Budapest Keleti and Budapest Nyugati are two of the main railway stations in Hungary’s capital, only 2.6km apart and easily accessible by direct buses in as little as fourteen minutes. For those who would prefer to walk it, a brisk walk will take around half an hour. There is also a train every two hours between the two stations which takes a much longer, circular route eastward via Hungary’s premier wine region taking six hours and twelve minutes. This is called the InterCity Tokaj.
The InterCity Tokaj lives up to its status as an InterCity operation, departing Budapest Keleti travelling via the cities of Miskolc, Tokaj, Nyíregyháza, Debrecen, Szolnok, Cegléd and various towns before arriving back in the capital at Nyugati station. The intention isn’t of course for passengers wanting to travel across Budapest, but, more of a way to open up more connections for passengers travelling between these major cities which actually makes a lot of sense once you look past the novelty. Other circular routes include the Fife Circle in Scotland and I wrote about Italy’s two train routes around Etna and Vesuvius – here is the link to that report if you are interested.
On a trip from Kosice, Slovakia to Debrecen and subsequently on to Budapest, I experienced almost the full route travelling on two InterCity Tokaj trains – from Miskolc-Tiszai to Debrecen and Debrecen to Budapest Nyugati via Szolnok.
Here’s how I got on, but, firstly the full route map of the InterCity Tokaj:
Departure from Budapest Keleti
One of my favourite railway stations in Europe is the majestic, cathedral-like Budapest Keleti, or eastern, station dating back to the end of the 19th century. Today it has the perfect ambiance for starting a journey with trains coming and going regularly and announcements proceeded with unique jingles. The station departure board is always full of known long-distance destinations within Hungary and abroad with direct trains to Austria, Germany, Romania and Slovakia.
Business Lounge Access
Budapest Keleti has its own Business Lounge, available next to platform 9 to anyone with a First Class ticket for a domestic or international journey. Although I wasn’t departing Budapest Keleti for this particular journey, I have done so in the past and had the pleasure of spending time in the Business Lounge.
The lounge is managed by a host who checks your ticket on the way in and prepares food and drinks to order. There is a ‘free offer’ menu with soft and hot drinks and some sandwiches alongside a ‘paid offer’ with alcoholic beverages and some desserts.
Highlights in Budapest City
Budapest is one of my favourite cities to visit with an array of attractions and experiences to enjoy. Most attractions are situated around the river on both the Buda and Pest sides.
During my visits to Budapest, I recommend:
- Fisherman’s Bastion for views across the Danube
- Széchenyi Chain Bridge
- Széchenyi Thermal Bath
- Hungarian Parliament Building
- Shoes on the Danube Bank
- Keleti station
- Grab a Kürtőskalács, or chimney cake, at kiosks around the city
Onboard the InterCity Tokaj
Operated by the national carrier in Hungary, MÁV-START, the InterCity Tokaj trains offer three classes onboard – Second Class, First Class and Premium Class. The latter is especially interesting being a new concept for some MÁV InterCity routes, which I share more detail below. There is also catering available from the onboard Bistro.
I had booked First Class for the first leg from Miskolc to Debrecen and Premium Class for the second part of the journey from Debrecen to Budapest which helped to give the best comparison between the upgrade from First Class to Premium Class. Here’s what’s on offer in more detail:
Second Class
Second Class accommodation is the most popular class of travel with at least three carriages available with seating available in various layouts including 2+2 configuration, with tables of four most frequent and compartment-style ‘booths’ for seating of up to five people. There is also a large area for bike storage. Journey information is good, presented clearly on screens within the carriage.
First Class
First Class accommodation on the InterCity Tokaj is usually in two cars, one older-style car with seats in an open saloon and another more modern car with compartments and surplus seats in an open saloon. Seats are in a 2+1 configuration in the open saloon and six seats in each compartment. There’s also journey information on TV screens as Second Class.
The difference between First Class and Second Class is the extra elbow room and that the seats are slightly larger in First Class. Second Class does tend to get busier in my experience, so you’re also paying for a quieter environment.
Premium Class
A new concept for MÁV-START’s domestic operations is their luxury Premium Class, labelled as 1+ on the side of the train, and a step up from First Class. Premium Class accommodation is located in the newer InterCity+ cars built in 2022. These cars also house the onboard Bistro and some additional First Class seating.
Premium Class is available solely in two compartments that sit only four people instead of the seating for six present in the equivalently sized First Class. The seats are very comfortable featuring reading lights, power sockets and power recline, with a multitude of settings to choose from. The design of the compartment is very stylish with a gold mirror behind each of the seats as well as TV screens showing the train’s journey information as in all classes. There is plenty of table space available, to the side of each seat, as well as a fold out table in the armrest of the seat.
The product isn’t perfect, however. There is a design flaw to do with the positioning of the seats and the seat’s recline. I am 6’1” and any sort of recline in this seat results in a high chance that the passenger opposite will get a kick in the shin. I am also not the greatest fan of compartments when they are full, and in my experience the eight seats of Premium Class across the two compartments do tend to be popular.
It is a relaxing environment and an experience I did enjoy. I travelled with my mother on this train and I think this product is perfect for travelling in a group. I’m not sure I’d choose it to travel with three strangers however.
Bistro
The InterCity Tokaj also offers something a bit different compared to other InterCity trains in Hungary. This is the new onboard Bistro, located in the new InterCity+ carriages. This is a downgrade on the delightful Dining Cars of the Hungarian operator that are found on many international and some domestic routes – I’ve covered these in multiple Travel Reports if you are interested. The onboard Bistro is nothing more than a space-saving takeaway counter. I suspect the thinking was as the InterCity Tokaj serves multiple InterCity markets located relatively close together with regular stops, this better suits these markets.
It’s still a nice-to-have with a selection of drinks and snacks available to purchase. A real plus for me was that you can buy a delicious, but over-packaged, Marlenka honey cake.
Scenery
The Budapest-Budapest circular route has its scenic moments, including travelling through Hungary’s premier wine region.
Here is a video of the most scenic moments of the trip:
Arrival at Budapest Nyugati
After its six hour tour of eastern Hungary, the InterCity Tokaj arrived back in the Hungarian capital. Nyugati is another wonderful station featuring possibly the world’s nicest McDonalds within the station building.
Booking and Fares
Tickets are not available from Budapest to Budapest, but there’s nothing stopping you buying a ticket to Debrecen and one from Debrecen to your Budapest station of choice on the excellent MÁV-START website.
Price wise, I paid 6682 HUF for the Premium experience from Debrecen to Budapest, amounting to £15 or €17.
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Conclusion
The InterCity Tokaj certainly takes an interesting route with some nice countryside scenery on offer. I especially enjoyed this trip and would recommend the full route for anyone visiting Budapest and wanting to take a break from the city’s sights. Budapest is a wonderful city and probably my most favourite in Europe, though I do find you can get the steps in, so a relaxing day on the train would be perfect for longer stays. The train itself is inexpensive and well equipped. I’m sure the Premium Class will prove to be a hit, but, I do hope MÁV retain their wonderful Dining Cars in the future on other routes!
This travel report was first published in October 2023.
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Please get in touch if you have any feedback on this travel report by liking and sharing your thoughts below in the comments section. Have you made a similar trip? Please do share your own experiences on the rails.
Looks brilliant! Thanks for sharing.