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The train starts in Austria (EU, Schengen) and travels through Slowenia (EU, Schengen), Croatia (EU, non-Schengen), Serbia (not EU), Bulgaria (EU, non-Schengen) and arrives in Turkey (not EU).
German, Austrian and Turkish nationals do not require any visa for the whole journey. We ask all other passangers to inquire about the visa requirements for the countries our trains travel through.
German and Austrian nationals can travel solely their ID-cards. Turkish nationals are required to have a valid passport. We ask all other passangers to inquire about the passport requirements for the journey.
Our trains travel according to a previously approved plan. The journey alone takes approximately 25 hours, and the passport/customs controls in the countries the trains pass through add up to 6 extra hours.
In the high season, border controls take more time since more passengers travel in the train. The duration of the journey is prolonged accordingly. Furthermore, the speed of the trains can be affected by weather conditions or other security related issues which also extends the total duration of the journey.
The journey with the Optima Express offers the highest possible security for a trip in the countries our train travels through.
The trains are constantly under surveillance by the local railways authorities and are redirected during unexpected conditions such as floods, storms and fires, or stopped on time. The transit passage through the individual countries is a cooparated service, which surpasses the reaction possibility of a single person (e.g. when travelling on your own in a car). Especially in the latest years, Eastern Europe was heavily affected by floods and all our trains, despite necessary redirections, reached their destinations.
Every train is accompanied by a train guard, who knows all of the passangers by name. Die vehicles are transported in the closed car transporter which is much more secure than many open car transporters used by other motorail companies.
In the last 26 years, it has never come to an assault of a passenger in our trains. There were certain break-ins in the car transport waggon, but the numbers are under the per thousand range.
It is still important to take the necessary precautions to avoid any damages. These precautions include not leaving any valuables in your vehicles and locking its doors. The valuables should be with you during your trip and they should not be left in your compartment when you are elsewhere.
No. Since the whole route is still not completely electrified, it is not possible to provide air conditioning. A waggon designed to be air conditioned would heat up too much in the parts of the journey without electricity.
Two bed sheets, a covered cushion and a blanket, as well as a soap are included in the fare. The bedcloths are washed after every journey. In the end, it is up to you whether you want to bring your own bedcloths instead.
Optima Tours offers a relatively cheap possibilty of rebook the journey. Depending on the time you let us know about rebooking, especially right before the journey begin, you should expect cancellation fees. For this reasons, we advise our custmers to take out a travel resignation cost insurance. Many credit cards already include such an insurance, so please ask your bank about it. Please note that such journeys are excluded from the right of withdrawal in distance sellings and a withdrawal or cancellation does not annul the cancellation fee.