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.  Plus and 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 about Eurostar & check-in procedure.  St Pancras station guide.  Brussels Midi station guide.

Eurostar e320 at St Pancras.  More about Eurostar.		1st class: Plus or Premier seating.

Standard class.  Larger photo.		One of two cafe-bars, cars 8 & 9.  Larger photo.

2. Brussels to Cologne by ICE3

Germany's superb ICEs have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  In 1st class, food & drink 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 about ICE3.  Brussels Midi station guide.  Cologne Hbf station guide.

An ICE3neo at Brussels Midi with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  More about ICE trains.  Photo above courtesy of Christian Hunt.

The restaurant car.  See current month's menu.		1st class seats on an ICE3neo.  Larger photo.

2nd class seats on an ICE3neo.  Larger photo		Lunch:  I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier!

3. Cologne to Hamburg by ICE4

ICE4s have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, and are capable of 265 km/h (165 mph).  Immediately after leaving Cologne Hbf, Cologne-Hamburg trains cross the Hohenzollern bridge over the Rhine, then pass through the industrial Ruhr.  More about ICE4.  Hamburg Hbf station guide.

An ICE4 at Hamburg Hbf.  Click on the images below for larger photos.

1st class on an ICE4.		Restaurant car on an ICE4.  Sample menu.

Bar counter at the other end of the kitchen.		2nd class seats on an ICE4.

4. Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train

As from June 2023, Hamburg-Copenhagen trains are operated by former German Railways intercity cars like this, now shown in the timetable as EC for EuroCity.  This is only temporary, as brand-new trains being built for DSB will be delivered in 2024.  These ex-DB intercity cars have power sockets at all seats (although no WiFi).  There's no catering car, so bring your own food & drink.  More about the Hamburg to Copenhagen journey.

On 17 June 2023, the first Copenhagen to Hamburg train to use the 'new' German intercity cars is boarding at Copenhagen.  Photo courtesy of Peter Kincey.

2nd class seats in are almost all open-plan like this.  There are a handful of 6-seat 2nd class compartments in one of the coaches.

The 1st class car has 6-seater compartments like this. Larger photo.  Larger photo.

Crossing the Little Belt (Lillebælt in Danish) from Jutland (mainland Denmark) to Funen, the island on which Odense is located.

5. Copenhagen to Stockholm by X2000

These Swedish 200km/h (125mph) tilting trains link Copenhagen & Stockholm in just a few hours, centre to centre.  They cross from Denmark to Sweden over the Oresund Link, a combined tunnel and bridge.  On the bridge section you seem to be flying just feet above the water. More about X2000 trains.

Copenhagen to Stockholm by tilting 200km/h X2000, seen at Stockholm Central.  More about X2000 trains.

1st class on an X2000.  Larger photo.		2nd class on an X2000.  Larger photo.

Bistro seating on an X2000 train. Larger photo.		Bistro on an X2000 train. Larger photo.

Crossing the impressive Öresund bridge from Denmark to Sweden.

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Option 3, London to Sweden with overnight stop in Brussels & Copenhagen

This involves two overnight stops not one, but it can be more time-effective:  Leave London in the evening after a full working day and arrive in Stockholm at lunchtime on day 3, taking only 1½ days out of your schedule rather than 2.  Indeed, in the westbound direction you can have a full working day in Stockholm before taking an early evening train to Copenhagen, spend just one whole working day travelling (a chill-out day with your feet up, or getting some work dome on the train) and arrive in London on a morning Eurostar in time for the start of the following working day.

London ► Stockholm & Gothenburg

• Day 1, travel from London to Brussels on any evening Eurostar you like, check times at www.eurostar.com.

  The last Eurostar usually leaves London St Pancras at 19:34 arriving Brussels Midi at 22:38.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

• Stay overnight in Brussels.  I recommend the Pullman Hotel Brussels Midi on Brussels Midi station, or the Ibis Brussels Midi across the road.

• Day 2, travel from Brussels to Copenhagen by train, with a choice of two departures.

  Leave Brussels Midi at 06:22 by ICE3, change at Cologne Hbf & Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 19:38.

  Leave Brussels Midi at 08:25 by ICE3, change at Cologne Hbf & Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 21:38.

  This is a straightforward journey all on one ticket booked at int.bahn.de. 

  You travel from Brussels to Cologne by superb German ICE3, Cologne to Hamburg by ICE4, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, then Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train with free WiFi when in Denmark, power sockets at all seats & refreshment trolley.  I'd take the earlier departure if possible as it offers more wiggle room in the event of any delay.

• Stay overnight in Copenhagen.

  The friendly Astoria Hotel is a 1930s design classic right outside Copenhagen station main entrance, see photos & information here.  Other hotels near the station with good reviews include the Nimb Hotel (5-star luxe), Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (5-star), Axel Guldsmeden (4-star), Andersen Boutique Hotel, First Hotel Mayfair (3-star), Hotel Ansgar (3-star), City Hotel Nebo (2-star).

• Day 3, travel from Copenhagen to Gothenburg or Stockholm by train.

  For Gothenburg, Öresund trains run from Copenhagen to Gothenburg every hour.  The first train usually leaves around 05:27 arriving 09:20, but by all means have a leisurely breakfast and take any later one.

  For Stockholm, travel from Copenhagen to Stockholm by 200km/h tilting X2000 train, using any departure you like.  The first train usually leaves Copenhagen at 09:19 arriving Stockholm Central at 13:34 but times vary so check for your date at www.sj.se or Omio.com. 

  Tip:  Trains to Stockholm often leave from platform 26, a 200m walk from the station concourse, so arrive in good time, see the info here.

  Update:  SJ are temporarily short of X2000 trains, so are only running them from Malmö to Stockholm.  Until they sort this out (maybe June 2025?), you'll need to change additionally at Malmö, using an Öresund train from Copenhagen to Malmö.

Stockholm & Gothenburg ► London

• Day 1, travel from Stockholm or Gothenburg to Copenhagen.

  From Stockholm, travel from Stockholm Central to Copenhagen by X2000 tilting train, using any departure you like.  The last direct train usually leaves Stockholm around 15:11 arriving Copenhagen at 20:33, but times vary so check for your date at www.sj.se or Omio.com.

  Update 2025:  SJ are temporarily short of X2000 trains, so are only running them from Stockholm to Malmö.  Until they sort this out (maybe June 2025?), you'll need to change additionally at Malmö, using an Öresund train from Malmö to Copenhagen.

  From Gothenburg, travel from Gothenburg Central to Copenhagen using any train you like, Öresund trains run every hour with the last direct train leaving around 19:40 arriving in Copenhagen at 23:33.

• Stay overnight in Copenhagen.

  The friendly Astoria Hotel is a 1930s design classic right outside Copenhagen station main entrance, see photos & information here.  Other hotels near the station with good reviews include the Nimb Hotel (5-star luxe), Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (5-star), Axel Guldsmeden (4-star), Andersen Boutique Hotel, First Hotel Mayfair (3-star), Hotel Ansgar (3-star), City Hotel Nebo (2-star).

• Day 2, travel from Copenhagen to Brussels by train:

  Leave Copenhagen at 06:22, change at Hamburg Hbf & Cologne Hbf, arriving Brussels Midi 19:35.

  Leave Copenhagen at 08:22, change at Hamburg Hbf & Cologne Hbf, arriving Brussels Midi 21:35.

  You travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg by EuroCity train with free WiFi when in Denmark, power sockets at all seats & refreshment trolley, then Hamburg to Cologne by superb German ICE4 and Cologne to Brussels by ICE3, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Stay overnight in Brussels.  I recommend the Pullman Hotel Brussels Midi on Brussels Midi station, or the Ibis Brussels Midi across the road.

• Day 3, travel from, Brussels to London on any morning Eurostar you like, check times at www.eurostar.com.

  The first train leaves Brussels Midi at 07:56 on Mondays-Saturdays arriving London St Pancras 08:59.

  On Sundays the first train leaves Brussels Midi at 08:52, arriving London St Pancras 09:57.

  Eurostar has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include breakfast.

How much does it cost?

• London to Brussels by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in Standard, £97 one-way, £140 return in Plus (1st class).

• Brussels to Copenhagen starts at €49.99 each way 2nd class, or from €79.99 each way 1st class.

• Copenhagen to Stockholm by X2000 starts at 195 SEK, around £18.

• All these fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

 How to buy tickets

• Booking for Eurostar opens up to 11 months ahead, onward trains to Copenhagen up to 6 months ahead.  Copenhagen-Stockholm trains open several months ahead, SJ loads blocks of dates so it varies.  Do a dry run on each stage first.

• Step 1, book from London to Brussels at www.eurostar.com.  If you're making a return journey, book London-Brussels & back as a round trip.

• Step 2, go to the German Railways website int.bahn.de and book from Brussels to Copenhagen.

  Tip:  Click Stopovers and enter Brussel Noord with length of stay left as zero.  The system then ignores the Brussels-Cologne Eurostar (formerly Thalys) trains as these don't call there and finds DB-run ICEs instead.  Through fares & prices only appear if the Brussels-Cologne bit is by ICE.

• Step 3, book from Copenhagen to Stockholm or Gothenburg and back at either Omio.com (quick & easy to use, happily accepts overseas credit cards, you can pay in Swedish Kr, £, € and $, small booking fee) or www.sj.se (in Swedish Krona, you can usually choose a specific seat from a seat map, no booking fee).  You print out your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  Tickets on the X2000 trains to Stockholm or Gothenburg have airline-style variable prices and require prior reservation, but tickets for the hourly Öresund trains between Copenhagen & Gothenburg don't need to be pre-booked, the price is fixed and no reservations are necessary or even possible, you can just buy a ticket at the station when you reach Copenhagen and hop on the next train.

How to buy tickets by phone

• It's better to book online to avoid phone booking fees and see for yourself which trains are cheapest.  Most agencies only work weekday office hours, you can book online 24/7.  But if you want to book by phone, see my list of UK-based ticketing agencies.

Custom-made travel & hotel arrangements

• Railbookers are a train travel specialist who can put together a tour or holiday for you as a package, including rail travel, hotels & transfers.  On their website you'll find a range of suggested tours & holidays which can be customised to your requirements.  And as you're booking a package, they'll take care of you if anything happens such as a strike or delay.

    UK 0207 864 4600, www.railbookers.co.uk

    US 1-888-829-4775, see website

    Canada 1-855-882-2910, see website

    Australia 1300 971 526, see website

    New Zealand 0800 000 554, see website

What's the journey like?

The trains are the same as those used in option 1, see the photos above.

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London to Stockholm by ferry from Harwich

This is the ferry alternative to Eurostar, shown in orange on the route map above.  You travel from London to Amsterdam overnight on the excellent Stena Line Rail & Sail service, sleeping in a cosy private cabin with toilet, shower & satellite TV on the Stena Line superferry from Harwich to Hoek van Holland (see the video!).  Next day, take a train from Amsterdam to Hamburg and the sleeper to Stockholm - or stay overnight in Hamburg and travel to Malmö, Gothenburg or Stockholm next morning.

It's as time-effective as option 1, taking just a day (and 2 nights) out of your schedule.  Stena Line Rail & Sail usually offers affordable fares even at short notice when Eurostar is expensive, it's also handy if you live in East Anglia or want to avoid the Channel Tunnel. 

London, Cambridge, Harwich ► Gothenburg, Stockholm

• Day 1, travel from London to Amsterdam overnight, see the Stena Line Rail & Sail page for full details.

  You leave London Liverpool Street at 19:36 Mondays-Fridays, 19:04 Saturdays or 20:00 Sundays by direct train to Harwich International.

  Or leave Cambridge at 19:46 daily, by direct train to Harwich International.

  The Rail & Sail fare is valid from any Greater Anglia station, for example Norwich, Cambridge, Romford, Ilford, Ipswich.

  At Harwich, the station is right next to the ferry terminal and you walk off the train into the terminal, check in at the Stena Line desk and walk straight onto Stena Line's luxurious overnight superferry Stena Hollandica.

  All passengers travel in cosy private cabins with toilet, shower & satellite TV.  Comfort & Captains class cabins are also available, and there's free WiFi.  You can board the ferry around 9pm, have a late dinner in the restaurant or Stena Plus lounge and settle into your cabin.

  The ferry sails at 23:00 and arrives at Hoek van Holland at 08:00 Dutch time next morning.

  On arrival at Hoek van Holland, the metro station is next to the ferry terminal.  Walk down the gangway into the ferry terminal, through passport control, out of the terminal and across the road to the metro station.

  Take the frequent metro train from Hoek van Holland Haven to Schiedam Centrum and a Dutch Intercity train from Schiedam Centrum to Amsterdam Centraal arriving 10:24.

  At Amsterdam Centraal, have a coffee at the delightfully retro Cafe 1e Klas, give my regards to Elvis, the cockatoo on the bar.

• Day 2, travel from Amsterdam to Hamburg by train, leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 12:00, change at Osnabrück, arriving Hamburg Hbf 17:14.

  Amsterdam to Osnabrück is by comfortable Intercity train with power sockets at all seats & refreshment trolley, Osnabrück to Hamburg is by ICE4 with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• For Stockholm:

  Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Stockholm by sleeper, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 22:03, arriving Stockholm Central 09:55 next morning (day 3).

  Procured by the Swedish government and run by SJ (Swedish Railways), the train has 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 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.  The sleeping-cars are former Austrian Railways AB32s, refurbished.  More about SJ's Hamburg-Stockholm sleeper train.

Alternatively, stay overnight in Hamburg and travel to Stockholm next day, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:50 by EuroCity train arriving Copenhagen 13:38, then leave Copenhagen at 14:19 by X2000 train arriving Stockholm Central 19:37.

Update 2025:  SJ are temporarily short of X2000 trains, so are only running them between Stockholm & Malmö.  Until they sort this out (maybe June 2025?), you'll need to change additionally at Malmö, using an Öresund train between Malmö & Copenhagen as follows:  Leave Hamburg Hbf at 08:50, change at Copenhagen & Malmö Central, arriving Stockholm Central 20:36.

• For Malmö or Gothenburg,

  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.  Or try the innovative Cab20 capsule hotel, a 550m 6-minute walk from the station, see walking map.

  Day 3, travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:50, arriving Copenhagen 13:38.

  Day 3, travel from Copenhagen to Malmö or Gothenburg by Öresund train, these leave several times each hour for Malmö taking 40 minutes or hourly for Gothenburg taking 3h50.

  Check train times from Hamburg to Malmö or Gothenburg at int.bahn.de, for Gothenburg select Göteborg Central.

  Trains from Copenhagen to Sweden cross the impressive Öresund Fixed Link, a tunnel & double-deck road/rail bridge opened in 1999 linking Denmark with Sweden.  More about the Hamburg to Copenhagen journey.

Stockholm, Gothenburg ► Harwich, Cambridge, London

• From Stockholm:

  Day 1, travel from Stockholm to Hamburg by sleeper train, leaving Stockholm Central at 17:34 arriving Hamburg Hbf 06:00 (09:00 Sundays)

  Procured by the Swedish government and run by SJ (Swedish Railways), the train has 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 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.  The sleeping-cars are former Austrian Railways AB32s, refurbished.  More about SJ's Hamburg-Stockholm sleeper train.

  Alternatively, leave Stockholm Central at 08:20 by X2000 tilting train arriving Copenhagen 13:33, then leave Copenhagen at 14:22 by EuroCity train arriving Hamburg Hbf at 19:00.  Then stay overnight in Hamburg.

  Update 2025:  SJ are temporarily short of X2000 trains, so are only running them between Stockholm & Malmö.  Until they sort this out (maybe June 2025?), you'll need to change additionally at Malmö, using an Öresund train between Malmö & Copenhagen as follows:  Leave Stockholm Central at 07:24, change at Malmö Central & Copenhagen, arriving Hamburg Hbf 19:00.

• From Gothenburg or Malmö:

  Day 1, travel from Gothenburg or Malmö to Copenhagen by Öresund train, leaving Gothenburg Central at 11:40 or Malmö Central at 14:50.

  Öresund trains link Malmö & Copenhagen several times each hour taking 40 minutes and Gothenburg & Copenhagen every hour taking 3h50.  They cross from Sweden to Denmark on the impressive Öresund Fixed Link, a tunnel & double-deck road/rail bridge opened in 1999.

  Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg by EuroCity train, leaving Copenhagen at 16:22, arriving Hamburg Hbf 21:08.

  Check train times from Gothenburg or Malmö to Hamburg using int.bahn.de.  Gothenburg is listed as Göteborg Central,  I'd change Transfer time from normal to 45 minutes.  More about the Copenhagen to Hamburg journey.

  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.  Or try the innovative Cab20 capsule hotel, a 550m 6-minute walk from the station, see walking map.

• Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Amsterdam, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:45, one easy change at Osnabrück arriving Amsterdam Centraal 13:59.

  On Sundays when the sleeper from Stockholm arrives later, leave Hamburg Hbf 10:46, change at Osnabrück arriving Amsterdam Centraal 15:59.

  Hamburg to Osnabrück is by ICE4 with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, Osnabrück to Amsterdam is by Intercity train with power sockets at all seats & refreshment trolley.  You can check times at int.bahn.de.

• Day 2, travel from Amsterdam to London overnight, see the Stena Line Rail & Sail page for full details.

  You leave Amsterdam Centraal at 18:36 by Dutch intercity train to Schiedam Centrum and change onto the metro to Hoek van Holland Haven.

  At Hoek, the metro station is next to the ferry terminal.  Check in at the Stena Line desk at least 45 minutes before sailing time, then walk up the gangway onto the luxurious Stena Line superferry and sail overnight to Harwich.

  All passengers travel in cosy private cabins with toilet, shower & satellite TV.  Comfort & Captains class cabins are also available, and there's free WiFi.  You can board the ferry around 8pm, have dinner in the restaurant or Stena Plus lounge and settle into your cabin.

  The ferry sails from Hoek van Holland at 22:00 and arrives at Harwich International at 06:30 next morning (day 3), UK time.

  Day 3, take a train from Harwich to London Liverpool Street arriving around 08:54 or from Harwich to Cambridge, arriving 09:42 (10:39 Sundays).

How much does it cost?

• London or any Greater Anglia station to Hoek van Holland starts at £64 per person each way, plus cabin.

  For full details of fares & cabin costs, see the Stena Line Rail & Sail page.

• Hoek to Schiedam by metro costs around €4.  Schiedam to Amsterdam by train costs €17.20.

• Amsterdam to Hamburg starts at €32.99 in 2nd class or €43.99 in 1st class each way.

• Hamburg to Stockholm by sleeper starts 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.

• Hamburg to Gothenburg or Stockholm by daytime trains starts at €56.99 each way.

• All these fares (other than the metro & Schiedam-Amsterdam train) vary like air fares, so book ahead.

How to buy tickets

• Step 1, buy a Stena Line Rail & Sail ticket from London to Hoek van Holland as shown on the Stena Line Rail & Sail page.

  Buy the onward metro & train tickets to Amsterdam as shown on that page.

• Step 2, buy train tickets from Amsterdam to Hamburg at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. 

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log in and re-print your tickets at any time.  You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.

• Step 3 if using the SJ sleeper from Hamburg to Stockholm, book this at the Swedish Railways website www.sj.se.

  Booking opens several months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

• Step 3 if using daytime trains from Hamburg to Malmö, Gothenburg or Stockholm, book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. 

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  I recommend registering on bahn.de when prompted, so you can log in and re-print your tickets at any time.  You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.  Gothenburg is listed as Göteborg Central.  .

  Tip:  You can in fact book from Amsterdam to Stockholm in one go, and this can be cheaper - so give it a try.  To get the overnight stop in Hamburg, click Stopovers and enter Hamburg Hbf with a suitable length of stay, say 13 hours.  Adjust the departure time & length of stay to get the trains you want either side of Hamburg.  However, you may only find 2nd class fares this way.

What's the journey like?

A train takes you from London's Liverpool Street station directly to the ferry terminal at Harwich.  You walk off the train, into the terminal, get your boarding card & cabin key at the Stena Line check-in desk and walk straight onto the overnight ferry to Hoek van Holland.  The superferry Stena Britannica is the largest ferry of its kind in the world.  The journey from London to Holland is explained in detail on the Stena Line Rail & Sail page.  See the video.

The Stena Hollandica boarding at Harwich, a floating hotel with private cabins, restaurant, bar, lounges, shop & kennels.

Above left, a standard outside cabin.  Larger photo.  360º 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.

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You can of course take a train to London and travel to Sweden using any of the options shown above.  You can buy special connecting train tickets from most British stations to London International, see my advice on buying connecting train tickets to London.

Or you can by-pass London using DFDS Seaways' (www.dfds.com) overnight ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam or P&O Ferries' (www.poferries.com) overnight ferry from Hull to Rotterdam, shown in green on the route map above.  Both ferries have comfortable private cabins with toilet & shower.  Then take a train to Hamburg and hop on the SJ EuroNight sleeper to Stockholm - or stay overnight in Hamburg and travel to Malmö, Gothenburg or Stockholm next day.

Scotland & the North ► Sweden

• Day 1, take a train to either Hull or Newcastle, whichever is most convenient for where you live.

  In Hull, transfer to P&O ferry terminal and sail overnight from Hull to Rotterdam by P&O cruise ferry, with bus/train connection to Amsterdam Centraal.  The ferry has bars, restaurants & cosy en suite cabins.  For details, see the Hull-Rotterdam page.

  In Newcastle, transfer to the DFDS ferry terminal at North Shields and sail overnight from Newcastle to Amsterdam by DFDS Seaways cruise ferry.  The ferry has bars, restaurants & cosy en suite cabins.  For details, see the Newcastle-Amsterdam page.

• Day 2, travel from Amsterdam to Hamburg by train, leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 14:00, change at Osnabrück & arrive Hamburg Hbf 19:14.

  Amsterdam to Osnabrück is by comfortable Intercity train with power sockets at all seats & refreshment trolley, Osnabrück to Hamburg is by ICE4 with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• For Stockholm:

  Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Stockholm by sleeper, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 22:03, arriving Stockholm Central 09:55 next morning (day 3).

  Procured by the Swedish government and run by SJ (Swedish Railways), the train has 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 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.  The sleeping-cars are former Austrian Railways AB32s, refurbished.  More about SJ's Hamburg-Stockholm sleeper train.

Alternatively, stay overnight in Hamburg and travel to Stockholm next day, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:50 by EuroCity train arriving Copenhagen 13:38, then leave Copenhagen at 14:19 by X2000 train arriving Stockholm Central 19:37.

Update 2025:  SJ are temporarily short of X2000 trains, so are only running them between Stockholm & Malmö.  Until they sort this out (maybe June 2025?), you'll need to change additionally at Malmö, using an Öresund train between Malmö & Copenhagen as follows:  Leave Hamburg Hbf at 08:50, change at Copenhagen & Malmö Central, arriving Stockholm Central 20:36.

• For Malmö or Gothenburg,

  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.  Or try the innovative Cab20 capsule hotel, a 550m 6-minute walk from the station, see walking map.

  Day 3, travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:50, arriving Copenhagen 13:38.

  Day 3, travel from Copenhagen to Malmö or Gothenburg by Öresund train, these leave several times each hour for Malmö taking 40 minutes or hourly for Gothenburg taking 3h50.

  Check train times from Hamburg to Malmö or Gothenburg at int.bahn.de, for Gothenburg select Göteborg Central.

  Trains from Copenhagen to Sweden cross the impressive Öresund Fixed Link, a tunnel & double-deck road/rail bridge opened in 1999 linking Denmark with Sweden.  More about the Hamburg to Copenhagen journey.

Sweden ► Scotland & the North

• From Stockholm:

  Day 1, travel from Stockholm to Hamburg by sleeper train, leaving Stockholm Central at 17:34 arriving Hamburg Hbf 06:00 (09:00 Sundays).

  Procured by the Swedish government and run by SJ (Swedish Railways), the train has 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 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.  The sleeping-cars are former Austrian Railways AB32s, refurbished.  More about SJ's Hamburg-Stockholm sleeper train.

  Alternatively, leave Stockholm Central at 08:20 by X2000 tilting train arriving Copenhagen 13:33, then leave Copenhagen at 14:22 by EuroCity train arriving Hamburg Hbf 19:00.  Then stay overnight in Hamburg.

  Update 2025:  SJ are temporarily short of X2000 trains, so are only running them between Stockholm & Malmö.  Until they sort this out (maybe June 2025?), you'll need to change additionally at Malmö, using an Öresund train between Malmö & Copenhagen as follows:  Leave Stockholm Central at 07:24, change at Malmö Central & Copenhagen, arriving Hamburg Hbf 19:00.

• From Gothenburg or Malmö:

  Day 1, travel from Gothenburg or Malmö to Copenhagen by Öresund train, leaving Gothenburg Central at 11:40 or Malmö Central at 14:50.

  Öresund trains link Malmö & Copenhagen several times each hour taking 40 minutes and Gothenburg & Copenhagen every hour taking 3h50.  They cross from Sweden to Denmark on the impressive Öresund Fixed Link, a tunnel & double-deck road/rail bridge opened in 1999.

  Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg by EuroCity train, leaving Copenhagen at 16:22, arriving Hamburg Hbf 20:59.

  Check train times from Gothenburg or Malmö to Hamburg using int.bahn.de.  Gothenburg is listed as Göteborg Central,  I'd change Transfer time from normal to 45 minutes.  More about the Copenhagen to Hamburg journey.

• 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.  Or try the innovative Cab20 capsule hotel, a 550m 6-minute walk from the station, see walking map.

• Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Amsterdam, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:45, one easy change at Osnabrück arriving Amsterdam Centraal 13:59.

  On Sundays when the sleeper from Stockholm arrives later, leave Hamburg Hbf 10:46, change at Osnabrück arriving Amsterdam Centraal 15:59.

  Hamburg to Osnabrück is by ICE4 with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, Osnabrück to Amsterdam is by Intercity train with power sockets at all seats & refreshment trolley.  You can check times at int.bahn.de.

• Day 2, transfer to the ferry port & sail overnight to Hull or Newcastle.

  Travel overnight by ferry from Rotterdam Europoort to Hull with P&O Ferries or from IJmuiden (near Amsterdam) to Newcastle with DFDS, whichever is most convenient for where you live, arriving next morning (Day 3).  Transfer to the station and take a train home.

  For details, see the Hull-Rotterdam page or the Newcastle-Amsterdam page.

How much does it cost?

• Check Newcastle-Amsterdam ferry prices at www.dfds.com or Hull-Rotterdam prices at www.poferries.com.

• Amsterdam to Hamburg starts at €32.99 in 2nd class or €43.99 in 1st class, each way.

• Hamburg to Stockholm by sleeper starts 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.

• Hamburg to Gothenburg or Stockholm by daytime trains starts at €56.99 each way. 

• All these fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

How to buy tickets

• Step 1, book the Newcastle-Amsterdam ferry at www.dfds.com or the Hull-Rotterdam ferry at www.poferries.com.

• Step 2, buy train tickets from Amsterdam Centraal to Hamburg Hbf (or if arriving from Hull, Rotterdam Centraal to Hamburg Hbf) at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log in and re-print your tickets at any time.  You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.

• Step 3 if using the Hamburg-Stockholm sleeper, book this at the Swedish Railways website www.sj.se.

  Booking opens several months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

• Step 3 if using daytime trains from Hamburg to Malmö, Gothenburg or Stockholm, book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. 

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log in and re-print your tickets at any time.  You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.  Gothenburg is listed as Göteborg Central.  .

  Tip:  You can book from Amsterdam to Stockholm in one go, and this can be cheaper, so give it a try.  To get the overnight stop in Hamburg, click Stopovers and enter Hamburg Hbf with a suitable length of stay, say 13 hours.  Adjust the departure time & length of stay to get the trains you want either side of Hamburg.  However, you may only find 2nd class fares this way.

• Step 4, buy a train ticket from your local station to Newcastle or Hull at any train operator website such as tfw.wales.  Make sure you allow plenty of time for the transfer from station to ferry terminal and for the ferry check-in.

What's the journey like?

You sail overnight from Newcastle to Amsterdam (DFDS) or Hull to Rotterdam (P&O) by overnight cruise ferry, with private en suite cabins, restaurants, bars, cinema, a floating hotel.  If travelling with DFDS from Newcastle, a transfer bus takes you from IJmuiden ferry terminal to Amsterdam Centraal station next morning.  If travelling with P&O from Hull, a transfer bus takes you from Rotterdam Europoort ferry terminal to Rotterdam Centraal from where frequent Dutch trains run to Utrecht or Amsterdam.

DFDS Seaways Princess of Norway (now Princess Seaways) about to sail overnight from Newcastle to Amsterdam.  The ferry also has deluxe Commodore class cabins with minibar, satellite TV, shower & toilet.  See the video.		A standard Seaways class cabin with shower & toilet on DFDS Princess of Norway from Newcastle to Amsterdam.

P&O Ferries Pride of Rotterdam at Rotterdam Europoort.  The ferry also has deluxe class cabins with minibar, satellite TV, shower & toilet.		A standard outside cabin with shower & toilet on P&O's Pride of Rotterdam from Hull to Rotterdam.

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Other destinations in Sweden

London to Malmö

Malmö is just across the Öresund strait from Copenhagen, linked to Copenhagen by frequent local train over the Öresund Link from Denmark to Sweden.  Opened in 1999, the link is part tunnel, part double-decker road/rail bridge, and on the long bridge section your train seems to 'fly' across the sea to Sweden.

• Travel to Copenhagen using any of the options shown on the London to Denmark page.  Book your tickets as shown.

• Then simply buy a local ticket from any of the ticket machines or staffed ticket office at Copenhagen station and hop on an Öresundtåg (Öresund train) from Copenhagen to Malmö Central.  These run every 20 minutes, journey time 39 minutes.  The Copenhagen-Malmö fare is 171 SEK (about €15) each way, a simple fixed price, see www.oresundstag.se.

Öresund trains link Copenhagen with Malmö every 20 minutes, in under 40 minutes.

1st class seats. Larger photo.		2nd class seats.  Larger photo.

London to Northern Sweden & Narvik

First travel to Gothenburg or Stockholm as shown above.  Overnight sleeper trains run from Stockholm to Northern Sweden, including Boden, Luleå, Kiruna and Narvik in Norway.  Some of these trains are run by www.vy.se, a subsidiary of the former Norwegian State Railways, and some by SJ (www.sj.se).  The trains have 1st class 1 & 2 berth sleepers with private toilet & shower, 2nd class 3 bed sleepers with washbasin, 6-berth couchettes, ordinary seats, and cafe car.

Daytime trains from Gothenburg and Stockholm to most cities in Sweden are run by national train operator SJ, see www.sj.se for times and fares.  If you have any problems booking with SJ.se, try Omio.com instead (small booking fee, happily accepts overseas credit cards, you can pay in Swedish Kr, £, € and $) but this only books seats or couchettes, not sleepers.

A sleeper train to Luleå waits to leave Stockholm Central.  Photo courtesy of Discoverbyrail.com.		Narvik station, inside the Arctic Circle.  Although it's in Norway, the railway to Narvik runs from Sweden.  Courtesy of Ayan Ghosh.

1st class sleeper with en suite shower & toilet, shown in day mode (above left) and night mode set up as a single with upper berth folded against the wall (above centre).  Courtesy of Discoverbyrail.com.  Click the images for larger photos.

Scenery from the train between Stockholm & Narvik.  Photo courtesy of Discoverbyrail.com.

How to buy Swedish train tickets at www.sj.se

The best way to buy your train tickets within Sweden, or (in either direction) between Copenhagen & Stockholm, Copenhagen & Gothenburg, Copenhagen & Oslo or Stockholm & Oslo, is online at the Swedish Railways website, www.sj.se.  It's far cheaper than buying through a UK agency, and there are no booking fees or postage to pay.  You can simply print your own ticket or show it on your phone.

• Go to www.sj.se. 

  For English, change Svenska + Swedish flag to English + UK flag at upper right. 

  If you're using their mobile site this doesn't appear, you need to go into the menu, click Mer (More) and scroll down to find English.

  Use the journey planner to make your booking.

  Booking doesn't open a set number of days ahead:  Instead, SJ releases tickets in blocks 4 times a year, for example in mid-May for the period from mid-August to mid-December.  You can see the exact dates on www.sj.se on their FAQ page.

• It's pretty self-explanatory, but here are a few tips: 

  For Copenhagen, type Kopenhamn and select Köpenhamn H which is Swedish for Copenhagen main station (the H stands for hovedbanegard, Danish for main station).

  For Stockholm, enter Stockholm C, the C is for Central station.

  For Gothenburg, select Göteborg C, the C is for Central station.

  If booking from Copenhagen to Oslo (Oslo S), beware of services that involve a bus, make sure you book an option involving all trains.  If necessary, book Copenhagen-Gothenburg & Gothenburg-Oslo separately to ensure an all-train journey with only 1 change.

  Swedish rail fares vary like air fares by date & train, so shop around for the cheapest tickets.

  After selecting a departure and price, you may be given an option to upgrade to a rebookable ticket (which can be changed) or to a rebookable, refundable ticket.  If you don't select either of these extra-cost options, your ticket will probably be non-refundable & non-changeable.  Just stick with the base price if you want the cheapest fare.  You're then given a chance to choose your exact seat if you like, with a seating plan.

• Enter your phone number with a plus symbol in front, as + [country code] [your number without any leading zero]

• You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.  Tickets as SMS is also an option for most European mobile phone numbers.

• Credit card acceptance:  SJ.se's weak point is that it can sometimes be fussy with foreign, credit cards, especially non-European ones, but it does usually work with most cards so give it a go.  Please let me know if online booking works or doesn't work for you.

• If it rejects your cards, try Omio.com which connects to SJ's ticketing system to sell SJ tickets at the same price, with the same print-your-own or show-on-phone tickers.  There's a small booking fee, but it happily accepts overseas credit cards and you can pay in Swedish Krona, £, € and $.  It'll book couchettes on overnight trains too, but not private sleepers.

• You can also try alternative Swedish train booking site www.snalltaget.se and if you still have problems paying use agency site www.acprail.com.  Or book by phone calling SJ telesales on +46 771 75 75 75 (there's a phone menu option for English). 

• Remember that most UK and overseas European train ticketing agencies (including Rail Europe) cannot access SJ's cheap fares, they can only sell the expensive full-flex 'TCV' rate advised by SJ to other European Railways.  To get cheap fares for trains within Sweden, you need to use one of the options I've just explained.

Definitely take a good guidebook.  For independent travel, I think this means either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide.  Both guidebooks provide an excellent level of practical information and historical background.  You won't regret buying one!

Click the images to buy at Amazon.co.uk

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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).

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Hotels in Stockholm & Sweden

Hotels near Stockholm Central

• For somewhere near Stockholm Central Station with good reviews, try the ProfilHotel Central or Scandic No.53.

• But consider the Haymarket by Scandic, a modern hotel created within the former PUB department store building.

  The PUB department store existed from 1917 to 2015.  Hollywood star Greta Garbo worked here as a shop assistant in the 1920s and later as a photographic model for its advertisements.

  The hotel is a 700m 8-minute walk from Stockholm Central Station (see walking map) and gets great reviews.

Hotels in Stockholm's old town

• For somewhere in the old town (Gamla stan) with good reviews, try the Lady Hamilton Hotel, or if on a tight budget, the Castle House Inn.

• For something a little different, how about staying on a historic luxury yacht?

  The permanently-moored Mälardrottningen Yacht Hotel is the former Lady Hutton, built in Kiel, Germany, in 1924, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Hutton.  It even spent a few years during WW2 in the British Royal Navy!

Backpacker hostels: www.hostelworld.com

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 Paris and most other European cities at rock-bottom prices.

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Travel insurance & other tips

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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