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How to travel by train from

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Lunch in London... Breakfast in Berlin

There's no need to fly from the UK to anywhere in Europe.  It's surprisingly easy, quick and comfortable to travel overland by train from London to just about anywhere:  Spain, Italy, Greece, Prague, Helsinki, Moscow...  The difficult bit is finding out how to do it and where to buy tickets.  That's where 'Seat 61' comes in! 

This website will tell you the best routes, train times & approximate fares from London to major destinations all over Europe.  It will tell you what the trains are like, and the best way to buy your ticket.

Left:  Your carriage awaits.  Eurostar links the UK not just with Paris, but with destinations all over Europe.

To plan a European train journey which doesn't start in the UK, see how to check train times & how to buy tickets.

On this page...

On other pages...

You can find schedules for virtually any European train journey at http://bahn.hafas.de...

If you only remember one European train travel resource (apart from seat 61, of course!), make it http://bahn.hafas.de. This is the excellent online timetable for the whole of Europe provided by the German Railways, probably the most useful resource for European train travel on the net.  Try asking it for Palermo to Helsinki or Lisbon to Moscow and you'll see what I mean.

• The English language button is upper right.

• It recognises most English language place names, but for Athens try 'Athenes', for Venice try 'Venise', for Prague try 'Praha', for Bucharest try 'Bucuresti'.  'Copenhagen' has a nasty habit of automatically defaulting to Copenhagen Kastrup airport station, so try entering 'Kobenhavn' instead.

• It sometimes offers a choice of stations in a given city.  If you don't know which one to choose, remember that 'hauptbahnhof' ('hbf') is 'main station' in German, 'Hlavni' is main station in Czech (though in Prague, Holesovice is also a main station, a bit further from the city centre than Prague Hlavni), 'Glowny' ('Gl.') is main station in Polish, and obviously 'centrale' in Italian or 'centraal' in Dutch means central station.  In Venice, Venice Santa Lucia is in Venice itself, Venice Mestre is on the mainland.

• When the results appear, click on 'details' (or on the station names) to see a detailed breakdown of the journey.

• In the detailed view, click on a train number and it will show you all the calling points of that train and its days of operation.

• This system holds data for all main European national rail networks, including many private train operators in Switzerland & Sweden.  It does not cover some small private railways such as the Circumvesuviana (Naples-Pompeii-Sorrento in Italy) or FEVE (e.g. French frontier to San Sebastian in Spain).

• It usually holds data only until the next Europe-wide timetable change, which happens twice a year in June or December.  So don't be surprised if it shows no trains at all running in late December if you make an enquiry in August, as late December is beyond the December timetable change.  Simply make an enquiry for a date this side of the timetable change instead, and assume that the times won't change that much.

• This system is very good, but some railways (typically the Greeks or Spanish, it seems) can often be late in supplying data.  If you get strange results you can try the railway operator's own website instead, for example www.renfe.es for Spain or www.ose.gr for Greece.  There's a complete list of rail websites on the useful links page.

• Remember that this is an automated system which will allow the minimum theoretical time at interchange stations.  This is fine for short daytime journeys where there's another train an hour later if you miss it, but for critical connections, for example with sleeper trains that you can't afford to miss, you should allow much longer than is allowed by bahn.hafas in case of delay.

• For UK train times it's better to use www.nationalrail.co.uk as this will show any engineering work alterations and fares.

• Fares:  http://bahn.hafas.de will show train times for virtually any journey in Europe, but will only show fares for journeys within Germany and some journeys to or from Germany.  If you want to check fares for other journeys, see the How to buy tickets online section.

• http://bahn.hafas.de can be accessed directly in English as http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/e and it can also be accessed through the German Railways (Deutsche Bahn) website, www.bahn.de.

The Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable    Buy the latest edition online    What does it contain?

Published since 1873, the world-famous Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable is the train traveller's bible, and a sound investment for all regular European train travellers.  It has route maps and up-to-date timetables for trains, buses and ferries in all European countries, ferries to North Africa, Israel & the Mediterranean islands.  If you're going to travel a lot, for example with an InterRail or Eurail pass, you should definitely buy one to plan your journey.  It will save you a lot of time at stations queuing up to ask questions and puts you in control of your own journeys.  It costs £13.50 from the bureau de change in any UK branch of Thomas Cook, or you can buy online at www.thomascooktimetables.com (with worldwide delivery).  Alternatively, you can buy the Independent Travellers special edition at Amazon.co.uk, either the Winter 2007/8 edition (December 2007 to June 2008) or Summer 2008 edition (June to December 2008).  Although it's published monthly, most travellers only need to buy two a year, in June and December, as European timetables only change in those months.  In fact, even using a Thomas Cook Timetable that's way-out-of-date is far better than travelling blind!  More information on what the Thomas Cook Timetable contains.

Although you can find all Europe's train timetables in one place on http://bahn.hafas.de, unfortunately there isn't one website or booking agency that can sell tickets for all journeys in all countries at the best price (even if some agencies or sites suggest that they can!).  Certain websites or booking agencies are better for some journeys, other sites or agencies for other journeys, and sometimes it's cheapest to use two or more sites for different parts of one journey.  Sounds complicated?  Not really.  If your train journey starts in the UK, the 'how to buy tickets' section on each country page of this website explains the best way to buy tickets for that specific journey.  For other journeys within Europe, you'll find a detailed account of which websites or agencies to use for which specific journeys on the How to buy European tickets page, and if that's too complicated, here's the quick answer to get you started:

How to check fares & buy tickets for train journeys wholly within one country:

You can check fares & in many cases buy tickets online for journeys wholly within one country at the railway website for that country, see the links page for a complete list.  For example:

How to check fares & buy tickets for international train journeys:

If your journeys starts in the UK, each country page of this website explains the best way to buy tickets for that specific destination, both online and by phone.  For example, the London to Italy page recommends the best way to book tickets from the UK to Italy.  For a detailed account of how to check fares and availability and book tickets online for other international train journeys in Europe, see the How to buy European tickets page.  But here's the quick answer for which website to use or which agency to call for which journey:

Online...

• www.eurostar.com is the best place to check fares & buy tickets between London & Lille, Paris, Brussels or anywhere in Belgium, also for Cologne & Amsterdam.

• www.raileurope.co.uk is the best place for UK residents to check fares & buy tickets from London to France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Amsterdam, also Germany via Paris.  It's linked to the French Railways reservation system, so is also good for any national or international train journey to, from or within France, and even can even sell tickets for many journeys within Italy, between Switzerland & Italy, between Vienna, Budapest, Prague, Krakow and so on.  No booking fee for online bookings.  Non-UK residents should use the original French Railways website, www.voyages-sncf.com, after reading this advice.

• Onward connections in Spain, Italy, etc. are often best booked separately using that country's own rail website, see the 'Journeys wholly within one country' section above.  Why's this?  Well, for example, www.raileurope.co.uk can book you all the way from London to Malaga via Paris & Madrid if you like, but can only sell full-fare £55 tickets for the Madrid-Malaga train.  If you book this part of the trip separately direct with Spanish Railways at www.renfe.es, you can easily pick up a £20 'Web fare' from Madrid to Malaga, or at least a £30 'Estrella' fare.

• A useful combo is to use www.eurostar.com to book London-Cologne then use http://bahn.hafas.de to book onward trains into Germany, or the sleeper trains from Cologne to Vienna, Prague, Copenhagen, Warsaw, etc.  http://bahn.hafas.de can also book the sleeper trains from Amsterdam or Germany to Prague, Vienna, Milan, Warsaw and so on, and many international trains to or from Germany.

• Remember that more exotic trips, such as journeys into Russia, Ukraine, Istanbul, cannot be booked online so will need to be booked by phone.

By phone...

• For journeys from the UK to France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Germany via Paris, call Rail Europe on 0844 848 5 848 (lines open 08:00-21:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-18:00 Sat, 10:00-17:00 Sun, £6 booking fee).  They use the French Railways reservation system, so have access to all the best fares to, from, via or within France.

• For journeys to, from or within Spain or Portugal, call www.spanish-rail.co.uk on 020 7725 7063 (lines open 09:30-17:30 Mon-Fri).  They use the Spanish Railways reservation system, so have access to the cheap fares within Spain, whereas Rail Europe don't.

• For journeys from the UK to Germany, Austria, central & eastern Europe, Scandinavia, call German Railways' UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-17:00 Mon-Fri, no booking fee).  Also call them for any journey to, from or within Germany, Austria, central or eastern Europe & Scandinavia.  They use the German Railways reservation system, so have all the cheap fares available for journeys to, from and within Germany.

• More exotic journeys, for example to Russia, Ukraine or Istanbul can in theory be booked with German Railway's UK office with no booking fee if you persevere, but it's often better to call a smaller agency such as www.europeanrail.com whose staff are used to being asked for complex bookings like these.  Call 020 7619 1083 (lines open 09:00-17:30 Mon-Fri, £25 booking fee per transaction).

• Full details of these agencies and others are shown on the How to buy European tickets page.

Online rail maps

There's a basic online map of the European railway network at www.europrail.net/content/documents/eurailmap.pdf.  This gives you a good idea of the extent of the European rail system, although it's intended for overseas visitors using Eurail passes so leaves out many routes in non-Eurail countries such as the UK, Serbia & Macedonia, and leaves out many smaller lines even in the countries covered by Eurail passes.  You'll find more detailed country-by-country rail maps at www.bueker.net/trainspotting/maps.php.   For the best (and official) map of the Swiss rail system, click here.

The Thomas Cook Rail Map of Europe:   Buy from Amazon UK    Buy from Amazon USA

For a decent map of all European train routes you'll really have to invest in a printed version.  The Thomas Cook Rail Map of Europe is easily the best map of European train routes that there is, showing rail routes from Portugal in the west to Ukraine in the east, Finland in the north to Sicily in the south.  Scenic & high-speed routes are highlighted.  It costs around £8.99 from branches of Thomas Cook or you can buy online at Amazon.co.uk with worldwide delivery.  Highly recommended and well worth buying, especially if you are buying an InterRail or Eurail pass and doing a lot of travelling.  See an extract from the map.

Eurostar is the excellent high-speed passenger train from London (St Pancras station) to Paris & Brussels through the Channel Tunnel.  Most journeys to Europe now start with a trip on Eurostar to Paris or Brussels.  All 1st class fares include complimentary drinks and a meal, and all passengers have access to a bar car serving drinks and snacks.  Remember that you need to check-in for Eurostar trains at least 30 minutes before departure (10 minutes for passengers with certain types of premium 1st class ticket, 60 minutes for Eurostars to Avignon or the French Alps) to allow for an airline-style security check.  Eurostar does not run on Christmas Day.

• Information about Eurostar times, fares, tickets & about the Eurostar journey.

• Eurostar seating plan with seat numbers (alternative link).  Tips on choosing the best seats.

• Eurostar website: www.eurostar.com

Changing trains in Paris:  See the Paris metro page

• Train journeys from the UK into Europe often involve a change of train and station in Paris.  Eurostar arrives at the Gare du Nord, which is a short walk from the Gare de l'Est but a metro or taxi ride from the other Paris stations.  See the Changing trains in Paris page for advice on metro, RER and taxi travel, and an easy route guide.  The Paris metro website is www.ratp.fr.

• If you want to spend some time in Paris, by all means take an earlier Eurostar on the outward journey or a later one on your return.  There are left luggage lockers at several Paris rail stations if you need to leave your luggage somewhere.

• You can avoid the hassle of crossing Paris when travelling to many French destinations, by changing at Lille.  See the France page.

Changing trains in Brussels:

	Above:  If you've time to spare between trains, it's a 20-25 minute stroll from Brussels Midi station to the famous Grand Place (Grote Markt) in the city centre.
	Above:  The main concourse at Brussels Midi station, a subway underneath the tracks...

• Brussels Midi station:  Eurostar arrives at the main Brussels station, Bruxelles Midi in French, Brussel Zuid in Flemish, it's the same place.  After stepping off the Eurostar, you walk past the front of the train off the end of the platforms and down the escalators, exiting the Eurostar terminal onto the main station concourse, which is a rather dark giant subway spanning the width of the station, underneath all the tracks.  All long-distance trains use Brussels Midi station, including trains to Amsterdam, Cologne, Berlin, Hamburg and all other destinations in Belgium, so changing trains is easy and only takes a few minutes. 

• Which platform for your onward train?  Eurostar arrives at platforms 1 & 2 on the northwest side of the station, which make up the Eurostar terminal.  Look for the indicator boards or TV screens showing train departures, then go up the escalators to the platform indicated for your onward train.  Thalys high-speed trains to Cologne & Amsterdam normally leave from platform 5 or 6.  The hourly InterCity trains to Antwerp, Rotterdam and Amsterdam normally leave from platforms 17, 18 or 19.  But always check the indicator boards.

• How long to allow for connections:  Allow at least 20 minutes to change trains in Brussels on the outward journey, unless connecting with a sleeper train which you can't afford to miss, when you should allow at least 1 hour.  On the return journey, allow at least 40 minutes to change trains, which allows for the 30 minute Eurostar check-in as well as time to change trains.  Under international conditions of carriage, if you miss a connection because of a late running train, staff should allow you to take the next departure (assuming there are seats available) even if your ticket is theoretically non-changeable.  On inwards journeys back to London, Eurostar staff are reported as pretty good about this.

• Station facilities:  Brussels Midi isn't my favourite station, I have to admit.  But it has an increasing range of cafes and shops, including a mini-supermarket opposite the exit from the Eurostar terminal to buy food, wine or beer for your onward journey if you want to.  Be warned that if waiting for the 23:41 sleeper train to Berlin or Hamburg, most station shops & cafes close at around 22:00 or so, and you may want to find a bar across the road and read, or a nearby hotel lounge, and/or make sure you have some food and drink with you. 

• Left luggage:  There are left luggage lockers and a staffed left luggage office at Brussels Midi if you want to stash your bags while exploring Brussels.  It's open 24 hours, just off the main concourse near the Eurostar terminal, see here for left luggage prices.

• Walking to the city centre:  If you want to see a bit of Brussels, it's a 20-25 minute stroll from Brussels Midi station to the famous Grande Place in the city centre for some 'moules frites' and perhaps a 'Leffe Brune' beer or two.  You can get a free tourist map from the tourist information kiosk in the middle of the station concourse near the exit from the Eurostar terminal.  To walk to the city centre, leave the station from the main doors on the Eurostar terminal (platform 1/2) side of the station, turn right, walk along the side of the station/tracks for a few minutes and then turn left along the Rue Stalingrad to central Brussels.  Click here for a map of Brussels.  Bus, tram & metro information for Brussels.

• Boarding Eurostar in Brussels:  When heading back to London by Eurostar, you must check-in 30 minutes before the Eurostar leaves (10 min for certain types of business ticket) by passing through the automatic ticket gates at the entrance to the Eurostar terminal. This is just off the main station concourse underneath platforms 1 & 2.  After the check-in gates comes the usual fairly painless X-ray security check then Belgian passport control followed by UK passport control, then you wait in the Eurostar departure lounge (where there's a cafe & bar) until your Eurostar is ready for boarding.  Then it's up the escalators or lift to platform 1 or 2 an onto the train for London.

2nd class is perfectly adequate for most travellers throughout Europe.  Even in Southern and Eastern Europe, you don't need to pay for a 1st class ticket to travel in comfort, especially on the fast modern air-conditioned expresses.

On the other hand, 1st class travel can be an affordable treat.  In the UK, 1st class is only for business travellers on expense accounts, but in Europe it is normally just 50% more than second class.  1st class rail travel in Portugal, Spain, Italy and Eastern Europe is particularly good value, because their rail fares are so cheap to start with.  First class gets you wider seats, more legroom, and fewer passengers per coach.  On Eurostar, Spanish fast trains and a few other trains such as Thalys, 1st class fares include at-seat service of food and drink, but unless you're told otherwise, you should assume that a 1st class ticket simply gets you a more comfortable seat with more leg room.

On overnight trains, whether you have a 1st or 2nd class ticket is almost irrelevant, as your comfort depends on the type of sleeping accommodation you pay for:  ordinary seat, couchette, or sleeping-car.  A 2nd class couchette is more comfortable (and more secure) than a 1st class seat.  A 2nd class sleeper is more comfortable than a 1st class couchette.  The options for travelling on overnight trains are explained below.

Many long-distance expresses run overnight, a very time-effective and romantic way to travel.  Huge distances can be covered while you sleep, using up less daytime time than flying and often saving a hotel bill too.  Forget 'first class' & 'second class', on overnight trains your comfort depends on which of type of accommodation you choose:  An ordinary seat, an economical couchette or a comfortable sleeping-car.  A 2nd class sleeper is more comfortable than a 1st class couchette!

A sleeping-car is the equivalent of a hotel:  A cosy bedroom, with comfortable beds, washbasin, and room service.  For the daytime parts of a journey, the beds fold away to reveal a sofa.  Sleepers come in 1-, 2-, 3- and (sometimes) 4-berth varieties, depending on the route, whether you have a 1st or 2nd class ticket, and the price you want to pay.  If you are travelling alone and don't want to pay for a 1st class single room, you can normally book just one berth in a 2- or 3-berth room and share with other passengers of the same sex (though this is not possible in Spanish 'gran classe' sleepers).  In addition to the normal lock, sleeper compartments have a security lock which cannot be opened from outside, even with a staff key, so you'll be both safe and snug.  The most modern sleepers now have CCTV in the corridor, too.

A sleeper costs about £20-£39 in western Europe or £11-£20 in eastern Europe per person per night for a berth in a 3-berth in addition to the relevant 2nd class ticket or railpass.  A berth in a 2-berth costs about £35-£50 per night, plus either a 1st or 2nd class ticket or railpass depending on the route and type of sleeper.  A single room costs around £70-£90 per night and you must normally have a 1st class ticket or railpass.  On an increasing number of routes (e.g. Paris to Madrid, Barcelona, Italy, and Brussels to Berlin), good-value inclusive fares are now charged, covering travel, sleeper and breakfast.

More information about travelling by sleeping-car.

Above:  Typical couchette compartment, with bunks folded out.

...in a couchette:

A couchette is rail's answer to a youth hostel or 'pensione':  Economical and comfortable, an ordinary seating compartment for six people by day, with fold-out padded bunks for six people by night, each with sheet, rug and pillow which you arrange yourself.  Male and female passengers normally share the same compartment, and apart from removing shoes and jackets,  passengers do not normally undress.  A berth in a couchette compartment costs around £13 per berth per night, in addition to a 2nd class ticket or railpass.  In addition to the normal lock, couchette compartments have a security lock which cannot be opened from outside, even with a staff key, so you'll be quite safe.  On certain routes you can pay a higher supplement (about £18) to travel in a less crowded 4-berth couchette compartment.  1st class couchettes, with four berths per compartment, are rare - they are basically only operated in France.

More information about travelling in a couchette.

...in a seat:

Travelling overnight in an ordinary seat is a false economy and not recommended, either for comfort or security.  Always budget for at least the couchette supplement for a comfortable night's journey.  Some trains (French overnight trains, some German overnight trains, some Spanish overnight trains) have reclining seats, but although better than a normal seat they still don't offer the flat berth and safely locked compartment of a couchette or sleeper.

EuroCity...

This is the brand name used for Europe's best international daytime expresses.  EuroCity trains are fast, modern and air-conditioned, and have refreshments available.  In most countries, a small supplement is payable in addition to the normal fare to travel, which includes the seat reservation fee.

EuroNight...

This is the brand name used for Europe's best international overnight expresses.  EuroNight trains are modern and air-conditioned, and have comfortable sleeping accommodation.  Morning refreshments are normally included in the sleeper or couchette supplement.

TGVs, ICEs, Thalys, InterCity and Talgos...

As well as EuroCity and EuroNight, you will find a whole range train types in the timetable.  Some (for example TGV, AVE, ICE) are types of high-speed train.  Some are just brand names for a particularly fast or high-quality train service for which a small supplement may be payable in addition to the normal fare.  Others indicate a train service run by a special consortium of national rail operators - for example 'Thalys' is a company set up by the French, Belgian, German and Dutch national rail companies to run the Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam / Cologne high speed trains, on which special fares apply.   Many of these branded trains require payment of a small supplement or a special fare.  However, any supplement will be included in the charge for your seat reservation when you book, so you shouldn't need to worry.  If you particularly want to know what a TGV, AVE, Talgo, ICE or Thalys is, click here for a glossary of the main train types.

Kids love trains, and the journey becomes part of the holiday.  A major advantage of taking the train rather than a flight or a long motorway journey is that it means quality time with your family, sitting together, talking or playing, away from doorbells and phone calls.  Kids really love sleepers or couchettes, where they get to sleep in a bunk bed on a train.

	Above:  Changing a nappy in a 2-berth sleeper on the Paris-Madrid trainhotel, on our way from London to Andalusia for a week's holiday.  Time on the trains can be quality time with your family, without the distraction of phone calls, doorbells or the TV...
	Above:  You occasionally find trains with a small play area, for example French 'Corail Téoz' trains, some Swiss InterCity and many Finnish InterCity trains.  This play area is aboard a 125 mph French Corail Téoz train, which link Paris with Limoges, Brive, Toulouse, Vichy & Clermont Ferrand.  Bring your own toy cars!

Top tips for train travel with babies & kids...

• Child age limits:  Child age limits for free and reduced-rate travel in each European country are shown in the Child fares section on the How to buy tickets page.  Infants go free on trains & ferries, a major advantage over air travel where infants pay both a fare and airport tax.

• Although infants go free, they don't get their own seat, so be prepared to have them on your lap unless the seat next to you happens to be free.  When you pay a child fare, your child gets their own seat or sleeping berth.