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There are two good options for train travel from London to Warsaw.  Option 1 is to leave London at lunchtime, change in Brussels & Cologne onto the 'Jan Kiepura' sleeper train to Warsaw.  Option 2 is to leave London in the early evening, take the Brussels-Berlin sleeper and then the daytime 'Berlin-Warszawa Express' onwards to Warsaw next morning.  Both options are described below.

Train times London ► Warsaw (by Jan Kiepura sleeper train):

• Travel from London to Brussels by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 13:00 (12:57 on Fridays & Sundays), arriving in Brussels Midi at 16:03.

• Travel from Brussels to Cologne (Köln in German) by high-speed Thalys train, leaving Brussels Midi at 17:25 and arriving in Cologne (Hauptbahnhof) at 19:45.

• Travel from Cologne to Warsaw overnight on the 'Jan Kiepura' EuroNight sleeper train, leaving Cologne at 22:28 and arriving next morning at Poznan at 07:39 and Warsaw Centralna at 10:40.  The 'Jan Kiepura' has modern air-conditioned Polish sleeping-cars (1- & 2-bed deluxe rooms with private toilet & shower plus TV/DVD player, 1- 2- & 3-berth standard rooms with washbasin, hot shower at end of the corridor, CCTV security, highly recommended), couchettes (more basic sleeping accommodation in 4-berth & 6-berth compartments) & reclining seats (not recommended).  The sleeper fare includes complimentary toiletries pack and morning tea or coffee and croissant.  There's no restaurant car in the evening, so feel free to take you own picnic and bottle of wine aboard, but a restaurant car is attached for breakfast.

Introducing the Jan Kiepura sleeper train from Cologne to Warsaw...

1, 2 or 3 bed sleepers:  The EuroNight 'Jan Kiepura' has two modern air-conditioned Polish sleeping-cars, with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments, either deluxe with shower & toilet or standard with washbasin...		3-bed sleeper with beds folded out...  Photo courtesy of Tobias Köhler.		3-bed sleeper with beds folded away.  Photo courtesy of Tobias Köhler

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...

Above: The Jan Kiepura also has two couchette cars, with 4 & 6 berth compartments.  There are toilets & washrooms at the end of the corridor...

Train times Warsaw ► London (by Jan Kiepura sleeper train):

• Travel from Warsaw to Cologne on the 'Jan Kiepura' sleeper train, leaving Warsaw Centralna at 17:50, Poznan at 21:05 and arriving in Cologne at 06:14 next morning.  The Jan Kiepura has modern sleeping-cars (1- 2- & 3-bed standard rooms with washbasin, 1- & 2-bed deluxe rooms with private shower & toilet, highly recommended), couchettes (more basic sleeping accommodation in 4-berth & 6-berth compartments) and reclining seats (not recommended).  There's a restaurant car in the evening for dinner, with waiter-served meals at affordable prices, alternatively feel free to take you own picnic and bottle of wine aboard!

• On Mondays-Saturdays, a high-speed Thalys train leaves Cologne at 07:14, arriving Brussels Midi at 09:35.  On Sundays, a high-speed Thalys train leaves Cologne at 07:40, arriving Brussels at 10:01.

• A Eurostar leaves Brussels Midi daily at 11:59 and arrives London St Pancras at 13:03.

Fares (by Jan Kiepura sleeper train):

London to Cologne by Eurostar+Thalys:	London to Cologne by Eurostar+Thalys or Eurostar+ICE starts at £79 return. Book in advance to get the cheapest fares, as the fare rises as cheaper seats are sold.  One-way fares usually cost more than a return, so for one-way trips buy a return and throw away the return half.
Cologne to Warsaw by Jan Kiepura:	In a couchette		In the sleeping-car
	6-berth	4-berth	3-berth	2-berth	single
Savings fare one-way:	£29	£36	£43	£52	£92
Savings fare return:	£58	£72	£86	£104	£184
Normal one-way:	£84	£88	£96	£111	£199
Normal return:	£168	£176	£192	£222	£398
Youth one-way	£57	£61	£68	£80	-
Senior one-way	£66	£70	£77	£89	£161

Savings fare = Special cheap fare, book in advance, limited availability, no refunds, no changes to travel plans. 

Normal fare = fully flexible, refundable, buy any time.  Youth = under 26, Senior = over 60.

How to buy tickets:

Unfortunately, the Jan Kiepura cannot be booked online, so you'll need to pick up the phone.  The best people to call to book this trip are Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-17:00 Mon-Fri, no booking fee), or www.europeanrail.com on 020 7619 1083 (£20 booking fee, but can have more time to help you).  Click here for a list of agencies and other useful information on how to book.

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Train times London ► Warsaw  (via Berlin):

• Travel from London to Brussels by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 18:35 (18:31 on Saturdays & Sundays), arriving Brussels Midi 21:33.

• Travel from Brussels to Berlin by City Night Line sleeper train 'Perseus', leaving Brussels Midi at 23:41 and arriving at Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 08:10 next morning.  This excellent train has sleeping-cars, couchettes & seats plus a bistro-bar car, see the photos & information below.

• Travel from Berlin to Warsaw on the 'Berlin-Warszawa Express', leaving Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 12:29 and arriving Poznan at 15:30 and Warsaw Centralna at 18:35.  The Berlin-Warszawa Express is a modern air-conditioned 'EuroCity' service with comfortable seats, a trolley refreshment service and a restaurant car serving drinks, snacks and full meals.  Treat yourself to a meal in the restaurant:  Three courses, a beer and a coffee come to less than £8..!  Credit cards accepted.

Introducing the Brussels-Berlin City Night Line sleeper train:

The Brussels-Berlin overnight train is one of the German Railway's excellent 'City Night Line' sleeper trains.  Called the 'Perseus', it has brand-new 'Comfortline' sleeping-cars (1, 2 & 3-berth deluxe rooms with private shower & toilet, 1, 2 & 3-berth standard rooms with washbasin, shower at the end of the corridor, all rooms with power points for mobiles & laptop computers), modern air-conditioned couchettes (choose between a berth in a 4- or 6-berth compartment), ordinary seats (not recommended, as a couchette is far better) and a bistro-restaurant car.   Inclusive fares are charged covering travel plus sleeping accommodation.  The sleeping-car fare includes a light breakfast in the restaurant car.  Click for more pictures and information about this train.

1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper: The most comfortable & civilised option, with proper beds & washbasin.

4-berth couchettes:  Ideal for families, much more space per person than 6-berth couchettes.

6-berth couchettes:  A very economical option, far better than a seat for just a few euros more...

Bistro-bar car:  The bistro car serves meals, snacks & drinks in the evening, breakfast in the morning. Click here for more pictures & information about this train...

On board the Berlin-Warszawa Express:

Above:  The Berlin-Warszawa Express uses modern, air-conditioned coaches.  The elegant restaurant car serves beer, snacks, wine and affordable meals.  Treat yourself..!

Train times Warsaw ► London  (via Berlin):

• Travel from Warsaw to Berlin on the 'Berlin-Warszawa Express', leaving Warsaw Centralna at 11:25, Poznan at 14:20, arriving at Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 17:26.

• Travel from Berlin to Brussels overnight by City Night Line sleeper train 'Perseus', leaving Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 21:26 and arriving Brussels Midi at 06:15 next morning.  This train has sleepers, couchettes & seats plus a bistro-bar, see the photos & information above.

• Travel from Brussels to London by Eurostar.  On Mondays to Saturdays, a Eurostar leaves Brussels Midi at 06:59 arriving London St Pancras at 07:55.  On Sundays, a Eurostar leaves Brussels Midi at 07:59 arriving London at 08:56.

Fares  (via Berlin):

1. London to Brussels  by Eurostar:	Return fares start at £59 2nd class,  £149 1st class.  One-way fares start at £44 2nd class.  Advice on one-way Eurostar fares.  Child, youth & senior fares
2. Brussels to Berlin by  sleeper train (per person)	In a seat	In a couchette		In the sleeping-car (standard room)
		6-bunk	4-bunk	3-bed	2-bed	1-bed
Savings fare, one way:	29 euro (£21)	39 euro (£28)	49 euro (£35)	-	-	-
Savings fare, return:	58 euro (£42)	78 euro (£56)	98 euro (£70)	-	-	-
Normal fare, one-way:	101 euro (£72)	113 euro (£81)	117 euro (£84)	128 euro (£91)	144 euro (£103)	237 euro (£169)
Normal fare, return:	202 euro (£144)	226 euro (£162)	234 euro (£168)	256 euro (£182)	288 euro (£206)	474 euro (£338)
Child 0-14 with own berth:	51 euro (£36)	57 euro (£41)	59 euro (£42)	64 euro (£46)	72 euro (£51)	-
Child 0-5:	Child 0-5 sharing berth travels free...
3. Berlin to Warsaw  by Berlin-Warszawa Express	About £28 one-way or £56 return 2nd class.  About £43 one-way or £86 return 1st class.

Savings fare = Special cheap fare, book in advance, limited availability, no refunds, no changes to travel plans. 

Normal fare = fully flexible, refundable, buy any time.

Couchettes are sold individually in shared 4 or 6 berth compartments, but as from 9 December 2007, only whole sleeper compartments on this route can be booked, it will no longer be possible for solo passengers to book one sleeper berth in a 2 or 3 bed compartment and share with other passengers.  Call DB's UK office for prices for sleepers with private shower.

How to buy tickets online...

The cheapest and easiest way to book this journey is online, although you have to use three different websites.  Do a 'dry run' first on all three sites to check prices and availability before booking for real.

• Step 1, go to www.bahn.de/citynightline, the German Railways official sleeper train website.  Select 'English' top right.

• Book from Brussels to Berlin Hbf and back on the overnight sleeper train.  Availability of cheap 'Savings' fares ('sparnight' in German) and fully-flexible normal fares will be shown for each type of seat, couchette & sleeper.  You pay by credit card and print out your own tickets in .pdf format.  Easy!  Note that the prices shown on www.bahn.de/citynightline are in euros, and are the total cost for all passengers selected, not per person.

• Step 2, go to www.eurostar.com to book your connecting Eurostar tickets between London and Brussels, using the Eurostar times above as a guide.  By all means book an earlier Eurostar outwards, or a later Eurostar on the way back, if this has cheaper seats available of if you'd like to stop off in Brussels for a while.  Return fares start at £59, for one-way fares on Eurostar see this advice.  Eurostar tickets can be sent to any UK address, or picked up at the station if you're travelling at short notice or booking from overseas.

• Step 3, now go to the German Railways main website http://bahn.hafas.de, use the journey planner to bring up the connecting Berlin-Warsaw 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 some cases printed out yourself.  Alternatively, if you have any problems, Berlin-Warsaw trains can also be booked very easily at www.raileurope.co.uk, although this may cost a pound or two more than using Deutsche Bahn.

How to buy tickets by phone...

If you'd prefer to book all these trains by phone, just call Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, no booking fee, £3 credit card fee), or a booking agency such as European Rail on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, £25 booking fee applies).

Train times London ► Wroclaw / Katowice / Krakow:

• Travel from London to Brussels by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 18:35 (18:31 on Saturdays & Sundays), arriving Brussels 21:33.

• Travel from Brussels to Berlin by City Night Line sleeper train 'Perseus', leaving Brussels at 23:41 and arriving at Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 08:10 next morning.  This excellent train has sleeping-cars (1 2 & 3 bed compartments, the most comfortable option), couchettes (more basic sleeping accommodation in 4 or 6 berth compartments) & seats plus a bistro-bar car, see the photos & information below.

• Travel from Berlin to Southern Poland by direct air-conditioned InterCity train, leaving Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 09:40 and arriving Wroclaw at 15:34, Katowice at 18:15 and Krakow at 19:44.   This train is called the 'Wawel', named after the royal castle in Krakow.  It has modern German coaches.  The train normally has a bar car, so treat yourself to a few beers, but it's also a good idea to bring your own picnic with wine or beer and enjoy the ride..!

  See 3D virtual tour inside the German intercity coaches used on this train.

Introducing the Brussels-Berlin City Night Line sleeper train:

The Brussels-Berlin overnight train is one of the German Railway's excellent 'City Night Line' sleeper trains.  Called the 'Perseus', it has brand-new sleeping-cars (1, 2 & 3-berth deluxe rooms with private shower & toilet, 1, 2 & 3-berth standard rooms with washbasin, shower at the end of the corridor, all rooms with power points for mobiles & laptop computers), modern air-conditioned couchettes (choose between a berth in a 4- or 6-berth compartment), ordinary seats (not recommended, as a couchette is far better) and a bistro-restaurant car.   Inclusive fares are charged covering travel plus sleeping accommodation.  The sleeping-car fare includes a light breakfast in the restaurant car.  Click for more pictures and information about this train.

1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper: The most comfortable & civilised option, with proper beds & washbasin.

4-berth couchettes:  Ideal for families, much more space per person than 6-berth couchettes.

6-berth couchettes:  A very economical option, far better than a seat for just a few euros more...

Bistro-bar car:  The bistro car serves meals, snacks & drinks in the evening, breakfast in the morning. Click here for more pictures & information about this train...

On board the Berlin-Krakow InterCity train...

Above:  The air-conditioned InterCity 'Wawel' from Berlin to Krakow

Oswiecim (Auschwitz)

If you are visiting the museum at Oswiecim (better known by its infamous German name, Auschwitz), change trains at Katowice.  A local train leaves Katowice at around 18:50, taking about an hour to reach Oswiecim.  Alternatively, continue to Krakow, as regular local trains link Krakow with Oswiecim every hour or two.  See http://bahn.hafas.de (English button upper right) to check train times.  Once in Oswiecim, there are two camps to visit, Auschwitz I which is an ex-Polish army barracks in the town itself about 10 minutes walk from the station (turn right outside the station then veer left), and Auschwitz-Birkenau II which was a purpose-built concentration camp a little way out of town, about 30 minutes walk from the station (turn right, then turn right again at the first major road bridge across the railway).  There are also regular buses between Krakow and Oswiecim, see www.pksoswiecim.pl/strona.php?grupa=9.

Train times Krakow / Katowice / Wroclaw ► London:

• Travel from Southern Poland to Berlin by direct air-conditioned intercity train.  The 'Wawel' leaves Krakow at 07:31, Katowice at 08:54, and Wroclaw at 11:36, arriving Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 17:31.  A bar car is available, but why not bring your own picnic on board with wine or a few beers?  See 3D virtual tour inside the German intercity coaches used on this train.

• Travel from Berlin to Brussels overnight by the City Night Line sleeper train 'Perseus', leaving Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 21:26 and arriving Brussels at 06:15 next morning.  This train has sleepers, couchettes & seats plus a bistro-bar, see the photos & information above.

• Travel from Brussels to London by Eurostar.  On Mondays to Saturdays, a Eurostar leaves Brussels at 06:59 arriving London St Pancras at 07:55.  On Sundays, a Eurostar leaves Brussels at 07:59 arriving London at 08:56.

Alternative train times London-Krakow...

It's also possible to use daytime high-speed trains between London & Berlin (changing trains at Brussels and Cologne), as shown on the London to Germany page.  Then use the overnight sleeper (with 1, 2 & 3-bed sleepers and 6-bunk couchettes, sleeper recommended) between Berlin & Krakow.  The sleeper leaves Berlin (Lichtenburg station, a short S-bahn ride from Berlin Ostbahnhof or Hauptbahnhof) at 21:38 and arrives in Krakow at 08:58 next morning.  Allow at least 90 minutes to change trains and stations in Berlin.  http://bahn.hafas.de will confirm train times.

Fares:

1. London to Brussels  by Eurostar:	Return fares start at £59 2nd class,  £149 1st class.  One-way fares start at £44 2nd class.  Advice on one-way Eurostar fares.  Child, youth & senior fares
2. Brussels to Berlin by  sleeper train (per person)	In a seat	In a couchette		In the sleeping-car (standard room)
		6-bunk	4-bunk	3-bed	2-bed	1-bed
Savings fare, one way:	29 euro (£21)	39 euro (£28)	49 euro (£35)	-	-	-
Savings fare, return:	58 euro (£42)	78 euro (£56)	98 euro (£70)	-	-	-
Normal fare, one-way:	101 euro (£72)	113 euro (£81)	117 euro (£84)	128 euro (£91)	144 euro (£103)	237 euro (£169)
Normal fare, return:	202 euro (£144)	226 euro (£162)	234 euro (£168)	256 euro (£182)	288 euro (£206)	474 euro (£338)
Child 0-14 with own berth:	51 euro (£36)	57 euro (£41)	59 euro (£42)	64 euro (£46)	72 euro (£51)	-
Child 0-5:	Child 0-5 sharing berth travels free...
3.  Berlin to Krakow  by InterCity train Wawel	Normal fare £39 one-way or £78 return 2nd class  Book-in-advance fare £22 one-way or £44 return 2nd class  About £60 one-way or £120 return 1st class.

Savings fare = Special cheap fare, book in advance, limited availability, no refunds, no changes to travel plans. 

Normal fare = fully flexible, refundable, buy any time.

Couchettes are sold individually in shared 4 or 6 berth compartments, but from 9 December 2007, only whole sleeper compartments on this route can be booked, it will no longer be possible for solo passengers to book one sleeper berth in a 2 or 3 bed compartment and share with other passengers.  Call DB's UK office for prices for sleepers with private shower.

How to buy tickets online...

The cheapest and easiest way to book this journey is online, although you have to use three different websites.  Do a 'dry run' first on all three sites to check prices and availability before booking for real.

• Step 1, go to www.bahn.de/citynightline, the German Railways official sleeper train website.  Select 'English' top right.

• Now book a ticket from Brussels to Berlin Hbf and back on the overnight sleeper train.  Availability of cheap 'Savings' fares ('sparnight' in German) and fully-flexible normal fares will be shown for each type of seat, couchette & sleeper.  You pay by credit card and print out your own tickets in .pdf format.  Easy!  Note that the prices shown on www.bahn.de/citynightline are in euros, and are the total cost for all passengers selected, not per person.

• Step 2, go to www.eurostar.com to book your connecting Eurostar tickets between London and Brussels, using the Eurostar times above as a guide.  By all means book an earlier Eurostar outwards, or a later Eurostar on the way back, if this has cheaper seats available of if you'd like to stop off in Brussels for a while.  Return fares start at £59, for one-way fares on Eurostar see this advice.  Eurostar tickets can be sent to any UK address, or picked up at the station if you're travelling at short notice or booking from overseas.

• Step 3, now go to the German Railways main website http://bahn.hafas.de, use the journey planner to bring up the connecting Berlin-Krakow 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 some cases printed out yourself.  Alternatively, if you have any problems, Berlin-Krakow trains can also be booked very easily at www.raileurope.co.uk, although this may cost a pound or two more than using Deutsche Bahn.

How to buy tickets by phone...

If you'd prefer to book all these trains by phone, just call Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, no booking fee, £3 credit card fee), or a booking agency such as European Rail on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, £25 booking fee applies).

It's not difficult to buy train tickets for domestic journeys within Poland at the station ticket office.  It can help to write down what you want, in case staff don't speak English very well.  UK agencies such as DB's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (open 09:00-17:00 Mon-Fri) or www.europeanrail.com can usually get you reservations on international trains starting in Poland.  However, if they have problems, or if you want to see if buying locally would be cheaper, try contacting the following agency in Poland:

Polish train ticketing agency www.polrail.com...

Polish train ticketing agency www.polrail.com comes highly recommended if you want to arrange train tickets within Poland in advance, or book international train tickets starting in Poland, for example, from Warsaw to Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Moscow, Kiev, Lviv or Vilnius, or from Krakow to Prague, Budapest or Vienna, etc..  You should arrange tickets between 10 & 60 days before travel (because Polish train reservations open 60 days before departure, but 10 days is necessary for the agency to buy and send tickets). Tickets can be couriered to your home address in any country, or they can arrange ticket collection within Poland, for example, at your hotel.  If you use their services, feedback is always welcome!