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.

Train times, fares & tickets...

  London to Sofia by train with overnight stop in Munich - the quickest & usually cheapest option.

  London to Sofia by train using the Munich-Zagreb sleeper - another useful option.

  London to Sofia by daytime trains - if you prefer daytime trains & hotels to sleepers.

  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 station facilities  About Sofia

  General information about train travel in Europe

  Luggage   Taking bikes   Taking dogs

  Hotels & accommodation in Sofia & Bulgaria

Route map:  London to Sofia by train...

Sponsored links...

Useful country information

London to Sofia by train

>>>>>>  IMPORTANT UPDATE ABOUT THE BELGRADE-SOFIA TRAIN, 2017  <<<<<<<

Serbian Railways have announced that from 1 February until 1 June 2017 and again from 18 September 2017 until 2018, the Belgrade-Sofia train is in effect cancelled in both directions, due to lack of money to hire diesel locomotives from its own freight subsidiary (go figure!).  It will in fact run Belgrade-Nis and Dimitrovgrad-Sofia, but will not run between Nis and Dimitrovgrad.  It's still possible to travel by train between Belgrade and Sofia but with 2 changes of train, as shown on this page.

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

This is the quickest option, taking just 3 days & 2 nights.  It's also usually the cheapest.

London ► Sofia

• Day 1:  Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 10:24 (12:24 on Saturdays) arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 13:47 (15:47 on Saturdays). 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 200mph double-decker TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 15:55 Mondays-Fridays & Sundays arriving Munich Hauptbahnhof at 21:36.  On Saturdays, it leaves Paris at 17:55 arriving Munich at 23:29.  There's a cafe-bar on board, and I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views.  On Saturdays if you'd prefer an earlier arrival in Munich you can also leave London at 09:24 to connect with a TGV leaving Paris at 13:55 for Stuttgart, change there for Munich arriving 19:27.

  Alternatively, you can travel from London to Munich by Eurostar & ICE train via Brussels & Cologne, see the London to Germany page.

• Stay overnight in Munich, search here for hotels.  Try the Sofitel Munich Beyerpost, Eden Hotel Wolff, InterCity Hotel or (budget) the Pension Locarno, all right next to the station with great reviews.

• Day 2:  Travel from Munich to Budapest by air-conditioned Austrian Railjet train, either leaving Munich at 07:24 arriving in Budapest Keleti station at 14:19, or having a leisurely breakfast and leaving Munich at 09:30 arriving Budapest Keleti at 16:19.  A restaurant car is available, so treat yourself to lunch.  Watch out for great views of the Salzburg citadel on the right as you cross the River Salzach at Salzburg. More pictures & information about RailJet trains.  Map of Budapest showing Keleti station.  Enjoy an evening in Budapest.

• Day 2:  Travel from Budapest to Belgrade on the overnight train Beograd, leaving Budapest Keleti station at 22:25 daily and arriving Belgrade station at 06:13.  This train should have both sleeper and couchettes, but as the Serbians are short of serviceable sleepers you may find it just has one elderly Serbian couchette car with 4 and 6 berth couchettes.

• Day 3, travel from Belgrade to Sofia on the Balkan Express.  From 1 June to 17 September 2017, you leave Belgrade station at 09:25 and arriving Sofia central station at 20:10.  This train has 2nd class seating only, there's no catering so bring your own picnic and beer.

  See the update above.  Until 1 June and from 18 September, you travel from Belgrade to Sofia like this:  Take the 06:20 from Belgrade station, changing at Nis (arrive 10:38, depart 11:15) and Dimitrovgrad (arrive 14:47, depart 17:18) to arrive at Sofia at 20:10.  You will not be able to connect in Belgrade from a sleeper into this service the same day, obviously.

Sofia ► London

• Day 1:  Travel from Sofia to Belgrade on the Balkan Express.  From 1 June to 17 September 2017, you leave Sofia central station at 09:40 arriving Belgrade station at 18:14.  This train has 2nd class seating only, there's no catering so bring your own picnic and beer.

  See the update above.  Until 31 May and from 18 September, you travel from Sofia to Belgrade like this:  Take the 09:40 from Sofia, change at Dimitrovgrad (arrive 10:30, depart 11:23) & Nis (arrive 14:39 depart 16:57) and arrive Belgrade Centar (note not main station!) 20:35.

• Day 1:  Travel from Belgrade to Budapest by overnight train Beograd, leaving Belgrade station at 21:50 and arriving Budapest Keleti at 05:46.  This train should have both sleeper and couchettes, but as the Serbians are short of serviceable sleepers you may find it just has one elderly Serbian couchette car with 4 and 6 berth couchettes.

• Day 2:  Travel from Budapest to Munich by air-conditioned Railjet train, leaving Budapest at 15:40 and arriving in Munich at 22:31.  If you'd prefer an earlier train, there's another Railjet train at 13:40 arriving Munich at 20:29 or at 11:40 arriving 18:31.  A restaurant car is available, so treat yourself to lunch or dinner.  More pictures & information about Railjet trains.  If you have a 1st class ticket, you can use the business lounge in Budapest near platform 9, open 06:00-21:30 daily open for anyone with a 1st class international ticket to, from or via Budapest.

• Stay overnight in Munich, search here for hotels.  I suggest the Sofitel Munich Beyerpost, Eden Hotel Wolff, InterCity Hotel or (budget) the Pension Locarno, all right next to the station with great reviews.

• Day 2:  Travel from Munich to Paris by 200 mph double-decker TGV Duplex, leaving Munich Hbf at 06:23 on weekdays or 06:28 at weekends, arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 12:05.   In Paris, it's a 10-minute walk from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare du Nord.

• Day 2:  Travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 13:13 (14:13 on Sundays), arriving London St Pancras at 14:39 (15:30 on Sundays).

  If you'd prefer a leisurely breakfast and later departure from Munich, there are later options via either Paris or Brussels, see the London to Germany page.

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £44 one-way or £58 return.

• Paris to Munich by TGV starts at €39 each way in 2nd class, from €69 each way in 1st class.

• Munich to Budapest starts at €39 each way in 2nd class, from €69 each way in 1st class.

• Budapest to Belgrade costs €15 (an unlimited availability special offer) plus about €10 couchette supplement for a bunk in a 6-berth compartment.

• Belgrade to Sofia costs around €30, bought at Belgrade station.

How to buy tickets...

• Eurostar opens 120 days and at times up to 180 days ahead, but I recommend waiting until 92 days ahead so you can book all tickets together, at least for the London-Paris-Munich and Munich-Budapest sections.  The Budapest to Belgrade train may open for booking only 60 days ahead.

• Step 1, buy your Eurostar ticket at www.eurostar.com.  You can buy tickets not just from London but from 130 UK towns & cities.  You print your own ticket.

• Step 2, buy your Paris-Munich ticket at www.bahn.de.  You print your own ticket.  I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log in at any time and check or re-print tickets.

• Step 3, buy your Munich-Budapest ticket as a second transaction at www.bahn.de.  You print your own ticket.

• Alternatively, all these trains can be booked in one place at the same prices at www.loco2.com.

• Step 4, now book a couchette from Budapest to Belgrade at the Hungarian Railways site www.mavcsoport.hu - see this advice on using it. You collect tickets from the yellow self-service machines at Budapest Keleti station.

What's the journey like?

London to Paris by Eurostar:  See the Eurostar page.

Paris to Munich by TGV Duplex...  Watch the TGV Duplex video guide

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 200mph, 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.

TGV Duplex at Paris Est. These impressive 200 mph double-deck trains link Paris with Nice, Marseille, Munich, Barcelona & Switzerland...		2nd class table for 4 on TGV Duplex upper deck...

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

1st class seats 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.

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 bistro-restaurant car and a cafe-bar, an attendant will take food orders at your seat in 1st & Business classes.  See the Railjet page for more information about Railjet.

Economy class on RailJet, in open saloons with picture windows.  Some seats around tables, most unidirectional.		The RailJet from Munich, arrived at Budapest Keleti spot on time.  More photos & information about Railjet trains.

Railjet first class, with black leather seats...		Business class...		Bistro-restaurant car...

The view of the Fortress Hohensalzburg as the Railjet crosses the River Salzach & approaches Salzburg station....

Budapest to Belgrade by sleeper train Beograd...

This train should have an elderly Serbian sleeper and an elderly Serbian couchette car, both are shown below but currently only the couchette car seems to be running.

The Belgrade to Budapest sleeper, arrived at Budapest Keleti...		Serbian 2-bed sleeper...		6-berth couchettes...

Belgrade to Sofia on the Balkan...

An express in name only, perhaps!  This train will have only one or two carriages, it's be old but comfortable enough.  Power sockets, WiFi or even catering?  Better forget those!  Bring your own picnic and bottles of beer, this is an old-school ride through the Balkans on the route of the old Orient Express...  The photos below in fact show the morning Belgrade to Skopje train, the Belgrade to Sofia train will be similar, if you get any photos of the train or scenery please let me know!

The morning train from Belgrade...		Old but comfortable compartment.

How to buy tickets by phone...

• If you'd prefer to book by phone, just call Deutsche Bahn's UK telesales line on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card charge, no charge for debit cards), or a booking agency such asTraintours4u  on 020 7619 1080 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 Saturdays, £35 booking fee).

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

This is also a quick option, London to Bulgaria overland by train in 48 hours!  It involves comfortable high-quality air-conditioned trains all the way to Belgrade, but a more basic overnight train between Belgrade and Sofia which currently only has 6-berth couchettes, not proper sleepers.  That's the only drawback, but the couchette car is comfortable enough, I've used it myself, see the video guide.  If you want more comfort, stick with option 1 above.

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 09:24 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 200mph double-decker TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 15:55 Mondays-Fridays & Sundays arriving Munich Hbf at 21:36.  On Saturdays you leave Paris Gare de l'Est at 13:55, change at Stuttgart and arrive Munich Hbf at 19:27.  In Munich there's time for dinner or a beer, try www.augustinerkeller.de at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf.

• Day 1:  Travel from Munich to Zagreb overnight on the sleeper train Lisinski, leaving Munich Hauptbahnhof at 23:35 and arriving at Zagreb at 08:36 next morning (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 by daytime train, leaving Zagreb at 11:07 and arriving Belgrade station at 17:37.  This train has modern air-conditioned Serbian carriages with comfortable 1st & 2nd class seats.  There's no dining-car, so bring along a picnic and maybe some beer or wine.

• Stay overnight in Belgrade.  I recommend the famous Hotel Moskva, located 10 minutes walk from the station, at the end of Belgrade's main pedestrianised shopping street- see map of Belgrade showing station.

• Day 3, travel from Belgrade to Sofia on the Balkan Express.  From 1 June to 17 September 2017, you leave Belgrade station at 09:25 and arriving Sofia central station at 20:10.  This train has 2nd class seating only, and there's no catering so bring your own picnic and beer.

  See the update above.  Until 31 May and from 18 September onwards, you travel from Belgrade to Sofia like this:  Take the 06:20 from Belgrade station, changing at Nis (arrive 10:38, depart 11:15) and Dimitrovgrad (arrive 14:47, depart 17:18) to arrive at Sofia at 20:10.

Sofia ► London

• Day 1:  Travel from Sofia to Belgrade on the Balkan Express.  From 1 June to 17 September 2017, you leave Sofia central station at 09:40 arriving Belgrade station at 18:12.  This train has 2nd class seating only, and there's no catering so bring your own picnic and beer.

  See the update above.  Until 31 May and from 18 September onwards, you travel from Sofia to Belgrade like this:  Take the 09:40 from Sofia, change at Dimitrovgrad (arrive 10:30, depart 11:23) & Nis (arrive 14:39 depart 16:57) and arrive Belgrade Centar (note not main station!) 20:35.

• Stay overnight in Belgrade.  I recommend the famous Hotel Moskva which is 10 minutes walk from the station, at the end of Belgrade's main pedestrianised shopping street- see map of Belgrade showing station.

• Day 2, travel from Belgrade to Zagreb by daytime train, leaving Belgrade station at 10:55 and arriving Zagreb at 18:13.  This train has modern air-conditioned Serbian carriages with comfortable 1st & 2nd class seats.  There's no dining-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 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 on Mondays-Saturdays by InterCity train arriving Stuttgart at 09:59, or at 07:27 on Sundays by ICE train arriving Stuttgart at 09:45.

• Day 3:  Travel from Stuttgart to Paris by 200 mph double-decker TGV Duplex, leaving Stuttgart at 10:54 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 14:05.   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...

• If you live in the UK, the first part of the journey can be booked online, but the rest will need to be booked by phone:

  (1)  You can book the London-Paris Eurostar online at www.eurostar.com.  You can book direct from 130 UK towns and cities this way, not just from London.

  (2)  You can book the Paris-Munich TGV at www.bahn.de.

  (3)  The Munich-Zagreb sleeper can be booked online at Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.  You print your own ticket.

  (4)  The Zagreb-Belgrade train cannot be booked online, so book by phone, calling International Rail on 0844 248 248 3, lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, small booking fee.  Alternatively, you can call Deutsche Bahn's UK telesales line on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 Sat & Sun, no booking fee) or www.traintours4u.co.uk on 020 7619 1080 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 Saturdays, £35 booking fee).

  (5)  The Belgrade-Sofia train cannot be booked online either, so either buy it by phone as above if you're happy paying the 'western' price, or simply buy at the station in Belgrade at the cheaper local price, there are always places available.

• If you don't live in the UK:

  (1)  Book the Eurostar at www.eurostar.com.

  (2)  Book the Paris-Munich TGV at www.bahn.de.

  (3)  The Munich-Zagreb sleeper can be booked online at Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.  You print your own ticket.

  (4)  You may be able to book the Zagreb-Belgrade daytime train at www.raileurope-world.com.

  (5)  The Belgrade-Sofia train cannot be booked online, so simply buy it at the station in Belgrade, there are always places available.

How to buy tickets by phone:  In the UK call 0844 248 248 3...

• 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 UK telesales line on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card charge, no charge for debit cards), or Traintours4u on 020 7619 1080 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 Saturdays, £35 overall booking fee).

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 020 3327 0761, 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 are the trains & scenery like?

From London to Paris by Eurostar: See the Eurostar page for photos & information about Eurostar.

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

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.  First class passengers on this route are given a simple but tasty meal box with a small bottle of beer or wine served at their seat, included in the fare.  The train soon leaves the Paris suburbs behind and speeds across a vast wide open plateau of woods & farmland at up to 200mph, 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.

TGV Duplex at Paris Est. These impressive 200 mph double-deck trains link Paris with Nice, Marseille, Munich, Barcelona & Switzerland...		2nd class table for 4 on TGV Duplex upper deck...

1st class seats 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.

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...

Zagreb to Belgrade by air-conditioned 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 wander into town, perhaps visit the fortress overlooking the confluence of Danube and Sava, have a coffee at the Hotel Moskva (free WiFi!) and perhaps dinner at the basic but remarkably cheap Zelturist restaurant in the corner inside Belgrade station.

Belgrade to Sofia by Balkan Express...

An express in name only, perhaps!  This train will have only one or two carriages, it's be old but comfortable enough.  Power sockets, WiFi or even catering?  Better forget those!  Bring your own picnic and bottles of beer, this is an old-school ride through the Balkans on the route of the old Orient Express...  The photos below in fact show the morning Belgrade to Skopje train, the Belgrade to Sofia train will be similar, if you get any photos of the train or scenery please let me know!

The morning train from Belgrade east...		Old but comfortable compartment.

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Option 3:  London to Sofia by daytime trains...

If you don't like sleepers and prefer daytime trains with hotel stops, this is the option for you.  It takes 4 days and 3 nights, with comfortable hotels in Munich, Budapest & Belgrade with a chance to see something of those cities.  By all means stop over for longer in all or some of those places, what you do is up to you...

London ► Sofia

• Day 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 10:24 (12:24 on Saturdays) arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 13:47 (15:47 on Saturdays). 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 200mph double-decker TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 15:55 Mondays-Fridays & Sundays arriving Munich Hauptbahnhof at 21:36.  On Saturdays, it leaves Paris at 17:55 arriving Munich at 23:29.  There's a cafe-bar on board, and I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views.  On Saturdays if you'd prefer an earlier arrival in Munich you can also leave London at 09:24 to connect with a TGV leaving Paris at 13:55 for Stuttgart, change there for Munich arriving 19:27.

  Alternatively, you can travel from London to Munich by Eurostar & ICE train via Brussels & Cologne, see the London to Germany page.

• Stay overnight in Munich, search here for hotels.  Try the Sofitel Munich Beyerpost, Eden Hotel Wolff, InterCity Hotel or (budget) the Pension Locarno, all right next to the station with great reviews.

• Day 2, travel from Munich to Budapest by air-conditioned Austrian Railjet train, either leaving Munich at 07:24 arriving in Budapest Keleti station at 14:19, or having a leisurely breakfast and leaving Munich at 09:30 arriving Budapest Keleti at 16:19.  A restaurant car is available, so treat yourself to lunch.  Watch out for great views of the Salzburg citadel on the right as you cross the River Salzach at Salzburg. More pictures & information about RailJet trains.  Map of Budapest showing Keleti station.

• Stay overnight in Budapest.  For an inexpensive hotel with great reviews right next to Keleti Station, try the Royal Park Boutique Hotel.  More hotels in Budapest.

• Day 3, travel from Budapest to Belgrade by daytime train, on either on the InterCity train Ivo Andric leaving Budapest Keleti at 08:05 and arriving Belgrade station at 16:22 or on the EuroCity train Avala leaving Budapest Keleti at 12:05 and arriving Belgrade station at 20:15.  The Ivo Andric has Serbian air-conditioned EuroCity cars but no catering car.  The Avala is the better train with Hungarian air-conditioned EuroCity cars and a waiter-service restaurant car.

• Stay overnight in Belgrade.  I recommend the celebrated Hotel Moskva which is 10 minutes walk from the station, at the end of Belgrade's main pedestrianised shopping street, see map of Belgrade showing station.

• Day 4, travel from Belgrade to Sofia on the Balkan Express.  From 1 June to 17 September, you leave Belgrade station at 09:25 and arriving Sofia central station at 20:10.  This train has 2nd class seating only, there's no catering so bring your own picnic and beer.

  See the update above.  Until 31 May and from 18 September onwards, you travel from Belgrade to Sofia like this:  Take the 06:20 from Belgrade station, changing at Nis (arrive 10:38, depart 11:15) and Dimitrovgrad (arrive 14:47, depart 17:18) to arrive at Sofia at 20:10.

Sofia ► London

• Day 1:  Travel from Sofia to Belgrade on the Balkan Express.  From 1 June to 17 September, you leave Sofia central station at 09:40 arriving Belgrade station at 18:14.  This train has 2nd class seating only, there's no catering so bring your own picnic and beer.

  See the update above.  Until 31 May and from 18 September onwards, you travel from Sofia to Belgrade like this:  Take the 09:40 from Sofia, change at Dimitrovgrad (arrive 10:30, depart 11:23) & Nis (arrive 14:39 depart 16:57) and arrive Belgrade Centar (note not main station!) 20:35.

• Day 1:  Travel from Belgrade to Budapest by overnight train Beograd, leaving Belgrade station at 21:50 and arriving Budapest Keleti at 05:46.  This train should have both sleeper and couchettes, but as the Serbians are short of serviceable sleepers you may find it just has one elderly Serbian couchette car with 4 and 6 berth couchettes.

• Day 2:  Travel from Budapest to Munich by air-conditioned Railjet train, leaving Budapest at 15:40 and arriving in Munich at 22:31.  If you'd prefer an earlier train, there's another Railjet train at 13:40 arriving Munich at 20:29 or at 11:40 arriving 18:31.  A restaurant car is available, so treat yourself to lunch or dinner.  More pictures & information about Railjet trains.  If you have a 1st class ticket, you can use the business lounge in Budapest near platform 9, open 06:00-21:30 daily open for anyone with a 1st class international ticket to, from or via Budapest.

• Stay overnight in Munich, search here for hotels.  I suggest the Sofitel Munich Beyerpost, Eden Hotel Wolff, InterCity Hotel or (budget) the Pension Locarno, all right next to the station with great reviews.

• Day 2:  Travel from Munich to Paris by 200 mph double-decker TGV Duplex, leaving Munich Hbf at 06:23 on weekdays or 06:28 at weekends, arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 12:05.   In Paris, it's a 10-minute walk from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare du Nord.

• Day 2:  Travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 13:13 (14:13 on Sundays), arriving London St Pancras at 14:39 (15:30 on Sundays).

  If you'd prefer a leisurely breakfast and later departure from Munich, there are later options via either Paris or Brussels, see the London to Germany page.

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £45 one-way or £58 return.

• Paris to Munich by TGV starts at €39 each way in 2nd class, from €69 each way in 1st class.

• Munich to Budapest starts at €39 each way in 2nd class, from €69 each way in 1st class.

• Budapest to Belgrade costs €15 (an unlimited availability special offer) booked with Hungarian Railways.

• Belgrade to Sofia costs around €30, bought at Belgrade station.

How to buy tickets...

• Eurostar opens 120 days and at times up to 180 days ahead, but I recommend waiting until 92 days ahead so you can book all tickets together, at least for the London-Paris-Munich and Munich-Budapest sections.  The Budapest to Belgrade train may open for booking only 60 days ahead.

• Step 1, buy your Eurostar ticket at www.eurostar.com.  You can buy tickets not just from London but from 130 UK towns & cities.  You print your own ticket.

• Step 2, buy your Paris-Munich ticket at www.bahn.de.  You print your own ticket.  I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log in at any time and check or re-print tickets.

• Step 3, buy your Munich-Budapest ticket as a second transaction at www.bahn.de.  You print your own ticket.

• Alternatively, all these trains can be booked in one place at the same prices at www.loco2.com.

• Step 4, buy a ticket from Budapest to Belgrade at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu - see this advice on using it. You collect tickets from the yellow self-service machines at Budapest Keleti station.  Note that there is no special fare in 1st class, and their site only sells special fares, not regular fares.  So I recommend just going 2nd class, unless you want to pay over four times the price for 2" more legroom.

• Step 5, buy a Belgrade to Sofia ticket at the station in Belgrade.  There are always places available, even on the day of travel.

What's the journey like?

London to Paris by Eurostar:  See the Eurostar page.

Paris to Munich by TGV Duplex...  Watch the TGV Duplex video guide

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 200mph, 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.

TGV Duplex at Paris Est. These impressive 200 mph double-deck trains link Paris with Nice, Marseille, Munich, Barcelona & Switzerland...		2nd class table for 4 on TGV Duplex upper deck...

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

1st class seats 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.

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 bistro-restaurant car and a cafe-bar, an attendant will take food orders at your seat in 1st & Business classes.  See the Railjet page for more information about Railjet.

Economy class on RailJet, in open saloons with picture windows.  Some seats around tables, most unidirectional.		The RailJet from Munich, arrived at Budapest Keleti spot on time.  More photos & information about Railjet trains.

Railjet first class, with black leather seats...		Business class...		Bistro-restaurant car...

The view of the Fortress Hohensalzburg as the Railjet crosses the River Salzach & approaches Salzburg station....

Budapest to Belgrade by air-conditioned InterCity or EuroCity train...

The InterCity Ivo Andric to Belgrade uses modern air-conditioned Serbian coaches (pictured below), the later Avala uses Hungarian carriages.  The Avala has a restaurant car, but take supplies if you use the Ivo Andric.  The train travels sedately across the Great Hungarian Plain to the border at Kelebia where passports are checked.  Shortly afterwards it arrives at the Serbian border point, Subotica, where where it's the Serbians' turn.  Subotica is the location for much of the action in Graham Greene's novel Stamboul Train.  If you thought the train was slow in Hungary, wait till you get into Serbia!  Again, you're crossing the great Pannonian Plain, past an occasional pheasant or deer, although wooded hills appear (and the train speeds up a bit) as you approach the Serbian capital.  You enter Belgrade over a long steel girder bridge spanning the river Sava, with two modern illuminated road suspension bridges to your right.  The rail bridge opened in 1883, and originally linked two countries, the Austro-Hungarian empire on one bank, and Belgrade in Serbia on the other.  Below left, a Budapest-Belgrade train with Serbian cars is pictured about to leave Budapest.  Below right, 2nd class seats.

Belgrade to Sofia by Balkan Express...

An express in name only, perhaps!  This train will have only one or two carriages, it's be old but comfortable enough.  Power sockets, WiFi or even catering?  Better forget those!  Bring your own picnic and bottles of beer, this is an old-school ride through the Balkans on the route of the old Orient Express...  The photos below in fact show the morning Belgrade to Skopje train, the Belgrade to Sofia train will be similar, if you get any photos of the train or scenery please let me know!

The morning train from Belgrade...		Old but comfortable compartment.

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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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Sofia central station

Sofia central station, a grand monument to former times...

Sofia's main station is a grandiose structure, like a giant monument left from an empire long-gone.  Which in a way, it is.  Indeed, cash-strapped BDZ (Bulgarian Railways) is apparently struggling with the cost of heating such a huge space in winter.  However it has just undergone a major refurbishment and now looks quite smart.  Map of Sofia showing station.

Cash dispensers, left luggage, food & drink...

There used to be no ATMs in the station, but it's reported that one has now been installed.  There's a left luggage office in the great hall downstairs, see here for left luggage opening times & prices.  You'll find plenty of kiosks selling snacks & drinks all over the station.

Buying tickets...

Domestic tickets for travel today can be bought at ticket windows 1-13 at the lower level.  Domestic tickets for future travel can be bought from ticket windows 14 upwards in the main hall.  Until a year or two ago, international tickets & reservations had to be made at the special Rila agency office, but they are now sold by ticket windows 14-17 in the main hall, open 07:00-22:45 every day of the week, albeit with several 15-min breaks.  Credit cards aren't accepted, only Bulgarian currency in cash, but there is now an ATM close by inside the station.

Sofia station, main entrance, post-refurbishment...  Courtesy Malte Fuhrmann		The great hall at Sofia's central station, after refurbishment in 2016.  Courtesy Malte Fuhrmann.

The ticket office at Sofia station.  Windows 14-16 for international tickets, open 07:00-22:45 (with several 15-min breaks).		The impressive Sofia metro will take you from the station to Sofia city centre, www.metropolitan.bg/en.

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Sofia

Click for map of Sofia showing station

The most modern thing about Sofia is its excellent metro system, which will take you from the station into the city centre.  The Sofia metro website is www.metropolitan.bg/en.  Or you can walk, it takes about 20 minutes.

Sofia's national theatre...		Sofia's Alexander Nevsky cathedral...

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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 have set up a private venture and published the first edition of a reborn European Rail Timetable in March 2014.  You can buy it online with worldwide shipping at either www.stanfords.co.uk or www.europeanrailtimetable.eu.  More information on what the European Rail Timetable contains.

A Traveller's Railway Map of Europe covers the whole of Europe from Portugal in the west to Moscow & Istanbul in the east, Finland in the north to Sicily & Athens in the south.  On the back are detailed maps of Switzerland, Benelux & Germany, plus city plans showing stations in major cities.  Scenic & high-speed routes highlighted.  Buy it online for £14.50 + postage worldwide (UK addresses £2.80) at www.stanfords.co.uk/Continents/Europe-A-Travellers-Railway-Map_9789077899090.htm or (in the Netherlands) for €13 + €5.50 postage from www.treinreiswinkel.nl.

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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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Find hotels in Sofia & Bulgaria

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Travel insurance & health card

Take out decent travel insurance, it's essential...

Never travel without proper travel insurance from a reliable insurer with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover.  It should also cover loss of cash & belongings (up to a limit), and trip cancellation.  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, and feedback from using insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome.

In the UK, use www.confused.com to compare prices & policy features across major insurance companies.

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

        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 an EU health card, it's free...

If you're a UK citizen travelling in Europe, you should apply for a free European Health Insurance Card, which entitles you to free or reduced rate health care if you become ill or get injured in many European countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with the NHS.  This replaced the old E111 forms as from January 2006.  The EHIC card is available from ww.nhs.uk.  It doesn't remove the need for travel insurance, though.

Carry a spare credit card, designed for travel with no currency exchange loading & low/no ATM fees

Taking out an extra credit card costs nothing, but if you keep it in a different part of your luggage you won't be left stranded if your wallet gets stolen.  In addition, some credit cards are better for overseas travel than others.  Martin Lewis's www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad.