 Brussels Midi station concourse. |
This page explains how to travel by train from Brussels to other cities all over Europe, and how to buy tickets the cheapest way. Information current for 2024.
Before you buy your tickets
Take a moment to read these tips for buying European train tickets. They answer all the usual questions, such as "Do I need to book in advance or can I just buy at the station?", "Can I stop off?", "Are there Senior fares?" and that old favourite, "Should I buy an $800 railpass or just buy a 35 point-to-point ticket online?". How far ahead can you buy train tickets?
European train travel FAQ
Which station in
Brussels?
Brussels Midi is the main station in Brussels - it's Brussels Midi in French, Brussels Zuid in Flemish, and Brussels South station in English, it's all the same place. Unless otherwise stated all trains leave from there, including Eurostar. Frequent local trains cross the city, linking Brussels Midi, Brussels Central and Brussels Nord. See Brussels Midi station guide.
Brussels Central is 5 min walk from the famous Grande Place, most domestic trains stop there, as do the hourly Brussels-Rotterdam-Amsterdam intercity trains (but not Eurostar high-speed trains or Brussels-Germany ICEs).
Brussels Nord is in the north of the city, served by many domestic trains and some international expresses including ICEs on their way to and from Brussels Midi.
Brussels to Bruges, Ghent & other destinations in Belgium
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How trains work in Belgium
Belgian domestic trains work on a turn up, buy a ticket and hop on basis, with fixed-price tickets based on distance and no seat reservations necessary or even possible. You sit where you like. There's no need to pre-book and no cost advantage in doing so, just turn up, buy a ticket at the station and hop on the next train. That includes Belgian Railways Regional and InterCity (IC) trains.
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Standard tickets
One-way domestic tickets are valid on any Belgian Railways train on the date for which they are issued. A round trip costs twice the one-way also valid only on the date for which it is issued, unless it's a weekend return. First class costs around 50% more than 2nd class and just gets you nicer seating, usually with more leg and elbow room and in some trains carpet rather than synthetic flooring.
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Stopovers
You can stop off on the way with normal Belgian train tickets, as long as it's at a station on the direct route and you complete the journey the same day. If in doubt, buy two tickets.
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Weekend return tickets
If you travel between 19:01 on Friday and the last train on Sunday, you can buy a Weekend Return for little more than a one-way ticket. You can use it on any train outward and any train back over that weekend.
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Senior tickets if you've over 65
Anyone aged 65 or over can buy a 7.80 2nd class or 16.60 1st class Senior Ticket for any point-to-point journey in Belgium, travelling on any train at weekends or any train after 09:00 on weekdays. It covers a one-way or same-day round trip between the stations you specify. It's available all year round, but not valid most weekends in July & August, see www.belgiantrain.be for details.
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Standard Multi 10-journey card (formerly called Rail-Pass 10-journey card)
If you plan to make multiple journeys around Belgium, you can buy a card giving you 10 one-way journeys anywhere in Belgium over the course of one year, for 96 2nd class or 146 in 1st class. That's just 9.60 per journey!
Check current prices and similar offers at www.belgiantrain.be. There are reduced prices if you are under 26 years old.
Buy at any staffed Belgian station or from ticket machines. You can also buy a digital version on the SNCB app and it's 3 cheaper if you buy this way.
If you choose the hard-copy version, the card has 10 boxes printed on it, you write in the date and journey each time you want to use it.
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How to check times, prices & buy tickets
You can check Belgian train times & fares at www.belgiantrain.be. You can buy print-at-home tickets online to save time at the ticket office.
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Tips: The main station in Brussels is Brussels Midi which is Brussels Zuid in Flemish or Brussels South, it's all the same place. Brussels Central is nearer the Grand Place and most Belgian domestic trains call there even if international trains (other than the IC trains to Amsterdam) don't. Remember that Bruges in French is Brugge in Flemish. In Ghent, the main station is Gent-sint-Pieters.
Brussels to Bruges
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InterCity (IC) trains run from Brussels Midi to Bruges twice per hour.
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The fare is 16.00 each way in 2nd class, 24.70 in 1st class.
Fixed price, buy a ticket & hop on.
A Weekend return is 17.40.
Youth fare 7.10 for anyone under 26.
Senior fare 7.80 2nd class or 16.60 1st class for anyone over 65, good for any train at weekends, any train after 09:00 weekdays.
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Check times & prices at www.belgiantrain.be. You print your own ticket.
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Tip for travel to Bruges: You want the half-hourly Brussels-Bruges trains direct via Ghent taking around 1 hour. Don't accidentally take a stopping train to Bruges on the slow route via Roesalere taking 2h16!
Brussels to London from 57
Option 1, Brussels to London by Eurostar
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Eurostar high-speed trains run from Brussels Midi to London St Pancras every couple of hours or so taking 2 hours.
For more about Eurostar see the Eurostar page, including tips for choosing the best seats.
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Fares start at 57 one-way or 99 return. Eurostar has airline-style pricing so book early for the cheapest fare.
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Buy tickets at www.eurostar.com, or use www.thetrainline.com.
You print your own ticket or can download the Eurostar app and show it on your phone. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
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Buy onward tickets from London to other British towns & cities at www.thetrainline.com.
You collect tickets from the self-service ticket machines or in many cases you can print them out or show it on your phone.
If you're booking a train-specific Advance fare and your onward train leaves from St Pancras, Kings Cross or Euston, I'd allow at least 1 hour between Eurostar arrival and any onward train to allow for delay, even though it only takes 5 minutes to walk across the road to Kings Cross or 10 minutes to walk to Euston. I'd allow 90 minutes if booking a train-specific Advance fare and your onward train goes from Paddington, Waterloo or Liverpool Street as then you'll need to change stations by Underground or taxi.
Option 2, Brussels to London by train & ferry - the overnight ferry alternative
You can take an early evening train from Brussels to Rotterdam and the metro to Hoek van Holland, then sail overnight in a cosy private cabin to Harwich, for a train to London or Cambridge next morning. It's comfortable, affordable and time-effective. For details, see the London to Brussels page.
The Hoek van Holland to Harwich ferry is a floating hotel with private cabins, restaurant, bar, lounges, shop & kennels.
Above left, a standard outside cabin. Larger photo. 360Ί photo. Above right, the Stena Plus lounge with complimentary red & white wine, tea, coffee & snacks.
Above left, the bar on 9 deck. Above right, a Captain's Class cabin with complimentary minibar, toilet & shower.
Brussels to Dublin & Ireland
Option 1, Brussels to Dublin via London & Holyhead - daily departures
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Step 1, take an evening Eurostar from Brussels Midi to London St Pancras in just 2 hours, see the timetable here.
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Stay overnight in London, see suggested hotels near St Pancras. It's a 10 minute walk from London St Pancras to London Euston.
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Day 2, travel from London Euston to Dublin on the morning train & ferry service, arriving Dublin Ferryport 17:25, see the London-Dublin page for times, fares & how to buy tickets. Rail & Sail is an inexpensive, fun and interesting way to go, see an illustrated account of the journey.
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Alternatively, you can travel overnight. Take a late afternoon Eurostar from Brussels to London. Allow at least 90 minutes in London between trains to ensure a robust connection, even though it's only a 10 minute walk between St Pancras & Euston stations. Then take the overnight London to Dublin train & ferry service arriving in Dublin next morning, see the timetable here. It's basically a red-eye service, but you can pay for a cabin when you board the ferry, so can at least get 3 hours sleep!
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How much does it cost?
Fares from Brussels to London start at £52 or 57. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
The fare from London to Dublin is either £44.50 or £50, one or other fare always applies, even on the day of travel.
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How to buy tickets
Book from Brussels to London at www.eurostar.com.
Book from London to Dublin Ferryport at tfw.wales as explained on the train & ferry to Dublin page.
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There's more about Eurostar on the Eurostar page, and details of London to Dublin by train & ferry on the London to Dublin page.
Option 2, Brussels to Dublin via Paris & Cherbourg - several departures a week
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Day 1, travel from Brussels Midi to Paris Gare du Nord by Eurostar (formerly Thalys) in around 1h22 from 29.
You'll need to leave Brussels early morning. Allow at least 1 hour between trains in Paris, ideally a bit more.
Transfer from Paris Nord to Paris St Lazare by metro or taxi.
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Day 1, take a late morning train from Paris St Lazare to Cherbourg and an overnight ferry to Dublin.
Irish Ferries (www.irishferries.com) sail from Cherbourg to Dublin several times each week, usually leaving Cherbourg in late afternoon and arriving Dublin late morning next day (Day 2).
For details of this Paris to Dublin journey & how to buy tickets see here.
Brussels to Paris
Option 1, Brussels to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed train
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Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed trains run from Brussels Midi to Paris Gare du Nord every hour or so in as little as 1h22.
They run at up to 300 km/h (186 mph) on the high-speed line. They're air-conditioned, with power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
They have 3 classes: Standard (2nd class), Comfort (1st class) & Premium (1st class with at-seat food & wine included in the fare and access to lounges in Paris & Brussels). See more about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
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Fares start at 29 in standard class, 55 in comfort class or 115 in premium class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead. If you buy on the day it costs 99 full-flex in standard class, ouch! All tickets come with a seat reservation and are only valid on the specific train you book. The cheapest fares mean limited or no refunds or changes to travel plans.
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Buy tickets at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in , no booking fee) or www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, easy to use, small booking fee).
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your ticket (A4 paper, U.S. Letter size is fine) or show it on your phone.
A Eurostar at Brussels Midi. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
Option 2 Brussels to Paris by fast EuroCity train **** new, to start in mid-December 2024 ****
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From the timetable change on 15 December 2024, SNCB (Belgian Railways) will start running three daily EuroCity trains from Brussels to Paris via the classic non-high-speed line. They will run at up to 200 km/h (125mph) with one stop at Mons. They're fast, modern air-conditioned, a great alternative to the high-speed Eurostar-formerly-Thalys trains and they'll often be cheaper. There's no catering so bring your own food & drink. This follows the provision of similar trains during the Olympics in July, August & September 2024.
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The timetable is still to be announced, it's expected to be 3 trains per day in each direction.
Details shown here are entirely provisional and will be updated as more is known.
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How much does it cost?
The fare is likely to vary between 34 & 49 in 2nd class, between 49 & 69 in 1st class.
Children under 4 free, children under 12 15.
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How to buy tickets
You'll be able to buy tickets at Belgian Railways www.b-europe.com.
Tickets are only good for the train you book. There are no assigned seats, but tickets are limited to the number of seats on board. You sit where you like. You may not be able to buy from SNCF (French Railways) or 3rd party retailers, details will be checked and updated when sales go live.
Option 3, Brussels to Paris by regional trains for a fixed-price 47
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It's possible to travel from Brussels to Paris using a comfortable air-conditioned Belgian Intercity train from Brussels to Charleroi Sud, a Belgian regional train from Charleroi Sud across the border to Maubeuge in France then a French TER regional train (a locomotive-hauled express train of older but excellent Corail cars) from Maubeuge to Paris.
It takes 4h30 with 2 changes (as opposed to just 1h22 by Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed train), but no reservations are required, it cannot sell out, and there's an affordable fixed-price fare that can even be bought on the day. Bring your own food & drink as there's no catering.
Why would you want to use this instead of Eurostar? If Eurostars are fully-booked, you can still use this route. If Eurostar wants over 100 for even a standard class Brussels-Paris ticket, you use this route for around 50, even buying tickets on the day. If you have an Interrail or Eurail pass and want to avoid the 25 reservation fee charged by Eurostar or passholder places have sold out, you can use this route with no reservation and no extra fees, just hop on and show your pass!
The service shown below started in December 2022, when an increased Charleroi-Maubeuge cross-border service is introduced. Charleroi Sud was renamed Charleroi Central on 11 December 2022.
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Mondays-Fridays:
Leave Brussels Central at 09:07 or Brussels Midi 09:15, Charleroi Central depart 10:24, Maubeuge depart 11:42, Paris Nord arrive 13:44.
Leave Brussels Central at 13:07 or Brussels Midi 13:15, Charleroi Central depart 14:24, Maubeuge depart 15:42, Paris Nord arrive 17:41.
Leave Brussels Central at 15:07 or Brussels Midi 15:15, Charleroi Central depart 16:24, Maubeuge depart 17:42, Paris Nord arrive 19:41.
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Saturdays
Leave Brussels Central at 07:00 or Brussels Midi 07:07, Charleroi Central depart 08:24, Maubeuge depart 10:36, Paris Nord arrive 12:39.
Leave Brussels Central at 15:00 or Brussels Midi 15:07, Charleroi Central depart 16:24, Maubeuge depart 17:42, Paris Nord arrive 19:43.
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Sundays
Leave Brussels Central at 11:00 or Brussels Midi 11:07, Charleroi Central depart 12:24, Maubeuge depart 14:42, Paris Nord arrive 16:43.
Leave Brussels Central at 13:00 or Brussels Midi 13:07, Charleroi Central depart 14:24, Maubeuge depart 16:42, Paris Nord arrive 18:43.
Leave Brussels Central at 15:00 or Brussels Midi 15:07, Charleroi Central depart 16:24, Maubeuge depart 17:42, Paris Nord arrive 19:43.
Leave Brussels Central at 17:00 or Brussels Midi 17:07, Charleroi Central depart 18:24, Maubeuge depart 19:52, Paris Nord arrive 21:53.
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How to check times for your date:
Go to int.bahn.de. Enter Brussels South Stn to Paris. Click Stopovers, enter Charleroi Central as stopover 1, Maubeuge as stopover 2. Click Mode of transport, click User defined, de-select high-speed. Run the enquiry. Data will only be complete 2-3 months ahead max.
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How much does it cost?
Brussels to Maubeuge costs 11.20 in 2nd class or 17.80 in 1st class.
Maubeuge to Paris costs 35.50 in 2nd class, there is no 1st class.
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How to buy tickets
Book from Brussels Central or Brussels Midi to Paris at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee).
Important tip: To find this slower route, click the little via link under the from/to boxes and enter Maubeuge as a via station.
In the search results, look for journeys with 2 changes via Charleroi Sud & Maubeuge.
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How to buy tickets in two stages, but with no booking fee
Step 1, buy a Brussels-Maubeuge ticket at the Belgian Railways international website www.b-europe.com. Look for a journey with 1 change marked IC. Ignore journeys marked TGV or bus or with more than 1 change. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Step 2, buy a Maubeuge-Paris ticket at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com. Print out your ticket or show it on your phone.
Above: Changing trains at Maubeuge: On the left, the modern air-conditioned Belgian electric train between Maubeuge & Charleroi. On the right, the TER between Maubeuge & Paris, consisting of a classic nι cassι (broken nose) electric locomotive and old but smooth & comfortable French Corail cars. Photo courtesy of @Nordkommission.
Brussels to Lille
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You have two options here, fast but inflexible, or slower but easy and flexible.
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Option 1, TGV & Eurostar trains link Brussels Midi and Lille Europe in around 35 minutes using the high-speed line. Obviously, this is the fastest option but reservation is required. Fare around 29. Book at www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com.
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Option 2 is to take regular InterCity trains with 1 change, usually at Tournai or Mouscron, in around 1h39, fare around 25. No reservation is necessary for these trains, they leave every hour, the price is fixed, you can just turn up, buy a ticket and hop on the next train. You can check train times and buy online to save time at the ticket office at www.thetrainline.com.
Brussels to Strasbourg
Option 1, Brussels to Strasbourg by direct high-speed train - fastest & easiest
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There are two direct TGV high-speed trains from Brussels Midi to Strasbourg every day, at 07:17 & 13:17.
Fares start at around 25. The morning train takes 3h48, the afternoon train takes 4h20.
The TGVs have power sockets at all seats & a cafe-bar. They by-pass Paris on the high-speed avoiding line through Marne la Vallιe (for Disneyland) and CDG airport. Go for one of these two direct trains if you can.
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Book these trains at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com (both easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in , no booking fee).
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
A TGV at Brussels Midi.
Above left, TGV 2nd class with seats 2+2 across the car width. Larger photo. Above right, the cafe bar serving drinks, snacks & hot dishes.
Above left, a TGV at Brussels Midi. Above right, 1st class with seats 2+1 across car width. Larger photo.
Option 2, Brussels to Strasbourg via Paris - the next simplest route, with a 7-minute walk between stations in Paris
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Step 1, Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed trains link Brussels Midi with Paris Gare du Nord in 1h22 almost every hour.
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In Paris, it's an easy 7 minute 500m walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.
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Step 2, TGV high-speed trains link Paris Gare de l'Est with Strasbourg more or less hourly in around 2h15.
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Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com.
Tip: Click via (on Thetrainline) or More options (on Raileurope) to specify Paris as a via station.
Option 3, via Luxembourg & Metz - the most direct route, but much slower, taking over 6h
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There are almost hourly trains from Brussels Midi to Luxembourg, and connections to Metz & Strasbourg. Although it's a more direct route, these are classic (non-high-speed) lines making it a much slower route, taking over 6h from Brussels to Strasbourg.
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Check times and buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com.
Tip: Click via (on Thetrainline) or More options (on Raileurope) to specify Luxembourg as a via station.
Brussels to Bordeaux, Toulouse, Biarritz, Lourdes, Nantes, Brittany
Option 1, by-passing Paris - the easiest option
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There are direct high-speed TGV trains from Brussels Midi to major French cities which by-pass Paris on the high-speed line calling at CDG airport & Marne la Vallιe-Chessy. This avoids having to take the metro or a taxi between stations in Paris, as these trains.
You'll usually find a direct TGV from Brussels to Le Mans, Angers, Nantes & Rennes leaving Brussels Midi around 15:03.
To check train times & buy tickets use www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com, looking at the search results carefully to see journey options which don't involve a change in Paris.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
Tip: Both sites allow you to specify a via station. On raileurope.com you'll find this if you click More options. Enter Marne la Vallιe-Chessy (Fr) in the via box, this forces it to find options which by-pass Paris.
Tip: You'd find additional departures with a change of train at Marne la Vallιe-Chessy. That's still easier than changing trains & stations in central Paris! You should also see these if you use www.raileurope.com with Marne la Vallιe-Chessy entered as a via station.
A TGV at Brussels Midi.
Above left, TGV 2nd class with seats 2+2 across the car width. Larger photo. Above right, the cafe bar serving drinks, snacks & hot dishes.
Above left, a TGV at Brussels Midi. Above right, 1st class with seats 2+1 across car width. Larger photo.
Option 2, via Paris - involves changing trains & stations in Paris, but the fastest, most frequent & usually cheapest option
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Step 1, take a Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed train from Brussels Midi to Paris Gare du Nord in 1h22 from 29.
Eurostar trains have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
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Cross Paris from the Gare du Nord to the Gare Montparnasse by taxi or metro. I'd always allow at least 60 minutes between trains for any cross-Paris transfer, ideally more, although the actual transfer to Montparnasse only takes 35 minutes.
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Step 2, take a high-speed TGV from Paris Montparnasse to Le Mans (1h00), Bordeaux (2h04), Toulouse (4h15), Biarritz (4h11), Lourdes (4h48), Nantes (2h06), Rennes (1h28).
TGVs have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Fares start at 20 if you book in advance.
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Check train times & buy tickets from Amsterdam to Strasbourg 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 ticket (A4 paper, U.S. Letter size is fine) or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
Tip: Use www.raileurope.com, and click More options and enter Paris (any station) as a via station. This ensures you are routed via Paris. If you'd like a stopover in Paris, enter a suitable stopover duration.
Brussels to Lyon, Avignon, Montpellier, Cannes, Nice & other French cities
Option 1, by-passing Paris - the easiest option
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There are direct high-speed TGV trains from Brussels Midi to French cities such as Lyon, Avignon, Marseille, Perpignan, Nimes, Montpelier, Le Mans, Angers, Nantes.
This avoids having to take the metro or a taxi between stations in Paris, as these trains by-pass Paris on the high-speed line calling at CDG airport & Marne la Vallιe-Chessy. Change at Marseille for Cannes & Nice.
Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.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. Look at the search results carefully to see journey options which don't involve a change in Paris. You print your ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
Tip: Both sites allow you to specify a via station. On www.raileurope.com, click More options. Enter Marne la Vallιe-Chessy (Fr) in the via box, this forces it to find options which by-pass Paris.
Tip: You'd find additional departures with a change of train at Marne la Vallιe-Chessy. That's still easier than changing trains & stations in central Paris! You should also see these if you use www.raileurope.com with Marne la Vallιe-Chessy entered as a via station.
A TGV at Brussels Midi.
Above left, TGV 2nd class with seats 2+2 across the car width. Larger photo. Above right, the cafe bar serving drinks, snacks & hot dishes.
Above left, a TGV at Brussels Midi. Above right, 1st class with seats 2+1 across car width. Larger photo.
Option 2, via Paris - means changing stations in Paris, but often faster & cheaper.
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Step 1, travel from Brussels Midi to Paris Gare du Nord by Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed train in 1h22.
Eurostars travel at up to 300 km/h (186 mph) with power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
Fares start at 29 in 2nd class or 55 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Cross Paris from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon by taxi or metro, 2 stops on RER line D. I'd always allow at least 60 minutes between trains for any cross-Paris transfer, preferably more, although the actual transfer only takes 30 minutes.
Why not allow time for lunch in Paris at the Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon?
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Step 2, take a high-speed TGV with cafe-bar from Paris Gare de Lyon to Nice in as little as 5h42, Lyon in 2h, or Marseille in 3h30, or Paris to any other French destination.
TGVs have 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.
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Buy tickets from Brussels to almost any French destination at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com, both easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
Tip: Before running the enquiry, I recommend clicking More options and entering Paris (any station) as a via station to create a longer stopover in Paris. You should allow at least 60 minutes between trains across Paris, ideally more.
Fares are dynamic and work like air fares, so book ahead for the cheapest prices. In the search results, click on each departure to see if it involves a change in Paris (this option) or only a change in Brussels (which is option 2 explained below). You print your own tickets.
Alternatively, you can book from Amsterdam to French cities at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com, with no booking fee.
Tip: If you're going to use www.sncf-connect.com it's better to book Amsterdam to Paris as one transaction, the Paris onwards as a second separate transaction, as this is the only way to ensure 60+ minutes between trains in Paris (or allow a longer stopover). By default the system shows cross-Paris connections as tight as 40 minutes between trains, which I consider far to risky if there's even a small delay.
Step 1, Brussels to Paris by Eurostar, seen here at Brussels Midi. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
Option 3, Brussels to Toulon, Cannes, Antibes & Nice, using the Paris-Nice overnight train
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys), leaving Brussels Midi at 17:13 and arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 18:35.
Eurostar trains travel at up to 300 km/h (186 mph) with 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
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Cross Paris from the Gare du Nord to the Gare d'Austerlitz by taxi or metro. I'd allow at least 90 minutes between trains when catching a sleeper, although the actual transfer only takes 30 minutes.
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Step 2, travel from Paris to the Cτte d'Azur by Intercitι de Nuit overnight train, leaving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 20:08 every day, arriving Toulon 07:40, St Raphael (for St Tropez) 08:33, Cannes 08:57, Antibes 09:08 & Nice Ville 09:25.
The Intercitι de Nuit overnight train has 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes & reclining seats. You can book a 1st class 4-berth compartment for sole occupancy by 1, 2 or 3 people if you like. More about Intercitιs de Nuit.
Tip: Book an earlier Eurostar and have dinner at the celebrated Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon before strolling across the bridge over the Seine to the Gare d'Austerlitz in good time for your sleeper south.
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How much does it cost?
Brussels to Paris starts at 29 in 2nd class or 55 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Paris to the South of France starts at 19 in a reclining seat, 29 in a 2nd class couchette or 59 in a 1st class couchette.
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How to buy tickets
Book at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, both easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead, but often less than this for French overnight trains. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
Tip: To make sure you have at least 90 minutes between trains in Paris, I'd book Brussels to Paris, add to basket, then Paris to Nice, add to basket & check out. Otherwise by default the system allows as little as 40 minutes between trains in Paris which I consider too tight, especially when catching a sleeper you don't want to miss.
Tip: To book a whole 4-berth couchette compartment for 1, 2 or 3 people, see the instructions on the Intercitιs de Nuit page.
You can also book at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in , no booking fee).
Step 1, Brussels to Paris by Eurostar, seen here at Brussels Midi. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
Brussels to Amsterdam from 25
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You can easily travel from Brussels to Amsterdam Centraal by train in as little as 1h49 with departures every hour or two and fares from 30. Train is the way to go! See the Brussels to Amsterdam page.
A Eurostar at Brussels Midi. See the Amsterdam to Brussels page.
Brussels to Rotterdam
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Option 1, by Eurostar high-speed train in 1h10
This is the fastest and most comfortable option, if you're prepared to book in advance and commit to a specific departure.
A Eurostar (formerly Thalys) train leaves every 1-2 hours, Brussels Midi to Rotterdam Centraal in only 1h10.
Eurostar (formerly Thalys) trains have vending machines and a refreshment trolley, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares are dynamic like air fares, so book ahead. All tickets come with a reserved seat on a specific train, limited or no changes to travel plans with the cheapest tickets. Short notice and flexible tickets can be expensive.
Buy tickets at www.eurostar.com or www.nsinternational.nl.
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Option 2, by Intercity train in 2h04, until 14 December 2024
This is a lot slower, but more flexible and cheaper at short notice. Better for spontaneous trips!
An Intercity train leaves Brussels Midi every hour for Rotterdam Centraal taking 2h04.
There are no seat reservations, you sit where you like. Standard tickets are affordable even when bought on the day of travel and they let you hop on any train you like that day, flexibly. Only the cheaper Early Bird advance-purchase fares commit you to a specific departure. No catering, so bring your own food and drink.
Buy tickets at www.nsinternational.nl.
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Option 2, by EuroCity Direct in 1h30, starting 15 December 2024
This is only slightly slower than Eurostar and it's more flexible and cheaper at short notice, better for spontaneous trips.
Fast EuroCity Direct trains leave Brussels Midi every hour for Rotterdam Centraal, taking around 1h30.
EuroCity Direct trains are operated by smart new 200 km/h ICNG trains with power sockets, USB ports & free WiFi. There are no seat reservations, you sit where you like, there are usually plenty of seats. There's no catering, so bring your own food and drink.
The full-flex fare is good for any EuroCity Direct train on the day it's bought for, not just the train you pick when booking. However, EuroCity Direct fares aren't good for EuroCity trains.
Advance-purchase Saver fares are only good for the specific Eurocity Direct departure you choose, but can be changed (paying any difference in fare) up to and including the day before travel.
Buy tickets at www.nsinternational.nl.
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Option 3, by EuroCity train in 2h06, also starting 15 December 2024
This is slower than options 1 & 2, but it's usually the cheapest option.
EuroCity trains leave Brussels Midi every hour for Rotterdam Centraal, taking around 2h06.
These EuroCity trains will be operated by the old Dutch Intercity trains until they are replaced by Belgian i11 trains. There are no seat reservations, you sit where you like, there are usually plenty of seats. There's no catering, so bring your own food and drink.
The full-flex EuroCity fare is good for any EuroCity train on the day it's bought for, not just the train you pick when booking. However, EuroCity fares aren't good for EuroCity Direct trains.
Advance-purchase Saver fares are only good for the specific Eurocity departure you choose, but can be changed (paying any difference in fare) up to and including the day before travel.
Buy tickets at www.nsinternational.nl.
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Going to Hoek van Holland?
Take a train from Brussels to Rotterdam Centraal, it's then a 10-minute 800m walk to Eendrachtsplein metro station, see walking map. Then take the frequent RET metro direct to Hoek van Holland Haven, a 33-minute ride. The metro takes contactless bank cards so you can just touch in and out without buying a ticket. To avoid the walk, you can also take an NS train from Rotterdam Centraal to Schiedam Centrum, then take the metro from there to Hoek van Holland Haven.
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Going to Schiphol airport?
The Eurostar (formerly Thalys) and EuroCity Direct/Intercity trains from Brussels Midi to Amsterdam call at Schiphol airport station around 15 minutes before arriving in Amsterdam, see options 1 & 2 above.
New from 15 December 2024, EuroCity Direct services will be operated by these smart ICNG (InterCity New Generation) trains.
Brussels to Luxembourg for 23.80
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InterCity (IC) trains run from Brussels Midi to Luxembourg every hour in around 3h16.
Most of these trains are direct, on a few departures you have to change trains at Arlon.
It's a pleasant scenic run through green hills towards its southern end. There's no catering on these Brussels-Luxembourg trains, so bring your own food & drink for the journey, there are plenty of places to buy food and drink inside Brussels Midi, including a minimarket.
Tip: There are only two power sockets per car, one at each end of the passenger saloon above a window seat. Savvy laptop users usually nab these seats!
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The fare is 23.80 one-way in 2nd class or 39.50 in 1st class.
If you're under 26 or over 65 there's a one-way youth/senior fare for 9.60, only available in 2nd class.
Tickets are valid on any train leaving on the date you specify, not just for the specific train you choose when booking. These prices are fixed, with unlimited availability. So it's the same price even on the day of travel and no reservation is needed, so it's just as easy to buy a ticket at the same price at the station on the day, hop on the next train and sit where you like.
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Buy tickets at the www.thetrainline.com.
You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Tip: If you're over 65, you can only buy the senior fare at www.b-europe.com.
A Belgian intercity (IC) train from Brussels to Luxembourg, at Luxembourg station platform 1. The yellow stripe above the windows indicates first class. There's no catering, so bring your own supplies. There are just two power sockets per coach, one at each end of the car above head height.
Brussels to Basel, Zurich, Geneva & Switzerland from 39.90
Option 1, Brussels to Basel & Zurich using the Nightjet sleeper train from Cologne - the time-effective overnight option
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Cologne by ICE train leaving Brussels Midi at 18:25 and arriving Cologne Hbf at 20:15.
The high-speed ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Have dinner in Cologne, I recommend the excellent Brauhaus Sion (www.brauhaus-sion.de), 8 minutes walk from Cologne Hbf, see walking map, or the Malzmuehle restaurant (www.muehlenkoelsch.de), 17 minutes walk from the station, see walking map.
Fares start at 18.90 in 2nd class or 49.90 in 1st class. Prices vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this train at either www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee, using Thetrainline allows you to book both your tickets in one place) or the German Railways website int.bahn.de (in , no fee).
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone.
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Step 2, travel to Switzerland by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Cologne Hbf at 23:51 every day & arriving Basel SBB 06:20 & Zurich HB 08:05.
This comfortable Nightjet train has an air-conditioned AB33 sleeping-car with 1 & 2 berth compartments with washbasin. 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.
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 Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in , same prices, more fiddly). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Option 2, Brussels to Switzerland by daytime trains - the fastest daytime option to Basel, Zurich, Luzern, Bern
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Take a superb German ICE train from Brussels to Frankfurt and another ICE train to Switzerland. For example:
Leave Brussels Midi at 06:23 daily, change Cologne Hbf, arrive Basel SBB 12:47.
Leave Brussels Midi at 08:23 daily, change Cologne Hbf, arrive Basel SBB 14:47.
Leave Brussels Midi at 10:25 daily, change Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arrive Basel SBB 16:47.
Leave Brussels Midi at 12:25 daily, change Cologne Hbf, arrive Basel SBB 18:47.
Leave Brussels Midi at 14:25 daily, change Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arrive Basel SBB 20:55.
Leave Brussels Midi at 16:23 daily, change Cologne Hbf, arrive Basel SBB 22:55.
All these trains are superb German ICE high-speed trains with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Times may vary. Change in Basel for Zurich and all other Swiss destinations.
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Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
You can book from Brussels or anywhere in Belgium to almost any station in Switzerland for an inclusive price.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone or laptop. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
An ICE3neo at Brussels Midi. Click on the interior images for larger photos. Photo courtesy of Christian Hunt.
Option 3, Brussels to Switzerland via the Rhine Valley - the slower scenic route, takes an extra hour
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Take an ICE train from Brussels to Cologne, then one of two direct EuroCity trains to Switzerland.
Leave Brussels Midi at 06:23 daily, change at Cologne Hbf, and arrive Basel SBB at 13:33, Bern 14:56, Interlaken Ost 15:58.
Leave Brussels Midi at 08:23 (08:25 weekends), change at Cologne Hbf, and arrive Basel SBB at 15:36 & Zurich HB at 17:00.
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The ICE trains between Brussels & Cologne have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. The EuroCity trains (08:53 Cologne-Interlaken is train EC7, 10:53 Cologne-Zurich is EC9) have spacious and comfortable Swiss Federal Railways EuroCity cars and a classic Swiss restaurant car, see the photos below.
This is a similar route as option 1, but instead of taking the high-speed line between Mainz & Cologne, these trains take the classic line along the scenic Rhine valley, past river boats, vineyards, castles and the legendary Lorelei Rock, see the Rails Down the Rhine page. I think it's well worth the extra hour!
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Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de from anywhere in Belgium to anywhere in Switzerland.
To get the scenic route along the Rhine Valley, click Stopovers and enter Koblenz Hbf as a stopover, leaving length of stay as zero.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You can book from almost any station in Belgium to any station in Switzerland this way. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone or laptop. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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Tip: Panorama car on train EC9. You will thank me for this! Train EC9 from Cologne to Basel & Zurich conveys a wonderful Swiss 1st class panorama car. Speeding along the Rhine in this is a real treat, yet all you need to sit in it is a 1st class ticket. To make sure you get a seat in it, add a free seat reservation when you book, using the select seat link to pick a seat in car 263, see the advice on the Rails Down the Rhine page.
Pfalzgrafenstein castle on the Rhine. See the Rails Down the Rhine page.
Option 4, Brussels to Geneva via Lyon - the easiest route to Geneva, avoiding Paris
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Step 1, travel from Brussels Midi to Lyon Part Dieu on one of direct French TGVs leaving Brussels at 06:37, 08:22, 10:17, 13:17, 16:17, typically taking 3h45. Exact times may vary.
Fares start at around 29 in 2nd class or 39 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Step 2, travel from Lyon Part Dieu to Geneva by TER regional train in around 1h57, a lovely scenic ride.
The fare is a fixed-price 33.40. 2nd class only. There's no catering, so bring your own food & drink.
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Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com, both easy to use, in , £ or $. If using Raileurope, click More options and enter Lyon Part Dieu as a via station.
If using Thetrainline, click via and enter Lyon Part Dieu as a via station. If using Raileurope, click More options and enter Lyon Part Dieu as a via station. You should then be able to book Brussels to Geneva as one easy transaction, making sure you choose a 1-change journey with the change in Lyon.
If you have any problems (or want to stop off in Lyon), first search Brussels to Lyon looking for direct trains. Book this and add to basket. Now look for a suitable Lyon to Geneva train, allowing at least 30 minutes between trains in Lyon, add that to your basket & check out.
You can also book at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com, in , no booking fee.
Option 5, Brussels to Switzerland via Paris - the fastest & sometimes cheapest route, if you don't mind crossing Paris. Lunch in Paris?
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Step 1, take a Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed train from Brussels Midi to Paris Gare du Nord in 1h22 from 29.
Eurostar trains have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
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Change trains and stations by metro or taxi. Allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Paris, even though the transfer physically only takes 30 minutes or so. How about allowing 2-3 hours between trains for lunch at the amazing Train Bleu restaurant inside the Gare de Lyon?
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Step 2, take a TGV-Lyria high-speed train from Paris Gare de Lyon to Geneva (3h11), Lausanne (3h45), Basel SBB (3h03) or Zurich HB (4h03) with fares from 29 in 2nd class (Standard) or 51 in 1st class (Standard Premiθre).
TGV-Lyria trains have 3 classes, a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about TGV-Lyria.
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The easiest way to book is as one transaction at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, in , £ or $, international credit cards no problem, you print your own tickets or can show them on your phone. There's a small booking fee.
Top tip: Book from Brussels to your Swiss destination, but before running the enquiry click More options, enter Paris (any station) as a via station and specify 1 hour minimum, or more if you want a Paris stopover. Then look for options shown with 1 change.
Alternatively, you can book from Brussels to Switzerland at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com, in , no booking fee. You can either book from Brussels to Switzerland all in one go or (for more control over the interchange in Paris) first book Brussels-Paris, then Paris-Switzerland. Make sure you allow at least an hour between trains in Paris.
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Step 3, onward tickets to anywhere in Switzerland - Zermatt, St Moritz, wherever - can be bought at either www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, small booking fee, buying at Thetrainline keeps all your tickets together) or the Swiss Railways website www.sbb.ch (in CHF). You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Option 6, Brussels to Switzerland with an overnight stop in Paris - a time-effective option
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Day 1, travel from Brussels Midi to Paris Gare du Nord on any Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed train you like, taking 1h22.
You can leave Brussels as late as 21:13 arriving Paris 23:27, but by all means travel earlier and enjoy an evening in Paris. Eurostar trains have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more about Eurostar (formerly Thalys). How to change trains & stations by metro or taxi.
Fares start at 29 in 2nd class or 55 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this 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 normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can select a mobile ticket to show on your phone.
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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.
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Day 2, travel from Paris Gare de Lyon to Geneva, Basel SBB, Zurich HB or Lausanne on any morning TGV-Lyria high-speed train you like.
For example, the 06:18 from Paris arrives in central Geneva at 09:29. The 07:22 from Paris arrives Basel 10:26 & Zurich HB at 11:26. But by all means take a later train, they leave every couple of hours or so.
Book this 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 normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
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Onward tickets to anywhere in Switzerland - Zermatt, St Moritz, Lucerne, wherever - can be bought at www.thetrainline.com (keeping all your bookings together) or at the Swiss Federal Railways website www.sbb.ch. For longer journeys within Switzerland you may find Supersaver fares saving up to 70% off the regular Swiss fare. Book at www.thetrainline.com or www.sbb.ch. Booking for Swiss trains opens 60 days ahead.
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You could also travel from Brussels to Switzerland via Germany with an overnight stop in, say, Mannheim, which would avoid the need to cross Paris.
Brussels to Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome & Italy from 58
Option 1, Brussels to Italy in a single day - with one easy same-station change in Lyon.
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Lyon by high-speed TGV, leaving Brussels Midi at 10:17 and arriving Lyon Part Dieu at 14:04.
The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Enjoy a few hours in Lyon.
Fares start at 39 in 2nd class or 59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares so book ahead.
Book this train at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (whichever you prefer) using one of those websites allows you to buy all your tickets together in one place, in plain English, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee.
Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your ticket or select a mobile ticket to show on your phone.
Alternatively, you can book this train at www.sncf-connect.com,in with no booking fee.
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Step 2, travel from Lyon to Italy by Frecciarossa, leaving Lyon Part Dieu at 17:20, arriving Turin Porta Susa 21:18 & Milan Centrale 22:07.
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-Lyon-Milan trains are cancelled. Please use option 7 or 8 instead. More information.
Trenitalia's high-speed Frecciarossa has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In summer when it's light it's a scenic journey through the Alps, see the Paris-Milan page showing train & scenery.
Fares start at 25 in standard (2nd), 32 in business (1st) or 149 in executive class (premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares so book ahead.
Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, too. Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead, it's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.
You can also book at www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, their 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, see advice on using it).
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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.
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Step 3, 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. Book any train you like, there are regular departures all day.
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.
Book Italian trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.
Booking normally opens 4 months ahead but it varies. Italian long-distance trains are ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.
You can also book Italian trains at www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, allows seat selection, 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, read this advice).
Step 1, Brussels to Lyon by TGV, seen here at Brussels Midi.
Above left, TGV 2nd class with seats 2+2 across the car width. Larger photo. Above right, the cafe bar serving drinks, snacks & hot dishes.
Above left, a TGV at Brussels Midi. Above right, 1st class with seats 2+1 across car width. Larger photo.
Option 2, Brussels to Italy with overnight stop in Lyon - same as option 1, but with overnight stop in Lyon rather than Milan
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Lyon by TGV leaving Brussels Midi at 16:17 and arriving Lyon Part Dieu at 20:00.
A later departure is possible, at 18:17 on Mondays-Fridays & 19:17 on Sundays.
The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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Stay overnight in Lyon, The Ibis Budget Lyon Centre - Gare Part Dieu is affordable & right next to Lyon Part Dieu station with good reviews, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Lyon also gets great reviews and is just a few minutes walk away.
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Day 2, travel from Lyon to Italy by Frecciarossa, leaving Lyon Part Dieu at 09:30 arriving Turin P. Susa 13:18 & Milan Centrale 14:07.
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-Lyon-Milan trains are cancelled. Please use option 7 or 8 instead. More information.
The Frecciarossa has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. The train meanders through the Alps on the scenic classic line to Turin, then makes final dash on the high-speed line to Milan. More about the Paris-Lyon-Milan Frecciarossa.
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Day 2, travel from Milan Centrale to Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples or anywhere in Italy by high-speed train.
The high-speed Frecciarossa trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. 20 minutes between trains in Milan is fine, in the event of a delay you'll be rebooked on a later train at no charge.
You can reach Venice Santa Lucia at 17:12, Florence SMN 17:04, Rome Termini 17:40, Naples Centrale 20:03.
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How much does it cost?
Brussels to Lyon starts at 39 in 2nd class or 59 in 1st class.
Lyon to Milan starts at 25 in standard class, 36 in business class or 149 in executive class.
Milan to Florence or Venice starts at 19.90 in 2nd class or 29.90 in 1st class.
Milan to Rome or Naples starts at 19.90 in 2nd class or 29.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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How to buy tickets
Buy tickets for each of these trains at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (whichever you prefer). Book each train individually, adding it to your basket, then check out.
www.raileurope.com and www.thetrainline.com connect to both the Italian and French booking systems so you can book all these trains in one place, in plain English, in , £ or $. Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. There's a small booking fee.
The Italian trains are ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone. For the Eurostar, you print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
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How to buy tickets, advanced
Alternatively, you can book each train separately, more effort, more fiddly, same fares, but no booking fee. First book the Eurostar at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com. Then book from Paris to your Italian destination at www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in , $ or £, they'll refund their small booking fee to seat61 users if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com afterwards) or www.trenitalia.com (in , more fiddly, requires Italian-language place names, see advice on using it).
Option 3, Brussels to Italy in a single day via Paris - similar to option 1, slightly faster, but involves crossing Paris
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed train, leaving Brussels Midi at 11:13 Mondays-Saturdays arriving Paris Gare du Nord 12:35. On Sundays, leave Brussels Midi at 12:16 arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 13:38, or take an earlier one.
Eurostar trains have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
Change trains & stations in Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare de Lyon.
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Step 2, travel from Paris to Italy by Frecciarossa, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon 15:12, arriving Turin Porta Susa 21:18 & Milan Centrale 22:07.
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 option 7 or 8 instead. More information.
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.
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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.
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Step 3, 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.
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How much does it cost?
Brussels to Paris start at 29 in 2nd class (standard) or 55 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.
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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 from Brussels to Turin or Milan and add to basket. You can book this as one journey, but (if using Raileurope) 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. If necessary, book Brussels-Paris, add to basket, book Paris to Turin or Milan, add to basket.
You can also book Brussels to Paris at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com, in , 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, allows seat selection, their 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).
Step 1, Brussels to Paris by Eurostar. Above, a Eurostar at Brussels Midi. See 360Ί photos inside the train. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
Option 4, Brussels to Italy with overnight stop in Paris - same as option 3, but with overnight stop in Paris rather than Milan
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Day 1, travel from Brussels Midi to Paris Gare du Nord on any Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed train you like in around 1h22.
You can leave Brussels as late as 21:13 arriving Paris 23:27, but by all means travel earlier and enjoy an evening in Paris.
Eurostar trains have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
Change trains & stations by metro or taxi from the Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon.
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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.
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Day 2, travel from Paris to Milan by Frecciarossa, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 07:26 arriving Turin P. Susa 13:18 & Milan Centrale 14:07.
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 option 7 or 8 instead. More information.
The Frecciarossa has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
After an initial dash at up to 300 km/h (186 mph) from Paris to Lyon, the train meanders through the Alps on the scenic classic line to Turin, then makes final high-speed dash to Milan, see more about the Paris-Milan Frecciarossa.
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Day 2, travel from Milan Centrale to Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples or anywhere in Italy by high-speed train.
The high-speed Frecciarossa trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. 20 minutes between trains in Milan is fine, in the event of a delay you'll be rebooked on a later train at no charge.
You can reach Venice Santa Lucia at 17:12, Florence SMN 17:04, Rome Termini 17:40, Naples Centrale 20:03.
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How much does it cost?
Brussels to Paris starts at 29 in 2nd class or 55 in 1st class.
Paris to Milan starts at 29 in standard class, 36 in business class or 165 in executive class.
Milan to Florence or Venice starts at 19.90 in 2nd class or 29.90 in 1st class.
Milan to Rome or Naples starts at 19.90 in 2nd class or 29.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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How to buy tickets
Buy tickets for each of these trains at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (whichever you prefer). Book each train individually, adding it to your basket, then check out.
www.raileurope.com and www.thetrainline.com connect to both the Italian and French booking systems so you can book all these trains in one place, in plain English, in , £ or $. Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. There's a small booking fee.
The Italian trains are ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone. For the Eurostar, you print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
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How to buy tickets, advanced
Alternatively, you can book each train separately, more effort, more fiddly, same fares, but no booking fee. First book the Eurostar at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com. Then book from Paris to your Italian destination at www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in , $ or £, they'll refund their small booking fee to seat61 users if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com afterwards) or www.trenitalia.com (in , more fiddly, requires Italian-language place names, see advice on using it).
Option 5, Brussels to Venice using the Stuttgart-Venice Nightjet sleeper train - a comfortable & time-effective option
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Stuttgart, leaving Brussels Midi at 12:25, until 15 July 2024 changing at Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen arriving Stuttgart 17:21, from 16 July onwards changing at Cologne Hbf, arriving Stuttgart Hbf 17:52.
These comfortable high-speed ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Times may vary, do not risk any tight connections with a sleeper to catch. Have dinner 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 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 in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: Change Transfer time from normal to 30 minutes to ensure robust connections. Look for a 1-change journey.
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Step 2, travel from Stuttgart to Venice by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 20:29 & arriving Venice Santa Lucia 08:34.
Important: This sleeper train is cancelled from 17 November 2024 to 13 July 2025 due to work in the Tauern Tunnel in Austria.
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, 69.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, 89.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or 139.90 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 (in , more fiddly, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Step 1, Brussels to Stuttgart by ICE with one easy change in Frankfurt. More about ICE trains. Photo courtesy of Christian Hunt.
Step 2, Stuttgart to Venice by Nightjet sleeper train. More about Nightjets.
Option 6, Brussels to Milan, Florence, Rome using the Munich-Italy Nightjet sleeper train - a time-effective option with dinner in Munich
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Munich by ICE, leaving Brussels Midi at 10:25, changing at Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen arriving Munich Hbf 17:06.
These comfortable high-speed ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. By all means book the earlier 08:23 departure and spend a pleasant evening in Munich.
Tip: Have dinner Munich before boarding the sleeper, for local Bavarian food & beer I recommend the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de) at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf, see walking map.
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 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 in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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Step 2, travel from Munich to Italy by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Munich Hbf at 20:10, one portion for Verona P. Nuova 05:51, Milan Rogoredo 07:42, Genoa Piazza Principe 09:38, La Spezia 11:10, another portion for Bologna Centrale 05:36, Florence SMN 06:42 & Rome Tiburtina 11:05.
Important: This sleeper train is cancelled from 17 November 2024 to 13 July 2025 due to work in the Tauern Tunnel in Austria.
The Milan, Genoa & La Spezia portion of this 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 10 September 2024, the Bologna, Florence & Rome portion of this train becomes a new generation Nightjet with 1 & 2 bed sleepers all with shower & toilet, 4-berth comfort couchettes, individual mini cabins and ordinary seats, see the new generation Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips & photos. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. A light breakfast is included in sleepers, couchettes & mini cabins.
Fares start at 59.90 in a mini cabin or 4-berth couchettes, 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 Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in , same prices, more fiddly). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
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Step 3, onward trains from Rome to Naples, Rome to Sicily or Milan to Genoa (for example) can be booked separately at either www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, recognises English place-names, small booking fee) or www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, the small booking fee will be refunded if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR) or Italian Railways own website www.trenitalia.com (more fiddly to use, requires Italian language place names, read this advice on using it first). I'd allow at least an hour between the sleeper arrival and departure of any onward train.
Step 1, Brussels to Munich 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 Brussels Midi. Photo courtesy of Christian Hunt.
Step 2, Munich to Florence or Rome by Nightjet sleeper train. This is the Munich-Rome sleeper boarding on platform 11 at Munich Hbf. More about Nightjet trains.
Option 7, Brussels to Milan in a single day, via Zurich - via Germany & Switzerland rather than France
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Zurich by ICE train on one of these two departures:
Leave Brussels Midi at 06:23, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Zurich HB at 16:00.
Leave Brussels Midi at 08:23, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Zurich HB at 18:00.
The ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 49.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket at the German Railways website int.bahn.de (in , no booking fee, allows seat selection from a seat map on ICE trains) or www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, using this you can book all your tickets together in one place, small booking fee).
Tip: Using int.bahn.de, I recommend changing Transfer time from normal to at least 45 minutes. However, the connection in Frankfurt is usually well over an hour anyway, so can absorb any delay. If you have any problems finding a simple 1-change option from Brussels to Zurich, book Brussels-Frankfurt & Frankfurt-Zurich separately, using the Direct services only toggle for each booking.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
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Day 1, travel from Zurich to Milan by EuroCity train:
If you left Brussels at 06:23, leave Zurich HB at 17:33 and arriving Milan Centrale at 20:50.
If you left Brussels at 08:23, leave Zurich HB at 19:33 and arriving Milan Centrale at 22:50.
All these trains cross the Swiss Alps via the Gotthard route and the new Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world's longest rail tunnel, but with great views of Switzerland and Italy either side, including superb views along Lake Maggiore.
Buy a ticket at either www.thetrainline.com (keeping all your bookings together) or www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in plain English, in various currencies, they'll refund seat61 users the 3.50 booking fee if you email seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR) or www.trenitalia.com (requires Italian-language place names and has a few quirks, see this advice). It's ticketless, you print your booking reference or show it on your phone.
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Stay overnight in Milan: Affordable hotels 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. Pricier more upmarket hotels include HD8 Hotel, Glam Hotel, Made to Measure Business, Starhotel Echo or Starhotel Anderson.
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Day 2, take any high-speed train you like from Milan for a high-speed Frecciarossa train to Verona, Venice, Florence, Rome or Naples.
Buy tickets from Milan to anywhere in Italy at either www.thetrainline.com (keeping all your bookings together) or www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in plain English, in various currencies, they'll refund seat61 users the 3.50 booking fee if you email seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR) or www.trenitalia.com (requires Italian-language place names and has a few quirks, see this advice). It's ticketless, you print your booking reference or show it on your phone.
Step 1, Brussels to Zurich on ICE trains. Above, an ICE3neo at Brussels Midi. More about ICE trains. Photo courtesy of Christian Hunt.
Step 2, Zurich to Milan by EuroCity train. This is a SBB Giruno train about to leave Zurich HB. More about Zurich-Milan EuroCity trains.
Option 8, Brussels to Italy with overnight stop in Zurich - same as option 7 but with an overnight stop
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Zurich by ICE train, leaving Brussels Midi at 14:25, changing at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf & arriving Zurich HB at 22:00.
The ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. By all means book an earlier train for more of an evening in Zurich, for example, the 10:25 from Brussels (also changing at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf) will get you to Zurich HB at 18:00.
Fares start at 49.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket at the German Railways website int.bahn.de (in , no booking fee) or www.raileurope.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, using this means you can book all your tickets together in one place, small booking fee).
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
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Stay overnight in Zurich. For something special, the 5-star Hotel Schweizerhof is one of my favourite hotels anywhere, just across the road from the station. They'll even send a uniformed commissionaire to meet you & carry your bags from the train. For something cheaper, also next to the station with great reviews, try the Ruby Mimi Hotel or the excellent 3-star Hotel St. Josef, 7 minutes walk from the station, see walking map. If you're on a budget, book a private rooms in a 1-star hotel or backpacker hostel near the station at www.hostelworld.com.
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Day 2, travel from Zurich to Milan by EuroCity train, for example leaving Zurich HB at 07:33 and arriving Milan Centrale at 10:50.
By all means take an earlier or later train, they leave Zurich HB at 06:33, 07:33, 08:33, 09:33, 10:33 and so on every hour, taking 3h17.
Tip: If you're going to Milan, I'd avoid the 06:33 & 10:33 as (under normal circumstances) these go to Milan Lambrate & Milan Rogoredo, not the main Milan Centrale.
Tip: If you're going to Verona or Venice it's worth knowing that (under normal circumstances) the 08:33 EuroCity train from Zurich HB goes direct to Verona & Venice, arriving Verona Porta Nuova at 13:28 & Venice Santa Lucia at 14:42.
Tip: If you're going to Genoa, the 10:33 from Zurich is direct, arriving Genoa Piazza Principe at 15:55.
All these trains cross the Swiss Alps via the Gotthard route and the new Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world's longest rail tunnel, but with great views of Switzerland and Italy either side, including superb views along Lake Maggiore.
Change in Milan for a high-speed Frecciarossa train to Verona, Venice, Florence, Rome or Naples.
Buy tickets from Zurich to anywhere in Italy at either www.raileurope.com (keeping all your bookings together in one place) or www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in plain English, in various currencies, they'll refund seat61 users the 3.50 booking fee if you email seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR) or www.trenitalia.com (requires Italian-language place names and has a few quirks so see this advice on using it). It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.
Brussels to Barcelona, Madrid & Spain from 68
Option 1, Brussels to Barcelona & Madrid in a single day - breakfast in Brussels, dinner in Spain, no need to cross Paris!
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Lyon by French TGV, leaving Brussels Midi at 08:17 and arriving Lyon Part Dieu at 12:00.
The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. The TGV by-passes Paris using the high-speed Paris avoiding line through CDG and Marne la Vallιe. Have lunch in Lyon, see suggested brasserie near Lyon Part Dieu.
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Step 2, travel from Lyon to Barcelona by AVE S100 high-speed train, leaving Lyon Part Dieu at 14:35 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 19:33.
This comfortable Spanish high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Look out for Bιziers cathedral on the right, colonies of flamingos on the ιtangs in southern France, the Fort de Salses on the right approaching Perpignan and great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees. More about AVE S100 trains & the Lyon-Barcelona journey.
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Step 3, travel from Barcelona to Madrid by AVE-S103 high-speed train, leaving Barcelona Sants at 21:25, arriving Madrid Atocha at 23:55.
Earlier departures may be available with other operators, but I recommend allowing at least an hour between trains in Barcelona and it's better to stick with the same operator if you can when making connections, in this case Renfe.
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Stay overnight in Barcelona. The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.
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Next day, travel from Barcelona to anywhere else in Spain by high-speed train.
For Madrid: AVE-S103 high-speed trains link Barcelona Sants with Madrid Atocha every hour or two in as little as 2h30.
For Granada: Leave Barcelona Sants at 06:45 by AVE S112 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 Coruρa & Vigo, there's a morning Alvia train to Galicia, see details here.
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How much does it cost?
Brussels to Lyon starts at 29 in 2nd class or 39 in 1st class.
Lyon to Barcelona starts at 39 in 2nd class or 49 in 1st class.
Barcelona to Madrid starts at around 35. Barcelona to Seville or Malaga starts at around 45.
All these fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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How to buy tickets
The easiest way to buy tickets is to use either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (whichever you prefer) as you can buy all the tickets together in one place, in plain English, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee. Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead. About Raileurope. About Thetrainline.
Step 1, book the morning train from Brussels Midi to Lyon Part Dieu and add this to your basket.
Step 2, book the afternoon train from Lyon Part Dieu to Barcelona Sants and add that to your basket.
Step 3 if going beyond Barcelona, book a train from Barcelona Sants to your Spanish destination, add to basket & check out.
For the TGV you can print your ticket or select a mobile ticket to show on your phone. For AVE and other Spanish trains you print your own ticket.
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How to buy tickets, advanced
You can of course book each train separately with the relevant operator, with no booking fee. This means more work and it won't necessarily make it any cheaper.
Step 1, buy tickets from Brussels to Lyon at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com. Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Step 2, if using the direct train from Lyon to Barcelona run by Renfe, book at the Spanish Railways website, www.renfe.com (in , fiddly, see advice on using it). If using the alternative trains run by SNCF, book these at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com.
Step 3, book onward trains in Spain at www.renfe.com (in , fiddly, see advice on using it).
Step 1, Brussels to Lyon by TGV. Above left, 2nd class seats with a mix of unidirectional seats & tables for 4. Seats 2+2 across car width. Larger photo.
Option 2, Brussels to Barcelona in a single day via Paris - a later departure from Brussels, but means crossing Paris
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys), leaving Brussels Midi at 11:13 and arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 12:35.
Eurostar trains have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
Fares start at 29 in 2nd class or 55 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Cross Paris by metro or taxi from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon. Make sure you allow at least 60 minutes between trains. Why not book an earlier Eurostar and have lunch at the famous Train Bleu restaurant inside the Gare de Lyon?
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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.
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Stay overnight in Barcelona. The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.
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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 38.
For Granada: Leave Barcelona Sants at 06:45 by AVE S112 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 Coruρa & Vigo, there's a morning Alvia train to Galicia, see details here.
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How to buy tickets
The easiest way to book trains from Brussels to Spain is at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.
Booking for Eurostar & TGV usually opens 4 months ahead. Spanish domestic trains open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies greatly.
You can book Brussels to Barcelona all in one go as one easy transaction with print-at-home tickets for both trains. These sites also connect to Spanish Railways (Renfe) so can sell onward tickets within Spain. You can choose to pay in either or £, you can use it wherever you live as overseas credit cards are accepted. There's a small booking fee.
First book from Brussels to Barcelona. Tip: Before running the enquiry when using Raileurope I recommend clicking More options and entering Paris (any station) as a via station, setting duration as 1 hour, or 2-3 hours if you want lunch in Paris. In the search results, look for an option marked 1 change.
If you are heading for Madrid, Malaga, Seville, Cordoba, Valencia or Alicante, first add the Brussels-Barcelona journey to your basket, then book from Barcelona to your chosen Spanish destination for the following day, add this to you basket and check out, paying for both tickets as one transaction.
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Alternatively, you can book each train separately, it's more effort and unlikely to make it any cheaper, but there's no booking fee:
Book the Brussels-Paris Eurostar at www.sncf-connect.com with print-at-home tickets, no booking fee.
Book the Paris-Barcelona TGV also at www.sncf-connect.com also with print-at-home or collect-at-station tickets and no booking fee.
Book onward trains within Spain at www.renfe.com (no booking fee, but can be fiddly, see advice on using it here), if you have any problems at the payment stage use www.raileurope.com (in , £ or $, small booking fee) or www.petrabax.com (in $, with small mark-up).
Step 1, Brussels to Paris by Eurostar. Above, a Eurostar at Brussels Midi. See 360Ί photos inside the train. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
Option 3, Brussels to Spain by high-speed train with an overnight stop in Paris.
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Day 1, travel from Brussels Midi to Paris Gare du Nord on any evening Eurostar (formerly Thalys) train you like, taking 1h22.
You can leave Brussels as late as 21:13, but by all means take an earlier train and spend a pleasant evening in Paris. Eurostar trains have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
Fares start at 29 in 2nd class (standard) or 55 in 1st class (comfort). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Cross Paris by metro or taxi from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon.
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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.
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Day 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 09:42 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 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. 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.
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Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Madrid, Valencia, Alicante, Seville, Malaga 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.
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How to buy tickets
Booking for Eurostar & TGV usually opens 4 months ahead, booking for Spanish trains opens 60 days ahead, but this varies.
The easiest way to book from Brussels to Spain is at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com as they connect to both French Railways (SNCF) for Eurostar & TGV and to Spanish Railways (Renfe) for onward tickets within Spain, fares in , £ or $, small booking fee.
First book from Brussels to Paris, picking any direct Eurostar train you like. Add this to your basket.
Now book from Paris to Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia or Alicante as one journey for the following day. In the search results, look for Paris-Barcelona options with 0 changes, or Paris to Madrid/Valencia/Alicante options with 1 change in Barcelona. Add this to your basket and check out, paying for both journeys as one transaction.
For Eurostar & TGV you print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone. For Spanish trains you print your own ticket.
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Alternatively, you can book each train separately, although this takes more effort and is unlikely to make it materially cheaper:
Book the Brussels-Paris Eurostar & Paris-Barcelona TGV at www.sncf-connect.com with print-at-home show-on-phone tickets.
Book onward trains within Spain at www.renfe.com (can be fiddly to use, see advice on using it here) or (if you have any problems at the payment stage) alternative sites www.raileurope.com, www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, easy, small booking fee) or www.petrabax.com (in $, easy, with small mark-up).
Option 4, Brussels to Spain with an overnight stop in Nξmes - avoids crossing Paris
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Nξmes by direct high-speed TGV leaving Brussels Midi at 16:17 and arriving Nξmes Centre at 21:39.
Fares start at 29 in 2nd class or 39 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this 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 select a mobile ticket to show on your phone.
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Stay overnight in Nξmes. The inexpensive Ibis Budget Nimes Gare is just 50m from the station and gets good reviews. The Ibis Styles Nimes Gare next door is a more upmarket option, but also inexpensive with good reviews.
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Day 2, travel from Nξmes to Barcelona by AVE S100 high-speed train, leaving Nξmes Centre at 09:01, arriving Barcelona Sants 12:38.
This comfortable Spanish high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about Renfe's AVE S100.
Look out for Bιziers cathedral on the right, colonies of flamingos on the ιtangs in southern France, the Fort de Salses on the right approaching Perpignan and great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees.
A later 12:46 departure by TGV Duplex is also available if you'd like a morning in Nimes.
Fares start at 25 in 2nd class or 39 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee), or the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, in , see this advice on using it). Booking opens several months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Madrid, Valencia or Alicante by high-speed train. I'd allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Barcelona.
Book trains in Spain at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (which keeps all your bookings together in one place) or the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in , much more fiddly to use, may reject some overseas credit cards, see this advice on using it) or www.petrabax.com (in $, easy to use, small mark-up). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies.
Option 5, Brussels to Paris by Eurostar, a French sleeper train to the Spanish border, then onward Spanish trains
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys), leaving Brussels Midi at 17:13 arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 18:35.
Eurostar trains have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more about Eurostar (formerly Thalys). Have dinner in Paris. Later connections are possible, but I'd play safe when catching a sleeper.
Fares start at 29 in 2nd class or 79 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
You can buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, 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 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.
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Step 2, travel overnight from Paris to Latour de Carol in the heart of the Pyrenees or 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 around 14:00.
See the Paris to Barcelona by sleeper train page for full details, prices, tips & how to buy tickets.
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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.
For Cordoba & Seville: Take the direct AVE S103 high-speed train leaving Barcelona Sants at 15:15 arriving Cordoba & Seville Santa Justa 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 Spanish train times & 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, in , see my advice before using it). I'd allow at least 1 hour between trains in Barcelona.
Brussels to San Sebastian from 63
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Step 1, travel from Brussels Midi to Paris Gare du Nord by Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed train in 1h22.
Eurostar trains have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
Fares start at 29 in 2nd class (standard) or 55 in 1st class (comfort). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Cross Paris by metro or taxi from Paris Nord to Paris Gare Montparnasse. Allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Paris.
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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.
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For example:
Leave Brussels Midi 06:42, change trains & stations in Paris, arrive Hendaye 14:47.
Leave Brussels Midi 09:16, change trains & stations in Paris, arrive Hendaye 16:47.
Leave Brussels Midi 13:13, change trains & stations in Paris, arrive Hendaye 20:47.
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Step 3, travel from Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara by Euskotren, this little metre-gauge electric train runs every 30 minutes from early morning till around 22:30, journey time 37 minutes, fare 2.75. Amara station is walking distance from most hotels. Check times at www.euskotren.es.
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Buy tickets from Brussels to Hendaye as one transaction at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, looking for journeys with just 1 change. Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own tickets or can select a mobile ticket to show on your phone. There's a small booking fee.
Tip: To ensure a robust connection in Paris, if using www.raileurope.com I recommend clicking More options, entering Paris (any station) and a stopover duration of at least 1 hour, if you'd like lunch between trains or a wander in Paris, make it 2 or 3 hours.
Alternatively, you can book the Eurostar and TGV at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com, in , no booking fee.
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Buy the Hendaye-San Sebastian ticket at the Euskotren station in Hendaye from the ticket machines or staffed counter, with cash or card.
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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.
Brussels to Ibiza & Mallorca
Option 1, Brussels to Ibiza or Mallorca by ferry from Barcelona - all year round
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Barcelona as shown above, using option 2 with overnight stop in Paris or option 3 with overnight stop in Nξmes, arriving Barcelona Sants at 16:31.
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In Barcelona, it's a 4 km 46-minute walk from Barcelona Sants station to the Trasmed and Balearia ferry terminal at the foot of La Rambla, near the Columbus monument, see walking map. A taxi costs around 20 & takes 13 minutes or take metro line L3 from Barcelona Sants to Drassane metro station (see www.tmb.cat), from where the Balearia terminal is 7 minutes walk, the Trasmed terminal is 9 minutes walk. Map of Barcelona showing station and Trasmed/Balearia ferry terminals.
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Step 2, sail overnight from Barcelona to Ibiza or Palma de Mallorca by ferry.
Ibiza: Trasmed operate an overnight ferry from Barcelona to Ibiza on most nights of the week sailing at or around 22:00, arriving 07:00. Times and dates vary, check times and buy tickets at the Direct Ferries website or www.trasmed.com. Check-in for the ferry closes 30 minutes before sailing time. You can pre-print your boarding pass to save time at the terminal. Balearia also operate an overnight ferry to Ibiza on most nights of the week, sailing times vary but it typically sails at 22:00, arriving in Ibiza town (Ibiza Ciudad) at 06:00. Check times and buy tickets at the Direct Ferries website or www.balearia.com.
Mallorca: There are two overnight ferries from Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca, both with restaurants, bars & cosy en suite cabins, both usually sailing from Barcelona around around 22:00 and arriving in Palma around 07:00. One ferry is run by Trasmed (www.trasmed.com), the other run by Balearia (www.balearia.com). You can check times & buy tickets at the Direct Ferries website.
Above, a Balearia ferry in Ibiza harbour. Courtesy of Discoverbyrail.com.
Option 2, Brussels to Menorca or Mallorca by ferry from Toulon - several times a week April-October
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Toulon, leaving Brussels Midi at 06:37 weekdays, 06:27 Saturdays & Sundays, change at Marseille St Charles arriving Toulon at 14:00. Or if you prefer, travel the day before and stay overnight in Marseille or Toulon.
Fares start at around 39 in 2nd class or 59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket 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. Obviously, book the ferry first to confirm dates & times, then book the train.
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Step 2, cruise overnight from Toulon to Menorca or Alcudia (Mallorca) with Corsica Ferries.
Sailings operate several times a week, April to October, typically sailing around 18:00 & arriving around 09:00, some going to Menorca and others to Alcudia. Their comfortable ships have bars, restaurants, and private cabins with en suite toilet & shower.
Fares start at around 25 for a foot passenger + a private cabin from around 32, Fares & cabin charges vary by date.
Check times, fares & buy tickets at the Direct Ferries website or see www.corsica-ferries.co.uk.
Brussels to Algeciras & Gibraltar
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Barcelona in a day as shown in the Brussels-Barcelona section above.
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Stay overnight in Barcelona. The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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How much does it cost?
Brussels to Paris starts at 29 in 2nd class or 55 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.
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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 Brussels to Barcelona, add this to your basket, then book Barcelona to Madrid & 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 Brussels 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.thetrainline.com much easier to use.
Brussels to Lisbon, Porto & Portugal
Option 1, Brussels to Lisbon via Barcelona & Madrid - the fastest option
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys), leaving Brussels Midi at 06:43 Monday-Friday arriving Paris Gare du Nord 08:05.
No sufficiently early train at weekends, so travel the evening before and stay overnight in Paris.
Eurostar trains have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
Fares start at 29 in 2nd class or 55 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, both easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee. These websites connect to both the SNCF and Renfe ticketing systems so you can buy tickets for all trains together in one place.
Cross Paris by metro or taxi from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon. Make sure you allow at least 60 minutes between trains.
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Day 1, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 09:42 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 16:31.
From 15 December 2024 the timetable changes, leave Paris Gare de Lyon at 07:42, arriving Barcelona Sants 14:29. A same-day connection from Brussels will no longer be possible.
This high-speed double-deck TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. It's a comfortable & scenic journey, see an account of the sights to see from the train on the way.
Fares start at 39 in 2nd class or 59 in 1st class. Fares work like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, both easy to use, in , £ or $, small booking fee.
Booking for the TGV opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
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Day 1, travel from Barcelona to Madrid by AVE high-speed train, leaving Barcelona Sants at 18:25 and arriving Madrid Atocha at 20:55.
The high-speed AVE has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about trains from Barcelona to Madrid.
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 this can vary.
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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.
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Day 2, travel from Madrid to Lisbon by daytime trains as shown on the Madrid to Lisbon page.
Option 2, Brussels to Porto & Lisbon via San Sebastian & Vigo - slightly slower, can be cheaper
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to San Sebastian as shown above. For example:
Leave Brussels Midi at 09:16 by Eurostar (formerly Thalys), change in Paris, then take a TGV Duplex Ocιane to Hendaye arriving 16:47.
Leave Brussels Midi at 13:13 by Eurostar (formerly Thalys), change in Paris, then 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. 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 Euskotren metro train as shown above, journey time 37 minutes.
In San Sebastian it's a 10-minute walk from Amara station to the Renfe station, see walking route.
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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.
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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 and 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 normally opens 60 days ahead, but this varies.
Tip: If using the daily departure with a change in Madrid, you might need to treat San Sebastian-Madrid & Madrid-Vigo as separate bookings.
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Stay overnight in Vigo. The NH Collection Vigo hotel & cheaper Hotel Atlantico Vigo are both near the station with great reviews.
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Day 3, travel from Vigo to Porto by Celta regional express, leaving Vigo Guixar at 08:58 arriving Porto Campanhγ 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 this can vary.
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Day 3, travel from Porto to Lisbon by Alfa Pendular, leaving Porto Campanhγ at 11:40 and arriving Lisbon Santa Apolonia 14:30.
Or book a later train and spend some time exploring wonderful Porto.
Fares start at 15. Book this at the Portuguese Railways website www.cp.pt (in ) or at Omio.com (in , £ or $).
Brussels to Faro & the Algarve
Option 1, Brussels to Faro using a bus from Seville to Faro - fastest & easiest
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Paris by Eurostar then Paris to Barcelona on the afternoon TGV, as shown in the Brussels to Barcelona section.
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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.
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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, Brussels to Faro via Lisbon - a longer way round, but all-train.
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Lisbon as shown above.
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Step 2, take a train from Lisbon to Faro as shown here.
Brussels to Andorra
Option 1, Brussels to Andorra in a day
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys), leaving Brussels Midi at 11:13 and arriving Paris Gare du Nord around 12:38.
Eurostar trains have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
Fares start at 29 in 2nd class (standard) or 59 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 60 minutes between trains in Paris, but the longer the better.
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Step 2, travel from Paris to Toulouse by high-speed TGV Duplex, 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.
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Step 3, travel from Toulouse Matabiau to Andorra la Vella by bus, taking 4 hours, fare 36.
There are several 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 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.
Option 2, using the Paris-Toulouse-l'Hospitalet overnight train
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys), leaving Brussels Midi at 17:13 and arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 18:35.
Eurostar trains have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
Fares start at 29 in 2nd class (standard) or 59 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 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.
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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.
The train has 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes & 2nd class reclining 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 it's not running to l'Hospitalet on your date of travel, it might still be running from Paris to Toulouse.
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.
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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. The fare is around 36 one-way.
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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.
Brussels to Cologne, Frankfurt & Germany from 18.90
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Every 2 hours or so, a high-speed ICE3 train links Brussels Midi with Cologne Hbf in 1h50 & Frankfurt (Main) Hbf in 3h07, watch the video.
Every 2 hours or so, alternating with the ICE, a Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed train links Brussels Midi with Cologne Hbf in 1h50, some departures continuing to Dόsseldorf, Essen & Dortmund.
Change in Cologne or Frankfurt for Dόsseldorf, Koblenz, Hamburg, Nuremberg, Stuttgart, Leipzig, Dresden, in fact anywhere in Germany.
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Eurostar or ICE?
ICEs have a restaurant car, Eurostars have vending machines or cafe-bar, both come with power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Both are good, and if you are only going as far as Cologne, I'd just choose whichever departure suits you.
However, if you're going further into Germany, a key advantage of the German-run ICE is that German Railways offer through fares from Brussels to almost anywhere in Germany. So it's usually cheaper to buy an ICE through ticket than to buy a Eurostar ticket from Brussels to Cologne plus a separate onward ticket. And a through ticket gives cast iron passenger rights if there's a delay & missed connection, but if you use Eurostar to Cologne with a separate onward ticket you don't get these passenger rights (although the Railteam arrangements may apply at Cologne). For these reasons, I recommend ICE in preference to Eurostar for journeys from Brussels to German destinations beyond Cologne.
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Fares from Brussels to Cologne start at 18.90 in 2nd class, 27.90 in 1st class.
Fares from Brussels to Frankfurt (Main) start at 27.90 in 2nd class, 37.90 in 1st class.
Through fares from Brussels to Hamburg, Nuremberg, Dresden and so on start at 27.90 in 2nd class, 37.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets from anywhere in Belgium to anywhere in Germany at the German Railways website int.bahn.de, or at www.thetrainline.com.
Thetrainline.com sells journeys via both Eurostar & ICE, though you'll only get a through ticket if you book an ICE. There's a small booking fee.
Bahn.de sells through tickets from Brussels to anywhere in Germany via their ICE trains. There's no booking fee. Bahn.de also lets you choose an exact seat from a seating plan on ICE trains. You print your own ticket (A4 paper, but U.S. Letter size is fine) or you can show it on your laptop or phone.
Bookings open up to 6 months ahead, but bookings involving a Eurostar (former Thalys) only open up to 4 months ahead.
An ICE3neo at Brussels Midi. More about ICE trains. Photo courtesy of Christian Hunt.
Brussels to Berlin from 27.90
Option 1, Brussels to Berlin by high-speed train - the daytime option
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Brussels to Berlin takes around 6h40, with a departure every 2 hours:
Leave Brussels Midi at 06:23, change at Cologne Hbf, arrive Berlin Hbf 13:02.
Leave Brussels Midi at 08:23, change at Cologne Hbf, arrive Berlin Hbf 15:03.
Leave Brussels Midi at 10:25, change at Cologne Hbf, arrive Berlin Hbf 17:04.
Leave Brussels Midi at 12:25, change at Cologne Hbf, arrive Berlin Hbf 19:02.
Leave Brussels Midi at 14:25, change at Cologne Hbf, arrive Berlin Hbf 21:02.
Leave Brussels Midi at 16:23, change at Cologne Hbf, arrive Berlin Hbf t 23:02.
Exact times may vary. The 08:23 leaves at 08:25 at weekends, the 16:23 leaves at 16:25 at weekends.
Brussels to Cologne is by ICE3, Cologne to Berlin by ICE2 or ICE4, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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Fares start at 27.90 in 2nd class or 43.90 in 1st class.
Prices vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
You can book from Brussels or any station in Belgium to Berlin or any station in Germany.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. Look for a 1-change journey. You can choose your seat from a seat map on ICEs. 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.
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You can also buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com and this can sell journeys via both Eurostar (formerly Thalys) and the German-run ICE. However, you only get a through ticket if you book a journey leaving Brussels by ICE. You print your ticket or can show it on your phone.
Option 2, Brussels to Berlin by European Sleeper - the time-effective option, 3 times a week
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A sleeper train links Brussels & Berlin on Monday, Wednesday & Friday nights, see the European Sleeper page.
The European Sleeper calls at Amsterdam. This is a 5-berth couchette car, beyond it is the stainless steel sleeping-car.
Option 3, Brussels to Berlin by Nightjet sleeper train - another time-effective option, 3 times a week
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A Nightjet sleeper train leaves Brussels Midi at 19:07 on Tuesdays & Thursdays, 19:03 on Saturdays, arriving Berlin Hbf 08:26.
Important update 2024: ΦBB have given up trying to run this train from 12 August to 8 November 2024, due to the amount of trackwork.
From 15 December 2024 onwards, the days of running will change to Monday, Wednesday & Friday, with departure at 19:06.
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 a couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and an ordinary seats car. 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.
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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.
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Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in plain English, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at (in , same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket. Child under 6? See here.
Brussels to Hamburg from 27.90
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Brussels to Hamburg takes around 6h50, with departures every 2 hours:
Leave Brussels Midi at 06:23, change at Cologne Hbf, arrive Hamburg Hbf 12:59.
Leave Brussels Midi at 08:23, change at Cologne Hbf, arrive Hamburg Hbf 15:14.
Leave Brussels Midi at 10:25, change at Cologne Hbf, arrive Hamburg Hbf 17:14.
Leave Brussels Midi at 12:25, change at Cologne Hbf, arrive Hamburg Hbf 19:14.
Leave Brussels Midi at 14:25, change at Cologne Hbf, arrive Hamburg Hbf 21:14.
Leave Brussels Midi at 16:23, change at Cologne Hbf, arrive Hamburg Hbf 23:15.
Exact times may vary. The 08:23 leaves at 08:25 at weekends. The 16:23 leaves at 16:25 at weekends.
Brussels to Cologne is by ICE3, Cologne to Hamburg is by ICE4, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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Fares start at 27.90 in 2nd class or 43.90 in 1st class.
Prices vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
You can book from Brussels or any station in Belgium to Hamburg or any station in Germany.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. Look for a 1-change journey. You can choose your seat from a seat map on ICEs. 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.
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You can also buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com and this can sell journeys via both Eurostar (formerly Thalys) and the German-run ICE. However, you only get a through ticket if you book a journey leaving Brussels by ICE.
An ICE3neo at Brussels Midi. More about ICE trains. Photo courtesy of Christian Hunt.
Brussels to Munich from 27.90
Option 1, Brussels to Munich by daytime trains
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Brussels to Munich takes around 6h45 with departures every 2 hours:
Leave Brussels Midi at 06:23, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arrive Munich Hbf 13:05.
Leave Brussels Midi at 08:23, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arrive Munich Hbf 15:12.
Leave Brussels Midi at 10:25, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arrive Munich Hbf 17:06.
Leave Brussels Midi at 12:25, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arrive Munich Hbf 19:07.
Leave Brussels Midi at 14:25, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arrive Munich Hbf 21:07.
Leave Brussels Midi at 16:23, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arrive Munich Hbf 23:13.
Exact times may vary. The 08:23 leaves at 08:25 at weekends. The 16:23 leaves at 16:25 at weekends.
Brussels to Frankfurt is by ICE3, then another ICE to Munich Hbf, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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Fares start at 27.90 in 2nd class or 43.90 in 1st class.
Prices vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
You can book from Brussels or any station in Belgium to Munich or any station in Germany.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. Look for a 1-change journey. You can choose your seat from a seat map on ICEs. 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.
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You can also buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com and this can sell journeys via both Eurostar (formerly Thalys) and the German-run ICE. However, you only get a through ticket if you book a journey leaving Brussels by ICE.
An ICE3neo at Frankfurt Flughafen. More about ICE trains. Photo courtesy of Christian Hunt.
Option 2, Brussels to Munich by sleeper train - the time-effective option, 3 times week
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A Nightjet sleeper train leaves Brussels Midi at 19:07 on Tuesdays & Thursdays, 19:03 on Saturdays, arriving Munich Ost at 05:43.
From 15 December 2024 onwards, the days of running will change to Monday, Wednesday & Friday, with departure at 19:06.
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 a couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and an ordinary seats car. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to accommodation.
There are frequent S-Bahn trains from Munich Ost to Munich Hbf, journey time 8 minutes.
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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.
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Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in plain English, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at (in , same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket. Child under 6? See here.
Option 3, Brussels to Munich using the Cologne-Munich Nightjet sleeper train - the time-effective option, every day
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Cologne by high-speed ICE train, leaving Brussels Midi at 18:25 and arriving Cologne Hbf at 20:15.
ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 18.90 in 2nd class or 49.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the www.thetrainline.com and print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone.
Have dinner in Cologne, I recommend the excellent Brauhaus Sion (www.brauhaus-sion.de), 8 minutes walk from Cologne Hbf, see walking map, or the Malzmuehle restaurant (www.muehlenkoelsch.de), 17 minutes walk from the station, see walking map. If you'd like more time for dinner, a Eurostar (formerly Thalys) train leaves Brussels Midi at 17:25 and arrives Cologne Hbf at 19:15.
Transfer by frequent S-Bahn train across the Rhine bridge to Cologne Messe-Deutz.
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Step 2, travel from Cologne to Munich by Nightjet sleeper train leaving Cologne Messe-Deutz at 21:45 and arriving Munich Hbf at 07:06.
Check the departure time for your date, on some dates this train leaves from Cologne Hbf at 22:27 with no need to transfer to Messe/Deutz.
This train runs until 14 December 2024, but no longer runs after that.
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's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The train has several 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.
Buy tickets for the sleeper at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, plain English, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at (more fiddly, in , same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Brussels to Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck & Austria from 37.90
Option 1, Brussels to Salzburg, Linz & Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train 3 times a week - the time-effective option
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A Nightjet sleeper train leaves Brussels Midi at 19:07 on Tuesdays & Thursdays, 19:03 on Saturdays, arriving Salzburg Hbf 07:26, Linz Hbf 08:46, Vienna Meidling 10:05 & Vienna Hbf 10:13.
From 15 December 2024 onwards, the days of running will change to Monday, Wednesday & Friday, with departure at 19:06.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars each 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 two couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and an ordinary seats car. 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.
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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.
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Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in plain English, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at (in , same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket. Child under 6? See here.
Option 2, Brussels to Innsbruck, Linz & Vienna using the Nightjet sleeper train from Cologne - runs every day
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Cologne by high-speed ICE train, leaving Brussels Midi at 18:25 and arriving Cologne Hbf at 20:15.
ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 18.90 in 2nd class or 49.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the www.thetrainline.com and print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone.
Have dinner in Cologne, I recommend the excellent Brauhaus Sion (www.brauhaus-sion.de), 8 minutes walk from Cologne Hbf, see walking map, or the Malzmuehle restaurant (www.muehlenkoelsch.de), 17 minutes walk from the station, see walking map. If you'd like more time for dinner, a Eurostar (formerly Thalys) train leaves Brussels Midi at 17:25 and arrives Cologne Hbf at 19:15.
Transfer by frequent S-Bahn train across the Rhine bridge to Cologne Messe-Deutz.
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Step 2, take the comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train leaving Cologne Messe-Deutz at 21:45 and arriving Wels 07:14, Linz 07:44, Vienna Meidling 09:08 and Vienna Hbf 09:17, with another portion of the same train arriving at Innsbruck Hbf at 09:14.
Check the departure time for your date, on some dates this train leaves from Cologne Hbf at 22:27 with no need to transfer to Messe/Deutz.
This train runs until 14 December 2024, but no longer runs after that.
Each portion of 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's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The train also has one or two 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.
For Salzburg, take the sleeper from Cologne to Wels and change there for a railjet train to Salzburg Hbf, arriving 08:49.
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 prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
Option 3, Brussels to Austria by daytime trains
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Brussels to Vienna from 37.90
Brussels Midi depart 06:23, change at Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen & Nuremberg, arrive Vienna Hbf at 16:47.
Brussels Midi depart 08:23, change at Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen, arrive Vienna Hbf at 18:47.
Brussels Midi depart 10:25, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arrive Vienna Hbf at 20:47.
Brussels Midi depart 12:25, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arrive Vienna Hbf at 23:05.
Brussels-Frankfurt is by ICE3, Frankfurt-Vienna by ICE-T, both with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Prices vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
This can book from Brussels or almost any station in Belgium to Vienna, Innsbruck and most Austrian stations as one transaction. In the search results, look for journeys with just 1 change. Exact times may vary.
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 in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: It's worth checking fares at www.thetrainline.com as this takes its prices from the Austrian system which is often cheaper.
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Brussels to Salzburg from 37.90
Brussels Midi depart 06:23, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf & Munich Hbf, arrive Salzburg Hbf at 14:58.
Brussels Midi depart 08:23, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arrive Salzburg Hbf at 17:59.
Brussels Midi depart 10:25, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arrive Salzburg Hbf at 19:59.
Brussels Midi depart 12:25, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arrive Salzburg Hbf at 22:02.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Prices vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
You travel by comfortable air-conditioned ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
This can book from Brussels or anywhere in Belgium to Salzburg and most Austrian towns & cities as one transaction. In the search results, look for journeys with just 1 change.
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 in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: It's worth checking fares at www.thetrainline.com as this takes its prices from the Austrian system which is often cheaper.
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Brussels to Innsbruck from 37.90
Brussels Midi depart 06:23, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf & Munich Hbf, arrive Innsbruck Hbf at 15:18.
Brussels Midi depart 08:23, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf & Munich Hbf, arrive Innsbruck Hbf at 17:18.
Brussels Midi depart 10:25, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf & Munich Hbf, arrive Innsbruck Hbf at 19:18.
Brussels Midi depart 12:25, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf & Munich Hbf, arrive Innsbruck Hbf at 21:18.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Prices vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
You travel from Brussels to Frankfurt & Frankfurt to Munich by comfortable air-conditioned ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, then Munich to Innsbruck by EuroCity train with restaurant car.
Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
This can book from Brussels or anywhere in Belgium to Innsbruck and most other Austrian towns & cities as one transaction.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. More about when bookings open. 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.
Tip: It's worth checking fares at www.thetrainline.com as this takes its prices from the Austrian system which is often cheaper.
Option 4, Brussels to Austria with overnight stop in Frankfurt
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Frankfurt by ICE3 train leaving Brussels Midi at 18:25 and arriving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 21:31.
The ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. By all means book the earlier 16:23 for an evening in Frankfurt.
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Stay overnight in Frankfurt. Hotels next to the station with good or great reviews include the Flemings Express Hotel & Hotel Hamburger Hof, both of which I have stayed at and can recommend. There's also The Frankfurt and the inexpensive Hotel Topas.
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Day 2, travel from Frankfurt to Austria by train.
For Vienna, take the 06:19 ICE-T train from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Vienna Hbf arriving 12:47, you can have breakfast in the restaurant car. Or have breakfast at your hotel and take the 08:21 arriving 14:47. Or there are later trains.
For Salzburg, take the 08:20 EuroCity train from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf arriving Salzburg Hbf at 13:59, from 29.90 booked at int.bahn.de.
For Innsbruck & other Austrian cities, simply run an enquiry at int.bahn.de.
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How much does it cost?
Brussels to Austria starts at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Prices vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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How to buy tickets
Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de
This can book from Brussels or anywhere in Belgium to Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck and most other Austrian stations as one transaction.
To build in the overnight stop in Frankfurt, click Stopovers and enter Frankfurt (Main) Hbf with a suitable length of stay, say 11 hours.
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 in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Brussels to Legoland, Odense & Copenhagen from 49.90
Option 1, Brussels to Legoland, Odense or Copenhagen in a single day
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You can travel from Brussels to Copenhagen by train in a single chill-out day.
Leave Brussels Midi 06:23, change at Cologne Hbf & Hamburg Hbf, arriving Kolding (for Legoland) 17:40, Odense 18:20 & Copenhagen 19:34.
Or leave Brussels Midi 08:23, change at Cologne Hbf & Hamburg Hbf, arriving Kolding (for Legoland) 19:40, Odense 20:20 & Copenhagen 21:34.
This is a straightforward journey all on one ticket booked at int.bahn.de. You travel from Brussels to Cologne & Cologne to Hamburg by superb German ICE trains with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. You travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train, read more about the Hamburg to Copenhagen journey.
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Fares start at 49.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class. Prices vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets 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 in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: Click Stopovers and enter Brussels Nord as a stopover with zero length of stay. This forces it to find the 08:23 ICE and show through fares, instead of only offering the 09:25 Eurostar (formerly Thalys) train which is not run by German Railways so you don't see any through fares. In the search results, look for journeys with 2 changes marked ICE, IC and with a price shown.
Option 2, Brussels to Legoland, Odense or Copenhagen with an overnight stop in Hamburg
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Hamburg, leaving Brussels Midi at 14:25 by ICE, changing at Cologne Hbf and arriving Hamburg Hbf at 21:14.
Or you can leave Brussels Midi at 16:23 daily except Saturdays, change at Cologne Hbf and arrive Hamburg Hbf at 23:16. But by all mean take an earlier train, there is a Brussels-Hamburg departure every couple of hours through the day. The ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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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.
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Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:50 and arriving Kolding (for Legoland) 11:40, Odense 12:20 & Copenhagen 13:34. More about the Hamburg to Copenhagen journey.
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Fares start at 49.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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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 and enter Hamburg Hbf with a length of stay of (say) 10:00 hours. Adjust departure time & length of stay to get the trains you want either side of Hamburg, it may take a bit of trial & error.
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.
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.
Brussels to Stockholm & Gothenburg from 59.90
Option 1, Brussels to Stockholm using the Hamburg-Stockholm sleeper train - the time-effective option
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Hamburg, leaving Brussels Midi at 10:25, change at Cologne Hbf & arriving Hamburg Hbf 17:14.
You travel from Brussels to Cologne and Cologne to Hamburg on superb German ICE trains with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Always allow plenty of time when connecting with a sleeper, later connections are possible but not recommended in case of delay. 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 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.
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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 this train at SJ's website www.sj.se.
Booking opens several months ahead, You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Option 2, Brussels to Stockholm with an overnight stop in Hamburg
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Hamburg, leaving Brussels Midi daily at 14:25 by ICE3, changing at Cologne Hbf & arriving Hamburg Hbf 21:14.
Or you can leave Brussels Midi daily at 16:23 by ICE3, change at Cologne Hbf and arrive Hamburg Hbf 23:16.
But by all mean take an earlier train, there is a Brussels-Hamburg departure every couple of hours through the day. The ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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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.
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Day 2 morning, travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:50 arriving Copenhagen at 13:34.
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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 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 3h50, 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.
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To buy tickets
The cheapest way is to book from Brussels 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) 10:00.
Adjust departure time & length of stay to get the trains you want either side of Hamburg, a little trial and error may be needed. You print your own ticket. This way you'll get a Sparpreis fare from Brussels to Stockholm or Gothenburg with an overnight stop built in. Book early & avoid busy dates for the cheapest prices.
If you have any problems or see no affordable prices, split the booking: Book from Brussels 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 (in SEK, , £ or $, small booking fee, quick & easy to use and readily accepts overseas credit cards).
Option 3, Brussels to Stockholm with an overnight stop in Copenhagen, from 59.90
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Copenhagen, leaving Brussels Midi at 06:23, change Cologne Hbf & Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 19:34.
You can also leave Brussels Midi at 08:23, change at Cologne Hbf & Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 21:34, although the earlier departure gives more wiggle room in case of delay.
It's a chill-out ride across Europe, take a good book, sit back and enjoy. Brussels to Cologne is by ICE3, Cologne to Hamburg by ICE4, both with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Hamburg to Copenhagen is by EuroCity train with power sockets at all seats and refreshments available. More about the Hamburg to Copenhagen journey.
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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).
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Day 2, travel from Copenhagen to Sweden, these trains 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 13:34, or there are later trains.
For Gothenburg take an hourly Φresund train or occasional X2000 train from Copenhagen to Gothenburg Central, journey time 3h50.
For Malmφ, take an hourly Φresund train from Copenhagen to Malmφ Central taking 39 minutes (a same-day connection on Day 1 is possible).
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To buy tickets
The cheapest way is to book Brussels to Stockholm, Gothenburg or Malmφ as one transaction at German Railways int.bahn.de.
Before running the enquiry, click Stopovers, add Brussel Noord as the first stopover with length of stay zero, then add Copenhagen as a second stopover with a length of stay of (say) 10 hours. Enter your date of travel and passenger details and run the enquiry.
Adjust departure time & length of stay in Copenhagen to get the trains you want either side of Copenhagen. Some trial & error may be needed!
This way you'll get a Sparpreis fare from Brussels to Stockholm or Gothenburg from 59.90 or to Malmφ from 49.90 with an overnight stop in Copenhagen built in. Book early & avoid busy dates for the cheapest prices. You print your own ticket.
Note: The zero-duration stopover at Brussel Noord forces the system to find the 06:23 & 08:23 German-run ICEs which call at Brussel Noord and so offer German Railways through fares. Without this, the system finds the 09:25 Eurostar (formerly Thalys) instead, which is not run by German Railways (and doesn't call at Brussels Noord) so no through fares appear. Easy when you know.
If you have any problems, you can book from Brussels 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.
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.
Option 4, Brussels to Gothenburg using Stena Line's Kiel-Gothenburg overnight ferry
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Kiel by train, leaving early morning.
The journey takes around 8h09, I'd book the train leaving Brussels Midi at 06:23 with changes at Cologne Hbf and Hamburg Hbf. You should book the ferry first and confirm ferry times, then book a train that arrives at Kiel Hbf around 2-3 hours before the ferry sails. You can take the 08:23 if you like, but with a ferry to catch I'd play safe and take the earlier 06:23.
Book the train at the German Railways website 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.
In Kiel, the ferry terminal is 750m from the station, a 9-minute walk, see walking map.
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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 own 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.
Brussels to Oslo & Norway
Option 1, Brussels to Oslo with overnight stop in Hamburg - by train all the way
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Hamburg, leaving Brussels Midi daily at 14:25 by ICE3, changing at Cologne Hbf & arriving Hamburg Hbf 21:14.
But by all mean take an earlier train, there's a Brussels-Hamburg departure every 2 hours through the day. The ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 27.90 in 2nd class or 59.90 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.
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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.
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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 Brussels 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.
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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, Brussels to Oslo with overnight stop in Copenhagen - by train all the way
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Copenhagen in a day as shown above.
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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).
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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.
Alternatively, spend the day in Copenhagen and take the DFDS overnight ferry to Oslo with a comfortable private cabin with shower & toilet, sailing from Copenhagen at 16:30 (15:00 some days), 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.
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, Brussels to Oslo via the Kiel-Oslo cruise ferry - the most luxurious way to Oslo
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Kiel leaving Brussels Midi at 10:25, changing at Cologne Hbf & Hamburg Hbf and arriving Kiel at 18:43.
Earlier or later departures are possible, simply check times & prices at int.bahn.de.
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. 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.
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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.
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Step 2, sail from Kiel to Oslo by luxurious overnight Color Line ferry, the m/v Magic or m/v Fantasy normally sails at 14:00 arriving Oslo at 10:00 next morning. The ships have a full 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 appears that 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.
Brussels to Helsinki & Finland
Option 1, Brussels to Helsinki using a Finnlines ferry from Germany - the easiest option
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Hamburg by ICE train, leaving Brussels Midi at 10:25 and arriving Hamburg Hbf at 17:14.
Fares start at 27.90 in 2nd class or 56.90 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 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.
Tip: You can book from Brussels 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 (see suggested restaurant here), click Stopovers and enter Lόbeck Hbf with a length of stay of (say) 2 hours. You'd then leave Brussels on the earlier 08:23 departure.
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Day 1, travel from Hamburg Hbf to Lόbeck by regional train 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 Brussels).
For full details of the transfer, check-in arrangements & ferry crossing, see the Hamburg page.
Book the ferry using the Direct Ferries website or at www.finnlines.com.
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Book onward trains within Finland at the Finnish Railways website www.vr.fi.
Option 2, Brussels to Helsinki by train to Stockholm, then ferry
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Step 2, travel from Stockholm to Helsinki either by direct overnight cruise ferry, or by daytime or overnight ferry to Turku and connecting train to Helsinki as shown on the Trains & ferries from Stockholm page.
Brussels to Prague from 46.90
Option 1, Brussels to Prague direct by European Sleeper - the most direct & time-effective option, 3 times a week
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The European Sleeper leaves Brussels Midi at 19:22 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 is extended to Prague from 25 March 2024 onwards, the first direct Brussels-Prague train for decades.
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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.
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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 calls at Amsterdam Centraal. This is a 5-berth couchette car, beyond it is the stainless steel sleeping-car.
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, Brussels to Prague in a day - a chill-out day with free WiFi and some great scenery
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You can travel from Brussels to Prague in a day: Brussels to Cologne by ICE3, Cologne to Berlin by ICE2, then Berlin to Prague by EuroCity train.
Leave Brussels Midi at 06:23, change at Cologne Hbf & Berlin Hbf, arriving Prague Hlavni at 19:24.
Leave Brussels Midi at 08:23, change at Cologne Hbf & Berlin Hbf, arriving Prague Hlavni at 21:24.
All these trains have a restaurant car & free WiFi. You can enjoy dinner in the restaurant car on the EuroCity train as you roll along the scenic Elbe river valley south of Dresden. Sit on the left had side for the river views. What's the Berlin to Prague train & scenery like?
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Fares start at 46.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de
To get the route via Berlin with robust connections and a good-value through ticket, click Stopovers, (a) change Transfer time from normal to 30 minutes, (b) enter Brussel Noord as stopover 1 and (c) enter Berlin Hbf as stopover 2, with length of stay left as zero in both cases. Entering Brussel Noord eliminates Eurostar (formerly Thalys) from the results as they don't stop at Brussels Nord, therefore it finds an ICE run by DB and so offers a through ticket. Easy when you know!
Why not take the 06:23 and have a 2 or 3 hour stopover in Berlin, arriving in Prague at 21:24? Simply enter 2 hours as the length of stay in Berlin. The Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate are just 10-15 minutes walk from Berlin Hbf.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show 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. Suggested hotels in Prague.
Step 1, Brussels to Cologne & Cologne to Berlin by ICE. More about ICE trains. Above, an ICE3neo at Brussels Midi. Photo courtesy of Christian Hunt.
Option 3, Brussels to Prague using the Brussels-Berlin Nightjet sleeper, 3 times a week - another time-effective option, 3 times a week
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Berlin by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Brussels Midi at 19:07 on Tuesdays & Thursdays or 19:03 on Saturdays, arriving Berlin Hbf 08:26.
Important update 2024: ΦBB have given up trying to run this train from 12 August to 8 November 2024, due to the amount of trackwork.
From 15 December 2024 onwards, the days of running will change to Monday, Wednesday & Friday, with departure at 19:06.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars each 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 two couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and an ordinary seats car. 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.
Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in plain English, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at (in , same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Child under 6? See here.
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Day 2, travel from Berlin to Prague by EuroCity train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 11:16 and arriving Prague Hlavni at 15:24.
An earlier 09:16 connection is possible, but I'd play safe and book the 11:16.
This comfortable air-conditioned EuroCity train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Treat yourself to lunch and a beer or two as the train speeds along the scenic Elbe valley south of Dresden, it's a lovely run. This particular departure is the EuroCity train Hungaria with modern Hungarian carriages, its final destination is Budapest. More about this EuroCity train.
Fares start at 18.90 each way in 2nd class, 27.40 each way 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 phone. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.
Option 4, Brussels to Prague with overnight stop in Berlin - this breaks up the trip nicely, and makes it more time-effective
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Berlin, leaving Brussels Midi at 14:25, changing at Cologne Hbf and arriving Berlin Hbf at 21:02.
By all means book the earlier 10:25 or 12:25 departure for more of an evening in Berlin.
You travel on a comfortable high-speed ICE3M train from Brussels to Cologne and an ICE2 or ICE4 from Cologne to Berlin, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seat & free WiFi.
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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.
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Day 2, travel from Berlin to Prague on any EuroCity train you like.
You can leave Berlin Hbf at 07:16 arriving Prague Hlavni 11:24 with breakfast in the inexpensive Czech restaurant car, or have a leisurely breakfast and take the next one at 09:16, see the Berlin-Prague timetable here.
These trains run along the scenic Elbe river valley south of Dresden, enjoy the ride - bag a seat on the left had side for the river views. What's the Berlin to Prague train journey like?
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Fares from Brussels to Prague start at 46.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book from Brussels South Station to Prague hl.n. at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
To build in an overnight stop in Berlin, click Stopovers, enter Cologne Hbf and Berlin Hbf as stopovers 1 & 2. Enter 11 hours as the length of stay in Berlin. In the search results look for journeys with 2 changes marked ICE, EC. Adjust the departure time and length of stay to get the trains you want either side of Berlin. A bit of trial and error may be necessary!
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
Brussels to Cesky Krumlov & other Czech destinations
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You can book from Brussels (or elsewhere in Belgium) to almost anywhere in the Czech Republic using the German Railways website int.bahn.de with through fares from just 37.90. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Tip: It's an all-day ride from Brussels 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.
Tip: Also check times & prices using the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz.
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For Ceskύ Krumlov (a lovely town, and the second most-visited place in the Czech Republic, see the Ceskύ Krumlov page) you need to book to Ceskι Budejovice, not Ceskύ Krumlov, because the branch line between Ceskι Budejovice and Ceskύ Krumlov is run by private operator GWTR and German Railways cannot ticket that part.
So simply book from Brussels to Ceskι Budejovice at int.bahn.de from 37.90, then buy the 58 CZK (2) local ticket from Ceskι Budejovice to Cesky Krumlov either at the station in Ceske Budejovice from the distinctive green & orange ticket kiosk in the main hall, or on board the train using the self-service ticket machines, which accept contactless cards. You can check train times from Ceske Budejovice to Cesky Krumlov at www.gwtr.cz.
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For Karlovy Vary or Plzen, book at int.bahn.de, looking for 3-change options via Frankfurt, Nuremberg & Cheb from 37.90.
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For Brno, book Brussels 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 have an overnight stop if you like.
The most time-effective option from Brussels to Brno is to take the Nightjet sleeper train from Brussels 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).
Brussels to Bratislava & Slovakia from 36
Option 1, Brussels to Bratislava in a single day from 46.90
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You can travel from Brussels to Bratislava in a single day:
Leave Brussels Midi at 06:23, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf & Vienna Hbf, arriving Bratislava Hlavna 18:23.
Leave Brussels Midi at 08:23, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf & Vienna Hbf, arriving Bratislava Hlavna 20:23.
Leave Brussels Midi at 10:25, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf & Vienna Hbf, arriving Bratislava Hlavna 23:23.
Brussels to Frankfurt & Frankfurt to Vienna is by ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Vienna to Bratislava is by regional express. A chill-out day across Europe. Important: If travelling before 15 December 2024, see the update here.
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Fares start at 46.90 in 2nd class or 99.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. In the search results, look for journeys with just 2 changes via Vienna. 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.
Option 2, Brussels to Bratislava using the Brussels-Vienna Nightjet sleeper train - the most time-effective option, 3 times per week
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Vienna by Nightjet, leaving Brussels Midi at 19:07 on Tuesdays & Thursdays, 19:03 on Saturdays, arriving Vienna Hbf 10:13.
From 15 December 2024 onwards, the days of running will change to Monday, Wednesday & Friday, with departure at 19:06.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars each 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 two couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and an ordinary seats car. 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 (same prices, no booking fee). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket. Child under 6? See here.
Tip: If you've booked a sleeper, you can use the ΦBB 1st class lounge at Vienna Hbf between trains, with complimentary tea, coffee & free WiFi.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Bratislava by Regional Express train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 11:14, arriving Bratislava Hlavna 12:10.
These trains run every hour. The fare is 11, no reservation necessary, just turn up, buy a ticket and hop on the next one, 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.
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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.
Option 3, Brussels to Bratislava using the Berlin-Bratislava sleeper
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Berlin, leaving Brussels Midi at 10:25, changing at Cologne Hbf, arriving Berlin Hbf 17:04.
You travel by high-speed ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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 either www.thetrainline.com or the German Railways site 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 in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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Step 2, travel from Berlin to Bratislava by sleeper train Metropol leaving Berlin Hbf at 19:21 & arriving Bratislava Hlavna 06:02 next morning.
The train has a comfortable Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and a Hungarian couchette car with 4 & 6 bunk compartments. The sleeper fare includes a light breakfast, served in your compartment. More about this sleeper train.
Departure from Berlin is at 19:47 from 10 August to 13 December 2025.
Fares start at 39 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 129 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 139 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 179 in a single-bed sleeper all to yourself.
Book this sleeper at www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem) or the Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Brussels to Budapest & Hungary from 56.90
Option 1, Brussels to Budapest in a single day
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If you leave early, you can travel from Brussels to Budapest in a single day, arriving late evening. The journey involves superb ICE trains with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. A chill-out day!
Leave Brussels Midi 06:23, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf & Vienna Hbf, arrive Budapest Keleti at 20:19.
Leave Brussels Midi 08:23, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf & Vienna Hbf, arrive Budapest Keleti at 22:19.
Leave Brussels Midi 10:25, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf & Vienna Hbf, arrive Budapest Keleti at 00:19.
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Fares start at 56.90 in 2nd class or 99.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets 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.
If it offers a price up front that's great, this is a through ticket, go ahead and buy it. However, on some departures it says Determine price instead. If you want one of these departures it may be better to split the booking, book Brussels to Vienna at int.bahn.de then Vienna to Budapest at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.
An ICE3neo at Frankfurt Flughafen. Click on the interior images for larger photos. Photo courtesy of Christian Hunt.
Option 2, Brussels to Budapest using the Brussels-Vienna Nightjet sleeper train - the most time-effective option, 3 times per week
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Vienna by Nightjet, leaving Brussels Midi at 19:07 on Tuesdays & Thursdays, 19:03 on Saturdays, arriving Vienna Hbf 10:13.
From 15 December 2024 onwards, the days of running will change to Monday, Wednesday & Friday, with departure at 19:06.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars each 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 two couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and an ordinary seats car. 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). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket. Child under 6? See here.
Tip: If you've booked a sleeper 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.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Budapest by railjet train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 11:40, arriving Budapest Keleti 14:19.
The railjet has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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 or www.oebb.at and print your own ticket. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
Option 3, Brussels to Budapest using the Stuttgart-Budapest sleeper - a comfortable & time-effective option
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Stuttgart, leaving Brussels Midi at 12:25, changing at Cologne Hbf and arriving Stuttgart Hbf 17:52.
These comfortable high-speed ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Times may vary, do not risk any tight connections with a sleeper to catch. Have dinner 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 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 in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: Change Transfer time from normal to 30 minutes to ensure robust connections. Look for a 1-change journey.
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Step 2, travel from Stuttgart to Budapest on the EuroNight sleeper Kalman Imre leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 20:29 arriving Budapest Keleti at 09:19.
The Kalman Imre has an air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and an air-conditioned Hungarian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments. In the sleeping-car, you'll find a small bottle of complimentary sparkling wine in your compartment in the evening and you're served a light breakfast in the morning with tea or coffee, included in the fare. More about this sleeper train.
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 (in , more fiddly, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Step 1, Brussels 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 Brussels Midi. Click on the interior images for larger photos. Photo courtesy of Christian Hunt.
Step 2, Stuttgart to Budapest by sleeper train. More about this sleeper train.
Option 4, Brussels to Budapest by daytime trains with overnight stop in Munich
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Munich, leaving Brussels Midi at 14:25, change at Cologne Hbf, arriving Munich Hbf 21:07.
You take a superb ICE3 train to Cologne and make one easy change onto another ICE to Munich, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 27.90 in 2nd class or 59.90 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. 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.
Tip: I recommend booking the earlier departure leaving Brussels Midi at 10:25, change at Cologne Hbf, arriving Munich Hbf 17:06, this gives you an evening in Munich & time for dinner. For typical Bavarian food & beer I recommend the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de) at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf, see walking map.
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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.
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Day 2, travel from Munich to Budapest by railjet train, for example leaving Munich Hbf at 07:23 arriving Budapest Keleti at 14:19.
Or by all means have a leisurely breakfast and take the 09:29 railjet arriving 16:19, a railjet leaves every 2 hours.
The railjet trains have a restaurant car with draught beer on tap, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more about railjets. Look out for views of Salzburg citadel as you cross the river Salzach approaching Salzburg station.
Fares start at 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 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. 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 like, you can build in a stopover in Salzburg of a few hours or overnight at no extra charge using the Stopover feature on int.bahn.de. Left luggage lockers are available.
Brussels to Brasov, Bucharest & Romania
Option 1, Brussels to Romania using a sleeper from Vienna - the fastest & most comfortable option
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Vienna, leaving Brussels Midi at 08:23, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Vienna Hbf 18:47.
Brussels-Frankfurt is by ICE3, Frankfurt-Vienna by ICE-T, both have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. An earlier 06:23 departure is also available, for a more robust connection with time for dinner in Vienna.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Prices vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
This can book from Brussels or anywhere in Belgium to Vienna as one transaction. 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: It's worth also checking fares at www.thetrainline.com as this takes its prices from the Austrian system which is often cheaper.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Romania by Dacia Express, leaving Vienna Hbf at 19:42 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 air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, plus several deluxe compartments with en suite shower & toilet. It has a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments.
A Hungarian restaurant car is attached between Vienna & 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.
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.
You can 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. 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 now print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. Tip: Prices might be cheaper than on oebb.at, so check both sites!
Option 2, Brussels to Romania using a sleeper from Budapest
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Budapest using any of the options in the Brussels to Budapest section above.
A same-day connection in Budapest isn't possible, you'll either need to stop overnight somewhere or use a sleeper train. Choose an option and buy tickets as shown.
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Day 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.
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Alternatively, you can stay overnight in Budapest and take a daytime train from Budapest to Brasov or Bucharest next day. This is a whole chill-out day crossing Transylvania on a modern air-conditioned Romanian train. Take a good book and enjoy the ride. You can check times and buy tickets for these from 29 at Hungarian railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it. You can see photos of what these Budapest-Brasov/Bucharest daytime trains are like on the Romania page.
Option 3, Brussels to Romania with overnight stop in Budapest - if you prefer day trains & a hotel to sleepers
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Budapest in a single day as shown in the Brussels to Budapest section above.
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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.
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Day 2, travel on one of the daytime air-conditioned Intercity trains from Budapest Keleti to Cluj, Arad, Timisoara, Simeria, Sibiu, Brasov & Bucharest. You'll find more details of these trains in the Budapest to Romania section on the Budapest page,
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 60 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.
Brussels to Ljubljana & Slovenia or Zagreb & Croatia
Option 1, Brussels to Ljubljana & Zagreb using the Stuttgart-Zagreb sleeper - safe, comfortable, time-effective
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Stuttgart, leaving Brussels Midi at 12:25, changing at Cologne Hbf and arriving Stuttgart Hbf 17:52.
These comfortable high-speed ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Times may vary, do not risk any tight connections with a sleeper to catch. Have dinner 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 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 in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: Change Transfer time from normal to 30 minutes. Look for a 1-change journey.
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Step 2, travel from Stuttgart to Ljubljana or Zagreb on the comfortable Croatian sleeper train Lisinski, leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 20:29, arriving Lesce-Bled 07:13, Ljubljana 08:09 & Zagreb 10:39.
It has an excellent air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car with comfortable 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, see the photos below and the Croatian sleeper video here. It also has a modern Croatian air-conditioned couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments.
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 sleeper at www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, easy to use, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at (more fiddly, 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.
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Step 3, travel from Zagreb to Split by train, a scenic ride. Buses then run from Split to Dubrovnik in a few hours. See the Trains from Zagreb page for full details of train and bus from Zagreb to Split & Dubrovnik.
Step 1, Brussels to Stuttgart by ICE with one easy change in Frankfurt. ICEs have a restaurant, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Above, an ICE3M at Brussels Midi. More about ICE trains. Photo courtesy of Christian Hunt.
Step 2, Stuttgart to Ljubljana & Zagreb by sleeper train. Above, the air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car 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.
Option 2, Brussels to Ljubljana & Zagreb Using the Cologne-Munich Nightjet sleeper train
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Cologne by ICE train leaving Brussels Midi at 18:25 and arriving Cologne Hbf at 20:15.
Fares start at 18.90 in 2nd class or 29.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the German Railways website 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 in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Have dinner in Cologne - I recommend the Brauhaus Sion (www.brauhaus-sion.de), 8 minutes walk from Cologne Hbf, see walking map, or the Malzmuehle restaurant (www.muehlenkoelsch.de), 17 minutes walk from the station, see walking map. By all means take an earlier train and spend more time in Cologne, the cathedral is right next to the station and the cafes and bars on the banks of the Rhine are just 10 minutes walk away. By all means book an earlier train to have more time for dinner.
Transfer by frequent S-Bahn train across the Rhine bridge to Cologne Messe-Deutz.
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Step 2, travel from Cologne to Munich by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Cologne Messe-Deutz at 21:45 and arriving Munich Hbf at 07:06.
Check the departure time for your date, on some dates this train leaves from Cologne Hbf at 22:27 with no need to transfer to Messe/Deutz.
This train runs until 14 December 2024, but no longer runs after that.
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's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The train has several couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. 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 at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (more fiddly, same prices, in ). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
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Step 3, travel from Munich to Ljubljana or Zagreb, leaving Munich Hbf at 08:16 by swish Austrian railjet train, there's a quick & simple cross-platform change at Villach onto a waiting Slovenian & Croatian EuroCity train Sava, arriving Lesce-Bled on Lake Bled at 13:50, Ljubljana at 14:31 and Zagreb at 17:10.
This is a really lovely journey, through the mountains of Austria then along the Sava river between Ljubljana and Zagreb. 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 train at int.bahn.de (use this special link) and print your own ticket.
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Step 4, stay overnight in Zagreb and take a scenic train ride to Split next day. Buses link Split with Dubrovnik in a few hours. See the Trains from Zagreb page for full details of train and bus from Zagreb to Split & Dubrovnik.
Option 3, Brussels to Ljubljana & Zagreb with overnight stop in Munich
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Munich on ICE trains, for example leaving Brussels Midi at 14:25, change Frankfurt, arriving Munich Hbf 21:07.
Fares start at 27.90 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. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: I recommend booking the earlier departure leaving Brussels Midi at 12:25, change at Cologne Hbf, arriving Munich Hbf 19:07, this gives you an evening in Munich & time for dinner. For typical Bavarian food & beer I recommend the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de) at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf, see walking map.
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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.
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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 & simple cross-platform change at Villach onto a waiting Slovenian & Croatian EuroCity train Sava, arriving Lesce-Bled on Lake Bled at 13:50, Ljubljana at 14:31 and Zagreb at 17:10. The scenery through the mountains of Austria and along the River Sava from Ljubljana is wonderful.
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 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 in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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.
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Step 3, stay overnight in Zagreb and take a scenic train ride to Split next day. Buses link Split with Dubrovnik in a few hours. See the Trains from Zagreb page for full details of train and bus from Zagreb to Split & Dubrovnik.
Option 4, Brussels to Ljubljana & Zagreb using the Brussels-Vienna sleeper
This is a slower option, if only because of the morning at leisure in Vienna, but it's straightforward & comfortable.
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Vienna by Nightjet, leaving Brussels Midi at 19:07 on Tuesdays & Thursdays, 19:03 on Saturdays, arriving Vienna Hbf 10:13.
From 15 December 2024 onwards, the days of running will change to Monday, Wednesday & Friday, with departure at 19:06.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars each 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 two couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and an ordinary seats car. 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 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!
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 Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at (in , same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
In Vienna, you've the best part of a day to enjoy the city. Left luggage lockers are available.
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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 as far as Villach. 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 (in , no booking fee). Bookings usually open up to 90 days ahead and you print your own ticket.
Brussels to Belgrade & Montenegro
Option 1, Brussels to Belgrade using the Berlin-Budapest sleeper - starts running from 24 November 2024
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Berlin, leaving Brussels Midi at 10:25, changing at Cologne Hbf, arriving Berlin Hbf 17:04.
You travel by high-speed ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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 either www.thetrainline.com or the German Railways site 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 in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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Step 2, travel from Berlin to Budapest by sleeper train Metropol leaving Berlin Hbf at 19:21 & arriving Budapest Nyugati 08:29 next morning.
The train has a comfortable Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and a Hungarian couchette car with 4 & 6 bunk compartments. The sleeper fare includes a light breakfast, served in your compartment. More about this sleeper train.
Departure from Berlin is at 19:47 from 10 August to 13 December 2025.
Fares start at 39 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 129 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 139 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 179 in a single-bed sleeper all to yourself.
Book this sleeper at www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem) or the Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Tip: A slightly faster journey is possible using ICE trains to Stuttgart then the Stuttgart-Budapest sleeper as shown in the Brussels-Budapest section, but you then arrive at Budapest Keleti requiring a transfer to Budapest Nyugati.
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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.
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For onward trains to Montenegro, see the Belgrade to Podgorica & Bar page.
Step 1, Brussels to Berlin by ICE with one easy change in Cologne. ICEs have a restaurant, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Above, an ICE3M at Brussels Midi. More about ICE trains. Photo courtesy of Christian Hunt.
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, Brussels to Belgrade & beyond using the Stuttgart-Zagreb sleeper - currently involves a bus
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Stuttgart, leaving Brussels Midi at 12:25, changing at Cologne Hbf, arriving Stuttgart Hbf 17:52.
These comfortable high-speed ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Times may vary, do not risk any tight connections with a sleeper to catch. Have dinner 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 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 in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: Change Transfer time from normal to 30 minutes. Look for a 1-change journey.
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Day 1, travel from Stuttgart to Zagreb by comfortable Croatian sleeper train Lisinski, leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 20:29 & arriving Zagreb at 10:39.
It 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.
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 the 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 (more fiddly, same prices, in ). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
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Day 2, 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 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.
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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.
Option 3, Brussels to Belgrade & beyond using the Zurich-Zagreb sleeper - currently involves a bus
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Zurich by comfortable daytime ICE trains. For example, you can leave Brussels Midi at 10:25, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to arrive Zurich HB at 18:00.
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 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.
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Day 1, travel from Zurich to Zagreb by Croatian sleeper train, leaving Zurich HB at 20:40 & arriving 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, a bit more fiddly, no booking fee). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
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Day 2, 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 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 dining-car, 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.
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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.
Brussels to Sofia
Option 1, Brussels to Sofia via Bucharest
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Vienna overnight as shown above, using the Brussels-Vienna Nightjet sleeper train 3-times-a-week.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Option 2, Brussels to Sofia via Belgrade
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Not currently viable while Zagreb-Belgrade, Budapest-Belgrade and Belgrade-Sofia trains remain suspended.
Brussels to Warsaw & Poland from 46.90
Option 1, Brussels to Warsaw in a single day - the leisurely daytime option
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Take a superb German ICE high-speed train to Cologne in 1h50 and another ICE high-speed train to Berlin in 4h20, then the excellent Berlin-Warsaw EuroCity train to Warsaw in 5h30. Departures every day, for example:
Leave Brussels Midi at 06:23, change at Cologne Hbf & Berlin Hbf and arrive Warsaw Centralna at 19:14.
Leave Brussels Midi at 08:23, change at Cologne Hbf & Berlin Hbf and arrive Warsaw Centralna at 21:14.
Leave Brussels Midi at 10:25 daily except Saturdays, change at Cologne Hbf & Berlin Hbf and arrive Warsaw Centralna at 23:18.
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Fares start at 49.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking to Poland 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.
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Stay overnight in Warsaw - If your budget will stretch, the Polonia Palace Hotel is just across the road from both the Palace of Culture skyscraper and Warsaw Centralna station, and 25 minutes walk from Warsaw's old town. Opened in 1913, it was one of the few hotels to emerge unscathed from WW2, and has been used by many famous people including General (later President) Eisenhower and General de Gaulle.
Option 2, Brussels to Warsaw using the Brussels-Berlin European Sleeper - a time-effective option, 3 times a week
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Berlin by European Sleeper, leaving Brussels Midi 19:32 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 this 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
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Day 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 27.90 in 2nd class or 39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket from Berlin to Warsaw 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.
The inaugural European Sleeper train about to leave Brussels Midi on Friday 26 May 2023. Click the interior photos for larger images.
Option 3, Brussels to Warsaw using the Brussels-Berlin Nightjet sleeper, 3 times a week - another time-effective option, 3 times a week
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Berlin by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Brussels Midi at 19:07 on Tuesdays & Thursdays or 19:03 on Saturdays, arriving Berlin Hbf 08:26.
Important update 2024: ΦBB have given up trying to run this train from 12 August to 8 November 2024, due to the amount of trackwork.
From 15 December 2024 onwards, the days of running will change to Monday, Wednesday & Friday, with departure at 19:06.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars each 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 two couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and an ordinary seats car. 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.
Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in plain English, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at (in , same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
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Day 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 27.90 in 2nd class or 39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket from Berlin to Warsaw 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.
Option 4, Brussels to Warsaw with overnight stop in Berlin - breaks up the trip nicely
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Berlin, leaving Brussels Midi at 14:25, changing at Cologne Hbf and arriving Berlin Hbf at 21:02.
You travel on a comfortable high-speed ICE3M train from Brussels to Cologne and an ICE2 or ICE4 from Cologne to Berlin, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seat & free WiFi. By all means book the earlier 10:25 or 12:25 departure for more of an evening in Berlin.
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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.
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Day 2, travel from Berlin to Warsaw 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 bistro car. Or have a leisurely breakfast at your hotel and take the daily 09:52 arriving 15:14. By all means take a later train from Berlin to spend some time in Berlin.
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Fares from Brussels to Warsaw start at 46.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Book from Brussels to Warsaw. To get the overnight stop in Berlin, click Stopovers, enter Berlin Hbf and a suitable length of stay, 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. 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.
Brussels to Krakow from 46.90
Option 1, Brussels to Krakow in a single day - the leisurely daytime option
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Berlin, leaving Brussels Midi at 06:23, changing at Cologne Hbf to arrive Berlin Hbf 13:03.
It's possible to take the later 08:23 departure, but I recommend playing safe and taking the 06:23 as this allows for delay.
You travel on superb German ICE trains with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Have lunch in Berlin.
You've time for an
evening stroll to the Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate, just 17 minutes walk from the
station. -
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.
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Fares start at 49.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Book from Brussels to Krakow. To get the option shown above, click Stopovers, enter Berlin Hbf with a stopover duration of 2 hours.
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.
Option 2, Brussels to Krakow using the Brussels-Berlin European Sleeper - a time-effective option, runs 3 times a week
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Berlin by European Sleeper, leaving Brussels Midi 19:32 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 this sleeper train 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
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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 from Berlin to Krakow 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.
The inaugural European Sleeper train about to leave Brussels Midi on Friday 26 May 2023. Click the interior photos for larger images.
Option 3, Brussels to Krakow using the Brussels-Berlin Nightjet sleeper, 3 times a week - another time-effective option, 3 times a week
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Berlin by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Brussels Midi at 19:07 on Tuesdays & Thursdays or 19:03 on Saturdays, arriving Berlin Hbf 08:26.
Important update 2024: ΦBB have given up trying to run this train from 12 August to 8 November 2024, due to the amount of trackwork.
From 15 December 2024 onwards, the days of running will change to Monday, Wednesday & Friday, with departure at 19:06.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars each 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 two couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and an ordinary seats car. 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.
Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in plain English, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at (in , same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
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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 Wawel, leaving Berlin Hbf at 12:52, arriving Wroclaw 16:54, Katowice 19:13 & Krakow Glowny 20:07. A later trains is 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 29.99 in 2nd class or 39.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket from Berlin to Krakow 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.
Option 4, Brussels to Krakow with overnight stop in Berlin - if you prefer day trains & hotel to sleepers, departures every day
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Berlin, leaving Brussels Midi at 14:25, changing at Cologne Hbf and arriving Berlin Hbf at 21:02.
You travel on a comfortable high-speed ICE3M train from Brussels to Cologne and an ICE2 or ICE4 from Cologne to Berlin, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seat & free WiFi. By all means book the earlier 10:25 or 12:25 departure and spend a pleasant evening in Berlin.
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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.
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Day 2, travel from Berlin to Krakow by EuroCity train Wawel, leaving Berlin Hbf at 10:52 every day, arriving Wroclaw 15:05, Katowice 17:15 & Krakow Glowny 18:07. The Wawel is comfortable & air-conditioned with restaurant car, treat yourself to lunch and a beer or two.
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.
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Fares start at 46.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Book from Brussels to Krakow. To get the overnight stop in Berlin, click Stopovers, enter Berlin Hbf and a suitable length of stay, 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. 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.
Brussels to Vilnius. Riga, Tallinn
Brussels to Lithuania with overnight stop in Warsaw
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Warsaw as shown in the Brussels to Warsaw section above. You can do this in a single day.
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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.
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Day 2, travel from Warsaw to Kaunas & Vilnius by train as shown on the Warsaw to Vilnius page.
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Day 3, for onward travel from Vilnius to Riga in Latvia, see here.
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Day 4, for onward travel from Riga to Tallinn in Estonia, see here.
Brussels to Lviv, Kyiv & Ukraine from 86
Option 1, Brussels to Lviv & Kyiv via Prague - easiest to book and usually has plenty of availability. Includes a free day in Prague!
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Prague by European Sleeper, leaving Brussels Midi at 19:22 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.
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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. Brussels to Prague by European Sleeper, seen here at Amsterdam. This is a 5-berth couchette car, beyond it is the stainless steel sleeping-car.
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, Brussels to Kyiv using the Kyiv Express from Warsaw to Kyiv - runs daily, but can be tricky to book & sells out fast
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Day 1, take the 14:25 ICE train from Brussels Midi to Berlin with 1 easy change at Cologne Hbf, arriving Berlin Hbf at 21:02.
You travel on a comfortable high-speed ICE3M train from Brussels to Cologne and an ICE2 or ICE4 from Cologne to Berlin, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seat & free WiFi. By all means book the earlier 10:25 or 12:25 departure and spend a pleasant evening in Berlin.
Fares start at 27.90 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 print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
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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.
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Day 2, travel from Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train leaving Berlin Hbf at 09:52 every day and arriving Warsaw Centralna at 15:14.
Tip: On Mondays to Saturdays you can also take the earlier 05:51 EuroCity train from Berlin to Warsaw arriving 11:14, 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.
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Day 2, travel from Warsaw to Kyiv by Kyiv Express sleeper train leaving Warsaw Wschodnia at 17:40 every day, arriving Kyiv at 12:17 next day.
The Kyiv Express has cosy Ukrainian 1, 2 & 3 bed sleeper compartments 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.
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To book onward trains from Kyiv to Odessa & other places in Ukraine, see the Ukraine page.
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 the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking to Poland 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 on at any time and check or reprint tickets.
The Kyiv Express uses 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.
Option 3, Brussels to Lviv & Kyiv via Vienna - comfortable, but sells out fast
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Vienna using the Cologne-Vienna Nightjet sleeper train as shown in the Brussels-Vienna section above. Enjoy the best part of a day in Vienna, left luggage lockers are available.
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Day 2, travel from Vienna to Lviv or Kyiv by direct Ukrainian sleeping-car. leaving Vienna Hbf at 16:42 every day and arriving next day (day 3) at Lviv at 09:20 & Kyiv at 16:03.
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.
Brussels to Moscow & Russia
Option 1, Brussels to Moscow using the daily Warsaw-Moscow sleeper train - suspended due to sanctions
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Day 1, travel from Brussels to Berlin, leaving Brussels Midi at 14:25, changing at Cologne Hbf and arriving Berlin Hbf at 21:15.
You travel on a comfortable high-speed ICE3M train from Brussels to Cologne and an ICE2 or ICE4 from Cologne to Berlin, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seat & free WiFi. By all means book the earlier 10:25 or 12:25 departure and spend a pleasant evening in 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 morning, travel from Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train leaving Berlin Hbf at 09:52 every day & arriving Warsaw Centralna at 15:14.
Tip: On Mondays-Saturdays you can take the earlier 05:43 EuroCity train which would give 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.
Fares from Brussels to Warsaw start at 46.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book from Brussels to Warsaw at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
To get the overnight stop in Berlin, click Stopovers, enter Berlin Hbf and a suitable length of stay, say 10 hours. Adjust the length of stay and departure time to get the trains you want each side of Berlin. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
Day 2 evening, travel from Warsaw to Moscow by Russian sleeper train, leaving Warsaw Centralna at 19:15 daily and arriving Moscow Belorussky at 16:58 next day (day 3 from Brussels). 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 & the war in Ukraine.
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 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.
The train from Warsaw to Moscow uses Russian air-conditioned sleeping-cars, pictured below, with compartments which can be used as 1st class 2-berth or 2nd class 4-berth (shown below right), with a shower & toilets at the end of the corridor. See panorama photo inside one of the new Russian sleepers.
Option 2, Brussels to Moscow using the new Berlin-Moscow Strizh Talgo sleeper train, twice a week - suspended due to sanctions.
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Step 1, take the 10:25 ICE train from Brussels Midi to Berlin with 1 easy change at Cologne Hbf, arriving Berlin Hbf 17:10.
Fares start at 27.90 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. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
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Step 2, travel from Berlin to Moscow by 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 & war in Ukraine.
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.
Option 3, Brussels to Moscow via Kyiv - avoids Belarus and the need for a Belarus transit visa
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It's not difficult to get a Belarus transit visa. But some people want to avoid the bureaucracy & cost of yet another visa, and the easiest way to do this is to travel via Kyiv. Whilst passing through the Baltic States is an option, it's a disjointed relay-race of multiple trains and buses, going via Kyiv means a direct train Warsaw-Kyiv then another Kyiv-Moscow, making it much simpler.
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Kyiv as shown in the Brussels 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 there's usually one leaving Kyiv around 19:30 and arriving in Moscow Kievskaya station next morning at around 10:00, 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.
Kyiv-Moscow trains were suspended due to Covid-19 and remain suspended due to the war in Ukraine
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Use reliable Polish ticketing agency www.polrail.com to book both your Warsaw-Kyiv and Kyiv-Moscow trains. Tickets are collected in Warsaw.
Brussels to Athens, Corfu & Greece
Option 1, Brussels to Athens & Greece using a ferry from Italy
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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 Brussels 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 Brussels to Milan in Italy as shown above, leaving in the morning and arriving in the evening.
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Stay overnight in Milan: Affordable hotels 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. Pricier more upmarket hotels include HD8 Hotel, Glam Hotel, Made to Measure Business, Starhotel Echo or Starhotel Anderson.
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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 normally opens up to 4 months days ahead. It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.
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In Bari, transfer from station to port, see map of Bari showing station, port entrance, check-in building & Superfast Ferries berth.
You can walk the 1.9 km from the station to the port entrance in 25 minutes, a stroll through Bari's pleasant old town, see correct walking map from the station to the port entrance gate - if Google tells you any different, trust me, not Google!
Alternatively, bus 50 runs from Bari Centrale station to the road outside the port gate roughly every 40 minutes. A taxi will take 10 minutes.
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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.
Option 2, Brussels to Athens & Greece by train all the way through the Balkans
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There are currently no international trains to Greece, you should take a ferry from Italy.
Brussels to Istanbul & Turkey
This is an overland adventure, taking 3 nights.
Option 1, Brussels to Istanbul via Munich, Budapest & Bucharest.
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Step 1, travel from Brussels to Bucharest using any option shown above.
Do not risk any tight connections in Bucharest, I'd allow a minimum of 2 hours, or plan an overnight stop.
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Step 2, travel overnight from Bucharest to Istanbul as shown on the Bucharest to Istanbul page.
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Book online as shown on those pages, but you should consider using an Interrail pass for the flexibility it gives. You'll find more about using a pass for a journey like this on the London to Istanbul page.
Option 2, Brussels to Istanbul via Zagreb, Belgrade & Sofia - this route is not currently viable
Railbookers custom-made tours
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, arranging all your trains, hotels and 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 get good reports and a lot of repeat business! 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.
Hotels in Brussels & other cities
Hotels near Brussels Midi station
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If you need a decent inexpensive hotel close to Brussels Midi station where Eurostar arrives, go for the dependable Ibis Brussels Midi just across the road or for something a little more upmarket the Pullman Hotel Brussels Midi is part of the station complex itself. I have stayed at both, and can recommend.
Hotels in the centre of Brussels
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How about staying on the famous Grand Place itself? In the mid-range, the Rιsidence Le Quinze Grand Place gets rave reviews and overlooks Brussels' famous central square.
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If you really want to push the boat out, the Rocco Forte Hotel Amigo is top end and scores 9/10, right near the Grand Place.
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You can stay next to the Grand Place relatively cheaply, too, try the Hotel Agora Grand Place or Happy Guesthouse, both with great reviews.
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All these hotels near the Grand Place are just a few minutes walk from Brussels Central station.
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.