Since it is summer and Interrail is a current topic, I will add my experiences of a recent trip to Istanbul. Last year I had planned to do this trip (which can be accomplished in minimum 3-4 days) but it did not happen and this year I originally planned to do it in the Autumn but instead I chose to do it in the current heatwave!

So the route was Frome, Portsmouth, Caen, Paris, Stuttgart, Budapest, Arad, Bucharest, Sofia and Istanbul with a flight back to Bristol. Duration 13 days. I will present it in chapters highlighting the transport matters. There will be few or no photos since I rarely take any.

Start date was Monday 13 July, another hot day when GWR might have problems! I planned to leave Frome after 1600 by train or by bus to Warminster. This was to allow plenty of time to properly dine at the colourful pub (The Ship and Castle) near the Continental Ferry Port. So first we have one mid-afternoon train cancelled then another bridge strike at Freshford. Whilst I had plenty of time for the ferry, it was best to go earlier on a bus at 1430 with a panic departure from home. At Warminster the chaos was still unfolding, so I carried on to Salisbury as a new bus experience. At Salisbury station, the matter had resolved such that I just missed the PMH train which I might have caught. Then a wait of 50 mins for a service to SOU which was also late. The next Portsmouth service was in fact the train I would have caught departing after 1600. So all went well after that. Plenty of spare time even after dining. Boarding was not until 2215 and foot passengers are subject to an airport-style security check. This was surprise news to me and I had a hard time over various pointed items in my baggage. Vehicle passengers do not appear to get the same scrutiny!!

Brittany Ferries excellent as usual and the trip passed smoothly although I may not have slept during the short night in my cabin. Worth noting that the ship docks at 0645 local time and if you want a shower and some sort of breakfast one rises at 0445 UK time. So not quite as glamorous as the brochures portray.

At Ouistreham passengers walk off but then get a short bus ride to the terminal. Only about 30 foot passengers dealt with efficiently by two immigration officials. They “manually” carried out the EES procedure with facial scan and fingerprints. I had given my fingerprints in Denmark recently and they were not taken again.
 
Now various travelogues imply that there is a bus stop for the bus to Caen, adjacent to the terminal. This is not so and it is at least 500m away in the centre of the town near the pharmacy. It was Bastille Day and there were question marks about the bus service, and I HAD to catch the only practical/available train at 08.58. So I did take a taxi (from 2 available!) and it is definitely a fair distance into Caen at EUR53 for the ride. ((Grahame’s use of Newhaven-Dieppe, scores better on this point as Le Gare is but a short walk away.)
 
So I had plenty of time, had a coffee and pastry and joined the busy dmu to Argentan and then a grander emu to Paris Montparnasse. I got my reserved first class seat on the busy second leg in a strange carriage layout. The service was a diverted version due to engineering works! Some 30 min late overall against the revised schedule.

Transit of Paris on the metro to Gare de L’Est. Metro does not accept foreign (or any?) bank cards at the turnstiles. Have to buy the Oyster card equivalent! Very hot day of course. Plenty of food outlets on L’Est but none for a proper meal. Found one nearby of dubious quality.
Next was a TGV service at 15.55 to Stuttgart. First class, upper deck, window seat and all fine. Very busy and I had intended to visit the Bistro for a “proper” meal prior to the next overnight stage. Seemed too busy for that. There is now a formal check at the German border which delays the schedule by 15 mins. Apparently, this is intelligence led so not every person or coach is checked. There were casual passport checks at every border except Germany/Austria/Hungary-so much for Schengen.

Stuttgart Station was uninspiring. It is a terminal station and I now understand that a through station is being constructed down below and the project is very delayed. Plenty of snack outlets but I did find a great boxed-salad outlet which was sensible for my needs. So I then boarded the 20.29 sleeper service to Budapest. My coach was Hungarian couchette compartment, but I had paid quite heavily for single occupation. So it was basic with a hard mattress but comfortable enough. They do provide a basic breakfast and arrival in Budapest Keleti (a classic European terminal) was nearly on time. The phone charge point onboard was near the window and I placed my phone on the window ledge. Do not do that as phones drown in the condensation when the a/c is working hard. New phone purchased in Budapest!

I find it remarkable that you can reach Budapest so speedily. Eurostar mid-morning from London is also feasible for this trip. Next chapter soon.