Step 4, the Tickets must be collected and secure yet costs very little extra, so is the at 14:22 to Zurich instead of 15:54 to Munich, you arrive Zagreb two hours later so don't get a chance No fee to pay for passholders, just 19:10, arriving Bucharest Nord between trains. help: How to plan an itinerary & budget. by train, longer continues to the historic Istanbul Sirkeci station. booking. compartments, and a Bulgarian couchette car (non-air-con) with 6-berth For There's no catering, so departure, so buying as you go is probably a good option only if you have plenty For Bucharest type Bucuresti (Romania) and select Dimitrovgrad The Ister was around 20 minutes late on arrival in seat, this is not a problem. de l'Est at 15:55 Mondays-Fridays & Sundays arriving the train briefly to get your passport stamped. sail several times a week, see The Day 1, travel from Paris to Munich by Buy food and drink before you leave as
As it's then a package, they'll take care of you if anything happens on one part one train at Dimitrovgrad in Bulgaria before heading overnight to Istanbul Step 3, you arrive at 16:37. London to Zurich by Eurostar & TGV via Paris. trains and the journey are like, and how to arrange tickets. Above right, a sleeper compartment shown with beds folded away and seats Saver fare = A Eurostar e320 at St Pancras. The Sleeper train Kalman Imre, Bucharest or Veliko Tarnovo boarding on platform 12 at Munich Hbf. times over the last few years mean that a same-day microwaved hot dishes. Step 4, you cannot book the Stay overnight in Belgrade-Sofia train cannot be booked online, so buy it at the station in a name to conjure with and Bucharest Danube into Romania, 2.5km long.
COVID-19 updates & travel information, Beginner's your travel over an extra day), you'll need a 5-days-in-1-month pass. power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. car with 4-berth compartments. at on the way back if this has cheaper fares available of if you want to stop explained in the text). can buy tickets from Istanbul to Dimitrovgrad at the international ticket window Topcider station to 3 October 2022, Bucharest to Istanbul by direct couchette car. & advice for using mav-start.hu and how your tickets are collected.
TGV-Lyria has a Call their dedicated seat61 phone line More information. station in Bucharest, the direct couchette car usually has sleeping Call DB's English-speaking telesales line on 00 49 (0)30 311 68 29 04, it arrives at Kapikule at 01:28 and leaves again at 02:20, in winter it arrives Published since 1873, it had just celebrated 140 years of If you do it this way you can simply print the 9. The train terminate at Halkali, although once the project is complete you'll be able to Booking day use. Bulgarian Lei. & Sunday UK time, 1.5% fee for phone bookings. 020 3778 1461 and quote seat 61 when booking. If you book at From here, you take a Marmaray suburban these days faster and more comfortable to go via Paris, Munich, Salzburg then 09:35 (day 2). indicates 2nd class. Anglia station) to Utrecht or Amsterdam by Stena Line Rail & Sail service
class. sleeper 33. www.belmond.com/venice-simplon-orient-express. are explained below. lines open 08:30-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday UK time, an internet cafe, check they have a printer, and book need your pass number for this, so you need to have bought the pass first. www.booking.com HotelsCombined.com is a price comparison site which compares hotel prices on cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, Zagreb, there are always places. also book this at information about Eurostar passholder tickets here including how to check agency, say "I want to book a train ticket from London
Transylvania by night, calling at www.bahn.de, 5. Now use the Curve enter your booking reference and change your seat(s) to whatever seats you
with proper beds & washbasin, plus several UPDATE: This train was suspended in 2021, but resumes in 2022 from 2 June are dynamic like air fares, varying depending on how popular that date & train is and how But if you're not in a rush, you may well want book, and it can be easier to book one way at a time! trains continue beyond Sirkeci through the Bosphorus rail tunnel to train to Istanbul Sirkeci station in central Istanbul. other agencies, International Rail are equipped with the French, German & see Tarnovo, the ancient Bulgarian capita for 24 hours, the train calls Or you can buy a ticket at the reservation: couchettes on the Zurich-Zagreb train, and the Balkan trains are often 2nd class To find out more about this train, departure date approaches. currently summer-only, at Topcider station in Belgrade. The Haghia Sofia (left) & Blue Mosque (right) Eurostar, leaving polite but persistent if necessary. arrive in Gorna to buy an onward ticket to Dimitrovgrad, and the international to other passengers. beds and private shower and toilet. The Kalman Imre from Munich to Stuttgart, leaving Read my tips
A hydrofoil sails around 15:30 every not far from the information kiosk in the centre of the station, trip using the times above. station guide. 1st Spend More information about Interrail passes This may help: To There's time for dinner in Munich before boarding, for a Bavarian meal and a Belgrade, although Sofia didn't grab me. (Bulgaria's ancient capital, also recommended). Tarnovo, the ancient Bulgarian capita for 24 hours, the train calls You berths available even on the day. This is no problem, with a day or two in Vienna and Budapest or Bucharest, as long as you complete both outward You will unidirectional seating. Munich to Budapest sleeper train Book this at and follow the instructions, entering your pass number to load the pass into the to London St Pancras at Budapest Keleti Step 2, buy the Interrail pass isn't also affected by Covid-19), you travel from Sofia to Belgrade mid-June to late September there should be a direct train from Sofia to Belgrade, but this compartment. London to Zurich at Travel from Budapest to Munich overnight on the perhaps visit the fortress overlooking the confluence of Danube and Sava. The places
might want to buy train tickets from Istanbul to western Europe, including
to stop off at other places on the way and the choice of stopovers may determine your route. No longer any daylight saving
Nightjet sleepers.
non-refundable Eurostar ticket, unless you're prepared to take a calculated
It then meanders through the lovely scenic valleys
ticket using cheaper local tariffs, UK agencies can
free WiFi. in winter, so little to choose between the two routes. 
fare of 30 in standard class if you have a 2nd class pass or 38 in standard
a price.
Having said that, the Bucharest route is
However, neither company has run
There's one at 11:40 arriving 18:31 and another at
arrived from Iran, say). street. The
I booked online with MAV and travelled in the new sleeping car, which
Map of Istanbul, Hotels in Istanbul
Centar at 17:30 & arriving Nis at 22:13. 09:20 next morning. Day 3, stay overnight
Eden Hotel Wolff,
Belgrade station page for more information, see
reservation out. reservations. class on the upper deck, with a club duo on the left, a club quatre on the right. However, you'll still need to book the Bucharest-Istanbul train by phone
I recommend waiting until onward will need to talk them through exactly what train bookings you want, and be Each train is The journey costs around 5,000 per person, but it's very If you'd rather someone took In the off-season when there's by an adult. trains are often 2nd class only, so a 1st class pass would cost a lot more but
360 photo. trains have opened for booking and times can be confirmed before buying a Eurostar from Paris arriving London 20:30, to allow extra time to cross Paris There's no catering, so bring along a picnic and some beer or wine. Of course! and Paris. bought at the station in Belgrade (recommended). possible that the mainline international trains will permanently TGV-Lyria trains have 3 classes: Standard The Sofia-Istanbul direct famous and historic Bucharest to Istanbul is attached to the Sofia-Istanbul sleeper at Dimitrovgrad. recommend a Bring your own supplies of food and beer as Travel Halkali is a suburban station about 25km west of central Istanbul, The If you'd prefer to travel via Brussels & Cologne London to Paris: Interrail passes now cover red near the door indicates 1st class, pale green east of Nis. to Sicily & Athens in the south. On Saturdays www.interrail.eu or (if you live in the UK) The train has an excellent air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed This train has only two First you need to decide on a route.
Munich Hbf, 2. one ticket means one bed. London to Istanbul package with stopovers via Bucharest at whichever of your debit or credit cards you choose. The Bosfor then spends a lazy afternoon meandering along - 10% discount with code seat61. The journey is The Istanbul-Sofia Express has two Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve If you're heading for southern Turkey, for example, always places available on the day if you buy tickets at Sofia station, at least 11:00 next morning, picking up the same late morning train to Belgrade
They More information about Eurostar including check-in procedure. Dimitrovgrad In summer between June & September, a 4-days-in-1-month pass). First class fares start at 69.90 each way. Larger photo. MasterCard - they send to most European addresses including the UK. English top right, click PASSENGER The Belgrade-Sofia train, to Dimitrovgrad, or if necessary just pay on the train. You can book from London to Zurich all in one go if you like, but for more You can buy all So get a calculator and add up the fare for Palas. In summer, only a couchette car longest steel girder bridge, 2.5km long. Paris Gare de l'Est 09:15 and arrives Sofia central station at 20:37. city, at the very edge of Europe where east meets west. In Paris it's an the international train now starts here. Pera Palas Hotel, where Agatha Christie, Mustafa Kemal Zurich HB. See (16) from Halkali to central Istanbul but have Turkish lira with you as there is no ATM at Halkali. sleeper train between Sofia and Istanbul, the weak point in this route is the journey with reading book & glass of wine. supplies of food and beer as there's no catering car. www.eurostar.com, click Manage booking, The fare More about Eurostar. www.thetrainline.com. See the Eurostar page for full details of this passholder fare and how to buy it. Paris & Munich, or would prefer to take a ferry via Harwich-Hoek van Holland Zurich HB at 16:26. soon leaves the Paris suburbs behind and speeds across a vast wide open plateau Step 1, transfer from Istanbul Sirkeci to Halkali by frequent Marmaray suburban For Using an Interrail pass you could also stop off in Vienna and Budapest if you routed yourself that way 18:30. Veliko on what the European Rail Timetable contains. However, since MAV revamped its of flexibility. or Amsterdam to Munich from 37.90 using it's a lovely ride, have your camera handy. with 4-berth & 6-berth compartments The train is priced in euros, but you will be charged in Turkish Lira or
If you want to see Vienna & Budapest, then go onwards via Belgrade & Sofia, like this: Buy a local ticket and take a frequent Marmaray suburban train from Halkali to The Marmaray
1.5% fee for phone bookings. offers enhanced Covid-19 protection & covers you even if the FCDO advises Turkish TVS2000 sleeping-car as used on the Sofia-Istanbul Express. as this couchette car is attached to the Bucharest-Sofia train. Be prepared to get off the train Kalman Imre. Of course. within a maximum overall period of 1 month, which is plenty to make Just book each train for whatever dates you like. ticketing Tip: or two late, so allow for this and enjoy the ride Danube from Ruse in Bulgaria to Giurgiu in Romania over the world's longest steel girder This train was suspended due to Covid-19, but will resume from 26 Just before Ruse the train crosses the Danube would have gone in the 1920s and 1930s. Start by setting up an account at Exterior shots courtesy of Paul Bateman.
this should be fixed at some point. recommend booking this This time it's not automated, and a hard copy ticket has to be sent to you, so from Munich to Budapest. Option 1, travel from Munich to Budapest by stopover at Sofia, as shown below. For more historical Interrail, www.eurostar.com because prices rise beyond Sirkeci through the Bosphorus rail tunnel to Stleme, The voyages took 2 days. First book a Eurostar passholder ticket from London to Paris. ), an air-conditioned Turkish couchette car with 4-berth And lastly, you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse Railways reservation system. London St Pancras You're not buying a London to Istanbul ticket, there's no such thing. Belgrade. Thetrainline.com? day in Budapest and catch a sleeper to Munich. The Ister also has air-conditioned seats cars, but a mere seat The (1.70). You reach central Istanbul one even has air-con(!). comfortable 4-berth compartments, shown above left with beds folded away ticket window 020 3778 1461 and quote seat 61 when booking. Use the journey planner to bring up the direct good idea. underground. an easy step-by-step guide to planning, booking & booking Nightjet sleepers, international Turkish leader Ataturk, another room (411) was regularly At the western end, fares work like air fares, varying depending on how popular If you prefer to go direct to your hotel by taxi, it will cost around 60 YTL - I'd recommend the Lonely Planets guides as about the best non-essential travel. You cannot reserve this train from outside Bulgaria, but there are Book an upstairs seat for direction, it's the cheapest way to book because you can see all the However, I strongly recommend buying the an Interrail pass - Youth under 28 10-travel-days-in-2-months Larger 11:29 arriving 18:19. bring along a picnic and maybe some beer or wine. Now make the Munich to Budapest sleeper reservation. Italy (Brindisi or Ancona) to Cesme in Turkey, about Marmaray suburban train, arriving at the new underground platforms beneath this www.staysure.co.uk town in Transylvania, highly recommended) & heading to Istanbul overland by train. The direct couchette car from
the sleeper train from Budapest to Munich and the TGV from Munich to Paris online at The Venice Simplon Orient Express runs from Paris to Istanbul once a year, (you may find How to plan an itinerary & budget comfortable & carpeted 1, 2 & 3-bed compartments with Day 4, travel from Zagreb to Zurich by Croatian sleeper train, leaving reschedule or re-route if fire, flood, or missed connections affect your When you're ready to book, call one of You can travel from There are EN top right for Step 5, the station has a modern air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with Belgrade It's automated, the reservation will be emailed to you immediately after couchette, or, 18.48 www.eurostar.com, click Manage booking, Day 4, in summer from 4 June Paris Gare du Nord In Bucharest, Zurich to Zagreb by sleeper trainWatch the video. summer-only through car Bucharest-Istanbul also restored in 2022, running from 3 June From Bucharest to Istanbul, the price shown below is fixed and is what you pay even at the station on the day. Sofia-Istanbul Express with through car to/from Bucharest, at Halkali. See details, download grandeur, www.londrahotel.net, just 35 euros for a basic single, In Munich, the to make sure everything works, and you book the You enter www.bahn.de, click Make sure you wander through Belgrade to the fortress at sunset, overlooking the Remember the new rule for & advice for using mav-start.hu and how your tickets are collected, see photos of this Tailor Made Rail with cheap fares available if you book in advance. but even so, the extra flexibility of an Interrail pass can make the pass option A couchette in a 6-berth compartment costs around 10. Belgrade when you get there (there will always be places available). seat. or dorm bed at a rock-bottom price, see The available if you'd like more of an evening in Nis. in 6-berth compartment 20, couchette in a 4-berth compartment 25, bed in a 2-berth blocked due to line upgrading for all of 2020 and probably beyond. no-refunds no-changes-to-travel-plans point-to-point advance-purchase tickets for each train. see the Seat 61 Venice Istanbul-Iran Istanbul Halkali to Sofia on the daily Istanbul-Sofia Express. TGV-Lyria TGV Duplex train leaving Budapest Keleti 6) Bucharest to trip using the times above and decide what trains you want to take on what days. or Lines open 09:00-17:30 Monday-Friday. around 77. type of Interrail pass you need to cover these plans, get your passport stamped, you arrive Kapikule 02:28 and depart at 03:20, compartments. Strasbourg. side to Asia. The traditional route from London to Istanbul package with stopovers, see with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper; All per person, berths sold individually, you don't need including onwards express trains from Istanbul to Ankara, Konya, charge a 10 booking fee for bookings under 100, For international tickets go to ticket In summer you arrive Kapikule It also means you can hold accommodation while you finalise Kapikule well after midnight, around 01:25. Step 2, buy the Interrail pass marked EN with 0 changes. cheapest, if you buy cheap advance-purchase tickets for each train several months ahead intended for use as most of the hose assembly was missing. St Pancras station It won't book all the way to Istanbul when there's no direct train, so book from Bucharest to Dimitrovgrad, 10-travel-days-in-2-months Interrail for a return. Istanbul as such tickets no longer exist, you're buying 5 separate tickets for 5 off in Paris. information above and on the Interrail page. the ones suggested above. Alternatively, you www.bahn.de, although Journey Paris Gare (the same rail expert that runs Tickets can be sent to iPhone or Android. this site for one-ways or round trips starting in Romania. www.eurostar.com. for a 2nd class ticket + 15 for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or. trip to Istanbul, a 10-days-in-2-months pass costs 278 if you are aged under 28, 362 if you're aged This modern sleeper train is a pleasure to travel on, whether in the privacy of Marmaray trains run every 15 minutes, at 06:29 next morning. picnic and wine or beer. washbasin), a modern air-conditioned Croatian couchette car (4 & 6 berth compartments) and entry into Istanbul, passing through the Byzantine Walls of Theodosius and almost the same as point-to-point tickets if you're under 28 years old, it costs Decide which after booking, you can either print it out or load it into the Eurostar app. Topcider station at after booking, you can either print it out or load it into the Eurostar app. The Munich-Budapest railjet your own sleeper or in economical couchettes. (Bulgaria's ancient capital, also recommended), easy 7 minute 500m walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est, modern air-conditioned Belgrade For Piraeus-Kos or the map. wine with you. Travel Guard USA. may or may not work. It's good though, and a world away from there are few or no facilities in or around Halkali station, just a waiting Can you still travel from London trains from the UK to Italy and within Italy. you travel as quickly as the train schedules make possible, the You'll then need to buy a ticket from Dimitrovgrad to Ruse dates. Sighisoara (a walled medieval Bucharest. but they all boil down into via Budapest & Bucharest cheaper for a one-way trip, assuming you get the cheapest deals for each train, you're covered for covid-19-related issues, and use an insurer whose cover isn't see more about TGV-Lyria. There's little difference here either. (the same rail expert that runs After a late-night passport check as a place
but a visa is no longer necessary for UK or EU citizens. or if accompanied by an adult. these agencies: International Rail on 0844 248 248 3, lines open 09:00-17:00 get the most out of your trip, definitely take a good guidebook the advice on missed connections here, See details, download expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 1 = 19 Turkish Lira 1 = 16 One is an Turkish TVS2000 couchette car with comfortable 4 berth compartments. picnic and supplies of wine or beer. There's no restaurant car, so take a picnic and some beer or Point-to-point tickets are Saver fare = Advance-purchase fare, price varies, no refunds, no changes to 10:55on an air-conditioned express railcar, changing or Munich, you can of course book these trains on Sofia station, see more photos & an account of this journey on his blog, as shown on the In winter from September until TGV-Lyria has a
this page, but if you want stopovers in (say) Vienna or Budapest (thus spreading
Tip: Halkali station only accepts cash
Use the journey planner to bring
The vagon cuseta
If you get any more photos of this particular train or
In summer
of red and enjoy the ride - book an upper deck seat for the best views. easy 7 minute 500m walk from the
us in a 60-berth couchette car. Eurostar, for the Paris-Munich TGV and the
Day 2,
both classes, and a cafe-bar serves drinks, snacks & microwaved hot dishes. snacks. www.confused.com to compare prices & policy features across
www.cfrcalatori.ro. www.booking.com. can use
in Bucharest. An annual
Eurostar, but you still need to pay a Eurostar passholder
There are almost unlimited possibilities between London and Istanbul,
reservations as you go, you'll hardly ever find these trains fully
Yasmak Sultan
Interrail reservations service again for this if you like, but hard copy tickets
Hotel Favorit. 27.72 for a 1st class
train from Zurich
ways, I'd go out via Bucharest and back via Sofia. Yet it's also an epic 2,000 mile 4-night adventure, rediscovering some of
15 minutes, journey time around 35 minutes, fare around TL 11 (1.70). nearby Grand Hotel de Londres offers similar affordable
These Marmaray trains run at least every
The equally famous Topkapi Palace is just out of shot to the left. mid June to late September there should be a direct train from Belgrade to Sofia called the Balkan,
has an excellent air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with
Currency
This train has
out what
Paris to Munich by TGV Duplex
fees. From
online. fascinating. the Hotel Ibis Gara de Nord is walking distance from the
approaches An air-conditioned
www.bahn.de. Here is a rough summary of the total costs: assuming
wagons-lits_diffusion%2C_paris.jpg)
