Step 2, Innsbruck to Verona,
Bologna or Venice by new generation railjet. Photos courtesy of
@SimplyRailway.
Interior photos courtesy of ΦBB.
|
|
|
Economy class, open saloon. |
|
Restaurant car. |
|
|
|
First class, all in open saloons. |
|
Business class = just four 4-seat
compartments |
|
Mountains on the Brenner route. |
|
|
|
Vineyards, mountains and castles
south of Brenner as the train heads for Trento & Verona.
|
Option 6, Amsterdam to Italy via the Gotthard
route
- with overnight stop in Heidelberg.
-
This route is similar to option 1,
but it can be nicer to split the
journey over two days with a pleasant overnight hotel stop somewhere in Germany.
There are many possible stopover cities - Cologne, Koblenz, Basel. How about the pretty university town of Heidelberg?
-
Step 1, check train times &
buy ticket from Amsterdam to Heidelberg (or Cologne or Koblenz) at
int.bahn.de.
You can find trains taking as little as 4h39 from as little as 37.90.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead. You
print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
-
Stay overnight in Heidelberg.
Check for hotels in Heidelberg near the station.
-
Step 2, travel from Heidelberg (or
Cologne or Koblenz)
to Milan with a change at Basel SBB onto an
ETR610 EuroCity train,
taking around 7h30 through the scenic Gotthard route through the Alps.
The
easiest way to book from Heidelberg to anywhere in Italy is at
www.raileurope.com,
click More options and enter Basel SBB as a via point. You
can pay in , £ or $, there's a small booking fee.
Alternatively, first book from Heidelberg to Basel SBB at
German Railways
int.bahn.de
(in , no booking fee)
then book from Basel to anywhere in Italy at
either www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names,
payment in , $, £, the small
booking fee will be refunded if you email them at
seat61@italiarail.com) or
www.trenitalia.com
(in , requires Italian-language place names,
see advice on using it).
All these sites give print-at-home
tickets for German trains, and it's ticketless for the Basel-Milan and onward
Italian trains, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your
phone.
Option 7, Amsterdam to Italy
via Munich & the scenic Brenner route - with overnight stop in Munich.
-
A convenient and scenic route by
daytime trains with an overnight stop in Munich - in fact, for going to Verona
or Venice by daytime trains this is the route I'd recommend, as easiest,
cheapest and with fewest changes. With a good book and a bottle of
wine, meals in the restaurant on the train, it's a chill out trip.
-
Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Munich on superb German
ICE trains with restaurant
car,
power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
For example, you can leave
Amsterdam Centraal
at 14:38, change at
Frankfurt
(Main) Hbf) and arrive
Munich Hbf at 22:07,
but by all means book an earlier train and spend a pleasant evening in Munich,
the station is just 15 minutes walk from the Marienplatz in the city centre.
If you'd like an afternoon in Munich, from 15 December 2024 a direct
ICE3neo leaves
Amsterdam Centraal
at 08:32, arriving
Munich Hbf
15:28.
Check train times at
the German Railways website
int.bahn.de, but I'll explain how to buy tickets in a minute.
-
Day 2, travel from Munich to
Italy by comfortable
Austrian
railjet train via the scenic Brenner Pass,
see the scenery video here.
A
EuroCity train leaves Munich Hbf at
07:34 for Verona
Porta Nuova. On Mondays-Fridays it runs direct to
Bologna Centrale, on Saturdays & Sundays it runs direct to
Venice Santa Lucia
arriving 14:28. For Florence, Rome & Naples you'd change at Bologna on
Mondays-Fridays or at Verona on Saturdays & Sundays.
A
railjet train leaves Munich Hbf at 09:34 for Verona
& Bologna, extended to Rimini from late May to early September. Change at Verona for Venice, change at Bologna for Florence, Rome,
Naples.
A
railjet train leaves
Munich Hbf at 11:33
for Verona & Venice, arriving
Venice Santa Lucia on the banks of the
Grand Canal at 18:25. Change at
Verona Porta Nuova for
Florence, Rome & Naples.
The
railjets have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
-
How much does it cost?
Amsterdam to Verona, Bologna or Venice
when using a direct train from
Munich starts at 46.90 in 2nd class, 99.90 in 1st class.
Verona to Venice or Florence starts at
19.90 in 2nd class or 29.90 in 1st class.
Verona to Rome or Naples starts at
29.90 in 2nd class or 39.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
-
How to buy tickets
You can buy
all your tickets together in one place at
www.raileurope.com, in
plain English, in , £ or $, there's just a small booking fee.
German & Austrian trains open for booking
up to 6 months ahead. Onward
Italian trains may only
opens 4 months ahead.
First book from Amsterdam to Munich for day 1 and add to basket.
Then book from Munich to Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples (or anywhere
else in Italy) for day 2.
If
you are using a direct train from Munich to Verona, Bologna or Venice (read
the train times above carefully!), no special instructions are necessary.
But if you are travelling from Munich to Italy with a change of train, for
example Munich to Venice on the 09:34 with a change of train in Verona, or
from Munich to Florence or Rome on the 09:34 with a change of train in
Bologna, then before running the enquiry you must click More options
and enter the name of the interchange point (Verona Porta Nuova
in most cases, or Bologna Centrale if using the 07:34 from Munich to
Florence, Rome or Naples on weekdays, or the 09:34 Munich to Florence, Rome
or Naples on any day of the week) with a stopover duration of 45 minutes to
ensure a robust connection.
Raileurope.com connects to both the Trenitalia and DB systems so can source
both tickets either side of Verona (or Bologna) as one transaction.
You print your own ticket for the Austrian EuroCity train or can show it on
your phone, for the Italian high-speed train it's ticketless, you simply
print out your booking reference or show it on your phone. Easy!
-
How to buy tickets, cheaper
way
It's a bit cheaper to buy tickets at the German Railways
website
int.bahn.de
as there's no booking fee, and a through ticket from Amsterdam to Verona,
Bologna or Venice with an overnight stop in Munich added using Bahn.de's clever
Add intermediate stop feature is cheaper than buying separate tickets
Amsterdam-Munich and Munich-Verona/Bologna/Venice (which is what you'd get at
www.raileurope.com)
To get the overnight stop in Munich, before running the enquiry click Stopovers, enter Munich Hbf and a suitable
length of stay, say 10 hours. Adjust the departure time
and length of stay to get the trains you want either side of Munich.
Some trial and error may be needed!
I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings
or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone or laptop.
Then add the connecting Italian train from Verona (or from Bologna, if using the
07:34 from Munich on weekdays, or the 09:34 from Munich any day of the week) to
Florence, Rome, Naples or wherever at either
www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, their
3.50
booking fee will be refunded if you email them afterwards at
seat61@italiarail.com) or Italian Railways own website
www.trenitalia.com
(requires Italian language place names,
a bit more fiddly so
read this
advice on using it first).
Option 8, Amsterdam to Italy via Paris from 64. Fast & comfortable,
but involves
crossing Paris by metro or taxi
-
Day 1, travel from Paris to Italy by
Frecciarossa,
leaving Paris Gare de
Lyon 15:12, arriving Turin Porta Susa
21:18 &
Milan Centrale
22:07.
Trenitalia's
high-speed Frecciarossa has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
It's a scenic journey through the Alps,
see the Paris-Milan
page showing train & scenery.
Update: The direct Paris-Milan line via Modane was blocked by a
landslide in August 2023, and remains blocked in 2024. Until further
notice, all direct Paris-Milan trains are cancelled. Please use
alternative routes.
More
information.
-
Stay overnight in Turin or Milan.
Both cities make a great stopover, but Turin is lovely.
In Turin I suggest the
Hotel Torino Porta Susa or
Hotel Diplomatic or small
Al Porta Susa B&B,
all right next to
Turin Porta Susa
station where the Frecciarossa arrives and where your
onward train leaves next morning, with good or great reviews.
Alternatively, the excellent
Turin Palace Hotel
is in the centre right next to Porta Nuova station. It's a 7 minute taxi
ride, 3-stop 1.50 metro ride or 20 minute walk from Porta Susa, but next
morning you can board your train to Venice, Florence, Rome or Naples at Porta
Nuova station where these trains start their journey.
In
Milan, affordable hotels & guesthouses with good or great reviews just outside
Milan Centrale include the
Hotel Bristol,
Hotel Bernina,
43 Station Hotel,
B&B Hotel Milano Central Station,
Guesthouse Teodora.
-
Day 2, take an onward train from
Turin or Milan to Venice, Florence, Rome or Napes, with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free
WiFi. Milan to Venice only takes 2h35, Milan to Florence 1h40, Milan to
Rome 2h55.
-
How much does it cost?
Amsterdam to Paris start at 35 in 2nd class (standard) or 79 in 1st class
(comfort).
Paris to Turin or Milan start at 29 in
2nd class (standard), 36 in 1st class (business) or 165 in executive class
with food included.
Turin or Milan to Venice or
Florence starts at 19.90 in 2nd class or 29.90 in 1st class.
Turin or Milan to Rome or Naples
starts at 29.90 in 2nd class or 39.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
-
How to buy tickets
Buy
at www.raileurope.com
or
www.thetrainline.com
as you can then buy all your tickets together in one place, in plain English, in
, £ or £, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee.
Booking
for each of these trains normally opens 4 months ahead.
First book Amsterdam to Turin or Milan and add to basket. You can book
this as one journey, but I recommend clicking More options and entering
Paris as a via station with a stopover duration of at least 1
hour. You should always allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Paris,
ideally more. Then book from Turin or Milan to your Italian destination
for the following day, add to basket and check out.
You can also book Amsterdam-Paris
at French Railways website
www.sncf-connect.com with no booking fee, then the onward Italian Frecciarossa from Paris
to Turin or Milan at
www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, their
3.50
booking fee will be refunded if you email them afterwards at
seat61@italiarail.com) or Italian Railways own website
www.trenitalia.com
(requires Italian language place names,
a bit more fiddly so
read this
advice on using it first).
-
Alternatively, travel
Amsterdam-Paris on day 1, stay overnight, then travel Paris-Italy on day 2
Take an early evening
Eurostar (formerly Thalys) from
Amsterdam Centraal
to
Paris Gare du Nord,
stay overnight in Paris (see suggested
hotels near the Gare du Nord & Gare de Lyon), then take the early
morning Frecciarossa leaving
Paris Gare de Lyon
at 07:25 for Turin & Milan (see
the timetable here). Change in
Milan Centrale for
Venice, Florence, Rome or Naples.
Book this at
www.raileurope.com as
follows: First book from Amsterdam to Paris, add to basket, then book from
Paris to Italy for the following day, add to basket & check out.
Back to top
Amsterdam to
Barcelona, Madrid & Spain from 74
Option 1, Amsterdam to Barcelona
in a single day. Onwards to Madrid, Alicante, Malaga, Granada or Seville
next day
-
Step 2, travel from Paris to
Barcelona by
TGV Duplex,
leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at
14:42 arriving Barcelona Sants
at 21:27.
This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck
TGV Duplex
has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I recommend an
upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.
It's a scenic ride, the train passes
Bιziers
cathedral, flamingos on the lakes between Montpelier & Narbonne, the historic
Fort de Salses right by the tracks before Perpignan, with great views of the
imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees,
see more photos & information about the journey.
Fares start at 39 in 2nd class
or 59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
-
Step 3, travel from Barcelona to
other Spanish destinations next morning.
For Madrid:
AVE S103 high-speed
trains link Barcelona Sants
with Madrid Atocha
every hour or two in as little as 2h30 from 35.
For Granada: Leave
Barcelona Sants at 06:45 by
AVE 112 high-speed
train arriving Granada at 13:10.
For Malaga: Leave
Barcelona Sants at
08:35 by AVE S103
high-speed train arriving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 14:51.
For Cordoba & Seville:
Leave
Barcelona Sants at
08:35 by AVE
S103 high-speed train arriving Cordoba 13:42 &
Seville Santa
Justa
14:32.
For Valencia & Alicante:
Euromed trains link Barcelona Sants
with Valencia & Alicante regularly through the day,
for example one leaves
Barcelona Sants at
07:15 Mondays-Saturdays arriving
Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 10:10 & Alicante 12:38
or at 10:15 every day arriving
Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 13:13 & Alicante 15:32.
For Santiago de Compostela, A
Coruna & Vigo, there's a morning
Alvia train to Galicia,
see
details here.
-
How to buy tickets
Book at
www.raileurope.com or
www.thetrainline.com.
These sites can book from Amsterdam to Barcelona in one go as one easy transaction
with print-your-own tickets for both trains, and they connect to the Spanish Railways (Renfe)
system to sell onward
tickets in Spain.
You can use
www.raileurope.com
or
www.thetrainline.com
wherever you live, overseas credit cards no problem. There's a small
booking fee.
Booking for Eurostar & the TGV
usually
opens 4 months ahead. Spanish domestic trains
open for booking 60 days
ahead, but this varies greatly and it can be less or more than this.
First book from Amsterdam to
Barcelona. In the search results, look for an option with just 1
change.
Tip: If you want to
stopover a few hours for lunch in Paris when using
www.raileurope.com, just click More options and
enter Paris, with a duration of however many hours you want. In fact,
I'd click More options and enter Paris anyway, as
it'll then show separate prices either side of Paris and you can upgrade to
1st class if it's cheap to do so on one leg or the other, without having to
upgrade throughout. I'd allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Paris,
ideally more - by default, the system allows as little as 40 minutes.
If you are
heading for Madrid, Malaga, Seville, Cordoba, Valencia or Alicante, first
add the Amsterdam-Barcelona journey to your basket, then book Barcelona to
your chosen Spanish destination for the following day, add this to your basket and check out,
paying for both tickets as one transaction.
-
Alternatively, you can
book each train separately direct with the relevant operator, avoiding any
booking fee, although this takes more effort and is unlikely to make it any
cheaper. It's easier to book everything together in plain English at
www.raileurope.com or
www.thetrainline.com!
Book the Amsterdam-Paris Eurostar at
www.sncf-connect.com with print-at-home tickets;
Then
book the Paris-Barcelona TGV at
www.sncf-connect.com
with print-your-own or show-on phone tickets,
Then book onward
trains within Spain at www.renfe.com
(no booking fee, but very fiddly and may reject some overseas payment cards,
see
advice on using it here) - easier to use
www.raileurope.com
or
www.thetrainline.com
(in , £ or $, small booking fee) or
www.petrabax.com
(in $, small mark-up).
Step 1, Amsterdam to Paris by
Eurostar. More about
Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
|
The train sweeps across the Moerdijk Bridge over the Hollands Diep
one lazy evening, between Rotterdam & Antwerp. |
Step 2, Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex. Here, a TGV Duplex is boarding at
Paris Gare de Lyon.
More
about the Paris-Barcelona journey.
|
|
|
Cafe-bar on
upper deck in car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks &
microwave-style hot dishes. |
|
2nd class seats on the upper deck. There's a mix or tables for 4 and
unidirectional seating.
360Ί photo. |
|
|
|
1st
class upper deck seats, club duo on the left, a club quatre on the right.
360Ί photo. |
|
TGV Duplex at Barcelona. The
1 near the door indicates 1st class, a 2
indicates 2nd class. |
|
|
|
Dinner from the cafe-bar. |
|
View from the train, passing
Bιziers. |
Mt Canigou & the Pyrenees.
One of the highest peaks in the mighty Pyrenees, the 2,784m (9,137 feet) high Mt
Canigou dominates the skyline on the right all the way from Perpignan to Girona,
see
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canigou.
Option 2, Amsterdam to Paris,
stay overnight in Paris, Paris to Barcelona & Spain next day
-
Stay overnight in Paris.
The
Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon is part of the Gare de Lyon station complex,
ideal for an early train next morning.
See other suggested
hotels near the Gare du Nord & Gare de Lyon.
-
Day 2, travel from Paris to
Barcelona by
TGV Duplex, leaving
Paris Gare de Lyon at
09:42 and arriving Barcelona Sants
16:31.
From 15 December
2024 the timetable changes, leave
Paris Gare de Lyon
at 07:42, arriving Barcelona Sants
14:29.
This impressive 320 km/h (199
mph) double-deck
TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. It's a comfortable & scenic journey
- I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views,
click
here for the sights to see from the train on the way.
Fares start at 39 in 2nd class
or 59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
-
Day 2, travel from Barcelona to
Madrid, Valencia, Alicante and so on by high-speed train.
Until 14 December 2024:
A high-speed
AVE leaves
Barcelona Sants at
18:25, arriving Madrid
Atocha 20:55, with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
A fast
Euromed
train leaves
Barcelona Sants at
18:15 arriving
Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 21:07 & Alicante 23:40.
For Granada, Seville, Cordoba &
Malaga, stay in Barcelona overnight, I recommend the
Hotel Barcelo Sants
inside the station. Next morning direct
high-speed AVE trains
leave
Barcelona Sants at
06:45 for Granada and 08:35 for Cordoba,
Seville Santa
Justa & Malaga Maria Zambrano.
From 15 December 2024:
For Madrid, a high-speed
AVE leaves
Barcelona Sants at
15:25 Mondays-Fridays, arriving Madrid
Atocha 17:55.
Another
AVE leaves
Barcelona Sants at
16:00 every day, arriving Madrid
Atocha 19:12.
For Cordoba & Seville, a high-speed
AVE leaves
Barcelona Sants at
15:15, arriving Cordoba 20:10,
Seville Santa
Justa 21:25.
For Malaga, a high-speed
AVE leaves
Barcelona Sants at
15:15, arriving Malaga Maria
Zambrano 21:45.
For Valencia & Alicante, a fast
Euromed
train leaves
Barcelona Sants at
16:10 arriving
Valencia Joaquin Sorolla
19:02 & Alicante 21:34.
All these trains have a cafe-bar,
power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
-
How to buy tickets
The easiest way to book from
Amsterdam to Spain is at
www.raileurope.com.
This connects to both French Railways for
Eurostar & TGV and to Spanish Railways
(Renfe) for onward tickets within Spain. You can use it wherever you live
as all overseas credit cards are accepted, fares in , £ or $, small booking fee.
Booking for Eurostar & TGV
usually opens 4
months ahead, booking for Spanish trains
opens 60 days ahead,
but it varies and it can be fewer.
First book from Amsterdam to
Paris, picking any direct Eurostar train you like. Add this to your
basket.
Now book from Paris to
Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, Seville, Valencia or Alicante as one journey.
In the search results, look for Paris-Barcelona options with 0 changes, or
Paris to Madrid/Malaga/Seville/Valencia/Alicante options with 1 change in
Barcelona. Add this to your basket and check out, paying for both
journeys as one transaction.
-
Alternatively, you can
book each train separately, although this takes more effort and is unlikely
to make it materially cheaper:
Book the Amsterdam-Paris Eurostar & Paris-Barcelona TGV at
www.sncf-connect.com with
print-at-home or show-on-phone tickets.
Book onward
trains within Spain at www.renfe.com
(in , more fiddly, may reject some overseas payment cards,
see
advice on using it here) or much easier to use alternative sites
www.thetrainline.com
(in , £ or $, small booking fee) or
www.petrabax.com
(in US$, small mark-up).
Option 3, Amsterdam to Paris by
Eurostar, a French sleeper train to the Spanish border, then onward Spanish trains
-
Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Paris by Eurostar
(formerly Thalys), leaving
Amsterdam Centraal
at 16:15 daily except Saturdays arriving
Paris Nord
at 19:35.
Or any day of the week, leave
Amsterdam Centraal
at 15:15 arriving
Paris Gare du Nord
at 18:35 with time for dinner in Paris.
Eurostars run at up to 300 km/h with 3 classes, power sockets at all
seats & free WiFi,
see more about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
Fares start at 35 in 2nd class or 79 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at
www.raileurope.com or
www.thetrainline.com, both easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem,
small booking fee. They sell
tickets for multiple operators so you can keep all your European train
bookings together in one place.
About
Raileurope.
About Thetrainline.
Alternatively, you can buy tickets at the Dutch Railways website
www.nsinternational.nl
(which can also book connecting trains within the Netherlands, for example
Arnhem-Paris) or the French Railways website
www.sncf-connect.com (in , no
booking fee).
Cross Paris by metro or taxi
from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon.
-
Step 2, travel overnight from
Paris to Latour de Carol in the heart of the Pyrenees or from Paris to
Cerbθre on the Spanish border by French sleeper train, leaving
Paris Gare
d'Austerlitz around 21:00. Then take a local train from Latour or
Cerbθre to Barcelona Sants
arriving at lunchtime.
See the Paris to Barcelona by sleeper train page for details, prices,
tips & how to buy tickets.
-
Step 3, travel from Barcelona to
other Spanish destinations in the afternoon.
For Madrid:
AVE-S103 high-speed
trains link Barcelona Sants
with Madrid Atocha
every hour or two in as little as 2h30 from 35, check times at
www.raileurope.com or
www.thetrainline.com.
For Cordoba, Seville & Malaga:
Take the direct AVE
S103 high-speed train
leaving Barcelona Sants
at 15:15 arriving Cordoba, Seville Santa
Justa & Malaga Maria Zambrano in the evening. Fares
start at around 45.
For Valencia & Alicante:
A Euromed train
leaves Barcelona Sants
at 16:10 arriving
Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 19:02 and Alicante at 21:34.
Fares start from 23, check times at
www.raileurope.com or
www.thetrainline.com.
Book Spanish trains at
www.raileurope.com or
www.thetrainline.com
(both easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small
booking fee) or www.renfe.com
(much more fiddly, in ,
see my advice before using it). I'd allow at least 1 hour between
trains in Barcelona. Spanish trains should
open for
booking 60 days ahead, but it varies and can be less than this.
Back to top
-
Step 2, travel from
Paris Gare Montparnasse
to Hendaye on the Spanish border by high-speed double-deck
TGV
Duplex Ocιane in around 4h40.
The TGV has a
cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 25 in 2nd class or
45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
-
For example:
Leave Amsterdam Central
at 06:15 Mondays-Fridays, change in Paris, arriving Hendaye at 16:47.
Leave
Amsterdam Central
at 09:15 on Saturdays, change in Paris, arriving Hendaye at 18:47.
Leave
Amsterdam Central
at 11:15 daily except Saturdays, change in Paris, arriving Hendaye at 20:47.
-
Buy tickets from Amsterdam to
Hendaye at
www.raileurope.com.
In the search results, look for journeys with just 1 change.
If you'd like longer in Paris
(I recommend allowing at least 70 minutes between trains, by default the system
allows as little as 40),
click More options, enter Paris (any station) and a desired
stopover duration.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own tickets or can select a mobile ticket to show on your phone.
Buy the ticket
from Hendaye to San
Sebastian at the Euskotren station in Hendaye from the
ticket machines or staffed counter, with cash or card.
Alternatively, book Amsterdam-Paris & Paris-Hendaye at
the French Railways website
www.sncf-connect.com (in , no
booking fee).
-
See
the Paris to San Sebastian page for more details, including tips for the
Paris-Hendaye-San Sebastian journey, with photos showing the location of the
Euskotren station at Hendaye.
Back to top
Balearia ferry in Ibiza harbour.
Courtesy of
Discoverbyrail.com.
Back to top
-
Day 2, travel from Barcelona to
Algeciras, leaving Barcelona
Sants at 08:35 by
high-speed AVE train,
change at
Antequera-Santa Ana onto a 15:09 Media Distancia train arriving
San Roque-La Linea 18:07 & Algeciras 18:23.
The high-speed AVE
is air-conditioned with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
There's great scenery both on the high-speed line between Barcelona and
Antequera and on the classic line twisting through the hills from Antequera to
Algeciras, the Spanish town across the bay from Gibraltar. The Media
Distancia is air-conditioned, but bring your own food & drink.
Fares start at
around 70.
Buy tickets at
www.raileurope.com
or
www.thetrainline.com, both easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee, or at the Spanish Railways website
www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, may reject
some overseas credit cards,
see
this advice on using it first). You print your own tickets.
Booking should
open 60 days ahead but this varies.
-
Day 2, take a bus or taxi
from Algeciras to la Linea & walk into Gibraltar.
A taxi from Algeciras railway station to La Linea costs 24.75 and takes
about 22 minutes. Taxis don't use the meter on this run, and aren't
normally allowed to cross the border into Gibraltar.
To go by bus, cross the roundabout outside Algeciras railway
station and enter the San Bernado bus station, then take bus M-120 to La Linea for around 2.50. Bus M-120 runs every 30 minutes Mon-Fri at xx.00 and
xx.30 past each hour or every 45 minutes at weekends, journey time about 45
minutes to La Linea, for bus information see
siu.ctmcg.es.
La Linea is the Spanish town
outside the border crossing to Gibraltar, and La Linea's bus stop
and taxi rank are right outside the entrance to Gibraltar.
Walk through the Spanish then UK passport checkpoints into
Gibraltar (5-10 minutes). Then either (a) keep walking straight
ahead of you into Gibraltar town, it's takes about 15 minutes to the centre or
(b) take a frequent local Gibraltar bus from the border into town or (c) look for the taxi stop on the right just
after the passport check and wait for a taxi to your hotel
for a few pounds - Gibraltar taxis will accept euros.
The walk from the border to Gibraltar's Main Street takes
you across Gibraltar airport's runway, though they stop cars
and pedestrians when an aircraft is landing or taking off!
Map of Algeciras - La Linea - Gibraltar area.
-
Or take a taxi/bus from San Roque-La
Linea
station:
The closest station to Gibraltar is actually San Roque-La
Linea, and all trains to Algeciras call here around 20 minutes
before arriving at Algeciras. So if you prefer, you can get off here and
take a taxi to La Linea, or walk the 1.6 km (1 mile) to the Bar La Redonda bus stop
on the main road on the M-120 bus route from
Algeciras to La Linea. Buses run to La Linea every 30 minutes
weekdays, every 45 minutes weekends. Taxis are usually available outside
San Roque station, San Roque
to the La Linea/Gibraltar border is about 16 km (10 miles) and it takes just
over 30 minutes depending on traffic.
-
How much does it cost?
Amsterdam to Paris starts at 35
in 2nd class or 79 in 1st class.
Paris to Barcelona starts at 39
in 2nd class or 59 in 1st class.
Barcelona to Madrid starts at 38
in standard class or 45 in comfort class.
Madrid to Algeciras starts at 25 in
standard class or 38
in comfort class.
Fares vary like
air fares, so book ahead.
-
How to buy the train
tickets
You can buy all your tickets
together at
www.raileurope.com or
www.thetrainline.com, both easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards
no problem, small booking fee.
First book from Amsterdam to
Barcelona, add this to your basket, then book Barcelona to Madrid and Madrid to
Algeciras for the following
day, add each of these to your basket & check out.
Booking for Eurostar & TGV
opens up to 4
months ahead, for the AVE & Intercity train
60 days ahead,
but it varies. You print your own tickets.
Alternatively, you can book from
Amsterdam to Barcelona at the French Railways website
www.sncf-connect.com (in , no
booking fee) then book Barcelona to Madrid and Madrid to
Algeciras at the Spanish Railways website
www.renfe.com (in , much
more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards,
see this advice on using it), you'll find
www.raileurope.com or
www.thetrainline.com much easier to use.
|
An Intercity train (formerly
branded Altaria), at Madrid Atocha. |
|
|
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Standard class seats. |
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Comfort class seats. |
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Cafe-bar. |
|
Algeciras station, across
the road from the bus station. |
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Bus M-120
boarding at Algeciras bus station |
|
Rock of
Gibraltar, seen from a taxi near La Linea. |
Back to top
Amsterdam to Lisbon, Porto &
Portugal from 122
Option 1, Amsterdam to Lisbon via Barcelona & Madrid.
-
Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Paris by Eurostar
(formerly Thalys), leaving
Amsterdam Centraal
at 18:15, arriving
Paris Gare du Nord
21:35.
By all means take an earlier
train and spend some time in Paris, there's a train every hour or two.
Eurostars run at up to 300 km/h with 3 classes, power sockets at all
seats & free WiFi,
see more about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
Fares start at 35 in 2nd class or 79 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at
www.raileurope.com
or www.thetrainline.com
(easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small
booking fee) or French Railways website
www.sncf-connect.com (in , no
booking fee). You print your own ticket or can choose a mobile
ticket.
Using
Raileurope or
Thetrainline allows
you to book your tickets in one place as they connect to both the SNCF &
Renfe ticketing systems.
Change stations
from the Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon by metro or taxi.
-
Day 2, travel from Barcelona
to Madrid by
AVE high-speed train
with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Until 14 December 2024,
leave Barcelona Sants
at 18:25, arriving
Madrid Atocha 20:55, with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
From 15 December 2024,
leave Barcelona Sants
at 15:25 Mondays-Fridays, arriving
Madrid Atocha
17:55. Another
AVE leaves
Barcelona Sants at 16:00 every day, arriving
Madrid Atocha 19:12.
Fares start at 38
in Standard class or 45 in Comfort class. Fares work like air fares, so
book ahead.
Book this at
www.raileurope.com
or
www.thetrainline.com. Booking for Spanish trains
normally opens 60 days ahead, but
it varies & can be less than this.
-
Stay overnight in Madrid.
The classic
Hotel Mediodia is across the road from Atocha with good reviews, or try the
NH Hotel Madrid Atocha or
Only YOU Hotel Atocha, also across the road from the station.
-
Day 3,
travel from Madrid to
Lisbon by daytime trains as
shown on the Madrid to Lisbon page.
Option 2, Amsterdam to Porto &
Lisbon via San Sebastian & Vigo - slightly slower, can be cheaper
-
Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to
San Sebastian as shown above. For example:
Leave
Amsterdam Central
at 06:15 Mondays-Fridays by
Eurostar,
change in Paris,
then take a
TGV
Duplex Ocιane to Hendaye arriving 16:47.
Leave
Amsterdam Central
at 09:15 on Saturdays by
Eurostar,
change in Paris,
then take a
TGV
Duplex Ocιane to Hendaye arriving 18:47.
Leave
Amsterdam Central
at 11:15 daily except Saturdays by
Eurostar,
change in Paris,
take a
TGV
Duplex Ocιane to Hendaye arriving 20:47.
The impressive double-deck
TGV Duplex
Ocιane has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I
recommend an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper
deck. Hendaye is on the French side of the Spanish border.
Book this at
www.raileurope.com
or
www.thetrainline.com.
Booking opens
up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile
ticket on your phone.
Transfer from Hendaye to San Sebastian
Amara by half-hourly local
Euskotren as shown above, journey time 37 minutes.
In San Sebastian it's an easy 10-minute walk from Euskotren's
Amara station to the
Renfe station,
see walking
route.
-
Stay overnight in San Sebastian.
The
Pension Regil is close to the old town with great reviews, 10 minutes walk
from the Renfe station, 7 minutes walk from the Amara Euskotren station.
If you want something in the old town itself, try the
Pension Garibai or
Pension Alameda. If you want to push the boat out, San Sebastian's most
venerable hotel (which I can recommend personally, having stayed there) is the
Hotel de Londres y Inglaterra, on the sea front.
-
Day 2, travel across Spain from
San Sebastian to Vigo on one of these two possible departures:
Morning departure, every day: Travel from San Sebastian to Madrid by
Alvia train, leaving
San Sebastian
Renfe station at 09:02, arriving
Madrid Chamartin at
13:56. Then travel from Madrid to Vigo by
Alvia train,
leaving Madrid Chamartin
at 16:00 and arriving Vigo Urzaiz at 20:12. The comfortable high-speed
Alvia trains have a cafe-bar, standard & comfort class.
Vigo Urzaiz is an
easy 10 minute 500m walk from
Vigo Guixar,
see how to walk
between stations using the halo lift.
Afternoon departure, Wednesdays, Fridays & Sundays only: Spend the morning in San
Sebastian. An
Intercity train leaves
San Sebastian
Renfe station at 11:58 arriving
Vitoria/Gasteiz at 13:43. This is a guaranteed connection into the
Barcelona-Galicia Alvia train which leaves Vitoria/Gasteiz at 14:03 on
Wednesdays, Fridays & Sundays arriving
Vigo Guixar at 23:35.
San Sebastian to Vigo starts at
23 each way. The price varies, book ahead for the cheaper prices.
Book this at
www.raileurope.com
or
www.thetrainline.com.
Booking for Spanish trains should open 60 days ahead, but
it varies & can be less.
Tip: If using the
daily departure with a change in Madrid, you might need to treat San
Sebastian-Madrid & Madrid-Vigo as separate bookings.
-
Stay overnight in Vigo.
The NH Collection Vigo hotel & cheaper
Hotel Atlantico Vigo are both near the station with great reviews.
-
Day 3, travel from Vigo to Porto
by Celta regional
express, leaving
Vigo Guixar at 08:58 arriving
Porto Campanhγ at
10:20.
The fare is 15.90, fixed price.
Book this at
www.raileurope.com
or
www.thetrainline.com,
Booking opens 60 days ahead, but
it varies and can be less.
Back to top
Amsterdam to
Faro & the Algarve
Option 1, Amsterdam to Faro using a bus from
Seville to Faro - fastest & easiest
-
Day 1, travel from Amsterdam
to Paris by
Eurostar then Paris to Barcelona on the afternoon
TGV, as shown in the Amsterdam to Barcelona
section.
-
Stay overnight in Barcelona.
The
Hotel Barcelo Sants
is top choice here, it's located above Barcelona Sants station itself and gets great
reviews, with nice rooms, a great breakfast buffet and a delightfully kitsch
space theme. Alternatively, the
Nobu Hotel and
AC
Sants Hotel by Marriot are both just across the road from the station.
Other suggested hotels near the station.
-
Day 2, travel from Barcelona to
Seville by AVE
high-speed train, then from Seville to Faro by bus,
as shown in
the Barcelona to Faro section.
The Alsa bus from Seville to Faro takes 3h15 and leaves from right outside
Seville Santa
Justa station, making connections easy.
Option 2, Amsterdam to Faro via
Lisbon - a longer way round, but all-train.
Back to top
Option 1, Amsterdam to Andorra in
a day
-
Step 1, travel from Amsterdam
to Paris by Eurostar
(formerly Thalys), leaving
Amsterdam Centraal at 09:15, arriving
Paris Gare du Nord
12:35.
Eurostars run at up to 300 km/h with 3 classes, power sockets at all
seats & free WiFi, see
more about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
Fares start from 35 in 2nd class (standard) or 72 in 1st
class (comfort). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at
www.raileurope.com
or www.thetrainline.com
(easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small
booking fee) or French Railways website
www.sncf-connect.com (in , no
booking fee).
Booking opens
up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can choose a mobile
ticket.
Change stations in
Paris by metro or taxi. Always allow at least 60 minutes between
trains in Paris, but the longer the better.
-
Step 2, travel from Paris to
Toulouse by
high-speed
TGV, leaving
Paris Montparnasse
at 15:11 arriving Toulouse Matabiau 19:29.
Fares start
at 25
in 2nd class or 45 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at
www.raileurope.com
or www.thetrainline.com
(easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small
booking fee) or French Railways website
www.sncf-connect.com (in , no
booking fee). You print your own ticket or can choose a mobile
ticket.
Have dinner in Toulouse.
-
Step 3, travel from Toulouse
Matabiau to Andorra la Vella by bus, taking 4 hours, fare 33.
There are 3 services every day run by Andbus, check times at
Andbus.net
or Omio.com.
I'd allow at least an hour between train and bus in Toulouse, just in case of
delay. There's normally a bus leaving Toulouse Matabiau at 21:45 arriving Andorra
01:45.
The buses leave from bus stand 15 inside the Gare Routiθre (bus station)
immediately outside Toulouse Matabiau station. Simply walk out of the
station onto the forecourt and look to your right. The bus station is the
modern building with the glass-and-blue-framework upper section, see the photos
below.
Book the bus ticket at
Andbus.net
or Omio.com.
Paris to Toulouse by TGV Duplex:
This is a TGV Duplex at
Paris
Gare Montparnasse. Click the images
below for larger photos.
TGV Ocιane cafe-bar (above
left) and 2nd class seats (above right).
TGV Ocιane 1st class seats. All 1st class seats
(except the end ones) rotate to face direction of travel. There are USB & 2-pin
outlets above each drop-down table.
|
|
|
Toulouse to Andorra
by bus, seen at bus stand 15. The bus station is right next to the
rail station. |
|
Bus station in Toulouse Matabiau
forecourt. Photos courtesy of Andrew McIntyre. |
Option 2, Amsterdam to Andorra
using the Paris-Toulouse-l'Hospitalet overnight train
-
Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Paris by Eurostar
(formerly Thalys), leaving
Amsterdam Centraal at 16:15, arriving
Paris Gare du Nord
19:35.
Eurostars run at up to 300 km/h with 3 classes, power sockets at all
seats & free WiFi.
More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
Fares start
at 35 in 2nd class (standard) or 72 in 1st
class (comfort). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at
www.raileurope.com
or www.thetrainline.com
(easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small
booking fee) or French Railways website
www.sncf-connect.com (in , no
booking fee). You print your own ticket or can choose a mobile
ticket.
Change stations in
Paris by metro or taxi. Always allow at least 90 minutes between
trains in Paris when catching a sleeper you don't want to miss. Indeed, I
recommend booking an earlier Eurostar and having dinner at the
Train Bleu restaurant
at the Gare de Lyon
before strolling across the bridge over the River Seine to the
Gare d'Austerlitz.
-
Step 2, travel from Paris to
either Toulouse or Andorre-l'Hospitalet by
Intercitι
de Nuit, leaving
Paris Gare
d'Austerlitz at 21:40 arriving Toulouse Matabiau at 06:30 or
Andorre-l'Hospitalet at
09:42. Exact times may vary.
The train has 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes & 2nd
class seats.
More about
Intercitι de
Nuit.
Fares start at 29 in a 2nd class couchette or 60 in a 1st class couchette.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
The Paris-L'Hospitalet night train should run daily all year, but there are
occasional dates or periods when it doesn't run due to track work, so check for
your date of travel. It also has an annoying habit of opening late for
booking, less than the expected 4 months ahead, so don't be too impatient.
If the Paris-l'Hospitalet train is not running on your date of travel, check
Paris to Toulouse instead.
Buy
tickets at
www.raileurope.com or
www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards
no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website
www.sncf-connect.com (in , no
booking fee).
Booking opens
up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can choose a mobile
ticket.
Tip: If getting off in Toulouse, I can recommend the breakfast
buffet at the
Pullman Hotel, a few minutes walk from the station.
-
Step 3 if you go via Toulouse
(slower, longer road journey, but cheaper): Travel from Toulouse to
Andorra by bus.
A bus run by Andbus
(Andbus.net)
typically leaves Toulouse at 09:45, arriving Andorra la Vella bus station at
14:00. Check current times at
Andbus.net,
I'd allow at least an hour between train and bus in Toulouse in case of delay.
The bus leaves from bus stand 15 inside the Gare Routiθre (bus station)
immediately outside Toulouse Matabiau station. Simply walk out of the
station onto the forecourt and look to your right. The bus station is the
modern building with the glass-and-blue-framework upper section, see the photos
below.
Book the bus at
Andbus.net
or Omio.com.
The fare is around 36 one-way.
-
Step 3 if you go via l'Hospitalet
(fastest, more rail & less road, but with expense of a taxi): Enjoy the
scenic train ride into the Pyrenees to l'Hospitalet, then travel
from l'Hospitalet to Andorra la Vella by road,
see the London to Andorra page for taxi
details.
|
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2nd class 6-berth couchettes. |
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A cosy
2nd class couchette. |
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1st class couchette, made up for the night. |
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1st class 4-berth couchettes. |
|
If you choose to go via
l'Hospitalet, you stay on the sleeper train as it climbs into the Pyrenees south
of Toulouse. This is Foix, between Toulouse & l'Hospitalet.
The castle is on the right just south of the station. |
|
Beyond Foix, the sleeper train
climbs higher into the mountains. |
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...and arrives at Andorre-l'Hospitalet station, pictured above right. |
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Road transport to Andorra.
This is a Toulouse to Andorra bus at Toulouse bus stand 15. |
|
The bus station in Toulouse
Matabiau forecourt. Photo courtesy of Andrew McIntyre. |
Back to top
Amsterdam to Cologne, Frankfurt or anywhere in
Germany
from 18.90
-
Fares start at 18.90 to Cologne, from 27.90 to Frankfurt or 37.90 to anywhere else in Germany
in 2nd class.
1st class fares start
at 49.90 to Cologne, 59.90 to Frankfurt or 69.90 to anywhere else in Germany.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
-
Buy tickets at the German Railways website
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
You print your own ticket
(on A4 paper, US Letter size is fine) or can show it on your laptop or phone.
I recommend registering when prompted so
you can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings.
You can also book at the Dutch Railways international site
www.nsinternational.nl.
-
Tip: Amsterdam-Frankfurt
ICE trains cross the Rhine before
entering
Cologne Hbf,
with the impressive towers of Cologne cathedral visible on the left right next
to the station. The train then leaves the same way it came in, re-crossing
the Rhine before turning southwards. Don't be surprised when your train
changes direction at Cologne, and crosses the same Rhine bridge twice!
An ICE3neo at
Amsterdam Centraal, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
More
about ICE trains.
|
|
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2nd class seats on an ICE3neo.
Larger photo. |
|
Lunch and a beer! |
Back to top
Option 1, Amsterdam to Berlin by
Intercity train - the daytime option
-
Every two hours, a comfortable
InterCity train leaves
Amsterdam Centraal for
Osnabruck
(2h52), Hanover (4h02) &
Berlin Hbf
(5h52).
Trains are
the best option on this route, they're centre to centre
with no check-in or airport hassle. The trains have plenty of space
for luggage and a refreshment trolley.
-
Fares
start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air
fares, so book ahead.
-
Buy tickets at the German
Railways website
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, rather than booking as a guest, so
you can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings. You print
your own ticket (on A4 paper, or US Letter size is fine) or can show it on your laptop or phone.
Amsterdam to Berlin by
Intercity train.
More about these Intercity trains.
Option 2, Amsterdam to Berlin by
European
Sleeper - the overnight option, 3 times a week
The
European Sleeper. This is
a 5-berth couchette car, beyond is a stainless-steel
sleeping-car. Click the
interior photos for larger images.
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Private sleeper, can be set up as
1, 2 or 3 bed. |
|
5-berth couchette compartment. |
Back to top
-
You can travel from
Amsterdam Centraal to
Hamburg Hbf by
train in
as little as 5h15:
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal
at 05:59, easy change at Osnabruck, arrive
Hamburg Hbf
11:14.
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal
at 07:59, easy change at Osnabruck, arrive
Hamburg Hbf
13:14.
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal
at 09:59, easy change at Osnabruck, arrive
Hamburg Hbf
15:14.
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal
at 11:59, easy change at Osnabruck, arrive
Hamburg Hbf
17:14.
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal
at 13:59, easy change at Osnabruck, arrive
Hamburg Hbf
19:14.
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal
at 15:59, easy change at Osnabruck, arrive
Hamburg Hbf
21:14.
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal
at 17:59, easy change at Osnabruck, arrive
Hamburg Hbf
23:15.
Amsterdam to Osnabruck is by
Intercity train
(with final destination Berlin) with power sockets at all seats & a
refreshment trolley. Osnabruck to Hamburg is by
ICE4 with
restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
-
Fares start at 32.90 in 2nd class
or 43.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
-
Buy tickets at the German
Railways website
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
I recommend registering when prompted, rather than booking as a guest, so you
can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings. You print your
own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
You can also book at the Dutch Railways international site
www.nsinternational.nl.
Step 1, Amsterdam to Osnabruck by
Intercity train, seen here at
Amsterdam Centraal.
Power sockets at all seats and a refreshment trolley.
More about
these Intercity trains.
|
|
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1st class compartment. |
|
2nd class. |
Step 2, Osnabruck to Hamburg
by ICE4. These come with a waiter-service restaurant car, cafe
counter, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
More about ICEs.
|
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1st class on an ICE4. |
|
Restaurant car on an ICE4.
Sample menu. |
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Bar counter at the other end of the
kitchen. |
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2nd class seats on an ICE4. |
Back to top
Option 1, Amsterdam to Munich by
sleeper train - the most time-effective option:..
-
An
excellent Nightjet sleeper
train
leaves
Amsterdam Centraal at
19:00 every evening arriving
Munich Hbf
at 07:06 next morning.
This comfortable Austrian
Nightjet
train has an
air-conditioned
Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth
standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe
compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the
corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can
serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has
couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.
A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your
compartment. See the Nightjet
page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos &
video.
The sleeper leaves Amsterdam at
19:00 on certain dates.
-
Fares start at 49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, 59.90 in 4-berth couchettes,
89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, 109.90 in a
2-bed sleeper or 159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
-
Book this train at
www.thetrainline.com (in
, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Dutch
Railways international website
www.nsinternational.nl
(in
). Booking
opens up to 6
months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Child under 6? See here.
|
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Deluxe sleeper. Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room.
Larger photo.
Video of deluxe room |
|
Same deluxe sleeper in
evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out.
Larger photo. |
|
Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided.
Larger photo. |
|
Standard sleeper
set up as 2-berth, washstand open.
It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth.
Larger photo. |
|
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6-berth couchettes. |
|
4-berth couchettes. |
|
Couchette car on the Nightjet
train. |
Option 2, Amsterdam to Munich by
daytime trains
-
You can travel from
Amsterdam Centraal to
Munich Hbf by
ICE high-speed train in
as little as 7h24. For example:
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal
at 06:38, change at
Frankfurt
(Main) Hbf, arrive
Munich Hbf
14:06.
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal
at 08:08, change at Mannheim Hbf, arrive
Munich Hbf
15:27.
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal
at 10:38, change at
Frankfurt
(Main) Hbf, arrive
Munich Hbf
18:07.
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal
at 12:38, change at
Dόsseldorf or
Frankfurt
(Main) Hbf (it varies), arrive
Munich Hbf
20:06.
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal
at 14:38, change at
Frankfurt
(Main) Hbf, arrive
Munich Hbf
22:10.
All of these trains are
superb ICE trains with a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats &
free WiFi.
More
about ICE trains. Times vary, check for your date at
int.bahn.de.
-
NEW! Direct Amsterdam-Munich
ICE train starting December 2024: A direct
Amsterdam-Munich ICE3neo train
will start running from 15 December, leaving
Amsterdam Centraal
at 08:32 every day, arriving
Munich Hbf
at 15:26.
-
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class
or 69.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
-
Buy tickets at the German
Railways website
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
I recommend registering when prompted, rather than booking as a guest, so you
can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings. You print your
own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
You can also book at the Dutch Railways international site
www.nsinternational.nl.
-
Tip: Take the
Rhine Valley scenic route!
By default, the journey planner at
int.bahn.de
will send you the fastest way, either via Hannover or via the
Cologne-Frankfurt high-speed line. If you don't mind taking an extra
hour you can use the classic curvaceous Rhine Valley route
between Cologne and Frankfurt, past vineyards, mountains, castles, river
boats and the
legendary Lorelei Rock.
See
the Rails Down the Rhine page.
To get this option using
int.bahn.de,
simply click Stopovers and enter Koblenz Hbf leaving length of
stay zero. You'll now see options via Bonn & Koblenz in the search results,
which means the Rhine Valley route. Make sure you find seats on the
left hand side of the train going south, as that's where the Rhine will be.
An ICE3neo at
Amsterdam Centraal, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
More
about ICE trains.
|
|
|
2nd class seats on an ICE3neo.
Larger photo. |
|
Lunch: I recommend the
Erdinger Weissbier! |
Option 3, Amsterdam to Munich with
overnight stop in Cologne
-
Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Cologne by ICE train, leaving
Amsterdam Centraal at 18:38 arriving
Cologne Hbf at 21:15.
By all means book an
earlier train for a pleasant evening in Cologne.
ICE trains have a
restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
-
Stay overnight in Cologne.
The good & inexpensive
Ibis Hotel Kφln-am-Dom is ideal as it's part of Cologne Hbf itself, with an
entrance to the left of the main station entrance - many of its rooms have a
cathedral view. Also near the station with good reviews are the
Breslauer Hof Am Dom,
Hotel Domspitzen,
CityClass Hotel Europa am Dom,
Hilton
Cologne,
Excelsior Hotel Ernst am Dom.
-
Day 2, travel from Cologne to Munich
on any morning train you like: For example, the
07:55 from Cologne
Hbf arrives
Munich Hbf at
12:26. Or have a leisurely
breakfast at your hotel and book a later train, they leave every hour or better.
-
Fares from Amsterdam to Munich start
at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares,
so book ahead.
-
Book at
the German Railways website
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
Enter Amsterdam Centraal to Munich Hbf, then click Stopovers
and enter Cologne Hbf with a suitable length of stay, say 11 hours.
Why not allow time for a wander round Cologne, visiting the cathedral right
next to the station? You can add a stopover of up to 48h duration.
Adjust the departure time and length of stay to get earlier or later trains for each part of the journey
with a longer or shorter overnight stop in Cologne.
I recommend registering when
prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any
time. You print your own ticket (on A4
paper or U.S. Letter size is fine) or can show it on your phone or laptop.
-
Tip: Take the scenic
route!
If you have
an extra hour, take the scenic route along the Rhine Valley from Cologne
southwards, rather
than the faster high-speed line. Simply click Stopovers again and enter
Koblenz
Hbf leaving length of stay as 00:00. You will now be routed via the twisting Rhine Valley line past
castles, vineyards, river boats, and the
legendary Lorelei Rock.
Indeed, you could make Koblenz the stopover instead of Cologne if you like,
booking Amsterdam to Munich with Koblenz as the only and length of stay set to
(say) 10 hours.
Sit on the left hand side going south as that's the side the river will be.
See
the Rails Down the Rhine page.
Back to top
Option 1, Amsterdam to Linz & Vienna by
sleeper train - the most time-effective option
-
A
Nightjet sleeper
train
leaves
Amsterdam Centraal
at 19:00 every evening arriving Linz 07:44 &
Vienna
Hbf 09:17.
This
excellent
Austrian
Nightjet train has an
air-conditioned
Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 or 3-berth
standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe
compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end
of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car
attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu.
The train has
couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.
A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your
compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos
& video.
From
April 2025 this train is due to become a
new
generation Nightjet, with new rolling stock including individual mini
cabins.
-
Fares start at 49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, 59.90 in 4-berth couchettes,
89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, 109.90 in a
2-bed sleeper or 159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
-
Book this train at
www.thetrainline.com
(easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee)
or at the Dutch Railways international website
www.nsinternational.nl
(in ).
Child under 6? See here.
Booking opens up to 6
months ahead. You can also book at the Austrian Railways
website, www.oebb.at
(in ). You print your own ticket.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Deluxe sleeper. Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room.
Larger photo.
Video of deluxe room |
|
Same deluxe sleeper in
evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out.
Larger photo. |
|
Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided.
Larger photo. |
|
Standard sleeper
set up as 2-berth, washstand open.
It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth.
Larger photo. |
|
|
|
|
|
6-berth couchettes. |
|
4-berth couchettes. |
|
Couchette car on the Nightjet
train. |
Option 2, Amsterdam to Vienna in
a single day
-
You can travel from Amsterdam to
Vienna in a single chill-out day on superb
ICE trains with one
easy change of train. For example,
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal at 08:08, change
Frankfurt Flughafen
(an easy same-platform change), arrive
Vienna
Hbf 18:47.
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal at 10:38, change
Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arrive
Vienna
Hbf 23:05.
Take a good book and enjoy the
ride, ICE trains have
power sockets at all seats, free WiFi and a restaurant car serving tea, coffee,
wine, beer, snacks & hot dishes - in 1st class orders for food & drink
are taken and served at your seat. I recommend the Erdinger weissbier!
-
Fares start at 49.90 in 2nd class
or 79.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
-
Book at the
German Railways website
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings
or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone.
Tip: You can programme in a few hours stop in Cologne or Nuremberg
if you like.
Book from Amsterdam to Vienna, but click Stopover, enter
Cologne Hbf or Nuremberg Hbf, enter desired number of hours stopover
(say 3) and off you go.
You can also book at the Dutch
Railways international site
www.nsinternational.nl.
|
|
|
Table for two in 1st class, my
favourite configuration.
There are also tables for four in both classes. |
|
Lunch in the restaurant.
In 1st class you can choose to be served at your seat. I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier! |
|
|
|
You can see into the cab at each
end of the train. |
|
Comfortable 2nd class seats on
the ICE-T to Vienna. |
|
You'll glimpse the Inn and Danube
rivers from the Frankfurt-Vienna ICE. |
Option 3, Amsterdam to Vienna
with overnight stop in Cologne or Nuremberg
-
If you'd rather break up the
trip with an overnight stop, Cologne or Nuremberg are two good places for an
overnight stop.
Both cities are worth building in a
few hours to look around - in Cologne the cathedral is right next to the
station, and in Nuremberg there's a pleasant old town, a railway museum and
the
historic Party Rally Grounds (take tram 9 from outside Nuremberg Hbf).
-
Go to
int.bahn.de
and book from Amsterdam to Vienna, but click Stopovers, enter
Cologne or Nuremberg, enter desired length of stay (say
10 hours) and off you go.
You can programme in up to 2 stopovers
over two days and still get end to end
Sparpreis tickets. Adjust
the departure time and length of stay through trial & error until you see the
trains that suit you either side of Cologne or Nuremberg.
Booking this way is cheaper than
buying two tickets. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log
in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
Back to top
Amsterdam to Salzburg, Innsbruck &
Austria
from 37.90
Option 1, Amsterdam to Austria by
Nightjet
sleeper train - the time-effective option
-
New in 2021, a Nightjet sleeper
train leaves Amsterdam Centraal at
19:00 every evening arriving Innsbruck
Hbf at 09:14, with another portion en route to Vienna arriving in Wels at
07:14. Change in Wels for a
railjet train to
Salzburg Hbf, arriving
08:49.
This
excellent Austrian
Nightjet
train has an
air-conditioned
Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth
standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe
compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the
corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can
serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has
couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.
A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your
compartment. See the Nightjet
page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos &
video.
-
Fares start at 49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, 59.90 in 4-berth couchettes,
89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, 109.90 in a
2-bed sleeper or 159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
-
Book this train at
www.thetrainline.com
(easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee)
or Dutch Railways international website
www.nsinternational.nl
(in , no fee).
Booking opens up to 6
months ahead. You can also book at the Austrian Railways
website, www.oebb.at
(in ). You print your own ticket.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Deluxe sleeper. Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room.
Larger photo.
Video of deluxe room |
|
Same deluxe sleeper in
evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out.
Larger photo. |
|
Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided.
Larger photo. |
|
Standard sleeper
set up as 2-berth, washstand open.
It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth.
Larger photo. |
|
|
|
|
|
6-berth couchettes. |
|
4-berth couchettes. |
|
Couchette car on the Nightjet
train. |
Option 2, Amsterdam to Salzburg
or Innsbruck by daytime trains
-
You can travel from Amsterdam to Salzburg or Innsbruck
in a single day with various departures to choose from. For example,
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal at
06:38, change at
Frankfurt
(Main) Hbf &
Munich Hbf, arrive
Salzburg Hbf 15:59.
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal at
08:08, change at Mannheim &
Munich Hbf,
arrive Salzburg Hbf 16:58.
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal at
10:38, change at
Frankfurt
(Main) Hbf &
Munich Hbf, arrive
Salzburg Hbf 19:59.
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal at
12:38, change at
Dόsseldorf or
Frankfurt
(Main) Hbf &
Munich Hbf, arrive
Salzburg Hbf 22:02.
Most of this journey is on a superb German
ICE train with restaurant
car, power
sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
-
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class
or 69.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
-
Buy
tickets at
the German Railways website
int.bahn.de.
You can book from Amsterdam or
anywhere in the Netherlands to Salzburg, Innsbruck or anywhere in Austria.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings
or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
Tip:
int.bahn.de
won't suggest impossible connections, with a through ticket you can take later
onward trains if there's a delay and missed connection. However, it
will suggest 10-minute connections with a high likelihood of being missed
due to delay, so feel free to change Transfer time from normal to
30 minutes if you'd prefer a more
robust journey.
Option 3, Amsterdam to Salzburg with
overnight stop in Cologne. Comfortable & time-effective
-
Stay overnight in Cologne.
The
good & inexpensive
Ibis Hotel Kφln-am-Dom is ideal as it's part of Cologne Hbf itself, with an
entrance to the left of the main station entrance - many of its rooms have a
cathedral view. Also near the station with good reviews are the
Breslauer Hof Am Dom,
Hotel Domspitzen,
CityClass Hotel Europa am Dom,
Hilton
Cologne,
Excelsior Hotel Ernst am Dom.
-
Day 2, take any morning train you
like from Cologne to Salzburg: A direct
ICE4 train leaves
Cologne
Hbf at 08:17 daily
running
via the scenic Rhine Valley and arriving Salzburg Hbf at 15:59, or there are
earlier or later departures with changes of train.
-
Fares from Amsterdam to Salzburg
start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90
in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for cheapest prices.
-
Buy tickets from Amsterdam to
anywhere in Austria at the German Railways website
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. To get the overnight stop in
Cologne, click Stopovers and enter Cologne
Hbf with a suitable length of stay, say 11 hours.
Why not allow time for a wander round Cologne, visiting the cathedral right
next to the station? Adjust the departure time and length of stay to get earlier or later trains for each part of the journey
with a longer or shorter overnight stop in Cologne.
I recommend registering when
prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any
time. You print your own ticket or can
show it on your laptop or phone.
Back to top
Amsterdam to Legoland, Odense &
Copenhagen from 49.90
Option 1, Amsterdam to
Copenhagen in a single day
-
You can travel from
Amsterdam Centraal to Copenhagen in a single chill-out day, with
three possible departures.
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal at
05:59,
an easy change of train at Osnabruck
&
Hamburg Hbf, arriving
Copenhagen at
17:34.
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal
at 07:59, an easy change of train at Osnabruck
&
Hamburg Hbf, arriving
Copenhagen at
19:34.
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal
at 09:59, an easy change of train at Osnabruck
&
Hamburg Hbf, arriving
Copenhagen at
21:34.
Take a good book, sit back and
enjoy the ride. You travel from Amsterdam to
Osnabruck by comfortable
Intercity train,
then Osnabruck to Hamburg by
ICE4 with restaurant
car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, then Hamburg
to Copenhagen by
EuroCity train.
The Hamburg to Copenhagen
EuroCity trains also call at Kolding
(for Legoland) & Odense.
-
How much does it cost?
Amsterdam to Copenhagen starts at
49.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares,
so book ahead.
-
How to buy
tickets
Book from Amsterdam or any
station in the Netherlands to Copenhagen or any station in
Denmark at the German
Railways website
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings
or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
-
If you're going to Malmφ
Catch the next
Φresund train from
Copenhagen to
Malmφ Central, these run every 20
minutes taking 34 minutes, crossing the water to Sweden on the impressive
Φresund
fixed link. You can buy a Copenhagen-Malmo ticket at
the station, no pre-booking required, but you can save money by
booking Amsterdam to Malmo rather then Copenhagen when using Bahn.de as
German Railways offer through tickets.
Option 2, Amsterdam to
Copenhagen with an overnight stop in Hamburg
-
Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Hamburg leaving
Amsterdam Centraal
at 17:59, changing at Osnabruck
& arriving
Hamburg Hbf
at 23:15.
By all means leave Amsterdam on the earlier
13:59 or 15:59
departures for more of an evening in Hamburg. You travel from Amsterdam to
Osnabruck by comfortable
Intercity train,
then from Osnabruck to Hamburg by
ICE with restaurant
car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
-
How much does it cost?
Amsterdam to Copenhagen starts at
49.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
-
How to buy tickets
Buy tickets at the German
Railways website
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens
up to 6 months ahead. To get the overnight stop in Hamburg,
click Stopovers, enter Hamburg Hbf with a length of stay of (say) 10 hours. Adjust
departure time and length of stay to get the trains you want. If you
have any problems you can book Amsterdam-Hamburg for day 1 and again Hamburg to
Copenhagen for day 2, although this may work out slightly more expensive.
I recommend registering when
prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any
time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
-
If you're going to Malmφ, travel from Copenhagen to Malmφ by
Φresund train,
these run every 20-30 minutes to Malmφ, journey time 39 minutes. Book from Hamburg to
Malmφ as one transaction at
int.bahn.de.
Step 1, Amsterdam to Osnabruck by
Intercity train, seen here at
Amsterdam Centraal.
Power sockets at all seats and a refreshment trolley.
More about
these Intercity trains.
|
|
|
1st class compartment. |
|
2nd class. |
Step 2, Osnabruck to Hamburg
by ICE4. These come with a waiter-service restaurant car, cafe
counter, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
More about ICEs.
|
|
|
1st class on an ICE4. |
|
Restaurant car on an ICE4.
Sample menu. |
|
|
|
Bar counter at the other end of the
kitchen. |
|
2nd class seats on an ICE4. |
Step 3, Hamburg to Copenhagen
by EuroCity train. From June 2023, these trains are temporarily being
operated by former German Railways intercity cars and a Danish electric
locomotive, until new trains being built by Talgo arrive in 2024. The
current trains have 1st & 2nd class, power sockets at seats, but no catering so
bring your own food & drink. More about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey.
2nd class seats are almost all open-plan like this. There are a
handful of 6-seat 2nd class compartments in one of the coaches, but only a few.
The 1st class car has 6-seater
compartments like this.
Larger
photo.
Larger
photo.
Back to top
Amsterdam to
Stockholm & Gothenburg from 56.90
Option 1, Amsterdam to Stockholm
using the new Hamburg-Stockholm sleeper train - the time-effective option
-
Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Hamburg,
leaving
Amsterdam Centraal
at 13:59, changing at Osnabruck, arriving
Hamburg
Hbf 19:14.
You travel from
Amsterdam to Osnabruck by comfortable
Intercity train,
then from Osnabruck to Hamburg by
ICE with restaurant
car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. A later departure
at 15:59 is possible, but with little room for manoeuvre in case of delay, so I'd
stick with the 13:59. Have dinner in
Hamburg,
see
suggested restaurants near the station.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class
or 59.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the German
Railways website
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to
6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can
log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket
or can show it on your laptop or phone.
-
Step 2, travel from Hamburg to
Stockholm by sleeper train, leaving
Hamburg
Hbf at 22:03, arriving
Stockholm Central 09:55 next morning.
Run by SJ (Swedish Railways), the train has
one or two
sleeping-cars with compact 1 & 2 berth compartments with washbasin, several
1, 2 or 3 bed deluxe compartments with en suite toilet & shower,
couchette cars with 4 &
6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A bistro car is attached between
Malmφ and Stockholm.
More about the Hamburg-Stockholm sleeper train.
Fares start at 44.90 with a
couchette in 6-berth, 69.90 with a couchette in 4-berth, 79.90 with a bed in a
2-bed sleeper or 164.90 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself. All
prices per person per bed, fares vary like air fares so book ahead.
Book tickets at SJ's website
www.sj.se.
Booking opens several months ahead, You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
|
|
|
The inaugural Hamburg to
Stockholm SJ EuroNight train in Hamburg on 1 September 2022. The author rode
this first departure.
More about this train. |
|
6-berth couchettes.
Larger photo. |
|
|
|
2-bed sleeper.
Larger photo. |
|
The inaugural train from Hamburg to Stockholm calls at Padborg,
just after entering Denmark. |
Typical Swedish scenery on the
morning run into Stockholm.
Option 2, Amsterdam to Stockholm
with an overnight stop in Hamburg, from 56.90
-
Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Hamburg leaving
Amsterdam Centraal
at 17:59, change at Osnabruck, arriving
Hamburg Hbf at
23:15.
By all means take the earlier 15:59 or
13:59
departure from Amsterdam for more of an evening in Hamburg. You travel
from Amsterdam to Osnabruck by comfortable
Intercity train,
then from Osnabruck to Hamburg by
ICE with restaurant
car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
-
Stay overnight in Hamburg.
The
Hotel Reichshof Hamburg is the top choice here, just across the road 100m from the station's
Kirchenallee exit, with art
deco-based design and great reviews. Other hotels near
Hamburg Hbf with good
or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the
Hotel Continental Novum,
Hotel Furst Bismarck,
Hotel Europaischer Hof,
Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget,
cheap private rooms in the
A&O Hotel near
Hamburg Hbf
can be booked at
www.hostelworld.com.
-
Day 2, travel from Hamburg to
Copenhagen by
EuroCity train, leaving
Hamburg Hbf
at 08:50 arriving Copenhagen at 13:34.
-
Day 2, catch a
connecting train from Copenhagen to Sweden:
If you're going to Stockholm,
travel from Copenhagen to Stockholm by
X2000 train leaving
Copenhagen at
14:19 and arriving
Stockholm Central at 19:37. The 200 km/h
X2000 train crosses the water from
Denmark to Sweden over the impressive
Φresund
fixed link.
If you're going to Gothenburg,
travel from Copenhagen to Goteborg Central by
Φresund train, these leave every
hour taking 3h53, also using the impressive
Φresund
fixed link.
If you're going to Malmφ,
travel from Copenhagen to
Malmφ Central
by
Φresund train, these leave
at least twice an
hour taking 39 minutes, also using the impressive
Φresund
fixed link.
-
To buy
tickets
The cheapest way is to book
from Amsterdam to
Stockholm or Gothenburg as one transaction at the German Railways website
int.bahn.de.
To get the overnight stop in
Hamburg, click Stopovers and enter Hamburg Hbf with a length of
stay of (say) 10 hours. Adjust departure time & length of stay to get the trains you want either side of Hamburg.
This way you'll get a Sparpreis Sweden fare from Amsterdam to Stockholm or
Gothenburg with an overnight stop in Hamburg. I
recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or
re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket.
If you have any problems you
can break the journey down: Book from
Amsterdam to Hamburg & Hamburg to Copenhagen at
int.bahn.de,
then book Copenhagen to Stockholm at either
www.sj.se (in Krona, can struggle
with some overseas credit cards, no booking fee) or
Omio.com
(formerly GoEuro.com, in Krona, , £ or $, small booking fee, quick & easy
to use and readily accepts overseas credit cards).
Option 3, Amsterdam to Stockholm
with an overnight stop in Copenhagen, from 56.90
-
Day 1, travel from
Amsterdam Centraal to Copenhagen in a single chill-out day, with
three departures to choose from.
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal at
05:59,
an easy change of train at Osnabruck
&
Hamburg Hbf, arriving
Copenhagen at
17:34.
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal
at 07:59, an easy change of train at Osnabruck
&
Hamburg Hbf, arriving
Copenhagen at
19:34.
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal
at 09:59, an easy change of train at Osnabruck
&
Hamburg Hbf, arriving
Copenhagen at
21:34.
Take a good book, sit back
and enjoy the ride.
See photos, tips & information for the Hamburg to Copenhagen intercity train.
-
Stay overnight in Copenhagen.
The friendly
Astoria Hotel is a 1930s design classic right outside Copenhagen station
main entrance, see
photos & information here. Other hotels near the station with good
reviews include the
Nimb Hotel (5-star luxe),
Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (5-star),
Axel Guldsmeden (4-star),
Andersen Boutique Hotel,
First Hotel Mayfair (3-star),
Hotel Ansgar (3-star),
City Hotel Nebo (2-star).
-
Day 2, take a train from
Copenhagen to Sweden, these cross the water using the impressive
Φresund
fixed link.
For Stockholm take an
X2000 train, one usually
leaves Copenhagen at 08:19 arriving
Stockholm Central at 13:35, or there are later trains.
For Gothenburg take an
hourly Φresund
train
from Copenhagen to
Gothenburg Central, journey time 3h53.
For Malmφ,
take an
hourly Φresund
train
from Copenhagen to
Malmφ Central, journey time
39 minutes. A same-day connection on Day 1 is also usually possible.
-
To buy
tickets
The cheapest way is to book Amsterdam to
Stockholm, Gothenburg or Malmφ as one transaction at German Railways
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens
up to 6 months ahead. To get the overnight stop in
Copenhagen, click Stopovers and enter Copenhagen with a length of
stay of (say) 11 hours. Adjust departure time &
length of stay to get the trains you want either side of Copenhagen.
You print your own ticket. This way you'll get a Sparpreis Sweden fare
from Amsterdam to Stockholm, Gothenburg or Malmφ with an overnight
stop in Copenhagen built in.
If you have any problems, you can book from
Amsterdam to Copenhagen at
int.bahn.de
then Copenhagen to Stockholm at either
www.sj.se (in Krona, can struggle
with some overseas credit cards, no booking fee) or
Omio.com
(formerly GoEuro.com, in Krona, , £ or $, small booking fee, quick & easy to
use and readily accepts overseas credit cards). You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Step 1, Amsterdam to Osnabruck by
Intercity train, seen here at
Amsterdam Centraal.
Power sockets at all seats and a refreshment trolley.
More about
these Intercity trains.
|
|
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1st class compartment. |
|
2nd class. |
Step 2, Osnabruck to Hamburg
by ICE4, with restaurant car, cafe
counter, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
More about ICEs.
|
|
|
1st class on an ICE4. |
|
Restaurant car on an ICE4.
Sample menu. |
|
|
|
Bar counter at the other end of the
kitchen. |
|
2nd class seats on an ICE4. |
Step 3, Hamburg to Copenhagen
by EuroCity train. From June 2023, these trains are temporarily being
operated by former German Railways intercity cars and a Danish electric
locomotive, until new trains being built by Talgo arrive in 2024. The
current trains have 1st & 2nd class, power sockets at seats, but no catering so
bring your own food & drink.
More about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey.
2nd class seats are almost all open-plan like this. There are a
handful of 6-seat 2nd class compartments in one of the coaches, but only a few.
The 1st class car has 6-seater
compartments like this.
Larger
photo.
Larger
photo.
Step 4, Copenhagen to Stockholm by
tilting 200km/h X2000, seen at
Stockholm Central.
More about X2000 trains.
Crossing the impressive
Φresund
bridge from Denmark to Sweden.
Option 4, Amsterdam to
Gothenburg using Stena Line's Kiel-Gothenburg overnight ferry
-
Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Kiel by train, leaving
Amsterdam Centraal
at 07:59, change at Hannover, arriving Kiel Hbf at 15:19.
You travel from Amsterdam to Hannover by comfortable
Intercity train, then from Hannover to Kiel by
ICE with restaurant
car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Times may vary, but look
for the 1-change option.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class
or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book the train at the German Railways site
int.bahn.de.
You print your own ticket or can
show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when
prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.
Tip: Book the ferry
first and confirm ferry times before booking the train, making sure you arrive
in Kiel at least 2 hours before the ferry sails.
In Kiel, the ferry terminal is
750m from the station, a 9-minute walk,
see walking map.
-
Step 2, sail overnight from
Kiel to Gothenburg by Stena Line ferry.
The ferry normally sails at 18:45 and arrives around 09:15, but times may vary
so check online.
The ferry is a floating hotel
with restaurants & bars, all passengers travel in a cosy private cabin with en
suite toilet & shower. You can add dinner & breakfast to your ticket
when you book.
Fares vary, you might pay 39 per
passenger as basic fare plus 75-89 per cabin for a private 1 or 2 bed room.
Book the ferry at
www.stenaline.com and print your ticket or show it on your phone.
In Gothenburg, the ferry terminal is a short taxi ride (or 4.3 km 53-minute
walk) from Goteborg Central station,
see walking map.
Back to top
Option 1, Amsterdam to Oslo with
overnight stop in Hamburg - by train all the way
-
Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Hamburg leaving
Amsterdam Centraal
at 17:59, change at
Osnabrόck, arriving
Hamburg Hbf at
23:15.
By all means take the earlier 15:59 or
13:59
departure from Amsterdam for more of an evening in Hamburg. You travel
from Amsterdam to Osnabrόck by comfortable
Intercity train,
then from Osnabrόck to Hamburg by
ICE with restaurant
car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 32.90 in 2nd class
or 43.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket at the German Railways website
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to
6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your
laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can
log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.
-
Stay overnight in Hamburg.
The
Hotel Reichshof Hamburg is top choice here, just across the road 100m from the station's
Kirchenallee exit, with art
deco-based design and great reviews. Other hotels near
Hamburg Hbf with good
or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the
Hotel Continental Novum,
Hotel Furst Bismarck,
Hotel Europaischer Hof,
Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget,
cheap private rooms in the
A&O Hotel near
Hamburg Hbf
can be booked at
www.hostelworld.com.
-
Day 2, travel from Hamburg to
Gothenburg by
EuroCity train &
Φresund train:
Leave
Hamburg Hbf 08:50, arriving
Copenhagen 13:34. Leave
Copenhagen at 14:30, arriving Gφteborg Central at 18:20.
The
EuroCity train from Hamburg to Copenhagen has power sockets at all seats & a
refreshment trolley.
More about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey. The
Φresund train
from Copenhagen to Gothenburg has power sockets & free WiFi, but bring your own
food & drink.
Have an early dinner in
Gothenburg.
Fares from Hamburg to Gothenburg start at 56.90. Fares vary like air
fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket from Hamburg to
Gothenburg at the German Railways website
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to
6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your
laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can
log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.
Tip: If you're clever, you may be able to book a through ticket all
the way from Amsterdam to Gothenburg using
int.bahn.de.
To get the overnight stop in Hamburg, click Stopovers and enter
Hamburg Hbf with a suitable length of stay, say 10 hours. Adjust
departure time and length of stay to get the departure from Brussels you want
and the 08:50 departure from Hamburg next morning.
Tip: If you don't see any affordable fares (which may be the case
if you want 1st class), split the booking: First book Hamburg to
Copenhagen at
int.bahn.de.
Then buy a ticket from Copenhagen to Gφteborg Central at
www.oresundstag.se.
-
Day 2, travel from Gothenburg to
Oslo by
Norwegian train, leaving Gφteborg Central at 20:10 and arriving Oslo
Sentral at 23:47.
The smart modern
Norwegian train is run by Vy, it has power sockets & free WiFi, but bring your own food & drink.
Fares start at 249 Krone (24) if you book a few weeks ahead.
Book this at the Vy website www.vy.no or at
www.entur.no.
Option 2, Amsterdam to Oslo via Hamburg &
Copenhagen - by train all the way
-
Day 1,
travel from Amsterdam to Copenhagen
by train in a day as shown above.
-
Stay overnight in Copenhagen.
The friendly
Astoria Hotel is a 1930s design classic right outside Copenhagen station
main entrance, see
photos & information here. Other hotels near the station with good
reviews include the
Nimb Hotel (5-star luxe),
Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (5-star),
Axel Guldsmeden (4-star),
Andersen Boutique Hotel,
First Hotel Mayfair (3-star),
Hotel Ansgar (3-star),
City Hotel Nebo (2-star).
-
Day 2, travel from
Copenhagen to Oslo by train, leaving
Copenhagen at 07:30,
change at Gothenburg Central, arriving Oslo Sentral 15:47.
Earlier & later departures are
available,
see the Copenhagen-Oslo timetable & how to buy tickets.
Gothenburg to Oslo by
Norwegian train. Above, scenery between Gothenburg & Oslo.
Courtesy of
@Simply_Railway.
Above right, the Norwegian train arrived at Oslo Sentral. Photos courtesy of
@AndyBTravels & @Marcos Castro.
Option 3, Amsterdam to Oslo
using the DFDS Copenhagen-Oslo ferry
-
Day 1,
travel from Amsterdam to Copenhagen
by train in a day as shown above.
-
Stay overnight in Copenhagen.
The friendly
Astoria Hotel is a 1930s design classic right outside Copenhagen station
main entrance, see
photos & information here. Other hotels near the station with good
reviews include the
Nimb Hotel (5-star luxe),
Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (5-star),
Axel Guldsmeden (4-star),
Andersen Boutique Hotel,
First Hotel Mayfair (3-star),
Hotel Ansgar (3-star),
City Hotel Nebo (2-star).
-
Day 2, spend the
day in Copenhagen, then sail from Copenhagen to Oslo overnight with a cosy private cabin with shower & toilet.
The ferry sails at 16:30 (15:00 some days) and arriving Oslo at 10:00 on day 3,
as
shown here. This is remarkably affordable, and saves a hotel bill.
Book the ferry at
www.dfds.com.
Option 4, Amsterdam to Oslo via the
Kiel-Oslo cruise ferry - the most luxurious way to Oslo
-
Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Kiel, leaving
Amsterdam Centraal
at
13:59, change at Hannover, arriving Kiel Hbf at 21:41.
By all means book the earlier 11:59 departure instead for more of an evening in
Kiel. You travel from Amsterdam to Hannover by comfortable
Intercity train, then from Hannover to Kiel by
ICE with restaurant
car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at the German
Railways site
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings
or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
-
Stay overnight in Kiel.
The
InterCity Hotel Kiel gets good reviews, is relatively inexpensive and is
right next to the station and a few minutes walk from the ferry. The
B&B Hotel Kiel City is also next to the station with good reviews, and is
even cheaper. For something upmarket, the
Atlantic Hotel Kiel gets great reviews and is in Bahnhofsplatz in front of
the station.
In Kiel it's a 7 minute
450m walk from Kiel Hbf to the Color Line ferry terminal,
see walking
map.
-
Step 2, sail from Kiel to Oslo by
Color Line ferry, leaving Kiel at 14:00 and arriving Oslo at 10:00 next morning.
The m/v Magic & m/v
Fantasy are floating hotels with a wide range of en suite cabins, suites,
restaurants, bars & lounges.
Check times & buy tickets
using
the Direct Ferries website or at www.colorline.com.
Money-saving tip: It's considerably cheaper to book
on Color Line's Norwegian website
www.colorline.no in
Norwegian Krone, for example a 274 fare becomes the equivalent of 164.
You'll need to use Google Chrome translation to translate the Norwegian.
You are still able to enter a UK or other European address and contact details.
Feedback appreciated.
Make sure you're on deck next morning as the ship sails through
spectacular scenery up
Oslo Fjord. The ship docks at the modern Color Line terminal about 2 km
from the city centre. Color Line provide transfer buses to Oslo Sentral
station costing 55 krone, or there are plenty of taxis. If you have little
luggage it's possible to walk.
See map of Oslo showing ferry terminal.
Sail from Kiel to Oslo
with Color Line.
It's just a 6 minute walk across from Kiel Hbf to the Color Line
terminal. There's a lift up to a connecting walkway which takes you to the
ferry terminal. If you've booked one of Color Line's 5 star suites, check in at
the desk rather than the machines to be directed to a VIP
lounge with free tea, coffee, juice, snacks & WiFi. You'll have priority boarding & free access to the on-board spa. Photos
courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry except where shown.
Above left, cabin with TV, shower & toilet,
luxury suites are also available. Above right, restaurant with a view.
Restaurant and lounge on the
Kiel-Oslo ferry.
Wake up to lovely scenery sailing
up Oslo Fjord.
The Color Line ferry, arrived at Oslo.
Above right, there's a transfer bus to Oslo Sentral, photo courtesy of
Andrew Leo.
Back to top
Amsterdam
to Helsinki & Finland
Option 1, Amsterdam to Helsinki using
the Finnlines ferry from
Germany to Helsinki - the easiest option
-
Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Hamburg, leaving
Amsterdam Centraal
at 11:59,
change Osnabruck, arriving
Hamburg
Hbf 17:14.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd
class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the German Railways
website
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings
or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
Tip: You should book
from Amsterdam to Skandinavienkai Terminal, Lόbeck as one transaction as
this gets you a through ticket to the ferry terminal covering the train from
Amsterdam to Hamburg, the regional train to Lόbeck and the bus to the
Skandinavienkai Terminal.
If you'd like time for dinner in Lόbeck, click Stopovers
and enter Lόbeck Hbf with a length of stay of (say) 2 hours.
-
Day 1, travel from
Hamburg Hbf
to Lόbeck by regional train, you've time for dinner in
Lόbeck's
old town, see
suggested restaurant here. Then
take a bus to the Skandinavienkai ferry terminal in Travemόnde.
Sail from Travemόnde to
Helsinki by Finnlines ferry. Finnlines sail from Travemόnde to Helsinki every day, boarding at 23:30,
sailing at 02:45 (the exact time varies) and arriving at Helsinki's Hansa Terminal in Vuosaari at 09:15 2 nights later (Day 3 from
Amsterdam).
For full details of the transfer, check-in arrangements & ferry crossing,
see here.
Book the ferry
using the Direct Ferries website or at
www.finnlines.com.
|
Finnlines operate the Finnstar, Finnmaid & Finnlady on the Travemόnde-Helsinki route.
Photo courtesy of Hubert Bartkowiak. Photos below courtesy of Chris
Russell. |
Option 2, Amsterdam to Helsinki by train to Stockholm & ferry to Helsinki
Back to top
Amsterdam to Prague
from
46.90
Option 1, Amsterdam to Prague by
European
Sleeper - the most direct & time-effective option, 3 times a week
-
The
European
Sleeper leaves
Amsterdam Centraal
at
22:34 on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, arriving
Prague Hlavni
at 10:56 next morning.
The
European
Sleeper has a comfortable sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed rooms with
washbasin, economical couchette cars with 5 & 6 berth compartments and ordinary
seats. A light breakfast is included in the sleepers.
More about the European Sleeper.
Enjoy a lovely scenic run along the Elbe river valley over breakfast between
Dresden & Prague,
see
the scenery photos here.
This train was extended to Prague from 25 March 2024, restoring a welcome
direct train from Amsterdam to Prague for the first time in 10 years. Well
done
European
Sleeper!
-
Fares start at 49 in a seat, 79 with a couchette in 6-berth,
99 with a couchette in 5-berth, 109 with a bed in 3-bed
sleeper, 129 with a bed in 2-bed sleeper, 159 with a bed in
single-bed sleeper. All per person per berth. Fares vary like air
fares, so book ahead.
-
Buy tickets at
www.europeansleeper.eu.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead
although this varies. You print your own ticket or can show it on your
phone. Easy!
The
European Sleeper. This is
a 5-berth couchette car, beyond is a stainless-steel
sleeping-car. Click the
interior photos for larger images.
|
|
|
1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper, set up as
a single. |
|
5-berth couchette compartment,
day mode. |
|
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5-berth couchettes, night mode. |
|
Breakfast can be added when you
book. |
On the glorious morning of 26
March 2024, the very first European Sleeper to Prague runs along the Elbe river
valley between Dresden & Prague.
Option 2, Amsterdam to Prague by
train in a
single day - why not spend a few hours in Berlin?
-
You can travel from Amsterdam
to Prague in a single chill-out day with a good book and a bistro or
restaurant car for your meals and the odd beer or glass of red. Why
not stop off for a few hours in Berlin? For example,
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal
at 05:59, change at
Berlin Hbf,
arrive Prague Hlavni
17:24.
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal
at 07:59, change at
Berlin Hbf,
arrive Prague Hlavni
19:24.
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal
at 09:59, change at
Berlin Hbf,
arrive Prague Hlavni
21:24.
You travel from
Amsterdam to Berlin by
InterCity train, power sockets at all seats,
refreshments available.
What's the Amsterdam to Berlin journey & scenery like?
You then travel from
Berlin Hbf to
Prague Hlavni by
EuroCity train with restaurant car with draught beer on tap, power
sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
It's a lovely scenic run down the Elbe river valley south of Dresden, sit on the left-hand side of the train for the best views.
What's the Berlin to Prague journey & scenery like?
Suggested hotels in
Prague.
-
Buy tickets
at the German Railways website
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings
or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone or laptop.
It's also worth checking
Amsterdam-Prague prices at the Czech Railways website
www.cd.cz as they
sometimes have cheaper prices than the Germans for exactly the same trains,
although booking only opens 90 days ahead on cd.cz.
See my tips for using cd.cz.
-
Why not build in some time in Berlin?
This breaks up the trip,
there are
left luggage lockers available and
a
stroll past the Reichstag building to the Brandenburg Gate takes just 17
minutes from the station, so even a couple of hours stopover is a worthwhile experience.
If you took the 07:00 from Amsterdam, you could spend 13:22-16:59 exploring
Berlin, reaching Prague at 21:26. To book a ticket with a stopover, simply use
int.bahn.de,
click Stopovers, enter Berlin Hbf and a desired length of stay. With the cheap advance
tickets, you can programme in up to 2 stopovers within the tickets 2-day
validity. You can't add a stopover if you use cd.cz, unless you buy each
leg of the trip separately.
|
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1st class compartment. |
|
2nd class. |
|
Step 2, Berlin to Prague by EuroCity
train, seen here boarding in Berlin. |
|
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|
1st class seats. |
|
2nd class seats in a compartment
car. |
|
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So civilised! A meal in the
Czech restaurant car as the Berlin-Prague express snakes along the beautiful
Elbe river south of Dresden. Most Berlin-Prague trains use Czech carriages
like this, a few use Hungarian air-conditioned
carriages.
See more photos, tips & info for the Berlin to Prague train ride. Photo courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry. |
Option 3, Amsterdam to Prague with an
overnight stop in Berlin - breaks up the journey nicely, with a chance to see
Berlin.
-
Stay overnight
in Berlin. Top choice here is the
InterCity Hotel
Berlin Hbf (my favourite), only 200m from Berlin Hbf's
main entrance, relatively inexpensive with great reviews, or if you're in the
money, the excellent 5-star
Steigenberger Hotel just outside the station. If you're on a budget,
the cheaper 3-star
Motel One Berlin-Hbf
is behind the station or use
www.hostelworld.com.
Of course, if you really want to push the boat out, the famous
Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin
is next to the
Brandenburg Gate just 17 minutes walk away.
-
Day 2, travel from Berlin to
Prague
EuroCity
train on any departure you like,
see
the timetable here.
For example, the 07:16 from Berlin Hbf will get you to
Prague Hlavni at 11:24, with breakfast in the
restaurant car as you glide along the scenic Elbe river valley. Or have a
breakfast at your hotel and take a later train, they leave every two hours. Bag a seat on the left-hand side of the train for the best views
along the scenic Elbe river valley south of Dresden.
What's the Berlin to Prague journey & scenery like?
Suggested hotels in
Prague.
-
Fares from Amsterdam to Prague start at 37.90 in 2nd class
or 79.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
-
Buy tickets
at the German Railways website
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. To get the overnight stop in Berlin, click
Stopovers and
enter Berlin Hbf with a suitable length of stay, say 12 hours. Adjust the departure time and
length of stay to
get the trains you want either side of Berlin.
I recommend registering when
prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any
time. You print your own ticket
or can show it on your laptop or phone.
Back to top
-
Book from Amsterdam (or
most other stations in the Netherlands) to most stations in the Czech Republic
using
the German Railways website
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class
or 56.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
I recommend registering when
prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any
time. You print your own ticket or can
show it on your laptop or phone.
Tip: It's an all-day
ride from the Netherlands to the Czech Republic, so select an early morning
departure time to do it all in one day.
Tip: You might prefer breaking
up a long journey with an overnight stop, perhaps
Nuremberg, if your route goes that way. To get an overnight stop,
click Stopovers and enter Nuremberg, with a
suitable length of stay, say 11 hours.
-
For Cesky Krumlov (a lovely
town that's the second most-visited place in the Czech Republic,
see the Cesky Krumlov page) you need to book to Ceske Budejovice, not
Cesky Krumlov, because the branch line between Ceske Budejovice and Cesky
Krumlov is run by private operator GWTR and German Railways cannot ticket
that part.
So simply book Amsterdam to
Ceske Budejovice at
int.bahn.de from 39.90, then buy the local ticket from Ceske Budejovice
to Cesky Krumlov either at the station in Ceske Budejovice from the
distinctive green and orange ticket kiosk in the main hall, or on board the
train using the self-service ticket machines, contactless cards accepted.
You can check train times from Ceske Budejovice to Cesky Krumlov at
www.gwtr.cz.
-
For Karlovy Vary or Plzen, book
at
int.bahn.de, looking for 3-change options via Frankfurt, Nuremberg &
Cheb from 37.90.
-
For Brno, book Amsterdam to
Brno at
int.bahn.de. It tends to route you via Vienna, as this is slightly
quicker. By all means click Stopovers and enter PRAGUE, this can be cheaper. By adding a
suitable length of stay you can build in an overnight stop if you like.
The most time-effective option from
the Netherlands to Brno is to take the Nightjet
sleeper train from Amsterdam to Vienna overnight as shown above, allow at
least an hour between trains in Vienna, then take a Vienna-Brno train booked at
either
www.thetrainline.com
(sells both Regiojet & ΦBB/CD trains),
www.oebb.at (ΦBB/CD trains
only) or
www.regiojet.com
(Regiojet trains only).
Back to top
Amsterdam to
Bratislava & Slovakia from 46.90
Option 1, Amsterdam to Bratislava using the
Amsterdam-Vienna Nightjet
sleeper train - the time-effective option, recommended
-
Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Vienna by Nightjet
sleeper train, leaving
Amsterdam Centraal
at 19:00 and arriving
Vienna Hbf 09:17.
This comfortable Austrian
Nightjet
train has an
air-conditioned
Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth
standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe
compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the
corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can
serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has
couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.
A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your
compartment. See the Nightjet
page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos &
video.
From April 2025 this
train is due to become a
new
generation Nightjet, with new rolling stock including individual mini
cabins.
Fares start at 49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, 59.90 in 4-berth couchettes,
89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, 109.90 in a
2-bed sleeper or 159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at
www.thetrainline.com (in
, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Dutch
Railways international website
www.nsinternational.nl
(in ). Booking
opens up to 6
months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Tip: If you have a sleeper ticket and/or 1st class ticket for the
onward train to Budapest, you can use the
ΦBB lounge at
Vienna Hbf
between trains, with complimentary refreshments & free WiFi.
-
Step 2, travel from Vienna to
Bratislava by
regional express train, leaving
Vienna Hbf at
10:14, arriving
Bratislava Hlavna
11:10.
The fare is just 11, no reservation necessary, just
buy a ticket and hop on, or buy online just to save time at
www.thetrainline.com or
www.oebb.at.
More about these Vienna-Bratislava trains.
Important: If travelling before 15 December 2024,
see the update here.
-
Step 3 if you're going to eastern
Slovakia & the Tatra mountains: Take an express from Bratislava to Poprad
Tatry & Kosice. In this case, you'd pre-book a ticket from Vienna to
Poprad Tatry & Kosice from 29 at either
www.thetrainline.com or
www.oebb.at
and print your own ticket. You'll find a regional train leaving Vienna at
10:16, change at
Bratislava Hlavna
arriving Poprad Tatry late afternoon & Kosice early evening.
|
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Deluxe sleeper. Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room.
Larger photo.
Video of deluxe room |
|
Same deluxe sleeper in
evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out.
Larger photo. |
|
Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided.
Larger photo. |
|
Standard sleeper
set up as 2-berth, washstand open.
It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth.
Larger photo. |
|
|
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6-berth couchettes. |
|
4-berth couchettes. |
|
Nightjet couchette car. |
|
|
|
Step 2, Vienna
to Bratislava by hourly Regional Express train, seen at
Vienna
Hbf. Behind the
locomotive is a smart Slovakian air-conditioned
intercity coach, the rest of the train
consists of more basic non-air-con Austrian City
Shuttle carriages, with interiors as shown in
the photo above right. Find a seat in the more
Slovakian car if you can!
More about these trains. |
Option 2, Amsterdam to Bratislava
in a single day from 46.90
-
Fares start at 46.90 in 2nd
class, 99.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
-
Buy tickets at the German Railways
website
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. Tickets are sent by post to any address worldwide for a small fee.
Tip: In the search results, look for journeys with just 2 changes.
Tip: To get a digital ticket
that can be printed out or shown on your phone, split the booking: Book Amsterdam to Vienna at
int.bahn.de,
then buy a ticket for the Vienna-Bratislava regional train either at the station
in Vienna on the day or at www.oebb.at. This method costs a few euros more, but you avoid the
postage fee and there's no delay in getting your ticket.
Option 3, Amsterdam to
Bratislava using the Berlin-Bratislava sleeper - A comfy &
time-effective option
-
Step 2, travel from Berlin to
Bratislava on the sleeper train Metropol, leaving
Berlin Hbf at
19:21 and arriving Bratislava Hlavna
at 06:02.
The train has an
air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin,
an air-conditioned couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments,
and 2nd class seats. A light
breakfast is included in the fare in sleepers.
Departure from Berlin is at 19:47 from 10 August to 13 December 2025.
Fares start at 49 with a
couchette in a 6-berth compartment, 59 with a couchette in a 4-berth
compartment, 79 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper with washbasin, 99 in a 2-bed
sleeper with washbasin or 129 in a single-bed sleeper with washbasin.
Book this sleeper at
www.thetrainline.com (in
, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways
website www.oebb.at (in ,
same prices, more fiddly). You print your own ticket.
|
|
|
1st class compartment. |
|
2nd class. |
|
Step 2, Berlin to Budapest by sleeper
train Metropol, seen here boarding at Berlin Hbf. |
Back to top
Amsterdam to
Budapest from 56.90
Option 1, Amsterdam to Budapest using the
Amsterdam-Vienna Nightjet
sleeper train - the time-effective option, recommended
-
Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Vienna by Nightjet
sleeper train, leaving
Amsterdam Centraal
at 19:00 arriving
Vienna Hbf 09:17.
This comfortable Austrian
Nightjet
train has an
air-conditioned
Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth
standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe
compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the
corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can
serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has
couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.
A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your
compartment. See the Nightjet
page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos &
video.
From April 2025 this
train is due to become a
new
generation Nightjet, with new rolling stock including individual mini
cabins.
Fares start at 49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, 59.90 in 4-berth couchettes,
89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, 109.90 in a
2-bed sleeper or 159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at
www.thetrainline.com (in
, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Dutch
Railways international website
www.nsinternational.nl
(in ). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
You print your own ticket.
Tip: If you have a sleeper ticket and/or 1st class ticket for the
onward train to Budapest, you can use the
ΦBB lounge at
Vienna Hbf
between trains, with complimentary refreshments & free WiFi.
-
Step 2, travel from Vienna to
Budapest by
EuroCity train
with restaurant car,
leaving Vienna Hbf at 10:42 & arriving
Budapest
Keleti at 13:19.
Fares start at
19.90 in 2nd class or 29.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares so
book ahead.
Book this
train at www.thetrainline.com (easiest to use,
in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem,
small booking fee) or Austrian
Railways' own site
www.oebb.at
(same prices, in , a bit more fiddly). You print your own ticket.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Deluxe sleeper. Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room.
Larger photo.
Video of deluxe room |
|
Same deluxe sleeper in
evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out.
Larger photo. |
|
Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided.
Larger photo. |
|
Standard sleeper
set up as 2-berth, washstand open.
It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth.
Larger photo. |
|
|
|
|
|
6-berth couchettes. |
|
4-berth couchettes. |
|
Couchette car on the Nightjet
train. |
|
Step 2, Vienna to Budapest
by EuroCity train. |
Option 2, Amsterdam to Budapest
in a single day from 56.90
-
If you leave at around 06:00 or
08:00, you can travel from
Amsterdam Centraal
to Budapest Keleti
in a single day, arriving late evening. The journey involves superb
ICE trains for much of the way, with
restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. A chill-out day!
-
Fares start at 56.90 in 2nd class
or 99.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
-
Buy tickets at the German Railways website
int.bahn.de.
Book from Amsterdam Centraal to Budapest Keleti with an 06:00 departure time
set. Look for options with 2 changes.
Tip: I recommend using the specific station Budapest Keleti,
as your destination rather than the generic BUDAPEST.
An ICE3neo at
Amsterdam Centraal, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
More
about ICE trains.
|
|
|
2nd class seats on an ICE3neo.
Larger photo. |
|
An ICE3neo at
Cologne Hbf. |
Option 3, Amsterdam to Budapest
using the Berlin-Budapest sleeper - Another comfy &
time-effective option
-
Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Berlin by
InterCity train,
leaving
Amsterdam Centraal
at 11:59 & arriving
Berlin Hbf at
17:51.
See the Amsterdam to Berlin by InterCity train page for tips, photos of the
train and things to see along the way.
By all means leave Amsterdam on
the earlier 09:59 or 07:59 departures for more time in Berlin,
there are
left luggage lockers available and
a
stroll past the Reichstag building to the Brandenburg Gate takes just 17
minutes, so even a few hours stopover is a worthwhile
experience.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd
class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at
www.thetrainline.com (in
, £ or $, using this will allow you to book all your tickets together in one
place, small booking fee) or the German Railways website
int.bahn.de
(in , no fee).
You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
-
Step 2, travel from Berlin to
Budapest on the sleeper train Metropol, leaving
Berlin Hbf at
19:21 & arriving Budapest
Nyugati
at 08:29.
The train has an
air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin,
an air-conditioned couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments,
and 2nd class seats. A light
breakfast is included in the fare in sleepers.
Departure from Berlin is at 19:47 from 10 August to 13 December 2025.
Fares start at 49 with a
couchette in a 6-berth compartment, 59 with a couchette in a 4-berth
compartment, 79 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper with washbasin, 99 in a 2-bed
sleeper with washbasin or 129 in a single-bed sleeper with washbasin.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at
www.thetrainline.com (easy
to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at
(in , more fiddly, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
You print your own ticket.
Step 1, Amsterdam to Berlin by
Intercity train.
More about these Intercity trains.
|
|
|
1st class compartment. |
|
2nd class. |
Step 2, Berlin to Budapest by sleeper
train Metropol. This is the sleeping-car, boarding at
Berlin Hbf.
Option 4, Amsterdam to Budapest
using the Stuttgart-Budapest sleeper - Another
time-effective option with dinner in Stuttgart
-
Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Stuttgart by comfortable
ICE train, leaving Amsterdam Centraal
at 12:38, change at
Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving
Stuttgart Hbf 18:38.
The
ICE trains have a restaurant
car,
power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I recommend the Erdinger
Weissbier! By all means book the earlier 10:38 departure to have more time in
Stuttgart.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd
class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at
www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, will allow you to buy all your tickets
in one place, small booking fee) or the German Railways
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone.
Have dinner in Stuttgart.
-
Step 2, travel from Stuttgart to
Budapest by
EuroNight sleeper train
Kalman Imre leaving
Stuttgart Hbf at 20:29
& arriving
Budapest Keleti 09:19.
The Kalman Imre has
an air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, an air-conditioned Hungarian couchette car with 4 & 6
berth compartments, and ordinary seats,
see more about this sleeper train.
In sleepers, morning tea or coffee is included.
Fares start at 49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in
a 4-berth, 69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 88.90 with a bed in a 2-bed
sleeper or 129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at
www.thetrainline.com (easy
to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at
(more fiddly, same prices, in ). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Step 1, Amsterdam to Stuttgart by
ICE
with one easy change in Frankfurt. ICEs have a restaurant, power sockets
at all seats & free WiFi.
More about ICE
trains. Above, an ICE3neo at Amsterdam Centraal.
|
|
|
2nd class seats on an ICE3neo.
Larger photo. |
|
Lunch: I recommend the
Erdinger Weissbier! |
Step 2, Stuttgart to Budapest by
sleeper train.
More about this
sleeper train.
|
|
|
|
|
2 bed sleeper, can also be set up
as 1 or 3 bed. |
|
4-berth couchettes. |
|
6-berth couchettes. |
Option 5, Amsterdam to Budapest with
overnight stop in Munich - if you prefer daytime trains & hotel to
sleepers
-
Day 1,
travel from Amsterdam to
Munich on any trains you like, for example leaving
Amsterdam Centraal
at
14:38, change at Dόsseldorf (until 15 July 2024) or
Cologne Messe/Deutz (from 16 July 2024), arriving Munich Hbf
at 22:10.
If you'd like an afternoon in Munich, from 15 December 2024 a direct
ICE3neo leaves
Amsterdam Centraal
at 08:32, arriving
Munich Hbf
15:28.
These comfortable
German ICE trains
have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. By all
means take the earlier 10:38 or 12:38 departures from Amsterdam for more of
an evening in Munich.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the German
Railways website
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings
or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone.
-
Stay overnight in Munich.
The affordable
Eden Hotel Wolff
&
NH Collection Mόnchen are across the road from the station's north
side exit with great reviews. Or consider the more
upmarket
25 Hours Hotel The Royal Bavarian,
Excelsior by Giesel &
Mercure City Center. For a splurge, the luxurious
Sofitel Munich Beyerpost
occupies the former Royal Bavarian Post Office building of 1896-1900, at the
station's south side exit.
Tip: For dinner, I
recommend the Bavarian food & beer at the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de)
at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of
Munich Hbf,
see walking map.
-
Day 2, travel from Munich to
Budapest on any railjet
train you like.
The 07:23 from
Munich Hbf will get you to
Budapest
Keleti at 14:19, but by all means have a leisurely breakfast and take the
09:29 from Munich arriving Budapest at 16:19, they leave roughly every two
hours.
These swish Austrian
railjet trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free
WiFi. Look out for views of Salzburg
citadel as you cross the river Salzach approaching
Salzburg Hbf. If
you like, you can incorporate a stopover in Salzburg of a few hours or a day or
two at no extra charge using the Stopover feature at
int.bahn.de.
Left luggage lockers are available.
Fares start at 39.90 in 2nd
class, 69.90 in 1st class or 84.90 in business class (= premium 1st class).
Book this at
int.bahn.de
too. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Back to top
Amsterdam
to Sighisoara, Brasov & Bucharest from 109
Option 1, Amsterdam to Romania
using a sleeper from Budapest
-
Step 2, travel from Budapest to
Romania by sleeper train Ister leaving
Budapest
Keleti at 19:10 & arriving
Brasov 08:50 &
Bucharest Nord
11:30.
This sleeper train
Ister has an air-conditioned
Romanian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed
compartments with washbasin and a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth
compartments, and ordinary seats. There's no restaurant car, so take a
picnic and bottle of wine. There's wonderful almost Alpine scenery
through the Carpathian mountains between Brasov and Bucharest, a real treat.
Ister is the ancient name for the Danube.
Fares start at 39 with a
couchette in 6-berth, 46 with a couchette in 4-berth, 69
with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 84 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 162 with a
single-bed sleeper all to yourself. All prices per person per berth.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the
Romanian Railways website
bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro.
Click
EN top right for
English.
Booking opens up to 90 days ahead. For Bucharest type Bucuresti.
You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
You can also book at the Hungarian Railways
website www.mav-start.hu,
see my advice on using it.
For Bucharest type Bucuresti. You show your ticket in the MAV app
on your phone.
|
|
|
A 1, 2 or 3-bed sleeper with
washbasin.
Larger photo. |
|
The sleeping-car (vagon de
dormit) on the westbound Ister at
Bucharest. Sleepers convert from beds to private sitting rooms for
day use. Courtesy of
DiscoverByRail. |
|
|
|
The vagon cuseta
(couchette car) on the westbound Ister, boarding at Bucharest. Couchettes convert from bunks at night to seats by day.
Courtesy of @AndyBTravels,
DiscoverByRail.com. |
|
4 or 6-berth couchettes.
Larger photo. |
Option 2, Amsterdam to Romania
using a sleeper from Vienna
-
Step 1,
travel from
Amsterdam to Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train as
shown in the Amsterdam to Vienna section above. Book this as
shown.
-
Spend a day in Vienna,
left luggage
lockers are
available.
-
Step 2, travel from Vienna to
Romania on the sleeper train
Dacia Express, leaving
Vienna Hbf at
19:42 every evening and arriving next day in Simeria 07:10,
Sighisoara 09:13,
Braşov 12:36, Ploeşti
Vest
14:28 & Bucharest Nord at 15:06.
The Dacia Express has a
modern & comfortable Romanian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with
washbasin, plus two deluxe compartments with shower & toilet) and a Romanian
couchette car with 4-berth & 6-berth compartments. There's wonderful
almost Alpine scenery through the Carpathian mountains between Brasov and
Bucharest, a real treat.
A Hungarian restaurant car is
attached between Vienna and Budapest, treat yourself to dinner with wine.
A bar car is attached in the morning between Arad & Bucharest, serving drinks &
snacks. There's wonderful almost Alpine scenery through the Carpathian
mountains between Brasov and Bucharest, a real treat.
The Dacia Express
also conveys a portion from Vienna to Cluj Napoca, also leaving
Vienna Hbf at
19:42 and arriving Cluj Napoca at 10:47. This portion has a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.
Fares start at 59 with a
couchette in a 6-berth compartment, 69 with a couchette in a 4-berth
compartment, 79 with a bed in a 3-berth sleeper, 99
with a bed in a 3-berth sleeper or 159 with a bed in a single-berth sleeper all
to yourself. All per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so
book ahead.
Book this train at
the Austrian Railways website
www.oebb.at.
Booking opens
up to 90 days ahead. In the search results, look for the
direct train marked D with
no changes. If it says not available you can't book
it, but if a sparschiene fare is shown you can. You collect tickets from an ΦBB ticket machine in Vienna.
You can also book this train at the Romanian Railways website
bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro.
Click
EN top right for English.
Booking opens
up to 90 days ahead. For Vienna type Wien, for Bucharest type Bucuresti. It can
book seats, couchettes or sleepers. For Austria to Romania journeys you
can now print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
Tip: Prices might be cheaper
on one website than the other, so check both sites!
Tip: If you like,
you can check the consist for this train, check car numbers & see in what order
cars for different destinations are marshalled using the excellent
www.vagonweb.cz.
Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations,
scroll down to Austria & click
D, then look for Dacia.
|
|
|
The Dacia
Express sleeping-car at Vienna Hbf.
The Dacia has an air-conditioned Romanian
sleeping-car of their most modern type.
Each compartment can be sold as a single, double or triple. Most
have a washbasin, two compartments have a
shower & toilet. Beds fold away to form a private sitting room for day
use.
Sleeper interior courtesy of Jose Carlos Barbosa.
Larger photo. |
|
|
|
The Dacia Express couchette car, boarding at Vienna
Hbf. There is one Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6-berth compartments, bedding provided.
Larger
photo. |
|
Transylvania: The Dacia Express crosses rural
Transylvania. Courtesy of
@PaliparanDotCom. |
|
The Carpathian mountains:
Almost Alpine scenery between Brasov & Bucharest.
Courtesy of
@PaliparanDotCom
|
Option 3, Amsterdam to Romania with overnight stop
in Budapest -
if you prefer day trains & a hotel to sleepers
-
Day 1, travel from Amsterdam
to Budapest in a single day as shown in the
Amsterdam to Budapest
section.
-
Stay overnight in Budapest.
Top choice for an inexpensive stay next to
Budapest Keleti is the
Intercity Hotel
just across the square in front of the station. Also try the
Royal Park Boutique Hotel, the inexpensive
Baross City Hotel across the road or the
Elit Hotel two minutes walk away. Of
course, if you want to push the boat out, the luxurious
Corinthia Hotel opened in 1896 was almost certainly the inspiration for the 2014 film
The Grand Budapest Hotel,
20 minutes walk or 9 minutes by taxi from
Keleti station.
More hotels in
Budapest.
-
Day 2, travel on one of the
daytime air-conditioned Intercity trains from
Budapest Keleti to Cluj, Arad,
Timisoara, Simeria, Sibiu, Brasov & Bucharest.
See details of
these trains here.
Fares start at 26.30 in 2nd class
or (where available) 40.50 in 1st class.
Check times & buy tickets at the
Hungarian Railways website
www.mavcsoport.hu,
see my advice on using
it.
Booking opens
up to 90 days ahead. You show the ticket in the MAV app on your phone.
You can also book at the Romanian Railways website
bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro. Click
EN top right for English.
Booking opens
up to 90 days ahead. For Bucharest type Bucuresti. You
print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
|
The daytime train from Budapest
to Bucharest has modern air-conditioned Romanian carriages. Three cars
travel all the way, additional cars are attached whilst in Hungary, and
additional cars and a bar car are attached between Drobeta Turnu Severin &
Bucharest. |
|
|
|
On the left, the daytime train to Bucharest is about to leave Budapest Keleti. |
|
Comfortable 2nd class seats on the Budapest to Bucharest train. There are
power outlets under the tables.
Larger
photo. |
Back to top
Amsterdam to
Ljubljana & Slovenia or Zagreb & Croatia from
72
Option 1, using the
Amsterdam-Munich Nightjet
sleeper train then scenic EuroCity train to Ljubljana & Zagreb
-
Step 1, travel from
Amsterdam to Munich by
Nightjet
sleeper train, leaving
Amsterdam Centraal at
19:00 and arriving
Munich Hbf at
07:06.
This comfortable Austrian
Nightjet
train has an
air-conditioned
Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth
standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe
compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the
corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can
serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has
couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.
A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your
compartment. See the Nightjet
page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos &
video.
Fares start at 49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, 59.90 in 4-berth couchettes,
89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, 109.90 in a
2-bed sleeper or 159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at
www.thetrainline.com (in
, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small
booking fee) or Austrian Railways own
site www.oebb.at (in , same prices, more fiddly). Booking
opens up to 6
months ahead. You print your own ticket.
-
Step 2, travel from Munich to
Ljubljana or Zagreb, leaving
Munich Hbf at 08:16 by air-conditioned Austrian
railjet train,
there's a quick and simple cross-platform change at Villach
onto a waiting Slovenian & Croatian EuroCity train called the Sava,
arriving Lesce-Bled on Lake Bled at 13:50,
Ljubljana at 14:31 and
Zagreb at
17:10.
The train ride is a wonderfully scenic journey across Austria
on the Tauern route and
along the beautiful River Sava between Ljubljana and Zagreb. Enjoy!
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 56.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this journey at
the German Railways website
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings
or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
Booking tip:
If you don't see any cheap fares from Munich to Ljubljana or Zagreb using bahn.de
(for example, if it says No special fares available), try going
to the Austrian Railways website
www.oebb.at
and booking from Salzburg to Ljubljana or Zagreb on exactly the same train (the
train leaves Salzburg about
1h55 after leaving Munich), then using
www.oebb.at
again to add a ticket from Munich to Salzburg on the same train.
Option 2, by daytime trains to
Stuttgart and Croatian sleeper train to Ljubljana & Zagreb - time-effective with dinner in
Stuttgart
-
Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Stuttgart by comfortable
ICE train, leaving Amsterdam Centraal
at 12:38, change at
Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving
Stuttgart Hbf 18:38.
The
ICE trains have a restaurant
car,
power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I recommend the Erdinger
Weissbier! By all means book the earlier 10:38 departure to have more time in
Stuttgart.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd
class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at
www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, using Trainline will allow you to buy all your tickets
in one place, small booking fee) or the German Railways
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone.
Have dinner in Stuttgart.
-
Step 2, travel from Stuttgart to
Ljubljana or Zagreb by sleeper train, leaving Stuttgart Hbf at
20:29 and arriving Lesce-Bled 07:13,
Ljubljana 08:09 &
Zagreb 10:39.
The comfortable sleeper train Lisinski has a modern Croatian air-conditioned couchette car with 4 & 6 berth
compartments and a modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car with comfortable
1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, see the photos below and
the Croatian sleeper
video here.
On some dates this
train conveys a direct Croatian sleeping-car to Rijeka: In 2024 it ran
from 22 March to 8 April & 9 May to 29 September, leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 20:29
& arriving Rijeka 11:17.
Fares start at
49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth,
66.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 86.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or
129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like
air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at
www.thetrainline.com (in
, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small
booking fee) or Austrian Railways own
site www.oebb.at (same prices,
in ). Booking
opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Important: This sleeper train is diverted via Graz due to work
in the Tauern Tunnel and won't call at Lesce-Bled or Ljubljana from 17 November 2024 to 13 July 2025.
For Ljubljana, either use another option or get off the sleeper at Celje in northern Slovenia at 09:47 then take a
local train leaving Celje at 11:36 arriving
Ljubljana 12:43. Check times for the local train at
potniski.sz.si/en.
Step 1, Amsterdam to Stuttgart by
ICE with one easy change in Frankfurt.
More about ICE
trains. Above, an ICE3neo at Amsterdam Centraal.
|
|
|
.2nd class seats on an ICE3neo.
Larger photo. |
|
Lunch: I recommend the
Erdinger Weissbier! |
Step 2, Stuttgart to Ljubljana &
Zagreb by sleeper train. Above, the air-conditioned
Croatian sleeping-car from Stuttgart to Zagreb.
It has 10 compartments with washbasin, each of which can be used as 1, 2
or 3 berth, with toilets at the end of the corridor. Compartments convert
to a private sitting room for evening or morning use. A light breakfast is
included in the sleeper fare. The Croatian
couchette car is the next vehicle to the right, also modern & air-conditioned
with 4 & 6 bunk compartments, ideal for families. Couchettes convert from
bunks to seats for evening or morning use.
|
|
|
|
|
1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper. |
|
Set up as a single-berth. |
|
4 or 6-berth couchettes.
360Ί photo. |
|
Wake up to scenery like this
between Ljubljana & Zagreb, along the river Sava. |
Option 3, by daytime ICE train to
Munich, overnight stop, then scenic EuroCity train to Ljubljana & Zagreb
-
Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Munich on comfortable ICE trains
with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, there are various
departures every day, the best journeys are the ones with just one change.
You can leave
Amsterdam Centraal as late as 14:38, change at
Frankfurt
(Main) Hbf and
arrive Munich Hbf
at 22:10, but by all means take an earlier train and have a leisurely evening in
Munich.
If you'd like an afternoon in Munich, from 15 December 2024 a direct
ICE3neo leaves
Amsterdam Centraal
at 08:32, arriving
Munich Hbf
15:28.
Fares start at
37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so
book ahead.
Book this at the German Railways
website
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings
or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone.
-
Stay overnight in Munich.
The affordable
Eden Hotel Wolff
&
NH Collection Mόnchen are across the road from the station's north
side exit with great reviews. Or consider the more
upmarket
25 Hours Hotel The Royal Bavarian,
Excelsior by Giesel &
Mercure City Center. For a splurge, the luxurious
Sofitel Munich Beyerpost
occupies the former Royal Bavarian Post Office building of 1896-1900, at the
station's south side exit.
Tip: For dinner, I
recommend the Bavarian food & beer at the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de)
at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of
Munich Hbf,
see walking map.
-
Step 2, travel from Munich to
Ljubljana or Zagreb, leaving
Munich Hbf at
08:16 by railjet train,
there's a quick & simple cross-platform change at Villach
onto a waiting Slovenian & Croatian EuroCity train called the Sava,
arriving Lesce-Bled at 13:50,
Ljubljana at 14:31 &
Zagreb at
17:10.
The scenery across Austria
is wonderful and the journey along the river Sava between Ljubljana and Zagreb
is a delight. If you'd like a morning in Munich,
there's a later 12:18 EuroCity train direct to Lesce-Bled, Ljubljana and Zagreb.
Fares start at 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like
air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at
int.bahn.de
(use
this special link).
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
Tip: If you don't see any cheap fares from Munich to
Ljubljana or Zagreb using bahn.de
(for example, if it says No special fares available), try going
to the Austrian Railways website
www.oebb.at
and booking from Salzburg to Ljubljana or Zagreb on exactly the same train (these
trains leave Salzburg about
1h55 after leaving Munich), then using
www.oebb.at
again to add a ticket from Munich to Salzburg on the same train.
|
The 08:16 departure from Munich is a smart
Austrian railjet across Austria to Villach on the Austrian-Slovenian border.
This is a railjet about to leave Munich Hbf. |
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Business class.
About. |
|
Restaurant car. |
|
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First class. |
|
Economy class. |
|
Through the Austrian Alps.
Clinging to the mountainside high in the Austrian Alps, the railjet snakes along
between snow-capped mountains, absolutely wonderful. If you use the morning train from Munich, there's a quick & simple
cross-platform change of train at Villach onto a Slovenian & Croatian train
called the Sava. |
|
|
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...along the Sava
river in Slovenia. Now across the border in Slovenia, the EuroCity
train runs along the pretty River Sava all the way to Ljubljana & Zagreb. |
|
Comfortable seats: The 2nd class seats in the Slovenian cars are arranged 2+1 abreast, the same as 1st class! |
|
More lovely scenery along the
Sava between Ljubljana & Zagreb. |
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|
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The EuroCity train
Sava, arrived at Zagreb. |
|
More scenery along the Sava between Ljubljana
&
Zagreb. |
Option 4, using the
Amsterdam-Vienna nightjet sleeper train, morning in Vienna, EuroCity train to
Zagreb.
This is a slower option, if only
because of the morning at leisure in Vienna, but it's straightforward &
comfortable.
-
Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to Vienna by
Nightjet,
leaving
Amsterdam Centraal
at
19:00 every evening, arriving
Vienna Hbf 09:17.
This comfortable Austrian
Nightjet
sleeper train has an
air-conditioned
Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth
standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe
compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the
corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can
serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has
couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.
A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your
compartment. See the Nightjet
page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos &
video.
From April 2025 this
train is due to become a
new
generation Nightjet, with new rolling stock including individual mini
cabins.
The train travels
along the famous Rhine Valley between Koblenz (23:46) and Mainz (00:39), so if
you're still awake and your compartment happens to be on the left-hand side of
the train, switch off the lights and watch the Rhine pass by, mountains,
vineyards, castles & the legendary Lorelei Rock lit by moonlight.
Wonderful!
In Vienna, you've
the best part of a day to enjoy the city.
Left luggage lockers
are available.
Fares start at 49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, 59.90 in 4-berth couchettes,
89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, 109.90 in a
2-bed sleeper or 159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this sleeper at
www.thetrainline.com
(easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee)
or at the Dutch Railways international website
www.nsinternational.nl
(in ).
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
You can also book this train at the Austrian Railways website
www.oebb.at
(same prices, in ).
-
Step 2, travel from Vienna to
Zagreb by EuroCity train Croatia, leaving
Vienna Hbf at
15:58 and arriving Zagreb at 22:20.
For Ljubljana, change at Maribor
onto a Slovenian InterCity train, arriving Ljubljana at 22:00.
The EuroCity train has comfortable air-conditioned Austrian coaches, and an
Austrian restaurant car. In summer when it's light, enjoy the wonderful
scenery over dinner in the restaurant car, including a ride over the famous
UNESCO-listed Semmering Railway south of Vienna, see
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semmering_railway.
Important update: From September 2023 until further notice, you
will have to make a quick cross-platform change in Graz. The restaurant
car only runs in the Austrian portion.
Fares start at 29.90 in 2nd class or 49.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at
www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in
, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or
at the Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at
(same prices, a little more fiddly, in ).
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
|
|
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|
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Deluxe sleeper. Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room.
Larger photo.
Video of deluxe room |
|
Same deluxe sleeper in
evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out.
Larger photo. |
|
Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided.
Larger photo. |
|
Standard sleeper
set up as 2-berth, washstand open.
It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth.
Larger photo. |
|
|
|
|
|
6-berth couchettes. |
|
4-berth couchettes. |
|
Couchette car on the Nightjet
train. |
|
Step 2, Vienna to Zagreb on the
EuroCity train Croatia. This is the Croatia about to
leave Vienna Hbf. |
|
|
|
1st class open-plan seating as used
on the Croatia. 1st class seats in 6-seat compartments are also available. |
|
2nd class compartment as used on
the Croatia. Seats in open plan cars are also available. |
|
The Semmering Railway.
Shortly after calling at Vienna Neustadt, the Vienna-Zagreb train travels over the 41km (25
mile) Semmering Railway, opened in 1854 and now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
You'll get these great views southbound in summer when it's light in the
evening, and all year round from the northbound train.
Read more about the famous Semmering Railway at
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semmering_railway. Sadly, this slow, curvaceous
and steep section of line will be by-passed in the mid-2020s when the new
Semmering Base Tunnel opens, though this could save up to 90 minutes. |
|
|
|
The train snakes
its way over the Semmering Railway, summiting near Semmering itself at 898m
(2,946 feet) above sea level. |
Back to top
Option 1, Amsterdam to Belgrade
using the Stuttgart-Budapest sleeper - starts running from 24 November 2024
-
Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Berlin by
InterCity train,
leaving
Amsterdam Centraal
at 11:59 & arriving
Berlin Hbf at 17:51.
See the Amsterdam to Berlin by InterCity train page for tips, photos of the
train and things to see along the way.
By all means leave Amsterdam on
the earlier 09:59 or 07:59 departures for more time in Berlin,
there are
left luggage lockers available and
a
stroll past the Reichstag building to the Brandenburg Gate takes just 17
minutes, so even a few hours stopover is a worthwhile
experience.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd
class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at
www.thetrainline.com (in
, £ or $, using this will allow you to book all your tickets together in one
place, small booking fee) or the German Railways website
int.bahn.de
(in , no fee).
You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
-
Step 2, travel from Berlin to
Budapest on the sleeper train Metropol, leaving
Berlin Hbf at
19:21 & arriving Budapest
Nyugati
at 08:29.
The train has an
air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin,
an air-conditioned couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments,
and 2nd class seats. In sleepers, a light breakfast is included in the
fare.
Departure from Berlin is at
19:47 from 10 August to 13 December 2025.
Fares start at 49 with a
couchette in a 6-berth compartment, 59 with a couchette in a 4-berth
compartment, 79 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper with washbasin, 99 in a 2-bed
sleeper with washbasin or 129 in a single-bed sleeper with washbasin.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at
www.thetrainline.com (easy
to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at
(in , more fiddly, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
You print your own ticket.
-
Step 3, travel from
Budapest to Belgrade, leaving
Budapest Nyugati
at 11:50, changing at Szeged & Subotica, arriving
Belgrade Centar
18:38.
You take a Hungarian Intercity train from Budapest to Szeged, a local train
across the border to Subotica and a 200 km/h SOKO train to Belgrade. This
service starts running from 24 November 2024,
for full details see the Budapest to Belgrade page.
Fares start at around 23,
see more about fares.
Buy tickets as shown on the Belgrade to Budapest page.
-
For onward trains to
Montenegro, see the
Belgrade to Podgorica & Bar page.
Step 1, Amsterdam to Berlin by
Intercity train.
More about these Intercity trains.
|
|
|
1st class compartment. |
|
2nd class. |
Step 2, Berlin to Budapest by sleeper
train Metropol. This is the sleeping-car, boarding at
Berlin Hbf.
Step 3, Budapest to Belgrade
on a connecting 3-train combo, starts 24 November 2024. This includes
a 200 km/h double-deck Serbian SOKO train from Subotica to
Belgrade Centar, with refreshments, toilets, power outlets at all seats & free WiFi.
Soko is Serbian for falcon, hence the logo! Photo courtesy of Hugo van Vondelen.
Option 2, Amsterdam to Belgrade
& beyond using the Stuttgart-Zagreb sleeper - currently involves a bus
-
Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Stuttgart by comfortable
ICE train.
Until 15 July 2024, leave Amsterdam Centraal
at 12:38, change at
Dόsseldorf, arriving
Stuttgart Hbf 19:22.
From 16 July 2024, leave Amsterdam Centraal
at 12:38, change at
Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving
Stuttgart Hbf 18:38.
The
ICE trains have a restaurant
car,
power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I recommend the Erdinger
Weissbier! By all means book the earlier 10:38 departure to have more time in
Stuttgart.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd
class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at
www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, will allow you to buy all your tickets
in one place, small booking fee) or the German Railways
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone.
Have dinner in Stuttgart.
-
Step 2, travel from Stuttgart to
Zagreb by sleeper train, leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 20:29 and arriving
Zagreb at
10:39 next morning.
The sleeper train Lisinski
has a modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car with comfortable
1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, and a modern Croatian
air-conditioned couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, see the photos
below &
the Croatian sleeper
video here.
Fares start at
49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth,
66.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 86.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or
129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like
air fares, so book ahead.
Book this sleeper at
www.thetrainline.com (easy
to use, in
, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking
fee) or the Austrian Railways site
www.oebb.at (in , more
fiddly, same prices).
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
-
Step 3, travel from Zagreb to
Belgrade by train, leaving Zagreb at 11:04 and arriving
Novi
Beograd at 18:04 & Belgrade Centar
at 18:12.
This train was
suspended due to Covid-19 and remains suspended.
This train has
air-conditioned Serbian carriages with comfortable 2nd class seats, but no
1st class. There's no catering, so bring
a picnic and some beer or wine.
The fare is
around 29 bought at the station in Zagreb or paid on board the train, but
tickets cannot be bought online.
While the train is suspended, take a bus from Zagreb to Belgrade
It's a 17-minute 1.3 km walk from Zagreb station to Zagreb bus station,
see walking
map.
A Flixbus leaves Zagreb bus station at 14:00, arriving Belgrade bus station at
19:30.
The fare is around 20, buy a ticket at www.flixbus.com.
-
Step 4 for Montenegro, take the overnight sleeper
Lovcen
from
Belgrade Centar
to Podgorica & Bar arriving in the morning on day 3, or stay overnight in
Belgrade and take the daytime train Tara next day.
See the Belgrade to
Montenegro page for schedule, fares & how to buy tickets.
Step 1, Amsterdam to Stuttgart by
ICE with one easy change in Frankfurt.
More about ICE
trains. Above, an ICE3neo at Amsterdam Centraal.
|
|
|
2nd class seats on an ICE3neo.
Larger photo. |
|
Lunch: I recommend the Erdinger
Weissbier! |
Step 2, Stuttgart to Zagreb by sleeper:
Above, the air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car from Stuttgart to
Zagreb. It has 10 compartments with washbasin, each of which can be used as 1, 2
or 3 berth, with toilets at the end of the corridor. Compartments convert
to a private sitting room for evening or morning use. A light breakfast is
included in the sleeper fare. The Croatian
couchette car is the next vehicle to the right, also modern & air-conditioned
with 4 & 6 bunk compartments, ideal for families. Couchettes convert from
bunks to seats for evening or morning use.
|
|
|
|
|
1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper. |
|
Set up as a single-berth. |
|
4 or 6-berth couchettes.
360Ί photo. |
|
Wake up to scenery like this
between Ljubljana & Zagreb, along the river Sava. |
Option 3, Amsterdam
to Belgrade & beyond using the Zurich-Zagreb sleeper - currently involves
a bus
-
Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Zurich, leaving Amsterdam Centraal
at 08:08, change
at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf arriving
Zurich HB
at 16:00.
You travel on comfortable
ICE trains with
restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Do not risk any tight
connections when catching a sleeper, I'd want at least an hour between
trains in Zurich. Have dinner in Zurich before boarding the sleeper,
I recommend the steak-frites at the Brasserie Federal inside Zurich HB.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at either
www.thetrainline.com
(in , £ or $, small booking fee, using Thetrainline allows you to buy both
tickets together in one place) or the German Railways
website
int.bahn.de
(in , no fee). You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
-
Step 2, travel from Zurich to Ljubljana or Zagreb by sleeper train, leaving
Zurich HB at 20:40 and
arriving in Zagreb at 10:39 next morning.
The train
has an excellent air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with
washbasin), a modern air-conditioned Croatian couchette car (4 & 6 berth compartments) and
ordinary seats (not recommended).
Watch the Croatian sleeper
video.
Book this train at
www.thetrainline.com (in
, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small
booking fee) or Austrian Railways own
site www.oebb.at (same prices,
in , a bit more fiddly). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
-
Step 3, travel from Zagreb to
Belgrade by train, leaving Zagreb at 11:04 and arriving
Novi
Beograd 18:04 & Belgrade Centar
at 18:12.
This train is still currently
suspended due to Covid-19.
This train has
two air-conditioned Serbian carriages with comfortable 2nd class seats, but no
1st class. There's no catering, so bring
a picnic and some beer or wine.
The fare is
around 29 bought at the station in Zagreb or paid on board the train, but
tickets cannot be bought online.
Tip: Although
Belgrade Centar is slightly
closer to the city centre, you have to rely on a single bus line. Trams 7
& 9 link
Novi Beograd station with the site of the now-defunct old Belgrade station
on the edge of the old city every 5-10 minutes so you may prefer to get off at
Novi
Beograd and take a tram,
see the
Belgrade station page for more information.
While the train is suspended, take a bus from Zagreb to Belgrade
It's a 17-minute 1.3 km walk from Zagreb station to Zagreb bus station,
see walking
map.
A Flixbus leaves Zagreb bus station at 14:00, arriving Belgrade bus station at
19:30.
The fare is around 20, buy a ticket at www.flixbus.com.
-
Step 4 for Montenegro, take the overnight sleeper
Lovcen
from
Belgrade Centar
to Podgorica & Bar arriving in the morning on day 3, or stay overnight in
Belgrade and take the daytime train Tara next day.
See the Belgrade to
Montenegro page for schedule, fares & how to buy tickets.
|
The Zurich-Zagreb sleeper train boarding at Zurich HB as the sun sets on a
summer day. That's the Croatian couchette car on the right, the Croatian
sleeping-car on the left.
See the Croatian
sleeper video. |
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|
|
1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper. |
|
Set up as a single-berth. |
|
4 or 6-berth couchettes.
360Ί photo. |
|
Wake up to scenery like this
between Ljubljana & Zagreb, along the river Sava. |
Back to top
Option 1, Amsterdam
to Sofia via Bucharest
-
Day 1, travel
from Amsterdam to Vienna using the Amsterdam-Vienna
Nightjet
sleeper train, as shown above.
Book this train at
www.thetrainline.com (easy
to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website
www.oebb.at
(in , a bit more fiddly, same fares).
Booking opens up to 6
months ahead and you print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
-
Day 2, travel from Vienna to
Budapest by railjet
train, leaving
Vienna Hbf
at 11:40 and arriving Budapest
Keleti at 14:19.
The swish Austrian
railjet
train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. By all means take an earlier train if you'd like
more time in Budapest, perhaps for lunch.
Fares start at 19.90 in
2nd class or 29.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book
ahead.
Book this train at
www.thetrainline.com (easy
to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website
www.oebb.at
(in , a bit more fiddly, same fares).
Booking opens up to 6
months ahead and you print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
-
Day 2, travel from Budapest to
Bucharest on the sleeper train Muntenia, leaving
Budapest Keleti
at 15:10 and arriving
Bucharest Nord
at 08:42.
The Muntenia
has 4 & 6-berth couchettes and ordinary seats. A Romanian sleeping-car
with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments is attached from Arad (depart 21:04) to Bucharest.
There's no catering car, so bring your own food & drink.
Fares start at 40 with a
couchette in 6-berth or 47 with a couchette in 4-berth. These are
limited-availability advance-purchase fares
Book this at the Romanian
Railways international website
bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro/en. You print your own ticket.
If you want the comfort &
privacy of a proper sleeper from Arad to Bucharest, (1) book a 2nd
class seat from Budapest to Arad from 17 using
bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro/en. You print your own ticket.
(2) Now book berths in a 1, 2 or 3-bed sleeper from Arad to
Bucharest Nord
at the Romanian domestic website
bilete.cfrcalatori.ro and print your own ticket.
-
Day 3, travel from Bucharest to
Sofia by daytime train
as shown
in the Bucharest>Sofia section of the Trains from Bucharest page.
You leave
Bucharest Nord at 10:47
and arrive
Sofia Central at 20:21 after a pleasant day meandering across the
Danube and through the river valleys of Bulgaria. In summer it's direct,
in winter you have to switch trains at Ruse. There's no catering car, so
bring your own food & drink.
The
fare is around 34.
Book this at the Romanian
Railways website
bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro/en.
You print your own ticket.
|
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|
|
Deluxe sleeper. Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room.
Larger photo.
Video of deluxe room |
|
Same deluxe sleeper in
evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out.
Larger photo. |
|
Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided.
Larger photo. |
|
Standard sleeper
set up as 2-berth, washstand open.
It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth.
Larger photo. |
|
|
|
|
|
6-berth couchettes. |
|
4-berth couchettes. |
|
Couchette car on the Nightjet
train. |
|
|
|
Business class.
About. |
|
Restaurant car. |
|
|
|
First class. |
|
Economy class. |
Option 2, Amsterdam
to Sofia via Belgrade
Back to top
Amsterdam to Warsaw & Poland
from 49.90
Option 1, Amsterdam to Warsaw in a
single day - why not spend a few hours in Berlin on the way?
-
You can travel from Amsterdam
to Poznan or Warsaw in a single chill-out day with a good book and a restaurant car for
a meal and a beer or glass of red or two. You
take a comfortable
InterCity train
from Amsterdam to Berlin,
see an account of the journey & things to see,
then a
EuroCity
train with restaurant car from Berlin to Poznan & Warsaw. For
example:
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal
at 05:59 daily, change at
Berlin Hbf,
arrive
Warsaw Centralna
19:14.
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal
at 07:59 daily, change at
Berlin Hbf,
arrive
Warsaw Centralna
21:14.
Leave
Amsterdam Centraal
at 09:59 daily except Saturdays, change at
Berlin Hbf,
arrive
Warsaw Centralna
23:18.
You've time between trains in
Berlin for a meal or for a
stroll past the Reichstag to the Brandenburg Gate, just 17 minutes walk from
the station.
-
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class
or 56.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
-
Book at the German Railways website
int.bahn.de.
Booking to Poland normally only
opens 60 days ahead.
I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings
or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
|
|
|
Lunch in the bistro car. |
|
2nd class seats. |
|
|
|
1st class compartment. |
|
2nd class compartment. |
|
Restaurant car. You don't
need to reserve a table, just go along and sit down. |
|
|
|
Zurek soup, a tasty starter. |
|
Kotlet Schabowy, served on proper
china. |
Option 2, Amsterdam to Warsaw
using the Amsterdam-Berlin European Sleeper - the most time-effective way,
runs 3 times a week
-
Step 1, travel from
Amsterdam to Berlin by
European
Sleeper, leaving
Amsterdam Centraal
at 22:34 on Monday, Wednesday & Friday arriving
Berlin
Hbf 06:16.
The
European
Sleeper has a comfortable sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed rooms with
washbasin, economical couchette cars with 5 & 6 berth compartments and ordinary
seats. Check times at
www.europeansleeper.eu
as they can vary.
More
about the European Sleeper.
Fares start at 49 in a seat, 79 with a couchette in 6-berth,
99 with a couchette in 5-berth, 109 with a bed in 3-bed
sleeper, 129 with a bed in 2-bed sleeper, 159 with a bed in
single-bed sleeper. All per person per berth. Fares vary like air
fares, so book ahead.
Book the sleeper at
www.europeansleeper.eu.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead
although this can vary. You print your own ticket or can show it on your
phone
-
Step 2, travel from
Berlin to Warsaw by
EuroCity train,
leaving
Berlin Hbf at
09:52, arriving Poznan at 12:36 and
Warsaw Centralna
at 15:14.
This
EuroCity train
is a comfortable air-conditioned Polish train with restaurant car serving drinks, snacks and full meals. Treat yourself
to an inexpensive lunch and a beer or two, I recommend the excellent Zurek soup
and Kotlet Schabowy.
More
about this EuroCity train.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class
or 56.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket for the Amsterdam to Warsaw
train at the
German Railways website
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens 60
days months ahead, you can book the sleeper and leave this until later
if necessary. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check
or reprint tickets.
Step 1, Amsterdam to Berlin by
European Sleeper.
This is a 5-berth couchette car at Amsterdam Centraal, beyond is a stainless-steel
sleeping-car.
|
|
|
1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper, set up as
a single. |
|
5-berth couchette compartment. |
|
|
|
1st class compartment. |
|
2nd class compartment. |
|
Restaurant car. You don't
need to reserve a table, just go along and sit down. |
|
|
|
The bar counter. |
|
Decent food, served on proper
china. |
Option 3, Amsterdam to Warsaw with overnight stop in Berlin -
breaks up the trip nicely, with a chance to see
Berlin.
-
Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Berlin by
InterCity train, leaving
Amsterdam Centraal at 15:59
and arriving
Berlin Hbf at
21:51.
By all means take the earlier
13:59 or 11:59
departure for more time
in Berlin.
More about the journey & things you'll see from the train.
-
Stay overnight
in Berlin. Top choice here is the
InterCity Hotel
Berlin Hbf (my favourite), only 200m from Berlin Hbf's
main entrance, relatively inexpensive with great reviews, or if you're in the
money, the excellent 5-star
Steigenberger Hotel just outside the station. If you're on a budget,
the cheaper 3-star
Motel One Berlin-Hbf
is behind the station or use
www.hostelworld.com.
Of course, if you really want to push the boat out, the famous
Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin
is next to the
Brandenburg Gate just 17 minutes walk away.
-
Day 2, travel from
Berlin Hbf to
Warsaw Centralna in
around 5h30 on any
EuroCity
train you like,
see
the timetable here.
Daily except Sundays the 05:51 from
Berlin Hbf will get you to
Warsaw Centralna
at 11:14 with breakfast in the restaurant car.
Or have a leisurely
breakfast and take the daily 09:52 arriving 15:14. By all means take a
later train to have a morning in Berlin.
-
Fares from Amsterdam to Warsaw
start at 49.90 in 2nd class or 63.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
-
Book from Amsterdam to Warsaw at the
German Railways website int.bahn.de.
To get the overnight stop in Berlin, click Stopovers and enter
Berlin Hbf with a length of stay of (say) 10 hours.
Adjust the length of stay and departure time to
get the trains you want each side of Berlin.
Booking to Poland normally opens 60 days ahead, but you can book from Amsterdam
to Berlin separately up to 6 months ahead if you like. I recommend
registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print
tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
Back to top
Option 1, Amsterdam to Krakow in
a day
-
Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Berlin by
Intercity train, leaving
Amsterdam Centraal
at 09:59 & arriving
Berlin Hbf at
15:51.
By all means take the
earlier 07:59 departure for a more robust connection and time for lunch in
Berlin.
The
Intercity train has power sockets all seats & a refreshment trolley.
-
Step 2, travel from
Berlin to Krakow by
EuroCity train,
leaving
Berlin
Hbf 16:52, arriving Wroclaw 20:56, Katowice 23:05 &
Krakow
Glowny 23:54.
The
EuroCity train
Oder is a comfortable air-conditioned Polish train with a restaurant car serving drinks, snacks
& meals. Treat yourself
to an inexpensive dinner with a beer or two, I recommend the excellent Zurek soup
& Kotlet Schabowy.
More
about this EuroCity train.
-
Fares start at 49.90 in 2nd class
or 79.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
-
Book at the
German Railways website
int.bahn.de.
Booking to Poland
normally opens
60 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log
in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
|
|
|
Lunch in the bistro car. |
|
2nd class seats. |
|
|
|
2nd class compartment. |
|
1st class compartment. |
|
Restaurant car. You don't
need to reserve a table, just go along and sit down.
Larger photo. |
|
|
|
Zurek soup - an excellent tasty starter. |
|
Kotlet schabowy, served on proper china. |
Option 2, Amsterdam to Krakow
using the Amsterdam-Berlin European Sleeper - runs 3 times a week
-
Day 1, travel from
Amsterdam to Berlin by
European
Sleeper, leaving
Amsterdam Centraal
at 22:34 on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays arriving
Berlin
Hbf 06:16.
The
European
Sleeper has a comfortable sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed rooms with
washbasin, economical couchette cars with 5 & 6 berth compartments and ordinary
seats. Check times at
www.europeansleeper.eu
as they can vary.
More
about the European Sleeper.
Fares start at 49 in a seat, 79 with a couchette in 6-berth,
99 with a couchette in 5-berth, 109 with a bed in 3-bed
sleeper, 129 with a bed in 2-bed sleeper, 159 with a bed in
single-bed sleeper. All per person per berth. Fares vary like air
fares, so book ahead.
Book the sleeper at
www.europeansleeper.eu.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead
although this can vary. You print your own ticket or can show it on your
phone
-
Day 2, travel from
Berlin to Krakow by
EuroCity train,
leaving
Berlin
Hbf 10:52, arriving Wroclaw 15:05, Katowice 17:15 &
Krakow
Glowny 18:07.
The timetable changes from 15 December
2024: Travel from Berlin to Krakow by
EuroCity train
Galicija,
leaving
Berlin
Hbf at 08:52, arriving Wroclaw 12:53, Katowice 15:06 &
Krakow
Glowny 16:07. Later trains are available,
see timetable.
This
EuroCity train
is a comfortable air-conditioned Polish train called the Wawel, with restaurant car serving drinks, snacks and full meals. Treat yourself
to an inexpensive lunch and a beer or two, I recommend the excellent Zurek soup
& Kotlet Schabowy.
More about this EuroCity train.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class
or 56.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket for the Amsterdam to
Krakow train at the
German Railways website
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens 60
days months ahead, you can book the sleeper and leave this until later
if necessary. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check
or reprint tickets.
Step 1, Amsterdam to Berlin by
European Sleeper. This is
a 5-berth couchette car at Amsterdam Centraal, beyond is a stainless-steel
sleeping-car.
|
|
|
1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper, set up as
a single. |
|
5-berth couchette compartment. |
|
|
|
2nd class compartment. |
|
1st class compartment. |
|
Restaurant car. You don't
need to reserve a table, just go along and sit down.
Larger photo. |
|
|
|
Zurek soup - an excellent tasty starter. |
|
Kotlet schabowy, served on proper china. |
Option 3, Amsterdam to Krakow with overnight stop in Berlin - if you prefer day trains & hotel to sleepers,
departures every day
-
Fares from Amsterdam to Krakow
start at 49.90 in 2nd class or 63.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air
fares, so book ahead.
-
Book from Amsterdam to Krakow at the
German Railways website int.bahn.de.
To get the overnight stop in Berlin, click Stopovers, enter
Berlin Hbf and a length of stay of (say) 10 hours.
Adjust the length of stay and departure time to get the
trains you want each side of Berlin.
Booking to Poland normally opens 60 days ahead, although you can book from
Amsterdam to Berlin separately up to 6 months ahead if you like, and book the
Berlin-Poland part later. I recommend registering when prompted so you can
log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can
show it on your laptop or phone.
Back to top
Amsterdam to Lithuania with
overnight stop in Warsaw
-
Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to Warsaw
as shown in the Amsterdam to Warsaw section.
You can do this in a day.
-
Stay overnight in Warsaw.
The
Polonia Palace Hotel is excellent, historic, relatively inexpensive
for such a good hotel, and it's just across the road from
the station. For something much cheaper, but still with great reviews and
near the station, try the
Hotel Metropol next door to the Polonia Palace or the nearby
Novotel Warsaw Centrum. Also see the
Warsaw
Centralna station & city information.
-
Day 2, travel from Warsaw to
Kaunas & Vilnius by train
as shown on the Warsaw to Vilnius page.
-
Day 3, for onward travel from Vilnius to Riga in Latvia,
see here.
-
Day 4, for onward travel from Riga to Tallinn in Estonia,
see here.
Back to top
Option 1, Amsterdam to Lviv & Kyiv
via Prague - easiest to book and usually has plenty of availability.
Includes a free day in Prague!
-
Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to Prague by
European
Sleeper, leaving Amsterdam
Centraal at 22:34 on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays arriving
Prague Hlavni 10:56
next morning (day 2).
The European sleeper has 1, 2
& 3 bed sleepers, 5 & 6 berth couchettes and 2nd class seats.
Enjoy the
scenic ride along
the Elbe river valley over breakfast.
For details see the European Sleeper page.
Fares start at 49 in a seat, 79
with a couchette in 6-berth, 99 with a couchette in 5-berth, 109 with a bed in
3-bed sleeper, 129 with a bed in 2-bed sleeper, 159 with a bed in single-bed
sleeper, all per person per
berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Children under 4 travel free, without their own berth. Children under 12
travel at a child rate.
Book the sleeper at
www.europeansleeper.eu.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead although this can vary.
You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
You now have a day free to
explore Prague.
Left
luggage lockers are available.
Suggested restaurants for dinner in Prague.
-
Day 2, travel from Prague to
Przemysl by Regiojet sleeper train, leaving
Prague Hlavni at
21:56 every day, arriving Przemysl 08:08 (day 3).
A connecting Ukrainian Intercity
train leaves Przemysl at 09:35, arriving Lviv 12:27 & Kyiv Pass at 19:57 (day
3).
The Regiojet sleeper train has 3 &
4 berth couchettes set up with full bedding like a sleeping-car. You can
book an inexpensive berth in a shared compartment or you can
book a whole compartment for sole occupancy if you like. Refreshments are available from the train staff.
The Ukrainian intercity train is
comfortable and air-conditioned with cafe-bar. Regiojet have an allocation
of seats and a Regiojet ticket from Prague to Lviv or Kyiv includes a 2nd class
seat on this train, booked as one combined ticket from Prague to Lviv/Kyiv.
Prague to Lviv or Kyiv starts at 58 with a berth
in a shared compartment, or 119.90 for sole occupancy of a 4-berth couchette
compartment for 1 to 4 people. Fares vary slightly according to demand. The fare includes the sleeper and a 2nd
class seat on the connecting Ukrainian train.
Book from Prague to Lviv or Kyiv at
www.regiojet.com.
Booking opens 1-2 months ahead,
so book your other trains first then book this one a month or two before travel.
There is usually plenty of availability 3+ weeks before departure, although it
can sell out with a week or two to go. You
print your ticket or show it on your phone.
1. Amsterdam to Prague by
European Sleeper,
seen here at Amsterdam Centraal. This is a 5-berth couchette car, beyond it is the
stainless steel sleeping-car.
|
|
|
1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper, set up as
a single. |
|
5-berth couchettes, daytime mode. |
|
|
|
5-berth couchettes, night mode. |
|
Breakfast can be added when you
book. |
In the morning, the European Sleeper runs along the Elbe river
valley between Dresden & Prague.
See
more photos.
2. Prague to Przemysl by
Regiojet sleeper train
Option 2, Amsterdam to Kyiv via
the Warsaw-Kyiv sleeper - runs daily, but can be tricky
to book & sells out fast
-
Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Berlin by
InterCity train,
leaving Amsterdam
Centraal at 15:59 and arriving at
Berlin Hbf
at 21:51.
By all means take the
earlier 13:59 or 11:59 departure for more of an evening in Berlin and perhaps a
stroll past the Reichstag building to the Brandenburg Gate takes just 17
minutes from the station.
Fares start at
37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book at
the German Railways website
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
-
Stay overnight
in Berlin. Top choice here is the
InterCity Hotel
Berlin Hbf (my favourite), only 200m from Berlin Hbf's
main entrance, relatively inexpensive with great reviews, or if you're in the
money, the excellent 5-star
Steigenberger Hotel just outside the station. If you're on a budget,
the cheaper 3-star
Motel One Berlin-Hbf
is behind the station or use
www.hostelworld.com.
Of course, if you really want to push the boat out, the famous
Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin
is next to the
Brandenburg Gate just 17 minutes walk away.
-
Day 2, travel from Berlin to
Warsaw by
EuroCity train leaving
Berlin Hbf at
09:52 daily arriving
Warsaw Centralna at
15:14.
There's a restaurant car,
treat yourself to an inexpensive lunch and a beer or two.
Fares start at 27.90 in 2nd
class or 37.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at
int.bahn.de.
Booking
to Poland normally
opens 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
On Mondays to Saturdays you can also take the earlier 05:52
EuroCity train
from Berlin arriving
Warsaw
11:16, giving you a few hours to explore,
see Warsaw
Centralna station & city information. Warsaw's historic old town is a 30 minute walk from Centralna station - if you fancy a modest
splurge, the celebrated Ufukiera restaurant (www.ufukiera.pl)
is excellent and right on the square in the heart of
Warsaw's old town. The Palace of Culture (a
wedding cake style Soviet skyscraper and distinctive Warsaw
landmark, www.pkin.pl) is right next to the station and has a
viewing terrace on the 30th floor.
-
Day 2, travel from Warsaw to Kyiv
by Kyiv Express sleeper train leaving
Warsaw Wschodnia at
17:40 every day, arriving Kyiv 12:17 next day.
This train has
comfortable Ukrainian 1, 2 & 3 bed sleepers with washbasin. There's
no restaurant car, so take a picnic and perhaps some wine or beer.
The fare booked
with Polrail is around 59 including a bed in a 3-berth sleeper, 93 with a bed in a 2-bed
sleeper or 162 in a single-bed sleeper all to yourself.
Buy tickets via
reliable Polish agency Polrail,
booking.polrail.com.
Be warned, this train is busy and often sells out soon after sales open.
Tickets can be collected in Warsaw or (at extra charge) shipped to any
address worldwide. Polrail may or may not be able to arrange the return
reservation back from Kyiv.
-
To book onward trains from Kyiv
to Odessa & other places in Ukraine,
see the Ukraine
page.
The Kyiv Express has
modernised Ukrainian sleeping-cars with 2-berth & 3-berth compartments.
All bedding is supplied, and washrooms and toilets are at the end of the
corridor. Berths convert to seats for daytime use. A
smartly-uniformed Ukrainian railways sleeper attendant travels with each car.
|
|
|
|
|
1, 2 or 3-bed sleeper. |
|
Washbasin. |
|
Kyiv Express. |
Option 3, Amsterdam to Lviv &
Kyiv via Vienna - comfortable, but sells out fast
-
Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train as shown in the
Amsterdam-Vienna section above.
Enjoy the best part of a day in Vienna,
left luggage lockers are available.
-
Day 2, travel from Vienna to
Lviv or Kyiv by direct Ukrainian sleeping-car. leaving
Vienna Hbf at
16:42 every day and arriving Lviv at 09:20 & Kyiv at 16:03 next day (Day 3).
Introduced in 2017, this train
consists of 2 or sometimes 3 direct
Ukrainian sleeping-cars attached to a Vienna-Zahony EuroCity train. The
sleeping-cars have comfortable 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with
washbasin, see the photos below. At Chop on the other side of the
border the through sleeping-cars are jacked up to have their wheelsets changed from
European standard gauge (4'8½") to Russian gauge used in Ukraine (5').
Vienna to Lviv costs 71.20 in a 3-berth sleeper, 79.20 in a 2-berth sleeper or around 130 in a single sleeper.
Vienna to Kyiv costs 89.60 in a 3-berth sleeper, 99.60 in a 2-berth sleeper or around 170 in a single sleeper.
Book this train at the Austrian Railways website
www.oebb.at.
Booking for these direct
sleeping-cars opens 20 days ahead, but tickets sell out a day or two after booking opens,
so book as soon as the booking period opens. If the ΦBB website says
Ticket not available within 20 days it means fully-booked, if it
says that more than 20 days ahead it means booking isn't open yet.
Tickets can now be printed out so
you can book in either direction. However, you must print the ticket, it
cannot be shown on a mobile device.
|
The Vienna-Kyiv sleeping-car
boarding at Vienna Hbf. |
|
|
|
|
|
The Vienna-Kyiv sleeper about to
leave Vienna Hbf. Courtesy of Helmut Uttenthaler. |
|
The sleeper corridor.
Courtesy Helmut Uttenthaler. |
|
1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper compartment. |
Back to top
Amsterdam to
Moscow, St Petersburg & Russia
Option 1, Amsterdam to Moscow using the daily Warsaw-Moscow
sleeper train - suspended due to sanctions
-
Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to
Berlin by
InterCity train,
leaving Amsterdam
Centraal at 15:59 and arriving
Berlin
Hbf at 21:51.
By all means take
an earlier train for a leisurely afternoon or evening in Berlin.
Fares start at
37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at
the German Railways website
int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
-
Stay overnight
in Berlin. Top choice here is the
InterCity Hotel
Berlin Hbf (my favourite), only 200m from Berlin Hbf's
main entrance, relatively inexpensive with great reviews, or if you're in the
money, the excellent 5-star
Steigenberger Hotel just outside the station. If you're on a budget,
the cheaper 3-star
Motel One Berlin-Hbf
is behind the station or use
www.hostelworld.com.
Of course, if you really want to push the boat out, the famous
Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin
is next to the
Brandenburg Gate just 17 minutes walk away.
-
Day 2 morning, travel from Berlin
to Warsaw by
EuroCity
train leaving
Berlin Hbf at
09:52 daily arriving
Warsaw Centralna at
15:09.
Fares start at 27.90 in 2nd
class or 39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at
int.bahn.de
too. Booking normally opens 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
Alternatively, there's an earlier 05:51
EuroCity
train on Mondays to Saturdays arriving 11:15, giving you time to explore Warsaw,
see Warsaw
Centralna station & city information. Warsaw's historic old town is a 30 minute walk from Centralna station - if you fancy a modest
splurge, the celebrated Ufukiera restaurant (www.ufukiera.pl)
is excellent and right on the square in the heart of
Warsaw's old town. The Palace of Culture (a
wedding cake style Soviet skyscraper and distinctive Warsaw
landmark, www.pkin.pl) is right next to the station and has a
viewing terrace on the 30th floor.
-
Day 2 evening, travel from Warsaw
to Moscow by Russian sleeper train, leaving
Warsaw Centralna at
19:15 every day and arriving Moscow Belorussky
at 16:58 next day (day 3 from Amsterdam). You can check times at the
Russian Railways website
www.rzd.ru.
This train was suspended due to Covid-19 and remains suspended due to
sanctions.
This
train uses impressive Austrian-built sleeping-cars with 4-berth compartments
built in 2014,
see
photos of this type of sleeper here &
see panorama photo inside one of these modern sleepers. Each
compartment can be sold as 1st class 1-berth, 1st class 2-berth or 2nd class
4-berth. The train consist of two or three sleeping-car which start their
journey in Prague. There's a bistro car in Poland and a Russian restaurant
car is attached between Brest (on the Polish/Belarus border) & Moscow.
You can book this train by contacting
reliable Polish train ticketing agency
www.polrail.com
- their booking system is at
http://booking.polrail.com.
Tickets can be collected in Warsaw or (at extra charge)
shipped to any address worldwide.
Alternatively, you can book with Russian Railways at
www.rzd.ru although it's a
little quirky and may not accept some overseas credit cards.
Don't forget to arrange
both your Russian visa and
Belarus transit visa
as the train runs via Belarus.
See my important update about
travel to Russia through Belarus.
Option 2, Amsterdam to Moscow using the Berlin-Moscow
Strizh
(Swift) sleeper train, twice a week - suspended due to sanctions
-
Step 1, take the
Amsterdam to Berlin
InterCity train leaving
Amsterdam Centraal at 11:59 and arriving
Berlin Hbf at 17:51 with fares from 37.90. Or by all means take one of the
earlier trains at 07:59 or 09:59 and have more time in Berlin. Book
this train at
int.bahn.de.
-
Step 2, travel from Berlin to
Moscow by direct Russian sleeper train, leaving
Berlin
Hbf at 20:08 on Mondays & Saturdays, arriving at Moscow Belorussky station at
21:24 next day.
This train was suspended due to Covid-19 and remains suspended due to
sanctions.
This train is an articulated Spanish-built Talgo train branded
Strizh (Russian for swift) which started running in 2016. It
has ordinary seats, 2nd class 4-berth sleepers, 1st class 1 or 2 berth sleepers
with washbasin and deluxe 1 or 2 berth sleepers with en suite shower & toilet.
There's a restaurant & bistro car.
Russian track gauge is 5', but most of Europe (including the UK) is 4' 8½", so
at Brest on the Belarus frontier the Talgo train runs through a special
gauge-changing shed and the axles automatically adjust to the new gauge.
Once in Russia, the scenery is rolling hills, birch tree forests, and villages
of small wooden houses. Approaching Moscow, you may glimpse the plaques on
the station building marked '1812' and '1942' as the train passes through the
small station of historic Borodino.
You can book the Berlin-Moscow
train at the Russian Railways website
www.rzd.ru and print your own
ticket, it's a little fiddly but usually works, or you can easily buy it online with English language after-sales
service if you need it, using the
Real Russia online
system here.
Don't forget to arrange
both your Russian visa and
Belarus transit visa
as the train runs via Belarus.
See my important update about
travel to Russia through Belarus.
|
The Strizh sleeper
train from Berlin to Moscow, seen here boarding in Berlin. It's a Spanish-built articulated
Talgo train - note the relatively small size of each car, just one
axle between each car. Courtesy of Stuart Wilks & Jaap van
Ginkel. |
|
|
|
|
|
2-berth sleeper with washbasin, in
night & daytime modes. |
|
Complimentary toiletry pack. |
Option 3, Amsterdam to Moscow
via Kyiv - avoiding the need for Belarus visa
-
It's not difficult to get a
Belarus transit visa, but many people want to avoid the bureaucracy and cost of yet another visa, and
you can easily travel via Kyiv, as most EU nationals don't need a visa for
Ukraine.
-
Step 1,
travel from Amsterdam to Kyiv as shown in the Amsterdam to Kyiv section above.
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Step 2, travel from Kyiv to Moscow by
overnight train. There are several night trains and times vary by date, but
for example train 6 leaves Kyiv around 19:36 and arriving in
Moscow Kievskaya station next morning
at around 10:09, with
2-berth and 4-berth sleepers available. Check times for your date using
int.bahn.de. Note that there's also a
direct train from Kyiv to St Petersburg, but this passes through
a small corner of Belarus, requiring a Belarus visa.
These trains were suspended due to Covid-19 and remain suspended due to the
war in Ukraine.
Back to top
Option 1, Amsterdam to Athens by
train & ferry via Italy - the leisurely option with an Adriatic cruise thrown
in
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The best and most
comfortable option is to pick up a ferry in Bari. The whole scenic
and relaxing journey from Amsterdam to Athens will take around 3 nights, depending how the connections work out on
your particular date.
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Day 1,
travel from
Amsterdam to Milan in Italy as shown above, using whichever option you like
best.
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Day 2, travel from Milan to Bari,
leaving
Milan Centrale at
08:05 on a pleasant journey along the Adriatic coast arriving Bari Centrale
15:27.
Fares start at 29.90 in 2nd class
or 39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at
www.thetrainline.com
(in , £ or $, easy to use, small booking fee)
or
www.italiarail.com
(easy to use, in , £, $ or Au$) or
www.trenitalia.com (in
, more fiddly). Italiarail
will refund their small booking fee if you email them at
seat61@italiarail.com with your
booking reference.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. It's ticketless,
you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.
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Day 2, sail overnight from Bari to
Patras in Greece with Superfast Ferries.
The ferry sails from Bari at 19:30 on Mondays-Saturdays, arriving Patras at
13:00 next day (Day 3).
On Sundays the ship sails at 13:30, too early to make connections from Milan.
You can check sailing times & dates at
using
the Direct Ferries website or
at
www.superfast.com
or
www.ferriesingreece.com.
You should check in at the Superfast desk on the ground floor of the cruise terminal
(Terminal Crociere) at
Bari port with passport &
booking number to get your boarding pass, ideally 3 hours before departure in summer, although
in practice 2 hours or even 1½ hours is normally fine.
You then walk 500m from check-in to the ferry, board the ferry via the foot
passenger gangway at the stern and head up the escalator to the main lounge and reception desk
to get your cabin key.
The ship is comfortable, with self-service restaurant, lounge, bar and sun deck.
You can book a
deck place (a good & cheap option in summer if you have your own sleeping
bag), a reclining seat or various types of cabin, all
with private shower & toilet. Strolling the decks in the
morning sun as the ship cruises past the islands of Cephalonia and Ithaca is the
nicest part of the trip, and it's a wonderful way to arrive in Greece.
In Patras, the ferry arrives at
the new South ferry terminal a few km from the town
centre. Bus 18 links the port with the Patras bus station every hour on
the hour, fare 1.20 or you can hop in a taxi for around 9, journey time 15-20
minutes.
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Day 3,
travel from Patras to Athens by Greek Railways bus/train combo.
Hellenic
Train (Greek Railways) operate an integrated bus/train service from Patras to
Athens every hour or two, total journey time 3h02, fare around 18. No
prior reservation
is necessary, just buy a ticket to Athens at Patras railway station ticket
office.
For example,
at the time I write this, buses leave from outside Patras railway station at 14:15, 15:15,
16:00, 17:15 & 18:15, taking 90 minutes to reach Kiato railway station near Corinthos. At Kiato
they connect with a modern air-conditioned regional train taking 78 minutes to
Athens Larissa Station in downtown Athens. You can
check Patra to Athens bus/train times using the journey planner at
www.hellenictrain.gr.
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Corfu: The Bari-Patras ferry calls at Corfu on certain dates in summer.
It calls at Igoumenitsa on the Greek mainland on all departures year-round.
If you can't find a direct ferry to Corfu, book the ferry from Bari to
Igoumenitsa, then take the local ferry
from Igoumenitsa to Corfu with Kerkyra Lines (kerkyralines.com).
These sail half a dozen times a day, crossing time 60-90 minutes, fare around
5-10. Buy a ticket at
kerkyralines.com or when
you get to Igoumenitsa.
|
The ferry Superfast II from
Bari to Patras, boarding at Bari. Photos courtesy of
DiscoverByRail.com. |
|
|
|
The passenger gangway, onto the
ferry. |
|
Reception desk & lounge on the ferry. |
|
|
|
Lounge and bar on the Superfast
II. |
|
Self-service restaurant. |
|
|
|
Private cabin with en suite toilet &
shower. |
|
The ferry passes Cephalonia
& Ithaca then approaches mainland Greece. This is what travel to Greece should be like! |
|
The ferry approaches the new port
of Patras. |
Option 2, Amsterdam to Athens
overland by train via Munich & Belgrade - a rail adventure across the
Balkans, currently suspended
Back to top
Amsterdam to
Istanbul & Turkey
This is an overland adventure,
taking 3 nights
Back to top
If you just want to buy train
tickets at the cheapest price, book online as shown on this page. However,
if you want someone to sort out your whole trip for you as a package, arranging trains, hotels
& transfers, and to look after you if anything affects your
arrangements, talk to Railbookers. Railbookers can
tailor-make a train trip around Europe to your own specification. Just tell
them what you want and they'll advise you on the best trains,
routes & hotels. They now have offices in the UK, North America and Australia.
UK call 0207 864 4600,
www.railbookers.co.uk.
US call free 1-888-829-4775,
see
website.
Canada call free 1-855-882-2910,
see website.
Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526,
see website.
New Zealand call toll-free 0800 000 554 or
see
website.
Book your
accommodation in Amsterdam early, it can be
difficult to find rooms at peak periods at short notice, the better &
cheaper rooms quickly sell out. You'll also find prices vary significantly
even at the same hotel, depending on the season and what's going on in the city.
The ultimate Amsterdam
hotel:
The Grand
The ultimate place to stay is The Grand, now the
Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam. From around 300 per
night upwards for a double room, this is one of the most famous hotel in Amsterdam, 5
minutes walk from Dam Square and 10 minutes walk from Centraal Station. For something smaller,
slightly cheaper but equally
special, try the
Canal House boutique hotel, 15 minutes walk from the station, 205 upwards.
Mid-range to top end
The Park Plaza Victoria Hotel gets great reviews and is very
convenient as it's on the corner just across the road from Amsterdam
Centraal station, doubles from around 135 upwards per
night. In a similar price bracket, try the
Kimpton de Witt Amsterdam Centre, 6 minutes walk from Amsterdam Centraal
and also with excellent reviews.
Mid-range
The Hotel Luxer is cheaper, from around 109 upwards per night, and also just 7
minutes walk from Centraal station with great reviews. Also try
The Times Hotel,
Hotel Tourist Inn or
Daily Rooms Hotel. Or the
Hotel Sebastians, around 115 per night, equally well located 10 minutes
walk from Centraal station, another hotel which gets great reviews.
Cheap but good
There are many cheap hotels, including many
near the station, but very few get outstanding reviews.
For ones that do, try the
floating boat hotel AmiciA (formerly Friesland), around 45 per night
15 minutes walk from the station or the
Rembrandt Hotel from 80, 10 min walk from Dam Square though 20 minutes walk
from the station.
Booking.com
is my favourite hotel booking site and
I generally use it to book all my hotels in one place. I've come to trust
booking.com's review scores, you won't be disappointed with
any hotel that scores 8.0 or more. Crucially,
booking.com
usually lets you book with free
cancellation, which means you can confirm accommodation risk-free before
train booking opens and/or you can hold accommodation while you finalise
your itinerary and alter your plans as they evolve - a feature I use all the
time when planning a trip. I never book hotels non-refundably!
|
Backpacker
hostels
www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget,
don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld
offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in
backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.
Travel insurance & VPN
Always take out travel insurance
Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable
insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover
cancellation and loss of cash and belongings, up to a sensible
limit.
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 with
Staysure.co.uk
myself. Here are some suggested insurers.
Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these
links.
www.staysure.co.uk
offers enhanced Covid-19 protection & gets 4.7 out of 5 on
Trustpilot.
www.columbusdirect.com
is also a well-know brand.
If you live in the USA try
Travel Guard USA.
Get an eSIM
with mobile data package
Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a mobile data package for the country
you're visiting and stay connected. Most newer mobile phones can download
a virtual SIM card so you don't need to buy a physical SIM, including iPhone 11
& later,
see device compatibility list.
Maya.net
is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a
4.5 out of
5 Trustpilot rating and a
range of
packages including unlimited data.
Most banks give you a poor
exchange rate, then add a foreign transaction fee on top. A Curve
MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market
exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month at time of
writing. The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or
credit cards.
How it works: 1.
Download the
Curve app for
iPhone or Android. 2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve
MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses. 3.
Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two
cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal
credit card. 4. Now use the Curve
MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a
normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in
your own currency onto
whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app. You can even change
your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.
I have a Curve Blue card myself,
it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung
by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card
reader. The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken
directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card
on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then
tap the reader with the phone - even easier than digging a card out). I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it
here because I think it's great.
See details, download
the app and get a Curve card, they'll give you £5 cashback through that
link.
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When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be
secure. A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always
secure, even on unsecured WiFi. It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse
with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply.
See VPNs & why you need one explained.
ExpressVPN
is a best buy with a
4.7
out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate,
and if you go with
expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal,
3 months free with an annual subscription. I get a small commission to help
support this site.
Carry an Anker powerbank
Tickets, reservations, vaccination records and Interrail or Eurail passes
are often held digitally on your mobile phone, so it's vital to keep it charged.
I always carry an
Anker
powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over if I can't get to a
power outlet.
Buy from Amazon.co.uk or from
buy from Amazon.com.
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