Home Routes Budapest to London
Budapest to London overland: route, cost and stops
Budapest to London, overland all the way, across 7 countries, with every leg costed. This is the planner's own output for the corridor — 7 stops, 13 legs, 43h 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 → Kraków | Coach | 5.3h | €5–€10 |
| Kraków → Olomouc | Coach | 3.8h | €5–€5 |
| Olomouc → Vienna | Coach | 3.3h | €5–€10 |
| Vienna → Prague | Coach | 4.6h | €5–€10 |
| Prague → Leipzig | Coach | 3.9h | €5–€10 |
| Leipzig → Frankfurt | Coach | 5.3h | €10–€20 |
| Frankfurt → Cologne | Coach | 3.1h | €5–€10 |
| Cologne → Maastricht | Coach | 2h | €5–€10 |
| Maastricht → Ghent | Coach | 2.9h | €5–€10 |
| Ghent → Lille | Coach | 1.7h | €5–€5 |
| Lille → Calais | Coach | 2.1h | €5–€10 |
| Calais → Canterbury | Ferry | 3.1h | €14–€31 |
| Canterbury → London | Coach | 2h | €5–€10 |
What it costs
| Component | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transport | €79 | €103 | €151 |
| Beds | €238 | €280 | €358 |
| Daily spending | €574 | €717 | €968 |
| Total per person | €968 | €1,186 | €1,576 |
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
Kraków, Poland
Worth the time: Rynek Główny, Wawel, Kazimierz, Auschwitz day trip
Eating: Milk bars: full lunch under €6
Beds near the centre:
Venetian House · hostelRenesans · hostelOld Town Aparthotel · guest house
Markets and cheap eats:
Forum Fun & Food · marketStrefa Błonia · marketTarg Ekosfera · market
Vienna, Austria
Worth the time: Kunsthistorisches, Schönbrunn, Naschmarkt
Eating: Mittagsmenü €11 all over the 7th district
Beds near the centre:
Österreichisches Jugendherbergswerk · hostelLion's rooms n apartments · hostelPension Central · guest house
Markets and cheap eats:
Palais Freiluft · marketServitenmarkt · marketBau-Portal-Gläser · market
Prague, Czechia
Worth the time: Charles Bridge, Castle, Vyšehrad, Letná
Eating: Denní menu €7 including soup
Beds near the centre:
Capsule Hostel Prague · hostelOnefam Míru Hostel Prague · hostelWandering Praha B&B · guest house
Markets and cheap eats:
Farmářské tržiště Jiřák · marketBioAid · marketNáměstí Republiky · market
Leipzig, Germany
Worth the time: Spinnerei galleries, Bach sites, Plagwitz
Eating: Mittagstisch €9
Beds near the centre:
Hostel & Hotel Five Elements · hostelGroners Hostel · hostelZills Tunnel · guest house
Markets and cheap eats:
Wochenmarkt · marketMarkt am Sportforum · marketWochenmarkt Bayrischer Platz · market
Ghent, Belgium
Worth the time: Gravensteen, Graslei, student bars
Eating: Friture and stoofvlees €10
Beds near the centre:
13:00 o'clock Hostel · hostelstudio16 · hostelDe Walpoort · guest house
Markets and cheap eats:
Bloemenmarkt · marketTweedehands fietsenmarkt · marketLousbergmarkt · market
London, England
Worth the time: British Museum, South Bank, Borough Market
Eating: Museums free; markets beat restaurants
Beds near the centre:
London Central YMCA · hostelHelen Graham House · hostelLSE Northumberland House · guest house
Markets and cheap eats:
Market Place Food Hall Leicester Square · marketSoho Vegan Market · marketSeven Dials Market · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zakopane, Poland | after Budapest | +39m | +€48 |
| Český Krumlov, Czechia | after Vienna | +1.5h | +€55 |
| Dresden, Germany | after Prague | +53m | +€72 |
| Brno, Czechia | after Kraków | +44m | +€54 |
Common questions
How long does the Budapest to London trip take?
Moving time is about 43h spread over 13 legs. Allowing 2 nights in each of the 7 stops, the whole corridor works as a 14-day trip. You can compress it by skipping stops, but the travelling time itself does not shrink much.
How much does it cost?
About €1,186 per person for 14 days in dorms, sharing with one other. That splits into roughly €103 of transport, €280 of beds and €717 of daily spending. The realistic range is €968 to €1,576 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 35h of travel and €1,234 in total — €48 more than the version above. Switch on avoid flying in the planner to see it.
Which countries does it cross?
Hungary, Poland, Austria, Czechia, Germany, Belgium, United Kingdom — 7 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?
Coach, Ferry. 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 → London