The train departs from Budapest-Keleti at 21:17 in the evening. In Hungary, passengers can also board the train at Székesfehérvár, along the northern shore of Lake Balaton, and at Zalaegerszeg-Ola station.

The Retro Istria Express arrives in the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana, in the early morning hours, and also stops in Postojna, a town famous for its stalactite cave system. The section of the train bound for Rijeka also serves Opatija-Matulji, from where the city center can be reached by bus or taxi. From Rijeka, several seaside resorts—such as Lovran and the island of Krk—can be accessed by bus or ferry. From Koper, frequent bus services depart from the station-adjacent bus terminal to various Slovenian coastal resorts (Izola/Isola, Portorož/Portorose, and Piran/Pirano), as well as to Trieste. Pula can be reached with a single transfer at Divača station, where a 10–20-minute connection is provided to a fast train to Pula, arriving in the late morning.

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The train schedule according to the main stops:

_{The times next to stations marked with an asterisk (*) indicate arrival times.The timetable information provided here is for informational purposes only and may be subject to change due to operational or traffic-related reasons. Please always check the valid timetable for the day of travel at jegy.mav.hu.}

Our trains offer a variety of services: in addition to the best-priced seating coaches we also offer couchette coaches and sleeping cars for both destinations. For families and groups of friends the 4 or 6 berth couchette carriages offer affordable and comfortable sleeping accommodation. For couples and small families we recommend the 1-3 berth sleeper cabins which offer private space. Simple snacks and drinks are available for purchase from the carriage attendants.

On the 'Retro Istria Express' train seat reservation is compulsory for all categories of travel! Tickets are available in several price categories, and we advice to buy cheapest tickets as early as possible due to limited avaliability.

Tickets 

Passengers can travel at the best prices with START Europa [13]tickets which are available in limited numbers at several price levels from all Hungarian stations. Prices are determined by the distance travelled on the Hungarian section, the date of purchase and the flexibility of the ticket change/return

Reservations 

Buying a reservation on the train is obligatory at the following prices per passenger and per direction:

• In the online booking system discounts must be selected at the beginning of the purchase process when adding passengers.
• Enter the number of passengers and their dates of birth. Click on the 'new discount' button to set the discounts for passengers.
• Select desired date and connection. 

A limited number of bicycles (3 in each seat car) can be carried to each destination, with a compulsory reservation for €5. Additional bicycle transport to Slovenia (Ljubljana, Koper) is provided by the Citadella InterCity (8 bicycles) which runs during the day.

Animals (e.g. cats, dogs, birds) can be transported free of charge in a closed carrier in the seat car. Dogs may be carried in a seating car without a carrier, in which case a dog ticket must be purchased. Animals are not allowed in couchettes and sleeping carriages.