Budapest to Thessaloniki by train
Travel from Budapest (Hungary) to Thessaloniki (Greece) by train (824km): schedule and information to the train connection. Compare fares and buy your ticket.
To travel by train from Budapest in Hungary to Thessaloniki in Greece, the main route leads via Serbia. Please read the following information and blog posts.
There are two main routes. Compare them and decide which one feeds your needs best.
- 1Budapest (Hungary) - Belgrade (Serbia) - Thessaloniki (Greece)
- 2Budapest (Hungary) - Bucharest (Romania) - Sofia (Bulgaria) - Thessaloniki (Greece)
824 km
How to use the following information: we show you the best routes and where to buy tickets. On longer routes you may need more than one ticket. Book your tickets step by step as explained. If you have questions about the route from Budapest to Thessaloniki, please ask in our forum. Of course, sometimes there are as well other travel routes possible.
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections : popular connections travelled by other users
Thessaloniki - Budapest / Budapest - Alexandroupoli / Budapest - Larissa / Budapest - Patras / Budapest - Piraeus1 Budapest (Hungary) - Belgrade (Serbia) - Thessaloniki (Greece)
The route consist of more than one step. You have to buy several train tickets.
1a Travelling from Budapest (Hungary) to Belgrade (Serbia)
Travel from Hungary to Serbia by direct train on the route from Budapest to Belgrade.
There are saver fare tickets available from 15 EUR.
2021: the direct route Budapest to Novi Sad and on to Belgrade is under construction. The best option is to travel by train from Budapest to Zagreb and from Zagreb to Belgrade if you want to avoid changes and buses.
Find the exact train schedules and buy your train tickets via the given booking websites.
Where to buy a ticket from Budapest to Belgrade?
Check times&prices 
The following links could be interesting for you.
train types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
EuroCity (EC)
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
G 341 Budapest - Belgrade
train company:
MÁV Magyar Államvasutak - MÁV START
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Belgrade - Budapest / Budapest - Novi Sad
search for train schedules here: Online timetable information, on which you can find relevant, up-to-date connections.
rail.cc Deutsche Bahn
1b Travelling from Belgrade (Serbia) to Thessaloniki (Greece)
Travel from Belgrade to Thessaloniki by direct overnight train. The journey time is 16 hours.
Important note: this direct overnight train only runs in the summer months June to September. If the this train is not available you have to travel from Belgrade to Sofia. And from Sofia to Thessaloniki. Please search for these train connections to find details.
The departure time in Belgrade (Topcider) is 18:30. The arrival time in Thessaloniki is 10:30.
The overnight train offers one wagon with seats and one couchette-car with 6 beds per compartment. The couchette-car is recommended. Buy train tickets for 35 EUR. The supplement for the couchette-car is 8 EUR per person. Usually there is enough free seats and berths available even on the day of departure. Ask the train conductor to optimize the occupancy of the couchette compartments if you want to have more space. Just be friendly.
Where to buy a ticket from Belgrade to Thessaloniki?
The following links could be interesting for you.
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
B 334 Thessaloniki - Belgrade / B335 Belgrade - Thessaloniki
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Thessaloniki - Belgrade
2 Budapest (Hungary) - Bucharest (Romania) - Sofia (Bulgaria) - Thessaloniki (Greece)
The route consist of more than one step. You have to buy several train tickets.
2a Travelling from Budapest (Hungary) to Bucharest (Romania)
Travel from Budapest to Bucharest by overnight train or by day train. The journey time is 15 hours. Train tickets start from 29 EUR.
The overnight train is comfortable and the recommended way of travel. It offers couchettes for 4 or 6 persons per compartment with ticket fares from 39 EUR. And sleeper compartments for one to three travellers with ticket fares from 55 EUR. The departure time in Budapest is 19:10 and the arrival time in Bucharest is 12:30.
Beside the overnight train there is a comfortable air-conditioned Intercity train which run at daytime. Ticket fares start from 29 EUR. The departure time in Budapest is at 07:10 and the arrival time in Bucharest is 23:59.
As third option there is the overnight train "Dacia Express". It offers sleeper compartments as well with shower and toilet. The departure station of the train is Vienna (Austria), therefore the arrival time in Bucharest is very late the next day at 16:00. The departure time in Budapest is 23:10. You can board the train already one hour earlier. The ticket fares are the same like mentioned above.
All in all it is a recommended rail trip trough the beautiful scenery trough Transylvania and of the Carpathian mountains.
Find the exact train schedules and buy your ticket via the given booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Budapest to Bucharest?
The following links could be interesting for you.
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
EN 347 Vienna - Bucharest / EN 473 Budapest - Bucharest
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Bucharest - Budapest
2b Travelling from Bucharest (Romania) to Sofia (Bulgaria)
Travel from Bucharest to Sofia by direct train. The journey time is 9:10 hours. The ticket fare is 161 RON (33 EUR).
The departure time in Bucharest is 11:00. And the arrival time in Sofia 20:10. In off-season (October to May) you have to change trains in Ruse (Bulgaria). Arrival time in Ruse is 13:45. Departure time in Ruse is 14:15. You can save money if you split your ticket booking: buy one ticket for Bucharest to Ruse and a second ticket for Ruse to Sofia.
Find the exact train schedules and buy your tickets via the given booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Bucharest to Sofia?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Sofia - Bucharest
2c Travelling from Sofia (Bulgaria) to Thessaloniki (Greece)
Travel from Sofia to Thessaloniki by direct day train. The journey time is 8:30 hours. Buy your train ticket for 35 BGN (18 EUR) at the train station in Sofia.
The departure time in Sofia is 15:00. The arrival time in Thessaloniki is 23:30. There are always seats available therefore it is no problem to buy the ticket at the day of departure.
Note (2022/2023): currently the train traffic is interrupted and you have to travel by bus. The bus ticket price is 15-20 EUR. Buy it via the given links or on union-ivkoni.com
No discount with Interrail/Eurail.
Where to buy a ticket from Sofia to Thessaloniki?
Buy the train ticket at a railway station. Note: in some countries you have to pay a service fee at the ticket counter. The ticket can be purchased at a station in the country of departure, also sometimes in other countries.
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Thessaloniki - Sofia
Need a cheap place to sleep? We recommend booking.com
Find a cheap flight! Compare prices on Kiwi.com
Do you have questions about the connection between Budapest and Thessaloniki? Does something not work as it should? Just ask in our forum and get competent answers from our rail travel experts.
Eurail: if you want to travel this route by Eurail instead of train tickets, have a look here for reservation fees and further information.
