Our family of five, 2 adults 3 kids, would like to take a night train traveling from Budapest- Munich. I need advise on how to book these tickets. I have tried many times to purchase tickets for a sleeper car online, but at the last moment I am directed to a message telling me it is not possible to purchase and I should contact a travel agency. We have tried the www.bahn.de and www.mavcsoport.hu sites. Has anyone else had this problem booking tickets?
Many thanks!
Not many night trains out there today--for low demand.
Do yourself a favor and take a day train. It's beautiful countryside to see.
When are planning on going is an important question, you might be trying to book tickets too early. When tickets are released varies, but 3 months in advance is quite common.
And I'd say go for the night train, it's a great way to save both time (as you travel while sleeping) and a hotel night.
There is sometimes a Euro-night train, EN 462, from Budapest-Keleti,, leaving at 8:40 PM and arriving in Munich the next morning at 6:10. You won't find it on some days; it doesn't run at all from mid-March to mid-May, and it doesn't look like DB sells the ticket online.
I tend to agree with David. It takes 9½ hours vs. less than 7 hours for a high speed train during the day. If you have the time, it's faster and probably less expensive and more interesting to take a day train. And you will probably get a better nights sleep in a hotel.
DB is selling EN 462 for a travel date of April 15, for instance, and during that period it terminates at München Ost station in stead of München Hbf. Since this is basically a Hungarian train, I believe it only goes on sale 2 months in advance of travel. Once you're within that date range, I'd try again on the DB site, rather than MAV.
Lets see, 7 hours on a train or 2 hours on Eurowings for $88? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Factor in 2 1/2 hours from the time you leave central Budapest to when the Eurowings flight is wheels up and 1 1/2 hours from parking at the gate until you find yourself in central Munich, the comparison is not so stark. and that is cutting it close.
"You won't find it on some days; it doesn't run at all from mid-March to mid-May,"
Why not?
What is your source?
Look up EN462 from Budapest to Munich on the Deutsche Bahn website. Currently it says, "Please note: runs not every day." Click on "days of operation" and the calendar shows that the train never runs on Fridays or Saturdays. It is also down most of the month of April 2019, running only on five scattered days between 5 April and 30 April. It is also down five days (in addition to all Fridays and Saturdays) in May. Many day trains between Budapest and Munich also have frequent service interruptions through 10 April. Check the DB site for details.
The schedule currently shows that the train terminates at München Ost instead of München Hbf -- I believe because of construction at or near the Hauptbahnhof.
Well Sam, lets see.
The Plane
45 minutes to the airport (never takes me more than 35, but i will concede)
1.5 hours early at airport (plenty early. about when the ticket counter opens)
1.5 hour flight
45 minutes landing and bags (? sure more or less)
45 minutes into town
5:15, but lets call it 5:30
The Train
20 minutes to the station (a little walking and then public transport - people always remember the time to the airport, but seem to forget you have to get to the airport too.)
40 minutes early (not brave enough to try and navigate a new train station, find my track, with much less time than that. Ticketing can be a bit more complicated than in an airport too.)
7 hours on a train
30 minutes, to find / figure out and get a ticket for public transport and get to your accommodations. (that could be short in a strange new place).
8:30 total time vs 5:30 ..... yup, I still fly. But with two people, using taxis at both ends of the flight vs public transportation if going by train, I suspect the flight will cost a couple about 200 euro more. After 4 hours on a train, the plane becomes break even on time. So at that point its style. But I enjoy moving around a lot more than sitting for 7 hours.
So, Jeff and readers, the lesson there is that DB's footnotes about days of operation apply to departures that follow the exact same schedule in every detail! If the advance schedule plan changes by even a few minutes, then they will not consider it to be the same and you have to make a new search for the travel date that interests you.
Hi,
There is definitely a night train connecting Budapest and Munich stopping in Vienna before proceeding to Budapest. Munich is major hub for night trains, ie, going to Italy, Croatia, east to Vienna and Hungary, north to Hamburg, NW to Düsseldorf,
To get a price estimate (generally) did you try entering Munich to BP on the Deutsche Bahn website, obviously, you are gong in the opposite direction.
For this route I would take the night train too but I go solo, unlike you with the family. Would the kids be amenable to taking a night train? If so, great.
Night trains are fun. I've done them 3 times. It really depends on the kids and their level of excitement. For kids, this would be fun, especially for little kids. Will they settle down and sleep at all? If they are jumping around at 2 AM and no one gets any sleep, the next day you will all be zombies.
Did you manage to resolve your problem? I am trying to book for my son and his friend, travelling in August, and I am coming up with the same error message. When I tried to book a few days ago a 6 berth couchette was available but tonight it is not, so I assume that people have been able to book in the intervening time, so I am assuming it is not to do with the train journey not being released yet?
