80 hrs from London to Istanbul by Sleeper Train
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- Опубліковано 23 тра 2024
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Today I’m taking taking the train from London all the way to Istanbul. Crossing 9 countries along the way on a variety of different sleeper trains, high speed trains and down right awful trains! Join me as I travel in the fastest possible time by using only the method of rail to get from one side of the continent of Europe to the other. Starting in London St Pancras, I’ll catch the Eurostar to Paris Gare Du Nord. Next up due to a delay from my previously booked train, I’ll grab a TGV over to Zurich, Switzerland. From there it’s the Austian Nightjet over to Vienna. Thanks to several lucky scrapes, I’m able to grab a 1st class train over to Budapest and catch up with my original itinerary to continue on to Arad, Romania. From Arad I’ll take one Romania’s most luxurious sleeper train over to Bucharest in order to catch my final train over to Turkey. This will be a couchette and it’s fare to say it’s a little rough around the edges.
As always let me know what you think, and if you’d do the same - to travel across Europe by sleeper train. It’s certainly possible with a little patience and a lack of sleep aha.
0:00 - Introduction
1:46 - Eurostar to Paris
4:06 - TGV to Zurich
7:18 - Nightjet to Vienna
10:10 - 1st Class to Budapest
14:39 - Sleeper train to Bucharest
19:22 - Couchette to Istanbul
26:56 - Turkish border
Thanks all for watching. Certainly one of the more challenging videos to make, especially given the delays and last minute changes. Next video is quite the opposite, perhaps one of the most luxurious travel "experiences" in the world. Can't wait to share.
Hey Trek! Been watching you for quite some time ~ love the vids. I have a video idea: buy an interrail pass with unlimited train travel for a month, plan a route and let us know how it is. Its only like 400€ for unlimited travel (with some limitations). I know a lot of people who are considering buying such, so seeing a review on this awesome channel would be amazing. Let me know if you read this :-)
I love your videos I want to take a train trip I’m thinking about taking the Alaska one you did or the Rocky Mountain one you did the look nice
SIR PLEASE MAKE JOURNEY IN THE WORLD FAMOUS
MAHARAJA EXPRESS 🍷🍷
IN INDIA 🇮🇳
SIR PLEASE MAKE JOURNEY IN THE WORLD FAMOUS
MAHARAJA EXPRESS 🍷🍷
IN INDIA 🇮🇳
SIR PLEASE MAKE JOURNEY IN THE WORLD FAMOUS
MAHARAJA EXPRESS 🍷🍷
IN INDIA 🇮🇳
At 500K subs you should try and recreate “Around the World in 80 days”, traversing the globe by rail, road and Sea.
I like your thinking :)
@@Trektrendy yes please do it & take your lovely lady with you 🇦🇺🐨👍🏻😁💜💙❤️
@@lynnebunning7273 that's not quite how the story goes. He would need a French valet.
I would support this only if he finds someone to take him on a land sail to Omaha.
@@blueband8114 he could his beautiful lady friend. Plenty of time to learn French using Babel. She could dress as a Buttler lol 🇦🇺👍🏻
This is probably the first time I watched one of your videos and DIDN'T want to take the same trip.
lol yep easier to fly it, but the first parts from London to Budapest would be decent if they were done right, the part past Bucharest is gross and yeah I would be pissed w no ac or power or clean toilets, that later toilet was okay but no tp yikes... gotta remember that
Hahaha great comment! But for me this would be a fantastic journey :-)
Same
No no no too old. 67
I should very well do the same trip, but allow myself a night at a hotel in Vienna and Bucuresti.
It’s funny watching someone used to first/business class do regular class traveling. I saw the three chairs and went, “Oh, I could sleep there. Easily.” I really like these videos of you taking trains.
He sound a little bit snobby, but I totally get it. He has seen so incredible stuff !!
true lol. must be nice being rich, also the pellegrino water was the topping on my thoughts
@@meinpx4 well he came expecting a damn hotel on wheels but due to mismanagement he had to pay extra for a last minute booking just to get what he got. quite honestly, id be much more snobby if that would happen to me.
@@zyclonic5287 you can get there too m8
He sounds a little snobby ? He has every right to sound snobby! Train delay (not his fault), cost him extra and no refunds given and had to travel in a way he did not plan and it's safe to say it definitely spoils the mood other than spending extra money looted by train ministries. Hard earned money dear. He didn't wish to donate it to trains lol it was his compulsion and yes he is rightly snobby.
When I was staying in Bulgaria, my friends would look at me like I was crazy when I said I took the train. They would explain to me that they basically never took the trains because they're old and way slower than alternatives. But I loved it. I bought a 1st class ticket and barely saw a soul and when you crack the window all the way down and let that breeze in it felt fresh. Such a scenic and beautiful country, it's worth a try even if you get to your destination slower.
Gr8 attitude. Cheers!
People look for the fast method far too much these days. Slower= getting to actually experience all those places in the between and those scenic views
Bro needs to explore more. Gorna Oryahovitsa train station is nowhere near downtown. Its normal to look like this.
ua-cam.com/users/shortsXfu62bYd2No beautifull landing
As much as I love seeing your smooth trips and luxury accommodations, it’s also refreshing to see the other side of traveling where a whole lot of things go wrong. Thanks for being a trooper and going through this haha safe travels!
Thanks for watching Heric - and that’s exactly it. I love travel overall so happy to rough it sometimes in the name of adventure
100th like
@@Trektrendy how do you get internet on your.phone? Were you using mobile roaming data on this particular trip?
@@virgiliovidal9169 probably. My mobile data supplier provided 20gb of free data in each European country.
ua-cam.com/users/shortsXfu62bYd2No beautifull landing
As a Bulgarian, I waited to the part when you have to comment on the iconic toilets, notorious through the ages. I haven't travelled by train in decades but I see nothing changes there (except maybe get dirtier). We as a nation are proud to be first in something when it comes to your travels. Stay safe Will, hope you remember us with something more than our toilets. Cheers to that Astika from my hometown!
May be it was cleaner under the communists rule! don't know for sure, anyways. LOL
@@kanank13 I think they were clean only at the moment the carriage popped out the factory. I remember being a kid during commie rule and I can still feel the stench imprinted on my mind. BTW, you see the ground through the toilet hole, all you produce goes back to nature. Or the train station if you are stopped there and you feel the urge... pretty vile stuff
What were the trains like during communism?
Whats an "Astika"?
@@JoePsysky Most trains in India have toilets like that and perhaps other south east asian countries's trains are like that too.
I met my turkish husband 1988,and same year at autumn,I travelled by train,from Finland to Istanbul,and by aeroplane to Dalaman and by bus to Marmaris!!!❤We are still married.😊
Hi, mate! 🥰
Being a romanian🇷🇴, I'm so proud that you had 2 showers in Astra Trans Charpatian train that made you fresher for the next day.
Very nice video, loved it🥰
30 minutes, 4 days train. seeing this in my news feed is pure joy, thanks.
This is insanely cool, I can’t lie - You paid a arm and a leg to save the trip, serious dedication to the content. Great video trek!
Thanks for watching, and yes I certainly could have done it a lot cheaper if time wasn’t the issue. Had to complete the challenge and so glad I was able to share the story :)
Paid money to make money
ua-cam.com/users/shortsXfu62bYd2No beautifull landing
Of course no brainer
Turkey is a wonderful country and Islam is a beautiful religion. Turkish mosques are astonishing
Back in 2013 we took a sleeper train from Budapest to Bucharest Romania and at 2am the Romanian border guards came on board banging on our compartment that we had to show our papers . Felt like I was in a Cold War spy movie . Budapest is a beautiful city and Istanbul is one of my favorites. Very enjoyable video sir 😎😎😎
Well, you can thank Austria and Holland for that, they are denying Romania and Bulgaria entrance to the Schengen space for their economic interests.
I can’t thank you enough for doing these videos. I suffer from insomnia because of anxiety and there’s something about your videos that relax me, I think it’s your voice and how you edit your videos so smoothly. I find them all absolutely fascinating and the most perfect thing to watch to relax me before falling asleep peacefully. I’ve been binge watching all your videos. I know it seems silly but it’s always nice to know that your content helps people out there even if they don’t travel. Thanks again ❤️
I totally agree
Hey Sam I do too unfortunately and have been up until seven this morning binge watching each one because I feel like I have a stomach ache from so much unnecessary anxiety. I have good days and bad ones but glad he is here to help us through these difficult times.
Anxiety can be an irrational fear of events that are out of one’s control and often unlikely to impact the anxious individual. You may find it some consolation to consider that anxiety is perception rather than reality. Don’t waste your life being anxious. I wish you all the best in conquering your anxiety. Be well.
I feel the same way Sam : ) i agree there’s something relaxing about these videos he does such a great job filming to me its a great escape ❤️
@@k.s.1579 I get exactly the same! It's been so bad at times it's made me sick. Lying in bed or on the sofa to one of these videos and a hot water bottle helps me massively. We are not alone xx
I literally watch 3 to 4 of your videos a day. I’ve watched other travel videos by others, but yours are the most entertaining and educational to watch. Thankyou for sharing your travels with everyone. Becca from Kansas
Loved how you are able to go with the flow ! You deal with the good , the bad and the dirty and I certainly could not ‘ roll with it ‘ . I appreciated how you provided the costs in Canadian currency . I will definitely be following you as you have a very entertaining way of taking us along on your ‘trek’ . Since I am 75 years old I think I will avoid this particular train trip . Thank you for making this a very interesting trip and I will happily follow you vicariously on your future journeys . Mary of Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦👍
I’m a bit older than you, and this reminds me of my experiences of traveling on night trains in Europe. I was always in a couchette with three other people and was happy to be able to sleep lying down. The sleeping cars basically were two sets of bunk bed, and I opted for the bottom berth. I remember being given a pillow but no sheets or blanket. Smoking was allowed on trains back then, so I reserved a berth in a nonsmoking couchette. Luggage didn’t have wheels, so I had a collapsible luggage carrier for my suitcase. (Yes, I’m that old.) There was no internet, so no Google translate. I always brought a small phrase book in the language of the country that I was traveling to. I so miss traveling and am hoping to get to Manchester to visit a friend and to my favorite city in the world to visit London this fall. For now I can enjoy traveling through your videos.
His vlog reminded me of the same train travel you experienced as I also did in the mid 70's. Quite an experience, I prefer a bit more cushy travel now. But the memories are great.
LOL, my experience as well. Some 40 years ago, there was no electronic means of communication, and if you wanted to converse in a new country, you bought a phrase book and learned basic phrases as well as numbers (these were light, and didn't take up much room). In the space of a week travelling across Spain on slow trains, I managed to achieve a fundamental level of communication in Spanish with a book that weighed about 100g (with backpacking, every gram was essential, so ripping off the front and rear covers of books helped a little). I then did the same in Portugal with another phrase book. I loved EVERY SINGLE SECOND of that trip.
During that period we have seen those countries join the EU, borders disappear, only to find them reappear due to right-wing English politics. We are all much the poorer for it. It saddens me greatly.
@@horsenuts1831
A phrase book would have been good for me. In Italy at a restaurant I ordered a menu item that said pollo. I knew it meant chicken, so I felt safe getting it. It turned out to be a plate of chicken livers, oops.
Currently quarantined, I have watched every single train journey of yours. Also from Jeb's too, you two are my fave youtubers now. Safe travels!
Thanks so much - wishing you a speedy recovery
@@Trektrendy Thank you! After watching a bunch of your videos, I've always felt I was included in the trip.
Feel better! They're my favorite two as well!
@@r.urquia3202 so dumb to quarantine if you have covid. this stuff has now been around for yrs.
@@justthink5854 is it effecting you? No its not so move on.
I am in love with your videos. I did similar smaller trips over EU. That feeling when the connections can not be made hits differently now, as it gives many opportunities for random unplanned destinations! Keep on travelling. Greetings from Serbia.
A small detail that you missed out (or did not mention): The train from Zurich to Vienna actually passes through three countries, not two. Between the stop in Buchs and Feldkirch you also travel through Liechtenstein. it's the only railway track in the country with a length of 9 km, connecting the Swiss and the Austrian Railway system.
In the start he showed Liechtenstein
As well as I believe Germany
@@sybrninja Correct! Between Kufstein and Salzburg the train passes what we call the "German corner" (Deutsches Eck)
@@sybrninja Unfortunately, no. The first shot is on the Austrian part of the route, between Feldkirch and Innsbruck.
Dear Will,
I’ve been watching your content for a while and I just wanted to say thank you for making such amazing content! Personally, I am more of a plane person and I prefer your flight vlogs to the recent train vlogs however at the end of the day they are both great types of videos as they are all made to a great standard.
I just wanted to say keep up the great work and soon you’ll be at 500k, and then afterwards hopefully you’ll one day be at 1 million.
It has been incredible watching your channel grow, I can’t wait to see the channel grow even bigger.
Keep up the great work!
Thank you so much for watching my friend and for the kind words. I have some more plane ones in the works (one of which I'm flying in a few days) I just want to release only the very best. As I've flown close to every product it's harder to find unique flights to try. Lots more to come, really appreciate the support :)
Can’t wait to for those videos, I understand it’s hard to find unique flights to fly but I think you do a great job of finding unique flights anyway 👏. Keep up the great work!
This is never something I'd watch but had nothing to watch. Three videos in now and you deliver the content so well. You've got a new sub. Great work
Glad you enjoy it and thanks for the sub :)
Thanks for all your wonderful videos. I enjoy living through your travels. This one seems to be the toughest one yet. Truly an adventure.
The Nightjet brings back memories for me. I once took one back in 2008, from Utrecht to Wien Westbahnhof. And it was awesome! I sat in the same kind of cabin as seen in the video (by the window, obviously), and I watched clips all night on the notebook.
From a 2022 perspective, everything seems like a major pain in the arse. However, everything about this reminds me of one of the best months of my life when I Inter-Railed around Europe some 40 years ago. All of the 'issues' and complications merely add to the adventure and give you something to remember fondly for having conquered for the rest of your life*. Life would be very boring if everything ran smoothly.
* In my day, we would never have booked a 4-berth sleeper room for one person, however desirable it may have seemed. Back then, you found three other like-minded young travellers with backpacks at any major station and made up a group so that you could share a compartment and be secure, and share stories through the journey. I particularly remember travelling through Spain through the night from Valencia to Gibraltar with two on the bench seats, two sleeping in the luggage rack, and one person sleeping on top of all of the backpacks placed between the bench seats. In those days I weighed about 9 stone (126 pounds/57Kg) so could sleep in a netted luggage rack very comfortably.
And 28:23, you remind me of a European corner shop staple, the dry chocolate sandwich biscuit. I remember arriving in Lisbon with two English girls who I had only met the day before. We tried our luck trying to check in at the Youth Hostel, but there was no room and we eventually found a bedroom in a private house which we had to share (seem to recall I got the floor). I didn't know them, and we had nothing to eat apart from dry chocolate biscuits. Happy days!
7:15 - Timthetatman is that you?
Jokes aside. The fact you maintained such motivation, enthusiasm, and character through some stressful times is amazing. Truly a great video!!
I heard this and thought I had a Timmy video on somewhere else haha
What a challenging journey, taking with a smile! Thank you for sharing.
I usually watch ur shannel and ur traveling on like 10k flights and luxury tains and this was an INSANELY pleseant suprise to see you take the "normie" trains. I have done many travels across Europe and have encountered practically every single obstacle you came across so it was nice to know I finally have that experience after over a year of combined experience backpacking the continent.
Weirdly this was one of my favourite videos of yours! Well done for showing that travel doesn't always go to plan.
Man your pronunciation of Romanian towns are surprisingly on point. That's so nice congrats 🎉
good
Excellent video and quite an adventure - also great editing job. Trains are a blast to travel on sometimes and other times a pain. Looks like you had both. Thanks for sharing!
Howdy Trek, only just started watching your videos today, but just wanted to say I really am enjoying them on the binge watch. Never traveled extensively across the globe but has always been a dream of mine. So thank you for these videoed for allowing me to live that dream. I’ll keep watching and hopefully follow in your footsteps so to speak :)
Yessss! Tourists can also buy it for saving🥺 and I also know a cheaper channel😎
Great video, I love the idea of travelling by sleeper train! It’s a shame that realistically there aren’t many routes where it’s cost competitive with flying.
I guess you need to look at it as hotel on wheels plus the experience. When you account for that, then the price is not that high. For instance, when you go to holiday by plane, the holiday start after you arrive at the destination. When you travel by train, the holiday starts when you enter the train.
I’m Turkish and live in England. I have a fear of heights so I can’t really fly so this video as absolute perfect guide for me 🥳
Sleeping pills. Can't you get a GP to prescribe you Rohypnol?
Thats pretty sad. 80 hours by train but only 3 or 4 hours by flight.
Close your window
Just began watching your vids and I enjoy thoroughly...this trip is a bit challenging, not quite as easy as crossing the USA on Amtrak. You have the travelers' attitude of doing what one needs to do when problems arise...just a part of the journey. Thanks!
That is very elaborate👍 Plus Europe rail ticket now has a discount😮
When I was a kid our family traveled from Prague to Varna, Bulgaria in the summer for years to spend vacation close to the Black Sea. It was fun to travel by train in compartment that accommodated our entire family of 6. The compartment seats turned into 6 bunks during the night. I was always hoping to get the middle bunk for sleeping . I would put the pillow to the side where the window was half open that I could rest my head and watch trees, mountains , cities pass by. It was a direct train and the journey took about two days and two nights. I have truly great memories ! I need to travel by train long distance soon . :)
Nice vid Will! Just wanted to say I've been inspired by you the past few years and I took my first trip in first class with Air France La Premiere to celebrate graduating uni. Keep up the great work!
Congrats on that but how in the world have you managed to do that?
@@ant7089 I got a job at a very large hedge fund right before the spring semester started and my only class was online.
This is so reminiscent of inter-railing: I once spent a month sleeping mostly on those pull-down seats, but sharing the compartment with at least my two mates and sometimes strangers too.
If you've not seen Europe that way, you haven't lived!
After watching this and the last train's situation and price, I realised how privileged I am to be living in the country I am. Which is not something I thought I would think after watching a video about Europe.
As a Hungarian person, I can confirm that our National Railway sucks, especially international routes. Regional travel (Ex. Budapest-Vác) is not as bad. But everyone hates it because of delays. Keep up the good work man.
This is so cool & awesome!! Thank you so much for allowing us all to come along on your wonderful & fantastic adventures!! More please
This was an AMAZING trip! Thank you for taking it and for documenting it so well. In the beginning, I thought "what a great adventure!" but having watched the whole video, I think I'll fly. Keep up the great work!!!
It's really interesting to see that when you got to Bucharest, the style of the international ticket hasn't changed since I was travelling in Eastern Europe in the early 90s, 30 years ago. Just seeing the ticket brought back fond memories. The trains in that part of the world are still Soviet-satellite stock, which also brings back memories for me. And of course, the Bucharest railway station is still of a kind that would make Bald and Bankrupt want to dance with the nearest babushka!
My son is on the last leg of the Journey today! Thanks for giving me insight as to what he can expect, thanks very much for making this video mate!
This is gold content. A lot of respect for you, this is a very hard trip to do. I have done it from Romania to Munich, and from Romania to Nice (France), and i can say that this one is on another level.
That was...an experience. Thank you for persevering for the viewers 🥰
I've watched a number of your train travel excursions. There is something to be said for doing your homework prior to taking a journey by train, especially if it's going to be a long time on board one of these trains. Basic comforts, like food, bed, washroom, and showers, are a prerequisite. If you do not have these, it would be safe to say you should not expect much comfort, let alone luxury during your travels.
I love all of your videos. They are a great escape. I really feel like i am there with you for the good and sometimes not so good stressful moments . I could feel you suffering without the air conditioning: and was so relieved when it worked: )
You are a trooper. This sort of trip would trigger so much anxiety in me, so thank you for being the one to bite the bullet for us mere mortals.
What an epic journey! Love your videos…your style, humor, and signature NASA gear, always!
Another entertaining video-different train in every country in one GREAT video-my eyes are “full” after watching it!❤️❤️❤️
My hubby and I have done some travel around Europe with questionable connections and trains. I'll never forget [unfortunately] one sleep car we had to share with 6 strangers. One of the guys, stinking of beer, became disoriented and tried to climb into my bunk with me. He was apologetic when I yelled and pushed him out, to the amusement to the others in the compartment. And when he found his own bunk, he fell asleep immediately, snoring so loudly he must have kept the entire train awake. After that experience, we booked a private sleeper cabin for the return trip, despite it being an expense we could ill afford at the time.
Kudos to you will, negotiating different countries with different languages all while in a rush. Doing this in strange places while quite often not understanding the language is extremely stressful 👍
it's extremely stressful if you don't understand that we are all one with God.
"It was absolutely filthy, and thank goodness Smell-o-vision isn't invented yet" even if I can't smell it, it's still nothing compared to the smell of the NYC Subway...now THAT I can smell! With all the weird things that one sees on the subway, people say that the NYC Subway is another planet...and they're RIGHT
Speaking of the subway, the train you went on from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon is not the Paris Metro! The Paris Metro doesn't use bilevel rolling stock. That is the Transilien, operated by the SNCF just like the TGV. It is a commuter rail network rather than a metro.
Did the same route (Bucharest to Istanbul) in 2013. Great to see NOTHING changed 😂
Im suffering from horrific anxiety and depression, you have given me something to watch and I so appreciate it thank you.. I wish I wasn’t bedridden with anxiety, I want to travel again.. I went to Sofia and have been to Vilnius and Kaunas last year till I was hit by this horrible illness.. thanks again. Be safe xx 😘
Such a great video, Will! This one wasn’t as luxurious (haha), but it had me on pins and needles to see what would happen next! Can’t wait for your next video!
Thanks Alex - it was really quite the adventure. Not sure how quickly I’d be repeating it, but memories for a lifetime
Thank goodness you’re young. You’re a real trooper.
Well this has been the most interesting train one so far I think. Amazing the amount of differences between each stop over and train. On to the next :)
I had often wondered how SE Europe was by train…you certainly answered the question! Thanks so much! I look forward to your trip in South America!
in '75 i traveled eur. london to amtersdam, amtersdam to oslo, oslo to hamburg, hamburg to vienna, vienna to munich, munch to barcelona, baracelona to madrid, madrid to paris, paris to london. many overnight trains, tons of fun. the rail system in eur. was and is so much better than the states. Loved it all. thanks
Damm, Trek of all your train trips lately this looks like the coolest!
without a doubt
@@DyslexicMitochondria ur username made me click on ur profile. Ur channel is a hidden gem bro
When the air conditioning was working it was
You certainly brought back some memories here. I've been on the same train from Budapest to Arad, probably in the same car even. What a journey that was.
Certainly one heck of train Journeys-
Adventurous and challenging but Hats off to you for so much patience - Good Luck for future excursions
Iove your channel. Thanks for taking me on this journey ! You're young and healthy..resilliant !
LOVE your videos. You have such an adventurous spirit and the patience of a saint. Can’t wait for many more travels with you! 👩🏻🦰
Great video, I watched with my son. the funny thing is that I was very impressed with the romanian train, stunning on suite, on that price. Originally, I'm from Romania🇷🇴, but living in the UK 🇬🇧 .
Thank you for the video , I'll watch the others aswell.
I watched this after watching your Emirates first class flight video. Enjoyed both, but admittedly for different reasons 😂. Why don't you do twinned videos - one where you go first class and the second were you go for the cheapest option. That would be so entertaining 😊
Your vlogs are so informative. One thing I learned from this one. No overnight trains after Switzerland. What an endurance.
That was both amazing and frankly not a trip would want to take. Thank you for sharing your adventure!
I enjoy all your videos of different countries. Very interesting to see how all these countries looks like. Thanks for sharing all videos.
for the Nighjet:
those Coaches used to be daytime intercity and eurocity coaches for national and international express services. they converted some of the seating cars to night train ones by giving them locks, curtains and other small upgrades. the one you slept in are usually intended for people hopping on and off in the dead of night, they are not meant for sleeping like that. maybe that guy trying to break in just wanted to see if there was space to sit down
I enjoyed watching this, hope I can do London - Istanbul by train in my lifetime. Though I did smile whenever you implied you were 'roughing it', but you can afford to go 1st class and buy out whole compartments. Most travellers on this journey would have a lot less luxury than you! In 1996 I went Hong Kong to London overland through China, Kazakhstan and Russia. Fellow passengers spitting on the floor, compartment invaded by people without tickets, corrupt police checking me and trying to bully money from me, fellow passengers asking me to go out the compartment while a train prostitute comes in! I hope you can feature a train ride across Kazakhstan in the future, though it's probably a lot better now!
One of my most memorable money-saving style trips was from Vienna to Strasbourg. The direct route would have been with only one changeover at Frankfurt. Instead, we hopped on the night train to Bregenz (in a compartment like the one in the video, three people, no curtains, no locks, nothing). Arriving in the early morning we took the local train across the border to Lindau (I think that's about a ten-minute trip) where we bought a Baden-Württemberg day ticket, which is very affordable but only allows you to use regional services. That meant we had to change for Friedrichshafen, then for Radolfzell. Until then, everything worked out fine. At Radolfzell we saw that our train was cancelled due to track works. Fine, there's a cafe, let's wait for the next one. Cancelled. I think three trains in a row (spaced one hour apart) were cancelled. Then, finally, one train left for neighbouring Singen and five minutes later, our train departed on the same route. It went a whole 500 m and stopped because the earlier train had had a fatal accident just outside the station. We returned to Radolfzell, got off the train and waited for the line to clear. While we waited outside, the weather got worse and worse, a storm brewing over the lake and the PA system announcing more and more lines being closed down because of the weather. Then replacement bus service was announced but there were no buses anywhere to be seen. I went to the DB ticket office to enquire but the employees had no idea what bus service I was talking about.
Finally a bus arrived and we squeezed in, passing fallen trees that had hit parked lorries along the way. 10 km on in Singen the journey ended again and we had to wait for a train. However, no trains could go until the accident site at Radolfzell had been cleared. That took two or three hours I think. Finally our train for Karlsruhe arrived and we boarded. Somewhere along the way I suddenly noticed that the destination on the display had changed from Karlsruhe to Donaueschingen. At the next stop I looked out of the window and the display on the platform said the train would terminate even earlier at Villingen-Schwenningen due to flooding in the Black Forest. Lovely! At Villingen-Schwenningen we indeed had to get off and wait for replacement buses in pouring rain. Eventually buses arrived and a full train of five double-decker coaches was crammed into two bendy buses, including the grinning elderly chap and his refreshment cart. Luggage piled high on our laps we went onto a 40 km journey along the winding roads of misty Black Forest, beautiful but very uncomfortable. After that bus ride we had to change twice more for a few stops each but finally arrived in Strasbourg at something like 7:30 PM, well over 20 hours into our trip.
Thanks for taking us through Europe by train, one of the best things about train journeys I find is looking at the contrasting landscapes...and about sleeping on top, I wouldn't do so unless there is good air-conditioning. I once took an overnight from Hanoi to Sapa in Vietnam, slept on top and it was hot as hell.
You are a brave lad! I enjoyed the video, thanks! 🥰
My goodness, This was the best adventure ever. Thanks so much.
Great journey. Once travelled from Timisoara to Belgrade, 6 hrs roughly on a slow commuter's line, but very cheap. It was similar to the border crossing you encountered. Really cool journey.
Love your long train trips! Sorry not what you initially expected - but thanks for bringing us along!
Even with all of the challenges, it looks like a fantastic trip! And the cheese and salami baguette looked delicious! Bulgarian wine would make it perfect!
I salute your courage and sense of adventure!
I have done a train journey not too dissimilar from this about 5 years ago. I did Prague to Sofia (via Vienna, Budapest and Bucharest) and watching this gave me goosebumps as I did that exact journey from Romania and crossing the border to Bulgaria. Surrendering my passport at the check for what felt like an hour was so disconcerting! Hope you enjoyed the whole experience though.
nice
Back in 1977 I did a two week InterRail trip from the UK around France, Switzerland and Italy. Of the 43 trains, 42 ran fine and pretty much perfectly on time. The one hiccup was a cancelled train so I had 2 hours to kill until the next one, but as luck would have it the station was just 5 mins walk from the Italian beach I'd just come from! Some people are just lucky I guess.
Fascinating following your adventure! You've got a great personality for this. I will check out other videos by you now!
I discovered your channel 2 days ago and today i'm watching you going to Arad, my home town. The train station was remodeled inside in 2016-2017. It looks good compared to what it was. You took the train to Constanța from Astra, compared to the National train company (CFR) that looks good. I used to go with my parents and sister to Constanța every summer taking this CFR train, 35-25 years ago. Loved going with the train, even if we didn't always had beds, sometimes we had chairs. It's normal to have delays by train:))
I like your trips and videos, keep doing a great job :)
What a fascinating trip this was.
Great content as always.
Keep it up.
Oh my word - those delays made things so stressful. Plus those transfers, checks, basic amenities..And all of this while you still film everything! That final shot at the Aya Sophia made this adventure feel like a pilgrimage. Hats off to you, Will!!
What an amazing trip! Thank you for sharing!
I've been thinking about making this trip since 2019. This was very enjoyable and insightful.
Hi Will: I sure do enjoy your train travel videos. They are well made & very informative!
Keep doing longer videos(if you can), I love watching the journey you embark on, very entertaining!
Quite interesting.. I work for European train company in UK and this will help me a alot to offer my clients. Thank you
You really worked for this video!! Thank you!! I felt for you without the a/c. That’s so miserable! Plus no bed when you were supposed to have a bed and shower!! Wow! What an adventure!! Thanks again!
I can't but can believe how much the channel has blown up recently, the effort and content that you produce is awesome, well deserved. Love living vicariously through the content!
Yea the usual ‘exaggerate everything in a title’ It’s standard UA-cam to gain a larger audience. Preferable do one or two words in BOLD and put some thing negative (even if not true) such as AWFUL experience or WORST business class.
Yessss! Tourists can also buy it for saving🥺 and I also know a cheaper channel😎
Wow that was some journey. I would be so shattered after all that! Looking forward to the next video! 👍🏼
I had to giggle when you mentioned Bald :) Thanks for sharing this lovely adventure with us. I do wish I could go on a long train journey like that.
Gosh, for me, that would be a nightmare trip. it's a no no, I stick to British Airways Premium First Class. Thank you Will for helping us see the ups and downs of such a trip
Not cheap neither ill stick to air travel, be good memories for him tho
Hey Will great journey that one! Thanks for taking us on the adventure. Enjoyed seeing the rough with the smooth.
you seriously think there was any rough in that video ? snobby entitled prick paid thousands for it to make sure he had no interaction with any locals, all done online. really poor.
Another awesome video Will, looking forward seeing more of your adventures
SIR: You are my hero!!! Thank You ,for sharing a dream journey. Do look forward to other adventures.
Hi from Australia. You have the absolute best job. I have a pretty good life travelling around Australia in my van. But train travel is my true favourite. Love your videos
I've been watching you for the past month and, being Bulgarian, daydreamed about the Canadian train travel experience. Last week I had the opportunity to go back to Sofia from the Black Sea coast by train and heavily inspired by you - grabbed it. However, I was dreading the imminent moment when I would have to go to the toilet. To my big surprise - it looked... very acceptable. There was a big puddle of water on the floor but apart from that, I was expecting A LOT worse. After watching your video, I suppose I've just been lucky with the toilet situation.... To be honest, I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry
I just held it in going 3hrs from Plovdiv to Sofia xD