Budapest to Salzburg - 13 Best Ways to Travel in 2026

The most popular way to travel from Budapest to Salzburg is by train. There are many direct connections between the cities, with departures from Hungary's capital every one to two hours, depending on the time of day. The first train leaves Budapest at 6:40, and the last one departs at 20:40. Between the direct services, you can also travel from Budapest to Salzburg by train with a convenient change in Vienna. The journey time is a little over five hours. Trains on this route are high-speed RailJet services, known for their onboard comfort, complimentary Wi-Fi, a restaurant, and a quiet zone if you want to relax during the trip.

Budapest to Salzburg train ticket
Budapest to Salzburg train ticket prices vary depending on the travel date and time, as well as when you buy the ticket, and start at €40. For last-minute trips, prices can go up to €110. The easiest way to buy a ticket is online through the website of either Austrian Railways ÖBB or Hungarian Railways MAV. It is worth checking both, as prices can vary between them, even for the same train.

If you prefer to buy your ticket in person, you can do so at any train station in Budapest. The main station, and the one your train to Salzburg typically departs from, is Keleti. Ticket offices are located on the underground level, just before the escalators to the platforms. Since Keleti can be busy, do not leave your purchase until the last minute. Lines can be long, and you do not want to risk missing your train. Trains to Austria usually depart from the platforms at the front on the right, but make sure to double-check the platform information once you arrive.

Budapest to Salzburg rail pass
If you are traveling with a rail pass such as Interrail or Eurail, you can use it for the Budapest to Salzburg train as well. Seat reservations are optional for international trains between Hungary and Austria, but they are recommended, especially during peak hours. The reservation costs €3, and you can buy it online on the Austrian Railways website or at the train station.

Train stations in Budapest and Salzburg
Trains from Budapest to Austria, including Salzburg and Vienna if you are changing there, depart from Keleti station on the Pest side of the city. It is easy to reach by public transport, especially by metro. Metro lines 2 (red) and 4 (green) stop at Keleti, and there are also many buses and trams.

The train also stops at Kelenföld station on the Buda side, which you can reach by green metro line 4 and other public transport options.

In Salzburg, you will arrive at the main station, Hauptbahnhof, which is about 2 km from the Old Town. From there, you can reach your final destination by public transport, bus, or taxi.

The stretch between Budapest and Salzburg crosses Slovakia and Austria and is home to some genuinely extraordinary places. Yet most travelers using trains or buses simply pass through without ever stopping.

The Budapest to Salzburg Private Transfer Tour adds three of them to your journey. You'll explore Bratislava's medieval Old Town, visit a grand Baroque abbey above the Danube, and finish at the lakeside village where The Sound of Music's famous wedding scene was filmed. Just you and your group, arriving in Salzburg in the evening with a guide who knows the stories behind every stop.

What's Included

The recommended departure from Budapest is around 9:00 AM and the journey takes approximately 9 to 10 hours, arriving in Salzburg before 7:00 PM. You'll travel in a comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle, privately booked for your group alone.

Your guide knows this corridor through Slovakia and Austria well and travels with you the full day. You get genuine, informed commentary at every stop and real conversation throughout the drive. The pace is yours to set, and the itinerary can flex around your interests.

A lunch break is scheduled in Bratislava, where you can eat well and soak in the Old Town atmosphere. Lunch is not included in the tour price.

Your group is picked up from your hotel or apartment in Budapest and dropped off at your accommodation in Salzburg. Check the Budapest to Salzburg Private Transfer Tour booking page to see the exact price for your group.

What Travelers are Saying

An alternative to the train, although not a particularly good one, is taking a bus from Budapest to Salzburg. There is one daily direct bus, and it can be a good option if you want to travel overnight and save time. The bus leaves Budapest at 23:00 and arrives in Salzburg seven hours later, at 6:00 in the morning.

The journey starts at Nepliget station in Budapest. It is a bit outside the center on the Pest side, but it is easy to reach by the blue metro line M3. Shortly after departure, the bus also stops at Kelenföld station on the Buda side of the city, which you can reach by the green metro line M4.

In Salzburg, you will arrive at the Salzburg South bus stop, located on the outskirts of the city, away from the center and the Old Town. The easiest way to reach the city from here is by taxi. There are also a few city buses with nearby stops, as well as the suburban train station Salzburg Süd.

On some days, there is one more direct bus between Budapest and Salzburg. It leaves Nepliget at 19:30 and arrives in Salzburg at 3:00 a.m. the next day. You can also look for connections with a change in Vienna, but this makes the trip longer and more stressful, since delays could cause you to miss your onward bus to Salzburg.

Budapest to Salzburg bus tickets
Buses on the Budapest to Salzburg route are operated by FlixBus, a popular transport company that offers vehicles with complimentary wifi and power sockets next to every seat.

Budapest to Salzburg bus tickets start at €30 when booked in advance and can rise to €70 for last-minute purchases. The price includes a larger bag stored in the compartment under the bus, as well as a smaller piece of hand luggage. To buy your ticket, book directly through the FlixBus website.

A slightly cheaper option that still gives you the comfort of a road trip from Budapest to Salzburg, without having to drive yourself, is a private transfer. Prices start at around €550 for a comfortable car with an English-speaking driver. They will pick you up from your accommodation in Budapest and take you all the way to a location of your choice in Salzburg.

For an additional fee, you can also add sightseeing stops along the way. Popular options include the UNESCO-listed Benedictine Pannonhalma Archabbey, Győr, the impressive Melk Abbey, Liechtenstein Castle, Linz, and the Alpine town of Sankt Gilgen.

If flying is your preferred mode of transportation, there is some bad news. Unfortunately, there are no direct flights between Budapest and Salzburg. If you still want to travel by plane, you will need to change at one of the European airports.

The best connections are usually with Lufthansa via Frankfurt. The flight time is just under four hours, but once you include travel to and from the airport, the full journey from Budapest to Salzburg can take around seven hours. On the plus side, you can skip passport control along the way, as Hungary, Germany, and Austria are all part of the Schengen Zone.

When searching for flights from Budapest to Salzburg, we recommend booking with a traditional airline so the entire journey is on one ticket. This way, if there are delays and you miss your next flight, the airline is required to rebook you on the next available connection. With low-cost airlines such as Ryanair or Wizz Air, which also operate flights between Budapest, Salzburg, and many other European destinations, you typically need to buy a new ticket if you miss your onward flight, and last-minute tickets can be expensive.

Budapest to Salzburg plane ticket
One-way flights from Budapest to Salzburg start at around €150 if you book in advance and can cost up to €500 for last-minute trips. The fare does not include checked baggage, so if you are traveling with a larger suitcase, you will need to pay extra.

To compare your options and find the best connections, check one of the popular flight booking websites.

Airports in Budapest and Salzburg
The easiest way to get to Budapest Airport is by the express bus 100E. It departs every few minutes from the city center near Deák Ferenc tér metro station and also stops at Astoria and Kálvin tér. You can buy a ticket on board for 2,200 HUF. The ride from central Budapest to the airport takes around 40 minutes, depending on traffic.

After landing in Salzburg, you can take the electric trolleybus from the airport to the city center.

Another good option for traveling from Budapest to Salzburg is by car. Since the cities are connected by a network of highways, the journey is usually smooth and fast.

The drive covers about 550 km and takes around five and a half hours, not including stops. If you can spare more time, it is worth planning a few sightseeing breaks along the way.

Some of our recommendations include the Hungarian cities Györ, known for its Baroque architecture, and Sopron, the picturesque 12th-century Liechtenstein Castle, the impressive Baroque Melk Abbey, the lively city of Linz, and charming Alpine villages such as St. Wolfgang and Mondsee. You can also add a small detour to visit one of Austria's most popular places, the stunning Hallstatt. There are plenty of options, so you can plan the route based on what you want to see on your Budapest to Salzburg road trip.

If you are traveling in your own car, remember that you need vignettes to use the motorways in Hungary and Austria. You can easily buy them online.

If you need to rent a car, you will need a bigger budget. Rental prices for a Budapest to Salzburg drive start at €750.

If you enjoy the thrill of unpredictable travel, or you are simply short on money but still want to explore the world, you can try hitchhiking from Budapest to Salzburg. Even though the cities are more than 500 km apart, they are both on a popular route that connects Eastern and Western Europe. If you are lucky, you may find a ride all the way from Budapest to Salzburg.

A good place to start your hitchhiking adventure is the OMV petrol station in Kelenföld, right at the beginning of the M1 highway. You can get there by taking the green metro line 4 to its final stop, Kelenföld vasútállomás, and then walking to the motorway, which is about 1 km away. There is another petrol station about 200 meters further on, but it is not as popular as the OMV one, so it is best to try your luck there first.

If you hitch a ride with a Romanian driver, keep in mind that in Romania it is customary to pay a small fee for a lift. To avoid awkward situations, ask before getting into the car whether the driver expects payment or will take you for free.

A good alternative to the usual modes of transportation, especially for last-minute trips, is car sharing. Since both cities are on a popular travel corridor, you can usually find a few offers for a Budapest to Salzburg carpooling trip. The driver sets the price, and you can typically expect to pay between €30 and €40 for the ride.

The most popular platform for finding rides is BlaBlaCar, where you can browse available offers. Once you find a trip that fits your itinerary, you can contact the driver and arrange the pick-up details. If you do not see many options far in advance, do not worry. It is often best to check a few days before departure, as that is when most drivers post their rides.

Before booking, make sure to read the details carefully, as pick-up or drop-off points may be outside the city center. In that case, you will need to plan how to get there and back. Overall, Budapest to Salzburg car sharing can be a convenient way to travel and meet new people.

For many people, it might sound like an extreme idea, but it is possible to walk from Budapest to Salzburg. The best route between the cities is about 550 km and takes around a month to complete. If time is not an issue, it can be an unforgettable journey and a chance to experience this part of Europe in depth, while learning more about its culture, history, and traditions.

You need to be in excellent physical condition for this walk. The distance is demanding, and parts of the route pass through mountainous areas with some altitude changes. Along the way, you can also visit a few interesting places, such as the UNESCO-listed Semmering railway or one of Austria's most popular destinations, the picture-perfect town of Hallstatt.

If you travel around Europe by motorhome, going from Budapest to Salzburg by RV can be a perfect road trip. There is no need to hurry. You can stop in many places along the way (we have already shared a few ideas in this article) and enjoy slow travel in this underrated part of Europe. For the best Budapest to Salzburg road trip experience, skip the motorways and take backroads instead.

When planning your RV trip from Budapest to Salzburg, keep in mind that wild camping is not allowed in Hungary or Austria. Fortunately, there are plenty of campsites along the route where you can park your motorhome and rest before continuing your journey.

Another adventurous way to travel from Budapest to Salzburg is by motorcycle. The picturesque, winding roads through hilly landscapes are perfect for a ride, and they let you admire the beauty of Central Europe along the way. You can really feel the freedom that motorcycle travel offers.

If you are in a hurry, you can take the motorways for a quicker trip between the cities. Still, we recommend slowing down when you can, so you can enjoy the journey to the fullest and get to know this fascinating corner of Europe a bit better.

If you dream of a fancy trip by private plane, you can choose this option for your Budapest to Salzburg journey. It is the fastest and easily the most luxurious way to travel between the two cities, with a flight time of under one hour.

Chartering a plane for a Budapest to Salzburg private jet trip starts at €6,000, so it is not an option for everyone. Still, it would certainly be a one-of-a-kind experience.