Balkan Intercity Rail Travel | Long-Distance Train Travel in the Balkan Countries including Greece and Turkey

HZ's efficient rail network relies on putnicki locals and faster, pricier IC Intercity trains to connect Croatian villages and towns including capital city Zagreb and Adriatic Coastal towns from Split to Rijeka. Cross-border train services link to Ljubljana, Vienna, Budapest, Sarajevo and points in Italy and Germany. The handsome website is evolving quivkly with both English asnd German-language versions recently added to the mix. Among its many features, the site relies on Deutsch Bahn's English-language European Journey Planner and on "Pregledna karta," an interactive Flash map of the system.

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greece

OSE -- Organismós Sidherodhrómon Elládhos -- Hellenic Railways Organization

Athens-based national carrier

The two national lines that converge on the Hellenic capital are a study in contrasts. The narrow-gauge trains that crawl south through the Peloponnese Peninsula from PÙtra are alternately described as "cozy and charming" and "cramped and slow." Northbound, modern IC InterCity trains race from Thessaloniki -- Greece's second city -- making intermediate stops and branchline detours along the way. International services run to Macedonia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey. There's so much to like about OSE's website -- like the complete English translation and the homepage journey planner -- that we hate to mention the lack of a route map drove us crazy!

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macedonia

Makedonski Zheleznici
Macedonia Railways

Skopje

The photo on this site's gateway page depicts a railroad track leading, seemingly, to nowhere. Appropriate, perhaps, considering that's exactly where the page's English-language link goes. The Macedonian homepage leads to a timetable, but you'll need to load a Cryllic font in order to view it. Actually, Macedonia is surprisingly well-suited to rail travel. The international mainline bisects the country on its way from Serbia-and-Montenagro's capital of Belgrade down to theage.com.auan port of Salonika, Greece. Within its borders, MZ passenger trains operate from Skopje to Kumanovo, Tetovo, Shtip, Veles, Gevgelija, Prilep and Bitola.<

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romania

(SN)CFR -- Societatea Nationala a Cailor Ferate Romane -- Romanian National Railways

Bucharest

Though often crowded and frequently in disrepair, Romanian trains operate along a vast network that virtually covers the country. Fares are among the lowest in Europe... and the scenery is often unsurpassed. InterCity trains connect prominent towns like Bucharest, Brasov and Timisoara. International trains serve Hungary, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Moldova, Ukraine, Russia and Western Europe.

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turkey

TCDD -- Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryollari -- Turkish State Railway

Ankara

YCDD's international destinations reflect its location, spanning the Dardanelles -- straddling two continents. TCDD domestic services are divided among seven regional directorates with a steady stream of trains connecting Ankara, Istanbul, Yzmir and intermediate points. Its international routes stretch into Bulgaria, Greece, Syria and Iran with connections to destinations across Europe and the Middle East.

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