Odessa to Belgrade (via Hungary/Romania)

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I have similar route, Belgrade to Odessa; wondering if the way (which make sense in terms of time/money) Belgrade to Odessa will be via Chop as well.
Or there is better options via Romania?

I have similar route, Belgrade to Odessa; wondering if the way (which make sense in terms of time/money) Belgrade to Odessa will be via Chop as well. Or there is better options via Romania?

Let's just compare:
a) direct train #108 Odesa-Chop (19:02-13:31, 'kupe' ticket for 28/03 date is 170 UAH), then Chop to Zahony (14:08-13:26) and Zahony to Budapest (14:03-19:32 or faster InterCity train (will require compulsory seat reservation) 14:30-18:37, one through ticket Chop-Zahony-Budapest is 18,4 euro. And finally Budapest to Belgrade (22:20-6:32), ticket is 15 euro (+ possible sleeper reservation). In total all adds up to roughly 50 euro and 37 hours travel time (nigh-day-night)
b) don't know about any direct buses from Odesa to Bucharest (and doubt there are any), so let's consider complicated way with changes - Odesa-Reni-Galati-Bucharest. Odesa-Reni is 5:30-6 hours and 120 UAH by bus, let's say you will manage to make those 20 km from Reni to Galati (via Moldova) by hitchhiking for 2 hours at best, then Galati to Bucharest either by direct bus (4 hours & 45 RON) or direct train (one through ticket Galati-Bucharest-Timisoara for 135 RON), timing with train can be 17:40 dep. from Galati, arr. to Bucharest 21:25, dep. Bucharest by mentioned in other topic train to Timisoara at 21:46. Schedules for the rest of the journey you already know from the same topic, ticket fare for leg Timisoara-Vršac will be roughly 5 euro, Vršac-Belgrade is 320 RSD). So in total let's say it will be day-night-half of the day (as you see a bit faster than via Chop-Budapest) and pretty much same 50 euro for tickets, however more complicated in terms of number of changes, hitchhiking over the border etc.
c) it is also possible to manage Odesa to Bucharest leg in more convenient way - first by bus/train to Chisinau and then by bus/train to Bucharest. However such route will be longer and more expensive. Also with this option it is possible to substitute Bucharest with Iasi and try to go directly to Timisoara from Chisinau, although it's not that easy to do by train, since overnight trains Iasi-Timisoara arrive late for change to Timisoara-Vršac train (unless you want to be in Belgrade in the evening). And we not sure you would want to travel all the way from Chisinau to Timisoara to bus just in order to catch morning Timisoara-Vršac train

I have just checked first 2 options, both cost about the same in total (assuming traveling nights on C6 couchettes or platskart) = 60-65 EUR

Option a) takes 27h 30m
Option b) takes 36h 30m

With Option c) it looks reasonable to catch train from Iassy to Timisoara (35 EUR for C6 in the night train), but it is not very clear how to be in Iassy on time and make it in convenient way. How to get from Timisoara to Belgrade is also not very clear, when it is not right time for trains. Not sure if there are buses on the route.

Option a) takes 27h 30m

27? Probably you meant 37?

With Option c) it looks reasonable to catch train from Iassy to Timisoara (35 EUR for C6 in the night train), but it is not very clear how to be in Iassy on time and make it in convenient way.

Well, train #12765 dep. Iasi 15:16 almost impossible to catch with start from Odesa in the morning, while #12837 dep. Iasi 19:30 can be caught if you start from Odesa with the first morning bus to Chisinau (should arrive to Moldova capital at 12:00), then, if you lucky, bus Chisinau-Iasi 12:00-16:00 or bus departing Chisinau 13:00 (arr. to Iasi 17:00). Also from Chisinau it is possible to travel by domestic bus to Ungheni and cross the border by local marshrytka or even train (although it's rather risky in terms of time)

How to get from Timisoara to Belgrade is also not very clear, when it is not right time for trains. Not sure if there are buses on the route.

Situation with local cross-border transport is traditionally bad here, so basically morning and evening train options to Vrsac are the only decent options in order to get to Serbia from Timisoara (from our knowledge there is no cross-border buses from Timisoara to Belgrade exist)

Option a) takes 27h 30m

27? Probably you meant 37?

Yes, I mixed up a) & b)

option a) takes 37.5 hours , option b) takes 27.5

I am also thinking about option to travel Galati (Iassy) - Bucuresti - Craiova - Calafat with cheapest trains and then to find some other options in Serbia (I am going to Uzica really, not to Belgrade). Does it make sense in your opinion?

I could travel via Chop, but it is the same kind of way 3rd time, I feel like trying something different.. And not for fortune at the same time.. May be there are some cheap buses/minibuses in Romania to save some penny?

I am also thinking about option to travel Galati (Iassy) - Bucuresti - Craiova - Calafat with cheapest trains and then to find some other options in Serbia (I am going to Uzica really, not to Belgrade). Does it make sense in your opinion?

Well, sounds interesting, but from Calafat you actually cross the border (by ferry) to Bulgaria (Vidin) and not to Serbia. You want to include Bulgaria? If not, than you probably will have to opt for Craiova-Drobetu-Turnu-Severin and try to cross Danube & the border there, however it is again might be not the simplest task

May be there are some cheap buses/minibuses in Romania to save some penny?

Haven't heard about any particular big low-cost bus companies in Romania, but usually we just check CFR options and then compare with ones found on autogari.ro (sometimes different companies give rather different price for the same route)