Our family of five would like to take the most direct train from Chisinau to Vienna. We want to travel second class on sleeper trains when possible. Would you be able to tell us anything about time frames, possible departure/arrival times and costs? We would like to leave Chisinau around August 1, 2008.

If you have any other ideas for getting from Edinet Moldova to Vienna Austria, that would be of great help. As far as we know at this point, the only way is to drive to Chisinau and then take trains from there. We will actually be leaving an orphanage in Edinet trying to get to Vienna Austria. Don and Dennesse Filteau and family, by email

Times Online rail expert Alan Heywood responds: It's a useful, though not always totally accurate rule of thumb, that the further east you go in Europe, the more difficult it is to get good train information, let alone book tickets. In order to answer this query, we took a second opinion from a highly respected agency who are experts in all matters former USSR.

"Moldova?" they retorted. "Wouldn't touch it with a bargepole. They keep changing their minds about what trains they are going to run!"

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Moldova is, of course, one of those former USSR states which is now independent. Historically, it has a lot in common with Romania from which it was divided many years ago but is much poorer and with an infrastructure to match.

Rail tickets and reservations must be done locally as the rail ticketing system is not integrated with the rest of Europe nor even, by the sounds of it, with Russia either. However there definitely IS an overnight train from Chisinau to Bucharest which departs at 1710 and arrives at 0632 next morning.

The Romanian railways are excellent timekeepers so there is a more than fair chance that this service is reliable. The cost of the journey is cheap - around £30 per person in a two berth sleeper or £15 in a four berth, payable, of course, locally in local currency.

Once in Bucharest, life becomes easier. The overnight train from Bucharest to Budapest departs at 1829, arriving at 0727 next morning, with a connection to Vienna at 0910, arriving 1208. Both these trains are bookable here in the UK.

The former costs £76.50 per person in a six berth couchette whilst the single fare from Budapest to Vienna is £32. There would be a reduction in price for the eleven year old but, unfortunately, a person aged fifteen is an adult on European trains.

All of which just leaves the question of how to while away the time in Bucharest. The railway station is definitely no place to spend the day and is not anywhere near the tourist parts of the city, though there is no shortage of taxis willing to take you there (check the price per kilometre clearly maked on the taxi front door and make sure the meter is on).

A day room at the Ibis Hotel, less tha five minutes walk from the station, is also perhaps an option. There's a good, reasonably priced, restaurant there too.

For further tips about travelling by train in Europe you should visit the Man in Seat 61 at www.seat61.com

I hope it all works well for you.

Alan Heywood is a director at rail specialists, Ffestiniog Travel

Got a question for Alan? Email us at yoursay@timesonline.co.uk

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