The city & castle of Salzburg, Austria. London to Salzburg for €59 (£49)? Click here to learn how...

Lunch in London, Austria next morning, by train!

It's easy to travel from the UK to Austria by train, with no airports and no flights.  Just take an afternoon Eurostar to Paris and the excellent City Night Line sleeper train to Munich, then a connecting train next morning to Innsbruck, Salzburg, Graz or Vienna.  Or take a lunchtime Eurostar to Brussels, a high-speed Thalys train to Cologne and the equally excellent Austrian sleeper train to Linz or Vienna, arriving at breakfast time.  How about the scenic route?  London to Zurich by Eurostar & TGV-Lyria in just an afternoon & evening, stay overnight, and next day take a superb Railjet train from Zurich to Austria via the fabulous Arlberg Pass into the Austrian Tirol.  It's civilised, comfortable, affordable and far better for the environment than an unnecessary flight.  This page tells you the best train times, fares & how to buy tickets for train travel from London to key destinations in Austria.

Train times, fares & how to buy tickets...

London to Linz & Vienna

London to Innsbruck, Kitzbühel & Salzburg

London to Graz

London to Villach & Klagenfurt

London & East Anglia to Austria via Harwich the ferry alternative...

Scotland & north of England to Austria by ferry from Newcastle or Hull.

Other travel information...

Hotels & accommodation in Austria

Holidays & tours to Austria by train not plane

Train travel from Vienna/Austria to other European cities

Train travel to Vienna/Austria from other European cities

Buying connecting train tickets from other UK towns & cities

Scotland & North of England to Austria avoiding London   

West Country & South Coast to Austria avoiding London

Luggage   Left luggage facilities in Paris   Send your luggage in advance  

General information  Taking your bike   Taking your dog

Route map:  UK to Austria by train...

The most usual route from London to Austria involves either the Cologne-Vienna or Paris-Munich sleeper trains, shown in red on this map.  You can also travel by daytime high-speed train with an overnight stop in Zurich (shown in orange), or by ferry to Holland and onward trains from there, shown in dark blue.

Sponsored links...

Useful country information

London to Linz & Vienna

Which route to choose?

It's easy to travel from London to Vienna by train, with several good options as you can see on the route map, all leaving daily.  Each is explained below.

• Option 1:  Overnight via Brussels & the Cologne-Vienna EuroNight sleeper train.  This is usually the cheapest, easiest & most time-effective option, with a lunchtime departure from London and an arrival in central Vienna next morning aboard the excellent  Austrian EuroNight train from Cologne.  The Cologne-Vienna EuroNight train has a sleeping-car (including some deluxe sleepers with shower & toilet), couchettes & ordinary seats.  The Rhine Valley looks wonderful in the moonlight!  London-Cologne starts at €59, Cologne-Vienna starts at €39 with couchette or €69 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper.

• Option 2:  Overnight via the Paris-Munich City Night Line sleeper train & RailJet:  Another good option, taking only slightly longer.  Take a mid-afternoon Eurostar to Paris from £39, the excellent City Night Line sleeper train from Paris to Munich overnight from €59, then a RailJet train on to Vienna next morning from €29.

• Option 3:  London to Vienna in a day, by high-speed train across Europe.  Works only on Mondays-Fridays outwards, but on any day of the week coming back, with just 2 changes, in Brussels and Frankfurt.

• Option 4:  By daytime trains with an overnight hotel stop in Switzerland:  This is the most relaxing & scenic option!  Take a lunchtime Eurostar to Paris from £39 and an evening high-speed TGV-Lyria to Zurich from €25, stay overnight, then travel on next day by Austrian Railjet train through the scenic Arlberg Pass to Vienna arriving early evening, from €29.  See the video here.

From other UK town & cities, take a train up to London to connect with Eurostar, see this advice.  If you live in the north of England or Scotland, see this option.

Option 1, London-Vienna via Brussels & the Cologne-Vienna sleeper...

London ► Vienna & Linz

• Travel from London to Brussels by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 12:58 and arriving in Brussels Midi at 16:08.

• Travel from Brussels to Cologne by high-speed Thalys train, leaving Brussels Midi at 17:28 and arriving in Cologne Hauptbahnhof at 19:15.

• Travel from Cologne to Vienna on the excellent daily EuroNight sleeper train, leaving Cologne Hauptbahnhof at 20:05 and arriving in Linz at 06:48, St Pölten 08:08 and Vienna Westbahnhof at 08:56.  This modern Austrian sleeper train has an air-conditioned sleeping-car (1 & 2-berth compartments, plus two deluxe compartments with 1, 2 or 3 beds & private shower & toilet), couchette cars (4 & 6 berth compartments) & ordinary seats.  The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee in the morning.  The train travels along the famous Rhine Valley between Koblenz and Frankfurt, so if you are in a sleeper and your compartment happens to be on the left-hand side of the train, switch off the lights and watch the Rhine pass by, mountains, vineyards and castles lit by moonlight, while sipping a glass of Riesling.  Wonderful!  More pictures & information about this EuroNight train.

• Fares     How to buy tickets     Map of Vienna showing the Westbahnhof

Vienna & Linz ► London

• Travel from Vienna to Cologne by daily EuroNight sleeper train, leaving Vienna Westbahnhof at 20:00, St Pölten 20:44 or Linz at 21:58 and arriving at Cologne at 08:42 next morning.  This modern Austrian sleeper train has a sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3-berth deluxe sleepers with private shower & toilet, 1 & 2-berth standard sleepers with washbasin), couchettes (4-berth or 6-berth) & ordinary seats.  The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee in the morning, served as the train runs along the Rhine valley in the morning sun, past the legendary Lorelei Rock and many castles and vineyards.  More pictures & information about this EuroNight train.

• Travel from Cologne to Brussels by high-speed ICE train, leaving Cologne at 11:43 and arriving Brussels Midi at 13:35.

• Travel from Brussels to London by Eurostar, leaving Brussels Midi at 15:56 (14:52 at weekends) and arriving London St Pancras at 17:03 (16:03 at weekends).

See the Eurostar page for information about Eurostar on-board facilities.

On board Thalys from Brussels to Cologne...

Thalys 1st class (Confort 1)...		Thalys 2nd class (Confort 2)...		A 186 mph Thalys at Brussels.

Introducing the Austrian Railways EuroNight train from Cologne to Vienna...

This was originally a German Railways City Night Line train, but in December 2009 it became an Austrian Railways (ÖBB) EuroNight sleeper train, with sleeping-car, couchettes & seats.  The sleeping-car has compact 1 & 2 bed compartments with washbasin, plus two deluxe compartments with 1, 2 or 3 beds plus private shower & toilet.  The sleeper berths come fully made up with sheets and duvets, and all sleeper passengers get mineral water in the evening and a light breakfast served in their compartment next morning.  Towels & toiletries are provided, including shampoo and shower gel in the deluxe sleepers.  In the more economical couchettes, you can book a couchette in a cheaper 6-berth compartment or a less-crowded 4-berth compartment.  Each couchette is provided with sheet, blanket and pillow, and couchette passengers get a small bottle of mineral water and a light breakfast in the morning with tea or coffee.  When waiting for the northbound sleeper train at Vienna Westbahnhof, if you have a sleeper ticket (as opposed to couchette or seat ticket), you can use the first class ÖBB Club Lounge, with complimentary drinks.  More pictures & information about this EuroNight train.

Dinner in Cologne before you board?  By all means take an earlier departure from London to Cologne (details here), and have dinner before you board the sleeper.  For a traditional German meal in Cologne before boarding your sleeper, try the Brauhaus Sion (www.brauhaus-sion.de), 5 minutes walk from Cologne hauptbahnhof, or the Malzmuehle restaurant (www.muehlenkoelsch.de), 10-15 minutes walk from Cologne Hauptbahnhof, or there's a restaurant in the Hauptbahnhof itself at the Schweinske, www.schweinske.de.  Feedback is appreciated!

1 or 2 bed sleeper: The most comfortable option. Standard sleepers have a washbasin, deluxe sleepers a private shower & toilet.		4 & 6-berth couchettes:  The economy option, ideal for families.  Couchettes are basic padded bunks with rug & pillow.  This is a 6-berth couchette.		The Austrian sleeping-car or schlafwagen. Sleeper & couchette passengers receive a complimentary light breakfast with tea or coffee in the morning. More pictures & information about this EuroNight train

How much does it cost?

• London to Cologne starts at €59 (£49) each way

• Cologne to Vienna starts at €39 (£34) each way including couchette or from €69 (£60) each way including a bed in a 2-bed sleeper.

• Fares vary like air fares, book early for the cheapest prices.

How much does it cost, more details...

* This is the supplement you pay if you have a railpass, a 1st class pass is required for deluxe sleepers.

On the sleeper train, berths are sold individually, so one ticket means one bed, the other beds in your compartment will be sold to other passengers.  For sole occupancy, simply book 1 ticket in a 1-berth sleeper or 2 tickets in a 2-berth sleeper or 4 tickets in a 4-berth couchette and so on.

Return fares are twice the one-way fare.

Savings fare = special cheap fare, price varies so book in advance, limited availability, no refunds, no changes to travel plans.

Normal fare = fully flexible, refundable, buy any time.  These sleeper fares can be checked at www.oebb.at.

How to buy tickets online at www.raileurope.co.uk...

If you live in the UK, the easiest way to book train tickets from London to Vienna is at www.raileurope.co.uk, because all three trains can be booked as a single transaction on one UK-based website.  If you don't live in the UK, or want to book 4-berth couchettes (which for some reason raileurope.co.uk can't do) book using www.b-europe.com & www.bahn.de instead, see the next section (It can be worth checking prices using both booking methods as one is sometimes cheaper than the other).

• Bookings open 92 days before departure, you can't book before reservations open.  Before starting to book, I recommend noting down each specific train you want to book using the train times recommended above, and the date of departure.  Obviously, remember that your date of travel from Cologne back to Brussels will be the day after your departure from Vienna!

• Step 1, go to www.raileurope.co.uk, but resist the temptation to enter 'London' & 'Vienna' as this won't find you the cheapest fares.  Instead, enter 'Cologne' & 'Vienna' and your dates of travel, look for the direct overnight train from Cologne to Vienna, book the type of seat, couchette or sleeper you want, and do the same for the return journey.  Add these tickets to your basket and click 'continue shopping'.  Thanks to the vagaries of the French reservation system, www.raileurope.co.uk won't book 4-berth couchettes only 6-berth ones, so if you want 4-berth couchettes simply book using www.oebb.at instead, see the next section.

• Step 2, still at www.raileurope.co.uk, now book the train from Brussels to Cologne & back, using the train times above as a guide.  Add this to your basket & click 'continue shopping'.

• Step 3, still at www.raileurope.co.uk, now book the Eurostar from London to Brussels & back, using the train times above as a guide.  By all means take an earlier Eurostar outwards, or a later one back, if it has cheaper seats available or if you'd like to stop off in Brussels.  Add this to your basket and proceed to the payment stage.

• Tickets can be sent to any UK address (£2.25 fee) and usually arrive in a couple of days.  There's a 2.5% credit card fee, so use a debit card if you can.  Only UK credit cards are accepted.

• Booking tip:  It's worth checking prices for the Cologne-Vienna EuroNight train at both www.raileurope.co.uk & www.oebb.at (see the section below) as they can differ.  It's also worth checking prices from London to Cologne & back at www.eurostar.com, as sometimes these are cheaper than www.raileurope.co.uk.

• Booking tip:  You can also try the German Railways website www.bahn.de for booking your London-Cologne tickets, as they offer 'London Spezial' fares from London to Cologne from just €59 each way.  However, you'll only find these fares on journeys which involve the two or three German ICE trains between Brussels & Cologne, not on those involving Thalys.  In the outward direction that means leaving London earlier (at 08:57 or 10:57) and spending some time in Cologne, in the return direction it means spending the morning in Cologne and leaving Cologne at 11:43 arriving London at 16:03.

• Starting your journey from other UK towns & cities:  You can buy a special add-on ticket to connect with Eurostar from almost any station in Britain, with better terms and conditions than buying a regular domestic UK train ticket to London, see the advice here.

How to buy tickets online at www.b-europe.com & www.bahn.de or www.oebb.at...

Anyone from any country can book a London-Vienna journey in either direction using a combination of the Belgian Railways website www.b-europe.com and either the German Railways website www.bahn.de or the Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at.  Bookings open 92 days before departure, you can't book before reservations open.  Accommodation can be booked before booking your trains risk-free, if you use a site such as www.booking.com with free cancellation.  As this method involves two websites, do a dry run on both sites to check prices and availability before booking for real.  Before starting to book, I recommend noting down each specific train you want to book using the train times recommended above, and the date of departure.  Obviously, remember that your date of travel from Cologne back to Brussels will be the day after your departure from Vienna to Cologne!

• Step 1, book your London-Cologne ticket:  Go to the Belgian Railways international website www.b-europe.com and book a ticket from London to Cologne and back using the train times on this page as a guide.  You print off your own tickets.  B-europe.com can book both Eurostar+Thalys and Eurostar+ICE, and their booking system handles this two-leg journey well, usually seeming to find the cheapest prices.  Make sure you allow plenty of time for the connection in Cologne, preferably at least an hour when connecting with a sleeper train.  It's obvious, but remember that your return departure date from Cologne will be the day after your departure date from Vienna!  By all means take an earlier train from London to Cologne, or a later train returning from Cologne to London, if this has cheaper fares available or if you'd like some time in Cologne.

• Booking tip:  If you don't mind leaving London earlier and spending some time in Cologne, you can sometimes find cheaper tickets London to Cologne at the German Railways website.  They offer London Spezial fares from London to Cologne from just €59 each way.  However, you'll only find these fares on journeys which involve the two or three German ICE trains between Brussels & Cologne, not on those involving Thalys.  In the outward direction that means leaving London much earlier (08:57 or 10:57) and spending some time in Cologne, in the return direction it means spending the morning in Cologne and leaving Cologne at 11:43 arriving London at 16:03.  Try for cheap tickets using these links (I recommend booking a round trip as two one-ways, it's easier):  Departing London at 08:58 Sundays or departing London at 10:58 Mondays-Saturdays.  Returning, departing Cologne at 11:43 any day.  You simply print out your own ticket.

• Step 2, book your Cologne-Vienna ticket:  Go to the German Railways website, www.bahn.de, and use the journey planner to book from Cologne to Vienna and back, looking for the direct EN (EuroNight) train with 0 changes.  You print out your own ticket.  I strongly recommend registering when prompted, so you can log in later and re-print any tickets at any time from any PC.

• Also check prices at www.oebb.at:  You can also book the Cologne-Vienna EuroNight train at the Austrian railways website www.oebb.at.  I find the German bahn.de website easier to use and prices were the same until recently, but now I'm seeing €39 with couchette on oebb.at when it's €59 at bahn.de.  So check both sites!  Go to www.oebb.at and click 'English' top right.  Use the journey planner to find trains from Cologne (Koln in German) to Vienna (Wien in German), and identify the evening EuroNight (EN) train with 0 changes in the search results.  Click 'Ticket and prices', then click 'English' again if it lapses back in to German.  Now click 'Passengers' and enter passenger details.  Click 'Calculate fare' and you'll see possible fares.  Click the cheapest fare shown (for example, click 'fr.€29.00 EUR'), then select the cheapest fare shown and make sure you use the couchette & sleeper buttons bottom left to choose your accommodation.  You pay by credit card and print out your own tickets.  Easy!  The prices shown on www.oebb.at are in euros, and are the total cost for all passengers selected, not per person. Tip: When registering, UK is listed as 'Vereinigtes Konigreich', USA as 'Vereinigtes Staaten von Amerika'.

• Buy a special add-on ticket from almost any station in Britain to London International (St Pancras)

How to buy tickets by phone...

If you prefer to buy tickets by phone, call Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card charge), or call www.europeanrail.com on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, £35 booking fee but may have more time to help).  Click here for more information on how to buy European train tickets.

Tailor-made travel & hotel arrangements...

A hassle-free option is to get a reliable specialist agency such as Railbookers to arrange your whole trip, with train bookings, hotels and transfers all sorted with one phone call.  Just tell them when and where you want to go, and they'll create the best rail holiday for you.

In the UK, call  020 3327 0761 or see www.railbookers.com.

In the USA & Canada, call toll-free 1-800-408-3280 or see railbookers.com.

In Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526 or see www.railbookers.com.au

In New Zealand call toll-free 0800 002 034 or see website.

Option 2, London-Vienna via Paris, the Paris-Munich sleeper & Railjet...

This is also a good option, bookable online.  In the How to buy tickets section I'll even explain how to spend a few hours stopover in Salzburg on the way at no extra cost...

London ► Vienna & Linz

• Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 15:31 (14:01 on Saturdays), arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 18:47 (17:17 on Saturdays).  On Fridays, there's also a 16:01 Eurostar arriving 19:17.  In Paris, it's a 10 minute walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.  By all means take an earlier Eurostar if you'd like to spend some time in Paris, or if it has cheaper seats available.

• Travel from Paris to Munich overnight on the City Night Line sleeper train Cassiopeia, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est daily at 20:05 and arriving in Munich at 07:10 next morning.  It has a sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 berth compartments, either economy with washbasin or deluxe with shower), 4 & 6-berth couchettes & ordinary seats, see the photos & information below.  More pictures & information about this City Night Line train.

• Travel from Munich to Vienna by air-conditioned Austrian RailJet train with bistro-restaurant car, leaving Munich Hauptbahnhof at 09:27 and arriving in Linz at 12:06 and Vienna Westbahnhof at 13:24.  More pictures & information about this RailJet train.

Vienna & Linz ► London

• Travel from Vienna to Munich by air-conditioned Austrian RailJet train, leaving Vienna Westbahnhof at 16:36 or Linz at 17:53 and arriving in Munich at 20:34.  The train has a bistro-restaurant car.  More pictures & information about this RailJet train.

• Travel from Munich to Paris by the City Night Line sleeper train Cassiopeia, leaving Munich daily at 22:50 and arriving at Paris Gare de l'Est 09:24 next morning.  The train has ordinary seats, couchettes (4 & 6-bunk) and a sleeping-car (1, 2 or 3-bed compartments, deluxe with shower or economy with washbasin).  More pictures & information about this City Night Line sleeper train.  Travel tip:  This train leaves Munich combined with the Munich-Amsterdam sleeper, so look for 'Amsterdam' on the departure boards.

• In Paris, it's 10 minutes walk from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare du Nord.

• Travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Nord at 11:13 and arriving London St Pancras at 12:30.

Introducing the City Night Line sleeper train from Paris to Munich...

The Paris-Munich overnight train is one of the German Railway's excellent City Night Line sleeper trains.  Called the Cassiopeia, it has a modern Comfortline sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3-berth deluxe compartments with private shower and toilet, 1, 2 & 3-berth economy compartments with washbasin, there's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in economy sleepers), modernised air-conditioned couchettes (choose between a berth in a 4 or 6-berth compartment) and ordinary seats (not recommended).   Inclusive fares are charged covering travel plus sleeping accommodation, and the sleeper fare includes a light breakfast.  More pictures & information about City Night Line trains. 

Dinner before you board?  There's no restaurant or bar car on the City Night Line sleeper, but for a good meal in a classic Parisian brasserie before boarding the sleeper train in Paris, why not catch the earlier 14:01 Eurostar & dine at the Brasserie Terminus Nord directly across the road from the Gare du Nord?  Alternatively, you can have a meal or beer at the Brasserie Flo at the Gare de l'Est whilst waiting for your sleeper, it's just inside the entrance in what was once the left luggage office.  For a cooked breakfast in Munich or evening meal before boarding the Paris-bound sleeper on your return, try the typically Bavarian Mongdratzerl restaurant, located inside the hauptbahnhof.

1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper: The most comfortable option, economy with washbasin or deluxe with shower & toilet.		4-berth couchettes:  Ideal for families, much more space per person than 6-berth couchettes.		6-berth couchettes:  A very economical option, far better than a seat for just a few euros more...		"Night train to Munich":  The Comfortline sleeping-car of the Paris to Munich sleeper train boarding at Paris Gare de l'Est... More pictures & information about this train...

Introducing Austria's high-speed RailJet train...

RailJet is Austria's new high-speed train, linking Munich, Salzburg, Linz & Vienna and now also Zurich, Innsbruck & Vienna.  Designed to run at up to 230 km/h (143 mph) on sections of upgraded track, it currently reaches 200 km/h on part of the route, but in other parts snakes around beautiful Bavarian & Austrian scenery at a more sedate pace.  Look out for great views of Salzburg citadel & castle on the right as you cross the river Salzach approaching Salzburg.  RailJet has three classes, Economy (2nd class), First (1st class), and Premium (25 euros supplement over normal first class).  In April 2012 Premium class was replaced by Business Class with the same seating but a reduced surcharge of €15 and free drinks but no free meals.  The Railjet has a bistro car providing drinks, snacks and hot dishes, which are served at your seat on proper china in first & business classes.  TV screens in each car tell you the train's speed, show maps of the train's location, and display a list of next station stops and times.  There's even a small children's TV area for the kids.  A great way to travel - simply order one of the regional beers from the bistro (I highly recommend the Weissbier!), sit back and enjoy the scenery...  More pictures & information about RailJet trains.

"The RailJet has landed..."  Train RJ 63, the morning RailJet from Munich has arrived at Vienna Westbahnhof spot on time.		Business class costs €15 more than normal 1st class...		Economy class on RailJet, comfortable open saloons with large picture windows.  Some seats are around tables, some unidirectional.

How much does it cost?

Each train is ticketed separately, so just add up the price for each leg of the journey.  On the sleeper train, berths are sold individually, so one ticket means one bed, the other beds in your compartment will be sold to other passengers.  For sole occupancy, simply book 1 ticket in a 1-berth sleeper or 2 tickets in a 2-berth sleeper or 4 tickets in a 4-berth couchette & so on.

How to buy tickets online, using www.bahn.de & www.eurostar.com...

Above:  First class on RailJet to Vienna, with a nice weissbier served at my seat.  Cheers!

Anyone from any country can buy tickets this way.  Do a dry run first on both sites to check prices and availability before booking for real.

• Booking usually opens 92 days ahead for City Night Line & Railjet train, 120 days ahead for Eurostar.  However, I strongly recommend waiting until 92 days so you can buy all tickets together, doing a dry run on both sites first to check times and prices.  This way, you can confirm the sleeper train's departure time from Paris before booking a non-refundable, non-changeable Eurostar ticket, as it's not unknown for engineering work to mean an earlier departure from Paris!

• Step 1, go to www.bahn.de, the German Railways website and book from Paris to Munich and back looking for the direct CNL train with 0 changes.  The search results will show cheap Savings fares (if available) and fully-flexible fares for each type of seat, couchette & sleeper.  You pay by credit card and print out your own tickets.  Easy!  The prices shown on www.bahn.de are in euros, and are the total cost for all passengers selected, not per person.  I recommend registering when it asks you before completing the purchase, so you can easily make the next booking an retrieve any bookings later.  Always book the sleeper train first and check its exact arrival & departure times before booking the Eurostar connection, as times can vary.  Allow at least 90 minutes on the outward journey and 1 hour on the return to make the connection in Paris.

• Step 2, still on www.bahn.de, now use the journey planner to bring up the connecting Munich-Vienna train shown in the train times above, and buy the ticket.  It will show if any cheap special fares are available.  You simply print out your own Online Ticket.

• Step 3, go to www.eurostar.com to book your connecting Eurostar tickets between London and Paris.  Use the Eurostar times above as a guide, but by all means book an earlier Eurostar outwards, or a later Eurostar on the way back, if this has cheaper seats available of if you'd like to stop off in Paris for a while.  The easiest option is simply to print out your own ticket.

• If you don't live in London, www.eurostar.com can book cheap through tickets from 130 other UK towns and cities to Paris.  If your town isn't listed, you can buy a separate ticket up to London to connect with Eurostar, see the advice on buying connecting tickets from other UK towns & cities here.

• Want to choose your exact seat on Eurostar?  www.eurostar.com allows you to choose an exact seat this towards the end of the process, look closely for the 'choose exact seat link.  See tips on choosing the best seats on Eurostar.

How to buy tickets online, using www.raileurope.co.uk...

If you live in the UK, this is the easiest way to book.  Booking this way involves two websites, so do a dry run first on both sites to check prices and availability before booking for real.

• Step 1, go to www.raileurope.co.uk, and book the sleeper from Paris to Munich.  Tickets can be sent to any UK address or can be collected in Paris.  Only UK credit cards are accepted.  It's best to book the Paris-Munich sleeper train first and double-check arrival an departure times before booking the Eurostar connection, in case times vary from the ones shown above.  For some reason, it can't currently book 4-berth couchettes, if you want these, see the section below.  If you've a child aged 4- 5 or 12-14 please read this note, as there is an issue with the child ages shown on Rail Europe when booking this German-run train.

• Step 2, after booking the Paris-Munich sleeper train, add it to your basket & click 'continue shopping'.  Now book the Eurostar from London to Paris and back.  Use the recommended Eurostar times above as a guide, but by all means book an earlier Eurostar outward or a later Eurostar on the way back if these have cheaper seats available or if you'd like to stop off in Paris.

• Tickets can be sent to any UK address (£2.25 fee) or collected at the station in London & Paris (free of charge).  There's no fee for debit cards, but a 2.5% fee is applied to credit cards so use a debit card if you can.

• Step 3, now go to the German Railways website www.bahn.de, use the journey planner to bring up the connecting Munich-Vienna train shown in the train times above, and buy the ticket.  It will show if any cheap special fares are available.  You simply print out your own Online Ticket.  I recommend registering when it asks you before completing the purchase, so you can easily retrieve any bookings.  Note that you can also buy tickets for this train using www.raileurope.co.uk, but only full fares are shown, no special cheap deals, that's why www.bahn.de is better.

• Top tip:  If you fancied stopping off for a few hours in the wonderful city of Salzburg, when booking the Munich to Vienna RailJet train at bahn.de simply look for the 'Via (1)' box and enter 'Salzburg', then enter (say) '04:00' in the 'hh:mm stopover' box.  It'll then book you a 4 hour stopover in Salzburg, but still let you buy a cheap €39 fare from Munich to Vienna (if it's available, obviously).

• Starting your journey from other UK towns & cities:  You can buy a special add-on ticket to connect with Eurostar from almost any station in Britain, with better terms and conditions than buying a regular domestic UK train ticket to London, see the advice here.

How to buy tickets by phone...

If you'd prefer to book by phone, just call Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card charge), or a booking agency such as European Rail on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday, £35 booking fee).

Tailor-made travel & hotel arrangements...

A hassle-free option is to get a reliable specialist agency such as Railbookers to arrange your whole trip, with train bookings, hotels and transfers all sorted with one phone call.  Just tell them when and where you want to go, and they'll create the best rail holiday for you.

In the UK, call  020 3327 0761 or see www.railbookers.com.

In the USA & Canada, call toll-free 1-800-408-3280 or see railbookers.com.

In Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526 or see www.railbookers.com.au

In New Zealand call toll-free 0800 002 034 or see website.

Option 3:  London to Vienna in one day, by high-speed train across Europe...

After a small timetable adjustment by Eurostar and DB, so that the 06:50 Eurostar from London again officially connects in Brussels with the 10:25 ICE to Frankfurt, it's once again possible to travel from London to Vienna in one day by high-speed trains, at least on Mondays-Fridays.  It's a reasonably tight 17-minute connection in Brussels, however, and even though you'll normally make this connection with no problem (physically changing trains only takes 2 minutes if you use the Couloir Sud short cut between platforms), and the ICE may even be held a few minutes if the Eurostar from London is delayed, it won't be held indefinitely if there's any significant delay to the incoming train from London.  If you miss this connection, you're entitled to be carried forward on later trains, but won't reach Vienna until the next day.  Just bear that in mind!  In the return direction, a journey from Vienna to London is possible on any day of the week.

London ► Vienna in one day

• Travel from London to Brussels by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 06:50 and arriving in Brussels Midi at 10:07.  Runs Mondays-Fridays only, this journey isn't possible at weekends.  It's a tight connection in Brussels, so get off quickly and use the Couloir Sud short cut between platforms.

• Travel from Brussels to Frankfurt by high-speed ICE train, leaving Brussels Midi at 10:25 and arriving in Frankfurt (Main) Hbf Hauptbahnhof at 13:25.

• Travel from Frankfurt to Vienna by high-speed ICE train, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 14:16 and arriving in Vienna Westbahnhof at 21:04.  Map of Vienna showing the Westbahnhof

Vienna ► London in one day

• Travel from Vienna to Frankfurt by high-speed ICE train, leaving Vienna Westbahnhof at 06:52 and arriving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 13:40.

• Travel from Frankfurt to Brussels by high-speed ICE train, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 14:29 and arriving Brussels Midi at 17:35.

• Travel from Brussels to London by Eurostar, leaving Brussels Midi at 19:52 and arriving London St Pancras at 21:03.  On Sundays (also on weekdays at certain times of year) there's an earlier Eurostar, leaving Brussels at 18:56 and arriving London St Pancras at 19:57.

Fares & how to buy tickets...   London to Vienna from €98!

• Booking opens 92 days ahead.  Note down the times of each individual train you want to book, using the train times info above.  Fares vary like air fares, book early for the cheapest prices, and hunt around for the cheapest dates.  The cheapest way to book is like this:

• Step 1, book from London to Frankfurt using this special link:  London to Frankfurt departing 06:50 Mondays-Fridays from €59 if a London Spezial fare is available.  You simply print out your own ticket.  I strongly recommend registering when prompted, so you can log in at any time and check or re-print your tickets.

• Step 2, book the onward journey from Frankfurt to Vienna using this link:  Frankfurt to Vienna departing 14:16 from €39.

• Step 3, to book the return journey, use this link to book Vienna to Frankfurt:  Vienna to Frankfurt departing 06:52 any day

• Step 4, now use this link to book the journey from Frankfurt to London:  Frankfurt to London departing 14:16 any day

• Alternatively, if you see no cheap fares available (as DB only have a small allocation of places on Eurostar), split the journey like this:  First book London to Brussels at www.eurostar.com from £39 one-way, £69 return.  Then book Brussels to Frankfurt at www.bahn.de from €29 each way.  Then book from Frankfurt to Vienna and back at www.bahn.de with fares from €29 each way.

Option 4:  London to Vienna by daytime trains with hotel in Zurich.  The scenic option!

If you prefer daytime trains and scenery to overnight sleepers, and want a leisurely journey with an overnight break, here's an ideal option with a hotel stop in Zurich.  Take an afternoon Eurostar & evening high-speed TGV-Lyria from London to Switzerland, stay overnight in Zurich, and next morning take a relaxing low-speed ride on a modern Railjet train along the Zürichsee then snaking through the fabulously scenic Arlberg Pass into Austria.  The world-class scenery through the Alps makes it a worthwhile experience!  By all means go one way by sleeper, the other by day.  See for yourself:  Watch the video & see the photos below!

London ► Vienna, the scenic route...

• Day 1:  Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 13:31 (14:01 on Saturdays) arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 16:47 (17:17 on Saturdays).  Cross Paris by metro to the Gare de Lyon.

• Day 1:  Travel from Paris to Switzerland by high-speed TGV-Lyria, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 18:23 and arriving in Zurich at 22:26.  A cafe-bar is available on board.  This particular departure is an impressive 200 mph double-deck TGV-Duplex, I recommend booking an upper deck seat for the best views.

• Spend the night in a hotel in Zurich.  For something special, look no further than the superb five-star Hotel Schweizerhof, just across the road from Zurich station.  One of my favourite hotels, they'll even send a uniformed commissionaire to meet you at the station and carry your bags from the train.

• Day 2:  Next morning, travel from Zurich to Vienna via the fabulous Arlberg Pass through the Alps and into the Austrian Tirol, using any train you like.  For example a modern air-conditioned Railjet train leaves Zurich at 08:40, travelling via Innsbruck & Salzburg, arriving Linz at 15:06 and Vienna 16:24, or there's a later one leaving Zurich at 10:40 arriving Linz 17:06 and Vienna at 18:24.

  This is an amazingly scenic route, the train runs along the Zürichsee and Walensee lakes, then hugs the mountainside and snakes through a huge valley, past Swiss & Austrian scenery taken straight from The Sound of Music.  Look out for views of Salzburg's castle on the right as the train crosses the River Salzach approaching Salzburg station.  A bistro car is available for lunch, or in first & business classes food orders are taken by the stewardess & served at your seat, so treat yourself as the scenery passes by!  For the best views, find an unreserved seat on the left hand side of the train leaving Zurich, that way you'll be on the lake side of the train out of Zurich, the train reverses at Buchs, they you'll be on the right-hand (valley) side of the train through most of the Arlberg Pass, and on the right side for views of Salzburg castle.  If you have a first class ticket, you can use the first class lounge at Zurich Hauptbahnhof with complimentary tea, coffee, beer and snacks, located upstairs on the platform 3 side of the station, look for signs to the SBB Lounge.  Watch the video!

Vienna ► London, the scenic route...

• Day 1:  Travel from Vienna to Zurich through the Alps via the fabulous Arlberg Pass.  There are a range of trains to choose from, for example a RailJet train leaves Vienna at 09:36 or Linz at 10:53, arriving Zurich at 17:20.  Or there's a 13:36 RailJet train from Vienna, 14:53 from Linz via the same route arriving Zurich at 21:20.  Or a 15:36 RailJet train from Vienna, 16:53 from Linz arriving Zurich at 23:20.  It's a really scenic route - the train travels past Salzburg's impressive citadel, through the Austrian Tirol, snakes through the scenic Arlberg Pass in the Alps, then along the Walensee and Zurichsee lakes to Zurich.  For the best views, find an unreserved seat on the left hand side of the train leaving Vienna.  A bistro car is available for lunch, or in first & business classes food orders are taken by the stewardess & served at your seat, so treat yourself!  Watch the video.

• Spend the night in a hotel in Zurich.  For something special, look no further than the superb five-star Hotel Schweizerhof, located right next to Zurich station.  One of my favourite hotels, they'll even send a uniformed commissionaire to meet you at the station and carry your bags across the road.

• Day 2:  Travel from Zurich to London using any of the services suggested on the London to Switzerland page.  For example, leave Zurich at 07:34 by TGV-Lyria arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 11:37.  Cross Paris by metro to the Gare du Nord.  The 13:13 Eurostar from Paris Nord will get you back at London St Pancras at 14:39.  But by all means have a leisurely breakfast and take a later service, for example the 09:34 to Paris, connecting for London arriving 16:39.  If you have a first class ticket, you can use the first class lounge at Zurich Hauptbahnhof with complimentary tea, coffee, beer and snacks, located upstairs on the platform 3 side of the station, look for signs to the SBB Lounge.

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris starts at £39 one-way, £69 return.

• Paris to Zurich starts at €25 (£21) each way.

• Zurich to Salzburg or Vienna starts at €29 each way.

• You'll find full details of London-Paris fares on the London to Paris by Eurostar page and full details of Paris-Zurich fares on the London to Switzerland page.

How to buy tickets...

• Step 1, buy tickets from London to Paris & Paris to Zurich:

• UK residents can buy tickets from London to Zurich online at www.raileurope.co.uk.  You can book London to Zurich all in  one go, but I recommend booking London-Paris as one journey, adding to basket, then booking Paris to Zurich as a second journey.  This way you can stop off in Paris if you like, and mix and match 2nd class Eurostar with 1st class on the TGV if there's a good cheap 1st class fare available, which there often is.  You can pay for both tickets as one transaction.

• Alternatively, anyone from any country can book the Eurostar at www.eurostar.com (you print your own tickets) then book the Paris-Zurich TGV-Lyria at www.voyages-sncf.com with tickets self-printed or collected in Paris.  Just make sure you allow at least 60 minutes to change trains & stations in Paris southbound, and 90 minutes northbound (as this must include the 30 minute check-in for Eurostar).  At www.eurostar.com you can buy through tickets to Paris not just from London, but from 130 UK towns and cities.

• Step 2, buy tickets from Zurich to Vienna online at the Austrian railways website www.oebb.at.  This will book this journey in either direction with print-at-home tickets and cheap fares if you buy in advance.  Click 'English' top right.  Use the journey planner to search from ZURICH to VIENNA (which appears in German as WIEN).  Find a suitable direct Railjet train with 0 changes and click 'Ticket and prices'.  If it lapses back into German, just click 'English' again!  Now click 'Passengers' and enter passenger details, then 'Calculate fare'.  On the next page, click the 'fr.29.00 EUR' against the train you want.  Select SparSchiene Schweiz (= Swiss Saver Fare).  A reserved seat is not essential, it's optional for an extra €3 and not a bad idea.  You print your own ticket.  No changes or refunds are allowed at the cheapest prices, of course.  Tip: When registering, UK is listed as 'Vereinigtes Konigreich', USA as 'Vereinigtes Staaten von Amerika'.

• Starting your journey from other UK towns & cities:  You can buy a special add-on ticket to connect with Eurostar from almost any station in Britain, with better terms and conditions than buying a regular domestic UK train ticket to London, see the advice here.

• UK residents can also book by phone, calling Rail Europe on 0844 848 5 848 (lines open 09:00-19:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-18:00 Sat, 10:00-17:00 Sun, £8 fee for phone bookings).

Tailor-made travel & hotel arrangements...

A hassle-free option is to get a reliable specialist agency such as Railbookers to arrange your whole trip, with train bookings, hotels and transfers all sorted with one phone call.  Just tell them when and where you want to go, and they'll create the best rail holiday for you.

In the UK, call  020 3327 0761 or see www.railbookers.com.

In the USA & Canada, call toll-free 1-800-408-3280 or see railbookers.com.

In Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526 or see www.railbookers.com.au

In New Zealand call toll-free 0800 002 034 or see website.

Scenery through the Arlberg Pass from Switzerland into Austria...

Soon after leaving Zurich, the Railjet is running alongside the Zürichsee, then along the Walensee...		The train cuts across Liechtenstein, passing non-stop through the little station at Schaan-Liechtenstein...

Mountain scenery and snowy peaks all the way, as the air-conditioned Railjet crosses into Austria...

In the Arlberg pass itself, the railway hugs the valley side, past fir forests and meadows...		In Railjet first & business class, the stewardess takes your order & serves lunch at your seat...

Watch the video:  Zurich to Austria through the Arlberg Pass...

By TGV-Lyria from Paris to Zurich...

These impressive 200 mph (320 km/h) double-deck TGVs are being phased in on the Paris-Zurich route over 2012 & 2013, replacing single-deck Christian Lacroix TGVs.  I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views of the scenery.  The stairs to the top deck are short, wide and easy, and there are luggage racks and toilets both upstairs and downstairs.  You walk through the train to the cafe-bar at the upper deck level.
Boarding a double-deck TGV Duplex at Paris Gare de Lyon.  You can now easily travel from London to Zurich by Eurostar & TGV-Lyria just an afternoon & evening, relaxing with a good book and a bottle of wine.  It needn't be expensive!  Watch the TGV Duplex video		The upstairs landing on a TGV Duplex showing the stairs down to the entrance door...

2nd class seats on the upper deck.  There's a mix of unidirectional seating and tables for four like this...		The cafe-bar on the upper deck in car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks and microwave-style hot meal dishes....

1st class seats on the upper deck, with some tables for two & tables for four.		A TGV Duplex.  The red near the door indicates 1st class, pale green 2nd class.

By Railjet train from Zurich to Innsbruck, Salzburg, Linz & Vienna...

A RailJet, arrived in Vienna spot on time.  More photos & information about Railjet trains.  Watch the video: Railjet & the Arlberg Pass		Economy class on RailJet, comfortable open saloons with picture windows.  Some seats are arranged around tables, most unidirectional.

Railjet first class, complete with leather seats...		Business class = 1st class + €15...		The Railjet bistro...

Mozart's birthplace...  This is the house where Mozart was born, in Salzburg's old town, see www.mozarteum.at.  Salzburg is in many ways a much nicer place to visit than Vienna, though others may disagree!

Which route to choose?

London to Innsbruck or Salzburg by train is no problem at all.  Choose one these options:

• Option 1, take a late afternoon Eurostar to Paris, snuggle down in bed aboard the Paris-Munich City Night Line sleeper train then take a connecting train to Innsbruck or Salzburg next morning.  This is the simplest & most time-effective way to go.

• Option 2, take a mid-morning Eurostar to Paris, a 198 mph TGV train to Munich, and a late night train to Salzburg. London to Austria in one day!

• Option 3, London to Salzburg in one day from just €59!  Take a morning Eurostar to Brussels, an ICE to Frankfurt, another ICE on to Munich and a connecting train to Salzburg.  This option involves more changes & tighter connections than the more relaxed daytime option via Paris in option 2 above, but if you find one of German Railways €59 London Spezials available, its the cheapest way to reach Austria.

• Option 4, take a lunchtime Eurostar to Paris and an evening TGV-Lyria to Zurich in Switzerland, stay overnight, then travel on to Innsbruck or Salzburg next day through the fabulously scenic Arlberg Pass.  This is a relaxing & scenic way to go.

Option 1:  London to Innsbruck or Salzburg via the Paris-Munich sleeper...

This is the simplest, cheapest & most time-effective option, using the daily City Night Line sleeper train between Paris & Munich.

London ► Innsbruck & Salzburg

• Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 15:31 (14:01 on Saturdays), arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 18:47 (17:17 on Saturdays).  On Fridays, there's also a 16:01 Eurostar arriving 19:17.  In Paris, it's a 10 minute walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.  By all means take an earlier Eurostar if you'd like to spend some time in Paris, or if it has cheaper seats available.

• Travel from Paris to Munich overnight on the City Night Line sleeper train Cassiopeia, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est daily at 20:05 and arriving in Munich at 07:10 next morning.  It has sleeping-cars (1, 2 & 3-berth compartments, economy with washbasin or deluxe with shower), 4 & 6-berth couchettes & ordinary seats, see the photos & information below.  More pictures & information about this City Night Line train.

• For Salzburg, travel from Munich to Salzburg by air-conditioned EuroCity train leaving Munich at 08:27 and arriving in Salzburg at 10:09.

• For Innsbruck, travel from Munich to Innsbruck on an air-conditioned EuroCity train Michaelangelo with restaurant car, leaving Munich at 09:31 and arriving in Innsbruck at 11:23.  Direct Paris-Innsbruck sleeper on winter Fridays:  On Friday nights from late December to mid-April (but not 25 January to 25 February) the Paris-Munich City Night Line sleeper train is extended to Innsbruck, arriving at 09:46, with no need to change at Munich.

• For Kitzbühel or St Johann in Tirol, take the 09:31 from Munich and change at Wörgl (arrive 10:44, depart 11:37) and arrive Kitzbühel 12:17, St Johann in Tirol at 12:26.

Salzburg & Innsbruck ► London

Introducing the City Night Line sleeper train from Paris to Munich...

The Paris-Munich overnight train is one of the German Railway's excellent City Night Line sleeper trains.  Called the Cassiopeia, it has a modern Comfortline sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3-berth deluxe compartments with private shower and toilet, 1, 2 & 3-berth economy compartments with washbasin, there's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in economy sleepers), and modern air-conditioned couchettes (choose between a berth in a 4 or 6-berth compartment).   Inclusive fares are charged covering travel plus sleeping accommodation, and the sleeper fare includes a light breakfast.  More pictures & information about this train.

Dinner before you board?  There's no restaurant or bar car on the City Night Line sleeper, but for a good meal in a classic Parisian brasserie before boarding the sleeper train in Paris, why not catch the earlier 14:01 Eurostar & dine at the Brasserie Terminus Nord directly across the road from the Gare du Nord?  Alternatively, try the Brasserie Flo just inside the entrance to the Gare de l'Est, located in what was once the left luggage office.  For a cooked breakfast in Munich (or evening meal before boarding the Paris-bound sleeper on your return) try the Mongdratzerl restaurant, located inside Munich Hauptbahnhof.

1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper: The most comfortable & civilised option, economy with washbasin or deluxe with shower & toilet.		4-berth couchettes:  Ideal for families, much more space per person than 6-berth couchettes.		6-berth couchettes:  A very economical option, far better than a seat for just a few euros more.		"Night train to Munich..."  The Comfortline sleeping-car of the Paris to Munich sleeper train boarding at Paris Gare de l'Est... More pictures & information about this train...

The connecting trains from Munich to Innsbruck & Salzburg. The 08:27 Munich-Salzburg train is a smart modern Austrian train, with comfortable air-conditioned Austrian InterCity coaches, shown in the photos below.  The journey winds through pretty Bavarian scenery.  The 09:31 Michaelangelo from Munich to Innsbruck is similar, with air-conditioned carriages.  The journey to Innsbruck is also a very scenic ride...
EuroCity train to Austria...  This is the Austrian EuroCity train to Salzburg & Klagenfurt about to leave Munich...		1st class seats are in spacious 4 or 6-seat compartments...		2nd class seats are in comfortable open saloons with plenty of space and large picture windows...

How much does it cost?

How to buy tickets online, using www.bahn.de & www.eurostar.com...

Anyone from any country can buy tickets this way.  Do a dry run first on both sites to check prices and availability before booking for real.

• Booking usually opens 92 days ahead for City Night Line & the EuroCity train, 120 days ahead for Eurostar.  However, I strongly recommend waiting until 92 days so you can buy both tickets together, doing a dry run on both sites first to check times and prices.  This way, you can confirm the sleeper train's departure time from Paris before booking a non-refundable, non-changeable Eurostar ticket, as it's not unknown for engineering work to mean an earlier departure from Paris.  Hotel accommodation can be booked before booking your trains risk-free if you use a site such as www.booking.com with free cancellation.

• Step 1, go to www.bahn.de, the German Railways website, and book from Paris to Munich and back looking for the direct CNL train with 0 changes.  The search results will show cheap Savings fares (if available) and fully-flexible fares for each type of seat, couchette & sleeper.  You pay by credit card and print out your own ticket.  Easy!  The prices shown on www.bahn.de are the total cost in euros for all passengers selected, not per person.  I strongly recommend registering when it asks you before completing the purchase, so you can easily make the next booking and retrieve all bookings later.  Always book the sleeper train first and check its exact arrival & departure times before booking the Eurostar connection, as times can vary.  Allow at least 90 minutes on the outward journey and 1 hour on the return to make the connection in Paris.

• Step 2, still on www.bahn.de, use the journey planner to bring up the connecting Munich-Salzburg or Munich-Innsbruck trains shown in the train times above, and buy the ticket, looking for any available cheap fares.  You simply print out your own ticket.

• Step 3, now go to www.eurostar.com to book your connecting Eurostar tickets between London and Paris.  Use the Eurostar times above as a guide, but by all means book an earlier Eurostar outwards, or a later Eurostar on the way back, if this has cheaper seats available of if you'd like to stop off in Paris for a while.  The easiest option is simply to print out your own ticket.

• If you don't live in central London, at www.eurostar.com you can buy a cheap 'through ticket' from 130 other UK towns and cities to Paris.  If your town isn't listed, you can buy a separate ticket up to London to connect with Eurostar, see the advice on buying connecting tickets from other UK towns & cities here.

• Want to choose your exact seat on Eurostar?  www.eurostar.com allows you to choose an exact seat this towards the end of the process, look closely for the 'choose exact seat link.  See tips on choosing the best seats on Eurostar.

How to buy tickets online, using www.raileurope.co.uk...

If you live in the UK, this can be the easiest way to book.  Booking this way involves two websites, so do a dry run first on both sites to check prices and availability before booking for real.

• Step 1, go to www.raileurope.co.uk and book the sleeper from Paris to Munich.  Tickets can be sent to any UK address or can be collected at the station.  Only UK credit cards are accepted.  It's best to book the Paris-Munich sleeper train first and double-check arrival an departure times before booking the Eurostar connection, in case times vary from the ones shown above.  For some reason, it can't book 4-berth couchettes, if you want these see the section below.  And if you've a child aged 4- 5 or 12-14, please read this note.

• Step 2, after booking the Paris-Munich train, add it to your basket & click 'continue shopping'.  Now book the Eurostar from London to Paris and back.  Use the recommended Eurostar times above as a guide, but by all means book an earlier Eurostar outward or a later Eurostar on the way back if these have cheaper seats available or if you'd like to stop off in Paris.

• Step 3, after adding the London-Paris ticket to your basket, click 'continue shopping' again and book from Munich to Salzburg or Innsbruck, using the train times above as your guide.

• Tickets can be sent to any UK address (£2.25 fee) or collected at the station in London & Paris (free of charge).  There's no fee for debit cards, but a 2.5% fee applies to credit cards.

• Alternative step 3:  If you have any problems booking the last leg at www.raileurope.co.uk, go to the German Railways website www.bahn.de instead. This site often has special offers for these routes, so is worth checking as it may be cheaper.  Use the journey planner to bring up the connecting Munich-Salzburg or Munich-Innsbruck trains shown in the train times above, and buy the ticket.  It will show if any cheap special fares are available.  Tickets can be sent to any address, or in many cases you can print out your own Online Ticket.

• Starting your journey from other UK towns & cities:  You can buy a special add-on ticket to connect with Eurostar from almost any station in Britain, with better terms and conditions than buying a regular domestic UK train ticket to London, see the advice here.

How to buy tickets by phone...

If you'd prefer to book by phone, just call Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card charge), or a booking agency such as European Rail on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday, £35 booking fee).

Tailor-made travel & hotel arrangements...

A hassle-free option is to get a reliable specialist agency such as Railbookers to arrange your whole trip, with train bookings, hotels and transfers all sorted with one phone call.  Just tell them when and where you want to go, and they'll create the best rail holiday for you.

In the UK, call  020 3327 0761 or see www.railbookers.com.

In the USA & Canada, call toll-free 1-800-408-3280 or see railbookers.com.

In Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526 or see www.railbookers.com.au

In New Zealand call toll-free 0800 002 034 or see website.

Salzburg Castle is well worth visiting.  The views over the old town and to the nearby mountains are wonderful.  The castle is reached via a funicular railway, included in the admission price.  See www.hohensalzburgcastle.com.

Option 2:  London to Salzburg in a day, via Paris...

You can travel from London to Salzburg in one day, using Eurostar, a Paris-Munich TGV and an onwards train to Salzburg.  This also works from Innsbruck back to London, but not from London to Innsbruck as there's no connection late enough from Munich.

London ► Salzburg in one day

• Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 10:25 (11:01 on Saturdays) arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 13:47 (14:17 on Saturdays).  It's a 10 minute walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.

• Travel from Paris to Munich by 200 mph double-decker TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 15:25 and arriving in Munich at 21:36.  The TGV has a café-bar available.

• Have dinner in Munich, then travel from Munich to Salzburg by regional train leaving Munich at 22:46 and arriving in Salzburg at 00:42.  On some days you can arrive an hour earlier by making an extra (fairly tight) change at Stuttgart, but personally I'd choose the simpler and more robust option shown here.

Salzburg & Innsbruck ► London in one day

• From Salzburg, travel from Salzburg to Stuttgart, leaving Salzburg on Mondays-Saturdays at 07:51 by air-conditioned EuroCity train, arriving Stuttgart 12:01.

• From Innsbruck, travel from Innsbruck to Munich by ICE, leaving Innsbruck daily at 07:28 and arriving in Munich at 09:14.  Change onto the EuroCity train for Stuttgart, leaving Munich at 09:45 and arriving Stuttgart at 12:01.

• Travel from Stuttgart to Paris by 200 mph double-decker TGV Duplex, leaving Stuttgart daily at 12:55 and arriving at Paris Gare de l'Est 16:35.  A café-bar is available.  In Paris, it's a 10 minute walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.

• Travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Nord at 18:13 (19:13 on Saturdays) and arriving London St Pancras at 19:39 (20:39 on Saturdays).

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris starts at £39 one-way or £69 return.

• Paris to Salzburg starts at €39 (£33) one-way or €78 (£66) return.

• Innsbruck-Munich starts at €19 (£16), Munich-Paris starts at €39 (£33).

How to buy tickets online...

• Step 1, book the Eurostar from London to Paris at www.eurostar.com.  You book online and print your own ticket.

• Step 2, if travelling to Salzburg, book from Paris to Salzburg & back at the German railways website www.bahn.de.  You simply print your own ticket.  I strongly recommend registering when prompted, so you can log in at any time and check or re-print tickets.

• Step 2, if travelling from Innsbruck, book from Munich to Paris at www.bahn.de, then make a second booking from Innsbruck to Munich also using www.bahn.de.

How to buy tickets by phone...

If you prefer to book the journey by phone, or if you have problems booking online, call Rail Europe on 0844 848 5 848 (lines open 09:00-19:00 Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-18:00 Saturdays, closed Sundays).

	An ICE to Frankfurt at Brussels Midi.  More photos & information about ICE trains.

Option 3:  London to Salzburg in a day via Brussels, from €59

This is the cheapest way to Austria!  German Railways (DB) offer London Spezial fares from London to anywhere in Germany starting from €59 each way 2nd class, €89 each way in 1st class, which includes Salzburg because DB classes Salzburg as the extremity of its network even though it's in Austria.  This route involves one more change compared to going via Paris (see option 2 above), but there's no denying that reaching Austria for €59 is a bargain if it's available.  The changes of train are all quick and easy same-station changes.

London ► Salzburg from €59

• Option 1, London depart 06:50 on Mondays-Fridays, arriving Salzburg at either 18:57 or 20:09:  Leave London St Pancras by Eurostar at 06:50 on Mondays-Fridays, change at Brussels onto a high-speed ICE to Frankfurt, change at Frankfurt onto another high-speed ICE to Munich, then take a Railjet train from Munich to Salzburg arriving Salzburg 18:57.  Or you can change at Frankfurt onto a direct EuroCity train to Salzburg arriving 20:09, with no need to make a third change.

• Option 2, London depart 08:58 daily arriving Salzburg 23:42:  Leave London St Pancras by Eurostar at 08:58, change Brussels, Frankfurt & Munich, arrive Salzburg 23:42.

• Option 3:  London depart 10:58 on Mondays-Saturdays arriving Salzburg 23:42:  Leave London St Pancras by Eurostar at 10:57 on Mondays-Saturdays, change in Brussels, Frankfurt & Munich, arriving Salzburg 23:42.

Salzburg ► London from €59

• Option 1, departing 07:51 daily arriving 21:03 (21:06 on Saturdays, 19:57 on Sundays):  Leave Salzburg by EuroCity train at 07:51, change at Frankfurt onto a high-speed ICE to Brussels, change at Brussels onto Eurostar to London, arriving London St Pancras at 21:03 on Mondays-Fridays & Sundays or 19:57 on Sundays.

How to buy tickets...

I've set up these special links to the German Railways website to book each possible departure, all you have to do is enter your dates of travel and number of passengers.  Book a round trip as two one-ways rather than a return, as it's easier to see where the availability is.  You simply print out your own ticket.  I strongly recommend registering when prompted, as you can then log in to check or re-print tickets at any time from any PC.

London to Salzburg departing 06:50 Mondays-Fridays

London to Salzburg departing 08:58 Sundays

London to Salzburg departing 10:58 Mondays-Saturdays

Salzburg to London departing 07:51 daily

About these London Spezial fares:  London Spezial fares vary in price from €59 upwards, and booking usually opens 92 days in advance.  You'll only find these London Spezial fares on journeys via DB's ICE trains between Brussels and Cologne, as opposed to Thalys trains, and you really need to look 2-3 months ahead to see the cheapest €59 price level as DB only have a small allocation of places on Eurostar.  Limited or no refunds or changes to travel plans allowed.  If you cannot find any cheap tickets this way (or need to travel at short notice in the next few days), split the journey, booking London-Brussels at www.eurostar.com then booking Brussels-Salzburg at www.bahn.de.  Or look at some of the other option to Austria shown on this page.

Onward tickets to Vienna and other Austrian cities can be booked at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at from just €19 if you pre-book.  Potentially, that's London to Vienna for €68, about £56!

Travel tips...

Travel tip 1:  Take the 'couloir sud' short cut when changing trains from Eurostar onto an ICE at Brussels.  Diving down the 'Couloir sud' escalator half way along the Eurostar platform makes changing trains much quicker than slowly following the crowds off the front end of the Eurostar platforms and going the long way round to the main concourse.

Travel tip 2:  If you want to stop overnight (or longer, up to 48 hours) in Brussels or Cologne, simply use one of the booking links above, click 'Enter stopovers', enter 'Brussels' or 'Cologne' in the 'Via' box and the number of hours stopover you'd like (up to 48:00) in the 'hh:mm stopover' box, then run the enquiry.  You can then find the cheap London Spezial fares from €59, but with a stopover included.  Bargain!

Travel tip 3:   If you DO miss a connection because of a late-running train, don't panic, just get your ticket endorsed by the station staff.  Because you're travelling with a 'through ticket' you're entitled to travel onwards forward on the next available later train at no extra charge.

Option 4:  London to Innsbruck & Salzburg by daytime trains with hotel in Zurich.  The scenic route!

You can reach Salzburg in one day from London (see above), but it means an early start and late arrival, and it's a long day.  A more leisurely and scenic way is to break your journey in Switzerland, taking an afternoon Eurostar & evening high-speed TGV-Lyria from London to Zurich, stopping overnight, then taking a relaxing low-speed Railjet train snaking through the fabulously scenic Arlberg Pass into Austria.  The world-class scenery through the Alps makes it a worthwhile experience, see for yourself, watch the video & see the photos above.  By all means go one way by sleeper, the other by day.

London ► St Anton, Innsbruck, Salzburg, the scenic route...

• Day 1:  Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 13:31 (14:01 on Saturdays) arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 16:47 (17:17 on Saturdays).  Cross Paris by metro to the Gare de Lyon.

• Day 1:  Travel from Paris to Switzerland by high-speed TGV-Lyria, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 18:23 and arriving in Zurich at 22:26.  A café-bar is available on board.  This particular departure is an impressive 200mph double-deck TGV-Duplex, I recommend booking an upper deck seat for the best views.

• Spend the night in a hotel in Zurich.  For something special, look no further than the superb Hotel Schweizerhof, located right next to Zurich station.  One of my favourite hotels, they'll even send a uniformed commissionaire to meet you at the station and carry your bags across the road.

• Day 2:  Next morning, travel from Zurich to Innsbruck or Salzburg via the fabulous Arlberg Pass through the Alps and into the Austrian Tirol, using any train you like.  For example an air-conditioned Railjet train leaves Zurich at 08:40, arriving Feldkirch 10:09, Innsbruck 12:06, Salzburg 13:58, Linz 15:06 & Vienna 16:24, or there's another one two hours later at 10:40.

  This is an amazingly scenic route, see the photos above and watch the video.  The train runs along the Zurichsee and Walensee lakes, then hugs the mountainside and snakes through a huge valley, past scenery taken straight from the 'Sound of Music'.  For the best views, find an unreserved seat on the left hand side of the train leaving Zurich, that way you'll be on the lake side of the train, the train changes direction at Buchs, they you'll be on the right-hand (valley) side of the train through most of the Arlberg Pass.  A restaurant or bistro car is available for breakfast & lunch, in first and business class food orders are taken by the stewardess & served at your seat, so treat yourself as the scenery passes by!  If you have a first class ticket, you can use the first class lounge at Zurich Hauptbahnhof with complimentary tea, coffee, beer and snacks, located upstairs on the platform 3 side of the station, look for signs to the SBB Lounge.

Salzburg, Innsbruck, St Anton ► London, the scenic route...

• Day 1:  Travel from Vienna, Salzburg or Innsbruck to Zurich through the Alps via the Arlberg Pass, an extremely scenic route, see the photos above and watch the video.  There are several trains to choose from, for example a Railjet train leaves Vienna at 09:36, Linz 10:53, Salzburg 12:02, Innsbruck 13:54, St Anton 15:00, Feldkirch 15:48, arriving Zurich at 17:20.   Alternatively, another Railjet train leaves Vienna at 13:36, Linz at 14:53, Salzburg at 16:02, Innsbruck at 17:54, St Anton at 19:00, Feldkirch at 19:48, arriving Zurich at 21:20.  Or yet another Railjet train leaves Vienna at 15:36, Linz at 16:53, Salzburg at 18:02, Innsbruck at 19:54, St Anton at 21:00, Feldkirch at 21:51, arriving Zurich at 23:20.  On the Railjet, a restaurant or bistro car is available for lunch (or food orders taken & served at your seat in first & business classes), so treat yourself!

• Spend the night in a hotel in Zurich.  For something special, look no further than the superb Hotel Schweizerhof, located right next to Zurich station.  One of my favourite hotels, they'll even send a uniformed commissionaire to meet you at the station and carry your bags across the road.

• Day 2:  Travel from Zurich to London using any of the services suggested on the London to Switzerland page.  For example, leave Zurich at 07:34, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 11:37.  Cross Paris by metro to the Gare du Nord.  The 13:13 Eurostar from Paris Nord will get you back at London St Pancras at 14:36.  But by all means have a leisurely breakfast and take a later departure back to Blighty.  If you have a first class ticket, you can use the first class lounge at Zurich Hauptbahnhof with complimentary tea, coffee, beer and snacks, located upstairs on the platform 3 side of the station, look for signs to the SBB Lounge.

On board the Lyria TGV from Paris to Zurich...

These 200 mph (320 km/h) double-deckers are being phased in on the Paris-Zurich route in 2012 & 2013, replacing single-deck Christian Lacroix TGVs.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views.  The stairs to the top deck are short, wide and easy, and there are luggage racks and toilets both upstairs & downstairs.  You walk through the train to the cafe-bar at the upper deck level.
Boarding a double-deck TGV Duplex at Paris Gare de Lyon.  You can easily travel from London to Zurich by Eurostar & TGV-Lyria an afternoon & evening, relaxing with a good book and a bottle of wine.  And it isn't even expensive!  Watch the TGV Duplex video		The upstairs landing on a TGV Duplex showing the stairs down to the entrance door...

2nd class seats on TGV Duplex upper deck.  There's a mix of unidirectional seating and some tables for four like this...	;	The cafe-bar on the upper deck in car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks and microwave-style hot meal dishes....

1st class seats on TGV Duplex upper deck, with some tables for two & some tables for four.		A TGV Duplex.  The red near the door indicates 1st class, pale green 2nd class.

On board the Railjet train from Zurich to Innsbruck, Salzburg, Linz & Vienna...

A RailJet, arrived at Vienna Westbahnhof spot on time.  More photos & information about Railjet trains. Watch the video: Railjet through the Arlberg Pass		Economy class on RailJet, comfortable open saloons with large picture windows.  Some seats are arranged around tables, some are unidirectional.

Railjet first class, with black leather seats...		Business class...		The Railjet bistro...

How much does it cost?

How to buy tickets...

• Step 1, buy tickets from London to Paris & Paris to Zurich:

• UK residents can buy tickets from London to Zurich online at www.raileurope.co.uk.  You can book London to Zurich all in  one go, but I recommend booking London-Paris as one journey, adding to basket, then booking Paris to Zurich as a second journey.  This way you can stop off in Paris if you like, and mix and match 2nd class Eurostar with 1st class on the TGV if there's a good cheap 1st class fare available, which there often is.  You can pay for both tickets as one transaction.

• Anyone from any country can book the Eurostar at www.eurostar.com (you print your own tickets) then book the Paris-Zurich TGV-Lyria at www.voyages-sncf.com with tickets self-printed or collected in Paris.  Make sure you allow at least 60 minutes between trains southbound, 90 minutes northbound (as this includes the 30 minute Eurostar check-in).

• Step 2, buy tickets from Zurich to Innsbruck or Salzburg online at the Austrian railways website www.oebb.at.  This will book this journey in either direction with print-at-home tickets and cheap fares if you buy in advance.  Click 'English' top right.  Use the journey planner to search from ZURICH to SALZBURG or INNSBRUCK.  Find a suitable direct Railjet train with 0 changes and click 'Ticket and prices'.  If it lapses back into German, just click 'English' again.  Now click 'Passengers' and enter passenger details, then 'Calculate fare'.  On the next page, click the 'fr.29.00 EUR' against the train you want.  Select SparSchiene Schweiz (= Swiss Saver Fare).  A reserved seat is not essential, it's optional for an extra €3 and not a bad idea.  You print your own ticket.  No changes or refunds are allowed at the cheapest prices, of course.  Tip: When registering, UK is listed as 'Vereinigtes Konigreich', USA as 'Vereinigtes Staaten von Amerika'.

• Starting your journey from other UK towns & cities:  You can buy a special add-on ticket to connect with Eurostar from almost any station in Britain, with better terms and conditions than buying a regular domestic UK train ticket to London, see the advice here.

• UK residents can also book by phone, calling Rail Europe on 0844 848 5 848 (lines open 09:00-19:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-18:00 Sat, 10:00-17:00 Sun, £8 fee for phone bookings).

London ► Graz

• Travel from London to Munich by Eurostar & Paris-Munich City Night Line sleeper train, as shown on the London-Germany page, leaving London at 15:31 (14:01 on Saturdays), changing trains in Paris and arriving Munich at 07:10 next morning.

• Travel from Munich to Graz by train, leaving Munich at 08:27 by EuroCity train, change at Bischofshofen (arrive 10:52, depart 11:13) and arriving Graz 14:23.

Graz ► London

Fares...

• For London-Paris-Munich fares, see the London-Germany page.

• Munich-Graz fares start at €19 each way if you book well in advance.

How to buy tickets online...

• Book the London-Paris & Paris-Munich trains as shown on the London-Germany page.

• Book the Munich-Graz trains online at the German Railways website www.bahn.de.  Warning:  When you use this system, you'll sadly see many options now involving a downmarket bus, run by Austrian Railways ÖBB (who at this rate will soon have to renamed Austrian Busways!).  To avoid these buses, pick an all-train option such as the one explained above.

How to buy tickets by phone...

If you'd prefer to book by phone, just call Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card charge), or a booking agency such as European Rail on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday, £35 booking fee).

London ► Villach, Klagenfurt

• Travel from London to Munich by Eurostar & Paris-Munich City Night Line sleeper train, as shown on the London-Germany page, leaving London at 15:31 (14:01 on Saturdays), changing trains in Paris and arriving Munich at 07:10 next morning.

• Travel from Munich to Villach & Klagenfurt on a direct EuroCity train leaving Munich at 08:27 and arriving Villach at 12:43 and Klagenfurt at 13:15.  See the photos above.

Klagenfurt, Villach ► London

Fares...

• For London-Paris-Munich fares, see the London-Germany page.

• Munich-Villach/Klagenfurt fares start at €19 each way if you book well in advance.

How to buy tickets online...

• Book the London-Paris & Paris-Munich trains as shown on the London-Germany page.

• Book the Munich-Villach/Klagenfurt trains online at the German Railways website www.bahn.de.

How to buy tickets by phone...

If you'd prefer to book by phone, just call Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card charge), or a booking agency such as European Rail on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday, £35 booking fee).

London & East Anglia to Austria via ferry

	London to Holland by Dutch Flyer train & ferry...  A train takes you from London's Liverpool Street station directly to the ferry terminal at Harwich.  You walk off the train, into the terminal, get your boarding card & cabin key at the Stena Line check-in desk and walk straight onto the overnight ferry to Hoek van Holland.  The new superferry Stena Hollandica is the largest ferry of its kind in the world.  See the Netherlands page for details and see the video...
	Cosy cabins:  The overnight Harwich-Hoek ferry is a floating hotel.  All passengers travel in a cosy private cabin with en suite shower & toilet and satellite TV.  This is the cheapest 2-berth cabin...
	A Captain's Class cabin with double bed...
	Onwards to Austria by ICE high-speed train:  This is a superb German ICE train at Frankfurt am Main Hauptbahnhof...

If you want to avoid the Channel Tunnel, perhaps if problems are affecting the Eurostar service or if you suffer from claustrophobia, you can travel by train and ferry instead.  Indeed, if you need to travel at very short notice when cheap Eurostar tickets are unavailable, the rail & sail option may still be affordable.  I don't recommend travelling via Dover & Calais, even though it may seem like the most direct route, because bus transfers are now required between station and port in both Dover and Calais, and you can no longer buy through tickets from London to Paris this way.  Instead, I recommend using the excellent integrated rail & sail service via Harwich & Hoek van Holland, because trains arrive right at the ferry terminal in both Harwich and Hoek, through tickets are available from London to any Dutch station, and an overnight ferry with comfortable private cabins gets you to Holland in the morning in time for onward daytime trains to Austria - see the video!  This is also a handy option if you live in East Anglia.  It's one of the routes shown in dark blue on the route map above.  Here's how to do it:

London, East Anglia & Harwich ► Austria

Austria  ► Harwich, East Anglia & London

• Option 1:  Take daytime trains from Austria to Hoek van Holland.  Using this option, you'd leave Austria on the morning of day 1, and arrive London in the morning of day 2.  Use www.bahn.de to find suitable daytime trains from Austria to Hoek van Holland, arriving no later than 21:00.  You'll need to leave Austria fairly early.  At Hoek van Holland, the ferry terminal is right next to the station.

• Option 2:  Take an afternoon train from Austria to Munich, then the sleeper train to Amsterdam, and spend a free day in Amsterdam.  Using this option, you'd leave Austria in the afternoon of day 1, spend day 2 exploring Amsterdam, and arrive London in the morning on day 3.  Take a train from Austria to Munich, see www.bahn.de for times and fares.  For example, A Railjet train leaves Vienna at 16:36 and Salzburg at 19:02 and arrives in Munich at 20:34.  Leave Munich daily at 22:50 by City Night Line sleeper train, arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 08:56.  The train has sleepers (1, 2 & 3-berth compartments, either economy with washbasin or deluxe with en suite toilet & shower), couchettes (4-berth & 6-berth) & ordinary seats.  More information about City Night Line trains.  Spend the day in Amsterdam, then take the 18:46 train from Amsterdam to Rotterdam and change onto the local sprinter train to Hoek van Holland.  The ferry terminal is right next to the station.

• Travel overnight from Hoek van Holland to London by Dutch Flyer train & superferry.  Check in at the Stena Line desk, then walk onto the luxurious superferry Stena Britannica and sail overnight to Harwich in a snug private cabin with shower, toilet, satellite TV and free WiFi.  The ferry sails from Hoek at 22:30 Mondays-Fridays or 21:30 Saturdays & Sundays and arrives at Harwich International at 06:30 next morning (day 2), UK time.  Take a train on to London arriving 08:45-08:59 (day 2).  See the Netherlands page for full details about the Dutch Flyer train & ferry service.

How much does it cost?

• London to Amsterdam or Utrecht starts at £45 per person each way, plus the cost of a cabin.  Cabins start at £30 for a single berth cabin or £43 per cabin for a 2-berth, and are compulsory on the night sailing.  The fare covers the train from London to Harwich, the ferry, and onward Dutch trains from Hoek van Holland Haven to any station in the Netherlands, see the Netherlands page for full details of fares and cabin types and costs.

• If you prefer option 1, Utrecht to Frankfurt starts at €39 each way, then Frankfurt to Vienna also starts at 39 euros.

• If you prefer option 2, Amsterdam to Munich by City Night Line sleeper train starts at €59 one-way with a couchette in 6-berth, €69 with a couchette in 4-berth, €104 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper, €144 with a bed in a single-bed sleeper.  Munich to Salzburg starts at €19, Munich to Vienna starts at €29.

How to buy tickets online...

• Step 1, buy a Dutch Flyer train & ferry ticket from London to Utrecht or Amsterdam online as shown here.

• Step 2, book your trains from Utrecht or Amsterdam to Austria:  Go to the German Railways website www.bahn.de.  If you want to take the Amsterdam-Munich City Night line sleeper, ask the system for Amsterdam to Munich departing after 20:00, and look for the overnight CNL train with 0 changes.  Then use www.bahn.de again to book onward trains from Munich to your Austrian destination, allowing at least 1 hour in Munich in case of any delay.  If you want to book daytime trains from Utrecht to Austria, first check train times at www.bahn.de, note the trains you want, then split the journey.  If, for example, you were to change trains at Frankfurt, you'd split the journey into Utrecht-Frankfurt (and back) and Frankfurt-Austria (and back) and look for the trains shown above.  This way, the system will offer you German Railways' cheap Netherlands-Germany and Germany-Austria fares for each leg, from just 39 euros each way for each leg.  These cheap fares will not show up if you ask for a Netherlands to Austria journey all in one go.  If you prefer you can book by phone, call DB's UK office on 08718 80 80 66, lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 at weekends.

How to buy tickets by phone:  Special booking form

• To buy tickets for the Dutch Flyer from London to Hoek van Holland plus onward train tickets to Austria or almost anywhere in Europe, fill in the special booking form and email it to European Rail.  They will call you back with a price, usually within 24 hours.  Using the booking form can save a long phone call while they take details and work out trains & prices.  If you'd rather call them, phone 020 7619 1083, but please say you're calling about 'Dutch Flyer' & onward train tickets to Austria as shown on 'Seat61'.  Their lines are 08:30-18:00 Monday to Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday.  Note that there's a £35 fee for phone or email bookings, but this is for the whole booking, not per person or per ticket.  European Rail are one of the few agencies (if not the only agency) who can sell both the Dutch Flyer and onward European train tickets.

	DFDS Seaways Princess of Norway about to sail overnight from Newcastle to Amsterdam...
	A Commodore deluxe cabin with minibar, satellite TV, shower & toilet.  See the video...
	A standard Seaways class cabin with shower & toilet on DFDS Princess of Norway from Newcastle to Amsterdam.

Naturally, one option is to take a train up to London, then travel to Austria as described above.  You can buy special connecting train tickets from most UK stations to London International, see advice on buying connecting train tickets to London.  But DFDS Seaways (www.dfds.co.uk) run an excellent daily cruise ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam overnight, and P&O Ferries (www.poferries.com) sail overnight from Hull to Rotterdam.  After a day in Amsterdam, take the excellent City Night Line sleeper train from Amsterdam to Munich with connections to Innsbruck, Salzburg & Vienna.  So why not by-pass London, and have a day in Amsterdam into the bargain?

Scotland & the north of England ► Austria

Austria ► Scotland & the north of England

• Day 1, evening:  The City Night Line sleeper train Pollux leaves Munich at 22:50 daily, arriving at Amsterdam Centraal at 08:56 next morning.  For details of what this train is like see here.  See above for connections from Innsbruck, Salzburg & Vienna to Munich.

• Day 2:  Spend the day in Amsterdam.  Left luggage lockers are available.

• Day 2, late afternoon/evening:  Travel overnight by cruise ferry from Holland to Hull or Newcastle, whichever is most convenient for where you live, arriving next morning (day 4).  Transfer to the station and take a train home.  For full details of train & ferry times and how to buy tickets for each of these routes, see the UK-Netherlands page.

Fares & how to buy tickets...

• To check train fares and buy train tickets to Harwich, Hull or Newcastle, see www.thetrainline.com or www.nationalrail.co.uk;

• To check ferry fares & book the ferry online, go to www.dfds.co.uk (Newcastle-Amsterdam), www.poferries.com (Hull-Rotterdam).

• To check Amsterdam-Vienna or Amsterdam-Munich sleeper train fares & book online, go to either www.raileurope.co.uk (easy to use and can be cheapest way to book, but may have difficulty booking 4 berth couchettes) or www.bahn.de (look for the direct train with 0 changes).

Send your luggage in advance

Enjoy your journey without heavy luggage... 

Let www.carrymyluggage.com deliver your bags door to door.

If you'd like to enjoy your train journey free of heavy luggage, making it easy to get on and off trains with nothing more than a lightweight daypack or handbag, www.carrymyluggage.com will collect your luggage at your home address a few days before you leave, and will deliver it to addresses all over the EU, so it will be waiting at your hotel when you arrive.  It's not cheap, you can reckon on around £78 per case each way, but this is door to door, covering collection from your home in the UK or other EU country and delivery to an address in another EU country.  I've also arranged a 10% discount if you use the Promo code 'seat61' when booking your bags online.  www.carrymyluggage.com are a reliable company, they also work with companies such as Great Rail Journeys, Virgin Trains, First Great Western, Hull Trains, and South West Trains.

Holidays & tours to Austria by train

	020 3327 0761 (UK) 1-800-408-3280 (USA) 1300 971 526 (Aus) 0800 002 034 (NZ)
	01904 730 727
	01904 527120

If you want a holiday to Austria by train not plane, and want someone to organise all the train tickets & hotels for you, several specialist companies do just that, for a holiday with no airport hassles and no long days in cramped coach seats on motorways.  Railbookers offer tailor-made individual holidays with departure on any date you like, whereas Treyn Holidays & Great Rail Journeys offer escorted tours with specific departure dates.

Railbookers for tailor-made tours, holidays & breaks by train...

Railbookers can tailor-make a flight-free holiday or short break to Austria for you, with train travel & 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 get a lot of repeat business!  For example, they can do a 2-night short break from the UK to Vienna by train both ways, or an 8-night trip to Vienna & Venice via the Swiss Alps.  Or how about 8 nights to Vienna, Prague & Budapest, also by train throughout?  See the Railbookers Austria page for suggested itineraries & sample prices.

  UK call 020 3327 0761, www.railbookers.com. 

Call toll-free 1-800-408-3280 or www.us.railbookers.com.

Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526, www.railbookers.com.au. 

  New Zealand call toll-free 0800 002 034 or see website.

Treyn Holidays, www.railholidays.com, 01904 730 727...

Treyn Holidays offers escorted tours to Germany & Austria, with 3* hotels and 2nd class rail.  Check prices & departure dates at www.railholidays.com, then book online or call 01904 730 727.

Great Rail Journeys, www.greatrail.com, 01904 527 120...

GRJ offers five-star inclusive escorted tours with 1st class train travel and 5* or 4* hotels.  Tours include tours to the Austrian Alps and a tour covering Vienna, Budapest and Prague, both tours starting from London by train with a range of departure dates.  Great Rail Journeys also offer holidays by train to other European countries.  Check the tour details & prices online, then call 01904 527120 to book or use their online booking form.

The Thomas Cook European Timetable

The Thomas Cook European timetable has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency & climate information.  Published since 1873, it costs £14.99.  It's essential for any serious traveller and an inspiration for armchair travellers.  Still not convinced you need one?  More information on what the Thomas Cook Timetable contains.  You can buy the latest monthly edition online at www.thomascookpublishing.com with worldwide delivery or buy it in person from selected UK branches of Thomas Cook (ask at the bureau de change), or from W H Smiths in Victoria station in London.  Or buy the twice-yearly independent traveller's edition with laminated cover from Amazon.co.uk:  Winter/Spring 2012/13 edition (Dec 2012 to June 2013) or (when available) Summer/Autumn 2013 edition (June to Dec 2013)

The Thomas Cook Rail Map of Europe is the best and most comprehensive map of train routes right across Europe, from Portugal in the west to Istanbul, Moscow & Ukraine in the east, from Finland in the north to Sicily & Crete in the south.  High speed & scenic routes are highlighted.  Highly recommended!  Buy online at www.amazon.co.uk (worldwide delivery).  See an extract from the map.

A good guidebook is a sound investment.  For independent travel, the best guides are the the Lonely Planet or Rough Guide.  Both guidebooks have the same excellent level of practical information and cultural and historical background.  You won't regret buying one!  My own book, an essential handbook for train travel to Europe based on this website called "The Man in Seat 61", was published in June 2008, and is available from Amazon with shipping worldwide.

Click the images to buy at Amazon.co.uk...

Alternatively, you can download just the chapters or areas you need in .PDF format from the Lonely Planet Website, from around £2.99 or US$4.95 a chapter.

Find hotels in Vienna, Salzburg & Austria

Other hotel sites worth trying...

• www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find 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.venere.com has a wide selection of hotels and a well-presented website.  The price you see is the price you pay, no hidden extras, and you simply pay the hotel when you get there.  Vienna    Salzburg    Innsbruck    Graz    Linz    Other towns & cities in Austria.

Backpacker hostels...

• www.hostelbookers.com:  If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels.  Hostelbookers offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck and most other European cities at rock-bottom prices.

Travel insurance & health card...

Get travel insurance, it's essential...

Never travel without insurance from a reliable travel insurer with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover.  It should also cover loss of cash (up to a limit) & belongings, and cancellation. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year (I have an annual policy myself).  Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, though, 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 (no age limit), see www.JustTravelCover.com.

        If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct's other websites.

   If you live in the USA or Canada, 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 www.ehic.org.uk.  It doesn't remove the need for travel insurance, though.

Get a spare credit card, designed for foreign 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.

You can avoid ATM charges and expensive exchange rates with a Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or their multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card, see www.caxtonfx.com for info.

Get an international SIM card to save on mobile data and phone calls...

Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, and if you're not careful you can return home to find a huge bill.  Consider buying a global pre-paid SIM card for your mobile phone from www.Go-Sim.com, which can slash costs by up to 85%.  Go-Sim cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide, and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries.  It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills when you get home.  It also allows cheap data access for laptops & PDAs.  A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't expire if it's not used between trips, unlike some others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone number' for life.