Flixbus from Krakow to Budapest

Passage to Eastern Europe: Trip Introduction
Flight Review: LOT Polish Airlines 797-9 Business Class, ORD-WAW
Lodging Review: Hampton by Hilton Krakow
Our Time in Krakow, Poland
Flixbus from Krakow to Budapest
Lodging Review: Corinthia Budapest Hotel
Our Time in Budapest, Hungary
Our Time in Kalocsa, Hungary
Our Time in Osijek and Vukovar, Croatia
Our Time in Belgrade, Serbia
Our Time in Golubac, Serbia
Our Time in Vidin, Bulgaria
Our Time in Ruse, Bulgaria
Our Time in Bucharest, Romania
Lodging Review: JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel
Flight Review: SWISS Airlines 777-300 ZRH-ORD

When looking for ways to get us from Krakow to Budapest, I thought that surely there must be a non-stop flight to Budapest, likely on some low-cost carrier. Perhaps there was but I didn’t see anything on Google Flights and the Budapest airport’s entry on Wikipedia does not list any such flights. We looked at flying LOT Polish back through Warsaw and there were other flights routing through other European hubs, all for $100 USD or more. Then we found Flixbus which was only about $25 per person and the 7-hour drive was only a little longer than it would have taken us to fly with a connection. Since we were not in any rush to reach Budapest, we decided that was our best option.

Our route from Krakow straight south to Budapest

Krakow Bus Station

Our bus departed at 7:20 AM, so we caught an Uber from the Hampton to the bus station and arrived there around 6:45 AM. The indoor waiting area wasn’t completely full but there were more people than I was expecting. Then again, I don’t have much experience with bus stations and how far in advance to arrive!

Krakow Bus Terminal Map

To reach the gates for the Flixbuses, walk through the terminal and outside, then go left all the way to the end for Gates 14-16. There are a few benches in the covered area and a couple of vending machines but if you need to use the restroom you’ll need to go back inside. There is a charge for the restroom but credit cards are accepted. There are limited food and drinks available inside as well. As the weather wasn’t super-cold we were able to sit out on a bench and eat the sack breakfasts we had from the Hampton.

The Flixbus Experience

I’d purchased both our tickets so we had a single QR code that the driver scanned. We had to load our luggage ourselves. Our initial paperwork indicated that it was open seating on the bus but a few days before our trip we were given assigned seats, fortunately next to each other. We’d hoped to be able to spread out a bit but it became clear that there wasn’t an empty row anywhere near us. I did find it odd that the seating chart on board was completely flipped from the one online. We’d been assigned A&B seats, which in the online chart showed us on the driver’s side, but on board A&B were on the other side of the aisle. Not that it mattered, it was just strange and something to keep in mind if you’re traveling in the heat of the summer and purposely pick the shady side of the bus!

It’s hard to miss a Flixbus! (credit: flixbus.com)

The bus was clean and had wi-fi which, really, was all that we could ask for. It did have a restroom on board though most passengers preferred to wait until a rest stop. While our journey was marketed as “direct” that doesn’t mean there were no stops. We did have 4-5 stops, mostly in Slovakia but the last one was on the outskirts of Budapest. I believe it was only the Donovaly centrum stop where we just paused long enough to take on one passenger without actually allowing us time to get off the bus. But keep in mind that you’ll likely need some sort of local currency to use the facilities at any of the stops in Slovakia. Fortunately, by the time we reached the stop on the outskirts of Budapest we paused at what appeared to be a truck stop/travel center. While it did have pay-to-use gates on the hallway leading to the restrooms, they were propped open so we didn’t have to pay. i was impressed with the cleanliness of the facility.

Flixbus interior (credit: flixbus.com)

Budapest Népliget Bus Station

We arrived just after 3 PM at the bus station, about 15-20 minutes late. Since we were not in a rush, it was not a problem. The bus dropped us off in front of the station so we never had to enter it. Once again we were responsible for handling our own luggage.

Hotel Transport

We then called an Uber to take us to the Corinthia Budapest Hotel. Our biggest issue was trying to determine exactly where to meet our driver. I found that once I brought up the Uber map it took several minutes for it to finally lock in our position and guide us to the meeting spot. But fortunately we found the spot before the driver arrived. It was only about a 13-minute journey and cost just over $12 USD, including tip. He was able to drop us right in front of our hotel.

In the end

Since we weren’t in a rush – there was no point in arriving at the hotel well before check-in time since we’d spent time in Budapest previously – this was a perfect way to travel. We got to see the countryside of Slovakia, even if we can’t yet check it off the “countries I’ve visited” list, and after walking for several days in Krakow we got to rest our legs before walking for a couple of days in Budapest.