The man in seat 61 seems to say, as of mid-December 2011, that the train trips to/from Istanbul are better [i.e., more predictable and reliable, not necessarily "quality"] via Bucharest than Sofia and Beograd, at this point in time. I have a LOT of faith in his experience, but I'm curious what others' experiences might also be.
Also, the Dec 2011 Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable does note that the sleeper or couchette cars on the overnight trains to/from Istanbul via Beograd are "reported as not running most nights". Which increases my curiosity about the reliability of booking either the inbound or the outbound leg of an Istanbul trip from, say, Vienna or Prague, via Beograd.
Anyone have anything else to add? Any and all answers greatly appreciated!
Istanbul trains via Beograd/Sofia vs Bucharest--any experience?
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Just saw this. I was on the Belgrade to Istanbul train last fall - or more specifically, the Nis to Sofia leg (http://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com/2011/10/06/to-sofia-via-nis/ ). The carriages on that leg were decades-old compartment-style, with no couchettes or sleepers. However, the Istanbul-bound passengers were told they would change at Sofia, and there would be sleeping accommodation on that train. We were very late getting into Sofia, but the Istanbul train was held. Since I stayed in Sofia I didn't get to see it.
The trip was not just slow but uncomfortable, as there was no AC, and we spent a lot of time sitting at the border, on both sides. It was also interesting, as there were smugglers, who made no effort to hide what they were doing. The need for hiding places for the smugglers were possibly the reason for the antiquated carriages, since it was clear that some of the contraband had been stashed before the smugglers boarded just short of the border.
I suspect you don't need to book this trip much ahead of time.
Thursdaysd, thx for the feedback! For this and many other reasons, I've decided to leave Istanbul for another trip. I'll probably make it as far as Bucharest or Brasov, but not beyond. I appreciate your feedback very much!
Pity to miss Istanbul, but understandable. Less is more, usually. But if you change your mind it shouldn't be a problem to book late - I bought Nis-Sofia the day before and even that was unnecessary.