Budapest to Belgrade Train: When Will It Resume?
One of the biggest missing links in the European rail network is the Budapest to Belgrade train connection, which is set to resume soon.
Budapest to Belgrade train
Since the main line between Budapest and Belgrade was closed in 2019 for railway upgrade works, the direct train connection between the two European capitals has been suspended.
This EuroCity train was known as the ‘Avala’ and was a much-loved service among international rail travellers.
For years, there was not even an alternative train service from Hungary to Serbia, let alone from Croatia or Romania, effectively cutting off the entire Balkans for rail travel, leaving buses as the only option.
Fortunately, it is once again possible to reach Serbia by train from Central Europe, with a direct Budapest–Belgrade service set to be relaunched in the near future.
A Serbian train. ©AndyBTravels
Current way to travel to Belgrade by train
Right now, it is possible to travel from Budapest to Belgrade by train in a single day.
However, there is currently no direct service, so you must make several connections along the way.
The journey begins with a comfortable Hungarian InterCity (IC) or Gyorsvonat (Gy – a fast express train) from Budapest Nyugati station to Szeged.
At Szeged, you transfer to a local train crossing the Hungarian–Serbian border to Subotica.
From Subotica, you make the final connection onto a fast Soko train – Serbia’s premium 200-kilometres-per-hour InterCity service – to Beograd Centar, Belgrade’s main railway station.
The entire journey takes around seven hours, with three possible departure times from Budapest that still allow you to reach the Serbian capital the same day.
However, both Szeged and Subotica are wonderful cities to visit, so it may be worth breaking up your journey.
Tickets can be easily booked on the website of MÁV, the Hungarian Railways.
When does the direct Budapest to Belgrade train start?
The direct train service between Budapest and Belgrade is expected to resume sometime in 2026, although the exact date is not yet known.
According to the provisional timetable, six daily international trains will run in each direction between Hungary and Serbia.
Of these, three will be Serbian Soko trains and one a MÁV EuroCity service.
Interestingly, the remaining two trains are reportedly MÁV-operated EuroCity services that will not only link Belgrade with Budapest but will continue to Vienna, thereby restoring a direct train connection between Austria and Serbia.
Onward train connections in Belgrade
With Belgrade being reconnected to the rest of Europe by rail, it is once again possible to undertake some highly interesting train journeys beyond the Serbian capital.
From Belgrade, you can connect to the train to Bar in Montenegro, one of Europe’s most scenic routes.
The Belgrade-Bar train cannot be booked online, but DiscoverByRail, the booking agency I run, can arrange these tickets for a small fee, with delivery to your hotel in Belgrade.
Of course, now that the Budapest-Belgrade rail link is being restored, it is to be hoped that the Belgrade-Sofia train service will also be fully reinstated, as trains on this important pan-European route remain suspended.
The same applies to Zagreb-Belgrade trains, another important international rail link in the Balkans where services remain suspended.
Beograd Centar, the main railway station in the Serbian capital of Belgrade. ©AndyBTravels
Conclusion
Serbia is once again connected to the wider European railway network, and it is now possible to travel by train from Budapest to Belgrade, although the journey currently requires two connections at Szeged and Subotica.
A daily direct train service between Budapest and Belgrade is expected to resume sometime in 2026, with reportedly six daily trains in each direction, two of which will operate as Vienna-Budapest-Belgrade services.
