Prague and Budapest are probably the most known capitals in Central Europe. And they get the hype for a reason – they are both beautiful, full of history and rich with culture. You should include both capitals in your European itinerary and we will help you with all the info how to get from Prague to Budapest (or from Budapest to Prague)
2023 update!
- Budapest to Prague – 13 Best Ways to Travel in 2023
- Prague to Budapest – 13 Best Ways to Travel in 2023
1. Prague to Budapest by plane
Time – At least 5 hours, including getting to and from the airport
Cost – You can find the cheapest tickets for €10/one way
Ease – 5
Fun – 3
Sightseeing – 1
A really fast way to travel between Prague and Budapest is flying. There are two airlines that offer direct flights between these two capitals, with the flying time less than 1 hour and 30 minutes. Ryanair, the low cost airlines, offers cheap tickets, starting at €10 one way but you need to be careful as you need to pay extra for every single thing: if you’d like to take on board more than one tiny piece of luggage, if you’d like to seat next to your travel companion etc. Right now there’re Ryanair flights between Prague and Budapest every day but Thursday.
Czech Airlines, the national Czech carrier, offers couple of flights per day. There’re slightly more expensive, (at least around €50), but they have less strict baggage policy and overall nicer experience. To book the flights go directly to the website of Ryanair or Czech Airlines and read carefully what you are about to pay for.
To easiest and cheapest way to get to Prague airport is by metro and bus. First you need to take green metro line A to the station Nadrazi Veleslavin from where bus no 119 will take you directly to the airport, stopping in front of both terminals. From the center allow yourself at least 40 minutes for the journey. All public transport tickets work for this connection.
In Budapest you can either take the direct bus 100E to Deak Ferenc Ter or the bus 200E to Kobanya-Kispest metro station. Both buses depart from the arrivals level, the bus stop is located between terminals 2A and 2B. The ticket for the bus 100E costs 900 forints while for 200E it costs 350 forints (if you’re travelling further with metro from Kobanya-Kispest station you need to purchase another ticket). You can get them either at the public transport (called BKK) point inside the terminal as well as from the ticket machine at the bus stop.
2. Prague to Budapest by train
Brno, Czech Republic
Time – 6 hours and 30 minutes
Cost–Tickets start at 20€ if you buy well in advance, €30 on the day of the journey
Ease– 5
Fun – 3
Sightseeing – 3
Every two hours there’s a direct trains from Prague to Budapest, starting at 5:51 till 15:51. The trip time takes 6 hours 30 minutes but the carriages are comfortable and the journey should be hassle-free. The tickets start at €20 if you buy at the day of departure it will cost you €30. You can get the ticket at the website of Czech Railways or at the train station.
If you want to save the time on travelling you can choose a night train. There’s one direct connection that leaves Prague at 23:57 and arrives to Budapest at 08:35 in the morning. There’re sleeping cars in that train so you can get a good sleep while travelling from Prague to Budapest. The tickets start at €39 for a couchette (a compartment with 6 beds) if you book in advance.
If you don’t want to spend so many hours in the train you can break the journey and do some sightseeing on the way. Good places for a stopover are Brno (2, 5 hours from Prague and 4 hours before Budapest) or Bratislava ( 4 hours from Prague and 2,5 hours before Budapest). In both places you can find lockers at the train station to store your luggage when you will be off sightseeing.
To get to the train station in Prague it’s best to take red metro line C to “Hlavni Nadrazi” stop or trams no 5, 15, 26, 91 or 95.
In Budapest your train might arrive to either Keleti or Nyugati station, depending on the connection you choose. Both stations are located on the metro lines (Keleti on 2 and 4, Nyugati on 3) and are easily reachable from all over the city.
3. Prague to Budapest one-way sightseeing tour
Time – 12 hours
Cost – €85 per person, private options available
Ease – 5
Fun – 5
Sightseeing – 5
A fun option travelling between Prague and Budapest is taking the one-way sightseeing tour from Prague to Budapest or the other way from Budapest to Prague. This 12-hour small-group tour will make stops in three countries – the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. It’s the best way to learn more and see some places you would never make it to in one day.
The tour will stop at some of the most important cities between Prague and Budapest like Brno and Bratislava. You will have time to explore a little in both cities. Brno is the second largest city in the Czech Republic and has many interesting stories to tell. Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, has a beautiful Old Town and an impressive castle towering over the city.
The road from the Czech Republic to Slovakia takes you through the picturesque Mikulov Wine Region known for some of the best wine in the country. You will here stop to admire the UNESCO-heritage listed Lednice Palace with exceptionally beautiful gardens around it. In Hungary the tour will also visit the charming Györ Old Town that is famous for its Baroque style buildings. The tour costs only 85€ per person and is a great option for those who would like to learn more about the visited places, countries and cultures.
You can find more information as well as book the sightseeing tour from here:
Prague to Budapest small group sightseeing tour
Budapest to Prague small group sightseeing tour
4. Prague to Budapest by bus
Time – 7 hours
Cost – Tickets start at 14€
Ease – 5
Fun – 3
Sightseeing – 2
There are few bus companies serving Prague to Budapest route, departing through the day so you can choose which time to leave one city and arrive to another works the best for you. Tickets start at €14/one way but remember that the earlier you book, the cheaper the ticket will be. Generally you shouldn’t pay more than €25 when buying the ticket a day before the trip. You can purchase the ticket online at websites of Regio Jet or Flixbus.
The journey time depends on the company but you should expect arriving to Budapest some 7 hours after leaving Prague. In Czech capital buses depart either from Florenc bus station (located at metro yellow B and red C lines) or from the parking at the upper level of the train station (you can reach it by metro red C line). In Budapest they arrive at Kelenfold (at metro 4 line) or Nepliget bus station (at metro 3 line).
5. Prague to Budapest by car sharing
Time – 6 hours
Cost – From €10
Ease– 3
Fun – 3
Sightseeing – 3
Since car sharing is a popular way to travel in the region you shouldn’t have problems with finding a ride from Prague to Budapest if you decide to go for this option. The travel time between these two cities should be around 6 hours and the prices for the journey start at 10€ (although usually drivers charge more). The best and most popular website to find the ride and arrange all the details with the driver is BlaBlaCar.
6. Prague to Budapest by private transfer
Time – 6 hours
Cost – €500 for a car with a driver
Ease– 4
Fun – 3
Sightseeing – 3
If you would like to have the flexibility of door-to-door service but don’t really want to travel with other people you can use the private transfer offer from Prague to Budapest. The price for the service isn’t the cheapest, you should expect to pay at least €500 for a car that can fit up to 3 passengers. For a little extra you can even stop for some sightseeing along the way and see places like Brno, Lednice or Bratislava.
7. Hitchhiking from Prague to Budapest
Time – depends on your luck
Cost – can be as low as 0
Ease – 2
Fun – 4
Sightseeing – 3
If you feel like having a little adventure while travelling from Prague to Budapest try hitchhiking. You should make it in one day but since it’s a rather upredictable way of travelling you never know. In Prague you should head to the 1E road starting in south-east part of the city. Most likely you won’t be able to catch the ride all the way to Prague so aim for cities that are closer: Brno or Bratislava.
8. Prague to Budapest by bike
Time – at least a week
Cost – 0€
Ease – 2
Fun – 4
Sightseeing – 4
Prague and Budapest are over 500kms apart so if you decide to cycle between the capital you should allow yourself at least a week for a comfortable trip. In the meantime you can visit some interesting places along the way with Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. You can even go around and stop in Austria as well! The bike route shouldn’t be too exhausting. There are some hilly parts, especially in the Moravia area but altogether it’s a moderate level of the bike journey.
9. Walking from Prague to Budapest
Time – around a month
Cost – 0€
Ease– 2
Fun – 4
Sightseeing – 5
If you have plenty of time and would like to really get to know Central Europe then walking might be a good option. You would need a month or so for this adventure but I bet it would be an unforgettable experience. Central Europe is so rich in history and culture and you’d be able to see it all properly.
Bonus: Road trip from Prague to Budapest
Telc, Czech Republic
Time – depends on you
Cost – €400 for car rental + all you spend on petrol
Ease – 5
Fun – 5
Sightseeing – 5
Are you travelling with your own or rented car? The journey from Prague to Budapest is a perfect road trip opportunity! There are so many interesting places you can stop at along the way: UNESCO listed towns of Telc and Trebic, beautiful Moravian towns of Mikulov or Znojmo, second biggest Czech city Brno, the Slovak capital Bratislava or the underrated Gyor in Hungary. You can even stop at the elegant capital of Austria – Vienna. Sometimes a little detour will be needed but it’s definitely worth it. All the places you will see are a perfect example of Central European architecture and culture and even if they are located in different countries they are similar in a way, thanks to the Austria-Hungary legacy. And the bigger cities are full of cool places you’d definitely like to visit!
So as you can see there are numerous way to travel from Prague to Budapest. Whichever you choose – you will have a good journey for sure!
Images used under license from Shutterstock.com
Hello
we are a family Travelling to Prague from India , can you please let me know the weather in Prague in May around 15th May as we have a young kid of 2 years .
Also where can I book the Train tickets online for travelling from Budapest to Prague.
Thanks in advance
Hello!
You can look up train tickets here: https://www.cd.cz/en/default.htm
Weather is usually very nice in Central Europe in May. So the temperature is around 20C and sunny. Of course there is no guaranty, the weather can change fast, it can also be cooler and raining. You will have to check the forecast right before you travel for any hope of accuracy.
All the Best!
Hello , we r group of 4 couples and 4 children all about 12 years…total 12 person planning to travel to Prague from Budapest. We r from Indian and on 20 days trip to Europe…we will be carrying one 20 kg check in bag and one carry on bag per person…do bus provide enough luggage space for bags? What is the best way to go from Budapest to Prague? Via bus or train? Thanks
Hello,
Personally I find trains more comfortable. The train is not that expensive if you manage to buy the tickets well in advance (make sure you mark your seats, then you can all sit together with no problems) and they have plenty of space on trains as well, both for bags and just moving around yourself.
About the buses, they are by far the least expensive way of getting around but it is a long distance with a bus. I am yet to see any luggage be left behind, the buses have a quite large space for bags, I think in that regard it would be fine.
All the best!
We plan to drive from Prague to Budapest. I read that we need a highway sticker.
Where can we get the sticker from? Is there anything else we need to know?
Hello!
If you are renting a car from Prague (or anywhere else) then those cars already should have the highway sticker for the starting country (some companies do not as it’s a good way to charge you extra). Make sure you ask about this. Otherwise, usually the first gas station after the border sells the stickers. Hungary also needs a highway sticker, so easiest is to get it at the border. If you don’t have a sticker and the police pulls you over you will be fined (some countries are introducing now also automatic checks with cameras).
There is a fee for leaving the country with a rental. You should keep in mind that if you leave a rental car in another country there is a big extra fee for that as well.
Good luck!
I plan go to that Europe countries Prague,Budapest,Amsterdam, Liverpool and London on 17/Dec-02/01/2021 . Do you have the itinerary trip , and train . Can you advice me on this matter? Thank you in advance.
Hello!
Sadly we do not offer planned itinerary trips like this. For this kind of service the best thing is to contact your local travel agency.
All the best!
Hi, thank you for your tips about transportation from/to Budapest & Prague. I will go to that countries end of December 2019. I try to buy train from Budapest to Prague for 24 December 2019, but the website told the available online booking currently, until 14 December 2019. I just wondering, when I can buy tickets for 24 Dec since I need the ticket to apply the Schengen Visa. I already sent the inquiry to Czech railways but no response at all.
Can you advice me on this matter? Thank you in advance.
Hi, you could just try again the webpage for trains but most likely around Christmas everything sells out very fast. You might have more luck with a bus (try https://global.flixbus.com).
Good luck!
great info, thank you for posting.
Hi, I travelling from Berlin to Prague, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest in that order in Oct 19. Any suggestion on which is the best way like by train, bus or shared drive for the best sceneries and stops. I am open to suggestions. Was told that by train to Prague has the best scenery compared to others.
Your advice please.. thanks you in advance
The best way for scenery and interesting stops on the way is definitely with Sidetrip Tours: https://www.sidetriptours.com/
They offer the following one-way trips:
– Berlin to Prague (https://www.sidetriptours.com/tour/berlin-prague-one-way-sightseeing-tour-bus)
– Prague to Vienna (https://www.sidetriptours.com/tour/prague-vienna-one-way-sightseeing-tour-bus)
– Bratislava to Budapest (https://www.sidetriptours.com/tour/bratislava-budapest-one-way-sightseeing-tour-bus)
Check these out and you can also just do one trip with Sidetrip and others with buses/trains. You just can’t stop in between destinations when taking a bus or train.
The trip from Vienna to Bratislava is really short, about 1h, you can just take a regular bus or train or if you want a more interesting option then there’s also a boat from Vienna to Bratislava.
Thanks for this, I am travelling to our Central European offices in both Cities in October. I want to combine the trip so was trying to see the most suitable transport method;this was very useful.
I am female and will be travelling alone, generally are the trains safe and reliable?
Although the convenience of saving travel time and the reassurance of the security measures on a plane might make the most sense after all even with the travel to airport and extra security queues. I did quite like the idea of the train and a few sites along the way though!
Is it safe for female travelers to take the bus trip?
Yes totally. Public transport in Europe is really safe if you use proper companies.
Last May I travelled between these cities by bus (Flixbus) and I’m alone. It’s totally safe but stay aware on public places as there might be some pickpockets.
I’m traveling from Berlin to Budapest and would like a stop in Dresden for a day and I’m flying home from Prague. I can’t find an easy way to get from Berlin to Budapest with Dresden in between. Any ideas????
You can take a 2h bus or train from Berlin to Dresden. Then from Dresden to Budapest it’s a much longer trip, about 700km. You might consider flying, although there are probably no cheap options. The alternatives are taking a train or bus to Prague and then from Prague to Budapest there are already more options.
Can I carry my luggage ( around 20kg) in Blabla car ? Is there any extra cost ?
You must contact the Blabla driver and ask them, every driver has a different car so there is no way to know.
Good luck!
what rental car companies are in Prague?
You can browse for different rental option on this page for example: https://www.rentalcars.com/