Help with train transportation from Budapest to Vienna

The RailJets start at Keleti station but also stop more briefly at Kelenfold station. They may have suggested Kelenfold due to shorter train travel time, but I think Keleti will be easy for you to get to and to board early, if the train is waiting there.

Thank you. I will try putting in our hotel to Keleti initially and then add the final destination.

Keleti is easy to get to from the metro. check the DB train schedule, they are the best we have used it in 10 different countries, much easier to navigate than other sites. Have a great time, Hank, Novato, CA

And I find it much easier to board a train at its initial station (get there early, board the train that is waiting, find your seat while the train is stationary) rather than trying to get on a train that only has a n-minute halt at an intermediate station.

I thought we had to go to the Keleti station for travel to another
country from Budapest

Nyugati has international service too; but not to Vienna. For instance if you were going to Lviv you would go out of Nyugati.

I guess technically Kelenfold will save you some minutes on your trip. I don't think it would be wrong to leave out of Kelenfold. I would purchase the tickets at Keleti while you are out visiting the city because i am not sure they have an international ticket office at Kelenfold, but they might.

If it were me I would use Keleti, mainly because i know it better. And I would suggest to my guests that they use Keleti, mainly because its worth seeing, while Kelenfold isn't so great looking. From your hotel to Keleti you have two choices. Either walk over to Vörösmarty tér (you will get to know where that is very quickly after arrival) and board the Yellow M1 Metro for one stop to the Deak Ferenc ter metro station. There you will go down one level and board the Red M2 metro line which will take you to Keleti in about 3 stops. Second option is just walk to Deak Ference ter to board the M2 metro line; which might take you 3 minutes longer than using the M1 to get there (probably makes more sense)

Oh, since you might have luggage, there is a third option. For about $7 you can call a taxi (to be perfectly honest, that is what i would do).

Also, don't worry about RailJet. They aren't always the fastest. The RailJet trains are a little nicer, but what you want is to leave when you want to leave and to get there quickly; so don't worry if its a RailJet. And almost every train out of Keleti stops at Kelenfold. Look up your trains here: http://elvira.mav-start.hu/ Go second class.

James, thank you for the excellent details, we will have luggage so we are going for the taxi. You also gave me advice in another post a long time ago about changing our hotel which was near the Keleti Station. I changed to the Marriott that is between the Chain Bridge and Elisabeth bridge with a river view. I am so much happier with the choice so thanks for that too!

You did good on the Hotel

Here's another tip. If you tell the concierge at the Marriott that you need a taxi to Keleti, i suspect they will call you a private driver. That will cost you $$$ and the concierge will enjoy a small kickback. Don't blame Budapest, they do this everywhere. Call your own taxi. I like City Taxi, Phone: +36 1 211 1111. You can call ten minutes before you want to leave or schedule it the day prior. The phone will right, you will hear a recording in Hungarian and English, then a person will answer in Hungarian; to which you say, "Good Morning" or "Good Afternoon" and they will immediately switch to English. Just to make sure i didn't tell you wrong, depending on the route the driver takes (and that depends on traffic), the fare will be between 1800 and 2200 HUF or $6.50 to $8.00; so my guess was close.

I like plugging people that have been good to me. So.

We cross the river from Buda in a City Taxi and get rear ended. Driver first calls another Taxi then pulls over and starts arguing with the other driver. I pay the meter on the first cab and get in the second. We arrive home and i pay the meter on the second cab. Driver hands me back my tip and 450 HUF. I asked why. No tip because of the inconvenience of the accident and 450 HUF because that's where the meter starts on all the taxis (base fare) and since i paid it on the first taxi it wasn't fair to make me pay it again. I have at least 2 more stories for City Taxi involving finding me when I was lost and calling another company for me when they couldn't get to me fast enough.

AND, i sent you a PM with a photo from out in front of your hotel.......

Google doesn't take local Vienna transport into account very well. There are better ways to get from Vienna Hauptbahnhof to your hotel.

Take the U1 subway line to Stephansplatz and switch to the U3 line getting off at Stubentor. Use https://www.wienerlinien.at/eportal3/ep/tab.do?tabId=0 to search travel in Vienna or download the Qando app on your phone.

As for your hotel, I'm very familiar with it through the work I do. Not a fan as it lacks any character and I got food poisoning there. Do you have to stay there?

I usually only comment on those places I have deep emotions for, and that excludes Vienna. I've only been there a hand full of times; and only once as a tourist. I do really like the location of the Hilton; mostly for the walk from the Hilton to the center of the Kärntner Str and the Cathedral. I think if i had spent more time on back streets I might have come away with a better impression of Vienna. I cant recommend the hotels we have used because they weren't "memorable". I understand why you are you staying at the Hilton as you explained it when discussing Budapest. I looked on Trip Advisor and it did get 200 poor to terrible reviews ................. out of 3,000 reviews. That's pretty much an excellent record. I never read good reviews, only the bad ones and the biggest complaint i saw was something you had better be prepared for in Vienna; no matter where you stay.

Thank you Emily and James. I don't want to switch hotels, I really like the location since it is close to Wien Mitte Station and Stadtpark where all of the composer statues are located. But I will check the other suggestion about an optional way to go from Hauptbanhouf.

You know what? I messed up and read too fast! I read Vienna Marriott, not Vienna Hilton. Sorry!

Vienna Hilton is ok. Nothing special - lots of tourists from the Middle East stay there. The location is fine - being next to Mitte is no advantage in such a small compact capital with excellent transportation. Anyway, I suggest breakfast at Joseph Brot https://www.joseph.co.at/ which is currently THE place to eat early. Also look at the Meierei in Stadtpark https://www.steirereck.at/meierei/ for a memorable meal.

Never heard of anyone going out of their way for the Stadtpark statues, but look out for the throngs of kids looking for Pokémon in the park.

And as for transport from Hauptbahnhof to Landstrasse/Mitte, best way is the Schnellbahn, but it will likely be confusing for you to find the right track. Exit your Budapest train and go to the main hall. Find track 2 and take any train from that platform. Any train. Go three stops to Mitte.