London to Istanbul Rail Adventure
Overview
Highlights
- An iconic rail journey across Europe to the gateway of Asia
- Discover rural Serbia, from local wine producers to narrow gauge railway routes
- Take a boat trip on Europe's largest wetlands in Croatia and explore the waterways of Venice
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Attractions
Activities
Itinerary
Our trip begins this morning at London's St Pancras Station, the home of the Eurostar. Here you'll check in for your Eurostar train and board your Eurostar train to Paris (unaccompanied). You'll have your tickets before you travel. We'll meet our tour leader off t...
We'll have a full morning in Milan to explore the city at our leisure. A walk through the stylish streets of Milan should begin at the Duomo - Milan's cathedral. Construction on this flamboyant building began in 1368, and it's an absolute masterpiece of Gothic archite...
This morning we'll make the train journey into Venice. For a short ride, this journey gives us one of the most scenic arrivals into any city, right across the Venetian Lagoon. Our tour leader will give us an orientation of the city to help us locate ourselves and ...
We'll cross two borders today as we travel into Croatia via Villach, Austria. The train schedules allow us a few hours spare to explore the historic centre of Villach and eat lunch. Although it's a whistlestop visit, Villach's range of traditional restaurants offer th...
Once upon a time, the Baroque city of Varazdin, lovingly named 'Little Vienna' by locals, was the capital of Croatia. For its short reign, until 1776, Europe's finest craftsmen and architects constructed mansions, palaces and the array of superbly colourful pastel hou...
We'll start the day with a short orientation tour of Zagreb. Famously called a city of museums, with more museums per square foot than any other city in the world. The unique blend of Austro-Hungarian architecture and more hard-edged socialist buildings give the city ...
Today is a long travel day as we journey by train to Vinkovci, where we'll pick up a bus to cross the border and then jump back on the train to take us all the way to Belgrade. We'll arrive in Belgrade around 7pm. You'll then have the evening free to discover this fascinating capital city by night.
Meals Provided : Breakfast
We'll begin today with an optional guided walking tour to see the earliest known areas of the city, Belgrade Fortress and Kalemegdan Park (departing 8:30 am). The fortress is a very appropriate setting to learn about the city's history through the centuries including ...
This morning, after breakfast, we'll board the historic narrow-gauge railway, Sargan Eight (also known as Train Nostalgia). The line is part of the former track that once ran between Sarajevo and Belgrade. It was closed in 1974 but renovated and reopened in 1999. The ...
In order to avoid travelling back to Belgrade on the train, we'll cross Serbia by bus over the next two days. This also gives us the excellent opportunity to explore its rural heart, taking us into some interesting places that are off the main tourist trail. A dri...
This morning we'll drive for an hour to the town of Stalac, where we'll pick up the train again for our onward journey to Nis. This cosmopolitan city is a place where old meets new, where modern cars travel beside horse and carts. It's a university city, so its old al...
Sofia has a long history which is evident in its skyline of onion-domed churches, Ottoman mosques, Roman ruins, and old Soviet monuments. However, it's now largely modern and youthful with a wealth of museums, art galleries, cafes, and restaurants. We'll have an o...
Leaving Sofia this morning by train, we'll break our final journey towards Istanbul with a stop in the ancient city of Plovdiv. The old town's winding cobbled lanes are crammed with colourful mansion houses that are now museums, galleries, shops, and restaurants, and ...
We've made it - 13 days across Europe, and we finally enter the gateway to Asia as Istanbul Halkali station greets us this morning. A local Turkish guide will meet us at the station, and we'll take the Marmaray metro from Halkali to Sirkeci, in the heart of the c...
Our tour ends this morning in Istanbul. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to depart at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'l...
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Dates & Availability
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The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.
Explore! Reviews & Ratings
Alexis
Oct 2023
London to Istanbul Rail Adventure
Free upgrade to 1st class going to Geneva Venice Wine tast...
Susan
Oct 2023
London to Istanbul Rail Adventure
The sense of distance and difference between the many countries visited. Every part of the trip was positive, filled with colour, scents, adventures, culture, relaxa...
Trusted Customer
Oct 2023
London to Istanbul Rail Adventure
Superbly organised trip only dropped one star because I left many places wanting to stay longer
Julie
Sep 2023
London to Istanbul Rail Adventure
The wine tasting was really nice. Sofia was incredible. And Istanbul was Our tour guide, Eli, absolutely made this trip as good as it could be with her level of ...
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Tour Operator
About Explore
We've been taking small groups on adventure vacations for over 41 years. Our authentic adventure travel experiences explore the sights and culture of a country, with hand-picked accommodation that balances comfort and location. Our average group tour size is just 11; perfect for meeting new people and getting to the heart of our destinations. Explore is one of the world's most trusted adventure travel companies with over 350 trips to more than 100 countries. We are passionate about travel and have developed a wide range of unique activities and adventures which give our customers an unforgettable experience with a team of award-winning Explore leaders. With Explore, you'll get to see your destination from a whole new perspective that takes you away from the typical well-trodden tourist track. You'll have the chance to meet, dine and stay with local people, rest in authentic accommodation with other like-minded explorers and travel to must-see destinations with a unique Explore twist. From family holidays to trips for solo travelers; cycling tours to wildlife safaris; trekking on mountains or exploring miles of scenic coastline, there is something for every kind of traveler with Explore. We will provide our expert knowledge, exciting itineraries and outstanding service as part of our sustainable travel experiences which take you under the skin of the country you're visiting for the adventure of a lifetime.
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