How To Travel by Train From London To Europe - A Beginner's Guide

4/29/2018 How to travel by train from London to Europe - a beginner's guide
The Man in Seat 61... Search site: Go
A practical guide to travelling Share:
anywhere in Europe by train

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Train travel
UK &
Breakfast in London, dinner in Barcelona...
Ireland... There's no need to fly within Europe. It's surprisingly easy, quick and
comfortable to travel by train from London to almost anywhere:
Train travel
Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Greece, Prague, Helsinki, wherever... The
in Britain...
difficult bit is finding out how to do it and where to buy tickets.
Scotland by
That's where Seat 61 comes in.
sleeper...
Cornwall by This website tells you the best routes, train times & fares from
sleeper... London to major destinations all over Europe. It explains what the
Channel Islands trains are like, and the best way to buy tickets.
Isle of Man It also explains the best routes, train times & fares between the major
Northern Ireland cities of Europe, and how to buy the cheapest tickets, whether you
Republic of live in the UK, Europe, the USA, Australia or wherever.
Ireland
Left: Eurostar links the UK not just with Paris, but with destinations all over Europe.
Train travel
in Europe...
Train times & tickets for Europe...
Europe by train If your journey starts in the UK...
introduction If your journey starts in the UK, select your destination country in the
How to buy upper drop-down box to see the best routes, train times, fares & how Select your destination country...
European to buy tickets.
train tickets...
If your journey starts in another European country, select the city If your journey starts elsewhere...
London to
Paris where your journey starts in the lower drop-down box - if it isn't listed, Select the starting city...
or Brussels select one nearest to it in the same country. On the next page, select
by Eurostar... your destination to see routes, train times, fares & how to buy the
Albania cheapest tickets.
Andorra Return to this page for general information & advice about European train travel.
Austria
Belgium
Belarus Planning your trip...
Bosnia
How to check European train times Changing stations in Paris by metro or taxi What to do if things go wrong...
Bulgaria
Croatia How to check European train fares Changing trains in Brussels Wheelchairs & special needs
Cyprus How far ahead do train bookings open? Should I travel 1st or 2nd class? Recommended guidebooks
Czech Rep. Eurostar schedules, fares & information How early to arrive at the station? Hotels & accommodation
Denmark Ferry alternatives to Eurostar How long to allow for connections? Holidays & tours by train
Estonia Maps of the European rail network First class lounges at stations Car hire when you get there
Finland Real-time service updates Couchettes & sleeping-cars Travel insurance, credit cards, SIMs
France
Germany
Gibraltar Buying your tickets...
Greece How to buy European train tickets online Buying UK tickets to connect with Eurostar Railpasses & Eurail passes
Hungary
How to buy European train tickets by phone Senior fares for over-60s Buying & using an InterRail pass
Iceland
Must I book in advance? Can I buy at the station? Youth fares for under-26s Rail staff priv travel in Europe
Italy
How far in advance do bookings open? Child fares & travel with kids Train seat numbering plans
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg Luggage, bikes, dogs & cars...
Macedonia
Luggage on trains Left luggage at stations Taking your bike Taking your dog or pet Taking your car by train (Motorail)
Malta
Moldova
Montenegro About specific trains & routes...
Netherlands
Eurostar London to Paris & Brussels Trenitalia's Frecciarossa German ICE trains
Norway
Poland Eurostar London to Lyon, Avignon, Marseille Trenitalia's Frecciargento German InterCity trains
Portugal Eurostar London to Rotterdam, Amsterdam Trenitalia's Frecciabianca Amsterdam to Berlin by IC train
Romania Eurostar London to French Alps (ski train) NTV's Italo trains Austrian railjet trains
Russia French overnight couchette trains Thello sleeper trains from Paris to Venice Austrian nightjet sleeper trains
Serbia French TGV trains Thello day trains Nice to Milan Vienna to Salzburg by train
Slovakia Paris to Nice by TGV Switzerland to Milan by ETR610 train Vienna to Budapest by train
Slovenia
Paris to Turin & Milan by TGV Switzerland's Glacier Express Salzburg to Prague by train
https://www.seat61.com/Europe-train-travel.htm 1/22
Spain Paris to Barcelona by TGV Switzerland's Bernina Express Berlin-Warszawa Express trains
Sweden Paris to San Sebastian by TGV Prague to Vienna by Czech railjet Swedish X2000 trains
Switzerland Paris to Switzerland TGV-Lyria Prague to Krakow by sleeper train Allegro Helsinki-St Petersburg
Turkey
Paris to Brussels & Amsterdam by Thalys Prague - Bratislava - Budapest by train Paris to Moscow Express
Ukraine
Spanish AVE, Alvia, Altaria trains Munich to Prague by train
Train travel
in Asia...
Armenia .
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Burma
(Myanmar)
Cambodia
China Canada is Constantly looking for skilled
Georgia
immigrants!
India Canadian Visa Expert
Indonesia
Iran
Israel
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Laos
Malaysia
Nepal How to check train times
North Korea
Pakistan
Find schedules for almost any European train journey Click for an online
Philippines
Singapore at www.bahn.de/en... European train timetable...
South Korea If you only remember one European train travel resource (apart from
Sri Lanka seat 61, of course), make it www.bahn.de/en. This has an excellent
Syria online timetable for the whole of Europe provided by the German
Taiwan Railways, probably the most useful European train travel resource on
Thailand the net. Ask it for Palermo to Helsinki or Lisbon to Moscow and you'll
Turkey see what I mean. These tips may help:
Uzbekistan
Go to www.bahn.de/en: This takes you straight to the advanced
Vietnam
journey planner in English.
Train travel It's true URL is reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/e, but

in Africa... www.bahn.de/en is easier to remember!
www.bahn.de (without the /en) takes you to their German-language
Algeria
home page, change Deutsch to English top right then click the Further
Botswana
options button for the advanced journey planner.
Cameroon
Egypt Place names: When you start typing a place name, it offers a selection of possible locations. It usually
Ethiopia recognises English-language place names and prompts with a selection of station or city names.
Gabon If you don't know which station to select, select the plain city name, often shown in capital letters, for example
Kenya PARIS or BERLIN. The system will then work out which is the relevant station for your specific journey, no
Mali worries.
Morocco If it only offers specific stations, a safe bet is to select the main station in that city, which may be shown as main
Mozambique station or (in Italy) Centrale, in the Netherlands as Centraal, in Germany or Austria as Hauptbahnhof, Hbf or HB
Namibia (which means main station in German), Hlavni in Czech or Glowny (Gl.) in Polish.
Senegal In Brussels, Brussels South Station is the main station in Brussels, also known as Brussels Midi or Brussel Zuid.
South Africa In Barcelona, select Barcelona Sants. In Verona, select Verona Porta Nuova. In Turin, the main terminus station
Sudan is Torino Porta Nuova, but the TGV trains to/from Paris use Torino Porta Susa, which many trains leaving from
Tanzania Porta Nuova heading for Venice or Rome also call at. In Venice, Venice Santa Lucia is on the Grand Canal in
Tunisia central Venice, Venice Mestre is an industrial area on the mainland. In Lisbon, select Lisbon Santa Apolonia.
Zambia
Zimbabwe
When the search results appear, click on show details to the left of each train service to see a detailed
breakdown of the journey.
Train travel To see an end-to-end timetable for a train with all calling points, click on show details then click on the train
in America... number. It'll show the complete origin-to-destination timetable with days of operation & all calling points, and
Canada whether it has a restaurant or bar.
Cuba It only has data for main rail operators: It connects to a database covering all the European national rail
Peru networks, including many private train operators in Switzerland & Sweden, although it now no longer seems to
South know about Greece. But it doesn't hold data for some open-access operators or small private railways or for
America that matter, urban metro or tram routes in cities. Notably it does not cover:
United States
- The Circumvesuviana Railway, Naples-Herculaneum-Pompeii-Sorrento.
- Euskotren in Spain, for example narrow gauge local trains linking Hendaye to San Sebastian & Bilbao.
Train travel
in - FEVE in Spain, who run narrow gauge local trains along the north coastal towns.
Australasia - Private open-access operators such as Italo in Italy, Regiojet in the Czech Republic, Slovakia & Austria.
Australia
New Zealand Timetable changes in June & December: It usually holds data only until the next Europe-wide timetable
change, which happens twice a year at midnight on the second Saturday in June & December. So don't be
London to surprised if it shows no trains at all running in late December if you ask it in August, as that's beyond the mid-
December timetable change. Data for dates after the mid-December timetable change usually starts to come
China
online by mid-October and isn't 100% reliable until early December. Simply make an enquiry for a date this side
& Japan by
of the timetable change and assume that trains won't change much.
Trans-
Siberian This system is very good, but some railways (typically the Spanish, Hungarians, Polish & Balkan railways) can be
Railway late in supplying data, and data can be unreliable in some parts of the Balkans, for example. If you get strange
results you can try the railway operator's own website instead, for example www.renfe.com for Spain or
www.ose.gr for Greece. There's a complete list of rail websites on the useful links page.
London to
Central Asia Interchange times for long journeys: You can set it to offer longer interchange times between trains by
& China via changing Duration of transfer standard to another value. Remember that this is an automated system which
The Silk allows the minimum theoretical time at interchange stations, whether changing into a local train that runs every
Route 30 minutes or into a sleeper train which you cannot afford to miss. Also remember that on a through ticket
you're legally entitled to later onward travel if a delay means a missed connection, but with separate non-
refundable train-specific tickets you carry the risk so you should allow more than the default interchange time
London to
which the system shows. So make a reasonable allowance for delays, more about how long to allow for
India
connections here.
overland
by train For British train times it's better to use www.nationalrail.co.uk as this will show any engineering work
alterations and fares.
London to Fares & tickets: www.bahn.de will show train times for virtually any journey in Europe, but will only show fares
Australia (or sell tickets) for journeys within Germany, also for most direct trains to or from Germany such as Munich-
without flying Verona, Paris-Munich or Berlin-Warsaw. If you want to check fares for other journeys, see the How to buy
European train tickets page.
London to
the USA by
Apps for your smartphone...
Queen Mary
2 Trans- DB Navigator is a free online train timetable app for all of Europe, the app version of the German Railways
Atlantic all-Europe online timetable at bahn.de. It provided a journey planner, train details, and calling points,
though it needs a WiFi or mobile data connection. Details & download for iPhone or Android at
www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/prices/mobile/db-navigator.shtml.
Eurail &
European Railplanner is a free offline train timetable app that you can download onto your smartphone to check train
Railpass times & train calling points on the move without the need to be on WiFi or to use mobile data. It's
guide blisteringly quick and covers almost all the train covered by the DB Navigator app. The whole European
timetable sits on your smartphone, with updates automatically downloaded every month. It's created with Eurail
Explore and InterRail passholders in mind, but is useful for anyone. Download for iPhone or Android at
www.eurailgroup.org/promos/railplanner_app - do let me know if the link stops working.
Europe by
train with an
InterRail Station arrivals & departures: Click here & enter a station...
pass
To check scheduled train departures from (or arrivals at) any given station across most of
Europe see www.bahn.de/ris. This is an online equivalent of the printed departure
Taking your posters displayed at stations. It shows real-time information for stations in Germany if
car by train: you pick today's date, but for 'real time' information in other countries, see the real-time
Motorail section below.
Holidays
by train The European Rail Timetable... What does it contain?
The world-famous European Rail Timetable (formerly the Thomas Cook European Rail
Ski holidays Timetable) is the train traveller's bible, with route maps and up-to-date timetables for
by train trains, buses and ferries for all European countries, plus trains in Asian Turkey and Russia
including the Trans-Siberian railway, ferries to North Africa & the Mediterranean islands.
Eurostar , Published since 1873, it had just celebrated 140 years of publication when Thomas Cook
the train from pulled the plug on their entire publishing department, and the August 2013 edition was
the last to be published by Thomas Cook. The good news is that the dedicated ex- What's inside?
London to
Thomas Cook team set up a private venture and a reborn European Rail Timetable is now
Paris
available, on sale at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu for £16.99 with shipping to any country worldwide.
All about the Back to top

real Orient
Express
How to check European fares
The luxury
Venice
Simplon No single website sells tickets at the cheapest prices for all routes in all countries...
Orient A reality check: You can check train times across most of Europe at www.bahn.de/en, but there isn't one
Express website that can sell tickets at the best price for all possible journeys in all possible countries - even if some
ticket agencies want you to believe they can! You must use different websites for different routes and
Switzerland's sometimes two or more websites for different parts of one journey. Sounds complicated? Not really.
scenic train:
If your train journey starts in the UK, the How to buy tickets section on each country page of this website
Glacier
explains the best way to buy tickets for that specific journey, simply return to the top of this page and use the
Express drop down menu.
Switzerland's For point-to-point journeys within Europe, you'll find a detailed account of which website(s) to use for which
Bernina specific journeys on the How to buy European tickets online page. Here's the quick answer to get you started...
Express Local tickets usually have a fixed price and no reservation is necessary or even possible - so you can buy at the
station and hop on.
Auckland to
Long-distance fares often now work like air fares, very cheap if pre-booked, rising to a much more expensive
Wellington
flexible fare nearer to departure date. So there isn't just one price, but a range of prices. You'll find a quick
by train: guide to how European train fares work on the How to buy European tickets online page.
Northern
Explorer
To check fares & buy train tickets for journeys wholly within one country...
NZ's most You can check fares & in many cases buy tickets online for journeys wholly within one country at the railway
scenic train: website for that country, see the links page for a complete list. For example:
TranzAlpine
UK - See the UK page
Across the France - www.loco2.com or www.trainline.eu (quicker & easier to use than the official site oui.sncf)
USA on Italy www.trenitalia.com (see advice on using it) or agency sites www.loco2.com or
-
Amtrak's www.italiarail.com.
California Switzerland www.sbb.ch (trains in Switzerland generally don't need pre-booking, easy to buy tickets at the
-
Zephyr station)
Spain - www.loco2.com (quicker & easier to use then the official site www.renfe.com)
Canada's Portugal - www.cp.pt
Rockies by Netherlands - www.ns.nl, but as this only accepts Dutch bank cards you need to buy tickets at www.b-
train: europe.com instead. This can sell all Dutch train routes with payment by regular credit card &
The Rocky print-at-home tickets. Trains in the Netherlands don't need pre-booking, so it's also easy to
Mountaineer buy tickets at the station.
Belgium - www.belgianrail.be (trains in Belgium don't need booking, easy to buy tickets at the station)
Bridge on Luxembourg - www.cfl.lu
the Germany - www.bahn.de
River Kwai
Austria - www.oebb.at
Denmark - www.dsb.dk
Singapore to
Bangkok by Sweden - www.sj.se (also try www.snalltaget.se or www.bokatag.se)
luxury train: Norway - www.nsb.no (see advice on using this system)
The Eastern Finland - www.vr.fi
& Oriental Czech Rep. - www.cd.cz/eshop
Express Hungary - www.mavcsoport.hu
Romania - www.cfrcalatori.ro
Beijing to
Poland - www.intercity.pl
Shanghai
by high-
speed train To check fares & buy train tickets for international journeys...
Tel Aviv to There's a more detailed account of how to check fares and buy tickets online for any given international train
journey in Europe on the How to buy European tickets page. But here's the quick answer for which website to
Jerusalem
use or which agency to call for which journey:
by train
London to Online...
Edinburgh by
Rule-of-thumb 1, if you know that the train you want is run by a specific operator, go to that operator's
train: website:
Route of the
Flying - www.eurostar.com for Eurostar trains between London & Paris, London & Brussels or anywhere in Belgium.
Scotsman - www.thalys.com or www.b-europe.com for Thalys high-speed trains Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam & Paris-
Brussels-Cologne.
Britain's - www.tgv-lyria.com or www.loco2.com or www.trainline.eu for TGV-Lyria high-speed trains between Paris &
most scenic Switzerland.
route: - www.thello.com or www.loco2.com for the Thello sleeper trains between Paris & Venice, Milan, Florence,
The West Rome.
Highland - Paris-Turin-Milan TGVs are run entirely by SNCF, so book these at www.loco2.com or www.trainline.eu.
Line
Rule-of-thumb 2, otherwise, simply go to the national train website for the country where your journey starts.
Scotland's - For journeys starting in London:
own www.eurostar.com for Eurostar to Lille, Paris, Brussels or anywhere in Belgium.
cruise train: www.b-europe.com for journeys to Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Cologne or anywhere in Belgium.
The Royal www.loco2.com for journeys to anywhere in France, Spain, Switzerland, Milan, Turin, Germany.
Scotsman www.bahn.de for journeys to anywhere in Germany.
- For journeys starting in Paris & France:
Buy train www.loco2.com or www.trainline.eu.
tickets &
- For journeys starting in Brussels, Bruges or Belgium: www.b-europe.com.
passes
online at the - For journeys starting in Amsterdam & the Netherlands: www.nsinternational.nl.
(if you have any payment problems use www.b-europe.com for trains to Belgium & Paris.
seat61 www.bahn.de can be better for trains to Germany & sleepers to Munich or Zurich).
Rail Shop - For journeys starting in Switzerland: www.sbb.ch.
(www.oebb.at often cheaper for journeys to Austria, www.bahn.de for journeys to Germany and
Buy ferry www.trenitalia.com for journeys to Italy)
tickets - For journeys starting in Italy: www.italiarail.com (easier to use than www.trenitalia.com for international
online at the trains).
seat61 Exception: Use www.trainline.eu or www.loco2.com for the Milan-Turin-Paris TGV trains & www.bahn.de for
Ferry Shop trains to Munich.
- For journeys starting in Germany: www.bahn.de (can also be used for journeys to Germany wherever they
Book hotels start). But for Frankfurt, Nuremberg or Munich to Prague, use Czech Railways www.cd.cz.
online at the - For journeys starting in Austria: www.oebb.at (can also book journeys to Austria but only from Germany, Italy,
seat61 Switzerland or Prague).
Hotel Shop
- For journeys starting in Prague: www.cd.cz/eshop (can also be used for journeys to Prague but only if they
start in Germany or Austria).
Comments?
Feedback?
- For journeys starting in Budapest: www.mavcsoport.hu (can only be used for journeys starting in Hungary).
Need help? - For journeys starting in Poland: Polish Railways haven't yet enabled online booking for international trains,
other than Berlin-Warsaw.
Email the
Man in Seat You can book from Warsaw to Germany at www.bahn.de.
You can arrange all other international tickets starting in Poland through reliable ticketing agency
Sixty-One!
www.polrail.com.
Sign the - For journeys starting in Copenhagen: www.bahn.de for trains to Germany or www.loco2.com to Brussels,
Amsterdam, Switzerland, Prague.
guestbook
- For journeys starting in Sweden: GoEuro.com or www.sj.se to Oslo or Copenhagen or within Sweden.
www.bahn.de to Germany.
Disclaimer,
copyright, data Rule-of-thumb 3, don't be afraid to break the journey down. I have lost count of the times I've advised
protection & travellers to split the booking and book each section of the journey, or if necessary, each individual train, at the
relevant operator's website.
privacy policy
For example, www.bahn.de shows 'unknown tariff abroad' if you ask it for Brussels to Vienna, a journey which
Webhosting by passes through Frankfurt, but it will happily give you a price and sell you a ticket if you ask it for Brussels to
6 Degrees Frankfurt, then Frankfurt to Vienna.
Similarly, Prague to Venice can't be booked online anywhere, but the Czech Railways site www.cd.cz/eshop will
Thank you for
happily sell you a Prague to Vienna ticket from €14 and the Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at will then book
visiting my
the Vienna-Venice sleeper from €59 with a couchette.
site...
Further examples abound, all over Europe, and some creative thinking is often required! Again, you'll find more
advice for specific journeys at the How to buy cheap European train tickets page.
Rule-of-thumb 4, remember that more exotic trips, such as journeys to Ukraine or Istanbul, simply cannot be
booked online so will need to be booked by phone or at the station.
I'll say it again, for advice on which website to use for which specific European train journey, see the How to buy
European train tickets page.
By phone...
It matters whom you call! Some agencies are better for some journeys than others because of the ticketing
systems they use.
You'll find a list of agencies with detailed advice on who to call for what specific journey on the How to buy train
tickets by phone page. In the meantime, here's my advice in an nutshell...
For journeys from the UK to France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain or Portugal call International Rail on 0844 248
248 3 (lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, closed weekends, £10 booking fee for orders up to £100, £20
for orders up to £300). They are equipped with the French Railways ticketing system and the German, Spanish
& Italian ticketing systems, so have access to all the best fares in all those countries.
For journeys from the UK to Germany, Austria, central & eastern Europe or Scandinavia, call German Railways
UK number on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 weekends, no booking fee, just
a small credit card 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 be booked with German Railway's UK
office with no booking fee if you know exactly what you want and persevere if staff seem uncertain about a
complex journey, but it's often better to call a smaller agency such as International Rail on 0844 248 248 3
(lines open 09:00-17:00 Mondays-Fridays) because their staff are used to making complex bookings like these
as they do them all the time.
Back to top
Maps of European rail routes
Free online rail maps...
Start with this online rail map of Europe which is a good basic online map of the European railway network
which gives a good idea of the extent of the European rail system. It's intended for overseas visitors using a
Eurail pass so leaves out many routes in non-Eurail countries such as the UK, Russia & Ukraine, 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 UK rail system, click here.
For an online map of the French SNCF network see click here.
For the best (and official) map of the Swiss rail system, click here.
Printed rail maps...

However, for a decent map of all European train routes which you can carry with you, you really need to invest in
a printed map. Here are two excellent rail maps of Europe, and two more detailed rail atlases.
Travellers' Railway Map of Europe: Click

to buy
Highly recommended! An excellent detailed map of
European rail routes, ideal for travelling around
Europe by train. It covers the whole of Europe from
Portugal in the west to Moscow & Istanbul in the east,
Finland in the north to Sicily and Athens in the
south. On the back are detailed maps of Switzerland,
Benelux and Germany, plus city plans showing the
stations in major cities. Scenic and high-speed
routes are highlighted.
Buy online in the UK for £14.50 with postage

Click to buy in the UK for £14.50 + postage worldwide
worldwide (£2.80 to UK addresses) at the famous
Stanford's travel bookshop at Click to buy in the Netherlands with postage worldwide
www.stanfords.co.uk/Europe-A-Travellers-Railway-
Map_9789077899090.htm. All the usual credit cards
are accepted.
Buy online from Netherlands-based Treinreiswinkel

at www.treinreiswinkel.nl for €13 + €5.50 postage
worldwide. You pay by bank transfer. If you own
bank charges high fees for this, try using
https://transferwise.com which will cost only £1 or
so.
European Rail Timetable Map of

Europe: Click to buy
Also highly recommended: The highly-regarded former Thomas Cook Rail Map of Europe has been updated and
reissued under new management. Covers the whole of Europe from Portugal to Moscow and Istanbul, Sicily to
Finland, with rail routes, high-speed rail routes, scenic routes all highlighted, great for planning or to take with
you.. See an extract from the map. Buy online at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu.
Rail Atlas of Europe by Ian Allan: Click to buy

Ian Allan Publishing do an excellent hardback rail atlas of Europe for around £21, available through
Amazon.co.uk. You can also buy it in the USA at Amazon.com.
Rail Atlas of Europe by M Ball: Click to buy

There's another highly-detailed European Railway atlas covering the whole of Europe,
www.europeanrailwayatlas.com, price £29.95 in a hard copy paperback book form or you can download specific
countries as PDF files for £3-6 each.
Back to top
Real-time train running info
Are the trains running on time? Delays, incidents, strikes or disruptions?

As with buying your ticket, there's no one website where you'll find out about delays, strikes or other problems
affecting all European trains. You need to know which website to look at, so here is some guidance:
Eurostar service updates: www.eurostar.com for updates on any disruption affecting the London-Paris,
London-Brussels Eurostar service.
London St Pancras arrivals & departures, see ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/ldbboard/dep/STP. This shows
domestic as well as Eurostar arrivals & departures.
Paris arrivals & departures, updates for trains to, from or within France: www.sncf.com/fr#menu+itineraires-
reservation. This shows current arrivals, departures & service updates for French Railways (SNCF). It may not be
available in English so use Google Chrome translate if necessary. You can search for problems or delays
affecting a specified train number, route or station yesterday, today or in the next few days. It covers French
domestic trains and international trains to and from France (but for some reason not Eurostar!), so it's the one
to check if you're heading to Switzerland, Italy, Germany or Spain via Paris.
Where's that train, in France: www.sncf.com/sncv1/en/geolocalisation shows the geographic location of all
SNCF mainline trains in France, in real time. Includes Eurostar trains when in France, if you know the train
number.
Brussels arrivals & departures: For real-time train arrivals & departures at Brussels Midi or any Belgian station,
see www.railtime.be. If your train is a Thalys to Brussels or Paris, see www.thalys.com and look for the 'Traffic
info' top left on their home page.
Amsterdam arrivals & departures: For real-time train arrivals & departures at Amsterdam Centraal or any
Dutch station, go to www.ns.nl, leave it in Dutch, click Menu top left then Actuele Vertrektijden (current
departures). That link disappears if you switch it to English! For service updates, go to www.nsinternational.nl,
click for English, click Menu then Travel information then Travel updates. It may also be worth checking the
German site (see below) if your train then crosses Germany. If your train is a Thalys to Brussels or Paris, see
www.thalys.com and look for the Timetables & Traffic info top left on their home page, then click Traffic info.
Italian arrivals & departures: www.viaggiatreno.it. Like the French, Trenitalia has a separate website for real-
time train running and service updates. www.viaggiatreno.it will show you how trains are running by train
number, station or route.
Spanish service updates: Go to www.renfe.com, click Welcome for English then Notices top right. Use Google
translate (or the Google Chrome browser automatic translation) as necessary, as the updates are in Spanish.
You can also go to the Spanish infrastructure operator's site www.adif.es -click English at the top, then enter a
station name under Railway traffic to see arrivals and departures in real time.
German arrivals & departures: If your train crosses Germany, see

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/bhftafel.exe/en?ld=212.92&rt=1&. This will give you current real-time
arrival & departure information for an German station, like looking at the departure board if you were at the
station now. For general info about delays due to engineering work, search www.bahn.com. Both pages are
quite difficult to find from their home page! Alternatively, if you bring up a train that's currently running using
the www.bahn.de journey planner, click on the sideways arrow to bring up details, then click on the train
number, the complete end to end timetable for that train will appear in a new window, with minutes late (or
early!) shown against each stop within Germany.
For other countries, the place to start is the national rail operator website for that country, see here for a list.
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Travelling by Eurostar
London to Paris or Brussels: See the Eurostar page...

Eurostar is the excellent high-speed passenger train from London's St Pancras to Paris & Brussels through the
Channel Tunnel. Most journeys from the UK to Europe now start with a trip on Eurostar. 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 the French
Alps) to allow for an airline-style security check. Eurostar does not run on Christmas Day.
Eurostar information page: Times, fares, tickets, luggage & info about the Eurostar journey
Eurostar seating plans & tips on choosing the best seats
Eurostar website: www.eurostar.com
Eurostar's new e320... Eurostar Standard Premier (1st class)...

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Changing trains in Paris
By metro or taxi between stations 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 10 minute walk from the Gare de l'Est but a metro or taxi ride from the other Paris
stations such as the Gare de Lyon. See the Changing trains & stations 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 London to France page.
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Changing trains in Brussels
For station & connections information, see the Brussels Midi page...
Bruxelles Midi in French, Brussel Zuid in Flemish, Brussels South Stn in English, it's all the same place. It's
Brussels' main hub station, and it includes the Eurostar terminal. All long-distance trains use Brussels Midi
station, including trains to Amsterdam, Cologne, Paris and all other destinations in Belgium, so changing trains
is easy and only takes a few minutes. See the Brussels Midi page for more information about changing in
Brussels.
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Sponsored links...
Travelling by train + ferry
The ferry alternatives...

Most people now start their journey to Europe by Eurostar, but the ferry alternatives are well worth considering,
especially to Amsterdam or Spain. If you prefer train+ferry travel, simply substitute the rail-sea-rail times
shown on the London to Paris by train+ferry page or London to Amsterdam page for the Eurostar times to Paris
shown on the Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland pages, or use the all-Europe online timetable at
www.bahn.de to find train times from the port (for example, Hoek van Holland) to your final destination.
London to Paris by train & ferry...

You can still travel from London to Paris by train + ferry if you want. It takes far longer (about 9 hours), is far
less convenient and usually costs more than a cheap fare on Eurostar, but you avoid the Channel Tunnel if that's
an issue for you, you get to sail across the Channel from the White Cliffs of Dover, and it can sometimes be
cheaper if you have to travel at short notice and all the cheap Eurostar tickets have sold out. For more
information, see the London to Paris by train + ferry page.
London to Amsterdam by train & ferry...

There is a really excellent, convenient low-cost combined train+ferry service from London to Amsterdam or any
station in the Netherlands, see the London to Amsterdam page. Travelling from central London to central
Amsterdam overnight with a bed in a comfortable cabin on board the ship (all cabins with shower, toilet, free
WiFi & satellite TV!) can be more time-effective than using Eurostar or even a flight.
Brittany Ferries to Spain...

Brittany Ferries operate excellent cruise ferries all year round from the UK to Spain, a stress-free and highly-
recommended way to get there. See the UK to Spain by ferry page.
Other useful ferry routes...

UK to Scandinavia by ferry: Unfortunately, the last passenger ferry from the UK to Norway was withdrawn in
September 2008, the last ferry from the UK to Sweden in 2006 and the last ferry to Denmark in September
2014. There are now no ferries to anywhere in Scandinavia, you need to go by train via Brussels and
Copenhagen.
North of England or Scotland to mainland Europe by ferry: If you live in the north of England or Scotland,
there are direct cruise ferries from Newcastle to IJmuiden (Amsterdam) with www.dfds.co.uk, Hull to Rotterdam
& Zeebrugge with www.poferries.com. These can sometimes be better than taking a train to London and
Eurostar onwards. www.bahn.de will tell you train times from Zeebrugge or Rotterdam onwards to Paris or
Brussels. It's easy to reach Germany, Vienna, Prague, Warsaw or Scandinavia via Amsterdam, making the route
via Holland/Amsterdam very handy. More information.
West Country or South Coast to mainland Europe by ferry: If you live in the West Country or along the South
Coast, you may prefer taking a ferry direct to France, then a train to Paris. More information.
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Should you go 1st or 2nd class?
2nd class is perfectly adequate...

2nd class is absolutely fine for most travellers throughout Europe.
There's no need to pay for a 1st class ticket to travel in comfort
these days, even in Eastern Europe, especially on the fast modern
air-conditioned express trains. If you're on a budget, don't bother
with 1st class unless you are offered prices that make it silly not to
upgrade.
For most of us, 2nd class is the norm unless the Company is
paying. If you're visiting Europe from overseas, rest assured that
there are very few peasants and chickens in 2nd class these days...
2nd class seats, arranged 2+2 across the car

What more do you get in 1st class? width. This is a TGV Duplex.
First class gets you wider seats, plusher seats, more leg and elbow
room, and fewer passengers per coach. In most cases, assume
that's all. Luggage room is exactly the same, perhaps with fewer
passengers per coach using it, but this is not a sensible reason for
paying a 1st class fare as there's always room for luggage in any
class.
On a few premier trains including Eurostar & Spanish AVE trains,

Thalys & Lyria, some 1st class fares include an at-seat service of
food and drink, but these trains are the exceptions. Unless you're
told otherwise, you should assume that a 1st class ticket simply
gets you a nicer seat with more leg and elbow room, surrounded by
more business travellers with laptops and fewer families with kids. 1st class seats on the same TGV Duplex,
On German ICEs and Austrian Railjets, food and drink is not arranged 2+1 across the car width. Fewer seats
included so costs extra, but in 1st classa steward will take your per car, more leg & elbow room. Tables for 2 as
order and serve you at your seat, whereas in 2nd class you'll have well as tables for 4. That's it.
to go to the cafe or restaurant car.
Table for two? First class cars generally have seats arranged 2+1 across the width of the car (two seats abreast,
then the aisle, then one solo seat), hence the wider seats with more elbow room compared to 2+2 seating in
2nd class, see the photos on the right. So in a typical first class car you'll find tables for two and solo seats as
well as tables for four - if you're a couple, facing each other across an intimate table for two, both of you
getting a window seat that's also an aisle seat is a key advantage of going 1st class. As is booking a 'solo' seat
if you're travelling alone.
Train seat numbering plans: Click here for train seating plans
1st class can be an affordable treat...

Don't decide until you see the price! Many train operators have adopted airline-style variable pricing, and you
might find 2nd class for (say) €40 and 1st class for (say) €45 because of the way the price quotas have worked
in each class. In these circumstances, you'd be crazy not to pay a bit extra to treat yourself to the extra
comfort.
On sleeper trains, class is irrelevant...
On sleeper 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 sleeper. 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 (where such things exist!). In fact, on many routes only a 2nd class ticket is now needed even
for a 2-berth sleeper. On Nightjet sleeper trains, for example, all accommodation is classified as 2nd class,
even deluxe sleepers with shower! The options for travelling on overnight trains are explained here.
Should you make a seat reservation?

On local, suburban and regional trains in most countries, seat
reservation isn't possible. You just get on and sit where you like.
It can help to know that in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Sweden &
Poland, long-distance trains are usually all-reserved and every
ticket automatically comes with a seat reservation included, free of
charge. The same goes for international trains to, from or between
these countries including Eurostar, Thalys & TGV-Lyria. Such trains
don't usually have any displays showing which seats are free and
which reserved, as all passengers are assumed to have a specific
reserved seat. Which seats are reserved and which free?
On trains with optional reservation, there will
InGermany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark and much of Eastern either be a small electronic display or a slot for
Europe, seat reservation is usually optional on long distance trains, paper reservation labels above each seat.
and a small fee is charged if you want a reserved seat. Electronic
displays on the wall above each seat (or on older trains a little
The photo above is unusual, this Berlin-Prague
printed ticket) show which seats are reserved. If you don't have a
train has both!
reservation you can sit anywhere you like, just check that it's not a
seat that's been reserved by someone else. Travelling alone I don't normally bother making a reservation,
especially if I'm joining at the station where the train starts so I can have my pick of the seats and can choose
one that lines up with a window. But if making a long journey or travelling on a busy Friday or Sunday
afternoon, it's a good idea to make a reservation to be sure of a seat. If travelling as a family or in a small
group, a reservation means you're sure of getting seats together. You are usually offered the option of adding a
seat reservation when buying a ticket online, but if you decline it's not always possible to go back and make a
'reservation only' booking later as relatively few websites will do that. Although you can of course do this by
phone or at the station.
Forward-facing seats...
I know from experience that American visitors in particular (if you'll forgive me for saying so) are obsessed with
facing forwards. Europeans less so, as we are used to trains with half the seats facing one way, half the other,
and we know that it's no big deal as trains run smoothly on rails - think cruise liner restaurant, where half the
diners are going backwards at 18 knots without noticing!
On most European trains you cannot specify which way your seat faces - the reservation system knows the
carriage seat layout, but it cannot predict which way round the train will enter service that day. Indeed, on some
routes the train reverses en route, for example on a Rome to Venice journey, seats which are backward-facing
between Rome & Florence will be forward-facing between Florence & Venice as the train changes direction at
Florence SMN which is a terminus. Trains from Zurich to Innsbruck, Salzburg & Vienna change direction at
Buchs, before the Austrian border.
There are a few cases where a forward-facing seat can be requested. Some operators including Eurostar keep
their trains a particular way round, for example on Eurostar car 1is always at the London end, car 16 at the
Paris end. You can often select a seat from a graphic seating plan when you book such trains direct with the
relevant operator, the direction of travel is often indicated on the plan so you can see which seats face which
way. On a few TGV routes in France (including Paris to Bordeaux, Lourdes, Biarritz, Brittany, Reims, also Paris to
Turin & Milan) a clever dual numbering system allows the correct set of numbers to illuminate depending which
way round the train is, which in turn allows the reservation system to offer a choice of forward-facing seat if you
book at oui.sncf or www.trainline.eu. In the UK, we have traditionally had a much simpler low-tech system.
Two seats facing each other have the same number, say 15, the one facing is 15F and the one going backwards
is 15B.
Remember that on trains where reservation is optional (domestic trains in Benelux countries, Germany, Austria,
Switzerland, Denmark, and much of Eastern Europe) you can sit where you like, and if you find your reserved
seats not to your liking just sit elsewhere. However, in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, all long-distance
trains are all-reserved so you usually have to stick with your reserved seats.
My favourite arrangement in first class on most European trains is a face-to-face table for two. Both of you get
a window seat, and both an aisle seat, and one seat is always facing forwards. My wife usually gets that!
Which side of the train?

On a few routes the best scenery is on one particular side of the train - for example the left hand side going
south along the Rhine Valley between Cologne and Mainz, or the Elbe River Valley from Dresden to Prague, and
the right hand side through the Arlberg Pass from Zurich to Innsbruck - I try and mention which side to sit on
the relevant pages of this site, if it matters. Just be aware that most train reservation systems won't let you
choose which side of the train to sit as the train or carriage could enter service either way round, but remember
that on trains where reservation is optional (domestic trains in Benelux countries, Germany, Austria, Switzerland,
Denmark, much of Eastern Europe) you can sit where you like if your reserved seat is on the 'wrong' side.
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First class lounges at stations

In some countries, you'll find first class lounges at stations, usually with
complimentary tea, coffee, soft drinks or even beer and wine available. WiFi
and an internet PC may also be available. Sometimes the lounge is for anyone
with a first class ticket (which may or may not include those with first class
railpasses), but in some countries the lounges are only for holders of the most
expensive business-orientated first class tickets or for holders of that

particular train operator's special frequent traveller loyalty card. Opening
times vary, the lounges may or may not be of use when catching a late-night
sleeper. Here's a quick guide:
Eurostar first class lounges in London, Paris &

Brussels... A typical first class lounge. Above, the NS
Eurostar has business lounges at London St Pancras, Paris Nord & International 1st class lounge at Amsterdam
Brussels Midi. These are open to holders of full-price Business Premier Centraal, open to anyone with a valid 1st class
first class tickets and holders of Eurostar's top-rank Carte Blanche international ticket or pass, with complimentary
loyalty card, but not to holders of Standard Premier first class tickets, tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine & beer...
or to first class railpass holders. The Eurostar business lounges offer
complimentary tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine & spirits, beer and snacks.
Lounges open to all 1st class ticket holders...

The following countries have lounges for first class passengers at their

major stations open to anyone with any first class ticket including
reduced-rate ones and (in some cases) first class Eurail or InterRail
passes. The lounges have complimentary refreshments and other
benefits such as WiFi.
Paris: Anyone with any 1st class ticket for TGV-Lyria trains from Paris
to Switzerland can use the SNCF Salon Grand Voyageur at Paris Gare de
Lyon on level -1 of Hall 3 with free WiFi, hot drinks and water. The DB Lounge at Munich Hbf, also available for
However, other than this SNCF's Grand Voyageur lounges are only for anyone with a 1st class ticket, but not

passengers with SNCF loyalty cards or the most expensive full-price Pro railpasses. There are similar lounges at other
tickets. major stations in Germany.
Amsterdam & the Netherlands: At Amsterdam Centraal, Schiphol &

Rotterdam. Follow signs for NS International Lounge, formerly called the NS Hispeed lounge. Check
www.nsinternational.nl for opening times. Tea, coffee, soft drinks and snacks available. It can be used by
anyone with any type of 1st class international ticket including 1st class InterRail or Eurail passes.
Switzerland: Unfortunately, SBB closed their first class lounges at Zurich & Geneva at the end of 2016, citing
lack of use.
Germany: At Berlin, Bremen, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt Main Airport, Hamburg,
Hanover, Cologne, Leipzig, Mannheim, Munich, Nuremberg, Stuttgart. Usually open 07:00-21:00 daily, follow
signs for DB Lounge, search www.bahn.de to check opening times & other details These German lounges are
not open to railpass holders, nor holders of 1st class tickets for regional trains or trains which are operated
without any DB involvement at all such as Thalys, Nightjet or the Munich-Prague trains. Tea, coffee, soft drinks,
beer and snacks available.
Austria: At Vienna Hauptbahnhof, Vienna Westbahnhof, Vienna Meidling, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Graz,
Klagenfurt. You can also use the lounges with any type of sleeper ticket, or with a 1st class Eurail & InterRail
pass. Follow signs to ÖBB Lounge. Typically open 06:00-21:00, but for details see www.oebb.at. Soft drinks
and snacks available, alcoholic drinks are only available after 18:00. You can use the lounge for up to 90
minutes before or after your journey.
Spain: At Madrid Atocha, Madrid Chamartin, Barcelona Sants, Malaga, Seville, Cordoba, Valencia, Alicante,
Girona, Zaragoza, Valladolid and several other stations. Open to anyone with a Club, Preferente or Gran Clase
domestic or international ticket, including Promo+ tickets but excluding Promo tickets. Typically open from
06:00 to 22:00 every day. You can use them from 2 hours before your train leaves until departure. Tea, coffee,
soft drinks, beer and snacks available. For details search www.renfe.com.
Hungary: Budapest has a business lounge near platform 9, open 06:00-21:30 daily open for anyone with a 1st
class international ticket to. from or via Budapest. Not open to railpass holders.
Czech Republic: CD (Czech Railways) has a lounge at Prague Hlavni with newspaper and free WiFi, but it's also
open to 2nd class passengers with tickets for the higher categories of train such as EuroCity and SuperCity so
it's more upmarket waiting room than 1st class lounge.
Poland: PKP Intercity used to have poorly-advertised lounges at Warsaw Centralna & Krakow, but strangely
closed them in 2014 due to lack of users.
Denmark: DSB Danish Railways have DSB1 lounges for first class passengers at Copenhagen, Aarhus and
Odense. Open Monday-Friday only. Passengers with 1st class tickets for trains to Stockholm or Germany can
also use it. For details search www.dsb.dk and use Google Translate.
Sweden: SJ have a first class lounge at both Stockholm Central & Gothenburg Central open to all first class
ticket holders It's open Monday-Friday only morning until mid-evening, for details see www.sj.se.
Lounges only open to certain first class ticket holders...

In France, Belgium & Italy there are first class lounges at major stations, but only for holders of full-price fully-
flexible business-orientated first class tickets such as 1st class Pro fares in France and/or holders of certain
frequent traveller loyalty cards. They cannot be used just by anyone with a 1st class ticket.
If you are a 1st class passenger on Thalys and want to use the Grand Voyageur lounge at Paris Gare du Nord or
the Thalys lounge at Brussels Midi with armchair seating and free drinks, you need get hold of a special Thalys
card: Thalys trains operate the Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam and Paris-Brussels-Cologne high-speed routes. If
you intend travelling on Thalys in 1st class, go to www.thalysthecard.com and apply online for a free Thalys
TheCard before buying your Thalys ticket. Then buy your 1st class Thalys tickets at www.thalys.com using your
TheCard number. Your actual card will only be sent to you by post after you make the first booking using your
TheCard number. Then you can then access the Thalys lounge at Brussels Midi (located in the Couloir Sud) or
Grand Voyageur lounge at Paris Gare du Nord by showing your Thalys Card and any 1st class Thalys ticket for
that day.
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Travelling overnight
Taking a sleeper train...

Sleeper trains are a very time-effective and romantic way to
travel - although as each year goes by, they seem to get
rarer. Huge distances can be covered while you sleep, using
up less daytime time than flying and often saving a hotel bill
too. Forget the terms 'first class' & 'second class', these can
actually be misleading when dealing with sleeper trains. On
overnight trains, your comfort depends on whether you
choose an ordinary seat, an economical couchette, or a
comfortable berth in the sleeping-car. A 2nd class sleeper is
more comfortable than a 1st class couchette!
Incidentally, trains don't have sterns or bows, or port or

starboard. They also don't have cabins, as they are not a
ship. The correct term is sleeper or couchette compartment.
2-berth sleeper: A typical The same sleeper,
Click for sleeper & couchette car berth numbering plans -
2-berth sleeper, berths converted to a sitting room
answers the regular worry 'We have berths 21 & 25, are we in
made up. for evening/morning use.
the same 2-berth compartment?' Yes, you are!
...in a sleeping-car
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 (in a few cases) 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 Couchettes, 6-berth, with Couchettes, 4-berth: Much
snug. The most modern sleepers now have CCTV in the
the bunks folded out. more room per passenger!
corridor, too.
A sleeper typically costs about £35-£45 in western Europe or £20-£35 in eastern Europe per person per night
for a bed in a 3-berth compartment in addition to a 2nd class ticket or railpass. A berth in a 2-berth costs
about £45-£70 per night in western Europe, £30-£45 in eastern Europe, plus either a 1st or 2nd class ticket or
railpass depending on the route & type of sleeper. A single room costs around £70-£100 per night (£50-£70 in
eastern Europe) and you must normally have a 1st class ticket or railpass. On most sleeper train routes, good-
value inclusive fares are now charged, covering travel, sleeper & breakfast.
There's more detailed information about what to expect when travelling by sleeper on the Travelling by
Sleeping-car or Couchette page. For more specific information about particular types of sleeper train, see the
Nightjet sleeper train page for Germany-Austria, Germany-Italy, Austria-Italy sleeper or the Thello sleeper train
page if it involves the Thello sleeper train from Paris to Venice or the Prague to Krakow sleeper train page.
...in a couchette
A couchette is rail's answer to a youth hostel or 'pensione': Economical and comfortable, it's an ordinary
seating compartment for six people by day, with fold-out padded bunks for 6 people by night, each with sheet,
rug & pillow which you arrange yourself. Male and female passengers normally share the same compartment
(although there are 'ladies only' compartments on most routes), and apart from removing shoes & jackets,
passengers do not normally undress. A berth in a 6-berth couchette compartment costs around €27 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
most routes you can pay a higher supplement (about €37) to travel in a less crowded 4-berth couchette
compartment, which is well worth the extra cost. 1st class couchettes, with four berths per compartment, are
rare - they are basically only operated in France.
There's more detailed information about what to expect when travelling by couchette on the Travelling by
Couchette or Sleeping-car page. For more specific information, if your journey involves a Nightjet sleeper train
see the Nightjet page. If your journey involves a French domestic Intercité de Nuit overnight train, see the
Intercités de Nuit page. If it involves the Paris to Venice Thello sleeper train, see the Thello sleeper train page.
...in a seat
Although it's the cheapest option, travelling overnight in an ordinary seat is a false economy and not
recommended however tight your budget, either for comfort or security. There's no lock on the compartment
door, and no staff on duty. Think of it as the equivalent (almost!) of sleeping in a shop doorway. Always budget
for at least the couchette supplement for a comfortable night's journey. Some trains have reclining seats
(French overnight trains and some Spanish overnight trains), but although better than a normal seat they still
don't offer the flat bed and safely locked compartment of a couchette or sleeper.
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How early to be at the station?
Do you need to check in for a train?

This often gets asked by overseas visitors unfamiliar with train travel,
even if it's obvious to a European familiar with train travel.

Generally speaking, there's no check-in for a train whatsoever. You
simply walk off the street into the station, glance at the departure
boards, walk to the relevant platform and step onto the train. It really is
as simple as that.
To spell it out, if a train is due to leave at 12:00, the doors may close at It's easy to find your train. Just look at the
11:59, and at 12:00 off it goes. If you are on board when that happens, departure boards or TV screens showing time,
you go with it. If you're not, you get left behind. train number, destination & platform. If you
can find your flight at an airport, you can find
At most European railway stations there is no physical barrier at all your train at a station.
between the street outside, the station concourse, the platforms and the
train. So even if you weren't catching a train and didn't have a ticket,
you could wander into the station, walk up to the train and peer in
through the windows. Or indeed, step on board - many of the photos on
this website were taken that way! A refreshing contrast to air travel.
Tickets are generally only checked on board the train during the journey,
not at the station. You'll generally only find ticket barriers or automatic
ticket gates at suburban or metro-style stations.
Obviously, this doesn't mean you should cut it fine. It's best allow plenty
of time to get to the station and find your train. It may leave from a
remote platform a minute or two's walk from the main concourse, for
example.
Don't expect a train to be ready for boarding three hours before it Train formation display, showing where along
leaves. Even at the station where a train starts, the platform number the platform each car of a train will stop. This
might be posted only 20 minutes before departure - or for a local train, saves you running up and down looking for
perhaps just 10 minutes before. So don't panic if the platform isn't your car. You can be waiting in the right place
shown half an hour before it leaves, just wait patiently until it comes up when your train comes in! Above is a printed
on the departure boards. This is perfectly normal. German version. Below is an electronic French
railways version.
Top tip: At major stations you'll often find a display on each platform
labelled composition des trains (French) or Wagenstandsanzeiger
(German), see the photos on the right. It shows the formation of each
train using that platform and where along the platform each car number
will stop. For example, it might show that cars 1 & 2 stop in sector A,
cars 3 & 4 in sector B, with the sectors marked by signs along the
platform length. If you are reserved in a specific car, this helps you find
the right place to wait along the platform, it saves you running up and
down the platform looking for your car when the train comes in.
On international trains, is there passport control before

boarding?
No. On international trains, passport control generally takes place on board the train at the border station en
route. That's if there is any passport control, of course, as these days many western European countries belong
to the Schengen zone and there isn't any, other than spot checks. So there's no passport control when you
board, and no passport control when you get off. If it's done at all, it's done at the border stop during the
journey.
Eurostar is an exception, with a minimum 30 minute check-in...

A major exception to this is Eurostar, linking London with Paris & Brussels. Eurostar has a minimum 30 minute
check-in so that passports and X-ray security checks can take place before boarding. When you arrive at your
destination, you just walk off the platform into the station with no further checks. You'll find more information
about checking in for Eurostar on the Eurostar page.
Spanish high-speed trains...

One other exception worth noting that in Spain there is a brief X-ray luggage scan before accessing the
departure area for AVE, Alvia, Altaria and other high-speed trains. Tickets are then checked before boarding.
This may all take only a few minutes, but it's best not to arrive 30 seconds before your train leaves!
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How long for connections?
How long to allow for connections 101...

This gets asked a lot, too. I spend half my time reassuring people that a 10 minute connection into a local train
is fine, or that an 8-minute cross-platform interchange in Germany on a through ticket is fine, the other half of
my time telling people to allow a whole hour not just a few minutes between an 700-mile sleeper train and an
onward 500-mile daytime train on their epic trip right across Europe.
So I've attempted the impossible, combining sometimes seemingly-contradictory advice into one coherent
section for newbie travellers covering all eventualities. Just remember I said attempted! Here it is, Train
Connections 101...
It usually takes just minutes to change trains...

It physically takes just 90 seconds to step off one train, cross the platform and step onto another train. Or
perhaps 2 minutes to step off one train, go down the steps or escalator into the station subway, walk across to
another platform, go up onto that platform and step onto your next train.
There is no check-in, and no physical barrier between stepping off one train and stepping onto another. So
switching trains is usually quick and easy, it's nothing like changing planes.
The issue is whether a delay to your first train would mean you miss your onward train. How long you allow
between trains depends on how likely the first train is to be late, and what the consequences are if you miss
your connection.
The chances of a European high-speed train being significantly late are relatively small. 95% of all Eurostars
arrive on time or within 15 minutes, and typically, 85%-90% of European high-speed trains run on time or within
15 minutes. Far better than competing airlines. On the other hand, sleeper trains can run late, as can any and
all trains in the Balkans, for example, so here you need to allow more time.
If your onward connection is a local unreserved train...

If you miss a local train, or any domestic train in Switzerland, Belgium or the Netherlands, you simply hop on the
next one. No reservation is necessary on these trains and your ticket is valid on any departure. So in this case,
allowing a few minutes for a connection is absolutely fine. If you miss it, you catch the next one.
Example: You're reserved on a high-speed Thalys train from Paris to Brussels and have 10 minutes to change
onto a domestic InterCity train to Bruges. Is this enough? Yes, because if you miss the train to Bruges, there's
another one 30 minutes later, no reservation is necessary and your ticket is valid on any train. Exactly the same
advice would apply to catching (for example) a TGV-Lyria from Paris to Basel and changing there onto a Swiss
domestic train to (say) Interlaken. Or catching an all-reserved high-speed train from Rome to Florence and
changing onto a local train to Siena.
If your onward connection is a long-distance reserved train...

If you're connecting into an all-reserved train with a cheap ticket that's only valid on that specific departure, you
don't want to miss it. In this case I'd allow more time, perhaps half an hour.
Example: You're reserved on a Thalys high-speed train from Brussels to Paris and your ticket is only valid on
this specific departure. There's an InterCity from Bruges arriving Brussels 10 minutes before the Thalys leaves.
Is 10 minutes enough? Well, it's plenty of time to physically change onto the Thalys if the InterCity is on time.
And if you're on a through ticket, you are entitled to be rebooked on a later Thalys if the InterCity is late and you
miss the Thalys (as explained here). But is it really worth the hassle? Discretion is the better part of valour, and
as your ticket will be valid on any train over the Bruges to Brussels section, I'd catch the previous train leaving
30 minutes earlier, giving you 40 minutes in Brussels to have a coffee and a stress-free connection. The same
advice would apply to catching (for example) a Swiss domestic train from (say) Interlaken to Basel to connect
with an all-reserved TGV-Lyria from Basel to Paris. Or taking a local train from Siena to Florence to connect
with an all-reserved high-speed train to Rome.
If your onward connection is an overnight sleeper train, or part of an epic journey...

If you are connecting with a sleeper train that you cannot afford to miss, or making a connection that is part of a
long series of inter-dependent connections right across Europe, I'd probably allow an hour or two between
trains, sometimes more, and plan to have a meal or a coffee or beer.
Example 1: You're taking Eurostar & Thalys to Cologne to connect with the sleeper to Vienna. Online journey
planners suggest interchange times of as little as 15 minutes. Is this enough? In theory perhaps, but as you
don't want to miss that sleeper, I'd allow far more time, say 60-90 minutes at least, and have dinner in Cologne.
Example 2: You use the journey planner at bahn.de to plan an epic journey across Europe from Paris to
Istanbul. The system won't sell you a ticket, but comes up with train times involving a split-second 8-minute
connection in Munich, a 10-minute connection in Budapest, and a 20-minute connection in Bucharest. Is this
realistic? No, certainly not. In this case, the computer is only allowing the same minimal times between trains it
would allow for any trivial short journey, and is not building in an allowance for delay like a savvy traveller would
if he worked out an itinerary manually for such an epic trip. In this case, I'd make sure that my journey plan was
far more robust by allowing an hour or two hours between trains at major cities, possibly more, so that any
unforeseen delay on one leg did not jeopardise the rest of the trip.
If you are connecting out of an overnight sleeper train...

To be on the safe side, I'd allow for a long-distance overnight sleeper train to arrive up to an hour late. The
Paris-Venice Thello sleeper train can easily arrive an hour late, and in the Balkans I'd expect the Istanbul to
Bucharest train to be at least an hour late, probably more. So allow for this when planning onward connections.
Example You're catching the Cologne-Munich sleeper train, due to arrive in Munich at 07:10. There are
onward connections to Salzburg at 07:25 and 09:30, both with cheap fares available which are only valid on
whichever specific train you choose. Online systems and the European Rail Timetable blindly suggest the
07:25. But is this a safe connection? Frankly no, it isn't. Even this excellent sleeper train can arrive 10, 20 or
40 minutes late, and it pays to be on the safe side. In this case I'd recommend booking the 09:30 and having a
leisurely breakfast in Munich.
However, there are exceptions to this advice. You can buy a through ticket from Cologne to Salzburg covering
this sleeper to Munich and the tight connection with the 07:25 to Salzburg all on one ticket. In this case, I
might go with it, because with a through ticket you're definitely covered by CIV international conditions of
carriage and will be able to take a later train if there's a delay and you miss the 07:25. Which you will, on a
significant proportion of occasions. But in this case it would be no big deal.
Do you have a through ticket, or separate tickets?

The consequences of a missed connection are much less if you have a through ticket (one ticket covering both
trains) rather than two separate tickets. If you have a through ticket, and the online system has booked you a
tight connection, that's absolutely fine. The system won't have booked you a connection that isn't physically
possible, and with a through ticket you're definitely covered by the CIV international conditions of carriage if you
miss a connection through no fault of your own due to a train delay. The CIV entitle you to be rebooked on a
later onward train at no extra charge. If you have two separate tickets, it's a grey area, although if both trains
are operated by companies who are members of the Railteam Alliance, the Railteam Promise may apply and you
can get your ticket stamped and hop on a later train. You'll find an explanation of CIV and the Railteam
Promise, and what happens when connections are missed, in the When things go wrong section below.
Example: You're booking an inter-city journey across Germany on the German railways website bahn.de from
(say) Hamburg to Nuremburg or Amsterdam to Heidelberg. You're seeing an excellent €49 fare, but this
includes an 8-minute change of trains at a station en route. Is it safe to book this? Yes, this is absolutely fine.
It wouldn't sell a ticket if the connection wasn't reasonable, and you're buying a through ticket so if there's a
delay and you miss this connection, you're entitled to take a later onward train as explained below. So you're
covered!
Recommended connection times when changing stations in Paris...

The recommended times to allow for connections involving a change of trains and stations in Paris, for example
between Eurostar from London and an onward train from Paris, are shown on the How to cross Paris by metro or
taxi page.
Travel tips...
When changing in Brussels out of Eurostar onto an onward train, there's a useful short cut which can save
several minutes, see the advice here.
When booking or planning a journey at the German Railways website www.bahn.de, you can use the advanced
options to change 'Duration of transfers standard' to greater amounts of time up to 45 minutes.
What happens if you miss a connection?

All is not lost! You may well be entitled to be re-booked on a later train, even with a non-changeable ticket. All
is explained in the When things go wrong section below.
Back to top
If things go wrong...
It's remarkable how well European train travel

normally works...
High-speed trains in western Europe typically exceed 90% on time or
within 15 minutes, whilst competing short-haul airlines struggle to
reach 68%-78%. Over the last few years I've travelled back from Croatia

to London by train whilst volcanic ash grounded all flights for a week,
I've taken the ferry to the Netherlands for Christmas spot on time with
our in-cabin TV showing endless news about Heathrow's closure due to
snow, I have travelled to Seville in Spain by train and got there ahead of
airline passengers who found Heathrow closed for several days due to
fog. The most usual feedback I get is that people's trips around Europe
Oops!
by train all worked like clockwork, until they got back to London and
their train home was 45 minutes late!
But things do occasionally go wrong, so here's what you should know...

Plan realistic connections to start with. Physically changing trains usually only takes a minute or two to, but
you need to (1) allow for possible delays to the first train, and (2) consider the consequences of missing your
onward train. The recommended connections shown on this site take all this into account.
For example, if you miss a Swiss domestic train it's no big deal as you can simply hop on the next one half an
hour later. But if you miss a sleeper train then you're stuffed, so a sensible traveller will allow more time to be
on the safe side, perhaps an hour or more.
Ticketing is also a factor: A 10 minute connection for an onward train is fine if if you have an open ticket
equally valid on later trains. But many cheap long-distance tickets are train-specific, and in principle if you
miss the train your ticket becomes worthless - so the consequences of missing the onward train are much
greater and you should allow longer. On the other hand, on a through ticket you're legally covered for delays
and missed connections, so if you had a through ticket from Cologne to Copenhagen bought as one ticket from
DB for example, a 10-minute connection in Hamburg isn't such a big risk. Which brings me to the next point...
Be aware of your rights and of the arrangements which apply if connections are missed... With a through
ticket the international conditions of carriage or CIV give you a cast-iron legal entitlement to travel on by later
trains if a delay means a missed connection, so tight connections aren't necessarily a problem. But these days
you often get separate tickets for each train and that protection may not apply - the good news is that rail staff
will usually help you out anyway, and connections between different operators on separate tickets may be
covered by HOTNAT or AJC as explained below. So be aware of these arrangements, they usually mean you can
continue by a later train if the worst happens and you miss a connection, even with train-specific cheap tickets.
These arrangements are all explained below.
Always take out travel insurance, but don't expect it to bail you out of missed connections. Many rail tickets
are non-refundable. If you or a close relative falls ill, for example, and you have to cancel your trip, you'll
usually be able to claim the costs back through your travel insurance. However, few if any travel insurers
understand multi-leg overland travel, so don't expect them to cover missed connections as they may well not do
so. Some insurers have a strange clause that only covers problems with the first direct leg from the UK, which
basically means you're only covered for the effect of major delays as far as Paris or Brussels! I have yet to find
an insurer who offers an overland travel insurance policy which covers the knock-on effects of major delays or
strikes or cancellations to any one segment of the route. Insurers take note, there's a gap in the market!
If you miss a connection...

If you miss a connection, don't worry!
Step 1, get your ticket endorsed by staff on the delayed train or at the interchange station when you arrive.
If you are on a delayed Eurostar and you realise you are going to miss your onward connection, the Eurostar
train managers carry a HOTNAT / CIV stamp and will endorse your ticket. If there's a significant delay, Eurostar
train managers may walk through the train helping people with connections, or may announce that they are
available to help in a particular car of the train. Similarly, staff on other European trains can usually endorse or
stamp your ticket if the train is delayed. Tip: If crossing Paris by metro, buy your metro ticket in the Eurostar
cafe-bar car, this saves vital minutes in Paris and you might still make the connection.
Alternatively, if you arrive at the interchange station and find you have missed your connection, ask station staff
to stamp or endorse your ticket. First, try the station information desk, as this can be quicker than queuing at
the ticket office. If you miss a connection in Brussels, go to the SNCB international ticket office, do not ask
Thalys staff, see the advice here.
Step 2, approach staff of the operator of the onward train. This might mean at the station information desk,
or perhaps the train manager of the next onward train once it is platformed. Explain the situation politely, show
your tickets and ask for help.
It's good to be aware of your rights under the international conditions of carriage or CIV as well as its
limitations, and of the HOTNAT or AJC arrangements between operators to help passengers who have missed
connections.
It should not normally be necessary to buy new onward tickets, except as a very last resort. My advice is never
to buy any new tickets until you have talked to staff working for the onward train operator. For example, one
traveller from Berlin to London was told by DB in Berlin that she'd need to buy new Eurostar tickets as disruption
meant she wouldn't make her booked Eurostar. No! Travel to Brussels and ask Eurostar staff for help. And if
the first staff you talk to won't help, don't give up, try other staff who may be better trained, or perhaps ask to
see the station manager.
An example... I'm travelling from London to Bordeaux, but my Eurostar is running 40 minutes late and I risk missing my
onward connection in Paris. Naturally, I've got a non-changeable non-refundable ticket! An announcement is made that the
train manager will be in the bar car to help passengers with connections. He stamps my ticket and tells me to go to the
ticket office at Paris Montparnasse to get myself rebooked on a later train. In the event, I buy a metro ticket from the
Eurostar cafe-bar to save time queuing at the metro ticket office (top tip!), I walk to the front of the train as we approach
Paris so can get off quickly, I allowed a little more than the recommended minimum 60 minutes to cross Paris in any case,
and I make my connection comfortably!
Your rights: The CIV conditions of carriage...

All European international train tickets are issued subject to the CIV international conditions of carriage see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIV_(rail_travel) , you'll see the letters CIV printed in a corner of the ticket.
Amongst other things, the CIV say that if you miss a connection due to a train delay, you are entitled to be
carried forward by the next available onward train, even if your ticket is only valid on the train you've missed
and theoretically non-changeable. It doesn't matter who operates which train, this applies whether the trains
concerned are operated by the same or different train companies. And in theory, if you miss a last train, you are
entitled to be found a hotel for the night.
...but there's a big problem with the CIV: Fortunately, most operators will honour the CIV in practice and let
you travel onwards on a later train. But when they are pushed into a corner and (for example) asked to pay for a
hotel (especially if it's due to another operator's delay, not theirs) or asked to refund money that you forked out
for new onward rail tickets off your own bat without asking to be re-booked free of charge, they often claim
that the CIV only applies to 'through tickets'. So you'd definitely be covered if, for example, you bought a
London to Cologne Sparpreis London ticket and miss a connection in Brussels, as this is one ticket and therefore
one contract for transportation. But according to this argument, you wouldn't be covered if you bought your
London-Paris ticket at eurostar.com and your Paris-Marseille ticket at oui.sncf. And you may not even be
covered if you bought both tickets together in what looked like one transaction at (say) Loco2.com or
Trainline.eu, depending on whether this is seen as one contract or two contracts (one with each train operator,
with the retailer simply acting as agent for each). So it's as clear as mud! But in fact the CIV themselves say
absolutely nothing at all about whether the connectional protection applies only to through journeys which are
bought in one place or ticketed on one rather than two or three bits of paper, or if they apply to all through
journeys however they are ticketed. The CIV were written when through tickets existed for all journeys and were
the norm, the current fragmentation of the rail industry means people must now make through journeys on
separate tickets often bought from different websites to get the appropriate fare. The train companies'
argument relies on it somehow being 'implied' by the CIV that this connectional protection only applies to
through journeys ticketed in a specific way rather than another way. In my view, the passenger is making a
through journey, the CIV still apply to each ticket, the passenger still needs that protection for missed
connections more than ever, and it's still in the train companies' collective best interests to help their
passengers when things go wrong. In this case I'm not convinced the CIV are still fit for purpose in today's
fragmented world.
If you miss a Eurostar due to a delayed train...

I'm pleased to say that Eurostar are very good about re-booking people on a later Eurostar from Paris or
Brussels back to London, free of charge, if (for example) the sleeper from Italy has been seriously delayed
arriving in Paris, even if you have a non-changeable Eurostar ticket. That's in spite of Italian Railways not being
a member of Railteam, and the grey area in the CIV explained below! Eurostar are also very good about
rebooking people on a later Eurostar from London if their UK train has been delayed into London. But do allow
plenty of connectional time in the first place.
If you miss an onward connection in Brussels...

First, a tip: You can save vital minutes when changing from Eurostar to an onward train in Brussels if you use
the connections escalator half way along the Eurostar platforms as explained here. But if you miss your
connection, here's what to do...
If you miss a connection in Brussels between Eurostar and an onward Thalys or ICE to Amsterdam or Cologne,
don't worry. Simply go to the SNCB (Belgian railways) international booking centre, off the main concourse
below the tracks, next to the entrance to the Eurostar terminal between platforms 3 & 2. There's a queuing
system, press the Railteam button which I believe gives you priority. Explain the situation and ask for the
Railteam stamp on your ticket that allows you to hop on the next train. It shouldn't matter whether the next
train is an ICE or Thalys, both are members of Railteam. Do not talk to Thalys station staff, as there have been
reports of them not being properly trained in CIV & Railteam Promise and incorrectly telling people that they
need to buy another ticket. You don't! Once you have the Railteam stamp, you can simply board the next train
and show the ticket and stamp to the conductor. Naturally, you may have to use the tip-up seats in the
entrance vestibules on the Thalys if it's full, but it's not a long journey. Feedback is always appreciated! If your
onward travel is by InterCity train to domestic Belgian destinations or to Luxembourg or the Netherlands via
Roosendaal, you'd just get on the next train, no other action necessary as your ticket is valid on any train in any
case.
Railteam & HOTNAT...

But at last there's some good news. An alliance of high-speed train operators called Railteam (www.railteam.eu)
have said that if you miss a connection due to a train delay between any two high-speed trains run by Railteam
members at any designated Railteam hub station, you will be allowed to hop on the next onward train to reach
your destination, without having to change your ticket, sitting in any available seat. They call it HOTNAT, Hop
On The Next Available Train. See www.railteam.eu.
The Railteam Alliance members are Eurostar, Thalys, SNCF (French Railways), DB (German Railways), SNCB
(Belgian Railways), NS (Dutch Railways), SBB (Swiss Railways) and ÖBB (Austrian Railways).
The Railteam hub stations include Lille Europe, Brussels Midi, Frankfurt (Main) and the principal Paris termini.
Travellers can take the next high-speed service leaving from the same station as originally planned when a
delay on a preceding Railteam member’s high-speed service prevents them from making their originally-
planned connection, subject to the following conditions: The connection that was missed must be between two
high-speed trains of Railteam Alliance members. HOTNAT only applies at the station at which the passenger
originally planned to change trains. HOTNAT applies in cases of train delays but not in cases of (partial) train
cancellations. The approval of HOTNAT is subject to the available capacity on board each train and seats are not
guaranteed.
Agreement on Journey Continuation (AJC)...

There's also more good news. In July 2017, 14 national rail operators signed an agreement which means in the
event of a delay and missed connection, they will allow you to travel onwards by a later train at no charge even if
you have separate tickets for each train and those trains are run by different operators.
The signatories to the AJC are: SNCF (French Railways), DB (German Railways), ÖBB (Austrian Railways),
Trenitalia (Italian Railways), Renfe (Spanish Railways), SBB (Swiss Federal Railways), BLS (Bern-Lotschberg-
Simplon Railway), CD (Czech Railways), SNCB (Belgian Railways), NS (Dutch Railways), CFL (Luxembourg
Railways), DSB (Danish Railways), SZ (Slovenian Railways), ZSSK (Slovakian Railways).
Note that stand-alone companies such as Eurostar, Thalys, Thello aren't necessarily covered even though they
are wholly-owned subsidiaries of an operator who has signed the AJC. The AJC also doesn't currently cover
open-access operators such as Italo, Westbahn, Regiojet, Leo Express.
You have to be making an international journey, not a purely domestic one. Both trains have to be run by
signatories to the agreement. You must have allowed reasonable period of time between trains, meaning at
least the minimum applied by official journey planners. You may need to get proof of the delay from the
delayed operator (which they are obliged to give you). Onward travel has to be on the same operator on the
same route. It is either the station staff or the train manager for the onward train you gives you permission, you
should ask at the interchange station.
Remember that AJC is a commercial agreement between operators, not a passenger right you can demand, so
politely remind staff about it if they don't seem to know.
A traveller's report...
A traveller reports: "I got to my local station and there were no trains going anywhere! There had been an
emergency that stopped all trains for half an hour or so in the early morning rush hour, just when I needed to
get to London for the 8.30am Eurostar to Paris and TGV down to Toulon, with train-specific tickets all the way.
So what do you do? I just went to the ticket office when I reached London - they had the emergency flagged up
on their computer screens and just wrote me a docket/stamped and signed it and on I went. At St Pancras, I did
the same - went to the Eurostar ticket office and they stamped the unused tickets, issued new ones and off I
went. At Gare de Lyon, I went to the ticket office, showed them all the dockets, stamped, stapled and initialled
tickets and again they just issued me a ticket for the next train."
Back to top
Holidays & tours by train
Let a tour company arrange your trip...

If you want a holiday to Europe by train, but want someone else to organise all the train tickets & hotels for you
with no hassle, several good specialist companies do just that. Railbookers offer custom-made individual
holidays with departure on any date you like and an itinerary adjusted to suit your requirements, whereas Rail
Discoveries & Great Rail Journeys offer escorted tours with specific departure dates and you travel in company
with a group of like-minded travellers and a professional tour manager. Either way, you get a stress-free
holiday to Italy, Switzerland, Spain, France, eastern Europe or even Morocco overland by train, with regular
departures from London by Eurostar, no flying, no airport hassles and no whole days spent in cramped coach
seats on motorways.
Railbookers, www.railbookers.co.uk...
Railbookers can custom-make a holiday or short break by train to most European countries for you,
with train travel & carefully-chosen hotels, for however long you like, leaving on any date you like. If you tell
them what you want, they'll advise you on the best trains, routes & hotels and sort it all out for you. They look
after their customers well and get a lot of repeat business, so I've no hesitation in recommending them.
UK call 020 3327 0761, www.railbookers.co.uk.

US call free 1-888-829-4775, see website.
Canada call free 1-855-882-2910, see website.
Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526, see website.
New Zealand call toll-free 0800 000 554 or see website.
Rail Discoveries, www.raildiscoveries.com, 01904 730 727...

Rail Discoveries run escorted group tours to a number of European countries, with 3* or 2* hotels
and overland travel from the UK by Eurostar and high-speed TGV. Popular tours include:
9-day tour from London to Bologna, Florence, Venice & Rome, by train from London from around £795 per
person
8-day tour combining Mont Blanc with the fantastic Glacier Express across Switzerland, by train from London
from around £695
10-day tour to Vienna, Prague & Berlin, by train from London from around £795.
6-day Rhine cruise from around £615, by train from London.
See www.raildiscoveries.com for more options...
Great Rail Journeys, www.greatrail.com, 01904 527120...

Great Rail Journeys runs five-star inclusive escorted tours from the UK to many European countries,
with 1st class train travel and 5* or 4* hotels. Check the tour details online, then call 01904
527120 to book or use their online booking form. Tours include:
14-day Grand Tour of Italy with travel by train from London to Florence, Venice & Rome, from £2,195;
Bay of Naples, Capri & Amalfi with travel by train from London, from around £1,795;
Switzerland & the amazing Glacier Express with travel by train from London, from around £1,280;
Vienna, Budapest & Prague by train from London, from around £1,750;
Marrakech Express, a remarkable 5* tour from London to Madrid, Seville, Tangier & Morocco overland by train
from around £2,395;
Train + cruise from London to Rome, Naples, Athens, Mykonos, Kusadasi, Istanbul, Alexandra, Cairo, by train &
Princess Cruises, from around £2,350;
See www.greatrail.com for more options...
Back to top
Recommended guidebooks
Rail travel guides...

There are several good guidebooks specifically to help you travel by train to and around Europe. My own
book revised in 2010 is now too long in the tooth, but there are two newer books I'd recommend. Flight Free
Europe, packed with ideas for short breaks & longer holidays in Europe by train rather than air (it even
includes a picture of yours truly in a text box about seat61.com a few pages in, but don't let that put you off!).
Europe by Rail combines city guides with train information for train-based tours of Europe.
General country guidebooks...

People sometimes think a guidebook is an unnecessary expense, but it's a tiny fraction of what you're spending on your whole
trip. You will see and understand so much more if you have a decent guidebook. For the independent traveller, I think the best
ones out there are either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide. Both guidebooks are excellent, and you won't regret buying one!
Click the images to buy at Amazon.co.uk or buy in the USA at Amazon.com...

Back to top
Finding hotels in Europe
Find hotels anywhere in Europe...

◄◄ Hotel search & price comparison.
Search Hotels
www.hotelscombined.com checks all the main hotel booking sites at
Where? once to find the widest choice of hotels & the cheapest seller. It has
been named as the World's Leading Hotel Comparison Site in the
e.g. city, region, district or specific hotel World Travel Awards and I highly recommend it, both to find hotels in
even the smallest places and to check that another retailer isn't selling
Check-in the same hotel at a cheaper rate.
Day Month
►► My recommended booking site:
Check-out www.booking.com

Day Month www.booking.com is my favourite hotel booking site, and unless
HotelsCombined throws up major price differences I prefer doing my
I don't have specific dates yet bookings in one place here.
You can usually book with free cancellation - this allows you to
Guests confirm your accommodation at no risk before train booking opens.
It also means you can hold accommodation while you finalise your
2 adults in 1 room itinerary, and alter your plans as they evolve - a great feature I use all
the time when putting a trip together.
Search
Other hotel sites worth trying...

www.tripadvisor.com is a huge resource, a good place to browse independent travellers' reviews of all the main
hotels.
www.booking.com is my own preferred hotel booking system (Hotels Combined being a search/comparison
system). It has a simple interface, a good selection in most countries worldwide, useful online customer reviews
of each hotel, and decent prices, usually shown inclusive of unavoidable extras such as taxes (a pet hate of mine
is systems that show one price, then charge you another!).
www.accorhotels.com. In France, Accor Group run the good-quality & good-value Ibis, Mercure & Sofitel brand
hotels in almost all French cities. Worth a look if you want a hotel of known consistent quality in any French
city. They have a variable pricing system - book in advance in off-peak periods and you can get a bargain.
Hotels near Paris Gare du Nord & other Paris stations...

Hotels near the Gare du Nord with good reviews: Libertel Gare du Nord Suede (5 min walk from Gare du Nord,
2-star, doubles €135), Mercure Terminus Nord (3-star, doubles €180, directly across the road from the Gare Du
Nord); Art Hotel (3-star, €120 weekdays, €95 Fri/Sat/Sun); Avalon Hotel (2-star, doubles €110); Hotel
Cambrai (5 min walk from Gare du Nord, 1-star, doubles €65).
Hotels near the Gare de 'Est with good reviews: Libertel Gare de l'Est Français (opposite the station, 3-star,
doubles €89); Libertel Gare du Nord Suede (350m from the Gare de l'Est, 2-star, doubles €135). Comfort Hotel
Gare de l'Est (2-star, doubles €90).
Hotels near the Gare de Lyon with good reviews: Hotel Terminus Lyon (right in front of the station, 3-star,
doubles €139); Mercure Paris Gare de Lyon (on the station itself, 4-star, doubles €120); Novotel Paris Gare de
Lyon (opposite the station, 4-star, doubles €139); Mistral Hotel (800m from Gare de Lyon, 1-star, doubles
€68); Hotel de Reims (5 min walk from Gare de Lyon, 2-star, doubles €86);
Hotels near the Gare Montparnasse with good reviews: Mercure Paris Gare Montparnasse (150m from the Gare
Montparnasse, 4-star, doubles €175); Best Western Sevres Montparnasse (15 minute walk to Gare
Montparnasse, 3-star, doubles €170); La Maison Montparnasse (10 min walk from station, 2-star, doubles
€98); Hotel du Maine (5 min walk from station, 2-star, doubles €92).
Backpacker hostels...
www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about the backpacker hostels. Hostelworld
offers online booking of dorm beds or ultra-cheap private rooms in backpacker hostels in most European cities
at rock-bottom prices.
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Car hire
Take the train into Europe, then hire a car:

www.holidayautos.co.uk
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.
Compare 50 different car hire companies: www.carrentals.co.uk

The award-winning website 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.
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Travel insurance & health card
Take out decent travel insurance, it's essential...

Never travel without proper travel insurance from a reliable insurer with at least £1m or preferably
£5m medical cover. It should also cover loss of cash & belongings (up to a limit), and trip
cancellation. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year - I have
an annual policy myself. However, don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed
connection, see the advice on missed connections here. Here are some suggested insurers, Seat61

gets a little commission if you buy through these links, and feedback from using insurance for rail &
ferry travel is always welcome.
In the UK, use www.confused.com to compare prices & policy features across major insurance
companies.
If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65, see www.JustTravelCover.com - 10% discount with code
seat61.
If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct's other websites.
If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.
Get an EU health card, it's free...

If you're a UK citizen travelling in Europe, you should apply for a free European Health Insurance Card, which 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
NHS. This replaced the old E111 forms as from January 2006. The EHIC card is available from ww.nhs.uk. It doesn't remove the
need for travel insurance, though.
Carry a spare credit card, designed for travel with no currency exchange loading & low/no
ATM fees
Taking out an extra credit card costs nothing, but if you keep it in a different part of your luggage you won't be left stranded if
your wallet gets stolen. In addition, some credit cards are better for overseas travel than others. Martin Lewis's
www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency exchange
commission loadings when you buy something overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad.
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How To Travel by Train From London To Europe - A Beginner's Guide

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4/29/2018 How to travel by train from London to Europe - a beginner's guide

The Man in Seat 61... Search site: Go

A practical guide to travelling Share:

anywhere in Europe by train

Train travel It's true URL is reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/e, but

All about the Back to top

Maps of European rail routes

Free online rail maps...

You'll find more detailed country-by-country rail maps at www.bueker.net/trainspotting/maps.php.

Printed rail maps...

Travellers' Railway Map of Europe: Click

Buy online in the UK for £14.50 with postage

Buy online from Netherlands-based Treinreiswinkel

European Rail Timetable Map of

Rail Atlas of Europe by Ian Allan: Click to buy

Rail Atlas of Europe by M Ball: Click to buy

Real-time train running info

Are the trains running on time? Delays, incidents, strikes or disruptions?

German arrivals & departures: If your train crosses Germany, see

London to Paris or Brussels: See the Eurostar page...

Eurostar seating plans & tips on choosing the best seats

Eurostar website: www.eurostar.com

Eurostar's new e320... Eurostar Standard Premier (1st class)...

Changing trains in Paris

Changing trains in Brussels

Travelling by train + ferry

The ferry alternatives...

London to Paris by train & ferry...

London to Amsterdam by train & ferry...

Brittany Ferries to Spain...

Other useful ferry routes...

Should you go 1st or 2nd class?

2nd class is perfectly adequate...

2nd class seats, arranged 2+2 across the car

On a few premier trains including Eurostar & Spanish AVE trains,

1st class can be an affordable treat...

On sleeper trains, class is irrelevant...

Should you make a seat reservation?

Which side of the train?

First class lounges at stations

Eurostar first class lounges in London, Paris &

Lounges open to all 1st class ticket holders...

Amsterdam & the Netherlands: At Amsterdam Centraal, Schiphol &

Lounges only open to certain first class ticket holders...

Taking a sleeper train...

Incidentally, trains don't have sterns or bows, or port or

How early to be at the station?

Do you need to check in for a train?

On international trains, is there passport control before

Eurostar is an exception, with a minimum 30 minute check-in...

Spanish high-speed trains...

How long for connections?

How long to allow for connections 101...

It usually takes just minutes to change trains...

If your onward connection is a local unreserved train...

If your onward connection is a long-distance reserved train...

If your onward connection is an overnight sleeper train, or part of an epic journey...

If you are connecting out of an overnight sleeper train...

Do you have a through ticket, or separate tickets?

Recommended connection times when changing stations in Paris...

What happens if you miss a connection?

It's remarkable how well European train travel

But things do occasionally go wrong, so here's what you should know...