Hello!
We are three friends who bought Interrail passes this summer and decided to travel through Eastern Europe. Why Eastern Europe? Because we thought it would be an unforgettable adventure – and it truly was!
We started our journey in České Budějovice, and our first train took us to Vienna, where we explored the entire historic city center with our backpacks on. After that, we boarded a night train to Bucharest. We enjoyed the overnight ride, but sleep? Not so much – the train honked at every level crossing, and the doors shook all night long. But hey, that’s all part of the experience!
In Bucharest, we took a guided city tour with a local girl. The city is incredibly diverse. From there, we headed to Brașov – a beautiful historical town – and took a bus trip to Bran Castle (yes, the one linked to Dracula!).
Brașov is truly a magical place, but we had to leave and continue on to Peleș Castle, and then back to Bucharest by night train. If there was one nice thing about Romanian trains, it was the local train app that told us when and where trains were running. The trains themselves, though… definitely had some history behind them.
But we had no idea what was coming next. Around midnight, we boarded a train to Craiova – and met some unexpected company: two cockroaches, whom we named Emil and Emil. In Craiova, at 5 a.m., a kind older man bought us some cocoa, and after two hours of waiting, we caught our next train to Vidin, already in Bulgaria.
The journey into Bulgaria was… fast – we traveled at the impressive speed of 18 km/h. In Vidin, we visited the local fortress and enjoyed the markets celebrating their national holiday. Then we set off for Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. A tiny train ride (only 5 minutes) awaited us – luckily, since there was a loud bang and the train suddenly slowed down. But it was beautifully decorated with graffiti by local street artists.
Sofia was wonderful – a mix of different cultures. We were especially captivated by the local gallery, which was absolutely stunning. And of course, we couldn’t resist the archaeological museum either.
From Sofia, we took a train to Thessaloniki. We were a bit nervous due to the bad reviews of the local bus transport, but we survived the trip in one piece – so I’d say it went well! Finally, the sea was waiting for us in Thessaloniki, and we enjoyed some well-deserved rest. Still, we took lovely walks along the coast and visited historical sites.
From Thessaloniki, we took a direct train to Athens. The views along the way were absolutely breathtaking. In Athens, the most intense part of our trip began – as art students, we had to visit every museum and gallery we could find, and of course the Acropolis and all the preserved monuments of ancient Greece.
I have to say – apart from one lost towel and a pair of ripped pants – we didn’t really suffer any major losses. After 15 days of eating nothing but pasta with tomato sauce and cheese, though… I’m really looking forward to a different kind of meal at home!
It was incredible to watch the landscape change from the train window, and how the culture shifted from place to place – yet in some ways stayed similar.
Why will I never forget this trip? Because Athens was my lifelong dream – and we got there by train. It was exhausting, but we met so many people, visited so many galleries and museums…
I’m so grateful I got to experience this with my two amazing friends.
Who would I take next time? My dog – and all my friends – because this is something you just have to experience for yourself. Stories don’t do it justice.
That feeling when you’re not sure if you’ll make your connection…
That moment when you try to ask the lady at the Bulgarian ticket counter where the train leaves from, but she doesn’t speak a word of English, and there are no signs anywhere…
That deep longing for a shower and a washing machine after a full day on a train with broken air conditioning…
Those are the best memories.