2. Bosfor Express Train D461 in a Sleeping Car


Bucuresti Gara de Nord at noon (the train would depart at 12:45pm):







Analogue departure board with our train listed at 12h45 to Sofia (the through cars to Istanbul are not listed):





EuroNight Dacia Train to Vienna:





Sleeping Car on the Dacia to Vienna:





My train Bosfor Express (actually it's the "Romania" Train) in Bucuresti Nord:







Inside the Romanian Sleeping Car, where I would be the only passenger in:









Deluxe Sleeping Car cabin at day and night:









Videle, Romania:





Heavy thunderstorm at Giurgiu Nord, the Romanian Border Town:





Crossing the Danube Friendship Bridge (which marks the border between Romania and Bulgaria), opened in 1954:











Arriving in Ruse, the Bulgarian Border Town:







The Turkish TCDD Couchette Car in Ruse:







Beautiful Northern Bulgaria near the Danube River:









Romanian CFR seating car (in train D461 "Romania" Bucharest - Sofia):







Bulgarian BDZ seating car (in train D461 "Romania" Bucharest - Sofia):







A 90-minute break in Gorna Oryahovica, where our through cars to Istanbul are detached; the other cars travel further to Sofia:







Bosfor Express at Gorna Oryahovica:











Crossing the Balkan Mountain Range between Gorna and Dimitrovgrad at Nightfall:













At Svilengrad - Bulgarian Border Town:







At Kapikule - Turkish Border Town (all passengers have to leave the train to pass the Turkish entry immigration checkpoint):









Edirne, Turkey:





Turkish Couchette Cabin at Night:





Aisle at Day:





Sunrise in the area of Turkish Trakya:













Turkish Locomotive by Hyundai-Rotem:





Arrival at Istanbul Halkali (there is nothing there; the train has to terminate there, because the line between Halkali and Sirkeci is not in operation anymore):









Turkish TCDD Sleeping Car Sofia - Halkali:





Bulgarian TCDD Couchette Car Sofia - Halkali:








The free but stuffy transfer bus got us to Istanbul Sirkeci station (this was the main rail terminus for all trains to Europe; even James Bond used it for From Russia with Love):









Some advertising for the Marmaris Tunnels:





Bosporus near Sirkeci Station:







Staying at this newly-opened Crowne Plaza Floriya after that long train trip (it's right near the approach path of Runway 05 of Atatürk Airport):












Some Turkish dinner at a affordable quick restaurant at the Istanbul Akvaryum:





Here is the full video report of the train ride Bucharest - Istanbul:






Enjoy!