Is train travel included?

Yes. All accommodation aboard the Golden Eagle Danube Express private train is included for six nights, along with all meals, wine and beer with meals, tea and coffee around the clock, and baggage handling.

Is this tour escorted?

Yes. MIR Corporation provides an experienced Train Tour Manager throughout the journey, along with local guides for all scheduled off-train tours in each city.

What hotels are included?

One night in a five-star hotel in Paris on Day 1 and one night in a five-star hotel in Istanbul on Day 8. Six nights are spent aboard the private train.

When does this tour depart?

The operator lists departures in May, September, and October in 2026 and 2027, with pricing ranging from $19,800 to $23,300 per person for double occupancy.

How much walking is involved?

The operator rates this tour as Level 2 (Moderate). Off-train activities include cave exploration, city walking tours in Vienna, Belgrade, and Sofia, and vineyard visits.

What meals are included?

All meals are included, starting with dinner on Day 1 and ending with breakfast on Day 8. Wine or local beer, soft drinks, and water are complimentary with all lunches and dinners. Draft beer is available complimentary in the Bar Car.

MIR Corporation · Rail Journey

Paris to Istanbul by Private Train

Eight-day private train journey from Paris to Istanbul across Europe.

MIR Corporation operates the Paris to Istanbul journey aboard the Golden Eagle Danube Express, a luxury private train crossing seven countries in eight days. The voyage departs from Paris, where travellers spend a night in a five-star hotel before boarding the train to head east. Over the following six nights, the train carries passengers through France's Champagne region, where a vineyard tour and tasting occurs, and across the Austrian Alps via the Semmering Pass. Stops include Vienna, where an exclusive private concert is held; Postojna, Slovenia, for cave exploration and a confectionery masterclass aboard the train; Belgrade, Serbia, home to Tito's blue train and traditional Serbian dining; and Sofia, Bulgaria, featuring Roman ruins and the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral crypt. The journey concludes in Istanbul, where a final night in a five-star hotel follows the arrival. All meals, guided off-train tours, wine and beer with meals, and the services of an experienced Train Tour Manager are included throughout. This package suits couples, history enthusiasts, and luxury rail travellers seeking a curated European crossing by train.

What to know before you look closer

The single supplement is substantially higher than half the double rate: single cabins from $33,000 versus $19,800 per person for double occupancy.
International airfare to Paris and from Istanbul is not included in the package price.
Visa fees for Turkey and any other countries are not included and must be arranged separately.

Day by day

Day 1railovernight: Paris
Paris (France) and Champagne
Arrive in France, where your first stop will be the City of Lights, Paris. After a one-night stay here in a five-star hotel, board the Danube Express private train and head to the Champagne region. Enjoy a vineyard tour and tasting of this world-renowned sparkling wine.
Day 2railovernight: Aboard the Golden Eagle Danube Express
Paris (France) and Champagne
Arrive in France, where your first stop will be the City of Lights, Paris. After a one-night stay here in a five-star hotel, board the Danube Express private train and head to the Champagne region. Enjoy a vineyard tour and tasting of this world-renowned sparkling wine.
Day 3railovernight: Aboard the Golden Eagle Danube Express
Vienna (Austria) and Postojna (Slovenia)
Continue to Vienna to take in an exclusive, private concert of classical music. Then head across stunning scenery of the Semmering Pass and the Austrian Alps. Continuing to Slovenia, the train halts in Postojna allowing a visit to the magical caves there and then an opportunity to try your hand at confectionery making back aboard the train.
Day 4railovernight: Aboard the Golden Eagle Danube Express
Vienna (Austria) and Postojna (Slovenia)
Continue to Vienna to take in an exclusive, private concert of classical music. Then head across stunning scenery of the Semmering Pass and the Austrian Alps. Continuing to Slovenia, the train halts in Postojna allowing a visit to the magical caves there and then an opportunity to try your hand at confectionery making back aboard the train.
Day 5overnight: Aboard the Golden Eagle Danube Express
Belgrade (Serbia) and Sofia (Bulgaria)
Then continue west to Belgrade, Serbia. Here you'll explore the city's past, as capital of former Yugoslavia, and enjoy a meal of traditional Serbian fare and the potent liquor rakija. Stop off in the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia, to explore Roman ruins and the hallowed crypt lying beneath the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.
Day 6overnight: Aboard the Golden Eagle Danube Express
Belgrade (Serbia) and Sofia (Bulgaria)
Then continue west to Belgrade, Serbia. Here you'll explore the city's past, as capital of former Yugoslavia, and enjoy a meal of traditional Serbian fare and the potent liquor rakija. Stop off in the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia, to explore Roman ruins and the hallowed crypt lying beneath the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.
Day 7overnight: Aboard the Golden Eagle Danube Express
Istanbul (Turkiye)
The final destination on this adventure is UNESCO-listed Istanbul, a world-class metropolis with a deep history stretching back to Byzantine and Roman days and beyond. Disembark and spend the final night in a five-star hotel in the city.
Day 8overnight: Istanbul
Istanbul (Turkiye)
The final destination on this adventure is UNESCO-listed Istanbul, a world-class metropolis with a deep history stretching back to Byzantine and Roman days and beyond. Disembark and spend the final night in a five-star hotel in the city.

The moments this trip is built around

Day 1Day 1: Arrive in Paris and stay at a five-star hotel, then board the Golden Eagle Danube Express for the journey east.
Day 2Day 2: Tour a Champagne vineyard and taste the wine directly from the source while traveling aboard the private train.
Day 3Day 3: Cross the Semmering Pass and Austrian Alps by rail, then attend an exclusive private concert by the Vienna Supreme Orchestra in Vienna.
Day 3Day 3: Explore the Postojna caves in Slovenia and participate in a confectionery masterclass back aboard the train.
Day 5Day 5: Visit Belgrade to see Tito's blue train, a relic of Yugoslav times, and dine on traditional Serbian fare with rakija.
Day 6Day 6: In Sofia, examine Roman ruins at Serdica and descend into the hallowed crypt beneath the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.

Included

Accommodation aboard the Golden Eagle Danube Express private train.
Hotel accommodation per the itinerary (1 night in Istanbul and 1 night in Paris).
All meals starting with dinner on Day 1 until breakfast on final tour day.
A generous allowance of wine or local beer, soft drinks, and water with all lunches and dinners.
Complimentary tea, coffee, and mineral water around the clock from your car attendant while on board the train.
Complimentary draft beer in the Bar Car for all passengers.
Arrival/departure transfers, provided you arrive and depart on the tour start/end dates and in the tour start/end cities.
All guided off-train tours per itinerary.
The services of an experienced Train Tour Manager, with local guides for scheduled off-train touring.
All gratuities.
Baggage handling.

Not included

International airfare or surface transport to the starting/ending cities of the tour.
Items of a purely personal nature (laundry, telephone, bar account, photography at museums, etc.)
Optional pre- or post-tour extensions.
Drinks, beyond draft beer in the Bar Car, and beer and wine at set meals.
Visa fees, any excess baggage charges, airport departure taxes, vaccination or medical costs.
Travel and trip cancellation insurance.

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included?: Yes. All accommodation aboard the Golden Eagle Danube Express private train is included for six nights, along with all meals, wine and beer with meals, tea and coffee around the clock, and baggage handling.
Is this tour escorted?: Yes. MIR Corporation provides an experienced Train Tour Manager throughout the journey, along with local guides for all scheduled off-train tours in each city.
What hotels are included?: One night in a five-star hotel in Paris on Day 1 and one night in a five-star hotel in Istanbul on Day 8. Six nights are spent aboard the private train.
When does this tour depart?: The operator lists departures in May, September, and October in 2026 and 2027, with pricing ranging from $19,800 to $23,300 per person for double occupancy.
How much walking is involved?: The operator rates this tour as Level 2 (Moderate). Off-train activities include cave exploration, city walking tours in Vienna, Belgrade, and Sofia, and vineyard visits.
What meals are included?: All meals are included, starting with dinner on Day 1 and ending with breakfast on Day 8. Wine or local beer, soft drinks, and water are complimentary with all lunches and dinners. Draft beer is available complimentary in the Bar Car.

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