Help With Train Tickets: Prague, Vienna, Budapest
 

I am traveling with one other person and need train tickets for the following routes:

1. Prague to Vienna (train in am)
2. Vienna to Budapest (train in am)
3. Budapest to Prague (overnight train; prefer private 2 person cabin)

This is the only travel by train we are doing, and we are 22 years old (in case this qualifies us for a discount).

Advice on where to purchase tickets/passes, when to do so, and how to do this cheaply would be greatly appreciated!

Well there is a thing called an European East Railpass that normally may not be cost effective but if you are under 26 then those passes often have bargain rates for youths - check to see if it does. To see fares in Europe you have to go to the individual sites of that country's rail system - in this country you can only book ahead thru Rail Europe and a few other sources that typically charge more but if you need say the peace and comfort of booking the overnight train before going then the extra price could be pricelss. Great sites for train info in Eastern Europe - www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com (for any RailEurope product give them a call like the overnight train - I have used them for years for passes - great honest personal service IME - check pass prices on thier site or on www.seat61.com's commercial link to RailEurope as well. Also www.ricksteves.com has good info on passes. You can be assure that except perhaps the night train you can easily buy tickets once there - the overnight train as well IME but not 100% of the time.

Hopefully others will give you more info on online discounts thru the national rail sites even though these are not always easy to book with American credit cards these days.

Are you returning to Prague to fly home from there? If so, check out 'open jaw' (or multi-city) plane tickets... fly into Prague and out of Budapest. Saves you time and maybe some money without the backtracking.

http://www.oebb.at/en/

check out the Austrian State Railways site for pricing Vienna to Budapest and possible advance online discounts and regular fares to compare to the pass.

Prague to Vienna from 19 euros at www.cd.cz/eshop, full price about 40 euros.

Viennato Budapest from 19 euros at www.oebb.at (but full price on the day only about 30 euros)

Budapest-Prague by sleeper cannot be booked online, just buy at the station, it's easy enough.