I believe that it is the best choice to travel from Prague to Budapest by train! It may not be the cheapest, but is really comfortable and safe! Direct trains leave Hlavni Nadrazi Train Station in Prague to Budapest every two hours, where the day trains arrive at Nyugati Train Station, and the night trains arrive at Keleti Train Station! You can easily get to several points of the city by subway and tram from both train stations.
Fast links: Day – Night – Tickets from Prague to Budapest by train
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Day
Trains leave the station in Prague to Budapest every two hours from 05:51 a.m. to 15:51 p.m. and arrive at Nyugati Train Station.
I recommend to reserve a seat! It will cost a little more, but you will surely have a seat and won’t have to give it up to the person who booked his ticket exactly where you sat down.
On the train you can choose between compartment and cabin seats. In the first class, there are two rows of seats on one side and one row on the other, so if two of you travel, you can sit facing each other and no one is sitting next to you! In the first class, the chairs also have tables!
In the second class there are double rows on both sides, but not every seat has a table. I think it is better to reserve a seat with table!
Separate storage space has been developed for larger bags, but be careful when using it, don’t let greater value in the bags, and if possible, check them sometimes because this storage space is not always in your immediate vicinity.
Passengers with wheelchairs can take a seat in a car designed for them on these trains. Here you can find a space with a table by the window, and you can also charge the batteries from the nearby sockets. Of course, the toilet is barrier-free, too!
If you’re getting hungry during the several hours of traveling from Prague to Budapest, it is worth checking out the dining car’s offerings as they await passengers with a renewed menu and enhanced quality! In addition to classic catering dishes, there is also a plentiful selection of cakes!
It is very important that the car number is on the side of the train and you have to get on the car to which you have bought your ticket. Whatever questions you have, it is worth looking up and asking the conductor!
Night
If you want to save time when traveling from Prague to Budapest, choose a night train! The direct train departs from Prague at 23:57 and arrives at Keleti Train Station in Budapest at 08:35 in the morning! These trains have sleeping cars and there are also common seats so we can get a good sleep during the several hours of travel. Tickets are available from € 39 if booked in advance.
Remember that this may be a quite early arrival and be prepared that you may only be able to occupy your accommodation at 11 a.m. or later!
There are first and second classes on the night trains, too, and cabins with more beds, which means that you won’t be the only one sleeping in that cabin.
So keep in mind that day trains will arrive at Budapest Nyugati and night trains will arrive at Budapest Keleti Train Station!
Tickets from Prague to Budapest by train
Online tickets can be bought on this website:
https://www.cd.cz/en/default.htm
or personally at the train station! The ticket prices are from € 20, but if you buy it on the day of the departure, the price can even be € 30! It is worth buying the tickets as soon as possible!
SparDay SparNight tickets: available from € 19 for the second class, from € 35 for the first class. It is worth reserving a seat because if you don’t have one, and someone has their seat where you sit, you have to give it up to them. The price of reserving a seat is € 3, and you can ask for a seat next to a window or not next to a window, and there is one seat with table in every car. I don’t know if you can ask for the latter, but that’s my favorite.
Before traveling from Prague to Budapest by train, it is worth asking as many options as possible, as you may get a better offer by choosing another train. Cheap tickets are always available in limited numbers per train, so it is worth buying tickets as soon as possible. However, the only downside to cheap tickets is that they are tied to a certain day and train and cannot be exchanged or redeemed.
Tickets can be bought at the international box office of MÁV (the Hungarian Train Company), and you can find more information about the timetable and ticket prices on the website below:
If you arrive in Budapest too early and can only occupy your accommodation later, it is worth leaving your baggage in the baggage room. You can also find automatic baggage lockers at the train stations!
Important! If possible, don’t exchange money at the train station, or if you do, only a minimal amount because it’s pretty expensive! The same is true for noname change machines, you better avoid them! Tickets for public transport, or if traveling by taxi, can also be paid with a credit card.
There are quite poor quality toilets at Nyugati Train Station, so it is better to go to the toilet on the train before arriving or to WestEnd shopping center, where you can find clean toilets!
In my article below, you can learn how to get to the city center in the easiest way from the Keleti and Nyugati Train Station
