budapest to krakow

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so i've read and reread this forum quite a bit, but i'm reading it on a phone that only works like half the time.
so if my question is redundant please don't hate on me too hard.
so i'm going to budapest next week from munich.
i got that ticket.
what i'm trying to figure out is the cheapest way to go from budapest to krakow and then wroclaw and then prague and then berlin.

i've been traveling in asia for many years and so comfort is of no worry to me, i'm sure that i'll be fine in whatever i can squeeze into. so i'm just trying to find the cheapest way.

oh. and there's two of me.
errr, two of us.

thanks a million,
cole

No problem with "redundant"... we are always happy to help 
So,
Budapest-Krakow: simplest and cheapest option is to buy discounted Budapest-Krakow ticket for the overnight connection (from 39 euro for 6 berth couchette or 45 for 3 bed sleeper). But those are sold in limited numbers + you need to buy them at least 3 days in advance. As you can see, this option is only good if you plan to spend some time in Budapest. Standard one way fare is kind of high - 75 euro, and it's only for the seat, so you would need additional 10-14 euro for sleeper supplement.
In case you are ready for some savings, then you can consider couple options: board domestic Budapest-Esztergom train (1100 HUF or around 4 euro), Esztergom is a nice town+ it's located just across the river from Slovak town Sturovo (check google maps). In Slovakia you can get a better deal on tickets, since you can buy two separate ones for two legs of the same journey. One is from Sturovo till Bohumin (last Czech station before Poland) - around 23 euro, other from Bohumin till Krakow (15 euro). Then just board the train and show conductor both tickets. As result you'll pay less than 45 euro instead of 75. If you prefer day time trips, then you might go directly from Slovakia to Poland via Skalite-Swardon, it will be quite cheap, but will take the whole day long.
Fully different option is bus, Eurolines runs quite cheap bus from Budapest to Krakow (http://www.volanbusz.hu/en/, from 3900 HUF), but only twice a week.

Krakow-Wroclav: multiple trains on the route (http://rozklad-pkp.pl/), cheapest are InterRegio (only 39 PLN), TLK trains are 48PLN.

Wroclav-Prague: Though the distance between two aren't that big, but actually it is quite difficult to do the trip by train - at least two changes of train. Standard international fare is around 27 euro, but you can cut it if you buy domestic Polish ticket till the border (town Miedzylesie) + domestic Czech from the border (town Lichkov) to Prague.

Prague-Berlin: easy, multiple trains and good choice of discounted tickets - just buy one some time in advance here - https://www.cd.cz/eshop/ (from 29 euro)

Feel free to ask additional question... in case you have any 

awesome!!!
thanks!!

-cole

ok wait.
how do i get from Miedzylesie to Lichkov?
it's 11k. too far to walk.
is there a bus? or i guess i can take a taxi.

how do i get from Miedzylesie to Lichkov?

You can use the train. It is just a trick with tickets - purchase domestic Polish till Miedzylesie, then international over the border (Miedzylesie to Lichkov, cost 15 CZK) and then from Lichkov Czech domestic. You don't even need to get off train, but simply to have three separate tickets.

okay, so to review,
i buy a poland domestic ticket to Miedzylesie for 21pln.
then i buy the cross border ticket (bilet przechodowy) from the conductor for 15 czk.
then i buy a czech domestic ticket from the conductor for something czk.
and since i'm traveling with my girlfriend i suppose i can buy a group ticket to get a 25% discount?
(sleva pro skupiny)

i understand that i could run out of the train and buy it at the station but i don't want to risk standing in the wrong line or doing something equally as silly and missing my train.

but here's what i still don't get.
do ALL the trains that go to Miedzylesie continue all the way to prague?
er, i guess i'm saying, can i take a day train OR a night train?
do i have to check the times, or if i just saunter up to the train in wroclaw and grab the last one (19:08 i think) will i eventually get to prague on it?
or, is it best to take a train earlier in the afternoon so i don't get stranded somewhere where there are no more connections until the morning?

i tried inputting all the stops into the polish rail website but they kept on giving me different times and different cities then what i entered. which was really confusing.

i buy a poland domestic ticket to Miedzylesie for 21pln.

Yes, it is the fare for polish regional train (marked as 'Osobowy'), for a fast train (marked as 'Pos') the fare is 33 PLN. 

then i buy the cross border ticket (bilet przechodowy) from the conductor for 15 czk.

Yes, this ticket can be bought on board

then i buy a czech domestic ticket from the conductor for something czk..

You can either buy it on board or purchase your Czech domestic ticket online from Czech Raillways e-Shop (https://www.cd.cz/eshop/search.aspx, Lichkov-Praha for 2 already including group discount cost 345 CZK). Just make sure that you connect with your arrival from Poland.

Now about exact timetable. As of now there is no direct Wroclav-Prague train. The only direct one is from Wroclav to Pardubice (dep. Wroclav at 6:08, arr. 10:12). All other direct trains from Wroclav can take you only till Miedzylesie (run roughly every 2 hours between 5am-19pm).
From Międzylesie there connecting trains 4 times per day till Lichkov (at 8:37am; 9:48am; 16:29; 18:44), they depart from 12 to 30 minutes after arrival of Wroclav train, so you have enough time to change trains. In Lichkov there are also connecting trains that will take you further towards Prague with change in Usti nad Orlici.

As an example, if you leave Wroclav at 15:35, thus catching Międzylesie-Lichkov 18:44 train, you will arrive to Prague at 22:15. Such trip will require 3 changes. One change is required if you catch morning train Wroclav-Pardubice etc. All these seems a bit tricky, but at the end you save quite a lot.

Unfortunately, no overnight train options on this route. Closest overnight train departs from Katowice.