Thanks all for watching. Certainly one of the more challenging videos to make, especially given the delays and last minute changes. Next video is quite the opposite, perhaps one of the most luxurious travel "experiences" in the world. Can't wait to share.
Hey Trek! Been watching you for quite some time ~ love the vids. I have a video idea: buy an interrail pass with unlimited train travel for a month, plan a route and let us know how it is. Its only like 400€ for unlimited travel (with some limitations). I know a lot of people who are considering buying such, so seeing a review on this awesome channel would be amazing. Let me know if you read this :-)
When I was staying in Bulgaria, my friends would look at me like I was crazy when I said I took the train. They would explain to me that they basically never took the trains because they're old and way slower than alternatives. But I loved it. I bought a 1st class ticket and barely saw a soul and when you crack the window all the way down and let that breeze in it felt fresh. Such a scenic and beautiful country, it's worth a try even if you get to your destination slower.
It’s funny watching someone used to first/business class do regular class traveling. I saw the three chairs and went, “Oh, I could sleep there. Easily.” I really like these videos of you taking trains.
He sounds a little snobby ? He has every right to sound snobby! Train delay (not his fault), cost him extra and no refunds given and had to travel in a way he did not plan and it's safe to say it definitely spoils the mood other than spending extra money looted by train ministries. Hard earned money dear. He didn't wish to donate it to trains lol it was his compulsion and yes he is rightly snobby.
@@-ns-8972experienced travellers build a padding into their itinerary to allow for delays - especially when many connections are required. But at least he's being a good sport about it
lol yep easier to fly it, but the first parts from London to Budapest would be decent if they were done right, the part past Bucharest is gross and yeah I would be pissed w no ac or power or clean toilets, that later toilet was okay but no tp yikes... gotta remember that
As much as I love seeing your smooth trips and luxury accommodations, it’s also refreshing to see the other side of traveling where a whole lot of things go wrong. Thanks for being a trooper and going through this haha safe travels!
I met my turkish husband 1988,and same year at autumn,I travelled by train,from Finland to Istanbul,and by aeroplane to Dalaman and by bus to Marmaris!!!❤We are still married.😊
I can’t thank you enough for doing these videos. I suffer from insomnia because of anxiety and there’s something about your videos that relax me, I think it’s your voice and how you edit your videos so smoothly. I find them all absolutely fascinating and the most perfect thing to watch to relax me before falling asleep peacefully. I’ve been binge watching all your videos. I know it seems silly but it’s always nice to know that your content helps people out there even if they don’t travel. Thanks again ❤️
Hey Sam I do too unfortunately and have been up until seven this morning binge watching each one because I feel like I have a stomach ache from so much unnecessary anxiety. I have good days and bad ones but glad he is here to help us through these difficult times.
Anxiety can be an irrational fear of events that are out of one’s control and often unlikely to impact the anxious individual. You may find it some consolation to consider that anxiety is perception rather than reality. Don’t waste your life being anxious. I wish you all the best in conquering your anxiety. Be well.
@@k.s.1579 I get exactly the same! It's been so bad at times it's made me sick. Lying in bed or on the sofa to one of these videos and a hot water bottle helps me massively. We are not alone xx
As a Bulgarian, I waited to the part when you have to comment on the iconic toilets, notorious through the ages. I haven't travelled by train in decades but I see nothing changes there (except maybe get dirtier). We as a nation are proud to be first in something when it comes to your travels. Stay safe Will, hope you remember us with something more than our toilets. Cheers to that Astika from my hometown!
@@kanank13 I think they were clean only at the moment the carriage popped out the factory. I remember being a kid during commie rule and I can still feel the stench imprinted on my mind. BTW, you see the ground through the toilet hole, all you produce goes back to nature. Or the train station if you are stopped there and you feel the urge... pretty vile stuff
Thanks for watching, and yes I certainly could have done it a lot cheaper if time wasn’t the issue. Had to complete the challenge and so glad I was able to share the story :)
I literally watch 3 to 4 of your videos a day. I’ve watched other travel videos by others, but yours are the most entertaining and educational to watch. Thankyou for sharing your travels with everyone. Becca from Kansas
Dear Will, I’ve been watching your content for a while and I just wanted to say thank you for making such amazing content! Personally, I am more of a plane person and I prefer your flight vlogs to the recent train vlogs however at the end of the day they are both great types of videos as they are all made to a great standard. I just wanted to say keep up the great work and soon you’ll be at 500k, and then afterwards hopefully you’ll one day be at 1 million. It has been incredible watching your channel grow, I can’t wait to see the channel grow even bigger. Keep up the great work!
Thank you so much for watching my friend and for the kind words. I have some more plane ones in the works (one of which I'm flying in a few days) I just want to release only the very best. As I've flown close to every product it's harder to find unique flights to try. Lots more to come, really appreciate the support :)
Can’t wait to for those videos, I understand it’s hard to find unique flights to fly but I think you do a great job of finding unique flights anyway 👏. Keep up the great work!
I’m a bit older than you, and this reminds me of my experiences of traveling on night trains in Europe. I was always in a couchette with three other people and was happy to be able to sleep lying down. The sleeping cars basically were two sets of bunk bed, and I opted for the bottom berth. I remember being given a pillow but no sheets or blanket. Smoking was allowed on trains back then, so I reserved a berth in a nonsmoking couchette. Luggage didn’t have wheels, so I had a collapsible luggage carrier for my suitcase. (Yes, I’m that old.) There was no internet, so no Google translate. I always brought a small phrase book in the language of the country that I was traveling to. I so miss traveling and am hoping to get to Manchester to visit a friend and to my favorite city in the world to visit London this fall. For now I can enjoy traveling through your videos.
His vlog reminded me of the same train travel you experienced as I also did in the mid 70's. Quite an experience, I prefer a bit more cushy travel now. But the memories are great.
LOL, my experience as well. Some 40 years ago, there was no electronic means of communication, and if you wanted to converse in a new country, you bought a phrase book and learned basic phrases as well as numbers (these were light, and didn't take up much room). In the space of a week travelling across Spain on slow trains, I managed to achieve a fundamental level of communication in Spanish with a book that weighed about 100g (with backpacking, every gram was essential, so ripping off the front and rear covers of books helped a little). I then did the same in Portugal with another phrase book. I loved EVERY SINGLE SECOND of that trip. During that period we have seen those countries join the EU, borders disappear, only to find them reappear due to right-wing English politics. We are all much the poorer for it. It saddens me greatly.
@@horsenuts1831 A phrase book would have been good for me. In Italy at a restaurant I ordered a menu item that said pollo. I knew it meant chicken, so I felt safe getting it. It turned out to be a plate of chicken livers, oops.
Im suffering from horrific anxiety and depression, you have given me something to watch and I so appreciate it thank you.. I wish I wasn’t bedridden with anxiety, I want to travel again.. I went to Sofia and have been to Vilnius and Kaunas last year till I was hit by this horrible illness.. thanks again. Be safe xx 😘
in '75 i traveled eur. london to amtersdam, amtersdam to oslo, oslo to hamburg, hamburg to vienna, vienna to munich, munch to barcelona, baracelona to madrid, madrid to paris, paris to london. many overnight trains, tons of fun. the rail system in eur. was and is so much better than the states. Loved it all. thanks
Hi, mate! 🥰 Being a romanian🇷🇴, I'm so proud that you had 2 showers in Astra Trans Charpatian train that made you fresher for the next day. Very nice video, loved it🥰
Back in 2013 we took a sleeper train from Budapest to Bucharest Romania and at 2am the Romanian border guards came on board banging on our compartment that we had to show our papers . Felt like I was in a Cold War spy movie . Budapest is a beautiful city and Istanbul is one of my favorites. Very enjoyable video sir 😎😎😎
This is so reminiscent of inter-railing: I once spent a month sleeping mostly on those pull-down seats, but sharing the compartment with at least my two mates and sometimes strangers too. If you've not seen Europe that way, you haven't lived!
A small detail that you missed out (or did not mention): The train from Zurich to Vienna actually passes through three countries, not two. Between the stop in Buchs and Feldkirch you also travel through Liechtenstein. it's the only railway track in the country with a length of 9 km, connecting the Swiss and the Austrian Railway system.
This is gold content. A lot of respect for you, this is a very hard trip to do. I have done it from Romania to Munich, and from Romania to Nice (France), and i can say that this one is on another level.
I have done a train journey not too dissimilar from this about 5 years ago. I did Prague to Sofia (via Vienna, Budapest and Bucharest) and watching this gave me goosebumps as I did that exact journey from Romania and crossing the border to Bulgaria. Surrendering my passport at the check for what felt like an hour was so disconcerting! Hope you enjoyed the whole experience though.
I've watched a number of your train travel excursions. There is something to be said for doing your homework prior to taking a journey by train, especially if it's going to be a long time on board one of these trains. Basic comforts, like food, bed, washroom, and showers, are a prerequisite. If you do not have these, it would be safe to say you should not expect much comfort, let alone luxury during your travels.
It's really interesting to see that when you got to Bucharest, the style of the international ticket hasn't changed since I was travelling in Eastern Europe in the early 90s, 30 years ago. Just seeing the ticket brought back fond memories. The trains in that part of the world are still Soviet-satellite stock, which also brings back memories for me. And of course, the Bucharest railway station is still of a kind that would make Bald and Bankrupt want to dance with the nearest babushka!
Great video, I love the idea of travelling by sleeper train! It’s a shame that realistically there aren’t many routes where it’s cost competitive with flying.
I guess you need to look at it as hotel on wheels plus the experience. When you account for that, then the price is not that high. For instance, when you go to holiday by plane, the holiday start after you arrive at the destination. When you travel by train, the holiday starts when you enter the train.
@@luksus34but it’s not really a holiday cause it’s a pain the ass I feel like the only reason you should travel by train is if true doing multiple cities and staying for a while and then travelling again
When I was a kid our family traveled from Prague to Varna, Bulgaria in the summer for years to spend vacation close to the Black Sea. It was fun to travel by train in compartment that accommodated our entire family of 6. The compartment seats turned into 6 bunks during the night. I was always hoping to get the middle bunk for sleeping . I would put the pillow to the side where the window was half open that I could rest my head and watch trees, mountains , cities pass by. It was a direct train and the journey took about two days and two nights. I have truly great memories ! I need to travel by train long distance soon . :)
Well this has been the most interesting train one so far I think. Amazing the amount of differences between each stop over and train. On to the next :)
Nice vid Will! Just wanted to say I've been inspired by you the past few years and I took my first trip in first class with Air France La Premiere to celebrate graduating uni. Keep up the great work!
The Nightjet brings back memories for me. I once took one back in 2008, from Utrecht to Wien Westbahnhof. And it was awesome! I sat in the same kind of cabin as seen in the video (by the window, obviously), and I watched clips all night on the notebook.
7:15 - Timthetatman is that you? Jokes aside. The fact you maintained such motivation, enthusiasm, and character through some stressful times is amazing. Truly a great video!!
I usually watch ur shannel and ur traveling on like 10k flights and luxury tains and this was an INSANELY pleseant suprise to see you take the "normie" trains. I have done many travels across Europe and have encountered practically every single obstacle you came across so it was nice to know I finally have that experience after over a year of combined experience backpacking the continent.
Oh my word - those delays made things so stressful. Plus those transfers, checks, basic amenities..And all of this while you still film everything! That final shot at the Aya Sophia made this adventure feel like a pilgrimage. Hats off to you, Will!!
"It was absolutely filthy, and thank goodness Smell-o-vision isn't invented yet" even if I can't smell it, it's still nothing compared to the smell of the NYC Subway...now THAT I can smell! With all the weird things that one sees on the subway, people say that the NYC Subway is another planet...and they're RIGHT Speaking of the subway, the train you went on from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon is not the Paris Metro! The Paris Metro doesn't use bilevel rolling stock. That is the Transilien, operated by the SNCF just like the TGV. It is a commuter rail network rather than a metro.
Loved how you are able to go with the flow ! You deal with the good , the bad and the dirty and I certainly could not ‘ roll with it ‘ . I appreciated how you provided the costs in Canadian currency . I will definitely be following you as you have a very entertaining way of taking us along on your ‘trek’ . Since I am 75 years old I think I will avoid this particular train trip . Thank you for making this a very interesting trip and I will happily follow you vicariously on your future journeys . Mary of Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦👍
I am in love with your videos. I did similar smaller trips over EU. That feeling when the connections can not be made hits differently now, as it gives many opportunities for random unplanned destinations! Keep on travelling. Greetings from Serbia.
I've been watching you for the past month and, being Bulgarian, daydreamed about the Canadian train travel experience. Last week I had the opportunity to go back to Sofia from the Black Sea coast by train and heavily inspired by you - grabbed it. However, I was dreading the imminent moment when I would have to go to the toilet. To my big surprise - it looked... very acceptable. There was a big puddle of water on the floor but apart from that, I was expecting A LOT worse. After watching your video, I suppose I've just been lucky with the toilet situation.... To be honest, I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry
I can't but can believe how much the channel has blown up recently, the effort and content that you produce is awesome, well deserved. Love living vicariously through the content!
Yea the usual ‘exaggerate everything in a title’ It’s standard RUclips to gain a larger audience. Preferable do one or two words in BOLD and put some thing negative (even if not true) such as AWFUL experience or WORST business class.
Hi from Australia. You have the absolute best job. I have a pretty good life travelling around Australia in my van. But train travel is my true favourite. Love your videos
Kudos to you will, negotiating different countries with different languages all while in a rush. Doing this in strange places while quite often not understanding the language is extremely stressful 👍
I discovered your channel 2 days ago and today i'm watching you going to Arad, my home town. The train station was remodeled inside in 2016-2017. It looks good compared to what it was. You took the train to Constanța from Astra, compared to the National train company (CFR) that looks good. I used to go with my parents and sister to Constanța every summer taking this CFR train, 35-25 years ago. Loved going with the train, even if we didn't always had beds, sometimes we had chairs. It's normal to have delays by train:)) I like your trips and videos, keep doing a great job :)
After watching this and the last train's situation and price, I realised how privileged I am to be living in the country I am. Which is not something I thought I would think after watching a video about Europe.
You really worked for this video!! Thank you!! I felt for you without the a/c. That’s so miserable! Plus no bed when you were supposed to have a bed and shower!! Wow! What an adventure!! Thanks again!
This was an AMAZING trip! Thank you for taking it and for documenting it so well. In the beginning, I thought "what a great adventure!" but having watched the whole video, I think I'll fly. Keep up the great work!!!
Such a great video, Will! This one wasn’t as luxurious (haha), but it had me on pins and needles to see what would happen next! Can’t wait for your next video!
Great video, I watched with my son. the funny thing is that I was very impressed with the romanian train, stunning on suite, on that price. Originally, I'm from Romania🇷🇴, but living in the UK 🇬🇧 . Thank you for the video , I'll watch the others aswell.
As you passed by the Soviet-looking décor and mosaics I thought "Bald and Bankrupt would love that place" and then you said what I was thinking. It was a magical moment.
I enjoyed watching this, hope I can do London - Istanbul by train in my lifetime. Though I did smile whenever you implied you were 'roughing it', but you can afford to go 1st class and buy out whole compartments. Most travellers on this journey would have a lot less luxury than you! In 1996 I went Hong Kong to London overland through China, Kazakhstan and Russia. Fellow passengers spitting on the floor, compartment invaded by people without tickets, corrupt police checking me and trying to bully money from me, fellow passengers asking me to go out the compartment while a train prostitute comes in! I hope you can feature a train ride across Kazakhstan in the future, though it's probably a lot better now!
One of my most memorable money-saving style trips was from Vienna to Strasbourg. The direct route would have been with only one changeover at Frankfurt. Instead, we hopped on the night train to Bregenz (in a compartment like the one in the video, three people, no curtains, no locks, nothing). Arriving in the early morning we took the local train across the border to Lindau (I think that's about a ten-minute trip) where we bought a Baden-Württemberg day ticket, which is very affordable but only allows you to use regional services. That meant we had to change for Friedrichshafen, then for Radolfzell. Until then, everything worked out fine. At Radolfzell we saw that our train was cancelled due to track works. Fine, there's a cafe, let's wait for the next one. Cancelled. I think three trains in a row (spaced one hour apart) were cancelled. Then, finally, one train left for neighbouring Singen and five minutes later, our train departed on the same route. It went a whole 500 m and stopped because the earlier train had had a fatal accident just outside the station. We returned to Radolfzell, got off the train and waited for the line to clear. While we waited outside, the weather got worse and worse, a storm brewing over the lake and the PA system announcing more and more lines being closed down because of the weather. Then replacement bus service was announced but there were no buses anywhere to be seen. I went to the DB ticket office to enquire but the employees had no idea what bus service I was talking about. Finally a bus arrived and we squeezed in, passing fallen trees that had hit parked lorries along the way. 10 km on in Singen the journey ended again and we had to wait for a train. However, no trains could go until the accident site at Radolfzell had been cleared. That took two or three hours I think. Finally our train for Karlsruhe arrived and we boarded. Somewhere along the way I suddenly noticed that the destination on the display had changed from Karlsruhe to Donaueschingen. At the next stop I looked out of the window and the display on the platform said the train would terminate even earlier at Villingen-Schwenningen due to flooding in the Black Forest. Lovely! At Villingen-Schwenningen we indeed had to get off and wait for replacement buses in pouring rain. Eventually buses arrived and a full train of five double-decker coaches was crammed into two bendy buses, including the grinning elderly chap and his refreshment cart. Luggage piled high on our laps we went onto a 40 km journey along the winding roads of misty Black Forest, beautiful but very uncomfortable. After that bus ride we had to change twice more for a few stops each but finally arrived in Strasbourg at something like 7:30 PM, well over 20 hours into our trip.
for the Nighjet: those Coaches used to be daytime intercity and eurocity coaches for national and international express services. they converted some of the seating cars to night train ones by giving them locks, curtains and other small upgrades. the one you slept in are usually intended for people hopping on and off in the dead of night, they are not meant for sleeping like that. maybe that guy trying to break in just wanted to see if there was space to sit down
You certainly brought back some memories here. I've been on the same train from Budapest to Arad, probably in the same car even. What a journey that was.
Even with all of the challenges, it looks like a fantastic trip! And the cheese and salami baguette looked delicious! Bulgarian wine would make it perfect!
Will, do you know how much you've inspired me to want to travel via train(s)? I can't wait for the day to do this, but maybe not this specific trip just yet, lol! Way to go for pivoting with setbacks 🥳
honestly since I did that Amtrak video back in Feb, i've been introduced to so many amazing train adventures. Aha thanks, it was certainly a think on your feet moment. The trip did come close to be cancelled so glad I held in there :)
I'm so glad this film popped up in my feed. I'd love to do something like this but I never will. And not at high speed like this. Nice and slow is me but slow costs money. The romance of travel across Europe a la "A Time of Gifts" it's so alluring.
Back in 1977 I did a two week InterRail trip from the UK around France, Switzerland and Italy. Of the 43 trains, 42 ran fine and pretty much perfectly on time. The one hiccup was a cancelled train so I had 2 hours to kill until the next one, but as luck would have it the station was just 5 mins walk from the Italian beach I'd just come from! Some people are just lucky I guess.
having previously turned off a couple of your videos for being way too busy in the edit, loads of words flashing up etc, this one was a treat. great adventure, good work on the recovery from delays and a great way to cross the continent. did a ton of rail journeys across eastern europe in the hot summer of 2018 and they were all fascinating and great fun. and lots of stress at the borders in the middle of the night 😂
I just think we shouldn't feel sorry for ourselves when we experience the day to day experience as locals, I guess that's just me because everyone else seems so proud of him to expect more and better than what the local people live like. I know there is a cost, but what is he really paying for? The experience or a higher end trip than anyone living there could never experience? I'm not an experienced travel tho, so I don't know. I've always dreamed of taking a long train ride across the US, I don't know if I'll ever get there, but i do know that I'll be grateful for being able to see the landscape even if I'm uncomfortable. What is a person going to remember more? Comfort or scenery?
surely more just the experience of a crazy route. or maybe it's nothing more than a trip that would generate content. honestly i can't remember it now, 3 months later 😂
A week or so ago I tried to take the sleeper from Sofia to Istanbul with five of my friends, only to be told it was booked out, not just the day I wanted, but the day after, at the ticket office. We ended up taking the bus instead because we had flights back home booked out of Istanbul in a few days. The bus was much more uncomfortable, and I was really looking forward to the sleeper, but at least I can see what it would have been like. I'd love to travel to Istanbul by train again, and if anyone has any tips for booking the sleeper, I'd be super grateful. Thanks!
I watched this after watching your Emirates first class flight video. Enjoyed both, but admittedly for different reasons 😂. Why don't you do twinned videos - one where you go first class and the second were you go for the cheapest option. That would be so entertaining 😊
Just as an aside, the Danube bridge is 7000 ft long, not 7000 metres. I believe the Tay Rail bridge in Scotland is the longest steel bridge in Europe too. Certainly it's longer than that one. Looked like a great trip though!
Loved your trip - and still waiting for the moment when I can finally do this myself. Much more interesting than any TGV or ICE (and no missed trains after Budapest, to be fair). The private sleeper in Romania definitely made it to my bucket list.
Really well made piece, enjoyed that 30 mins, definitely reinvigorates a personal desire to do some trips like this, and I also like how you highlighted the border controls, so easy to forget how valuable freedom of movement is, that 5am one in to Turkey particularly!
I've done Sofia to London and back for ten days. We had 4 nights in hotels (2 in Paris and 2 in London), but we boarded lots of trains as well. The route was Sofia - Belgrade - Zagreb - Venice - Paris - London - Paris - Munich - Budapest - Sofia (train between each city).
My hubby and I have done some travel around Europe with questionable connections and trains. I'll never forget [unfortunately] one sleep car we had to share with 6 strangers. One of the guys, stinking of beer, became disoriented and tried to climb into my bunk with me. He was apologetic when I yelled and pushed him out, to the amusement to the others in the compartment. And when he found his own bunk, he fell asleep immediately, snoring so loudly he must have kept the entire train awake. After that experience, we booked a private sleeper cabin for the return trip, despite it being an expense we could ill afford at the time.
A city: has something Soviet Bald: *I've been summoned* We loved socialist Romania, their late leader Nicolae Ceaușescu visited my grandpa in 1971 and absolutely loved it. So much so that he tried to replicate my grandpa's system in his own! Romania even had a go at replicating our capital too, by building an extravagant palace for government. He had to destroy neighborhoods for it, but it became the heaviest building in the world. Only a small fraction of it is actually used though
Great journey. Once travelled from Timisoara to Belgrade, 6 hrs roughly on a slow commuter's line, but very cheap. It was similar to the border crossing you encountered. Really cool journey.
Yeah, I did this in reverse 35 years ago while on Interrail on my way to study in Venice. Some trains were of very poor quality and the passport checks were annoying. Well done for getting through this.
You have definitely earned your right to enjoy Istanbul, my favourite city. Enjoy the magnificent sites, St Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi and even just wandering round the streets and side-streets of Istanbul. These days, if you want to go further by train, you do not have to take a ferry across the Bosphorus as the Istanbul Metro goes right under the Bosphorus and the trains to Ankara and South-West Turkey await.
That Budapest lounge looks classy. The classiest lounge I’ve been in was the Metropolitan Lounge at Moynihan Train Hall. Next time you’re riding the rails into or out of New York, give it a look. Great food selection, plenty of seating. Excellent view of the concourse below.
I love this! The issue with the tickets shows the biggest problem right now with European international trains. If you could get this all on a single ticket you would be protected as a passenger and would have easier access to help if a train is delayed causing you to miss a connection. The costs are steep though and that is sad cause it means flying would be cheaper. Adam Something made a great video on international trains in Europe and why these problems exist.
Thanks all for watching. Certainly one of the more challenging videos to make, especially given the delays and last minute changes. Next video is quite the opposite, perhaps one of the most luxurious travel "experiences" in the world. Can't wait to share.
Hey Trek! Been watching you for quite some time ~ love the vids. I have a video idea: buy an interrail pass with unlimited train travel for a month, plan a route and let us know how it is. Its only like 400€ for unlimited travel (with some limitations). I know a lot of people who are considering buying such, so seeing a review on this awesome channel would be amazing. Let me know if you read this :-)
I love your videos I want to take a train trip I’m thinking about taking the Alaska one you did or the Rocky Mountain one you did the look nice
SIR PLEASE MAKE JOURNEY IN THE WORLD FAMOUS
MAHARAJA EXPRESS 🍷🍷
IN INDIA 🇮🇳
SIR PLEASE MAKE JOURNEY IN THE WORLD FAMOUS
MAHARAJA EXPRESS 🍷🍷
IN INDIA 🇮🇳
SIR PLEASE MAKE JOURNEY IN THE WORLD FAMOUS
MAHARAJA EXPRESS 🍷🍷
IN INDIA 🇮🇳
At 500K subs you should try and recreate “Around the World in 80 days”, traversing the globe by rail, road and Sea.
I like your thinking :)
@@Trektrendy yes please do it & take your lovely lady with you 🇦🇺🐨👍🏻😁💜💙❤️
@@lynnebunning7273 that's not quite how the story goes. He would need a French valet.
I would support this only if he finds someone to take him on a land sail to Omaha.
@@blueband8114 he could his beautiful lady friend. Plenty of time to learn French using Babel. She could dress as a Buttler lol 🇦🇺👍🏻
When I was staying in Bulgaria, my friends would look at me like I was crazy when I said I took the train. They would explain to me that they basically never took the trains because they're old and way slower than alternatives. But I loved it. I bought a 1st class ticket and barely saw a soul and when you crack the window all the way down and let that breeze in it felt fresh. Such a scenic and beautiful country, it's worth a try even if you get to your destination slower.
Gr8 attitude. Cheers!
People look for the fast method far too much these days. Slower= getting to actually experience all those places in the between and those scenic views
Bro needs to explore more. Gorna Oryahovitsa train station is nowhere near downtown. Its normal to look like this.
ruclips.net/user/shortsXfu62bYd2No beautifull landing
can you take bike on board?
It’s funny watching someone used to first/business class do regular class traveling. I saw the three chairs and went, “Oh, I could sleep there. Easily.” I really like these videos of you taking trains.
He sound a little bit snobby, but I totally get it. He has seen so incredible stuff !!
true lol. must be nice being rich, also the pellegrino water was the topping on my thoughts
He sounds a little snobby ? He has every right to sound snobby! Train delay (not his fault), cost him extra and no refunds given and had to travel in a way he did not plan and it's safe to say it definitely spoils the mood other than spending extra money looted by train ministries. Hard earned money dear. He didn't wish to donate it to trains lol it was his compulsion and yes he is rightly snobby.
All it all it was not overwhelmingly harsh and you did arrive, that's what called adventure. Crikey
@@-ns-8972experienced travellers build a padding into their itinerary to allow for delays - especially when many connections are required.
But at least he's being a good sport about it
This is probably the first time I watched one of your videos and DIDN'T want to take the same trip.
lol yep easier to fly it, but the first parts from London to Budapest would be decent if they were done right, the part past Bucharest is gross and yeah I would be pissed w no ac or power or clean toilets, that later toilet was okay but no tp yikes... gotta remember that
Hahaha great comment! But for me this would be a fantastic journey :-)
Same
No no no too old. 67
I should very well do the same trip, but allow myself a night at a hotel in Vienna and Bucuresti.
As much as I love seeing your smooth trips and luxury accommodations, it’s also refreshing to see the other side of traveling where a whole lot of things go wrong. Thanks for being a trooper and going through this haha safe travels!
Thanks for watching Heric - and that’s exactly it. I love travel overall so happy to rough it sometimes in the name of adventure
100th like
@@Trektrendy how do you get internet on your.phone? Were you using mobile roaming data on this particular trip?
@@virgiliovidal9169 probably. My mobile data supplier provided 20gb of free data in each European country.
ruclips.net/user/shortsXfu62bYd2No beautifull landing
I met my turkish husband 1988,and same year at autumn,I travelled by train,from Finland to Istanbul,and by aeroplane to Dalaman and by bus to Marmaris!!!❤We are still married.😊
Hi how many trains you changed to get to Turkey? And i guess your first train was from Stockholm?
hi i know it has been a while after your comment but im corious as i live near marmaris are you guys live in marmaris or elsewhere?
@@ayboz097 hi greetings. At least I was wondering the distance, no I am far far away in Asia. i have never been to Turkey before
30 minutes, 4 days train. seeing this in my news feed is pure joy, thanks.
I can’t thank you enough for doing these videos. I suffer from insomnia because of anxiety and there’s something about your videos that relax me, I think it’s your voice and how you edit your videos so smoothly. I find them all absolutely fascinating and the most perfect thing to watch to relax me before falling asleep peacefully. I’ve been binge watching all your videos. I know it seems silly but it’s always nice to know that your content helps people out there even if they don’t travel. Thanks again ❤️
I totally agree
Hey Sam I do too unfortunately and have been up until seven this morning binge watching each one because I feel like I have a stomach ache from so much unnecessary anxiety. I have good days and bad ones but glad he is here to help us through these difficult times.
Anxiety can be an irrational fear of events that are out of one’s control and often unlikely to impact the anxious individual. You may find it some consolation to consider that anxiety is perception rather than reality. Don’t waste your life being anxious. I wish you all the best in conquering your anxiety. Be well.
I feel the same way Sam : ) i agree there’s something relaxing about these videos he does such a great job filming to me its a great escape ❤️
@@k.s.1579 I get exactly the same! It's been so bad at times it's made me sick. Lying in bed or on the sofa to one of these videos and a hot water bottle helps me massively. We are not alone xx
Its reminds me of the stress of travelling across Europe in the late 70's. You need to be young to do it like that. Thanks for sharing your trip.
As a Bulgarian, I waited to the part when you have to comment on the iconic toilets, notorious through the ages. I haven't travelled by train in decades but I see nothing changes there (except maybe get dirtier). We as a nation are proud to be first in something when it comes to your travels. Stay safe Will, hope you remember us with something more than our toilets. Cheers to that Astika from my hometown!
May be it was cleaner under the communists rule! don't know for sure, anyways. LOL
@@kanank13 I think they were clean only at the moment the carriage popped out the factory. I remember being a kid during commie rule and I can still feel the stench imprinted on my mind. BTW, you see the ground through the toilet hole, all you produce goes back to nature. Or the train station if you are stopped there and you feel the urge... pretty vile stuff
What were the trains like during communism?
Whats an "Astika"?
@@JoePsysky Most trains in India have toilets like that and perhaps other south east asian countries's trains are like that too.
This is insanely cool, I can’t lie - You paid a arm and a leg to save the trip, serious dedication to the content. Great video trek!
Thanks for watching, and yes I certainly could have done it a lot cheaper if time wasn’t the issue. Had to complete the challenge and so glad I was able to share the story :)
Paid money to make money
ruclips.net/user/shortsXfu62bYd2No beautifull landing
Of course no brainer
I literally watch 3 to 4 of your videos a day. I’ve watched other travel videos by others, but yours are the most entertaining and educational to watch. Thankyou for sharing your travels with everyone. Becca from Kansas
Dear Will,
I’ve been watching your content for a while and I just wanted to say thank you for making such amazing content! Personally, I am more of a plane person and I prefer your flight vlogs to the recent train vlogs however at the end of the day they are both great types of videos as they are all made to a great standard.
I just wanted to say keep up the great work and soon you’ll be at 500k, and then afterwards hopefully you’ll one day be at 1 million.
It has been incredible watching your channel grow, I can’t wait to see the channel grow even bigger.
Keep up the great work!
Thank you so much for watching my friend and for the kind words. I have some more plane ones in the works (one of which I'm flying in a few days) I just want to release only the very best. As I've flown close to every product it's harder to find unique flights to try. Lots more to come, really appreciate the support :)
Can’t wait to for those videos, I understand it’s hard to find unique flights to fly but I think you do a great job of finding unique flights anyway 👏. Keep up the great work!
I’m a bit older than you, and this reminds me of my experiences of traveling on night trains in Europe. I was always in a couchette with three other people and was happy to be able to sleep lying down. The sleeping cars basically were two sets of bunk bed, and I opted for the bottom berth. I remember being given a pillow but no sheets or blanket. Smoking was allowed on trains back then, so I reserved a berth in a nonsmoking couchette. Luggage didn’t have wheels, so I had a collapsible luggage carrier for my suitcase. (Yes, I’m that old.) There was no internet, so no Google translate. I always brought a small phrase book in the language of the country that I was traveling to. I so miss traveling and am hoping to get to Manchester to visit a friend and to my favorite city in the world to visit London this fall. For now I can enjoy traveling through your videos.
His vlog reminded me of the same train travel you experienced as I also did in the mid 70's. Quite an experience, I prefer a bit more cushy travel now. But the memories are great.
LOL, my experience as well. Some 40 years ago, there was no electronic means of communication, and if you wanted to converse in a new country, you bought a phrase book and learned basic phrases as well as numbers (these were light, and didn't take up much room). In the space of a week travelling across Spain on slow trains, I managed to achieve a fundamental level of communication in Spanish with a book that weighed about 100g (with backpacking, every gram was essential, so ripping off the front and rear covers of books helped a little). I then did the same in Portugal with another phrase book. I loved EVERY SINGLE SECOND of that trip.
During that period we have seen those countries join the EU, borders disappear, only to find them reappear due to right-wing English politics. We are all much the poorer for it. It saddens me greatly.
@@horsenuts1831
A phrase book would have been good for me. In Italy at a restaurant I ordered a menu item that said pollo. I knew it meant chicken, so I felt safe getting it. It turned out to be a plate of chicken livers, oops.
Im suffering from horrific anxiety and depression, you have given me something to watch and I so appreciate it thank you.. I wish I wasn’t bedridden with anxiety, I want to travel again.. I went to Sofia and have been to Vilnius and Kaunas last year till I was hit by this horrible illness.. thanks again. Be safe xx 😘
You will get through this my friend. You still have that spirit of adventure within you.
Weirdly this was one of my favourite videos of yours! Well done for showing that travel doesn't always go to plan.
in '75 i traveled eur. london to amtersdam, amtersdam to oslo, oslo to hamburg, hamburg to vienna, vienna to munich, munch to barcelona, baracelona to madrid, madrid to paris, paris to london. many overnight trains, tons of fun. the rail system in eur. was and is so much better than the states. Loved it all. thanks
Currently quarantined, I have watched every single train journey of yours. Also from Jeb's too, you two are my fave youtubers now. Safe travels!
Thanks so much - wishing you a speedy recovery
@@Trektrendy Thank you! After watching a bunch of your videos, I've always felt I was included in the trip.
Feel better! They're my favorite two as well!
@Just think is it effecting you? No its not so move on.
I've joined your club. Got it for the second time, drat!
Hi, mate! 🥰
Being a romanian🇷🇴, I'm so proud that you had 2 showers in Astra Trans Charpatian train that made you fresher for the next day.
Very nice video, loved it🥰
Back in 2013 we took a sleeper train from Budapest to Bucharest Romania and at 2am the Romanian border guards came on board banging on our compartment that we had to show our papers . Felt like I was in a Cold War spy movie . Budapest is a beautiful city and Istanbul is one of my favorites. Very enjoyable video sir 😎😎😎
Well, you can thank Austria and Holland for that, they are denying Romania and Bulgaria entrance to the Schengen space for their economic interests.
This is so reminiscent of inter-railing: I once spent a month sleeping mostly on those pull-down seats, but sharing the compartment with at least my two mates and sometimes strangers too.
If you've not seen Europe that way, you haven't lived!
Your vlogs are so informative. One thing I learned from this one. No overnight trains after Switzerland. What an endurance.
A small detail that you missed out (or did not mention): The train from Zurich to Vienna actually passes through three countries, not two. Between the stop in Buchs and Feldkirch you also travel through Liechtenstein. it's the only railway track in the country with a length of 9 km, connecting the Swiss and the Austrian Railway system.
In the start he showed Liechtenstein
As well as I believe Germany
@@sybrninja Correct! Between Kufstein and Salzburg the train passes what we call the "German corner" (Deutsches Eck)
@@sybrninja Unfortunately, no. The first shot is on the Austrian part of the route, between Feldkirch and Innsbruck.
This is gold content. A lot of respect for you, this is a very hard trip to do. I have done it from Romania to Munich, and from Romania to Nice (France), and i can say that this one is on another level.
I have done a train journey not too dissimilar from this about 5 years ago. I did Prague to Sofia (via Vienna, Budapest and Bucharest) and watching this gave me goosebumps as I did that exact journey from Romania and crossing the border to Bulgaria. Surrendering my passport at the check for what felt like an hour was so disconcerting! Hope you enjoyed the whole experience though.
nice
I've watched a number of your train travel excursions. There is something to be said for doing your homework prior to taking a journey by train, especially if it's going to be a long time on board one of these trains. Basic comforts, like food, bed, washroom, and showers, are a prerequisite. If you do not have these, it would be safe to say you should not expect much comfort, let alone luxury during your travels.
You are a trooper. This sort of trip would trigger so much anxiety in me, so thank you for being the one to bite the bullet for us mere mortals.
Man your pronunciation of Romanian towns are surprisingly on point. That's so nice congrats 🎉
good
It's really interesting to see that when you got to Bucharest, the style of the international ticket hasn't changed since I was travelling in Eastern Europe in the early 90s, 30 years ago. Just seeing the ticket brought back fond memories. The trains in that part of the world are still Soviet-satellite stock, which also brings back memories for me. And of course, the Bucharest railway station is still of a kind that would make Bald and Bankrupt want to dance with the nearest babushka!
That was...an experience. Thank you for persevering for the viewers 🥰
Great video, I love the idea of travelling by sleeper train! It’s a shame that realistically there aren’t many routes where it’s cost competitive with flying.
I guess you need to look at it as hotel on wheels plus the experience. When you account for that, then the price is not that high. For instance, when you go to holiday by plane, the holiday start after you arrive at the destination. When you travel by train, the holiday starts when you enter the train.
@@luksus34but it’s not really a holiday cause it’s a pain the ass I feel like the only reason you should travel by train is if true doing multiple cities and staying for a while and then travelling again
When I was a kid our family traveled from Prague to Varna, Bulgaria in the summer for years to spend vacation close to the Black Sea. It was fun to travel by train in compartment that accommodated our entire family of 6. The compartment seats turned into 6 bunks during the night. I was always hoping to get the middle bunk for sleeping . I would put the pillow to the side where the window was half open that I could rest my head and watch trees, mountains , cities pass by. It was a direct train and the journey took about two days and two nights. I have truly great memories ! I need to travel by train long distance soon . :)
What an epic journey! Love your videos…your style, humor, and signature NASA gear, always!
Well this has been the most interesting train one so far I think. Amazing the amount of differences between each stop over and train. On to the next :)
My son is on the last leg of the Journey today! Thanks for giving me insight as to what he can expect, thanks very much for making this video mate!
Nice vid Will! Just wanted to say I've been inspired by you the past few years and I took my first trip in first class with Air France La Premiere to celebrate graduating uni. Keep up the great work!
Congrats on that but how in the world have you managed to do that?
@@ant7089 I got a job at a very large hedge fund right before the spring semester started and my only class was online.
This is never something I'd watch but had nothing to watch. Three videos in now and you deliver the content so well. You've got a new sub. Great work
Glad you enjoy it and thanks for the sub :)
The Nightjet brings back memories for me. I once took one back in 2008, from Utrecht to Wien Westbahnhof. And it was awesome! I sat in the same kind of cabin as seen in the video (by the window, obviously), and I watched clips all night on the notebook.
7:15 - Timthetatman is that you?
Jokes aside. The fact you maintained such motivation, enthusiasm, and character through some stressful times is amazing. Truly a great video!!
I heard this and thought I had a Timmy video on somewhere else haha
Your videos allow us to feel like we are travelling
I usually watch ur shannel and ur traveling on like 10k flights and luxury tains and this was an INSANELY pleseant suprise to see you take the "normie" trains. I have done many travels across Europe and have encountered practically every single obstacle you came across so it was nice to know I finally have that experience after over a year of combined experience backpacking the continent.
Oh my word - those delays made things so stressful. Plus those transfers, checks, basic amenities..And all of this while you still film everything! That final shot at the Aya Sophia made this adventure feel like a pilgrimage. Hats off to you, Will!!
"It was absolutely filthy, and thank goodness Smell-o-vision isn't invented yet" even if I can't smell it, it's still nothing compared to the smell of the NYC Subway...now THAT I can smell! With all the weird things that one sees on the subway, people say that the NYC Subway is another planet...and they're RIGHT
Speaking of the subway, the train you went on from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon is not the Paris Metro! The Paris Metro doesn't use bilevel rolling stock. That is the Transilien, operated by the SNCF just like the TGV. It is a commuter rail network rather than a metro.
Loved how you are able to go with the flow ! You deal with the good , the bad and the dirty and I certainly could not ‘ roll with it ‘ . I appreciated how you provided the costs in Canadian currency . I will definitely be following you as you have a very entertaining way of taking us along on your ‘trek’ . Since I am 75 years old I think I will avoid this particular train trip . Thank you for making this a very interesting trip and I will happily follow you vicariously on your future journeys . Mary of Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦👍
Your videos allow us to feel like we are travelling with you even when we are stuck in our mundane life. Thanks for making our days better :)
Haaaalleellluuuuuuiiiaaaaaa
You just put my thouths in words!
True
That was both amazing and frankly not a trip would want to take. Thank you for sharing your adventure!
I am in love with your videos. I did similar smaller trips over EU. That feeling when the connections can not be made hits differently now, as it gives many opportunities for random unplanned destinations! Keep on travelling. Greetings from Serbia.
I've been watching you for the past month and, being Bulgarian, daydreamed about the Canadian train travel experience. Last week I had the opportunity to go back to Sofia from the Black Sea coast by train and heavily inspired by you - grabbed it. However, I was dreading the imminent moment when I would have to go to the toilet. To my big surprise - it looked... very acceptable. There was a big puddle of water on the floor but apart from that, I was expecting A LOT worse. After watching your video, I suppose I've just been lucky with the toilet situation.... To be honest, I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry
I just held it in going 3hrs from Plovdiv to Sofia xD
I can't but can believe how much the channel has blown up recently, the effort and content that you produce is awesome, well deserved. Love living vicariously through the content!
Yea the usual ‘exaggerate everything in a title’ It’s standard RUclips to gain a larger audience. Preferable do one or two words in BOLD and put some thing negative (even if not true) such as AWFUL experience or WORST business class.
Yessss! Tourists can also buy it for saving🥺 and I also know a cheaper channel😎
Hi from Australia. You have the absolute best job. I have a pretty good life travelling around Australia in my van. But train travel is my true favourite. Love your videos
Damm, Trek of all your train trips lately this looks like the coolest!
without a doubt
@@DyslexicMitochondria ur username made me click on ur profile. Ur channel is a hidden gem bro
When the air conditioning was working it was
Kudos to you will, negotiating different countries with different languages all while in a rush. Doing this in strange places while quite often not understanding the language is extremely stressful 👍
it's extremely stressful if you don't understand that we are all one with God.
I discovered your channel 2 days ago and today i'm watching you going to Arad, my home town. The train station was remodeled inside in 2016-2017. It looks good compared to what it was. You took the train to Constanța from Astra, compared to the National train company (CFR) that looks good. I used to go with my parents and sister to Constanța every summer taking this CFR train, 35-25 years ago. Loved going with the train, even if we didn't always had beds, sometimes we had chairs. It's normal to have delays by train:))
I like your trips and videos, keep doing a great job :)
I’m Turkish and live in England. I have a fear of heights so I can’t really fly so this video as absolute perfect guide for me 🥳
Sleeping pills. Can't you get a GP to prescribe you Rohypnol?
Thats pretty sad. 80 hours by train but only 3 or 4 hours by flight.
Close your window
After watching this and the last train's situation and price, I realised how privileged I am to be living in the country I am. Which is not something I thought I would think after watching a video about Europe.
I am in tears at the beauty of this vlog! Just watching random strangers for such bonds has restored my faith in humanity ❤️💙💜
LOVE your videos. You have such an adventurous spirit and the patience of a saint. Can’t wait for many more travels with you! 👩🏻🦰
Keep doing longer videos(if you can), I love watching the journey you embark on, very entertaining!
You really worked for this video!! Thank you!! I felt for you without the a/c. That’s so miserable! Plus no bed when you were supposed to have a bed and shower!! Wow! What an adventure!! Thanks again!
This was an AMAZING trip! Thank you for taking it and for documenting it so well. In the beginning, I thought "what a great adventure!" but having watched the whole video, I think I'll fly. Keep up the great work!!!
Such a great video, Will! This one wasn’t as luxurious (haha), but it had me on pins and needles to see what would happen next! Can’t wait for your next video!
Thanks Alex - it was really quite the adventure. Not sure how quickly I’d be repeating it, but memories for a lifetime
Thank goodness you’re young. You’re a real trooper.
Great video, I watched with my son. the funny thing is that I was very impressed with the romanian train, stunning on suite, on that price. Originally, I'm from Romania🇷🇴, but living in the UK 🇬🇧 .
Thank you for the video , I'll watch the others aswell.
As you passed by the Soviet-looking décor and mosaics I thought "Bald and Bankrupt would love that place" and then you said what I was thinking. It was a magical moment.
He must of heard you
ruclips.net/video/aro2vgpcpis/видео.html
Here's Bald
Love your long train trips! Sorry not what you initially expected - but thanks for bringing us along!
What a challenging journey, taking with a smile! Thank you for sharing.
I enjoyed watching this, hope I can do London - Istanbul by train in my lifetime. Though I did smile whenever you implied you were 'roughing it', but you can afford to go 1st class and buy out whole compartments. Most travellers on this journey would have a lot less luxury than you! In 1996 I went Hong Kong to London overland through China, Kazakhstan and Russia. Fellow passengers spitting on the floor, compartment invaded by people without tickets, corrupt police checking me and trying to bully money from me, fellow passengers asking me to go out the compartment while a train prostitute comes in! I hope you can feature a train ride across Kazakhstan in the future, though it's probably a lot better now!
One of my most memorable money-saving style trips was from Vienna to Strasbourg. The direct route would have been with only one changeover at Frankfurt. Instead, we hopped on the night train to Bregenz (in a compartment like the one in the video, three people, no curtains, no locks, nothing). Arriving in the early morning we took the local train across the border to Lindau (I think that's about a ten-minute trip) where we bought a Baden-Württemberg day ticket, which is very affordable but only allows you to use regional services. That meant we had to change for Friedrichshafen, then for Radolfzell. Until then, everything worked out fine. At Radolfzell we saw that our train was cancelled due to track works. Fine, there's a cafe, let's wait for the next one. Cancelled. I think three trains in a row (spaced one hour apart) were cancelled. Then, finally, one train left for neighbouring Singen and five minutes later, our train departed on the same route. It went a whole 500 m and stopped because the earlier train had had a fatal accident just outside the station. We returned to Radolfzell, got off the train and waited for the line to clear. While we waited outside, the weather got worse and worse, a storm brewing over the lake and the PA system announcing more and more lines being closed down because of the weather. Then replacement bus service was announced but there were no buses anywhere to be seen. I went to the DB ticket office to enquire but the employees had no idea what bus service I was talking about.
Finally a bus arrived and we squeezed in, passing fallen trees that had hit parked lorries along the way. 10 km on in Singen the journey ended again and we had to wait for a train. However, no trains could go until the accident site at Radolfzell had been cleared. That took two or three hours I think. Finally our train for Karlsruhe arrived and we boarded. Somewhere along the way I suddenly noticed that the destination on the display had changed from Karlsruhe to Donaueschingen. At the next stop I looked out of the window and the display on the platform said the train would terminate even earlier at Villingen-Schwenningen due to flooding in the Black Forest. Lovely! At Villingen-Schwenningen we indeed had to get off and wait for replacement buses in pouring rain. Eventually buses arrived and a full train of five double-decker coaches was crammed into two bendy buses, including the grinning elderly chap and his refreshment cart. Luggage piled high on our laps we went onto a 40 km journey along the winding roads of misty Black Forest, beautiful but very uncomfortable. After that bus ride we had to change twice more for a few stops each but finally arrived in Strasbourg at something like 7:30 PM, well over 20 hours into our trip.
Thank you for sharing this journey. I really think that if we want to travel more sustainable the rail travel has to improve.
for the Nighjet:
those Coaches used to be daytime intercity and eurocity coaches for national and international express services. they converted some of the seating cars to night train ones by giving them locks, curtains and other small upgrades. the one you slept in are usually intended for people hopping on and off in the dead of night, they are not meant for sleeping like that. maybe that guy trying to break in just wanted to see if there was space to sit down
You certainly brought back some memories here. I've been on the same train from Budapest to Arad, probably in the same car even. What a journey that was.
Even with all of the challenges, it looks like a fantastic trip! And the cheese and salami baguette looked delicious! Bulgarian wine would make it perfect!
I love the way you enter the room, set camera up, leave room and pretend to enter first time!!! But what a journey!!!!
This is so cool & awesome!! Thank you so much for allowing us all to come along on your wonderful & fantastic adventures!! More please
Will, do you know how much you've inspired me to want to travel via train(s)? I can't wait for the day to do this, but maybe not this specific trip just yet, lol! Way to go for pivoting with setbacks 🥳
honestly since I did that Amtrak video back in Feb, i've been introduced to so many amazing train adventures. Aha thanks, it was certainly a think on your feet moment. The trip did come close to be cancelled so glad I held in there :)
I'm so glad this film popped up in my feed. I'd love to do something like this but I never will. And not at high speed like this. Nice and slow is me but slow costs money. The romance of travel across Europe a la "A Time of Gifts" it's so alluring.
Back in 1977 I did a two week InterRail trip from the UK around France, Switzerland and Italy. Of the 43 trains, 42 ran fine and pretty much perfectly on time. The one hiccup was a cancelled train so I had 2 hours to kill until the next one, but as luck would have it the station was just 5 mins walk from the Italian beach I'd just come from! Some people are just lucky I guess.
having previously turned off a couple of your videos for being way too busy in the edit, loads of words flashing up etc, this one was a treat. great adventure, good work on the recovery from delays and a great way to cross the continent. did a ton of rail journeys across eastern europe in the hot summer of 2018 and they were all fascinating and great fun. and lots of stress at the borders in the middle of the night 😂
I just think we shouldn't feel sorry for ourselves when we experience the day to day experience as locals, I guess that's just me because everyone else seems so proud of him to expect more and better than what the local people live like. I know there is a cost, but what is he really paying for? The experience or a higher end trip than anyone living there could never experience? I'm not an experienced travel tho, so I don't know. I've always dreamed of taking a long train ride across the US, I don't know if I'll ever get there, but i do know that I'll be grateful for being able to see the landscape even if I'm uncomfortable. What is a person going to remember more? Comfort or scenery?
surely more just the experience of a crazy route. or maybe it's nothing more than a trip that would generate content. honestly i can't remember it now, 3 months later 😂
Love your train travels. My girlfriend high bucket list country is Istanbul. After seeing your video i think i will fly there instead. Lol
A week or so ago I tried to take the sleeper from Sofia to Istanbul with five of my friends, only to be told it was booked out, not just the day I wanted, but the day after, at the ticket office. We ended up taking the bus instead because we had flights back home booked out of Istanbul in a few days. The bus was much more uncomfortable, and I was really looking forward to the sleeper, but at least I can see what it would have been like. I'd love to travel to Istanbul by train again, and if anyone has any tips for booking the sleeper, I'd be super grateful. Thanks!
I watched this after watching your Emirates first class flight video. Enjoyed both, but admittedly for different reasons 😂. Why don't you do twinned videos - one where you go first class and the second were you go for the cheapest option. That would be so entertaining 😊
SIR: You are my hero!!! Thank You ,for sharing a dream journey. Do look forward to other adventures.
Just as an aside, the Danube bridge is 7000 ft long, not 7000 metres. I believe the Tay Rail bridge in Scotland is the longest steel bridge in Europe too. Certainly it's longer than that one. Looked like a great trip though!
Loved your trip - and still waiting for the moment when I can finally do this myself. Much more interesting than any TGV or ICE (and no missed trains after Budapest, to be fair). The private sleeper in Romania definitely made it to my bucket list.
That was definitely the icing on the cake. I would love to experience it, especially at night.
Thanks for all your wonderful videos. I enjoy living through your travels. This one seems to be the toughest one yet. Truly an adventure.
What a fascinating trip this was.
Great content as always.
Keep it up.
Really well made piece, enjoyed that 30 mins, definitely reinvigorates a personal desire to do some trips like this, and I also like how you highlighted the border controls, so easy to forget how valuable freedom of movement is, that 5am one in to Turkey particularly!
Nice to see how Turkey welcomes their visitors....... reminds me of 1989 journeys from Germany to Eastern Europe...
That certainly is an epic journey
I've done Sofia to London and back for ten days. We had 4 nights in hotels (2 in Paris and 2 in London), but we boarded lots of trains as well. The route was Sofia - Belgrade - Zagreb - Venice - Paris - London - Paris - Munich - Budapest - Sofia (train between each city).
My hubby and I have done some travel around Europe with questionable connections and trains. I'll never forget [unfortunately] one sleep car we had to share with 6 strangers. One of the guys, stinking of beer, became disoriented and tried to climb into my bunk with me. He was apologetic when I yelled and pushed him out, to the amusement to the others in the compartment. And when he found his own bunk, he fell asleep immediately, snoring so loudly he must have kept the entire train awake. After that experience, we booked a private sleeper cabin for the return trip, despite it being an expense we could ill afford at the time.
A city: has something Soviet
Bald: *I've been summoned*
We loved socialist Romania, their late leader Nicolae Ceaușescu visited my grandpa in 1971 and absolutely loved it. So much so that he tried to replicate my grandpa's system in his own! Romania even had a go at replicating our capital too, by building an extravagant palace for government. He had to destroy neighborhoods for it, but it became the heaviest building in the world. Only a small fraction of it is actually used though
ROTFL
U mean Benjamin Rich?
Great journey. Once travelled from Timisoara to Belgrade, 6 hrs roughly on a slow commuter's line, but very cheap. It was similar to the border crossing you encountered. Really cool journey.
I enjoy all your videos of different countries. Very interesting to see how all these countries looks like. Thanks for sharing all videos.
Yeah, I did this in reverse 35 years ago while on Interrail on my way to study in Venice. Some trains were of very poor quality and the passport checks were annoying. Well done for getting through this.
Hi Will: I sure do enjoy your train travel videos. They are well made & very informative!
You have definitely earned your right to enjoy Istanbul, my favourite city. Enjoy the magnificent sites, St Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi and even just wandering round the streets and side-streets of Istanbul. These days, if you want to go further by train, you do not have to take a ferry across the Bosphorus as the Istanbul Metro goes right under the Bosphorus and the trains to Ankara and South-West Turkey await.
That Budapest lounge looks classy. The classiest lounge I’ve been in was the Metropolitan Lounge at Moynihan Train Hall. Next time you’re riding the rails into or out of New York, give it a look. Great food selection, plenty of seating. Excellent view of the concourse below.
Wow that was some journey. I would be so shattered after all that! Looking forward to the next video! 👍🏼
I'm glad that you travel in my country thank you
I love this!
The issue with the tickets shows the biggest problem right now with European international trains. If you could get this all on a single ticket you would be protected as a passenger and would have easier access to help if a train is delayed causing you to miss a connection.
The costs are steep though and that is sad cause it means flying would be cheaper.
Adam Something made a great video on international trains in Europe and why these problems exist.