Overnight train from Istanbul to Bucharest (20:00-16:55)

[Hoofhearted]

My son and I are planning taking this train in late August/early September. I understand that it crosses the Turkey/Bulgaria border at around 04:00 hours. I'm also aware that at the Turkish border all passengers must disembark with their full luggage for immigration and customs checks. What I'm really concerned about is being left behind at the border because my son and I have not had our EU Face and Fingerprints records processed yet. Has anyone else had to deal with this issue, and how stressful was it, and were you allowed back on the train?

 

[Mainline421]

The train is at the Turkish exit border for a long time so no risk there, when I took it in 2022 the Bulgarian border checks were carried out on board the train. The actual fingerprints and photo added about 20 seconds top at St Pancras' French border a few weeks though

 

[Lxd2]

I took that train on 2 April and you now have to get off the train on both sides of the border. Unfortunately it is a very disrupted night's sleep, but I didn't find it stressful and there is no risk of the train leaving you behind.

 

[Richard Scott]

My son and I are planning taking this train in late August/early September. I understand that it crosses the Turkey/Bulgaria border at around 04:00 hours. I'm also aware that at the Turkish border all passengers must disembark with their full luggage for immigration and customs checks. What I'm really concerned about is being left behind at the border because my son and I have not had our EU Face and Fingerprints records processed yet. Has anyone else had to deal with this issue, and how stressful was it, and were you allowed back on the train?

Train is often mega late and waits around everywhere. When I did it the was at border for ages and then loco got taken off at one station in Bulgaria and used for something else. Had to wait for another train to collect the coaches for onward trip!

 

[Lxd2]

The timings on my journey were:
Woken up at 02:11 for Turkish border control, back on the train at 02:33
Woken up at 05:02 for Bulgarian border control, back on the train at 05:25

The train was only about 5 minutes late on that journey.

 

[WideRanger]

You are only required to take off all of your luggage in the Bulgaria to Turkey direction (so that Turkish customs can X-ray your luggage and sweep the train). If the other direction, it is only the people who have to get off. As @Lxd2 says, there is no chance of the train leaving you behind (except in the unlikely event of being denied entry completely), not least because the immigration checks take place in a secure station, so you would be a major problem for them.

The train leaves when everyone is done, the timetable is secondary.

I don't know how they are doing the fingerprint checks. But when I took the train, there were huge numbers of Brits and non-EU people on the train. So you will be in the same position as the vast majority of people on the train.

 

[Lxd2]

That's right - there's no need to take luggage off the train on the westbound journey.
The passport check and fingerprints are done in a small portacabin on the platform at Svilengrad.

 

[Hoofhearted]

Thanks for all your wonderful responses. I'm greatly reassured now that I've read them. Another question, related to this, if I may. I mentioned that my intention was catching the Bucharest portion. This doesn't have a sleeping car, but does have a Turkish Couchette car. Is it possible to purchase all four berths, even though only two of us are travelling? This would be to ensure our privacy during this very long journey (20:00-16:56!).

 

[Mainline421]

Thanks for all your wonderful responses. I'm greatly reassured now that I've read them. Another question, related to this, if I may. I mentioned that my intention was catching the Bucharest portion. This doesn't have a sleeping car, but does have a Turkish Couchette car. Is it possible to purchase all four berths, even though only two of us are travelling? This would be to ensure our privacy during this very long journey (20:00-16:56!).

It's only a single Turkish couchette through car in fact. It's possible yes, but don't. You wouldn't purchase all the seats on aeroplane and this is really no different.

Someone tried this when I travelled and the provodnik seemed confused and was quizzing them if the phantom passengers were "no shows" or boarding at a later station, from what I can gather the places were eventually marked to be resold by him, at least to any walk up passengers that might have unexpectedly showed up. I don't know if the reservation system could actually be updated.

 

[AdamWW]

It's only a single Turkish couchette through car in fact. It's possible yes, but don't. You wouldn't purchase all the seats on aeroplane and this is really no different.

Someone tried this when I travelled and the provodnik seemed confused and was quizzing them if the phantom passengers were "no shows" or boarding at a later station, from what I can gather the places were eventually marked to be resold by him, at least to any walk up passengers that might have unexpectedly showed up. I don't know if the reservation system could actually be updated.

The Man in Seat 61 seems keen on this idea (he suggests inventing children as they're cheaper).
I don't like it because it doesn't seem fair if it prevents someone from travelling on a train that is nominally booked out but also because - as you describe - it's not even guaranteed to work.

 

[rvdborgt]

Booking extra berths will only work when there are no checks on board, but rather before boarding, such as with SNCF. SNCF discontinued pass holder reservations for private compartments, so I wouldn't have too many qualms about that on an SNCF train.

 

[AdamWW]

Booking extra berths will only work when there are no checks on board, but rather before boarding, such as with SNCF. SNCF discontinued pass holder reservations for private compartments, so I wouldn't feel too many qualms about that on an SNCF train.

Perhaps my memory is at fault but I thought I'd seen a staff member count occupancy on an SNCF couchette train as well as the ticket check before boarding.

 

[rvdborgt]

Perhaps my memory is at fault but I thought I'd a staff member count occupancy on an SNCF couchette train as well as the ticket check before boarding.

Maybe they do (I never noticed it, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything), but what do they then do with that information?

 

[AdamWW]

Maybe they do (I never noticed it, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything), but what do they then do with that information?

Not much I'd think on journeys from Paris, but possibly re-sell an unused place going the other way when there are multiple calls in the evening?

 

[Bletchleyite]

It's only a single Turkish couchette through car in fact. It's possible yes, but don't. You wouldn't purchase all the seats on aeroplane and this is really no different.

It is legit to do this on a flight and some people do. Indeed in some airlines' policies larger people are required to purchase an extra seat. Airlines generally have policies on how to do it i.e. what name to use and what will happen in the event of overbooking.

 

[ABB125]

How much delay can typically be expected on the Bucharest portion (in either direction)? Is it in the region of 1-2 hours, or more like 6+? How variable is it - replies upthread indicate that at least some times it can run on time (+/- a few minutes...)

 

[Richard Scott]

How much delay can typically be expected on the Bucharest portion (in either direction)? Is it in the region of 1-2 hours, or more like 6+? How variable is it - replies upthread indicate that at least some times it can run on time (+/- a few minutes...)

Was told by a local when we were already 4 hours late that 5 hour delay was pretty typical.

 

[ABB125]

Was told by a local when we were already 4 hours late that 5 hour delay was pretty typical.

Thanks - I'm tentatively considering doing the journey one way or the other later in the year on a slightly accelerated schedule compared to what the man in seat 61 says. Which means about 6.5 hours in Bucharest going west, or 3/5 hours going east. East is probably more reliable, coming off a domestic Romanian night train, but the overall journey timings are generally more favourable going west... Choices to make! (Or just do something else)

 

[railfan99]

Thanks - I'm tentatively considering doing the journey one way or the other later in the year on a slightly accelerated schedule compared to what the man in seat 61 says. Which means about 6.5 hours in Bucharest going west, or 3/5 hours going east. East is probably more reliable, coming off a domestic Romanian night train, but the overall journey timings are generally more favourable going west... Choices to make! (Or just do something else)

I did this journey in 2011 westbound and only had about 20 passengers on the train that then ran from central Istanbul's Sirkeci station. Pleasing that noting comments above, patronage has risen.

It's well worth doing the trip.