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How to travel by train from

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Lunch in London... Breakfast in Berlin

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

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

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

General information about train travel in Europe...

Or search this website:  

You can find schedules for virtually any European train journey at www.bahn.de...

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

• Switch it to English:  On the www.bahn.de home page, the English language button is top right.

• Place names:  When you start typing a place name, it will offer a selection of likely locations.  However, the selection sometimes uses foreign language place names rather than English ones.  For Venice you should select 'Venise'.  For Genoa select 'Genova'.  For Geneva select 'Geneve'. For Zurich, type 'Zurich HB' (HB=Hauptbahnhof) as for some reason typing 'Zurich' alone only brings up Zurich airport.  For Copenhagen, select 'KOBENHAVN' or 'Kopenhagen Hauptbahnhof'.  For Lisbon select 'Lisboa Santa Apolonia' (for city centre) or 'Lisboa Oriente'.  For Athens you'll need to select 'Athenes'.  For Bucharest you'll need to enter 'Bucuresti' as 'Bucharest' doesn't work.  For Warsaw select 'Warszawa'.   For Moscow select 'Moscou' (which it also recognises as 'Moskva').  And so on.

• Which station?  If the selection includes a city name in capital letters without any specific station name, use this as the system will show trains serving any main station in that city.  However, sometimes the selection only includes specific stations in that city, and you may wonder which to choose.  Obviously, 'centrale' in Italian or 'centraal' in Dutch means central station, usually the best option.  In Brussels, select 'Brussel Zuid' as this is the main station in Brussels, also known as Brussels Midi or 'Brussels South Station'.  In Cologne, select 'Cologne (Köln Hbf)'.  In Barcelona, select Barcelona Sants unless travelling to or from Paris, when you're better off selecting Barcelona Franca.  It helps to know that 'hauptbahnhof' ('hbf') is 'main station' in German, 'Hlavni' is main station in Czech, 'Glowny' ('Gl.') is main station in Polish.  In Verona, select 'Verona Porta Nuova'.  In Venice, Venice Santa Lucia is on the Grand Canal in Venice itself, Venice Mestre is an industrial area on the mainland.

• Journey details:  When the results appear, click on the 'down arrow' to the left of each train service to see a detailed breakdown of the journey.

• In the detailed view, click on a train number and it will show you the complete origin-to-destination timetable & all calling points for that train and its days of operation.

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

• Timetable changes in June & December:  It usually holds data only until the next Europe-wide timetable change, which happens twice a year on the second Sunday in June and December.  So don't be surprised if it shows no trains at all running in late December if you make an enquiry in August, as late December is beyond the mid-December timetable change.  Simply make an enquiry for a date this side of the timetable change instead, and assume that the times won't change that much.  Also remember that bookings for most European trains only open 90 days in advance, and for a few countries, only 60 days in advance.

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

• Interchange times for long journeys:  On the advanced search page you can set it to require longer interchange times between trains.  Remember that this is an automated system which allows the minimum theoretical time at interchange stations.  This is fine for short daytime journeys where there's another train half an hour later if you miss it, but for critical connections, for example with sleeper trains that you can't afford to miss, you should allow much longer than is allowed by bahn.de.  To give an extreme example, I would want at least 2 hours to connect in Bucharest when coming from Istanbul and connecting for Budapest to allow for long delays, but the system assumes that everything runs spot on time and allows only minutes.

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

  Buy a copy online... What's inside it?

• Fares:  www.bahn.de will show train times for virtually any journey in Europe, but will only show fares (or sell tickets) for journeys within Germany, also for most direct trains to or from Germany such as Munich-Verona, Paris-Munich or Berlin-Warsaw, and for German-run trains such as City Night Line sleeper trains from Amsterdam to Prague, Amsterdam to Zurich or Basel to Copenhagen.  If you want to check fares for other journeys, see the How to buy European train tickets page.

• The journey planner at www.bahn.de can also be accessed directly in English as http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/e.

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

Published since 1873, the world-famous Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable is the train traveller's bible, and a sound investment for all regular European train travellers.  It has route maps and up-to-date timetables for trains, buses and ferries in all European countries, ferries to North Africa, Israel & the Mediterranean islands.  If you're going to travel a lot, for example with an InterRail or Eurail pass, you should definitely buy one to plan your journey.  It will save you a lot of time at stations queuing up to ask questions and puts you in control of your own journeys.  Although it's published monthly, most travellers only need to buy two a year, in June and December, as European timetables only change in those months.  In fact, even using a Thomas Cook Timetable that's way-out-of-date is better than travelling blind!  It costs £13.99 from the bureau de change in any UK branch of Thomas Cook, or you can buy online at www.thomascooktimetables.com (with worldwide delivery).  Alternatively, you can buy the Independent Travellers special edition at Amazon.co.uk, Winter/Spring 2010/11 edition (Dec 2010 to June 2011) or Summer/Autumn 2011 edition (June to Dec 2011).  More information on what the Thomas Cook Timetable contains.

Each country's own printed timetables...

If you really think you need it, you can buy the printed national timetable book for almost any European country from the Timetable Distribution Centre, www.timetables.ch, email sales@timetables.ch.

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

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

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

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

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

Online...

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

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

• Onward connections in Spain, Italy, etc. are often best booked separately using that country's own rail website, see the 'Journeys wholly within one country' section above.  Why's this?  Well, for example, www.raileurope.co.uk can book you all the way from London to Malaga via Paris & Madrid if you like, but can only sell full-fare £55 tickets for the Madrid-Malaga train.  If you book this part of the trip separately direct with Spanish Railways at www.renfe.com, you can easily pick up a £30 'Web fare' from Madrid to Malaga, or at least a £45 'Estrella' fare.

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

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

• For detailed advice on which website to use to book which European train journey, see the How to buy cheap European train tickets page.

By phone...

• For journeys from the UK to France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, also Germany via Paris, call Rail Europe on 0844 848 5 848 (lines open 09:00-19:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-18:00 Sat, closed  Sun, £8 booking fee).  They use the French Railways reservation system, so have access to all the best fares to, from, via or within France.

• For journeys from the UK to Germany, Austria, central & eastern Europe or Scandinavia, call German Railways' UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 weekends, no booking fee, just a small credit card fee).  Also call them for any journey to, from or within Germany, Austria, central or eastern Europe & Scandinavia.  They use the German Railways reservation system, so have all the cheap fares available for journeys to, from and within Germany.

• For journeys to, from or within Spain or Portugal, call www.spanish-rail.co.uk on 020 3137 4464 (lines open 09:30-13:30 & 14:30-17:30 Mon-Fri).  They use the Spanish Railways reservation system, so have access to the cheap fares within Spain, whereas Rail Europe don't.

• More exotic journeys, for example to Russia, Ukraine or Istanbul can be booked with German Railway's UK office with no booking fee if you know exactly what you want and persevere if staff seem uncertain about a complex journey, but it's often better to call a smaller agency such as www.europeanrail.com because their staff are used to making complex bookings like these as they do them all the time.  Call 020 7619 1083 (lines open 09:00-17:30 Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 Saturdays, £35 booking fee per total transaction, please tell them seat61 sent you!).

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

Online rail maps

There's a basic online map of the European railway network at www.eurail.com/sites/all/files/eurail.com/downloads/eurail-map-2011.pdf.  This gives you a good idea of the extent of the European rail system, although it's intended for overseas visitors using Eurail passes so leaves out many routes in non-Eurail countries such as the UK, Serbia & Macedonia, and leaves out many smaller lines even in the countries covered by Eurail passes.  You'll find more detailed country-by-country rail maps at www.bueker.net/trainspotting/maps.php.   For the best (and official) map of the Swiss rail system, click here.  For advanced rail users, there's a detailed European Railway atlas covering the whole of Europe, www.europeanrailwayatlas.com, price £29 in hard copy or £19 as a CD-ROM, individual countries £3-6 each.

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

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

Are the trains running on time?  Are there any delays, incidents or other disruptions?

As with buying your ticket, there's no one website where you'll find out about delays, strikes or other problems affecting all European trains.  You need to know which website to look at, so here is some guidance:

• Eurostar service updates:  www.eurostar.com/UK/uk/leisure/customer_care/service_updates.jsp for updates on any disruption affecting the London-Paris, London-Brussels Eurostar service.

• London St Pancras arrivals & departures, see http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/ldbboard/dep/STP.  Note that this shows domestic as well as Eurostar arrivals and departures.

• Paris arrivals & departures and trains within, to and from France:  www.infolignes.com.  This is a separate website for arrivals, departures & service updates run by French Railways (SNCF).  Click the UK flag top right for English.  You can search for problems or delays affecting a specified train number, route or station yesterday, today or in the next few days.  www.infolignes.com covers French domestic trains and international trains to and from France (but for some reason not Eurostar!), so it's the one to check if you're heading to Switzerland, Italy or Spain via Paris.

• Brussels arrivals & departures:  For real-time train arrivals & departures at Brussels Midi or any Belgian station, see www.railtime.be.  For service updates, go to www.b-europe.com, click 'Practical' top right then click 'read more' under '!Disruptions'.  If your train is a Thalys to Brussels or Paris, see www.thalys.com and look for the 'Traffic info' top left on their home page.

• Amsterdam arrivals & departures:  For real-time train arrivals & departures at Amsterdam Centraal or any Dutch station, go to www.ns.nl, leave it in Dutch, click 'Reisinformatie' ('Travel information') top left then 'Actuele Vertrektijden' ('Actual departure times', the link disappears if you switch it to English!)  For service updates, go to www.nshispeed.nl, click for English, click 'Search and book trip' then 'Service updates'.  It may also be worth checking the German site (see below) if your train then crosses Germany.  If your train is a Thalys to Brussels or Paris, see www.thalys.com and look for the 'Traffic info' top left on their home page.

• Italian arrivals & departures:  www.viaggiatreno.it.  Like the French, Trenitalia has a separate website for real-time train running and service updates.  www.viaggiatreno.it will show you how trains are running by train number, station or route.

• Spanish service updates:  Go to www.renfe.com, click 'welcome' for English' then 'Notices' top right.  Use Google translate as necessary, as the updates are in Spanish.

• German arrivals & departures:  If you train crosses Germany, see http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/bhftafel.exe/en?ld=212.92&rt=1&.  This will give you current real-time arrival and departure information for an German station, like looking at the departure board if you were at the station now.  For general info about delays due to engineering work, see  www.bahn.com/i/view/overseas/en/home/help/construction_work_overseas.shtml.  Both pages are quite difficult to find from their home page, but do let me know when these links stop working!  Alternatively, if you bring up a train that's currently running using the www.bahn.de journey planner, click on the sideways arrow to bring up details, then click on the train number, the complete end to end timetable for that train will appear in a new window, with minutes late (or early!) shown against each stop within Germany.

• For other countries, the place to start is the national rail operator website for that country, see here for a list.

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

• Eurostar times, fares, tickets, luggage & info about the Eurostar journey.

• Eurostar seating plan with seat numbers.  Tips on choosing the best seats.

• Eurostar website: www.eurostar.com

Changing trains & stations in Paris:  See the Paris metro page

• Train journeys from the UK into Europe often involve a change of train and station in Paris.  Eurostar arrives at the Gare du Nord, which is a 10 minute walk from the Gare de l'Est but a metro or taxi ride from the other Paris stations.  See the Changing trains & stations in Paris page for advice on metro, RER and taxi travel, and an easy route guide.  The Paris metro website is www.ratp.fr.

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

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

Changing trains in Brussels...

	Central Brussels:  If you've time to spare between trains, it's a 25 minute stroll from Brussels Midi station to the famous Grand Place (Grote Markt) in the city centre.  Or hop on a train from Brussels Midi to Brussels Central, a transfer is free with a Eurostar ticket.  For somewhere to eat, try the 'Aux Armes de Bruxelles' restaurant (www.armebrux.be)...
	Above:  The main concourse at Brussels Midi station, a subway underneath the tracks...
	Above:  When arriving by Eurostar at Brussels to catch an onward train to Cologne or Amsterdam, look for the escalators marked 'Sud'...

• Brussels Midi station:  Eurostar arrives at platforms 1 & 2 at the main Brussels station, Bruxelles Midi in French, Brussel Zuid in Flemish, Brussels South Stn in English, it's all the same place.  After stepping off the Eurostar, you walk past the front of the train off the end of the platforms and down the escalators, exiting the Eurostar terminal onto the main station concourse, which is a rather dark giant subway spanning the width of the station, underneath all the tracks.  All long-distance trains use Brussels Midi station, including trains to Amsterdam, Cologne, Paris and all other destinations in Belgium, so changing trains is easy and only takes a few minutes.

• Top tip if you're changing onto a train to Cologne or Amsterdam:  Be clever!  Instead of following the crowd shuffling slowly off the end of the Eurostar platform, look for the down escalators marked 'Sud' & 'Correspondances' half way along the Eurostar platforms, roughly level with Eurostar coaches 11-14, see the photo below right.  Nip down these to the South Corridor ('Couloir Sud') which runs underneath the tracks linking all the platforms, quickly check the indicator boards then nip up an escalator again to the right platform for your onward train to Cologne or Amsterdam.  Eurostar arrives at platform 1 or 2, Thalys & ICE trains to Cologne & Amsterdam leave from platforms 3, 4, 5 or 6, InterCity trains to Amsterdam normally leave from platforms 17, 18 or 19.  Using the 'Couloir Sud' avoids the crowds and saves a useful few minutes compared to walking round via the main concourse if you've a tight connection!  Note that this tip doesn't work in the other (towards-London) direction, as you need to check in at the Eurostar terminal off the main concourse, you can't use the South Corridor.

• Which platform for your onward train?  Eurostar arrives at platforms 1 & 2 on the northwest side of the station, which make up the Eurostar terminal.  Look for the indicator boards or TV screens showing train departures, then go up the escalators to the platform indicated for your onward train.  Thalys high-speed trains to Cologne & Amsterdam normally leave from platforms 3, 4, 5 or 6.  The hourly InterCity trains to Antwerp, Rotterdam and Amsterdam normally leave from platforms 17, 18 or 19.  But always check the indicator boards!

• How long to allow for connections:  Allow at least 20 minutes to change trains in Brussels on the outward journey.  On the return journey, allow at least 40 minutes to change trains, which allows for the 30 minute Eurostar check-in as well as time to change trains.  Under international conditions of carriage, if you miss a connection because of a late running train, staff should allow you to take the next departure (assuming there are seats available) even if your ticket is theoretically non-changeable.  On inwards journeys back to London, Eurostar staff are reported as pretty good about this.

• Station facilities:  Brussels Midi isn't my favourite station, I have to admit.  But it has an increasing range of cafes and shops, including a mini-supermarket opposite the exit from the Eurostar terminal to buy food, wine or beer for your onward journey if you want to.

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

• Free train transfer to Brussels Central:  All Eurostar tickets to Brussels allow a free transfer by frequent local train from Brussels Midi to Brussels Central for the famous Grande Place (Grote Markt) in the city centre.  Just hop on any train that's shown as calling at Brussels Central and show your Eurostar ticket on board if asked (unlikely!).  From Brussels Central it's a 5 minute walk to the Grande Place for some 'moules frites' and perhaps a 'Leffe Brune' beer or two.  You can get a free tourist map from the dark blue tourist information kiosk at the platform 1 (Eurostar terminal) end of the station concourse near the exit to the street.

• Walking to Brussels city centre:  If you prefer to walk, it's a 20-25 minute stroll from Brussels Midi station to the Grande Place in the city centre.  Leave the station from the main doors on the Eurostar terminal (platform 1) side of the station, turn right, walk along the side of the station/tracks for a few minutes and then turn left along the Rue Stalingrad to central Brussels.  Click here for a map of Brussels.  Bus, tram & metro information for Brussels.

• Restaurants & bars near Midi station or the Grande Place:  There are many cafes & bars in or near Brussels Midi, but for something a bit special, try the huge and modernistic 'Midi Station' restaurant, brasserie & bar, www.midistation.eu, which does a great steak tartare.  It's opposite the main exit from Brussels Midi station on the platform 1 side of the station (the Eurostar terminal side).  Just off the Grande Place in central Brussels there are vast numbers of 'tourist trap' restaurants, but avoid these and try the 'Aux Armes de Bruxelles', www.armebrux.be, which is one of the very few really good traditionally Belgian restaurants near the Grande Place.  For a taste of Belgian beer whilst in Brussels, try the celebrated Delirium cafe near the Grande Place, www.deliriumcafe.be.

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

Sponsored links...

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

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

Train seat numbering plans:  For a list of train seating plans click here.

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

	Above:  A typical first class lounge.  This one is the NS HiSpeed first class lounge at Amsterdam Centraal, available for anyone with a valid first class international ticket or railpass.  It offers complimentary tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine & beer...

In some countries, you'll find first class lounges at stations, usually with complimentary tea, coffee, soft drinks or even beer and wine available.  WiFi and an internet PC may also be available.  Sometimes the lounge is for anyone with a first class ticket (including a first class railpass), but in some countries the lounges are only for holders of the most expensive business-orientated first class tickets or for holders of that particular train operator's special frequent traveller card.  Opening times vary, the lounges may or may not be of use when catching a late-night sleeper.  Here's a quick guide:

Eurostar first class lounges in London, Paris & Brussels...

Eurostar has first class business lounges at London St Pancras, Paris Nord & Brussels Midi, but they are only open to holders of full-price 'Business Premier' first class tickets, not to holders of 'Standard Premier' reduced-rate first class tickets, or first class railpasses.  The Eurostar business lounges offer complimentary tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, and snacks.

Lounges open to all 1st class ticket holders, including railpass holders:

The following countries have lounges for first class passengers at their major city centre stations, open to holders of any valid first class ticket or first class railpass including reduced-rate 1st class tickets and 1st class Eurail & InterRail passes:

Netherlands (Amsterdam Centraal, Schiphol, Rotterdam, follow signs for 'NS HiSpeed Lounge', search www.nshispeed.nl for opening times).

Germany (Berlin, Bremen, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt Main Airport, Hamburg, Hanover, Cologne, Leipzig, Mannheim, Munich, Nuremberg, Stuttgart, usually open 07:00-21:00 daily, follow signs for 'DB Lounge', search www.bahn.de for details).  These German lounges are not open to railpass holders.

Austria (Vienna Westbahnhof, Salzburg, Innsbruck).

Spain (Madrid Atocha, Madrid Chamartin, Barcelona Sants, plus a few other stations).  Open to anyone with a Club, Preferente or Gran Clase domestic or international ticket.  Typically open from 06:00 to 22:00 every day.

Hungary:  Budapest has a business lounge near platform 9, open 06:00-21:30 daily open for anyone with a 1st class international ticket to. from or via Budapest.  Not open to railpass holders.

Lounges only open to holders of special 'frequent traveller' cards or full-price first class business tickets:

The following countries have lounges, but only for holders of either full-price business-orientated first class tickets, or holders of their own special frequent traveller cards, so cannot be used by other travellers even with 1st class tickets or railpasses: 

France, Belgium, Italy, United Kingdom.

Travel tip:  You can use the 'Grand Voyageur' lounge at Paris Nord or the Thalys lounge at Brussels Midi if you either (1) hold a full-price fully-flexible business-orientated first class ticket on Thalys, or (2) hold any sort of first class ticket on Thalys and can show the Thalys 'TheCard' loyalty card.  You can apply free for a 'TheCard' at www.thalysthecard.com.

Many long-distance expresses run overnight, a very time-effective and romantic way to travel.  Huge distances can be covered while you sleep, using up less daytime time than flying and often saving a hotel bill too.  Forget the terms 'first class' & 'second class', these can actually be misleading when dealing with sleeper trains.  On overnight trains, your comfort depends on whether you choose an ordinary seat, an economical couchette, or a comfortable berth in the sleeping-car.  A 2nd class sleeper is more comfortable than a 1st class couchette!

	2-berth sleeper:  A typical 2-berth sleeper, berths made up.	Sleeper in evening & morning mode:  The same sleeper, a sitting room by day...
	Couchettes, 6-berth, with the bunks folded out.	Couchettes, 4-berth:  Much more room per passenger!

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

A sleeper typically costs about £35-£45 in western Europe or £20-£35 in eastern Europe per person per night for a bed in a 3-berth compartment in addition to a 2nd class ticket or railpass.  A berth in a 2-berth costs about £45-£65 per night in western Europe, £30-£45 in eastern Europe, plus either a 1st or 2nd class ticket or railpass depending on the route & type of sleeper.  A single room costs around £70-£100 per night (£50-£70 in eastern Europe) and you must normally have a 1st class ticket or railpass.  On an increasing number of routes (e.g. Paris to Madrid, Barcelona, Italy, and Brussels to Berlin), good-value inclusive fares are now charged, covering travel, sleeper & breakfast.

There's more detailed information about what to expect when travelling by sleeper on the Travelling by Sleeping-car or Couchette page.  For more specific information about particular types of sleeper train, see the City Night Line page if your journey involves a City Night Line sleeper train such as Paris to Berlin, Paris to Munich, Amsterdam or Cologne to Prague or Copenhagen.  See the Train Travel to Spain page if your journey involves the Elipsos 'trainhotels' from Paris to Madrid or Barcelona.  See the Thello sleeper train page if it involves the 'Thello' sleeper trains from Paris to Italy.  If it involves the Austrian EuroNight sleeper train from Cologne to Vienna see the ÖBB EuroNight sleeper train page.

A couchette is rail's answer to a youth hostel or 'pensione':  Economical and comfortable, it's an ordinary seating compartment for six people by day, with fold-out padded bunks for six people by night, each with sheet, rug & pillow which you arrange yourself.  Male and female passengers normally share the same compartment (although there are 'ladies only' compartments on most routes), and apart from removing shoes & jackets,  passengers do not normally undress.  A berth in a 6-berth couchette compartment costs around 27 euros (£23) per berth per night, in addition to a 2nd class ticket or railpass.  In addition to the normal lock, couchette compartments have a security lock which cannot be opened from outside, even with a staff key, so you'll be quite safe.  On most routes you can pay a higher supplement (about 37 euros or £32) to travel in a less crowded 4-berth couchette compartment, which is well worth the extra cost.  1st class couchettes, with four berths per compartment, are rare - they are basically only operated in France.

There's more detailed information about what to expect when travelling by couchette on the Travelling by Couchette or Sleeping-car page.  For more specific information, if your journey involves a City Night Line sleeper train see the City Night Line page.  If your journey involves the 'trainhotels' from Paris to Madrid or Barcelona, see the Spain page.  If it involves the 'Thello' Paris to Italy sleeper trains, see the Thello sleeper trains page.  If it involves the Austrian EuroNight sleeper from Cologne to Vienna see the ÖBB EuroNight page.

...in a seat

Although it's the cheapest option, travelling overnight in an ordinary seat is a false economy and not recommended however tight your budget, either for comfort or security.  There's no lock on the compartment door, and no staff on duty.  Think of it as the equivalent (almost!) of sleeping in a shop doorway.  Always budget for at least the couchette supplement for a comfortable night's journey.  Some trains have reclining seats (French overnight trains, some German overnight trains, and some Spanish overnight trains), but although better than a normal seat they still don't offer the flat bed and safely locked compartment of a couchette or sleeper.

EuroCity...

This is a generic brand name used for Europe's best international daytime expresses.  EuroCity trains come in many different forms, but all are fast, modern and air-conditioned, and have refreshments available.  In some countries (including Italy but not Switzerland, Germany or Austria), a small supplement is payable in addition to the normal fare to travel, which includes the seat reservation fee.

EuroNight...

This is a generic brand name used for Europe's best international overnight expresses.  EuroNight trains come in many different forms, but all are modern and air-conditioned, and have comfortable sleeping accommodation.  Morning coffee or tea is normally included in the sleeper or couchette supplement.

TGVs, ICEs, Thalys, InterCity & Talgos...

As well as EuroCity and EuroNight, you will find a whole range of train types in the timetable.  Some are particular types of high-speed train, for example TGV, AVE, ICE.  Some are just brand names for a particularly fast or high-quality train service for which a small supplement may be payable in addition to the normal fare.  Others indicate a train service run by a special consortium of national rail operators, for example 'Thalys' is a company set up by the French, Belgian, German and Dutch national rail companies to run the Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam/Cologne high speed trains, and 'TGV-Lyria' is the consortium of the French and Swiss set up to run the Paris-Switzerland high-speed trains.   Many of these branded trains have their own fare structure, and require railpass holders to pay a supplement or special passholder fare.  If you particularly want to know what a TGV, AVE, Talgo, ICE or Thalys is, click here for a glossary of the main train types.

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

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

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

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

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

• Unaccompanied children on Eurostar:  On Eurostar, all children under 12 must travel accompanied by an adult, and unaccompanied children from 12 to 16 require a consent form signed by their parent or guardian.  See www.eurostar.com for details.

• Adult cheaper than child?  On one or two routes in western Europe, for example Paris-Switzerland and Paris-Italy, the child rate is more expensive than the very cheapest price level of adult advance-purchase fare, if that cheapest adult price happens to be available.  Normally, online booking systems recognise this and offer the adult rate for all travellers if that's the cheapest option, but occasionally they persist in offering the child rate so (for example) 2 adults and 2 children are shown as costing more than if you enter 4 adults.  So it can be worth checking what all-adults would be, and booking as adults if that's cheaper.

• Baby-changing facilities:  Most modern trains now have good baby changing facilities.  Eurostar has baby-changing facilities in 2nd class cars 1 & 18, at each end of the 18-car Eurostar train.  This makes them a long walk from the 1st class in the centre of the train!  The baby changing rooms have sink, soap, changing table and disposable changing table covers.  In a sleeper, you can easily change nappies on the bottom berth (see picture!).  Make sure you invest in a good changing bag with shoulder or back straps.

• Family-friendly coaches:  If you're travelling 2nd class on Eurostar or on French TGV trains, book seats in the family-friendly coach (cars 1 or 18 on Eurostar, see the Eurostar seating plan).  This has bays of 4 seats around tables at one end of the train, away from other passengers walking through to and from the bar, so it's better for children to play.  It's also close to the baby changing room.  A handful of trains (not Eurostar or French TGVs) even have a small children's play area, see the photo opposite.

• Papooses:  Carrying a baby in a front-carry sling (under 6 months) or in a papoose on your back (over 6 months) is much easier than struggling with a baby buggy through the London Underground or Paris metro (with all the steps!), and on and off trains.  However, if you really want to use a buggy, there's space to stow it with other large items of luggage at the end of the Eurostar coach.  The classic choice of front-carry sling is the excellent Baby Bjorn.  Once they're over 6 months, I highly recommend a MacPac papoose (Possum or Vamoose), see www.macpac.co.nz.

• Portable bed for infants:  For travelling overnight with a 0-18 month old, invest in the lightweight portable Samsonite travel bubble.  This fits on the floor in most European sleeper or couchette compartments, in fact, it even fits on the limited floor space in the Caledonian Sleepers from London to Scotland.  It can then be used in your hotel room at your destination, much lighter than a so-called travel cot.

• Portable bed for toddlers:  For older toddlers from 18 months to 3 or 4 years, use an inflatable bed.  This is lightweight (infinitely lighter than so-called 'travel cots') and fits on the floor in ferry cabins and hotel rooms.  Girls 'Kitty' bed at Amazon.co.uk.  Boys 'Cars' bed at Amazon.co.uk.

• Take a 'Trunki':  Give kids their own luggage to pull along or ride on, as seen on television in 'Dragon's Den'.  Trunki website.

	Racks above your head on most European trains will take small & medium bags and even backpacks.
	Racks near the entrance doors will take larger items.
	Typical European left luggage lockers at stations (in this case Prague Hlavni).  They come in various sizes up to backpack/medium suitcase size.

The key thing with train travel is that you keep your luggage with you throughout your journey, placing small and medium sized items on the luggage racks above your head and larger items on the racks at the end of the coach.  Unlike travelling by air, you do not check your bags in, and there is usually no separate baggage car.  This means you have access to your bags throughout the journey, and they are unlikely to end up at an airport a thousand miles away from your destination!

Luggage limits on trains...

Unlike airlines, there is no weight limit for luggage on European trains.  Just remember that you will have to carry it!  Eurostar theoretically limits luggage to two large items per passenger (maximum 85cm in any one dimension), plus a small item of hand luggage.  There is room for luggage on Eurostar on the luggage racks above the seats and for larger items on the racks at the end of each coach.  Porters are a thing of the past, but most major stations have self-help luggage trolleys.  Sometimes these require a coin to release them, which is returned when you return the trolley.  Eurostar website baggage information page.

Prohibited items on Eurostar...

It goes without saying that firearms & explosives are prohibited on Eurostar (there are special arrangements for sending licensed sporting guns by registered luggage).  But annoyingly several 'normal' street-legal items are prohibited which can catch people out.  These include gas canisters (admittedly a potential fire hazard in the Channel Tunnel), mountaineering ice axes (allowed on every other train in Europe but for some ridiculous reason not permitted on Eurostar) and knives with a blade longer than 3", which catches out people who buy a nice set of Sabbatier kitchen knives in Paris (but knives with a blade shorter than 3", for example small penknives, are fine).

Labelling your bags..

It is now compulsory to label all your bags when travelling on Eurostar or on any French train, with your first name and surname.  Paper labels are normally supplied with your Eurostar tickets if you need them (look in the ticket wallet or ask at the information desk inside the Eurostar terminal), but it's better to buy proper ones and keep them attached to your travelling bags.

Registered baggage...

Eurostar passengers may send up to three items from London to either Paris or Brussels as registered baggage, at an extra charge (approximately £12-£20 per item).  See the Eurostar website baggage information page for details.  Apart from this, registered ('checked') baggage is a thing of the past, you take your bags with you.

Left luggage in London...

• London St Pancras has a left luggage office run by the Excess Baggage Company, where you can deposit items for £8.50 for the first 24 hours or part thereof, then £5 for each 24 hour period after that.  Open 06:00-22:00 Monday-Saturday, 07:00-22:00 Sunday.  Bags are X-rayed before deposit.  The left luggage is located on the lower concourse, near the toilets and domestic (Midland Mainline) ticket office, a short walk from the Eurostar area.  See www.left-baggage.co.uk.

• London Liverpool Street has a left luggage office near platform 10, handy if you're leaving or arriving on the Dutch Flyer train & ferry service to Hoek van Holland & Amsterdam.  Open 07:00-23:00 daily.  See www.left-baggage.co.uk.

• London Euston, Charing Cross, Victoria, Waterloo, Kings Cross, Paddington also have left luggage offices see www.left-baggage.co.uk. 

• Elsewhere in the UK, there are left luggage offices at Birmingham New Street, Edinburgh Waverley, Glasgow Central, Leeds, Liverpool Lime St, Manchester Piccadilly, see www.left-baggage.co.uk, and there's a small office at Holyhead.

Left luggage lockers in Paris & Lille...

• There are left luggage facilities at several Paris stations, so you can leave you bags and explore between trains.  However, there are no left luggage facilities in Paris for bikes, surfboards or skis.

• The Gare du Nord has left luggage lockers ('consigne automatique' in French), open 06:15 to 23:15 daily.  The locker area is downstairs under the main concourse - when you walk off the end of the Eurostar platforms onto the concourse, look for downward stairs just ahead and to the right of you. 

• All your bags (even those you're not leaving) are X-rayed before entering the locker area as a security check. 

• A small locker costs 4.50 euros for up to 48 hours and will take a medium-sized backpack.  A medium locker costs 7 euros and might take 2 medium backpacks.  A large locker (around 1 metre high) costs 9.50 euros and will take a large suitcase or 2 large backpacks.  No keys are involved, you shut your locker, pay the money and a receipt is printed showing a code for opening the locker.

• There's a change machine which can convert 10, 20 or 50 euros banknotes into the coins needed for the lockers. 

• The Gare de Lyon has left luggage lockers, open 06:15 to 22:00.  X-ray check at the entrance.  Locker sizes and prices the same as Gare du Nord.  The locker area is downstairs in a corridor linking the two concourses.

• The Gare d'Austerlitz has left luggage lockers, open 07:00 to 23:30.  It's just outside the main street entrance to the station, you'll see it on your way in from the metro.  X-ray check at entrance.  Locker sizes and prices the same as Gare du Nord.

• The Gare de l'Est has a staffed left luggage office, open 06:00 to 23:45.  It's downstairs from the main concourse, in a corner off the shopping centre area.  Bags are X-rayed when accepted for storage.  The price for up to 10 hours is 5 euros.  The price for up to 24 hours is 8 euros, then 5 euros per additional 24 hours.

• There are no left luggage lockers at the Gare de Bercy, so use those at the Gare de Lyon 700m away.

• Lille has a staffed left luggage facility, open 07:30-19:00.  It's hidden away at the extreme south end of the station's passenger concourse, beyond 'Accès A', and not well signed.  It costs 5 euros per item for up to 10 hours, 8 euros for up to 24 hours.

Left luggage in Brussels...

• Brussels Midi has both luggage lockers and a staffed left luggage facility near the Eurostar check-in and Thalys reception.  Both are open 24 hours a day, the staffed facility costs 3.80 euros per item per calendar day, the 3 sizes of lockers cost 3 euros, 3.50 euros, 4 euros per 24 hours.

Left luggage in other countries & cities...

It's usually safe to assume that any major city railway station in Europe will have a 'left luggage' facility, either a staffed facility or self-service lockers or both.  When changing trains with some time to spare, you can leave your luggage and explore the town.  Here are some examples:

• Amsterdam Centraal has luggage lockers in two sizes, 4.90 euros for the first 24 hours for a small locker (90cm x 45cm x 40cm), 7.60 euros for a large locker (90cm x 60cm x 40cm).  You can pay by Maestro or by Visa credit card, but not coins.  The locker area is open 24 hours a day.  Maximum deposit 72 hours.  There are similar lockers at Rotterdam, Utrecht, Den Haag.

• Switzerland:  Geneva & many other major Swiss stations have lockers, CHF5 for a small, CHF8 for a medium, per 24 hours.

• Italy:  Rome Termini, Florence SMN, Milan Centrale, Venice Santa Lucia, Bologna, Naples Centrale & other major stations in Italy have a staffed left luggage office, usually open 06:00-24:00 (Florence), 06:00-22:00 (Bologna) or 07:00-23:00 (Rome, Naples).  Price per bag 4 euros for the first 5 hours, then 0.60 euros per hour for 6-12 hours, then 0.20 euros per hour for the thirteenth & later hours. Maximum length of deposit 5 days, weight limit (which may or may not be enforced in practice) 20Kg per item.

• Germany:  Munich, Hamburg, Düsseldorf & other main stations in Germany have small & medium lockers, open 24 hours a day, for 3 & 5 euros per 24 hours.  Smaller stations such as Berchtesgaden my also have lockers.

• Cologne has several unusual left luggage machines in the main corridor outside the ticket office.  The machines take you bag down to an automated storage area and retrieve it again when you come back.  Price 4 euros per 24 hours, or 2 euros for up to 2 hours.

• Berlin is an exception.  Berlin Hauptbahnhof has no lockers, but a staffed 'Gepack center' (left luggage) is open 06:00-22:00 daily, 5 euros per item, X-ray machine in use.

• Austria:  Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck & other cities in Austria have lockers, small locker 2.00 euros, medium 2.50 euros, large 3.50 euros.

• Prague Hlavni has luggage lockers in one size that will fit a backpack or small case but not larger suitcases.  Lockers cost 60 koruna (about £2) per 24 hours, maximum permitted time 72 hours.

• Budapest Keleti has a left luggage office open 24 hours next to platform 6, and luggage lockers (400 forints per item per 24 hours for a small backpack-sized locker, 600 forints for a large locker).

• Denmark:  Copenhagen has a staffed left luggage office and lockers, in the far right corner as you walk in the main entrance.  Open 05:30-01:00 Mondays-Saturdays, 06:00-01:00 Sundays.  Staffed office 45 Kr per item, small lockers 30 Kr, larger lockers 40 Kr.

• Madrid Chamartin has luggage lockers open 07:00-23:00 daily.  Small locker 3 euros, medium 3.50 euros, large 5 euros.  The lockers are across the road from the main concourse.  There's an X-ray check of all bags entering locker area.

• Madrid Atocha has luggage lockers open 05:30-22:20 Mon-Fri, 06:15-22:20 Saturdays, 06:30-22:20 Sundays.  Small locker 2.40 euros, medium 3 euros, large 4.50 euros.  The lockers are in the old trainshed with the tropical gardens, at the far right-hand end as you walk away from the modern train departure concourse. There's an X-ray check of all bags entering locker area.

• Barcelona Sants has luggage lockers, open 05:00-23:00 daily.  Small locker 3 euros, medium 3.50 euros, large 5 euros.  There's an X-ray check of all bags entering locker area.  However, there are no lockers at Barcelona Franca station where the trenhotel from Paris arrives.

• Warsaw:  Warsaw Centralna has luggage lockers in the passageway at the top of the steps to the platforms, around 9 zlotys (£2) per locker per 24 hours.  There's a staffed left luggage office off the same passageway, 7.10 zlotys per item per 24 hours, open 07:00-18:20, 19:00-06:20 with breaks 10:00-10:15 & 14:00-14:30.

• Zagreb:  15 & 20 Kuna luggage lockers.

• Ljubljana:  2 & 3 euro luggage lockers, on platform 1.

See the Taking your bike by train page....

Who to ask about train travel for people with special needs...

	A wheelchair space on Eurostar, in 1st class car 9 & 10.  An accessible toilet is right next door.  There are similar wheelchair spaces on Thalys trains from Brussels to Amsterdam & Cologne, and on TGVs from Lille to destinations all over France, and from Paris to Switzerland & Milan.
	Wheelchair-accessible 2-berth couchette compartment on City Night Line sleeper trains from Paris to Berlin, Paris to Munich, and Amsterdam or Cologne to Prague & Copenhagen, all with Eurostar connections from London.  A huge access door from the corridor slides open at the touch of a button.
	Wheelchair-accessible toilet:  Right next door to the accessible couchette compartment on each City Night Line sleeper train is this wheelchair-accessible toilet, again with a sliding push-button door.

In this section, you'll find a quick summary of facilities for people with special needs on routes from the UK to major European destinations.  If you can help with further information from personal experience to improve this section, please email me!  To make travel enquiries and/or arrange travel assistance at stations by phone:

• For journeys on Eurostar between London and Paris, Brussels or Lille, call Eurostar on 08432 186 186 or email them.

• For journeys from London to France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland & Italy, call Rail Europe on 0844 848 5 848  (lines open 09:00-19:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-18:00 Saturday).

• For journeys from London to Germany, Scandinavia, eastern & central Europe, call Deutsche Bahn's UK office, on 0871 8 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturdays & Sunday).  DB can make arrangements to assist you at Paris East, Brussels Midi, in Germany and in other countries too, but you may also need to call Eurostar (08432 186 186 or email them) to arrange assistance at London St Pancras & Paris Gare du Nord.

• For detailed information on facilities for travellers with disabilities in each country, start with the website of the relevant national train operator, see the list of websites on the useful links page.

Travellers with disabilities on Eurostar to Paris, Lille or Brussels...

It's no problem to travel by Eurostar from London to Paris, Lille or Brussels, even if you're confined to a wheelchair or have other special needs.  Each Eurostar train has a wheelchair space in 1st class cars 9 & 10, adjacent to a wheelchair-accessible toilet with push-button access.  There are special fares for people travelling in wheelchairs and a travelling companion, giving 1st class travel at discounted 2nd class fares.  You can book wheelchair travel online at www.eurostar.com, just click 'online booking' at the top, then look for the 'wheelchair user?' link below the booking form.  If you tell Eurostar in advance, either when booking your tickets with an agency like Rail Europe or Deutsche Bahn's UK office, or by calling Eurostar direct on 08432 186 186 or emailing them after buying tickets online, Eurostar can provide assistance to passengers with special needs (whether this involves a wheelchair or not) at your departure and arrival stations, and on board the train.  For more information, see the www.eurostar.com (click 'travel information' then look for 'special travel needs').

Wheelchair-accessible taxi service in Paris...

If you need to change trains & stations in Paris, there's a pre-bookable wheelchair-accessible taxi service run by www.taxis-g7.com (their website is only in French, but look for 'plan du site' then 'G7 Horizon').  To book, call +33 1 41 27 66 99 (English speaking line) or +33 1 47 39 00 91, making sure you ask for a wheelchair accessible taxi.  There's a 5 euros booking fee, and bookings can be made from 7 days until 1 hour before you need the taxi.  Gare du Nord to Gare d'Austerlitz for example costs 13-19 euros per taxi.  Feedback from users of this service would be very welcome!

Travellers with disabilities, beyond Lille, Paris or Brussels...

Once on the Continent, many modern daytime trains have accommodation for passengers travelling in wheelchairs, and the City Night Line sleeper trains to destinations such as Munich, Berlin, Copenhagen, Vienna or Prague have wheelchair-accessible couchette compartments.  Assistance at stations can be arranged through booking agencies such as Rail Europe or Deutsche Bahn's UK office.  Here is a quick summary:

...to destinations in France:

Take Eurostar from London to Lille and make a simple same-station connection with a high-speed TGV to destinations all over France, including Nice, Marseille, Cannes, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Toulouse, Avignon, Nantes, Nîmes & Montpellier.  At Lille, there are both lifts & escalators to all four platforms.  All TGV trains have wheelchair spaces and wheelchair-friendly toilets.  For train times, see the London to France page.  For travel information for passengers with disabilities on French Railways, see www.voyages-sncf.com.

...to destinations in Belgium & the Netherlands:

Take Eurostar to Brussels, and make a simple same-station change onto a high-speed Thalys train to Rotterdam, The Hague or Amsterdam Centraal.  There are lifts to/from all platforms in Brussels.  Thalys trains have wheelchair spaces and wheelchair-friendly toilets.  For train times and how to buy tickets, see the London to the Netherlands page.  You could also consider travelling by ferry, see www.stenaline.co.uk (Harwich-Hoek van Holland), www.dfds.co.uk (Newcastle-IJmuiden near Amsterdam).

...to destinations in Switzerland:

Take Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord, where there is level access off the platforms straight onto the concourse and the street.  You will need to arrange transport from Paris Nord to Paris Gare de Lyon, for example using the wheelchair-accessible taxi.  All the TGV-Lyria high-speed trains from Paris Gare de Lyon to Lausanne, Geneva, Bern, Basel & Zurich have wheelchair places and wheelchair-accessible toilets.  For train times and how to buy tickets, see the London to Switzerland page.

...to destinations in Italy:

Take Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord.  You will need to arrange transport across Paris to the Gare de Lyon, for example using the wheelchair-accessible taxi.  Then take a daytime TGV train from Paris to Turin & Milan as these have wheelchair places and wheelchair-accessible toilets, for details see the Italy page.  Alternatively, TGV-Lyria trains between Paris and Switzerland have wheelchair spaces and toilets, spend the night in Geneva, Lausanne, Basel or Zurich then take a EuroCity train to Milan for onward connections to Rome, Florence, Venice or Naples.  For details of this scenic option via Switzerland, click here.  These EuroCity trains have wheelchair spaces an accessible toilets.  Note that the Thello overnight sleeper trains from Paris to Italy do not have wheelchair-accessible compartments or toilets.  Once in Italy, most fast trains including Eurostar Italia AV and Eurostar City services between major Italian cities have wheelchair spaces and wheelchair-accessible toilets.  For train times and how to buy tickets, see the London to Italy page.

...to destinations in Spain:

The trainhotels from Paris to Barcelona and Madrid are excellent (see the London to Spain page), but they don't have wheelchair-accessible toilets or sleeping compartments, so passengers in wheelchairs need to be able to access their sleeper on foot, and fold up the wheelchair.  The daytime London-Barcelona option described on the London to Spain page involves 3 trains all of which have wheelchair spaces and wheelchair-accessible toilets.  There are direct ferries from the UK to Spain, with disabled/wheelchair facilities.  See www.Brittany-Ferries.co.uk (Plymouth-Santander, Portsmouth-Santander & Portsmouth-Bilbao). 

..to destinations in Germany & Austria:

Take Eurostar to Brussels or Paris.  In Brussels it's a simple same-station change with lifts to/from all platforms.  In Paris, it's a 10-15 minute walk or wheelchair push from the Gare du Nord where Eurostar arrives to the Gare de l'Est where the trains to Germany depart.  From Brussels, there are Thalys high-speed trains to Cologne all with wheelchair spaces and wheelchair-friendly toilets.  From Cologne, there are wheelchair spaces and wheelchair-friendly toilets on almost all the InterCity (IC) and InterCityExpress (ICE) trains to destinations all over Germany.  Boarding assistance can be provided at most major Germany stations.  From Paris Gare de l'Est there are direct TGV trains to Stuttgart, Munich, Frankfurt all with wheelchair spaces and wheelchair-accessible toilets.  The direct City Night Line overnight train from Paris to Hanover, Berlin, Stuttgart, Ulm, Augsburg & Munich also has a wheelchair-accessible 2-berth couchette compartment with adjacent wheelchair-friendly toilet, see the photo above.  Onwards trains from Munich to Innsbruck, Salzburg & Vienna have wheelchair spaces, too.  For train times, fares & how to buy tickets, see the London to Germany page.  There is a handicap brochure with more information on the Germany Railways website, www.bahn.de.

...to Vienna, Copenhagen, Prague:

Take Eurostar to Brussels, where it's a simple same-station change with lift access to/from all platforms.  The Thalys and ICE high-speed trains from Brussels to Cologne all have wheelchair spaces and wheelchair-friendly toilets.  In Cologne it's also a simple same-station change with lifts to all platforms.  The City Night Line sleeper trains from Cologne to Copenhagen and Prague all have a 2-berth wheelchair-accessible couchette compartment with adjacent wheelchair-friendly toilet, see the photo above.  For train times and how to buy tickets, see the London to Austria page, London to the Czech Republic page, or London to Denmark page.

Traveller's report...

Traveller Jill Lindenbauer travelled from London to Valencia by train with her young son who uses a wheelchair.  She reports:  "I feel so lucky to have Ebbsfleet International on my doorstep, and the staff which assisted William and I certainly made us feel like VIPs.  It was no trouble boarding the train and as William's carer we were privileged to sit in 1st class as this is where the wheelchair seating is situated, even though we only paid 2nd class fares.  Immediately we were asked if we wanted a drink, and a meal was provided, which I wasn't expecting. It certainly got the holiday off to a good start, and whilst travelling I received a call from the English-speaking G7 Taxi service in France to say that our wheelchair-accessible taxi would be waiting when we arrived in Gare Du Nord.  This is a quick and easy service to use and I booked our taxi in advance from the comfort of my own living-room.

When William and I reached Gare Du Nord that sunny evening there was the same buzz of activity as the ramp was prepared for the wheelchair, and a porter took my bags. I soon spotted my name on a white piece of card, but I'm guessing the taxi driver spotted my son and I as we made our way along the platform. The taxi driver took my bag and led the way to his vehicle outside. He swiftly organised the ramp and pushed William in his chair inside, where he secured William's wheelchair to the car floor with belts. The politeness and assistance of the taxi driver made our short trip effortless and at Gare D'Austerlitz he escorted us to the Information Office.  The taxi cost 40-50 euros, but the meter was probably running as we are leaving the train and as we are about the last to leave as we wait for special assistance this is a small price to pay.

At Gare d'Austerlitz the woman in the information desk shook her head as she saw my little boy's heavy manual wheelchair surrounded by luggage, and made hand signals to indicate how small the trenhotel to Barcelona was.  Around 8pm it arrived. The guard checked my ticket, which clearly stated "disabled passenger," and showed me our Gran Clase 2-berth sleeper, which was the first one adjacent to the dining-car. Unfortunately I could see that there was no way I was going to be able to board the train or enter our cabin with the wheelchair, which was just a few centimetres too wide. So I unbelted William and sat him in the cabin propped up with some luggage and quickly dismantled the wheelchair which divides into three pieces, the main chair does not and this I placed on the second seat, the wheels disappeared into the shower area, and we soon had the cabin looking homely, as I sat William on my lap.

Dinner arrived as it was evident that we wouldn't be very popular blocking the dining-car. I was quite content eating and watching the scenery, but like most children my son was not happy with his dinner, even though there was a children's menu, so one of our rucksacks carried extra food supplies just in case! Our bed was made and sleep was welcome. All our luggage was on the top berth and made the cabin nice and spacious. The rolling and rattling of the carriages made me feel like I was being rocked in a cradle. Morning arrived, breakfast was served and Barcelona appeared. William and I were sitting in Parc De La Ciutadella in Barcelona at 9am, waiting for our final connection to Valencia.  At 10am we went to the Information Desk at the station, where they were expecting us. Unfortunately there was no ramp to be seen, and so I carried William on board whilst the female assistant asked a member of the public to help her place the wheelchair on the train. There was a  special area for this, which is called the "H" Seat. In comparison to the Trenhotel this train looked newer and wider.  The scenery along the coast was breathtaking, making us feel like peeping toms, as we would spurt through a dark tunnel to be met by bright sunlight and naked bodies on golden beaches. The journey passed quickly as the train filled and emptied at seaside stations. At one time the wheelchair was covered by a sea of other people's suitcases, which was a good thing William sat with me for most of the time. As the train pulled into Valencia I was geared up to take William off myself, but the three young men in uniforms bearing the wheelchair logo were already in the process of operating the ramp, and we became a fascinating spectacle for the Spanish public.

My tearful sister was there to greet us, waiting to hear of our travels, which I found to be fun and hassle free. Unlike the madness of airports and wondering if you are going to see your bags again I found the whole experience graceful and dignified. William and I and the faithful wheelchair by our side feel like we actually travelled and saw life, rather than being catapulted into the air, looking at the sky for a couple of hours, and then being trundled onto a bus to go and search for our luggage.  When we returned we knew the process so it was even easier and the same taxi driver asked how we got on.  The only problem was both lifts at Gare Du Nord were out of action until 10th August, but I carried William up the escalator and my assistant at the station took the wheelchair.

If you want a holiday to Europe by train, but want someone else to organise all the train tickets & hotels for you with no hassle, several good specialist companies do just that.  Railbookers offer tailor-made individual holidays with departure on any date you like and an itinerary adjusted to suit your requirements, whereas Treyn Holidays & Great Rail Journeys offer escorted tours with specific departure dates and you travel in company with a group of like-minded travellers and a professional tour manager.  Either way, you get a stress-free holiday to Italy, Switzerland, Spain, France, eastern Europe or even Morocco overland by train, with regular departures from London by Eurostar, no flying, no airport hassles and no whole days spent in cramped coach seats on motorways.  Seat61 gets some commission to support the site if you book your holiday through these links or phone numbers, please quote 'seat61' when booking.

Railbookers, www.railbookers.com, 020 3327 0761...

	020 3327 0761
	01904 730 727
	01904 527120

Railbookers can tailor-make a holiday or short break by train to most European countries for you, with train travel & carefully-chosen hotels, for however long you like, leaving on any date you like.   If you tell them what you want, they'll advise you on the best trains, routes & hotels and sort it all out for you.  They look after their customers well and get a lot of repeat business.

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

Treyn Holidays run escorted group tours to a number of European countries, with 3* or 2* hotels and overland travel from the UK by Eurostar and high-speed TGV.  Popular tours include:

• 9-day tour from London to Bologna, Florence, Venice & Rome, by train from London from £795 per person

• 8-day tour combining Mont Blanc with the fantastic Glacier Express across Switzerland, by train from London from £695

• 10-day tour to Vienna, Prague & Berlin, by train from London from £795.

• 6-day Rhine cruise from £615, by train from London.

• See www.railholidays.com for more options...

Great Rail Journeys, www.greatrail.com, 01904 527120...

Great Rail Journeys runs five-star inclusive escorted tours from the UK to many European countries, with 1st class train travel and 5* or 4* hotels. Check the tour details online, then call 01904 527120 to book or use their online booking form.  Tours include:

• 14-day Grand Tour of Italy with travel by train from London to Florence, Venice & Rome, from £2,195;

• Bay of Naples, Capri & Amalfi with travel by train from London, from £1,795;

• Switzerland & the amazing Glacier Express with travel by train from London, from £1,280;

• Vienna, Budapest & Prague by train from London, from ££1,750;

• Marrakech Express, a remarkable 5* tour from London to Madrid, Seville, Tangier & Morocco overland by train from £2,395;

• Train + cruise from London to Rome, Naples, Athens, Mykonos, Kusadasi, Istanbul, Alexandra, Cairo, by train & Princess Cruises, from £2,350;

• See www.greatrail.com for more options...

Rail travel guides...

There are several good guidebooks specifically to help you travel by train to and around Europe, including my own book published in June 2008 and revised in April 2010.  Based on this site, it's a handbook for travel by train or ferry from the UK to almost anywhere in Europe.  Then there's "Flight Free Europe", packed with ideas for short breaks & longer holidays in Europe by train rather than air.  "Flight-free Europe" even includes a picture of yours truly in a text box about seat61.com a few pages in, but don't let that put you off...  Finally, "Europe by Rail" combines city guides with train information for a tour of Europe.

General country guides...

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

Click the images to buy at Amazon.co.uk (the images link to a 'search' so you can select the latest edition)... 

Or buy the Lonely Planet guides direct from the Lonely Planet website, with shipping worldwide.  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 anywhere in Europe...

Search by hotel name  Powered by Hotelscombined.com

◄◄◄◄◄ Search all the major hotel booking websites at once... www.hotelscombined.com is probably the best hotel search system I've seen, a free search tool which checks all the main hotel booking sites (Opodo, Expedia, Booking.com, Hotels.com, AsiaRooms, Travelocity, LateRooms and others) to find the cheapest hotel rates.  Set up in 2005, it's probably the best place to start for booking any hotel online in any country, worldwide.

Other hotel sites worth trying...

• www.tripadvisor.com is a huge resource, a good place to browse independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.

• www.booking.com is my own preferred hotel booking system (Hotels Combined being a search/comparison system).  It has a simple interface, a good selection in most countries worldwide, useful online customer reviews of each hotel, and decent prices, usually shown inclusive of unavoidable extras such as taxes (a pet hate of mine is systems that show one price, then charge you another!).

• www.venere.com.  For Italy, Venere.com is worth checking as they have an especially good range of Italian hotels and guesthouses being an Italian-based company.  The price you see is the price you pay, no hidden extras, and you simply pay the hotel when you get there.  After you've booked, you can change or cancel your reservation in line with the hotel's own change and cancellation policy.

• www.accorhotels.com.  In France, Accor Group run the good-quality & good-value Ibis, Mercure & Sofitel brand hotels in almost all French cities.  Worth a look if you want a hotel of known consistent quality in any French city.  They have a variable pricing system - book in advance in off-peak periods and you can get a bargain.

Hotels near Paris Gare du Nord & other Paris stations:

• These hotels within 200 metres of the Gare de Nord get good reviews:  Hotel Cambrai (54 euros for a double), Hotel Richmond (69 euros), Quality Hotel Gare du Nord (119 euros). 

• These hotels within 200 metres of the Gare de Lyon get good reviews:  Hotel Trianon (69 euros per night for a double room), Hotel Bel Oranger Gare de Lyon (80 euros), Hotel Terminus Lyon (98 euros), Hotel Marceau Bastille (140 euros).

• Hotels near the Gare de l'Est:  Comfort Hotel Gare de l'Est.  You'll also find some Accor group Ibis & Mercure hotels nearby.

Budget backpacker hostels...

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

Take the train into Europe, then hire a car:  www.holidayautos.co.uk

City centres and cars don't mix well, so stick with the train for city-based tours.  But if you want to get out of the cities and into the countryside, hiring a car can be a great idea.  Start by trying Holiday Autos, www.holidayautos.co.uk, they're part of Lastminute.com so are reliable and have a wide range of locations and very good prices.

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

The award-winning website www.carrentals.co.uk compares many different car hire companies including Holiday Autos, meaning not only a cheapest price comparison but a wider choice of hire and drop off location.

Get travel insurance...

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) and belongings, and cancellation. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year (I have an annual policy myself).  Here are some suggested insurers.  Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.

If you live in the UK, get quotes from Columbus Direct or Go Travel Insurance, or go to Confused.com to run a price comparison on a whole range of travel insurance providers for your dates of travel, seeing their policy's features at a glance.

Post Office Travel Insurance:  You can buy cheap travel insurance from Post Office®; single trip and annual multi trip travel insurance offering you comprehensive cover with a range of additional options.

Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, but European international rail conditions of carriage (known as the 'CIV') contain consumer protection provisions that entitle you to travel forward by the next available train if you miss a connection because of a delay to the first train, irrespective of who operates which train, and even if your ticket is in theory train-specific and non-changeable.  Feedback from using insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome.

        If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, see Columbus Direct Australia.

   If you live in the USA or Canada, see Travel Guard USA.

Get an EU health card...

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 credit card for foreign travel with lower currency exchange rates & lower or no ATM fees...

Some credit cards are definitely better than others for overseas travel.  You can save money on ATM charges and exchange rates using a Caxton FX euro currency MasterCard, or indeed the multi-currency 'Global Traveller' MasterCard, find out about these cards & sign up here.  Also, see www.moneysavingexpert.com for advice on the best Visa or MasterCard credit cards to take on your travels overseas (select 'travel').  Martin Lewis's www.moneysavingexpert.com explains which credit cards have the lowest commission rates when you buy something in a foreign currency, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad.  Taking Martin Lewis's advice can save you quite a lot on each trip compared to using your normal high-street bank credit card!

Get an international SIM card...

Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, but if you buy a global SIM card for your mobile phone from a company such as www.Go-Sim.com you can slash the cost by up to 85%.  It 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.