THE LAST ORIENT EXPRESS ROUTE | Istanbul to Sofia Train Adventure

Join us on an extraordinary train adventure as we travel the historic route of The Orient Express from Istanbul to Sofia! This nostalgic journey takes us through picturesque landscapes, bridging the gap between two enchanting cities.
In this video, we immerse ourselves in the allure of train travel, reliving a bygone era and experiencing the magic of this iconic route's last leg. From the heart of Istanbul to the captivating charm of Sofia in Bulgaria, we share the sights and sensations of this 13-hour overnight train ride.
Step aboard with us for a captivating journey that rekindles the romance of travel by rail!
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[@RadAlzyoud]

Very useful. Thanks for sharing.

[@theRTWguys]

Absolutely - glad to be helpful 😊

[@Nyhiker]

Thanks for sharing your experience on this ride. My husband and I are hoping to travel the same route next week. Your video is very helpful.

[@theRTWguys]

Glad it was helpful, and have fun! How long are you going to be in Bulgaria? Are you staying in Sofia for the whole visit? There are a few other Bulgarian/Sofia videos to follow this video.

[@Nyhiker]

@@theRTWguys a few days. Yes, I also watched your Bulgaria videos. I love your channel. We are just completing six months of travel in SE Asia and India and now heading home to upstate NY slowly traveling as we’re retired and have the time. We’re meeting a friend in Split in a few weeks but tomorrow we fly to Istanbul for a few days. We’re also looking at FlixBus which has a day time trip for 30 Euros.

[@carolmurphy7572]

I am glad to see another video from you, Halef, and to know that you are safe and well! It certainly looks like your journey from Istanbul to Romania was quite an interesting one, and that your cabin-mate was such a personable fellow. I'm sure you were relieved that he was so nice, too. I'm looking forward to seeing your next adventure! Wishing you safe and happy adventures, as always! Cheers from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 🇨🇦

[@theRTWguys]

Thank you so much as always Carol ❤️ Yes, safely made it back and that's a great feeling for sure.

[@amiausUSA]

Your train looks a bit nicer than the one I rode in 2006. Mine was built in 🇷🇴 Romania for CFR. On Sunday 12th February 2006, I took a similar train, the "Bosfor" night train, which went from Istanbul Sirkeci to Bucureşti / Bucharest, Romania. It was a long night train. The reservation at the time was antiquated, and every bed had to be reserved a day ahead of time on paper. My train went to Edirne, where everyone was required to leave the train and have their passport stamped in an office. It was very cold to get out of the train about 3 AM. About a half hour later, we crossed the Bulgarian border. The border guards knocked on the door to my compartment, said "Passport Control", and read my passport number out loud on the walkie-talkie. The train went to Stara Zagora and went north to Ruse via Shumen. At Ruse, the train changed direction and went across the Danube to Giurgiu. My passport was taken into the customs office and about half an hour I received it back. Those were the worst passport experiences I have to date. With Bulgaria and Romania joining the EU, that should never happen again.

[@theRTWguys]

Thank you for sharing your experience ☺️

[@augustoamaral1492]

Hi there! Thank you for the video and the detailed informations. I am comming in december and wondering if its possible to get the ticket in advance or will be seats/beds the day before.... Cheers from Brazil!

[@theRTWguys]

Nothing can be guaranteed from this type of train rides, unfortunately - good luck and enjoy your visit!

[@DesertNebula]

8:25 yes.... yes it's funny 😅 Sooo is that restroom for both #1 #2? I'm a silly American 😐 I always wondered how those restrooms work. You squat? What if someone has weak legs?

[@theRTWguys]

Haha, yes, that part was meant to be a bit humorous! 😄 And you're right, those types of restrooms are typically for both #1 and #2. They're commonly found in various parts of the world, especially in Asia, and are often referred to as squat toilets. Squat toilets are used by squatting over the toilet hole, with your feet on either side of the toilet. It can be a bit different from what many people are used to, especially if you're accustomed to sitting on a Western-style toilet. As for people with weak legs, it might be a bit more challenging, but some places with squat toilets also provide handrails or support bars to assist with balance. Of course, restroom facilities can vary greatly from place to place, and you'll find a mix of squat toilets and traditional sitting toilets in different regions. It's all part of the cultural experience when traveling!

[@amiausUSA]

For 2 Euro, the Bosfor train offered coffee, with sugar packets showing the Romanian CFR logo. The coffee was okay.

[@theRTWguys]

Good to know!

[@joymercy32]

Is it just passport you need or some other document And can an African person go too with train And do you need a visa Please answer me because I want to go to italy

[@theRTWguys]

Yes. If you need a visa to enter Schengen area, you'll need a visa to enter.

[@dancooper41]

Unbelievable that you had to get out of bed and get off the train in the middle of the night for passport control! I can remember on night trains in Western Europe before Schengen you gave your passport to the sleeping car attendant who took care of all the formalities for you so you could sleep through the night.

[@theRTWguys]

Oh wow you had an excellent customer service by not having to do the immigration in the middle of the night