After enjoying our free drink in the Premium lounge at Budapest, we boarded the 7.05pm overnight train to Bucharest.
Through Transylvania and the Carpathians
This time it is a 3-person couchette with our own sink and a reassuring solid wooden door. I noted the doors are also locked at both ends of the carriage and we have our own guard.
The beds are the most spacious and comfortable and we get a duvet, not sheets, but it was also the bumpiest ride. Our train does not get in until 11.35am so we get some stunning views of the Carpathians in the morning.
Exploring Bucharest
The City of Bucharest may not be the first place that comes to mind as a top holiday destination but there is plenty to see and do here. Our first stop is to drop our bags at the hotel – you need to stay a night as the trains do not overlap. Then into town…
For lunch we found a place recommended online which turned out to be grander than we had anticipated but very nice. The food was very tasty and they were very friendly.
Afterwards, we headed to Constitution Square where you can see the Palace of the Parliament (the World’s heaviest building). In the square we found the nicest Christmas market yet – not too crowded and a wide range of genuine gifts as well as food and drink.
Our next stop was the old town to enjoy the sights. Be careful as the cobbled streets are very uneven. If you get cold, there are plenty of places to get a hot drink and warm up.
Dinner was some traditional Romanian food in a warm cellar – another online recommendation.
December 1st is Romania’s Great Union Day so there were lots of flags, buildings were lit up and we saw the start of the military torchlit procession in the evening. With all the Christmas lights as well, the city was very bright and cheery.
A night off from the trains
Tonight will be spent in a hotel – it will seem strange to wake up in the same place we went to sleep!
Tomorrow will be meeting our agent Mark at 9.30am to pick up our tickets for the Sofia Express (you cannot buy these online) and the rest of the day spent on Bulgarian trains including the overnight one to take us into Istanbul on Wednesday morning.
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