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Vilnius station - terminus of the train journey from London. Courtesy of Yuk Wah Chu. |
UK to Lithuania overland by train...
The closest of the three historic Baltic capitals, Vilnius can be reached overland from London via Berlin and Warsaw.
Train times, fares & tickets
London to Vilnius by train via Warsaw
London to Vilnius via Kiel & the ferry to
Klaipeda
Useful country information:
currency, dial code...
Hotels & accommodation in
Vilnius & Lithuania
On other pages
Trains from Vilnius to
other European cities
Useful country information
Option 1, London to Vilnius via Berlin & Warsaw
This is the fastest way, overland by train all the way through Brussels, Berlin and Warsaw, a 2-night trip. If you'd prefer a train+ferry option using a Germany-Lithuania ferry, see option 2 below. Your call!
London ► Vilnius
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Day 1, travel from London to Brussels on any evening Eurostar you like.
The last Eurostar usually leaves London St Pancras at 19:34 arriving Brussels Midi at 22:38, but by all means travel earlier for a pleasant evening in Brussels. Check times at www.eurostar.com.
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Stay overnight in Brussels. I recommend the excellent Pullman Hotel Brussels Midi which is an integral part of Brussels Midi station itself, or the inexpensive Ibis Brussels Midi just across the road. If you have time for a wander to the historic Grand Place in central Brussels for dinner, I recommend the moules-frites at the celebrated restaurant Aux Armes de Bruxelles, auxarmesdebruxelles.com.
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Day 2, travel from Brussels to Berlin by ICE train, leaving Brussels Midi at 06:23, change at Cologne Hbf arriving Berlin Hbf at 13:15.
The ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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Day 2, travel from Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 13:51 & arriving Warsaw Centralna at 19:28.
If you'd like lunch in Berlin and perhaps a stroll past the Reichstag building to the Brandenburg gate just 17 minutes walk from the station, there's a later EuroCity train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 17:52 and arriving Warsaw Centralna at 23:16.
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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 3, travel from Warsaw to Vilnius...
Starting 11 December 2022, you leave Warsaw Centralna at 07:35 every day, change at Mockava, arriving Kaunas 16:26 & Vilnius 17:34.
This new service consists of a Polish Intercity train with 1st & 2nd class from Warsaw to Mockava and a Lithuanian air-conditioned train, 2nd class only, from Mockava to Vilnius. See the Warsaw to Vilnius page for full details.
Vilnius ► London
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Day 1, travel from Vilnius to Warsaw, leaving Vilnius at 12:10 or Kaunas 13:20 every day, change at Mockava, arriving Warsaw Centralna 20:14.
The new service starts from 11 December 2022. It consists of a Lithuanian air-conditioned train, 2nd class only, from Vilnius to Mockava and a Polish Intercity train with 1st & 2nd class from Mockava to Warsaw. See the Warsaw to Vilnius page for full details.
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Stay overnight in Warsaw. The Polonia Palace Hotel is excellent, it's relatively inexpensive for such a good hotel and it's just across the road from the station. For something much cheaper, but still with great reviews and near the station, try the Hotel Metropol next door to the Polonia Palace or the nearby Novotel Warsaw Centrum. Also see the Warsaw Centralna station & city information.
Day 2, travel from Warsaw to Berlin by EuroCity train, leaving Warsaw Centralna at 08:32 and arriving Berlin Hbf at 14:05.
Day 2, travel from Berlin to Brussels by ICE train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 14:46, with one easy change at Cologne Hbf arriving Brussels Midi 21:35.
Stay overnight in Brussels. I recommend the excellent Pullman Hotel Brussels Midi which is an integral part of Brussels Midi station itself, or the inexpensive Ibis Brussels Midi just across the road.
Day 3, take any morning Eurostar you like from Brussels Midi to London.
The first train currently leaves Brussels Midi at 08:52, arriving London St Pancras 09:57, check times at www.eurostar.com.
How much does it cost?
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London to Brussels by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in standard class, £115 one-way, £199 return standard premier (1st class).
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Brussels to Warsaw starts at €46.90 each way in 2nd class, €79.90 each way in 1st class.
Fares between London & Brussels and Brussels & Warsaw are dynamic like air fares, for the cheapest prices book early & avoid busy times such as Fridays or Sunday afternoons.
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Warsaw to Vilnius by train costs around €24, details to be confirmed, see the Warsaw to Vilnius by train page.
How to buy tickets
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Step 1, book London to Brussels at www.eurostar.com.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. Fares are dynamic like air fares, so book early for the cheapest prices.
If returning, be sure to book Eurostar as a round trip, as Eurostar return fares are significantly cheaper than two one-ways.
You print your own ticket, or you can load the Eurostar ticket into the Eurostar app, and show the DB tickets on your laptop or phone.
After booking you can use the Eurostar Manage Booking system to select an exact seat on Eurostar.
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Step 2, book Brussels to Warsaw at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
This gets you a Brussels to Warsaw through ticket. A return is simply two one-ways, and you may find it easier to book Brussels to Warsaw one-way first, then Warsaw to Brussels one-way.
Tip: If you want to stop off in Berlin, simply click Stopovers and enter your desired length of stay, say 2 hours if you want a quick look at the Reichstag & Brandenburg Gate before taking the later Berlin-Warsaw train, though you can stop off for longer if you like, up to 48h. If you want longer connections between trains, use the Adjust transfer time feature.
You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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Step 3, buy Warsaw to Vilnius tickets as shown on the Warsaw to Vilnius by train page.
What's the journey like?
1. London to Brussels by Eurostar
Eurostar trains link London & Brussels in just 2 hours, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph). There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi. Standard Premier and Business Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00). There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train. More information about Eurostar including check-in procedure. St Pancras station guide. Brussels Midi station guide & short cut for changing trains in Brussels.
2. Brussels to Cologne by ICE3
Germany's superb ICEs have a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st class, bistro orders are taken at your seat. 50 minutes after leaving Brussels the ICE calls at Liège, where you can admire the impressive station designed by celebrity architect Santiago Calatrava. As you approach Cologne Hbf you'll see the twin towers of Cologne Cathedral on the right, next to the station. More information about ICE3. Brussels Midi station guide. Cologne Hbf station guide.
3. Cologne to Berlin by ICE2
ICE2 trains have a restaurant car, bar car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st class, bistro orders are taken at your seat. Immediately after leaving Cologne Hbf, the train crosses the Hohenzollern bridge over the Rhine. It passes through the industrial Ruhr via Wuppertal & Hamm. After leaving Hannover, the train passes non-stop through Wolfsburg - look out for the original Volkswagen factory on the left, built in 1938. The train then travels at up to 280 km/h (174 mph) on the high-speed line to Berlin Hbf, where it arrives at the low-level platforms. More information about ICE2. Cologne Hbf station guide. Berlin Hbf station guide.
4. Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train
These comfortable air-conditioned trains have a restaurant car. See the Berlin-Warsaw EuroCity page for more photos, tips & information.
5. Warsaw to Vilnius
See the Warsaw to Vilnius by train page.
Option 2, by train to Germany then ferry to Lithuania
This is a leisurely way to Lithuania, using comfortable trains from the UK to Germany then a civilised & comfortable DFDS Seaways ferry from Germany to Lithuania.
London ► Klaipeda & Vilnius
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Day 1, travel by train from London to Hamburg by train, see the London to Germany page for train times, fares & how to buy tickets.
You leave London in the morning by Eurostar to Brussels, a comfortable ICE3 to Cologne then an InterCity train to Hamburg Hbf arriving in the evening.
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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, take a local train from Hamburg to Kiel, these run at least hourly, journey time around 1h17.
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Day 2, sail from Kiel to Klaipeda in Lithuania with DFDS Seaways. A ferry sails 6 days a week, departure time varies between 14:00 & 23:00 and arrival in Klaipeda next day (day 3 from London) in the afternoon or evening roughly 22 hours later, see www.dfdsseaways.co.uk for ferry sailing dates, times & fares. The ferry has 2 & 4 berth cabins with shower & toilet, plus extra-comfort Commodore Class cabins with TV & minibar. There are restaurants and bars on board too.
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Day 3 late afternoon (if your ferry arrives early enough on that particular date) or (if it doesn't) in the morning of day 4, take a train from Klaipeda to Vilnius, journey time 4h45 or so. There are several departures daily, see the trains from Vilnius page.
Vilnius & Klaipeda ► London
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Day 1, take a morning train from Vilnius to Klaipeda, there are several trains a day, journey time around 4h40, see the Train Travel in Lithuania section below.
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Day 1, sail from Klaipeda in Lithuania to Kiel in Germany with DFDS Seaways. A ferry sails 6 days a week, departure time varies between 15:00 & 23:00 and arrival in Klaipeda next day (day 2) in the afternoon or evening roughly 21 hours later, see www.dfdsseaways.co.uk for ferry times, dates & fares. The ferry has 2 & 4 berth cabins with shower & toilet, plus extra-comfort Commodore Class cabins with TV & minibar. There are restaurants and bars on board too.
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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.
If the ferry arrives early enough on your specific date, you may want to hop on a train to Hamburg and stay overnight there instead. Trains link Kiel & Hamburg regularly and take around 1h15. Suggested hotels in Hamburg next to the Hauptbahnhof with good reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski.
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Day 3, travel from Kiel to London by comfortable daytime trains, leaving in the morning and arriving London St Pancras in the evening, see the London to Germany page for times, fares & how to buy tickets.
How much does it cost?
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London to Brussels by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in standard class, £115 one-way, £199 return standard premier (1st class).
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Brussels to Hamburg starts at €27.90 each way in 2nd class, €59.90 each way in 1st class.
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Hamburg to Kiel by regional train costs €22, fixed-price.
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Kiel to Klaipeda by DFDS ferry might typically cost around £104 with a bed in a shared cabin or £116 per person for two people travelling together sharing a 2-berth cabin. But it depends on the season and cabin choice.
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Klaipeda to Vilnius by train costs €14.45.
How to buy tickets
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Step 1, book from London to Hamburg online as shown in the London to Hamburg section on the Germany page.
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Step 2, book the ferry online at www.dfdsseaways.co.uk.
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You can buy the Hamburg-Kiel regional train ticket at the station on the day, no reservation necessary or possible.
What's the journey like?
1. London to Brussels by Eurostar...
Eurostar trains link London & Brussels in just 2 hours, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph). There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi. Standard Premier and Business Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00). There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train. More information about Eurostar including check-in procedure. St Pancras station guide. Brussels Midi station guide & short cut for changing trains in Brussels.
2. Brussels to Cologne by ICE3
Germany's superb ICEs have a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st class, bistro orders are taken at your seat. More information about ICE3. Brussels Midi station guide. Cologne Hbf station guide.
3. Cologne to Hamburg by Intercity train
Germany Intercity trains travel at up to 200km/h (120mph), with power sockets at all seats and a bistro car serving tea, coffee, wine, beer, snacks and hot dishes. On the Cologne to Hamburg route you'll find some departures are operated by high-speed ICEs (usually ICE1) rather than Intercity trains, although the ICEs are no faster than ICs on this section of line. More information about Intercity trains. Hamburg Hbf station guide.
3. Kiel to Klaipeda by DFDS ferry
Traveller Lewis Baston reports: "We took the Friday ferry that departs at 22:00, making - if you can get the 06:50 from London to Brussels - it feasible to board the ferry on Day 1, overnight, and arrive on Day 2 in the evening (20:00) in Klaipeda. The Klaipeda boat leaves from Ostuferhafen, which is in an industrial area east of the fjord on which Kiel is built. The ferries to Sweden leave from a very modern looking port more or less across the road from Kiel Hbf but the Klaipeda dock is more basic. The signage isn't great - if people know exactly what they are doing, there's a number 11 bus from Hbf that gets you most of the way to Ostuferhafen, but for the uninitiated it is a 10-15 minute taxi ride from the city centre and station.
The ferry is of a standard type rather than the vast mega-ferries that go on routes from Kiel to Sweden or from Hoek van Holland to Harwich. Embarkation is smooth and uncomplicated; the check-in building has a pizza restaurant in it. Passengers are taken to the ferry by a shuttle bus from the terminal. The last shuttle leaves an hour before departure.
Facilities on the ferry are pretty good. It is Lithuanian-operated and crewed, so you do get the occasional taste of post-Soviet customer service, but mostly it is fine and the quality of the food and cabins is a pleasant surprise. We went 'Commodore Class' which involves two proper beds and an outside window, looking out in the direction of travel. The ferry was busy, with lorries packed in like sardines. There are two bars and two restaurants (one self service canteen style and one a la carte). We chose to book breakfast, lunch and dinner (a word of warning - if during booking online you are offered breakfast vouchers and your room rate says it includes breakfast DO NOT order a breakfast voucher - this differs from Stena Line's system I think). The meals are full, hearty and Baltic-style - and very tasty and filling, particularly if you (like me) are fond of meat and potatoes. But my companion, whose tastes are more refined, also thought the food was good. In retrospect, you only really need breakfast and one other meal, not two!
Arrival in Klaipeda is, as in Kiel, in an industrial port area. There is a bus (1A) into town but its timetable does not match up very well to the later ferries. Arriving on the 22:00 departure from Kiel you need to be lucky and on the first shuttle bus from the ferry to the dock gate to get the bus (it does not wait for passengers, however useful that would be!) and there aren't buses to meet the 23:00 departure from Kiel. You are more or less at the mercy of taxi drivers, although even taxis are scarce. Booking in advance might be efficient. We paid €20 split between four, which felt reasonable at the time as it was bucketing with rain. The standard bus fare is LIT2.60, a good deal if you arrive earlier in the day as the stop is just outside the dock gate and port building where outbound passengers check in.
Photos below courtesy of Lewis Baston...
4. Klaipeda to Vilnius by train
Comfortable modern air-conditioned trains link Klaipeda with Vilnius in as little as 4h05 several times a day. See ltglink.lt. The trains have 1st & 2nd class, but no catering car so bring your own supplies. You can easily buy a ticket at the station on the day.
Train travel in Lithuania
Moving on from Lithuania
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See the Trains & ferries from Vilnius page for travel from Vilnius to Riga, Tallinn, St Petersburg, Moscow, Stockholm, Helsinki.
European Rail Timetable & maps
The
European Rail Timetable
(formerly the Thomas Cook European Timetable)
has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus
currency & climate information. It is essential
for regular European train travellers and an inspiration for armchair
travellers. Published since 1873, it had just celebrated 140 years of
publication when Thomas Cook decided to pull the plug on their entire publishing
department, but the dedicated ex-Thomas Cook team set up a private venture and
resumed publication of the famous European Rail Timetable in March 2014.
You can buy it online at
www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses) or
www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (shipping worldwide).
More information
on what the European Rail Timetable contains.
Rail Map Europe is the map I recommend, covering all of Europe from Portugal in the west to Moscow & Istanbul in the east, Finland in the north to Sicily & Athens in the south. Scenic routes & high-speed lines are highlighted. See an extract from the map. Buy online at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (shipping worldwide) or at www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses).
Make
sure you take a good guidebook, even in this age of the internet. For the independent traveller, this
means either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide. Both books provide a similarly excellent level of
cultural and historical background and practical information. You won't
regret buying one of these guides..!
Click the images to buy online at Amazon.co.uk...
Hotels in Vilnius & Lithuania
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Hotels are cheap by western standards, with good hotels often under £100.
At the affordable end, try the highly-rated Grotthuss Boutique Hotel, in a historic building on a medieval street in the old town, 11 minutes walk from the station, see walking map.
Or the Shakespeare Boutique Hotel, housed in a renovated 17th century palace in the old town 50m from Cathedral Square, also with great reviews. It's a 26-minute walk from the station, you may want to take a taxi!
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At the more upmarket end, try the Relais & Châteaux Stikliai Hotel, also in the old town in a historic building with Baroque and Gothic features. It's 18 minutes walk from the station, see walking map, or a short taxi ride. Or if you can't cope without an indoor swimming pool, try the Radisson Blu Royal Astorija Hotel, with great reviews 14 minutes walk from the 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.
Travel insurance & other tips
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Always take out travel insurance
You should take out travel insurance with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover from a reliable insurer. It should cover trip cancellation and loss of cash & belongings up to a reasonable limit. These days, check you're covered for covid-19-related issues, and use an insurer whose cover isn't invalidated by well-meant but excessive Foreign Office travel advice against non-essential travel. An annual policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself. Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, see the advice on missed connections here. Here are some suggested insurers, I get a little commission if you buy through these links, feedback always welcome.
www.staysure.co.uk
offers enhanced Covid-19 protection and gets 4.7 out of 5 on
Trustpilot.
www.columbusdirect.com is also a well-know brand.
If you live in the USA try
Travel Guard USA.
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Get an eSIM with mobile data package
Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a European mobile data package and stay connected. Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list. There's no need to buy a physical SIM card! Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.
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Get a Curve card for foreign travel
Most banks give you a poor exchange rate then add a foreign transaction fee on top. A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month as I write this. The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards. And you can get a Curve card for free.
How it works: 1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android. 2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses. 3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card. 4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app. You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.
I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader. The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than getting a card out). I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great. See details, download the app and get a Curve card, they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.
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Get a VPN for safe browsing. Why you need a VPN
When travelling you may use free public WiFi which is often insecure. A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi. It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply. See VPNs & why you need one explained. ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using this link you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription. I also get some commission to help support this site.
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Carry an Anker powerbank
Tickets, reservations, hotel bookings and Interrail or Eurail passes are often now held on your mobile phone. You daren't let it run out of power, and you can't always rely on the phone's internal battery or on being near a power outlet. I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over. Buy from Amazon.co.uk or Buy from Amazon.com.
Touring cities? Use hill walking shoes!
One of the best things I've done is swap my normal shoes for hill-walking shoes, in my case from Scarpa. They're intended for hiking across the Pennines not wandering around Florence, but the support and cushioning for hiking works equally well when you're on your feet all day exploring foreign cities. My feet used to give out first and limit my day, now the rest of me gives up before they do!