In Part 1, I introduced the Optima Express – an epic 1,600km adventure across the Balkans from Villach, Austria to Edirne, Türkiye by train. A journey that truly embodies the spirit of slow travel. That travel report covers everything you need to know about the Optima Express, including its facilities, how the borders work and what was on the menu in the onboard Slovenian restaurant car.
In Part 2, right here, I will delve into our journey experience onboard this train. If you missed Part 1, I recommend checking that out prior to this travel report – you’ll find the link by clicking here.
The Journey Experience on the Optima Express
The thirty-five hour trip on the Optima Express was scheduled to take two nights and I’ve broken the details of the journey experience down into sections for each day.
Optima Express Day 1: The Departure
We arrived at Villach Autoreisezug station just over two hours prior to departure of the Optima Express, at approximately 19:20. Having hiked the twenty minutes, or so, from the Villach main passenger railway station (Hauptbahnhof), we were met by Lacky, who happened to be the nominated English speaker on the train where officially only German and Turkish are spoken. Lacky, who would be a huge asset to our trip, pointed us in the direction of the check-in office. The process was fairly quick as most passengers had checked in already. Some were waiting in the indoor waiting area, but in the sunny weather most were outside on the platform awaiting any activity.
There was no sign of the Optima Express just yet. Soon enough though there was some activity on the tracks, namely toing and froing of car wagons to couple them together.
During our wait, we spotted a poster in Turkish: ‘Aracinizla birlikte trenle avusturya’dan Türkiye’ye‘, or ‘From Austria to Türkiye by train with your vehicle’, with Türkiye in large letters. A sign perhaps that you’re unlikely to believe a direct train would run that far in 2025. A strong contender for the only poster in Turkish in Austria.
Just before our scheduled departure time at 21:32, a twenty-four strong carriage train appeared onto platform eleven along with an inaudible announcement. In the mass migration of around 120 people (and their belongings) hot footing towards the train, it was evident this was our signal to board.
The five couchette carriages coupled to the Optima Express had large numbers A4-size appended by the entrance doors with a nominated attendant checking tickets on boarding to check we were in the right place. Our base for the next two nights would be in carriage 2, compartment 10.
At the point of booking, myself and a friend opted for a private couchette on the Optima Express. With six berths in our exclusive compartment, we were spoiled for choice of which one to sleep on, but for ease, we opted for the lower berths, though we did need to position the middle berths by folding the seat backs up to allow for more width.
Our compartment was situated next to one of the two toilets in the carriage – one at each end. This is a compartment to avoid, where possible, on night trains to save waking up to the sound of the vacuum flush. Luckily perhaps, the light in that toilet was broken, so it became a no-go zone after the sun had set. I promise we didn’t remove the light bulb.
As it happened, perhaps by last minute change to accommodate us, Lacky was our nominated carriage attendant. He also worked as a waiter in the restaurant car.
The train was ready to depart and we decided to check out the restaurant carriage. As we set off, Lacky took it upon himself to escort us through carriage number three. He then he translated each item on the menu into English. A true gent and legend of the Optima Express. We stopped for a nightcap. A whisky for me – Ballantine’s – a popular brand in Türkiye apparently served in an official glass of the brand.
The train set off on time from Villach, just as the sun set. We were soon crossing through the long Karawanks tunnel that marked the border with Slovenia. The train waited at the first station in Slovenia, Jesenice, where the locomotive was changed from an Austrian one to a Slovenian one. In a personal challenge to see the Slovenian capital, we stayed up until midnight to see what we could of Ljubljana station – and the progress of the newly developed station looking industrial in the darkness. We then settled down for our first night.
Optima Express Day 2: Across Serbia
After a restful first night on the Optima Express, on our slightly lumpy but comfortable enough lower couchette berths, we had woken up to an exciting day ahead – a full day of train travel in the comfort of our compartment through unchartered territory (well, that’s what it felt like anyway, though I had been lucky enough to cover this route in 2019 when the national operators made the trip). In my opinion, you can’t beat a lie-in on a night train, never mind a full day in your compartment watching the passing scenery.
We woke up just before Vincovci in Croatia, having missed the Croatian capital through the night – and presumably with a new locomotive from the national operator, HŽPP. At this point, the Serbian border would soon be upon us.
Day 2 would take us right across Serbia, finishing the day at the border town of Katolina Zapad in Bulgaria. We kicked things off well – with an enjoyable breakfast served by Lacky in the restaurant carriage. That consisted of cheese, salad and bread with marmalade, washed down with a mediocre Nescafé instant coffee.
We were called to go back to our compartments for the first of two border controls, leaving Croatia at Tovarnik and shortly followed by entering Serbia at Šid. The Croats opted for live, in-person passport checks, stamping where appropriate against the glass compartment windows, while the Serbs unnervingly opted to take them off the train for examination – returning to us shortly before departure. The Serbs probably had the better idea though, as the Croat border guard struggled to get the date to mark to stamp in my passport. Both controls lasted over an hour in total.
Our next border control wouldn’t be until the evening, so there was time now to relax in our compartment prior to the first scenic highlight of the day, passing through Belgrade. No timetables are provided for intermediate stops the Optima Express (I emailed in advance to ask but unfortunately received no reply). I roughly worked out from the online timetables of other trains, operated by the national carrier, Srbija Voz and how long they took, as well as the hype that was building on the train, that we would passing through the central station some time around 11am. This accounted for an hour or so of delay we had accrued so far at this point.
We didn’t need to do this much planning as it was evident we were close while we were whizzing through New Belgrade and its modern high rise tower blocks on the newly built Chinese tracks. This was shortly followed by crossing the Sava river before Belgrade Centar station, where we paused momentarily. This was one of three must-see moments, where folks in the carriage would congregate at the windows to soak in the view.
Serbia, and much of the Balkan countries, have station masters who view the passing train by standing with the station building behind them and facing the train donning their red hats. They are responsible for the movement of trains within the station’s jurisdiction, co-ordinating with other stations. Some of them gave us a friendly wave as we passed.
Speaking of friendly, the Optima Express has a family atmosphere onboard. People make friends on here and the regulars seem to know everyone and aren’t here because they need to be somewhere quickly. The vast majority are travelling to see family in Türkiye with the odd pro-rail adventurer thrown in. Time stands still on the Optima Express and any delays, of which were growing at this point, don’t matter when you’re crossing half way across Europe.
Now we had ticked off Belgrade, it was time to head back to the restaurant carriage for a spot of lunch. This consisted of a freshly cooked, tasty meal of chicken, rice and salad, served with a second basket of bread and a bottle of Grüner Veltiner that had made the trip with us from Austria. There was also a fish and salad option.
The restaurant carriage also had board games available. For a trip like this you might expect there would be appetite for longer games such as Monopoly or Risk, but there weren’t those and so we had to make do with a few rounds of draughts, with only that and backgammon available. Still a nice touch to the restaurant carriage experience and matched the relaxing vibe of the train.
We started to pick up further delay after lunch. We were deep in the Balkans in 2025 where just having a train is a bonus and so nobody was complaining.
At this point, it became apparent that there was a problem with the electrics that were making the toilets flush which were tripping at regular intervals. The crew did their best to keep them clean and operating throughout the trip despite this.
After acquiring a smelly and noisy diesel locomotive (the rest had all been electric up to this point) that happened to be once used by the dictator Tito for his famous Blue Train — and meeting the local community of dogs at Crveni Krst station near Niš, we began our ascent through the scenic Sićevo Gorge, a true highlight of the trip!
Now, in 2025, there are currently no regular passenger trains that make this journey towards Bulgaria, making it a particularly special route for a train enthusiast. The track had seen better days though with overgrown trees – and we must have been going no faster than twenty miles per hour for most of this section.
On our descent down the mountain gorge, the sun started to set for the second time on our trip and it was time to consume some of the food we had brought, accompanied by a bowl of soup in the restaurant carriage. Otherwise, the staff will happily provide hot water for free. The next border stations loomed and so we were summoned to head back to the compartment once again.
At the Serbian-Bulgarian borders at Dimitrovgrad (exit from Serbia), followed shortly by Katolina Zapad (entry to Bulgaria), we were running around six hours late. You might think such a delay would cause some upset and frustration onboard, however, everyone was perfectly chilled which added to the vibe of the trip. No stress.
This also worked perfectly in our favour as the Optima Express was due to arrive at Svilengrad, leaving Bulgaria, and the most disruptive border crossing at Kapikule, entering Türkiye, at 10:00 instead of 04:00 in the morning. Result. This meant an unscheduled full night’s sleep beckoned. Lacky dropped by to let us know this great news and wished us a good night.
Optima Express Day 3: Bonus Bulgaria and into Türkiye
Waking up, the train had picked up a further hour’s of delay, not that anyone would have noticed. Now seven or so hours late, according to the website of the Bulgarian railways (BDŽ) we had gained some bonus Bulgarian scenery that normally would be seen through the night if on schedule. Not only that, we gained a bonus breakfast in the restaurant carriage.
The train arrived at Svilengrad, then the train headed towards Kapikule. This crossing is known for being the most disruptive on the Optima Express as you need to leave the train to go through passport control. Unlike the Sofia-Istanbul express, however, we didn’t have the additional stress of having to x-ray our luggage as well.
We were running a good seven hours late at the Turkish border. Our scheduled arrival into Edirne at this point was approximately 13:00 instead of 06:00. This didn’t phase anybody, spirits were still high and the locomotive was change from a Bulgarian railways one to a Turkish railways (TCDD) one. This allowed time for our first taste of Turkish tea and an ice cream at the station café before the last leg to Edirne, a few miles away. We had made it to our last country!
The train arrived into Edirne at approximately 13:00. It was time to say goodbye to new found friends and show our appreciation to our Serbian-based crew who were all amazing – they assured us they did get some sleep but it wasn’t apparent. The platform was a good fifteen minutes walk from the station building, or buses were provided. With a long wait for these we set-off on foot, sending our goodbyes.
The train station at Edirne is situated some 3.5 km from the centre so as a foot passenger, you’ll most likely need a taxi to travel to the city or to the bus station for onward travel to Istanbul. There are normally two trains per day from Edirne to Istanbul Halkali, one in the morning and one in the evening. For us, however, we had missed the morning train and the evening train had been cancelled. We therefore needed to get a taxi (booked from the Optima Express office in the station building) to the bus station.
Although the taxis in Edirne accept cards, the booking office at the coach station doesn’t take them and had no ATMs to withdrawn any Turkish Lira… That’s a story for another time, but we did make it to Istanbul unscathed and just a few Euros lighter.
Scenery Showcase Video
As mentioned, the Optima Express runs as an A-to-B convenience rather than a tourist train. The trip, however, going through the heart of the Balkans results in its scenic moments and for much of the trip we were glued to the window. Scenery wise, the biggest highlight of the trip being the ascension through the Sićevo Gorge on the little used Niš to Dimitrovgrad line. It was also great to pass through the heart of Belgrade and the Croatia, Serbian and Bulgarian countryside.
Check out our Scenery Showcase video below, showing the main impressions from the trip including the most scenic parts.
Conclusion
As anticipated, the Optima Express was the adventure we’d hoped for. The experience was the epitome of slow travel, sometimes literally with a crawling pace at times, and of course arriving some seven hours later than scheduled. This allowed us to appreciate more where we were and live in the moment.
The train itself is rather tired, relying on chartered second-hand carriages but, if anything, adds to the charm of the trip and is made up by the excellent service from the onboard crew.
There was no air conditioning onboard the Optima Express, which could be an issue in the midst of the summer, however it was great to have the opening windows, providing an exhilarating experience passing through off-the-beaten-track territory. The restaurant menu was fairly limited, but provided what we needed.
If you’re looking for adventure, I would highly recommend the trip, even as a foot passenger. Yes, the stations are a trek from the centres of Villach and Edirne, and onward travel is necessary to get to main hub cities, though this didn’t prove much of an issue at all.
This travel report was first published in June 2025.
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