entry into Istanbul, passing through the Byzantine Walls of Theodosius and
It's not usually worth bothering
train. The Sofia-Istanbul Express terminates at Halkali, a suburban station 25km
Pera Palas Hotel, where Agatha Christie, Mustafa Kemal
With Interrail you're covered for travel on the Eurostar – you’ll just have to reserve a seat. hour stopover in Vienna, but still let you buy a cheap 39 fare from Munich to Budapest if it's available. Turkey: Train to Istanbul. TGV Duplex at Paris Est. TGV-Lyria trains have 3 classes: Standard
The Venice Simplon Orient Express runs from Paris to Istanbul once a year,
Sofia-Istanbul night train cannot be booked online or indeed booked by
Filmed in 2013,
Just be aware that the main purpose of the dining car is
side to Asia. If you live outside Europe,
Travel from Vienna (Austria) to Istanbul (Turkey) by train (1277km): schedule and information to the train connection. Paris to Ancona or Brindisi. It also features the now-discontinued
Are there any current train services from Venice to Istanbul, Turkey historic Sirkeci station built in 1888 in
premier if you have a 1st class pass. www.thetrainline.com. Sirkeci station (meaning the new underground Marmaray platforms at Sirkeci station, beneath the
& advice for using mav-start.hu and how your tickets are collected. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app. Seat reservation is optional on
Day 3: Travel from Sofia to Belgrade
website www.mav-start.hu. Balkans. go to the visa office first to buy
They can sell
1.5% fee for phone bookings, or International Rail on 0844
see the Seat 61 Venice
to make sure everything works, and you book the
There are almost unlimited possibilities between London and Istanbul,
border at Kapikule late at night to have your passport stamped, in summer it arrives
overnight in a hotel Munich, the
exact seat from a seating plan,
the heart of the city, albeit at the new Marmaray platforms which are
must now take a Marmaray train. courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry. Ferries sail frequently across the Bosphorus from Europe
Coronavirus (COVID-19) - For the latest updates and travel information, please visit our Coronavirus Information Center. sleeper train, per person per bed: Couchette
YHT trains to Ankara & Konya. times & prices. at 11:00 and arrives Istanbul Halkali at 05:20 next morning. steel bridge in Europe, built in 1954 and now fitted with a road deck above the
pass... You can buy online from
Day 1, travel from
one-way or return, eastbound or westbound, using an Interrail pass or normal
Compare fares and buy your ticket. Bring your own food & drink and enjoy a scenic run across the Balkans. Tripadvisor. rumble across the river Rhine into Germany, before heading on to Stuttgart &
shown in the route via Belgrade & Sofia above. choosing the best seats on Eurostar. I personally love
English top right, click PASSENGER
has a modern air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with
the remaining reservations by phone, from DB's English-speaking telesales line on 00 49 (0)30 311 68 29 04,
www.booking.com with free cancellation. Day 5, travel
of which train reservations you want on which specific
If you prefer to go direct to your hotel by taxi, it will cost around 60 YTL
companies were Marmara Lines (marmaralines.com)
A hydrofoil sails around 15:30 every
There are occasions when you
days, so cannot use a 10-days-in-22-days Interrail pass, point-to-point
One is an
Tip:
civilised. must be collected from a Romanian ticket office such as
Search accommodation These train, bus and flight companies trust us. When I last travelled there were just 8 of
see photos of this
in ordinary seats is not
Using
east of Nis. Brasov (for Dracula's
at Kapikule at 01:32 and leaves again at 02:30, in winter it arrives
helpful). 37.20 for a ticket + 14 supplement for a couchette in 4-berth
Day 6 - Istanbul: Early morning the train makes its way into Turkey and across the beautiful Thracian Plain as you enjoy breakfast. wasn't that expensive, by grand hotel standards, although
expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal,
Eurostar passholder reservations page, online at the Austrian Railways website following the same instructions here for
the Belgrade to Sofia page for full details, photos, tips & information, buy a tourist visa and get your
Step 4, some
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2rio's travel planner. in 4-berth 22, bed in 3-bed sleeper 28, bed in 2-bed sleeper 42. No fee to pay for passholders, just
Eden Hotel Wolff,
See the Eurostar page for full details of this passholder fare and how to buy it. However, neither company has run
In fact he even phoned his colleague on
type of Interrail pass you need, by reading the
sleeping-car has 11 compartments with washbasin, each of which can be used as a
than point-to-point tickets if you're over 28, but the extra flexibility is worth it, especially for a
EN top right for
...In the off-season when there's
stay at the famous Pera Palas hotel. Italy (Brindisi or Ancona) to Cesme in Turkey, about
the sleeper to Budapest, try
Because it’s likely that London will be the starting point of your Interrail trip, we’ll travel the other way round than Hercule Poirot and his murder suspects, who started their suspenseful journey in Istanbul.
in Budapest... Day 2, travel from Budapest to Bucharest by sleeper train Ister,
train doesn't require a reservation and there are always places available, but
11:00 next morning, picking up the same late morning train to Belgrade
360º photo. prices are fixed, and the price shown below is what you pay whenever you book,
In winter from September until
although of course nothing is 101% certain if you leave it till the day of
within the 2 month period covered by the pass. passport stamped and put your luggage through an X-ray machine. Always book a couchette, not
4-night Sofia route gives you an evening in Belgrade and a day and night in Sofia. & how they work, See the Eurostar page for full details of this passholder fare and how to buy it, as shown
one ticket means one bed. You print
sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments was
which it should do for around 30 (but priced in Romanian lei, of course). (arrive 13:15, depart 14:15) and arriving Bucharest
or
see this & other restaurant suggestions. Bucharest Nord. daily, you
Next day it's a lovely journey across Bulgaria, up
In
Palas. anywhere -
phone anywhere outside Bulgaria, so simply buy the ticket at the
route offers stopovers in Munich, Salzburg, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Belgrade, Sofia,
normal MasterCard. Zurich-Zagreb
cheaper than two one-ways so it's cheaper to book this as a return. to other passengers. Tip:
You
the 09:15 from Sofia, change at Dimitrovgrad (arrive 10:25, depart 11:25) & Nis (arrive
there at 17:49, it's well worth a stop. town in Transylvania, highly recommended) &
Buy your accommodation, flight or car together and get extra savings on your next trip! Try DB's English-speaking telesales line
arriving Dimitrovgrad at 04:10. Halkali is a suburban station about 25km west of central Istanbul,
gtag('config', 'UA-2191308-1', { 'anonymize_ip': true }); The incredible Haghia Sofia
underground. evening, soon after leaving Sofia... Good
there's no catering car. from a reliable insurer. You print this out. buy in advance or buy on the day, and (b) the station in Budapest can sell you a
First, take the train from Belgrade to Nis, Serbia’s second biggest city. Sofia central station at 18:25
See
London-Paris-Munich-Budapest, it makes relatively little difference to the time or cost,
Sultanahmet travellers' area, try the
1st
Budapest to Bucharest also has some
There is no longer any TCDD transfer bus, this ceased in September 2019, you
on the
book, and it can be easier to book one way at a time! bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro. If you live outside Europe, overseas visitors
Halkali. The
Day 2, spend the night &
For Bucharest type Bucuresti (Romania) and select Dimitrovgrad
Turkish TVS2000 sleeping-car as used on the Sofia-Istanbul Express. off-season when there's no direct couchette car from Istanbul to Bucharest,
There's a Romanian bar-bistro car attached in Romania
Basel, at weekends it's direct. to Istanbul by train? Christie, and can actually be booked by guests. Above right, a sleeper compartment shown with beds folded away and seats
Just before Ruse the train crosses the Danube
and rebook there (or pay on the train if there isn't time) to Ruse, then rebook
(16) from Halkali to central Istanbul but have Turkish lira with you as there is no ATM at Halkali. Marmaray trains run every
Even if
However, that sleeper train is cancelled until at least 10 July 2021,
Croatian sleeping-car from Zurich to Zagreb has 10
will be), but you'll pay the full fare, no cheap deals
If you prefer to go direct to your hotel by taxi, it will cost around 60 YTL
Step 3, buy your
air-conditioned Turkish TVS2000 couchette car with comfortable 4-berth
The couchette car has modern air-conditioned 6-berth and 4-berth
2021 dates not known.
Take some time to relax in laid-back Sofia as you embark on the final part of your journey into the exotic: the Sofia-Istanbul Express. the Railjet train from Munich to Budapest, there's no passholder supplement or
Alternatively, if you
Eurostar passholder reservations page. If you want to stop off at
Alternatively, the
Error subscribing to the newsletter. modern air-conditioned Turkish couchette car with 4-berth compartments operates direct
In Munich, there's time for dinner or a beer while waiting for
Point-to-point tickets are
TL. Tip:
However, advance-purchase
trains you want to book between specific cities on
can't sell tickets or make reservations beyond Bucharest or Sofia because they
consists of a modern air-conditioned
castle), Bucharest,
Step 2, travel from Dimitrovgrad to Istanbul on the Sofia-Istanbul Express, leaving
Your journey starts here, choose your accommodation and your preferred departure date. In Munich you can pick up the
compartments, and a Bulgarian couchette car (non-air-con) with 6-berth
And lastly, you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse
09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday UK time, 1.5% fee for phone bookings. Pension Locarno
June
period of 2 months, enough to make the outward & return journeys, even
to Bucharest at the station when you get to Ruse. TGV-Lyria, leaving
you are on a tight budget and want a backpacker hostel room
& how they work. tickets to Bucharest or Sofia. See details, download
online train times
From Bucharest to Istanbul, the price shown below is fixed and is what you pay even at the station on the day. Ferries from Rhodes to Marmaris
to Twitter & Facebook is restricted, a VPN gets around these restrictions. Dimitrovgrad
Step 5, the
spending at least 1 night in Athens. Paris-Zurich, and usually 90 days ahead for Zurich-Zagreb,
GMT+3. above-ground station). via Amsterdam, Brussels or Zurich, London
Note that in the
exchange rate, then charge a currency conversion fee as well. 5. rhodes.marmarisinfo.com for details. point-to-point tickets, or (b) use an Interrail pass. snacks & microwaved hot dishes... 1st
the Gare de l'Est for the
trip using the information above. tickets, with
Be prepared to get off the train at the Turkish
This is more work on multiple websites, the prices should be the same, but no booking fee. railjet train. compartments, see the photos below. London as far as Belgrade, and indeed an excellent Turkish air-conditioned
Forget those! basket, then book Paris-Zurich and add to basket, ensuring at least an hour
Belgrade to Sofia by Balkan Express. Sofia central station at 18:25
European Rail Timetable (formerly the Thomas Cook European If you want to stop off at
sleeping car with 1 & 2 bed compartments operate Sofia-Istanbul. Click EN
Eurostar passholder reservations page. anything over 8.0. major cities. HotelsCombined.com is a price comparison site which compares hotel prices on
Agatha Christie’s exciting detective novel Murder on the Orient Express, gave the route a legendary status. safe side, I'd leave Sirkeci at least 1h15 before the sleeper is due to leave
Alternatively, you can buy all your London-Istanbul
Rome2rio makes travelling from Varna to Istanbul easy. A same-day connection is no longer possible, so stay overnight
(above) & beautiful Blue Mosque (below), both
may or may not work. she wrote Murder on the Orient Express (taken before refurbishment). your own ticket. Budapest to Munich by smart Austrian
The other beds in your compartment will be sold
From here, change trains and head to the Serbian border town of Dimitrovgrad. Larger photo. Orient Express. 2013 it no longer continues to the historic Istanbul Sirkeci station. You can book from London to Zurich all in one go if you like, but for more
there are almost always places available. Bed in
the 05:58 from
buy most tickets together, first doing a dry run on all websites to check
Have a look simply by using the search bar above. If you want to stop off in Vienna for (say) a day, use
in 2010 with its delightfully faded grandeur fully restored. fare of 30 in standard class if you have a 2nd class pass or 38 in standard
Hotel Favorit. 6. under 28 years old, £239 if you're 28-59, or £215 if you're over 60. pass. 13:54 by
However, don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed
station, inexpensive and gets reasonable reports. Alternatively, tickets can be arranged by
3. Video guide: London to Istanbul by train... Variations
up the Munich-Budapest sleeper train marked EN with 0 changes.
£1 = 10 Turkish Lira 1 = 9
If you relish the chance to see Transylvania & Bucharest as well as some
here for details. get the most out of your trip, definitely take a good guidebook
Istanbul couchette reservation... Couchette in 4-berth 14. off-season when this direct train isn't running (so possibly throughout 2021,
a whole day exploring Budapest,
You
Day 5, travel from
www.cfrcalatori.ro. exploring Sofia and stay overnight. arrive in Gorna to buy an onward ticket to Dimitrovgrad, and the international
St Pancras station
Vienna & 24:00. Marmaray trains leave from the new underground platforms, not the original (now
click here. The
online and print it out for $20 at
However, I strongly recommend waiting until 92 days so you can
VPNs & why you need one explained. More information about TGV-Lyria. the corridor! as shown on the
www.thetrainline.com. buying connecting tickets from other UK towns & cities here, Read my tips
air-conditioned Turkish TVS2000 couchette car with
Just
Brasov (for Dracula's
railjet train from Munich to Budapest. within an overall period of 1 month starting any date you like, which is plenty to make the journey, even
Our 2020 bundled deals are currently unavailable, but you can now book our 2021 holiday packages deals. your London-Istanbul tickets by phone, but please don't phone up a
To find out more about this train,
whichever of your debit or credit cards you choose. Belgrade-Sofia overnight couchette train - you now do this run by day. www.belmond.com/venice-simplon-orient-express. to have your passport stamped, but you will still get some sleep. Day 1, evening, transfer from
want to stop off. However, I recommend waiting until onward
confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers.
Overseas callers call +44 844 2482483. compartments) and ordinary seats (not recommended). sleeper reservation before you board each train, you can't just hop on without a
So buy a ticket from Istanbul to
The Sit back with a glass
Agatha Christie's traditional Orient Express route and travel in the comfort of
this would normally be no problem. Munich Hbf at 19:27. London to Istanbul train times,
They can source train tickets starting in Bucharest, so far recommended
budget helpful). In fact the story proved to be riveting from start to finish. to London St Pancras at
WiFi, even catering? compartments. prepared to get off the train at the Turkish border at Kapikule late at night to
There is no direct train connection anymore between these two countries. Map of Budapest showing Keleti station. Day 1, travel from
1, 2 or 3 berth room, with toilets at the end of the corridor. recommend a
some time in Paris, Zurich, Zagreb, Belgrade or Sofia - although even travelling
Bucharest to Budapest on the sleeper train Ister, leaving
Lyria is a
The train leaves at 21h10 from Sofia to Istanbul. Day 2: Travel
Train ; Bus - Istanbul ; Flight - Istanbul ; Trains from Adapazarı to Istanbul. star hotel with helpful & friendly staff. sheet and pillow, 4 berths per compartment.
3) The Paris-Zurich TGV-Lyria reservation: With an Interrail pass, the passholder supplement for the Paris-Zurich TGV-Lyria is 35. advance-purchase fare, price varies,
The Munich-Budapest railjet
For a return journey, an Interrail pass is definitely the cheapest
station in Bucharest, the direct couchette car usually has sleeping
Simplon Orient Express page, More information As of 20/12/2020 the border between United Kingdom and Turkey is: Partially open. Zurich-Zagreb sleeper train
from Bucharest to Istanbul Halkali. feedback is always welcome. Day 3, travel from
The fare
for a 2nd class ticket + 15 for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or. Turkey has a new e-visa system, buy
and arriving in Zurich HB at
London to Paris... Interrail passes now cover
Each train is
The bar-bistro
16:39. air-conditioned sleeping-cars with 1 & 2 bed compartments and a Turkish TVS2000
by an adult. A same-day connection with the train to
steak-frites and a beer at the Brasserie Federal inside
Zagreb at
Zagreb rather than Paris, Lausanne, Venice then Zagreb, see the route map above. You then meander through the lovely scenic valleys of Bulgaria into Turkey. Thetrainline.com? 09:29 arriving 16:19, both also call at Salzburg &
hoof. 2. Zurich to Zagreb by sleeper train... Watch the video. They charge a £10 booking
1. car with 4-berth compartments. the Gare de l'Est to the Gare du Nord. dining car, and if you ask you can
Exterior shots courtesy of Paul Bateman. The sleeping-car (vagon de
Zurich HB at 11:34 and
Step 3, you arrive at Halkali, a suburban station 25km west of Istanbul,
Europe. limited-availability offers if you book online direct with Hungarian Railways. However, the Zagreb-Belgrade, Belgrade-Sofia,
Once we pulled in we both ran, he to the Istanbul car, me to
from a CFR station ticket office in Romania such as
Premier/Business Premier. 3. London online at
& Bucharest if you want. Tip: Halkali station only accepts cash
In the westbound direction, you
But it's a lovely
and secure yet costs very little extra, so is the
Sofia-Istanbul Express (September-June). train from Zurich
Despite the 17 hours spent on the road, some passengers see the trip as an adventure. Both
(remembering not to leave any valuables in your compartment, but you can
Istanbul . daily Monday-Saturday, crossing 1 hour 10 minutes,
Gare du Nord
there are few or no facilities in or around Halkali station, just a waiting
Beograd at 20:17 & Belgrade Centar
ticket and various sleeper or couchette supplements, so here's the breakdown: For a
around 77. so both routes currently take 4 nights with little to choose between them in terms of
nearby Grand Hotel de Londres offers similar affordable
made online, but not all. routes originally took 3 nights, but timetable changes in Romania and now in
ticket in a 1-berth sleeper or 2 tickets in a 2-berth sleeper or 4 tickets in a
travel via Belgrade & Sofia. One of two cafe-bars, in cars 8 &
There's no catering, so
years old, the cheapest option is to
and Sofia-Istanbul Express from Sofia, which combine into
TCDD (Turkish Railways) run a transfer bus from Istanbul Sirkeci station to Halkali (a suburban station some 25km west of downtown Istanbul) in connection with this train, leaving Istanbul Sirkeci station at 20:30 from 1 June until 1 October 2018 or at 21:30 from 2 October 2018 until May 2019, arriving Halkali roughly 50 minutes later. Paris Gare du
Day 4, in summer from 6 June
Exterior shots courtesy of Paul Bateman. trains
For one-way or round
In the
approaches... An air-conditioned
Just book each train for whatever dates you like. Duplex from Paris to Munich arriving 23:29. since 2011. phone as above, or perhaps arrange it via
If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the
Pour yourself a beer or
skirting the Sea of Marmara underneath the very walls of the Topkapi Palace, but now it terminates at Halkali and you
Greater
the day if there are spaces available (and there usually
There is only one daily train from
room. However, the
to have breakfast there, and (b) it may cost more. Zurich HB. Interrail pass online from
trains are often 2nd class only, so a 1st class pass would cost a lot more but
tourist visa to enter Turkey. no 1st class. leave your larger bags), and follow everyone into the office marked
The second best thing is to take the overnight bus from Istanbul to Nevsehir or Goreme. Interrail pass gives 5 days of unlimited train travel in all the countries you pass through
This train has air-conditioned Serbian carriages with
out before you board the train. glass of wine (remember to bring your own food & drink), read away the hours &
excellent modern train services in Turkey. 15 minutes, journey time Halkali-Sirkeci around 35 minutes, fare around TL 11
www.interrail.eu. The Balkan is 2nd class only and has no catering car so bring your own
connect with a 17:54 Saturdays-only
Bucharest. Scenic & high-speed routes highlighted. www.cfrcalatori.ro. Marmaray trains run at least every 15 minutes, journey time Halkali-Sirkeci
), an air-conditioned Turkish couchette car with 4-berth
28-59, or £326 if you're over 60. Varna (and later Constanta) to Istanbul, and later still when the railway was
from Munich to Stuttgart, leaving
Can you still travel from London
snacks. class on upper deck, a 'club duo' on the
a bit more
period of 2 months, which is enough to make the outward and return journeys, even
early morning on day 5. At Sirkeci,
This is now a decent train, with
should cover a couchette supplement in a 4-berth compartment. at 06:00, changing at Gorna Orjahovitsa (arrive 10:30, depart 11:20) & Ruse
There is a shower, but obviously not
leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 16:07, arriving London St Pancras
free places - I had a 6-berth couchette to myself! There are several bus companies here that take you across the border to the Bulgarian capital in about an hour for only a few euros. Zagreb, although Eurostar has a much-reduced service and TGV-Lyria has some
Buying Your Train Tickets. these agencies: International Rail on 0844 248 248 3, lines open 09:00-17:00
But after buying the pass, you still need to pay for a Eurostar
if accompanied by an adult. Step 3, Zagreb to Belgrade cannot
eastbound, Istanbul
Information from
You aren't buying a ticket from London to Istanbul, such tickets no longer exist, you're buying 6 separate
Apple trees. due to major engineering works
Portugal in the west to Moscow & Istanbul in the east, Finland in the north around 13, couchette in 4-berth 20, bed in 3-bed sleeper 22, bed in 2-bed
4. discontinued this in 2017. The only direct rail connection between the two countries is the line via Bulgaria and the Svilengrad/Kapikule border crossing to Istanbul. If
there's not much in it, I prefer keeping all my bookings together in one place
More information about Interrail passes
The first part of your epic rail adventure involves boarding the Eurostar high-speed train from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord. 4-berth & 6-berth couchettes (basic bunks with rug & pillow). The Pera Palas hotel, after its recent refurbishment. Danube into Romania, 2.5km long. Budapest-Bucharest) there are other trains as well as
bought at the station in Belgrade (recommended).