Budapest to Belgrade by Train (2026): The New High-Speed Line, Tickets, Stations

The Budapest-Belgrade railway has been rebuilt end to end: 160 km/h double track from Budapest to the border at Kelebia, and a 200 km/h line from Subotica through Novi Sad to Belgrade. The Serbian side is finished and carrying passengers; the Hungarian side is what everyone is waiting on.

The last big hurdle was cleared on October 3 and 4, 2026, when the Hungarian section ran simulated full-load tests with trains at up to 160 km/h and no passengers. Serbian officials have said the through service could start two to three weeks after successful tests, which points to late October or November 2026.

Several earlier target dates in 2026 came and went, mostly over harmonizing signalling and safety systems between the two railways. Treat any date as provisional until MAV and Srbija Voz publish timetables; we will update this page as soon as the launch is confirmed.

The route runs roughly 350 km from Budapest down the Great Hungarian Plain, crosses the border at Kelebia, and continues via Subotica and Novi Sad to Belgrade. Before the rebuild, the old line was so slow that direct trains took around eight hours.

In Budapest, direct trains are planned from Budapest Keleti, the city's main international terminus, on metro lines M2 and M4. Today's interim connection leaves from Budapest Nyugati instead, so double-check your departure station until the direct service settles in.

Novi Sad, Serbia's second city and the gateway to Fruška Gora and the Exit festival, is the headline stop on the Serbian section. Soko trains put it 36 minutes from Belgrade, and through trains from Budapest are set to call here.

In Belgrade, all long-distance trains use Beograd Centar, known locally as Prokop, south of the center; the old station by the river closed in 2018. Trains also call at Subotica, the first stop on the Serbian side, and Kelebia, the last on the Hungarian side.

Once the through service starts, tickets will be sold by both national operators: MAV in Hungary, online at jegy.mav.hu and in the MAV app, and Srbija Voz in Serbia. Soko services carry compulsory seat reservations, and fares for the direct trains have not been published yet.

Until launch, the practical rail route is a three-train connection: an InterCity from Budapest Nyugati to Szeged, a local train across the border to Subotica, and a Soko on to Belgrade. MAV sells it as a through ticket from around 26 euros, and the full trip takes 8 to 9 hours.

Serbia is not in the EU and not in Schengen, so this is a real border with passport control in both directions. Most travelers need a passport; EU citizens can enter Serbia with a national ID card for short stays, and visa rules depend on your nationality.

For the direct trains, Hungary and Serbia plan joint passport and customs checks at Kelebia, the last station on the Hungarian side, with about 30 minutes budgeted per train. On today's interim route, officers board during the Szeged to Subotica leg.

The Hungarian half of the trip is standard EU territory, so an EU SIM or roaming plan works to the border. Serbia is outside the EU roaming zone: most European plans either exclude it or charge steep per-megabyte rates the moment the train crosses at Kelebia.

That matters on this trip, because timetables, platform changes, taxi apps in Belgrade and your tickets all live on your phone, and the first hours in a new country are exactly when you need them.

A Serbia eSIM installed before you board covers the Serbian half of the ride without roaming charges. Coming from outside Europe, a Europe eSIM handles Hungary and the rest of the EU leg; add the Serbia eSIM for the days south of the border.