Originally Posted by
ofto
MÁV Hungarian Railways international desk at Kelti Station are helpful. (Way back over in the hall to the left of the platforms. Take a number from the machine!!) Don't let their gov't job attitude get to you, smile, show any railway discount card, int'l student- or senior-ID you have and more likely than not they'll sell you the €13 ticket to Vienna, right up to departure (this is techically not allowed, but they are nice in their own wierd way--as long as you don't annoy them by being obviously loud/clueless/insisiting on them running 5 seperate credit cards for a group going together).
Well, I'd take that with a large pinch of salt. And Keleti station international ticket office is a grim, horrendous place with lots of shady characters hanging around. Avoid it. If you have to buy an international ticket at Keleti station, go to the Wasteels office on platform 9. They sell the full range of tickets at no extra charge, and the service is much better.
However, the best place to buy train tickets in Budapest is at MAV's new downtown ticket office, near Deak square metro interchange (József Attila utca 16). There's never been anyone it when I have used it.