European Timetables

[EbbwJunction1]

Can someone recommend a "one stop" web site for these, please?

I'm interested in planning a journey from Devil's Bridge on the Vale of Rheidol Railway to Istanbul and back, as advertised on a 1920s / 1930s sign on the former station. The route on the sign is via Aberystwyth, Birmingham, London Euston, Paris, Stuttgart, Munich, Budapest and Bucharest.

It's purely for academic purposes only, as I know that I'll never take either of the journeys, but I think that it would be interesting to see what could be done.

Thanks.

 

[rvdborgt]

Normally bahn.com.

 

[The exile]

Think you’ll have do the Rheidol separately (!) - and the db site doesn’t find anything through to Istanbul - though it will do you Aberystwyth to Sofia starting now in 35 and a bit hours!

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Thanks, both .... I'll have a look at bahn.com and see what they say.

 

[NCT]

Bahn.com. Then read the Seat61 website like your life depends on it. Buy a copy of the latest European Train Timetable if you like (though this step is optional, IMO, but good bedtime reading, if you are that way inclined).

 

[Gloster]

The European Rail Timetable, the continuation of the old Thomas Cook European and Continental timetables, ( .europeanrailtimetable.eu ) is available in some online or downloadable format via their website. Excellent for planning or amusement: the book sits within easy reach of my chair.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Thanks, both; I'll see what I can find.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Aug 2026 ==

Well, that was an interesting exercise .... !

The chosen dates were Monday 17th to Friday 28th August, so I didn't have a lot of time anywhere, except for a day and a half in Istanbul. I began and ended my journey in Aberystwyth, taking a return journey from there to Devil's Bridge as the first and last legs. The journeys between Devil's Bridge and Budapest were fairly straightforward with all of the journeys being in the day time and allowing for overnight stays in London, Paris, Munich in both ways. I also stayed in Budapest on the way out and Bucharest on the way back. I also cheated slightly by taking the Eurostar from London St Pancras International to Paris Gare du Nord and back, thus avoiding a ferry crossing from Dover to to Calais and vice versa, although I think that that's justified!

It did get a bit complicated between Budapest and Bucharest and then on to Istanbul; both of these journeys have an overnight element, with only one (Budapest to Bucharest) being specifically identified as a sleeper - although it doesn't mean that the other one (Bucharest to Istanbul) isn't as well. The same applied to the return legs of this part of the journey, although it did proved manageable in both ways.

I've made a rough calculation of the fares, which comes to around £700. This includes the use of a Interrail Global Pass Senior for the seven days that I'm on the continent; it doesn't, though, include seat reservations or sleeper bookings, which will add more to the cost. I also haven't included the cost of the hotels in London, Paris, Munich on both journeys and in Budapest on the way out and Bucharest on the way back.

I must admit that I can't really see me doing this, but it's useful to speculate, isn't it?

Thanks for all your help.

 

[Tester]

Thanks, both; I'll see what I can find.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Aug 2026 ==

Well, that was an interesting exercise .... !

The chosen dates were Monday 17th to Friday 28th August, so I didn't have a lot of time anywhere, except for a day and a half in Istanbul. I began and ended my journey in Aberystwyth, taking a return journey from there to Devil's Bridge as the first and last legs. The journeys between Devil's Bridge and Budapest were fairly straightforward with all of the journeys being in the day time and allowing for overnight stays in London, Paris, Munich in both ways. I also stayed in Budapest on the way out and Bucharest on the way back. I also cheated slightly by taking the Eurostar from London St Pancras International to Paris Gare du Nord and back, thus avoiding a ferry crossing from Dover to to Calais and vice versa, although I think that that's justified!

It did get a bit complicated between Budapest and Bucharest and then on to Istanbul; both of these journeys have an overnight element, with only one (Budapest to Bucharest) being specifically identified as a sleeper - although it doesn't mean that the other one (Bucharest to Istanbul) isn't as well. The same applied to the return legs of this part of the journey, although it did proved manageable in both ways.

I've made a rough calculation of the fares, which comes to around £700. This includes the use of a Interrail Global Pass Senior for the seven days that I'm on the continent; it doesn't, though, include seat reservations or sleeper bookings, which will add more to the cost. I also haven't included the cost of the hotels in London, Paris, Munich on both journeys and in Budapest on the way out and Bucharest on the way back.

I must admit that I can't really see me doing this, but it's useful to speculate, isn't it?

Thanks for all your help.

Good for you - it absolutely is!

 

[The exile]

I’m intrigued as to how you found trains for the Turkish leg. Bahn.de is insistent they don’t exist!

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I’m intrigued as to how you found trains for the Turkish leg. Bahn.de is insistent they don’t exist!

I agree about Bahn.de not having any rail times - they offered me FlixBus times instead! So, I got the rail times from the European Rail Timetables website.

 

[U-Bahnfreund]

I agree about Bahn.de not having any rail times - they offered me FlixBus times instead!

Bahn doesn't have any of Flix's times except the Flixtrains that run within Germany

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Bahn doesn't have any of Flix's times except the Flixtrains that run within Germany

I must have been confused (it's not difficult!), but anyway I did find what I wanted - eventually!

 

[The exile]

I agree about Bahn.de not having any rail times - they offered me FlixBus times instead! So, I got the rail times from the European Rail Timetables website.

Interesting - it’s.the first time I’ve been aware of Bahn.de “falling down on the job”.

 

[AdamWW]

Interesting - it’s.the first time I’ve been aware of Bahn.de “falling down on the job”.

There are other things it misses, e.g. local routes in Spain, I believe because the timings aren't submitted by the operators to the database that it uses (MERITS?).

 

[jpl]

There are other things it misses, e.g. local routes in Spain, I believe because the timings aren't submitted by the operators to the database that it uses (MERITS?).

Yes, that's most likely cause. Not all operators have the capability of submitting data to MERITS.

For example, VR stopped submitting timings to MERITS after the company withdrew from UIC membership. That has been partially resolved now via a third-party doing the conversion of open data into the legacy format that MERITS accepts. The swedish subsidiary VR Sverige (ex MTRX) long-distance traffic is still missing.

 

[AdamWW]

Yes, that's most likely cause. Not all operators have the capability of submitting data to MERITS.

Athough in RENFE's case they must have the capability - they just appear to choose not to use it for all their services.

 

[jpl]

Athough in RENFE's case they must have the capability - they just appear to choose not to use it for all their services.

Of course, I didn't put much thought into it. RENFE does have the capability as they submit daily updates. I suppose they just leave those services out for some reason.

 

[rvdborgt]

Of course, I didn't put much thought into it. RENFE does have the capability as they submit daily updates. I suppose they just leave those services out for some reason.

As is often the case with RENFE, they decide what the customer wants.