package protection, a 100% Covid refund guarantee, free disruption and re-planning and on-demand WhatsApp support while you're away.

  To see pre-configured packages from London to Budapest, use the journey planner on their website.

  Or they can build a trip to your requirements, call 0300 131 7173 (open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, from outside the UK call +44 300 131 7173) or email them or use this contact form.  Please say you heard about them from Seat 61.

How to buy tickets by phone

• It's better to book online to avoid phone booking fees and see for yourself which trains are cheapest.  Most agencies only work weekday office hours, you can book online 24/7.  But if you want to book by phone, see my list of UK-based ticketing agencies.

What's the journey like?

1. London to Paris by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Brussels in just 2 hours, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Plus and Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure.  St Pancras station guide.  Paris Nord station guide.

2. Paris to Zurich by TGV-Lyria

All TGV-Lyria trains are now 320km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex like the one shown below.  TGV-Lyria trains have 3 classes:  Standard (2nd), standard premiere (1st class) and business premiere (1st class with hot meal & drinks included in the fare).  There's a cafe-bar car selling drinks & snacks.  There are power points at all seats & free WiFi in all classes.  Lyria is a consortium of the French and Swiss national railways.  More about TGV-Lyria.  Paris Gare de Lyon station guide.  Zurich HB station guide.

3. Zurich to Budapest by Railjet 

The swish Austrian railjet train has business class, 1st class & 2nd class (in that order!).  All seats have power sockets and there's free WiFi.  There's a restaurant car although in 1st & business classes a steward takes food orders and serves you at your seat.  More about railjet trains

Scenery on the Arlberg route

Swiss lakes:  Soon after leaving Zurich, the railjet runs alongside the shore of the Zürichsee and then the Walensee.

Arlberg Pass:  Above, we're now in Austria, with brooding skies over the Arlberg pass.  The pass itself is long, narrow and curvaceous with the train snaking along the valley sides, often high above the valley floor.

Arlberg Tunnel:  Between Bludenz and St Anton am Arlberg the train passes through the Arlberg Tunnel, 6.2 km (6.3 miles) long and opened in 1884.  See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlberg_Railway_Tunnel.

River Inn:  Running alongside the river Inn in the Tirol, somewhere between Landeck & Ötzal.

Mountains near Innsbruck.  The train calls at Innsbruck Hbf for several minutes.

Kufstein:  The train stops at Kufstein, where the castle towers above the station.

Above right, lunch is served.  In first & business class on a railjet, the steward takes your order & serves lunch at your seat.

Cutting across Germany:  East of Kufstein, the train takes a short cut through Germany without stopping, see the route map here.  All fast Innsbruck-Salzburg-Vienna trains do this, they're still considered Austrian domestic trains even though they spend an hour on German territory!  Such a train is called a Korridorzug.  The train crosses back into Austria near Freilassing, just before Salzburg.

Salzburg:  View of the Fortress Hohensalzburg on the right hand side as the railjet crosses the River Salzach into Salzburg Hbf heading east.

The railjet has landed.  A railjet has arrived spot on time in Budapest's historic Keleti station, built 1881-1884

Watch the Video: Through the Arlberg

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Option 6, via the Harwich - Hoek van Holland ferry

This is the ferry alternative, a great option if you live in East Anglia.  It's the route to use if Eurostar fares are expensive or if you want to avoid the Channel Tunnel, for example if you suffer from claustrophobia.  I don't recommend the Dover-Calais route because of poor train/ferry connections, the Stena Line rail & sail service via Harwich & Hoek van Holland is the one to use as it has co-ordinated timetables and integrated ticketing, see the Stena Line Rail & Sail page & watch the video.

London, Cambridge & Harwich ► Budapest

• Day 1, travel from London to Hoek van Holland overnight, see the Stena Line Rail & Sail page for details.

  You leave London Liverpool Street at 19:36 Mondays-Fridays, 19:04 Saturdays or 20:00 Sundays by direct train to Harwich International.

  Or leave Cambridge at 19:47 Mondays-Saturdays or 19:45 on Sundays by direct train to Harwich International.

  The Rail & Sail fare is valid from any Greater Anglia station, for example Norwich, Cambridge, Romford, Ilford, Ipswich.

  At Harwich, the station is right next to the ferry terminal and you walk off the train into the terminal, check in at the Stena Line desk and walk straight onto Stena Line's luxurious overnight superferry Stena Hollandica.

  All passengers travel in cosy private cabins with toilet, shower & satellite TV.  Comfort & Captains class cabins are also available, and there's free WiFi.  You can board the ferry around 9pm, have a late dinner in the restaurant or Stena Plus lounge and settle into your cabin.

  The ferry sails at 23:00 and arrives at Hoek van Holland at 08:00 next morning, Dutch time.

  On arrival at Hoek van Holland, the metro station is next to the ferry terminal.  Walk down the gangway into the ferry terminal, through passport control, out of the terminal and across the road to the metro station.

• Day 2, take the metro from Hoek van Holland Haven to Schiedam Centrum and an Intercity train to Amsterdam Centraal arriving 10:24.

  At Amsterdam Centraal, have a coffee at the delightfully retro Cafe 1e Klas and give my regards to Elvis, the cockatoo on the bar.

• Day 2, travel from Amsterdam to Stuttgart on ICE trains with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  You leave Amsterdam Centraal at 12:38, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf & arrive Stuttgart Hbf 18:38.

  Have dinner in Stuttgart.

• Day 2, travel from Stuttgart to Budapest by EuroNight sleeper Kalman Imre, leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 20:29 & arriving Budapest Keleti 09:19.

  The Kalman Imre has a comfortable air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, an air-conditioned Hungarian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments and ordinary seats.  More about the Stuttgart-Budapest sleeper train.

• Alternatively, spend the day in Amsterdam and take the Nightjet sleeper train to Vienna, leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 19:00 and arriving Vienna Hbf 09:17.  Then travel from Vienna to Budapest by EuroCity train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 10:40 arriving Budapest Keleti 13:19.

  The Vienna to Amsterdam Nightjet train has a Comfortline sleeping-car with 1 & 2 bed compartments with washbasin, 1, 2 & 3 bed deluxe compartments with shower & toilet, and 4 & 6 berth couchettes.  More about Nightjets.

Budapest  ► Harwich, Cambridge & London

• Day 1, travel from Budapest to Stuttgart by EuroNight sleeper Kalman Imre, leaving Budapest Keleti at 20:40 & arriving Stuttgart Hbf 08:38.

  The Kalman Imre has a comfortable air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, an air-conditioned Hungarian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments and ordinary seats.  More about the Budapest-Stuttgart sleeper train.

  If you have a sleeping-car ticket you can use the business lounge in Budapest on platform 9, with complimentary tea, coffee & soft drinks.

• Day 2, travel from Stuttgart to Amsterdam by ICE, leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 09:51, change at Cologne Hbf, arriving Amsterdam Centraal 15:29.

  The ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Alternatively, travel from Budapest to Vienna by railjet, leaving Budapest Keleti at 15:40 and arriving Vienna Hbf 18:20.  Then take the Nightjet sleeper train leaving Vienna Hbf at 20:10 and arriving Amsterdam Centraal 09:50.

  The Vienna to Amsterdam Nightjet train has a Comfortline sleeping-car with 1 & 2 bed compartments with washbasin, 1, 2 & 3 bed deluxe compartments with shower & toilet, and 4 & 6 berth couchettes.  You then have a day free in Amsterdam.  More about Nightjets.

• Day 2, travel from Amsterdam to London overnight, see the Stena Line Rail & Sail page for full details.

  You leave Amsterdam Centraal at 18:36 by Dutch intercity train to Schiedam Centrum and change onto the frequent metro to Hoek van Holland Haven.  At Hoek, the metro station is next to the ferry terminal.  Check in at the Stena Line desk at least 45 minutes before sailing time, then walk up the gangway onto the Stena Line superferry.

  All passengers travel in cosy private cabins with toilet, shower & satellite TV.  Comfort & Captains class cabins are also available, and there's free WiFi.  You can board the ferry around 8pm, have dinner in the restaurant or Stena Plus lounge and settle into your cabin.

  The ferry sails from Hoek van Holland at 22:00 and arrives at Harwich International at 06:30 next morning (day 3), UK time.

  In the morning (day 3), take a train from Harwich to London Liverpool Street arriving around 08:54 or from Harwich to Cambridge, arriving 09:42 (10:39 Sundays).

How much does it cost?

• London or any Greater Anglia station to Hoek van Holland starts at £62 per person each way, plus cabin.

  For full details of fares & cabin costs, see the Stena Line Rail & Sail page.

  The special fare to Hoek van Holland is valid from any Abellio Greater Anglia station, for example Norwich, Cambridge, Romford, Ilford, Ipswich.

  Hoek to Schiedam by metro costs around €4.  Schiedam to Amsterdam by train costs €17.20.

• Amsterdam to Stuttgart starts at €37.99 each way in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Stuttgart to Budapest by sleeper train starts at €49.90 with a couchette in 6-berth, €59.90 with a couchette in 4-berth, €69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, €89.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €129.90 with a bed in a single-bed sleeper all to yourself.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

How to buy tickets

• Step 1, buy a Stena Line Rail & Sail ticket from London to Hoek van Holland online as shown on the Stena Line Rail & Sail page.

  Buy the onward metro & train ticket to Amsterdam as shown on that page.

• Step 2, book the train from Amsterdam to Stuttgart at int.bahn.de.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.   I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

• Step 3, book the sleeper from Stuttgart to Budapest at www.thetrainline.com or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You print your own ticket.

• If you want to use the Amsterdam-Vienna Nightjet sleeper, use www.thetrainline.com to book from Amsterdam to Vienna, then from Vienna to Budapest.

What's the journey like?

1. London to Amsterdam by train & ferry

A train takes you from London's Liverpool Street station directly to the ferry terminal at Harwich.  You walk off the train, into the terminal, get your boarding card & cabin key at the Stena Line check-in desk and walk straight onto the overnight ferry to Hoek van Holland.  The superferries Stena Britannica & Stena Hollandica are the largest ferries of their kind in the world.  All passengers travel in private cabins with shower, toilet & satellite TV.  There's free WiFi.  The journey is explained in detail on the Stena Line Rail & Sail page.  See the video.

The Stena Hollandica boarding at Harwich, a floating hotel with private cabins, restaurant, bar, lounges, shop & kennels.

Above left, a standard outside cabin.  Larger photo.  360º photo.  Above right, the Stena Plus lounge with complimentary red & white wine, tea, coffee & snacks.

Above left, the bar on 9 deck. Above right, a Captain's Class cabin with complimentary minibar, toilet & shower.

2. Amsterdam to Stuttgart on ICE trains

ICEs are German Railways' premier trains, with 1st & 2nd class, a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  More about ICE trains.

An ICE3neo at Amsterdam Centraal.  Click on the interior images for larger photos.

3. Stuttgart to Budapest by sleeper train Kalman Imre  More information

Cosy & inviting, the photo below shows the air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car of the Kalman Imre at Munich Hbf.  The sleeping-car has 11 compartments with washbasin, each of which can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth room, with toilets at the end of the corridor.  The fare includes a light breakfast of coffee, juice & croissant.  More about the sleeper train Kalman Imre.

Sleeper train Kalman Imre, boarding on platform 12 at Munich.  More about this sleeper train.

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Option 7, Scotland & North to Budapest   

If you live in the North of England or Scotland, you can of course take a train up to London, then travel to Hungary as shown above, see advice on buying connecting train tickets to London.  But DFDS Seaways (www.dfds.com) sail overnight from Newcastle to Amsterdam, and P&O Ferries (www.poferries.com) sail overnight from Hull to Rotterdam.  So why not by-pass London, with lunch in Amsterdam into the bargain?

Scotland & the North ► Budapest

• Day 1, take a train to either Hull or Newcastle, whichever is most convenient for where you live.

  In Hull, transfer to P&O ferry terminal and sail overnight from Hull to Rotterdam by P&O cruise ferry, with bus/train connection to Amsterdam Centraal.  The ferry has bars, restaurants & cosy en suite cabins.  For details, see the Hull-Rotterdam page.

  In Newcastle, transfer to the DFDS ferry terminal at North Shields and sail overnight from Newcastle to Amsterdam by DFDS Seaways cruise ferry.  The ferry has bars, restaurants & cosy en suite cabins.  For details, see the Newcastle-Amsterdam page.

• Day 2, spend the rest of the day in Amsterdam, all the sights are an easy walk from Amsterdam Centraal.  Left luggage lockers are available.

• Day 2, travel from Amsterdam to Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 19:00 & arriving Vienna Hbf 09:17.

  This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet.  There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers.  The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats cars.  See the guide to Nightjet accommodation.

  There's no restaurant car, but in sleepers or couchettes you can order drinks, snacks and hot dishes from a room service menu, served in your compartment.  The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee, served in your compartment.

  If you have a sleeper ticket (meaning sleeper not couchette or seat, or a 1st class ticket for the onward train to Budapest, you can use the ÖBB Lounge at Vienna Hbf between trains, with complimentary tea, coffee, snacks & free WiFi.

• Day 3, travel from Vienna to Budapest by EuroCity train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 10:42 & arriving Budapest Keleti 13:19.

  This air-conditioned Hungarian EuroCity train has a restaurant car, treat yourself to lunch.

Budapest ► Scotland & the North

• Day 1, travel from Budapest to Vienna by swish Austrian railjet train, leaving Budapest Keleti at 15:40 and arriving Vienna Hbf 18:20. 

  The railjet has a restaurant car, treat yourself to dinner, 1st & business class passengers have orders taken & served at their seats.  There are power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Tip:  At Budapest Keleti, if you have a first class ticket you can use the business lounge near platform 9 with complimentary refreshments & WiFi.

  Tip:  At Vienna Hbf, if you have a 1st class ticket or a ticket for any sort of sleeper (not couchette or seat) you can use the ÖBB Lounge at Vienna Hbf between trains, with complimentary tea, coffee, snacks & free WiFi.

• Day 1, travel from Vienna to Amsterdam by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 20:10 & arriving Amsterdam Centraal 09:50.

  This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet.  There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers.  The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats cars.  See the guide to Nightjet accommodation.

  There's no restaurant car, but in sleepers or couchettes you can order drinks, snacks and hot dishes from a room service menu, served in your compartment.  The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee, served in your compartment.

  You've now the best part of the day to explore Amsterdam, left luggage lockers are available.

  If you're heading for Hull, in the afternoon take a frequent Dutch train to Rotterdam and the P&O transfer bus from Rotterdam Centraal to Rotterdam Europoort ferry terminal.

  If you're heading for Newcastle, an afternoon DFDS transfer bus runs from Amsterdam Centraal to IJmuiden ferry terminal.

• Day 2, sail from Holland to Hull or Newcastle by overnight cruise ferry, whichever is most convenient for where you live, arriving next morning (day 3).  Transfer to the station and take a train home.

  For details of timetables, fares & how to buy tickets, see the Hull-Rotterdam page or the Newcastle-Amsterdam page.

How much does it cost?

• Check train fares to Hull or Newcastle at any train operator website such as www.lner.co.uk.

• Check ferry fares at www.dfds.com for Newcastle-Amsterdam or www.poferries.com for Hull-Rotterdam.

  There's more info on the Hull-Rotterdam page & Newcastle-Amsterdam page.

• Amsterdam to Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train starts at €59.90 with a couchette in 6-berth, €69.90 with a couchette in 4-berth, €109.90 with a bed in a cosy 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 with a bed in a single-bed sleeper all to yourself.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Vienna to Budapest starts at €19.90 each way in 2nd class or €29.90 each way in 1st class.

How to buy tickets

• Step 1, book the Newcastle-Amsterdam ferry at www.dfds.com or the Hull-Rotterdam ferry at www.poferries.com.

  There's more info on the Hull-Rotterdam page & Newcastle-Amsterdam page.

• Step 2, book the Nightjet from Amsterdam to Vienna at www.thetrainline.com.

  Booking for this Nightjet typically opens 3-4 months ahead, but it can vary.  More about when bookings open.  You print your own ticket.

• Step 3, book the Vienna to Budapest train at www.thetrainline.com.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

• Step 4, add any UK trains you need to Hull or Newcastle at any train operator website such as www.lner.co.uk.

What's the journey like?

Step 1, take the overnight cruise ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam with DFDS or Hull to Rotterdam with P&O, with private en suite cabins, restaurants, bars, cinema.  If travelling with DFDS from Newcastle, a transfer bus takes you from IJmuiden ferry terminal to Amsterdam Centraal station next morning.  If travelling with P&O from Hull, a transfer bus takes you from Rotterdam Europoort ferry terminal to Rotterdam Centraal, from where frequent Dutch trains run to Utrecht.

DFDS Seaways Princess of Norway (now Princess Seaways) about to sail overnight from Newcastle to Amsterdam.  The ferry also has deluxe Commodore class cabins with minibar, satellite TV, shower & toilet.  See the video		A standard Seaways class cabin with shower & toilet on DFDS Princess of Norway from Newcastle to Amsterdam.

P&O Ferries Pride of Rotterdam at Rotterdam Europoort.  The ferry also has deluxe class cabins with minibar, satellite TV, shower & toilet.		A standard outside cabin with shower & toilet on P&O's Pride of Rotterdam from Hull to Rotterdam.

Step 2, take the daily Nightjet sleeper train from Amsterdam to Linz, Vienna or Innsbruck.

The Nightjet sleeper train to Vienna, boarding at Amsterdam Centraal.

Deluxe sleeper.  Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room.  Larger photo.  Video of deluxe room		Same deluxe sleeper in evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out.  Larger photo.		Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided.  Larger photo.		Standard sleeper set up as 2-berth, washstand open.  It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth.  Larger photo.

6-berth couchettes.		4-berth couchettes.		Couchette car.

Step 3, take a EuroCity train from Vienna to Budapest.  See the Vienna to Budapest page.

A EuroCity train from Vienna to Budapest in MAV's latest colour scheme arrived at Budapest Keleti.

1st class is usually in 6-seat compartments.  Larger photo.		Some 2nd class is in open-plan cars like this. Larger photo.

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Holidays & tours by train

If you want a holiday to Hungary by train not plane, but want someone else to organise all the train tickets & hotels for you, two specialist companies can do just that.

Railbookers, railbookers.co.uk

Railbookers can custom-make a flight-free holiday to Budapest for you, with train travel & hotels, for however long you like, leaving on any date you like.  Why not combine a visit to Budapest with Prague and Vienna.  Indeed, they can arrange any tour of Eastern Europe you like to your own specification, with trains reserved, hotels booked and transfers arranged.

  UK call 0207 864 4600, www.railbookers.co.uk

  US call free 1-888-829-4775, see website

  Canada call 1-855-882-2910, see website

  Australia call 1300 971 526, see website

  New Zealand call 0800 000 554 or see website

Byway, byway.travel

Byway (Byway.travel) is a UK-based eco-holiday firm with a 5-star TrustPilot rating.  If you're nervous about booking train travel yourself, they'll book a holiday to Hungary for you as a package, including train travel from the UK and hotels, starting from any British station you like.

They can build a trip to your requirements if you phone 0300 131 7173 (open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, from outside the UK call +44 300 131 7173) or email them or use this contact form.  Please say you heard about them from Seat 61.

Byway includes package protection, a 100% Covid refund guarantee, free disruption & re-planning and on-demand WhatsApp support while you're away.

Tailor Made Rail, tailormaderail.com

Tailor Made Rail offers packages from the UK to Hungary by train which can be customised your requirements, with any stopovers you want.  As it's a package, they'll take care of you if anything happens on one part of the trip, for example, a national strike.  They're TTA-protected, which is like ATOL, but not just for agencies that sell air travel.  Website www.tailormaderail.com/destinations/france.

Call their dedicated seat61 phone line 020 3778 1461 and quote seat 61 when booking.  From outside the UK call +44 20 3778 1461.  Lines open 09:00-17:30 Monday-Friday.

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European Rail Timetable & maps

The European Rail Timetable (formerly the Thomas Cook European Timetable) has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency & climate information.  It is essential for regular European train travellers and an inspiration for armchair travellers.  Published since 1873, it had just celebrated 140 years of publication when Thomas Cook decided to pull the plug on their entire publishing department, but the dedicated ex-Thomas Cook team set up a private venture and resumed publication of the famous European Rail Timetable in March 2014.  You can buy it online at www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses) or www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (shipping worldwide).  More information on what the European Rail Timetable contains.

Rail Map Europe is the map I recommend, covering all of Europe from Portugal in the west to Moscow & Istanbul in the east, Finland in the north to Sicily & Athens in the south.  Scenic routes & high-speed lines are highlighted.  See an extract from the map.  Buy online at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (shipping worldwide) or at www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses).

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Guidebooks

Paying 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

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.

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Hotels in Budapest

• For something affordable near Budapest Keleti station with decent reviews try the inexpensive Baross City Hotel just across the road or the Elit Hotel two minutes walk down the road.  Also consider the Hotel Bristol, an inexpensive 4-star hotel 550m 8-minute walk from the station with great reviews.  But perhaps the best hotel near Keleti station is the Intercity Hotel, just across the square, this would be my choice here.

• For something affordable near Budapest Nyugati station, try the ever-popular & funky 3-star T62 Hotel just across the road or the even cheaper 3-star Star Inn Budapest Centrum a few minutes walk away, both with good reviews.  The 4-star Radisson Blu Béke Hotel is just one block along the road from the station.

• For something different, but relatively inexpensive the floating hotel MS Maribelle gets great reviews, it's a river cruise boat permanently moored on the Pest side of the Danube close to the fortress with views across the river of the Hungarian Parliament.

• For something special & historic, the luxurious 5-star Corinthia Hotel is the Grande Dame of Budapest hotels.  Opened in 1896 as the Grand Hotel Royal, it was almost certainly the inspiration for the 2014 film The Grand Budapest Hotel, made 2 years after film-maker Wes Anderson stayed here.  It's a superb hotel with a great spa and an excellent breakfast - with choice of dry or sweet champagne included.  It's 20 minutes walk from Keleti station or 9 minutes by taxi.  It's a !5 minute walk or a few minutes by taxi or number 4 or 6 tram from Nyugati station.

  Also historic and top notch, the New York Palace Hotel opened in 1894 and houses the famous New York Cafe on its ground floor.  It's 15 minutes walk from Keleti station and gets fabulous reviews.

My favourite hotel search: www.booking.com Booking.com is my favourite hotel booking site and I generally use it to book all my hotels in one place.  I've come to trust booking.com's review scores, you won't be disappointed with any hotel that scores 8.0 or more.  Crucially, booking.com usually lets you book with free cancellation, which means you can confirm accommodation risk-free before train booking opens and/or you can hold accommodation while you finalise your itinerary and alter your plans as they evolve - a feature I use all the time when planning a trip.  I never book hotels non-refundably!

Backpacker hostels: www.hostelworld.com

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

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Travel insurance & other tips

Always take out travel insurance

You should take out travel insurance with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover from a reliable insurer.  It should cover trip cancellation and loss of cash & belongings up to a reasonable limit.  These days, check you're covered for covid-19-related issues, and use an insurer whose cover isn't invalidated by well-meant but excessive Foreign Office travel advice against non-essential travel. An annual policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself.  Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, see the advice on missed connections here.  Here are some suggested insurers, I get a little commission if you buy through these links, feedback always welcome.

  www.staysure.co.uk offers enhanced Covid-19 protection and gets 4.7 out of 5 on Trustpilot.

  www.columbusdirect.com is also a well-know brand.

  If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.

Get an eSIM with mobile data package

Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a European mobile data package and stay connected.  Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list.  There's no need to buy a physical SIM card!  Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.

Get a Curve card for foreign travel

Most banks give you a poor exchange rate then add a foreign transaction fee on top.  A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month as I write this.  The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.  And you can get a Curve card for free.

How it works:  1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android.  2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses.  3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card.  4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app.  You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.

I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader.  The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than getting a card out).  I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great.  See details, download the app and get a Curve card, they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.

Get a VPN for safe browsing.  Why you need a VPN

When travelling you may use free public WiFi which is often insecure.  A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi.  It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply.  See VPNs & why you need one explained.  ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using this link you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription.  I also get some commission to help support this site.

Carry an Anker powerbank

Tickets, reservations, hotel bookings and Interrail or Eurail passes are often now held on your mobile phone.  You daren't let it run out of power, and you can't always rely on the phone's internal battery or on being near a power outlet.  I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over.  Buy from Amazon.co.uk or buy from Amazon.com.

Touring cities?  Use hill walking shoes!

One of the best things I've done is swap my normal shoes for hill-walking shoes, in my case from Scarpa.  They're intended for hiking across the Pennines not wandering around Florence, but the support and cushioning for hiking works equally well when you're on your feet all day exploring foreign cities.  My feet used to give out first and limit my day, now the rest of me gives up before they do!

 

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