Krakow to Istanbul

Two resources will be helpful: www.seat61.com, which has loads of train information throughout Europe, and www.bahn.de, which gives you train schedule information for most locations in Europe.

The trip is very slow. Expect to spend a full two days on trains.

I don't know how much time you have, but a better bet would be to make some stops along the way. Hungary, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria are the most likely candidates if you don't want to venture too far out of the way.

Without closely examining maps and schedules, I think your best bet is likely to be through Budapest (you'll have direct connections from Krakow). From Budapest, you could either head through Romania and then down through Bulgaria, or go through Serbia and over through Bulgaria.

Again, not knowing how much time you have, or what you might want to do or see along the way, I'd recommend you check out www.balkanology.com for tons of travel information for the region.

Dave

Several thoughts. I do hope that you understand that a rail pass is not likely to be helpful in this part of the world unless you spend a great deal of your time on trains.

Another possible route is to take the ferry from Istanbul across the Black Sea to Odessa, Ukraine and then take trains from there to Krakow.

Ruth

Decide what you want to visit and then choose the itinerary.

A) (Ruth's proposal): Krakow - Lwiw (visit) - Kiew (visit) - Odessa (visit) - Ferry - Istanbul.

B) Krakow - Lwiw - Suceava (visit the Moldovian monasteries) - Bucharest (visit) - Ruse - Veliko Tnovo/Arbanasi (visit) - Tryavna (visit) - Stara Zagora - Dimitrovgrad - Edirne (visit) - Istanbul.

C) Krakow - bus - Budapest (visit) - Cluj Napoca (visit) - Sighisoara (visit) - Brasov (visit) - Bucharest .......

D) Krakow - Vienna (visit) - Budapest - Beograd - Sofia - Plovdiv (visit) - Dimitrovgrad .....

E) May - October only: Krakow - Vienna - Venice (visit) - Chioggia (visit) - Ferrara - Ravenna (visit) - Ancona - ferryboat - Cesme - bus - Izmir (visit Ephesos) - Bergama (visit Pergamon) - Bursa (visit) - Istanbul.

Well, you've had heaps of good advice already, with a great choice of routes. I would just chip in that if time is a big issue, then the fastest train route is the once daily connection (leaving Krakow at 7 am) that gets you into Istanbul at 8.25 am two days after leaving Krakow (so two nights en route). This is via Budapest and / or Belgrade and then Sofia, and there are two en route changes of train (actually, with quite some choice as to where you change, but still with the same departure time from Krakow and arrival time in Istanbul). The one way fare is about €155, plus any extra fees for couchettes or sleepers.

The rail routes that head initially east from Krakow (ie. into Ukraine) are cheaper but take longer.

I do hope this additional information helps.
Nicky
____________________
Ms N Gardner
www.hiddeneurope.co.uk</a>

The classic Polish globetrotters' route is
Krakow - Przemysl (train)
Przemysl - Lviv (minibuses, crossing border on foot)
Lviv - Chernivtsi (overnight train, schedule on www.uz.gov.ua)
Chernivtsi-Suceava (bus, hich-hike or taxi)
Suceava - Bucharest (spelled Bucuresti) - overnight train, www.cfr.ro
Bucharest-Istanbul - train or bus

However it's not as cheap anymore as it used to be a few years ago - to be recommended only if you want to to stop en route for sightseeing. Lviv and Chernivsti are actually highlights, in Romania and Bulgaria you travel through less interesting parts. Visiting the monasteries of Bucovina (not Moldovan, Bucovina is another historical area!) from Suceava (uninteresting itself) is feasible, but requires either hiring a taxi or minibus for pretty long rides or staying there for some days.

Thanks to everyone for all the great route advice!
I think there won't be too many stops this time, but I will be back to Europe in the spring to enjoy all it has to offer.

I am going to take the train from Krakow to Budapest, Budapest to Sohia (maybe stay one night), Sophia to Istanbul OR Sophia to Edirne. Subquestion: Is Edirne a good on the way to Istanbul stop?

Next question, the reservation for arrival / departure in Budapest says:
- Arrival Budapest - Keleti
- Departure Budapest - Kelenfold
Is this another station? Or just the other end of the Keleti station?

Thanks,

d

There is much more to see at Plovdiv than at Edierne. If you stop only once, stop at Plovdiv instead of Sofia.

I believe that these are two different train stations. If I recall correctly Budapest has three train stations.

Ruth

Kelenföld is a different train station. It's quite strange, that you have your reservation from Kelenföld, as all the Belgrade/Sofia-bound trains also stop at Keleti station, as you can check yourself at [bahn.de].
Just don't worry about it and change your trains at Keleti.