Train from Budapest to Cluj
 

Here are my train plans: Munich to Salzburg to Vienna to Budapest to Cluj starting around November 23 and arriving in Cluj around December 4. I will be in Cluj for 2 weeks for a research trip.

I am trying to figure out which is a better deal: buying a Eurorail pass or individual tickets. I have a reasonably tight schedule and can't find the price for reserving a seat with a Eurorail pass from Budapest to Cluj. I have searched several web pages that say a reservation will be required, but it won't provide me an option to purchase. I would also consider this as an overnight trip but can't find info on reserving a sleeper. My guess right now is that individual tickets (which I have already priced out) will actually end up being cheaper. Thoughts?

Also, I am considering using Wizz Air for a flight from Cluj to London or Rome to tack on a few more days to the end of the trip (around Dec. 17 to 20th) before heading back to the states. Anything I should look out for using Wizz?

Thanks!

Is there a Budapest-Cluj sleeper?

Bahn.de shows 3 direct daytime trains a day: but all "overnight" trains seem to show there's a couchette only as far as the border, and you then have to change in the middle of the night (onto a sit up and beg train) at Arad or Alba Julia.

I'm no expert on Eurail passes: but I can't imagine for a nanosecond they'd make any sense at all if you're just taking four journeys in 11 days.

I was on bahn.de earlier and for some reason hadn't seen the direct options. Thanks for the info!

It's definitely cheaper to get tickets for each part than the pass.

The required seat reservation on Budapest-Cluj trains is literally for the seat, not a required advance ticket booking - you can get the ticket and the seat reservation at the station before departure (trains aren't that full on this route). A second class ticket should be about $40-45 including seat reservation.

There is a night train with direct sleepers from Budapest that passes through Cluj (departs Budapest at 5.43PM, stops in Cluj around 2AM), but there's not much point in using it as you'd still have to wake up in the middle of the night to get off in Cluj.
If you really want to travel overnight you could take the Orangeways bus ( http://www.orangeways.com/en ); it leaves from Budapest at 11PM, gets to Cluj around 8AM and costs ~$25.

There aren't any problems with using Wizzair unless you have a connecting flight onwards from Rome or London the same day of arrival.
As you probably know you could also use them earlier: fly from Budapest to Targu Mures (one hour, $20 if booked with a few weeks in advance) then catch a bus from Targu Mures to Cluj (three hours travel time, ticket is $7-8, there are buses every hour) - this is faster and cheaper than the train.

hello everybody. I'll move to cluj from budapest in the 17th of december, but apparently I can't find yet the timetable for the period starting in december 12th.

does anyone know if there are sensible changes in the winter timetable? for example in the current timetable there is a train going from budapest to cluj, leaving around 9 and arriving around 17:30, do you know if there is the same train in the 17th?

thanks in advance for your answers
Adriano

wait, I'm reading in your previous posts about booking a seat on the train.

I've been taking a train from budapest for a couple of times (to kassa-kosice and belgrade), and I have never heard about overbooking, all the trains I took were empty.

do you know if it's different to go to cluj? where have you read that it's suggestable to reserve a seat?

thanks

The winter timetable has just some minor changes, for instance the train you mentioned gets to Cluj around 17.50 instead of 17.30 .

The seat reservation has nothing to do with booking (this train is mostly empty too), practically it's an extra fee included in the ticket price.