The Danube Express, Central Europe's first luxury train service since the Orient Express, is set to embark on its first journey out of Budapest to Warsaw this month.
The Express is an opulent 12-carriage train, which will carry high-end customers through some of the most historic cities in central Europe including Istanbul, Prague, Cracow, Vienna and Berlin.
The Danube express is set to benefit from the booming high-end rail sector which has seen positive growth in recent years.
The reasons for this is believed to be a renewed interest in luxury rail travel and also because it is seen as a more environmentally friendly option than travelling by plane.
The express features eight cars with luxury sleeping, a restaurant car featuring an in-carriage pianist and a lounge car and a car for staff.
Especially affluent passengers can opt to travel in the president carriage which can be attached to the train on request.
The sleeper cars contain five compartments featuring all the amenities of a modern hotel suite including on-suite bathrooms, with a member of staff dedicated to each car.
The Danube Express was built at a cost of more than £5m from renovated Hungarian postal carriages dating back to the 1950s.
Danube Express founder Howard Trinder said in an interview with The Independent that he had always wanted to return to the era where rail travel was both "romantic" and "exciting".
"The development of the Danube Express has been done at the cost of some blood, sweat and tears but we are completely delighted with the result," he said.
By Daniel Garrun
