Bucharest train to Budapest, Hungary

Last night we caught the overnight train from Bucharest to Budapest, Hungary. European train travel very different to my usual Manurewa/ Britomart trip.
Firstly, European stations have so many exotic destinations. For example, Bucharest station has 8 platforms, 14 tracks, and serves Constanta, Craiova, Ruse, and other Romanian destinations, as well as international trains to Hungary, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Republic of Moldovia, Austria, Turkey, Russia, and Belarus.
Secondly, one needs to not only board the right train but also the right carriage as trains morph throughout their journeys. While asleep our train to Budapest expands and contracts, with carriages added or reassigned to other engines heading to different cities. Inattention to detail and one could wake up unexpectedly in a foreign land.

Our tour group has also morphed. Having started as a group of 13. Australian Denise was scheduled to leave in Georgia, but sadly her brother died unexpectedly so she left us five days earlier to attend his funeral. She should have completed her journey with us as the NSW and Queensland coroners could not agree on the mandatory paperwork, so the funeral was delayed.
Then the Romanian X-ray machine diagnosed Heather’s upper right arm break! Result = she and husband Lindsay are now flying to London, then to homebase in Melbourne.
Life is full of surprises and Day 54 of our journey reveals another - the beautiful city of Budapest.Leer más