Danube Express

The Danube Express is a private train operating in central and eastern Europe. It was begun in September 2008, and operates excursions on various itineraries and routes from its home base in Budapest, Hungary. Excursions take the train through Hungary, Romania (including Transylvania), Bulgaria, Turkey, Serbia, Slovakia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany. Its operating season is generally from April to October.

The train is a hotel-on-wheels sleeping car train, usually composed of about eight cars (consisting of four deluxe sleeping cars with en suite facilities, one "classic" sleeping car and restaurant, lounge and staff cars. Some of the cars previously operated on the Royal Hungarian Express by MAV Nosztalgia Kft (who also operate the Danube Express).

The inaugural run in September 2008 was from Berlin to Budapest^[1] with stops at Košice, Kraków, Wieliczka, Malbork and Gdańsk. The next excursion was back to Berlin, with stops at Prague and Dresden. The Express now operates more frequently from Budapest to Istanbul (via Transylvania with stops at Sighişoara, Braşov (for Bran Castle), Veliko Turnovo and Kazanlak.^[2][3][4]

Rolling stock

• Deluxe sleeping cars (the Saxonia, Cracovia, Vindobona and Hungaria)
• Lounge car (the Budapest)
• Restaurant car (the Pannonia)
• Classic sleeping car
• Staff car

Routes

• The Transylvanian (eastbound): Budapest – Kecskemét – Sighişoara – Braşov – Veliko Turnovo – Kazanlak – Istanbul
• The Transylvanian (westbound): Istanbul – Kazanlak – Veliko Turnovo – Braşov – Sighişoara – Kecskemét – Budapest
• The Bosphorus to the Baltic: Istanbul – Kazanlak – Veliko Turnovo – Braşov – Sighişoara – Kecskemét – Budapest – Košice – Cracow – Wieliczka – Malbork – Gdańsk – Warsaw
• The Polish Explorer: Warsaw – Malbork – Gdańsk – Kraków – Wieliczka – Košice – Budapest
• The Istanbul Loop: Budapest – Kecskemét – Sighişoara – Braşov – Veliko Turnovo – Kazanlak – Istanbul – Plovdiv – Sofia – Novi Sad – Budapest

See also

• List of named passenger trains of Europe

References

1. d'Arcy, Susan (September 28, 2008). "Europe's new luxury rail route". The Sunday Times (London: timesonline.co.uk). Retrieved 27 January 2011. External link in |publisher= (help)
2. Bridge, Adrian (2008-09-26). "Railway journeys: The Danube Express". London: Telegraph. Retrieved 2011-08-12.
3. "Danube Express: Awaken, not stirred - Europe, Travel". London: The Independent. 2008-09-27. Retrieved 2011-08-12.
4. "Discover Europe in style on the Danube Express | Mail Online". London: Dailymail.co.uk. 2010-06-16. Retrieved 2011-08-12.

External links

• Danube Express, Official website
• mavnosztalgia.