• Day 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar...

  You leave London St Pancras at 10:22 on Mondays-Fridays & Sundays arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 13:57.  On Saturdays, leave London St Pancras at 09:24 arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 12:57.

  By all means take an earlier Eurostar if you'd like more time in Paris or if it has cheaper seats available.

  In Paris it's an easy 7 minute 500m walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.

• Day 1, travel from Paris to Stuttgart by TGV Duplex...

  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 on any day of the week you can leave Paris Gare de l'Est at 13:55 arriving Stuttgart Hbf 17:04.

  The 320 km/h double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  I recommend an upstairs seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.  Times may vary, so check for your date at www.bahn.de.

• Day 1, travel from Stuttgart to Budapest by sleeper train...

  Travel from Stuttgart to Budapest by sleeper train Kalman Imre, leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 20:29 and arriving Budapest Keleti at 09:19.

  The Kalman Imre has a modern air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin), a modern Hungarian couchette car (4 & 6 berth compartments) and ordinary seats (not recommended). 

  You now have a day to explore Budapest.  Luggage lockers are available.  Map of Budapest showing Keleti station.

• Day 2, travel from Budapest to Bucharest by sleeper train Ister, leaving Budapest Keleti at 19:10, arriving Bucharest Nord 11:19.

  Ister is the ancient name for the River Danube.  The Ister has a modern air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car with safe, comfortable & carpeted 1, 2 & 3-bed compartments with washbasin, plus several deluxe compartments with 1, 2 or 3 beds and private shower and toilet.  It also has Romanian couchette car with 4-berth & 6-berth compartments (basic flat bunks with rug & pillow) and ordinary seats.  Travel in ordinary seats is not recommended.  Sleepers can be converted to private sitting rooms for evening/morning use, and there's a shower at the end of the corridor which may or may not work.  Take your own picnic and bottle of wine along, although a Romanian bar-bistro car is attached within Romania which can serve a cooked breakfast.  The train crosses Transylvania by night, calling at Brasov (for Dracula's castle) at 09:54 next morning, well worth a stopover, before ascending the pass through the Carpathian mountains, a wonderfully scenic and almost Alpine section of route.

• Day 3, stay overnight in Bucharest.  A same-day connection is too tight, so stay overnight in Bucharest and continue to Istanbul on day 4, as shown below.  In Bucharest, the Hotel MyContinental Bucuresti Gara de Nord is walking distance from the station, inexpensive and gets great reviews.  Search for other hotels in Bucharest.

• Day 4, travel overnight from Bucharest to Istanbul...

  In summer from 4 June to 3 October 2023, travel from Bucharest to Istanbul by direct couchette car.

  The Bosfor leaves Bucharest Gara de Nord at 10:55 and arrives Halkali (Istanbul) at 05:34 next morning.

  The through car is an air-conditioned Turkish TVS2000 couchette car with comfortable 4 berth compartments.  It's a lovely scenic journey across Romania & Bulgaria via the Shipka Pass, then overnight to Istanbul. Bring your own supplies of food and beer as there's no catering car.  Be prepared to get off the train with your bags at the Turkish border at Kapikule late at night to put your luggage through an X-ray machine and get your passport stamped.

  Tip:  The train calls at Veliko Tarnovo in late afternoon, the ancient Bulgarian capital.  It's well worth a 24 hour stopover!

  For full details of this journey with timings, photos & tips, see the Bucharest to Istanbul page.

  You arrive at Halkali, a suburban station 25 km west of Istanbul, early morning on day 5, probably an hour or so late.  The international train now terminates here, since 2013 it no longer continues to the historic Istanbul Sirkeci station.  You transfer from Halkali to Sirkeci station in central Istanbul by frequent Marmaray suburban train, see advice on how to transfer here.  These Marmaray suburban trains continue beyond Sirkeci through the Bosphorus rail tunnel to Söğütlüçeşme, starting station for the high-speed YHT trains to Ankara & Konya

  When the direct couchette car isn't running, travel from Bucharest to Istanbul as follows:

  Travel from Bucharest to Dimitrovgrad on a series of connecting trains, leaving Bucharest Nord at 10:55 & arriving Dimitrovgrad at 22:16.

  Times may vary, but it should all go like clockwork, it's a lovely scenic journey across Romania & Bulgaria via the Shipka Pass.  Bring your own supplies of food and beer as there's no catering car.  Tip:  The train calls at Veliko Tarnovo in late afternoon, the ancient Bulgarian capital.  It's well worth a 24 hour stopover.

  Then travel from Dimitrovgrad to Istanbul by Sofia-Istanbul Express, leaving Dimitrovgrad at 22:45 arriving Istanbul Halkali at 06:00.

  This train has comfortable Turkish TVS2000 air-conditioned sleeping-cars with 1 & 2 bed compartments and a Turkish TVS2000 air-conditioned couchette car with 4-berth compartments, see the photos below.

  Be prepared to get off the train with your bags at the Turkish border at Kapikule late at night to put your luggage through an X-ray machine and get your passport stamped.

  For full details of this journey with timings, photos & tips, see the Bucharest to Istanbul page

  You arrive at Halkali, a suburban station 25 km west of Istanbul, early morning on day 5, probably an hour or so late.  The international train now terminates here, since 2013 it no longer continues to the historic Istanbul Sirkeci station.  You transfer from Halkali to Sirkeci station in central Istanbul by frequent Marmaray suburban train, see advice on how to transfer here.  These Marmaray suburban trains continue beyond Sirkeci through the Bosphorus rail tunnel to Söğütlüçeşme, starting station for the high-speed YHT trains to Ankara & Konya

Istanbul ► London

• Day 1, travel overnight from Istanbul to Bucharest...

  In summer from 2 June to 1 October 2023, travel from Istanbul to Bucharest by direct couchette car.

  First transfer from Istanbul Sirkeci to Halkali by frequent Marmaray suburban train, see advice on how to transfer here.  Halkali is a suburban station about 25km west of central Istanbul, the international train now starts here.

  Then travel from Halkali to Bucharest by direct couchette car, leaving Halkali at 20:45  & arriving Bucharest Nord 17:05 next day.

  The through car to Bucharest is an air-conditioned Turkish TVS2000 couchette car with 4 berth compartments.  Be prepared to get off the train at the Turkish border at Kapikule late at night to get your passport stamped.  Next day it's a lovely journey across Bulgaria, up the Shipka Pass and across the world's longest steel girder bridge over the Danube into Romania.  If you want to stop off at the ancient Bulgarian capital, Veliko Tarnovo for 24 hours, it's well worth a stop, the train calls there at 10:11.  Bring your own supplies of food and beer as there's no catering car.

  For full details of this journey with timings, photos & tips, see the Istanbul-Bucharest page.

  In the off-season whenever the direct couchette car isn't running, travel from Istanbul to Bucharest as follows......

  First transfer from Istanbul Sirkeci to Halkali by frequent Marmaray suburban train, see advice on how to transfer here.  Halkali is a suburban station about 25km west of central Istanbul, the international train now starts here.

  Then travel from Istanbul to Dimitrovgrad in Bulgaria on the Istanbul-Sofia Express, leaving Istanbul Halkali station every night at 20:45 arriving Dimitrovgrad in Bulgaria at 04:17.  This train has comfortable Turkish TVS2000 air-conditioned sleeping-cars with 1 & 2 bed compartments and a Turkish TVS2000 air-conditioned couchette car with 4-berth compartments, see the photos below.

  Be prepared to get off the train at the Turkish border at Kapikule late at night to get your passport stamped.

  Then, travel from Dimitrovgrad to Bucharest on a series of connecting trains, leaving Dimitrovgrad at 06:00 & arriving Bucharest Nord 17:05.

  It's a lovely journey meandering through the lush green valleys of Bulgaria, including an ascent of the Shipka Pass. You crosses the Danube from Ruse in Bulgaria to Giurgiu in Romania over the world's longest steel girder bridge, 2.5km long.  Bring your own supplies of food and beer as there's no catering car.

  For full details of this journey with timings, photos & tips, see the Istanbul-Bucharest page

• Day 2, spend the night in Bucharest.  Spend day 3 exploring Bucharest...

  The Hotel MyContinental Bucuresti Gara de Nord is walking distance from the station, inexpensive and gets great reviews.  Search for other hotels in Bucharest.  Changes to train times over the last few years mean that a same-day connection is no longer possible, even if the Bosfor arrives on time, which it won't.  The traditional 3-night journey has become 4 nights, but this does give you a stopover in the interesting city of Bucharest.

• Day 3, travel from Bucharest to Budapest on the sleeper train Ister...

  You leave Bucharest Gara de Nord at 18:25 & arrive Budapest Keleti at 08:50 next day (day 4).

  The Ister has a modern Romanian air-conditioned sleeping-car with safe, comfortable & carpeted 1, 2 & 3-bed compartments with washbasin, plus several deluxe compartments with 1, 2 or 3 beds and private shower & toilet.  Compartments convert to private sitting rooms by day and there's even a shower at the end of the corridor which might work if you're lucky.  There are also ordinary seats (not recommended) and 4-berth & 6-berth couchettes (basic bunks with rug & pillow).  The Ister also has a bar-bistro car attached within Romania for dinner.

  You now have a day to explore Budapest.  Luggage lockers are available.  Map of Budapest showing Keleti station.

• Day 4, travel from Budapest to Stuttgart by sleeper...

  Travel from Budapest to Stuttgart by EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre leaving Budapest Keleti at 20:40 & arriving Stuttgart Hbf 08:37.

  The Kalman Imre has a modern 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.  A restaurant car is available from departure until after midnight.  See more information about this sleeper train.

  If you have a sleeping-car berth, you can use the business lounge in Budapest on platform 9, see here for opening hours.

• Day 5, travel from Stuttgart to Paris by high-speed train...

  Travel from Stuttgart to Paris by ICE train, leaving Stuttgart at 10:52 & arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 14:05. 

  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.

• Day 5, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 17:03, arriving London St Pancras at 18:32.

How much does it cost?

There are two different ways to ticket a London to Istanbul train journey: (a) Normal point-to-point tickets for each train or (b) an Interrail pass.

Point-to-point tickets are cheapest, if you buy cheap advance-purchase tickets for each train several months ahead at the cheapest prices.

But advance-purchase tickets commit you to a specific train with limited or no refunds or changes allowed.  I recommend using an Interrail pass because of the extra flexibility it offers.  With a pass you can simply reschedule or re-route if fire, flood, or missed connections affect your journey.  If you live outside Europe, you qualify for a Eurail pass rather than Interrail, but pricing & reservations are exactly the same as for an Interrail.  Here is a rough summary of the total costs:

Cost if you use point-to-point tickets

Calculating the cost of a London to Istanbul train journey is a black art.  You're not buying a London to Istanbul ticket, there's no such thing.  You're buying a separate ticket for each train, and the price varies depending how far ahead you book.  So get a calculator and add up the fare for your chosen class or sleeper or couchette for each leg of the journey.  Fares for Eurostar, TGV, Kalman Imre & Railjet are dynamic like air fares, varying depending on how popular that date & train is and how far ahead you book.  Budapest to Bucharest also has some limited-availability offers if you book online direct with Hungarian Railways.  From Bucharest to Istanbul, the price shown below is fixed and is what you pay even at the station on the day.

Cost if you use an Interrail pass

Using an Interrail pass is the most flexible way to travel from London or Paris to Istanbul.  It costs almost the same as point-to-point tickets if you're under 28 years old, it costs a bit more than point-to-point tickets if you're over 28, but the extra flexibility is worth it, especially for a round trip.  After buying the pass, you still need to pay for a Eurostar passholder fare & sleeper or couchette reservations.  More information about Interrail passes & how they work.  Here's the breakdown:

• 1)  The Interrail pass itself...

  For a one-way trip to Istanbul, a 5-days-in-1-month flexi Interrail pass gives 5 days of unlimited train travel in all the countries you pass through within a maximum overall period of 1 month, which is plenty to make an eastbound journey, even with a day or two in Vienna, Budapest & Bucharest if you want (eastbound, you could in fact get away with a 4-days-in-1-month pass).  A 5-days-in-1-month costs £180 if you are under 28 years old, £239 if you're 28-59, or £215 if you're over 60.  Children 4-11 inclusive get a free £0 Interrail pass if accompanied by an adult.

  For a return trip to Istanbul, a 10-days-in-2-months pass costs £255 if you are aged under 28, £340 if you're aged 28-59, or £306 if you're over 60.  Children 4-11 inclusive get a free pass if accompanied by an adult.  This gives a total of 10 days of unlimited train travel in all the countries you pass through within an overall period of 2 months, enough to make the outward & return journeys, even with a day or two in Vienna and Budapest or Bucharest, as long as you complete both outward & return journeys within an overall 2 month period.

  It's not usually worth bothering with a 1st class pass, as only a 2nd class pass is needed for most sleepers & couchettes on the Stuttgart-Budapest & Budapest-Bucharest trains, and the Balkan trains are often 2nd class only, so a 1st class pass would cost a lot more but only make any difference on the London-Paris-Stuttgart sectors.

• 2)  Eurostar passholder fare from London to Paris...

  Interrail passes now cover Eurostar, but you still need to pay a Eurostar passholder fare of €30 in standard class if you have a 2nd class pass or €38 in standard premier if you have a 1st class pass.  See the Eurostar page for full details of this passholder fare and how to buy it.

• 3)  Paris-Stuttgart TGV reservation fee...

  This costs around €10 one-way in 2nd class.

• 4)  Stuttgart to Budapest sleeper reservation...

  Passholders pay the following supplements for the Stuttgart-Budapest sleeper train, per person per bed:  Couchette in  6-berth compartment €20, couchette in a 4-berth compartment €25, bed in a 2-berth sleeper €50, bed in a single-berth sleeper €100.  Information from www.bahn.de.

• 5)  Budapest to Bucharest couchette reservation...

  Couchette in 6-berth €15, couchette in 4-berth €22, bed in 3-bed sleeper €28, bed in 2-bed sleeper €42.  Bed in single-bed sleeper (1st class ticket or pass required) €98.  Information from www.cfrcalatori.ro.

• 6)  Bucharest to Istanbul couchette reservation...

  Couchette in 4-berth €14.  Information from www.cfrcalatori.ro.

• Remember the new rule for using Interrail flexi passes on overnight trains:  As from 2019, overnight trains only require one day of a flexi pass to be dated, the date it leaves, as long as you don't change trains after midnight.  See the more detailed explanation here.

How to book using an Interrail pass

• I recommend using an Interrail pass for a London to Istanbul journey because of the extra flexibility this offers, even though it's a bit more expensive than buying the cheapest possible no-refunds no-changes-to-travel-plans point-to-point advance-purchase tickets for each train. 

• You'll need a pass, Eurostar passholder tickets, and TGV & sleeper passholder reservations.

• Step 1, plan your trip using the times above and decide what trains you want to take on what days.  This may help: How to plan an itinerary & budget.  Then work out what type of Interrail pass you need to cover these plans, see pass durations & prices on the Interrail page.

  A 4-days-in-1-month pass is enough to make an eastbound journey as described on this page, but if you want stopovers in (say) Vienna or Budapest (thus spreading your travel over an extra day), you'll need a 5-days-in-1-month pass.  Westbound one-way you'll need a 5-days-in-1-month pass because of the way the overnight sleeper rule works.  For a round trip, a 10-days-in-2-months pass covers it.

• Step 2, buy the Interrail pass online at www.interrail.eu or (if you live in the UK) www.myinterrail.co.uk,

  There's now a mobile pass which sits in the Railplanner app on your phone.  When you buy the pass you get a pass number.  Download the Railplanner app and follow the instructions, entering your pass number to load the pass into the app.

• Step 3, make the necessary reservations, most can be made online...

  Start by setting up an account at www.interrail.com so you can use their reservations service.  You will need your pass number for this, so you need to have bought the pass first.  Once you have an account, click BOOK RESERVATIONS at the top and use the journey planner for each train.

  First book a Eurostar passholder ticket from London to Paris.  It's automated, the Eurostar passholder ticket will be emailed to you immediately after booking, you can either print it out or load it into the Eurostar app.  See more information about Eurostar passholder tickets here including how to check availability before you buy your pass.

  Tip:  After booking a Eurostar passholder ticket you can go to www.eurostar.com, click Manage booking, enter your booking reference and change your seat(s) to whatever seats you prefer.

  Now make the Paris to Stuttgart TGV reservation, again using the Interrail reservations service at www.interrail.com.  It's automated, the reservation will be emailed to you immediately after booking.

  Now make the Stuttgart to Budapest sleeper reservation.  Don't use the Interrail reservations service for this as they have to post hard copy tickets to you at extra cost with the risk of tickets going astray, you should book this at the Austrian Railways website, following the same instructions for booking Nightjet sleepers.  Then you can simply print the reservation out or even show it on your phone.

  Now make the Budapest to Bucharest reservation, again using the Interrail reservations service at www.interrail.com.  This time it's not automated, and a hard copy ticket has to be sent to you, so you have to allow time (maybe 2 weeks) for this to happen reliably.

  Tip:  You could consider buying a normal advance-purchase sleeper ticket from Budapest to Bucharest online at bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro and printing it out.  If you book a month or so in advance and get a cheap deal, the difference between this cost and reservation-only booking to go with a pass isn't that great.

  The final reservation, Bucharest to Istanbul, probably needs to be made by phone, but see what the Interrail reservations service says.

• If you have any problems making reservations online you can make them by phone.  Call DB'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.  You can also try International Rail on 0844 248 248 3, lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, overseas callers +44 844 2482483.  You have to allow time for these reservations to be posted as hard copy.

How to book using point-to-point tickets

• You can buy tickets online for the London-Bucharest part of the journey in either direction, it's the cheapest way to book because you can see all the cheap deals direct from the train operators and don't pay any booking fees.  However, you'll still need to book the Bucharest-Istanbul train by phone or at the station as this can't be booked online.

• When does booking open?

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead for Eurostar, for the Paris-Stuttgart TGV and the Stuttgart-Budapest sleeper.  It only opens 60 days ahead for Budapest-Bucharest.  Hotels can be booked before booking your trains risk-free if you use www.booking.com with free cancellation.  Before you start, make a list of the specific trains & dates you need to book as each train is effectively a separate booking.

• Step 1, book the Eurostar...

  Go to www.eurostar.com & buy Eurostar tickets between London & 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 this has cheaper fares available of if you want to stop off in Paris.  You print your own ticket.  See tips on choosing the best seats on Eurostar.

  If you don't live in London, see the advice on buying connecting tickets from other UK towns & cities here.

• Step 2, book the Paris to Stuttgart TGV...

  Book this at the German Railways website www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.

• Step 3, book the Stuttgart to Budapest sleeper train...

  Book this at www.thetrainline.com.  Use the journey planner to bring up the Stuttgart-Budapest sleeper train marked EN with 0 changes. You print your own ticket.  You can also book at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at.

• Step 4, book the Budapest to Bucharest sleeper train...

  Book at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro.  Click EN top right for English.  Bucharest is listed as Bucuresti (Romania).  Booking opens 60 days ahead.  For Hungary to Romania journeys you print your own ticket.

  You can also book at the Hungarian Railways website www.mav-start.hu.  Read my tips & advice for using mav-start.hu and how your tickets are collected.  For Bucharest type Bucuresti.

• Step 5, now book the Bucharest to Istanbul journey...

  ...from early June until September when the direct couchette car operates:

  When the through couchette car runs you should be able to buy tickets online at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro.  Click EN top right for English.  For Bucharest enter Bucuresti (Romania) and for Istanbul enter Halkali (Turkey).  Tickets must be collected from a CFR station ticket office in Romania such as Bucharest Nord, so only use this site for one-ways or round trips starting in Romania.  Feedback would be appreciated.

  Alternatively, tickets can be arranged by agency Paralela 45 Turism, www.paralela45.com.  They can source train tickets starting in Bucharest, so far recommended by several seat61 correspondents.  Feedback appreciated.

  Or you can buy a ticket at the station in Bucharest, the direct couchette car usually has sleeping berths available even on the day.  For international tickets go to ticket window 1 in a room marked Case de Bilete with a large blue sign, not far from the information kiosk in the centre of the station, see photos of this ticket office so you know what to look for.

  In the westbound direction, you can buy tickets for this direct couchette car at the international ticket window at Istanbul Sirkeci station.

  Alternatively, contact andy@discoverbyrail.com (the same rail expert that runs www.discoverbyrail.com).  He can arrange sleeper or couchette tickets on this train in either direction, tickets will be posted to you.

  ...In the off-season when there's no direct couchette car:

  Go to the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro and click EN top right for English.  It won't book all the way to Istanbul when there's no direct train, so book from Bucharest to Dimitrovgrad, which it should do for around €30 (but priced in Romanian lei, of course).  For Bucharest type Bucuresti (Romania) and select Dimitrovgrad (Bulgaria).  If you get an error message and can't book Bucharest to Dimitrovgrad, simply book from Bucharest to Gorna Orjahovitsa instead.

  You've plenty of time when you arrive in Gorna to buy an onward ticket to Dimitrovgrad, and the international ticket office on platform 1 at Gorna Orjahovitsa should be able to sell you a sleeper ticket from Dimitrovgrad to Istanbul Halkali (feedback appreciated). 

  If you don't manage to buy the Dimitrovgrad-Istanbul sleeper ticket at Gorna, simply approach the sleeper or couchette attendant when you board the sleeper train at Dimitrovgrad and ask to pay for a free berth and if necessary buy a Dimitrovgrad to Istanbul ticket on board.  Don't worry, there are almost always places available even on the day.

  Alternatively, you can book a sleeper or couchette from Dimitrovgrad to Istanbul in advance by contacting andy@discoverbyrail.com (the same rail expert that runs www.discoverbyrail.com).  He can arrange sleeper or couchette tickets on this train, tickets will be posted to you.

  In the westbound direction, you can buy tickets from Istanbul to Dimitrovgrad at the international ticket window at Istanbul Sirkeci station.  You'll then need to buy a ticket from Dimitrovgrad to Ruse at the station when you get to Dimitrovgrad, or if necessary just pay on the train.  Then buy a ticket from Ruse to Bucharest at the station when you get to Ruse.  This is no problem, there are almost always places available.

Or let Tailor Made Rail arrange it for you...

• The easiest, most hassle-free and secure option is to let a professional organise all your train & hotel bookings.  Tailor Made Rail can create a London to Istanbul tour package to your exact specification, complete with stopovers.  As it's then a package, they'll take care of you if anything happens on one part of the trip (for example, a national strike) and they're TTA-protected (like ATOL, but not only for agencies that sell air travel).

• They have a suggested 9-night London to Istanbul package with stopovers, see www.tailormaderail.com/itinerary/london-to-istanbul-epic-journey, but of course they can arrange a journey with any stopovers you want, one-way or round trip, via Bucharest or via Sofia, or out one way back the other.

• Call their dedicated seat61 phone line 020 3778 1461 and quote seat 61 when booking.  From outside the UK call +44 20 3778 1461.  Lines open 09:00-17:30 Monday-Friday.

Or buy tickets by phone

• You can buy all your London-Istanbul tickets by phone, but please don't phone up a ticketing agency, say "I want to book a train ticket from London to Istanbul" and expect them to know which route and trains you want and to work it all out for you.  You aren't buying a ticket from London to Istanbul as such tickets no longer exist, you're buying 5 separate tickets for 5 different trains.  So use the train times on this webpage to list the specific trains you want to book between specific cities on specific dates (you may find How to plan an itinerary & budget helpful).  When you're ready to book, call one of these agencies:

• International Rail on 0844 248 248 3, lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday.  Overseas callers call +44 844 2482483.  Unlike some other agencies, International Rail are equipped with the French, German & Italian rail ticketing systems, so can sell the cheapest fares for all these trains from the UK to Italy and within Italy.  They charge a £10 booking fee for bookings under £100, £20 for £100-£300, £30 above £300. 

• Deutsche Bahn's English-speaking 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.  Tickets can be sent to  any address worldwide for a small fee.  Just be aware that their staff aren't always familiar with complex bookings like this and may need gentle persuasion.  You will need to talk them through exactly what train bookings you want, and be polite but persistent if necessary.

If you're in Istanbul, how to buy tickets to western Europe

• There are occasions when you might want to buy train tickets from Istanbul to western Europe, including Amsterdam, Paris or London, when you're already in Istanbul (perhaps just arrived from Iran, say).

• Go to Istanbul's Sirkeci station, ticket window 4.  Credit cards are now accepted.

• They can sell tickets to Bucharest or Sofia.  You can find the cost of tickets from Istanbul to these cities at www.tcddtasimacilik.gov.tr (click English top right, click PASSENGER then Trains then International trains).  However, they can't sell tickets or make reservations beyond Bucharest or Sofia because they have no reservation computer linked to the reservation system for the rest of Europe.

  Note that in the off-season when there's no direct couchette car from Istanbul to Bucharest, you'll need to by a couchette or sleeper ticket from Istanbul to Dimitrovgrad and rebook there (or pay on the train if there isn't time) to Ruse, then rebook again in Ruse for the train to Bucharest.

• So buy a ticket from Istanbul to Sofia or Bucharest, you can buy a Sofia-Belgrade-Budapest or Bucharest-Budapest ticket when you get there.

• Then go to an internet cafe, check they have a printer, and book the sleeper train from Budapest to Munich and the TGV from Munich to Paris online at www.bahn.de, with cheap fares available if you book in advance.  You can buy a Eurostar ticket from Paris or Brussels to London online at www.eurostar.com.  If you simply turn up in Budapest or Munich, you can of course book these trains on the day if there are spaces available (and there usually will be), but you'll pay the full fare, no cheap deals available at the station on the day of travel.  Eurostar can also be booked on the day at the station in Paris or Brussels if all else fails, but you'll pay a much more expensive price than if you-pre book in advance online.