This year, we decided to do something special by taking the train rather than flying to attend the DevFest conference in Istanbul. So join us on this 2,000-mile rail adventure across Europe as we follow the legendary Orient Express route…
Why take the train?
Our train journey is around 2,000 miles and will be taking us 5 days. If you flew the journey would take less than a day. It would produce at least twice the pollution.
You would also miss out on the chance to see some of Europe’s most beautiful cities (all decorated for Christmas) and to watch Europe out of the window. We are trading speed and some convenience for less pollution and an adventure rather than just a journey.
How hard was booking?
There are travel agents who will book the trip for you and take care of all the details.
Booking a train yourself is definitely more complex than the flying option. Luckily there are lots of resources to help you including the excellent Man In Seat 61 website.
We are travelling second class for the journey as generally there did not seem a great benefit to the extra cost of first class. There is an interrail pass which you can purchase but it does not cover all the trains. We priced it up and discounts we gained did not cover the cost in this instance.
For the overnight trains there are a whole host of options ranging from a seat, a bed in a shared compartment or your own private carriage. As there are 3 of us travelling together, it was cheapest to book a cabin and we get more space. If you are a woman travelling on her own, all the train services offer the option of female only cabins.
We found the whole process very straightforward although the Romanian trains require you to use a travel agent or intermediary and collect your tickets when you arrive in Romania (🤞).
On a trip like this, you can set the budget and the time to suit you. So if you want a week in one city on the way, it is easy to adapt your plans.
What if I miss a connection?
The biggest fear most people have with a trip like this is that they will miss a train because of a delay or cancellation. No form of travel is immune to this (you may be sitting on a comfortable train reading about an IT meltdown at Heathrow grounding all flights).
If we miss a train, we have some fallback plans (later trains) and worst-case scenario, we have to spend some extra time in a city. The key is to allow time in your schedule so a delay is not a disaster.
Our itinerary
There is no direct train service so we are going to be taking multiple trains, following one of the traditional routes of the Orient Express. We will have some time for site-seeing on the way. Here’s the summary plan:-
- Trains to London St. Pancras, where we pick up the Eurostar to Brussels and then the Eurosleeper to Prague. We will have a day to look around.
- Overnight train from Prague to Budapest with a day in the former imperial capital.
- Overnight train from Budapest to Bucharest. Due to timing we will be spending the night in the city
- Trains through Romania and Bulgaria, taking the overnight Sophia express and arriving next morning in Istanbul.
Your Essential Packing List
Beds and sheets are provided on the overnight parts. If you need to work or communicate, all the trains have wifi and there is a buffet car for hot drinks and snacks. Remember your EU socket for the plugs and bring a light bag for our city exploration (we can leave the luggage at the station).
Stunning views from the trains are included as standard in this trip and you will probably spend most of your time looking out the window as we travel across Europe and through the Balkans. I am especially looking forward to my first ride through the Carpathians. So remember your camera!
The European Sleeper sells a deck of cards on the train which is a great way to pass the time and get to make some new friends.
Turkey was not one of the 51 destinations included in my Vodaphone mobile package so I purchased a virtual SIMM to use while there.
It may be cold so remember to bring some warm clothes and your hat and gloves.
Essential reading for the train
You will probably want to bring some appropriate listening or reading material for the journey – I have packed the 2 iconic books Murder on the Orient Express and Stamboul Train. The more adventurous may prefer some Bram Stoker or prepare for our destination with anything by Orhan Pamuk.
What should we expect in the cities?
We have hit the jackpot on our stops as the European Christmas markets start this weekend. In Prague we should be able to visit the Castle, look round Wenceslas and Old Square, stroll across Charles Bridge and see the Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony.
In Budapest we’ll have time to stroll around both sides of the city, visit St. Stephen’s Basilica and maybe freshen up at the Széchenyi Thermal Baths. Remember to bring your swimming costume.
We will arrive in Bucharest for Great Union Day, which is the country’s National Holiday. So there will be lots of parades, events and yet more Christmas Markets! There is a torchlight parade at 7pm.
Sit back and enjoy the ride
We are now ready to set off, so get comfortable, order a drink from the buffet car and watch the world fly by our window. See you in Part 2 where we will update you on the first leg of the trip and show you around Prague…
Find out more about us
| Learn more about our history, team (and pets!) |