Thanks cubsur! Thanks for your quick reply and help. Wow! 12:45 is a long time!

1. What does “transfer” (during a night train) require from the passenger? Does the passenger have to get up and go to a new train/car? Or do they move the train/car into position while we remain on the original train? I’m sorry if that’s a stupid question, but this is all new to me.

2. Do you have any website I can use to regularly check if/when the train construction will end?

3. Just to clarify, if I use the Czech website or app, they only offer Budapest Keleti?

4. If I use the Hungarian website or app, they only offer Budapest Nyugati?

5. As a newcomer to Budapest, does it matter if I pick Keleti or Nyugati?

1. The transfers that I saw were definitely between different trains. This is not the normal arrangement.

2. The fact that these times are already posted for March means that the times are confirmed.

3. I looked at the DB (Deutsche Bahn) website which shows Nyugati as the starting point. The MAV site shows the 1940hrs train EN476 from Nyugati through to Prague with its 12hrs45 minutes journey time, which waits SIX hours in Breclav , presumably while you remain asleep.

5. It would help if you went to the correct station. Trains to Prague stop at one or the other, not both. There is no rail connection between Nyugati and Keleti, only the subway.

1. If you didn't know whether flights went from London Gatwick or London Heathrow, what would you select, London Gatwick, London Heathrow or London (any airport)? Exactly! So in this case you'd select plain BUDAPEST and it'll do the workimg out for you.

2. You will see a direct train with 0 transfers leaving 19:30 and arriving 08:15, as well as one arriving 03:01. Obviously, select the one arriving 08:15!! Journey time 12h45.

Hello seat61! I feel like I hit the jackpot when I saw that you replied bc you have direct knowledge and have researched this topic thoroughly. Thanks for your answers to my questions.

My desire was to take a night train so that I wouldn’t waste time traveling during the daytime hours. When I went on the Můj Vlak app, I looked at my real travel date Aug 20, 2025) and saw that many daytime trains took roughly 6.5-8hrs of travel time, whereas the night train took 12 hrs. Even though I want to travel at night, I also don’t want to spend 12 hours on a train! I know I can’t have it all my way, but this makes me rethink my plans.

1. Do you think that when I am 2-3 months out from my travel date, there will be an 8 hr night train? I know you can’t predict the future, but from your past experience of researching this topic, I’d like to know your educated guess.

2. Do you know if night train passengers have to get up and physically move to a different train if there is a transfer in the schedule? Or does the passenger stay put and the train car is moved into position while the passenger remains in the original train compartment?

Also, thank you for your making the website (you’ve compiled a great wealth of information).

A transfer means getting off one train and getting on another one.

Why not spend 12 hours on a direct night train if it has sleeper cars/couchettes? It saves a night in a hotel.

I very much doubt they will conjure up an 8 hour night train ;)

J.

Thank you sooo much Joyce C for specifically answering my transfer question! As you can tell, I’ve never traveled to this part of the world, much less tried to purchase tickets or used the train system there. So I have a bunch of stupid questions that only a newbie can have.

I also wrongly assumed that since there was an 8hr daytime train ride from Budapest to Prague, that there would be the same type of service, but only at night. I see now that I was mistaken in my assumption.

This helps me a lot in planning how to move forward. Thanks! 😊