Hungary to Croatia Train

Train from Hungary to Croatia is a popular way of getting between these two neighbouring countries. The train route primarily connects the capital city Budapest with the capital city Zagreb. From Zagreb, it is possible to further travel to other Croatian cities by train. The route is operated by MÁV-START Vasúti Személyszállító Zrt (MÁV-START Railway Passenger Transport Ltd.).

Below is the detailed guide for each popular train route from Hungary to Croatia. 

Budapest – Zagreb

Train from Budapest to Zagreb is the most popular train route from Hungary to Croatia. It is actually the only train route with direct connections. There are usually up to 6 daily departures, but it is good to know that the timetable changes throughout the year.

There are usually up to 2 direct daily departures from Budapest that don’t require any train change. The route is operated by InterCity (IC) trains and the journey takes around 5.5 hours. 

All other departures require up to 5 train changes along the way. On most departures trains make a stop in Sopron, Gyor and several other Hungarian cities. On one departure, the train goes via Bratislava, Vienna and then back to Zagreb. These quotes are operated by the following train types:

• InterCity (IC) train
• EuroCity (EC) train
• EuroNight (EN) train
• Railjet (RJ) train
• NOTE: On one departure, part of the route is operated by bus instead.

The waiting time between the trains can last from several minutes to several hours, so always check this information for your departure. Accordingly, the total journey time takes from 8 to 22 hours, depending on the departure. 

There are 4 train stations in Budapest – Budapest-Keleti is the main train station, but trains frequently depart from Budapest-Nyugati, Budapest-Déli and Budapest-Kelenföld as well. Make sure you check the exact train station for your departure. All trains from Budapest arrive at Zagreb Main Train Station (Zagreb Glavni Kolodvor) located in central Zagreb. 

The price of a regular single ticket for adults starts from €15 for a direct train. Hungary Card holders, members of the family and passengers under the age of 26 get a 33% discount. Children under the age of 14 and pensioners get a 50% discount. Passengers with disabilities get a 90% discount. Children under the age of 6 and passengers over the age of 65 can travel for free. 

If the train departure times don’t suit you, a bus from Budapest to Zagreb can be an alternative option with one daily departure. Tickets start from €16 and the journey takes about 4.5 hours. 

Budapest – Split

There is no direct train from Budapest to Split, but you can travel the route with train changes. First, you can take a train from Budapest to Zagreb, as explained in the previous section. Once in Zagreb, you can continue by train to Split.

An estimated price for the total journey starts from around €45. An estimated travel time is around 11.5 hours, not including the waiting time between the trains. 

As an alternative, you can always take a bus from Budapest to Split.

Budapest – Dubrovnik

There is no train from Budapest to Dubrovnik. Getting from Budapest by train is possible only to Split, as described in the previous section. The railway in Croatia stops in Split so there is no further train connection to Dubrovnik.

Anyway, if you want to travel from Budapest to Dubrovnik by using the train as much as possible, first, you will need to travel by train from Budapest to Split (see the section above). As there is no further train connection, consider alternative options to get from Split to Dubrovnik.

An estimated total travelling time is around 15.5-16.5 hours, not including the waiting time in between. An estimated total price of all tickets is not under €55-€75. 

Map of the Hungarian railway network