Europe: Sleeper Train: Belgrade to Sofia

Europe: Sleeper Train: Belgrade to Sofia

I travelled on this train back in July 2008 and the service still operates with the same times (listed below). The service starts in Serbia’s capital, Belgrade (Beograd), at the main central train station. The train starts boarding around 20.45, after when the train guard decides to wake up after his ten bottles of vodka which he drunk earlier that day.

As I said, I travelled in July, so the temperature was around +40 in the day time and +25 at night, so the carriages are fully warmed up for you and it feels like a sauna. I booked a private cabin, which was half the size of a regular cabin as there was only two off us. Two main single beds on side of the cabin, but there is another bed which can be used as it is folded away. The sink in the corner didn’t having any running water, and the window couldn’t be pushed further down. I was sweating like a pig.

Border control point later that night, and the Serbia officials was woman, and actually some of the friendliest I have ever encountered. The Bulgarians on the other hand…..

The trip cost around €30 each for the journey and a bed in a single cabin.

Belgrade Station a typical eastern European station with needs of repairs, but actually is not too bad. Only a few platforms here, but the station building is big, with loads of ticket desks and an area separate for international travel, and the old lady there speaks limited German and English, even though we booked it in Russian as Serbian is a little bit similar language wise. There are loads of food stalls on the station selling cheap food, drinks and snacks, which was quite handy for us, or anyone needs to top up supplies.

Sofia Station: Another huge station. So many platforms but not many trains. It shows like other eastern European stations that coach/bus travel is more important and faster than trains. The booking hall is huge. There is a small McDonalds on the station. Didn’t really see anything else there. The main bus station is next door with a tram service on the main road as well.

Beograd Dep 21:15 D 293

Rakovica Dep 21:29
Mladenovac Dep 22:14
Velika Plana Dep 22:49
Lapovo Dep 23:06
Jagodina Dep 23:25
Cuprija Dep 23:39
Paracin Dep 23:47
Stalac Dep 00:07
Aleksinac Dep 00:41
Nis Dep 02:15

Pirot Dep 03:59
Dimitrovgrad(SRB) Dep 04:52
Sofia arr 07:15