Tag 5,5 - Night Train to Budapest

After a few minutes of delay, the train to Budapest arrived. Since I had never traveled on a night train before, even finding the correct compartment was a mild challenge for me. After asking two staff members and being sent in different directions each time, I finally found the sleeper car.

One staff member took a photo of my ticket and guided me to my compartment. Luckily for me, only two of the six beds were occupied. The young couple I would share the compartment with was very helpful, assisting me in setting up my bed and explaining everything I needed to know.

A fresh bed cover, a small bottle of water, and a piece of chocolate were prepared for me.

In my imagination, the train would gently rock me to sleep, allowing me to wake up refreshed in Budapest. However, reality was different. Either the wind whipped in from the open window, or the room heated up to sweat-inducing temperatures within minutes due to the closed window. Whenever we approached a station, the train would come to an abrupt stop, and a shrill voice over the loudspeaker would announce the stop.

Around 4:00 AM, I was able to slip into a light sleep and mostly slept through until 8:00 AM. At 8:30 AM, a staff member gently knocked on our door. He informed us that we would soon be arriving in Budapest and brought juice, coffee, and cookies as a small meal.

The sunrise breathed new energy into my body, and we arrived in Budapest around 9:00 AM.