Where to backpack with 2 weeks to get from Barcelona to Istanbul?
July 14, 2011 8:29 AM   Subscribe

I have 2 weeks to kill in which I'd like to backpack from Barcelona to Istanbul (not including the time in those cities). What's the best places to see / best way to get from one to the other?

I'm considering flying from Barcelona to Berlin, then taking trains to Prague, Vienna, Budapest, and Istanbul. Spending 3-4 days in each.

I'm open to going anywhere, but I was thinking of these cities as they are in countries I've never been to and seem to be popular. I've been to Italy, Spain, France, London; although I could easily spend the entire 2 weeks in one of those places I think I'd prefer to see places totally new.

So I mainly want to know if that timeframe and choice of cities are worth it, or if there are better places to substitute (or spend more time in some than the others?).

Bonus points for places to see or tips on train/flights/hostels, but that kind of stuff is easier to Google or look at past questions for.

I'll be staying at cheap hostels, travelling alone (hopefully will meet new people along the way). I like everything from seeing art, architecture, wandering around cities, nightlife (if I meet friends to go out with), beaches, etc... Really open to any suggestions!

Thanks so much in advance! This site is so incredibly helpful!
posted by User7 to Travel & Transportation (9 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
High speed to Paris and then retrace the Simplon Orient Express route?
posted by justkevin at 9:06 AM on July 14, 2011


Train, definitely!

The Man in Seat 61 is the best resource for rail travel in Europe.

3-4 days in each city with overnight trains between where you can would be AWESOME, although I'd think about perhaps cutting one of them out and spending a little longer in Istanbul at the end of your holiday. Perhaps Prague? It's quite touristy compared to the others and not really on the 'route', such as it is between Barcelona and Istanbul.
posted by Happy Dave at 9:18 AM on July 14, 2011


I'll chime in and second Budapest. I visited it in-between Prague (excellent, but a bit tourist-choked at parts) and Vienna (where the main architectural style is "wedding cake," I was blase about it). Budapest was a blast though, and not simply because I discovered the wonders of Hungarian wine.

I'd also suggest (if time allows), swing through some of the Balkans. You'd be surprised just how damn friendly everyone is, and they have some decent beaches.
posted by Panjandrum at 10:01 AM on July 14, 2011


The train to Istanbul is indirect and slow (I've heard), and trains throughout the Balkans are notoriously slower than buses. I took an overnight train from Vienna to Belgrade, which worked out fine, but the train from Nis to Sofia was definitely not worth it compared to the bus. If you're in someplace like Vienna, or even Belgrade, it might be worth your while to just hop on a plane and go straight to Istanbul.

If I were in the Balkans again, I would definitely go to Ljubljana.
posted by deanc at 11:04 AM on July 14, 2011


Best answer: Perhaps break up your train journeys with a trip down the Danube, to get a sense of how it connects up central and eastern Europe? There's a Vienna-Budapest hydrofoil (about 6hrs) but for just a short trip, the Twin City Liner catamaran takes about 75 minutes from Vienna to Bratislava -- and Bratislava's worth a stopover.
posted by holgate at 1:03 PM on July 14, 2011


Best answer: You could try to catch a train from Budapest to Transylvania, parts of which are definitely worth seeing (if you're interested in architecture and have a couple of days to spare, you could try some of the medieval towns + the Saxon citadels), hitch-hike or rent a car to drive the Transfagarasan Road (as featured in Top Gear), get yourself to Constanta or elsewhere on the Black Sea coast, and take a boat to Istanbul. It's quite a magnificent approach to the city, and the journey makes for a gradual easing into a more "oriental" atmosphere
posted by miorita at 1:16 PM on July 14, 2011


Trains, definitely, unless you are traveling Greece to Istanbul. Use a bus. I'm not at all sure if it's still the case that thieves release sleeping gas under your door, break in, and take all of your valuables, but I wouldn't risk it, especially when the buses to Turkey are cheaper and nicer.
posted by Deathalicious at 11:58 PM on July 14, 2011


Response by poster: Thanks all!!

FYI, @miorita, it appears that the most of the Black Sea ferry operators went out of business. It's too bad, I would have loved to take a ferry from Constanta to Istanbul if it still existed.
posted by User7 at 2:18 AM on July 26, 2011


You are right, what a dastardly shame, that was one wonderful journey... Hope you are enjoying your trip and Istanbul - what an incredible city!
posted by miorita at 12:42 PM on July 26, 2011


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