The incredible 19-hour overnight train journey that links two European capitals

Travellers can hop aboard an affordable but magnificent overnight train transporting passengers between European countries.

The Dacia is one of Europe’s famous long-distance night trains, connecting Vienna with Bucharest in about 19 hours.

The brightly lit blue train travels an incredible 685 miles, stretching between the two countries.

The long but beautiful journey will take you across the Hungarian plains, the rolling hills and forests of Transylvania and finally the Carpathian Mountains.

The carriages onboard the train are compact yet equipped with everything one would need for an overnight voyage. With couchettes as soft as velvet and pillows and blankets provided, travellers can prepare for a comfortable journey.

In the couchettes, there are 4 or 6 beds. If you are travelling alone and book just a single berth in a couchette or 3 or 2-berth sleeper, you will share the compartment with other travellers of the same sex.

With no WiFi onboard, travellers are able to fully immerse in the European surroundings, watching Vienna embrace the evening as strings of light illuminate the city.

The journey takes you through a plethora of quaint villages encompassed with pastel-painted houses popping from the landscape and needle-point spires and churches,

Through the night, the Dacia will wind through tunnels hidden by forests of trees heavy with snow and trimmed with sparkling ice.

Given that both Austria and Hungary are part of the Schengen Area, passengers will pass the first border with no stops.

At 2am, you will be briefly woken for the first passport check at Lőkösháza, just inside the Hungarian border with Romania. This is repeated at 4am for the second check over the Romanian border at Curtici.

One of the most important stations between Vienna and Bucharest is the city of Sighișoara, where the Dacia night train will make a short stop. The mediaeval town is brimming with beauty and history which passengers will be able to visit.  

Stunning views of the Carpathian Mountains can be seen in Romania, with the Prahova River winding alongside. 

As the railway infrastructure in Romania is rather rickety, the average speed on the line is no faster than 50 kilometres per hour in certain areas. 

One-way tickets onboard the Dacia start at €42 (£35) for a seat in coach. A place in a six-person couchette starts at €52 (£43), and in a four-person one at €59 (£49).

A private en-suite cabin starts at €159 (£133). Tickets can be purchased up to 90 days in advance from Romanian Railways’ official website. 

There is currently no bistro car on board the Dacia, so it’s advisable to bring enough food and drink for the first night. A dining car gets attached overnight, with hot and cold drinks and sandwiches available from about 8am.