Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Paris – Vienna – Budapest – Bucharest – Istanbul
100% customisable for you
Your train journey through Europe begins with a train to Vienna via Paris. Once in the French capital, board the sleeper train to Vienna (where you’ll have a private compartment) and arrive at your destination the following morning. If you like, we can also arrange for you to complete this first leg of your trip by plane.
You’ll arrive in Vienna in the morning and privately transferred by car to your hotel for the next two nights, located close to St. Stephen's Cathedral. You can expect comfortable rooms and charming decor, as well as a fabulous breakfast.
On the first full day of your adventure, we’ll arrange for you to take in the highlights of the Ringstrabe: a grand circular boulevard that surrounds the city’s old town. Here, you’ll find an impressive set of buildings, including the Staatsoper, the parliament, the Hofburg, the university, the Votivkirche, the Kunsthistorisches Museum, the town hall and the Burgtheater, to name a few. This walking tour also includes St. Stephen's Cathedral, and you’ll have a knowledgeable guide leading the way.
If you didn’t get your architecture fix yesterday, fear not. Today, you’ll discover Vienna’s most emblematic Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) buildings with a private guide: Otto Wagner’s flower-adorned Majolikahaus, along with his impressive metro stations; the Artaria-Haus by Max Fabiani; and the Looshaus by Adolf Loos, with its two distinct floors. Of course, you’ll also visit the Secession Building, designed by Joseph Maria Olbrich. With its famous golden sphere and frieze by Gustav Klimt, this building was built to show the Viennese that the world was no longer bound by 19th-century rules and ideals.
The rest of the day is yours to spend at leisure, whether shopping for souvenirs, sampling Sachertorte or taking in the sights from one of the city’s trams.
This morning, you’ll be privately transferred to the train station for the next stage of your adventure, a two-and-a-half-hour train to Budapest. When you arrive, you’ll be transferred to your home for the next two nights: an 18th-century hotel in the central district of Terezvaros, between the Saint-Etienne Basilica and the opera. Once you’ve settled in, we recommend heading to the trendy bar for a well-deserved cocktail (or two).
While in the Hungarian capital, visit the majestic Parliament; with its flamboyant neo-Gothic façade on the east bank of the Danube, this is one of the city’s most iconic buildings. Inside, wander along impressive hallways, marvel at ceremonial rooms and look out for the stained-glass windows created by the great glass artist Miksa Roth.
After all that sightseeing, you might be in need of some R&R, and we know just the place. We’ll arrange your tickets to Szechenyi Baths, where you can relax in bright blue thermal waters in an incredible setting designed by Gyozo Czigler in 1913. One of the largest thermal bath complexes in Europe, Szechenyi boasts 15 indoor pools and three outdoor pools, along with saunas, steam rooms and more.
Before you pack your bags and head to Bucharest, we’ll arrange for you to visit Buda Hill. Located on the west bank of the Danube, the area was initially developed around a former 13th-century palace built by King Bela IV. Today, it’s home to a royal castle that has been rebuilt over the centuries, which you’ll learn more about from a private guide during your visit. You’ll also wander the area’s old cobbled streets, visit the picturesque Fisherman's Bastion, which was built by Frigyes Schulek, and stop at the Church of the Assumption, where Francis Joseph I and his wife Elisabeth were crowned in 1867.
After a day enjoying Buda Hill’s leafy streets and beautiful buildings, we’ll organise a transfer to the station for your overnight journey to Bucharest.
You’ll arrive in the Romanian capital in the early afternoon, where we’ll arrange a private transfer to your stylish hotel in the city centre. Today is yours to spend at leisure, so you can either start exploring or spend the afternoon relaxing in the spa and sauna.
After a delicious stack of pancakes at your hotel this morning, head off on a private tour of Bucharest. Your guide will show you the city’s highlights, including the pretty old town of Lipscani, which escaped the clutches of socialist architecture. On the southwest corner of Revolution Square stands the Cretulescu Church, which dates from the 18th century, as does the church of the Stavropoleos Monastery, a beautiful example of Wallachian Renaissance-style architecture. The Greek Catholic St. Basil the Great Cathedral was built in 1909 and owes its existence to Transylvanian Romanians. In both the National Museum of Art and the History Museum, you’ll learn more about the European roots of Romanian culture. And along the way, you can tuck into a typical covrigi (pretzel) or papanasi (fried doughnut) to keep you going. After all, when in Romania…
All aboard! It’s time for your last train journey of the trip, and it’s quite the adventure. This morning, board the Bosphorus Express for an old-school train trip that feels like stepping back in time. Along the way, you’ll cross the Danube on the Friendship Bridge (V. Andreev, N. Rudomazin, G. Ovcharov, 1952-1954) between the Romanian city of Giurgiu and the Bulgarian city of Rousse. During this 20-hour overnight journey, the train will stop to refuel in Sofia, where we can arrange for you to stay for a few days if you like.
Arriving bright and early this morning, we’ll transfer you to your hotel for the next two nights, housed in an impressive historic building on the European side. If you’re tired from travelling, steal away to the spa and hammam for some traditional Turkish pampering. This evening, enjoy some Turkish fine dining in the on-site restaurant.
For a truly tremendous introduction to the Turkish capital, we’ll arrange for you to explore the Sultanahmet district with a private guide. Home to Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace, this is an area you won’t want to miss. In addition to these emblematic monuments, visit the Hippodrome of Constantinople, built at the beginning of the third century, and the Grand Bazaar, founded in the 15th. Throughout the day, chat with your guide about everyday life in the city, learn about its long history, and experience the vibrant sights, sounds, and smells that define Istanbul. We’ll also get you a ticket for the Kilic Ali Pasa Hamami, a 16th-century hammam built by the great architect Sinan. This also allows you to explore Tophane, the bustling waterfront district full of historic buildings, cafes and restaurants.
Unfortunately, your train journey through Europe has come to an end. Today, you’ll be privately transferred to the airport for your four-hour flight back to the UK.
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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Our team of destination experts will get to know you and your unique requirements for your holiday
We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from fast-tracking you through airport check-in and security to our network of local Concierges
