11 June 2009. Train times valid from 14 June to 12 December
2009.
Travelling to Germany by train...
The restored Reichstag, Berlin...
It's
easy to travel from London to Germany by train. Take
Eurostar
from London to Brussels in just 2½ hours and switch to a
Thalys or
ICE
high-speed
train to Cologne in 2 hours
more. Or
take an afternoon Eurostar from London to Paris then
the overnight City Night Line sleeper train to
Munich or Berlin, city centre to city
centre,
arriving in time for breakfast. Some private sleepers
even have their own toilet & shower.
On this page...
...you'll find
train times, fares & how to buy tickets from:
Taking an afternoon Eurostar to Paris then the overnight
sleeper to Berlin is an excellent time-effective option.
The sleeper runs
daily March to November, 4
times a week in winter. On days when it's not running
you'll need to use daytime trains,
see
below. It used to run via Brussels, but from
December 2008 you need to pick it up in Paris.
London ► Berlin
Travel from
London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving
London St Pancras at 15:29, arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 18:56.
It's a
10 minute walk
from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est. By
all means take an earlier Eurostar if you'd like to spend
some time in Paris, or if it has cheaper seats available.
Travel from Paris to Berlin
by the City Night Line sleeper train 'Perseus', leaving
Paris Gare de l'Est at 20:20 and arriving at Hanover
07:02, Berlin (Hauptbahnhof)
at 09:02 next
morning. This train runs daily in summer, but will now
run only 4 times a week in winter. It runs daily until
13 Dec 2008, then on Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays
until 26 March 2009, then daily until 2 November 2009, then
on Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays again. The 'Perseus' has sleepers, couchettes, seats
and a bistro car, see the photos & information below.
Map of Berlin showing Hauptbahnhof.
More
pictures & information about this City Night Line train.
Berlin ► London
Travel from Berlin to
Paris by City Night Line sleeper train 'Perseus', leaving Berlin Hauptbahnhof at
19:58, Hanover at 22:18 and
arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 09:30 next morning.
This train runs daily in summer, but will now run only 4
times a week in winter. It runs daily until 13 Dec
2008, then on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays
until 25 March 2009, then daily until 1 November 2009,
then on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays again. The
'Perseus' has ordinary seats (not recommended), couchettes (4-bunk or
6-bunk) and modern sleeping-cars (1, 2 or 3-berth standard
rooms with washbasin or
deluxe rooms with private shower & toilet, highly
recommended), plus a bistro-restaurant car.
Breakfast is included in the fare for sleeper passengers.
More
pictures & information about this City Night Line train.
Travel
from Paris to London by
Eurostar, leaving Paris Nord at
11:13 and arriving London St Pancras at 12:29.
Introducing the City Night Line sleeper train from
Paris to Berlin...
The Paris-Berlin
overnight train is one of the
German Railway's excellent 'City Night Line' sleeper trains.
Called the 'Perseus', it
has modern 'Comfortline' sleeping-cars
(1, 2 & 3-berth deluxe rooms with private shower &
toilet, 1, 2 &
3-berth standard rooms with washbasin, shower at
the end of the corridor, all rooms with power-points for
mobiles & laptop computers),
modern air-conditioned couchettes (choose between a berth in
a 4- or 6-berth compartment), ordinary seats (not
recommended, as a couchette is far better) and a bistro-restaurant
car. Inclusive fares are charged covering
travel plus sleeping accommodation. The
sleeping-car fare includes a light breakfast in the
restaurant car.
More
pictures & information about this City Night Line train.
1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper: The most comfortable &
civilised option, standard with washbasin or deluxe with
shower & toilet.
4-berth couchettes: Ideal for families.
Much more space per person than 6-berth couchettes.
6-berth couchettes: A very economical
option, far better than a seat for just a few euros
more...
Bistro-bar car:
The bistro
car serves meals, snacks & drinks in the evening,
breakfast in the morning.
Savings fare =
Special cheap fare, book in advance, limited availability,
no refunds, no changes to travel plans.
Normal fare =
fully flexible, refundable, buy any time. The normal
return fare shown above requires Saturday night away.
Youth fares:
There is a 25% discount on normal fares (but not Savings
fares) for anyone under 26 years old. Savings fares
usually cheaper!
Senior fares:
There is a 20% discount on normal fares (but not Savings
fares) for anyone over 60 years old. Savings fares
usually cheaper!
How to buy
tickets online...
The cheapest
way to book this journey is online, but there are two ways
to do this and they are very different. The best
site to use is usually
www.raileurope.co.uk,
which accesses the French reservation system. It's the
easiest website to use, you can pay for the Eurostar
and the Paris-Berlin sleeper together as one transaction,
and prices are in pounds. It often has the cheapest
prices. However, for some reason it won't book 4-berth
couchettes, and also prices any child over 12 as an adult an
any infant over 4 as a child, whereas
www.bahn.de (which accesses the German
reservation system) offers the full range of accommodation
including 4-berth couchettes, allows any infant under 6 to go free,
and classes any child under 14 as a child. If you book the sleeper at
www.bahn.de, you'll need to book the
Eurostar separately at
www.eurostar.com. Try both ways of
booking to see what works out cheapest for you.
This booking form links to
www.raileurope.co.uk.
Tickets can be collected at St Pancras or stations in
France free of charge, or sent to a UK
address for a £1.95 fee.
There's no fee for debit cards, but they charge a 2% credit card fee. Only
UK credit cards are accepted.
Reservations for the Paris-Berlin train open 90 days before
departure, but this particular train can open further ahead
than this so giver it a go, Eurostar bookings open 120
days ahead.
Be aware that the booking period is often
squeezed to less than normal in the few weeks immediately
after the European timetable changes in mid-June &
mid-December.
You must treat London to Berlin as two
separate journeys, one from London to Paris, the other
Paris to Berlin. This gives you more control, and
allows you to mix and match (for example) 2nd class Eurostar
with 2-berth deluxe sleeper (1st class). It also allows
stopovers in Paris is you like.
Step 1, change 'London St Pancras' to 'Paris' and book from Paris to
Berlin & back,
looking for the direct overnight train. On the
confirmation page, clicking 'show itinerary details' shows the
specific coach number & berth or seat number
you've been given.
As explained above, it won't book 4-berth couchettes. Check
the sleeper train times before booking the Eurostar, as
engineering work occasionally affects arrival times, requiring
a different Eurostar connection. Note:
Tickets to Berlin Spandau & Berlin Hauptbahnhof should be
exactly the same price, but there my be a difference due to
a technical problem. If so, buy the cheapest, but
still travel to Berlin Hauptbahnhof!
Step 2, when you've booked the train from Paris to
Berlin & back, click 'continue shopping' and book the
Eurostar from London to Paris & back. Use the Eurostar
times on this page as a guide, but feel free to choose an
earlier Eurostar from London or a later Eurostar back from
Paris if these have cheaper seats available or if you'd like
to stop off in Paris. Don't forget that on your return
journey, your departure date from Paris to London will be
the day after your departure date from Berlin!
Tickets are sent from Rail Europe's UK office and normally arrive in a couple of
days. If you need any help, you can call Rail Europe's
UK call centre on 0844 848 5 848.
It's worth
checking prices for the Paris-Berlin sleeper train on
www.bahn.de, as this is the German
reservation system and prices vary from those on the French
system used by
www.raileurope.co.uk.
www.bahn.de offers the full range of
on-board accommodation including 4-berth couchettes, though
for some reason won't book solo passengers in 3-berth
sleepers (though Rail Europe will). In addition, child age limits are different if you book
using bahn.de (in fact, they are the correct ones for this
train!): Children under 6 go free sharing a
berth, children under 14 get the child rate. Booking
this way involves two websites, so do a 'dry run'
first on both sites to check prices and availability before
booking for real.
Step 1, go to
www.bahn.de, the German Railways website, and book from Paris to
Berlin & back on the direct sleeper train.
The results will show cheap 'savings' fares (if available) and
fully-flexible fares for each type of
seat, couchette & sleeper. You pay by credit card and
simply print out
your own ticket. Easy! The prices shown on
www.bahn.de are in euro, and are the
total cost for all passengers selected, not per person.
I recommend registering when it asks you before completing
the purchase, so you can easily retrieve any bookings later. Always book the
sleeper first and check its exact arrival & departure times before booking
the Eurostar connection, as times can vary.
Step 2, go to
www.eurostar.com to buy your Eurostar
ticket between London and Paris, using the Eurostar times
above as a guide. By all means book an earlier
Eurostar outwards, or a later Eurostar on the way back, if
this has cheaper seats available of if you'd like to stop
off in Paris for a while. Eurostar tickets can be sent to any UK
address, self-printed, or collected at the station.
How to buy
tickets by phone...
To book both
the Eurostar and the sleeper train by phone, call
Deutsche
Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday,
09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no
booking fee, 2% credit card charge, no charge for debit
cards), or a booking agency such
as
European Rail
on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Monday to
Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday, £25 booking fee per transaction).
It's easy to travel by train
from London to Berlin by day, using Eurostar
to Brussels, a high-speed
Thalys train to Cologne,
then Germany's
luxurious high-speed
ICE (InterCity Express) train onwards to Berlin.
The ICE is the pride of
the German Railways, travelling at up to 280km/h (175 mph). ICEs have a bar and restaurant serving
proper sit-down meals. Breakfast
in the
ICE restaurant car costs about £5, a two-course meal
with a couple of glasses of beer about £18. Treat
yourself!
Cheap
fares from 29 euro (£25) one-way, 58 euro (£50) return
Normal flexible fare 106 euro
(£85) one-way, 212 euro (£170) return
First, check
www.bahn.de for special deals: London to
Berlin or Hanover from £42 each way...
It's worth
checking the German Railways website,
www.bahn.de, because you'll occasionally find
89 euro (£77) and very, very occasionally 49 euro (£42) each way tickets available on the 08:34
& 14:34 Eurostar+ICE departures from London to Berlin, and
the 09:38 return service from Berlin. But the German site can't sell normal tickets for this
route, only these cheap deals which often sell out.
And it can't sell tickets of any sort for the
Eurostar+Thalys services. So if you find a cheap deal,
fine, if not, move swiftly on to the next section...
How to buy
tickets online...
If your chosen journey includes a
Thalys between Brussels and Cologne:
Step 1, go to
either
www.eurostar.com or www.raileurope.co.uk
and buy a London-Cologne Eurostar+Thalys ticket, using the
train times on this page as a guide.
Check both websites to find
the cheapest fares, as prices sometimes vary between the
two. On
www.eurostar.com, Cologne is listed as 'Köln' (German for
Cologne). Bookings open 90 days before departure, the
further ahead you book, the more likely you are to see the
cheapest fare. Tickets can be posted to any UK address
or collected at St Pancras.
Step 2, buy your Cologne-Berlin ticket online
at the German Railways website,
www.bahn.de. You simply print out your own Online
Ticket. Make sure the train you
book connects with the Eurostar+Thalys you have booked,
using the train times on this page as a guide. I
recommend registering when it asks you before completing the
purchase, so you can easily retrieve any bookings.
If your chosen journey includes an
ICE train between Brussels and Cologne (marked with a
'c' in the timetable above):
Step 1, buy a Eurostar ticket from London
to Brussels at
www.eurostar.com. The further ahead you book, the more
likely you are to see the cheapest fares. Tickets can
be posted to any UK address, self-printed or collected at St
Pancras station in London.
Step 2, now buy a ticket from Brussels to
Berlin at German Railways website,
www.bahn.de. You simply print out your own Online
Ticket. Make sure the train you book connects with the
Eurostar+Thalys you have booked, using the train times on
this page as a guide. I recommend registering when it
asks you before completing the purchase, so you can easily
retrieve any bookings.
How to buy
tickets by phone...
To book by phone, call
Deutsche
Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday,
09:00-13:00 Saturdays & Sundays, no booking fee, 2% credit card
charge) or call www.europeanrail.com
on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Monday to
Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday, £25
booking fee per transaction). Click
here for a list of
agencies and more information on how to buy tickets.
Cologne, or 'Köln' in German
from its Roman name, Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, was once the
largest city in Germany. Its magnificent cathedral
stands right next to Cologne's main station - the cathedral
was consecrated in 1322, but its distinctive 512 feet high
towers were only completed in 1880. You can climb them
for a magnificent view over the city and the River Rhine.
Getting to Cologne from London is really easy by train:
Hop on a high-speed
Eurostar
train from London to Brussels in just 2 hours 20 minutes,
then travel from Brussels to Cologne by high-speed
Thalys train or German
high-speed
ICE train in just 2½
hours more. Thalys is a consortium of the French,
Belgian, Dutch and German railways formed to run the
high-speed trains between Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam &
Cologne.
A Thalys to Cologne
boarding at Brussels....
2nd class seats on Thalys
A Thalys
about to leave Brussels...
London ► Cologne
Eurostar (remember the 30 minute check-in)
Mondays-Fridays
London
St Pancras
depart
05:57
08:34
12:57
14:34
16:04
Brussels
Midi/Zuid
arrive
08:56
11:29
16:03
17:33
19:03
Change at Brussels onto a high-speed
Thalys train...
Brussels
Midi/Zuid
depart
09:59
12:18 c
16:55
18:18 c
19:57 b
Cologne
Hbf
arrive
12:15
14:15 c
19:15
20:15 c
23:44 b
London ► Cologne
Eurostar (remember the 30 minute check-in)
Saturdays
Sundays
London
St Pancras
depart
07:57
08:59
12:57
14:34
12:57
14:34
16:04
Brussels
Midi/Zuid
arrive
10:56
12:03
16:03
17:33
16:03
17:33
19:03
Change at Brussels onto a high-speed
Thalys train...
b = this connection from Brussels to Cologne is by a series
of local trains, not a high-speed Thalys or ICE. You
need to change trains at Liege & Aachen. Thalys
connections with Eurostar are now so bad I'm having to show
these slow local train connections where there's no Thalys
connection! When buying tickets, remember that a
Eurostar ticket is valid to any station in Belgium (but not
on Thalys) so you only need a ticket from Liege to Cologne
which you can buy in Brussels on the day if using these
local trains. No reservation is necessary on these
local trains, and bikes are carried.
c = by German
ICE train,
not Thalys.
Reservation obligatory, special fares apply.
Times may vary.
Hbf = Hauptbahnhof =
main station.
Cologne ► London
Thalys train:
Mondays-Fridays
Cologne Hbf depart:
07:45
08:44 c
10:45
12:44
14:44 c
15:45
Brussels
Midi/Zuid arrive:
10:01
10:35 c
13:01
15:01
16:35 c
18:01
Change in Brussels onto
Eurostar. Remember the 30 minute check-in...
Brussels
Midi/Zuid depart:
11:29
11:29
14:59
15:59
17:59
18:59
London
St Pancras arrive:
12:26
12:26
15:56
17:03
19:03
19:56
Cologne ► London
Thalys train
Saturdays
Sundays
Cologne Hbf depart:
07:45
08:44 c
10:45
14:44 c
07:45
08:44 c
10:45
12:44
14:44 c
Brussels
Midi/Zuid arrive:
10:01
10:35 c
13:01
16:35 c
10:01
10:35 c
13:01
15:01
16:35 c
----- Change in Brussels onto Eurostar.
Remember the 30 minute check-in
-------------------------------------
Brussels
Midi/Zuid depart:
11:29
11:29
14:29
17:59
11:29
11:29
14:29
16:59
17:59
London
St Pancras arrive:
12:26
12:26
15:26
19:03
12:26
12:26
15:26
18:03
19:03
How much
does it cost?
Special inclusive fares from London to Cologne...
London to Cologne from 49 euro (£43)
one-way
or 98 euro (£86 return) booked
online at
www.bahn.de
(very limited availability, only available on the
ICE trains between Brussels & Cologne, i.e. the
08:34 & 14:34 from London, 08:44 & 14:44 from
Cologne.
London to
Cologne from £87 return
(= £59
return London-Brussels + £14 each way
Brussels-Cologne) booked at
www.eurostar.com
or
www.raileurope.co.uk.
Book in advance to get the cheapest fares, as the
fare rises as cheaper seats are sold.
One-way fares start at
£51 for London-Brussels + £14 for Brussels-Cologne,
booked at
www.raileurope.co.uk.
First, check
www.bahn.de for special deals:
London-Cologne from £42 each way...
It's worth
checking the German Railways website,
www.bahn.de, because you'll occasionally find
49 euro (£42) each way tickets available on the 08:34 &
14:34 Eurostar+ICE departures from London, and the 08:44 &
14:44 return services from Cologne. But for some
reason the German website can't sell normal tickets, only
these cheap deals which can be elusive. And it can't
sell tickets of any sort for the Eurostar+Thalys services.
So if no cheap fare is available, or if you want to travel
on a Eurostar+Thalys service,
book using
www.eurostar.com or www.raileurope.co.uk
instead,
as shown below.
Buy
tickets online...
Both
www.eurostar.com &
www.raileurope.co.uk
can sell tickets from London to Cologne, check prices on both sites to see which is cheapest.
Cologne is listed as 'KOLN' (its German name) on the
Eurostar site. Bookings open 90 days before
departure, book early for the cheapest fares. Tickets
can be posted to any UK address or collected at St Pancras
on departure. If there are no affordable
London-Cologne through fares shown, try splitting the journey into London-Brussels &
back, then Brussels-Cologne & back
(which you can do at
www.raileurope.co.uk
but not
www.eurostar.com), looking for cheap fares for
each leg. Make sure you allow for the 30 minute
Eurostar check-in at Brussels on the return journey.
Important tip: If you find no cheap fares,
try splitting the journey into London-Brussels & back,
add to basket, then Brussels-Cologne & back...
Children under 4 go free, no ticket required.
Children = children over 4 but under 12.
Youth = anyone under 26. Senior = anyone over 60.
How to buy
tickets by phone...
If you prefer to
book by phone, call
Deutsche
Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday,
09:00-13:00 Saturdays & Sundays, no booking fee,
2% credit card charge) or call www.europeanrail.com
on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Monday to
Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday, £25 booking fee). Click
here for a list of
agencies and more information on how to buy tickets.
High-speed
Eurostar trains
link
London with Brussels in less than 2 hours. From Brussels, high-speed
Thalys trains (and a couple of German ICE
high-speed trains) take just 2½ hours to reach Cologne.
Regular trains link Cologne with Bonn, Koblenz and Mainz
running via the
original scenic rail route along the Rhine Valley.
Train times...
Simply use the London-Cologne
timetable above to find train times to Cologne, then use
www.bahn.de to find connecting
train times along the Rhine Valley from Cologne to Bonn,
Koblenz and Mainz.
Go to
either
www.eurostar.com or www.raileurope.co.uk
and buy a London-Cologne Eurostar+Thalys ticket, using the
train times on this page as a guide.
Check both websites to find
the cheapest fares, as prices can vary between the
two. On
www.eurostar.com, Cologne is listed as 'Köln' (German for
Cologne). Bookings open 90 days before departure, the
further ahead you book, the more likely you are to see the
cheapest fare. Tickets can be posted to any UK address
or collected at St Pancras.
Once you've
bought a ticket from London to Cologne, it's easy to
buy a ticket from Cologne to Bonn, Koblenz or Mainz at the
station when you get to Cologne, or online at
www.bahn.de.
Cologne-Bonn costs 18 euros (£13) return,
Cologne-Koblenz from 30 euros (£21) return, Cologne-Mainz
from 33 euros (£23) return.
If you want to use the German
ICE train between Brussels and Cologne,
book from London to
Brussels at
www.eurostar.com, then book a ticket from Brussels to
Bonn, Koblenz or Mainz separately at the German Railways
website,
www.bahn.de. You need to register, then
tickets can be sent to any address or in many cases you can
print your own.
If there are
no affordable London-Cologne through fares shown, it can be worth
using
www.raileurope.co.uk
and trying to split the journey into separate
London-Brussels & Brussels-Cologne sections, looking for
cheap fares for each leg.
First, ask for 'Brussels'
to 'Cologne' and
your dates of travel. After booking the Thalys from Brussels to
Cologne, click 'continue shopping' and book a Eurostar
from London to Brussels and back to connect. Make sure you allow for
the 30 minute Eurostar check-in at Brussels on the return
journey.
How to buy
tickets by phone:
If you prefer to buy tickets by
phone, call
Deutsche
Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday,
09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card
charge) or call www.europeanrail.com
on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Monday to
Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday, £25 booking fee). Click
here for a list of
agencies and more information on how to buy tickets.
You can travel from London to Frankfurt either via Paris
or
via Brussels. The route via Brussels is
more frequent, but with the opening of the new TGV-Est high-speed line
in June
2007, direct German ICE trains link Paris &
Frankfurt in just 3 hours 50 minutes with cheap fares
available, making the route via Paris just as simple (one
change in Paris with a short walk between stations),
marginally cheaper and just as fast. The route via
Paris is significantly easier to book online. The choice is yours...
Update: You may find a French TGV substituting
at the moment, due to problems with the ICEs...
The new TGV-Est high-speed line opened
in June 2007, and direct 175 mph
German ICE trains now link Paris and Frankfurt in just 4
hours 50 minutes, city centre to city centre. The ICE3
trains used on this service are superb, amongst the most comfortable
high-speed trains in Europe. This route is easy to
book online using
www.raileurope.co.uk.
London ►
Frankfurt (via Paris)
Eurostar
(30 min check-in)
Mon-Fri
Sat
Sun
Mon-Fri, Sun
Daily
London
St Pancras
depart
09:01
08:32
07:52
12:29
14:04
Paris
Gare du Nord
arrive
12:23
11:47
11:17
15:50
17:26
10 min
walk to the Gare de l'Est for ICE train to
Frankfurt:
Paris
Gare de l'Est
depart
13:09
13:09
13:09
17:09
19:05
Saarbrücken
arrive
14:57
14:57
14:57
18:57
20:57
Mannheim Hbf
arrive
16:16
16:16
16:16
20:16
22:15
Frankfurt am
Main Hbf
arrive
16:58
16:58
16:58
20:58
22:58
Frankfurt ► London (via Paris)
ICE
train from Frankfurt to Paris:
Mon-Sat
Mon-Fri
Sat, Sun
Daily
Frankfurt am Main Hbf
depart
06:00
09:01
09:01
13:01
Mannheim Hbf
depart
06:40
09:41
09:41
13:41
Saarbrücken
depart
08:00
11:01
11:01
15:01
Paris
Gare de l'Est
arrive
09:50
12:49
12:53
16:50
10 min
walk to the Gare du Nord
for Eurostar to London:
(limited
availability, book at least 14 days in advance)
Full fare (always available) £74 one-way, £148 return.
An ICE to Frankfurt
awaits departure in the platform at Paris Gare de
l'Est...
ICE 1st class.
ICE's are perhaps the most comfortable daytime trains
in Europe...
ICE 2nd class
Buy tickets online...
The easiest & cheapest way for
UK residents to buy London-Frankfurt train tickets for
journeys via Paris is online at
www.raileurope.co.uk,
just use the booking form below.
Although you can book London-Frankfurt in one go, it is
better to book the journey in 2 stages. First book the
Paris-Frankfurt train, add it to your basket and click
'continue shopping'. Then book the Eurostar
London-Paris & back. This gives you more control, and
for example allows you to book an earlier Eurostar if you
want to spend some time in Paris, or if it has cheaper seats
available. Make sure you allow at least 1 hour between
trains in Paris to allow for any delay, and the walk between
stations (15 mins) and the 30 minute Eurostar check-in in
the return direction.
Tickets can be sent to any UK address for a £1.95 fee or
collected at St Pancras on departure free of charge.
There's a 2% credit card fee, so use a debit card if you
can. Only UK credit cards are accepted.
It's backed by a UK call centre, 0844 848 5 848.
How to
buy tickets by phone...
If you
prefer to book the journey via Paris by phone, or if you have problems booking
online, call Rail
Europe on 0844 848 5 848 (lines open
08:00-21:00 Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-18:00 Saturdays, no
longer open Sundays).
High-speed
Eurostar trains
link
London with Brussels in just 2 hours 20 minutes. From Brussels, high-speed
Thalys trains take just 2½ hours to reach Cologne, with
connections for Frankfurt. There's even two direct
Brussels-Frankfurt ICE trains twice a day.
The new high speed line from Cologne to Frankfurt allows the
luxurious German 'ICE' trains to do this trip in just one hour. However,
although the
high speed line cuts a 2-hour journey to just 1 hour, you
may prefer the old scenic route which runs right along the
Rhine Valley, past cliffs and castles and the Lorelei
Rock. If so, ask when booking - you can check times
from Cologne to Frankfurt yourself at
www.bahn.de
- just insert 'via Koblenz' in the 'via' box to get a Rhine
Valley journey.
London ►
Frankfurt (via Brussels)
Eurostar (30 minute check-in)
Mon-Fri
Mon-Fri
Sat
Mon-Fri
Sat
Daily
Daily
London
St Pancras
depart
05:57
08:34
07:57
08:34
07:57
12:57
14:34
Brussels Midi/Zuid
arrive
08:56
11:29
10:56
11:29
10:56
16:03
17:33
Change onto an ICE to Frankfurt, or a
Thalys to Cologne then onward train to Frankfurt
Change trains onto
Eurostar. Remember the 30 minute check-in...
Brussels
Midi/Zuid
depart
11:29
11:29
11:29
14:29
14:59
14:29
15:59
16:59
17:59
18:59
London
St Pancras
arrive
12:26
12:26
12:26
15:26
15:56
15:26
17:03
18:03
19:03
19:56
Fares
(via Brussels)
Cheapest
total fare (approx)
2nd
class:
1st
class:
London to Frankfurt by Eurostar+Thalys
£137
return
£270
return
London to Frankfurt by Eurostar+ ICE
£125 return
£270
return
First, check
www.bahn.de for special deals:
London-Frankfurt from £42 each way...
It's worth
checking the German Railways website,
www.bahn.de, because you'll occasionally find
49-89 euro (£42-£77) each way tickets available on the 08:34
& 14:34 Eurostar+ICE departures from London to Frankfurt,
and the 07:29 & 13:29 return services from Frankfurt.
But for some reason the German site can't sell normal
tickets for this route, only these cheap deals which often
sell out. And it can't sell tickets of any sort for
the Eurostar+Thalys services. So if you see a cheap
London-Frankfurt fare at
www.bahn.de then fine, but if you don't, move swiftly on
to the next section.
How to buy
tickets online...
This route has to be booked in two
stages. If your chosen journey involves a
direct ICE train between Brussels and Frankfurt (marked
with a 'c' in the timetable above):
Step 1, go to
www.eurostar.com and buy the Eurostar ticket from London
to Brussels & back. Tickets can
be posted to any UK address, self-printed or collected at St
Pancras station in London.
Step 2, go to
www.bahn.de, the German Railways website, and book the ICE train from
Brussels to Frankfurt & back, making sure you pick the direct
Brussels-Frankfurt train. Fares from 39 euro (£33)
each way. You want
Brussels Zuid (Brussels South) if prompted.
If your chosen journey involves a
Thalystrain between Brussels and Cologne (trains not
marked with a 'c'):
Step 1, buy a London-Cologne
Eurostar+Thalys ticket online at either
www.eurostar.com or
www.raileurope.co.uk.
It's worth trying both sites, as prices vary
between the two (and there appears to be a glitch
with raileurope.co.uk at the moment). Bookings open 90
days before departure. Tickets
can be posted to any UK address or collected at St Pancras
on departure.
Step 2, now buy your Cologne-Frankfurt
ticket online at the German Railways website,
www.bahn.de. Fares start at 29 euro (£25)
each way. I recommend registering when prompted, as
you can then retrieve any bookings later. You simply
print out your own Online Ticket.
How to buy
tickets by phone...
If you prefer to
book by phone, call
Deutsche
Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday,
09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no
booking fee, 2% credit card charge). You can also buy tickets by calling www.europeanrail.com
on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Monday to
Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday, £25 booking fee). Click
here for a list of
agencies and more information on how to buy tickets.
You can easily travel from London to
Düsseldorf & Dortmund by train, using Eurostar, a
high-speed Thalys to Cologne, and a connecting
train from Cologne.
Train times...
Simply use the London-Cologne
timetable above to find train times to Cologne, then use
www.bahn.de to find connecting
train times from Cologne to Düsseldorf, Duisburg Essen and
Dortmund. Allow at least 20 minutes in Cologne to make
the connection.
Step 1, go to
either
www.eurostar.com or www.raileurope.co.uk
and buy a London-Cologne Eurostar+Thalys ticket, using the
train times on this page as a guide.
Check both websites to find
the cheapest fares, as prices vary between the
two. On
www.eurostar.com, Cologne is listed as 'Köln' (German for
Cologne). Bookings open 90 days before departure. Tickets can be posted to any UK address
or collected at St Pancras.
Step 2, buy a ticket from Cologne
to Düsseldorf or Dortmund: it's easy to do this
online at the German Railways website,
www.bahn.de, or
simply buy it at the station when you get to Cologne.
Cologne-Düsseldorf costs 20 euro (£14) return,
Cologne-Dortmund from 30 euro (£21) return. Make
sure you allow at least 20 minutes between trains in
Cologne.
If you want to use the German
ICE train between Brussels and Cologne, first book from London to
Brussels at
www.eurostar.com, then book a ticket from Brussels to
Düsseldorf or Dortmund separately at the German Railways
website,
www.bahn.de. You need to register, then
tickets can be sent to any address or in many cases you can
print your own Online Ticket.
If there are
no affordable through fares shown, go to
www.raileurope.co.uk
and try
splitting the journey into separate London-Brussels and
Brussels-Cologne sections, looking for cheap fares for
each leg.
First, ask for
'Brussels' to 'Cologne' and your dates of travel. After booking the Thalys from Brussels to
Cologne, click 'continue shopping' and book a Eurostar
from London to Brussels and back to connect. Note that this system will book Thalys
trains but not (being French!) the German ICE trains
between Brussels and Cologne. Make sure you allow for
the 30 minute Eurostar check-in at Brussels on the return
journey.
How to buy
tickets by phone...
If you prefer to buy tickets by
phone, call
Deutsche
Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday,
09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee). You can also book
with www.europeanrail.com
on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Monday to
Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday, £25 booking fee). Click
here for a list of
agencies and more information on how to buy tickets.
You can easily travel by train from London to
Osnabrück, Bremen or Hamburg in a
day, using Eurostar, a high-speed Thalys train to Cologne,
then a
comfortable InterCity or EuroCity train from Cologne to
Hamburg. Sadly, the Brussels-Hamburg sleeper train was
discontinued as from 14 December 2008, thanks to the efforts
of the Belgian Railways.
London ►
Osnabrück, Bremen, Hamburg
Eurostar (remember the 30 min check-in)
Mon-Fri
Mon-Fri
Sat
Daily
London
St Pancras
depart
05:57
08:34
07:57
12:57
Brussels Midi/Zuid
arrive
08:56
11:29
10:56
16:03
Change in Brussels onto a high-speed
Thalys train...
Brussels Midi/Zuid
depart
09:59
12:18 c
12:18 c
16:55
Cologne
arrive
12:15
14:15 c
14:15 c
19:15
Change in Cologne onto an IC or ICE train...
Cologne
depart
13:11
15:11
15:11
20:11
Osnabrück
arrive
15:21
17:21
17:21
22:25
Bremen
arrive
16:14
18:14
18:14
23:20
Hamburg
(Hbf)
arrive
17:12
19:12
19:12
00:20
c = by high-speed German
ICE train,
not Thalys.
Reservation obligatory, special fares apply.
x = Eurostar connection runs 1 hour later on Saturdays.
On
SUNDAYS, some Eurostars leave London 5 minutes EARLIER than shown.
Change in Cologne onto a high-speed
Thalys train...
Cologne
depart
10:45
10:45
12:44
12:44
14:44 c
15:45
Brussels Midi/Zuid
arrive
13:01
13:01
15:01
15:01
16:35 c
18:01
Change in Brussels onto
Eurostar. Remember the 30 minute check-in.
Brussels Midi/Zuid
depart
14:59
14:29
15:59
16:59
17:59
18:59
London
St Pancras
arrive
15:56
15:26
17:03
18:03
19:03
19:56
Fares
Fares
from:
2nd
class:
1st
class:
London to Hamburg by Eurostar+Thalys
£153 return
£280 return
London to Hamburg by Eurostar+ICE
£153 return
£280 return
First, check
www.bahn.de for special deals:
London-Hamburg from £42 each way...
It's worth
checking the German Railways website,
www.bahn.de, because you'll occasionally find
49-89 euro (£42-£77) each way tickets available on the 08:34
& 14:34 Eurostar+ICE departures from London to Hamburg, and
the 09:46 return service from Hamburg to London. But
the German site can't sell normal tickets
for this route, only these cheap deals which often sell out.
And it can't sell tickets of any sort for the
Eurostar+Thalys services. So if you see a cheap fare,
then buy it, if not, move swiftly on to the next section...
How to buy
tickets online...
If your chosen journey involves a
Thalys train between Brussels and Cologne:
Step 1, buy a London-Cologne ticket online at
either
www.eurostar.com or
www.raileurope.co.uk.
It's worth trying both sites, as prices vary
between the two. Bookings open 90 days before
departure. Tickets can be
posted to any UK address or collected at St Pancras on
departure.
Step 2, now buy a ticket from Cologne to
Hamburg, Bremen or Osnabrück online at the German Railways
website,
www.bahn.de, using the train times on this page as a
guide. You simply print out your own Online
Ticket. Make sure the train you
book connects with the Eurostar+Thalys you have booked,
using the train times on this page as a guide. I
recommend registering when it asks you before completing the
purchase, so you can easily retrieve any bookings.
If your chosen journey involves an
ICE train between Brussels and Cologne:
Step 1, go to
www.eurostar.com and buy the Eurostar ticket from London
to Brussels & back. Tickets can
be posted to any UK address, self-printed or picked up at St
Pancras station in London.
Step 2, go to
www.bahn.de, the German Railways website, and buy a ticket from Brussels to
Hamburg (or Bremen or Osnabrück) using the train times on
this page as a guide. Brussels-Hamburg starts
at just 39 euro (£33) each way.
I recommend registering when it asks you before completing
the purchase, so you can easily retrieve any bookings.
You simply print out your own Online Ticket. Easy!
How to buy
tickets by phone...
If you prefer to buy tickets by
phone, call
Deutsche
Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday,
09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card
charge), or www.europeanrail.com
on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00
Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday, £25 booking fee).
Click
here for a list of
agencies and more information on how to buy tickets.
This is an excellent time-effective option. It runs
daily in summer, but now only 4 times a week in winter, so
on days when it's not running you'll need to use daytime
trains,
see below.
Travel from
Paris to Munich by the City Night Line sleeper train
'Cassiopeia', leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at
20:20 and arriving in Stuttgart at 04:19, Ulm at 05:42,
Augsburg at 06:33 and Munich at 07:16 next morning.
Important: This otherwise excellent train
runs daily in summer, but only 4 times a week in winter.
It runs daily until 13 Dec 2008, then on Mondays, Fridays,
Saturdays & Sundays until 26 March 2009, then daily until
2 November 2009, then on Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays &
Sundays again. This train has a sleeping-car, couchettes & seats, see the
photos & information below.
Map of Munich showing the Hauptbahnhof.
More pictures
& information about this City Night Line train.
Munich ►
London
Travel from
Munich to Paris by the City Night Line sleeper train
'Cassiopeia', leaving Munich at 22:44,
Augsburg at 23:20, Ulm at 00:10 or Stuttgart at 01:26
and arriving in Paris Gare de l'Est at 09:30 next
morning. Important: This train runs daily
in summer, but now only 4 times a week in winter. It
runs daily until 13 Dec 2008, then on Thursdays, Fridays,
Saturdays & Sundays until 25 March 2009, then daily until
1 November 2009, then on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays &
Sundays again. It has seats (not recommended), couchettes
(4-berth & 6-berth) and sleeping-cars (1, 2 & 3-bed
deluxe and standard rooms). Bistro car available in
the morning for breakfast.
10 minute walk
from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare du Nord.
More pictures
& information about this City Night Line train.
Travel
from Paris to London by
Eurostar, leaving Paris Nord at
11:13 and arriving London St Pancras at 12:29.
Introducing
the City Night Line sleeper train to Munich...
The Paris-Munich overnight train is one of the German Railway's excellent
City Night Line sleeper trains. Called the
'Cassiopeia', it has brand-new 'Comfortline' sleeping-cars
(1, 2 and 3-berth deluxe rooms with private shower and
toilet, 1, 2 and
3-berth standard rooms with washbasin. There is a shower at
the end of the corridor for passengers in standard rooms,
and all rooms have powerpoints for laptop computers),
and
modern air-conditioned couchettes
(choose between a berth in a 4- or 6-berth compartment),
and ordinary seats (not recommended).
Inclusive fares are charged covering travel plus
sleeping accommodation. The sleeping-car fare includes
a light breakfast. There's a bistro car available for
dinner leaving Paris eastbound and for breakfast heading
into Paris westbound.
More
pictures & information about this train.
Travel tip: For a good meal in a classic
Parisian brasserie before boarding the sleeper train in
Paris, catch the earlier 14:04 Eurostar & dine at the
Brasserie Terminus Nord directly across the road
from the Gare du Nord. For a cooked breakfast in
Munich or evening meal before boarding the Paris-bound
sleeper on your return, try the typically Bavarian
Mongdratzerl restaurant, located in the hauptbahnhof
itself.
1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper:
The most comfortable & civilised option, standard with
washbasin or deluxe with shower & toilet.
4-berth couchettes:
Ideal for families, much more space per person than
6-berth couchettes.
6-berth couchettes:
A very economical option, far better than a seat for
just a few euros more...
"Night train to Munich": The
'Comfortline' sleeping-car of the Paris to Munich
sleeper train boarding at Paris Gare de l'Est...
Savings fare =
Special cheap fare, book in advance, limited availability,
no refunds, no changes to travel plans.
Normal fare =
fully flexible, refundable, buy any time. The normal
return fare shown above requires Saturday night away.
Youth fares:
There is a 25% discount on normal fares (but not Savings
fares) for anyone under 26 years old. Savings fares
usually cheaper!
Senior fares:
There is a 20% discount on normal fares (but not Savings
fares) for anyone over 60 years old. Savings fares
usually cheaper!
How to buy
tickets...
The cheapest
way to book this journey is online, but there are two ways
to do this and they are very different. The best
site to use is usually
www.raileurope.co.uk,
which accesses the French reservation system. It's the
easiest website to use, you can pay for the Eurostar
and the Paris-Munich sleeper together as one transaction,
and prices are in pounds. It often has the cheapest
prices. However, for some reason it won't book 4-berth
couchettes, and also prices any child over 12 as an adult an
any infant over 4 as a child, whereas
www.bahn.de (which accesses the German
reservation system) offers the full range of accommodation
including 4-berth couchettes, allows any infant under 6 to go free,
and classes any child under 14 as a child. If you book the sleeper at
www.bahn.de, you'll need to book the
Eurostar separately at
www.eurostar.com. Try both ways of
booking to see what works out cheapest for you.
This booking form links to
www.raileurope.co.uk.
Tickets can be collected at St Pancras or stations in
France free of charge, or sent to a UK
address for a £1.95 fee.
There's no fee for debit cards, but they charge a 2% credit card fee. Only
UK credit cards are accepted.
Reservations for the Paris-Munich sleeper train open 90 days
before departure. You can't book before reservations
open.
To get an idea of prices if your date of travel is more than
90 days away, ask it for a date within the
next 90 days. Be aware that the 90 days is often
squeezed to less than 90 in the few weeks
immediately after the European timetable changes in
mid-June & mid-December. Ask for a date before the
timetable change to get an idea of price.
You must treat London to Munich as two
separate journeys, one from London to Paris, the other
Paris to Munich. This gives you more control, and
allows you to mix and match (for example) 2nd class Eurostar
with 2-berth deluxe sleeper (1st class). It also allows
stopovers in Paris is you like.
Step 1, change 'London St Pancras' to 'Paris' and book from Paris to
Munich & back,
looking for the direct overnight train. On the
confirmation page, clicking 'show itinerary details' shows the
specific coach number & berth or seat number
you've been given.
As explained above, it won't book 4-berth couchettes. Check
the sleeper train times before booking the Eurostar, as
engineering work occasionally affects arrival times, requiring
a different Eurostar connection.
Step 2, when you've booked the train from Paris to
Berlin & back, click 'continue shopping' and book the
Eurostar from London to Paris & back. Use the Eurostar
times on this page as a guide, but feel free to choose an
earlier Eurostar from London or a later Eurostar back from
Paris if these have cheaper seats available or if you'd like
to stop off in Paris. Don't forget that on your return
journey, your departure date from Paris to London will be
the day after your departure date from Berlin!
Tickets are sent from Rail Europe's UK office and normally arrive in a couple of
days. If you need any help, you can call Rail Europe's
UK call centre on 0844 848 5 848.
You can also book the Paris-Munich train at
www.bahn.de, then use
www.eurostar.com to book the Eurostar. Do a 'dry run'
first on both sites to check prices and availability before
booking for real. Anyone from any country can use this
method of booking.
Step 1, go to
www.bahn.de, the German Railways website and book from Paris to
Munich and back on the direct overnight sleeper train.
The search results will show cheap 'savings' fares (if
available) and
fully-flexible fares for each type of seat, couchette &
sleeper. You pay by credit card and print out your own
tickets. Easy! The prices shown on
www.bahn.de are in euro, and are the total cost for all
passengers selected, not per person. I recommend
registering when it asks you before completing the purchase,
so you can easily retrieve any bookings. Always book the
sleeper train first and check its exact arrival & departure
times before
booking the Eurostar connection, as times can vary.
Allow at least 90 minutes on the outward journey and 1 hour
on the return to make the connection in Paris.
Step 2, go to
www.eurostar.com & buy your Eurostar
ticket between London and Paris, using the Eurostar times
above as a guide. By all means book an earlier
Eurostar outwards, or a later Eurostar on the way back, if
this has cheaper seats available of if you'd like to stop
off in Paris for a while. Eurostar tickets can be sent to any UK
address, self-printed, or collected at the station.
How to buy
tickets by phone...
You can book both
the Eurostar and the sleeper train by phone by calling
Deutsche
Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open
09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no
booking fee, 2% credit card charge but no charge for debit
cards), or
European Rail
on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00
Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday, £25 booking fee).
You can travel from London to Munich
by daytime trains,
via a choice of two routes:
Option 1,
take Eurostar to Paris, walk from the Gare du Nord to Gare
de l'Est (10 minutes), then take a direct high-speed TGV
from Paris to Stuttgart or Munich. This option is the
fastest, cheapest & simplest to book, but not the most
frequent. It involves an easy 10-minute walk between
stations in Paris.
Option
2, take Eurostar to Brussels, a high-speed
Thalys train to
Cologne, then a high-speed
ICE train from Cologne to
Munich. This is the most frequent option with several
services daily, although it's not the fastest, and it always
involves two (same-station) changes of train.
On 10 June 2007,
the new TGV-Est high-speed line opened and direct French
TGVs now link Paris & Stuttgart in 3 hours 40 minutes.
This makes for a fast and easy train journey from London.
London ►
Stuttgart, Munich (via Paris)
Eurostar
(30 min check-in)
Mon-Sat
Daily
Mon-Fri, Sun
Note A
London
St Pancras
depart
06:55
10:25
12:29
15:29
Paris
Gare du Nord
arrive
10:17
13:47
15:50
18:56
10 min
walk to the Gare de l'Est for TGV to Stuttgart &
Munich...
* = change in Stuttgart. Other Paris-Munich trains are
direct.
Munich, Stuttgart ► London (via Paris)
TGV
train...
Mon-Sat
Daily
except Fri
Fri
Note A
Munich Hbf
depart
-
06:21
09:40*
09:40*
22:44
Augsburg
depart
-
06:58
10:17*
10:17*
23:20
Ulm
depart
-
07:43
11:05*
11:05*
00:10
Stuttgart Hbf
arrive
-
08:52
12:00*
12:00*
|
Stuttgart Hbf
depart
06:55
08:55
12:55
12:55
01:26
Paris Gare de l'Est
arrive
10:34
12:34
16:34
16:34
09:30
10 min
walk to the Gare du Nord for Eurostar (30 minute
check-in)...
Paris Gare du Nord
depart
12:13
15:13
18:13
17:43
11:13
London
St Pancras
arrive
13:28
16:36
19:34
18:59
12:29
New
designer interiors... The new TGV trains from
Paris to Stuttgart feature chic new interiors by
designer Christian Lacroix. Left: 1st
class. Right: 2nd class.
Limited
availability, book in advance to get these fares.
Full fare £81 one-way, £142 return.
How to buy
tickets...
The easiest & cheapest way for
UK residents to buy London-Munich or London-Stuttgart train tickets for
journeys via Paris is online at
www.raileurope.co.uk
(just use the booking form below).
Although you can book London-Munich (or Stuttgart) in one go, it is
better to book the journey in 2 stages. First book the
Paris-Munich train, add it to your basket and click
'continue shopping'. Then book the Eurostar
London-Paris & back. This gives you more control, and
for example allows you to book an earlier Eurostar if you
want to spend some time in Paris, or if it has cheaper seats
available. Make sure you allow at least 1 hour between
trains in Paris to allow for any delay, and the walk between
stations (15 mins) and the 30 minute Eurostar check-in in
the return direction.
Tickets can be sent to any UK address for a £1.95 fee or
collected at St Pancras on departure free of charge.
There's a 2% credit card fee, so use a debit card if you
can. Only UK credit cards are accepted.
It's backed by a UK call centre, 0844 848 5 848.
How to
buy tickets by phone...
If you
prefer to book the journey via Paris by phone, or if you have problems booking
online, call Rail
Europe on 0844 848 5 848 (lines open
08:00-21:00 Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-18:00 Saturdays,
no longer open Sundays).
Residents of any country may use voyages-sncf.com, leaving
'France' selected to pick up tickets in Paris or selecting
another European country (including the UK) to have tickets
posted to any European address.
Before booking,
see
this advice on using it.
Change at Cologne onto a
high-speed Thalys train...
via Paris,
Cologne
depart
10:45
10:45
12:44
12:44
14:44 c
15:45
see
Brussels
Midi
arrive
13:01
13:01
15:01
15:01
16:35 c
18:01
above)
Change at Brussels onto
Eurostar (30 min check-in)...
|
Brussels
Midi
depart
14:59
14:29
15:59
16:59
17:59
18:59
|
London
St Pancras
arrive
15:56
15:26
17:03
18:03
19:03
19:56
12:29
Fares
Fares
from:
2nd
class:
1st
class:
London to Stuttgart
£137 return
£275
London to Munich
£137
return
£275
First, check
www.bahn.de for special deals: London to
Stuttgart or Munich from £42 each way...
It's worth
checking the German Railways website,
www.bahn.de, because you'll occasionally find
49-89 euro (£42-£77) each way tickets available on the
08:34 or 07:57 Eurostar+ICE departure from London to Stuttgart
or Munich, and the 09:23 return service from Munich & 11:51
from Stuttgart (Booking tip: If booking to
Stuttgart, enter 'Cologne' in the 'Via' box otherwise it
sends you via Paris and won't find the cheap deals).
But the German site can't sell normal
tickets for this route, only these cheap deals which often
sell out. And it can't sell tickets of any sort for
the Eurostar+Thalys services. So if you find a cheap
deal, fine, if not, move swiftly on to the next section...
How to buy
tickets online...
If your chosen journey involves a
Thalys train between Brussels and Cologne:
Step 1, buy a London-Cologne ticket online at
either
www.eurostar.com or
www.raileurope.co.uk.
It's worth trying both sites, as prices vary
between the two. Bookings open 90 days before
departure. Tickets can be
posted to any UK address or collected at St Pancras on
departure.
Step 2, buy a Cologne-Munich or
Cologne-Stuttgart ticket online at the German Railways
website,
www.bahn.de. You simply print out your own Online
Ticket. Make sure the train you
book connects with the Eurostar+Thalys you have booked,
using the train times on this page as a guide. I
recommend registering when it asks you before completing the
purchase, so you can easily retrieve any bookings.
If your chosen journey involves an
ICE train between Brussels and Cologne (marked with a
'c' above):
Step 1, go to
www.eurostar.com and buy a Eurostar ticket from London
to Brussels. Tickets can
be posted to any UK address, self-printed or picked up at St
Pancras station in London.
Step 2, go to
www.bahn.de, the German Railways website, and buy a ticket from Brussels to
Stuttgart or Munich. Brussels-Munich fares start
at just 39 euro (£33) each way 2nd class, and you simply
print out your own Online Ticket. Make sure the train
you book connects with the Eurostar+Thalys you have booked,
using the train times on this page as your guide. I
recommend registering when it asks you before completing the
purchase, so you can easily retrieve any bookings later.
How to buy
tickets by phone...
If you prefer to buy tickets by
phone, call
Deutsche
Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday,
09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card
charge), or www.europeanrail.com
on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00
Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday, £25 booking fee).
Click
here for a list of
agencies and more information on how to buy tickets.
Train times London ► Leipzig & Dresden (option 1)...
Travel from London to
Berlin (Hauptbahnhof) as shown in the London to Berlin
overnight section.
For
Leipzig, leave Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 09:52 by fast modern
ICE train arriving Leipzig 11:05.
For
Dresden, leave Berlin Hauptbahnhof by air-conditioned EuroCity
train at 10:54 arriving Dresden (Hauptbahnhof) at 12:58.
Train times
Dresden & Leipzig ► London (option 1)...
Leave
Dresden at 17:04 by air-conditioned EuroCity train arriving Berlin
Hauptbahnhof at 19:20. There's also a 15:05 if you'd
prefer an earlier connection.
Leave
Leipzig at 17:51 by fast modern
ICE train arriving Berlin Hauptbahnhof at
19:00.
Travel
from Berlin to London overnight as shown in the London
to Berlin section above.
Train times London ► Dresden
(option 2)...
Travel
from London to Brussels by
Eurostar,
leaving London St Pancras at 14:34
and arriving in Brussels at 17:33.
Travel
from Brussels to Cologne by
high-speed Thalys train, leaving Brussels at
19:25 and arriving
in Cologne at 21:45.
Travel from Cologne to
Dresden by sleeper train, leaving
Cologne at 22:28 and arriving in Dresden at
07:07 next morning. This train is the 'Kopernikus', with
modern sleeping-car
(1, 2 & 3-berth deluxe rooms with private shower &
toilet, 1, 2 & 3-berth standard rooms with washbasin, there is a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers
in standard rooms, all rooms have power points for mobiles &
laptop computers), modern air-conditioned couchettes
(choose between a berth in a 4- or 6-berth compartment), and
basic seats (not recommended). Inclusive fares are
charged covering travel and sleeping accommodation. The
sleeping-car fare includes a light breakfast.
Click for pictures and information about this train.
Train times
Dresden ► London (option 2)...
Travel from Dresden to Cologne by sleeper train, leaving
Dresden Hauptbahnhof at 20:51 and arriving in Cologne at 06:14 next
morning. This train is the 'Kopernikus', with brand-new
German sleeping-cars
(1, 2 & 3-berth deluxe rooms with private shower &
toilet, 1, 2 & 3-berth standard rooms with washbasin,
there is a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers
in standard rooms, all rooms have power-points for
laptop computers), modern air-conditioned couchettes
(choose between a berth in a 4- or 6-berth compartment), and
basic seats (not recommended). Inclusive fares are
charged covering travel plus sleeping accommodation. The
sleeping-car fare includes a light breakfast.
Click for pictures and information about this train.
On
Mondays-Fridays, a high-speed
Thalys
train leaves Cologne at 07:14, arriving Brussels at
09:35. On Sundays, a high-speed
Thalys
train leaves Cologne at 07:40, arriving Brussels at
10:01.
A
Eurostar
leaves Brussels at 11:29
and arrives London St Pancras at 12:26.
Colditz...
Now part of
WW2 folklore and well worth a visit... A train
leaves Leipzig every hour (usually at .15 mins past the
even hour) for Grossbothen (or on some departures, Grimma) where a bus connects for Colditz.
Journey from Leipzig about 1 hour 7 mins. You
can check train and bus times at
www.bahn.de.
In 1992, I made the whole journey from Leipzig to Colditz by
train - although now partly replaced by a bus, there's
rumours of the train's revival some time in the future..!
How to buy tickets online...
Step 1, buy
a London-Cologne ticket online at either
www.raileurope.co.uk
or
www.eurostar.com.
It's worth trying both sites, as prices occasionally vary
slightly between the two. Bookings open 90 days before
departure, and the further ahead you book, the more likely
you are to see the cheapest fare. Tickets can be
posted to any UK address or collected at St Pancras on
departure.
Step 2, buy a Cologne-Dresden
ticket at the
German Railways night train site,
www.bahn.de. Book a sleeper or couchette ticket from Cologne (Köln Hbf)
to Dresden and back, looking for the cheap 'Savings'
fares. You pay online and print out your own ticket in
.PDF format on your own PC printer.
How to buy
tickets by phone...
If you prefer to buy tickets by
phone, call
Deutsche
Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday,
09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card
charge), or www.europeanrail.com
on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00
Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday, £25 booking fee). Click
here for a list of
agencies and more information on how to buy tickets.
You can get to just about anywhere in Germany by train from
London.
If your destination is close to one of the big cities shown on
this page such as Berlin, Hamburg or Munich, use the train
times on this page then use the German Railways website
www.bahn.de
(German Railways) to find train times onwards from that city to your final
destination. The German Railways website will also give
fares for journeys within Germany.
If your destination is itself a big city, but not one shown on
this page, for example, Nuremberg , Regensburg, Heidelberg,
then use the London-Cologne train times
shown above. Then use
www.bahn.de
to find connecting train times and fares from Cologne to your
final destination. You can buy the London-Cologne ticket
online at
www.eurostar.com, then buy the connecting German ticket
online at
www.bahn.de.
You can of course take a train up
to London and travel from London to Germany as described
above, and this is often the easiest option.
Here's some advice on buying
connecting train tickets to London. But
DFDS Seaways run an excellent daily overnight cruise
ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam, and there are
then direct daytime trains from Amsterdam to Berlin, Cologne &
Frankfurt, plus a City Night Line overnight sleeper to
Munich.
P&O Ferriessail overnight from Hull to Holland,
and there's also an overnight Stena Line ferry from Harwich in
Essex to Holland. So why not
by-pass London by taking a cruise ferry to Holland, spend some time in Amsterdam,
then hop on a train to Germany? You can also use this
route from London if you prefer a ferry to Eurostar or want
to see Amsterdam on the way.
Above: By-pass London with the DFDS Seaways
cruise ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam (or P&O from
Hull to Rotterdam). Direct
trains run from Amsterdam to Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt,
Berlin, Prague, Vienna,
Copenhagen, Warsaw, Milan, Zurich & even
Moscow...
Photo courtesy of DFDS
Scotland, the north of England,
East Anglia ► Germany
Day 1, Take an afternoon train from your local station
to either Harwich, Hull or Newcastle, whichever is most
convenient for where you live. Transfer to the
overnight cruise ferry to Holland, with bars, restaurants
& comfortable en suite cabins, arriving next morning.
For details of timetables, fares & how to buy tickets for
travel to Amsterdam via each of these ferry routes,
see the UK-Netherlands page.
Day 2, spend
some time
in Amsterdam, all the sights are easy walking distance from
Centraal station. Left luggage lockers are available
at Centraal station, 4-6 euro for 24 hours, paid for with
Maestro or Visa cards.
Day 2
afternoon: Take a direct train from Amsterdam to
Cologne, Frankfurt, Hanover or Berlin. For example,
the 14:58 from Amsterdam (Zuid station, not Centraal)
arrives Berlin 21:20, or there's another at 16:58 arriving
Berlin at 23:20. A 14:34 train from Amsterdam Centraal
(a superb ICE train)
arrives Cologne at 17:12 & Frankfurt at 18:30, or there are
earlier and later trains too. In the evening there's a
City Night Line sleeper
train to Munich, arriving 07:16 next morning. You can
check train times & fares from Amsterdam to anywhere in
Germany (and buy tickets online) at
www.bahn.de.
Germany ►
Scotland, the north of England, East Anglia
Day 1, morning: Take
a direct train from Berlin, Frankfurt or Cologne to
Amsterdam.
You can check train times & fares from anywhere in Germany
to Amsterdam (and buy tickets online) at
www.bahn.de. For example, the 08:39 from Berlin
arrives Amsterdam Zuid at 15:02 or there's an earlier 06:37
arriving 13:02. The 07:29 from Frankfurt & 08:48 from
Cologne (a superb
ICE train) arrives Amsterdam Centraal at 11:25, or there
are later trains.
Spend some time in
Amsterdam. Left luggage lockers are available.
Day 1, late afternoon/evening: Travel overnight by cruise ferry from
Holland to either Harwich, Hull or Newcastle, whichever is
most convenient for where you live, arriving next morning (day
4). Transfer to the station and take a train home.
For full details of train & ferry times and how to buy tickets
for each of these routes,
see the UK-Netherlands page.
To check
Amsterdam-Vienna or Amsterdam-Munich sleeper train fares &
book online, go to either
www.raileurope.co.uk (easy to use and can be cheapest
way to book, but may have difficulty booking 4 berth
couchettes) or
www.bahn.de (look for the direct train with 0 changes).
Thomas Cook European Timetable
The
Thomas Cook European timetable
has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency
& climate
information. Published since 1873, it costs £13.99.
It's essential for any serious traveller
and an inspiration for armchair travellers. Still
not convinced you need one? More information
on what the Thomas Cook Timetable contains. You can
buy the latest monthly edition online at
www.thomascooktimetables.com with worldwide delivery or
buy it in person from any UK branch of Thomas Cook (ask at the
bureau de change), or from W H Smiths in Victoria or Kings
Cross stations in London.
Or
buy the twice-yearly independent traveller's edition with
laminated cover from Amazon.co.uk:
2009 edition (June to December 2009)
The Thomas Cook Rail Map of
Europe is the best and most comprehensive
map of train routes right across Europe, from Portugal in the
west to Istanbul, Moscow & Ukraine in the east, from Finland
in the north to Sicily & Crete in the south. High speed
&
scenic routes are highlighted. Highly recommended!
Buy online
at www.amazon.co.uk
(worldwide delivery).
See an extract from
the map.
It's easy to book hotels online to go with your train tickets.
Here are the websites I'd suggest using:
www.laterooms.com lists a huge number of hotels in any given town or
city on a single page showing price and availability for your
specific dates.
As its name suggests, Laterooms negotiates big discounts for hotel rooms booked within
3 months of travel, which makes it ideal for train travellers booking
tickets within the normal 90 days advance booking period.
www.venere.com has a more personal approach than
Laterooms. On Venere, the price you see is the price you pay, no
hidden extras, and you just pay the hotel when you get
there. After you've booked, you can change or cancel
your reservation in line with the hotel's own change and
cancellation policy.
www.tripadvisor.com
is a good place to browse independent travellers' reviews of the main hotels.
Search all the
main
hotel booking sites at once...
The
search box below links to
www.hotelscombined.com, a free search tool
which checks all the main hotel booking sites (Expedia, Travelocity, LateRooms, Opodo, Venere,
Asiarooms and many others) to find just about the widest range
of hotels with the cheapest rates on the net.
www.hostelbookers.com: If you're on a tight budget,
don't forget about the backpacker hostels. Hostelbookers
offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in
Germany and most other European
countries at rock-bottom prices.
City centres and
cars don't mix well, so stick with the train for city-based
tours. But if you want to get out of the cities and into
the countryside, hiring a car can be a great idea. Start
by trying
Holiday Autos,
www.holidayautos.co.uk, they're part of Lastminute.com so are reliable and have a wide range of
locations and very good prices.
The award-winning
www.carrentals.co.uk compares many different car hire
companies including Holiday Autos, meaning not only a cheapest
price comparison but a wider choice of hire and drop off
location.
Make
sure you take a good guidebook.
For independent travel, the best guidebook is either the Lonely Planet or Rough Guide. Both guidebooks provide
an excellent
level of practical information and historical and cultural background. You
won't regret buying one! My own book, an essential handbook for
train travel to Europe based on this website called "The
Man in Seat 61", was published in June 2008, and is now
available from Amazon.co.uk.
Travel insurance is boring, but a necessity, so
never travel without it. Make sure your cover is adequate, at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover,
from a reliable insurer. It should also cover loss of
cash (up to a limit) and belongings, and cancellation. An annual
multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip
policies even for just 2 or 3 trips
a year (I have an annual policy myself). Here are some suggested insurers.
Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these
links.
If you live in the UK, get quotes from
Direct Line,
Columbus Direct & the Environmental Transport Association
(click the banner below).
I've used Direct Line myself and on one occasion, successfully
claimed back the cost of non-refundable Eurostar & trainhotel
tickets to Spain when we cancelled the trip because my mother
fell ill. ETA offer discounts on insurance for
non-flying trips, so give them a try too although I have yet
to use them myself.
Feedback from
using insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome!
UK citizens travelling in Europe should carry a European
Health Insurance Card. This replaces the old E111 forms
as from January 2006. The EHIC card is available free
from
www.ehic.org.uk and entitles you to free or reduced rate
health care if you become ill or get injured in many European
countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with the UK's NHS.
If you want a holiday or short
break in Germany by
train, but would prefer to travel with fellow travellers, a
tour manager and all the legwork done for you, there are
two companies (in fact, both part of the same group) who run
escorted tours from the UK to Germany by train, with regular departures, no airport hassles
and no whole days spent in cramped coach seats on motorways.
Seat61 gets some commission to support the site if you book
your holiday through these links or phone numbers.
Treyn Holidays
offers several train-based tours to Germany, with 3* hotels and travel
by Eurostar and onwards high-speed train. For example, a
5-day
tour to the Rhine Valley starts at £325 per person, 6 day
Rhine cruise from £615. Check details at
www.treynholidays.co.uk,
then book online or call 0845 402 2069.
GRJ offers
five-star inclusive tours to several areas in Germany, with 1st class train
travel and 5* or 4* hotels, from around £995 per person.
Tours include a
10-day tour to the Rhine Valley from
£995, or a
12-day tour to Berlin, Dresden, Colditz & Prague from £1,550, all with
overland travel from London by train.
Great Rail Journeys also offer
holidays by train to other European countries. Check
the tour details online, then call 01904 527120 to
book or use their
online
booking form.
Unescorted holidays...
Erail,
www.erail.co.uk, 020 7619 1080. Please quote 'Seat61.com'
when you call...
Berlin 20 years
after the collapse of the Wall... Erail offer a
9-day holiday to Berlin & the Black Forest, from £1,455 per
person. This includes first class Eurostar travel to
Paris, a private transfer to the Gare de l'Est, overnight
travel in a 2-berth sleeper on the Paris-Berlin City Night
Line overnight train, 3 nights at the 3-star 'Mercure
Checkpoint Charlie' Hotel in Berlin, overnight City Night Line
sleeper from Berlin to Freiburg for the local train to Titisee
in the Black Forest for a 3-night stay in a spa resort by the lake. Free
daytrips by train into Freiburg. Finally, daytime
high-speed train travel back to London. Also available
with 2nd class travel and without transfers from £995 per
person.
www.venere.com
Take
the train to Germany, then hire a car:
If you live in the UK, get quotes from
If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the
EU, see
If you live in the USA or Canada, see
