I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere else, but if you're planning on taking the overnight train from Prague to Budapest, have your finger on the button ready to make your reservation AS SOON AS IT OPENS. Today is 60 days from when I planned on taking that train. When I attempted to make my reservation several hours after it opened, it was already sold out. I'm not talking about the sleeper compartments, I'm talking about the entire train. I know I shouldn't be so frustrated...this is part of traveling. Does anyone have any suggestions for an alternative? I'd rather not waste an entire day sitting on the train. I thought maybe we'd leave Prague late afternoon, stop to eat and sleep in Bratislava, then continue on to Budapest the next morning. Has anybody done that? Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.
Posted by
Seattle
4637 posts
I strongly doubt that the tickets are already sold for the sleeper. More likely there is some problem with the website. Try several other days and if it shows all sold out then you know it's website problem. I ran into similar problem some time ago. For these short distances I am not a fan of night trains. You won't get enough sleep. The idea to stop in Bratislava is good. But I would leave few hours to walk around Old Town and to the Castle for views. Just to stop, eat and sleep and go again I would not do. In that case I would rather go all the way to Budapest but I would take a day train.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Thanks so much for the advice, Ilja! The more I think about it, the more I agree with your idea to take a day train. A longer stop in Bratislava sounds very intriguing--a nice change from the overwhelming cities of Prague and Budapest.
Posted by
Clarksville, TN, USA
956 posts
It's been a few years, but we did the overnight train from Prague to Budapest and we bought our tickets at the train station a few days prior. I didn't know you could even buy the tickets online.... Or at least you couldn't at that time. We didn't have any problems getting our tickets!