The warehouse district in Hamburg (photo © minnystock / dreamstime.com)
From the banks of the Elbe to the Danube
The rail journey from Hamburg to Budapest can be completed in a long day. The sole direct service between the two cities takes just under 14 hours for a journey of about 1,300 km. Travel all the way through if you will, but the great majority of travellers will stop off en route, usually at one or more of the following cities: Berlin, Dresden, Prague or Bratislava.
MAP Double click on the map (or double tap on mobile) to zoom in. You can connect onto other routes in places shown in red. Change to a layer showing a more familiar road map view by clicking on the menu at the top right of the map. Get back to the original view by clicking on the house icon shown in the top left menu on the map.
Whether you are making a long grand tour or just planning a couple of weekend breaks, Europe by Rail is the perfect guide. The book describes 50 key routes in detail. Together, they span mainland Europe and the British Isles. Find out more about the guidebook below.