A once-in-a-lifetime, four-day odyssey travelling from Budapest to Istanbul on the luxurious Danube Express
Your adventure begins at Budapest’s Nyugati Station after a flight from London, with a reception in the elegant Royal Waiting Room to meet fellow passengers on the Danube Express.
Later, you will watch a thrilling ‘Puszta’ horse show in the Hungarian town of Lajosmizse when the famous Magyar horsemen greet the train and treat passengers to an exciting demonstration of their riding skills.
Next comes Transylvania and the sights linked to the Dracula legend: discover Sighişoara, one of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe and rumoured birthplace of Dracula, and Braşov with nearby Bran Castle.
Climbing through the Carpathian Mountains and criss-crossing rural Bulgaria, you will stop in the ancient capital of Veliko Turnovo and the centre of rose oil production, Kazanlak. At the end of the four-day journey you will arrive in Istanbul, the world’s only metropolis to straddle two continents with Asia glimpsed across the Bosphorus. 
Back in the swinging sixties, this was known as the hippie trail which would take students on a rough and ready overland adventure all the way from London to Istanbul. For those nostalgic for their youth or missed out can revisit some iconic places using a more civilised method of travel, by First Class rail or by plane from London to Budapest and boarding the privately-owned Danube Express hotel train, journeying from the banks of the Danube to the shores of the Bosphorus on a four-day adventure.
En-suite air-conditioned compartments
Each sleeping compartment boasts en-suite facilities, large picture windows offering panoramic views, and comfortable armchairs.
Onboard dining
Breakfasts are cooked to order each morning, while lunch and dinner is served table d’hôte. All dishes are freshly prepared on board using local and seasonal ingredients. Wine is from the critically acclaimed Szeremley Wine House in Hungary. 
Relaxed atmosphere
Guests are free to dress as they wish, join in sightseeing when they please, meet with like-minded guests in the lounge car over a relaxed drink, or just enjoy the privacy of their own compartment.
Engaging Guides
Knowledgeable guides bring the destinations to life with fascinating facts about the history, culture and sightseeing wonders of each region.
London to Istanbul with The Transylvanian costs £3,680 per person based on two sharing including return BA flights London-Budapest, transfers, two nights’ B&B in a Deluxe room at the four-star Astoria Hotel Budapest, three nights on the Danube Express in a Deluxe twin en suite compartment (with full board, wine, beer and soft drinks onboard, a full sightseeing programme and the services of a train manager) plus two nights B&B accommodation in the four-star Yasmak Sultan Hotel Istanbul. First Class rail travel from London to Budapest from £270pp. Departures from London on 9 June and 1 September 2014.
For more information contact Danube Express: www.danube-express.com/01462 441400
