I will be taking the overnight train from Budapest to Prague later this month and was wondering how clean/comfortable the accomodations are (compared to other trains in Europe)? I have first class tickets w/sleeper. Thanks.
We took a First Class train on that route last month during the day, so can't tell you anything about the sleeper accomodations. Train was average- not as nice as some where the seats are in glassed-in compartments, but clean and well-maintained. They checked our passports almost as soon as we pulled out of Budapest, so keep yours handy. You'll probably be awakened in the middle of the night as you go through Slovakia- our passports have an "SK" stamp even though we didn't get out of the train.
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You'll probably be awakened in the middle of the night as you go through Slovakia- our passports have an "SK" stamp even though we didn't get out of the train.
It's a few years since I last crossed a European border in an international sleeper train... but the arrangement always used to be that one left one's ticket and passport with the attendant who would take care of all the formalities.You'll probably be awakened in the middle of the night as you go through Slovakia- our passports have an "SK" stamp even though we didn't get out of the train.
I'll never forget the time when we had to get off a train at 5 am and the attendant was fast asleep (with our passports and Interrails locked in his safe), and no amount of shouting at him and shaking him would wake him up. We eventually had to call in the station attendant, who proceeded to thump him... which did the trick.
Times have changed. I remember traveling by Eurailpass in 1980 and having the compartment opened several times during the night on a train from Brussels to Vienna and having to listen for the words "Pass" or "Fahrkart" to figure out what they wanted. On the trip back I miscalculated when we were crossing the birder and was routed out of the bathroom by the Customs officials.
The incident I was referring to happened in 1978 - most of my long-distance rail travel took place before 1984 (and those "in the know" can work out from that how old I am!) 
The "leave documents with attendant" arrangement only applies/applied to sleeper and couchette passengers; if you were in an ordinary compartment you got woken up.
The "leave documents with attendant" arrangement only applies/applied to sleeper and couchette passengers; if you were in an ordinary compartment you got woken up.