The main community featured in this article is Silistra, located on the right bank of the Danube in the northeast of Bulgaria. This is a fairly remote part of the country, far from the capital Sofia, from where there is one daily direct train to Silistra. Although it is described in the Bulgarian railway timetable as a fast train, it takes over 11 hours and makes 44 stops on its 611 km journey. It runs overnight with a choice of seats or couchettes.

The reality is that most Bulgarians would make the journey by bus. Twice-daily direct buses take about seven hours and cost about €18 one way. Varna on the coast is the nearest Bulgarian city of any size.