The Budapest - Bucharest Sleeper Train has a Morning Surprise...

A sleeper train with views? You bet! Join me on an overnight trip from Budapest, Hungary to Bucharest, Romania and be ready for unexpected Romanian scenery in the morning :)

Travel date: 9th - 10th March 2023.
Budapest Departure: 19:10
Bucharest Arrival: 11:19 the following morning
Intercity 473 ISTER, Car 422, Seat 11
£125 for single occupancy cabin

Maps courtesy of Google Maps
('Suavemente' by Alysha Sheldon)

Hi, I’m Steve, a travel reviewer from Scotland. Join me on my adventures as I discover my own country, often visiting places for the first time, so hopefully it's as much of an eye-opener for you as it is for me! Don't expect expert opinion, just a very honest journey of discovery. Sometimes featuring my intrepid sidekick Alicja, sometimes featuring adventures beyond the borders of Scotland. Enjoy!

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[PalcsiAndrei]

The romanian train drivers have to use the whistle at every railway crossing and at every bridge longer than 20 meters. So they have to use the horn quite often. Greetings from romanian CFR train engineer

[alindumitrache]

Romania is a heaven for train enjoyers cus of it's old school rails with joints that make the famous clicking sound, still being able to find cars with fully lowerable windows and the gorgeous mountain passes with incredible scenery. Trains in other places are fast, silent and comfortable but incredibly boring. Very nice videos man, hope you enjoyed your stay here.

[janinehawkins]

Your face on that sleeper with the horn blowing, priceless, sorry 😂. Fantastic filming, more industrial than I was expecting, but those mountains ❤

[simonpilk]

My moment of fame being in a Steve Marsh video at around 8:57-9:04 in the white shirt! Great to meet you and yes my first time in Romania too! Their train drivers do love playing with the horn control, I can understand where you got those red eyes from! Thanks

[Steve-Duh-Rino]

The snow covered mountains were beautiful!

[davedacigarguy]

Once again, great video Steve! The scenery in Romania was just spectacular!

[emilynewman]

I just took this train last night. I was sharing with a nice Romanian lady. The police checks on the Hungarian and Romanian side were quite intimidating. I managed to get a good sleep though using my earplugs to block out the noise of the horn and all the rattles in the room. Around 10.30am the engine broke down and we were stuck in the middle of nowhere for 2 hours. Some locals got off and walked through the grass.. those of us on the train managed to see the funny side of it all. I enjoyed the journey overall 🇷🇴

[Nook]

Reminds me of... 'The Lady vanishes".... All sleepers do ! Thanks Steve, Great video, as always.

[pemarero]

Welcome to my country! They use the horn because of the fog and crossings espeacilly on the countrytside. In Brasov they change the locomotive because they were using diesel ones before, and they change it to electric.

[ice]

To your question at 3:22, Hungarian and Finnish languages have both roots in Asia more than thousand years ago, but travelled in different paths through the centuries so not so much is common anymore.

[DaveyPalmer]

Awesome once again Steve. That scene where the train horn was blowing was a classic, just for the look on your face! 😅 The Carpathian Mountains look incredible mind you. A stunning part of Europe 👍

[dcallan]

Single rooms are great, especially when your on the train for so long
I had forgotten just how spectacular the Romanian scenery is. Great video 2x 👍

[stuartjgarland]

Another great little video, thanks for sharing Steve

[lostintheirishsea]

My wife and I have watched quite a few of your videos in the past 24 hours! You’ve given us some good ideas for future holiday plans - including Budapest. You’re a great presenter. Cheers.

[nannymackify]

Another cracking video! I ĺove it when I see a new one; I save it until I have a quiet space!

[GB-bxgz]

I love to travel with the train in Romania 🇷🇴, is very safe and funny too !!!

[stevenwilson]

Visited Bucharest in 2009 for Steaua v Motherwell, Europa league qualifier. Our hotel was Ibis Gara de Nord, just beside the station obviously. Beautiful city.

[fbager]

For a dining car I recommend the Dacia train Vienna-Bucharest, which stops at Budapest a few hours after the Ister and goes via Cluj, not Sibiu. The dining car is attached at the Romanian border during the night. It is overall a smarter train.

[johntaggart]

Well Steve your certainly getting around in Europe, beautiful station in Budapest, train cabin is adequate as long as you get some sleep.
I like the train horn alarm call, Nice mountain scenery in Romania, what another great train trip you have showed us is possible.
All the Best.

[paristen]

This is one of my favourite train journeys. I've gone from Paris to Bucharest and back several times, and once from Bucharest to Istanbul last September; I definitely want to do the Bucharest-Chisinau route some day. Taking the Vienna-Budapest-Bucharest section several times over the past ten years or so, I've seen how rural Romania is changing. More cars, fewer goats and donkeys, new houses being built and old ones left to fall down. Better for the residents of course, but it's sad to see traditional rural life disappearing.