Express to the Orient: Paris to Istanbul

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Booking Type Instant booking
duration 15 days
tour type Small group Request as private
age requirement 15-99 yrs
max group size 12
guiding method Fully guided
Tour Code BM-46373
Footprint Carbonneutral CO₂ emissions resulting from all trips on Bookmundi will be offset via investments in carbon reduction projects.
Operated in English

Starts Paris, France
Ends Istanbul, Turkey

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HIGHLIGHTS Download trip notes

Choose a slower-paced European journey on a comfortable rail trip – as well as travelling like the locals on domestic trains, you’ll get a taste of history as you follow the route once taken by the historic Orient Express.
Stop in for local delicacies as you go – trying tarte flambee in Strasbourg, sharing a traditional Serbian lunch in a Salas property and sitting down for a lavish kaffee and kuchen (coffee and cake) experience in Vienna’s old town.
Keep the rail adventures going with rides along rail funiculars to the castles of both Salzburg and Budapest.
Explore the streets of Vienna and learn about the long history of Austria’s capital city, from the Gothic architecture to the State Opera House, a paragon of world opera.
Get the low-down on Budapest’s classic charm, café culture, and eclectic neighbourhood vibes during your time here. Have you actually been to Budapest if you didn’t go to a ruin bar?

Start in Paris and end in Istanbul, the trip "Express To The Orient: Paris To Istanbul" is a guided explorer trip that takes 15 days. You will visit Salzburg, Strasbourg, Budapest and 8 other destinations in 7 different countries. "Express To The Orient: Paris To Istanbul" is a small group trip which will include accommodation in hotels, transport, meals and others. See below for further details.

On this 15-day adventure traversing Europe from Paris to Istanbul, use local trains to follow the historic routes once used by the Orient Express’ carriages in the 19th century. Travel by train all the way from Paris to Budapest, with stops to explore the historic quarters and modern offerings of Strasbourg, Munich and Vienna. Then change lines and follow another historic route from Belgrade to Istanbul, riding local trains to experience Nis, Sofia and Plovdiv as you go. With plenty of free time to explore at each stop, and a passionate local leader on hand to point you in the right direction, there isn’t a moment you’ll want to miss on this rail adventure.

ITINERARY Expand All

Day 1: Paris
Day 2: Strasbourg
Day 3: Strasbourg / Munich
Day 4: Munich
Day 5: Salzburg / Vienna
Day 6: Vienna
Day 7: Budapest
Day 8: Budapest
Day 9: Novi Sad / Belgrade
Day 10: Belgrade
Day 11: Nis
Day 12: Sofia / Plovdiv
Day 13: Plovdiv / Overnight Train
Day 14: Istanbul
Day 15: Istanbul

WHAT'S INCLUDED

Accommodation

Hotel (13 nights), Overnight train (1 night)

Meals

13 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch

Transport

Train , Overnight train , Private transport

Guide

An expert tour leader

Included Activities

Strasbourg - Tarte Flambee
Salzburg - Hohensalzburg Fortress Visit & Funicular
Vienna - Kaffee and Kuchen Experience
Budapest - Castle Visit & Funicular Ride
Novi Sad - Traditional Serbian Lunch at a Salas Property
Belgrade - Fortress Visit

WHAT'S EXCLUDED

Any international flights to Paris and from Istanbul are not included in this price. We always recommend that you arrive 1 day prior to your tour starting date.
Travel insurance is not included in this Express to the Orient: Paris to Istanbul tour. Travel insurance is mandatory to buy. World Nomads' travel insurance has been designed by travelers for travelers.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS

This tour has not received any customer reviews yet. However, you can expect a Premier This travel specialist is consistently delivering tours which receive customer ratings above 4.5 on average. tour and service level as the travel specialist who runs it has received 194 reviews for other tours with an average 4.6 rating.

REQUEST A PRIVATE, CUSTOMIZABLE DEPARTURE By design, this is a group tour. You can however request a private, customized version of this tour for yourself or your private group of people. Private departures are usually more expensive, but come with these benefits:

Personal Itinerary can be tweaked and customized.
Protected Travel within your own bubble.
Professional Access our Travel Specialists' insider knowledge.
Privacy Enjoy a tour focused solely on you or your travel group.

Request a private and/or personalized departure To design a private tour, we'll ask you some more information in the following steps.

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GOOD TO KNOW Download trip notes

CANCELLATION

No additional cancellation fees apply for this Express to the Orient: Paris to Istanbul tour. You can cancel the tour up to 58 days prior departure and avoid paying the full amount, but your deposit paid is non-refundable. No refund applies for cancellations within 57 days of departure.

Payment

For any tour departures within 30 August 2024, full payment is required. For tours that depart later than 30 August 2024, a deposit is required to confirm this tour, and the remaining balance will be charged 57 days before trip departure.

Travel Insurance

Express to the Orient: Paris to Istanbul tour requires that you have adequate and valid travel insurance covering medical and personal accidents, including repatriation costs and emergency evacuation. World Nomads offers travel insurance for independent travelers and intrepid families.

Visa

For this Express to the Orient: Paris to Istanbul tour getting the required visa(s) is the responsibility for each individual traveller, as visa requirements vary depending on your nationality. We recommend to check with your local embassies representing the countries that you are traveling to, as part of this itinerary.

Is this trip right for you

If you love avoiding airport queues this is the trip for you. As public transport is the predominant form of transport on this trip we highly recommend packing as lightly as possible as you will be expected to carry your own bags on and off trains as well as to and from your accommodation.
The primary form of transportation on this trip are scheduled local and intercity trains that travel on the railway tracks that were once used by the historical Orient Express in the late 19th Century. We use standard, economy and/or 2nd class local carriages, depending on availability. Cabins on the Overnight Train from Plovdiv to Istanbul are quad-share bunk-style. Please see the daily itinerary for more details. Please also note that minor delays of trains can be common.
If travelling to Paris from London we highly recommend using the fast Eurostar train from London's St Pancras station. At under 2.5 hours travel time and with no airport queues, this is by far the most convenient travel option.
Hotels in Europe often don't have double beds and rooms can be small by American or Australian standards. Some of the accommodation used on this trip have shared bathrooms.
One of the pleasures of travelling in Europe is the ease at which cities can be explored on foot. Your leader will take you on frequent orientation walks, and you’ll be able to explore further in your own time. We recommend you pack comfortable walking shoes for this trip.

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