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How to take a rail journey all the way from Budapest to northern Germany
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Budapest to Hamburg by train
Despite the distance the rail journey to Hamburg from Budapest is easily managed.
Europe's longest daytime rail journey provides a direct link, but making a connection allows for other options, including travelling overnight.
Routes you can take to go from Budapest to Hamburg
When travelling between most cities by train there is only one logical option, though on other journeys there is a choice between different trains or alternative routes. If different options are available you can use the info to decide which is best for you.
Choose one of the following options:
Looking for connections?
Route Information
Option 1: taking the direct daytime train
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
13hr 47min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
1 x train per day
Purchase Tickets
DB Bahn Guide
DB is the national railway operator in Germany, so its website can be used for booking journeys by German express trains; the ICE and IC trains and it doesn't charge booking fees.
It also sells tickets for journeys by direct trains on all international routes from Germany regardless of whether DB is operating the train service.
It also sells an extensive range of end-to-end journeys which involve making connections both within Germany and in neighboring countries, but journeys between Germany and Britain cannot be booked on DB.
A key feature of DB website worth keeping mind is that it offers 1st class ticket purchasers complimentary seat reservations on journeys both within and to/from Germany.
Seat reservations for daytime in both 1st and 2nd class can also be booked separately from tickets.
MAV Guide
MAV is the national railway operator in Hungary and its newly relaunched website is still at the 'beta' stage, but it can be used to make bookings.
The MAV website also sells tickets for the direct international trains from Hungary and it's booking path for overnight trains is particularly easy to follow.
Travel Information
Come on board for one of Europe's most epic daytime train journeys.
Note that this train service now departs from Budapest-Nyugati station and NOT Budapest-Keleti station.
It is usually scheduled to depart from Budapest-Nyugati station at around 07:30 and arrive into Hamburg Hbf at around 21:15,
A train on to Stockholm typically departs from Hamburg shortly after 22:00.
Final Destination: Hamburg
The Train also calls at: Vac, Dresden and Berlin
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
There are views over The Danube between Vác and Slovakia, from the left of the train (when facing the direction of travel).
Then between Brno and Prague, there are some charming views to be enjoyed of the lush Czech landscape;
Between Prague and Dresden, the train travels through the beautiful Elbe River valley, but sit on the right of the train (when facing the direction of travel) for the best views.
The videos were taken from a train travelling in the opposite direction, but they have been arranged in order to showcase the journey when heading northwards.
The wonderful views continue once the train will have crossed the border into Germany.
Tickets
A choice of tickets
Three types of tickets are available:
Two types of discounted tickets, which will be cheaper the further ahead you book - Sparpreis and Super Sparpreis
One type of non-discounted ticket - Flexpreis,
A key difference between these types of tickets is refunds:
- Super Sparpreis tickets are cheapest, but they can't be refunded at all.
- Sparpreis tickets can be refunded for a fee, but the refund will be in the form of travel vouchers to be used for alternative / future journeys.
- Flexpreis tickets can be refunded at no additional charge.
The other key difference is that both types of Sparpreis tickets are only valid on the specific departures selected when booking, but Flexpreis tickets live up to their name, as they can be used on any departure on your travel date.
Note that none of the tickets can be exchanged to a different departure.
There's no need for this to be available for Flexpreis tickets, as they aren't train departure specific.
If you book a Sparpreis ticket and want to travel by a different departure you can refund it and then use the travel voucher towards the cost of the new booking.
Super Sparpreis tickets can't be exchanged or refunded.
The Sparpreis and Flexpreis tickets also include 'City tickets' for Hamburg which can be used on public transport between locations in the city centre and Hamburg hbf.
Seat reservations
Seat reservations are optional on this route - take note if you will be using a rail pass.
They cost €4.90 when travelling in 2nd Class and €5.90 when travelling in 1st class.
Specific seats can be selected from seating plans - you don't have to accept the seat(s) that you will be automatically offered.
They are included within the cost of booking 1st class Flexpreis tickets.
When booking Super Sparpreis, Sparpreis and 2nd class Flexpreis tickets, you have the option of purchasing seat reservations later.
It can be worth re-looking up a journey a week or two ahead of travel, because the DB website will indicate how busy a departure will be.
Booking on the DB website
You can find this direct train more easily by making a proactive selection of 'Direct Trains Only'.
Or to see all the combinations of trains and journey options, some of which may be cheaper, take off the 'fastest connections' default.
Route Information
Via stations: Wien Hbf/Hauptbahnhof
Option 2: Requires a connection, but is 1hr 30mins faster
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
12hr 15min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
1 x optimum connection per day
Purchase Tickets
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Trainline Guide
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Rail Europe ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option when booking international journeys with connections and for travellers who don't reside in western Europe. Use the easy options on its home page if you will be booking tickets with a railcard: Or purchasing rail pass reservations.
Omio Guide
Omio is an online ticket agency which offers tickets for rail journeys in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain.
The three key advantages of using Omio are
- it offers prices in multiple currencies
- it usually offers price comparison with other modes of travel including flights and buses
- when visiting Europe, you can book journeys in multiple countries in one transaction.
The disadvantage of booking with Omio is that it often adds a booking fee to the final price; therefore when it does so without offering a price advantage, SMTJ doesn't tend to offer Omio as a booking option.
Travel Information
Taking this combination of trains enables a departure from Budapest at around 09:40 - though note that it departs from a different station than that used by the direct train - Option 1.
The transfer between trains at Wien Hbf is scheduled to be easily timed, with around a comfortable 55 mins between trains - making the connection will be step-free, all platforms / tracks in Wien Hbf can be accessed by using lifts / elevators.
There are other similar journey options available which involve connecting into ICE trains on to Hamburg in Wien or Munchen, but this combination of trains has been singled out for two reasons:
- The time between trains in Wien allows for contingency - train from Budapest could arrive more than 45 mins late and you would still make the train on to Hamburg.
- The train on from Wien takes the most direct route from Austria to Hamburg, hence it's the fastest of the alternative options to the direct train.
This journey is made up of 1 change.
Train 1
Between Budapest Keleti and Wien Hbf/HauptbahnhofYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Good to Know
Final Destination: München
The train will also call at Budapest-Kelenfold station around 10 mins after departing from Budapest-Keleti.
If the starting point of your journey in Budapest is on Metro Line 4, or has an easy connection to Line 4, then take the Metro to Kelenfold station and join the train there.
Not only will your journey be quicker overall, the Metro transfer at Kelenfold is much easier, particularly if you have luggage.
Train 2
Between Wien Hbf/Hauptbahnhof and Hamburg HbfYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Check the location of your final destination in Hamburg before booking.
This train will call at Hamburg Hbf, the main station in the city, but it will travel on beyond Hamburg Hbf to also call at Hamburg-Dammtor station and then at Hamburg-Altona.
So leaving the trains at either of those stations, could give you easier access to your final destination in the city.
Journey description:
From Wien/Vienna until Wels the train will travel at up to 230 km/h (close to the high speed threshold) on the main Western Railway which crosses Austria.
On departure from Wells the train will head towards the border with Germany and to the south of Passau, the railway takes a charming route on the east bank of The River Inn, which can be seen on left.
Then between Passau and Regensburg the River Danube is on the right.
Between Regensburg and Nurnberg the train rushes across a delightful rolling landscape and then until Wurzburg the train remains on the conventional railway.
On departure from Wurzburg comes a part of the journey with a wow factor, because between the stations until Hannover, the train will be travelling at more than 270 km/h for around 2hr 30mins.
The first high speed line in Germany was blasted through dozens of tunnels, but between many of them, the train will whizz across viaducts, so keep your eyes peeled to see the views.
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Tickets
The ticket agents will offer dozens of journey options for taking a journey by train from Budapest to Hamburg and this optimum combination of trains typically departs Budapest at 09:40, so hone in on this time when looking up the journey.
Route Information
Via stations: Berlin Hbf
Option 3: travelling overnight with a connection in Berlin
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
14hr 50min (approx)
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
1 x connection per day
Purchase Tickets
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Trainline Guide
Omio Guide
Omio is an online ticket agency which offers tickets for rail journeys in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain.
The three key advantages of using Omio are
- it offers prices in multiple currencies
- it usually offers price comparison with other modes of travel including flights and buses
- when visiting Europe, you can book journeys in multiple countries in one transaction.
The disadvantage of booking with Omio is that it often adds a booking fee to the final price; therefore when it does so without offering a price advantage, SMTJ doesn't tend to offer Omio as a booking option.
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Rail Europe ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option when booking international journeys with connections and for travellers who don't reside in western Europe. Use the easy options on its home page if you will be booking tickets with a railcard: Or purchasing rail pass reservations.
Travel Information
This combination of trains tends to be the cheapest option for an overnight journey from Budapest to Hamburg and it's also the fastest, which is why it has been singled out.
Though the end-to-end journey time shown by the ticket agents will be dependent on making a connection between trains on arrival in Berlin, of under 20 mins.
Though the train on to Hamburg will depart from the same part of Berlin station that the train from Budapest will arrive at - the lower level platforms / tracks.
Making the connection on time won't particularly matter, because if the train from Berlin has a delayed arrival, as tickets can be swapped to a subsequent departure at the Reisezentrum travel desk in Berlin Hbf.
Onward connections from Hamburg
There will typically be a train on to Copenhagen / Kobenhavn depart from Hamburg shortly before 11:00.
A separate ticket booking will be required for this train and the advice is to book the subsequent departure - as making the 11:00 departure will be dependent on also making that connection in Berlin - and making both connections on time is very much not guaranteed.
The alternative journey options
When the usual timetable is available there will be multiple other options available for making the journey by train from Budapest to Hamburg offered by the ticket agents, many of which involve making more than one connections between trains.
As those options with more than one transfer don't tend to offer a price or time advantage, they can be discounted but there area also other options with one only one change of train;
-
It's possible to arrive in Hamburg before 07:00 but the journey involves taking a combination of two trains that are typically used for daytime services.
The German national rail operator, DB, doesn't provide sleeper trains, instead it operates its ICE on overnight routes
The 15:40 train from Budapest connects in Munich with an overnight ICE train on to Hamburg -
It' possible to depart Budapest later, because the sleeper train to Stuttgart is usually scheduled to depart more than an hour after the train to Berlin - and there are ICE trains on from Stuttgart to Hamburg.
However, this end-to-end journey is typically more than two hours slower than journey via Hamburg. -
Making the connection between trains in Wien Hbf - as per Option 4
This journey is made up of 1 change.
Train 1
Between Budapest Keleti and Berlin HbfYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
**Final Destination: Berlin Hbf
This train is usually scheduled to depart from Budapest-Nyugati station at 19:30 and it also stops in Vac at 20:07; note that it previously departed from Keleti station in Budapest.
It is usually due to arrive in Berlin at around 08:00.
On the new timetable it's route has changed as it now travels via Praha and Dresden instead of via Wroclaw
This train is usually scheduled to depart from Berlin Hbf (tief - the lower level platforms at 19:01 and arrive in Budapest Keleti at 08:37
Final Destination: Budapest
This train also calls at: Berlin Südkreuz
Train 2
Between Berlin Hbf and Hamburg HbfYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Hamburg-Altona or Kiel
Departing from Berlin:
At Berlin Hbf the train should depart from the lower level (tief) platforms/gleis.
Arriving in Hamburg:
Check the location of your final destination in Hamburg before booking.
All trains will call at Hamburg Hbf, but most trains travel on beyond Hamburg Hbf to also call at Hamburg-Dammtor station and then at Hamburg-Altona.
So leaving the trains at either of those stations, could give you easier access to your final destination in the city.
The train will spend virtually the entirety of its journey travelling through pleasant, but unremarkable countryside, so having something to read or watch with you is recommended.
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
This train is usually scheduled to depart from Budapest at 19:30, so target that time when looking up this journey.
Online bookings typically open: 3 months ahead of the travel date
The choice of accommodation - summary:
- Compartment Seats (Sitzwagen)
- Couchettes (Liegewagen); 4 berths AND 6 berths
- Standard sleeping cars (Schlafwagen) with 3 bed, 2 bed and 1 cabins
- Deluxe sleeping cars with showers (Schlafwagen) with 3 bed, 2 bed and 1 cabins
Click the Train details for more info including the rail pass reservation fees:
Travelling with a rail pass:
Rail pass users must reserve before boarding this night train.
However, these rail pass reservations can NO longer be booked online the DB website, but you can now book rail pass reservations without paying booking fees on the OBB website (OBB operates these trains).
Though the process for doing so isn't particularly obvious, hence this step-by-step guide.
Route Information
Via stations: München Hbf/Munich main station and Wien Hbf/Hauptbahnhof
Option 4: connecting in Wien - a good option when travelling solo overnight
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
16hr 5 min (approx)
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
1 x connection per day
Purchase Tickets
Travel Information
This combination of trains is typically more than an hour slower than travelling overnight via Berlin (option 3), and it tends to be more expensive - particularly when travelling with Eurail or InterRail passes.
However, it has been singled out for two reasons:
- It arrives in Hamburg before 09:00 - so it offers an easily time connection into the train on to Copenhagen / Kobenhavn, which typically departs shortly before 11:00.
- The newer type of Nightjet train is now being used for the Wien to Hamburg service - and this train conveys the Mini-Cabins which offer a cost-effective and more private accommodation option for solo travellers.
This journey is made up of 1 change.
Train 1
Between Budapest Keleti and München Hbf/Munich main stationYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Good to Know
The train will typically depart at 16:40 - note that it departs from a different station in Budapst that the overnight train to Berlin leaves from.
Final Destination: Wien Hbf
These trains will call at Budapest-Kelenfold station around 10 mins after departing from Budapest-Keleti.
If the starting point of your journey in Budapest is on Metro Line 4, or has an easy connection to Line 4, then take the Metro to Kelenfold station and join the train there.
Not only will your journey be quicker overall, the Metro transfer at Kelenfold is much easier, particularly if you have luggage.
Final Destination: Budapest-Keleti
Train also calls at: Wien, Gyor, Budapest, Budapest-Kelenfold
Type of Scenery: Mountain
Star Rating: *
It can be a quicker and easier journey to Budapest city centre if you leave these train at Budapest-Kelenfold.
Click the Budapest-Keleti button for more info.
Train 2
Between Wien Hbf/Hauptbahnhof and Hamburg HbfYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
This train is usually scheduled to depart from Wien Hbf at around 20:10 and arrive in Hamburg Hbf shortly before 09:00.
This train terminates at: Hamburg-Altona
On departure from Wien Hbf the coaches heading to Hamburg will be joined to another train heading to Amsterdam, so if you see 'Amsterdam on the departure screens, then the info will also be for this train.
Don't be concerned about joining the wrong part of the train, your reservations will be in the part of the train that will be heading to Hamburg.
And the train conductor will greet passengers travelling in the sleeping cabins.
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings typically open: 3 months ahead of the travel date
The choice of accommodation - summary:
- Compartment Seats (Sitzwagen)
- Couchettes (Liegewagen); 4 berths AND 6 berths
- Mini-Cabins
- Standard sleeping cars (Schlafwagen) with 3 bed, 2 bed and 1 cabins
- Comfort sleeping cars with showers (Schlafwagen) with 3 bed, 2 bed and 1 cabins
Click the Train details for more info including the rail pass reservation fees:
Travelling with a rail pass:
Rail pass users must reserve before boarding this night train.
However, these rail pass reservations can NO longer be booked online the DB website, but you can now book rail pass reservations without paying booking fees on the OBB website (OBB operates these trains).
Though the process for doing so isn't particularly obvious, hence this step-by-step guide.
This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.
We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.
Instead of advertising or paywalls, your financial support will make a positive difference to delivering an enhanced service, as there’s a lot of ideas which we want to make happen.
So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please consider saying thank you.
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