1/2 They are very different on the actual country. I will try to show you the main characteristics of them:

Baltic countries (LT, LV, EST): internetional connection only towards Belarus or Russia, otherwise good only for domestic travelling, mostly on very few lines. People use buses generally.

Belarus/Russia/Ukraine: Reasonable mean of transportation, sometimes only possible public transportation in the direction. Prices are low, all different levels of quality classes. Railway network is however not so dense and the spead of the train can sometimes drop significantly. Anyway, not really a problem to travel by train. Just be really careful when buying tickets, sometimes the capacity of the train is full long before the departure and you won't get ticket anymore.

Romania/Bulgaria: Slow and dirty mostly, however still somehow working and can be a reasonable way of transportation in some directions. Also some international trains still working. Depends on the line you take. Always double check for timetables as there might be different information on different sources

Albania: 404, if some train goes there, then it's only for true adventurers

Montenegro: Only two lines, but good working, OK service. Best way to travel from Serbia.

Serbia, Bosnia, Macedonia: Depends on the lines, but mostly similar situation to Bulgaria and Romania.

Croatia: North of the country is OK, but to the south (Dalmatia) there's basically only one line. Cheaper and faster to take bus.

Slovenia: Good service, international connection to Italy is however little clumsy, maybe they canceled it definitely.

>>1108039
Are you from Europe?
Would you recommend taking a bus/coach instead of a train to get to Croatia (Zagreb) from Romania?
Also is it better/cheaper to buy tickets in advance?

>>1108039
2/2
Hungary, Slovakia: No problems, civilized railway, the offer of some connections is a little limited. Better check timetable in advance.

Poland: There are fast lines and then there are super slow lines. The capacity in some directions is low and trains can get easily crowded, also the price is IMHO pretty high for what you usually get. Also international connections are not so good as one would expect. Plan in advance, check timetables.

Czech republic: The best of the railway you get in CEE. Dense network, low prices, good international connections (Berlin, Vienna, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland), good frequency and timetable information. Some regional lines can be quite slow however and there are lots of outdated trains so the traveling might not always be really comfortable. But you get basically anywhere by train so it serves it purpose 100%.

Anyway, all I have written is only my experience so you don't have to believe me.

TLDR: Czech republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia: OK to train
Russia, Ukraine, Belarus: also OK but requires some understanding
Baltics: OK to train but only domestic, international take bus
Balkans: You either know what you do and where to go or better take bus.

As for your questions: I did some research and I would probably prefer Cluj or Sofia. Bucharest is just too far and the traveling thru the whole Romania takes ages.

>>1108046
>Are you from Europe?
yes

>Would you recommend taking a bus/coach instead of a train to get to Croatia (Zagreb) from Romania?
Never traveled there. I prefer trains to buses for personal fetish reasons so I'd take train, if the connection is available. Buses are mostly cheaper on the other hand.

>Also is it better/cheaper to buy tickets in advance?
Depends on where. If the operator provides online booking then it's definitely better because at least you know there's capacity for you. There are some sales sometimes. For example in Poland on intercity trains, it can get much cheaper to buy in advance.

>>1108048
My bad, disregard my previous post, I should've waited for the second part.

Thanks heaps for your advice! This puts things into better perspective. I was leaning towards Sofia too.

Last one if you don't mind?
Do you have any recommendations with train or bus companies to go with?

>>1108050
>Do you have any recommendations with train or bus companies to go with?

There are dozens of different bus companies. If it has good looking websites then it's probably good enough to travel with.
As for railway, then most of the CEE countries have mostly only one or two national rail operators so you don't have much choice. They all have a system of accepting international tickets so you don't have to worry that you would get into some troubles when traveling international.
If you travel from Czechia to Slovakia then you can also choose from two private operators RailJet or LeoExpress, both pretty good and cheap. IMHO the best value you will get for railway traveling in the whole world.

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>>1108052
>RailJet
*RegioJet, damn it

>>1108052
Alright, thanks again anon! I really appreciate the help :)

>>1108054
You're welcome, feel free to ask more.

I also have a question. So you will be traveling only to Zagreb by train or is this a part of some larger tour of yours?

>>1108055
To be honest, I want to try hitchhiking from Sofia or Cluj to Zagreb. Though I want to keep the train/bus open as a back up plan, as I've never hitchhiked before.

My whole trip is still pretty open because a friend who I was supposed to visit in Bucharest just disappeared on me. I wanted to stay long in Bucharest, but since that plan is gone I want to see Cluj and Sofia before I make my way to a festival in Croatia (Pula). Zagreb is looking more like a stopover for me to get to Pula. I dunno, maybe you have any other suggested route?

>>1108055
Sorry didn't fully answer your question. Yes, it's part of a larger trip. Flying from Sydney to Helsinki, staying there for two weeks, then Helsinki to Bucharest.... 2 months with not much planning in it but I have a rough idea how the trail should be (bucharest-cluj-sofia-zagreb-pula-ljubljana-budapest-prague), then fly back to Sydney from Prague.

>>1108062
>>1108065

That sounds pretty interesting, unfortunately I don't have much experience from that region. I'd probably be careful around bigger cities mostly in Romania and Bulgaria. I know there are some really large gypsy ghettos in those countries and it can be dangerous to enter them.

Also is there any particular reason why you want to see Sofia? I heard some experiences from a friend of mine he also showed me pictures and it seems that it's probably the least appealing European capital. If you want to stick to the Balkan region on your way then I'd probably prefer Serbia, Bosnia or Croatia over Bulgaria.

>>1108073
Not wanting to sound cocky, but I grew up and lived most of my life in the Philippines. So I do always stay on the cautious side when it comes to dodgy areas. I go with my gut and will get some local advice when I get there. Thanks though.

I have a friend in Sofia that I plan to meet up with. Even he said it's not the best place, but he did have a few recommendations I was interested in checking out.

What would you suggest in Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia?