Day 9: Long train journey to Budapest

Earlier than on a leisurely exploration day, we were awakened by our alarm clock and immediately packed our backpacks for the upcoming long train journey. After a 15-minute walk from our accommodation to the Belgrade train station, we looked for our train and the corresponding platform. Unfortunately, the luxury of destination names on the display boards was denied to us. Fortunately, our planning revealed our train number, and due to the early boarding time, we managed to secure a cozy cabin that was already on the platform. We had our breakfast shortly after checking our tickets, and our overall eight and a half hour train journey began.

Shortly before the border to Hungary, a middle-aged Austrian man, who had to flee from there in his childhood with his family due to the Yugoslav Wars, joined us in the cabin. This sparked a conversation about where we come from and what we do, and we had a great conversation due to our shared social attitudes. The rest of the train journey, each of us immersed in our books, and time passed once again 'like on a train'.

In Budapest, we first tried to exchange our Serbian Dinars for Hungarian Forints. However, the exchange office at the train station did not accept Dinars, so an interested business partner immediately offered to exchange them for us. Unfortunately, his exchange rate was outrageous (about 50%) and we decided not to accept his offer and made our way to our accommodation.

We reached it after about 25 minutes on foot. Just like in the previous cities, we had arranged it in advance through the private room distribution platform Airbnb. For a reasonable price of €17 per person per night, we obtained a room that was no different from a hotel room. After a quick refreshment, we set out to find an ATM and then enjoyed delicious duck and tagliatelle with chicken strips in a cozy atmosphere. Satisfied and content, our day came to an end.