Since it is summer and Interrail is a current topic, I will add my experiences of a recent trip to Istanbul. Last year I had planned to do this trip (which can be accomplished in minimum 3-4 days) but it did not happen and this year I originally planned to do it in the Autumn but instead I chose to do it in the current heatwave!

So the route was Frome, Portsmouth, Caen, Paris, Stuttgart, Budapest, Arad, Bucharest, Sofia and Istanbul with a flight back to Bristol. Duration 13 days. I will present it in chapters highlighting the transport matters. There will be few or no photos since I rarely take any.

Start date was Monday 13 July, another hot day when GWR might have problems! I planned to leave Frome after 1600 by train or by bus to Warminster. This was to allow plenty of time to properly dine at the colourful pub (The Ship and Castle) near the Continental Ferry Port. So first we have one mid-afternoon train cancelled then another bridge strike at Freshford. Whilst I had plenty of time for the ferry, it was best to go earlier on a bus at 1430 with a panic departure from home. At Warminster the chaos was still unfolding, so I carried on to Salisbury as a new bus experience. At Salisbury station, the matter had resolved such that I just missed the PMH train which I might have caught. Then a wait of 50 mins for a service to SOU which was also late. The next Portsmouth service was in fact the train I would have caught departing after 1600. So all went well after that. Plenty of spare time even after dining. Boarding was not until 2215 and foot passengers are subject to an airport-style security check. This was surprise news to me and I had a hard time over various pointed items in my baggage. Vehicle passengers do not appear to get the same scrutiny!!

Brittany Ferries excellent as usual and the trip passed smoothly although I may not have slept during the short night in my cabin. Worth noting that the ship docks at 0645 local time and if you want a shower and some sort of breakfast one rises at 0445 UK time. So not quite as glamorous as the brochures portray.

At Ouistreham passengers walk off but then get a short bus ride to the terminal. Only about 30 foot passengers dealt with efficiently by two immigration officials. They “manually” carried out the EES procedure with facial scan and fingerprints. I had given my fingerprints in Denmark recently and they were not taken again.
 
Now various travelogues imply that there is a bus stop for the bus to Caen, adjacent to the terminal. This is not so and it is at least 500m away in the centre of the town near the pharmacy. It was Bastille Day and there were question marks about the bus service, and I HAD to catch the only practical/available train at 08.58. So I did take a taxi (from 2 available!) and it is definitely a fair distance into Caen at EUR53 for the ride. ((Grahame’s use of Newhaven-Dieppe, scores better on this point as Le Gare is but a short walk away.)
 
So I had plenty of time, had a coffee and pastry and joined the busy dmu to Argentan and then a grander emu to Paris Montparnasse. I got my reserved first class seat on the busy second leg in a strange carriage layout. The service was a diverted version due to engineering works! Some 30 min late overall against the revised schedule.

Transit of Paris on the metro to Gare de L’Est. Metro does not accept foreign (or any?) bank cards at the turnstiles. Have to buy the Oyster card equivalent! Very hot day of course. Plenty of food outlets on L’Est but none for a proper meal. Found one nearby of dubious quality.
Next was a TGV service at 15.55 to Stuttgart. First class, upper deck, window seat and all fine. Very busy and I had intended to visit the Bistro for a “proper” meal prior to the next overnight stage. Seemed too busy for that. There is now a formal check at the German border which delays the schedule by 15 mins. Apparently, this is intelligence led so not every person or coach is checked. There were casual passport checks at every border except Germany/Austria/Hungary-so much for Schengen.

Stuttgart Station was uninspiring. It is a terminal station and I now understand that a through station is being constructed down below and the project is very delayed. Plenty of snack outlets but I did find a great boxed-salad outlet which was sensible for my needs. So I then boarded the 20.29 sleeper service to Budapest. My coach was Hungarian couchette compartment, but I had paid quite heavily for single occupation. So it was basic with a hard mattress but comfortable enough. They do provide a basic breakfast and arrival in Budapest Keleti (a classic European terminal) was nearly on time. The phone charge point onboard was near the window and I placed my phone on the window ledge. Do not do that as phones drown in the condensation when the a/c is working hard. New phone purchased in Budapest!

I find it remarkable that you can reach Budapest so speedily. Eurostar mid-morning from London is also feasible for this trip. Next chapter soon.

 
After a 2 night restful stay in a 5* hotel in Budapest - but venturing out in the heat for basic sightseeing.The second leg of this lengthy trip was from Budapest to Arad (Northern Romania) on a daytime service and onward to Bucharest by sleeper.

I walked down the side bay platform at Budapest Keleti at the appointed hour past some tired looking Hungarian coaches seemingly with no a/c. My seat was in the front coach and the train was all second class as advertised. The front coach was very respectable with comfy open plan seating and working a/c. The journey was about 5 hours and I got taken by surprise with the hour time change at the Romanian border with a cursory passport check. So we apparently arrive an hour earlier than I expected!

I had around 2.5 hours before the sleeper service and had scoped out places to eat in the town. However, it seemed to be too hot and too far to contemplate. There is also a huge shopping centre adjacent to the quite modern Arad Station which has food court on the upper floor. A wide choice of various fast foods although the only "western" brand is KFC. There is also a branch of Lidl across the road where one can stock up on travel rations in many familiar brands.

I was back at the station with plenty of time to spare. Changed out my Hungarian funds for Romanian.  I used bureaux de change through this trip since only small amounts of cash were needed and it seems many banks now charge heavily for using ATMs with a foreign card, noted especially in Hungary. Cards widely accepted everywhere even on public transport which I will describe later.

The sleeper service was provided by one of several "open access" operators in Romania, Astra Trans Carpatic . Unsure if this service would be included in Interrail but I had elected to fully pay for the later stages of this trip. This is because internet ticket purchase (and reservation) is easily available, whereas it appears "reservation only" can only be obtained locally or by booking well in advance through Interrail and waiting for paper documents. The full cost for this leg was £82 and single occupancy. Note that there are several daytime and overnight train options between Budapest and Bucharest but the sleepers probably have an "allocation" for Interrail tickets.

This service is nominally a luxury sleeper service although comparable to the standard UK version. I believe the stock was ex-Danish but may well have been modified internally. The coach was tidy, painted well internally and all very clean. Each pair of compartments has a bathroom pod between. One side has just a basin, the other side a shower, toilet and basin. There is also an adjoining door for family groups. I guess this bathroom pod is the modification and leaves very little floor space to manouvre. The top bunk was also locked down which did not help for space either. I got the basin only side so clearly had not paid for real luxury. No other frills apart from a cup of coffee in the morning and a 1 hour late arrival. This was fine since my hotel was not promising a room early. I walked to the hotel for about 30 minutes which is always a bit bold in a strange city on a hot summer morning. Mr Google helps.

I got to the hotel and there was no room available yet. The manager suggested I come back at 12 and there is a fantastic park just next door here I relaxed and plotted to go on a Communist Era walking tour later in the afternoon. When I did return I was allocated a 3 room suite and just for one night. The original deal was that I might get a room after 10am for EUR30 extra. Instead just good service! The walking tour was great and very informative and I would recommend these tours booked through "Get Your Guide." I was very sceptical about this service since some middle person is clearly making big money but the guides were excellent and the trip reasonably priced. I also had a great dinner with a fantastic English lady also on the walking tour! Bucharest city centre now fully modern and "Western" just like any European City. Chapter 3 later.   

 
Chapter 3 is Bucharest to Sofia, a more character-building part of the journey. I asked at the hotel whether the metro was normal on a Sunday- yes but you can just walk around the corner and catch trolley bus 10 direct to the station. This I did with a swipe from my bank card – not sure it registered by nobody cares. Bucharest Gara de Nord is a large terminal station with a typical layout of about 16 platforms and a very large building as the entrance portico. The departure board and platform numbering are perfectly logical counting from No 1 at the left. (I recently saw an internet influencer going crazy as unable to find No 4 but that is what these types do and for the rest of that video). As this was a holiday Sunday it was busy with families heading for the Black Sea coast. Plenty of snack outlets around the station.

The once daily train for Sofia departs at 10.46 and is multi-portion. I also fully paid for this trip at around £30. The journey is scheduled for 10 hours. I would say it was 10 car initially, with a mix of Romanian, Bulgarian and 1 x Turkish Couchette cars. It was mighty hot and my seat was in quite tired Bulgarian second class compartment stock with no a/c. The compartments had 6 well padded seats with armrests and quite comfortable. (I did see the first class version of this later which seemed no different apart from the seat colour). The windows were sprung upwards and kept closing. There are locks for a carriage key but the conductor failed to get them to work and resourcefulness was used to keep them open.
 
There were many stops along the way and we arrived 1 hour late for no obvious reason. The train divides at Ruse just inside Bulgaria (30 min stop - time for shopping!) where a portion is removed for Varna and one is added, perhaps from Varna. Sometime later at Gorna Oryahovitsa, the Turkish couchette is removed and sent on separately to Dimitrovgrad to eventually join the main Sofia-Istanbul overnight train. The through couchette service is summer only but the journey can be easily undertaken on the seats every day, using the various local services and joining the main train at Dimitrovgrad. As “seats” in a couchette may not be so comfortable it may be possible to use the seated coaches anyway until the train divides. The through journey to Istanbul takes about 24 hours with lots of hanging around so quite challenging and I was wise to divert to Sofia.

Sofia Central station is again a large Communist era structure where the many and quiet platforms are on top with a vast network of subways below. There are few catering outlets in the subways and not much else apart from toilets and ticket offices. One walks forward from the platforms following signs for taxis or trams/metro. I went too far and missed the taxis and still not clear where they were. As my hotel was quite close, I again resolved to walk (at 21.30!). Quite straightforward apart from some rough pavements and I reached safety just in time for the World Cup final which took me ages to find on the Bulgarian TV channels. This was the simplest hotel I used but perfectly fine. I now know it was very easy to catch a tram!

Sofia is also an impressive city with lots of historic and communist-era architecture and of course is now a modern “Western”-style city like everywhere else. I did a morning walk around in the heat and got slightly lost. I had enough and wanted to get to the hotel but not prepared to walk. A quick consult of Mr Google advised walk around the corner catch Tram 3 and on a circular route be back at the hotel in 15 mins! Sofia like all the other cities has fantastic public transport. Here the tram network is incredibly dense in the city with routes everywhere. Bank cards accepted on the tram too. (Bulgaria joined the Euro this year). Motorists were also well behaved in all cities except perhaps in Istanbul with good allowances at pedestrian crossings and not overtaking at tram stops located in the middle of the road.

I also took another Communist-Era tour which provided background history etc., most of which was new to me. The Bulgarian big boss, Todor Zhivkov, was deposed in 1989 by a tap on the shoulder at a meeting where he had no expectation of this. He had a kinder fate than Ceaușescu although convicted and imprisoned for a while. Meanwhile the remaining party officials suddenly became the new democratic government! Enjoy the read Chapter 4 awaits.   

 

Wonderful reading ... looking forward to the next chapter (in the next few days) and perhaps seeing some of these places for myself in the next few years.

 
Chapter 4 is the concluding section of the travels covering Sofia to Istanbul but there will be a Chapter 5 (see later).

In some ways this is the highlight of the whole trip perhaps giving a vague impression of the (original) Orient Express but without the glamour or dining car! So I caught the tram from my hotel this time but still managed to alight one stop too early. Once again I walked through the whole network of subways. The train departs at 18.50, so I bought some basic supplies and loitered in the cool subway since I had plenty of time. The train initially comprised 3 x Turkish sleepers, 1 x Turkish couchette and Bulgarian seated coaches and we duly set off for the next 14 hours. The sleeper was the best quality on this trip, quite spacious with sink and even a cupboard with fridge. The fridge had a few basic snacks and a sealed cup of water! The compartment was in seat mode at the start, and one has to set up and make the bed later using a pack of clean sheets and a thick blanket. I once again fully paid for this trip at around £70 with single occupation. Turkish Railways do not allow sharing of sleepers with a stranger anyway and a first class ticket is required (eg if using Interrail).

The train stopped at many lampposts in Bulgaria eventually arriving at Dimitrovgrad (named after another Bulgarian Communist big boss). Here the other Turkish couchette from Bucharest was added and probably the seated coaches removed. We then move on to Svilengrad where, as this is a serious border, serious Bulgarian checks take place around midnight. Apparently the Bulgarians used to treat this gently with a simple passport inspection and stamp on the train. With the coming of EES everyone has to alight, form two queues alongside a cabin on the platform and go through the checks. EU citizens get the simple version, I had a politely delivered scan with fingerprints taken again. (Clearly we are a long way from Denmark!). Then one can get back on the train and relax for a while.

The more serious Turkish border inspections are no longer handled at the border station, but instead at Kapikule somewhat further on. The schedule states 01.20 to 03.00. The change seems to be because this station has been modernised and the two trains “pass” at similar timings. So all passengers must alight complete with luggage. Then a simple passport inspection and stamp, followed by a baggage inspection with X-ray. No X ray check this time because I suspect the machine was not working. A wait on the platform follows until all passengers have been inspected. Beware of midges in summer!  Then it is off to Istanbul Halkali arriving on time at 09.56 and I did get some sleep.
Halkali is a modern suburban station at the extremity of the newish Marmaray line linking across the Bosphorus. Regrettably the two classic stations on each side of the water are no longer in (major) rail usage. Naturally most of the trains into Asia leave from a similar modern suburban station on that side but there is at least one early morning high-speed service to Ankara from Halkali through the tunnel. No other sign of main line trains at Halkali.
 
After alighting the sleeper you need to go up to the concourse and buy an Istanbulkart from the machines (multi-lingual) to use the Marmaray and other public transport. It is an Oyster card equivalent and can be topped up as required. Best to use cash (400 lire is a good start) since some foreign bank cards appeared to have trouble. Marmaray trains are modern and frequent. I was staying centrally at Taksim Square which required one change on to the metro and a total journey of ?45 mins. Some of the metro station interchanges are very complex but I did manage to find the perfect exit first time, just opposite my 5* hotel, perfect for some R and R, after the travel stress. Good service with a room (upgraded) provided speedily even though I was well early. Great room, great views over the square and towards the Bosphorus. Taksim Square is the focus for political demos in Istanbul (and also a big tourist hub) so interesting to see the main monument barriered off and lines of empty police buses with water cannon also drawn up along one side. No protests during my stay just a cultural event around the monument!

Whilst the heat had abated slightly in Istanbul, high intensity tourism was not attractive with a pool at the hotel. However, I did venture out to Sultanahmet area with the Blue Mosque etc., explored the waterfront and took a ferry ride across the Bosphorus, as well as eating out. I made good use of the public transport networks using the Istanbulkart. Tram stops have barriers and there are several modern funiculars from the central city down to the waterfront. I had contemplated the typical Red Bus tour but the reviews on service level are not great and my one enquiry offered a departure in 45 mins only.

I flew back from Istanbul by Pegasus Airlines (a Turkish low-cost airline) as the only operator currently doing Istanbul to Bristol. This was from the Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW). This is the second airport for the city located on the Asian side. Istanbul now has a new “main” airport to the north and both are accessible by rail/metro but both airports are quite a distance out. I travelled out by Marmaray and metro with a change on the Asian side. I was advised to leave at 08.00 for a flight at 11.55 and journey time was about 100 mins. Amazingly some rain during the morning. SAW is a large modern airport and very busy on a Saturday with domestic holiday traffic. I took a slow approach to the formalities including a checked bag but still completed all these within 30 mins to get airside. Shows it can be done with adequate staff and systems. The flight was good, reasonable legroom and about 80% full. I managed to move to an empty row of 3. I was able to pre-order from a selection of quality cold meals and seemingly the only person to do so. I had a chicken Caesar salad which was good. (Ryanair actually offer something similar through their app. Whilst the hot meals are not inspiring it does mean you get served first before the trolley service). Arrival in Bristol virtually on time, speedy luggage and with First working perfectly to transport me home with no hassle. (I rarely see customs at Bristol but this time there was a whole gang who picked out a guy immediately behind me – heart stopping moment!)

Chapter 5 to follow soon as a conclusion with Interrail advice and a hint of geography.