 Bran Castle, Braşov, Transylvania. Built in 1377 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 Braşov and across the scenic Carpathian mountains to Bucharest (Bucureşti in Romanian). It's safe, comfortable and affordable. This page explains train times, fares & how to buy tickets.
Train times, fares & tickets
Option 1, London to Romania via
Paris & Stuttgart
Option 2, London to Romania via
Vienna
Option 3, London to Romania by daytime trains
How to book trains
within Romania
Trains from other European
cities to Romania
Trains from
Romania to
other European cities
Useful country information:
currency, dial code...
Hotels &
accommodation in Romania
General European train
travel information
Route map: London to Romania by train
Useful country information
Option 1, London to Romania via Paris, Stuttgart & Budapest
This is the fastest option between the UK and Romania, running daily all year round with a morning departure from London.
London ► Romania
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Day 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 10:24 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 breakfast.
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, you can leave Paris Gare de l'Est by TGV Duplex at 13:54 on any day of the week, arriving Stuttgart Hbf 17:04.
The 320 km/h double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.
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Day 1, travel from Stuttgart to Budapest by sleeper train Kalman Imre, leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 20:29, arriving Budapest Keleti 09:19.
The 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. Sleeper fares include a light breakfast. More about this sleeper train.
You now have a day to explore Budapest (day 2). Luggage lockers are available. Map of Budapest showing Keleti station.
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Day 2, travel from Budapest to Braşov or Bucharest overnight on the sleeper train Ister, leaving Budapest Keleti at 19:10 and arriving Sibiu 05:48, Braşov 08:48, Ploeşti 10:55 & Bucharest Nord 11:35 next day (day 3).
The Ister has an air-conditioned Romanian sleeping car (1, 2 or 3-bed standard sleepers with washbasin), a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6-berth compartments, and ordinary seats. Enjoy the descent through the wonderful Alpine scenery of the Carpathian mountains between Braşov and Bucharest. Take a picnic and bottle of wine as there's no restaurant car. Ister is the ancient name for the River Danube.
Tip: You can check the train formation at www.vagonweb.cz, change cs to English top left, click Train formations, then search for Ister.
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Day 2 for Timişoara: A comfortable air-conditioned Intercity train leaves Budapest Keleti daily at 15:10 arriving Timişoara Nord 22:28.
Romania ► London
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Day 1, travel from Bucharest or Braşov to Budapest overnight on the sleeper train Ister, leaving Bucharest Nord at 17:58, Ploeşti Vest 18:36, Braşov 20:36 or Sibiu 23:29, arriving Budapest Keleti at 08:50 next morning (day 2).
The Ister has an air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car with 1, 2 or 3-bed sleepers with washbasin and a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6-berth compartments. A Romanian bistro car is usually attached between Bucharest & Simeria serving drinks, snacks & hot dishes for dinner, or take your own picnic and bottle of wine. Map of Budapest showing Keleti station.
Tip: You can check the train formation at www.vagonweb.cz, change cs to English top left, click Train formations, then search for Ister.
Spend day 2 exploring Budapest.
Coming from Timişoara, a comfortable air-conditioned Intercity train leaves Timişoara Nord daily at 08:03 arriving Budapest Keleti 12:50.
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Day 2, travel from Budapest to Stuttgart by EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre leaving Budapest Keleti at 20:40, arriving Stuttgart Hbf 08:38.
The 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. Sleeper fares include a light breakfast. More about this sleeper train.
If you have a sleeping-car ticket you can use the business lounge in Budapest on platform 9, with complimentary tea, coffee & soft drinks.
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Day 3, travel from Stuttgart to Paris by ICE train, leaving Stuttgart 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 3, 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.
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
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When does booking open?
Booking opens up to 11 months ahead for Eurostar, up to 6 months ahead for the Paris-Stuttgart TGV and the Stuttgart-Budapest sleeper.
Booking from Budapest to Romania only opens 60 days ahead, so you might want to book this part of the journey later. Hotels can be booked before booking trains risk-free at www.booking.com with free cancellation. More about when train booking opens.
Before you start, I recommend making a list of the specific trains and dates you want to book, as each train is effectively a separate booking. Do a dry run on all websites first before booking for real.
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Step 1, book the Eurostar
Go to www.eurostar.com to book the Eurostar from London to Paris. Use the times above as a guide, by all means book an earlier Eurostar outwards or a later Eurostar on the way back, if it's cheaper or if you'd like to stop off in Paris. You print your ticket or show it on your phone.
You can also book the Eurostar at www.thetrainline.com if you'd prefer to make all your bookings in one place.
If you don't live in London, see advice on buying from other UK towns & cities to connect with Eurostar.
After booking, use Manage your booking at www.eurostar.com to choose a better seat from a seat map. See tips on choosing the best seats.
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Step 2, book the TGV from Paris to Stuttgart
Book this at www.thetrainline.com (small booking fee) or the German Railways website int.bahn.de (no booking fee). You print your ticket or show it on your phone. If you use bahn.de, I recommend registering so you can easily retrieve your bookings and re-print tickets at any time.
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Step 3, book the Stuttgart-Budapest sleeper
Book the sleeper train from Stuttgart to Budapest at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, a bit more fiddly). You print your own ticket.
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Step 4, book the Budapest-Bucharest sleeper
Book at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro. Click EN top right for English.
Booking usually opens 90 days ahead. For Bucharest use Bucuresti. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
You can also book at the Hungarian Railways website www.mav-start.hu, see my advice on using it. For Bucharest use Bucuresti. You show your ticket in the MAV app on your phone.
Tip: If the system doesn't offer tickets for a 2-bed or 1-bed sleeper, simply book 3 tickets in a 3-bed sleeper to get sole occupancy.
Tip: If you're going to Braşov and it says No offers available, that just means they have forgotten to program in any allocation for Braşov. Try booking from Budapest to Bucuresti instead, you'll then often find places available, then you simply get off in Braşov. Simples!
How to buy tickets by phone
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It's better to book online to avoid phone booking fees and see for yourself which trains are cheapest. Most agencies only work weekday office hours, you can book online 24/7. But if you want to book by phone, see my list of UK-based ticketing agencies.
Or use an Interrail pass
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Pass or point to point?
Let's be clear, a pass will not save money over the cheapest 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.
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How to use a pass for this route to Romania
Step 1, buy a 4-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 4-day pass is enough to get from London to Budapest & back again (I'm going to suggest normal tickets for Budapest-Romania).
A 4-day pass gives you unlimited train travel on any 4 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 about 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 passholder reservation on the Paris-Stuttgart TGV for around €18 each way using the official Interrail reservation service.
Step 4, make a couchette or sleeper reservation on the Hungarian sleeper at www.oebb.at following the instructions here, method 1. Prices can be found on the Interrail reservations page.
Step 5, book normal point-to-point tickets from Budapest to Brasov or Bucharest at either the CFR (Romanian Railways) website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro or the MAV (Hungarian Railways) website www.mav-start.hu, see my advice on using it.
Why don't I suggest using a pass for Budapest-Romania? Fares are relatively cheap even at short notice and you can book normal tickets online and print them out. The only way you can book passholder reservations for the Ister is using the Interrail reservation service and they have to send you hard-copy tickets by post, possibly taking a week or two with the possibility of getting lost.
Or let Railbookers arrange it
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Railbookers are a train travel specialist who can put together a tour or holiday for you as a package, including rail travel, hotels & transfers. On their website you'll find suggested tours & holidays by rail which can be customised to your requirements. As you're booking a package, they'll take care of you if anything happens such as a strike or delay.
UK 0207 864 4600,
www.railbookers.co.uk
US 1-888-829-4775,
see
website
Canada 1-855-882-2910,
see website
Australia 1300 971 526,
see website
New Zealand 0800 000 554,
see
website
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 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 & free WiFi in both classes, and 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 Brasov & Bucharest has an air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car with carpeted 1, 2 or 3-berth compartments with proper beds & washbasin, 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 provided with rug, sheet & pillow, berths converting to seats by day. Couchettes are fine although fairly basic, a proper bed in the sleeper is more comfortable yet costs very little extra, go for a sleeper if you can. There's no restaurant car on between Budapest and the Romanian border so take your own picnic & bottle of wine, although there's a cafe counter between Simeria & Bucharest in both directions. 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."
Or Budapest to Brasov by daytime InterCity train
Option 2, London to Romania via Vienna
This is the most comfortable way to Romania. Take Eurostar to Brussels or Paris and the 3-times-a-week Nightjet sleeper train from Brussels or Paris to Vienna. If you go via Brussels it's a same-station change, if you go via Paris it's a 7-minute 500m walk from Paris Nord to Paris Est - the trains & range of prices are the same.
Once in Vienna, you can either take a day train to Budapest and the Budapest-Bucharest sleeper train Ister, or spend the day in Vienna and catch the direct Dacia Express from Vienna to Romania. Going via Budapest gets you to Brasov or Bucharest over 3 hours quicker, but spending the day in Vienna and taking the Dacia Express offers a wider range of destinations including Sighisoara, Brasov, Bucharest, Cluj, Timisoara & Craiova. Romanian Railways uses their most modern type of sleeping-car on the Dacia Express to Sighisoara, Brasov, Bucharest, including some compartments with toilet & shower.
Incidentally, if you go via Paris you will be more or less retracing the route of the original 1883 Orient Express.
London ► Romania (via Brussels)
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Day 1, travel from London to Brussels by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 13:01 and arriving in Brussels Midi 16:06.
Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Plus & Premier fares include lunch with wine.
A later 15:04 departure is possible, but the 13:01 is a safer connection as the sleeper is occasionally retimed earlier.
Tip: At Brussels Midi, the Pullman Hotel bar makes an excellent VIP waiting room.
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Vienna by Nightjet, leaving Brussels Midi at 19:06 on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, arriving Vienna Hbf 10:13.
Until 14 December 2024, the days of running are Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two Comfortline sleeping-cars each with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth 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 train has two couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. See the guide to Nightjet accommodation.
There's no restaurant car, but in sleepers or couchettes you can order drinks, snacks and hot dishes from a room service menu, served in your compartment. The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee, served in your compartment.
You now have a choice:
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Option A: Spend day 2 in Vienna and travel direct from Vienna to Bucharest on the Dacia Express, leaving Vienna Hbf at 19:42 and arriving next day in Simeria 07:17, Sighisoara 09:17, Braşov 12:50, Ploeşti Vest 14:47 & Bucharest Nord 15:26 (day 3).
The Dacia Express has the most modern type of Romanian air-conditioned sleeping car with 1, 2 & 3-berth compartments, most with washbasin, a few deluxe with shower & toilet, a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6-berth compartments, and ordinary seats.
A Hungarian restaurant car is attached in the evening, treat yourself to dinner with wine. A Romanian bar car is attached in the morning between Arad & Bucharest, serving drinks & snacks. There's wonderful scenery across Transylvania and through the Carpathian mountains between Braşov and Ploeşti.
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Option B: You can get to Bucharest sooner if you change in Budapest.
Travel from Vienna to Budapest by railjet, leaving Vienna Hbf at 11:40 & arriving Budapest Keleti 14:19.
Then take the sleeper train Ister leaving Budapest Keleti at 19:10, arriving Sibiu 05:48, Braşov 08:48, Ploeşti 10:55 & Bucharest Nord 11:35.
The Ister has a comfortable air-conditioned Romanian sleeping car with 1, 2 or 3-bed compartments and a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6-bunk couchettes, and ordinary seats.
For Timişoara : Take a railjet train from Vienna to Budapest, leaving Vienna Hbf at 11:40 and arriving Budapest Keleti 14:19. A comfortable air-conditioned Intercity train then leaves Budapest Keleti at 15:10 arriving Timişoara Nord at 21:35.
The Dacia Express also conveys a portion from Vienna to Cluj Napoca, also leaving Vienna Hbf at 19:42 and arriving Cluj Napoca 10:44. This portion has a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.
London ► Romania (via Paris)
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Day 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 14:31 and arriving Paris Gare du Nord 17:47.
Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.
In Paris, it's an easy 7 minute 500m walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.
Tip: I'd take the 12:31 Eurostar from London and have an early dinner in Paris, see suggested restaurants near the Gare du Nord or Gare de l'Est.
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Day 1, travel from Paris to Vienna by Nightjet, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 19:12 on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, arriving Vienna Hbf 10:13.
Until 14 December 2024, the days of running are Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two Comfortline sleeping-cars each with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth 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 train has two couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. See the guide to Nightjet accommodation.
There's no restaurant car, but in sleepers or couchettes you can order drinks, snacks and hot dishes from a room service menu, served in your compartment. The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee, served in your compartment.
You now have a choice:
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Option A: Spend day 2 in Vienna and travel direct from Vienna to Bucharest on the Dacia Express, leaving Vienna Hbf at 19:42 and arriving next day in Simeria 07:17, Sighisoara 09:17, Braşov 12:50, Ploeşti Vest 14:47 & Bucharest Nord 15:26 (day 3).
The Dacia Express has the most modern type of Romanian air-conditioned sleeping car with 1, 2 & 3-berth compartments, most with washbasin, a few deluxe with shower & toilet, a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6-berth compartments, and ordinary seats.
A Hungarian restaurant car is attached in the evening, treat yourself to dinner with wine. A Romanian bar car is attached in the morning between Arad & Bucharest, serving drinks & snacks. There's wonderful scenery across Transylvania and through the Carpathian mountains between Braşov and Ploeşti.
The Dacia Express also conveys a portion from Vienna to Cluj Napoca, also leaving Vienna Hbf at 19:42 and arriving Cluj Napoca 10:44. This portion has a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.
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Option B: You can get to Bucharest sooner if you change in Budapest.
Travel from Vienna to Budapest by railjet train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 11:40 & arriving Budapest Keleti 14:19.
Then take the sleeper train Ister leaving Budapest Keleti at 19:10 and arriving Sibiu 05:48, Braşov 08:48, Ploeşti 10:55 & Bucharest Nord at 11:35 next day. The Ister has a comfortable air-conditioned Romanian sleeping car with 1, 2 or 3-bed compartments and a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6-bunk couchettes, and ordinary seats.
For Timişoara : Take a railjet train from Vienna to Budapest, leaving Vienna Hbf at 11:40 and arriving in Budapest Keleti at 14:19. A comfortable air-conditioned Intercity train then leaves Budapest Keleti at 15:10 arriving Timişoara Nord at 21:35.
Romania ► London (via Brussels)
You also have a choice for the return journey:
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Option A: Day 1, travel from Bucharest to Vienna on the Dacia Express, leaving Bucharest Nord at 15:07, Ploeşti Vest 15:46, Braşov 17:46, Sighisoara 21:12, Simeria 23:02 and arriving Vienna Hbf 08:20 next morning (day 2).
The Dacia Express has the most modern type of Romanian air-conditioned sleeping car with 1, 2 & 3-berth compartments, most with washbasin, a few deluxe with shower & toilet, a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6-berth compartments, and ordinary seats.
There's wonderful scenery through the Carpathian mountains between Ploeşti & Braşov and across Transylvania. A Romanian bar car is attached between Bucharest and Arad serving drinks & snacks.
The Dacia Express also conveys a portion from Cluj to Vienna, leaving Cluj Napoca at 17:42, arriving Vienna Hbf 08:20. This portion has a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.
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Option B: Day 1, travel from Bucharest to Budapest on the sleeper train Ister, leaving Bucharest Nord at 17:58, Ploeşti Vest 18:36, Braşov 20:36 or Sibiu 23:29, arriving Budapest Keleti 08:50 next morning (day 2).
The Ister has an air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3-bed rooms with washbasin) and a Romanian couchette car (4 & 6-berth).
Then travel from Budapest to Vienna by railjet, leaving Budapest Keleti at 11:40 and arriving Vienna Hbf 14:20.
The railjet has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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Coming from Timişoara: A comfortable air-conditioned Intercity train leaves Timişoara daily at 07:21 arriving Budapest Keleti at 12:50. Then take a railjet train leaving Budapest Keleti at 13:40 arriving Vienna Hbf at 16:20.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Brussels by Nightjet, leaving Vienna Hbf at 18:13 on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Sundays, arriving Brussels Midi 09:55.
Until 14 December 2024, the days of running are Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two Comfortline sleeping-cars each with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth 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 train has two couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. See the guide to Nightjet accommodation.
There's no restaurant car, but in sleepers or couchettes you can order drinks, snacks and hot dishes from a room service menu, served in your compartment. The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee, served in your compartment.
Tip: If you have a sleeping-car ticket, you can use the ÖBB Lounge at Vienna Hbf before departure, with complimentary refreshments & WiFi.
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Step 3, travel from Brussels to London by Eurostar, leaving Brussels Midi at 12:56 arriving London St Pancras 13:57.
Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Plus & Premier fares include lunch with wine.
Romania ► London (via Paris)
You also have a choice for the return journey:
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Option A: Day 1, travel from Bucharest to Vienna on the Dacia Express, leaving Bucharest Nord at 15:07, Ploeşti Vest 15:46, Braşov 17:46, Sighisoara 21:12, Simeria 23:02 and arriving Vienna Hbf 08:20 next morning (day 2).
The Dacia Express has the most modern type of Romanian air-conditioned sleeping car with 1, 2 & 3-berth compartments, most with washbasin, a few deluxe with shower & toilet, a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6-berth compartments, and ordinary seats.
There's wonderful scenery through the Carpathian mountains between Ploeşti & Braşov and across Transylvania. A Romanian bar car is attached between Bucharest and Arad serving drinks & snacks.
The Dacia Express also conveys a portion from Cluj to Vienna, leaving Cluj Napoca at 17:42, arriving Vienna Hbf 08:20. This portion has a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.
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Option B: Day 1, travel from Bucharest to Budapest on the sleeper train Ister, leaving Bucharest Nord at 17:58, Ploeşti Vest 18:36, Braşov 20:36 or Sibiu 23:29 and arriving Budapest Keleti 08:50 next morning (day 2).
The Ister has an air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3-bed rooms with washbasin) and a Romanian couchette car (4 & 6-berth).
Then travel from Budapest to Vienna by railjet, leaving Budapest Keleti at 11:40 and arriving Vienna Hbf 14:20.
The railjet has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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Coming from Timişoara: A comfortable air-conditioned Intercity train leaves Timişoara daily at 07:21 arriving Budapest Keleti at 12:50. Then take a railjet train leaving Budapest Keleti at 13:40 arriving Vienna Hbf 16:20.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Paris by Nightjet, leaving Vienna Hbf at 18:13 on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Sundays, arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 09:39.
Until 14 December 2024, the days of running are Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two Comfortline sleeping-cars each with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth 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 train has two couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. See the guide to Nightjet accommodation.
There's no restaurant car, but in sleepers or couchettes you can order drinks, snacks and hot dishes from a room service menu, served in your compartment. The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee, served in your compartment.
Tip: If you have a sleeping-car ticket, you can use the ÖBB Lounge at Vienna Hbf before departure, with complimentary refreshments & WiFi.
In Paris, it's an easy 7 minute 500m walk from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare du Nord, but I'd allow 2-3 hours between trains in case of delay.
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Step 3, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 13:12 daily 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?
You might want to consider a Eurail/Interrail pass for this journey, although sleeper or couchette supplements will need to be paid in addition to buying the pass.
Braşov is 12 km from the skiing resort of Poiana Braşov, and starting point for trips to Castle Bran - Dracula's castle!
How to buy tickets
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This involves two or three websites, so do a dry run on all sites to check prices and availability before booking for real.
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Step 1, book the Eurostar from London to Paris or Brussels.
Go to www.thetrainline.com and book a ticket from London to Brussels or Paris and back.
Use the times above as your guide, but by all means take an earlier Eurostar from London or a later one back if it's cheaper or you'd like more time in Paris or Brussels. You can also book at www.eurostar.com, of course, with no booking fee.
You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.
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Step 2, book the Nightjet sleeper from Paris or Brussels to Vienna.
Book this at www.thetrainline.com or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.
Booking for the Brussels Nightjet typically opens 3-4 months ahead, for the Paris Nightjet 2-3 months ahead, it varies. More about when bookings open.
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Step 3 if you want to use the Vienna-Bucharest Dacia Express:
Go to 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 Sparschiene fare is shown you can. Booking opens up to 90 days ahead.
You can also book this train 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. It can book seats, couchettes or sleepers. You print your own ticket. Tip: Prices might be cheaper than on oebb.at, check both sites!
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Step 3 if you want to use the Budapest-Bucharest Ister:
Book the railjet from Vienna to Budapest at www.thetrainline.com and print your own ticket.
Book the sleeper from Budapest to Bucharest at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro.
Click EN top right for English. Booking opens up to 90 days ahead. For Bucharest type Bucuresti. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
You can also book at the Hungarian Railways website www.mav-start.hu, see my advice on using it. For Bucharest type Bucuresti. You show your ticket in the MAV app on your phone.
Tip: If the system doesn't offer tickets for a 2-bed or 1-bed sleeper, simply book 3 tickets in a 3-bed sleeper to get sole occupancy.
Tip: If you're going to Brasov and it says No offers available, that just means they have forgotten to program in any allocation for Brasov. Try booking from Budapest to Bucuresti instead, you'll then often find places available, then you simply get off in Brasov. Simples!
How to buy tickets by phone
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It's better to book online to avoid phone booking fees and see for yourself which trains are cheapest. Most agencies only work weekday office hours, you can book online 24/7. But if you want to book by phone, see my list of UK-based ticketing agencies.
Or use an Interrail pass
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Pass or point to point?
Let's be clear, a pass will not save money over the cheapest 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, a 2nd class pass is all you need to book any type of sleeper on the Nightjet, even a deluxe.
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.
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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 about how Interrail passes work here.
Step 2, make a Eurostar passholder reservation from London to Paris or Brussels & back, €30 each way. 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 couchette or sleeper reservation on the Nightjet sleeper from Brussels or Paris to Vienna at www.oebb.at following the instructions here, using method 1. Prices can be found on the Interrail reservations page.
On overnight trains leaving before midnight, only the day of departure counts, so (for example) Manchester-London-Brussels-overnight-Vienna only requires one of the 5 pass days. Budapest to Romania overnight then uses a second day. Westbound, you need 3 days as you will be using trains departing on 3 different dates.
Step 4, 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.
Or let Railbookers arrange it
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If you want a custom-made package with train travel, hotels & transfers all arranged for you, contact Railbookers. Tell them what you want and they'll advise you on the best trains, routes & hotels and sort it all out. As you're then booking a package, they'll look after you if anything affects the journey or arrangements.
UK call 0207 864 4600,
www.railbookers.co.uk
US call free 1-888-829-4775,
see
website Canada call 1-855-882-2910,
see website
Australia call 1300 971 526,
see website
New Zealand call 0800 000 554,
see
website
What's the journey like?
1. London to Paris or Brussels by Eurostar
Eurostar trains link London & Paris in 2h20, London & Brussels in 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. Paris Gare du Nord. Brussels Midi station guide. In Brussels, I recommend the Pullman Hotel bar as your VIP waiting room.
2. Paris or Brussels to Vienna by Nightjet See the Nightjet guide
This Austrian Railways (ÖBB) Nightjet train has two sleeping-cars, two couchette cars & seats cars. The sleeping-car 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 fully 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 a sleeping-car ticket you can use the ÖBB lounge with complimentary refreshments & WiFi. More about Nightjets.
3. Vienna to Bucharest on the Dacia Express
The Dacia Express from Vienna to 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 two deluxe compartments with en suite 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. A Romanian bar car is attached in the morning between Arad & Bucharest, serving drinks & snacks.
Option 3, London to Romania by day trains with overnight stops
Sleeper trains are more time-effective, but if you prefer daytime trains and overnight hotels, this is the option for you. It's also potentially the cheapest option, at least before you add the cost of hotels. By all means stop off for longer between trains, each train is ticketed separately, what you do is up to you.
London ► Romania
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Day 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 10:24 Mondays-Fridays & Sundays arriving Paris Gare du Nord 13:50.
On Saturdays, leave London St Pancras at 09:31 arriving Paris Gare du Nord 12:50.
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 Munich by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 15:55 Mondays-Fridays & Sundays, arriving Munich Hbf 21:36.
On Saturdays, leave Paris Gare de l'Est at 17:55 arriving Munich Hbf 23:26.
The 320 km/h double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number over 60 is upper deck. Times may vary, check your date at int.bahn.de.
On Saturdays if you'd prefer an earlier arrival in Munich you can leave London at 09:31 to connect with a TGV leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 13:54 for Stuttgart, change there for Munich arriving Munich Hbf 19:12.
Or you can travel from London to Munich by Eurostar & ICE train via Brussels & Cologne, see the London to Munich timetable here.
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Stay overnight in Munich. The affordable Eden Hotel Wolff & NH Collection München are across the road from the station's north side exit with great reviews. Or consider the more upmarket 25 Hours Hotel The Royal Bavarian, Excelsior by Giesel & Mercure City Center. For a splurge, the luxurious Sofitel Munich Beyerpost occupies the former Royal Bavarian Post Office building of 1896-1900, at the station's south side exit.
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Day 2, travel from Munich to Budapest by railjet, leaving Munich Hbf at 09:29 arriving Budapest Keleti 16:19.
Or there's a later train leaving Munich Hbf at 11:28 arriving Budapest Keleti 18:19.
Railjet trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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Stay overnight in Budapest. Top choice for an inexpensive stay next to Budapest Keleti is the Intercity Hotel just across the square in front of the station. Also try the Royal Park Boutique Hotel, the inexpensive Baross City Hotel across the road or the Elit Hotel two minutes walk away. Of course, if you want to push the boat out, the luxurious Corinthia Hotel opened in 1896 was almost certainly the inspiration for the 2014 film The Grand Budapest Hotel, 20 minutes walk or 9 minutes by taxi from Keleti station. More hotels in Budapest.
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Day 3, travel from Budapest to Romania by train.
For Craiova, Timişoara & Bucharest, the comfortable air-conditioned InterCity train Traianus leaves Budapest Keleti daily at 07:10 arriving Arad 12:32, Timişoara Nord 13:54, Craiova 21:01 & Bucharest Nord 01:09. A Romanian cafe-bar car is available for snacks & drinks.
For Brasov, the air-conditioned Intercity train Claudiopolis leaves Budapest Keleti daily at 09:10 arriving Brasov 22:54.
For Cluj Napoca, the air-conditioned Intercity train Claudiopolis leaves Budapest Keleti daily at 09:10 arriving Cluj Napoca 20:52.
All of these trains make epic journey across Transylvania. Bring your own food & drink and a good book.
Tip: You can check the train formation with photos & seat maps at www.vagonweb.cz, change cs to English top left, click Train formations, then search for Traianus or Claudiopolis.
Romania ► London
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Day 1, travel to Budapest by train.
From Bucharest, Craiova or Timişoara, travel to Budapest by air-conditioned Intercity train Traianus, leaving Bucharest Nord at 04:02, Craiova 08:22, Timişoara Nord 15:39, Arad 16:57 and arriving Budapest Keleti 20:50. A Romanian cafe-bar car is available for snacks & drinks.
From Braşov, the air-conditioned Intercity train Claudiopolis leaves Brasov daily at 07:00 arriving Budapest Keleti 18:50.
From Cluj Napoca, the air-conditioned Intercity train Claudiopolis leaves Cluj Napoca daily at 08:36 arriving Budapest Keleti 18:50.
All of these trains make epic journey across Transylvania. Bring your own food & drink and a good book.
Tip: You can check the train formation with photos & seat maps at www.vagonweb.cz, change cs to English top left, click Train formations, then search for Traianus or Claudiopolis.
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Stay overnight in Budapest. Top choice for an inexpensive stay next to Budapest Keleti is the Intercity Hotel just across the square in front of the station. Also try the Royal Park Boutique Hotel, the inexpensive Baross City Hotel across the road or the Elit Hotel two minutes walk away. Of course, if you want to push the boat out, the luxurious Corinthia Hotel opened in 1896 was almost certainly the inspiration for the 2014 film The Grand Budapest Hotel, 20 minutes walk or 9 minutes by taxi from Keleti station. More hotels in Budapest.
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Day 2, travel from Budapest to Munich by one of several smart modern railjet trains. There's one leaving Budapest Keleti at 11:40 arriving Munich Hbf at 18:31, but earlier or later ones are available at 07:40, 09:40, 13:40 or 15:40.
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Stay overnight in Munich. The affordable Eden Hotel Wolff & NH Collection München are across the road from the station's north side exit with great reviews. Or consider the more upmarket 25 Hours Hotel The Royal Bavarian, Excelsior by Giesel & Mercure City Center. For a splurge, the luxurious Sofitel Munich Beyerpost occupies the former Royal Bavarian Post Office building of 1896-1900, at the station's south side exit.
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Day 3, travel from Munich to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Munich Hbf at 06:51 arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 12:32.
The 320 km/h double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views, see this video. Times may vary, so check your date at int.bahn.de.
If you'd prefer a leisurely breakfast & later departure from Munich there are various later options, see the London to Germany page.
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 3, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 15:12, arriving London St Pancras 16:30.
Tip: For dinner, I recommend the Bavarian food & beer at the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de) at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf, see walking map.
How much does it cost?
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London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in Standard, £97 one-way or £168 return in Plus (1st class).
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Paris to Munich by TGV starts at €39.99 each way 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.
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Munich to Budapest by railjet starts at €39.99 each way 2nd class, €69.99 in 1st class.
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Budapest to Brasov or Bucharest by InterCity train starts at €26.30 each way 2nd class, €40.50 1st class.
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All these fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
How to buy tickets
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When does booking open?
Booking opens up to 11 months ahead for Eurostar, up to 6 months ahead for TGV & railjet, but only 60 days ahead for Budapest-Bucharest. You can book hotel accommodation risk-free before booking trains using www.booking.com as this usually offers free cancellation.
Before you start, make a list of each train and date you want to book and do a dry run on all websites first before booking for real.
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Step 1, book the Eurostar
Go to www.eurostar.com to book your Eurostar tickets from London to Paris and back.
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 is cheaper or if you'd like to stop off in Paris. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
If you're travelling from outside London, see advice on buying tickets from other UK towns & cities to connect with Eurostar.
After booking, use Manage your booking at www.eurostar.com to choose a better seat from a seat map. See tips on choosing the best seats.
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Step 2, book TGV from Paris to Munich
Book the TGV at www.raileurope.com (small booking fee) or the German Railways website int.bahn.de (no booking fee).
I'd check prices at both sites, you may also see more generous child age limits on bahn.de. If you use bahn.de, I recommend registering when prompted, so you can easily retrieve your bookings and re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Step 3, book the railjet from Munich to Budapest
Book this at int.bahn.de. Use the journey planner to bring up the Munich-Budapest railjet marked RJX with 0 changes, and buy the ticket.
You print out your own ticket or can show it on your phone. If you want to stop off in Salzburg or Vienna for (say) a few hours or a day, simply click Stopovers and enter Salzburg or Vienna and a length of stay in hours. It'll then book you a Sparpreis fare from Munich to Budapest with stopover included.
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Step 4, book from Budapest to Romania
Book from Budapest to towns & cities in Romania using the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu.
Booking normally opens 60 days ahead. Before jumping in, read my tips & advice for using mavcsoport.hu. www.mavcsoport.hu can book in either direction, you print the ticket or can show it in the MAV app on your phone.
Alternatively, you can book at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro.
Booking opens up to 90 days ahead. Click EN top right for English. Bucharest is listed as Bucuresti (Romania). You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
How to buy tickets by phone
-
It's better to book online to avoid phone booking fees and see for yourself which trains are cheapest. Most agencies only work weekday office hours, you can book online 24/7. But if you want to book by phone, see my list of UK-based ticketing agencies.
Or use an Interrail pass
-
Pass or point to point?
Let's be clear, a pass will not save money over the cheapest 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 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.
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How to use a pass for this route to Romania
Step 1, buy a 7-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 7-day pass is more than enough to get from London to Romania & back again.
The pass gives you unlimited train travel on any 7 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 about how Interrail passes work here.
Step 2, make a Eurostar passholder reservation from London to Paris & back, €30 each way. 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 passholder reservation on the Paris-Munich TGV for around €18 each way using the official Interrail reservation service.
Step 4, reservations are optional on the railjet from Munich to Budapest, but recommended to ensure a seat. You can make a seat reservation for €3 at www.oebb.at following the instructions here, using method 2. You can even select your seat from a seat map.
Step 5, reservation is compulsory on the daytime trains from Budapest to Romania. You can make a seat reservation for €3 at www.oebb.at following the instructions here, using method 2.
Tip: Consider buying a 4-day pass plus point-to-point tickets from €26 each way for Budapest-Romania & back, using either the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro or the Hungarian Railways website www.mav-start.hu, see my advice on using it.
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 Munich by TGV Duplex See video
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 & 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 & Munich. Paris Gare de l'Est station guide. Munich Hbf station guide.
3. Munich to Budapest by railjet
Railjet trains have 1st & 2nd class plus a small Business Class area where seats cost €15 more than regular 1st class and a complimentary welcome drink of tea, coffee or wine is included. All seats have power sockets. There's a restaurant car and a cafe-bar, an attendant will take food orders at your seat in 1st & Business classes. More about railjets.
4. Budapest to Romania by InterCity train
The daytime train from Budapest to Bucharest has modern air-conditioned Romanian carriages. Three cars travel all the way, additional cars are attached whilst in Hungary, and additional cars and a bar car are attached between Drobeta Turnu Severin & Bucharest.
Braşov & Castle Bran
Braşov is well worth a stop, both for the city itself and nearby Bran Castle. The station is in the city. Below left, Braşov's main city square, decidedly Germanic, no accident as it was once largely German and known as Kronstadt. Below right, the Black Church. Map of Braşov showing station.
Dracula's castle, or that of a British princess?
How to reach Castle Bran: The village of Bran is 30 km from Braşov and easily reached by bus from Brasov's Autogara No.2, half-hourly on weekdays, hourly at weekends, buy a ticket from the driver A taxi from Brasov to Castle Bran will cost a lot more.
Often referred to as Dracula's castle, the connection with Vlad the Impaler (the model for Bram Stoker's Dracula) is tenuous at best. True, it's a defensive castle thought to be built Vlad Dracul (Vlad Tepes, the Impaler) but it's not clear if he spent much time there. The surprise is the British connection: A British princess, grand-daughter of Queen Victoria no less, married the King of Romania and made the castle her villa, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_of_Romania. Much of the rustic interior design is hers, rather than that of any Transylvanian vampire. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bran_Castle or the official castle website www.bran-castle.com.
Sighisoara
Sighisoara is Transylvania's historic walled town, a must-see. It's a 10-15 minute walk up the hill from Sighisoara station to the old town. You can climb Sighisoara's iconic clock tower dating from 1556, and walk up the town's wooden covered steps to the church on the citadel, seen in the photo below right taken from the clock tower. The yellow building in the photo below left is the birthplace of Vlad Dracul, known as Vlad the Impaler, the role model for Dracula. Map of Sighişoara showing station.
Guidebooks
You
should take a good guidebook, even in the age of the internet. 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
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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).
Hotels in Romania
Backpacker
hostels
www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.
Travel insurance & other tips
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!