This guide on how to get from Vienna to Budapest will show you the best means of transport to make the transfer between these European cities, in the fastest and most comfortable way.
Located about 250 kilometers east of Vienna, Budapest next to Prague, it is one of the most essential stops if you make a route through the Imperial Capitals of central Europe, whether by rental car, bus, train and even by plane, Although this last means of transport is the least recommended as it is much more expensive and wastes a lot of time in transfers.
Based on our experience in these two cities, on the last visit we wrote this guide to travel tips to Vienna and this to travel to Budapest, we explain the different options of how to go from Budapest to Vienna and vice versa, for you choose the one that best suits your needs. We start!
Train from Vienna to Budapest
The fastest way to go from Vienna to Budapest is to take the train that takes just over two and a half hours and has a price between 20 and 30 euros, depending on the advance with which you make the reservation.
These trains of the Austrian Railways (ÖBB) company leave every hour from 6: 40h to 19: 40h from the Wien Hauptbahnhof (Central Station) and leave you at the Budapest Keleti station. If you make the journey from Budapest to Vienna the schedules are very similar although the price rises a little and is between 30 and 40 euros euros.
You can know the exact schedules and book the tickets in advance on this page or on the OBB.
To get to the central station of Vienna you have the underground line 1 (U-Bahn) that crosses the historic center, while the Budapest station is well connected with the underground line 2 and several bus services.
Budapest
How to get from Budapest to Vienna by bus
Other cheapest way to get from Vienna to Bupapest or vice versa, is to take a bus from the Flixbus (recommended), Regiojet or Eurolines companies that leave every few minutes from the International Bus Terminal, located at the Vienna Central Station.
These buses that operate from 5: 25h to 23: 20h, with several early morning services, will leave you at Budapest stations: Népliget (subway line 3) or Kelenföld (subway line 4 and tram line 19) for a price of between 9 and 15 euros, depending on the time it takes to get the tickets.
A more comfortable and interesting option, if you have little time, to go from Vienna to Budapest is to book this day trip, which includes a guide in Spanish, pick up at your hotel and transport by bus.
While to go from Budapest to Vienna you have this recommended 12-hour excursion, which includes the guided tour in Spanish through the city, pick-up at your hotel and bus transportation.
Vienna in one day
Tips for Vienna and Budapest
Before you even book train or bus tickets between these two cities, we recommend you find a hotel that has a good connection with the different departure stations and with the tourist attractions of each city.
In Vienna we stay at the Hotel Capricorn, a 4-star accommodation located very close to the Schwedenplatz stop of the underground line 1 and less than a 10-minute walk from St. Stephen's Cathedral. In addition to its excellent location, the hotel has friendly staff, 24-hour reception and a very complete breakfast.
While in Budapest we recommend the Maverick Hostel, located a few meters from the Ferenciek tere metro stop and the Liberty Bridge, in addition to having one of the best quality / price ratios in the city.
Once you have decided how to do the transfer from Vienna to Budapest or that of Budapest to Vienna and booked the hotel, we advise you to prepare your routes through these two cities with these personalized guides for days:
And you are for Budapest:
