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Below you'll find information covering rail travel from both the UK
and mainland Europe to Budapest, as well as advice for North American
travellers on purchasing Eurail passes. For domestic travel within
Hungary we've also included a new section giving background on the country's rail network,
whilst also explaining the various ticketing options available on suburban and inter-city
routes.
UK/European Travellers
Unless you're a student, under 26 or a senior citizen, travelling by rail to
Budapest can actually work out more expensive than flying (depending of course, on where you're
journeying from). For those under 26 however, an InterRail pass offers unlimited travel on most
European railways.
For the purposes of the pass, Europe is divided into eight zones, with prices
varying according to how many days you choose and the countries you visit en-route (Hungary
is zone D).
Holders of an InterRail pass can also qualify for reduced priced ferry
crossings and Eurostar services. For more information on the various options available
visit
RailEurope
or the www.interrail.com website. More general information on rail services
around Europe can be found at: www.railfaneurope.net.
American and Canadian Travellers
Although InterRail passes aren't
available to citizens outside of Europe, US and Canadian visitors to Hungary can travel throughout
Europe using a Eurail pass. The pass, which allows travel in 17 Western European countries
including France, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Hungary comes in various forms:
For travellers over 26, the Global Eurail Pass (1st Class) covers travel for 15
days and costs $745. This rises to $965 for 21 days, $1199 for a month, $1695 for two months, or
$2089 for three months. Children aged between 4 and 11 travel for half the adult fare, while those
under 4 travel free.
Those under 26 should buy the Eurail 2nd Class Youth Pass. A 15 day pass
costs $485, 21 days $625, 1 month $779, 2 months $1105 and 3 months $1359.
As there are a number of other passes available, visiting Eurail's own website
www.eurail.com is a hassle free way to work out
exactly what you need.
If you're arriving in Great Britain first, the fastest way across to mainland
Europe is by Eurostar (www.eurostar.com).
Crossing under the Channel, the service between London and Paris takes just three hours. Eurail
Pass holders get specially discounted one way fares when travelling on Eurostar.
As well as Eurail and Euro Passes, Rail Europe (website www.raileurope.com) have a European East pass
for travel throughout Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. The pass is valid for 5 days in one month. There's also a Hungarian flexipass for
travel within Hungary only. Again, you can
book online or call Rail Europe on 1-877-257-2887 (1-800-361-RAIL in Canada).
Domestic Rail Travel Within Hungary
MÁV, who are responsible for Hungary's railway network, carry over 155
million passengers annually both on commuter and InterCity routes around the country. In recent
years, comfortable new (air-conditioned) trains have been introduced on InterCity Rapid routes
running between Budapest, Debrecen and Nyíregyháza - together with those serving
other large towns such as Szombathely, Miskolc and Zalaegerszeg (classed just as InterCity). A
third InterCity category, cutely named InterCity-Pici or 'little InterCity' covers routes between
larger towns (that do not originate or travel to Budapest).
Commuter or short-hop trains in Hungary are rather less salubrious than their
InterCity counterparts. Although comparatively slow, they do offer cheap fares and will (generally
speaking) get you to your destination on time. For timetable details visit MÁV's online
system at: www.elvira.hu, while fare options
(which are calculated according to the distance travelled in Kilometres) are laid down on
MÁV's website, along with
telephone
numbers for ticket offices in both Budapest and towns around Hungary.
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