On this page...
European
train operator websites, A-Z by country
Worldwide train operator
websites, A-Z by country
Passenger travel by cargo ship
Useful
general travel links
Foreign office travel advice
For advice on travelling to countries which might be affected by conflicts, security problems, or other dangers, check the Foreign Office travel advice pages: www.fco.gov.uk. The advice for each country is updated daily as situations change. It tends to err on the safe (that is to say, paranoid) side, although it is not as paranoid as its US State department equivalent, so bear this in mind.
Passports & visas
For UK passport applications and renewals, the UK Passport Agency website is www.ukpa.gov.uk.
For information on visa requirements for visiting most world countries, and for help in obtaining visas, try http://uk.cibt.com/.
Tourist information & hotels
www.towd.com will find the national tourist information office or website for any country in the world. It's worth investing in a good guidebook, and I recommend the Lonely Planet and Rough Guides series. You can buy Lonely Planets from the Lonely Planet website, with shipping worldwide.
www.hotelscombined.com searches all the main hotel reservation websites at once.
www.hostelbookers.com for ultra-cheap backpacker hostels worldwide.
Travel insurance, health & vaccinations
-
Always take out decent travel insurance, it's a necessity not an extra. Shop around for the best deals, but try Columbus Direct.
-
UK citizens travelling in Europe should carry a European Health Insurance Card. This replaces the old E111 forms as from January 2006. The EHIC card is available free from www.ehic.org.uk and 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 UK's NHS.
-
If you're travel to Africa, Asia or some other parts of the world, you may need vaccinations and/or to take malaria precautions. To check on which vaccinations or precautions are required for which countries, see one of two websites, www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk or www.nathnac.org. Both are publicly-funded, so aren't trying to sell you anything, just make sure people get the right jabs.
Ask a fellow traveller...
Lonely Planet Thorn Tree message board is a great place to ask other travellers' advice and opinions. You need to register, but it's free, and most questions (even about obscure countries) are answered within a matter of hours by people who have been there recently. Just remember to sort the good answers from the not-so-good!
Currency converter
www.xe.com is arguably the best online currency converter.
The train travel to Europe page has a list of UK agencies that sell European train tickets.
Overseas agencies selling European Rail tickets
The train travel to Europe page will also link you to agencies selling European train tickets in the USA, Canada, Australia, NZ, Singapore, South Africa, India, Hong Kong and so on.
The famous Thomas Cook
European Rail Timetable (train, bus and ferry times for
every country in Europe and is essential for any serious overland
traveller, and an inspiration for armchair
travellers! What does the
Thomas Cook Timetable contain?You can get a copy for £14.99 from selected branches of Thomas Cook, or buy online at www.thomascookpublishing.com. Alternatively, you can buy the twice-yearly Independent Traveller's editions at Amazon.co.uk also with shipping worldwide.
European train times online
For up-to-date train times for almost any train journey in Europe, see http://bahn.hafas.de. The English button is towards the right, a few inches down from the top.
UK train times, fares & online booking: www.nationalrail.co.uk.
For times and fares within individual countries, see the individual country websites listed below.
Rail maps
For
an online map of the European railway network, see
www.eurail.com/sites/all/files/eurail.com/downloads/2013/eurailmap-2013.pdf (note
that not all UK routes are shown on this map), and
also see
www.bueker.net/trainspotting/maps.php.
To buy the excellent Thomas Cook rail map of Europe at Amazon.co.uk, click here.
For the best online map of the UK rail network, visit www.nationalrail.co.uk/passenger_services/maps/.
Sponsored links...
|
|
List
of European
railway websites
| Country: |
Operator: |
Remarks: |
||
| International |
Eurostar, www.eurostar.com |
London to Paris & Brussels by high speed train. Times, fares & online booking. Also offers online booking from London to major cities in France, any Belgian station, Amsterdam, Basel & Cologne. Tickets sent to any UK address or can be collected in London, Paris or Brussels. Also see the London to Paris by Eurostar page. |
||
|
Thalys, www.thalys.com |
Paris to Brussels & Amsterdam / Cologne by high speed train. See www.thalys.com for times, fares, online booking. Also see the Thalys page on this site. |
|||
|
City Night Line, www.bahn.de |
The German Railways' City Night Line sleeper train website. Overnight sleeper trains between Amsterdam & Vienna/Prague/Copenhagen/Munich/Zurich, Berlin & Zurich, Hamburg & Zurich, Dortmund/Cologne & Vienna, etc. Train times, fares & online booking, you print out your own ticket. Also see the City Night Line page on this site. |
|||
|
Elipsos, www.elipsos.com |
Overnight Trainhotel sleeper trains between Paris & Spain. Train times, fares, an excellent virtual tour of the trainhotel, but no online booking. |
|||
|
London to Amsterdam combined train+ferry service via Harwich-Hoek van Holland. Times, fares and online booking. See the London to Amsterdam page. |
||||
|
Venice Simplon Orient Express, www.orient-expresstrains.com |
The VSOE runs weekly from London to Paris to Venice with restored British Pullmans and Wagons-Lits sleeping-cars. Times, fares & online booking. Also see the Venice Simplon Express page on this site. |
|||
|
Swedish sleeper train overnight from Berlin to Malmö with connections to Copenhagen and Stockholm. |
||||
| Albania |
HSH |
See unofficial site www.angelfire.com/ak/hekurudha. For train times, see the train travel in Albania page. |
||
| Andorra |
No train service. Buses www.andorrabus.com & www.autocarsnadal.com. |
|||
| Austria |
ÖBB, www.oebb.at |
Austrian Federal Railways. Times, fares & online booking of train in & from Austria. |
||
| Belarus |
BCh, www.rw.by |
Belarus State Railways. |
||
| Belgium |
SNCB, www.b-rail.be |
Train times & fares for Belgian domestic trains. For international trains to & from Belgium see www.b-europe.com. |
||
| Bosnia |
ZBH, www.zfbh.ba |
Bosnian National Railways. |
||
| Bulgaria |
BDZ, www.bdz.bg |
Bulgarian State Railways. |
||
| Croatia |
HZ, www.hznet.hr |
Croatian National Railways. |
||
| Czech Republic |
CD, www.cdrail.cz |
Czech Railways. Online ticket sales at www.cd.cz/eshop. There's now also a private operator on the Prague-Ostrava route, www.regiojet.cz. |
||
| Denmark |
DSB, www.dsb.dk |
Danish State Railways. Times, fares & online booking for trains within Denmark. For trains to Malmo & Gothenburg see www.oresundstag.se. For trains to Stockholm see www.sj.se. |
||
| Estonia |
GoRail, www.gorail.ee |
GoRail (formerly EVR Ekspress) run sleeper trains between Tallinn and Moscow. Local trains: www.edel.ee & www.elektriraudtee.ee. |
||
| Finland |
VR, www.vr.fi |
Finnish State Railways. Times, fares & online booking for trains within Finland. |
||
| France |
SNCF, www.voyages-sncf.com or www.tgv-europe.com |
Train times, fares & online booking for journeys in France and from France to neighbouring countries. For their English-language version, go to www.tgv-europe.com. Click here for the page providing updates on any disruption affecting trains within and via France (in French only). |
||
|
RATP, www.ratp.fr (Paris Métro) |
Visit www.ratp.fr and select 'plans' for maps of the Paris Métro and bus routes. |
|||
|
Chemins de Fer de la Corse, www.train-corse.com |
Rail services on Corsica. Also see www.corsicabus.org. |
|||
|
Chemins de Fer de Provence, www.trainprovence.com |
Nice-Digne scenic local trains. |
|||
| Georgia |
Georgian Railways. |
|||
| Germany |
DB, www.bahn.de |
See www.bahn.de for the excellent rail timetable providing train times across Europe, also German rail fares & online booking. The 'English' button is at upper right. |
||
|
(German sleeper trains) |
The German Railways sleeper train website, 'English' button top right. Times & fares for internal and international overnight trains in Germany with online booking. You print out your own ticket. Also see the City Night Line sleeper train page on this site. |
|||
| Greece |
OSE www.trainose.gr |
For train times & fares in Greece, and online booking (in Greek only, but try using Google Chrome with automatic translation). For Greek island ferries, see www.ferriesingreece.com. |
||
| Hungary |
MAV, www.mav-start.hu |
Hungarian State Railways. Budapest metro map: www.metropla.net/eu/bud/budapest.htm |
||
| Ireland |
Irish Rail, www.irishrail.ie |
Irish train times, fares & information, plus online booking. |
||
| Italy |
Trenitalia, www.trenitalia.com. |
Train times, fares & online booking for train travel in Italy and out of Italy to neighbouring countries. Also see the train travel in Italy page on this site. |
||
|
Circumvesuviana Railway, www.vesuviana.it |
Times & fares for the local electric railway linking Naples, Pompeii & Sorrento. |
|||
| Kosovo |
Kosovo Railway, www.kosovorailway.com |
Kosovo railways: Internal trains plus Skopje-Priština service. |
||
| Latvia |
LDZ, www.ldz.lv |
Latvian Railways. |
||
| Lithuania |
LG, www.litrail.lt |
Lithuanian Railways. |
||
| Luxembourg |
CFL, www.cfl.lu |
Luxembourg National Railways. |
||
| Macedonia |
MZ, www.mz.com.mk |
Macedonian State Railways. |
||
| Moldova |
Moldovan State Railways. |
|||
| Netherlands |
NS, www.ns.nl |
Netherlands Railways: Dutch train times & fares. The site for international trains from the Netherlands is www.nshispeed.nl. |
||
| Norway |
NSB, www.nsb.no |
Norwegian State Railways. Times, fares & online booking. See advice on using it here. |
||
| Poland |
PKP, www.pkp.com.pl or www.intercity.pl |
Polish State Railways. For mainline and international trains, see www.intercity.pl. |
||
| Portugal |
CP, www.cp.pt |
Portuguese National Railways: Times, fares & online booking within Portugal. |
||
| Romania |
CFR, www.cfrcalatori.ro |
Romanian State Railways. |
||
| Russia |
RZD, www.rzd.ru |
For train times in Russia and ex-Soviet republics, see www.poezda.net. To book trains within Russia, including the Trans-Siberian Railway, try www.realrussia.co.uk, UK agencies Intourist on 020 8538 8600 or The Russia Experience, on 020 8566 8846 or local Russian agencies Svezhy Veter or WaytoRussia. Luxury private train Moscow-St Petersburg: www.grandexpress.ru (in Russian only). |
||
| Serbia |
ZS & ZCG, www.serbianrailways.com |
Serbian National Railways. |
||
| Slovakia |
ZSR, www.slovakrail.sk |
Slovakian National Railways. |
||
| Slovenia |
Slovenia National Railways. |
|||
| Spain |
RENFE, www.renfe.com |
Spanish National Railways. Train times, fares and online booking for trains within Spain. Times & fares for the 'trainhotels' from Spain to Paris, Lisbon, Bern, Zurich, Turin, Milan. Madrid metro website: www.metromadrid.es. Renfe's UK agents are www.spanish-rail.co.uk. Also see the train travel in Spain page on this site. |
||
|
FEVE, www.feve.es |
Local trains Bilbao-Santander-Oviedo-Ferrol. Now taken over by Renfe, www.renfe.com/viajeros/feve |
|||
|
Euskotren, www.euskotren.es |
Local trains Hendaye-Irun-San Sebastian-Bilbao. |
|||
| Sweden |
SJ, www.sj.se |
Swedish State Railways, running most long distance trains in Sweden. You can check Swedish train times for all train operators (including some privatised ones) at www.resplus.se. You can book Swedish trains online at www.sj.se or www.bokatag.se. |
||
|
Öresund link trains, www.oresundstag.se |
Local trains linking Copenhagen, Malmö & Gothenburg. |
|||
| Switzerland |
SBB, www.sbb.ch |
Swiss Federal Railways. Train times and fares & online tickets for train travel in Switzerland. |
||
|
Rhätische Bahn, www.rhb.ch |
Operator of the famous Bernina Express Chur-Tirano and one of the operators of the famous Glacier Express Zermatt-Brig-St Moritz |
|||
|
BLS, www.bls.ch |
Bern - Lötschberg - Simplon Railway (Bern-Brig) |
|||
|
Jungfrau Bahn, www.jungfrau.ch |
||||
| Turkey |
TCDD, www.tcdd.gov.tr |
Turkish train times, fares & online booking of trains within Turkey. See Turkey page for instructions. |
||
| Ukraine |
UZ, www.uz.gov.ua |
For Ukrainian train times. To buy train tickets online for train journeys within Ukraine, see www.ukrainetrains.co.uk. For times & fares, use www.poezda.net. |
||
| UK |
National Rail Enquiries, www.nationalrail.co.uk |
The official site for UK train information, with train times, fares, and links to every UK train operator. Also see the train travel in the UK page. |
||
|
ScotRail, www.scotrail.co.uk |
Online booking for the Caledonian Sleepers from London to Scotland. |
|||
| UK (Northern Ireland) |
Northern Ireland Railways, www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways |
Online journey planner for both buses and trains within Northern Ireland. |
List
of world
railway websites
| Country: |
Operator: |
Remarks: |
||
| Argentina |
Train services in Argentina are experiencing something of a revival. Try www.sateliteferroviario.com.ar/horarios/ (in Spanish only) for info about all Argentinean train operators. |
|||
| Australia |
Rail Australia www.railaustralia.com.au. |
Provided by all operators jointly, this website is a good place to start for routes, times, and fares to get around Australia by train. Also see the train travel in Australia page. |
||
|
Great Southern Railway (GSR) www.greatsouthernrail.com.au. |
GSR operates the 'Indian Pacific' (Sydney-Adelaide- Perth), 'The Ghan' (Adelaide-Alice Springs-Darwin) and the 'Overland' (Melbourne-Adelaide). UK agents for GSR: International Rail, 0870 751 5000. Also see the train travel in Australia page. |
|||
|
CountryLink www.countrylink.info. |
CountryLink operates trains Sydney-Melbourne, Sydney-Brisbane, Sydney-Canberra. Online booking possible at www.countrylink.info (not sleepers). UK agents for CountryLink: International Rail, 0870 751 5000. Also see the train travel in Australia page. |
|||
|
Queensland Railways www.traveltrain.com.au. |
Brisbane-Rockhampton-Townsville-Cairns & other routes in Queensland. UK agents for QR: International Rail, 0870 751 5000. Also see the train travel in Australia page. |
|||
|
V/Line
www.vline.com.au |
Internal trains in Victoria. |
|||
|
Transwa
www.transwa.wa.gov.au |
Perth to Kalgoorlie & Bunbury. Formerly Westrail. Also see the train travel in Australia page. |
|||
| Bangladesh |
Bangladesh railways Corporation www.railway.gov.bd |
Also see the seat61 Bangladesh page. |
||
| Bolivia |
Bolivian eastern line: www.ferroviariaoriental.com Bolivian western line: www.fca.com.bo |
|||
| Burma (Myanmar) |
Myanmar Railways Corporation |
No official website, but see the train travel in Burma page. |
||
| Cambodia |
Chemin de Fer de Cambodge |
No official website - see the Cambodia page. |
||
| Canada |
VIA Rail www.viarail.ca. |
Canada's national rail network. Times, fares & online booking for VIA Rail Canada's trains. UK agents for VIA Rail: First Rail, call 0845 644 3553. See the train travel in Canada page. |
||
|
BC Rail |
No longer provides Vancouver-Prince George passenger trains. |
|||
|
Ontario Northland www.ontc.on.ca |
Toronto - Northern Ontario trains. |
|||
|
Rocky Mountaineer www.rockymountaineer.com. |
Rocky Mountaineer tourist train running Calgary-Banff-Vancouver. See Rocky Mountaineer page. |
|||
| Chile |
Chilean State railways www.efe.cl |
Chilean State Railways official website (Spanish only) - www.efe.cl. |
||
| China |
Chinese Railways www.china-mor.gov.cn |
Website in Chinese only: www.china-mor.gov.cn. For train times in English, see the seat61 China page or www.chinatravelguide.com. To book Chinese trains from outside China see www.chinatripadvisor.com. You can check times, fares & buy tickets for Beijing-Hong Kong, Beijing-Shanghai and Shanghai-Hong Kong trains at www.train-ticket.net. www.kcrc.com is the official site for the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation, with info on local and long-distance through trains from Hong Kong. |
||
| Cuba |
Ferrocarriles de Cuba |
No official website - see the train travel in Cuba page. |
||
| Ecuador | ||||
| Egypt |
Egyptian National Railways www.egyptrail.gov.eg |
See the train travel in Egypt page. Sleeping-car trains from Cairo to Luxor & Aswan are run by a private company, Watania, see www.sleepingtrains.com for times, fares & booking. |
||
| Hong Kong |
Kowloon-Canton Railway Corp. www.kcrc.com. |
Runs Hong Kong to Guangzhou trains and (together with Chinese Railways) the Hong Kong to Beijing & Shanghai trains. |
||
| India |
Indian Railways
www.indianrail.gov.in |
The UK agent for Indian Railways, including Indian rail passes, is the excellent SD Enterprises in Wembley. Call 020 8903 3411 or visit www.indiarail.co.uk. Also see the train travel in India page. Online Indian train booking: www.irctc.co.in (see advice). |
||
| Indonesia |
Indonesian railways www.kereta-api.co.id. |
See the train travel in Indonesia page. |
||
| Iran |
Iranian Islamic Republic Railways www.raja.ir. |
Official site of the Raja Trains passenger department. Times & fares for Iran and for international trains Tehran-Damascus & Tehran-Istanbul. Click the 'house' logo then 'English' top right. Also see English-language site www.iranrail.net. |
||
| Iraq |
Iraq Republic Railways www.iraqrailways.com. |
Train service Baghdad-Mosul, Baghdad-Basra. |
||
| Israel |
Israel Railways www.israrail.org.il. |
Times and fares for train travel in Israel. |
||
| Japan |
Japan National Railways, JR |
For a rail timetable in English visit www.hyperdia.com (the English button is upper left). UK agents for Japan rail passes include www.internationalrail.com. Also visit www.japanrail.com and the train travel in Japan page. |
||
| Jordan |
Hedjaz Jordan Railway www.english.jh-railway.com. |
See the train travel in Jordan page. |
||
| Kazakstan |
Kazak Railways www.railways.kz. |
Official interactive timetable, in Cyrillic script, for Kazakhstan Railways. Also try www.poezda.net. |
||
| Kenya |
Kenya Railways www.riftvalleyrail.com |
Also see the train travel in Kenya page. www.eastafricashuttles.com/train.htm has info on Kenya Railways train times & fares Mombasa - Nairobi |
||
| Korea (South) |
Korean National Railroad www.korail.go.kr. |
Times & fares for South Korea. |
||
| Madagascar |
There is just one (tourist-orientated) rail route on Madagascar. |
|||
| Malaysia & Singapore |
Keratapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) www.ktmb.com.my |
Train times, fares & online booking for intercity trains within Malaysia & Singapore. Also see the train travel in Singapore & Malaysia page. |
||
| Mali |
See the train travel in Senegal page. |
|||
| Mexico |
The Mexican government discontinued virtually all long-distance passenger trains some years ago. For a summary of what's left, see www.mexlist.com/pass.htm. For the famous 'Copper Canyon' train see www.chepe.com.mx. |
|||
| Morocco |
ONCF www.oncf.ma |
Train times and fares for Morocco. Also see the train travel in Morocco page. |
||
| Mozambique |
CFM www.cfmnet.co.mz |
Train times and fares for Mozambique. Also see the train travel in Mozambique page. |
||
| Namibia |
Transnamib www.transnamib.com.na |
Select 'Products & services' then 'Star Line' for passenger services. Also see www.desertexpress.com.na (currently not working, but see www.namibweb.com/desertexpress.html |
||
| New Zealand |
Tranz Scenic www.tranzscenic.co.nz |
|
||
| Pakistan |
Pakistan Railways www.pakrail.com. |
Official site, with trains times and availability check - See how many AC sleepers are still available on tonight's Khyber Mail from Karachi! Also see the train travel in Pakistan page. |
||
| Peru |
Peru Rail Corp. www.perurail.com. |
Peruvian passenger trains, including trains to Machu Picchu. |
||
| Philippines |
Philippine National Railroad www.pnr.gov.ph. |
Philippine passenger trains, also see the train travel in the Philippines page. |
||
| Saudi Arabia |
Saudi Government Railways www.saudirailways.org |
Saudi train times & fares Dammam - Riyadh. |
||
| South Africa |
Shosholoza Meyl www.shosholozameyl.co.za. |
Train times for long distance passenger trains in South Africa. Also see the train travel in South Africa page. |
||
|
Premier Classe www.premierclasse.co.za |
Affordable deluxe long distance passenger trains in South Africa. Also see the train travel in South Africa page. |
|||
|
The Blue Train www.bluetrain.co.za. |
South Africa's luxurious Blue Train, Cape Town-Pretoria. Also see the train travel in South Africa page |
|||
| Sri Lanka |
Sri Lanka Railways Corp. www.railway.gov.lk. |
Sri Lanka Railways Corporation, www.railway.gov.lk for times & fares. Also see http://colombofort.com or www.reddottours.com, and the train travel in Sri Lanka page. |
||
| Sudan |
Sudan Railways Corporation www.sudanrailways.gov.sd |
Also see the train travel in Sudan page. |
||
| Syria |
Syrian Railways www.cfssyria.sy |
Also see the train travel in Syria page. |
||
| Taiwan |
Taiwan Railway Administration www.railway.gov.tw. |
Train times and fares for rail travel in Taiwan. Also see the train travel in Taiwan page. |
||
| Tanzania |
Tanzania Railway Corporation www.trctz.com (not working!) |
Train services from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma/Mwanza. Also see the train travel in Tanzania page. |
||
|
Tanzania & Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), www.tazarasite.com. |
Train service between Zambia & Tanzania, Dar es Salaam-Mbeya-Kapiri Mposhi. Also see the train travel in Tanzania & Zambia page. |
|||
| Thailand |
State Railways of Thailand www.railway.co.th |
Train times & fares for Thailand. Also see the train travel in Thailand page. |
||
| Tunisia |
SNCFT, www.sncft.com.tn. |
Tunisian Railways official site, www.sncft.com.tn. |
||
| Turkey |
TCDD, www.tcdd.gov.tr. |
For Turkish train times & fares. Also see the train travel in Turkey page. |
||
| USA |
Amtrak www.amtrak.com. |
Train times & fares for rail travel in the USA. You can book online at www.amtrak.com. To buy Amtrak tickets in the UK, go to www.internationalrail.com. Also see the train travel in the USA page. |
||
|
Alaska Railroad, www.akrr.com. |
||||
| Uzbekistan |
Uzbekistan State Railways www.uzrailway.uz. |
The official site is only in Uzbek & Russian. For train times, try www.poezda.net. For Moscow-Uzbekistan trains, also see the seat61 Silk Route page. |
||
| Vietnam |
DSVN www.vr.com.vn. |
Official website with train times for the Hanoi-Saigon line. Also see the seat61 Vietnam page. |
||
| Zambia |
Tanzania & Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), www.tazarasite.com. |
Train service between Zambia & Tanzania. Also see the train travel in Tanzania & Zambia page. |
||
|
Zambia Railways |
Train service Livingstone, Lusaka, Kapiri Mposhi. No official website, but see the train travel in Tanzania & Zambia page. |
|||
| Zimbabwe |
National Railways of Zimbabwe |
www.planet.nu/sunshinecity/nrz/railinfo.html has one page of information on train times for the National Railways of Zimbabwe (including Bulawayo-Harare, Bulawayo-Victoria Falls). Also see the train travel in Zimbabwe page. |
Ferry
services serving the UK
Most of these UK-based ferry services can be booked online at the Seat61 Ferry Shop:
| From | To |
Operator |
Route |
|
| UK | Channel Islands |
Poole, Weymouth, Portsmouth - Jersey & Guernsey |
Call 0845 609 1024 |
|
| UK | Isle of Man |
Liverpool or Heysham - Isle of Man. See the Isle of Man page for SailRail tickets |
Call 08722 992 992 |
|
| UK | Scottish Islands |
Various routes to Skye & Hebrides |
||
| UK | Orkney & the Shetland Islands |
Scrabster - Stromness Aberdeen - Lerwick |
Call 0845 6000 449 |
|
| UK | Northern Ireland |
Liverpool (Birkenhead) - Belfast. Previously Norse Merchant Ferries, then Norfolkline, now Stena. |
Call 08447 70 70 70 |
|
| UK | Northern Ireland |
Cairnryan-Belfast |
Call 08447 70 70 70 |
|
| UK | Ireland |
Holyhead - Dublin Pembroke - Rosslare |
Call 08717 300 400 (in Ireland call 0818 300 400) |
|
| UK | Ireland |
Holyhead - Dublin Holyhead - Dun Laoghaire Fishguard - Rosslare |
Call 08447 70 70 70 |
|
| UK | Ireland |
Swansea - Cork. New company www.fastnetline.co.uk started in March 2010, suspended again 2012. |
||
| UK | Ireland |
Liverpool (Birkenhead) - Dublin. Previously Norse Merchant Ferries. Doesn't take foot passengers. |
Call 08716 64 20 20 |
|
| UK | France |
Dover - Dunkirk (no foot passengers). Formerly Norfolkline. |
Call 0871 522 9955 |
|
| UK | France |
Dover - Calais & other Channel routes |
Call 08716 645 645 |
|
| UK | France |
Ferries to Normandy & Brittany: Portsmouth/Plymouth to St Malo, Caen, Cherbourg, Roscoff... |
Call 0871 244 0744 |
|
| UK | France |
Newhaven - Dieppe |
||
| UK | France |
Portsmouth - Le Havre, Dover-Boulogne |
Call 0800 917 1201 |
|
| UK | Netherlands |
Harwich - Hoek van Holland |
Call 08447 70 70 70 |
|
| UK | Netherlands |
Newcastle - IJmuiden (Amsterdam) |
Call 0871 522 9955 |
|
| UK | Netherlands |
Hull - Rotterdam |
Call 08716 645 645 |
|
| UK | Spain |
Plymouth - Santander, Portsmouth - Santander, Portsmouth - Bilbao |
Call 0871 244 0744 |
|
| UK | Denmark |
Harwich - Esbjerg |
Call 0871 522 9955 |
|
| UK | Norway |
Newcastle - Bergen (previously Fjord Line) (service withdrawn in Sept 2008). |
Call 0871 522 9955 |
|
| UK | Sweden |
Newcastle - Gothenburg (service withdrawn in October 2006) |
Call 0871 522 9955 |
|
| UK | Iceland |
Lerwick (Shetland Islands) - Seydisfjördur (Iceland). From 2009, no longer serves the UK. |
||
| UK | United States |
Southampton to New York see the QM2 transatlantic page. |
Call 01703 716500 |
Other
European ferry services
Many of these European ferry services can be booked online at the Seat61 Ferry Shop.
| From | To | Operator |
Route |
|
| Denmark | Norway | DFDS Seaways |
Copenhagen - Oslo |
In UK call 0871 522 9955 |
| Finland | Estonia | Tallink |
Helsinki - Tallinn |
UK agents DFDS Seaways, call 0871 522 9955 |
| Finland | Sweden | Silja Line |
Stockholm - Helsinki Stockholm - Turku |
UK agents DFDS Seaways, call 0871 522 9955 |
| Finland | Sweden | Viking Line |
Stockholm - Helsinki Stockholm - Turku |
UK agents Emagine UK Ltd 01942 262662 |
| France | Corsica / Sardinia | Corsica Ferries |
Marseille / Toulon / Nice to Corsica / Sardinia |
|
| France | Corsica / Sardinia | SNCM |
Marseille / Toulon / Nice to Corsica / Sardinia |
UK agents Southern Ferries, 0844 815 7785 |
| France | Morocco | Comanav |
Sète - Tangier |
|
| France | Tunisia, Algeria | SNCM
(for Tunisia, also see CTN) |
Marseille - Tunis Marseille - Algiers Marseille - Oran |
UK agents Southern Ferries, 0844 815 7785 |
| Germany | Finland, Estonia | Superfast ferries |
Rostock to Helsinki & Tallinn (operated by Tallink) |
UK agents Viamare Travel 020 8343 5810 |
| Greece | Greek Islands | www.ferriesingreece.com or www.ferries.gr, www.openseas.gr |
Guides to all Greek Island ferry operators |
|
| Greece | Crete | ANEK Lines |
Piraeus - Heraklion |
|
| Greece | Crete | Minoan Lines |
Piraeus - Heraklion |
|
| Greece | Rhodes | www.bluestarferries.com |
Piraeus - Rhodos |
|
| Greece | Rhodes | www.lane.gr |
Piraeus - Rhodos |
|
| Greece | Rhodes | www.ferries.gr/gaferries/ |
Piraeus - Rhodos |
|
| Greece | Rhodes | www.helios.gr/dane/ |
Piraeus - Rhodos |
|
| Greece | Cyprus | Salamis Lines, Poseidon Lines |
Service suspended since 2001 |
UK agents Viamare Travel 020 8343 5810 |
| Greece | Israel | Salamis Lines, Poseidon Lines |
Service suspended since 2001 |
UK agents Viamare Travel 020 8343 5810 |
| Greece | Egypt | Salamis Lines, |
Service suspended since 2001 |
UK agents Viamare Travel 020 8343 5810 |
| Iceland | Norway, UK | Smyril Line |
Iceland - Shetland Islands - Norway |
|
| Ireland | France | Irish Ferries | Rosslare - Roscoff (Brittany) |
Call 08717 300 400 (ROI 0818 300 400) |
| Italy | Albania | Tirrenia Line |
Bari - Durres (formerly Adriatica) Ancona - Durres (formerly Adriatica) |
UK agents SMS Travel & Tourism, 020 7244 8422 |
| Italy | Albania | Agoudimos Lines |
Bari - Durres |
|
| Italy | Croatia | Tirrenia Line |
Ancona - Split |
UK agents SMS Travel & Tourism, 020 7244 8422 |
| Italy | Croatia | Jadrolinija |
Ancona - Split Bari - Dubrovnik |
|
| Italy | Greece | Superfast Ferries |
Bari - Patras (run jointly with Blue Star Ferries) |
UK agents Viamare Travel 020 8343 5810 |
| Italy | Greece | Minoan Lines |
Ancona, Brindisi - Corfu - Patras |
UK agents Viamare Travel 020 8343 5810 |
| Italy | Greece | Blue Star ferries |
Venice, Ancona, Brindisi - Corfu - Patras |
UK agents Viamare Travel 020 8343 5810 |
| Italy | Greece | Hellenic Mediterranean Lines |
Brindisi - Corfu - Kefalonia - Patras |
|
| Italy | Malta | Virtu Ferries |
Sicily (Catania, Pozzallo) - Valletta |
UK agents Viamare Travel 020 8343 5810 |
| Italy | Malta | Grimaldi Lines |
Weekly Salerno - Valletta |
|
| Italy | Sardinia | Corsica Ferries |
Livorno / Civitavecchia - Sardinia |
|
| Italy | Sardinia | Tirrenia Lines |
Livorno / Genoa - Sardinia |
UK agents SMS Travel & Tourism, 020 7244 8422 |
| Italy | Tunisia | SNCM also see CTN |
Genoa - Tunis |
UK agents Southern Ferries, 0844 815 7785 |
| Italy | Tunisia | Grandi Navi Veloci |
Genoa - Palermo - Tunis |
|
| Italy | Morocco | Grimaldi Lines |
Genoa-Tangier |
|
| Italy | Morocco | Grandi Navi Veloci |
Genoa-Tangier |
|
| Italy | Turkey | Marmara Lines |
Brindisi - Cesme |
|
| Norway | Norwegian Coast | Hurtigruten Line |
Norwegian coastal steamers |
|
| Russia | Sweden, Finland | www.stpeterline.com |
Stockholm & Helsinki to St Petersburg |
|
| Spain | Majorca, Ibiza, Minorca | Acciona-Trasmediterranea |
Barcelona - Palma Barcelona - Minorca Barcelona - Ibiza |
UK agents Southern Ferries, 0844 815 7785 |
| Spain | Majorca, Ibiza, Minorca | Balearia |
Barcelona - Palma Barcelona - Minorca Barcelona - Ibiza |
|
| Spain | Canary Islands | Acciona-Trasmediterranea |
Cadiz - Las Palmas & Tenerife |
UK agents Southern Ferries, 0844 815 7785 |
| Spain | Morocco | Acciona-Trasmediterranea |
Algeciras - Tangier |
|
| Spain | Morocco | Balearia |
Algeciras - Tangier |
|
| Spain | Morocco | FRS |
Tarifa - Tangier |
|
| Spain | Morocco | Grimaldi Lines |
Barcelona-Tangier |
|
| Spain | Morocco | Grandi Navi Veloci |
Barcelona-Tangier |
|
| Sweden | Estonia | Tallink |
Stockholm - Tallinn |
UK agents DFDS Seaways, call 0871 522 9955 |
| Sweden | Latvia | Tallink |
Stockholm - Riga |
|
| Turkey | Egypt | www.sisashipping.com |
Iskenderun - Port Said |
UK agents +44 20 7241 0551 |
Other worldwide shipping
& ferry services
| Between.. | ...and |
Operator |
Route |
|
| United States | UK |
Southampton -New York |
Call 01703 716500 |
|
| United States | Bahamas |
Ft Lauderdale - Freeport (Grand Bahama) |
||
| Russia | Japan |
Vladivostok - Fushiki, ceased trading 2009. |
||
| Russia | Japan, South Korea |
Vladivostok - South Korea - Japan |
||
| China | Macau |
Hong Kong - Macau |
||
| China | Japan |
Several operators, see the China page |
Shanghai - Kobe Shanghai - Osaka Tianjin - Kobe |
|
| China | South Korea |
Several operators, see the South Korea page |
Qingdao - Incheon Tianjin - Incheon |
|
| Japan | South Korea |
Several operators, see the South Korea page |
Fukuoka - Busan Shimonoseki - Busan |
|
| South Africa | UK |
Cardiff - St Helena - Ascension - Cape Town |
||
| Australia | Tasmania |
Melbourne - Devonport |
||
| New Zealand | Inter-Island ferry |
Wellington - Picton |
Passenger travel by freighter:
Air travel has more or less destroyed long distance passenger shipping, except for irregular cruises and some regular cargo ship lines that carry a limited number of passengers - usually 12 or less per voyage, as more than this requires the vessel to carry a ship's doctor. Freighter travel can be very civilised and comfortable, but it's usually expensive. At perhaps £70 a day it may be good value as it includes travel, board and lodging, but if a voyage takes 10-20 days it will soon cost a lot more than the air fare!
-
For general info on long-distance passenger travel by cargo ship, visit www.geocities.com/freighterman.geo and www.freightertrips.com
-
US agencies booking passenger travel on cargo ships: www.freightercruises.com & www.travltips.com/cruises/freighter/overview.php.
- UK agencies booking passenger travel on cargo ships: www.strandtravelltd.co.uk, www.cruisepeople.co.uk.
- French agency - can sort cross-Med trips to Egypt, for example:
- New Zealand agency booking freighter travel: www.freightertravel.co.nz