A luxury train called the Golden Eagle Danube Express pulled out of Budapest's Western Railway Station on Wednesday, starting a 13-day, 7,000-kilometer journey to Teheran, Iran.

Tickets were between 10,000 and 15,000 U.S. dollars each and all 70 seats were sold out for the maiden voyage of the train.

The journey was organized by Hungary's MAV Nostalgia Ltd., deputy CEO of the company Gyorgy Zarand said. Other businesses involved in the travel project included the Golden Eagle, a British travel agency; Danube Express, another British firm; and MAV Nostalgia Ltd., which will run four similar train voyages again next year.

The train is made up of 13 revamped old luxury rail cars, all of which are museum pieces. It will travel through Romania and Bulgaria to Turkey, where the entire train will be loaded onto a ferry crossing to Izmit on Turkey's Asian side. From there it will roll on into Iran on its own wheels, ending its journey in Teheran.

The maximum speed of the train is 120 kilometers per hour.

The trip back will be a longer route. It covers 9,500 kilometers, including desert travel.

The 30-member train crew is Hungarian, and includes four chefs and six waiters. Most passengers are Australian, British, American, and German. The luxury train is due back in Budapest on Nov. 9. Endit

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