How to travel from Berlin to Budapest by train

Final Destination: Budapest-Nyugati

This train now arrives at Nyugati station in Budapest and not Budapest-Keleti

This train also calls at: Brno, Bratislava and Vac -

Come on board for one of Europe's most epic daytime train journeys; this train usually departs Berlin Hbf at around 09:15 and arrives in the Hungarian capital shortly before 20:30.

Book early and save: Yes

Online bookings usually open: 3 months ahead of the travel date

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 Berlin which can be used on public transport between locations in the city centre and Berlin 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.
Though despite seats being automatically assigned when booking these tickets, which are valid on any departure, you will need to pay to re-book the reservations, if you subsequently decide to travel on an alternative train.
So because you won't save by booking these tickets in advance, it can be a good idea to wait until you are sure when you will want to travel.

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.

1st Class tickets

No matter what type of ticket booked, if you choose to travel 1st class, you will have access to the same seating areas on the train.
Though only those who have booked 1st class Flexpreis tickets can access the DB Lounges at the major stations.

Booking on the DB website

You can find these direct trains 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.

This train is due to arrive in Budapest-Nyugati station shortly before 08:30 and it also calls in Vac - where it is due to arrive shortly before 08:00.
It is usually scheduled to depart from Berlin at around 19:20.

Final Destination: Budapest-Nyugati

This train also calls at: Berlin Südkreuz

If you will be commencing your journey in Berlin city centre, an option is to join this train at Berlin Südkreuz station; heading there on one of the frequent S-Bahn trains from Alexanderplatz or Friedrichstrabe stations.

It has also been switched to a new route traveling via Dresden and Praha, it will usually depart from Dresden Hbf at 22:10.

Book early and save: Yes

This train is usually scheduled to depart from Berlin at 18:43, so target that time when looking up this journey.

Online bookings open:
6 months ahead of the travel date on OBB
3 months ahead of the travel date on DB Bahn

The choice of accommodation - summary:

- Compartment Seats
- Couchettes; 4 berths AND 6 berths
- Standard (2nd class) sleeping cars with 3 bed, 2 bed and 1 cabins

Click the yellow train button above for more info including the rail pass reservation fees:

Using rail passes:

Rail pass users must reserve before boarding these trains.
However, these rail pass reservations can NO longer be booked online the DB website.

If you want to reserve seats, berths in couchettes or beds in the sleeping cabins before you arrive in Germany, the best option is to pay a booking fee and use the Eurail or InterRail reservation services.

Or you can avoid the booking fees by arranging the reservations when you arrive in Germany, by purchasing them at a Reisezentrum travel desk, which you will find in any hauptbahnhof.

Though it's best to do this at the first hauptbahnhof (city centre station) that you will arrive at, the later you leave booking your accommodation, the more likely it is that your preferences will be sold out.

This indirect journey becomes the default best option when the direct train from Berlin to Budapest isn't available - it can be compromised due to the length of its route.
But in any case, this indirect journey option can be worth considering because;

• it enables a later departure from Berlin, as the train to Wien will typically depart shortly after 10:00
• the end-to-end journey is faster than the direct train
• of the arrival into different stations in Budapest
  The direct train arrives into Nyugati station, which is on line M3 of the Budapest Metro, but this routing arrives into Kelenfold staton on line M4 and Keleti station, which is on line M2.

The connecting time between trains in Wien Hbf is usually scheduled to be an easy 55 mins.

The alternative combinations of ICE train + Railjet train

There are usually journey options available, which involve departing Berlin at around 06:30 and 08:30 with a connecting time between trains at Munchen Hbf of under 30mins.
However, because that route through Munchen is longer when travelling via Wien, the end-to-end journey time is usually 11hr 50mins.

Book early and save: Yes

Online bookings usually open: 3 months ahead of the travel date

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 Berlin which can be used on public transport between locations in the city centre and Berlin 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.
If you add a reservation to the ticket booking, the reservation will cover both trains.

They are included within the cost of booking 1st class Flexpreis tickets.
Though despite seats being automatically assigned when booking these tickets, which are valid on any departure, you will need to pay to re-book the reservations, if you subsequently decide to travel on an alternative train.
So because you won't save by booking these tickets in advance, it can be a good idea to wait until you are sure when you will want to travel.

1st Class tickets

No matter what type of ticket booked, if you choose to travel 1st class, you will have access to the same seating areas on the train.
Though only those who have booked 1st class Flexpreis tickets can access the DB Lounge in Berlin

Booking on the DB website

To see all the combinations of trains and journey options, some of which may be cheaper, take off the 'fastest connections' default