Trains out of Budapest

Yes, you simply purchase them when you arrive in Budapest a few days earlier. We did this in 2010 for the night train to Krakow. As I recall, the ticket location we used was on Erzebet ter, just east of the chain bridge. Be warned, some internet searches still show a ticket headquarters on Andrassy Utca that closed years ago. There is very little worry that they could sell out.

Randy, Thanks for the information. I have to ask, do you recall the approximate costs? Sam

not able to recall the exact price, but you can buy ticket from the train station if necessary. there is a seperate window downstairs in the main train station sells international tickets, just get it a couple of days earlier if you can.

We were in Budapest two weeks ago, and the international counter is not downstairs. I made the mistake of standing in line downstairs for a few minutes before seeing the sign that directed me back upstairs. I had to finally ask for help in finding this ticket counter as it's beyond the "gates" where they're "checking tickets." I have no idea what the purpose of these stop points are, as I had no ticket but was waved through to go to this ticket counter. Also, please learn from my other mistake. I waited for a few minutes before I was finally helped, and when I got up to the window, I was turned away because I had failed to get a number from the machine outside the doorway. Also, don't expect good customer service. I won't bore you with the entire story, but I was already frustrated at their inefficiency, laziness and apathy. Then, when I'm finally being helped, the woman had the audacity to stop in the middle of the transaction to go speak with her children and give them lunch. I stood there for a few minutes while she laughed and talked with them before she finally came back and finished getting the tickets together for me. But I agree with the advice about the night trains above, get it at least a day before your journey so you don't have any worries about getting a couchette and you don't have to worry about waiting in a possibly long line. I think the M-2 line runs directly to Keleti. (Assuming that's the station your train goes from.)

Amy, Randy, and David,
Thank you very much for your assistance. I'm feeling a lot more confident about what to expect.

Sam, I didn't notice your followup question until now. I don't recall exactly what the night train tickets cost, They were not exactly cheap for a family of 5 like ours in a couchette, but since it was also a place to sleep, it wasn't too bad. I think it wound up being around $250-$300 for the five of us, so $50-60 each. But that might have been artificially low due to the children's ages. I just don't remember. Shouldn't be more than $100 for a berth in a couchette for one adult to Krakow. Note that since that isn't really a long distance, the train makes frequent long stops (basically to waste time) and the stopping and starting can wake a light sleeper. I remember reading something about international tickets being easier to buy at national train office rather than the train station where little English and poor service seem to be rampant. That's why we went searching for the ticket office. We had a great time in both Krakow and Budapest!