Rail Pass for Romania and Hungary

I haven't got a clue to the answer to your question. I looked at the Eurorail website and couldn't believe how expensive the passes were. Within Hungary the longest trip you are likely to take would be to Pecs and that fare is something less than $20 a ticket. Also remember there aren't many trips in Hungary that don't require you to start or end or go through Budapest. A train from Budapest into most anyplace in Romania will set you back something less than $50. Once in Romania the tickets are cheap again.

Romania train is very cheap. it's not western standard and some of the trains are a bit scary (perfectly safe, but just out of shape and you may be commuting with gypses, although they won't pick your pocket on the train). some places have long distance buses you can use.

The Eurail passes for Hungary and/or Romania only come in 1st class. They do cover all trains within the named countries and you often can just hop onboard without a seat reservation (DB train schedules will say if any route is "subject to compulsory reservation").

It can be cheaper to buy tickets as you go, especially if you choose 2nd class. See Rick's estimate of 2nd-class ticket prices on the maps at http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/cost-maps. If you're buying your ticket from a live person at the station, it can be helpful to write a few clear details on a piece of paper: destination city, preferred date or time, 1st or 2nd class, how many adults or children.

Thank you all for your input. Have any of you done the whole Hungary-Romania destination? I always prefer to buy my tickets ahead of time. Thoughts on reserving?

I have been to Hungary and Romania on a couple of occasions and I might be able to tell you about what we enjoyed; but we did Romania with a private guide and a car. For about USD300 a day (including the hotel) it just seemed like we could cover more ground more efficiently at a pretty fair rate. We've traveled around Hungary on the train, always bought the tickets once in country. Not that that is the right thing to do but it always worked for us. Let me know if I can help.

James