Journeying overland: Budapest to London by train

The Hungarian Parliament

I was fortunate enough to be sent to a conference in Budapest recently and I decided to return home to London by train instead of plane.

Train is my favourite way to travel as it’s usually far more comfortable and more spacious than other modes of transport. I like being able to see where I’m going along the way. And, most importantly, it's much better for the planet than flying.

I took four trains on my journey from Budapest to London:

• Budapest to Vienna (afternoon)

• Vienna to Cologne (overnight)

• Cologne to Brussels (morning)

• Brussels to London (afternoon)

Read on for more detail, including how much it costs.

Incidentally, Budapest is one of my favourite European cities and I've written a blog post about it here.

Budapest to Vienna

I started my journey at Budapest-Keleti and travelled across the Hungarian countryside across the border into Austria.

This leg of the journey takes just under three hours and it flew by for me, partly due to the comfortable seat and the surprising amount of leg room.

My top tips for this section of the journey are:

• There are some trains which begin at Budapest-Déli station rather than Budapest-Keleti so it’s worth checking both when booking.

• The train calls at two stations in Vienna: Vienna Meidling and Vienna Central Station. I almost got off at Vienna Meidling before realising it was the wrong station so I thought I’d pass on the warning to my readers!

• You can use the ÖBB lounge at Vienna Central Station for 90 minutes before your train departs but only if you’ve booked a first class or sleeper ticket (not couchette). I mistakenly thought it was available for travellers on all night trains so I spent a fairly dull three hours wandering around the station rather than sitting in the lounge as I had envisaged. Fortunately the station has a wide range of places to buy food and to sit down and people-watch your fellow train passengers.

Vienna to Cologne (overnight)

This Nightjet sleeper train took just under 11 hours. I had booked into a six-person couchette car, which is the cheapest option.

This was a small but efficient space. It essentially looks like an old-style compartment with two bench seats facing each other, and one bed at the top of each side of the compartment. The back of each bench then folds up to create a bed, leaving you with a three-level bunk bed. There’s enough storage space underneath the bottom bunk for several suitcases, as well as a shelf above the compartment door for more.

A sheet, blanket and pillow are provided for each passenger, with a shared toilet at the end of the corridor.

I have to say this was not the most comfortable night I’ve ever spent. You are basically sleeping on train seats which feel increasingly hard throughout the night. However, it’s still better than an aeroplane seat because at least you’re lying down! And you get breakfast in the morning – a choice of tea or coffee and two bread rolls with butter and jam.

You do have the option to splash out on more comfortable accommodation on the night train. You can choose a sleeper compartment for one to three people, some of which come with their own sink and toilet. The slightly cheaper option is a four-person couchette.

Cologne Cathedral

If you have time to kill in Cologne before your next train, the cathedral is right outside the station. The station also has a variety of cafés where you can grab a coffee and recharge after your night on the move.

Cologne to Brussels

The journey from Cologne to Brussels took around two hours. The seats are fairly spacious. There seemed to be no reserved seating other than a lot of seats marked “BahnBonus Status” - I'll save you a Google search and let you know that this refers to anyone who has that membership status can sit in a seat reserved in that way. So if you haven’t got a seat number on your ticket then it’s best to find an unmarked seat so that you don’t have to move if someone with BahnBonus Status wants to sit there.

Grand Place, Brussels

Brussels to London

The journey from Brussels to London is by Eurostar, which is one of my favourite trains. It’s comfortable, spacious and quiet, with a café car if you want to buy food on the train.

Remember that you need to arrive at Brussels-Midi an hour or so before your train departs as you have to go through security and passport control.

This train takes about two and a half hours and takes you under the English Channel to London St Pancras.

Cost

I booked my trains about two months in advance and this was the cost:

• Budapest to Vienna – £12.55 (€14.60/16USD)

• Vienna to Cologne – the cheapest fare is £45 (€52/56USD) for a six-person couchette. You can pay up to £550 (€641/690USD ) for the most luxurious private compartment, and you’ve got lots of options in between.

• Cologne to Brussels – £35 (€40/44USD)

• Brussels to London – can be as little as £39 (€45/49USD ) if you book at a quiet time a long time in advance. Usually end up paying £80-120 (€93-140/100-150USD) for a weekend journey booked several months in advance.

Should I travel by train?

The short answer is yes!

Sadly, it’s difficult for train companies to compete with off-season £20 Ryanair flights and inevitably travelling by train is more expensive than flying. However, it doesn’t have to be extortionate. If you book well in advance, you can get reasonably cheap tickets on most trains. You also save the money you would otherwise have spent travelling to and from airports miles out of the city, so there are small mercies here.

It's also far more fun to see where you’re going along the way. And you can feel good about travelling more sustainably than flying.