eurail select pass

Hi,

No mandatory reservations are needed for the rides you listed. Frankfurt to Budapest (0800 hrs) is a ten hour ride. I've done part of that route Wien to Frankfurt (day).

You could take the EN night train for that route, Frankfurt to Budapest, (gives you an extra day), transfering once in Munich,arriving in Budapest ca 0900hrs. Based on my recent experiences in summer travel, I would get a seat reservation for the Nürnberg-Frankfurt ride. The Pass gets you on the train but finding a seat is another story.

Although the Austrian RailJet trains don't normally require seat reservations, Eurail's info says that pass holders need them on RailJet trains running Budapest-Vienna. This exception is not widely documented, but it's reflected in their timetable at https://www.eurail.com/en/plan-your-trip/eurail-timetable. EuroCity trains also serve the route without a required reservation.

Hi,

There is some additional flexibility re options: Munich to Budapest is an EN night train route, direct. You could also take the Westbahn train going from Vienna to Salzburg, which saves you day on the Pass to be used elsewhere in Germany on the ICE. Westbahn is cheaper than Austrian National Rail.

No mandatory reservations on Westbahn either, you buy the ticket on board. Westbahn is the most flexible train in Austria. I use Westbahn whenever I can, thereby, saving the Pass days for more zig zag travel in Germany using the ICE and IC or crossing out of Vienna by the EN night train.