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.
We set out by train from Budapest to Split and then take the ferry to Ancona on Italy's Adriatic coast. This journey for Europe by Rail retraces a pilgrimage of yesteryear – but one which remains enduringly popular with residents of Budapest today.