Transportation budapest to venice

Kate, My suggestion is based on the assumption that you are not adverse to taking a night train. I would do Budapest-Venice by transfering once in Munich. You have two legs: take an afternoon RJ direct train Budapest Keleti to Munich Hbf., then the CNL Munich-Venice direct. You'll be in Venice ca 8:30 am. As others suggest, forget Rail Europe.

RailEurope doesn't take you anywhere. It is a travel agency that sells tickets and often, for Americans, expensive ones. To find train schedules you can look at www.bahn.com It shows many choices, none under at least 12 hours and all with at least one stop. It doesn't sell the tickets since it is the German rail site. For advice about buying train tickets anywhere, check www.seat61.com "Many people" say there is a direct train? Pin them down for details. The native is to fly, although most airlines require a connection that bumps travel time up to five hours or so. RyanAir currently shows two direct flights a week between Budapest and Venice for as little as around $50 US, including the extra fees not shown in the initial price and bought well in advance. However (and there are always howevers with RyanAir) it flies into the secondary Venice airport, Treviso, which it says is 45 km. from central Venice. www.ryanair.com Read the website rules very carefully. For other airlines, www.skyscanner.com
I would wait until the start of the year before making a decision as there could be schedule changes in the new year.

I'm aware of what raileurope is. I've used it many times. I'm also aware that it doesn't always show all available schedules. I was hoping there was a train that connected in vienna or Salzburg earlier than 1:15 am. Although rail dude still lists it, I believe the direct train service from budapest to venice was terminated. I have already made my hotel reservations do I don't want to find out in march that one leg of the trip is going to be a nightmare. I couldn't read the Hungarian rail site, but I'll try Bahn. I used it last year for our travels in germany.

The Bahn doesn't show any direct train from Budapest to Venice. However, there is a night train leaving Vienna (Westbahnhof) at 20:48, getting to Venice at 8:33. There are lots of RailJets (RJ) between Budapest and Westbahnhof, one leaving Budapest at 17:10, getting to Westbahnhof at 20:12. If that is too tight, there is a RailJet leaving Budapest at 15:10, getting to Westbhf at 18:12. Alternatively, you can take that 15:10 RailJet to Vienna Meidling at 17:56, from which you catch a EuroNight train at 19:30, getting into Venice at 2:56. With that little time on the night train, a seat might be preferable to a compartment.

I think the EuroNight train mentioned stops at Venice Mestre and does not go in to Venice Santa Lucia, but continues on to Rome.

If you really knew what RailEurope is, I doubt you would have used them "many times." The are an expensive re-seller of tickets preying on unsuspecting travelers with unreliable information. Always use the website of the national rail carrier of the country where the trip originates. In your case, you should use mav.hu. For this journey, you should really consider flying as it is one mother of a train ride.

Kate:
There are mountains to the north and northeast of Venice that make ground travel difficult.
I don't show that Ryanair flies into Venice. They do fly into Rome's smaller Ciampino Airport and into Pisa, just west of Florence. You could make the flight into one of those cities and take the train back to Venice as an option.
Or, find another city you'd like to visit that can be flown to by Ryanair or Wizz Air out of Budapest, and later fly or take the train into Venice.
I've been to Venice 5-6 times, and never tire of the city.

Thanks for all of the suggestions. You people put a lot of effort into these responses and I appreciate it. I like the Munich connection. My husband uses a CPAP machine when he sleeps. The allegro EN trains out of vienna don't have satisfactory electrical outlets in sleeper cars. But the Munich Citynight trains are perfect. Thanks for the help.

I looked up Budapest to Venezia and there is an 'overnight train' that leaves at 19:10, getting in at Venice at 08:34. You have to CHANGE trains in Salzburg at 01:16 in the morning. Which means you can't exactly sleep through the night, you'll have to schlep your self and your luggage onto the platform and get settled into another train. Not very restful. There's a shorter ride, changing in Vienna, but it gets in to Venice at 02:56, also not ideal.

I know you said you want to take the train, but 13-15hours on a train is a lot, especially when you're not going to get more than a couple hours of sleep at a time.

You should look in to flying, Ryan Air does fly a few times a week from Budapest to Treviso (close enough!) and it only takes 1.5 hrs. Austrian Air has a 3.5hr flight, changing in Vienna, slightly more expensive, but worth it if you consider the time saved.

Here's what I found on the mav.hu website:

Budapest-Keleti 19:10 9 466 WIENER WALZER EN ( - Zürich Hb)

:from 29.03.13 to 02.06 , from 28.06.13 to 28.09 daily

Kelenföld 19:24

Salzburg Hbf 01:16

Salzburg Hbf 01:34 +>> 237 EN (Wien Westbf - Venezia S. Lucia)

Venezia Mestre 08:21

Venezia S. Lucia 08:34