The Danube Express is a private train operating in central and eastern Europe. It provides a hotel-on-wheels service with sleeping cars of three comfort categories (Superior DeLuxe, DeLuxe and Heritage classes), completed by restaurant, lounge and staff cars. Its operating season is generally from April to October.
The operation of the train has begun in September 2008. Most of the journeys were organized from Budapest to Istanbul via Romania and Bulgaria, and return via Serbia, but there were also frequent tours to Austria, Slovakia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany.
Since 2014 the train belongs to Golden Eagle Luxury Trains, who has extended the range of tours significantly. Journeys have taken part until 2016 even to and inside Iran, and from Istanbul to Venice through the Balkan states, but since then all the tours to and via Turkey are cancelled due to safety reasons. New tours were made in the recent years through Italy - down to Sicily and via Switzerland.
Rolling stock
Carriage's nameCarriage typeCarriage numberYear of constructionBuilt byOriginYear of refitmentCapacity / layoutBohemiaSuperior DeLuxe sleeping carWLmee 51 55 89-89 010-9 1985DWA BautzenDR/DB/BTE couchette car20174 compartments with double bed and en-suite bathroom, a steward's cabin and a common bathroomDalmatiaSuperior DeLuxe sleeping carWLmee 51 55 89-89 011-7 1985DWA BautzenDR/DB/BTE couchette car20184 compartments with double bed and en-suite bathroom, a steward's cabin and a common bathroomBavariaSuperior DeLuxe sleeping carWLmee 51 55 89-89 012-5 1985DWA BautzenDR/DB/BTE couchette car20184 compartments with double bed and en-suite bathroom, a steward's cabin and a common bathroomSaxoniaDeLuxe sleeping carWLm 56 55 89-90 001-31990Ganz-Hunsletmail van of the Hungarian Post20075 compartments with twin beds and en-suite bathroom and a steward's cabin CracoviaDeLuxe sleeping carWLm 56 55 89-90 002-11990Ganz-Hunsletmail van of the Hungarian Post20075 compartments with twin beds and en-suite bathroom and a steward's cabinVindobonaDeLuxe sleeping carWLm 56 55 89-90 003-91990Ganz Hunsletmail van of the Hungarian Post20075 compartments with twin beds and en-suite bathroom and a steward's cabinHungariaDeLuxe sleeping carWLm 56 55 89-90 004-71990Ganz-Hunsletmail van of the Hungarian Post20075 compartments with twin beds and en-suite bathroom and a steward's cabinHeritage class state carWLS 56 55 89-69 051-21958MÁV Dunakeszi Workshopsused in Hungarian governmental train4 compartments with bunk beds and washbasin, a DeLuxe compartment with double bed and en-suite bathroom, a kitchenette, and a common bathroomHeritage class state carWLS 56 55 89-69 055-31952MÁV Dunakeszi Workshopsused in Hungarian governmental train4 compartments with bunk beds and washbasin, a DeLuxe compartment with double bed and en-suite bathroom, a kitchenette, and a common bathroomHeritage class sleeping carWL 56 55 70-29 361-51956MÁV Dunakeszi Workshopsused in Hungarian governmental train9 compartments with bunk beds and washbasin, a kitchenette, and a common bathroomHeritage class sleeping carWL 56 55 70-29 362-31956MÁV Dunakeszi Workshopsused in Hungarian governmental train9 compartments with bunk beds and washbasin, a kitchenette, and a common bathroomPannoniaDining carWRm 51 55 88-81 029-31981DWA Bautzenused in Hungarian governmental train200042 seats for two and fourAlbert FlóriánDining carWRm 51 55 88-81 012-41981DWA BautzenMÁV dining car201442 seats for two and fourBudapestLounge carWRm 51 55 88-81 004-11981DWA BautzenMÁV dining car2003variable layout as dining, bar, or lecture car with a maximum seat capacity of 42BalatonBar carWRSmee 51 55 87-71 001-01981DWA BautzenMÁV dining car2015sofas, seats at tables and at the bar, pianoSalon IstropolitanStaff state carBcR 56 55 85-40 041-11968DWA GörlitzCSD/ZSSK sleeping car20016 three-bed sleeper compartments, a dining saloon and a kitchenetteGenerator and staff carWLDsm 51 55 89-71 001-81990Ganz-Hunsletmail van of the Hungarian Post2014storage facilities, sleeping compartments and a room for conductors
Some of the cars were also previously operated on its predecessor train Royal Hungarian Express.
The carriages are based in Budapest, Hungary, and operated by MÁV Nosztalgia Ltd..
Train composition may vary upon demand between 7 and 13 carriages. There are no specific engines for the haulage, but in Hungary - at least at the departures and arrivals from/to Budapest - it's done particularly by heritage (even steam) locomotives.
Tours Tour's nameRouteDuration (on train only)Years, when providedVienna, Lakes and MountainsBudapest - Keszthely - Vienna - Graz - Budapest3 days 2008Central Europe By Luxury TrainBudapest - Kosice - Cracow - Prague - Berlin4 days2008The Polish ExplorerBudapest - Kosice - Auschwitz - Cracow - Malbork - Gdansk - Warsaw4 days2008, 2011-2012Berlin - Gdansk - Malbork - Cracow - Zakopane - Kosice - Budapest4 days2009Transsylvania And The BosphorusBudapest - Sighisoara - Brasov - Veliko Turnovo - Istanbul4 days2008The Bosphorus VoyagerBudapest - Novi Sad - Sofia - Istanbul3 days2009The TransylvanianBudapest - Sighisoara - Brasov - Veliko Turnovo - Kazanlak - Istanbul*4 days2009-2016The Central EuropeanBudapest - Kosice - Prague - Carlsbad - Dresden - Berlin3 days2009The BohemianBudapest - Vienna - Prague - Carlsbad - Brussels*3 days2009Frankfurt - Karlstejn - Prague - Budapest3 days2010The HabsburgBudapest - Vienna - Salzburg - Berchtesgaden - Frankfurt3 days2010The Istanbul LoopBudapest - Sighisoara - Brasov - Veliko Turnovo - Kazanlak - Istanbul - Sofia - Novi Sad - Budapest9 days2011-2012Central European ClassicsBudapest - Keszthely - Vienna - Bratislava - Cracow - Prague*4 days2015-2016The Balkan ExplorerIstanbul - Plovdiv - Sofia - Thessaloniki - Skopje - Belgrade - Mostar - Sarajevo - Ljubljana - Trieste - Venice*8 days2015-2016, 2019Balkan OdysseyBudapest - Sighisoara - Brasov - Veliko Tarnovo - Plovdiv - Belgrade - Mostar - Sarajevo - Ljubljana - Trieste - Venice*7 days2017-, 2019Hellenic TreasuresBudapest - Keszthely - Ljubljana - Sarajevo - Mostar - Belgrade - Sofia - Plovdiv - Thessaloniki - Athens2017Treasures oOf Eastern EuropePrague - Zittau - Berlin - Gdansk - Malbork - Zakopane - Krakow -Bratislava - Vienna - Keszthely - Budapest8 days2015-2016Venice - Prague - Zittau - Berlin - Gdansk - Malbork - Zakopane - Krakow - Vienna - Keszthely - Budapest2017Sicilian Odyssey (southbound)Venice - Cremona - Verona - Bologna - Bari - Pompeii - Villa San Giovanni - Palermo - Agrigento - Ragusa - Syracuse - Caltagirone - Catania - Taormina2017-2018Budapest - Venice - San Marino - Bari - Naples - Pompeii - Palermo - Agrigento - Ragusa - Syracuse - Catania - Taormina8 days2019Sicilian Odyssey (northbound)Taormina - Catania - Caltagirone - Syracuse - Raguse - Agrigenti - Palermo - Salerno - Amalfi Coast - Rome - San Gimignano - Florence - Venice2017-2018New Year in ViennaBudapest - Keszthely - Graz - Vienna - Cesky Krumlov - Prague - Kosice - Budapest6 days 2017-Grand Alpine ExpressipiBudapest - Vienna - Semmering - Achensee - Innsbruck - Zurich - Lake Como - Milano - Verona - Trieste - Ljubljana - Venice7 days2018-A Taste of ItalyTaormina - Bari - San Marino - Ljubljana - Budapest3 days2019Castles of TransylvaniaIstanbul - Veliko Turnovo - Sinaia - Brasov - Sighisoara - Sibiu - Budapest5 days2019
See also List of named passenger trains of Europe
References
External links Danube Express, Official website mavnosztalgia .