anonymous
Traveller
2469 comments
Posted 9 years ago
Hello, I am considering doing a night Train tour Budapest-Belgrade-Sofia-Bucharest-Chisinau (Sofia-Bucharest by bus). I will be travelling alone.
I have several questions:
1. What are the prices of the Belgrade-Sofia night train for each place category (couchette, sleeper etc)? And should I book in advance on the day of travel in Belgrade to obtain the lowest fares?
2. Same question for the Bucharest-Chisinau Train.
3. What bus Operators are there on the Sofia-Bucharst route? What are their timetables and fares?
4. What is border control like on the route? Do border guards take your passport (ID card in my case) for an Extended period of time at any of the borders? Not that it would bother me, but just to be Aware.
5. Finally, the MÁV (Hungarian rail) Website says I can only collect tickets Zurich-Budapest at Hungarian rail stations. Is there any other way considering I live in Zurich?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Hi!
1) No need to buy in advance, there are no advance offers. One way will be about 20€. Seat reservation is optional, a couchette bed is 6€ or 8€, I am not sure right now. No sleeper.
2) Bucuresti - Chisinau should be 28€ plus 10€ reservation - will have to check on that.
3) There is a daily train on this route - I dont know about buses
4) My Austrian passport always only got a short look, they didnt take it with them. Cant comment on the journey into Moldova though.
5) No; you could think about booking the Zürich - Vienna night train though via ÖBB
Flo 8)
anonymous
Traveller
2469 comments
Ah, thanks heaps!
It says in a PDF that it costs €28 in second class and in another one (both on [ux]http://www.cfrcalatori.ro/276[/ux]) that a sleeper (called D2) costs €10.5. However, in the explanation it says (in Romanian) sleeper with two beds in class I-a cabin (I assume class I-a means first class).
So, can you actually get a D2 sleeper for €28+10.5, or do you need to pay for a first-class ticket as well?
Also, is it possible to buy the Bucharest-Chisinau ticket in advance (to reduce the risk of all the sleepers being sold out - same question for the couchettes between Belgrade and Sofia)?
Regarding the Sofia-Bucharest bus, the reason why I'm not taking the train is that it leaves Sofia shortly before the train arrival from Belgrade - I don't intend to spend an extra night in Sofia.
anonymous
Traveller
2469 comments
Also, I found out about an agency called Wasteels through this Website, a branch of which operates in Budapest [ux]http://en.wasteels.hu/train-tickets[/ux]
Could you buy a €39 Zurich-Budapest ticket and have them send it to you (or maybe even book it directly through them?)?
If not, I'll probably either take the night train as you suggested, or a €29 railjet Service to Vienna (the 10:40 tends to cost more), spend the day there and a €19 railjet to Budapest
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
The reservation for Bucuresti - Chisinau should be available at a SBB station (the ticket too but much more expensive AFAIK). I will check with friends who travelled that route last summer.
Personally, I would not travel Belgrade - Sofia - Bucharest only for the sake of using the Belgrade - Sofia night train, there are other much more interesting and comfortable night trains in Eastern Europe IMO.
For instance the Bratislava - Kosice sleeper through coach or the Budapest - Brasov Corona night train.
You could contact Wasteels, they usually reply quite quickly.