Trains tickets in Hungary

Modern Hungary overflows with Habsburg tradition and sees itself as quintessentially central European. Some older Hungarians hanker after a lost imperial era, but a new dynamic generation of Hungarians are keen that their country should be centrally involved in European affairs. The European rail network is on their side, for few other countries are as well connected with the rest of Europe.

The national rail operator is Magyar Államvasutak or MÁV for short. It operates most passenger train travel in Hungary. Head to Keleti station in Budapest and you might see a sleek red Austrian Railjet train leaving for Zurich or passengers climbing aboard Slovak couchettes for an overnight journey to Berlin.

Visiting Hungary by train is particularly easy because it is a natural transit country for many European journeys. For example, there are excellent connections south from Budapest to Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. For passengers travelling to Hungary by train fromwestern Europe, the preferred routes are via Zurich or Munich. Both cities offer a good choice of either daytime or overnight services to Budapest.

The national rail network has one major hub in Budapest. It’s easy to find cheap train tickets in Hungary, but travel times may be slow. We do not currently sell tickets for domestic train travel in Hungary, only when you buy them in conjunction with an international one. Once you get there, it's worth knowing that EU citizens (plus Norway and Switzerland) over 65 years old, travel for free on all local trains in Hungary.

What trains can you travel with in Hungary?