Danube Express Luxury Train: Istanbul to Paris

The journey runs eight days and seven nights. You spend one hotel night in Istanbul before the train leaves, five nights in your private cabin aboard the Golden Eagle Danube Express, and a final hotel night in Paris, with breakfast on the eighth morning before you go your own way.

Starting in Istanbul, the train crosses into Bulgaria for a day in Sofia, continues to Belgrade in Serbia, then to Postojna in Slovenia. From there it climbs into Austria for Vienna, runs west into France for a stop in the Champagne region, and finishes in Paris.

You are chauffeured from your Istanbul hotel to Sirkeci Station, the historic terminus of the old Orient Express line, where a drinks reception is held before boarding. The train finishes in Paris, where a centrally located five-star hotel is included for the last night.

Two categories are sold on this departure: Deluxe Class and Superior Deluxe Class. Both are private en-suite cabins with a dedicated attendant and evening turndown; the Superior Deluxe cabins are the larger of the two. The exact fare for each category and departure is shown on this page.

The fare covers five-star hotel nights in Istanbul and Paris, your en-suite cabin on board, all meals and beverages served on the train, the guided excursions described in the day-by-day itinerary, arrival and departure transfers, an experienced tour management team, luggage porterage and all gratuities both on and off the train.

International flights to Istanbul and home from Paris are not included, nor is travel insurance, visa or passport costs, personal spending, or anything not set out in the itinerary. Extra hotel nights at either end can be arranged for you at an additional cost.

Meals are freshly prepared on the train using local ingredients, served in the restaurant cars, and several excursions include a meal at a local restaurant ashore. Special diets are usually straightforward to accommodate if you tell us at the time of booking so the kitchen can plan ahead.

Yes. A UK-registered doctor travels with the train and basic medical facilities are carried on board, which is reassuring on a route that crosses several borders. This is not a substitute for travel insurance, and you should bring an adequate supply of any prescription medication with you.

Fares start from around EUR 16,900 per person based on two people sharing a cabin. Rates vary by departure date and cabin category, and the exact fare for each departure is shown on this page rather than quoted as a single figure, so you always see the current price.

Yes. Sole occupancy of a cabin is offered on request and carries a supplement over the sharing fare, so the single price is higher than half of a twin cabin. Tell us the departure you have in mind and we will confirm the current single-occupancy rate for that date.

A deposit of 30 percent of the tour price confirms your cabin and is non-refundable. The balance is due 125 days before departure, and bookings made within 125 days of departure are payable in full at the time of booking. Your written confirmation shows the exact amounts and the dates they fall due.

Children can travel and reduced rates apply in two bands, under 5 and 5 to 12, with the age taken as at the departure date rather than the booking date. Cabins are compact and the days include a good deal of walking, so please talk to us first if you are planning a family booking.

Departures currently loaded run from 11 October 2026 through to 16 May 2027. The full list of dates, with the fare for each, appears on this page and can be booked directly. Space is limited by the number of cabins on the train, so popular dates close early.

Autumn and late spring both suit this itinerary. October brings mild weather in Istanbul and autumn colour through the Balkans and Austria, while May gives long daylight for the Alpine and French sections. Both seasons avoid the heavy summer heat of the Balkan interior.

In Slovenia you board a small underground train that carries you deep into one of Europe's largest cave systems, then walk through vast chambers filled with stalactites, stalagmites and limestone formations, and see the rare creatures that live there. The caves stay cool all year, so take a light jacket and comfortable shoes.

The Bulgarian capital sits at the foot of Mount Vitosha and dates back thousands of years. The guided day takes in the Roman ruins of Serdica, the City Garden with the National Theatre Ivan Vazov, the Presidential Palace, and the domes of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, one of the largest Orthodox cathedrals anywhere.

Belgrade stands above the point where the Sava joins the Danube. The day includes a traditional Serbian meal with local hosts and stories of the city's turbulent history, plus free time to walk the streets and squares of the centre before you rejoin the train for the run north.

The train reaches Vienna in the evening and the following morning is given to the imperial city, with its palaces, coffee houses and musical heritage. On the approach the line climbs the Semmering Pass, a UNESCO-listed mountain railway of 16 viaducts and 15 tunnels that gives some of the finest photography of the whole journey.

On the final full day the train stops in the Champagne region of northeastern France, a landscape of rolling hills, historic cathedrals and medieval towns, where the programme includes a visit to the cellars. The train then continues across the French countryside and arrives in Paris that evening.

Email travel@palacetours.com, call 786-408-0610, or message us on WhatsApp at https://wa.me/17864080610 and a travel specialist or our AI assistant will help you. Every departure listed on this page is bookable directly, and we can also arrange extra hotel nights in Istanbul or Paris.