An eight-day tour to Budapest, Romania, Bulgaria and Istanbul.
Day One
Arrival in Budapest for a two-night stay in this cosmopolitan city straddling the Danube. You will stay in the recently refurbished Hotel Astoria (4 star), or similar, situated in the very centre, only a few minutes walk from the Danube and with easy access to all parts of the city. Dinner will be in the hotel and you will have time for a stroll along the river to see the illuminated city.
Day Two
Your morning sightseeing tour includes the Cathedral, Heroes Square and City Park on the Pest side. On the Buda side you will visit Gellert Hill for possibly the best views of Budapest and finally Castle Hill with the St Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion. In the afternoon you have the option of a visit to the Children’s Railway in the Buda Hills. In the evening you will have dinner in a restaurant close to the hotel.
Day Three
After breakfast in the hotel, coach transfer to Nyugati Station for a champagne reception in the former Royal Waiting Room. The Danube Express will be waiting in the adjoining platform. Your sleeping car attendant will show you to your accommodation. In every compartment will be details of the on-train programme.
During lunch the Danube Express heads south onto the Great Hungarian Plain to Kecskemet where you will be taken on a short walking tour of this picturesque town. After rejoining the train you can relax in the lounge car before dinner as the journey continues to the Romanian border.
Day Four
A full, cooked to order, breakfast is provided before you arrive in Sighisoara. There will be a short walking tour of this wonderfully preserved medieval city and supposed birthplace of Dracula. Lunch is taken on the train as it continues to Brasov. You then have the opportunity to visit Bran Castle (called Dracula’s Castle by some) and the magnificent Peles Palace situated amongst spectacular mountain scenery. Dinner is on board the train as it heads south to cross the Danube on its way to Bulgaria.
Day Five
A full day sightseeing off the train. Your comprehensive programme includes a tour of the fortress town and World Heritage site of Veliko Turnovo, lunch with a folklore show together with a visit to one of the seven ancient monasteries in the area. On return to the Danube Express you are invited to drinks in the lounge car followed by a farewell dinner in the restaurant car. The border with Turkey is crossed in the early hours.
Day Six
The last few miles into Istanbul are alongside the Bosphorus and you will have glimpses of Asia. On arrival you will be taken on a sightseeing tour to include the Golden Horn, Topkapi Palace, the Hippodrome and Basilica of St Sophie. There are two nights in the modern Hotel Lares Park (4 star), or similar, situated close to Taksim Square. Dinner will be in a local restaurant.
Day Seven
Morning visit to the Blue Mosque followed by a cruise on the Bosphorus from which you will be able to see the beauty of Istanbul from the water. In the afternoon you are free to wander through the Grand Bazaar or perhaps take the ferry across to Asia. Dinner will be in a local restaurant.
Day Eight
After breakfast you transfer to Istanbul airport for departing flights.
Please note this tour also operates in the reverse direction, starting in Istanbul and finishing in Budapest.
What's Included
- Two nights half-board in Budapest in twin/double room.
- Three nights on the Danube Express in two-berth compartments with washbasin or deluxe two-bedded compartments with en-suite shower and WC.
- All meals on board the train with complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks.
- Comprehensive sightseeing tours as outlined in the itinerary.
- Flights with Lufthansa UK to Budapest and Warsaw to UK or v.v.
- Two nights half-board in Warsaw in twin/double room.
- Services of a Tour Manager.
Departures
21 September 2008 : Budapest - transylvania - Bulgaria - Istanbul
24 September 2008 : Istanbul - Bulgaria - Transylvania - Budapest
Prices
| Classic sleeper two-berth (upper and lower berths) with washbasin.......... |
£2,290 |
| Twin-bedded Deluxe sleeping compartment with private shower / WC............. |
£2,890 |
| Single supplement (single rooms in hotels, single occupancy of Classic sleeper)................... |
£550 |
| Two single adjoining Classic compartments on train, double/twin rooms in hotels................. |
£300 |
Additional Nights in Budapest
Why not extend your stay and either travel out earlier or return later. The additional costs, per person per night (bed & breakfast), are as follows:
| Double Room | Single Room | |
|---|---|---|
| Budapest Hotel Astoria | £60 | £110 |
| Istanbul Hotel Lares Park | £55 | £95 |
All prices are in £'s per person.
Included in the above prices are flights from and to London Heathrow, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh or Manchester with Lufthansa with a change in Frankfurt. If you wish to book your own flights, we will be pleased to quote a price excluding flights.
