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Praha / Prague / Prag to Budapest by train
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Routes
From Praha hl.n. to Budapest Nyugati
Journey Summary
7hr 13 min - 7hr 40min (EC train)
Daily
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 2 months ahead of the travel date (generally though tickets may not be available more than 6 weeks ahead)
Our general guide to tickets for train journeys from Czechia/The Czech Republic is available here - and we have also published a guide to booking tickets on the CD website.
Seat reservations are available, but optional on this route, so you don't need to reserve if you will be travelling with a rail pass.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| cd.cz | from 552 CZK |
On this journey
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Budapest-Nyugati
Note that these daytime EC trains now arrive in Nyugati station in Budapest and NOT Keleti station.
The overnight train still arrives at Budapest-Keleti.
All trains also call at: Bratislava, Vác
It's not a particularly lovely journey but if you take a train that departs in the morning, there are views over The Danube between the Slovakian border and Vác - from the right of the train (when facing the direction of travel).
Final Destination: Budapest-Nyugati
Note that these daytime EC trains now arrive in Nyugati station in Budapest and NOT Keleti station.
The overnight train still arrives at Budapest-Keleti.
All trains also call at: Bratislava, Vác
It's not a particularly lovely journey but if you take a train that departs in the morning, there are views over The Danube between the Slovakian border and Vác - from the right of the train (when facing the direction of travel).
From Praha hl.n. to Budapest Keleti
Journey Summary
10hr 39min (EuroNight)
Nightly
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes*
Online bookings open: 2 months ahead of the travel date
The train conveys:
- 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 in the cabin (Schlafwagen) with 3 bed, 2 bed and 1 cabins
*It's worth making the effort to book ahead if you want a bed in a sleeping cabin, but you'll save less than €10 compared to booking at the station if you want to travel in a seat or couchette.
A plus of booking online is that you will have ensured your place on the train. Your first choice of accommodation MAY be sold out if you don't book in advance.
There's much to be admired regarding the CD website, the online booking service of the Czech national rail operator, České dráhy, but how to book a berth in a couchette, or a bed in a sleeping cabin isn't particularly obvious.
Hence our step-by-step guide to booking overnight accommodation on the CD website, which you can find HERE.
When you look up this journey on the CD website, the departure will be listed as an IC train.
The couchette and sleeping coaches/cars are attached to an IC service between Praha and Breclav and then on arrival there, they're re-attched to a train which will then head off to Budapest.
Travelling with a rail pass:
Rail pass users must reserve before boarding these trains, and reservations CAN be booked online - follow the same steps as for booking tickets, except when initially looking up the journey, select, 'I want a reservation' instead of 'Buy'
OR reservations can also be arranged and paid for at the CD Travel desk at Praha hl.n station - ideally do this when you first arrive in Prague/Praha hl.n on the preceding train on your itinerary.
The reservation desk does not remain open until late it in the evening, so it will be closed if you attempt to reserve just prior to boarding.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| OBB | * | |
| CD | * |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
Departing from Prague/Praha/Prag:
This train is usually scheduled to depart from Praha hl.n station at 21:56 and arrive in Budapest-Keleti station at 08:35.
On the departure screens at the station you MAY only see an IC train heading to Breclav, which also happens to be departing at 21:56.
That's because the couchette and sleeping coaches/cars are attached to an IC service between Praha and Breclav and then on arrival there, they're re-attched to a train which will then head off to Budapest.
This overnight train to Budapest from Prague, no longer also departs from Praha-Holesovice station.
Arriving in Budapest:
This overnight service still arrives at Keleti station in Budapest, but the daytime trains now arrive at the city's Nyugati station.
You won't miss out a beautiful travel experience if you opt to take this night train.
It takes the same route as the daytime trains, though the journey time is much longer, because coaches heading to Budapest spend more than two hours in Breclav station.
Our general guide to taking European overnight trains is available HERE.
Departing from Prague/Praha/Prag:
This train is usually scheduled to depart from Praha hl.n station at 21:56 and arrive in Budapest-Keleti station at 08:35.
On the departure screens at the station you MAY only see an IC train heading to Breclav, which also happens to be departing at 21:56.
That's because the couchette and sleeping coaches/cars are attached to an IC service between Praha and Breclav and then on arrival there, they're re-attched to a train which will then head off to Budapest.
This overnight train to Budapest from Prague, no longer also departs from Praha-Holesovice station.
Arriving in Budapest:
This overnight service still arrives at Keleti station in Budapest, but the daytime trains now arrive at the city's Nyugati station.
You won't miss out a beautiful travel experience if you opt to take this night train.
It takes the same route as the daytime trains, though the journey time is much longer, because coaches heading to Budapest spend more than two hours in Breclav station.
Our general guide to taking European overnight trains is available HERE.
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