budapest venice night train
Mar 7, 2011, 2:24 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Programs: United 1k aa exec plat
Posts: 1,845
budapest venice night train
hi
considering taking the night train to venice from budapest,but reading mixed reviews-am trvelling with 3 little kids-
cananyone advise on this-are the trains new?can you get a good sleep?
considering taking the night train to venice from budapest,but reading mixed reviews-am trvelling with 3 little kids-
cananyone advise on this-are the trains new?can you get a good sleep?
Mar 7, 2011, 5:33 pm
#2
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: New York
Posts: 1,257
I've taken the train (in the opposite direction), and it was fine. The cars aren't new, but I slept comfortably. The diner was pretty good too. What have you read?
Mar 7, 2011, 5:54 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Programs: United 1k aa exec plat
Posts: 1,845
this was what someone posted on fodor
if its not like this i would be v happy as i like the train,but i got a bit worried as with kids
The only ticket we purchased ahead was the sleeper train from Budapest to Venice. I purchased the tickets on raileurope. The price was the same as other websites I checked out. We wanted to be sure we had reservations for that night.
The rest of the train tickets we purchased along the way. I found that for the tickets we needed it was cheaper to purchase them as we went.
Last fall my sister, my niece and myself took the sleeper train from Budapest to Venice. This train was very, very old. What an experience. From around 9 or 10pm to around 2am it was a steady stream of customs and passport people - all wanting to see your face and your passports etc.
The toilet was horrible and scary. We walked through several coach cars - which was not a pleasant experience - to get to the dining car which was dirty and full of men smoking. Be sure to bring food with you and not think there is a dining car. We were able to buy a sandwich to go with fruit and snacks that we had.
Not sure what a day train would be like on this route. We wanted to fly Budapest to Venice but it was in October and a lot of European flights ended on Sept 28.
Just being in the Kleti train station in Budapest was an experience!
if its not like this i would be v happy as i like the train,but i got a bit worried as with kids
The only ticket we purchased ahead was the sleeper train from Budapest to Venice. I purchased the tickets on raileurope. The price was the same as other websites I checked out. We wanted to be sure we had reservations for that night.
The rest of the train tickets we purchased along the way. I found that for the tickets we needed it was cheaper to purchase them as we went.
Last fall my sister, my niece and myself took the sleeper train from Budapest to Venice. This train was very, very old. What an experience. From around 9 or 10pm to around 2am it was a steady stream of customs and passport people - all wanting to see your face and your passports etc.
The toilet was horrible and scary. We walked through several coach cars - which was not a pleasant experience - to get to the dining car which was dirty and full of men smoking. Be sure to bring food with you and not think there is a dining car. We were able to buy a sandwich to go with fruit and snacks that we had.
Not sure what a day train would be like on this route. We wanted to fly Budapest to Venice but it was in October and a lot of European flights ended on Sept 28.
Just being in the Kleti train station in Budapest was an experience!
Mar 8, 2011, 5:42 pm
#5
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: New York
Posts: 1,257
this was what someone posted on fodor
if its not like this i would be v happy as i like the train,but i got a bit worried as with kids
The only ticket we purchased ahead was the sleeper train from Budapest to Venice. I purchased the tickets on raileurope. The price was the same as other websites I checked out. We wanted to be sure we had reservations for that night.
The rest of the train tickets we purchased along the way. I found that for the tickets we needed it was cheaper to purchase them as we went.
Last fall my sister, my niece and myself took the sleeper train from Budapest to Venice. This train was very, very old. What an experience. From around 9 or 10pm to around 2am it was a steady stream of customs and passport people - all wanting to see your face and your passports etc.
The toilet was horrible and scary. We walked through several coach cars - which was not a pleasant experience - to get to the dining car which was dirty and full of men smoking. Be sure to bring food with you and not think there is a dining car. We were able to buy a sandwich to go with fruit and snacks that we had.
Not sure what a day train would be like on this route. We wanted to fly Budapest to Venice but it was in October and a lot of European flights ended on Sept 28.
Just being in the Kleti train station in Budapest was an experience!
if its not like this i would be v happy as i like the train,but i got a bit worried as with kids
The only ticket we purchased ahead was the sleeper train from Budapest to Venice. I purchased the tickets on raileurope. The price was the same as other websites I checked out. We wanted to be sure we had reservations for that night.
The rest of the train tickets we purchased along the way. I found that for the tickets we needed it was cheaper to purchase them as we went.
Last fall my sister, my niece and myself took the sleeper train from Budapest to Venice. This train was very, very old. What an experience. From around 9 or 10pm to around 2am it was a steady stream of customs and passport people - all wanting to see your face and your passports etc.
The toilet was horrible and scary. We walked through several coach cars - which was not a pleasant experience - to get to the dining car which was dirty and full of men smoking. Be sure to bring food with you and not think there is a dining car. We were able to buy a sandwich to go with fruit and snacks that we had.
Not sure what a day train would be like on this route. We wanted to fly Budapest to Venice but it was in October and a lot of European flights ended on Sept 28.
Just being in the Kleti train station in Budapest was an experience!
Mar 24, 2011, 1:12 pm
#8
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Europe
Posts: 1,592
Mar 24, 2011, 1:20 pm
#9
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Europe
Posts: 1,592
To the OP - you had concerns about food.
The restaurant car is Hungarian-operated: you can check out the restaurant car menu (with pictures
) for this train. Reasonably priced, but don't be surprised if the dish you want is "off".
The restaurant car is Hungarian-operated: you can check out the restaurant car menu (with pictures
) for this train. Reasonably priced, but don't be surprised if the dish you want is "off".
Mar 24, 2011, 1:45 pm
#10
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 948
Oh right, I was thinking of the train via Salzburg, but I guess that requires a change. (although it takes less time...also runs daily and I'm not sure the direct bud-vze train does)
Mar 24, 2011, 3:49 pm
#11
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Europe
Posts: 1,592
Via Salzburg?
Well, yes, if you want the stress of changing trains at Salzburg at about 1-30am, with only 8 minutes connecting time, the journey time is 47 minutes shorter than on the direct train. But I guess that's not really important when you are talking about a 13 - 14 hour overnight journey.
Mar 24, 2011, 6:07 pm
#12
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 948
I wonder if you might be interested in going back and reading a lot of your posts in this forum (not just in response to mine -- I noticed it long ago) and thinking of whether or not the tone is which you wish to be giving.
FWIW, my Deutsch is far from perfect, but I'm pretty sure that nicht täglich means "not daily." Perhaps DB is wrong, however.
FWIW, my Deutsch is far from perfect, but I'm pretty sure that nicht täglich means "not daily." Perhaps DB is wrong, however.
Mar 24, 2011, 6:25 pm
#13
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 948
And again, for what it's worth, if my primary concerns are 1) quality of the coach and 2) being repeatedly awaken for border crossings, the SZG option may be appealing. The train is likely more modern, and there will be no customs. Perhaps trekking across the platform one time for a few minutes at 1am is preferable to the threat of several interruptions during the night.