Familiarize yourself with your necessary connections using the Rail Europe website, which also features rail maps, schedules, rates, rail passes and individual tickets. If your trip is more than 30 days away, you can purchase your ticket using Rail Europe. If you're traveling sooner than 30 days, you'll have to purchase your tickets in person at the rail office or online at each country's individual official railway website.
Depart Germany via the Berlin Hauptbanhof rail station at 6:36 a.m. for Prague Praha Hlavni Nadr station, arriving at 11:16 a.m. This early start will give you a two-hour break for lunch before boarding your next train.
Take the 1:39 p.m. train from Prague Praha Hlavni Nadr station to Vienna Wien Meidling station, arriving at 6:23 p.m.
Board the 6:50 p.m. train from Vienna Wien Meidling station for Budapest Keleti P station, arriving at 10:20 p.m.
Board the overnight train departing Budapest Keleti P at 11:13 p.m. for Bucharest Bucuresti Nord, Romania, arriving at 2:07 p.m. the following day. Travelers on this train can select a regular seat, a couchette in a 4- or 6-person compartment, or a private room for varying rates, depending on availability.
Purchase your tickets at the Budapest Keleti P rail station ticket window for the night train from Budapest Keleti P to the Istanbul Sirkeci rail station. Tickets for this train aren't available online and must be purchased in person at the station. Travelers on this night train can select a normal seat, a couchette in a 4- or 6-person compartment or a private room for varying rates and subject to availability. Use your time after purchasing the tickets and before the train departs to have some lunch and to prepare for the last leg of your journey.
Arrive in Istanbul Sirkeci rail station the following evening, and exit the station following the signs for taxi stand, which are displayed in English.
