Any Direct Trains from Budapest to Ljubljana?

As always, the easiest way to get rail schedules in Europe is to use the Bahn (German Rail) website, following Rick's tutorial here: http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/db_tips.htm

Actually for a Hungrian rail ticket I would be inclined to use the Hungarian site

http://www.mav.hu/english/

Thank you both for the info! The DB Bahn site shows no train at all to Ljubljana. The MAV site has a schedule that indicates there is a direct train on the day we'd like to travel, but then says there are "no offers available for this destination".

Perhaps I'm running in to a "too early to book a train" situation?

For the MAV ticket you need to check about 60 days out. The site can be sort of confusing. In Bulgaria this week, when I get back to a computer and reliable internet service I will be happy to help. When do you travel?

It's a very long train ride. I will be doing this route myself in early September. I opted for the bus route, which leaves Budapest at 6 am and arrives in Ljubljana at 1:30 pm, significantly earlier than the train and it was only a $26 ticket.

James - We travel in August... Hoping to train or bus to Ljubljana on Sunday, August 31. I am told by our hotel concierge that we can buy train tickets the day before travel at the train station. My only concern would be not being able to get a ticket when we really need to be in Ljubljana the evening of Aug 31, which is why I am hoping to buy in advance.

Gabriel - What bus company are you traveling? I had looked at Orange a couple of weeks ago. The times definitely seem better than the train.

There is just one direct train per day, departing Budapest at 14:45 and arriving Ljubljana at 23:37; most other departures require 1 - 2 connections. Some of these legs are subject to compulsory reservation, as show on schedules, but there's no deadline to buy the ticket. I would not be too worried about the train filling up and would buy that ticket at the Prague or Vienna train station. Direct Prague-Vienna trains run several times per day and don't require reservations/seat assignments.

Batriggs, yes I bought my ticket on Orangeways. Cheap!

Laura - do you have any information about OrangeWays? Are they a safe and reliable mode of transportation in Hungary?

As far as the direct train via the MAV site, It shows a direct train, but I still can't book it.

Gabriel : I would be interested in learning how the bus trip on Orangeways works out . I am planning a trip like you and batrigg in May next year with 4other people and want to know if it's safe & comfortable . I've travelled by bus in Peru years ago and was pleasantly surprised. You just cannot beat the $26 price . I looked at the website and you are right. I willing be checking for your return response if you are willing to do that. Thanks for sharing Orangeways site.

There is a direct night train from Budapest to Ljubljana as well. It runs only during the summer season, and departs Budapest on Mondays and Thursdays only. (In the other direction, it departs Ljubljana on Tuesdays and Fridays only.)

I'd be very wary of Orangeways. They have absolutely awful reviews on TripAdvisor.

There is also an Eurolines bus connection between Budapest and Ljubljana through Zagreb, however it only runs on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. I think Eurolines has a far better reputation then Orangeways.

Yes, I decided to ditch Orangeways after seeing the countless negative reviews online. However, this totally screws up my travel plans because I had just added an extra day in Budapest and may have to lose out on that extra day because of the Eurolines bus schedule. I had wanted to leave to Ljubljana on a Friday, but Eurolines only goes some days (in this case Thursday is the better option). I've been looking at alternatives to avoid this Thursday departure. Right now it seems that Eurobusways has a good option for a direct transfer. Only problem is that it costs $160 assuming there are three people on the shuttle. I'm a solo traveler so I don't know if this will work out. You might want to look at another option I found if you're not wanting to spend all day traveling. Flight on Qatar Airlines from Budapest to Zagreb (direct flight about $160, leaves on select days), then take a Go Opti shuttle (cheap) from Zagreb airport to Ljubljana.

I've done more searching and came upon yet another feasible, yet still somewhat expensive option. Using Go Opti (a shuttle van service based in Slovenia), you can be transported from Budapest to a number of Croatian towns (say Zagreb, for example) and then continue on to Ljubljana from there. It's about a 5 to 7 hour transfer, depending on which shuttle service you book and in which towns you connect. Cost would be about $180. I might end up doing it this way.