Train ticket prices in Hungary

The only difference is that MAV is the correct site and RailEurope is a rip off ticket reseller. The prices say it all, really. Prices are not determined by your nationality, either.

I would not call Rail Europe a rip off but you need understand who Rail Europe is. It is not a train company but rather a travel agency that resells train tickets for all of the European trains. REurope usually does not offer that advance discount tickets that are sometimes available with various rail road companies. REurope does provide a high service level and can be very helpful to the novice traveler who wants everything in one package but you pay a fee for that service. They have to make their money somewhere. Price both RE and the national rail site and go with the best deal.

Thank you! I was hoping that was the case. The MÁV site is rather dreadful, plus it's too early to order tickets for June. Hopefully I can do so when it gets closer; if not, I'll be fine buying the tickets in Budapest. I'm far from a novice travel, but it has been awhile. This will be our kids' first trip to Europe; I can't wait!!

Laura

I don't believe that the Hungarian ticket prices are based on advance-purchase discounts nor do most trains require reservations. I would buy these tickets at a train station or local travel agency there. Rail Europe has direct sales links with several countries' ticketing systems, but Hungary is not one of those, so RE is probably getting the tickets through their French sources. Buying "eastern" European tickets in a train station in a French or German train station, for instance, can also add a bit to the price.

Thanks. We'll be coming from Prague via train, and returning to Prague to fly home. I'm fine buying tickets there; it will just be more convienient if I can do it ahead of time. Mill figure it all out. Thanks, everyone! June can't get here soon enough!! I can't wait to finally get back to Europe!

I know you are locked into your airline tickets but for other readers this is a classic example of where an open jaw ticket - into Prague and home from Budapest or perhaps Kecskemet - would have saved time and money.

Frank - definitely one of my favorite ways to travel. But in this case my well-travelled but elderly parents are doing the Czecho part of the trip with us. They'll stay in Prague to visit with friends and family while we go off to Hungary to visit my tiny Peace Corps village. We're returning to Prague so that we can all fly home together, and we can help them with luggage etc. It's okay, though; we'll take the night train back to Prague, and my little boys are going to find sleeping in a couchette to be a tremendous adventure! 😊. Logistics for this trip as a family are definitely much different from all the travel I did in my 20’s! It's all good, though. It's going to be an amazing trip!

Laura