Trans Europe Express
I recently got back from some rather adventurous holidays, travelling overland from London to Istanbul. It’s certainly not the fastest way to travel (three days in one go, though we spread it out over a week). But it’s infinitely more comfortable and interesting than flying, as well as a lot less guilt-inducing.
We paused in Paris for lunch, were greeted in Munich station at 8am by an oompah band, stopped off in Vienna for coffee and art and saw the incongruously Hollywood style ‘Brasov’ sign in Transylvania. We glimpsed pretty alpine style houses, striking sunsets, lush forests, wide rivers and snow capped mountains from our cabin window and time travelled through villages with dirt roads and hand tilled fields. We adventured through a Romanian train strike, survived 2am passport checks, and mistook a sauna on wheels for the Bosphor Express. And all before we even reached Istanbul.
I love the train, partly for the glamour and comfort of a retro cabin, but mainly for keeping you in touch with where you are, where you’re going and just how bloody far it actually is!
I found the directions on the Man in Seat 61 website really helpful, it’s worth a look if you’re wondering about your own rail trip.
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