From dashing down coastlines to traversing mountain passes, our tipsters came up with some spectacular train journeys in our new competition, with a prize of two first-class Interrail passes worth £768
Time moves slow on the Septemvri-Dobrinishte railway in south-west Bulgaria (150km south of Sofia). Two weeks into a fairly austere trip in the Balkans, we found ourselves whisked away by the slow, narrow-gauge train that connects the Upper Thracian Plain with the Rhodopes, Rila and Pirin mountains, winding its way through narrow gorges and idyllic river valleys for five hours. The line features suited station-masters ushering families into the spartan carriage: it was a rare treat to stand in the open-air passages between them. We stopped for the night in the spas of Velingrad (2½ hours from Septemvri), imagining ourselves as extras in a Wes Anderson rip-off, before continuing on to Razlog.
• Tickets (€9) bought at stations, not available online, bdz.bg
Jack
* This article was originally published here
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