London to Istanbul by Train

Rediscover the romance of rail travel with our fast-paced take on the classic Orient Express route that ticks off a raft of bucket-list sites, such as Venice’s Doge’s Palace, alongside our signature off-thebeaten-track experiences, like Serbia’s gruesome skull tower.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

Train travel | Travel on everything from modern to ex-Soviet and sleepers to narrow-gauge lines Venice and Istanbul | Bookend your trip with stays in the canal city and ancient Constantinople

Hidden gems | Take a boat trip through Croatian wetlands and wine-taste in Serbia

PRODUCT RATING:

NZ$5770

At A Glance

TRIP PACE: Full On

ACCOMMODATION:

13 nights comfortable hotel

1 night simple overnight train

Optional single rooms available

TRANSPORT:

Bus | Boat | Train

MEALS: Breakfast: 14

707kg of CO²e Average carbon footprint pp

WANT TO EXPERIENCE MORE?

DAY 1: Board Eurostar and meet your group in Paris. Train to Milan.

DAY 2: Chance to visit the famous Last Supper painting. Train to Venice. Try local 'ciccheti', or Venetian small plates.

DAYS 3–4: Explore the canals and islands of Venice. Train to Zagreb, Croatia.

DAY 5: Visit the medieval town of Varazdin, with its pastel houses and the castle of Stari Grad.

DAY 6: Walking tour of Zagreb. Train to Osijek in Croatia's Slavonia region.

DAY 7: Take a boat trip through the Kopacki Rit wetlands and spot an array of birdlife.

DAY 8: Train and bus to Mokra Gora. Take a mountain ride on the historic Sargan 8 steam train.

DAY 9: Nip into Bosnia to explore Visegrad and the Bridge over the Drina.

ZAGREB

Croatia

SERBIA Uzice

BULGARIA

DAYS 10–11: Wine-tasting experience in rural Serbia. Sample tasty burek pastries in Nis.

DAY 12: Cross into Bulgaria. Free afternoon in the capital, Sofia.

DAY 13: Discover the ancient Roman amphitheatre at Plovdiv. Overnight train to Istanbul.

DAY 14: Wake up at the gateway to Asia. Explore the atmospheric markets and mosques of Istanbul.

DAY 15: Trip ends in Istanbul.