How much does it cost?

• Tailor Made Rail can organise a trip to Bulgaria by train for you with hotels and transfers, even though it's not a destination listed on their website. Call their dedicated seat61 phone line 020 3778 1461 and quote seat 61 when booking.  From outside the UK call +44 20 3778 1461.  Lines open 09:00-17:30 Monday-Friday.  Their website is www.tailormaderail.com/destinations/croatia.

What's the journey like?

1. London to Paris or Brussels by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Paris in 2h20, London & Brussels in just 2 hours, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Plus and Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure.  St Pancras station guide.  Brussels Midi station guide.  In Brussels, I recommend using the Pullman Hotel bar as your VIP waiting room.

Eurostar e320 at St Pancras.  More about Eurostar.		1st class: Plus or Premier seating.

Standard class.  Larger photo.		One of two cafe-bars, cars 8 & 9.  Larger photo.

2. Paris or Brussels to Vienna by Nightjet

There are many different options for onward travel from Paris or Brussels to Budapest.  One option is to take the 3-times-a-week Nightjet train from Paris or Brussels to Vienna.  Run by Austrian Railways (ÖBB), it has sleeping-cars, couchettes & seats.  Each of the two sleeping-cars has 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, plus three deluxe compartments with 1, 2 or 3 beds with shower & toilet.  The sleeper berths come =made up with sheets and duvets, 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, each provided with sheet, blanket, pillow & small bottle of water.  Couchette passengers get tea or coffee, rolls & jam in the morning.  When waiting for the northbound sleeper train in Vienna, if you have booked a sleeper you can use the ÖBB lounge with complimentary refreshments.  More about Nightjets.

On 20 January 2020, the inaugural Nightjet left Brussels for Vienna, the first scheduled sleeper train to leave Brussels in 16 years.  Above, that inaugural train is seen ready to leave Brussels Midi on 20 January - naturally, the Man in Seat 61 was on board!

Deluxe sleeper.  Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room.  Larger photo.  Video of deluxe room		Same deluxe sleeper in evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out.  Larger photo.		Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided.  Larger photo.		Standard sleeper set up as 2-berth, washstand open.  It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth.  Larger photo.

6-berth couchettes.		4-berth couchettes.		Couchette car on the Brussels-Vienna Nightjet.

3. Vienna to Budapest by Railjet

Railjets are ÖBB's (Austrian Railways) premier trains, with economy & 1st class, plus a premium 1st class called business class.  There's a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  In 1st & business class, restaurant car orders are taken and served at your seat.  More about railjets.  Budapest Keleti station guide.

A railjet about to leave Vienna.  More about railjets

Business class.  About.		Restaurant car.

First class.		Economy class.

The railjet has landed.  A railjet has arrived spot on time in Budapest's historic Keleti station, built 1881-1884

4. Budapest to Videle by sleeper train Muntenia

The Muntenia from Budapest to Videle & Bucharest has a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6-bunk compartments, these convert from seats to bunks at night will sheet, pillow and blanket provided.  There are toilets & washrooms at the end of the corridor.  A Romanian sleeping-car is attached from Arad to Bucharest with cosy 1, 2 & 3-bed compartments with washbasin.

The couchette car on the westbound Ister, boarding at Bucharest.  Couchettes convert from bunks at night to seats by day.  Courtesy of @AndyBTravels, DiscoverByRail.com.		4 or 6-berth couchettes.  Larger photo.

5. Bucharest or Videle to Sofia

In summer it's a direct train from Bucharest & Videle to Sofia, or rather, one 2nd class through car, a Bulgarian carriage with side corridor and 6-seat compartments.  There's no air-con, but the windows open for a cool inward breeze, ideal for photography.  At all other times of year it's a Romanian air-conditioned diesel unit from Bucharest to Ruse then a Bulgarian train from Ruse to Sofia.

There's no catering so bring a picnic and some wine or beer.  It's a lovely scenic ride, crossing from Romania into Bulgaria over the Danube between Giurgiu & Ruse on Europe's longest steel bridge, 2.5 Km long, then meandering at slow speed through the valleys of Bulgaria.

Above, the Sofia to Bucharest through carriage.  In the off-season cars like this run Ruse-Sofia with a connecting train from Bucharest.

Videle station, photographed from the Bucharest-Sofia train as it called there.  Only a small station, but with a shop & restaurant nearby.

The train crosses the Danube into Bulgaria over a 2.5 km long steel bridge, the longest steel bridge in Europe, built in 1954.  It now also has a roadway above the railway.

The train crosses Bulgaria, much or the route is single track with a lot of clickety-clack on jointed rail and an occasional blast from the locomotive horn.

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Option 2, London to Sofia (3 night journey)

This is a more leisurely option taking 3 nights, with more robust connections.  Only 1 night is on a sleeper train, the other two nights are in hotels.

London ► Sofia

• Day 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 12:31, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 15:59.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

  By all means book an earlier Eurostar if it has cheaper fares or you'd like more time in Paris.  You could also catch an earlier onward train to Frankfurt if you like, see the London to Frankfurt timetable here.

  In Paris, it's an easy 7 minute 500m walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.

• Day 1, travel from Paris to Frankfurt by ICE, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 17:10, arriving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 20:59.

  ICEs have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  In 1st class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat.

• Stay overnight in Frankfurt.  Inexpensive hotels next to the station with good reviews include the Flemings Hotel Frankfurt-Central & Hotel Hamburger Hof, both of which I've used myself and can recommend.  There's also The Frankfurt and the inexpensive Hotel Topas.

• Day 2, travel from Frankfurt to Vienna leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 08:22, arriving Vienna Hbf 14:47.

  ICEs have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  In 1st class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat. 

  Tip:  In Vienna, if you have a 1st class ticket for the ICE (but not a Super-Sparpreis ticket) or a 1, 2 or 3-berth sleeper ticket for the Dacia, you can use the ÖBB Lounge between trains.

• Day 2 travel from Vienna to Bucharest on the Dacia Express, leaving Vienna Hbf at 19:42, arriving at Bucharest Nord 15:26 next day (day 3).

  The Dacia has an air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car of the latest type with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, plus several 1 or 2 bed compartments with shower & toilet.  It has a Romanian couchette car with 4-berth & 6-berth compartments, and 2nd class seats.

  A Hungarian restaurant car is attached between Vienna & Budapest, treat yourself to dinner.  However, there's no catering beyond Budapest so bring a picnic & bottle of wine.  There's wonderful Alpine scenery through the Carpathian mountains between Brasov and Bucharest, a treat!

  Enjoy an evening in Bucharest.

• Stay overnight in Bucharest.  The Hotel MyContinental Bucuresti Gara de Nord, Hello Hotels Gara de Nord & Euro Hotel Grivita are all just a 350m 5 minute walk from the station, inexpensive with good reviews.  I personally didn't get on with the Grivita in spite of its good reviews, perhaps try Hello Hotels Gara de Nord.  The Ibis Styles Bucharest Center is an 18-minute hike from the station (see walking map), but would be a reliable choice.  However, if you want a landmark hotel in the city centre, go for the Athenee Palace Hotel, see why I love that hotel here.

• Day 4, travel from Bucharest to Sofia by train, leaving Bucharest Nord 10:11, arriving Sofia Central 20:35.

  From 14 June to 13 October 2025 this is a direct train, or rather, one 2nd class through car, a Bulgarian carriage with classic side corridor and compartments.  There's no air-con, but the windows open for a cool inward breeze, ideal for photography.

  At other times of year, you must change trains at Ruse (arrive 13:40, depart 14:25) from a modern air-conditioned Romanian diesel unit into the elderly Bulgarian train, but the timings, route and scenery are exactly the same.  More about the Bucharest to Sofia train.

  There's no catering so bring your own food & drink.  The train crosses the Danube from Giurgiu in Romania to Ruse in Bulgaria over Europe's longest steel bridge, 2.5 km long, then it meanders through the scenic river valleys of Bulgaria.  Put your feet up and enjoy the ride.

Sofia ► London

• Day 1, travel from Sofia to Bucharest, leaving Sofia Central at 07:00, arriving Bucharest Nord 17:32.

  From 13 June to 12 October 2025 this is a direct train, or rather, a 2nd class through car, a Bulgarian carriage with classic side corridor and compartments.  There's no air-con, but the windows open for a cool inward breeze, ideal for photography.

  At other times of year you must change trains at Ruse (arrive 13:35, depart 14:15) from the Bulgarian train into a modern air-conditioned Romanian diesel unit for the last leg to Bucharest.  But the timings, route and scenery are exactly the same.

  It's a lovely scenic route, meandering at leisurely speed through the beautiful green valleys of Bulgaria.  You then cross the Danube from Ruse in Bulgaria to Giurgiu in Romania over Europe's longest steel bridge, 2.5 km long.  There's no catering so bring a picnic and some wine or beer, a good book, and enjoy the ride.

  Enjoy an evening in Bucharest and have dinner.

  Important update:  Due to track upgrading, from 7 May 2024 for up to 18 months, the train will start at Sofia Sever at 07:06 (= Sofia North, 2.7 km from Sofia Central, see map).  You can either take a taxi from your hotel to Sofia Sever or take the 06:50 suburban train from Sofia Central.

• Stay overnight in Bucharest.  The Hotel MyContinental Bucuresti Gara de Nord, Hello Hotels Gara de Nord & Euro Hotel Grivita are all just a 350m 5 minute walk from the station, inexpensive with good reviews.  I personally didn't get on with the Grivita in spite of its good reviews, perhaps try Hello Hotels Gara de Nord.  The Ibis Styles Bucharest Center is an 18-minute hike from the station (see walking map), but would be a reliable choice.  However, if you want a landmark hotel in the city centre, go for the Athenee Palace Hotel, see why I love that hotel here.

  Enjoy a day in Bucharest.

• Day 1, travel from Bucharest to Vienna on the Dacia Express, leaving Bucharest Nord at 15:07, Ploiești Vest 15:46, Braşov 17:46, Sighisoara 21:12, Simeria 23:02, arriving Vienna Hbf 08:20 next morning (day 2).

  The Dacia has an air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car of the latest type with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, plus several 1 or 2 bed compartments with shower & toilet.  It has a Romanian couchette car with 4-berth & 6-berth compartments, and 2nd class seats.

  There's wonderful scenery through the Carpathian mountains between Ploiești & Braşov and across Transylvania.  Take your own food & drink as there's no catering until Budapest.  A Hungarian restaurant car is attached from Budapest to Vienna next morning if you fancy a cooked breakfast.  Enjoy some free time in Vienna.

  Tip:  If you have a sleeping-car ticket, you can use the ÖBB Lounge at Vienna Hbf for an hour or two after arrival.

• Day 2, travel from Vienna to Frankfurt by ICE train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 15:13, arriving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 21:36.

  Or book the earlier train leaving Vienna Hbf at 11:13, arriving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 17:36.

  ICEs have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  In 1st class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat.

  Tip:  If you have a 1st class ticket (but not a Super-Sparpreis), you can use the ÖBB Lounge at Vienna Hbf for an hour or two before departure.

• Stay overnight in Frankfurt.  Hotels next to the station with good or great reviews include the Flemings Hotel Frankfurt-Central & Hotel Hamburger Hof, both of which I have used myself and can recommend.  There's also The Frankfurt and the inexpensive Hotel Topas.

• Day 3, travel from Frankfurt to Paris by high-speed ICE, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 06:56, arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 10:52.

  Or book the later train leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 08:56, see the Frankfurt to London timetable on the London-Germany page.

  ICEs have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  In 1st class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat.

  In Paris, it's an easy 7 minute 500m walk from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare du Nord.

• Step 3, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 13:12, arriving London St Pancras 14:30.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

How much does it cost?

How to buy tickets

• This involves three different websites, so do a dry run on all three to check prices and availability before booking for real.

• Step 1, book the Eurostar from London to Paris or Brussels at www.eurostar.com.

  Booking opens up to 11 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

• Step 2, book the train from Paris to Frankfurt at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

• Step 3, book the train from Frankfurt to Vienna, also at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

• Step 4, book the Dacia Express at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at. 

  In the search results, look for the direct train marked D with no changes.  If it says not available you can't book it (it may be too early to book), but if a fare is shown you can.  Booking opens up to 90 days ahead.

  Alternatively, you can book it at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro.  Click EN top right for English.  Booking opens up to 90 days ahead.  For Vienna type Wien, for Bucharest type Bucuresti.  You print your own ticket.  Prices might be cheaper than on oebb.at, so check both sites!

• Step 5, book the train from Bucharest or Videle to Sofia at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro.

  You can book one-way or round trip.  You print your own ticket or can show the .pdf on your phone.

  While the trackwork continues, if booking one-way Sofia to Videle or Bucharest you'll need to specify Sofia Sever to Bucuresti to get a .pdf format e-ticket.  If you book from plain Sofia it cannot e-ticket the suburban train from Sofia Central to Sofia Sever so will only offer a hard-copy ticket collected from a Romanian station, which is of no use if you're starting in Bulgaria.

  If you have any problems booking to Sofia, use bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro to book from Bucuresti to Ruse, this ticket can be printed out or shown on your phone.  Then rebook at Ruse, or pay the Bulgarian conductor on the train in cash or with card.

Or use an Interrail pass

• Pass or point to point?

  Let's be clear, a pass will not save money over the cheapest possible point-to-point advance-purchase fares you might see if you book a few months ahead.  But when point-to-point fares are expensive (for example, at short notice) OR you want the flexibility to change your mind, re-route or reschedule as necessary, a pass might be what you need.

  If flexibility is what you want, buy the pass.  If it's about saving money, you'll have to check point-to-point prices and do the maths.

  It's worth doing the maths if you are under 28, if you have kids (kids get a free pass when accompanying an adult but still need to pay reservation fees) or if you live a long way from London (as a pass covers you from your home station to London).  Passes are available in 1st & 2nd class.

  By all means go out one way, back another, with an Interrail pass you can use almost any of the trains & routes shown on this page, assuming you make the necessary reservations, find out how to reserve the relevant trains using the Interrail reservations guide.

• How to use a pass for this route to Romania

  Step 1, buy a 5-days in 1-month Interrail pass from www.raileurope.com (click Rail passes and select Europe) or www.interrail.eu, see pass prices on the Interrail page.  You load the pass into the Railplanner app on your phone.

  A 5-day pass is enough to get from most regions of Britain to Sighisoara, Brasov or Bucharest & back again.

  The pass gives you unlimited train travel on any 5 dates you choose in an overall 1 month period.  The first travel day can be any date you select in the 11 months after buying the pass, the overall 1 month period starts from that date.  Learn how Interrail passes work here.

  Step 2, make a Eurostar passholder reservation from London to Paris & back, see prices & how to make Eurostar passholder reservations online.  Tip:  Eurostar passholder availability is limited, so check availability before buying a pass.

  Step 3, make a compulsory seat reservation on the Paris-Frankfurt ICE train as shown on the Interrail reservations page.

  Step 4, make an optional (but recommended) seat reservation on the Frankfurt-Vienna ICE train using the German Railways website as shown here.

  Step 5, make a couchette or sleeper reservation on the Dacia Express from Vienna to Sighisoara, Brasov or Bucharest at www.oebb.at following the instructions here, using method 1.  Prices can be found on the Interrail reservations page.

  Step 6, I'd buy a regular ticket for the journey between Bucharest & Sofia, as (a) it can easily be booked online, but a reservation-only booking can't be made online and (b) the regular fare is cheaper than a day on a pass.  Buy a ticket at bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro as explained in the previous section.

Or have your trip arranged as a package

• Tailor Made Rail can organise a trip to Bulgaria by train, with hotels and transfers. Call their dedicated seat61 phone line 020 3778 1461 and quote seat 61 when booking.  From outside the UK call +44 20 3778 1461.  Lines open 09:00-17:30 Monday-Friday.  Their website is www.tailormaderail.com/destinations/romania.

What's the journey like?

1. London to Paris by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Paris in 2h20, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Plus and Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure.  St Pancras station guide.  Paris Gare du Nord station guide.

Eurostar e320 at St Pancras.  More about Eurostar.		1st class: Plus or Premier seating.

Standard class.  Larger photo.		One of two cafe-bars, cars 8 & 9.  Larger photo.

2. Paris to Frankfurt by ICE3

In Paris it's an easy 7 minute 500m walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est for the ICE to Frankfurt.  The superb German ICEs have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  In 1st class, food & drink orders are taken at your seat.  More about ICE3.  Paris Gare de l'Est station guide.  Frankfurt (Main) Hbf station guide.

A Paris to Frankfurt ICE3 at Paris Gare de l'Est.  More about Paris-Germany ICEs.

2nd class seats.		1st class seats.

Cafe-bar, at the other end of the restaurant car.		Meal served at my seat in 1st class.

2. Frankfurt to Vienna by ICE-T

ICE-T trains also have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  In 1st class, food & drink orders are taken at your seat.  Frankfurt (Main) Hbf station guide.  Vienna Hbf station guide.

An ICE-T from Frankfurt to Vienna, at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf.  More about ICE-T trains.

Table for two in 1st class, my favourite configuration.		Lunch in the restaurant.  I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier!

You can see into the cab at each end of the train.		Comfortable 2nd class seats on the ICE-T to Vienna.

You'll glimpse the Inn and Danube rivers from the Frankfurt-Vienna ICE.

4. Vienna to Sighisoara, Brasov & Bucharest by Dacia Express

The Dacia Express from Vienna to Sighisoara, Brasov & Bucharest has a modern & comfortable Romanian sleeping-car with carpeted 1, 2 or 3-bed compartments with washbasin, see the photos below.  There are several deluxe compartments with shower & toilet.  The beds fold away to reveal a sofa for daytime use.  The Dacia Express also has a 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 a seat is not recommended.  A Hungarian restaurant car is attached in the evening between Vienna & Budapest, treat yourself to dinner with wine.

Dacia Express sleeping-car at Bucharest Nord and 2-bed sleeper.  Larger photo.

Dacia Express couchette car at Bucharest Nord.  Larger photo.

Transylvania:  The Dacia Express passes villages in rural Transylvania. Courtesy of @PaliparanDotCom.

Carpathians:  Alpine scenery as the Dacia Express passes through the Carpathian mountains.  Courtesy @PaliparanDotCom.

5. Bucharest or Videle to Sofia

In summer it's a direct train from Bucharest & Videle to Sofia, or rather, one 2nd class through car, a Bulgarian carriage with side corridor and 6-seat compartments.  There's no air-con, but the windows open for a cool inward breeze, ideal for photography.  At all other times of year it's a Romanian air-conditioned diesel unit from Bucharest to Ruse then a Bulgarian train from Ruse to Sofia.

There's no catering so bring a picnic and some wine or beer.  It's a lovely scenic ride, crossing from Romania into Bulgaria over the Danube between Giurgiu & Ruse on Europe's longest steel bridge, 2.5 Km long, then meandering at slow speed through the valleys of Bulgaria.

Above, the Sofia to Bucharest through carriage.  In the off-season cars like this run Ruse-Sofia with a connecting train from Bucharest.

Videle station, photographed from the Bucharest-Sofia train as it called there.  Only a small station, but with a shop & restaurant nearby.

The train crosses the Danube into Bulgaria over a 2.5 km long steel bridge, the longest steel bridge in Europe, built in 1954.  It now also has a roadway above the railway.

The train crosses Bulgaria, much or the route is single track with a lot of clickety-clack on jointed rail and an occasional blast from the locomotive horn.

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Option 3, London to Sofia via Hoek van Holland & Bucharest

This is the ferry alternative.  If you live in East Anglia or prefer a ferry to Eurostar and the Channel Tunnel for some reason, this is a useful alternative.  It's often cheaper than Eurostar at short notice.

London ► Sofia

• Day 1, travel from London to Amsterdam overnight by Stena Line Rail & Sail explained here.

  You leave London Liverpool Street at 19:36 Mondays-Fridays, 19:04 Saturdays or 20:00 Sundays by direct train to Harwich International.

  You leave Cambridge at 19:46 daily, by direct train to Harwich International.

  You sleep in a cosy private cabin with shower, toilet & satellite TV on board Stena Line's Harwich-Hoek superferry 21:00-08:00, and arrive Amsterdam around 10:30 next morning.

  Fares start at £62 + cabin cost, book this as shown on the Stena Line Rail & Sail page.

  Enjoy a day in Amsterdam.

• Day 2, travel from Amsterdam to Vienna by Nightjet, leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 19:00, arriving Vienna Hbf 09:17.

  This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has a Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet.  There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers.  The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu.  The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes.  See the guide to Nightjet accommodation.

  Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways own site www.oebb.at (same prices, in €, more fiddly).  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You print your own ticket.

  Tip:  If you have a sleeper ticket and/or 1st class ticket for the onward train to Budapest, you can use the ÖBB lounge at Vienna Hbf between trains, with complimentary tea, coffee, snacks & free WiFi.

• Day 3, travel from Vienna to Sofia as shown on the Vienna to Sofia section.

  You take a fast train to Budapest, an overnight sleeper to Romania and the daily daytime train to Sofia, either with or without an overnight hotel stop in Bucharest.  I'd recommend the 2-night option (with the extra overnight stop in Bucharest) if you can, this gives you some free time in Budapest and Bucharest and allows for any delay.

Sofia ► London

• Days 1 & 2, travel from Sofia to Vienna as shown on the Sofia to Vienna section.

  You take the daily train from Sofia to Romania, an overnight sleeper train to Budapest and a fast train to Vienna, either with or without an overnight hotel stop in Bucharest.  I'd recommend the 2-night option (with the extra overnight stop in Bucharest) if you can, this gives you some free time in Bucharest & Budapest and allows for any delay.

• Day 2, travel from Vienna to Amsterdam by Nightjet, leaving Vienna Hbf at 20:10, arriving Amsterdam Centraal 09:50.

  This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has a Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet.  There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers.  The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu.  The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes.  See the guide to Nightjet accommodation.

  Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways own site www.oebb.at (same prices, in €, a little more fiddly).  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You print your own ticket.

  Enjoy a day in Amsterdam.

• Day 3, travel from Amsterdam to London overnight by Stena Line Rail & Sail explained here.

  You leave Amsterdam Centraal around 18:36, sleep in a cosy private cabin with shower, toilet & satellite TV on board Stena Line's Hoek van Holland to Harwich superferry 21:00-06:30, and arrive London Liverpool Street station around 08:56 next morning (day 4). 

  Fares start at £62 + cabin cost.

  Book this as shown on the Stena Line Rail & Sail page.

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London to Veliko Tarnovo

Bulgaria's ancient capital, Veliko Tarnovo is well worth a visit.  Below left, the main gate to the Royal hill and old cathedral.  Below right, the old town.  The station is at the foot of the hills on which the city is built, it's a longish walk up to the town, you may want to take a taxi.  Click for map of Veliko Tarnovo showing station.

To reach Veliko Tarnovo from London or Paris,  you have two main options:

• Option 1, travel from London to Sofia as shown above, then take a Bulgarian domestic train from Sofia.  You can check train Sofia to Veliko Tarnovo train times at www.bdz.bg.

• Option 2, you can travel from London to Bucharest and use the train from Bucharest to Istanbul which calls at Veliko Tarnovo, see the London to Istanbul page for details.

If you need to make Bulgarian seat, sleeper or couchette reservations, these must be made at BDZ's town office (located next to a rather dubious local shop!) and not at the station, see walking map from station to office.

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European Rail Timetable & maps

The European Rail Timetable (formerly the Thomas Cook European Timetable) has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency & climate information.  It is essential for regular European train travellers and an inspiration for armchair travellers.  Published since 1873, it had just celebrated 140 years of publication when Thomas Cook decided to pull the plug on their entire publishing department, but the dedicated ex-Thomas Cook team set up a private venture and resumed publication of the famous European Rail Timetable in March 2014.  You can buy it online at www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses) or www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (shipping worldwide).  More information on what the European Rail Timetable contains.

Rail Map Europe is the map I recommend, covering all of Europe from Portugal in the west to Moscow & Istanbul in the east, Finland in the north to Sicily & Athens in the south.  Scenic routes & high-speed lines are highlighted.  See an extract from the map.  Buy online at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (shipping worldwide) or at www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses).

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To get the most from your visit, you should take a good guidebook.  For the independent traveller, I think this means one of two guidebooks, either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide.  Both series are excellent.  You can buy an in-depth guide for Bulgaria or a guide covering all the countries in Eastern Europe.  Lonely Planet Eastern Europe - Rough Guide Bulgaria.

Click the images to buy online

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Hotels in Sofia & Bulgaria

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Travel insurance & other tips

Always take out travel insurance

You should take out travel insurance with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover from a reliable insurer.  It should cover trip cancellation and loss of cash & belongings up to a reasonable limit.  These days, check you're covered for covid-19-related issues, and use an insurer whose cover isn't invalidated by well-meant but excessive Foreign Office travel advice against non-essential travel. An annual policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself.  Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, see the advice on missed connections here.  Here are some suggested insurers, I get a little commission if you buy through these links, feedback always welcome.

  www.staysure.co.uk offers enhanced Covid-19 protection and gets 4.7 out of 5 on Trustpilot.

  www.columbusdirect.com is also a well-know brand.

  If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.

Get an eSIM with mobile data package

Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a European mobile data package and stay connected.  Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list.  There's no need to buy a physical SIM card!  Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.

Get a Curve card for foreign travel

Most banks give you a poor exchange rate then add a foreign transaction fee on top.  A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month as I write this.  The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.  And you can get a Curve card for free.

How it works:  1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android.  2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses.  3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card.  4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app.  You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.

I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader.  The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than getting a card out).  I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great.  See details, download the app and get a Curve card, they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.

Get a VPN for safe browsing.  Why you need a VPN

When travelling you may use free public WiFi which is often insecure.  A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi.  It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply.  See VPNs & why you need one explained.  ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using this link you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription.  I also get some commission to help support this site.

Carry an Anker powerbank

Tickets, reservations, hotel bookings and Interrail or Eurail passes are often now held on your mobile phone.  You daren't let it run out of power, and you can't always rely on the phone's internal battery or on being near a power outlet.  I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over.  Buy from Amazon.co.uk or buy from Amazon.com.

Touring cities?  Use hill walking shoes!

One of the best things I've done is swap my normal shoes for hill-walking shoes, in my case from Scarpa.  They're intended for hiking across the Pennines not wandering around Florence, but the support and cushioning for hiking works equally well when you're on your feet all day exploring foreign cities.  My feet used to give out first and limit my day, now the rest of me gives up before they do!

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