Berlin to Budapest by train

How to travel from Berlin to Budapest by train

The daytime train between Berlin and Budapest has been restored so travellers can now once again choose between travelling overnight or during the day, when making the journey between the capitals of Germany and Hungary

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Routes

Option 1: the journey by day

Travel Information

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 09:00 and arrives in the Hungarian capital shortly before 20:30.

1 x direct train per day

Tickets

Book early and save: Yes

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

This train usually departs Hamburg Hbf at 0(:16, so target that departure time when looking up this journey.

Book 1st class ticket journey tickets on DB Bahn and your seat reservation is included - but they're optional when booking 2nd class tickets, or if you will be travelling with a 1st or 2nd class rail pass.

Reservations are highly recommended for this journey - particularly in 2nd class.

Where to book
Ticket Provider Approximate Cost
DB from €43.90

DB 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.

Two types of ticket have recently been made available;

  1. Cheaper 'Young' tickets which can only be booked by those aged 15-26 on the travel date.
  2. Flexi Plus tickets, which are now the most expensive type of ticket, but they're the only type of 2nd class tickets which DO include a seat reservation.

On this journey

Journey Features

Scenic - YesNot High SpeedRiver views

Journey description:

Take this train and you will be on the EC train that is provided by MAV (Hungarian) Railways.

The majority of the journey by this EC train from Berlin to Budapest isn't particularly scintillating.
As far as Dresden you will be travelling across flat farm land, but try to stay awake!

The highlight of the journey comes between Dresden and Prague.
For more than two hours the train travels through the beautiful Elbe River valley, but sit on the left of the train (when facing the direction of travel) for the best views.

The most scenic section of the Czech part of the trip is when the train travels through the valleys to the east of Pardubice.
Then in summer, when the train crosses the Hungarian border in daylight, there are views of The Danube on the left to the east of the station call at Vac.

This journey is so epic that it's also included on Thrillist's guide to Europe's Most Beautiful Train Rides.

Between Dresden and Prague from the left of the train #1 Between Dresden and Prague from the left of the train #1
Between Dresden and Prague from the left of the train #2 Between Dresden and Prague from the left of the train #2
Between Dresden and Prague from the left of the train #3 Between Dresden and Prague from the left of the train #3

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Option 2: Travel through the night

Travel Information

Final Destination: Budapest-Nyugati

This train also calls at: Berlin Ostbahnhof and it commences its journey in West Berlin, it is usually scheduled to depart from Berlin Charlottenburg station.

If you will be commencing your journey in Berlin city centre, then it's likely that your best option will be to join this train at Berlin Ostbahnhof station; heading there on one of the frequent S-Bahn trains from Alexanderplatz or Friedrichstrabe stations.

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 at 07:48 .

1 x train per night

Tickets

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.

Where to book
Ticket Provider Approximate Cost
OBB *

OBB Guide

OBB is the national rail operator and its booking service offers journeys by express trains within Austria, as well as international journeys which don't involve making a connection outside of Austria.

It pays off to book online, as the discounted 'Sparscheine' tickets are only ever made available on the website, and when making international journeys to and from Austria, these Sparscheine tickets tend to be cheaper.
OBB can offer particularly good value for money when travelling with children on international rail journeys, but something to watch out for when travelling between Austria and Germany on daytime trains, is that reservations are an optional extra; but if you book 1st class tickets with the Germany railways website DB, the reservations are complimentary.

OBB often takes a unique approach to its booking path, but a key thing to keep in mind is that the first price you will see for any journey is that of a Second Class seat.
The costs of upgrading to first class, a reservation, or a sleeping cabin etc, is then added to this price.

DB *

DB 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.

Two types of ticket have recently been made available;

  1. Cheaper 'Young' tickets which can only be booked by those aged 15-26 on the travel date.
  2. Flexi Plus tickets, which are now the most expensive type of ticket, but they're the only type of 2nd class tickets which DO include a seat reservation.

On this journey

Journey Features

Scenic - NoHigh Speed (partial journey)

Good to Know

On departure from Berlin, the train heading to Budapest will be joined to another train heading to Graz or Wien, so if you see either of these destinations on the departure screens at Berlin Hbf, the info will also apply to this train heading to Budapest.

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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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