Home Routes Vienna to Budapest
Vienna to Budapest overland: route, cost and stops
Vienna to Budapest, overland all the way, across 3 countries, with every leg costed. This is the planner's own output for the corridor — 3 stops, 3 legs, 11h 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vienna → Olomouc | Coach | 3.3h | €5–€10 |
| Olomouc → Zakopane | Coach | 3.8h | €5–€5 |
| Zakopane → Budapest | Coach | 4h | €5–€5 |
What it costs
| Component | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transport | €15 | €14 | €20 |
| Beds | €92 | €108 | €138 |
| Daily spending | €242 | €303 | €409 |
| Total per person | €393 | €474 | €623 |
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
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
Zakopane, Poland
Worth the time: Tatra trails, Gubałówka, wooden chapels
Eating: Oscypek cheese €2
Beds near the centre:
SSM Szarotka · hostelTarget Hostel · hostelWilla Wysoka · guest house
Markets and cheap eats:
F--king Good Restauracja Zakopane · pizzaGazdowo Kuźnia · regionalKebab Pizza Pod Gubałówką · pizza
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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kraków, Poland | after Vienna | +2h | +€53 |
| Brno, Czechia | after Vienna | +44m | +€54 |
| Bratislava, Slovakia | after Vienna | +1.4h | +€55 |
| Prague, Czechia | after Vienna | +6.6h | +€101 |
Common questions
How long does the Vienna to Budapest trip take?
Moving time is about 11h spread over 3 legs. Allowing 2 nights in each of the 3 stops, the whole corridor works as a 7-day trip. You can compress it by skipping stops, but the travelling time itself does not shrink much.
How much does it cost?
About €474 per person for 7 days in dorms, sharing with one other. That splits into roughly €14 of transport, €108 of beds and €303 of daily spending. The realistic range is €393 to €623 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 11h of travel and €474 in total — €-0 less than the version above. Switch on avoid flying in the planner to see it.
Which countries does it cross?
Austria, Poland, Hungary — 3 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. 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 Vienna → Budapest