In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Go by train, and stay a night if you can. RegioJet leaves Wien Hauptbahnhof at 07:34, 10:27, 13:27 and 17:27 for Budapest-Kelenföld in 2 hours 24 minutes to 2 hours 31 minutes, at €9 to €39.90 each way depending on the train and date. ÖBB railjets and EuroCity trains run roughly hourly to Budapest-Keleti in 2 hours 39 minutes to 2 hours 58 minutes. A day trip by train leaves about 8 hours in the city on RegioJet and close to 11 on the ÖBB trains. A one-day coach tour is 12 to 13 hours and most also stop at Bratislava. Austria has border controls on its Hungarian border until 15 March 2027: carry a passport or national ID card. Or book a tour: the Bratislava and Budapest tour with a guidead is €135 for 13 hours, which puts the coach and a guide in one booking (GetYourGuide).
Getting there on your own
Train times are for the timetable valid until 12 December 2026.
RegioJet
€9 to €39.90 each way · 2 hours 24 minutes to 2 hours 31 minutes · four trains a day
| From Vienna Hauptbahnhof | Journey | From Budapest-Kelenföld | Journey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07:34 | 2 hours 24 minutes | 07:58 | 2 hours 34 minutes |
| 10:27 | 2 hours 31 minutes | 11:58 | 2 hours 34 minutes |
| 13:27 | 2 hours 31 minutes | 14:58 | 2 hours 34 minutes |
| 17:27 | 2 hours 31 minutes | 17:58 | 2 hours 29 minutes |
Fares on a Tuesday in October ran from €9 to €23.90 depending on the train, and on a Saturday from €15.90 to €25.90, with the afternoon trains as dear as €39.90 on the Sunday after that Saturday. Fares rise as seats sell. A night bus leaves Vienna at 22:50, takes 7 hours 15 minutes and costs €12.80 to €17.30 (regiojet.com).
Kelenföld is on the M4 metro line in Budapest.
A RegioJet train at Wien Hauptbahnhof. Photo: Mö1997, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
ÖBB railjet and EuroCity
2 hours 39 minutes to 2 hours 58 minutes · roughly hourly
ÖBB EuroCity trains and railjet express trains leave Wien Hauptbahnhof for Budapest-Keleti roughly every hour, from 06:40 to 21:45. Trains back leave Keleti at :30 every hour from 05:30 to 20:30, in 2 hours 48 minutes to 2 hours 50 minutes. The fare is set when you book at oebb.at. Keleti is on the M2 and M4 metro lines, so the centre is a short ride (ÖBB timetable).
An ÖBB railjet at Budapest-Keleti. Photo: Slyronit, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The border
Austria has border controls on its Hungarian land border from 16 September 2026 to 15 March 2027. Carry a passport, or a national ID card if you are an EU citizen.
Tours from Vienna
All the tours below leave and return the same day, and most stop in Bratislava on the way. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices for one adult.
Bratislava and Budapest Guided Day Trip
From €186 · 1,050 reviews · 12½ hours
From Vienna: Bratislava and Budapest Guided Day Tripad visits Bratislava Castle and Budapest’s Chain Bridge, with stops customised by the guide and free time in Budapest.
Bratislava and Budapest with a guide
From €135 · 312 reviews · 13 hours · small group · pick-up listed
Day trips from Vienna: Bratislava and Budapest with Guidead explores the cobbled streets of Bratislava and then Budapest.
Budapest Semi-Private Guided Day Tour
From €175 · 223 reviews · 12 hours · pick-up listed
From Vienna: Budapest Semi-Private Guided Day Tourad is a small-group tour of the main sights, with free time to try Hungarian food.
Which to choose
- A day trip on your own: the ÖBB trains give the longest day, 06:40 out and 20:30 back.
- A night or two: RegioJet, with a morning and an afternoon train each way.
- A guide and one booking: the 13-hour tour at €135, which includes Bratislava.
In Budapest
Budapest prices its sights in forints, so the sight pages carry the prices. The Parliament tour is the one to book first, because advance tickets are sold online only: see Budapest in one day for an itinerary and what to book for each stop, and what to book before you go to Budapest. Budapest public transport covers the metro from Keleti and Kelenföld, and 3 days in Budapest is the plan if you stay. Going the other way, Vienna and Bratislava from Budapest covers the RegioJet train from Kelenföld.
The Hungarian Parliament Building on the Danube, with Margaret Bridge to the left. Photo: Bjoertvedt, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Before you go
- Passport: carry a passport or national ID card, until 15 March 2027.
- Timetables: ÖBB changes its timetable on 13 December 2026.
Budapest is one of the day trips from Vienna, the longest. Bratislava is 56 minutes from Hauptbahnhof and is the easier stop on the way. Vienna public transport covers the way to Hauptbahnhof, what to book before you go to Vienna has the city tickets, and 3 days in Vienna shows where a day away fits. Where to stay in Vienna compares the areas.
Common questions
How long is the train from Vienna to Budapest?
2 hours 24 minutes to 2 hours 31 minutes on RegioJet from Wien Hauptbahnhof to Budapest-Kelenföld, and 2 hours 39 minutes to 2 hours 58 minutes on the ÖBB railjet or EuroCity to Budapest-Keleti, roughly hourly.
How much is the train from Vienna to Budapest?
RegioJet fares on the dates compared ran from €9 to €39.90 each way, depending on the train and the date: €9 to €23.90 for a Tuesday in October and €15.90 to €25.90 for a Saturday. The ÖBB fare is priced when you book at oebb.at.
Can you do Budapest as a day trip from Vienna?
By train, yes, but it is a long day. The 07:34 RegioJet arrives at Kelenföld at 09:58 and the 17:58 back leaves Kelenföld, about 8 hours in the city. The ÖBB trains run from 06:40, and the last one back leaves Keleti at 20:30. A coach tour takes 12 to 13 hours.
Do I need a passport to go from Vienna to Budapest?
Yes. Austria has border controls on its Hungarian land border from 16 September 2026 to 15 March 2027, so carry a passport, or a national ID card if you are an EU citizen.
Is a Vienna to Budapest day tour worth it?
Not usually. The tours from €135 take 12 to 13 hours and most also stop in Bratislava. The train gives about 8 to 11 hours in Budapest, and a night there adds a day.
