MAGNIFICENT RAIL TRIP REVIEWS

Just completed the Vietnam Mag Rail trip - absolutely fantastic. Superbly organized. Ms Chi our guide could not have done more for us. We were busy, saw amazing cities, countryside and the life of the people of Vietnam. Loved the history, the food, the train journeys, the architecture and the scenery and the people were beautiful, happy and so gentle. We will travel again with Magnificent Rail

My husband and I have just returned from a trip to Sri Lanka organised by Magnificent Rail and prior to going we knew very little about Sri Lanka. We had an amazing holiday, well planned and seamless which made everything easy travelling for us. We had great experiences and many memorable moments in this diverse and very physically beautiful country. We stayed in beautiful resorts and had a guide who taught us so much about this ancient civilisation and took us to wonderful places. Thankyou Mag rail I highly recommend this company and destination.

" The Budapest to Istanbul trip was brilliant. My highlights were adopting a bear at the Sanctuary, travel on the trains and watching the scenery pass by, the prison visit in Sofia and learning about the history there. I loved the trip and have already recommended Magnificent Rail to my friends".

I wasn't planning on an overseas holiday this year, but I noticed this Budapest to Istanbul trip with Magnificent Rail pop up on social media and after a chat with Amie and the crew, I decided to book. It was the Eastern European countries that particularly captured my imagination. This trip exceeded expectations. It was so well organised and our guides Tanya and Gabriela were incredible - they were always two steps ahead and added in so many nice little surprises that really made the trip. Highlights were the food experiences in local homes including a visit to a rural village in the Maramures region where we were kindly and generously welcomed into an elderly widow's home to see her home full of handmade woven soft furnishings. It truly felt like an honour to be there and this is something we couldn't have experienced if travelling independently. Also the bear sanctuary, the trains and the Buzludzha Monument in Bulgaria. Magrail did such a good job and the communication was great. I will recommend you to others, and will definitely take another trip."

In late August 2024 my partner and I joined a small tour group travelling through 7countries of the Balkans, quite a bit by train but otherwise small bus. It was fascinating, particularly when we joined small tailored experiences such as home cooking. Our guide Vlad was exceptional.

This tour was above expectations. You never have to worry about food as that is the way the people of the Balkans welcome you. I would give our guide, Igor, 20/10 as there was always something different included from day-today to captivate our interest.

Magnificent Rail -Sri Lanka - It was a really great trip - I cannot sing high enough praises for our guide Pragee. He absolutely made the trip. He was so skilled at catering to guest needs and preferences, rearranging and readjusting where necessary. Highlights were Sigiriya, the meal in the rice paddies with the local family, and the variety of transport on the trip - I loved the trains and the whole rail experience. So much was squeezed into our time in Sri Lanka from temples to tea plantation, from fort to fish market, elephant safari to exploring Colombo and other local towns and we still had time to have the occasional relax around our hotel pools I really enjoyed travelling in a small group and would absolutely recommend Magnificent Rail to others.

We had a amazing time travelling from Budapest through gorgeous Romania and engaging Bulgaria, arriving in crazy but exciting Istanbul, all courtesy of Mag Rail. We didn't know what to expect but the trip went above and beyond what we thought it could be. Special thanks to both Tania and Gabriella for acting as our twin guardian angels through their respective countries - they organised many brilliant experiences. Highlights were learning about the history in Maramures, the home-cooked food in Romania, the mountain hike in Bulgaria, the bear sanctuary, and seeing the old wooden churches and cemeteries, and the stunning monasteries. Tanya and Gabriela were amazing guides - they worked really hard, accommodated everyone's needs, added interesting special touches that were unexpected and delightful, and they made things fun. Thanks again to Mag Rail for organising and managing the tour, especially for helping us overcome the minor challenges. And finally a special thanks to the other ten members of our group for taking on the adventure with us in such a positive manner. B and L

"The Budapest to Istanbul trip was better than I thought it would be - I was pleasantly impressed! We learnt a lot about the history - especially in Bulgaria. It was an eye opener and we saw so much. Our tour leaders Tanya and Gabrielle were outstanding also the other tour guides were very informative

"Budapest to Istanbul was a fantastic trip. The guides were wonderful; they were so passionate and just kept surprising the group each day with special little added touches and authentic cultural experiences. These things meant the trip went above and beyond other trips. All the Magrail staff really were magnificent, and the organisation was appreciated along with other special things like meeting Radina from the team in Bulgaria. Highlights were the forestry train in Romania, the hike in Bulgaria and the lovely and amazing guides Tanya and Gabriela"