Home Routes Budapest to Bucharest
Budapest to Bucharest overland: route, cost and stops
Budapest to Bucharest, overland all the way, across 2 countries, with every leg costed. This is the planner's own output for the corridor — 2 stops, 1 legs, 10h on the move.
Modelled estimates, not live fares. Last rebuilt 2026-09-23.
This is one version of the corridor. Change the budget, the pace, the dates or the bed type and the route rebuilds around them.
Open this route in the plannerThe route, leg by leg
Each row is the mode the planner picked as the best balance of time and money. Alternatives on every leg — including night trains and coaches — are in the planner itself.
| Leg | Mode | Time | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budapest → Bucharest | Night train | 10h | €35–€85 |
What it costs
| Component | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transport | €35 | €56 | €85 |
| Beds | €99 | €116 | €148 |
| Daily spending | €280 | €350 | €473 |
| Total per person | €471 | €585 | €778 |
Dorm beds, two people sharing where a room is cheaper than two dorm bunks. Daily spending is food and local transport, modelled per city rather than averaged across the trip.
Where you stop
Budapest, Hungary
Worth the time: Széchenyi baths, Parliament, ruin bars
Eating: Napi menü €6; Great Market Hall upstairs
Beds near the centre:
Art Hostel Gallery · hostelPal's Hostel · hostelJet Setter Appartment · guest house
Markets and cheap eats:
Szimpla Piac · marketTime Out Market Budapest · marketPancs Gasztroplacc · market
Bucharest, Romania
Worth the time: Palace of Parliament, Old Town, Village Museum
Eating: Ciorbă and mici, €6
Beds near the centre:
Little Bucharest Hostel · hostelSleep Inn · hostelFlower's B&B · guest house
Markets and cheap eats:
Biutiful · marketCarnivale Food Market · marketnom nom · market
Worth a detour
Places just off the corridor, priced against the route you already have — the extra time and the extra money each one actually adds.
| Place | Fits | Extra time | Extra cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vienna, Austria | after Budapest | +8.1h | +€96 |
| Ploieşti, Romania | after Budapest | +3.1h | +€45 |
| Ruse, Bulgaria | after Budapest | +3.3h | +€45 |
| Zakopane, Poland | after Budapest | +8h | +€56 |
Common questions
How long does the Budapest to Bucharest trip take?
Moving time is about 10h spread over 1 legs. Allowing 2 nights in each of the 2 stops, the whole corridor works as a 10-day trip. You can compress it by skipping stops, but the travelling time itself does not shrink much.
How much does it cost?
About €585 per person for 10 days in dorms, sharing with one other. That splits into roughly €56 of transport, €116 of beds and €350 of daily spending. The realistic range is €471 to €778 depending on how early you book and how much you eat out.
Can you do it without flying?
Yes. An all-surface version runs about 10h of travel and €585 in total — €-0 less than the version above. Switch on avoid flying in the planner to see it.
Which countries does it cross?
Hungary, Romania — 2 in total. Check visa requirements for your own passport before you commit to the route; this planner does not model them.
What transport does it use?
Night train. Every leg is costed with a walk-up fare and an advance fare, so the range on each row is the booking-window spread, not uncertainty about the route.
Adjust it for your own dates, budget and party size.
Plan Budapest → Bucharest