Pack your passport somewhere safe and accessible. U.S. citizens with a valid passport may enter and stay in Italy for up to 90 days.
Choose a train. The Drava travels from Budapest to Venice via Ljubljana, Slovenia. You will have to book train tickets on a different train to enter any other part of Italy.
Have at least 10,000 forints ready per ticket. Hungarian train stations usually will not accept credit cards, euros or traveler's checks.
Pick a departure date and time. Most often, 2 trains leave for Venice from Budapest daily. If you plan to continue on to another stop in Italy immediately, keep in mind that the trip from Hungary will already take around 13 hours.
Weigh the option of first-class or second-class tickets. First class will offer a more comfortable sleeping setup; with a journey of this length, splurging on first-class seats may be worth it.
Consider Rail Europe rail passes if you plan on doing a lot of train travel in Italy. Visit Rail Europe's Web site to learn more about this money-saving alternative (see Resources).
Go to a nearby train station in Budapest or the central ticket office. Explain everything in detail to the ticketing agent when ordering your ticket. You may want to opt for the central ticket office if you're concerned about communicating in Hungarian.
Keep your ticket or ticket stub handy while traveling. Digging for a misplaced ticket while a train official looms over you can be an unpleasant experience.
