Bran Castle, Brasov, Transylvania.  Built in 1212 and used by Vlad Tepes (the Impaler), inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula...  Courtesy Bryan Dawe.

London to Braşov & Bucharest by train...

In Bram Stoker’s Dracula, young lawyer Jonathan Harker travels from London to Transylvania by train.  You too can travel by train from London to Dracula’s castle at Brasov and across the scenic Carpathian mountains to Bucharest (Bucureşti in Romanian).  This section explains train times, fares & how to buy tickets.

Train times, fares & information...

Option 1:  London to Romania via Paris & Munich - train times, fares & how to buy tickets

Option 2:  London to Romania via Brussels & Cologne - train times, fares & how to buy tickets

Option 3:  London to Romania by daytime trains with overnight hotel stops not sleeper trains.

How to book trains within Romania

Bucharest Nord station facilities

Hotels & accommodation in Romania

General European train travel information

Luggage & left luggage

Taking bikes   Taking dogs

Route map:  London to Romania by train...

Useful country information

London to Braşov & Bucharest

Option 1, London to Romania via Paris, Munich & Budapest...

This is the fastest and most comfortable option between the UK and Romania.  It runs daily all year round.

London ► Braşov & Bucharest

• Day 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 15:31 (14:01 on Saturdays), arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 18:47 (17:17 on Saturdays).  On Fridays, there's also a 16:01 Eurostar arriving 19:17.  In Paris, it's a 10 minute walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.  By all means take an earlier Eurostar if you'd like to spend some time in Paris, or if it has cheaper seats available.

• Day 1, travel from Paris to Munich overnight by the City Night Line sleeper train Cassiopeia, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est daily at 20:05 and arriving in Munich at 07:10 next morning.  It has sleeping-cars (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments, standard with washbasin or deluxe with shower), 4 & 6-berth couchettes & ordinary seats, see the photos & information below or click for more pictures & information about this City Night Line train.

• Day 2, travel from Munich to Budapest by air-conditioned Austrian RailJet train, leaving Munich at 09:27 and arriving in Budapest Keleti at 16:49.  A bar-bistro car is available, so treat yourself to lunch!  More pictures & information about this RailJet train.  Map of Budapest showing Keleti station.

• Day 2, travel from Budapest to Bucharest overnight on the EuroNight sleeper train Ister, leaving Budapest Keleti at 19:10 and arriving Sighişoara at 07:17, Braşov at 09:31, Ploeşti 11:27 and Bucharest Nord at 12:10 next morning (day 3).  The Ister has a modern air-conditioned sleeping car (1, 2 or 3-bed standard sleepers with washbasin, 1, 2 or 3 bed deluxe sleepers with toilet & shower) and 4 & 6-berth couchettes.  A bed in the sleeper is the recommended option, see the photos below.  The Ister should have a restaurant car for dinner & breakfast (euros, lei & forints accepted), but the restaurant isn't always attached, so take some provisions yourself.  Enjoy the descent through the wonderful Alpine scenery of the Carpathian mountains between Brasov and Bucharest.  Ister is the ancient name for the River Danube.

Bucharest & Braşov ► London

• Day 1, travel from Bucharest to Budapest overnight on the EuroNight sleeper train Ister, leaving Bucharest Nord at 17:40, Ploeşti at 18:21, Braşov at 20:17 & Sighişoara at 22:34, arriving Budapest Keleti at 08:50 next morning.  The Ister has a modern air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car  (1, 2 or 3-bed standard sleepers with washbasin, 1, 2 or 3 bed deluxe sleepers with toilet & shower) and couchettes (4 & 6-berth).  A bed in the sleeper is the recommended option, see the photos below.  The Ister should have a restaurant car for dinner & breakfast (euros, lei & forints accepted), but the restaurant isn't always attached, so take some provisions yourself.  Spend the morning in Budapest.

• Day 2, travel from Budapest to Munich by air-conditioned RailJet train, leaving Budapest Keleti at 13:10 and arriving in Munich Hauptbahnhof at 20:34.  A bar-bistro car is available, so treat yourself to lunch!  More pictures & information about this RailJet train.

• Day 2, travel from Munich to Paris overnight by the City Night Line sleeper train Cassiopeia, leaving Munich Hauptbahnhof daily at 22:50 and arriving at Paris Gare de l'Est 09:24 next morning.  The train has ordinary seats, couchettes (6-berth & 4-berth) and sleeping-cars (1, 2 or 3-bed rooms, deluxe with shower or standard with washbasin).  More pictures & information about this City Night Line train.  Walk from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare du Nord.

• Day 3, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Nord at 11:13 and arriving London St Pancras at 12:30.

From Paris to Munich by City Night Line sleeper train...

The Paris-Munich overnight train is one of the German Railway's excellent City Night Line sleeper trains.  Called the Cassiopeia, it has modern Comfortline sleeping-cars  with 1, 2 & 3-berth deluxe compartments with private shower and toilet, 1, 2 & 3-berth economy compartments with washbasin.  There is a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in economy sleepers, and all sleepers have power-points for laptop computers.  The train has modern air-conditioned couchette cars, choose between a berth in a 4 or 6-berth compartment.  There are also ordinary seats (not recommended).  Inclusive fares are charged covering travel plus sleeping accommodation.  The sleeping-car fare includes a light breakfast. More pictures & information about this train.  Travel tip:  For a good meal in a classic Parisian brasserie before boarding the sleeper train in Paris, catch the earlier 14:04 Eurostar & dine at the Brasserie Terminus Nord directly across the road from the Gare du Nord.  Alternatively, you can have a meal or beer at the Brasserie Flo at the Gare de l'Est whilst waiting for your sleeper, it's just inside the entrance in what was once the left luggage office.  For a cooked breakfast in Munich or evening meal before boarding the Paris-bound sleeper on your return, try the typically Bavarian Mongdratzerl restaurant, located in the hauptbahnhof itself.

1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper: The most comfortable option, with proper beds & washbasin.		4-berth couchettes:  Ideal for families, much more space per person than 6-berth couchettes.		6-berth couchettes:  A very economical option, far better than a seat for just a few euros more...		"Night train to Munich":  The Comfortline sleeping-car of the Paris to Munich sleeper train boarding at Paris Gare de l'Est... More pictures & information about this train...

From Munich to Budapest by RailJet...

RailJet is Austria's brand-new high-speed train, linking Munich, Vienna & Budapest.  It will soon also link Zurich, Innsbruck & Vienna.  Designed to run at up to 230km/h (143 mph) on sections of upgraded track, it currently reaches 200km/h on part of the route, but in other parts snakes around beautiful scenery at a more sedate pace.  Look out for great views of Salzburg citadel & castle on the right as you cross the river Salzach approaching Salzburg.  RailJet has three classes, Economy (2nd class), First (1st class), and Business (€15 supplement over normal first class).  From 1 March 2012 Business class replaced Premium Class with the same seating but a reduced surcharge and free drinks but no free meals.  The Railjet has a bistro car providing drinks, snacks and hot dishes, which are served on proper china at your seat in first and premium classes.  TV screens in each car tell you the train's speed & location, with a list of next station stops and times.  A great way to travel.  More pictures & information about this RailJet train.

"The RailJet has landed..."  The morning RailJet train from Munich has arrived spot on time at Budapest's historic Keleti station...		Business class costs €15 more than normal 1st class...		Economy class on RailJet, comfortable open saloons with large picture windows.  Some seats are around tables, some are unidirectional.

From Budapest to Bucharest on the EuroNight sleeper train Ister...

The Ister from Budapest to Brasov & Bucharest has a modern air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car with carpeted 1, 2 or 3-berth compartments with proper beds & washbasin, plus several deluxe 1, 2 or 3 bed compartments with private toilet & shower, see the photos below.  Travelling in the sleeping-car is safe, comfortable & civilised.  The Ister also has a Romanian couchette car with 6-berth & 4-berth compartments, each berth with rug, sheet & pillow, berths converting to seats by day.  Couchettes are fairly basic, and a proper bed in the sleeper is much more comfortable and secure yet costs very little extra, so is the recommended option.  There's a modern Romanian restaurant car serving dinner and a cooked breakfast, but taking some supplies of your own is always a good idea.  The Ister also has air-conditioned seats cars, but a mere seat is not recommended.

Traveller Philip Dyer-Perry reports:  "Budapest to Bucharest on the Ister is an absolute pleasure. I booked online with MAV and travelled in the new sleeping car, which was comfortable, smooth, and clean. There is a shower, but obviously not intended for use as most of the hose assembly was missing.  There was a dining car, and if you ask you can get a menu, but it's better to ask the man what he's got and negotiate a price.  If you have hard (non-Romanian) currency there is a certain amount of flexibility.  In the evening it was chicken & potatoes, next morning it was a rather tasty omelette.  Just be aware that the main purpose of the dining car is as a place for the traincrew to smoke!  It's good though, and a world away from Western Europe..."

Deluxe sleeper...  The en suite toilet & shower in a deluxe sleeper from Budapest to Bucharest.  Courtesy Andy Brabin.		A sleeper set up as a  1-berth compartment with middle & top berths folded away against the wall.  Courtesy Andy Brabin.		The Budapest-Bucharest Ister:  This is the modern air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car.  The letters above the windows say 'Voiture-Lits - Sleeping-car - Carrozza Letti - Vagon de Dormit'...  Welcome to your hotel on rails, some compartments with toilet & shower.  Courtesy Andy Brabin.

The vagon cuseta (couchette car) on the Ister, at Budapest.		6-berth couchettes.		4-berth couchettes.

How much does it cost?

Each train is ticketed separately, so just add up the price for each leg of the journey...

How to buy tickets online...

	You can now book the Budapest to Bucharest sleeper train online at the Hungarian Railways website www.mav-start.hu.  To collect tickets, look for these blue e-ticket collection machines at Budapest Keleti station...  Location of internet ticket collection machines at Budapest Keleti station

Anyone from any country can buy tickets online this way, at the cheapest prices with few on no booking fees.

• When does booking open?  Booking usually opens 92 days ahead for City Night Line, 120 days ahead for Eurostar.  However, I strongly recommend waiting until 92 days so you can buy all tickets together, doing a dry run on all 3 websites first to check times and prices before booking for real.  Hotel accommodation can be booked before booking your trains risk-free if you use a site such as www.booking.com with free cancellation.

• Step 1, book the Paris to Munich sleeper train:  Go to www.bahn.de, the German Railways website, and book from Paris to Munich and back on the direct overnight sleeper train, looking for the CNL train with 0 changes in the search results.  Availability of cheap 'savings' fares and fully-flexible fares will be shown, for each type of seat, couchette & sleeper.  You pay by credit card and print out your own tickets in .pdf format.  Easy!  Note that the prices shown on www.bahn.de are in euros, and are the total cost for all passengers selected, not per person.  Always book the sleeper first and check its actual arrival & departure before booking the Eurostar connection, as times occasionally vary.  I strongly recommend registering when it asks you before completing the purchase, so you can easily retrieve any bookings and re-print tickets at any time.

• Step 2, book the Munich to Budapest Railjet train:  Still on www.bahn.de, now use the journey planner to bring up the connecting Munich-Budapest Railjet train shown in the train times above, and buy the ticket.  It will show if any cheap special fares are available.  You simply print out your own Online Ticket.

• If you want to stop off in Vienna for (say) a day, when booking the Munich to Budapest train at bahn.de simply look for the 'Via (1)' box and enter 'Vienna', then enter '24:00' in the 'hh:mm stopover' box.  It'll then book you a 24 hour stopover in Vienna, but still let you buy a cheap €39 fare from Munich to Budapest (if it's available, obviously).  You can even spend a few hours in Salzburg on the way as well, by entering 'Salzburg' in the via box and (say) '04:00' in the stopover box, then clicking 'add another stopover' and entering 'Vienna' & '24:00'.  All still for €39!

• Step 3, book the Eurostar:  Go to www.eurostar.com to book your connecting Eurostar tickets between London and Paris.  Use the Eurostar times above as a guide, but by all means book an earlier Eurostar outwards, or a later Eurostar on the way back, if this has cheaper seats available of if you'd like to stop off in Paris for a while.  You print out your own ticket.  You don't live in London?  At www.eurostar.com, you can not only book tickets starting in London, you can buy a cheap 'through ticket' from 130 other UK towns and cities to Paris.  If your town isn't listed, you can buy a separate ticket up to London to connect with Eurostar, see the advice on buying connecting tickets from other UK towns & cities here.  Want to choose your exact seat on Eurostar?  www.eurostar.com allows you to choose an exact seat from a numbered seating plan, look closely for the 'choose exact seat' link towards the end of the process.  See tips on choosing the best seats on Eurostar.

• Step 4, book the Budapest to Bucharest sleeper train:  Go to www.mav-start.hu (Hungarian Railways).  Click 'EN' top left for English and enter Budapest to Bucuresti (Bucharest) or Brasov in the journey planner.  When the results appear, ignore them, select 'couchette' or 'sleeping' car, make sure you tick 'own compartment' if you are booking 2 or 3 people and want sole occupancy of a whole 2 or 3 bed compartment, enter your date of birth in format YYYY.MM.DD and click 'Tickets and prices'.  On the next page, click for 'Further information' then click 'Open'.  Now select and book the train.  You can book couchettes or sleepers on the Ister online using this system, with various types of reduced-rate book-ahead ticket such as 'Fortuna', just pick the cheapest ticket.  The MAV website is a little fiddly, just persevere, it will indeed book this train!  You pay online and collect tickets from the internet ticket collection point at Budapest Keleti station with the reference number and original credit card.

• If you have any problems using MAV-start.hu, UK residents can also book the Budapest to Bucharest train online at www.raileurope.co.uk.  However it only seems to offer 6-berth couchettes or 2-bed sleepers eastbound, 3-berth & 2 berth sleepers westbound, not the full range of accommodation.  In 6-berth couchettes or 3-berth sleepers, Rail Europe's prices are similar to or slightly lower than those charged by German Railways' UK office, making online booking a good option.  However, for 2-bed sleepers the French system still assumes you need a 1st class ticket even though that's no longer the case on this route, so it charges £142 instead of the correct £118.  So the best way to book this train if you want a sleeper is to book by phone by calling Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 Sat & Sun). 

Buy tickets the easy way from europeanrail.com...

Open this special booking form, edit it to your own specific requirements, save it to your PC then email it to European Rail in London.  They will call you back with a confirmed price which you can then accept or decline, paying over the phone by credit card if you accept.  European Rail staff are familiar with making bookings like this, and use the German Railways reservation & ticketing system, the same as DB's UK office.  A £35 booking fee applies.

How to buy tickets by phone...

If you'd prefer to book by phone, just call Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card charge, no charge for debit cards), or a booking agency such as European Rail on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 Saturdays, £35 booking fee).

Tailor-made train travel + hotel arrangements...

If you want a compete tailor-made trip with all your rail travel expertly booked for you and good quality hotels arranged, UK residents can call www.railbookers.com on 020 3327 0761.  US residents can call them on (646) 770 2894 (please quote seat61) and Canadian residents on (416) 800 0732 (please quote 'seat61').  Australian residents can call their Australian office, www.railbookers.com.au on 02 8096 0550.  Just tell them what you want, and they'll advise you on the best trains, routes & hotels and sort it all out for you, hassle-free.  They get very positive reviews and take good care of their guests.

Option 2, London to Romania via Brussels & Vienna...

London ► Bucharest

• Day 1:  Travel from London to Brussels by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 12:58, arriving in Brussels Midi at 16:08.

• Day 1:  Travel from Brussels to Cologne by high-speed Thalys train, leaving Brussels Midi at 17:28 and arriving in Cologne Hauptbahnhof at 19:15.

• Day 1:  Travel from Cologne to Vienna by EuroNight sleeper train, leaving Cologne Hauptbahnhof at 20:05 and arriving in Vienna Westbahnhof at 08:56 next morning.  This Austrian Railways sleeper train has sleeping-cars (1, 2 & 3-berth deluxe sleepers with shower, 1 & 2-berth standard sleepers with washbasin), couchettes (4 & 6 berth compartments) & ordinary seats.  The train travels along the famous Rhine Valley between Koblenz and Frankfurt, so if you are in a sleeper and your compartment happens to be on the left-hand side of the train, switch off the lights and watch the Rhine pass by, mountains and castles lit by moonlight, while sipping a glass of Riesling.  Wonderful!  More pictures & information about this EuroNight train.

You then have a choice:

Bucharest ► London

You also have a choice for the return journey:  

Introducing the Austrian Railways EuroNight train from Cologne to Vienna...

This was originally a City Night Line train, but from 13 December 2009 it will become an Austrian Railways (ÖBB) EuroNight sleeper train, with sleeping-car, couchettes & seats.  The sleeping-car has very compact 1 & 2 bed compartments with washbasin, plus two deluxe compartments (still very compact) with 1 or 2 beds plus private shower & toilet.  The sleeper berths come fully made up with sheets and duvets, and all sleeper passengers get mineral water in the evening and a light breakfast served in their compartment next morning.  Towels & toiletries are provided, including shampoo and shower gel in the deluxe sleepers.  In the more economical couchettes, you can book a couchette in a cheaper 6-berth compartment or a less-crowded 4-berth compartment.  Couchette passengers get a small bottle of mineral water, and each couchette is provided with sheet, blanket and pillow.  When waiting for the northbound sleeper train at Vienna Westbahnhof, if you have a sleeper ticket (as opposed to couchette or seat ticket), you can use the first class ÖBB Club Lounge, with complimentary drinks.

1 or 2 bed sleeper: The most comfortable option. Standard sleepers have a washbasin, deluxe sleepers a private shower & toilet.		4 & 6-berth couchettes:  The economy option, ideal for families.  Couchettes are basic padded bunks with rug & pillow.  This is a 6-berth couchette.		The Austrian sleeping-car or schlafwagen. Sleeper & couchette passengers receive a complimentary light breakfast with tea or coffee in the morning. Click for more pictures & information about this EuroNight train

From Vienna to Bucharest on the Dacia Express...

The Dacia Express from Vienna to Brasov & Bucharest has a comfortable Romanian sleeping-car with carpeted 1, 2 or 3-bed compartments with proper beds & washbasin, see the photos below.  Bought second-hand from German Railways, these sleepers are safe, comfortable & civilised.  There's even a shower at the end of the corridor, although water pressure & temperature might not be brilliant, assuming it works!  The Dacia Express also has one Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6-bunk compartments.  The couchettes have compartments with 6 seats by day which convert to bunks for night time use with rug, sheet and pillow supplied.  Couchettes are fairly basic, and a proper bed in the sleeper is much more comfortable and secure yet costs very little extra, so is the recommended option.  The Dacia Express also has several air-conditioned seats cars, but making this journey in an ordinary seat is not recommended.

The Dacia Express about to leave Vienna for Bucharest.  the Romanian sleeping-car attendant greets passengers at the door...		2-berth sleeper with washbasin on the Vienna-Bucharest Dacia Express...		4 or 6 berth couchette compartment on the Dacia Express...

How much does it cost?

Ask about reductions if you are over 60 or under 26.  You might want to consider a Eurail, InterRail, or selection of Eurodomino railpasses for this journey, although sleeper or couchette supplements will need to be paid in addition to buying the pass.

Braşov is 12km from the skiing resort of Poiana Braşov, and starting point for trips to Castle Bran - Dracula's castle!

How to buy tickets online...

The cheapest way to book this part of this trip is online, because there's no booking fee and all the special offers are there for you to see.  It involves two or three websites, so do a dry run on both sites to check prices and availability before booking for real.  Here's how:

• Step 1, book your London-Cologne ticket:  Go to the Belgian Railways international website www.b-europe.com and book a ticket from London to Cologne and back using the train times on this page as a guide.  You print off your own tickets.  B-europe.com can book both Eurostar+Thalys and Eurostar+ICE, and their booking system handles this two-leg journey well, finding the cheapest prices for each leg.  Allow plenty of time for the connection in Cologne, preferably at least an hour when connecting with a sleeper train.  Remember that your return departure date from Cologne is the day after your departure from Vienna!  By all means take an earlier train from London to Cologne, or a later train returning from Cologne to London, if this has cheaper fares available or if you'd like some time in Cologne.

• Cheaper tickets?  You can also try the German Railways website www.bahn.de for booking your London-Cologne tickets, as they offer London Spezial fares from London to Cologne from €59 each way.  However, you'll only find these fares on journeys which involve the two or three German ICE trains between Brussels & Cologne, not on those involving Thalys.  In the outward direction that means leaving London much earlier (at 10:58, 08:58 some days) and spending some time in Cologne.

• Step 2, book the Cologne to Vienna sleeper train:  Go to www.bahn.de and buy a ticket from Cologne (Köln in German) to Vienna aboard the direct EuroNight train, looking for the cheapest fares.  Your simply book online and print out your own ticket in .PDF format using your PC printer.  Easy!  Make sure you select the type of couchette or sleeper that you want.  Bookings open 90 days (3 months) before departure.  I recommend registering when it asks you before completing the purchase, so you can easily retrieve any bookings.

• Step 3, if you want the Vienna to Bucharest Dacia Express (when running):  You can book the Dacia Express online at www.raileurope.co.uk.  Enter 'Vienna' (select 'Vienna (AT) if prompted) and 'Bucharest' (select 'Bucharest (RO)' if prompted) .  Enter your dates of travel, remembering that your departure date from Vienna will be the day after your departure from London.  You may find cheaper fares available if you book your Vienna-Bucharest ticket by phone with Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-17:00 Mon-Fri).

• Step 3, if you want to travel via Budapest, book a ticket from Vienna to Budapest at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.  UK residents can also use www.raileurope.co.uk, although it will be a little more expensive.

• Step 4, to book the Budapest to Bucharest Ister, go to the Hungarian Railways site www.mav-start.hu.  I strongly recommend using the Google Chrome browser, as the MAV site sometimes switches back to Hungarian half way through the process, but Chrome's built-in translation facility means this shouldn't be a problem.  Click 'EN' top left for English and enter Budapest to Bucuresti (Bucharest) or Brasov in the journey planner.  When the results appear, ignore them, select 'couchette' or 'sleeping' car, make sure you tick 'own compartment' if you are booking 2 or 3 people and want sole occupancy of a whole 2 or 3 bed compartment, enter your date of birth in format YYYY.MM.DD and click 'Tickets and prices'.  On the next page, click for 'Further information' then click 'Open'.  Now select and book the train.  You can book couchettes or sleepers on the Ister online using this system, with various types of reduced-rate book-ahead ticket such as 'Fortuna', just pick the cheapest ticket.  The MAV website is a little fiddly, just persevere, it will indeed book this train!  You pay online and collect tickets from the internet ticket collection point at Budapest Keleti station with the reference number and original credit card.

• If you have any problems using MAV-start.hu, UK residents can also book the Budapest to Bucharest train online at www.raileurope.co.uk.  However it only seems to offer 6-berth couchettes or 2-bed sleepers eastbound, 3-berth & 2 berth sleepers westbound, not the full range of accommodation.  In 6-berth couchettes or 3-berth sleepers, Rail Europe's prices are similar to or slightly lower than those charged by German Railways' UK office, making online booking a good option.  However, for 2-bed sleepers the French system still assumes you need a 1st class ticket even though that's no longer the case on this route, so it charges £142 instead of the correct £118.  So the best way to book this train if you want a sleeper is to book by phone by calling Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 Sat & Sun). 

New!  Buy tickets the easy way from europeanrail.com...

Open this special booking form, edit it to your own specific requirements, save it to your PC then email it to European Rail in London.  They will call you back with a confirmed price which you can then accept or decline, paying over the phone by credit card if you accept.  European Rail staff are familiar with making bookings like this, and use the German Railways reservation & ticketing system, the same as DB's UK office.  A £35 booking fee applies.

How to buy tickets by phone...

You may prefer to book the whole journey by phone.  The best agencies to call for this trip are either Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card charge, no charge for debit cards), www.europeanrail.com on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 Saturdays, £35 booking fee), or Ffestiniog Travel on 01766 772050 (8% booking fee).  Click here for a list of agencies and other useful information on how to book.

Tailor-made train travel + hotel arrangements...

If you want a compete tailor-made trip with all your rail travel expertly booked for you and good quality hotels arranged, UK residents can call www.railbookers.com on 020 3327 0761.  US & Canadian residents can call them toll-free on 1-800-408-3280.  Australian residents can call their Australian office, www.railbookers.com.au toll-free on 1300 971 526. New Zealand residents call toll-free on 0800 002 034.   Just tell them what you want, and they'll advise you on the best trains, routes & hotels and sort it all out for you, hassle-free.  They get very positive reviews and take good care of their guests.

Option 3, London to Romania by daytime trains with hotel stops...

This takes a bit longer so it's not so time-effective as using sleeper trains, but if you prefer daytime trains through the scenery with overnight stops in comfortable hotels, this is the option for you.  It's also potentially the cheapest option, although this is not necessarily true once the cost of the hotels is added.  By all means stop off for longer between trains, what you do is up to you.

London ► Bucharest

• Day 1:  Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 10:25 (11:01 on Saturdays) arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 13:47 (14:17 on Saturdays). It's a 10 minute walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.

• Day 1:  Travel from Paris to Munich by 200 mph double-decker TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 15:19 and arriving in Munich at 21:36.  The TGV has a café-bar available.

• Stay overnight in a hotel in Munich.

• Day 2:  Travel from Munich to Budapest by smart modern Railjet train, leaving Munich at 09:27 and arriving Budapest Keleti station at 16:49.

• Stay overnight in a hotel in Budapest.

• Day 3:  For Brasov, travel from Budapest to Brasov by air-conditioned InterCity train Transylvania, leaving Budapest Keleti at 09:10 and arriving Arad at 14:28, Simeria at 17:08, Sibiu at 20:12 and Braşov at 23:00.  A Hungarian restaurant car is available for lunch and dinner.

• Day 3:  For Bucharest, travel from Budapest to Bucharest by air-conditioned InterCity train Traianus, leaving Budapest Keleti at 07:10 and arriving Arad 12:28, Timisoara 13:26, Craiova 19:24 and Bucharest Nord at 22:27.  A Romanian cafe-bar car is available for snacks & drinks.

Bucharest ► London

• Day 1:  From Bucharest, travel from Bucharest to Budapest by air-conditioned InterCity train Traianus, leaving Bucharest Nord at 05:45, Craiova 08:45, Timisoara 14:15, Arad 15:23 and arriving Budapest Keleti at 18:50.  A Romanian cafe-bar car is available for snacks & drinks.

• Day 1:  From Brasov, travel from Brasov to Budapest by air-conditioned InterCity train Transylvania, leaving Brasov at 06:00, Sibiu at 09:38, Simeria at 11:44 and Arad at 14:29, arriving Budapest Keleti at 17:50.  A Hungarian restaurant car is available for lunch and dinner.

• Stay overnight in a hotel in Budapest.

• Day 2:  Travel from Budapest to Munich by one of several smart modern Railjet train.  There's one leaving Budapest Keleti at 11:10 arriving Munich at 18:33, but earlier or later ones are available at 07:10 or 15:10.

• Stay overnight in a hotel in Munich.

• Day 3:  Travel from Munich to Stuttgart, leaving Munich at 09:45 and arriving Stuttgart at 12:01.  Change onto a 200 mph double-decker TGV Duplex to Paris, leaving Stuttgart daily at 12:55 and arriving at Paris Gare de l'Est 16:35.  A café-bar is available.  In Paris, it's a 10 minute walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.

• Travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Nord at 18:13 (19:13 on Saturdays) and arriving London St Pancras at 19:39 (20:39 on Saturdays).

	You can now book cheap tickets for the Budapest to Bucharest daytime trains online at the Hungarian Railways website www.mav-start.hu.  To collect tickets, look for these blue e-ticket collection machines at Budapest Keleti station...

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £39 one-way or £69 return.

• Paris to Munich by TGV starts at €39 (£34) each way.

• Munich to Budapest by Railjet starts at €39 (£34) each way.

• Budapest to Bucharest by InterCity train starts at €29 (£25) each way.

• Budapest to Brasov by InterCity train starts at €19 (£16) each way, 1st class €76.

• Each of these fares vary like air fares, so book early for the cheapest prices.

How to buy tickets online...

• Step 1, book from Paris to Munich at the German railways website www.bahn.de.  You print your own ticket.  I strongly recommend registering when prompted, as you can then log in from any computer and check or re-print your tickets.

• Step 2, still on www.bahn.de, book your Munich to Budapest train and print your own ticket.

• Step 3, now book the London-Paris Eurostar at www.eurostar.com.  You book online and print your own ticket.  I recommend confirming the timings of the Paris-Munich train before booking a suitable Eurostar connection, that's why this is step 3 not step 1.  Make sure you allow at least 60 minutes in Paris between trains.

• Step 4, now book Budapest to Bucharest at the Hungarian Railways website www.mav-start.hu. Click EN top-left for English.  Enter Bucharest as 'Bucuresti', enter date of travel and click 'Timetable'.  On the next page, enter your date of birth in the format YY.MM.DD and click 'Tickets and Prices'.  Now click 'Open'.  Tickets must be collected in Budapest from the self-service machine at Budapest Keleti station.  They cannot be self-printed, or sent, or collected in Bucharest.

How to buy tickets by phone...

If you prefer to book the journey by phone, or if you have problems booking online, call Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card charge, no charge for debit cards), or www.europeanrail.com on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 Saturdays, £35 booking fee).  They can offer the same cheap fares that are available online as far as Budapest, but be warned that neither agency can access the cheap €29 fares available online direct from the Hungarian Railways website, then can only sell full-price international tariff fares for this sector.

By 200 mph TGV Duplex from Paris to Munich...   Watch the TGV Duplex video

Sit back with a glass of red and enjoy the ride - book an upper deck seat for the best views.  The train has power sockets for laptops & mobiles at all seats in both classes, and a cafe-bar serves drinks, snacks & microwaved hot dishes.  First class passengers on this route are given a simple but tasty meal box with a small bottle of beer or wine served at their seat, included in the fare.  The train soon leaves the Paris suburbs behind and speeds across a vast wide open plateau of woods and farmland at up to 200mph, past picturesque French villages of the Champagne region.  After an hour or two, the train leaves the high-speed line and slowly meanders through pretty wooded hills, the countryside eventually flattening out towards Strasbourg.  On leaving Strasbourg, look out for Strasbourg cathedral on the left with its famously missing second tower.  Minutes afterwards you rumble across the river Rhine into Germany, before heading on to Stuttgart and Munich.
TGV Duplex at Paris Est. These impressive 200 mph double-deck trains link Paris & Munich, a relaxing journey with reading book & glass of wine...		2nd class seats on TGV Duplex upper deck.  There's a mix of unidirectional seating and tables for 4 like this...

1st class seats on the upper deck, with a 'club duo' on the left, a 'club quatre' on the right.		A TGV Duplex.  The red near the door indicates 1st class, pale green indicates 2nd class.

By modern Railjet train from Munich to Budapest...

Economy class on RailJet, comfortable open saloons with picture windows.  Some seats arranged around tables, most unidirectional.		The RailJet from Munich, arrived at Budapest Keleti spot on time.  More photos & information about Railjet trains.

Railjet first class, with black leather seats...		Business class...		The restaurant...

...and by air-conditioned InterCity train from Budapest to Brasov or Bucharest.

The Transylvania (left) about to leave Budapest.		The restaurant car on the Transylvania...

Air-conditioned 2nd class seats used on the Traianus from Budapest to Bucharest & the Transylvania from Budapest to Sighisoara & Brasov.  Or take your own picnic with beer or wine...

Bucharest Nord station

Bucharest's imposing main railway station...  Click for map

Bucharest has one main station, the imposing Gara de Nord (Bucuresti Nord), opened in 1872.  I've always found the grand scale of the architecture somewhat dark and oppressive but it's improved in recent years.  The station is a terminus, with some 14 platforms.  Photo courtesy of Railbookers.com.

Left luggage & ATMs

There's a left luggage office 50m past the Relay newsagents, see here for prices.  There are plenty of ATM cash points around the station.

Somewhere to eat...

There is a MacDonalds, a KFC & a Springtime inside the station, as well as many kiosks selling drinks and snacks.  Further feedback appreciated!

Buy Romanian train tickets online at www.cfrcalatori.ro...

You can book Romanian train tickets online at www.cfrcalatori.ro, the Romanian Railways (CFR) website.  Feedback would be appreciated if you do this.

Alternatively, you can arrange train tickets & reservations on trains within Romania by e-mail via the Wasteels travel agency at Bucharest Nord station, who have been reported as providing 'first class service' by seat61 correspondents.  Their website is now www.triptkts.ro, you can contact them through their website.  They are located inside Bucharest Gara de Nord.  Tel +40 21 300 2730 or +40 21 317 0370, open 10:00-18:00 Monday-Friday.  They also have an office at Brasov station, +40 368 22 80 01, also open 10:00-18:00 Monday-Friday.

You should take a good guidebook.  For the independent traveller, this means either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide.  Both series are excellent.  The Lonely Planet range offers an in-depth guide for Romania or a guide covering all the countries in Eastern Europe.  You won't regret buying one!

Click the images to buy at Amazon...

The Thomas Cook European Timetable

The Thomas Cook European timetable has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency & climate information.  Published since 1873, it costs £14.99.  It's essential for any serious traveller and an inspiration for armchair travellers.  Still not convinced you need one?  More information on what the Thomas Cook Timetable contains.  You can buy the latest monthly edition online at www.thomascookpublishing.com with worldwide delivery or buy it in person from selected UK branches of Thomas Cook (ask at the bureau de change), or from W H Smiths in Victoria station in London.  Or buy the twice-yearly independent traveller's edition with laminated cover from Amazon.co.uk:  Winter/Spring 2012/13 edition (Dec 2012 to June 2013) or (when available) Summer/Autumn 2013 edition (June to Dec 2013)

The Thomas Cook Rail Map of Europe is the best and most comprehensive map of train routes right across Europe, from Portugal in the west to Istanbul, Moscow & Ukraine in the east, from Finland in the north to Sicily & Crete in the south.  High speed & scenic routes are highlighted.  Highly recommended!  Buy online at www.amazon.co.uk (worldwide delivery).  See an extract from the map.

Find hotels in Bucharest, Transylvania & Romania...

Other hotel sites worth trying...

• www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.

• www.booking.com is my own preferred hotel booking system (Hotels Combined being a search/comparison system).  It has a simple interface, a good selection in most countries worldwide, useful online customer reviews of each hotel, and decent prices, usually shown inclusive of unavoidable extras such as taxes (a pet hate of mine is systems that show one price, then charge you another!).

Backpacker hostels...

• www.hostelbookers.com:  If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels.  Hostelbookers offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.

Travel insurance & health card...

Get travel insurance, it's essential...

Never travel without insurance from a reliable travel insurer with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover.  It should also cover loss of cash (up to a limit) & belongings, and cancellation. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year (I have an annual policy myself).  Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, though, see the advice on missed connections here.  Here are some suggested insurers, Seat61 gets a little commission if you buy through these links, and feedback from using insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome.

In the UK, use www.confused.com to compare prices & policy features across major insurance companies.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65 (no age limit), see www.JustTravelCover.com.

        If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct's other websites.

   If you live in the USA or Canada, try Travel Guard USA.

Get an EU health card, it's free...

If you're a UK citizen travelling in Europe, you should apply for a free European Health Insurance Card, which entitles you to free or reduced rate health care if you become ill or get injured in many European countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with the NHS.  This replaced the old E111 forms as from January 2006.  The EHIC card is available from www.ehic.org.uk.  It doesn't remove the need for travel insurance, though.

Get a spare credit card, designed for foreign travel with no currency exchange loading & low/no ATM fees

Taking out an extra credit card costs nothing, but if you keep it in a different part of your luggage you won't be left stranded if your wallet gets stolen.  In addition, some credit cards are better for overseas travel than others.  Martin Lewis's www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad.

You can avoid ATM charges and expensive exchange rates with a Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or their multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card, see www.caxtonfx.com for info.

Get an international SIM card to save on mobile data and phone calls...

Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, and if you're not careful you can return home to find a huge bill.  Consider buying a global pre-paid SIM card for your mobile phone from www.Go-Sim.com, which can slash costs by up to 85%.  Go-Sim cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide, and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries.  It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills when you get home.  It also allows cheap data access for laptops & PDAs.  A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't expire if it's not used between trips, unlike some others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone number' for life.