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Scenery between Ljubljana & Belgrade as you travel to Serbia comfortably by train. No airports, no flights. |
To Belgrade & Serbia by train...
It's easy to travel by train all the way from London or Paris to Belgrade in Serbia, Skopje in Macedonia or even Pristina in Kosovo. Leave London mid-morning, travel via Paris and either Zagreb or Budapest, and you'll be in Belgrade by early evening the next day, with modern high-quality air-conditioned trains throughout, see the video guide. It's safe, scenic & comfortable, too. It can cost little more than flying, yet it's a memorable travel experience not a soulless flight. This page explains how to plan, book and make a train journey from the UK to each of these countries.
Train times, fares & tickets...
London to Belgrade & Novi Sad (Serbia)
London to Skopje (Macedonia) &
Pristina (Kosovo)
Video
guide, London to Belgrade by train
Trains to Belgrade from other European
cities
Trains from
Belgrade to
other European cities
Hotel Moskva - the recommended hotel in
Belgrade
Belgrade to Bar on Marshal Tito's deluxe private train
General European train
travel information
Luggage
Taking bikes
Taking dogs
Useful country information - visas,
currency, etc
Route map: London to Serbia & the Balkans by train...
Useful
country information
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Train operators: |
Serbia: ZS (Zeleznice Srbije) & ZCG (Zeleznice Cme Gore), www.srbvoz.rs/eng. Macedonia: MZ (Makedonski Zeleznici), http://mztransportad.com.mk or www.mzt.mk. Kosovo: www.trainkos.com Eurostar times & fares. All-Europe online train times: www.bahn.de |
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Railpass: |
Beginner's guide to European railpasses Buy a rail pass online |
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Time zone: |
GMT+1 (GMT+2 from last Sunday in March to last Saturday in October). |
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Dialling code: |
Serbia +381, Macedonia +389 |
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Currency: |
£1 = 135 Serbian Novi Dinar = 70 Macedonian Denar. Currency converter |
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Hotels: |
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Tourist information: |
Tripadvisor Serbia page Tripadvisor Macedonia page Check www.fco.gov.uk for advice on visiting Serbia or Macedonia. |
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Page last updated: |
23 January 2019. Train times valid 9 Dec 2018 to 14 Dec 2019. |
London to Belgrade
& Serbia
Which route to choose?
It's easy, fast & comfortable to travel by train from the UK to Serbia, and there's a choice of routes and departures. Whichever option you choose, by all means stop off on the way, each train is ticketed separately so it costs no more to spend an extra day in Paris or Munich or Budapest en route.
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Option 1 is usually the best option, meaning it's usually the cheapest, fastest (almost) and easiest to book online. You leave London mid-morning on day 1 by Eurostar & TGV to Munich, travel overnight on the excellent Hungarian sleeper train to Budapest, then take a comfortable air-conditioned EuroCity train from Budapest to Belgrade arriving in the early evening on day 2. It features good quality trains throughout.
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Option 2 is very similar to option 1, in fact you arrive in Belgrade a few hours earlier, but it's usually slightly more expensive and as it can't all be booked online you'll need to make a phone call to book parts of it. You leave London mid-morning on day 1 by Eurostar & TGV to Munich, travel overnight on the excellent Croatian sleeper train to Zagreb, then take a comfortable air-conditioned EuroCity train from Zagreb to Belgrade arriving in the early evening on day 2.
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Option 3 is a 3-day all-daytime journey with 2 overnight hotel stops, one in Munich & one in Zagreb. So it takes longer than the other options, but some people prefer leisurely daytime journeys through great scenery and sleeping in hotels overnight to using a sleeper train. Again, high-quality trains throughout.
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Option 4 takes 1½ days & 2 nights using two sleeper trains, so you can leave London in late afternoon on day 1 and arrive Belgrade early morning on day 3. This can be more convenient and time-effective, especially if you have to travel up to London from some way outside.
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The route via Italy & the Adriatic ferry to Bar in Montenegro is covered in the London to Montenegro page.
Option 1: London to Belgrade via Paris, Munich & Budapest
This is usually the best option. It's comfortable and time-effective with good quality trains throughout, and it can all be booked online as shown below.
London ► Belgrade
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Day 1: Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 10:24 on Mondays-Fridays & Sundays arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 13:47, or at 09:24 on Saturdays arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 12:47. It's a 10 minute walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.
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Day 1: Travel from Paris to Munich by 200mph double-decker TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 15:55 Mondays-Fridays & Sundays arriving Munich Hbf at 21:36. On Saturdays you leave Paris Gare de l'Est at 13:55, change at Stuttgart and arrive Munich Hbf at 19:27.
Travel tip: In Munich, there's time for dinner while waiting for the sleeper to Budapest, for local Bavarian food and a beer or two try www.augustinerkeller.de at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf.
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Day 1: Travel from Munich to Budapest overnight on the EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre, leaving Munich Hbf at 23:20 and arriving Budapest Keleti at 09:19 next morning. The Kalman Imre has a modern air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin), a modern couchette car (4 & 6 berth compartments) and seats (seats not recommended).
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Day 2: Travel from Budapest to Novi Sad & Belgrade (Beograd in Serbian) by air-conditioned EuroCity train, leaving Budapest Keleti station at 11:57, crossing the border at Subotica and arriving Novi Sad at 18:50 and Belgrade Centar station at 20:42. The Avala is a modern air-conditioned EuroCity train with comfortable Hungarian coaches. There's no catering car so bring your own food & drink.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: From 1 February 2019 until December another section
of this route is being rebuilt for 200km/h operation which will eventually
reduce Budapest-Belgrade journey time to 3½ hours.
Just one train per day will link Budapest with Belgrade during this
period, the Ivo Andric leaving
Budapest Keleti at
11:57 arriving Belgrade
Centar at 20:42, 2nd class only. You may be asked to switch trains in
Kelebia & Novi Sad.
Important: See further details & read latest updates about this
engineering work.
Belgrade ► London
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Day 1: Travel from Belgrade or Novi sad to Budapest by air-conditioned EuroCity train. There are two to choose from. The Ivo Andric leaves Belgrade Centar station at 11:13 or Novi Sad at 13:18, arriving Budapest Keleti at 20:04. This train has Serbian cars, and although refreshments should be available on board I recommend taking your own provisions and perhaps some beer or wine. A safer connection in case of any delay is the earlier EuroCity train Avala, leaving Belgrade station at 07:13 and Novi Sad at 09:15 with smart air-conditioned Hungarian coaches arriving Budapest Keleti at 16:04, with time for dinner before catching the sleeper to Munich.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: From 1 February 2019 until December a section of this
route is being rebuilt for 200km/h operation which will eventually reduce
Belgrade-Budapest journey time to 3½ hours.
Just one train per day will run from Belgrade to Budapest during this
period, the Ivo Andric leaving Belgrade
Centar at 09:13 arriving Budapest Keleti
at 18:04, 2nd class only. You may be asked to switch trains at Novi Sad &
Kelebia.
Important: See further details & read latest updates about this
engineering work. -
Day 1: Travel from Budapest to Munich overnight on the EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre, leaving Budapest Keleti at 20:40 and arriving at Munich Hbf at 06:10 next morning. The Kalman Imre has a modern air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin), a modern Hungarian couchette car (4 & 6 berth compartments) and seats (the seats are not recommended).
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Day 2: Travel from Munich to Stuttgart, leaving Munich Hbf at 07:46 on Mondays-Saturdays by InterCity train arriving Stuttgart at 09:59, or at 07:28 on Sundays by ICE train arriving Stuttgart at 09:45.
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Day 2: Travel from Stuttgart to Paris by 200 mph double-decker TGV Duplex, leaving Stuttgart at 10:54 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 14:05. In Paris, it's a 10-minute walk from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare du Nord.
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Day 2: Travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 16:07, arriving London St Pancras at 17:39.
How much does it cost?
Each train is ticketed separately, so add up the price for each leg of the journey.
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1. London to Paris by Eurostar... |
From £44 one-way, £58 return 2nd class. From £112 one-way, £168 return 1st class. Child & youth fares |
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2. Paris to Munich by TGV... |
From 39 each way in 2nd class From 69 each way in 1st class. The price varies, book in advance to get these fares, full-price 139. |
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3. Munich to Budapest on the Kalman Imre... |
In a seat |
In a couchette |
In the sleeping-car |
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6-berth |
4-berth |
3-berth |
2-berth |
single |
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Saver fare one-way, from: |
29 (£25) |
49 (£42) |
59 (£49) |
69 (£59) |
79 (£67) |
139 (£118) |
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Saver fare return, from: |
58 (£50) |
98 (£84) |
118 (£98) |
138 (£118) |
158 (£134) |
278 (£236) |
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Flex fare one-way: |
114 |
131 |
136 |
146 |
161 |
211 |
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Saver fare = Special cheap fare, book in advance, limited availability, no refunds, no changes to travel plans. Flex fare = fully flexible, refundable, buy any time. Berths are sold individually, so one ticket means one bed. The other beds in your compartment will be sold to other passengers. For sole occupancy, simply book 1 ticket in a single-berth sleeper or 2 tickets in a 2-berth sleeper or 4 tickets in a 4-berth couchette and so on. |
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4. Budapest to Belgrade by train... |
15 one-way or 26 return in 2nd class. This is a permanently-available special offer which you can buy on the day at Budapest or Belgrade stations or online at the Hungarian railways website www.mavcsoport.hu for one-way or return journeys starting in Budapest. Not available through UK agencies. No 1st class offers. |
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How to buy tickets online...
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This method can be used by anyone from any country. First note down what trains on what dates you want to book, using the train time information above. Bookings open 90 days before departure (just 60 days for the Budapest-Belgrade train), you can't buy tickets before reservations open. Hotel accommodation can be booked before booking your trains risk-free if you use a site such as www.booking.com with free cancellation.
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Step 1, go to the German Railways website www.bahn.de and using the train times on this page as your guide, book the TGV train from Paris to Munich & back. You may get a self-print ticket, or they will send tickets to any country.
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Step 2, still on www.bahn.de, now book a sleeper or couchette from Munich to Budapest on the direct overnight sleeper train with 0 changes, looking for the cheap saver fares. Your simply book online and print out your own ticket in .PDF format using your PC printer. Easy! Make sure you select the type of couchette or sleeper that you want. I recommend registering when it asks you before completing the purchase, so you can easily retrieve any bookings.
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Step 3, book the Eurostar from London to Paris & back at www.eurostar.com. By all means take an earlier Eurostar outward or a later one returning if it has cheaper seats available.
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Step 4, now book a ticket from Budapest to Belgrade. Go to the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu as this is the only site which can book the 15 special offer fare on this route. The destination station you must select is plain Beograd Centar, only this station destination will work. There are no cheap 1st class fares, so going 2nd class is the recommended option. Before starting to book, read my tips & advice for using mav-start.hu and how your tickets are collected in Budapest. As tickets are collected in Budapest you can only buy one-way or return tickets starting in Budapest, not in Belgrade. However, as availability of this special offer fare is unlimited, you can always buy this at the station in Budapest on the day if you prefer, and westbound tickets can be bought at Belgrade station on the day. It cannot sell out!
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Alternatively, although you'll then pay full-price international rates not MAV's cheap fare, UK residents can try booking the train from Budapest to Belgrade & back at www.loco2.com (or the relevant Rail Europe website in your own country if you're not in the UK). If an error message appears when trying to add this ticket to your basket, just forget online booking and book this part of the journey by phone with German Railways' UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 sat & Sun). If they have any problem booking the westbound Belgrade to Budapest train, either just buy it at the station when you reach Belgrade or try arranging it through the Wasteels office at Belgrade by emailing wasteels@eunet.rs as explained in the section below.
How to buy tickets by phone...
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If you prefer to buy tickets by phone, call Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card fee). Click here for a list of agencies and other useful information on how to buy European train tickets.
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If you have any difficulty making the return train reservation out of Belgrade, you can enlist the help of the Wasteels agency in Belgrade station, see the 'booking trains in Serbia' section below.
Custom-made train travel + hotel arrangements...
-
If you want a custom-made trip with train travel, hotels & transfers all arranged for you, contact Railbookers. Tell them what you want and they'll advise you on the best trains, routes & hotels and sort it all out. They get positive reviews and look after their customers very well.
UK call 020 3327 0761,
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.
What's the journey like?
London to Paris by Eurostar: See the Eurostar guide...
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A Eurostar e320 about to leave London St Pancras... |
1st class: Standard Premier or Business Premier. |
Paris to Munich by TGV Duplex: See the video guide...
Sit back with a glass of red and enjoy the ride - book an upper deck seat for the best views. The train has power sockets for laptops & mobiles at all seats in both classes, and a cafe-bar serves drinks, snacks & microwaved hot dishes. The train soon leaves the Paris suburbs behind and speeds across a vast wide open plateau of woods and farmland at up to 200mph, past picturesque French villages of the Champagne region. After an hour or two, the train leaves the high-speed line and slowly meanders through pretty wooded hills, the countryside eventually flattening out towards Strasbourg. On leaving Strasbourg, look out for Strasbourg cathedral on the left with its famously missing second tower. Minutes afterwards you rumble across the river Rhine into Germany, before heading on to Stuttgart and Munich.
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TGV Duplex at Paris Est. These impressive 200 mph double-deck trains link Paris with Nice, Marseille, Munich, Barcelona & Switzerland... |
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Cafe-bar on upper deck in car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks & microwaved hot dishes. |
2nd class seats on the upper deck. There's a mix or tables for 4 and unidirectional seating. 360Ί photo. |
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1st class seats on upper deck, a club duo on the left, a club quatre on the right. 360Ί photo. |
A TGV Duplex. The red near the door indicates 1st class, pale green indicates 2nd class. |
Munich to Budapest by sleeper train Kalman Imre: See the video guide...
Cosy & inviting, this is the modern air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car of the Kalman Imre at Munich Hauptbahnhof... The sleeping-car has 10 compartments with washbasin, each of which can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth room, with toilets at the end of the corridor. The fare includes a light breakfast of coffee, juice & croissant. Watch the Hungarian sleeping-car video. There's time for dinner in Munich before boarding.
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The Kalman Imre, about to leave Munich... |
2-berth sleeper... |
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6-berth couchettes... |
4-berth couchettes |
Hungarian couchette car at Munich |
Budapest to Belgrade by air-conditioned EuroCity train Avala...
The Avala uses comfortable air-conditioned Hungarian carriages as shown below, with 1st class 6-seat compartments and 2nd class open-plan cars. The other daytime train on this route, the Ivo Andric to Belgrade uses air-conditioned Serbian coaches with open-plan seating. Neither train has a restaurant car so take your own supplies. The train travels sedately across the Great Hungarian Plain to the border at Kelebia where passports are checked. Shortly afterwards it arrives at the Serbian border point, Subotica, where where it's the Serbians' turn. Subotica is the location for much of the action in Graham Greene's novel Stamboul Train. If you thought the train was slow in Hungary, wait till you get into Serbia! Again, you're crossing the great Pannonian Plain, past an occasional pheasant or deer, although wooded hills appear (and the train speeds up a bit) as you approach the Serbian capital. You enter Belgrade over a long steel girder bridge spanning the river Sava, with two modern illuminated road suspension bridges to your right. The rail bridge opened in 1883, and originally linked two countries, the Austro-Hungarian empire on one bank, and Belgrade in Serbia on the other.
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The Avala about to leave Budapest for Belgrade. The Avala uses comfortable air-conditioned Hungarian Railways cars Courtesy of Colin Wilby... |
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1st class 6-seat compartment on the Avala. |
2nd class seating on the Avala. Photos courtesy Colin Wilby... |
Option 2: London to Belgrade via Paris, Munich & Zagreb...
This is also a good option, very similar to option 1 but instead of catching the Hungarian Munich-Budapest sleeper then a train to Belgrade you take the Croatian Munich-Zagreb sleeper then a train to Belgrade, which in fact gets you to Belgrade half an hour earlier. However, this route usually works out a little more expensive than option 1, if only by 20 or so, and the Munich-Zagreb & Zagreb-Munich trains have to be booked by phone, they cannot usually be booked online.
London ► Belgrade
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Day 1: Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 10:24 on Mondays-Fridays & Sundays arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 13:47, or at 09:24 on Saturdays arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 12:47. It's a 10 minute walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.
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Day 1: Travel from Paris to Munich by 200mph double-decker TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 15:55 Mondays-Fridays & Sundays arriving Munich Hbf at 21:36. On Saturdays you leave Paris Gare de l'Est at 13:55, change at Stuttgart and arrive Munich Hbf at 19:27.
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Travel tip: In Munich, there's time for dinner while waiting for the sleeper to Zagreb, for local Bavarian food and a beer or two try www.augustinerkeller.de at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf.
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Day 1: Travel from Munich to Zagreb overnight on the sleeper train Lisinski, leaving Munich Hbf at 23:20 and arriving at Zagreb at 08:35 next morning (day 2). The Lisinski has a smart modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin), a modern Croatian couchette car (4 & 6 berth compartments) and ordinary seats (not recommended). Watch the Croatian sleeper video. In Zagreb, you have time for a late breakfast or a quick wander around the old town.
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Day 2: Travel from Zagreb to Belgrade by air-conditioned EuroCity train, leaving Zagreb at 11:03 and arriving Belgrade Centar station at 17:42. This train has modern air-conditioned Serbian carriages with comfortable 2nd class seats (no 1st class). There's no dining-car, so bring along a picnic and maybe some beer or wine.
Belgrade ► London
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Day 1, travel from Belgrade to Zagreb by air-conditioned EuroCity train, leaving Belgrade Centar station at 10:35 and arriving Zagreb at 18:12. This train has modern air-conditioned Serbian carriages with comfortable 2nd class seats (no 1st class). There's no dining-car, so bring along a picnic and maybe some beer or wine. You've time for dinner in Zagreb.
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Day 1: Travel from Zagreb to Munich overnight on the sleeper train Lisinski, leaving Zagreb at 21:20 and arriving at Munich Hbf at 06:10 next morning. The Lisinski has a modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin), a modern Croatian couchette car (4 & 6 berth compartments) and seats (not recommended). Watch the Croatian sleeper video.
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Day 2: Travel from Munich to Stuttgart, leaving Munich Hbf at 07:46 on Mondays-Saturdays by InterCity train arriving Stuttgart at 09:59, or at 07:27 on Sundays by ICE train arriving Stuttgart at 09:45.
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Day 2: Travel from Stuttgart to Paris by 200 mph double-decker TGV Duplex, leaving Stuttgart at 10:54 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 14:19. In Paris, it's a 10-minute walk from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare du Nord.
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Day 2: Travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 16:07, arriving London St Pancras at 17:39.
How much does it cost?
Each train is ticketed separately, so add up the price for each leg of the journey.
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1. London to Paris by Eurostar... |
From £44 one-way, £58 return 2nd class. From £112 one-way, £168 return 1st class. Child & youth fares |
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2. Paris to Munich by TGV Duplex... |
From £34 one-way, £68 return in 2nd class From £53 one-way, £106 return in 1st class. Limited availability, book in advance to get these fares. Full fare £81 one-way, £142 return. |
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3. Munich to Zagreb on the Lisinski... |
In a seat: |
In a couchette |
In the sleeping-car |
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6-berth |
4-berth |
3-berth |
2-berth |
single |
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Saver fare one-way, from: |
29 |
49 |
59 |
69 |
89 |
129 |
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Saver fare return, from: |
58 |
98 |
118 |
138 |
178 |
258 |
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Saver fare = Advance-purchase fare, price varies, no refunds, no changes to travel plans. Berths are sold individually, so one ticket means one bed. The other beds in your compartment will be sold to other passengers. For sole occupancy, simply book 1 ticket in a 1-berth sleeper or 2 tickets in a 2-berth sleeper or 4 tickets in a 4-berth couchette & so on. |
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3. Zagreb to Belgrade by day train... |
Around £44 each way if bought by phone in the UK. Around 30 each way if bought at the station in Zagreb. |
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How to buy tickets online...
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Step 1, book from London to Munich at www.loco2.com and print your own tickets. Tip: If you'd like a longer connection in Paris, simply click More options, enter Paris (any station) and a suitable stopover duration.
Alternatively, if you prefer you can book London to Paris at www.eurostar.com then book Paris to Munich at the German Railways site www.bahn.de but it should make little or no difference to the price.
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Step 2, book the sleeper from Munich to Zagreb at German Railways www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.
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Step 3, Zagreb to Belgrade cannot be booked online, just buy at the station in Zagreb, this won't be a problem.
How to buy tickets by phone: UK call 0844 248 248 3...
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If you'd prefer to book all your tickets together by phone, just call International Rail on 0844 248 248 3, lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, small booking fee.
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Alternatively, you can call Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card charge, no charge for debit cards).
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If you have any difficulty making the return train reservation out of Belgrade, you can enlist the help of the Wasteels agency in Belgrade station, see the 'booking trains in Serbia' section below.
Custom-made train travel + hotel arrangements...
-
If you want a custom-made trip with train travel, hotels & transfers all arranged for you, contact Railbookers. Tell them what you want and they'll advise you on the best trains, routes & hotels and sort it all out. They get positive reviews and look after their customers very well. Also, as you're then effectively buying a package, they'll look after you if anything disrupts your journey.
UK call 020 3327 0761,
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.
What are the trains & journey like?
London to Paris by Eurostar: See the Eurostar guide....
|
|
|
|
|
A Eurostar e320 about to leave London St Pancras... |
1st class: Standard Premier or Business Premier. |
Paris to Munich by TGV Duplex: See the TGV Duplex video guide...
Sit back with a glass of red and enjoy the ride - book an upper deck seat for the best views. The train has power sockets for laptops & mobiles at all seats in both classes, and a cafe-bar serves drinks, snacks & microwaved hot dishes. First class passengers on this route are given a simple but tasty meal box with a small bottle of beer or wine served at their seat, included in the fare. The train soon leaves the Paris suburbs behind and speeds across a vast wide open plateau of woods and farmland at up to 200mph, past picturesque French villages of the Champagne region. After an hour or two, the train leaves the high-speed line and slowly meanders through pretty wooded hills, the countryside eventually flattening out towards Strasbourg. On leaving Strasbourg, look out for Strasbourg cathedral on the left with its famously missing second tower. Minutes afterwards you rumble across the river Rhine into Germany, before heading on to Stuttgart and Munich.
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TGV Duplex at Paris Est. These impressive 200 mph double-deck trains link Paris with Nice, Marseille, Munich, Barcelona & Switzerland... |
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Cafe-bar on upper deck in car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks & microwaved hot dishes. |
2nd class seats on the upper deck. There's a mix or tables for 4 and unidirectional seating. 360Ί photo. |
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1 |
A TGV Duplex. The red near the door indicates 1st class, pale green indicates 2nd class. |
Munich to Zagreb by sleeper train Lisinski... Watch the video
This modern sleeper train is a pleasure to travel on, whether in the privacy of your own sleeper or in economical couchettes. There's time for dinner in Munich before boarding.
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The sleeping-car on the Lisinski: The modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car of the Lisinski from Munich to Zagreb has 10 compartments with washbasin, each of which can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth room, with toilets at the end of the corridor. Above left, the sleeper arrived at Zagreb. |
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The couchette car on the Lisinski has modern air-conditioned 6-berth and 4-berth compartments. Above right, the westbound train is seen boarding at Zagreb. See panorama photo. |
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 Wake up to scenery like this between Ljubljana & Zagreb, along the river Sava... |
Zagreb to Belgrade by train...
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This is a comfortable Serbian & Croatian train, with 2nd class seats - there's no 1st class. There's no restaurant car, so take a picnic and some beer or wine with you. Above right, the Belgrade to Zagreb train about to leave Belgrade. Above left, 2nd class seats. |
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Video: London to Belgrade by train...
The video shows what a train ride from London to Belgrade is like. There's a slight variation from the journey shown above, the video shows a journey by TGV from the Gare de Lyon to Zurich, then Croatian sleeping-car to Zagreb, instead of a TGV from the Gare de l'Est to Munich, then Croatian sleeping-car to Zagreb, but the sleeping-car is identical to the Munich-Zagreb one and you see the same wonderful scenery between Ljubljana & Zagreb.
Option 3: London to Belgrade by daytime trains with hotel stops...
This takes longer than using a time-effective sleeper train, 3 days & 2 nights instead of 2 days & 1 night, but if you prefer daytime scenery and hotels to sleeper trains this is the route for you, with overnight stops in Munich and Zagreb.
London ► Belgrade
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Day 1: Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 10:24 (12:24 on Saturdays) arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 13:47 (15:47 on Saturdays). It's a 10 minute walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.
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Day 1: Travel from Paris to Munich by 200mph double-decker TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 15:55 Mondays-Fridays & Sundays arriving Munich Hbf at 21:36. On Saturdays, it leaves Paris at 17:55 arriving Munich Hbf at 23:29. There's a cafe-bar on board, and I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views.
On Saturdays if you'd prefer an earlier arrival in Munich you can also leave London at 09:24 to connect with a TGV leaving Paris at 13:55 for Stuttgart, change there for Munich arriving 19:27.
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Alternatively, you can travel from London to Munich by Eurostar & ICE train via Brussels & Cologne, see the London to Germany page.
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Spend the night in a hotel in Munich. Try the Sofitel Munich Beyerpost or Eden Hotel Wolff, or (budget) the Pension Locarno, all right next to the station with great reviews.
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Day 2: Travel from Munich to Villach by modern, air-conditioned Austrian railjet train, leaving Munich Hbf at 08:17 and arriving in Villach, near the Austrian-Slovenian border, at 12:43. A restaurant car is available for breakfast, or in 1st & business class food and drink orders are taken at your seat. At Villach it's a simple cross-platform change onto the waiting Slovenian/Croatian/Serbian EuroCity train to Zagreb.
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Day 2: Travel from Villach to Zagreb on a modern, air-conditioned EuroCity train, the Sava, leaving Villach at 12:53 and arriving Zagreb at 17:10.
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Spend the night in a hotel in Zagreb. I suggest the Esplanade Hotel, Palace Hotel or Central Hotel, all near the station with good reviews.
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Day 3: Travel from Zagreb to Belgrade by daytime train, leaving Zagreb at 11:03 and arriving Belgrade Centar station at 17:42.
Belgrade ► London
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Day 1: Travel from Belgrade to Zagreb by daytime train, leaving Belgrade Centar station at 10:35 and arriving Zagreb at 18:12.
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Spend the night in a hotel in Zagreb. I suggest the Esplanade Hotel, Palace Hotel or Central Hotel, all near the station with good reviews.
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Day 2: Travel from Zagreb to Munich by air-conditioned EuroCity train Sava, leaving Zagreb at 12:36, you need to make a simple cross-platform change of train at Villach (arrive 17:09, depart 17:16) onto a smart Austrian railjet train and you arrive at Munich Hbf at 21:42. Enjoy the excellent scenery along the Sava River.
Alternatively, you can take the earlier direct EuroCity train leaving Zagreb at 07:00 and arriving Munich Hbf at 15:41, with no need to switch trains in Villach. This is an Austrian train with 6-seater compartments in both 1st & 2nd class, take your own provisions as there's no restaurant or buffet car until the train leaves Villach at 11:16. Indeed, I'd say this is the best option as on occasion the afternoon Sava has been known to miss its connection in Villach.
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Spend the night in a hotel in Munich. Try the Sofitel Munich Beyerpost or Eden Hotel Wolff, or (budget) the Pension Locarno, all right next to the station with great reviews.
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Day 2: Travel from Munich to Paris by 200 mph double-decker TGV Duplex, leaving Munich Hbf at 06:46 (06:23 on Sundays), arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 12:33 (12:05 on Sundays). In Paris, it's a 10-minute walk from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare du Nord.
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Day 2: Travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 15:13 and arriving London St Pancras at 16:39.
If you'd prefer a leisurely breakfast and later departure from Munich, there are later options via either Paris or Brussels, see the London to Germany page.
How much does it cost?
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London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £44 one-way or £58 return in 2nd class, £112 one-way or £168 return in 1st class. Like air fares, the price rises as cheaper seats are sold, so book early for the best price.
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Paris to Munich by TGV starts at 39.90 each way 2nd class or 69.90 each way in 1st class.
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Munich to Zagreb starts at 39.90 each way.
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Zagreb to Belgrade is approximately 44 each way.
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The Zagreb to Belgrade fare is fixed-price. The other fares vary like air fares, going up as departure date approaches, so book early for the cheapest prices.
How to buy tickets online...
The easiest and cheapest way to book this journey is online, as there's no booking fees and all the cheap deals are there for you to see. Booking opens 92 days ahead, you cannot book before booking opens.
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Step 1, book the TGV from Paris to Munich at the German railways website www.bahn.de. You print your own ticket. I strongly recommend registering when prompted, as you can then log in from any computer and check or re-print your tickets.
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Step 2, still on www.bahn.de, book your Munich to Zagreb train, looking for a cheap sparpreis fare and print your own ticket.
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Step 3, now book the London-Paris Eurostar at www.eurostar.com. You book online and print your own ticket. I recommend confirming the timings of the Paris-Munich train before booking a suitable Eurostar connection, which is this is step 3 not step 1. Make sure you allow at least 60 minutes in Paris between trains.
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Step 4, the Zagreb to Belgrade train cannot be booked online, but is easy to book at the station in Zagreb, which is the cheapest way to do it. There are always places available, it cannot sell out.
How to buy tickets by phone...
If you prefer to book by phone, just call Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card charge but no charge for debit cards).
What's the journey like?
London to Paris by Eurostar: See the Eurostar guide....
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A Eurostar e320 about to leave London St Pancras... |
1st class: Standard Premier or Business Premier. |
Paris to Munich by TGV Duplex: See the TGV Duplex video guide...
Sit back with a glass of red and enjoy the ride - book an upper deck seat for the best views. The train has power sockets for laptops & mobiles at all seats in both classes, and a cafe-bar serves drinks, snacks & microwaved hot dishes. First class passengers on this route are given a simple but tasty meal box with a small bottle of beer or wine served at their seat, included in the fare. The train soon leaves the Paris suburbs behind and speeds across a vast wide open plateau of woods and farmland at up to 200mph, past picturesque French villages of the Champagne region. After an hour or two, the train leaves the high-speed line and slowly meanders through pretty wooded hills, the countryside eventually flattening out towards Strasbourg. On leaving Strasbourg, look out for Strasbourg cathedral on the left with its famously missing second tower. Minutes afterwards you rumble across the river Rhine into Germany, before heading on to Stuttgart and Munich.
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TGV Duplex at Paris Est. These impressive 200 mph double-deck trains link Paris with Nice, Marseille, Munich, Barcelona & Switzerland... |
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Cafe-bar on upper deck in car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks & microwaved hot dishes. |
2nd class seats on the upper deck. There's a mix or tables for 4 and unidirectional seating. 360Ί photo. |
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A TGV Duplex. The red near the door indicates 1st class, pale green indicates 2nd class. |
Munich to Zagreb by daytime train...
Now for a real treat. Sit back with a glass of red, catch up on your reading and enjoy the views... This is actually two trains, a smart modern Austrian Railjet train with restaurant car from Munich to Villach on the Austrian/Slovenian border, then a comfortable air-conditioned Slovenian & Croatian EuroCity train from Villach to Ljubljana and Zagreb. After leaving the Munich suburbs the train snakes through pretty Bavarian scenery to Salzburg, past churches and picturesque villages. Just before arriving at Salzburg, look to your right as you cross the River Salzach for great views of Salzburg citadel. Soon after Salzburg, the train enters the Austrian Alps proper, climbing through vast mountains. Look out for the magnificent fortress at Werfen (although the train doesn't call here), perched on its hilltop on the right hand side, guarding the approaches to Salzburg along the Salzachtal valley. You make a quick & easy change of train across the platform at Villach, the Croatian train will be waiting for this connection. After entering Slovenia, the scenery flattens out, and the train snakes along the pretty river Sava all the way into Ljubljana. Beyond Ljubljana, the train continues to follow the river Sava, passing through a beautiful river gorge between mountains, a real treat. Beyond Zidani Most the valley widens into a plain, and you cross the border into Croatia at Dobova and soon arrive in Zagreb's impressive central station, a palace of a building, right in the centre of the city.
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A railjet about to leave Munich Hbf... |
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Railjet is Austrian Railways premier train... More photos & information about Railjet trains |
Economy class on railjet, in open saloons with large windows. Some seats around tables, most unidirectional. |
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Railjet first class, with black leather seats... |
Business class... |
The restaurant... |
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Through the Austrian Alps... Clinging to the mountainside high in the Austrian Alps, the railjet snakes along between snow-capped mountains, absolutely wonderful. There's a quick cross-platform change of train at Villach onto a Slovenian & Croatian train called the Sava... |
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...and along the Sava river in Slovenia. Now across the border in Slovenia, the EuroCity train runs along the pretty River Sava all the way to Ljubljana and Zagreb... |
Comfortable seats: The 2nd class seats in the Slovenian cars are arranged 2+1 abreast, the same as 1st class! |
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More lovely scenery along the Sava between Ljubljana & Zagreb... |
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The EuroCity train Sava, arrived at Zagreb. |
More scenery along the Sava between Ljubljana & Zagreb. |
Zagreb to Belgrade by air-conditioned train...
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This is a comfortable air-conditioned Serbian train, with modern 2nd class seats - there's no 1st class. There's no restaurant car, so take a picnic and some beer or wine with you. Above right, the Belgrade to Zagreb train about to leave Belgrade. Above left, 2nd class seats. |
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Option 4: London to Belgrade via the Budapest-Belgrade sleeper...
This involves 2 nights in a sleeper rather than 1, but if you'd prefer a later departure from London and an arrival in Belgrade in the morning it may be better for you:
London ► Belgrade
Travel from London to Budapest via any of the options shown on the London to Hungary page. For example, you can leave London in the morning by Eurostar and TGV to Munich, stay overnight in Munich, then take a morning Railjet to Budapest, arriving 16:19. Or you can leave London in the morning by Eurostar and TGV to Munich, and catch the Hungarian sleeper train Kalman Imre to Budapest, arriving 09:19, and have a whole day free in Budapest.
Travel from Budapest to Belgrade on the overnight sleeper train Beograd, leaving Budapest Keleti daily at 22:15 and arriving at Belgrade Centar station at 06:43 next day. This train has an elderly Serbian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. However, the Serbians now have at least one refurbished couchette car spotted on this route, see the photos below. Always book a couchette, not just a seat.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: From 1 February 2019 until December this sleeper
train is cancelled, due to the Budapest-Belgrade line being rebuilt for 200km/h
operation which will eventually reduce the journey time to 3½ hours.
There will be just one train a day on this route during this period, the daytime
train Ivo Andric. Please use other options.
Important: See further details & read latest updates about this
engineering work.
Belgrade ► London
Travel from Belgrade to Budapest on the overnight sleeper train Beograd, leaving Belgrade Centar station daily at 21:15 and arriving at Budapest Keleti at 05:50 next day. This train has an elderly Serbian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. However, the Serbians now have at least one refurbished couchette car spotted on this route, see the photos below. Always book a couchette, not just a seat.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: From 1 February 2019 until December this sleeper
train is cancelled, due to the Budapest-Belgrade line being rebuilt for 200km/h
operation which will eventually reduce the journey time to 3½ hours.
There will be just one train a day on this route during this period, the daytime
train Ivo Andric. Please use other options.
Important: See further details & read latest updates about this
engineering work.-
Travel from Budapest to London via any of the options shown on the London to Hungary page. For example, you can leave Budapest at 11:40 by Railjet to Munich, stay overnight in Munich, then travel from Munich to Paris by TGV and London by Eurostar next day. Or you can have a day free in Budapest, catch the Hungarian sleeper train Kalman Imre from Budapest to Munich, then take TGV & Eurostar to Paris and London next day.
Fares & how to buy tickets...
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See the London to Hungary page for fares & how to buy tickets between London & Budapest.
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Tickets from Budapest to Belgrade can then be booked online at the Hungarian Railways website, www.mavcsoport.hu from just 24 including a couchette. Before starting to book, read my tips & advice for using mav-start.hu and how your tickets are collected in Budapest. In the journey planner you must select Beograd Centar as your destination, only this station destination works.
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Alternatively, to book by phone call German Railways' UK office on 08718 80 80 66, lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday. But they can't sell MAV's cheap fares for this route, only full-price international tariff.
By overnight train from Budapest to Belgrade... Watch the video
This has a basic and very elderly Serbian couchette car dating from the communist era, but comfortable enough with clean sheets. It used to have a sleeping-car as shown in the video, but recently this train has only been running with couchettes, as Serbian Railways is short of serviceable sleeping-cars.
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The Serbian couchette car from Budapest to Belgrade. At least one refurbished car like this is now in service. Courtesy of @OO$WAG. |
Serbian 6-berth couchettes in the refurbished car. Note the laptop power socket! Larger photo... |
London to Macedonia
& Kosovo
London ► Skopje & Pristina
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Step 1, travel from London to Belgrade using any of the options shown in the London to Belgrade section above. The route via Zagreb will get you to Belgrade in time to catch the evening train to Ni & Skopje.
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Step 2, travel from Belgrade to Nis & Skopje by overnight train leaving Belgrade Centar station at 18:21, calling at Ni at 23:06 and arriving in Skopje at 04:25 next morning. A Macedonian 6-berth couchette car is available with bedding provided, see the photos below. The final destination of this train is Thessaloniki in Greece.
You can check train times at http://bahn.hafas.de although this doesn't always take into account every recent change.
Tip: If anything affects the running of the train (remembering that this train must be booked locally, don't expect everything to be online), the last resort is 6h15 in a bus, try Omio.com (formerly GoEuro.com).
IMPORTANT
UPDATE: The
Belgrade-Skopje (-Thessaloniki) train is now cancelled from 1 October
2018 onwards, possibly permanently. No bus replacement has been arranged.
There are no trains at all between Belgrade & Skopje at the moment.
There may be regular buses, details not known.
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Step 3, there is one train a day between Skopje & Pristina in Kosovo, departing Skopje at 16:20 and arriving Pristina 19:20. Expect this train to be one ancient ex-Norwegian diesel and two elderly carriages, and it may now involve a change of train at the border. The times are on www.trainkos.com but only in the shqip language version - Skopje = Shkup.
Pristina & Skopje ► London
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Step 1, there is one train a day between Pristina & Skopje, leaving Pristina at 07:10 and arriving Skopje at 09:52. Expect this train to be one ancient ex-Norwegian diesel and two elderly carriages and it may now involve a change of train at the border. Spend the day in Skopje and take the night train to Belgrade, as shown below. The times are on www.trainkos.com but only in the shqip language version - Skopje = Shkup.
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Step 2, travel from Skopje to Belgrade by train, leaving Skopje at 22:19 calling at Nis at 03:40 and arriving Belgrade Centar station at 08:00 next morning. The train has a Macedonian 6-berth couchette car, bedding is provided, see the photos below. Expect an arrival an hour or so late.
IMPORTANT
UPDATE: The
(Thessaloniki-) Skopje-Belgrade train is now cancelled from from 1 October
2018 onwards, possibly permanently. No bus replacement has been arranged.
There are no trains at all between Skopje & Belgrade at the moment.
There may be regular buses, details not known. -
Step 3, travel from Belgrade to London as shown above. You can leave Belgrade in the morning and arrive London in the evening of the following day.
Fares...
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Belgrade to Skopje costs around £29 one way, £58 return 2nd class if bought in the UK. Bought locally, it costs around 2,700 dinars (24 or £21).
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Skopje to Pristina bought locally costs about 4.25 one-way.
Belgrade to Skopje by overnight train...
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The Belgrade-Skopje-Thessaloniki overnight train has a Macedonian couchette car, though no sleeper. But it's comfortable enough and seldom full, see the photos below, courtesy of traveller Tom Whitehead. Clean sheets, pillow and blanket are provided. You'll probably find fellow travellers from Germany, the Netherlands, Australia or Britain on board. |
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Skopje to Pristina by train...
Traveller Jeroen van Marle reports: "I took the train from Pritina in Kosovo to Skopje. Absolutely freezing cold as there was no heating, but the ride was lovely, very scenic compared to the highway blight that the buses pass." Latest reports in autumn 2017 suggests that Kosovan Railways has become insolvent and this train is cancelled.
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The morning train waits to leave Pristina. Photo courtesy of Jeroen van Marle |
At the border, where locomotives are changed. Photo courtesy of Jeroen van Marle |
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The train uses old Norwegian coaches. Photo courtesy of Jeroen van Marle |
The train from Pristina, arrived at Skopje station. Photo courtesy of Jeroen van Marle |
Making reservations from outside Serbia...
The Serbian Railways reservation system is linked to the western European railway computer reservation systems, so seat, couchette or sleeper reservations can be made on domestic or international trains starting in Belgrade from most reservation offices or train booking agencies across Europe, including UK European rail booking agencies. In practice however, the computer link sometimes goes down, and in any case agencies outside Serbia can only sell full-price 'TCV' international-tariff tickets, they can't sell you the various cheap fares that are available directly from Serbian Railways themselves.
One option is simply to buy tickets when you reach Belgrade, at the ticket office. There is hardly ever a problem doing this, there are almost always places available on all trains, even on the day.
But to be 100% sure rather than 99%, you can pre-book international tickets starting in Belgrade at local prices by emailing the highly-recommended Mr Popovic, who used to run the now-closed Wasteels office at Belgrade station. Although the Wasteels office at Belgrade station has closed, Mr Popovic can still be contacted and you can still buy tickets through him, he'll meet you at the station to deliver your tickets. You can pay for the reservations/tickets when you get to Belgrade, although he may now ask you for pre-payment as he has to buy the tickets for you. Tip: Please don't bother emailing him until booking opens 60 days before departure, he can;t do anything until booking opens, obviously. Mr Popovic can also arrange tickets starting in Sofia, if given sufficient notice, for collection in Belgrade. His contact details are:
Putovanja Wasteels
E-mail:
wasteels@eunet.rs
Phone: +381 11 265 8868
Mr Popovic speaks excellent English and comes highly recommended. He will be glad to make train reservations for you and book tickets, and even give you advice on visiting Belgrade. Payment in Belgrade must be made in cash in Serbian Dinars.
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 with worldwide shipping
at
either
www.stanfords.co.uk or
www.europeanrailtimetable.eu.
More information
on what the European Rail Timetable contains.
A Traveller's Railway Map of Europe covers the whole of Europe from Portugal in the west to Moscow & Istanbul in the east, Finland in the north to Sicily & Athens in the south. On the back are detailed maps of Switzerland, Benelux & Germany, plus city plans showing stations in major cities. Scenic & high-speed routes highlighted. Buy it online for £14.50 + postage worldwide (UK addresses £2.80) at www.stanfords.co.uk/Continents/Europe-A-Travellers-Railway-Map_9789077899090.htm or (in the Netherlands) for 13 + 5.50 postage from www.treinreiswinkel.nl.
Guidebooks
To
get the most from your visit, you should take a good guidebook.
For the independent traveller, I think this means one of two
guidebooks, either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide. Both
series are excellent. You can buy a guide covering all the countries in Eastern Europe. Lonely
Planet Eastern Europe
.
Click to buy online at Amazon...
Hotels
in Belgrade & the Balkans
Recommended hotel in Belgrade: Book the Hotel Moskva...
Look no further for a hotel in Belgrade than the historic Hotel Moskva. Opened in 1906, anyone who is anyone who has visited Belgrade has stayed here, from British author Graham Green to Ethiopian emperor Haile Salassie. It served as Gestapo Headquarters in 1941-44, although fortunately no trace of these former occupants remains. It's right in the centre of Belgrade at the end of the pedestrianised main street that leads to Belgrade fortress. It was only 10 minutes walk (admittedly uphill) from Belgrade's old station, but now a taxi ride from Belgrade Centar station or Topcider. The hotel has immaculate rooms, friendly staff and a good cooked breakfast. Book the Hotel Moskva.
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Other hotel sites worth trying...
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www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.
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www.booking.com is my own preferred hotel booking system (Hotels Combined being a search/comparison system). It has a simple interface, a good selection in most countries worldwide, useful online customer reviews of each hotel, and decent prices, usually shown inclusive of unavoidable extras such as taxes (a pet hate of mine is systems that show one price, then charge you another!).
Backpacker hostels...
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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 & health
card
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Take out decent travel insurance, it's essential...
Never travel without proper travel insurance from a reliable insurer with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover loss of cash & belongings (up to a limit), and trip cancellation. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year - I have an annual policy myself. However, 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, Seat61 gets a little commission if you buy through these links, and feedback from using insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome.
In
the UK, use
www.confused.com to compare prices & policy features across
major insurance companies.
If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65, see www.JustTravelCover.com - 10% discount with code seat61.
If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the
EU, try
Columbus Direct's other websites.
If you live in the USA try
Travel Guard USA.
Get an EU health card, it's free...
If you're a UK citizen travelling in Europe, you should apply for a free European Health Insurance Card, which entitles you to free or reduced rate health care if you become ill or get injured in many European countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with the NHS. This replaced the old E111 forms as from January 2006. The EHIC card is available from ww.nhs.uk. It doesn't remove the need for travel insurance, though.
Carry a spare credit card, designed for travel with no currency exchange loading & low/no ATM fees
Taking out an extra credit card costs nothing, but if you keep it in a different part of your luggage you won't be left stranded if your wallet gets stolen. In addition, some credit cards are better for overseas travel than others. Martin Lewis's www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad.
Get a VPN for safe browsing when you travel. VPNs & why you need one explained...
When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure. A VPN means your connection to the internet is encrypted & always secure, even using unsecured WiFi. In countries such as China where access to Twitter & Facebook is restricted, a VPN gets around these restrictions. And lastly, you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geographic restrictions which some websites apply - for example one booking site charges a booking fee to non-European visitors but none to European visitors, so if you're not located in Europe you can avoid this fee by browsing with a UK IP address using a VPN. VPNs & why you need one explained. ExpressVPN is a best buy and I use them myself.