London to Bulgaria by train, a 48 hour Balkan adventure...

It's not difficult to travel to Bulgaria by train, in fact it's a safe, comfortable and interesting journey.  The train ride from London to Bulgaria takes as little as 2 nights, with a variety of possible routes and options.  The train times, fares, and how best to buy tickets are all explained on this page.

COVID-19 update:  Trains are running between the UK & continental Europe.  Eurostar is running a much-reduced service.  Beyond Paris & Brussels, there are some service reductions, but train service is much closer to normal.  However, beyond Belgrade there are still closed borders & cancelled trains.  See COVID-19 travel information

Train times, fares & tickets...

  London to Sofia by train

  London to Veliko Tarnovo

  Video guide: London to Bulgaria by train...

  Trains to Sofia from other European cities

  Trains from Sofia to other European cities

  Sofia Central Station location & facilities

  General information about train travel in Europe

  Luggage   Taking bikes   Taking dogs

  Hotels in Sofia & Bulgaria

Route map:  London to Sofia by train...

Useful country information

London to Sofia by train

Which option to choose?

Option 1, Eurostar to Paris, TGV to Munich, sleeper to Zagreb, onward train to Belgrade, overnight hotel, train to Sofia.  This is normally the fastest and most direct option, but the Munich-Zagreb sleeper is cancelled due to tunnel repair work in the Karawanks Tunnel between Austria & Slovenia until at least July 2021.

Option 2, Eurostar to Paris, TGV-Lyria to Zurich, sleeper to Zagreb, onward train to Belgrade, hotel stop, train to Sofia.  This is similar to option 1, but via Zurich instead of Munich.  It takes a couple of hours longer, but there's great scenery and it's still running, diverted to avoid the Karawanks Tunnel repair work.

Option 3, London & Harwich to Hoek van Holland by train & ferry, trains to Munich, Zagreb, Belgrade & Sofia.  The ferry alternative.

Option 4, Eurostar to Brussels, sleeper to Vienna, sleeper to Bucharest, overnight stop, day train to Sofia.  A longer way round, but a useful option, unaffected by the tunnel repair work and also avoiding the vagaries of the Belgrade-Sofia route.

Option 1:  London to Sofia via Paris, Munich, Zagreb & Belgrade...

This is the fastest option, London to Bulgaria overland by train, taking 3 days, 2 nights.  It involves comfortable good-quality air-conditioned trains as far as Belgrade, but a more basic series of trains between Belgrade and Sofia.

Incidentally, the line between Budapest & Belgrade is currently affected by work to upgrade the line, and that route will be out of action throughout 2020.  This means that the route via Zagreb shown below is the one to use, until further notice.

Important:  Until 10 July 2021, major engineering works are closing the Karawanks Tunnel between Austria & Slovenia, and the Munich-Zagreb sleeper is cancelled.  During this time, you should use option 2 instead.

London ► Sofia

• 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 at 13:47, or at 09:22 on Saturdays arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 12:47.  It's a 10 minute walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.

• Day 1, travel from Paris to Munich by 320 km/h double-decker TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 15:54 Mondays-Fridays & Sundays arriving Munich Hbf 21:36.  On Saturdays you leave Paris Gare de l'Est at 13:36, change at Stuttgart & arrive Munich Hbf 19:27.

  Times may vary, check online at www.bahn.de.  In Munich there's time for dinner or a beer, I recommend the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de) at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf.  See walking map.

• Day 1, travel from Munich to Zagreb on the sleeper train Lisinski, leaving Munich Hbf at 23:20 and arriving Zagreb at 08:35 (day 2).

  The Lisinski has an excellent modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin), a modern Croatian couchette car (4 & 6 berth compartments) and ordinary seats (not recommended).  Watch the Croatian sleeper video.

• Day 2, travel from Zagreb to Belgrade on the daily train.

  Until 10 July 2021 it leaves Zagreb at 13:04 arriving Novi Beograd 20:17 & Belgrade Centar at 20:25.

  From 11 July 2021 it leaves Zagreb at 11:04 arriving Novi Beograd 18:04 & Belgrade Centar at 18:12.

  This train has two air-conditioned Serbian carriages with comfortable 2nd class seats (no 1st class).  There's no dining-car, so bring along a picnic and maybe some beer or wine.

  Tip:  Although Belgrade Centar is slightly closer to the city centre, you have to rely on a single bus line.  Trams 7 & 9 link Novi Beograd station with the site of the now-defunct old Belgrade station on the edge of the old city every 5-10 minutes so you may prefer to get off at Novi Beograd and take a tram, see the Belgrade station page for more information.

• Stay overnight in Belgrade.  I recommend the famous Hotel Moskva, located at the end of Belgrade's main pedestrianised shopping street- see map of Belgrade showing station.

• Day 3, travel from Belgrade to Sofia, see the Belgrade to Sofia page for timetable, photos, tips & information.

  From 12 June to 20 September 2021 there should be a direct train from Belgrade to Sofia called the Balkan, but it's possible this won't in fact run in 2021 even if Covid-19 travel restrictions & border closures are lifted.  If running, it leaves Belgrade Topcider station at 09:15 and arrives Sofia central station at 20:37.  The Balkan is 2nd class only and has no catering car so bring your own picnic and supplies of wine or beer.

  When the direct train isn't running (which could well be all of 2021), you travel from Belgrade to Sofia like this: 

  Day 3, travel from Belgrade to Nis by modern air-conditioned Serbian electric train, leaving Belgrade Centar at 17:30 & arriving Nis at 22:13.  An earlier 13:05 train is available if you'd like more of an evening in Nis.

  Stay overnight in Nis, the inexpensive Vila Nova Hotel is 14 minutes walk from the station with great reviews, with a 24h front desk & free WiFi.

  Day 4, travel from Nis to Dimitrovgrad by air-conditioned Serbian diesel train, leaving Nis at 07:10 and arriving Dimitrovgrad at 10:22.

  Day 4, travel from Dimitrovgrad to Sofia by Bulgarian train, leaving Dimitrovgrad at 15:15 and arriving Sofia central station at 18:36.

Sofia ► London

• Day 1, travel from Sofia to Belgrade by train, see the Sofia to Belgrade page for full details, photos, tips & information.

  From 12 June to 20 September 2021 there should be a direct train from Sofia to Belgrade, but it's possible this won't in fact run in 2021 even if travel restrictions & border closures are lifted.  It leaves Sofia central station at 09:15 and arrives Belgrade Topcider station at 18:29.  It's 2nd class only and has no catering, so bring your own picnic and wine or beer.

  If & when this direct train isn't running (which may well be all of 2021), you travel from Sofia to Belgrade by 3-train combo like this:  Leave Sofia central at 09:00, change at Dimitrovgrad (arrive 10:20, depart 11:25) & Nis (arrive 14:44 depart 15:50), arriving Belgrade Centar 20:59.

• Stay overnight in Belgrade.  I recommend the famous Hotel Moskva at the end of Belgrade's main pedestrianised shopping street- see map of Belgrade showing station.

• Day 2, travel from Belgrade to Zagreb on the daily train.

  Until 10 July 2021, it leaves Belgrade Centar station at 07:00 & Novi Beograd at 07:14 arriving Zagreb at 15:13.

  From 11 July 2021, it leaves Belgrade Centar station at 10:05 & Novi Beograd at 10:19 arriving Zagreb at 18:13.

  This train has two air-conditioned Serbian carriages with comfortable 2nd class seats.  There's no 1st class or catering car, so bring along a picnic and maybe some beer or wine.  You've now time for dinner in Zagreb.

• Day 2, travel from Zagreb to Munich overnight on the sleeper train Lisinski, leaving Zagreb at 21:20 and arriving in Munich Hbf at 06:10 next morning (day 3).  The Lisinski has a modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin), and seats (not recommended).  Watch the Croatian sleeper video.  From early April until late summer, it also has a modern Croatian couchette car (4 & 6 berth compartments).

• Day 3, travel from Munich to Stuttgart, leaving Munich Hbf at 07:46 by InterCity train arriving Stuttgart at 09:59.  On some Sundays, you'll need to leave earlier, at 07:28 by ICE train arriving Stuttgart at 09:45.

• Day 3, travel from Stuttgart to Paris by high-speed ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 10:52 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 14:21.  In Paris, it's a 10-minute walk from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare du Nord.

• Day 3, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 16:13, arriving London St Pancras at 17:39.

How much does it cost?

Each train is ticketed separately, so add up the price for each leg of the journey.

How to buy tickets...

• Step 1, book from London to Munich at www.thetrainline.com.  Who are Thetrainline.com?

  Using www.thetrainline.com allows you to book all your tickets in one place, in €, £ or $, international cards no problem, small booking fee.

  Booking opens up to 180 days ahead for Eurostar, up to 120 days ahead for Paris-Munich, and usually 90 days ahead for Munich-Zagreb, see more information about when bookings open.  I recommend waiting until onward trains have opened for booking and times are confirmed before buying a non-refundable Eurostar ticket, unless you're prepared to take a calculated risk.

  Tip:  Click via/avoid and enter Paris as a via station to limit the search to routes via Paris. 

  Tip:  You can book from London to Munich all in one go if you like, but for more control over the connection in Paris, I'd book London-Paris first, add to basket, then book Paris-Munich and add to basket, ensuring at least an hour between trains.  That way you can allow a more robust connection than the system would give you, and you can see if earlier Eurostars have cheaper prices.

  Tip:  If you are making a round trip, London-Paris return fares are cheaper than two one-ways so it's cheaper to book this as a return journey.  All other trains are one-way ticketed so it makes no difference how you book, and it can be easier to book one way at a time!

  Tip:  After booking you can use the Manage booking facility at www.eurostar.com to choose an exact seat from a seating plan, see tips on choosing a seat on Eurostar.

• Step 2, book the sleeper train from Munich to Zagreb at www.thetrainline.com.

  Use the journey planner to bring up the direct Munich-Zagreb sleeper train marked EN with 0 changes. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You print your own ticket.

• Step 3, Zagreb to Belgrade cannot be booked online, just buy at the station in Zagreb, this won't be a problem.

• Step 4, the Belgrade-Sofia train cannot be booked online, so buy it at the station in Belgrade when you get there, always  places available.

• Alternatively, you can book London to Paris at www.eurostar.com, then Paris to Munich at the German Railways website www.bahn.de, then Munich to Zagreb at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.  This is more work on multiple websites, sometimes more fiddly, the prices should be the same, but no booking fees.

How to buy tickets by phone...

• If you'd prefer to book all your tickets together by phone, just call International Rail on 0844 248 248 3, lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday. 

• Alternatively, you can call Deutsche Bahn's English-speaking telesales line on 00 49 (0)30 311 68 29 04 (lines open 08:30-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday UK time, 1.5% fee for phone bookings).

Have your trip professionally arranged...

• If you want a custom-made trip 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.  They get positive reviews and look after their customers very well.

    UK call 0207 864 4600, www.railbookers.co.uk. 

    US call free 1-888-829-4775, see website.

    Canada call free 1-855-882-2910, see website.

    Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526, see website. 

    New Zealand call toll-free 0800 000 554 or see website.

What is 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.  Standard Premier and Business Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in (10-minutes for business premier) as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More information about Eurostar including check-in procedure.  St Pancras station guide.  Paris Gare du Nord station guide.

A Eurostar e320 train.  More about Eurostar.		Standard Premier/Business Premier.  Larger photo.

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

2. Paris to Munich by TGV Duplex...  Click for video guide

In Paris it's an easy 10 minute 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 is equipped with power sockets for laptops & mobiles at all seats 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 & Munich.  Paris Gare de l'Est station guide.  Munich Hbf station guide.

TGV Duplex at Paris Est. These impressive 320 km/h double-deck trains link Paris with Nice, Marseille, Munich, Barcelona & Switzerland...		2nd class table for 4 on TGV Duplex upper deck...

1st class on the upper deck, with a club duo on the left, a club quatre on the right.		A TGV Duplex.  The red near the door indicates 1st class, pale green indicates 2nd class.

3. Munich to Zagreb by sleeper train Lisinski...   Watch the video

This modern sleeper train is a pleasure to travel on, whether in the privacy of your own sleeper or in economical couchettes.  There's time for dinner in Munich before boarding.

The sleeping-car on the Lisinski:  The modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car of the Lisinski from Munich to Zagreb has 10 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.  Above left, the sleeper arrived at Zagreb.

The couchette car on the Lisinski has modern air-conditioned 6-berth and 4-berth compartments.  Above right, the westbound train is seen boarding at Zagreb. See panorama photo.

Wake up to scenery like this between Ljubljana & Zagreb, along the river Sava...

4. Zagreb to Belgrade by train...

This is a spacious and comfortable air-conditioned Serbian train, with modern 2nd class seats - there's no 1st class.  There's no restaurant car, so take a picnic and some beer or wine with you.  On arrival in Belgrade, you have time to go into town, perhaps visit the fortress overlooking the confluence of Danube and Sava.

5. Belgrade to Sofia by Balkan Express.  More photos & information...

This train has only two carriages, it's old and graffitied but comfortable enough.  Power sockets, WiFi, even catering?  Forget those!  Bring your own picnic and bottles of beer, and buckle up for an old-school ride through the Balkans on the route of the Orient Express.  If you get any more photos of this particular train or especially the scenery please let me know!  In summer this train runs direct, in winter it's a series of connecting trains, one even has air-con(!).  This train may not be running in 2021, you may need the 3-train all-year option, see the Belgrade to Sofia page for more information

The Belgrade-Sofia train, currently summer-only, at Topcider station in Belgrade.  Just two coaches, one Bulgarian, one Serbian, but comfy enough in spite of the graffiti.  Bring your own food & drink and enjoy a scenic run across the Balkans.   Photo courtesy of Matthew Woodward - see more photos & an account of this journey on his blog.

2nd class seats in the Serbian car.  Photos courtesy of Remco van der Kort.		The train snakes through a gorge east of Nis.  Courtesy of Matthew Woodward.

Back to top

Option 2:  London to Sofia via Paris, Zurich, Zagreb & Belgrade...

This is similar to option 1, but instead of TGV to Munich and Croatian sleeper train from Munich to Zagreb, you taka a TGV-Lyria to Zurich and Croatian sleeper train from Zurich to Zagreb.  It's the same as option 1 east of Zagreb.  There are two disadvantages of this option compared to option 1:  First, you need to cross Paris by taxi or metro from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon, in option 1 it's a 10 minute walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est next door.  Second, with this option you leave London around the same time, but arrive in Zagreb a couple of hours later, not that this matters when heading onwards on the same train to Belgrade.  There's one advantage, you can board the sleeper in Zurich much earlier, for a 20:40 departure, whereas in Munich you have to wait up for a late-night 23:20 departure.  There's also lovely scenery in the morning on the way to Zagreb along the Sava river.

Until 10 July 2021 this option has a major advantage over option 1:  The Zurich-Zagreb sleeper used in this option is still running, merely diverted via Maribor to avoid the Karawanks Tunnel, with just a little extra journey time.

London ► Sofia

• Day 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 09:22 arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 12:47.  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare de Lyon.

• Day 1, travel from Paris to Zurich by 320 km/h double-deck TGV-Lyria, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 14:22 arriving Zurich HB at 18:26.  On Mondays-Fridays a change of train is needed in Basel, at weekends it's direct.

  On certain dates you may find the 14:22 Paris-Zurich train isn't running.  On those dates, leave London on the 07:55 Eurostar and take the 12:22 TGV-Lyria from Paris to Zurich, arriving 16:26.  See the London to Switzerland page for more details.

  In Zurich, there's time for dinner while waiting for the sleeper, I recommend steak-frites and a beer at the Brasserie Federal inside Zurich HB, see other restaurant suggestions.

• Day 1, travel from Zurich to Zagreb overnight by Croatian sleeper train, leaving Zurich HB at 20:40 and arriving in Zagreb at 10:43 next morning (day 2).  Until 10 July 2021 this train is diverted via Maribor to avoid the work in the Karawanks Tunnel and arrives Zagreb at 11:27.

  The train has an excellent air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin), a modern air-conditioned Croatian couchette car (4 & 6 berth compartments) and ordinary seats (not recommended).  Watch the Croatian sleeper video.

• Day 2, travel from Zagreb to Belgrade on the daily train.

  Until 10 July 2021 it leaves Zagreb at 13:04 arriving Novi Beograd 20:17 & Belgrade Centar at 20:25.

  From 11 July 2021 it leaves Zagreb at 11:04 arriving Novi Beograd 18:04 & Belgrade Centar at 18:12.

  This train has two air-conditioned Serbian carriages with comfortable 2nd class seats (no 1st class).  There's no catering, so bring along a picnic and maybe some beer or wine.

  Tip:  Although Belgrade Centar is slightly closer to the city centre, you have to rely on a single bus line.  Trams 7 & 9 link Novi Beograd station with the site of the now-defunct old Belgrade station on the edge of the old city every 5-10 minutes so you may prefer to get off at Novi Beograd and take a tram, see the Belgrade station page for more information.

• Stay overnight in Belgrade.  I recommend the famous Hotel Moskva, located at the end of Belgrade's main pedestrianised shopping street- see map of Belgrade showing station.

• Day 3, travel from Belgrade to Sofia, see the Belgrade to Sofia page for timetable, photos, tips & information.

  From 12 June to 20 September 2021 there should be a direct train from Belgrade to Sofia called the Balkan, but it's possible this won't in fact run in 2021 even if Covid-19 travel restrictions & border closures are lifted.  If running, it leaves Belgrade Topcider station at 09:15 and arrives Sofia central station at 20:37.  The Balkan is 2nd class only and has no catering car so bring your own picnic and supplies of wine or beer.

  When the direct train isn't running (which could well be all of 2021), you travel from Belgrade to Sofia like this: 

  Day 3, travel from Belgrade to Nis by modern air-conditioned Serbian electric train, leaving Belgrade Centar at 17:30 & arriving Nis at 22:13.  An earlier 13:05 train is available if you'd like more of an evening in Nis.

  Stay overnight in Nis, the inexpensive Vila Nova Hotel is 14 minutes walk from the station with great reviews, with a 24h front desk & free WiFi.

  Day 4, travel from Nis to Dimitrovgrad by air-conditioned Serbian diesel train, leaving Nis at 07:10 and arriving Dimitrovgrad at 10:22.

  Day 4, travel from Dimitrovgrad to Sofia by Bulgarian train, leaving Dimitrovgrad at 15:15 and arriving Sofia central station at 18:36.

Sofia ► London

• Day 1, travel from Sofia to Belgrade by train, see the Sofia to Belgrade page for full details, photos, tips & information.

  From 12 June to 20 September 2021 there should be a direct train from Sofia to Belgrade, but it's possible this won't in fact run in 2021 even if travel restrictions & border closures are lifted.  It leaves Sofia central station at 09:15 and arrives Belgrade Topcider station at 18:29.  It's 2nd class only and has no catering, so bring your own picnic and wine or beer.

  If & when this direct train isn't running (which may well be all of 2021), you travel from Sofia to Belgrade by 3-train combo like this:  Leave Sofia central at 09:00, change at Dimitrovgrad (arrive 10:20, depart 11:25) & Nis (arrive 14:44 depart 15:50), arriving Belgrade Centar 20:59.

• Stay overnight in Belgrade.  I recommend the famous Hotel Moskva at the end of Belgrade's main pedestrianised shopping street- see map of Belgrade showing station.

• Day 2, travel from Belgrade to Zagreb on the daily train.

  Until 10 July 2021, it leaves Belgrade Centar station at 07:00 & Novi Beograd at 07:14 arriving Zagreb at 15:13.

  From 11 July 2021, it leaves Belgrade Centar station at 10:05 & Novi Beograd at 10:19 arriving Zagreb at 18:13.

  This train has air-conditioned Serbian carriages with comfortable 1st & 2nd class seats.  There's no catering car, so bring along a picnic and maybe some beer or wine.

• Day 2, travel from Zagreb to Zurich by Croatian sleeper train, leaving Zagreb at 18:38 and arriving in Zurich HB at 09:20 next morning.

  Important:  Until 10 July 2021 this train is diverted via Maribor to avoid the work in the Karawanks Tunnel, leaving Zagreb earlier, at 17:36.

  The train has an excellent air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin), a modern air-conditioned Croatian couchette car (4 & 6 berth compartments) and ordinary seats (not recommended).  Watch the Croatian sleeper video.

• Day 3, travel from Zurich to Paris by 320 km/h double-deck TGV-Lyria, leaving Zurich HB at 11:34 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 15:38.

• Day 3, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 17:13, arriving London St Pancras at 18:32.

How much does it cost?

Each train is ticketed separately, so add up the price for each leg of the journey.

How to buy tickets...

• Step 1, book from London to Zurich at www.thetrainline.com.  Who are Thetrainline.com?

  Using www.thetrainline.com allows you to book all your tickets in one place, in €, £ or $, international cards no problem, small booking fee.

  Booking opens up to 180 days ahead for Eurostar, up to 120 days ahead for Paris-Zurich, and usually 90 days ahead for Zurich-Zagreb, see more information about when bookings open.  I recommend waiting until onward trains have opened for booking and times are confirmed before buying a non-refundable Eurostar ticket, unless you're prepared to take a calculated risk.

  Tip:  Click via/avoid and enter Paris as a via station to limit the search to routes via Paris.

  Tip:  You can book from London to Zurich all in one go if you like, but for more control over the connection in Paris, I'd book London-Paris first, add to basket, then book Paris-Zurich and add to basket, ensuring at least an hour between trains.  That way you can allow a more robust connection than the system would give you, and you can see if earlier Eurostars have cheaper prices.

  Tip:  If you are making a round trip, London-Paris return fares are cheaper than two one-ways so it's cheaper to book this as a return journey.  All other trains are one-way ticketed so it makes no difference how you book, and it can be easier to book one way at a time!

  Tip:  After booking you can use the Manage booking facility at www.eurostar.com to choose an exact seat from a seating plan, see tips on choosing a seat on Eurostar.

  Tip:  If you're travelling from a town or city north of London, see advice about buying domestic tickets to London to connect with Eurostar.

• Step 2, book the sleeper train from Zurich to Zagreb at www.thetrainline.com.

  Use the journey planner to bring up the direct Zurich-Zagreb sleeper train marked EN with 0 changes.  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You print your own ticket.

• Step 3, Zagreb to Belgrade cannot be booked online, just buy at the station in Zagreb, this won't be a problem.

• Step 4, the Belgrade-Sofia train cannot be booked online, so buy it at the station in Belgrade when you get there, always  places available.

• Alternatively, you can book London to Paris at www.eurostar.com, then Paris to Zurich at the French Railways website en.oui.sncf, then Zurich to Zagreb at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.  This is more work on multiple websites and sometimes more fiddly, prices should be the same, but no booking fees.

How to buy tickets by phone...

• It's better to book online, but if you want to book by phone, just call International Rail on 0844 248 248 3, lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, a phone booking fee applies.

• Alternatively, you can call Deutsche Bahn's English-speaking telesales line on 00 49 (0)30 311 68 29 04 (lines open 08:30-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday UK time, 1.5% fee for phone bookings).

What are the trains 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 & free WiFi.  Standard Premier & Business Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in (10-minutes for business premier) as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More information about Eurostar including check-in procedure.  St Pancras station guide.  Paris Gare du Nord station guide.  How to cross Paris by metro or taxi.

A Eurostar e320 train at St Pancras.  More about Eurostar.		Standard Premier/Business Premier.  Larger photo.

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

2. Paris to Zurich by TGV-Lyria...

All TGV-Lyria trains are now 320km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex like the one shown below.  TGV-Lyria trains have 3 classes:  Standard class (2nd), standard premiere (1st class) and business premiere (1st class with hot meal & drinks included in the fare).  There's a cafe-bar car selling drinks & snacks.  There are power points for mobiles & laptops at all seats in all classes.  Lyria is a consortium of the French and Swiss national railways.  More information about TGV-Lyria.

TGV-Lyria TGV Duplex train at Paris Gare de Lyon. More information about TGV-Lyria

Cafe-bar on upper deck car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks & microwaved hot dishes...		2nd class seats on the upper deck.  There's a mix or tables for 4 and unidirectional seating.  360º photo.

1st class on the upper deck, with a club duo on the left, a club quatre on the right. 360º photo.		A TGV-Lyria for Geneva, boarding at Paris Gare de Lyon.  You enter on the lower deck, with 9 stairs up to top deck.

3. Zurich to Zagreb by sleeper train...  Watch the video

This modern sleeper train is a pleasure to travel on, whether in the privacy of your own sleeper or in economical couchettes.  There's time for dinner in Zurich before boarding at a local restaurant, try the Brasserie Federal inside Zurich HB.

Croatian sleeping-car:  The modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car from Zurich to Zagreb has 10 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.  Above left, the sleeper arrived at Zagreb.  See larger sleeper photo.

The couchette car has modern air-conditioned 6-berth and 4-berth compartments.  Above right, the westbound sleeper train boarding at Zagreb. See 360º photo.

Wake up to scenery like this between Ljubljana & Zagreb, along the river Sava...

4. Zagreb to Belgrade by train...

This is a spacious and comfortable air-conditioned Serbian train, with modern 2nd class seats - there's no 1st class.  There's no restaurant car, so take a picnic and some beer or wine with you.  On arrival in Belgrade, you have time to go into town, perhaps visit the fortress overlooking the confluence of Danube and Sava.

5. Belgrade to Sofia by Balkan Express.  More photos & information...

This train has only two carriages, it's old and graffitied but comfortable enough.  Power sockets, WiFi, even catering?  Forget those!  Bring your own picnic and bottles of beer, and buckle up for an old-school ride through the Balkans on the route of the Orient Express.  If you get any more photos of this particular train or especially the scenery please let me know!  In summer this train runs direct, in winter it's a series of connecting trains, one even has air-con(!).  This train may not be running in 2021, you may need the 3-train all-year option, see the Belgrade to Sofia page for more information

The Belgrade-Sofia train, currently summer-only, at Topcider station in Belgrade.  Just two coaches, one Bulgarian, one Serbian, but comfy enough in spite of the graffiti.  Bring your own food & drink and enjoy a scenic run across the Balkans.   Photo courtesy of Matthew Woodward - see more photos & an account of this journey on his blog.

2nd class seats in the Serbian car.  Photos courtesy of Remco van der Kort.		The train snakes through a gorge east of Nis.  Courtesy of Matthew Woodward.

Watch the video:  London to Bulgaria by train...

The video shows what a train ride from London to Bulgaria is like.  There are two slight variations from the journey shown above, first the Paris-Zurich TGV-Lyria was single deck at that time, they are now all double-deck TGV Duplex.  Second, the couchette train between Belgrade & Sofia has been discontinued, you now use the day train.

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Option 3, via the Harwich to Hoek van Holland ferry...

This is a variation on option 1, taking an extra night.  But if you live in East Anglia or prefer a ferry to Eurostar and the Channel Tunnel for some reason, this can be a useful alternative.  It's often cheaper than Eurostar at short notice.  Like option 1, this runs every day except Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Important:  Until 10 July 2021, major engineering works are closing the Karawanks Tunnel between Austria & Slovenia, and the Munich-Zagreb sleeper is cancelled.  During this time, you should use alternative routes, for example options 2 or 4.

London ► Sofia

• Day 1,  travel from London to Utrecht overnight using the Stena Line Rail & Sail service explained in detail here.  You leave London Liverpool Street at 19:32, sleep in a cosy private cabin with shower, toilet & satellite TV on board Stena Line's Harwich-Hoek superferry 21:00-08:00, and reach Utrecht at or before 10:28 next morning.  Fares from £55 + cabin cost.  Book this as shown on the Stena Line Rail & Sail page.

• Day 2, travel from Utrecht to Munich on any suitable trains, usually with one simple change en route.  Check times and buy tickets for this journey at www.bahn.de.  Fares from €39.90, you print your own ticket.  For example, a train leaves Utrecht at 11:07, change at Dusseldorf, arriving Munich Hbf at 18:07.  You've time for dinner in Munich, I recommend the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de) at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf.  See walking map.

• Day 2 evening:  Now continue from Munich to Sofia as shown in option 1 above, just remember that as option 2 takes an extra night, where option 1 says 'day 1', this is now day 2, and so on.  Travel from Munich to Zagreb by sleeper, onwards by day train to Belgrade.  Stay overnight in Belgrade, day train to Sofia arriving in the evening of day 4.  Book this part of the journey as shown in option 1 above.

Sofia ► London

• Days 1-3, travel from Sofia to Munich exactly as shown in option 1 above:  Day train Sofia-Belgrade, overnight stop in Belgrade, day train Belgrade-Zagreb and overnight sleeper Zagreb-Munich, arriving in the morning of day 3.  Buy tickets as shown in option 1.

• Day 3, travel from Munich to Amsterdam, there's one leaving Munich Hbf at 07:52, change at Dusseldorf, arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 15:28.  Check times and buy this ticket at www.bahn.de.  Fares from €39.90, you print your own ticket.

• Day 3, travel from Amsterdam to London overnight using the Stena Line Rail & Sail service explained in detail here.  You leave Amsterdam Centraal around 18:34, sleep in a cosy private cabin with shower, toilet & satellite TV on board Stena Line's Hoek van Holland to Harwich superferry 21:00-06:30, and arrive London Liverpool Street station around 08:54 next morning (day 4).  Fares from £55 + cabin cost.  Book this as shown on the Stena Line Rail & Sail page.

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Option 4, London to Sofia via Brussels, Vienna & Bucharest...

This takes 3 nights, so is longer than options 1 or 2.  But it can be a useful alternative.  By all means go out one way and back another.

London ► Sofia

• Step 1, travel from London to Bucharest using any of the options shown on the London to Romania page.  The journey takes 2 nights.

• Stay overnight in Bucharest - the Hotel Ibis Gara de Nord is walking distance from the station, inexpensive and gets reasonable reports

• Step 2, travel from Bucharest to Sofia by daytime train, leaving Bucuresti Gara de Nord at 11:00 arriving Sofia Central at 22:20.

  In summer from 5 June to 5 October 2020 (2021 dates not yet known) this is a direct train with one 2nd class through car.  At other times of year you must change at Ruse (arrive 13:45, depart 14:15), taking a modern air-conditioned diesel unit from Bucharest to Ruse then a Bulgarian train from Ruse to Sofia.

  There's great scenery as the train negotiates the lush valleys of Bulgaria.  There's no catering, so take your own food and drink.

  Book this train at the Romanian Railways international booking site bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro, tickets must be collected from the ticket office at Bucuresti Gara de Nord.  The fare is around €33.

Sofia ► London

• Step 1, travel from Sofia to Bucharest, leaving Sofia Central at 09:00 and arriving Bucuresti Gara de Nord at 18:55.  In summer from 5 June to 5 October 2020 (2021 dates not yet known) this is a direct train, in winter one simple change of train is necessary at Ruse in Bulgaria, just south of the border with Romania.  There's great scenery as the train negotiates the lush valleys of Bulgaria.  There's no catering, so take your own food and drink.  The fare is around €33.

  If this is part of a round trip from Bucharest, you can buy online at bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro and collect both outward and return tickets from the ticket office at Bucuresti Gara de Nord.  If you're only going one way, tickets must be bought in person at the ticket office in Sofia, they cannot be bought online.

• Stay overnight in Bucharest - a same-day connection is too tight for comfort.

• Step 2, travel from Bucharest to London using any of the options shown on the London to Romania page.

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London to Veliko Tarnovo

Click for map of Veliko Tarnovo showing station

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

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

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

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

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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 for £9.67 at www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses).

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

Click the images to buy online...

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Hotels in Sofia & Bulgaria

Suggested hotel in Sofia:  Hotel Favorit

For an inexpensive hotel with great reviews just 10 minutes walk from Sofia station with great reviews, I recommend the excellent Hotel Favorit.

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Travel insurance & VPN

Always take out travel insurance...

Never travel without travel insurance with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover from a reliable insurer.  It should also cover trip cancellation and loss of cash & belongings up to a reasonable limit.  An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy myself.  However, 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, Seat61 gets a little commission if you buy through these links, feedback is always welcome.

In the UK, reliable insurers include Columbus Direct.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65, see www.JustTravelCover.com - 10% discount with code seat61.

You can use www.confused.com to compare prices & policy features across major insurance companies.

        If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct's other websites.

  If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.

Get a Curve card to save on foreign transaction fees...

Banks often give a poor exchange rate, then charge a currency conversion fee as well.  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 balance 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 app for iPhone or Android.  2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to most European addresses including the UK.  3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app.  4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, just like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance onto whichever of your debit or credit cards you choose.  You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.

I use a Curve Blue card myself - I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I'm recommending 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, too.

Get a VPN for safe browsing.  VPNs & why you need one explained...

When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure.  A VPN means your connection to the internet is encrypted & always secure, even using unsecured WiFi.  In countries such as China where access to Twitter & Facebook is restricted, a VPN gets around these restrictions.  And lastly, you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geographic restrictions which some websites apply - for example one booking site charges a booking fee to non-European visitors but none to European visitors, so if you're not located in Europe you can avoid this fee by browsing with a UK IP address using a VPN.  VPNs & why you need one explained.  ExpressVPN is a best buy and I use it myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription, and I get a small commission to help support this site.