The incredible Haghia Sofia (above) & beautiful Blue Mosque (below), both just 10 minutes walk from Istanbul Sirkeci station.
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London to Istanbul in 4 days by train
Istanbul is Europe's most exotic city, at the edge of Europe where east meets west. Can you still travel from London to Istanbul by train? Of course! The journey is safe & comfortable, an epic 2,000 mile 4-night adventure, rediscovering some of the mystery, intrigue and romance of long-distance train travel to the Balkans.
On this page you'll find a step-by-step guide to making a train journey between London or Paris and Istanbul, one-way or return, eastbound or westbound, with schedules, fares, what the journey is like, suggested stopovers and how to book.
Train times, fares & tickets
London to Istanbul via Paris,
Budapest &
Bucharest
Variations
via Harwich-Hoek ferry, Brussels or Sofia
Useful country information: dial code,
currency...
Travel insurance, mobile data, VPN & other
tips
Venice-Simplon-Orient Express to Istanbul
Hotels in Istanbul &
famous Pera
Palace Hotel
On other pages
Starting from other UK towns & cities
About the
train from Bucharest & Sofia to Istanbul
Train travel in Turkey, beyond Istanbul
Trains from
other European cities to Istanbul
Trains from Istanbul to
other European cities
General information for
train travel in Europe
Luggage on trains &
luggage lockers at stations
Taking your bike &
Taking dogs
Eurail pass guide &
Interrail pass guide
The Orient Express, the truth
behind the legend
Istanbul-Aleppo-Damascus-Jordan
& on to Cairo
Istanbul-Tehran by Trans-Asia Express train
Istanbul-Thessaloniki-Athens by train
Istanbul-Cyprus by
train+ferry
Istanbul-Odessa
(Ukraine) by ferry
Route map: London to Istanbul by train
Useful country information
Which route to choose?
There are two basic route strategies: Through Budapest & Bucharest, or through Zagreb, Belgrade & Sofia.
Historically, both routes were used by the Orient Express and its sister trains: The inaugural Orient Express of 1883 ran from Paris Est via Budapest & Bucharest to Giurgiu on the Danube where passengers crossed to Ruse by ferry as there was no bridge. They then took an onward train to Varna on the Black Sea and a ferry to Istanbul. In the 1890s the railway and train were extended to Istanbul. In the 1920s & 1930s the Simplon Orient Express ran daily from Calais and Paris to Istanbul via Milan, Venice, Zagreb, Belgrade & Sofia, while the (plain) Orient Express ran Paris-Budapest-Bucharest 3 times a week, conveying a direct Paris-Istanbul sleeping-car which was detached at Budapest, run south to Belgrade and attached to the Simplon Orient. It's the westbound Simplon Orient Express which features in Agatha Christie's famous novel. More about the Orient Express.
Today, the route through Zagreb, Belgrade & Sofia isn't viable. The last remaining Zagreb-Belgrade train was suspended during the pandemic and remains suspended due to Balkan incompetence. The Budapest-Belgrade line was closed for reconstruction in 2019 and won't reopen fully until at least 2026. Meanwhile, a combination of track reconstruction and more incompetence has buggered the Belgrade-Sofia route. Once a major European hub, Serbia is now a transport black hole.
So the best route from London or Paris to Istanbul is via Budapest & Bucharest as shown below. On this page I show the most obvious combination of trains on this route, but there are many possible permutations, I suggest some variations here.
London to Istanbul via Bucharest
This section explains how to plan and book a journey from London to Istanbul (or vice versa) via Paris, Munich, Budapest & Bucharest. If you'd prefer to travel via Brussels rather than Paris, or by ferry via Harwich-Hoek van Holland instead of Eurostar, see the suggested variations here.
London ► Istanbul
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Day 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar
Leaving London St Pancras at 10:24 on Mondays-Fridays & Sundays, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 13:50.
Or on any day of the week, you can leave London St Pancras at 09:31, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 12:50.
Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.
By all means take an earlier Eurostar for more time in Paris, perhaps have lunch at the Brasserie Terminus Nord?
In Paris it's an easy 7 minute 500m walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.
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Day 1, travel from Paris to Stuttgart by TGV Duplex
Leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 15:55 Monday-Friday & Sunday, arriving Stuttgart Hbf 19:04.
Or if you left London at 09:31, leave Paris Gare de l'Est by TGV Duplex at 13:54 daily, arriving Stuttgart Hbf 17:04.
The impressive 320 km/h double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upstairs seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck. Times may vary, check your date at int.bahn.de.
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Day 1, travel from Stuttgart to Budapest by sleeper train
Leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 20:29 by sleeper train Kalman Imre, arriving Budapest Keleti 09:19.
The Kalman Imre has a comfortable air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin), an air-conditioned Hungarian couchette car (4 & 6 berth compartments) and ordinary seats. The sleeper fare includes a light breakfast. More about this sleeper.
You now have a day to explore Budapest. Luggage lockers are available. Map of Budapest showing Keleti station.
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Day 2, travel from Budapest to Bucharest by sleeper train
Leaving Budapest Keleti at 19:10 by sleeper train Ister, arriving Bucharest Nord 11:35.
Named after the ancient name for the River Danube, the Ister has a modern air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car with safe, comfortable & carpeted 1, 2 & 3-bed compartments. It has a Romanian couchette car with 4-berth & 6-berth compartments (basic flat bunks with rug & pillow) and ordinary seats. Sleepers convert to sitting rooms for evening/morning use. The Ister should have a bar car attached within Romania, but I recommend taking your own supplies.
The train crosses Transylvania by night, calling at Brasov (for Dracula's castle) at 08:48 next morning, well worth a stopover, before ascending the pass through the Carpathian mountains, a wonderfully scenic almost Alpine section of route.
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Day 3, 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.
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Day 4, travel from Bucharest to Istanbul by sleeper train
From 13 June to 13 October 2025 there's a direct couchette car from Bucharest to Istanbul:
The train leaves Bucharest Gara de Nord at 10:11, arriving Istanbul Halkali 09:56 next morning.
The through car is an air-conditioned Turkish TVS2000 couchette car with comfortable 4 berth compartments which convert from seats to bunks, bedding provided. It's a lovely scenic meander across Romania & Bulgaria via the Shipka Pass, then overnight to Istanbul. There's no catering so bring your own food and wine. The train calls at Veliko Tarnovo in late afternoon, the ancient Bulgarian capital, well worth a 24 hour stopover if you've time!
Be prepared to get off the train with your bags at the Turkish border to get your passport stamped and to put your luggage through an X-ray machine. More about the border process.
For full details of this journey with timings, photos & tips, see the Bucharest to Istanbul page.
When the direct couchette car isn't running, travel as follows:
Travel from Bucharest to Dimitrovgrad on a series of connecting trains, leaving Bucharest Nord at 10:11, changing at Ruse & Gorna Oryahovitsa, arriving Dimitrovgrad 21:58.
It should all go like clockwork: You cross the Danube from Giurgiu in Romania to Ruse in Bulgaria over the world's longest steel girder bridge, 2.5km long. it's then a lovely scenic journey meandering across Bulgaria via the Shipka Pass. The Bulgarian seating carriages are basic but comfortable, windows open wide for a cool breeze and reflection-free photography. There's no catering so bring your own food and beer.
Tip: The train calls at Veliko Tarnovo soon after leaving Gorna, it's Bulgaria's ancient capital and well worth a 24 hour stopover. If you're want to make a sleeper or couchette reservation to Istanbul whilst in Veliko Tarnovo you must go to BDZ's town office (located next to a s*x shop!) and not at the station, see walking map from station to office.
Then travel from Dimitrovgrad to Istanbul by Sofia-Istanbul Express, leaving Dimitrovgrad at 23:03, arriving Istanbul Istanbul Halkali 09:56.
This train has two comfortable Turkish TVS2000 air-conditioned sleeping-cars with 1 & 2 bed compartments and one Turkish TVS2000 air-conditioned couchette car with 4-berth compartments, see the photos below.
Be prepared to get off the train with your bags at the Turkish border to get your passport stamped then put your luggage through an X-ray machine, see more about the border process here.
For full details with timings, photos & tips, see the Bucharest to Istanbul page.
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Day 5, transfer from Halkali to Sirkeci by Marmaray train
The international train terminates at Halkali, a suburban station 25 km (15.5 miles) west of Istanbul, early on day 5. Transfer by Marmaray suburban train from Istanbul Halkali to Istanbul Sirkeci in the city centre as shown here. Recommended hotels in Istanbul.
Istanbul ► London
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Day 1, transfer from Sirkeci to Halkali by Marmaray train:
Transfer from Istanbul Sirkeci to Halkali by frequent Marmaray suburban train as shown here.
Halkali is a suburban station 25 km (15.5 miles) west of central Istanbul, the international train starts here. Marmaray trains leave at least every 15 minutes, journey time 35 minutes.
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Day 1, travel from Istanbul to Bucharest overnight
From 12 June to 11 October 2025 there's a direct couchette car to Bucharest:
Travel from Halkali to Bucharest by direct couchette car, leaving Halkali at 20:00, arriving Bucharest Nord 17:32 next day.
The through car to Bucharest is an air-conditioned Turkish TVS2000 couchette car with 4 berth compartments which convert from bunks to seats for daytime use, all necessary bedding is provided.
At Halkali, boarding starts 30 minutes before departure, there's a brief X-ray & metal detector check before accessing the platform.
Be prepared to get off the train at the Turkish border to get your passport stamped. More about the border process.
Next day it's a lovely journey across rural Bulgaria, up the Shipka Pass and across the world's longest steel girder bridge over the Danube into Romania. If you want to stop off at the ancient Bulgarian capital, Veliko Tarnovo for 24 hours, it's well worth it, the train calls there at 10:11. There's no catering so bring your own food and wine or beer.
For full details of this journey with timings, photos & tips, see the Istanbul-Bucharest page.
When the direct couchette car isn't running:
Travel from Istanbul to Dimitrovgrad by Istanbul-Sofia Express, leaving Halkali at 20:00, arriving Dimitrovgrad 05:07.
This train has two comfortable Turkish TVS2000 air-conditioned sleeping-cars with 1 & 2 bed compartments and one Turkish TVS2000 air-conditioned couchette car with 4-berth compartments, see the photos below.
At Halkali, boarding starts 30 minutes before departure, there's a brief X-ray & metal detector check before accessing the platform.
Be prepared to get off the train at the Turkish border to get your passport stamped. More about the border process.
Then travel from Dimitrovgrad to Bucharest on a series of connecting trains, leaving Dimitrovgrad at 07:10, changing at Gorna Oryahovitsa & Ruse, arriving Bucharest Nord 17:32.
It's a lovely journey meandering through the rural valleys of Bulgaria via the Shipka Pass. The Bulgarian carriages are basic but comfortable, windows open wide for a cool breeze and reflection-free photography. You cross the Danube from Ruse in Bulgaria to Giurgiu in Romania over the world's longest steel girder bridge, 2.5km long. There's no catering so bring your own food and beer.
For full details of this journey with timings, photos & tips, see the Istanbul-Bucharest page
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Day 2, 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.
A same-day connection is possible with the overnight Muntenia to Budapest, but I'd play safe and plan an overnight stop and day to explore Bucharest.
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Day 3, travel from Bucharest to Budapest on the sleeper train
Leave Bucharest Gara de Nord at 17:58 by sleeper train Ister, arriving Budapest Keleti 08:50 next day (day 4).
The Ister has an air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car with comfortable & carpeted 1, 2 & 3-bed compartments with washbasin. Compartments convert to private sitting rooms by day. There are 4-berth & 6-berth couchettes (basic bunks with blanket & pillow). The Ister may have a bar car attached within Romania, but I recommend taking your own supplies. Ister is the ancient name for the Danube.
You now have a day to explore Budapest. Luggage lockers are available. Map of Budapest showing Keleti station.
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Day 4, travel from Budapest to Stuttgart by sleeper train
Travel from Budapest to Stuttgart by sleeper train Kalman Imre, leaving Budapest Keleti at 20:40, arriving Stuttgart Hbf 08:38.
The EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre has an air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, an air-conditioned Hungarian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. More about this sleeper train.
If you have a sleeping-car ticket you can use the premium lounge on platform 9 at Budapest Keleti with complimentary refreshments & WiFi.
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Day 5, travel from Stuttgart to Paris by ICE
Travel from Stuttgart to Paris by ICE train, leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 10:52, arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 14:07.
The high-speed ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Do not risk earlier connections.
In Paris, it's an easy 7 minute 500m walk from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare du Nord
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Day 5, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar
Leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 17:12, arriving London St Pancras 18:32.
Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.
Can I stop off on the way?
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Of course. Trains run daily, you can book each train for whatever date you want. Feel free to spend time in Paris, Stuttgart, Munich, Vienna, Budapest, Sighisoara or Brasov (for Dracula's castle) in Transylvania, Bucharest or Veliko Tarnovo (Bulgaria's ancient capital), it makes no difference to the cost. Just remember that many trains are reservation compulsory, so you need to have made a seat, couchette or sleeper reservation before you board the train. You can look up train times for most of Europe using int.bahn.de.
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You make all the reservations in advance in the UK, or you can stay flexible and make reservations at stations as you go, it's up to you. If you choose to make reservations as you go, you'll seldom find these trains fully booked, places are normally available even on the day of travel.
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However, there's only one daily train from Bucharest to Istanbul so I'd pre-book this as it can get full in summer. But on most of the other stages (for example, London-Paris, Paris-Stuttgart-Munich-Vienna-Budapest & Budapest-Bucharest) there are other trains as well as the ones suggested here. You can check train times for each stage using int.bahn.de, although the timetable data is not always 100% reliable east of Bucharest.
How much does it cost?
You can make a London-Istanbul journey either using an Interrail pass (or if you're resident outside Europe, a Eurail pass) or with series of point-to-point tickets. I recommend using an Interrail pass for London-Bucharest-London and buying a regular ticket for Bucharest-Istanbul-Bucharest.
Why? Well, train fares vary like air fares. If you found the cheapest possible advance-purchase fares available for every train, it would be cheaper than using a pass, but not by a vast amount. Advance-purchase tickets commit you to a specific train with limited or no refunds or changes. If anything happened to one journey such as a flood, fire or strike, your carefully-planned itinerary could collapse like a house of cards. With an Interrail pass you can reschedule or re-route as necessary at any time, this not only gives you great flexibility, it's built-in insurance. And you probably won't find the cheapest possible rates available for every train, especially at short notice or on busy days, so a pass may be cheapest anyway. In fact, if you're under 28 so can buy a youth pass it's almost always the cheapest option.
Why use a regular ticket for Bucharest-Istanbul? Well, from June to October when the direct couchette car operates, you can easily buy a regular ticket with couchette reservation included on the Romanian Railways website. But it's impossible to make a Bucharest-Istanbul couchette reservation online anywhere, as a reservation-only booking to go with a pass. You'd have to buy it in person at the station in Bucharest, by which time it could be fully-booked. And in any case, the cost of a standard-rate Bucharest-Istanbul ticket is less than the cost of a travel day on a pass. So use a pass London-Bucharest, and buy a regular ticket for Bucharest-Istanbul.
In more detail...
Using an Interrail pass is the most flexible way to travel from London or Paris to Istanbul. It costs almost the same as point-to-point tickets if you're under 28 years old, a little more if you're over 28, but it's worth it for the flexibility. After buying the pass, you need to pay for a Eurostar passholder fare & for sleeper or couchette reservations. More about Interrail passes & how they work. Here's the breakdown:
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(1) The Interrail pass
For a one-way trip to Istanbul:
A 4-days-in-1-month pass costs €212 if you're under 28, €283 if you're 28-59, or €255 if you're over 60.
This gives 4 days of unlimited train travel in all the countries you pass through on any 4 dates you choose within an overall period of 1 month. Children 4-11 inclusive get a free £0 Interrail pass if accompanied by an adult.
A 4-day pass is enough for a one-way journey from London to Bucharest using the trains suggested above, even stopping off for a day or two in Vienna or Budapest.
For a return trip to Istanbul:
A 5-days-in-1-month pass costs €239 if you're under 28, €318 if you're 28-59, €286 if you're over 60.
This gives 5 days of unlimited train travel in all the countries you pass through on any dates you choose within an overall period of 1 month. Children 4-11 inclusive get a free pass if accompanied by an adult.
It's enough to make the outward & return journeys between London and Bucharest using the trains suggested above, as long as you complete both outward & return journeys within a month. You may need a longer period pass if you want to make further stopovers, of course.
First or second class?
There's little point in buying a 1st class pass as only a 2nd class pass is needed for most sleepers & couchettes on the Stuttgart-Budapest & Budapest-Bucharest trains, and the Balkan trains are 2nd class only. Basically, you'd be paying more just to go 1st class on the London-Paris and Paris-Stuttgart sectors. But it's your call!
Using a pass on sleeper trains: Overnight trains only require one day of a flexi pass, the date it leaves, as long as you don't change trains after midnight. So a daytime train followed by a sleeper train both leaving on the same day requires only 1 pass day. But a sleeper train followed by a daytime train requires 2 pass days. More about this rule.
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(2) London-Paris Eurostar passholder fare
Interrail passes cover Eurostar, but you need to pay a Eurostar passholder fare of €35 in Standard if you have a 2nd class pass or €40 in Plus if you have a 1st class pass. More about Eurostar passholder fares and how to buy them.
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(3) Paris-Stuttgart seat reservation
Reservation is compulsory on the TGV, €19 each way in both classes.
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(4) Stuttgart-Budapest sleeper reservation
Passholders pay a variable supplement for the Stuttgart-Budapest sleeper train, per person per bed: Couchette in 6-berth compartment €20, couchette in a 4-berth compartment €25, bed in a 2-berth sleeper €50, bed in a single-berth sleeper €100.
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(5) Budapest-Bucharest sleeper reservation
Couchette in 6-berth €15, couchette in 4-berth €22, bed in 3-bed sleeper €28, bed in 2-bed sleeper €42. Bed in single-bed sleeper (1st class ticket or pass required) €98. Information from www.cfrcalatori.ro.
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(6) Bucharest-Istanbul regular ticket with couchette
Fare €42 + €14 couchette reservation in a 4-berth compartment.
How to book
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Step 1, plan your trip:
Using the times above, decide what trains you want to take on what days. This may help: How to plan an itinerary & budget. Work out what Interrail pass duration you need and what class you want, see pass durations & prices here.
A 4-days-in-1-month Interrail pass is enough to make a one-way journey between the UK and Bucharest using the trains suggested on this page.
For a round trip, a 5-days-in-1-month pass is enough to cover London-Bucharest-London using the trains suggested on this page, if you use regular tickets for Bucharest-Istanbul-Bucharest.
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Step 2, buy an Interrail pass:
Buy a pass at www.thetrainline.com/passes, www.interrail.eu or www.raileurope.com (click Rail passes and select Europe).
The confirmation email contains your pass number. Download the Railplanner app for your phone and follow the instructions to load the pass into the app using your name & pass number. There's no need to activate the pass until you're ready to travel. You need a pass number to make reservations, but other than this there is no connection between the pass itself and any reservations you may make, as explained here!
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Step 3, make your reservations:
(1) Book the Eurostar from London to Paris using one of the methods shown here. The Eurostar passholder ticket will be emailed to you, you can print it out or load it into the Eurostar app to show on your phone. More about Eurostar passholder tickets.
Tip: Check availability before buying a pass. After booking you can go to www.eurostar.com, click Manage your booking, enter your reference and choose a better seat from a seat map. Or you can do that in the Eurostar app once you've loaded your tickets.
(2) Book the Paris to Stuttgart TGV, using the Interrail reservation service as shown here. You print it out or show it on your phone.
(3) Book the Stuttgart to Budapest sleeper, using the Interrail reservation service as shown here (small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website following Method 1 (no fee) or the Hungarian Railways website as shown here (no fee). You print it out or show it on your phone.
(4) Book the Budapest to Bucharest sleeper, using the Interrail reservation service as shown here (small booking fee) or the Hungarian Railways website as shown here (no booking fee). You print it out or show it on your phone.
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Step 4, buy a ticket from Bucharest to Istanbul.
When the June-October direct couchette car runs:
Buy a Bucharest-Istanbul ticket with couchette reservation included online at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro.
If you want sole or dual occupancy of a whole 4-berth compartment, simply book 4 tickets.
After booking online you must collect hard-copy tickets at the international ticket window at Bucharest Nord when you get there. You can book one-way or round trip in either direction this way, but tickets have to be collected in Romania, they cannot be collected in Istanbul and you cannot travel with just the confirmation email.
If you need to book one-way westbound (and can't collect in Romania beforehand), see the options here.
At times when the direct couchette car isn't running:
(1) Book the train from Bucharest to Ruse (winter timetable) or to Gorna Oryahovitsa (spring/autumn shoulder periods, see the timetable above) using the Romanian Railways international website, bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro. Reservation is compulsory for this bit.
Booking usually opens 60 days before departure. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
(2) Buy the ticket from Ruse to Dimitrovgrad at the station when you get to Ruse, or (if necessary) from the conductor on board the train.
Tip: If you're making a one-way trip on a 4-day Interrail pass, you could use one of your spare pass days to cover this bit. No seat reservation is needed between Ruse and Dimitrovgrad.
Alternatively, you can buy a ticket from Ruse to Gorna Oryahovitsa at the Bulgarian Railways website www.bdz.bg, but it won't book as far as Dimitrovgrad. You need to register, tickets can be printed out. Booking opens 30 days before departure. Then buy a ticket from Gorna to Dimitrovgrad when you reach Gorna, or on board the train.
(3) Book a sleeper or couchette from Dimitrovgrad to Istanbul at Gorna Oryahovitsa station, you have enough time between trains to do so, and Gorna ticket office is (obviously) equipped with the Bulgarian Railways ticketing system so can do this. However, the international ticket window may be closed at weekends and holidays. The train is busy, berths are often available on the day but not always. There is no easy way round this.
Tip: If you're making a one-way trip on a 4-day Interrail pass and are using one of the spare pass days for Ruse-Dimitrovgrad, this will also cover Dimitrovgrad-Istanbul, all you need is the sleeper or couchette reservation, either bought during the station stop at Gorna or bought by approaching the sleeper/couchette attendant on board the Sofia-Istanbul Express and asking if there are any spare berths.
Tip: if there are no berths tonight, but berths are available tomorrow, book tomorrow and stop off at Veliko Tarnovo, it's well worth the stop!)
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Or let Tailor Made Rail arrange it
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Tailor Made Rail is an experienced train travel specialist who can create a London to Istanbul package to your specifications complete with stopovers. As it's a package they'll take care of you if anything happens such as a strike and they're TTA-protected (like ATOL, but not only for agencies that sell air travel).
They have a suggested 9-night London to Istanbul package with stopovers, see www.tailormaderail.com/itinerary/london-to-istanbul-epic-journey, but of course they can arrange a journey with any stopovers you want, one-way or round trip, via Bucharest or via Sofia, or out one way back the other.
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.
Or
let Byway.travel
arrange it
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Byway (Byway.travel) is a UK-based eco-holiday firm with a 5-star TrustPilot rating.
They offer one-way or round trips from London to Istanbul with trains, stopovers and hotels booked for you as a package. Byway includes package protection, 100% Covid refund guarantee, free disruption & re-planning and WhatsApp support while you're away.
Browse their pre-configured one-way or round trip London to Istanbul packages at www.byway.travel/.../turkey-by-train.
Or ask them to build a trip to your requirements, call 0300 131 7173 (09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday) or email them or use the contact form.
If you live outside the UK, no problem, send them an email or use their contact form or call +44 300 131 7173.
Please say you heard about them from Seat 61.
If you're in Istanbul, how to buy tickets to western Europe
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If you're already in Istanbul and want to buy train tickets from Istanbul to western Europe, including Amsterdam, Paris or London, go to the ticket office at Istanbul Sirkeci station. Credit cards are normally accepted.
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They can sell tickets to Sofia or (when the direct couchette car operates) to Bucharest.
However, they can't sell tickets or make reservations beyond Bucharest or Sofia because they have no link to the reservation systems for the rest of Europe. You can check the cost of tickets to Sofia or Bucharest at www.tcddtasimacilik.gov.tr, click English top right, click PASSENGER then Trains then International trains.
In the off-season when there's no direct couchette car from Istanbul to Bucharest, you'll need to by a couchette or sleeper ticket from Istanbul to Dimitrovgrad and rebook there (or pay on the train if there isn't time) to Ruse, then rebook again in Ruse for the train to Bucharest. If necessary, simply pay the conductor on board the train.
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Then go to an internet cafe or use your phone to book the sleeper train from Bucharest to Budapest at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro. Then book the sleeper from Budapest to Stuttgart at www.thetrainline.com and the TGV from Stuttgart to Paris at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. You can buy a Eurostar ticket from Paris to London at www.eurostar.com. Booking these trains in advance is always cheaper than turning up and paying on the day.
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. Gare du Nord station guide.
2. Paris to Stuttgart by TGV Duplex See the video guide
In Paris it's an easy 7 minute 500m walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est for the TGV to Germany. 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 at all seats and free WiFi in both classes. A cafe-bar serves drinks, snacks & microwaved hot dishes. The train soon leaves the Paris suburbs behind and speeds across a vast wide open plateau of woods & farmland at up to 320 km/h (199 mph), past picturesque French villages of the Champagne region. An hour or two later, 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. Paris Gare de l'Est station guide.
3. Stuttgart to Budapest by sleeper train Kalman Imre
Cosy & inviting, the photo below shows the air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car of the Kalman Imre. The sleeping-car has 11 compartments with washbasin, each of which can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth room, with toilets at the end of the corridor. The fare includes a light breakfast of coffee, juice & croissant. More about the sleeper train Kalman Imre.
4. Budapest to Bucharest by sleeper train Ister
The Ister from Budapest to Bucharest has an air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car with carpeted 1, 2 or 3-berth compartments with washbasin. Travelling in the sleeping-car is safe, comfortable & civilised. The Ister also has a Romanian couchette car with 6-berth & 4-berth compartments, each supplied with blanket, sheet & pillow, berths convert to seats by day. Couchettes are fairly basic, and a bed in the sleeper is much more comfortable yet costs little extra, so is the recommended option. A Romanian bar car may be attached in Romania, but I'd take your own supplies and maybe a bottle of wine or some beer. The Ister also has seats cars, but a basic seat is not recommended for an overnight journey.
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. The Ister was around 20 minutes late on arrival in Bucharest, but the sleeping car attendant assured a fellow traveller that he would make the connection to Istanbul. In fact he even phoned his colleague on that train. Once we pulled in we both ran, he to the Istanbul car, me to the Sofia portion, and we made it..."
5. Bucharest to Istanbul
In summer from early June to early October, an air-conditioned Turkish couchette car runs direct from Bucharest Nord to Istanbul Halkali. The car has 10 compartments each with 4 berths, two upper, two lower. Sheets, pillow & blanket are provided, you arrange these yourself. The beds fold away to form seats for daytime use. There are toilets at each end of the car, western type at one end, Turkish hole-in-the-floor at the other, both provided with soap, paper towels and toilet paper. There's a 2-pin power outlet in each compartment above the door to the corridor, but you'll need a 2m cable to use it whilst sitting down with your phone or laptop. Large luggage goes underneath the lower berths, there's rack for smaller items above the window.
In winter between October & June you travel in regular seats cars on a series of connecting trains from Bucharest to Ruse to Gorna to Dimitrovgrad, where you board the sleeping-cars or couchette car of the Sofia-Istanbul Express. The timings, route and scenery are exactly the same, it normally all works like clockwork.
For more about this journey, see the Bucharest to Istanbul page, this also explains the border formalities at Svilengrad & for entering/leaving Turkey.
The Bucharest to Istanbul couchette car at Gorna Oryahovitsa in Bulgaria.
Bucharest-Istanbul couchette compartment in daytime and night-time modes.
The 2.5 km Danube Bridge: The train crosses the Danube from Romania to Bulgaria over a 2.5 km long steel bridge, the longest steel bridge in Europe, built in 1954 and now also provided with a road deck above the railway.
Ruse in Bulgaria. Above right, there's no catering so bring your own supplies!
The train crosses Bulgaria, mainly single track with lots of clickety-clack on jointed rail and an occasional blast from the locomotive horn.
Gorna Oryahovitsa, Bulgaria.
The train calls at Veliko Tarnovo, ancient capital of Bulgaria, well worth a 24h stopover. The station master comes out to wave us off.
Scenery in Bulgaria: As evening falls, the train passes hills, mountains and even rocky crags.
Above, the train reaches Dimitrovgrad late at night. You can stretch your legs on the platform while you wait for the Sofia-Istanbul Express to arrive on the opposite platform. Its locomotive shunts the Bucharest-Istanbul couchette car onto the front of the Sofia-Istanbul cars. In the off-season when there's no Bucharest-Istanbul couchette car, you change here onto the Sofia-Istanbul train.
An hour or so after Dimitrovgrad the train stops for border formalities at Svilengrad (Bulgaria) then continues to Edirne (Turkey), the border process is explained here.
Good morning Turkey!
The train stops briefly at Çerkezköy. In 1929 the Orient Express was stuck in snow near here for 6 days, the inspiration for Agatha Christie's famous novel.
Arrival at Istanbul Halkali. All change!
Transfer from Halkali to Sirkeci station in central Istanbul by frequent Marmaray suburban train, as explained here.
Istanbul: There's nowhere else like it!
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