Rude awakening aside, this old-school European sleeper is a pleasant ride

2 months ago 4

Tim Richards

January 1, 2026 — 5:00am

The numbers

The route Krakow, Poland, to Budapest, Hungary
Distance 399 kilometres
Operator PKP Intercity
Class Second class sleeper
Frequency Nightly, departing 10.44pm

A PKP Intercity train at the station.Alamy

The journey

Krakow to Budapest aboard PKP Intercity’s sleeper train Chopin (EN 407), taking just under 10 hours. The train terminates at Budapest Nyugati station at 8.29am.

Boarding

A sleeper cabin, set up for a single passenger.

Waiting for a train at Krakow’s main station is hardly a glamorous experience, though it does have a certain surreal vibe. The platforms are long anonymous concrete slabs, and from the speakers comes an endless stream of announcements in the sibilant tones of the Polish language. It’s all quite hypnotic. Suddenly, at 10.40pm, my reverie is broken by the arrival of the Chopin sleeper train. Named after the great Polish composer, it started its journey in Warsaw and in the middle of the night will split into three sections, each heading to different destinations: Budapest, Prague and Munich (via Vienna). Checking my ticket, I step aboard car 350 and I’m on my way.

The seat

I’ve booked a “Single”, a sleeper compartment for my sole use, and I’m in for a pleasant surprise. After the genial Polish train attendant checks my ticket (or rather my sleeper reservation on top of a first-class Eurail pass), I discover a private bathroom containing toilet, washbasin and shower. I’ve had the luck to draw a “deluxe” compartment for which the rail operator once charged a premium. Bonus! (Though sadly the shower later proves a dud, with feeble water pressure.)

In the main space I note a wardrobe, table, and a bed made up for the night. There are also complimentary consumables: water, orange juice and a chocolate bar. Given the late hour, I turn in, only to be woken in my underwear at 1.30am by Czech conductors inspecting tickets. I search fruitlessly for the printed reservation, before realising they can scan it from my phone. Later, I discover the paper version had been retained by the train attendant so I wouldn’t be woken in the middle of the night. So that didn’t work, obviously.

Baggage

PKP has no size or weight restrictions on luggage, as long as it can be stored safely in your compartment.

The Chopin presents a comfortable way to travel from Poland to Hungary with glimpses of the Danube on the way.Alamy

Food + drink

There’s no dining car or cafe-bar on this service, but passengers can buy nighttime snacks from a supermarket within Krakow’s main station. Breakfast is included with the sleeper fare, so in the morning the attendant delivers a light breakfast while we’re trundling alongside the Danube River in Slovakia before crossing into Hungary. The scenery is beautiful, but the meal is basic – a takeaway cup of coffee, a sachet of peach jam, a triangle of soft cheese and a plastic-sealed package of wholemeal rye bread that resembles Cold War emergency rations.

One more thing…

It’s easy to move on from Budapest Nyugati by tram, bus or Metro. Locate a ticket vending machine and use the English instructions to buy a ticket – the 72-hour travel card is good value at HUF5750 ($26).

The price

Sole use of a sleeper compartment starts from €109.90 ($195) without a Eurail pass, or you can share with one or two other people from €64.90 ($115) or €54.90 ($97) respectively. Alternatively, a sit-up fare starts at €19.90 ($35). Reservations on top of a Eurail pass are considerably cheaper. Buy tickets or pass reservations at intercity.pl; though if you have difficulties with that website, a reliable (but more expensive) alternative is ticket agency Polrail at polrail.com.

The verdict

Very much an old-school sleeper service, the Chopin presents a comfortable way to travel from Poland to Hungary with glimpses of the Danube on the way. Just have your tickets ready for that possible nighttime interruption by cheeky Czech checkers.