Dear Mr Laurel,

The reference library of a city near you may have the Thomas Cook European Timetable. Table 61 gives the trains you seek.

The direct route needs a Yugoslav visa, which you have to get in advance: it's not sold on the frontier. The line skirts Kosovo, and lies some fifty miles east of it, so is safe. The Kalman Imre Express leaves Vienna Hutteldorf at 0424 and Vienna Meidling at 0435, and reaches Budapest Keleti at 0723.. It has couchettes and sleepers. Couchettes cost a supplement of 20 US dollars a bed, and give you six berths in a cabin, mixed sexes, with wash basins in rooms at the ends of the corridor. Second class cleepers cost 50 US dollars (or less) per bed, and give you 3 beds to a cabin, with your own washbasin. If you choose you can separate into male and female cabins, which allows you to change into night clothes. The Hellas Express leaves Budapest Keleti station at 0925. It has couchettes and sleepers, but no catering, so you need packed food. There's an exception. If you run on time you arrive at Belgrade at 1714 and leave at 1845, so if you leave your luggage safe with the sleeping car conductor and move fast you can have an early supper at the Astoria Hotel, across the main square in front of the station. You can pay there in German marks. There's no decent food at the station.

You can avoid so uncomfortable a departure time at Vienna by boarding the Belgrade Express at Vienna West about 2230. It leaves at 2335 and has couchettes and sleepers. You arrive in Belgrade at 0916, book your night berth, spend the day there, and leave by Hellas Excopress at 1845. A transit visa allows time for this stopover, and Belgrade has much to see.

You arrive at Thessaloniki by Helas Express at 0956, change, and at 1010 take the InterCity non-stop express, with buffet car, to arrive at Athens at 1651. But if you miss it, or if it's full, a buffet car train leaves at 1235 and arrives in Athens at 1916.

If problems develop over Yugoslavia, you can avoid them by going through Romania and Bulgsaria. For Romania and I think for Bulgaria you can get visas on the train. The route includes a day in Bucharest-- not unpleasant, but a nuisance if you're in a hurry.

The Dacia Express leaves Vienna West at 2007 and arrives at Bucharest North at 1330. It has restaurant and buffet cars for dinner and breakfast, and offers couchetes and sleepers. Hotels on the right hand side of the square in front of the station offer a decent dinner.
The Sofia Express, with couchettes and sleepers but no catering, leaves Bucharest Nord at 1935 and arrives at Sofia at 0544. There's a left luggage office in Sofia station, or you can throw your bags into a traxi. The French-run Novotel is 300 metres from the station, and has a good breakfast: they might make you a packed lunch.
A train with no catering leaves Sofia at 0800 and arrives at Thessaloniki at 1807. A restaurant car express leaves Thessaloniki at 1827 and arrives in Athens at 0140, but I prefer the sleeper that leaves at 2340 and arrives at 0651: you can board about an hour before departure.

You should look for consular notices on http://www.dfat.gov.au, and in hyperlinked pages from America, Britsain and Canada, for comments upon safety of travellers. By night in Yugloslavia, Romania and Bulgaria I use only sleepers, not couchettes, and ensure that my fellow-passengers and I learn from the conductor how to lock and chain doors. At stations I look out for pickpockets and luggage theives. I have never heard of a Balkan train being attacked (I am told that this used to happen in Eastern Turkey and Baluchistan, but not now that they have armed soldiers on guard).

You may get some figures for fares on http://www.eurail.com, under "point to point".

Please write again if I can help further.

Ben Haines, London