This is a follow up question for the overnight train from Prague to Budapest. In response to an earlier question, I received good information about the train being comparable (but slower) than other European overnight trains. Then I read in the Prague guide book to be "on guard when particularly when traveling by train (thieves thrive on overnight trains)" Does anyone have experience with the overnight train from Prague to Budapest? How safe are these trains? We would be in a 1st class sleeper.
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Minneapolis, MN, USA
1525 posts
Our experience was on overnight trains Budapest-Krakow and Krakow-Prague and as a family of 5 using an entire 6-person couchette. So, not quite the same situation as you, but similar. We found the trains to be somewhat older (without AC) and probably slower, but otherwise not objectionable. I too, heard stories about so many things that could happen on a night train that they took on the allure of urban myth. The reality that I saw was that it operated like any other night train. You have a lock on your sliding door that should adequately prevent anyone from sneaking into your compartment. So your only risk would be from those who you might share a compartment with. We generally travel with a bag for clothes and a small bag for personal stuff - electronics and anything valuable. That small bag can easily be placed near your head, between you and the wall. You would have to be a pretty heavy sleeper for someone to get into that bag without your knowing it. But that's just taking precautions. The reality is that the train is full of people just like you. Any suspicious looking behavior would draw people's attention. My gut feeling being on those trains was that the threat of theft was almost zero as long as you didn't leave valuables laying out, begging to be messed with. FYI - the distances involved on these routes are not really long enough to justify night trains in constant motion, so to make it work, they do lengthy stops. We found the stops, combined with open windows (because it was hot in July) combined with station chatter to be very disturbing for sleep.