Bucuresti to Sofia by Train - IR 1095, CFR Calatori, Gara de Nord to Ruse Central - Part 1
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- Опубліковано 11 вер 2024
- This is the first leg of a trip to Sofia in Bulgaria, from #Bucuresti (Bucharest) in Romania. This video covers the trip from Gara de Nord via Giurgiu (Romanian side of the Danube River) to #Ruse Central Station (Bulgarian side of the Danube River).
The train belongs to CFR Calatori, which is the state rail carrier of Romania and this is the IR 1095 which leaves Gara de Nord at 11:00am and gets into Ruse at 1345pm. This is a Siemens Desiro Class 96 diesel train.
This was the hottest day of summer so far, reaching 42C when we got off in Ruse. Its a pretty slow train ride, taking 2:45mins for a distance of about 80kms. Take off 30mins for a Romanian Border Police exit check at Giurgiu, so about 2:15mins travel. I have driven the route before and takes about 1 hour 30mins by car.
You can get tickets on the CFR website at www.cfrcalator... in Romanian or English, or at Gara de Nord at the International ticket window, there is only one out of the many there, or you can get a ticket onboard with the conductor.
My two big suggestions! If you are changing trains at Ruse to go onto Sofia, don't assume you will get time to purchase additional water or food. The connecting train leaves at 2:15pm from Ruse and you will need to clear Bulgarian Border Police on the #CFR train before they let you on the platform, then they take your passports away for about 30mins to get stamped. Often this means the Sofia train will leave late, but it will wait, it wont leave without you as they know travellers from Romania are being cleared. Because of that though, make sure you buy plenty of water at Gara de Nord and food to last the 6 hours to Sofia. You will not get time to buy at Ruse and there is nothing for sale on the Bulgarian train.
Also in the current Corona climate (August 2021), unless you are a Romanian citizen and even from the EU, you will need a vaccination certificate or Rapid Antigen (48 hours) or PCR test (72 hours). The Bulgarian side was very strict and did turn some tourists back who had expired tests.
You will stop at Giurgiu and be cleared to exit by Romanian Border Police and then cross the Danube River and Bulgarian Police will board the train and check passports and Covid certificates etc before letting you off the train.
Bravo CFR for this trip on the hottest day and having air conditioning, does not always happen, but we got lucky. Foarte bun si confortabil!
Fun to see some XTER in Romania, since CFR bought some from the SNCF!
Clapping from France! ❤️
BIG LIKE BRO. MARE RESPECT DIN PARTEA MEA BRO ;) SALUTARI DE LA CONSTANTA ;)
O weekend placuta bro...multumesc
Great video, but this was not CFR, it was Regio Calatori, a private train operator so that is the reasom you had conditions 😂😂
Thanks for comment my friend but the train I was on was CFR, not Regio Calatori. In the video while I was waiting for my train IR1095, I was just filming on the peron and those two trains from Regio Calatori and Softrans were sitting there. It is not the train I climbed into. CFR has Siemens Class 96 (Desiro) trains which it uses between Bucuresti and Ruse. I use the trains a lot in Romania over last 5 years so I know the operators. If you look at 4:41 you will see a CFR poster and also the conductor wearing CFR uniform. I know I was lucky to get AC that day because many CFR trains don't have it!, but this day was okay. So again thanks for comment, but I was on CFR my friend not Regio Calatori.
👏❤️
Do we need to get a letter of permission from our place of work when we leave romenia ?or are only our passport and TRC card sufficient?
If you have TRC then all you need is that and passport and as long as your visa for TRC is still valid, you don't need a letter.
Does the passport get stemped while traveling on the traine ?
For leaving Romania they stop just before Ruse and take all passports, you stay on train and they stamp and return. For the Bulgarian side, customs get on the train and collect passports then let you get onto the platform but not move anywhere and they stamp there then return
So they took your passport for 10 minutes, left the train, returned and returned the passport shortly after?
The same on the Bulgarian side?
I'm just wondering because I'll take the train in april :)
Yes on both sides. The Romanian border police take it briefly to exit you and return it, then before you are allowed off the train, the Bulgarian police collect all passports and then you can get off and wait on the platform. Took about 30mins that side and then they hand them back.
Take plenty of water on board bro and some snacks. Nothing for sale on board and hours before you get to a stop for 5mins where you can run into the shop and grab something.
Do you need a passport or a visa
I am under the age of 18?
Yes you will need a passport but not a visa. Romanians over 18 can just use their national identity card but minors need a passport to meet anti trafficking laws.
Poti oferi, te rog, cateva detalii despre controlul documentelor pentru intrarea in Bulgaria? Ai fost verifcat in tren? La coborarea din tren, in Ruse?
Am vazut din nou clipul. Am omis partea cu controlul din Giurgiu. Multumesc!