#AzadiRail day 11 was a boring day : I stumbled into the city of 
#Dihok / #Duhok, capital of a local province. The city does not convince me at all : the much #Zaxo / #Zakho was a positive and outstanding surprise, the sad and boring Dihok feels to me. There are no sights, no historic building, no modern city center, no parks. Not even a good bazar, nor cafés.
Anyways, this is sadly already my last night in #Kurdistan. Tomorrow I'll start my trip back home 😥.
#AzadiRail day 11 : Sadly vacation is ending soon so slowly time to get back to France. Homebound day 1 : My #AzadiBus from #Dihok / #Duhok sadly was canceled. After asking each and every ticket counter in the International Bus Terminal, the conclusion seemed to be : not just my bus was canceled, but pretty every bus. Seemingly in at 5 p.m. there will be the next bus bringing me to #Êlih / 🇹🇷 Batman. That means yet another boring day doing nothing and waiting at the bus terminal since that so far is the most comfortable spot I found in this weird city.
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Anyways, now that I have internet, some pictures from the #AzadiBus trip :
The International Terminal of #Dihok / #Duhok is a bit of a joke : there's a giant terminal with gates to the bus platforms but since going there would mean a détour, the busses in fact stop on the sideway of the highway close by.
Some minutes prior to departure, a taxi drives over and picks up all passengers (at the end we were 3) and drives them for the 2 km to the bus's actual stop.
With 3½ h delay, our bus arrived. It's a comfortable mainline bus and the landscape of mesopotamia was yet beautiful.
#IbrahimKhalil / 🇹🇷 #Habur border crossing. Yet another hour later waiting in front of the border crossing, we could enter it - once again featuring funny let's-walk-over-the-highway boarding. One hour later, we could get to the passport check. Yet another hour later, the Iraqi Kurdistan administration was ready checking our #AzadiBus for smuggling goods (haha, good joke) and let us leave #Kurdistan. #AzadiRail
Almost 12 a.m. border crossed. Welcome back to Turkish Kurdistan ✊ !
#AzadiRail homeward day & night #1 :
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After one more hours, I was now taken to *another* #AzadiBus. They say my bus won't stop in #Êlih / 🇹🇷 Batman today so I should take that other one. It's not getting better, is it ?
Anyways, I'm now sitting in a bus and we're about to depart. ETA : 4 a.m. - heck, I'm tired. #AzadiRail
#Êlih !
Finally back on track ! After a week of bus travels, my first #AzadiRail train back home : I'm in #Êlih / 🇹🇷 Batman waiting for the famous 
#GüneyEkspresi / Southern Express #SleeperAndEater bringing my to 🇹🇷 #Ankara for the next 25 hours.
Êlih is a cute station, a couple of cargo carriages in the cargo terminal, a cute maintenance vehicle for display, three tracks but sadly no catenary.
The station has three train pairs per day : twice the regional link to the Kurdish capital #Amed / 🇹🇷 #Diyarbakır and six days per week a pair of my Güney Ekspresi linking #Misircê / 🇹🇷 #Kurtalan, Êlih, Amed and 🇹🇷 #Malatya with #Ankara over night.
Shortly after the arrival of the local train from #Amed / 🇹🇷 #Diyarbakır, my #SleeperAndEater #GüneyEkspresi arrived. It features most comfortable and spacious wagon-lits compartments with a desk, two proper beds, a sink and even a mini-bar - a comfortable hotel room for the next 25 hours.
The steward was already waiting for me and didn't even wanna see my ticket since I was the only passenger boarding the wagon-lits carriage.
The weird thing about Turkish railways : You have three different train types but their speeds don't match :
YHT high-speed trains : Vmax 300 kph
Mainline trains : Vmax 50 kph
Regional trains : Vmax 140 kph
... ???
Enjoying lunch in a @diningcar during my #AzadiRail journey from Iraqi #Kurdistan to France, today on the famous #GüneyEkspresi / Southern Express #SleeperAndEater on my 25 hours trip from #Êlih / 🇹🇷 Batman to 🇹🇷 #Ankara 😋 !
Since the vegan choice is sadly highly limited, I decided for a plate of rice with some side salad, some fruit juice and of course a glass of #Çay 🍵!
Save travels everyone and enjoy your meal 🍽️ !
So far, #AzadiRail day #13, homebound day and night #3 : comfortable #GüneyEkspresi #SleeperAndEater from #Êlih / 🇹🇷 Batman to 🇹🇷 #Ankara 🍽️😴.
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#AzadiRail day #14, homebound day #4 begins with tasty breakfast in the @diningcar of the #GüneyEkspresi #SleeperAndEater . The vegan options are highly limited but I reached at explaining I only want #Çay , bread and jam.
40 km left until 🇹🇷 #Ankara, Vmax 50 kph and my connecting train is leaving in 40 minutes.
Am I going to miss my YHT ?
You will ...
I still made it to the train but they didn't let me in even though they understood I'd miss my train to 🇧🇬 Софія / Sofia this way.
Some people aren't just bad but actually evil. #AzadiRail
Next train for my #AzadiRail trip : the comfortable class HT80000 Velaro from 🇹🇷 #Ankara to 🇹🇷 #Istanbul.
I got the last available seat in the train, a luxury first class compartment seat, similar to the business class in first generation 
trains.
This YHT comes from 🇹🇷 #Sivas, where I've been at around 2 a.m. in my #GüneyEkspresi . For the ne?t four hours, this means some relaxing time before boarding my #AzadiBus to 🇹🇷 #Kapikule tonight.
YHT arrived one hour delayed in 🇹🇷 #Istanbul, I missed my booked bus as well. A quick rebooking and after tasty Pide for dinner, here I am, waiting for my #AzadiBus to 🇹🇷 #Kapikule to leave. So far, everything that could go wrong today went wrong. #AzadiRail
So far, #AzadiRail day #14, homebound day & night #4 :
- night train to 🇹🇷 #Ankara 2 hours late, I missed my YHT to 🇹🇷 #Istanbul
- next YHT not willing to take me with them, knowing that this let me miss ly connecting train
- finally caught an YHT, but that one had 1 hour delay
- I missed my alternative connecting bus to 🇹🇷 #Kapikule
- finally found a later bus still eventually making the transfer
- I'll hopefully catch my connecting train from 🇹🇷 #Kapikule to 🇧🇬 #Софія / #Sofia at 2.30 a.m.
What a bad luck. What a mess. What a chaos. What a stress.
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#AzadiRail night 14, homebound night #4 : 🇹🇷 #Kapikule.
The border officers were highly surprised by someone arriving by foot, were checking my ticket and seemed quite amused when they learned I also intended to take the train from 🇹🇷 #Istanbul on but missed it and arrived by bus 🫣.
Anyways, my Istanbul-Sofia-Express has not arrived yet. Instead, the opposite direction from 🇧🇬 #Софія / #Sofia is still waiting here.
After a quick but careful luggage and passport check I was told my train is delayed by about an hour ; nothing unusual here. So one more hour of waiting before getting my deserved bed.
2.45 a.m. : my Istanbul-Sofia-Ekspesi arrived.
My reserved cabin has already been occupied by someone else so I decided to just grab one of the numerous empty compartments in the other carriage.
#AzadiRail good night. Alarm clock set to 🇧🇬 #Софія / #Sofia 😴. #TeamNightTrain
What an eventful day 🙄.
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Welcome to 🇧🇬 Bulgaria ! #AzadiRail
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After a quick ride by the 
suburban replacement train in a familiar Siemens Desiro Classic, I reached 🇧🇬 #Софія Севея / Sofia North where I caught my comfortable Intercity Fast train #RealInterCity consisting of beautifully repainted 
ex-DB InterCity carriages taking me to my first destination today : 🇧🇬 #ГорнаОряховица / #GornaOryahovitsa.
#AzadiRail day 15, homebound day 5 has begun.
From 🇧🇬 #ГорнаОряховица / #GornaOryahovitsa, an amazing old Soviet ER25 EMU serving as class 32 will bring me further to 🇧🇬 #Русе / #Ruse, right at the 🇷🇴 Romanian border.
Amazing vehicles 🤩🤩🤩 ! #AzadiRail #TeamOpenWindows
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After two more hours in the amazing ER25, I reached today's #AzadiRail destination : 🇧🇬 #Русе / #Ruse, right at the 🇷🇴 Romanian border.
So far, #AzadiRail day 15. Now time for a long sleep after the short night 😴.
After some waiting time due to construction work on the 🇧🇬🇷🇴 Friendship Bridge, my #AzadiBus reached 🇷🇴 #Giurgiu. The railway tracks on the bridge still look as misplaced as always, considering how there's only one #CrossBorderRail train pair per day, the probably even *are* misplaced. #AzadiRail
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After a relaxed day in 🇷🇴 #Bucuresti, time to head over to the amazing Gara de Nord. Still enough time to watch all the amazing trains here before the arrival of my 
#Dacia on my way to 🇦🇹 #Wien / #Vienna. #AzadiRail
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know how to design comfortable night train carriages ; both their wagon-lits and their couchette carriages are amongst the best in Europe IMHO. #AzadiRail #TeamNightTrain #SleeperAndEater
So far, #AzadiRail day & night #16, homebound day & night #6 : From 🇧🇬 #Русе / #Ruse to 🇷🇴 #București / #Bucharest by 🚌 mini bus #AzadiBus, afterwards a relaxed day in Bucuresti and now by 
#Dacia night train via 🇭🇺 #Budapest to 🇦🇹 #Wien / #Vienna 😴.
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OH(ÖBB) : You look like you just arrived by night train.
OH(me) : Indeed, I did. From Bucharest.
OH(ÖBB) : Oh, I hope it was comfortable.
OH(me) : Yes, it was excellent.
OH(ÖBB) : Really, I can't believe people actually enjoy night trains.
... ? #AzadiRail
Good morning 🇦🇹 #Wien / #Vienna 🤩 !
The night train trip in the 
IRN #Dacia wagon-lits was excellent. We arrived just on time. After a quick shower, I sadly didn't have enough time left for breakfast in the #SleeperAndEater @diningcar - btw. one of the few night trains with different dining cars on different sections of the journey : a CFR bistro carriage between 🇷🇴 #București / #Bucharest and 🇷🇴 #Arad and a 
MÁV @diningcar between 🇭🇺 #Budapest and 🇦🇹 #Wien / #Vienna.
Now time to grab some snacks in Vienna main station before boarding my 
bringing me to my first destination for today : 🇩🇪 #Nürnberg / #Nuremberg .
#AzadiRail day 17, homebound day 7 has begun. Sadly already the last day of my amazing trip.
ICE T 
bringing my to 🇩🇪 #Nürnberg / #Nuremberg 🥰 ! #AzadiRail
Checking some #AzadiRail stats :
- 8375 km by train
- 9 countries :
- 🇫🇷 France
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- 🇦🇹 Austria
- 🇭🇺 Hungary
- 🇷🇴 Romania
- 🇧🇬 Bulgaria
- 🇹🇷 Turkey
- #Kurdistan
- 🇹🇷 Turkish Kurdistan
- 🇮🇶 Iraqi Kurdistan
- 🇸🇾 #Rojava
- 6 night trains
- 
#KalmanImre
- IRN #Muntenia
- #IstanbulSofiaEkspresi 2x
- #GüneyEkspresi
- IRN #Dacia
- 6 #AzadiBus trips
- 🇹🇷 Malatya - Amed / 🇹🇷 Diyarbakır night bus
- Amed / 🇹🇷 Diyarbakır - Hewlêr / 🇮🇶 Erbil day bus
- Hewlêr / 🇮🇶 Erbil - Zaxo / 🇮🇶 Zakho day bus
- Zaxo / 🇮🇶 Erbil - Êlih / 🇹🇷 Batman night bus
- 🇹🇷 Istanbul - 🇹🇷 Kapikule night bus
- 🇧🇬 Русе / Ruse - 🇷🇴 Bucuresti / Bucharest day bus
- 17 travel days in total
- 8 days outbound travels
- 10 different trains
- 7 days homebound travels
- 12 different trains
I hope you enjoyed reading my travel reports and maybe found it inspiring ! Your feedback and likes kept pushing me to go further even during the most miserable travel days 🥰 !
#JinJîyanAzadî - keep fighting for a free, open and democratic Kurdistan ✊ !
Velaro D brings me further to 🇩🇪 #Frankfurt. Time for a final #AzadiRail @diningcar visit : tasty Vegan Curry Sausage along with some lemonade 😋.
Last miles : from 🇩🇪 #Frankfurt a grimy Velaro D brought me to 🇩🇪 #Karlsruhe - with an exceptional change in 🇩🇪 #Darmstadt where they changed the vehicle.
From 🇩🇪 #Karlsruhe on, homeward by my casual Bombardier TALENT DMU with a last change in 🇩🇪 #Wörth before crossing the border back to 🇫🇷 Alsace. #AzadiRail
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Final destination for my #AzadiRail trip : after 17 days of travels, a grimy old class 628 brought me back to 🇫🇷 #Lauterbourg where I was greeted by #UneBaleineUneBaleine and a cute Régiolis transfrontalier 🇪🇺.
17 days of amazing trains, relaxed travels, beautiful impressions and many kind people.
From 🇫🇷 France to #Kurdistan by public transport and back again.
Thanks a lot for reading 🥰 !
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@lewd bring back Begrüßungsgeld but for everyone crossing the border
@lewd amazing journey, thanks for pushing through and documenting so extensively. I remember the Habur Border Crossing in 1999 and post 2003. Both times it was such a degrading experience.
Just another side-note regarding naming: Nowadays most Kurds call Northern Kurdistan (occupied by Turkey) Bakûr, Southern Kurdistan (occupied by Iraq) Bashûr and Eastern Kurdistan (occupied by Iran) is Rojhelat.
@lewd Das wurde ein Kollege der den NightJet von Wien nach DE genommen hat von Bpol auch schon gefragt.
Er hatte halt Noice Cancelling Kopfhörer an und hat geschlafen, bis die Tür aufgebrochen wurde und er von mehreren Polizisten umzingelt war der eine gefragt hat, was ihm einfiele im Nachtzug zu schlafen.
Und das das der eine das nie schaffen würde
@lewd @maartje Would that pay-cancel-reimburse work for either one?
ÖBB price adds up to €192 for me (1 person room is “Nicht für gewähltes Angebot verfügbar”, only when I select Komfortticket).
On CFR it's 819.77 Lei (€ 165,14) for the ‘Special tariff’ (I can select the single room there). Even the ‘standard tariff’ of 909.51 Lei (€ 183,22) is lover than that of ÖBB? Unless something else is added later on in the ordering process…
(both searches were for Brasov-Wien)
Braid in trains 
- solidarity with 
Lili 
stfn
Oliver Blanthorn
Ocean 
Dining Car
Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸
Cyborg Medusa
Tammi 𝆮 𓃠
Indra Kupferschmid 💙💛
Eva
Florian Haas
Siège avec vue
Martijn 
Maartje
Barend Köbben
waii