On this page you'll find a
complete guide to European motorail services of interest to
UK travellers.
What is Motorail?
Normal passenger trains
don't carry cars or motorbikes, just
passengers and sometimes bicycles.
However, there are special 'Motorail'
trains which carry cars & motorbikes using car
transporters attached to the train. These
run on a handful of holiday routes, see
the motorail route map below. They're usually
summer-only and usually only once or twice a week.
They are run by several operators. You must first
take a ferry or Eurotunnel shuttle across the Channel, as
motorail trains cannot use the Channel Tunnel, they
start at either
Düsseldorf (Germany) or s'Hertogenbosch (Netherlands) or
Paris, but
no longer (as of 2010) from Calais. Motorail trains carry cars,
motorbikes, small trailers & roof boxes, and on many routes
you can now take some
over-height 4x4 vehicles & people carriers. However, they can't
carry big 4X4s, vans, caravans or campers, as these are
too high. There are no motorail trains within
the UK, these ceased in 1995.
Why use Motorail?
First there's the relaxed holiday atmosphere of the motorail
experience, avoiding the stress & hassle of airports &
flights. Second, it offers door-to-door convenience,
taking your own car to the South of France, Italy or Austria
carrying as much luggage and toys for the kids as you like,
with the freedom to bring back as much wine or beer as you
can pack in. No baggage fees or weight limits, no
crowded airports, no expensive airport parking, no car hire
bureaucracy. The journey is part of the holiday.
It needn't take much longer than flying, because motorail
trains run overnight, so you leave the UK on day 1 and
arrive in Italy or the South of France for breakfast on day
2. It may save a hotel bill or two as well.
However, don't expect Motorail to be a 'budget' option,
except perhaps with one of
DB AutoZug's 'spezial' fares.
1. How do I
get my car from the UK to..?
Click your
destination to find out
how to get you & your car to these countries by motorail
train or ferry:
Well, families and couples
for a start. The door-to-door convenience of taking
your own car makes the logistics of a family holiday to
the South of France, Italy or Austria easy.
Classic cars: It's not just families.
Classic car owners who'd rather drive their vintage Jaguar
than a characterless hire car take it with them using
motorail. Classic cars are usually allocated a place on
the lower deck.
Bikers: Motorail is a bikers' favourite
too...
Here are the options for getting you &
your car from the UK to the main holiday areas of Europe:
French Motorail used to link Calais with southern France once a week from mid-May to mid-September. However,
Rail
Europe announced the closure of all French Motorail trains
from Calais as from 2010 onwards. Due to rising costs & poor exchange
rates, French Motorail will not be running in 2010 or 2011.
But don't despair, alternative
high-quality motorail services are available using German Motorail
from Düsseldorf to Narbonne,
Dutch Motorail from s'Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands
to Avignon or Fréjus, or Auto Train from Paris.
German Motorail
(DB Autozug) links Düsseldorf in Germany with Narbonne all
year round, once a week in summer, every fortnight in
winter, check the
online booking system for dates. Düsseldorf is only 3 hours 45 minutes drive from Calais,
and it's worth considering because of DB Autozug's cheap 'spezial'
fares, easy online booking, and all-year-round operation.
There are direct ferries from Scotland, Newcastle, Hull & Harwich to
Dutch or Belgian ports just 2½
hours from Düsseldorf. The train has both couchettes
and proper sleepers, including some deluxe sleepers with toilet & shower. Pets can be taken.
See here for
details.
Auto-Train: SNCF (French Railways) offer an all-year-round
'Auto-train' service from Paris to Nice,
Avignon, Biarritz, Marseille, Tarbes, Narbonne, St
Raphael, Toulon, Toulouse. Unlike other motorail
services, the cars travel on a separate car-carrying train whilst
passengers use whatever scheduled TGV or overnight train
they wish.
See here for details.
Dutch Motorail (Auto Slaap Trein) used to run from
s'Hertogenbosch to Avignon during the summer, but excessive
charges imposed by the French for using Avignon terminal
resulted in the planned 2011 service being cancelled, and no
trains for 2012 either.
Corsica:
Ferries sail from Marseille, Toulon or Nice to Corsica, a fantastic destination with a car.
See
www.sncm.fr
or
www.corsicaferries.com or simply see the
Seat61 Ferry Shop
for easy booking of all operators & routes.
Italy seems to be the most
popular motorail destination. But first the bad
news. There are now no motorail trains from Calais to Italy,
or from Paris to Italy, as French Railways seem incapable of
crossing frontiers these days. Now for the good news.
There are excellent motorail trains from the Netherlands or
Düsseldorf to Italy. Here are those
options in more detail:
Dutch Motorail (Auto
Slaap Trein) runs from s'Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands to
Livorno (near Pisa) and Alessandria (north of Genoa in
Piedmont),
once a week on Friday nights between the end of April &
the end of September (they
originally served Bologna, but switched this service to Alessandria from 2010).
S'Hertogenbosch is a 3 hour drive from Calais, or there
are direct ferries from Newcastle, Hull & Harwich to
Holland, making it very convenient if you live in East
Anglia, the North of England or Scotland. With proper
sleepers as well as couchettes, an elegant restaurant car,
great staff and (on the Livorno run) a wonderful evening
journey along the scenic Rhine Valley past the famous
Lorelei Rock, this is a great way to get you and your car to
Italy. See here for
details & an illustrated account of the service.
German Motorail (DB AutoZug) runs
from Düsseldorf to Alessandria & Verona once a week
April-October. Düsseldorf is a 3 hour 45 minute drive
from Calais, or a 2 hours 30 minute drive from Hoek van
Holland, Rotterdam or Amsterdam where the ferries from
Harwich, Hull & Newcastle arrive. With
online booking, cheap 'Auto Spezial' fares if you
pre-book and pick your dates carefully, economical
couchettes and modern sleeping-cars, some with private
toilet & shower, this is also an excellent way to reach
Italy with your car. See here for details.
Sardinia,
Sicily: For onward travel from Livorno or
Civitavecchia (just north of Rome) to Sardiniaor from Naples to Palermo
in Sicily, see the
Seat61 Ferry Shop.
Car-carrying
trains within Italy: Motorail trains
carrying passengers' cars operate on many routes within
Italy, including Bologna-Catania (Sicily)
daily year-round, Turin-Bari weekly in winter and daily in
summer, Bolzano-Bari weekly year-round, Rome-Sicily several
times a week,
and many summer-only routes. See
www.trenitalia.com for routes, dates and prices - select
'English' at the top, then 'Services for' at the top then
'Travelling with car on board' on the left. They have
cut quite a few routes in 2010. You cannot
book online. Booking opens 90 days before departure,
up until 3 hours before departure. Bookings can be
made on the day at stations, if there's space. To book in the UK contact
motorail specialist www.railsavers.com
(01253 595555).
There are no direct
motorail trains to Spain from Calais, Paris or anywhere
else, or any to Portugal. But there are several good alternatives:
www.brittanyferries.co.uk sail
up to five times a week from Plymouth or Portsmouth to
Santander or Bilbao, taking just 24 hours. Brittany Ferries' ships
'Pont Aven' and 'Cap Finistère' are truly
excellent, a wonderful way to reach Spain with more in
common with cruise liners than Channel ferries of old. There are
also kennel facilities on board for dogs. Crossing the
Bay of Biscay whilst whale-watching on deck is highly
recommended!
You'll find advice on ships & routes plus some photos here.
French Motorail used to offer a weekly Calais-Narbonne motorail
train every Friday night from mid-May to mid-September.
However, Rail Europe have sadly announced the
closure of the French Motorail service. Due to rising
costs & poor exchange rates, it will not be running in
summer 2010. Alternative services are available to Narbonne
using German Motorail.
German Motorail
(DB Autozug) links Düsseldorf in Germany with Narbonne in
southwest France all year round, and Narbonne is only 77
miles from the Spanish frontier, or 157 miles from
Barcelona. I'd suggest stopping at Figueres on the
way, for the remarkable Salvador Dali museum. The
train runs once a week in summer and every fortnight in
winter, check the
online booking system for dates. At first glance,
going via Düsseldorf may seem a long way round,
but Düsseldorf is only 3 hours 45 minutes drive from Calais
or a 2½ hour drive
from the Dutch or Belgian ports where the direct ferries
from Scotland, Newcastle, Hull & Harwich arrive. DB
Autozug is worth considering because of it's cheap 'spezial'
fares (from 149 euro for car+driver), easy online booking,
high-quality modern couchettes & sleepers, and
all-year-round operation. There are direct ferries from
Scotland, Newcastle, Hull & Harwich to Dutch or Belgian
ports just from Düsseldorf. The train has both
couchettes and proper sleepers, including some sleepers with
private toilet & shower. Pets can be taken.
See here for
details.
Ibiza, Minorca or Majorca:
For onward travel to Ibiza, Minorca or Majorca, see
ferry operator
www.trasmediterranea.es or see the
Seat61 Ferry Shop
for easy booking for all operators
Car-carrying
trains within Spain: There used to be car-carrying
trains within Spain, but these were suspended in 2006 and
show no sign of resuming.
There are no
motorail trains to Switzerland, the only option is to drive
from the channel ports all the way. The 3-times-a-week
Auto-Train service from Paris to Geneva was withdrawn in
summer 2010.
German
Motorail (DB AutoZug) run once or twice weekly motorail
trains from Düsseldorf to Munich, Salzburg, Innsbruck &
Villach, between April and October. Düsseldorf is a 3
hour 45 minute drive from Calais, or just a 2 hours 30
minute drive from Hoek van Holland, Rotterdam or IJmuiden
where the ferries from Harwich, Hull & Newcastle arrive.
With
online booking, cheap 'Auto Spezial' fares if you
pre-book and pick your dates carefully, economical
couchettes and modern sleeping-cars, some with private
toilet & shower, this is also an excellent way to reach
Bavaria or Austria with your car. See here for details.
Austrian Railways (ÖBB) used to
run a Düsseldorf-Vienna overnight motorail train for most of
the year, daily at peak times, twice weekly off-peak
However, it ceased running in 2009.
There are no motorail services
from the UK to any of these countries, but there are ferries
to several ports.
www.dfds.co.uk
operate an excellent 3-times-weekly cruise ferry from
Harwich in Essex to Esbjerg in Denmark. They
can also book an equally excellent onward overnight cruise
ferry from Copenhagen to Oslo in Norway, and the
overnight cruise ferry from Stockholm or Turku to Helsinki
in Finland. Sadly, there are now no direct
ferries from the UK to anywhere in Norway or Sweden.
www.tallink.ee operate a
4-times-a-week cruise ferry from Rostock in Germany to
Helsinki in Finland.
DB
AutoZug's Düsseldorf
- Villach motorail train will get you from Düsseldorf (a
3
hour 45 minute drive from Calais or a 2 hour 30 minute drive
from Hook of Holland or Rotterdam) to Villach in southern
Austria, a stone's throw from the Slovenian border, from
where you can easily drive to Ljubljana, Zagreb, Split or
Rijeka.
They used to run a direct motorail train to Rijeka in Croatia,
but this was withdrawn in 2008. There are no direct motorail trains
serving eastern Europe, at least none of any use to travellers from
the UK, with the exception of Optima Tours and EuroTurk
Express, see below.
Optima Tours run motorail
trains from Villach in southern Austria to Edirne in Turkey
(near the Bulgarian border), with departures on various dates from May to
October. See www.optimatours.de
for dates, times & booking information (only available
in German). You can use
DB AutoZug's Düsseldorf-Villach
motorail to connect with it.
EuroTurk Express operate
a train twice a month from Bonn to Turkey, with couchette
cars and restaurant car, see
here for details.
Greece by ferry: Alternatively, take Dutch
Motorail from s'Hertogenbosch (Netherlands) to Bologna or
German Motorail from Düsseldorf (northern Germany) to
Verona, then drive to Venice or Ancona and take a direct cruise ferry
from Venice to Igoumenitsa or Patras in Greece, see
www.minoan.gr,
www.anek.gr
or
www.bluestarferries.com or simply consult the
Seat61 Ferry Shop.
The Ferry Shop can also book onward ferries from Piraeus
(the port of Athens) to Crete and many other Greek islands.
There are also ferries from
other Italian ports to Greece, Croatia, Montenegro &
Albania. See the
Seat61 Ferry Shop
for routes and booking.
UK to
North Africa, Cyprus, Malta,
Egypt, Israel...
Malta is linked to
Sicily by car-carrying catamarans of Virtu ferries,
www.virtuferries.com.
www.grimaldi-lines.com also operates a weekly cruise
ferry from Genoa, Civitavecchia (near Rome) and Catania to
Valetta, Malta.
Tunisia, Morocco: There are regular ferries from
Marseille & Genoa to Tunisia, and from southern Spain & Sète
in the South of France to Morocco, see the
Seat61 Ferry Shop.
A good site to consult for such ferry routes and operators
is UK ferry agent
www.viamare.com.
Cyprus, Egypt, Israel:
There are few if any car ferries to these destinations, but
contact UK ferry specialists
www.viamare.com for details of any available services.
Calais
to Avignon, Fréjus, Nice, Brive, Toulouse, Narbonne...
French Motorail
was
operated by Rail Europe through their parent company SNCF
(French Railways).
All French Motorail
trains from Calais have been discontinued...
Rail Europe sadly announced the complete closure of
the French Motorail service from Calais to southern
France, due to rising costs and poor exchange
rates. It will not be running in 2010 or 2011 and may
never run again. A great shame, it ran for many
years and had many loyal customers.
... but Düsseldorf & s'Hertogenbosch are the new
'Calais'!
All is not
lost!
German Motorail services run from
Düsseldorf to Narbonne, Alessandria & Verona in Italy. Düsseldorf is 3 hours 45 minutes drive from Calais,
3 hours 20 minutes drive from Dunquerque, or just 2
hours 30 from Hook of Holland or Rotterdam. Fares
start at just 149 euros for car & driver.
Dutch Motorail runs from s'Hertogenbosch in the
Netherlands (3 hours from Calais, 2 hours 30 from
Dunquerque, 1 hour 15 minutes from Hoek van Holland) to
Avignon & Fréjus in the south of France and to
Alessandria & Livorno in Italy. Both German & Dutch motorail trains have
proper sleeping-cars as well as couchettes,
and in many cases there's a proper restaurant car too.
German motorail trains even have some deluxe
sleepers with toilet & shower. Regular users
of French Motorail might be pleasantly surprised by
these alternative services!
s'Hertogenbosch (Netherlands) to
Livorno & Alessandria (Italy)...
Auto Slaap
Trein is a operated by Euro Express Trein Charter, a private
company which took over the Dutch Railways' motorail services
when they were privatised in 1996.
UK residents can callwww.railsavers.com
on 01253 59 55 55, lines open 09:00-17:00
Monday-Saturday, 10:00-16:00 Sunday.
Terminal:
Trains depart
from
s'Hertogenbosch in the middle of the Netherlands, 3
hours drive from Calais, 2 hours 35 minutes from Dunquerque,
or 1 hour 15 minutes from Hook of Holland, Rotterdam or
IJmuiden (Amsterdam). The motorail terminal is
adjacent to s'Hertogenbosch Centraal station.
Routes:
Trains run from s'Hertogenbosch to Livorno & Alessandria in Italy.
They used to operate a service to Bologna, this is switched
to Alessandria from 2010 onwards, due to Bologna being
rebuilt for high-speed trains.
Auto Slaap
Trein used to operate a motorail service from
s'Hertogenbosch to Avignon & Fréjus, but unfortunately, all Dutch motorail trains to
Avignon have been cancelled for 2011 and will not run in
2012, due to the idiotic French trying to
charge a 350 euros surcharge for motorail travellers to
Avignon station.
Outward
departure dates & times:
The
s'Hertogenbosch to Alessandria motorail runs on Fridays
from 27 April to 28 September 2012,
loads cars 13:30-14:30, departs s'Hertogenbosch 16:21,
arrives Alessandria 09:34. This is a new longer
operating period for 2012, with 33 extra departures!!
The s'Hertogenbosch to Livorno motorail runs on Fridays
from 1 June to 31 August 2012,
loads cars 10:00-12:30, departs s'Hertogenbosch 14:21,
arrives Livorno 10:00.
The Alessandria to s'Hertogenbosch motorail runs on
Saturdays from 28 April to 29 September, loads cars
13:00-15:30, departs Alessandria 17:35 arrives
s'Hertogenbosch 09:49. This is a new longer operating
period for 2012!
The Livorno to s'Hertogenbosch motorail runs on
Saturdays from 2 June to 1 September, loads cars 13:00-15:00, departs Livorno 17:03,
arrives s'Hertogenbosch 13:55.
The cost varies, depending on your destination, date of
travel, car type and passenger accommodation.
But as an example, a car and 4 people travelling in a
private
4-berth couchette compartment from s'Hertogenbosch to Livorno or
Alessandria costs £450-£837 each way depending
on the date. A car + 2 adults in a sleeper costs
£611-£817. Motorbike & 1 adult in shared
couchettes £225-£310. Ferry crossing not included.
But many discounts and deals are available, so call www.railsavers.com
on 01253 59 55 55 to check.
Vehicles carried:
Cars & motorbikes are carried, also small trailers and
bicycles, maximum vehicle height 1.55 metres or up to 1.68m
on request. For example Volkswagen Tourans are carried but not taller
vehicles such as Land Rover Discoveries, campers,
caravans or
vans. If you've a roofrack, see www.railsavers.com
or
www.autoslaaptrein.nl.
Accommodation on board:
There are 6-berth couchettes, more spacious
4-berth couchettes, and proper sleepers with 2 & 3 bed
compartments with washbasin. Sleepers are only
sold as private compartments, couchettes are also sold
as private compartments, but as an economy option you
can book an individual berth in a shared couchette
compartment. Fares include an evening tray meal
and light breakfast served in your compartment, but there
is a restaurant car and you can upgrade to a 3-course
dinner for around £33 extra per person (£17 for
children up to 12) when you book.
Pets:
Yes, dogs and other pets can be carried for an extra
charge of around £38 each way.
UK ferry connections:
RailSavers can also arrange your Channel Crossing
at special rates, but
also check prices yourself too.
The cheapest
option is to use the short sea routes, Dover-Calais or
Dover-Dunquerque, see
www.poferries.com,
www.seafrance.co.uk &
www.norfolkline.com. Top tip:
www.norfolkline.com always seem by far the
cheapest operator, typically charging £45-£70 return for a car
and occupants when Dover-Calais operators
persist in charging over £100 return.
The
hassle-free direct option from East Anglia or the
North of England is to use
www.stenaline.co.uk (Harwich-Hoek van Holland), www.dfds.co.uk
(Newcastle-Amsterdam overnight cruise ferry),
or
www.poferries.com (Hull-Rotterdam overnight cruise ferry).
The Man in
Seat 61 says:
Auto Slaap Trein is the 'real deal' for getting your car to
Italy, a wonderful overnight experience with friendly
English-speaking staff, proper sleeping-cars as well as more
economical couchettes, and an elegant restaurant car serving
a 3-course dinner with great wine too. The terminal at
s'Hertogenbosch is ideal for anyone
living in East Anglia, the North of England or Scotland
because of the direct ferries to Holland from Newcastle, Hull &
Harwich, but it's not too far from Calais or Dunquerque
either. It's very popular with both the Dutch and many
Brits, with families, classic car owners and bikers, and you can even take your dog along.
Auto Slaap Trein gets a lot of repeat business, and having
used it myself, I'm not surprised!
Booking tips:
The popular June & September departures sell out fast, so
book these well before Christmas if you can. Also book
early for high vehicles, as there are only 7 places per
train for vehicles over 1.55 metres high.
What's a journey on the Auto Slaap
Trein like?
1. Check-in: It's easy to find the
Auto Slaap Trein (motorail) terminal, right next to
s'Hertogenbosch station, using the directions you're
given when
you book. It's well signposted. You're met at
the entrance, your ticket is checked and everything is
explained...
2. Drop off: You drive round the
corner and park up to drop off your passengers &
overnight bags. There's a holiday atmosphere, easy
and relaxed, no rush! The motorail terminal
has toilets, and there's a waiting room with an
urn for complimentary tea, coffee & squash.
There's an outdoor seating area with tables & chairs.
3.
Loading the car: When
you're ready, follow the directions of the loading staff
and drive your car up the ramp and onto the double-deck car
transporter wagons. Tall vehicles go on the top
deck, motorbikes and classic cars get the lower deck.
Drive on until told to stop. Handbrake on, leave
it in 1st gear, and remember to disable the alarm when
you lock your car. Staff secure the vehicle with
metal bars against the wheels. Walk back along the
wagons and down the ramp to the terminal.
4. Boarding the passenger coaches: The
passenger coaches arrive at platform 1, right next to
the terminal, about 40-60 minutes before departure. Soap, towels & mineral water
are provided, and in the 2-3 bed sleepers you're welcomed with a
small complimentary bottle of fizzy that really gets the
journey off to a good start... Couchette
passengers are welcomed aboard with a white wine or
fruit juice...
Sleepers:
Sleepers are ideal for couples or small families. This is a 2 or 3 bed sleeper in its daytime mode with
beds folded away & sofa folded out. There are
toilets at the end of the corridor.
The
same sleeper, in night mode with the beds
folded out, each with crisp clean sheets & cosy
duvets. The sleepers are carpeted, air-conditioned
and have a washbasin in each room.
Couchettes, 4-berth:
Couchettes are more basic
than sleepers, but are ideal for families. This is
a 4-berth air-conditioned couchette is in daytime
mode with the bunks folded away. At night, an
upper & lower bunk folds out from the wall on each side
of the compartment. In couchette cars there are toilets
&
washrooms at the end of the corridor.
Couchettes, 6-berth:
This is a 6-berth couchette
compartment, in daytime mode. At night, upper, middle
& lower bunks fold out from the wall on each side of
the compartment. Sheets, pillow & blanket are
provided for each berth. The 6-berth couchettes
are not air-conditioned, but the windows open for
ventilation.
Look
daddy, there's our car! Suddenly, the car
transporter wagons are shunted past our sleeper window, as
they are taken to the back of the train...
All set to go: The car transporters have been loaded and
attached to the back of the passenger coaches. The
Auto Slaap Trein now awaits its departure time for Italy...
5. Dinner in the diner: The fare includes a
basic evening tray meal served in your compartment by
the sleeper attendant, but for £35 per person you can
upgrade to a proper 3-course meal in the restaurant car,
pre-booked & pre-paid when you buy your motorail ticket.
Travel tip: Booking the meal is well worth it, as
dinner is a highlight of the trip, especially along the
Rhine Valley on the Livorno run.
When you reach the restaurant car, you'll find a
reserved table marked with your name on a card.
Highchairs for infants are available if you need one.
The pre-paid meal doesn't include drinks, but wine, beer
or spirits are available, 75cl of wine costs around
18-22 euro. Travel tip: The 'wine
arrangement' (14.50 euro) is a great idea, it lets you
sample a different wine with each course, from fizzy
prosecco to a crisp dessert wine.
Along the Rhine Valley:
The Livorno train heads down the Rhine Valley in
the early evening, past castles, Rhine river barges & vineyards.
Pictured, above right: As the
waiter brings dessert, the evening sun catches the
famous Lorelei Rock, the stuff of German legend, on the
far bank of the Rhine... Travel tip:
This is one reason for picking
the afternoon Livorno train over the evening Bologna
one. Pre-book dinner in the restaurant car and
request the first sitting. The Bologna train
travels via the Rhine Valley too, but you'll have to
watch it in the moonlight late at night! The
trains to Italy then pass through Switzerland, via the
Gotthard route.
5. Breakfast in your compartment: Next
morning, a light breakfast is served
in your compartment, included in the fare.
6. Buongiorno Italia!
Here, the Auto Slaap Trein has arrived right on time at
Livorno. Passengers leave the train and walk via
the subway to the unloading dock near platform 1.
Over the next half hour, the car transporters are
detached and shunted into the loading dock.
6. Unloading:
After a short wait, names are called out, and you walk
up the ramp and along the transporter wagons to drive
your car off. Within an hour of arriving, you're in your car driving through the uncrowded back roads
of Tuscany & Umbria, or heading down the Autostrada to
the Bay of Naples.
DB AutoZug is
a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, German Railways. Their
'Autozug Spezial' fares from just 149 euro (£129) for
car+driver from Düsseldorf to Italy or Austria make them the
most affordable motorail operator, and they have easy online
booking. Düsseldorf is 3 hours 45 minutes drive from
Calais, 3 hours 20 minutes from Dunquerque. Some
services run all year round, not just in summer.
What's a journey
on DB Autozug like?
Trains depart from Düsseldorf, a 3 hour 45 minute (245
mile) drive
from Calais, 3 hours 20 minutes from Dunquerque, or 2 hour 30
minutes from Hook of Holland (157 miles), Rotterdam or IJmuiden
(Amsterdam). The DB Autozug motorail terminal is next
to Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof.
Routes:
Trains run from Düsseldorf to Verona,
Alessandria, Trieste (Italy), Munich (Germany),
Villach, Salzburg, Innsbruck
(Austria). Also Duseldorf-Schwarzach St Veit in the
winter skiing season.
The
Düsseldorf-Alessandria motorail train runs all year
round, on selected Sunday nights in winter (check dates &
times using the
online system here) then every Friday
night from late April until late October, also Wednesday
nights from early May to late September, loading
14:40-15:00, departing 16:03 arriving in Alessandria at
08:55 next morning. Northbound, it runs on selected
Monday nights in winter (check dates & times using the
online system),
then on Saturday nights from late April to late October,
also Thursday nights from early May to late September, loading 15:00-16:30, departing
Alessandria 17:35, arriving Düsseldorf 10:43 next day.
The
Düsseldorf-Verona motorail train runs every Friday night
from late April to late October (but will not run
from late June to late September 2012 due to engineering
work), loading 16:15-16:30,
departing Dusseldorf 17:13 and arriving in Verona at 09:57 next
morning. Northbound, it runs every
Saturday night from late April to late October (but will
not run from mid June to late September 2012 due to
engineering work) loading 15:00-15:45, departing Verona 16:47, arriving Düsseldorf
09:27 next day.
The
Düsseldorf-Trieste motorail train runs on Friday
nights from late April to late October, loading 14:30-16:15,
departing 17:13 and arriving Trieste at 10:14 next morning. Northbound, it runs every
Saturday night from late April to late October, loading 15:30-16:45, departing
Trieste 17:15, arriving Düsseldorf 09:27 next day.
The
Düsseldorf-Bolzano (northern Italy) motorail train runs
all year round, usually on Friday or on Sunday nights southbound and
Saturday or Monday
nights northbound, use the
online booking system
below for dates. Bolzano is also written as 'Bozen'.
However, it will not run from mid June onwards in
2012 due to engineering work.
The
Düsseldorf-Narbonne Motorail train runs all year round,
Southbound on most Friday nights
from late April to late October, also on Wednesday nights
May to September, then fortnightly from November
to March. Departure from Dusseldorf around 16:50,
arriving Narbonne around 11:00 next morning.
Northbound it runs on Saturday nights late April to late
October, also Thursday nights May to September, fortnightly
in winter from November till March, departing Narbonne
around 16:20, arriving Dusseldorf around 10:26. Use the
online booking system
below to check dates & times.
The
Düsseldorf-Salzburg motorail train No service in 2012,
use Schwarzach instead.
The
Düsseldorf-Innsbruck motorail train runs all year round,
on most Friday
nights from January to March then on Wednesday nights in May
and on Wed, Fri & Sun nights from June to September and a
few dates in October, usually departing 17:13 and
arriving Innsbruck at 06:35 next morning. Times vary,
so use the online
system to check.
The
Düsseldorf-Villach motorail train runs every Sunday
night from mid-April to mid-October,
departing 17:13 and arriving Villach at
07:42 next morning. Northbound it runs on Monday
nights mid-April to mid-October. Use the
online booking system below to check dates & times.
The
Düsseldorf-Schwarzach st Veit motorail train runs on
Friday nights from December to March, then on Sunday nights
from April to October. Use the
online booking system below for details.
The
Düsseldorf-Munich (Ost) motorail train runs all year
round several times a week, use the
online booking system
below for details.
How much does it cost?
Fares start at just 149 euro (£129) for a car + driver in shared
couchettes.
DB's cheap 'AutoZug Spezial' online fares make DB
Autozug probably the cheapest motorail operator, if
you pick your dates carefully. However, the cost varies, depending on your destination, date
of travel, car type and passenger accommodation.
As an example, an AutoZug Spezial from Düsseldorf to
Verona for a car, 2 adults and 2 children in shared
couchettes in October costs from 329 euro one-way
(£286), normal price around 426 euro (£373).
With just 2 adults and 0 children, that falls to 209
euro (£181), normal price 346 euro (£300). A
motorbike + 1 adult in shared couchettes starts at 149
euro (£130) one-way. But check fares for your
dates, passenger numbers and type of sleeping
accommodation using the
online booking system
on the
DB AutoZug website. Ferry crossing not included.
Vehicles carried:
Cars & motorbikes are carried, also small trailers &
bikes, maximum vehicle height 1.75 metres or on some
routes up to 1.83m (Alessandria), 1.97m (Verona) or
even 2.05m (Salzburg, Innsbruck, Villach). Also
depends on roof width, see the
DB AutoZug website for full details.
Accommodation on board:
Individual berths in shared 5-berth couchette
compartments. This is the cheapest option;
Sole occupancy of a 5-berth couchette compartment for
up to 5 people;
Sole occupancy of a standard sleeper compartment with beds and
washbasin for up to 3 people;
Sole occupancy of a deluxe sleeper with beds for up to 3
people plus private shower & toilet.
A bistro car runs on the longer routes. Sleeper
& couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea
or coffee served in your compartment.
See the couchette & sleeper photos below.
Passengers with disabilities: These
Autozug trains also include a wheelchair-accessible
2-berth couchette compartment, adjacent to a
wheelchair-accessible toilet. A huge door to the
compartment (and a similar one to the toilet) slide
back at the touch of a button. There are photos
of this special compartment
here.
Pets:
Yes, dogs and other pets can be carried for an extra
charge.
Suggested ferry connections:
The cheapest option is to use the short sea routes,
Dover-Calais or Dover-Dunquerque, see
www.poferries.com,
www.seafrance.co.uk &
www.norfolkline.com. Top tip:
www.norfolkline.com always seem by far the
cheapest operator, typically charging £45-£70 return for a car
and occupants when Dover-Calais operators
persist in charging over £100 return.
The
more direct option from East Anglia or the
North of England is to use
www.stenaline.co.uk (Harwich-Hoek van Holland), www.dfds.co.uk
(Newcastle-IJmuiden overnight cruise ferry),
or
www.poferries.com (Hull-Rotterdam overnight cruise ferry).
Comment:
DB AutoZug offers overnight motorail trains from Düsseldorf
to Italy, Southwest France, Southern Germany & Austria, a good quality service with modern sleepers, some with private shower & toilet as well
as more economical couchettes. They are the only motorail
operator to offer
easy online booking, an they have cheap 'AutoZug Spezial' fares if you pre-book
and pick your dates carefully making them perhaps the cheapest
and easiest motorail service to book. Highly
recommended!
How to reach Düsseldorf Autozug terminal:
Leave the autobahn and follow the signs for Düsseldorf
city centre, then follow the signs for 'Hauptbahnhof'
('main station'). Near the Hauptbahnhof, you'll
pick up signs saying 'DB Autozug'. If you have a
Tom-Tom satnav, the DB Autozug terminal is listed as a
'point of interest' in Düsseldorf. It's not
difficult to reach, it's down a side road at the north
east side of the Hauptbahnhof, the address is DB
Autozug Terminal, Schlägelstrasse,
40210 Düsseldorf.
Check-in:
You show your ticket at the check-in kiosk at the
entrance to the terminal. You're given an A4 sheet
with your destination printed on it to put in your
windscreen. It's all very relaxed, no rush, no
hassle.
Waiting for loading:
You're told to park up in one of five numbered lanes
that sweep round the terminal building to the foot of
the loading ramps. A sign shows the destination
for each lane. Drop off your passengers and
overnight bags.
Inside the
terminal building: You can wait in the
terminal building, with tables, chairs, drinks and
coffee machines and toilets. Or you can walk onto
the station (follow the 'bahnsteig' signs) and use the
station facilities.
Loading the car:
When the train is ready for loading staff open the gates at
the foot of the loading ramp & you'll be asked to drive
onto the motorail wagons. Drive on along the
wagons until told to stop. Park with handbrake on,
in 1st gear, alarm disabled. In this picture you
can see Düsseldorf station platforms 19 & 20 to the right of the
train, where you board the passenger cars.
Walk back to the
terminal... Climb
off the car wagons onto the platform using the steps
provided and walk back to the terminal to collect your
passengers and bags. Either wait in the terminal
or walk back onto the station and use the station
facilities, including various shops, Starbucks & MacDonald's.
Boarding the train:
Motorail trains leave from platforms 19 & 20 at
Düsseldorf station, the platforms closest to the
motorail terminal. The platforms are accessed from
the motorail terminal via a short subway, just follow
the signs marked 'bahnsteig' (German for 'platform').
The passenger coaches are shunted into the platform &
attached to the motorail wagons about 30-40 minutes
before departure. You can then board the train.
On board the train... The choice is between
individual berths in shared 5-berth couchettes, sole occupancy of a 5-berth
couchette compartment, sole occupancy of a 1, 2 or 3
berth standard sleeper with washbasin, or sole occupancy
of a 1, 2 or 3 bed deluxe sleeper with private toilet &
shower. There are also wheelchair-accessible
2-berth couchettes.
5-berth couchettes: Couchettes are basic
but comfortable sleeping accommodation, ideal for
families. In both couchettes & sleepers, berths
convert to seats for daytime use.
Standard sleeper: A sleeper is the most
comfortable & civilised option. The photo
above shows a standard sleeper set up as a 2-berth. There's a
shower at the end of the corridor.
Deluxe sleeper: Deluxe sleepers are
virtually identical to standard sleepers but have a
private shower & toilet, seen here. Sleepers can
be set up as 1, 2 or 3 berth.
Breakfast: The DB Autozug fare includes a simple box
breakfast with tea or coffee served by the attendant
in your sleeper or couchette compartment. Deluxe
sleeper passengers get a slightly more extensive
breakfast. Some trains have a restaurant or bistro
car.
Offloading:
You leave the passenger coaches at the platform and walk
to the unloading dock. Drivers go to their cars
when told to do so and you drive off into the terminal
parking area. You pick up your passengers and
overnight bags and off you go. You can be on the
road within 30 minutes of arriving! It really is
that simple, a totally painless way to go... This
photo shows cars from Düsseldorf unloading at Salzburg
in Austria.
DB Autozug is the only motorail
operator to offer 'live' online booking, and this form links directly to
the
DB AutoZug website. You book online and print out
your own ticket.
Paris toNice,
Geneva, Avignon, Biarritz, Marseille, Tarbes, Narbonne, St
Raphael, Toulon, Toulouse
The French Railways operate their own domestic
car-carrying trains, called Auto-Train, some of which run all
year round at least a few times a week.
Auto-Train is different from all the other motorail
services in that cars &
passengers travel separately: You check your car
in during day 1, the cars are transported overnight,
and you pick your car up on day 2. Passengers
travel on any regular passenger train they like,
either a daytime TGV or overnight train with
couchettes. You can find more information (in
French) at
www.voyages-sncf.com/services-train/auto-train.
Cost: Paris-Nice costs around £220 each
way for the car, Paris-Narbonne £205, Paris-Brive or
Paris-Bordeaux £155. However, there are some
cheap deals if you book well in advance, from 49 euros
one-way for the car. Passengers pay normal rail
fares, which start at 22 euros one-way, see
www.raileurope.co.uk.
How it works: You drive your car to Paris
Bercy Station. After a vehicle inspection, you
hand over your keys and leave the rest to the very
proficient SNCF staff. You are now free to take
any regular passenger train you like, either a daytime
TGV or overnight Lunéa sleeper train. Next day you
make your way to the motorail terminal at your
destination, present your travel papers and collect
the keys to your vehicle.
Traveller John Rayner reports: "In May
2010 for the Journey from Paris to Toulon we booked a
single on the Auto Train for 49 and two single adult
tickets on the TGV for 44. We stayed in a hotel not
far from Toulon station for 40. A considerable saving
on tolls, fuel and fatigue! An hours drive from Toulon
got us to our destination just outside St Tropez
refreshed and ready to enjoy our holiday!
How to book: You can book up to 3 months
in advance, and you'll get the best prices if you book
as soon as booking opens. In the UK, call Rail
Europe's Motorail line on 0844 848 4050 (lines open 0900-1700 Monday-Friday).
Alternatively, you can now book your car on Auto-Train
online at the SNCF website
www.voyages-sncf.com, (click on Vol and then on
Voiture Auto Train), this allows you to reserve a
place on the Auto Train but you then have 48 hours to
telephone SNCF, confirm your vehicle details
(including registration number) and pay with a debit
or credit card (this is where the French language and
particularly alphabet is required). You then
book separate passenger tickets either at
www.raileurope.co.uk
(UK residents) or
www.tgv-europe.com (residents of any country).
Optima Tours
run their 'Optima Express' motorail train at least weekly to
Turkey on various
departure dates between May & October, see www.optimatours.de
for dates, times & booking information. Edirne is near
the Bulgarian border, so is also good for Bulgaria.
Times vary, so
you'll have to check their site, but the journey from
Austria to Turkey takes either 2 days & 1 night or 2 nights
& 1 day. The train has covered car-carrying wagons and
Bulgarian couchette cars, with compartments that can be used
for sole occupancy for 1-6 people, or you can book one berth
in a shared 6-berth compartment.
They take cars
up to 152cm high, or for a slightly higher price, vehicles
up to 198cm high.
The cost is
around 249 euro one-way for a car plus 126 euro for one
person in a shared 6-berth couchette compartment or 270 euro
per person in a couchette compartment allocated for the
exclusive private use of two people.
EuroTurk
Express are a new operator which runs a motorail train twice
a month from April to September from Bonn in Germany (Bonn Beuel station)
to
Çerkezköy, 115km west of Istanbul. The journey takes 2 nights.
The train consists of smart modern air-conditioned Austrian
couchette cars, a restaurant car and car-carrying wagons.
The cheapest option is to share a 6-berth couchette
compartment with other passengers (2 adults and car around
680 euros one way) or you can pay more to reserve a whole
6-bunk couchette compartment for your party, even if you're
alone or there's just two of you. See
www.euroturkexpress.de for information, dates, times and
online booking. Oh, and if you haven't heard of
Çerkezköy, it's the place where the Orient Express famously
got stuck in the snow for 5 days in 1929... For the
record, the train is routed via the Rhine Valley, Nuremberg,
Vienna, Budapest, Arad and Craiova in Romania, Ruse in
Bulgaria and Kapikule, although it does not take passengers
to or from intermediate stops, only Bonn to Çerkezköy.
The daily Zagreb-Split overnight
sleeper train also has a car-carrying wagon.
Information about this isn't readily available online, ask
at the station when you get there.
Calais
to Avignon, Fréjus, Nice, Brive, Toulouse, Narbonne...
