I'd appreciate some advice for a trip I'm thinking of making to southeastern Europe this October/November. I like the idea of flying there and then returning by train all the way (or vice versa). I'm sure there are a lot of very scenic routes along the way, but to be honest, I don't know a lot about the railways of this part of Europe.
I intend to start in southern Italy for a few days to visit family, so I might take the ferry from Bari to Patras and start my rail journey there (I understand that the line between Patras and Kiato has been recently reopened?).
What would then be the best route back to the UK be from Athens? I see that the Man in Seat 61 recommends via Belgrade or Sofia but as far as I can tell, there is no route out of Greece that avoids bustitution at this time of year?
I'm looking to do the whole trip over 10 days or thereabouts - appreciate that doesn't leave a massive amount of time to explore the cities en route but such are the constraints of work!
Any comments on an itinerary something like this:
Previous week:
Fly to southern Italy
Monday:
Ferry Bari-Patras departs 19:30
Tuesday:
Ferry Bari-Patras arrives 13:00
Train Patras-Athens (changing at Kiato) depart 14:25 arrive 17:17
Stay in Athens
Wednesday:
Train Athens-Thessaloniki depart 12:22 arrive 16:45
Stay in Thessaloniki
Thursday:
Train Thessaloniki-Strymonas - here I can only find 2 trains a day, is that really it? depart 05:50 arrive 08:10
Bus Strymonas-Kulata - I can't seem to find details of anything other than coach services for this? Is there some kind of replacement bus here, as the timings seem to match up?
Train Kulata-Sofia - based on Vagonweb.cz this seems to be booked for haulage by a very unusual shunting type loco - depart 09:45 arrive 14:40
Stay in Sofia
Friday:
Train Sofia-Bucharest (changing at Gorna Oryahovitsa and Ruse) depart 07:20 arrive 17:00
Sleeper Bucharest-Budapest depart 17:45
Saturday:
Sleeper Bucharest-Budapest arrive 08:50
Train Budapest-Frankfurt (changing at Munich) depart 09:55 arrive 21:04
Stay in Frankfurt
Sunday:
Train Frankfurt-Brussels depart 10:27 arrive 13:26
Eurostar Brussels-London depart 16:35 arrive 17:20
I think the itinerary is a bit more flexible from Bucharest/Budapest onwards, up until that point it looks like the frequency of trains largely dictates the structure?
Any suggestions welcomed.
I'm eligible for FIP, so any information on applicable fares/supplements would also be appreciated.
I intend to start in southern Italy for a few days to visit family, so I might take the ferry from Bari to Patras and start my rail journey there (I understand that the line between Patras and Kiato has been recently reopened?).
What would then be the best route back to the UK be from Athens? I see that the Man in Seat 61 recommends via Belgrade or Sofia but as far as I can tell, there is no route out of Greece that avoids bustitution at this time of year?
I'm looking to do the whole trip over 10 days or thereabouts - appreciate that doesn't leave a massive amount of time to explore the cities en route but such are the constraints of work!
Any comments on an itinerary something like this:
Previous week:
Fly to southern Italy
Monday:
Ferry Bari-Patras departs 19:30
Tuesday:
Ferry Bari-Patras arrives 13:00
Train Patras-Athens (changing at Kiato) depart 14:25 arrive 17:17
Stay in Athens
Wednesday:
Train Athens-Thessaloniki depart 12:22 arrive 16:45
Stay in Thessaloniki
Thursday:
Train Thessaloniki-Strymonas - here I can only find 2 trains a day, is that really it? depart 05:50 arrive 08:10
Bus Strymonas-Kulata - I can't seem to find details of anything other than coach services for this? Is there some kind of replacement bus here, as the timings seem to match up?
Train Kulata-Sofia - based on Vagonweb.cz this seems to be booked for haulage by a very unusual shunting type loco - depart 09:45 arrive 14:40
Stay in Sofia
Friday:
Train Sofia-Bucharest (changing at Gorna Oryahovitsa and Ruse) depart 07:20 arrive 17:00
Sleeper Bucharest-Budapest depart 17:45
Saturday:
Sleeper Bucharest-Budapest arrive 08:50
Train Budapest-Frankfurt (changing at Munich) depart 09:55 arrive 21:04
Stay in Frankfurt
Sunday:
Train Frankfurt-Brussels depart 10:27 arrive 13:26
Eurostar Brussels-London depart 16:35 arrive 17:20
I think the itinerary is a bit more flexible from Bucharest/Budapest onwards, up until that point it looks like the frequency of trains largely dictates the structure?
Any suggestions welcomed.
I'm eligible for FIP, so any information on applicable fares/supplements would also be appreciated.
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