Budapest - Paris - Madrid - Lisbon

Peter
Traveller
9337 comments

Hi.
Sad news first: you can't reach Madrid without extra fees. France and Spain are Interrail hostile countries. :'(
But you can reduce the extra reservation fees. :)

I recommend a route like this:
[b]Budapest to Munich[/b] by free and direct Railjet train (if you want, have a stop in Vienna or Salzburg on your way):
[u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail/budapest-to-munich[/u]

[b]Munich[/b] to Karlsruhe, crossing the border by regional trains via Offenburg to Strasbourg.
From there by TGV to [b]Paris[/b]. Reservation fees here EUR 6 - the not official way: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-train-reservation/tgv-sncf/42[/u]

Other options:
- by free trains first to Heidelberg, have an overnight stop there and stay in Hostel Lotte (very well located and very nice! - [u]https://rail.cc/en/heidelberg/lotte-the-backpackers/l448[/u] ). Then via Karlsruhe, Offenburg, etc... if you are early in Strasbourg you could even travel by free trains to Paris with several changes, but it is realy a very loooong journey!
- by direct night train (easy solution).
- by direct day train TGV, limited seats and reservation fee.
Information: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail/munich-to-paris[/u]

[b]Paris to Madrid[/b]:
There is a direct night train. But horrible expensive. I recommend to travel first to Barcelona.
Best option: by inexpensive night train to Perpignan, then crossing the Pyrenees by Little Yellow Train (free and amazing trip!). Stay one night or two in Barcelona and continue to Madrid.
[u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail/paris-to-barcelona[/u]
Little Yellow Train: [u]https://rail.cc/blog/little-yellow-train-video/[/u]

[b]Barcelona to Madrid[/b]:
very frequent connections with AVE trains - reservation fee is EUR 10, you can't avoid it.
[u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail/barcelona-to-madrid[/u]

[b]Madrid to Lisbon[/b]:
by overnight train - also no real worth other options - book in advance if possible.
[u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail/madrid-to-lisbon[/u]

Peter :)

Tihana
Traveller
8 comments

Peter,thanks a lot,you help us so much!!!!I have another question.I didn't mention that we're also planing to vistit Sevilla in Spain,so which is the best route(when we reach Barcelona) to make tour Madrid,Lisbon,Sevilla or maybe you recommend Barca,Sevilla,Lisbon and than Madrid? :|

Peter
Traveller
9337 comments

Good to hear that this information will help you! :)
I think it is important to know from where you want to return to your home country? Do you do it by train as well? :)
Sevilla - South of Portugal - Lisbon is possible but with a bus at some parts. Flow should know it in detail, but he is currently a bit busy at university. I will check it later for you.
So the direction you travel is free on you to chose. :)

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hi,

as Peter said, you cannot travel all the way without any reservations. Also, often reservations are worth the money, since you will travel considerably faster (as on the route Strasbourg - Paris for example). I would also consider spending the money for night trains, since they are usually cheaper than a hostel (at least regular seats are) and you travel overnight which is quite practical.

On your route, the Munich - Paris CNL train would be a good option :arr: [u]https://rail.cc/en/night-train/munich-paris-cnl40418/33[/u]
Another alternative would be to use Budapest - Zürich night train :arr: [u]https://rail.cc/en/night-train/budapest-zurich-en-60466/178[/u] which is much cheaper than the CNL Munich - Paris. From Zürich you can travel without extra reservations to Paris, although this trip would take around 11 hours. Moreover, you can use the Budapest - Zürich night train without any extra reservation costs if you do it like this:
Budapest - Wien: Travel in the separate coaches which only run to Wien, no reservation required
Wien - Zürich: Change to the Wien - Zürich coaches which you can use without extra reservation within Austria, this means until Buchs SG, the Swiss border station.
Buchs SG - Zürich: Travel with regular trains either via Sargans or St Gallen.

Paris - Spain: Best option, as Peter already suggested, is to take the overnight train (6€ reservation for a seat) to either Latour de Carol or Cerbere, then continue with regional trains to Barcelona. If you want, go by Petit Train Jaune, it is really worth it and has no extra costs. :)

Regarding the remainder of your trip it would indeed be important to know how you want to go back home. The easiest way to do all three cities would be to go with a direct AVE (twice daily, 10€ reservation) Barcelona - Sevilla, then with another AVE to Madrid and finally by Lusitania night train to Lisboa :arr: [u]https://rail.cc/en/night-train/madrid-lisbon-th-332/71[/u]

Alternatively, you can also go Barcelona - Madrid - Sevilla and then by bus along the coast; although this probably wont be cheaper than the above route with the night train Madrid - Lisboa.
There are direct buses Sevilla - Faro as well as buses Huelva - Vila Real de Santo Antonio (both station being the last/first stations of the Spanish and Portuguese rail network, have a look at the map here :arr: [u]https://rail.cc/en/train-ticket-railmap-of-europe[/u])


Flo 8)

Tihana
Traveller
8 comments

Guys,for all important informations you give us,all we,should give you a gold medal:) You helped me so much.Thank you a lot.I decided:Budapest-Zurich,Zurich-Paris,Paris-Barcelona and this is for sure.I'm not sure for Madrid,Lisbon and Sevilla,yet.I will see some combination you said:)And return to home?I was thinking something like this:Come to Barca again,and from there,take train to Milan,from Milan to Venice,and from Venice to Belgrade(or maybe better Venice-Budapest,if we take return train tickets(Belgrade-Budapest) at the begining of trip).What do you think?

Tihana
Traveller
8 comments

And one more questin,if we don't buy reservation on station,is it more expensive in train or the price is the same?

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hi,

reservations are usually more expensive bought on a train since you must pay an extra fee - sometimes, it is not even allowed/possible to do so, especially in Spain, where you can only enter the platform with a valid ticket+reservation. I would always try to get your reservation before boarding. ;)

If you want to go back as well with your IR ticket (10in22), I would strongly recommend to make a fix plan for your route back in order to not have problems with travel days.
Barcelona - Italy is best done via the French coast, but will require at least one stop, for example in Nice. If you do want to see more of Cote d'Azur I would recommend to stay one day, before continuing. Currently, there are no trains across IT <> SI border, this includes the former direct couchette car Venezia - Beograd as well, unfortunately. Read here :arr: [u]https://rail.cc/blog/travel-lake-bled-train/[/u] on how to cross the border now easily on foot.
Overall, you will need two days to go from Barcelona to Italy and at least another day to finally get to Serbia again. I think it is better, not to buy a return to Budapest but instead reenter Serbia via Sid.
So, plan your way back carefully and allocate at least three travel days! If you run out of travel days somewhere between Slovenia and Serbia it is not that bad since a ticket for the remaining stretch wouldnt be so expensive.


Flo 8)

Tihana
Traveller
8 comments

Hi!Our trip is reduced,like you advised and looks like this:
Budapest-Paris([u]https://rail.cc/en/train/paris-to-madrid[/u]),
Barcelona-Seville([u]https://rail.cc/en/train/barcelona-to-seville[/u]),
Sevilla-Madrid([u]https://rail.cc/en/train/seville-to-madrid[/u]),
Madrid-Lisbon([u]https://rail.cc/en/train/madrid-to-lisbon[/u]),
Lisbon-Madrid([u]https://rail.cc/en/train/lisbon-to-madrid[/u]),
Madrid-Nica([u]https://rail.cc/en/train/-to-[/u]),
Nica-Milan([u]https://rail.cc/en/train/nice-to-milan[/u]),
Milan-Zurich([u]https://rail.cc/en/train/zurich-to-budapest[/u]),
Zurich-Budapest([u]https://rail.cc/en/train/zurich-to-budapest[/u])
This is the best I can and, I thought that's better plan than earlier,expecially way back(to Budapest),and cheapest,because all extra fees are about 50 e.What do you think?

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hej!

Budapest - Paris: Be aware that the Alleo train requires a reservation for 13€! Therefore I would recommend to do the same route but with a different connection:
München 0648 - 0953 Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe 1000 - 1027 Offenburg
Offenburg 1034 - 1104 Strasbourg
Strasbourg 1142 - 1405 Paris
On this route you have more connection time in Munich and only need the reservation for the TGV Strasbourg - Paris which is 6€.
BCN - Sevilla: OK, but you would have two direct AVE connections (10€ reservation as well).
Madrid - Lisbon: OK, but currently it is not 100% sure if the train will continue running...as soon as we have infos we'll let you know.
Milan - Zürich: You posted the link for Zürich - Budapest. ;) Do you want to spend some time in Zürich or want to go Milano - Budapest directly?

All other routes are ok.


Flo 8)

Tihana
Traveller
8 comments

Hm,thanks:D and sorry for wrong link:) I thought on this one: [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/milan-to-zurich[/u] :) :) and no,no time for zurich,so we will go to budapest.
p.s.what do you think,is it better to buy interrail(22 in 10 days) or maybe single buying tickets in country in which are at the moment(for example:in budapest buying for paris,in paris for barca etc...)?I think that interrail is cheaper and better,I don't know,maybe I'm wrong...I just looking for the best solution:)

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hej,

the 10in22 is definitely the best offer and much cheaper than going with regular tickets bought on the day. If you would go with pre-booked tickets it _could_ work out about the same price as IR, but then you are fixed on a certain train on a certain date with no possibility of refund or exchange usually.

If you go Milano - Budapest in one trip, I would recommend to have a look at this connection via the beautiful Bernina and Albula railway: :arr: [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/milan-to-zurich[/u]
If you want, you do not have to go all the way to Zürich on that route, instead you can change at Samedan and go to Buchs to join the night train to Budapest there - in that case you do not need a reservation for a regular seat on that night train! :)


Flo 8)

Tihana
Traveller
8 comments

Other solution for relation Budapes-Paris:
Budapest-Zurich [u]https://rail.cc/en/night-train/budapest-zurich-en-60466/178[/u] what does mean this:
Seat | 2nd class
EUR 5
[b]not compulsory within Austria[/b] ???
Zurich-Paris [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/zurich-to-paris[/u]

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hej,

this means that you do not need a reservation for this night train if you travel from Hungary to Austria or within Austria. Only if going from Hungary to Switzerland or Austria to Switzerland you need a seat reservation on this night train.
If you are travelling in a couchette or sleeper this is of course irrelevant.


Flo 8)

Tihana
Traveller
8 comments

Thanks a lot!!!You really help me about this trip.Sorry I bored you with so many posts :os ,but you was the only who could help me.I think I'm redy now,and can't wait august :D

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hej,

no problem, it didnt bore me me at all - that's why we have railcc. :)


Flo 8)

Tihana
Traveller
8 comments

After few week,me again:):)
Tell me,which is the easiest/cheapest way to reach Barcelona from Budapest?

Peter
Traveller
9337 comments

Hi.
Use the schedule planer to get an idea: [ux]https://rail.shop/bahn[/ux]
Then compare to the railcc schedules (information about reservation fees, night trains, etc):
[u]https://rail.cc/en/search-interrail-route[/u]

A fast connection is: Budapest - Zurich and Zurich - Barcelona (night train).
A cheaper connection for example: Budapest - Munich - Strasbourg, night train to Portbou, then to Barcelona (maybe even including Little Yellow Train)

All connection at via the links above.

Peter :)