Budapest to Istanbul: Self-Launched Balkans & Transylvania Overland

Arrive at Budapest Ferenc Liszt Airport and take the 100E airport shuttle bus to Deák Ferenc tér in the city centre (about £2.20, 30–40 mins; buy a ticket from the machine or the BudapestGO app). Check into a hostel or budget pension in District VII (Jewish Quarter) or District V for walkability. Spend the evening wandering the riverside and grabbing a cheap lángos or goulash soup. If you're arriving late, just settle in — nothing is scheduled today.

🚌Airport bus 100E (~£2.20) + walking/metro

🛏Hostel dorm or budget pension, District VII/V — approx £18–25/night

• →Airport transfer by 100E bus
• →Evening riverside walk along the Danube

Morning free in Budapest: walk the Castle District, cross the Chain Bridge, or soak in the Széchenyi thermal baths (book ahead online, ~£20). For a social-enterprise coffee stop in the spirit of the original tour's G for Good moment, seek out a community café in District VIII (e.g. Nem Adom Fel Café & Bar, which trains and employs people with disabilities — drop in for a drink and support it directly). In the afternoon, take the train from Budapest Keleti to Arad (~3.5–4 hrs, book on MÁV or Romania's CFR Călători, roughly £8–15). From Arad, take a local bus or taxi (~£6–8 shared) to the Balla Géza Winery near Măderat/Miniș. Book the winery tasting and guesthouse stay directly by email or phone in advance — a tasting with a traditional Romanian dinner is roughly £18–22.

🚌Train Budapest Keleti–Arad (~£8–15) + local bus/taxi to winery (~£7)

🛏Balla Géza Winery guesthouse (or nearby village guesthouse) — approx £25

• →Balla Géza winery tasting and traditional Romanian dinner (book direct)
• →Community café visit in Budapest
• →Optional Széchenyi thermal baths (~£20)

Breakfast at the winery, then travel onward. Take a local bus or taxi back to Arad, then a train to Sighișoara via Teiuș or Deva (roughly 5–6 hrs total, ~£10–14 on CFR). Alternatively, check FlixBus for a direct coach. Arrive in Sighișoara and walk into the walled medieval citadel — it's small enough to explore on foot. Climb the Clock Tower (small entry fee, ~£2), see the Casa Dracula restaurant building and the Church of the Dominican Monastery (free). Dinner in the citadel square.

🚌Local bus/taxi to Arad + CFR train to Sighișoara (~£12)

🛏Guesthouse in or near the citadel — approx £22

• →Sighișoara citadel self-walk
• →Clock Tower entry (~£2)
• →Casa Dracula and Dominican Monastery (free)

In the morning, explore the countryside villages around Sighișoara independently: take a local bus to Viscri (a UNESCO-listed Saxon village with a fortified church, ~£2, entry ~£3) or to Biertan for another fortified church. Small-group day tours from Sighișoara to Viscri/Biertan can also be booked locally for ~£30–40 if you'd rather have a guide. In the afternoon, take a train from Sighișoara to Brașov (~2 hrs, ~£5–7 on CFR). Check in and walk the old town — the Black Church (entry ~£5), Catherine's Gate, and the Schei District are all free or cheap.

🚌Local bus to Viscri/Biertan (~£4 return) + train Sighișoara–Brașov (~£6)

🛏Hostel or pension in Brașov old town — approx £20

• →Viscri fortified church and village walk
• →Biertan fortified church (optional)
• →Brașov old town walk, Black Church

Take public bus 20 or a local minibus from Brașov's Livada Poștei to Bran (about 45 mins, ~£2–3 each way). Book Bran Castle tickets online in advance to skip the queue (~£12). Spend a couple of hours inside learning the real history versus the Dracula myth (Vlad the Impaler likely never stayed here — the Bram Stoker connection is entirely fictional). On the way back, stop at Râșnov fortress (bus stop en route, entry ~£4) for sweeping views. Evening back in Brașov: cheap local food at a bistro on Strada Republicii.

🚌Public bus 20/minibus Brașov–Bran (~£6 return)

🛏Hostel or pension in Brașov — approx £20

• →Bran Castle entry (~£12, book ahead)
• →Râșnov fortress (optional, ~£4)

Take a train from Brașov to Bucharest Nord (~2.5–3 hrs, ~£8–10 on CFR, book online for a seat). Check in near Piața Unirii or Lipscani. Do a self-guided orientation walk of the old town, then head to the Palace of the Parliament for a guided interior tour (book online in advance, ~£10, passport required). Optional: the National Village Museum (~£5) or a bike tour of the city. Dinner on Lipscani — Bucharest has excellent cheap international food.

🚌CFR train Brașov–Bucharest (~£9)

🛏Hostel or budget hotel near the old town — approx £20

• →Palace of the Parliament tour (~£10)
• →Old town self-walk
• →Optional National Village Museum (~£5)

Morning free in Bucharest (Arch of Triumph and Herăstrău Park are free). Then cross into Bulgaria: there's no direct train, so take a bus. Check FlixBus or Eurolines for Bucharest–Ruse (~1.5 hrs) and connect to Veliko Tarnovo, or look for a direct Bucharest–Veliko Tarnovo coach (roughly 4–5 hrs total, ~£12–16). Note Bulgaria adopted the euro in 2026, so no currency change hassle. Arrive in the evening and walk the medieval lanes of Tsarevets hill at dusk — the fortress is dramatically lit.

🚌Coach Bucharest–Veliko Tarnovo (~£14)

🛏Guesthouse in the old town — approx £18

• →Herăstrău Park and Arch of Triumph (free)
• →Evening walk below Tsarevets fortress

Morning exploring Tsarevets Fortress (~£4 entry) and the old craft street of Samovodska Charshia. In the afternoon, take local bus 110 or a shared taxi up to the hilltop village of Arbanasi (~£3), a historic merchant village with stone houses and frescoed churches. Visit the Nativity Church (~£7, book locally) and enjoy views back over Veliko Tarnovo. Return to town for dinner — try a Bulgarian shopska salad and kavarma for under £10.

🚌Local bus 110 to Arbanasi (~£3 return)

🛏Guesthouse in the old town — approx £18

• →Tsarevets Fortress (~£4)
• →Arbanasi village walk
• →Nativity Church (~£7)

Take a bus or train to Sofia (~3.5–4 hrs, ~£9–12 — buses from the Yug station are usually faster). Check in near the city centre and do an orientation walk: St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (free, small fee for the crypt museum), the Roman ruins of Serdica, and Vitosha Boulevard. Browse the Ladies' Market (Zhenski Pazar) for local produce and snacks. Evening: cheap dinner at a mehana (traditional tavern).

🚌Bus Veliko Tarnovo–Sofia (~£10)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in central Sofia — approx £18

• →Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
• →Serdica Roman ruins
• →Vitosha Boulevard & Ladies' Market

Morning bus or train to Plovdiv (~2–2.5 hrs, ~£6–8). Drop your bag and head to the Old Town: the Ancient Theatre of Philippopolis (entry ~£3.50), the Regional Ethnographic Museum (~£6), and the cobbled revival-era houses are the highlights. Free walking tours run daily from the main square if you want context (~£5 tip). Evening on the Kapana creative district — great cheap food and bars.

🚌Bus or train Sofia–Plovdiv (~£7)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Kapana/Old Town — approx £18

• →Ancient Theatre of Philippopolis (~£3.50)
• →Ethnographic Museum (~£6)
• →Plovdiv Old Town walk
• →Optional free walking tour (tip ~£5)

Morning free in Plovdiv — revisit the Old Town or the Kapana district. Then take the afternoon bus to Istanbul. Metro Turizm, Nilüfer or Kamil Koç run Plovdiv–Istanbul (~7–8 hrs including border, ~£22–28); book online in advance as the border queue can be slow. Arrive Istanbul in the evening and take the metro or a short taxi to your accommodation in Sultanahmet or Beyoğlu. Grab a cheap simit and çay to celebrate arriving in Asia (well, the European side — but close enough).

🚌Coach Plovdiv–Istanbul (~£25) + metro/taxi in Istanbul (~£2)

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Sultanahmet/Beyoğlu — approx £22

• →Morning in Plovdiv Old Town
• →Evening arrival walk in Istanbul

Do it independently or join a small-group walking tour: Hagia Sophia (book online, ~£25 entry), the Blue Mosque (free, dress modestly), Topkapı Palace (~£35 entry — reserve ahead), and the Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar (free to wander). For a Bosphorus fix, take the public ferry (Şehir Hatları) from Eminönü up the strait for about £1–2 rather than a private cruise — same views, fraction of the price. Evening: eat balık ekmek (fish sandwich) by the Galata Bridge.

🚌Tram, metro and public ferry (~£5 total)

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Sultanahmet/Beyoğlu — approx £22

• →Hagia Sophia (~£25)
• →Topkapı Palace (~£35)
• →Blue Mosque (free)
• →Grand & Spice Bazaars
• →Public Bosphorus ferry (~£2)

Final morning: wander the Sultanahmet square, pick up Turkish delight from a local shop, or take one last ferry ride. Transfer to Istanbul Airport (IST) via the Havaist bus (~£4) or to Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) via Havabus (~£4). Trip ends — from here you could continue into Anatolia, Cappadocia, or hop a cheap flight onward.

🚌Havaist/Havabus airport bus (~£4)

🛏None (departure day)

• →Final morning walk in Sultanahmet