Overnight train from Prague to Budapest - September 2009
 

Has anyone taken an overnight train from Prague to Budapest?? How safe was it??? Should i book my tickets in advance or is it easier and cheaper to purchase them at the station???

I am not sure why you want to take an overnight train. The travel time is considerably longer. If you leave at 21:40 the trip takes 10 hours and 39 minutes. There is a sleeping car and the Austrian rail website also says there are couchettes, which I would find uncomfortable.

Why don't you look this information up for yourself at öbb.at? You can make the ö by holding down the alt key and typing 148. If that option is not available use oe as a substitute.

There is an English version and the Austrian site is usually reliable. I used Praha for Prague.

Anybody who has taken the overnight train from Prague to Budapest???? please share your thoughts...

With an overnight train, travel time is irrelevant. You leave in the evening, arrive next morning, and sleep in a comfy sleeper. It takes less time out of your schedule than either day trains or flying, and saves a hotel bill.

Just buy at the station when you get to Prague. It'll cost about 50 euro for the ticket plus 10 euro for a couchette or (much better) 25 euro for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper.

You'll be safe and snug in the sleeper.

Thank you so much..man in seat...

Please can you advise if it is the same price the other way around. I want to get from budapest to prague. What do you recommend?

Thanks a lot

If you can leave your luggage at your hotel after arrival (or where ever you are staying overnight) the overnight train does save a hotel bill although the price of the sleeper does eat up some of the savings.

If that is what you want to do, there is a train that leaves Prague, main station, at 21:40 and arrives in Budapest Keleti at 8:19 the following day. It has both sleeping cars and couchettes. I have not ridden this particular train, but the hours are reasonable. I would recommend the sleeping car option instead of the couchette.

The first and last time I rode in a couchette car I found it to be uncomfortable. I was in a compartment with people I did not know, and there was no good opportunity to change out of my clothes.