Budapest, Hungary.
Budapest, Hungary.
Sasipa Muennuch/Getty Images
  • Czech train network RegioJet has opened new routes that connect Prague, Czech Republic; Budapest, Hungary; and Vienna, Austria.
  • Travelers can take the train between Vienna and Budapest starting at $11 (€9), or between Prague and Budapest for around $19 (€16).
  • The train company also has a route connecting Prague and Vienna, and tickets start at around $16 (€12).
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends avoiding all nonessential international travel during this time. If you decide to travel, follow the CDC’s recommendations in the Global COVID-19 Pandemic Notice.
  • Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

For less than $20, travelers can now travel between three European capital cities — Prague, Czech Republic; Vienna, Austria; and Budapest, Hungary.

On July 31, the Czech train network RegioJet launched two new routes that connect Vienna and Prague to Budapest.

RegioJet trips from Vienna to Budapest take two hours and 45 minutes, and tickets start at $11 (€9). A trip from Prague to Budapest is a seven-hour train ride via RegioJet, and tickets start at $19 (€16). 

Prague, Czech Republic
Prague, Czech Republic.
Pani Garmyder/Shutterstock

RegioJet also has a route that travels between Prague and Vienna. The route was unavailable during March due to the coronavirus pandemic, but it has since reopened.

Tickets between Prague and Vienna via RegioJet start at $16 (€12) at the time of writing, and a journey between the two cities by train takes about four hours.

Though a seven-hour train ride between Prague and Budapest is much longer than the flight — which is about an hour and a half — traveling by train can be more cost-effective and eco-friendly than flying. Train rides can also be scenic and reminiscent of old-world travel, making them an experience to remember.

RegioJet owner Radim Jančura hopes the more environmentally friendly travel option will appeal to younger travelers.

"Especially (for the) young generation, they would like to be more ecological. So it means they will prefer to travel by train, if the traveling time is four to six hours," Jančura told Euro News.

RegioJet's new routes offer passengers an airline-like experiences.
RegioJet's new routes offer passengers an airline-like experience.
BalkansCat/Getty Images

The RegioJet trains are designed to look similar to planes, and all seats include touch-screen entertainment monitors. All passengers on RegioJet trains get free Wi-Fi during their trips, including travelers who book the lowest-priced tickets.

For the time being, travelers from the United States will have to wait to ride RegioJet's new route. The European Union's COVID-19 travel ban on citizens from the US was announced on June 30 and is still in effect.

However, some European residents may be able to book a trip on RegioJet's new routes, as the EU lifted COVID-19-related border restrictions on countries in Europe's Schengen Area, which includes the Czech Republic, Austria, and Hungary.

Before making travel plans, follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidance in its Global COVID-19 Pandemic Notice.

Representatives for RegioJet did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. 

Read the original article on Insider