Insider's Guide: Summer Night Train from Budapest to Seaside at Split
- 21 Jun 2023 7:07 AM
Running all summer until 23 September, the night train from Budapest to Split on the Croatian coast allows you to glide and snooze in comfort between the Hungarian capital and the Adriatic.
Setting off from Keleti station early evening on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays and arriving in Dalmatia before 10am the following morning, the service returns late afternoon in Split on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Top tips for Split
Split train terminal is alongside the bus station, a five-minute walk from the ferry port diagonally opposite.
From there, a €6 passenger ticket on the regular ferry takes you to idyllic Brač 50 minutes away, while the other island getaways of Hvar, Vis and Šolta are equally easily accessible from Croatia’s main transport hub by land and sea.
Staying in Split means you can stroll around the marble-floored gutted Roman palace that forms the centre, an authentic Sphinx from Ancient Egypt watching over the main square of Peristil, with any number of bars and restaurants tucked down the myriad surrounding alleyways.
The city, de facto capital of Dalmatia, has its own beach, Bačvice, under ten minutes’ walk from the train station.
What to expect on board
Trains are equipped with elegant dining cars once reserved for Hungarian government ministers, where Hungarian and international dishes are served. Setting out from Budapest, this means that you can time your evening meal around sunset over Lake Balaton some two hours later - yes magical is the word you’re looking for.
Passengers also receive a cooked breakfast, with hot and soft drinks, all included in the ticket price. Staff go the whole nine yards – or more precisely, 750km – to serve you. You may even receive a welcome bottle of champagne and chocolate treat.
Night trains are the backbone of a Europe-wide initiative to encourage people to abandon the car, forget about budget air and take to the rails. As such, new services are springing up between major cities all over the Continent.
Affordable comfy ride
For this Adria route, travellers can choose between a couchette of four to six berths or a private cabin for one, two or three. Cabins have their own wash basins with running water.
Prices for a berth in a six-person couchette start from €49, with cabin to two from €79.
For more night train info in English, check this link
Of course many Croatians will be using the service to come to Budapest too, taking in sights such as Fishermen’s Bastion, Matthias Church, and the Opera House. Some will also head to Budapest’s famous baths or party at a music festival.
Words by Peterjon Cresswell for Xpatloop.com
Peterjon has been researching the byways of Budapest for 30 years, extending his expertise across Europe to produce guidebooks for Time Out and his own website liberoguide.com
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