Trains and Prices Budapest-Cluj Napoca-Budapest

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Explains a lot, thank you. Bit odd that discount this much is for the 6 persons, but not for the 4 persons but I guess thats the way it is...

Apparently MAV and CFR just decided to offer discounted fares for the most basic type, thus in the couchette options it's 6 berth one, while in sleepers it's 3 bed. Want something more than basic (like 4 berth couchette or double/single sleeper) - pay the full fare, at least that seems to be the logic

If we want 2 berths for ourself, it is cheapest to get 9 discount tickets; 6 for the 6pers couchette and 3 for the 3pers sleeper. The system only lets me book 6 tickets at once, so how can I help it that the sixth bed in the couchette berth will not be sold to anyone else?

A bit confusing what you actually mean here? You want a combination of 6 discounted tickets for couchette (thus making it one compartment) and additionally buy out one 3 bed sleeper compartment? As result making it 9 discounted tickets in total? If so, then just to remind you that couchette carriages and sleeper one are different, so with such combination you will definitely end up in different carriages.
Regarding purchase procedure, MAV ticket shop allows to enter only 5 passengers, thus purchase only 5 tickets at once and basically there is nothing anybody can do here, that is how their system works. You want to buy more ticket at once - ticket counter seems to be the only solution. Otherwise just buy tickets in two tries. Maybe best thing to do here will be to buy first 5 couchettes (most likely all will be in one compartment), then with second try just additional 2 or 3. While boarding the train if somebody will show up in the compartment where you bought out 5 places (what is highly unlikely), then you can just ask that person to switch for one of the berth you bought with the second run. This way you'll ensure that at least one couchette compartment will be totally yours, while those 2 or 3 guys can just come and spend time there

So your guess is that when I do 1 booking for 4 people, all in a 6 persons couchette, and then a second booking for 3 or 4 in a second 6 persons couchette, that they dont put anyone else in those couchettes?

Sounds logical, and if they do, we can maybe trade or something like that ...

So your guess is that when I do 1 booking for 4 people, all in a 6 persons couchette, and then a second booking for 3 or 4 in a second 6 persons couchette, that they dont put anyone else in those couchettes?

Well, obviously if the day you want to travel is among the busy ones, then all the beds will be sold out eventually. But if it isn't, then doubt that many passengers will want to buy intentionally the only berth that's left in the compartment where already 5 beds are sold. At the ticket counters cashiers usually sell first all the lower berth in the carriage, then middle ones and finally, in case it's really busy, the upper ones, as result in compartment where 5 out 6 berth are sold the chances to get the last 6th passenger (most likely it will be one upper berth left) will be minimal. So from our guess, unless it is really busy day, chances of having compartment without outsiders are pretty high
 
Also to remind you that the number of discounted tickets is limited per each departure and honestly we aren't sure whether that number is greater than 5 (we don't know the exact quota of discounted ticket per departure), so to begin with you might not even be able to buy 8 discounted tickets for couchette for the same train. If not, then you can come back to formula 5 couchettes + for 3 other guys go with 3 bed sleepers

How many trains service this line, and at what times?

At the moment there are 4 direct train between Budapest and Cluj per day: 6:40am-14:42 (IC 367), 9:40am-17:40 (IC 363), 14:40-22:38 (IC 365) and 17:40-1:36am (train #407)

Also, what options of tickets do we have available?

Well, standard full fare one-way ticket Budapest-Cluj is 32,50 €, while return is 50,00 €. Besides that there is also discounted one-way tickets from 19 euro (need to be purchased in advance). And finally for Budapest-Cluj route available as well so-called 'Excursion ticket' ("kirándulójegy" in Hungarian), it is return ticket valid during 4 days, so in case you plan to stay in Romania <4 days, this option might be the best in terms of money.

What is the price difference between a day train and a sleepertrain?

Difference basically is in sleeper reservation fare, but the problem for you is that there is no real overnight train option here (see timetable above). So you will either need to travel with change in the morning (for instance in Alba Iulia) or opt for daytime journey. Anyway cheapest couchette/sleeper options for Budapest-X (station where you'll change in the morning) start from 29 euro in couchette or 49 euro for sleeper (in both cases ticket+reservation included) 

How big are the sleeper/couchette rooms and how much do they cost?

For sleepers you can expect something like this, while couchettes are obviously a bit more spartan

Hi everyone!

I've read you mentioning the excursion ticket Budapest-Cluj Napoca, valid for 4 days and sold for 31 euros. I'm travelling to Budapest on 23rd May and going for 4 days to Romania, 25-28th May. I think this is the best option for me, but I need your help here.
1. Do I need to buy the excursion ticket in advance?
2. Does this ticket allow me to travel e.g. from Brasov-Sibiu or in other routes during my stay in Romania till I get back to Budapest? Or is it only a go-return ticket from Budapest-Cluj Napoca and from Cluj Napoca to Budapest? I'm asking this because I want to go to Oradea before returning to Budapest, which means I'm not doing a direct journey Cluj-Napoca/ Budapest.
3. In which train station should I buy this ticket and leave to Cluj Napoca?

Thank you for your help!

Best,
Andre

Andre, we already tried to answer you questions in the topic you've started yesterday - http://europetrainsguide.com/forum/index.php/topic,628.0.html