Train wins by 1h00 door to door. Fastest train 2h20 (Wien Hbf → Budapest-Keleti), ~16 direct trains/day. Checked 2026-11-01.
The comparison
| Fastest train | 2h20Wien Hbf → Budapest-Keleti |
|---|---|
| Trains | ~16 direct trains/day (pickthetrain open-data average)ÖBB / MÁV Railjet |
| Flight | ~1h00 VIE-BUD (pickthetrain typical-for-distance; Austrian flies nonstop). Airports add travel, check-in and security time. |
| Door to door | Train wins by 1h00 door to door |
pickthetrain.com door-to-door model (its own assumptions: 1h30 airport check-in/security, 20 min to exit, typical-for-distance flight time, public-transport access estimates): train wins by 1h00 (2h48 vs 3h48). pickthetrain headline shows 2h20 fastest; its door-to-door box uses RJX 165 at 2h37.
Questions
Is the train faster than flying from Vienna to Budapest?
Train wins by 1h00 door to door. The fastest train takes 2h20 city centre to city centre; the flight is ~1h00 VIE-BUD (pickthetrain typical-for-distance; Austrian flies nonstop). Airports add travel, check-in and security time..
How often do trains run from Vienna to Budapest?
~16 direct trains/day (pickthetrain open-data average)
Sources: pickthetrain.com
Points or cash, or the train?
Tell Points or Cash where you are going. On short European trips it checks whether the train beats the flight before you spend a point.
Get an invite