HELLAvatrip 2022 – εις την Πόλιν – Budapest, Brașov, Predeal, Bucharest, Sofia, Istanbul, Northern Thrace

Four years after the first HELLAvatrip we decided to give it another shot (although we actually planned to do this two years after the first one, but, äkhm, certain world events). This time, our main destination was Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and a truly historical city, for the most history the capital of the Greek world (and the Eastern Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire), thus it can be understood as the continuation of the first HELLAvatrip.

My terrestrial route was around 3623 km (2251 mi) long (very much not including public transportation in cities), however, once again we had to return by plane (this time – from Burgas). That however doesn't include the trains back home from Warsaw, as for one reason I had to take a detour via Poznań anyway. The route I took was as follows: Danzich-Oliva → Warszawa → Budapest → Brașov → Predeal → București → София → İstanbul → Стара Загора → Бургас → Несебър → flight to WAW → Poznań → Danzich-Oliva.

The main route was mostly traveled by trains, mostly couchettes and sleepers. Mostly, because Несебър (as well as the airport in Burgas) is not connected with the БДЖ network and a local regional bus was the only option). Still, the journey can be split into several parts (public transportation in cities has not been taken into consideration):

1. Danzig/Gdańsk Oliva/Oliwa – Warszawa Centralna (15:49 CEST–18:40 CEST), EIP 5310 (PKP Intercity)
2. Warszawa Centralna – Budapest Nyugati (19:31 CEST–08:20 CEST), EC 407/457/477 Chopin (PKP Intercity, MÁV-START)
3. Budapest Keleti – Brasov (19:10 CEST–09:23 EEST), IR 473 Ister (MÁV-START, CFR Călători)
4. Brasov – Predeal (16:05 EEST–16:42 EEST), R 11036 (Regio Călători)
5. Predeal – Bucharest North (18:04 EEST–19:58 EEST), R-E 11536 (Astra Trans Carpatic)
6. Bucharest North – Sofia, IR/MBV 461 Romania (10:55 EEST–20:10 EEST) (CFR Călători, BDŽ)
7. Sofia – Halkali(Istanbul) (18:30 EEST–05:34 TRT/08:04 TRT), 493/12501 Sofia–Istanbul Express (BDŽ, TCDD)
8. Halkali(Istanbul) – Stara Zagora (20:45 TRT–07:20 EEST), 493/81031/465 İstanbul Bucuresti (TCDD, BDŽ)
9. Stara Zagora – Karnobat (09:22 EEST–10:48 EEST), БВ 8631 (BDŽ)
10. Karnobat – Burgas (11:30 EEST–12:35 EEST), КПВ 30150 (BDŽ)
11. Burgas – Nesebar (12:54 EEST–13:44 EEST), NaN (Di Es Bus)
12. Nesebar – Burgas Airport (07:11 EEST–07:43 EEST), NaN (Di Es Bus)
13. Bourgas (BOJ) – Warsaw Chopin (WAW) (10:15 EEST–11:10 CEST), W61562 (Wizz Air)
14. Warszawa Zachodnia – Poznań Główny (13:33 CEST–16:59 CEST), IC 18106 Mewa (PKP Intercity)
15. Poznań Główny – Danzig/Gdańsk Oliva/Oliwa (05:16 CEST–08:48 CEST), IC 7500 Bałtyk (PKP Intercity)

You can also check some other albums highly connected to the trip, that are part of the All the stations project and were greatly updated (or even created) thanks to HELLAvatrip 2022:

• Transport in Budapest
• Transport in Romania
• Transport in Bulgaria
• Transport in Istanbul