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This page explains how to travel by train from Berlin to other cities all over Europe, and how to buy tickets the cheapest way. Train information is current for 2020.

Before you buy your tickets...

Take a moment to read these tips for buying European train tickets.  They answer all the usual questions, such as "Do I need to book in advance or can I just buy at the station?", "Can I stop off?", "Are there Senior fares?" and that old favourite, "Should I buy an $800 railpass or just buy a €35 point-to-point ticket online?".  Click here to understand how far ahead you can buy train tickets.

European train travel FAQ...

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Berlin to Hamburg, Cologne, Frankfurt & other German destinations...

• www.bahn.de will book trains from Berlin Hbf to anywhere in Germany.

  A seat reservation is usually optional for a small extra charge, around €4.50 per seat - if you don't want one you can sit in any unreserved seat. 

  You print your own tickets (on A4 paper but U.S. Letter size is fine) or you can show it on your smartphone or laptop.  Tickets can also be sent to any address worldwide for a small fee.

  I recommend registering when prompted, rather than booking as a guest, so you can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings.

• With only one or two minor exceptions, German domestic trains are never reservation compulsory so you can always just turn up, buy a ticket and get on the next train without a reservation - although you will usually have to pay the flexpreis on the day of travel.

  However, if you pre-book there are cheap advance-purchase sparpreis (savings) fares for €19.90, €29.90, €39.90 etc. for long-distance journeys, so buy in advance if you want to save money.

• Booking can open up to 180 days ahead, except when the mid-December timetable change gets in the way.

• In addition, private operator Flixtrain is now competing with DB with a limited lo-cost train service from Berlin to Cologne, and Berlin to Frankfurt, Heidelberg & Stuttgart, see www.flixtrain.com.

• See the train travel in Germany page for a beginner's guide to train travel in Germany, including how to buy tickets online or by phone and an explanation of the Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket and Lander tickets.

Berlin to Munich from €29.90...

• There really is no excuse for flying this journey!  A new section of high-speed line opened in December 2017 and Berlin to Munich now takes as little as 3h58 by luxurious ICE train, city centre to city centre with zero added check-in time.  From city to city it's as fast as flying but less hassle, more comfortable and more civilised.  The ICE train have power sockets at all seats, a bistro-restaurant car and some have WiFi.

• Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class if you pre-book.  The flexpreis is around €130 if you buy on the day, 2nd class.

• Buy tickets at www.bahn.de and print your own ticket out or show it on your smartphone or laptop.  Booking now opens up to 180 days ahead, though much less when the mid-June or mid-December timetable change is in the offing.

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Berlin to London...

• See the London to Germany page for train times and more information, for travel by high-speed trains Berlin-Cologne-Brussels-London or travel to Amsterdam then Rail & Sail to London via Hoek van Holland-Harwich.

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Berlin to Paris from €39.90...

Option 1, in a single chill-out day riding the rails across Europe...

• You can book daytime trains from Berlin to Paris from as little as €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class at the German Railways website www.bahn.de.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your smartphone or laptop.

  That's city centre to city centre with zero check-in, no added booking fees, no baggage fees, no extra to get to & from remote airports.  The superb German ICE high-speed trains have a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the ICE information page.

• You'll see various departures, the best ones have just one easy change, for example on a typical date:

  Berlin Hbf depart 08:30 by ICE, change Frankfurt (Main) Hbf onto a TGV Duplex, arrive Paris Gare de l'Est at 16:53.

  Berlin Hbf depart 12:30 by ICE, change Mannheim onto a 200mph TGV Duplex, arrive Paris Gare de l'Est at 20:43.

  Berlin Hbf depart 14:30 by ICE, change Mannheim onto another ICE, arrive Paris Gare de l'Est at 22:52.

  Check times for your date at www.bahn.de and look for a suitable 1-change option with prices shown.

  Tip:  www.bahn.de won't suggest impossible connections, many connections simply involve stepping off on e train, crossing the same island platform and stepping onto another train, which takes 2 minutes.  And as you get a through ticket you're protected, if you miss a connection you'll be rebooked on a later one free of charge.  But I'd seriously consider changing Duration of transfer standard to Duration of transfer at least 30 minutes to give more robust connections, so that a 20 minute delay doesn't mean a missed connection and a 2 hours late arrival.

• If you'd prefer the slightly faster route with 1 change via Cologne onto a Thalys high-speed train, simply use www.thetrainline.com instead.  This has a connection to both Thalys' and DB's ticketing systems, so can book both trains at the cheapest prices as one transaction with print-at-home tickets.  Simple!  Alternatively, you can of course book a Berlin-Cologne train at www.bahn.de then book a Cologne to Paris Thalys train separately at either www.thetrainline.com or www.thalys.com.  For example:

  Berlin Hbf depart 06:50 by ICE, change at Cologne Hbf onto Thalys, arrive Paris Gare du Nord at 16:05.

  Berlin Hbf depart 10:50 by ICE, change at Cologne Hbf onto Thalys, arrive Paris Gare du Nord at 20:05.

  Berlin Hbf depart 12:50 by ICE, change at Cologne Hbf onto Thalys, arrive Paris Gare du Nord at 22:05.

Option 2, by high-speed trains with overnight stop - a time-effective option...

• You can travel from Berlin to Paris time-effectively by train without having to fly.  This breaks up the trip nicely. 

• Day 1, take the 17:28 ICE train from Berlin Hbf to Mannheim arriving 22:28.  Or by all means book an earlier train, they leave regularly.

• Stay overnight in Mannheim.  Inexpensive hotels just outside the station with great reviews include the Station Hotel, Mannheim InterCity Hotel & the Hotel Kurpfalzstuben.

• Day 2, take a morning ICE train from Mannheim to Paris.  On Mondays-Fridays the 06:39 from Mannheim arrives Paris Gare de l'Est at 09:51, with breakfast on board.  On Saturdays a 07:39 arrives Paris Gare de l'Est 10:53.  On Sundays a 07:33 arrives Paris Gare de l'Est at 10:38.  But by all means have leisurely breakfast and take a later train, for example there's an 09:40 from Mannheim on Mondays-Saturdays arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 12:52.

• The cheapest way to book this is to book it as one journey from Berlin to Paris from €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class at www.bahn.de using the Add intermediate stops feature - I have set up this special link for you including the necessary stopover in Mannheim, just increase the stopover time if you'd like a later departure from Mannheim in the morning, or change both the departure time & stopover time if you'd like an earlier train from Berlin to Mannheim.  Obviously, look for the 1-change options in the search results.

• Alternatively, you can also stop overnight in Cologne. 

  Book Berlin to Cologne by ICE train in 4h17 from €29.90 at www.bahn.de.  You can leave as late as 19:49 arriving after midnight, but I'd take an earlier train and have a pleasant evening in Cologne.  In Cologne, the cathedral is right next to the station, for dinner try the excellent Brauhaus Sion (www.brauhaus-sion.de), 5 minutes walk from Cologne Hauptbahnhof, or the Malzmuehle restaurant (www.muehlenkoelsch.de), 13 minutes walk from Cologne Hbf.

  Stay overnight in Cologne.  The good & inexpensive Ibis Hotel Köln-am-Dom is ideal as it's part of Cologne Hbf itself, with an entrance to the left of the main station entrance - many of its rooms have a cathedral view.  Also near the station with good reviews are the Breslauer Hof Am Dom, Hotel Domspitzen, CityClass Hotel Europa am Dom, Hilton Cologne, Excelsior Hotel Ernst am Dom.

  Then book Cologne to Paris by high-speed Thalys train in 3h21 at www.thetrainline.com or www.thalys.com.  The 06:44 Thalys from Cologne Hbf arrives Paris Gare du Nord at 10:05, or there's an 08:44 arriving 12:05, or later trains of course.

Option 3, the lo-cost option:  Berlin-Cologne by Flixtrain from €9.99, lunch in Cologne, Cologne-Paris by high-speed Thalys from €35.

• Although DB sell through Berlin-Paris tickets from €39, these rise in price fairly steeply as departure approaches.  There's a lo-cost option which can save money especially when booking closer to departure date.  It also gives you an afternoon to have a late lunch and explore Cologne - remembering that as you are now buying two separate tickets, you should not risk tight connections between the two trains.

• Step 1, travel from Berlin to Cologne by lo-cost Flixtrain, leaving Berlin Hbf at 08:20 and arriving Cologne Hbf at 13:57.

  Times vary by day, sometimes there are two trains, sometimes it's an afternoon train so an overnight stop in Cologne would be necessary, see what's running on your date.

  Fares start at just €9.99 booked at www.flixtrain.com.  Fares vary dynamically rising as departure date approaches, but not as steeply as other operators.  Flixtrain is an older train compared to DB's luxurious high-speed ICEs, but it still travels at up to 125mph and offers old-school space and comfort, even opening windows.

• Step 2, travel from Cologne to Paris by high-speed Thalys in just 3h20.  At the time I write this, there's a 16:43 from Cologne Hbf arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 20:05, or an 18:43 arriving 22:05. 

  Just allow hours not minutes for connections, as you are buying separate tickets so are taking the risk of a missed connection yourself.

  Fares start at €35, varying dynamically as departure date approaches.

  Book this at www.thetrainline.com or www.thalys.com and print your own ticket or show it on your smartphone.

Option 4, by direct Russian sleeper train, every Wednesday night...

• The Berlin-Paris City Night Line sleeper train was sadly discontinued in 2014 to a general outcry.  However, how would you like to travel overnight from Berlin to Paris aboard the famous Moscow-Paris Express?  RZD (Russian Railways) will allow you to book the Paris-Berlin sector on their high-quality sleeper train, which was re-timed in 2015 to offer a convenient overnight option between Berlin & Paris.

• It runs once a week on Wednesday nights, leaving Berlin Hbf at 20:34 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 09:40 the following day.

• The train features excellent modern air-conditioned Russian sleepers with 2nd class 4-berth & 1st class 2-berth compartments, VIP deluxe Russian sleepers with 1 or 2 berths, shower & toilet, and a Polish restaurant car is available throughout.  See the illustrated guide on the Paris-Moscow Express page.

• How much does it cost?  See the Paris-Moscow Express page for details.

• How to buy tickets?  See the Paris-Moscow Express page for details

Option 5, Berlin to Paris with an overnight stop in Amsterdam...

• This is a round-about route, but Amsterdam is such a great place for a stopover and the journey so easy & convenient, it's worth considering.  The stations are all incredibly central, you can stroll from Amsterdam Centraal to most city centre hotels.

• Day 1, travel from Berlin Hbf to Amsterdam Centraal by InterCity train in 6h26 from €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.  You can leave Berlin as late in the day as 16:34.  Click here to see the Berlin to Amsterdam timetable and photos of the train & sights to see along the way.

  Book this at German Railways www.bahn.de and print your own ticket or you can show it on your smartphone or laptop.

• Stay overnight in Amsterdam.  Suggested hotels with good or great review include the The Park Plaza Victoria Hotel is across the road from Amsterdam Centraal station and gets great reviews.  Other mid-range hotels include the Hotel Luxer, 7 minutes walk from the station & Hotel Sebastians, 10 minutes walk from the station.  Cheaper hotels include the fun floating boat hotel AmiciA, just 15 minutes walk from the station.  If you want to push the boat out, the top end famous Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam is 10 minutes walk from the station. 

  Incidentally, there's no reason why you can't do the journey in one day if you like, with a few hours in Amsterdam.  But an overnight stop breaks up the trip nicely.

• Day 2, travel from Amsterdam Centraal to Paris Gare du Nord by 186 mph Thalys high-speed train in 3h20 from €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class.  There is a departure every couple of hours through the day, if you caught the first departure at 06:15 you could reach central Paris as early as 09:35.  The trains have WiFi, power sockets at all seats and cafe-bar.  See the Thalys information page.

  Book this at www.thetrainline.com or www.thalys.com and print your own ticket, or after booking you can download the SNCB Europe app and load the ticket into it to show on your smartphone.

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Berlin to Brussels or Bruges from €39.90..

Option 1, by high-speed train - fastest & most comfortable...

• Superb ICE2 trains link Berlin and Cologne every hour or so in just 4h19, ICE3 & Thalys trains then link Cologne with Brussels Midi in just 1h52.  These superb German ICE trains have a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Times vary, but for example...

  Leave Berlin Hbf at 06:50 by ICE2, change at Cologne Hbf onto an ICE3, arrive Brussels Midi at 13:35.

  Leave Berlin Hbf at 08:51 by ICE2, change at Cologne Hbf onto an ICE3, arrive Brussels Midi at 15:35.

  Leave Berlin Hbf at 10:50 by ICE2, change at Cologne Hbf onto an ICE3, arrive Brussels Midi at 17:35.

  Leave Berlin Hbf at 12:50 by ICE2, change at Cologne Hbf onto an ICE3, arrive Brussels Midi at 19:35.

  Leave Berlin Hbf at 14:50 by ICE2, change at Cologne Hbf onto an ICE3, arrive Brussels Midi at 21:35.

• Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

• Check times & buy tickets from Berlin to Brussels, Bruges or anywhere in Belgium at www.bahn.de.  Look for journeys with just 1 change.  You print your own ticket on A4 paper (US Letter size paper is fine) or can load it into the DB Navigator app to show on your smartphone.

• You can also book at www.thetrainline.com which can also book journeys using Thalys between Cologne and Brussels - however, I'd stick with the through ticketing and through pricing offered by German Railways' ICE trains.  You print your ticket on A4 paper (US Letter size paper is fine) or show on your smartphone following their instructions.

Option 2, the lo-cost option:  Berlin-Cologne by Flixtrain from €9.99, lunch in Cologne, Cologne-Brussels by Thalys or ICE from €19.

• Although DB sell through Berlin-Brussels tickets from €39.90, these rise in price fairly steeply as departure approaches.  There's a lo-cost option which can save money especially when booking closer to departure date.  It also gives you an afternoon to have a late lunch and explore Cologne - remembering that as you are now buying two separate tickets, you should not risk a tight connection between the two trains.

• Step 1, travel from Berlin to Cologne by lo-cost Flixtrain, leaving Berlin Hbf at 08:20 and arriving Cologne Hbf at 13:57.

  Times vary by day, sometimes there are two trains, sometimes it's an afternoon train so an overnight stop in Cologne would be necessary, see what's running on your date.

  Fares start at just €9.99 booked at www.flixtrain.com.  Fares vary dynamically rising as departure date approaches, but not as steeply as other operators.  Flixtrain is an older train compared to DB's luxurious high-speed ICEs, but it still travels at up to 125mph and offers old-school space and comfort, even opening windows.

• Step 2, travel from Cologne to Brussels by high-speed Thalys in just 1h52 or so.  At the time I write this, there's a 16:43 from Cologne Hbf arriving Brussels Midi at 18:35, or an 18:43 arriving 20:35.

  Just allow hours not minutes for connections, as you are buying separate tickets, so are taking the risk of a missed connection yourself.

  Fares start at €19, varying dynamically of course as departure date approaches.  Book this at www.thetrainline.com or www.thalys.com and print your own ticket or show it on your smartphone.

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Berlin to Amsterdam from €39.90:  See the Berlin to Amsterdam page...

• Comfortable air-conditioned InterCity trains link Berlin Hbf and Amsterdam Centraal every two hours, city centre to city centre in 6h26.

• A flight would take the best part of 5 hours, centre to centre, with airport hassle and nothing to see.  The trains have plenty of space for luggage and a bistro car, so treat yourself to a meal and a beer or two as you roll across Europe...

• Fares start at just €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead for the cheapest prices.

• Book at the German Railways website www.bahn.de.  You print your own ticket on A4 paper (US Letter size paper is fine) or can load it into the DB Navigator app to show on your smartphone.  I recommend registering when prompted, rather than booking as a guest, so you can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings.

• See the Berlin to Amsterdam InterCity train page for a timetable, photos and information including photos of the things to look out for from the train on the way.  It's an interesting ride!

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Berlin to Luxembourg from €39.90...

• Berlin to Luxembourg takes around 7h55 by train with fares from €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.

• Check times and buy tickets at the German railways website www.bahn.de.  In the search results, look for journeys involving just 1 change at Koblenz, or sometimes 2 changes.  Avoid journeys involving 2 or 3 changes or anything marked bus.  You print your own ticket.

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Berlin to Basel, Zurich, Geneva & Switzerland from €39.90...

Option 1, Berlin to Basel & Zurich by Nightjet sleeper train - the time-effective option...

• Every night, an excellent Austrian Railways Nightjet sleeper train links Berlin with Basel & Zurich, leaving Berlin Hbf at 21:07 and arriving Basel SBB at 07:20 and Zurich HB at 09:05 next morning, with onward connections for anywhere in Switzerland.

  It has a Comfortline sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and several deluxe compartments with 1, 2 or 3 bed and en suite toilet & shower.   There are two couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment.  See the Nightjet sleeper page for more photos & information.

• Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €69.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €89.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €139.90 in a single-bed sleeper.

• Book this train online at www.thetrainline.com and print your own ticket.  Booking opens up to 180 days in advance.  You can also book this train at www.oebb.at also with print at home tickets.

Option 2, Berlin to Switzerland by high-speed ICE train...

• Every 2 hours from 04:30 until 16:30, comfortable German ICE trains link Berlin Hbf with Basel SBB, with connections for cities all over Switzerland.  Some of these ICE trains continue beyond Basel to Bern & Interlaken. 

• These ICE trains have 1st & 2nd class, a restaurant car, cafe counter, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the ICE information page.  Most of these trains are now of the ICE4 type.

• Berlin-Basel takes 7h17 centre to centre, Berlin to Bern 8h26, a chill-out journey with a good book and perhaps lunch in the restaurant car.  I recommend the Erdinger Weisssbier!

• Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

• Check times & buy tickets online at the German Railways website www.bahn.de, which can book you from Berlin to almost any station in Switzerland for one inclusive price.  Tip:  In the search results, look for trains marked ICE with 0 changes if going to Basel, Zurich, Bern or Interlaken, or ideally with just 1 change if going beyond those stations.  You print your own ticket or you can show it on your smartphone or laptop. 

Option 3, Berlin to Switzerland by day trains with overnight stop in Frankfurt - a time-effective option...

• Day 1, take any train you like from Berlin Hbf to Frankfurt (Main) Hbf in 3h39.  You can leave Berlin as late as 19:28 by ICE train arriving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 23:58, but by all means take an earlier train.

• Stay overnight in Frankfurt.  Hotels just outside the station with great reviews include the Hotel Hamburger Hof, The Frankfurt, and the inexpensive Hotel Topas.

• Day 2, take any morning train you like from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Basel, Zurich or anywhere in Switzerland.  If you are an early riser, the 05:50 ICE train will get you to Zurich HB at 10:00 - but by all means have a leisurely breakfast and take a later departure!

• Book from Berlin to anywhere in Switzerland from €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class at www.bahn.de using the Add intermediate stops feature to add a stopover in Frankfurt.  I have set up this special link to include the necessary stopover in Frankfurt, just enter your Swiss destination and date.  Increase the stopover time if you'd like a later departure from Frankfurt in the morning, or change both the departure time & stopover time if you'd like an earlier train from Berlin to Frankfurt. 

  If you find this too tricky, simply use bahn.de to book Berlin-Frankfurt and then Frankfurt to anywhere in Switzerland as two separate journeys, but one ticket with a stopover is usually cheaper.

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Berlin to Verona or Venice from €49.90...

Option 1, by evening ICE to Munich then Nightjet sleeper train to Venice - the most time-effective option.

• Step 1, travel from Berlin to Munich by superb high-speed ICE train leaving Berlin at 18:05 daily except Saturdays arriving Munich Hbf 22:01.  On Saturdays I'd take the 16:30 arriving 21:01.  This luxurious ICE has a  bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the ICE information page for photos & travel tips.

  Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class.

  Ideally, I'd take an earlier ICE (they run regularly through the day) and have dinner in Munich between trains - for a Bavarian meal and a beer or two, try www.augustinerkeller.de at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf.

  Book this train at the German Railways website www.bahn.de and print your own ticket or load it into the DB Navigator app on your smartphone.

• Step 2, travel by excellent Austrian Nightjet sleeper train leaving Munich Hbf at 23:20 and arriving at Venice Santa Lucia on the banks of the Grand Canal in central Venice at 08:34.

  Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €69.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €89.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €139.90 in a single-bed sleeper.  The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast, served in your compartment.

  Book this train at www.thetrainline.com and print your own ticket.  Booking opens up to 180 days in advance.  You can also book this train at www.oebb.at also with print at home tickets.

Option 2, Berlin to Venice in a single day from €49.90 - the daytime option with great scenery...

• Step 1, travel from Berlin to Munich by high-speed ICE train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 06:30 arriving Munich Hbf at 11:02.  These superb German ICE trains travel at up to 300 km/h (186 mph), they have a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the ICE information page.

  Tip:  On Mondays-Saturdays there's an earlier and faster 06:01 ICE from Berlin Hbf arriving Munich Hbf at 10:01, consider taking this for a more robust connection in Munich with a chance to stretch your legs (or even walk to the cathedral and the Marienplatz, 15 minutes walk from the station).

• Step 2, travel from Munich to Verona or Venice by comfortable Austrian EuroCity train leaving Munich Hbf at 11:34 and arriving Verona Porta Nuova at 16:58 and Venice Santa Lucia at 18:25.  This train has an elegant Austrian restaurant car, and it takes the scenic Brenner Pass through the Alps.  Treat yourself to lunch in the restaurant as the mountains glide by, see the Brenner Pass scenery video here...

• Fares from Berlin to Venice start at €49.90 in 2nd class or €79.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

• Book online at the German Railways website www.bahn.de and print your own ticket or you can show it on your smartphone or laptop.  Easy!

  Tip:  If you'd like the earlier 06:01 from Berlin Mondays-Saturdays, simply adjust Duration of transfer from standard to at least 35 minutes.

Option 3, evening train to Munich, overnight hotel, then scenic daytime ride to Venice - like option 2, but with an overnight stop.

• Step 1, take any ICE high-speed train you like from Berlin to Munich.  Journey time as little as 3h58 and you can leave Berlin Hbf as late as 19:28 arriving Munich Hbf at 00:22, but by all means take an earlier train for a pleasant evening in Munich.  ICE trains are very comfortable indeed, with a bistro or restaurant car for dinner, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Stay overnight in Munich.  Hotels near the station with good reviews include the Sofitel Munich Beyerpost, Eden Hotel Wolff, InterCity Hotel or (budget) the Pension Locarno.  For a Bavarian meal and a beer or two in the evening, try www.augustinerkeller.de at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf.

• Step 2, now take the direct Austrian EuroCity train leaving Munich Hbf at 11:34 every day and arriving at Venice Santa Lucia, on the banks of the Grand Canal itself, at 18:25.  This train travels via the lovely scenic Brenner Pass, see the Brenner Pass video here.  The train has an elegant restaurant car, treat yourself to lunch as the mountains roll by.

  There's also a 07:34 EuroCity train from Munich Hbf to Verona daily, extended direct to Venice on Saturdays & Sundays arriving 14:25, change at Verona on weekdays.  Or you can take the 09:34 from Munich Hbf arriving Venice 16:40, although this requires a change of train in Verona on all days.

• Fares start at €49.90 in 2nd class or €79.90 in 1st class for the whole Berlin-Venice journey if you book ahead as explained below.

• To buy tickets, use the German railways website www.bahn.de.  Enter Berlin Hbf to Venice then click Add intermediate stops and enter Munich in the via box and (say) 13:00 in the hh:mm stopover box - I've set up this special link with the necessary parameters for you, just enter your date of travel.  Look carefully in the search results to find a journey with 1 change marked ICE, EC and an arrival in Venice at 18:25.  If you want an earlier or later train between Berlin & Munich simply adjust the Berlin departure time and the Munich stopover duration.  You print your own ticket or you can show it on your smartphone or laptop.

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Berlin to Florence, Rome, Milan, Verona or anywhere else Italy from €39.90...

Option 1, by ICE to Munich then Nightjet sleeper train to Milan, Bologna, Florence or Rome - the most time-effective option...

• Step 1, travel from Berlin to Munich by superb ICE train leaving Berlin Hbf at 14:30 and arriving Munich Hbf at 19:03.

  Fares from €29.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

  The ICE trains have a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the ICE information page.  Ideally, I'd take an earlier 12:05 or 12:30 train from Berlin to have time for dinner in Munich - for Bavarian food and a beer or two try www.augustinerkeller.de at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf.

  Book this train at the German Railways website www.bahn.de & print your own ticket or load it into the DB Navigator app on your smartphone.

• Step 2, travel by excellent Austrian Nightjet sleeper train leaving Munich Hbf at 20:10 and arriving Bologna Centrale 05:20, Florence SMN 06:19 & Rome Termini 09:22.  A separate portion goes to Milan Porta Garibaldi arriving 08:10.

  Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €69.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €89.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €139.90 in a single-bed sleeper.  The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast, served in your compartment.

  Book this train at www.thetrainline.com and print your own ticket.  Booking opens up to 180 days in advance.  You can also book this train at www.oebb.at also with print at home tickets.

• Step 3, take an onward train from Rome to Naples, Rome to Sicily or Milan to Genoa (for example), allowing at least 1 hour between trains in Rome or Milan.  Book the onward Italian ticket separately at either www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, recognisees English place-names) or www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, the small booking fee will be refunded if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR) or Italian Railways own website www.trenitalia.com (more fiddly to use, requires Italian language place names, no booking fee, read this advice on using it first).

Option 2, Berlin to Florence or Rome in a single day - the daytime option with great scenery...

• Step 1, travel from Berlin to Munich by high-speed ICE train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 06:30 and arriving Munich Hbf at 11:02.  These superb German ICE trains travel at up to 300 km/h (186 mph), they have a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the ICE information page.

  Tip:  On Mondays-Saturdays there's an earlier and faster 06:01 ICE from Berlin Hbf arriving Munich Hbf at 10:01, consider taking this for a more robust connection in Munich with a chance to stretch your legs (or even walk to the cathedral and the Marienplatz, 15 minutes walk from the station).

• Step 2, travel from Munich to Verona by comfortable Austrian EuroCity train leaving Munich Hbf at 11:34 and arriving Verona Porta Nuova at 16:58.  This train has an elegant Austrian restaurant car, and it takes the scenic Brenner Pass through the Alps.  Treat yourself to lunch in the restaurant as the mountains glide by...

• Step 3, now take an onward train from Verona to Florence or Rome.  For example, you'll usually find a fast Frecciargento train leaving Verona Porta Nuova at 17:52 arriving Florence Campo di Marte at 19:24 and Rome Termini at 21:10.  I'd allow at least 45 minutes in Verona between trains, just in case of delay.

• Berlin to Verona starts at €49.90 in 2nd class or €79.90 in 1st class.

  Verona to Florence starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.

  Verona to Rome starts at €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class

• To buy tickets the easy way...

  Go to Raileurope.com.  Raileurope.com connects to both the German and Italian ticket systems so you can book this as one transaction all in one place.  You can pay in €, £ or $.  A small booking fee applies.  Anyone from any country can book this way.

  Important tip:  Before running the enquiry, you must click More options and enter Verona Porta Nuova as a via station with a stopover duration of 45 minutes.  This ensures a robust connection and it ensure Raileurope.com correctly splits the booking at Verona.

• To buy tickets the advanced way...

  This should make no difference to the price, it involves more work, the only real benefit is getting a bit more by way of seating options.  First book from Berlin to Verona Porta Nuova at the German Railways website www.bahn.de and print your own ticket or you can show it on your smartphone or laptop.  Tip:  If you'd like the earlier 06:02 from Berlin Mondays-Saturdays, simply adjust Duration of transfer from standard to at least 35 minutes.

  Then book from Verona Porta Nuova to Florence or Rome at Raileurope.com (easy to use, prices in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies), www.italiarail.com (easy to use, prices in €, $ or £, they'll refund the €3.50 booking fee to seat61 users if you email them afterwards at seat61@italiarail.com) or www.trenitalia.com (in € and no booking fees, but you'll need to use Italian language place names and it has a few other quirks so see this advice on using it).  It's ticketless, you just quote your reference on board the train.

Option 3, by daytime trains via the Brenner Pass with an overnight stop in Munich - like option 2 but with an overnight stop...

• Day 1, take any ICE high-speed train you like from Berlin to Munich.  Journey time as little as 3h58 and you can leave Berlin Hbf as late as 19:28 on most days.  ICE trains are very comfortable indeed, with a bistro-restaurant for dinner, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Stay overnight in Munich.  Try the Sofitel Munich Beyerpost, Eden Hotel Wolff, InterCity Hotel or (budget) the Pension Locarno, all these hotels are right next to the station with great reviews.

• Day 2, travel from Munich to Verona by Austrian EuroCity train thorough the Brenner Pass, see the Brenner Pass scenery video here.  Trains leave Munich Hbf every 2 hours or so taking a leisurely 5h25, and all have an elegant restaurant car so treat yourself to lunch! 

  There's an 07:34 to Verona which extends direct to Venice on Saturdays & Sundays arriving Venice Santa Lucia 14:25, a 09:34 to Verona & Bologna, or an 11:34 to Verona & Venice arriving Venice Santa Lucia at 18:25.

• Day 2, allow at least 45 minutes between trains in Verona or Bologna, then take an onward Italian train to anywhere you like in Italy.  Verona to Florence takes just 2h35, Verona to Rome as little as 2h50 if you choose a direct train.

• How much does it cost?

  Berlin to Verona or Bologna starts at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.  Verona or Bologna to Florence starts at €19.90, Verona to Rome at €29.90, Bologna to Rome at €19.90 - although bahn.de will often sell you a through ticket from Germany to all main Italian cities from €39.90.

• How to buy tickets...

  Step 1, book from Berlin to Verona or (if using a direct train) Bologna or Venice at the German railways website www.bahn.de, clicking Add intermediate stops and entering Munich in the via box and (say) 13:00 in the hh:mm stopover box - I've set up this bahn.de link with the necessary parameters for you.  Look carefully in the search results to find a journey that suits, adjusting the Munich stopover time as necessary.  If you want an earlier or later train between Berlin & Munich simply adjust the Berlin departure time and the Munich stopover duration.

  Step 2, buy onward tickets from Verona to Florence, Rome, Milan or Naples separately at either www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, the small booking fee will be refunded if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR) or Italian Railways own website www.trenitalia.com (more fiddly to use, requires Italian language place names, no booking fee, read this advice on using it first).  I recommend allowing at least 45 minutes to change in Verona in case of any delay.

  Alternatively, you can book all of these trains in one place at Raileurope.com, just add each train to your basket and pay at the end when you check out.  Prices in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards accepted, with print-at-home or ticketless ticket delivery.  A small booking fee applies.

Option 4, by Nightjet sleeper train from Berlin to Zurich, then a scenic daytime ride through the Alps to Italy...

• Step 1, travel from Berlin to Zurich by Austrian Nightjet sleeper train leaving Berlin Hbf at 21:07 and arriving Zurich HB at 09:05 next morning.

  Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €69.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €89.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €139.90 in a single-bed sleeper.  Deluxe sleepers with shower & toilet are also available.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment.  See the Nightjet sleeper page.  This train uses ÖBB's double-deck sleeping-cars.

  Book this train at www.thetrainline.com and print your own ticket.  Booking opens up to 180 days in advance.  You can also book this train at www.oebb.at also with print at home tickets.

• Step 2, take a comfortable ETR610 EuroCity train with restaurant car from Zurich to Milan through the Swiss Alps via the Gotthard route.  There's one leaving Zurich HB at 11:10 arriving Milan Centrale at 14:50.

• Step 3, take onward high-speed Frecciarossa train from Milan Centrale to Florence SMN, Rome Termini or Naples Centrale, or the hourly Frecciabianca to Verona & Venice Santa Lucia.  For example, you'd reach Florence SMN at 17:04, Rome Termini at 18:40, Venice Santa Lucia at 17:47.

• Buy tickets from Zurich to anywhere in Italy at Raileurope.com (easy to use, prices in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies), www.italiarail.com (easy to use, prices in €, $ or £, they'll refund the €3.50 booking fee to seat61 users if you email them afterwards at seat61@italiarail.com) or www.trenitalia.com (in € and no booking fees, but you'll need to use Italian language place names and it has a few other quirks so see this advice on using it). 

  All these websites connect directly to the Italian Trenitalia booking system and all are 'ticketless' - you just quote your reference on board each train - at least unless the journey includes a regional train in Italy.  The stations you want in the most popular cities are Florence SMN, Rome Termini, Venice Santa Lucia, Verona Porta Nuova, Naples Centrale.

Option 5, by daytime trains, via the Swiss Alps...  Also a scenic ride!

• You can also travel from Germany to Italy via Switzerland.

• Step 1, use www.bahn.de to book from Berlin to Basel SBB with fares from €39.90 upwards.  You print your own ticket.

• Step 2, book an onward journey from Basel to Florence, Venice, Rome or wherever at either Raileurope.com or the Italian Railways website www.trenitalia.com.  I'd allow at least 45 minutes between trains in Basel.

• Berlin to Milan via Basel or Zurich is an all-day train ride.  If you'd prefer to split it over 2 days with an overnight stop in Basel, no problem.

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Berlin to Barcelona & Spain from €79...

Option 1, Berlin to Barcelona by high-speed trains with overnight stop in Paris...

• Day 1, travel from Berlin to Paris by comfortable daytime trains, for example leaving Berlin Hbf at 12:30 by luxurious ICE train, changing at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf onto an impressive 200mph TGV Duplex arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 20:41.  But by all means take an earlier train and have a leisurely dinner in Paris.

  Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

  Check times & prices for your date of travel and buy tickets at www.bahn.de.  Tip:  I'd change duration of transfer from standard to at least 30 minutes for a more robust connection, so that a 20 minute delay doesn't mean a missed connection and 2 hour late arrival.

  You print your own ticket or can show it on the DB Navigator app on your smartphone.

• Stay overnight in Paris.  Hotels near the Gare de Lyon with good reviews include the Hotel Terminus Lyon (right in front of the station, 3-star);  Mercure Paris Gare de Lyon (on the station itself, 4-star);   Novotel Paris Gare de Lyon (opposite the station, 4-star);  Mistral Hotel (800m from Gare de Lyon, 1-star);  Hotel de Reims (5 min walk from Gare de Lyon, 2-star).

• Day 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by high-speed TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 10:14 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 16:53. 

  It's an enjoyable & scenic journey, see the tips, photos & video here.

  Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

  Book this at Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or en.oui.sncf (a bit more fiddly, in €, but no booking fee).  You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your smartphone.

  From late May to late August there's also an earlier 07:14 TGV from Paris Gare de Lyon arriving Barcelona Sants at 13:40.  Or if you'd like  a morning in Paris, there's an afternoon train from Paris to Barcelona all year round, see the Paris-Barcelona timetable here.  Tip: See this advice about sometimes getting a cheaper fare by split-ticketing at Perpignan.

• For onward trains from Barcelona Sants to Malaga, Seville, Cordoba, Valencia, Alicante or Madrid, check times and buy tickets using either Raileurope.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or Spanish railways own site www.renfe.com (in €, fiddly to use, but no booking fee) or www.petrabax.com (in $, small mark-up).

  Allow at least 45 minutes between trains in Barcelona.  You'll find cheap Promo & Promo+ fares if you book ahead.  You print your own ticket.

  In summer if you take the 07:14 from Paris you'll be able to connect for Malaga, Cordoba or Seville that same afternoon as there's a 15:50 departure from Barcelona.  However, if you take the 10:14 from Paris, although you can connect for Madrid, Valencia or Alicante the same day, you will need to stay overnight in Barcelona before taking an onward train to Malaga, Cordoba or Seville.

Option 2:  Berlin to Spain with overnight stop in Marseille...

• This avoids having to cross Paris, but still uses high-quality high-speed trains throughout.  If you get the chance to spend 24h in Marseille, take it, it's a great city!

• Step 1, travel from Berlin to Marseille leaving Berlin Hbf at 08:30 weekdays or 09:02 weekends by ICE train to Frankfurt (Main) Hbf or Karlsruhe then the direct high-speed TGV Duplex to Marseille St Charles arriving at 21:49.

  Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

  Book this at German Railways www.bahn.de.  You print your own ticket or can load it into the DB Navigator app to show on your smartphone.

  Tip:  In theory you can take a later train from Berlin, but you don't want to miss the one train per day from Germany to Marseille because of a 10 minute delay so I'd take the trains shown above.  You'll get these if you change duration of transfer from standard to at least 30 minutes.

• Spend the night in Marseille, recommended inexpensive hotels with good reviews just outside Marseille St Charles station include the Ibis Marseille Centre Gare St Charles & Holiday Inn Express Marseille St Charles.

• Step 2, travel from Marseille to Barcelona or Madrid by AVE S-100 high-speed train leaving Marseille St Charles at 08:02 arriving Barcelona Sants at 12:34 & Madrid Atocha at 15:41.

  Marseille-Barcelona starts at €25 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class.  Marseille-Madrid starts at €35 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.

  Book this train at either Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or en.oui.sncf (a bit more fiddly, in €, but no booking fee).  You print your own ticket.

• Step 3, book onward high-speed trains from Madrid to Seville, Malaga or from Barcelona to Valencia or Alicante etc, using either Raileurope.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or the Spanish railways website www.renfe.com (in €, much more fiddly to use).  I'd allow at least an hour in Barcelona or Madrid between trains.

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Berlin to Lisbon, Porto, Faro & Portugal...

• Day 1, travel from Berlin to Paris by high-speed train in a single day from €39.90, as shown above.

• Stay overnight in Paris - see suggested hotels near the stations in Paris.

• Day 2, take the 12:52 TGV Duplex Océane from Paris to Hendaye on the Spanish border connecting with the overnight Sud Express sleeper train from Hendaye to Lisbon, arriving at 07:30 on day 3.

  See the London to Lisbon page for full details of this journey and how to buy tickets, simply ignore the London-Paris bit.

  Book from Berlin to Paris then from Paris to Lisbon Santa Apolonia at Raileurope.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies).  You print your own ticket.

  Alternatively, book Berlin-Paris at www.bahn.de, then Paris-Hendaye at en.oui.sncf, then Hendaye-Lisbon at www.renfe.com, with payment in € and no booking fees - but it's easier to use Raileurope.com and book all your tickets in one place.

• Change in Lisbon for trains to Faro, Albufeira and Porto, book these at the Portuguese Railways website www.cp.pt.

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Berlin to Vienna from €39.90...

Option 1, Berlin to Vienna by railjet train departing 06:17 - a leisurely daytime option with restaurant car...

• From 15 June 2020 onwards, a swish Czech railjet train will leave Berlin Hbf at 06:17 every day arriving Vienna Hbf at 14:49.

• This modern Czech railjet train has 2nd class, 1st class, business class (= premium 1st class, just 6 luxurious seats) and a restaurant car.  There's free WiFi & power sockets at all seats.  Although it takes a bit longer than the direct ICE train in option 2 below, this train is routed via Dresden & Prague, and the scenery along the Elbe river valley more than makes up for that, see the scenery photos & video for the Berlin to Prague part of the journey here.

• Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

• Book at the German railways website www.bahn.de and print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or smartphone.

  Tip:  Check Austrian Railways www.oebb.at & www.thetrainline.com as well, as although fares also start from €39.90 I've seen cheaper fares on oebb.at than bahn.de on a given date & train.  You still get a print-at-home ticket.

  Tip:  Stopover in Prague?  Consider booking this train to Prague, spending between 2 & 8 hours in Prague, then taking a later train from Prague to Vienna, these run every 2 hours.  To do this, simply click Add intermediate stops before running your Berlin-Vienna enquiry at www.bahn.de, enter Prague and a stopover duration between 2 & 8 hours.  You could of course choose a later departures from Berlin if you like, too.

Option 2, Berlin to Vienna by ICE train departing 10:05 - a leisurely daytime option with restaurant car...

• A superb German ICE-T train called the Berolina leaves Berlin Hbf at 10:05 every day and arrives Vienna Hbf at 17:45.

  It has a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the ICE information page.  In 1st class food & drink orders are taken & served at your seat, no need to visit the restaurant.  This new train started running from the timetable change in December 2018, and it's routed through Germany via Nuremberg.

• Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

• Book at the German railways website www.bahn.de and print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or smartphone.

  Tip:  Check Austrian Railways www.oebb.at & www.thetrainline.com as well, as although fares also start from €39.90 I've seen cheaper fares on oebb.at than bahn.de on a given date & train.  You also get a print-at-home ticket.

• A stopover in Nuremberg?  In Nuremberg there's a pleasant old town, a railway museum and of course the infamous but thought-provoking Party Rally Grounds (take tram 9 from outside Nuremberg Hbf, it's well worth the trip).  There are left luggage lockers in Nuremberg for your bags.  This new direct train travels via Nuremberg, but there are lots of trains between Berlin and Nuremberg, and a train between Nuremberg & Vienna every couple of hours.

  It's easy to book a Berlin-Vienna train ride with up to 8 hours in Nuremberg between trains, and still benefit from a cheap fare from €39.90.  At www.bahn.de, simply click Add intermediate stops, enter Nuremberg and a duration of up to 48 hours (the maximum stopover possible with a cheap sparpreis fare) or up to 8 hours (the maximum you can stop off and still get from Berlin to Vienna in a day, if you catch an early train from Berlin then a late train from Nuremberg to Vienna).

Option 3, Berlin to Vienna by nightjet sleeper train - the time-effective overnight option, saves a hotel bill too...

• An excellent nightjet sleeper train leaves Berlin Hbf at 18:43 & arrives Vienna Hbf at 07:00 next morning.  This new train started running from the timetable change in December 2018.

  This comfortable nightjet has a Comfortline sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed standard compartments with washbasin, 1, 2 & 3 bed deluxe compartments with en suite toilet & shower - there's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in standard sleepers.  There are also 4 & 6 berth couchettes.  A light breakfast is included in the fare in both sleepers and couchettes.  See the nightjet sleeper train page for more photos, travel tips & information.

• Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €69.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €89.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €139.90 in a single-bed sleeper.  The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast, served in your compartment.

• Book at www.thetrainline.com and print your own ticket.  You can also book at www.oebb.at, also with self-print tickets.

Option 4, Berlin to Vienna by day trains with a stop in Prague from €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class...

• Day 1, take any EuroCity train you like from Berlin to Prague, for example the 17:16 from Berlin Hbf arrives Prague Hlavni at 21:36.

  But there's a train every two hours through the day, so by all means take an earlier train and have an afternoon and/or evening in Prague.  It's a lovely scenic ride along the Elbe river valley south of Dresden, on a train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi, see the tips, photos & video on the Berlin to Prague by train page.

• Stay overnight in Prague.  Hotels near the station with good reviews include the Esplanade Hotel (5-star), Falkensteiner Hotel Maria (4-star), Chopin Hotel (3-star).  To stay in the old town, try the Ventana Hotel or Old Town Square Hotel (both 5-star), Grand Hotel Prague, Hotel Rott (both 4-star), Zlatý kůň Golden Horse (3-star).

• Day 2, take any railjet train you like from Prague to Vienna in 4h05.  The 06:44 from Prague Hlavni arrives Vienna Hbf at 10:49, but by all means take a later train as they run every two hours through the day, see the timetable here.  Railjet trains have a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• It's usually cheapest to book this as one Berlin to Vienna journey at www.bahn.de.  Simply click Add intermediate stops, enter Prague and a duration of up to 48 hours (the maximum allowed on a cheap sparpreis fare) - I have set up this link to do that for you.  Vary the departure time and increase the stopover duration to get the trains you want with the length of time you want in Prague.

  If you have any problems booking it this way, simply book the train from Berlin to Prague at German Railways www.bahn.de then book the train from Prague to Vienna at Czech Railways www.cd.cz (change the Czech flag to the UK flag for English).  In both cases you print your own ticket.

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Berlin to Salzburg, Innsbruck, Hallstatt & Austria from €29.90...

Berlin to Salzburg or Innsbruck by daytime trains,,,

• The German railways website, www.bahn.de can book tickets from Berlin to Salzburg, Innsbruck, Hallstatt or any station in Austria from €29.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class.  You print out your own ticket or you can show it on your smartphone or laptop.

• Berlin to Salzburg now takes as little as 5h54 from as little as €29.90 with 1 easy level-access change in Munich.  Just use www.bahn.de to find times and buy tickets!  The journey involves a superb high-speed ICE train from Berlin to Munich with bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, then a EuroCity train or railjet train from Munich to Salzburg.  I've even seen a Berlin-Salzburg fare as low as €19.90, but there aren't many of those!

• Tip:  Look in the search results for journeys with the fewest transfers, and feel free to change Duration of transfer from Standard to (say) At least 30 minutes for more robust connections.

• Tip:  Check www.thetrainline.com or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at as well, as although fares also start from €29 I've often seen significantly cheaper fares on the Austrian Railways system than bahn.de on a given date & train.  You also get a print-at-home ticket.

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Berlin to Legoland, Odense & Copenhagen from €39.90...

Option 1, by comfortable daytime trains, daily all year round...

• There are daytime trains from Berlin Hbf to Copenhagen at 06:38, 10:38 & 14:38 with one easy change at Hamburg Hbf, journey time 6h55.

  Take a good book, sit back and enjoy the ride.  The Berlin-Hamburg trains are superb ICE trains with bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  The Hamburg to Copenhagen trains are Danish IC3 intercity trains which also call at Kolding (for Legoland) and Odense.

  Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.

  Book at www.bahn.de and print your own ticket or show it on your smartphone or laptop.

  In the bahn.de search results, look for options with 1 change, but avoid anything marked 'BUS' as this is indeed just a downmarket bus.  Tip:  Remember that if you want a longer connection in Hamburg, you can change duration of transfer from standard to a longer period.

Option 2, by Berlin Night Express sleeper train, runs late June to late August...

• Step 1, a sleeper train run by private operator Snalltaget links Berlin and Malmö overnight in summer.  In previous years it ran 3 times a week summer-only, in summer it runs every day from late June to late August.  Will not run in summer 2020 due to COVID-19

  It has 4-berth & 6-berth couchettes, but no sleepers, although you can reserve a whole couchette compartment for sole occupancy.

  Fares start at 499 SEK (about €47) including a couchette.

  See www.snalltaget.se/en/destinations/berlin for operating dates, times, fares & tickets.

• Step 2, take a local Öresund train from Malmo to Copenhagen, these run every 30 minutes and take around 40 minutes.  No reservation necessary or possible.

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Berlin to Stockholm, Gothenburg & Malmö from €39.90...

Option 1, by daytime trains in a single day, or with overnight stop in Copenhagen...

• You can buy tickets from Berlin to Stockholm, Gothenburg or Malmö online at www.bahn.de, as DB offer sparpreis tickets from €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.  You print your own ticket.

• It's possible to do this journey in a day if you leave Berlin at 06:38...

  ...with an easy change in Hamburg and Copenhagen.  Check times and prices at www.bahn.de remembering to select a morning departure.  If bahn.de won't come up with the goods, book Berlin-Copenhagen at www.bahn.de then Copenhagen-Stockholm at www.sj.se.

• Or break up the journey with an overnight stop in Copenhagen.

  To book a journey with a stopover, but still benefit from a cheap sparpreis ticket from Berlin to Stockholm or Gothenburg, click Add intermediate stops, enter Copenhagen and enter a stopover period such as 12:00 in the hh:mm stopover box.  You can have any length of stopover up to 48h.  Hotels in Copenhagen near the station with good reviews:  Nimb Hotel (5-star luxe), Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (5-star), Axel Guldsmeden (4-star), Andersen Bou]tique Hotel, First Hotel Mayfair (3-star), Hotel Ansgar (3-star), City Hotel Nebo (2-star).

Option 2:  Berlin to Stockholm by day train to Copenhagen then time-effective overnight sleeper to Stockholm... 

• Step 1, travel from Berlin to Copenhagen, leaving Berlin Hbf at 10:38 by ICE train, changing at Hamburg Hbf onto a Danish IC3 intercity train arriving Copenhagen at 17:33, from €29.90 booked at www.bahn.de with print-at-home tickets.  There's a bistro-restaurant on board the ICE.  You arrive in Copenhagen in time for dinner.

• Step 2, take an evening Öresund train from Copenhagen to Malmö Central around 20:50 or earlier, these run every 20 minutes and take just 34 minutes.

• Step 3, then take the overnight sleeper train from Malmö to Stockholm, leaving Malmö Central daily except Saturdays usually around 22:32 arriving Stockholm Central around 06:00.  There's no sleeper on Saturday nights.  The train offers 6-berth couchettes and a comfortable Swedish sleeping-car with 1 & 2 bed compartments.

• Buy tickets from Copenhagen to Stockholm at the Swedish railways website www.sj.se.  There are some great cheap deals available if you book in advance.  SJ.se is sometimes fussy with overseas credit cards, so if you can't get your credit card to work, try agency site www.acprail.com or call SJ telesales on +46 771 75 75 75 (touch tone 6 for English).

Option 3, by Berlin Night Express sleeper train from Berlin to Malmö, runs late June to late August...

• Step 1, a sleeper train run by private operator Snalltaget links Berlin and Malmö overnight in summer.  In previous years it ran 3 times a week summer-only, in summer it runs every day from late June to late August.  Will not run in summer 2020 due to COVID-19.

  It has 4-berth & 6-berth couchettes, but no sleepers, although you can reserve a whole couchette compartment for sole occupancy.  It's shunted onto a ferry to cross the water to Sweden using the Sassnitz-Trelleborg route, a fascinating experience.

  Fares start at 499 SEK (about €47) including a couchette.

  See www.snalltaget.se/en/destinations/berlin for operating dates, times, fares & tickets.

• Step 2, book onward X2000 train from Malmö to Stockholm or Gothenburg at www.sj.se, using alternative www.snalltaget.se if you have any payment problems.

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Berlin to Oslo & Norway...

Option 1, via Hamburg & Copenhagen - by train all the way...

• Day 1, travel from Berlin to Copenhagen as shown above.

• Stay overnight in Copenhagen.  Hotels in Copenhagen 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 by train from Copenhagen to Oslo Sentral with one easy change at Gothenburg.  You can check times at the Swedish Railways site www.sj.se.  Departure from Copenhagen is usually around 09:27, change at Gothenburg Central, arriving Oslo Sentral at 17:51, but check times online.

Option 2, Berlin to Oslo via the Kiel-Oslo Color Line cruise ferry - the most comfortable way to Oslo...

• Step 1, catch an early morning train from Berlin Hbf to Kiel Hbf in 3h24 on any suitable train from €29.90.

  Check times & buy tickets at the German Railways site www.bahn.de.  You print your own ticket.

  In Kiel it's just a 5 or 6 minute walk from Kiel Hbf to the Color Line ferry terminal, but you should allow several hours between trains and ferry for the ferry check-in and in case of any delay.

• Step 2, sail from Kiel to Oslo by luxurious overnight Color Line ferry, with a full range of en suite cabins, suites, bars, restaurants and lounges.  The m/v Magic or m/v Fantasy normally sails at 14:00 arriving Oslo at 10:00 next morning.

  Check times & buy tickets online at the seat61 Ferry Shop or www.colorline.com.

  Make sure you're on deck next morning as the ship sails through spectacular scenery up Oslo Fjord.  The ship docks at the modern Color Line terminal about 2 km from the city centre.  Color Line provide transfer buses to Oslo Sentral station costing 55 krone, or there are plenty of taxis.  If you have little luggage it's possible to walk.  See map of Oslo showing ferry terminal.

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Berlin to Helsinki & Finland...

• For Finland, you'll find ferries the best bet.  Finnlines sail from Travemünde or Rostock in Germany to Helsinki, see www.finnlines.com for dates, times and online booking.

• After booking the ferry at www.finnlines.com, use www.bahn.de to find trains from Berlin to Travemünde or Rostock to connect with the ferry.  Remember to allow 2 or 3 hours between train arrival and ferry departure to allow for any delay, transfer to the port and for the ferry check-in.

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Berlin to Prague from €19.90...

• Air-conditioned EuroCity trains link Berlin Hbf and Prague Hlavni every couple of hours in around 4h20 with fares from €19.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st. It's the recommended way to travel between these cities, as fast or faster than flying, much cheaper and far less hassle.

• Buy tickets direct with German Railways at www.bahn.de and print your own ticket or simply show it on your smartphone or laptop screen.

• South of Dresden, the trains run along the scenic Elbe valley, a lovely run, so make sure you choose seats on the left hand side of the train for the best river views.  Most of these trains also have a proper dining-car, why not have a proper sit-down meal while you travel?

• See the Berlin to Prague page for schedules, fares, tips & how to buy tickets.

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Berlin to Český Krumlov for €36...

• You can travel from Berlin to Český Krumlov by swish EuroCity train from Berlin to Prague along the scenic Elbe river, then by comfortable Czech express train from Prague to Ceske Budejovice (formerly Budweis, that's right, where the name of the beer comes from) then on a little local train along the branch line to Cesky Krumlov.  Bring some beer and a good book and enjoy the ride!  There are several possible departures every day, for example:

  Berlin Hbf depart 09:16, change at Prague Hlavni & Ceske Budejovice, arriving Cesky Krumlov 16:57.

  Berlin Hbf depart 11:16, change at Prague Hlavni & Ceske Budejovice, arriving Cesky Krumlov 18:56.

  Berlin Hbf depart 13:16, change at Prague Hlavni & Ceske Budejovice, arriving Cesky Krumlov 20:57.

  Berlin Hbf depart 15:16, change at Prague Hlavni & Ceske Budejovice, arriving Cesky Krumlov 23:48.

  Check train times from Berlin to Cesky Krumlov at www.bahn.de, although you won't see prices at this stage.

• How much does it cost?

  Berlin to Ceske Budejovice starts at €29.90. 

  Ceske Budejovice to Cesky Krumlov costs around 40 Czech Koruna, about €1.50.

• How to buy tickets...

  Step 1, go to www.bahn.de and book from Berlin Hbf to Ceske Budejovice.  If you try booking to Cesky Krumlov you won't see any prices.  Booking usually opens 60 days ahead and you print your own ticket.

  If you'd like a stopover in Prague on the way, simply click Add intermediate stops, enter Prague and whatever stopover duration you want between 2h and 48h, and it'll programme in the stop for a similar end-to-end price.

  Step 2, you then buy a local ticket from Ceske Budejovice to Český Krumlov from the machine on board the train on the day or (if there's time) at the green & orange GWTR ticket kiosk at Ceske Budejovice station ticket hall, see more information on the Cesky Krumlov page.

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Berlin to Karlovy Vary for €31...

• This takes around 6h01 using a swish EuroCity train from Berlin to Usti Nad Labem, changing there for a Czech train to Karlovy Vary.  Book from Berlin to Karlovy Vary online from €35 (890 Czech Koruna at Czech railways website www.cd.cz/eshop.  You print your own ticket.  You can also try booking this journey at www.bahn.de.

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Berlin to Bratislava from €29.90...

Option 1, by direct EuroCity train - the leisurely daytime option with restaurant car...

• A EuroCity train with restaurant car called the Hungaria leaves Berlin Hbf at 09:16 every day, arriving Bratislava Hlavna at 17:50.  The Hungaria uses Hungarian Railways' very latest air-conditioned cars with power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  South of Dresden, the train runs along the scenic Elbe valley, make sure you grab a unreserved seat on the left hand side of the train for the best river views, see the photos & video here.  All these trains have a proper dining-car, so why not have a meal while you travel?

  If you like you can check the train formation & see what the carriages are like at www.vagonweb.cz - Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Czechia and click EC then look for the Hungaria.

  Alternatively, you can take the earlier 06:59 departure or later 10:59 departure and make one easy change of train at Prague Hlavni.

• Buy tickets online at www.bahn.de from €29.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class.  You print your own ticket. 

• Fancy a few hours stopover in Dresden on the way?  To book a Berlin to Bratislava train journey from €29.90 with a stopover in Dresden, go to www.bahn.de, enter Berlin to Bratislava, click Add intermediate stops, enter Dresden in the via box and the number of hours you want to have in Dresden (max 48 hours) in the 'hh:mm' box.  Then run the enquiry and buy the ticket.  There are left luggage lockers at Dresden Hbf.

Option 2, by EuroNight sleeper train Metropol - the time-effective overnight option, saves a hotel bill too...

• A comfortable air-conditioned EuroNight sleeper train called the Metropol leaves Berlin Hbf at 18:43 and arrives Bratislava Hlavna at 05:50 next morning, it's final destination being Budapest.

  The train has an air-conditioned sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, air-conditioned 4 & 6 berth couchettes and 2nd class seats.  A light breakfast is included in the fare in sleepers.

• Fares start at €39 with a couchette in a 6-berth, €59 with a couchette in a 4-berth, €129 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, €139 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €179 in a single-bed sleeper.  The sleeper fare includes a light breakfast, served in your compartment.

• Book online using this special link to Thetrainline.com or at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at.  You print your own ticket.

• Although operated by Hungarian Railways (MAV), for this train MAV hire in the sleeping-car & couchette car from the Slovakians, see photos of the sleeping-car here & photos of the couchette car here.  The sleeping-car If you like, you can see the formation of this train at www.vagonweb.cz - Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Slovakia, click EN then select the Metropol.

• A request:  If you get any good photos of this train inside or out especially the couchettes, please let me know!

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Berlin to Budapest from €39.90...

Option 1, by EuroCity train Hungaria - the leisurely daytime option with restaurant car...

• A comfortable EuroCity train called the Hungaria leaves Berlin Hbf at 09:16 every day, arriving Budapest Nyugati 20:20.

  The Hungaria uses Hungarian Railways' very latest air-conditioned cars with power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  It's a leisurely day with your feet up, with lovely scenery as the train snakes along the Elbe river valley between Dresden & Prague, see the photos & video here.  There's a Hungarian restaurant car serving inexpensive meals & wine and with draught beer on tap, so treat yourself to lunch and a glass or two! 

  If you like you can check the train formation & see what the carriages are like at www.vagonweb.cz - Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Czechia and click EC then look for the Hungaria.

  A request:  If you get any more good interior, restaurant or food photos of the new cars now used on the Hungaria, please get in touch!

• Alternatively, you can take the earlier 06:59 departure or later 10:59 departure from Berlin Hbf with one easy change at Prague Hlavni.

• Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.

• Buy tickets at the German railways site www.bahn.de.  You simply print your own ticket.

Option 2, by EuroNight sleeper train Metropol - the time-effective overnight option, saves a hotel bill too...

• A comfortable EuroNight sleeper train called the Metropol leaves Berlin Hbf at 18:43 and arrives Budapest Keleti at 08:35 next morning.

  The train has an air-conditioned carpeted sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, air-conditioned 4 & 6 berth couchettes and 2nd class seats.

• Fares start at €39 with a couchette in a 6-berth, €59 with a couchette in a 4-berth, €129 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, €139 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €179 in a single-bed sleeper.  The sleeper fare includes a light breakfast, served in your compartment.

• Book online using this special link to Thetrainline.com (easiest) or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at.  Booking usually opens up to 90 days ahead.  You print your own ticket.

• Although operated by Hungarian Railways (MAV), for this train MAV hire in the sleeping-car & couchette car from the Slovakians, see photos of the sleeping-car here & photos of the couchette car here.  The sleeping-car If you like, you can see the formation of this train at www.vagonweb.cz - Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Hungary & click EN, then select the Metropol.

• A request:  If you get any good photos of this train inside or out especially the couchettes, please let me know!

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Berlin to Bucharest, Brasov & Romania...

Option 1, travelling by sleeper with a day in Budapest...

• Step 1, travel from Berlin to Budapest on the direct sleeper train Metropol, leaving Berlin Hbf at 18:43 and arriving Budapest Keleti at 08:35, as shown in detail above.  The sleeper has 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments and 4 & 6 berth couchettes.  Buy tickets for these trains as shown above.

• Spend a day enjoying Budapest.

• Step 2, then take the EuroNight sleeper train Ister leaving Budapest Keleti at 19:10 and arriving Brasov at 09:53 & Bucharest Gara de Nord at 12:30 next day.  This comfortable train has 4 and 6 berth couchettes and a modern air-conditioned sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, also deluxe sleepers with 1 or 2 beds and shower/toilet.

• Fares from Budapest to Bucharest start at €49 in a 2-bed sleeper, you can book this train online at the Hungarian railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice on how to use mavcsoport.hu & how you collect your tickets.

Option 2, to Brasov by daytime trains with hotel in Budapest...

• Day 1, travel from Berlin to Budapest by EuroCity train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 09:16 arriving Budapest Nyugati at 20:20. 

  Between Dresden & Prague the train runs along the scenic Elbe river valley, grab a seat on the left hand side of the train for the best river views,  see the tips, photos & video here.  The train also has a restaurant car, why not have a meal and a beer or two while you travel?

  Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class, booked online at www.bahn.de. 

• Stay overnight in Budapest.  For an inexpensive hotel with great reviews right next to Keleti Station, try the Royal Park Boutique Hotel or the inexpensive Baross City Hotel just across the road or the Elit Hotel two minutes walk away.  More hotels in Budapest.

• Day 2, travel from Budapest to Bucharest leaving Budapest Keleti at 07:10 and arriving Bucharest Nord at 23:55, or from Budapest to Brasov leaving Budapest Keleti at 09:10 and arriving Brasov at 23:54.

  Fares start at €29 booked with Hungarian Railways at www.mavcsoport.hu, see advice on using mavcsoport.hu & how to collect your tickets.

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Berlin to Warsaw from €29.90:  See the Berlin-Warsaw EuroCity train page...

• Comfortable EuroCity trains link Berlin Hbf & Warsaw Centralna in 6h or so several times per day, centre to centre.  These are smart modern air-conditioned EuroCity trains with restaurant car.

• Buy tickets online at the German Railways website www.bahn.de.  Fares from €29.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class.  In this direction you usually print your own ticket.  Booking for this route opens 60 days before departure.

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Berlin to Krakow from €39.90...

Busse? Nein Danke! Train tickets from €39... Use this special link...

Option 1, by daytime trains via Warsaw from just €39.90...

• There are no longer any direct daytime trains between Berlin & Krakow (although there is now a direct sleeper, see option 2).  German Railways have laid on a bus, but the nightmare of 8 hours in a bus is to be avoided.  Instead, you can travel via Warsaw by comfortable trains as follows:

• Step 1, travel from Berlin Hbf to Warsaw Centralna in around 5h40 by comfortable EuroCity train.

• Step 2, then travel from Warsaw Centralna to Krakow by either bullet-nosed InterCity Premium (EIP) train, fast air-conditioned Intercity Express (EIC) train, or older TLK train taking as little as 2h19.  I'd allow at least 30 minutes to change in Warsaw, but even so, it's not much slower than the nightmare 8 hour bus journey.

• You can easily buy a ticket from Berlin to Krakow at the German Railways website www.bahn.de - this covers both trains on one ticket from as little as €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.

  However, to see this route you need to click Add intermediate stops and enter Warsaw to force it to find these cheap fares via Warsaw by train not bus.

  I have set up this link with the necessary parameters, just enter your date of travel & passenger details.

  Why not stop off for a few hours in Warsaw?  Perhaps have lunch in the old town between trains.  Simply click Add intermediate stops and enter the number of hours you want in the hh:mm box.  The Palace of Culture is just across the road from Warsaw Centralna station, and Warsaw's old town square is just 20 minutes walk away.  For lunch, I heartily recommend the U Fukiera restaurant on the inner square, www.ufukiera.pl.

  If you don't see any cheap fares from Berlin to Krakow using bahn.de for any reason, assuming it's within 60 days of travel, simply book from Berlin to Warsaw at www.bahn.de from €29, allow at least 45 minutes in Warsaw between trains, then book Warsaw to Krakow separately for around €20 at Polish Railways www.intercity.pl.

Option 2, by direct sleeper train.  A safe, comfortable & time-effective option...

• A sleeper train leaves Berlin Hbf at 18:43 with a sleeping-car and two seats cars for Krakow Glowny, arriving nice and early (well, early...) at 04:15 next morning.  The train continues to Przemysl.  The comfortable modern Polish sleeping-car has 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin plus two deluxe compartments with 1 or 2 berths & en suite toilet & shower.  There are no couchettes.

• Prices start at €39 with a bed in a 3-berth, €54 with a bed in a 2-berth or €79 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself.

• You can book at the German Railways website www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.  You'll see this train in the search results twice, once marked EC (EuroCity = seats) and once marked  EN (EuroNight = sleeper), you must select the one marked EN.

  You can also  book this sleeper online at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at and print your own ticket.

  If you have any problem with oebb.at or bahn.de, book by phone, in the UK call German Railways on 08718 80 80 66.

  Tip:  It's not possible to book a deluxe sleeper.  PKP have found they cannot always guarantee this type of sleeper, sometimes operating a nicely refurbished older sleeper with regular compartments and no deluxes, so they play safe and book all compartments as standard with washbasin.  If you end up in a deluxe it's a bonus!

• Tip:  Instead of getting off the sleeper in Krakow at silly o'clock, why not book it 3 stops beyond Krakow to a small city called Tarnow, arriving at a more civilised 06:19?  It makes no difference to the price!  Have breakfast in Tarnow, then take a daytime train back to Krakow for a few euros, you can be back in Krakow by 09:00.  Book a ticket from Tarnow to Krakow at the Polish Railways website www.intercity.pl.  About the city of Tarnow.

Option 3, by sleeper train via Poznan.  Also safe, comfortable & time-effective, with dinner in Poznan!

• Step 1, travel from Berlin to Poznan by comfortable air-conditioned EuroCity train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 17:43 and arriving Poznan at 20:30.  There's time for dinner in Poznan - or by all means take the earlier 13:42 or 12:37 train and see something of Poznan's pleasant old town.  Fares from €19, pre-booked at www.bahn.de.

• Step 2, travel overnight by sleeper train leaving Poznan around 23:20 and arriving Krakow at 05:38 next morning.

  You can book this train using the Polish railways website www.intercity.pl.  The fare is around 117 zlotys (€28) with a couchette in a 4-berth or 207 zlotys (€49) for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper).

Option 4, by sleeper train via Stettin - a variation on option 3 above...

• Step 1, travel from Berlin to Stettin (Szczecin) by regional train, leaving Berlin Gesundbrunnen around 17:19 and arriving Szczecin Glowny at 19:13.  By all means take the earlier 14:53 train from Berlin Gesundbrunnen and see something of Stettin.  The fare is just €11 bought at the station on the day if you buy a VBB Berlin-Stettin Ticket as explained in  the Berlin-Stettin section below.  You can check times at www.bahn.de, although this cannot sell the special €11 ticket, only more expensive ones.

• Step 2, travel overnight by sleeper train leaving Szczecin Glowny around 19:50 and arriving Krakow at 05:38 next morning.

  You can book this train using the Polish railways website www.intercity.pl.  The fare is around 124 zlotys (€29) with a couchette in a 4-berth or 214 zlotys (€51) for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper).

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Busse? Nein Danke!

Berlin to Wroclaw from €29.90...

Option 1, by new direct Berlin-Wroclaw train from 9 December 2018 onwards...

• A direct EuroCity train leaves Berlin Hbf at 18:43 every evening, arriving Wroclaw Glowny (main station) at 22:49.  In the other direction, it leaves Wroclaw at 05:31 arriving Berlin Hbf 09:48.

• Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class if you book in advance.

• Buy tickets at German Railways website www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.

Option 2, via Poznan or Rzepin...

• Take any Berlin-Warsaw EuroCity train and change at Rzepin or Poznan for a Polish train to Wroclaw Glowny.

• For example, the 05:43 Mondays-Saturdays will get you to Wroclaw at 11:14, or the daily 09:37 from Berlin will get you to Wroclaw at 15:10 or there are later departures.

• You can check times & buy tickets from just €29 at the German Railways website www.bahn.de - use this special link which adds Poznan in the via box and so finds the cheap fares by train via Poznan without cluttering up the search results with the downmarket IC bus option, which should be avoided.

Option 3, by direct regional train Fridays & Saturdays.

• A direct regional train leaves Berlin Lichtenburg 08:31 on Saturdays arriving Wroclaw Glowny at 12:38. 

• A direct regional train leaves Berlin Lichtenberg at 14:31 on Fridays arriving Wroclaw Glowny at 19:05.

• Check times and days of running at www.bahn.de.

• The fare is €19 each way if you buy at the station or online, or €21 if you simply pay on board the train.  It's a regional Express, so no reservation necessary, you can buy a ticket at the station and hop on.  It's possible to buy online at Bahn.de, to find the right page Google Kulturzug Wroclaw bahn,de - however the pages about this train are only in German.

• In the return direction, the train leaves Wroclaw Glowny at 17:23 on Sundays arriving Berlin Lichtenburg at 21:25, also most Fridays at 19:42 arriving 23:55, check times & running days at www.bahn.de.

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Berlin to Gdansk & Gdynia from €29.90...

• An excellent direct EuroCity train leaves Berlin every day at 12:37 direct to Gdansk (the former Danzig) and Gdynia.  See the Berlin-Warsaw EuroCity train page for details.

• You can check times and buy tickets at www.bahn.de.

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Berlin to Szczecin (Stettin) for €11...

• Regional trains link Berlin Gesundbrunnen with Szczecin Glowny (Glowny = main station) several times a day in 1h55 or so, with other journeys between Berlin & Stettin at intervals through the day involving a change of train.

• You can check times at www.bahn.de, but it only shows fares starting at €33 or so, so do not buy here....

• The local transit authority VBB offers a special Berlin-Stettin Ticket for around €11, good for travel on any regional train from Berlin Hbf or any station in the Berlin area to Stettin Glowny or any station in the Stettin area, on regional & S-bahn trains.

  You cannot buy this €11 Berlin-Stettin Ticket online, buy at the station from the VBB machines or staffed counter.  Feedback appreciated!

  You can check the price at the VBB website www.vbb.de/en/tickets.

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Berlin to Lviv, Kiev & Ukraine from €85...

Option 1, sleeper train to Przemysl, day train to Lviv & Kiev...

• Step 1, travel from Berlin to Przemysl on the Poland-Ukraine border by sleeper train. 

  A sleeper train leaves Berlin Hbf at 18:43 with a sleeping-car and two seats cars for Przemysl, arriving at 08:38.  The Polish sleeping-car has 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin.  There are no couchettes.

  Fares start at €69 with a bed in a 3-berth, €89 with a bed in a 2-berth or €109 with a single-bed sleeper.

  Book this train at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at or (on a good day) German Railways www.bahn.de,

• Step 2, travel from Przemysl to Lviv & Kiev by air-conditioned Ukrainian intercity train, leaving Przemysl at 13:10 arriving Lviv 16:02 & Kiev 23:09.

  Przemysl to Lviv costs around €7.10, Przemysl to Kiev around €13.40.

  Book at the Ukrainian Railways website booking.uz.gov.ua/en - if you have any problems contact reliable Polish agency www.polrail.com.

Option 2, day train to Warsaw, sleeper to Kiev, another good option...

• Step 1, travel from Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train leaving Berlin Hbf at 09:37 every day and arriving Warsaw Centralna at 15:33.  Book this train at www.bahn.de from €29.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class.

  If you take the earlier 05:43 departure on Mondays-Saturdays you can have time to explore Warsaw and it'll be a more robust connection, see Warsaw Centralna station & city information.  Warsaw's historic old town is a 20 minute walk from Centralna station - if you fancy a modest splurge, the celebrated Ufukiera restaurant (www.ufukiera.pl) is excellent and right on the square in the heart of Warsaw's old town.  The Palace of Culture (a wedding cake style Soviet skyscraper and distinctive Warsaw landmark, www.pkin.pl) is right next to the station and has a viewing terrace on the 30th floor.

• Step 2, travel from Warsaw to Kiev by Kiev Express sleeper train, leaving Warsaw Centralna at 18:05 and arriving Kiev at 11:00 next day.  This train has comfortable Ukrainian 1, 2 & 3 bed sleepers with washbasin.  There's no restaurant car, so take a picnic and some wine or beer.

  The fare is around €46 in a 3-bed sleeper if you manage to book via the Ukrainian Railways website.  If you have to book via Polrail it costs around €57 including a bed in a 3-berth sleeper, €66 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €110 in a single-bed sleeper all to yourself.

  To buy tickets, first see if you can book online with Ukrainian Railways at booking.uz.gov.ua/en - but please, please, please read the important notes here which explain how to book this train using that website.  If that doesn't work for you, book with reliable Polish agency Polrail at booking.polrail.com.  Tickets can be collected in Warsaw or (at extra charge) shipped to any address worldwide.  Polrail are also pretty good at arranging the return reservation back from Kiev as they have close contacts with Ukrainian Railways.

• Book onward trains from Kiev to Odessa & other places in Ukraine as shown on the Ukraine page.

Boarding in Warsaw...		A sleeper compartment...		...with washbasin.

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Berlin to Moscow, St Petersburg & Russia...

Option 1, by twice-weekly Moscow to Berlin Swift sleeper train.

• Russian Railways RZD started a new twice-weekly sleeper train from Berlin to Moscow in 2016, it leaves Berlin Hbf at 20:08 on Mondays & Saturdays, arriving at Moscow Belorussky station at 21:24 next day.  It arrives 20:43 from 29 March to 24 October 2020 as Russia has no daylight saving time.

• The train is an articulated Spanish-built Talgo train branded Strizh (Russian for swift) which started running in 2016.  It has ordinary seats, 2nd class 4-berth sleepers, 1st class 1 or 2 berth sleepers with washbasin and deluxe 1 or 2 berth sleepers with en suite shower & toilet.  There's a restaurant & bistro car.  See photo of 2-berth sleeper on this train.

• Russian track gauge is 5', but most of Europe (including the UK) is 4' 8½", so at Brest on the Belarus frontier the Talgo train runs through a special gauge-changing shed and the axles automatically adjust to the new gauge.  Once in Russia, the scenery is rolling hills, birch tree forests, and villages of small wooden houses.  Approaching Moscow, you may glimpse the plaques on the station building marked '1812' and '1942' as the train passes through the small station of historic Borodino...

• Fares around 13,000 rubles (€181) with a bed in a 4-berth compartment, 18,000 rubles (€251) with a bed in a 1st class 2-bed compartment.

• You can book the Berlin-Moscow train at the Russian Railways website www.rzd.ru and print your own ticket, it's a little fiddly but usually works, or you can easily buy it online with English language after-sales service if you need it, using the Real Russia online system here.

• Don't forget to arrange both your Russian visa & Belarus transit visa as the train runs via Belarus. 

• IMPORTANT:  See the update about travel to Russia through Belarus.

The Strizh sleeper train from Berlin to Moscow, seen here boarding in Berlin.  It's a Spanish-built articulated Talgo train - note the relatively small size of each car, just one axle between each car.  The axles adjust automatically from standard European gauge (4' 8½") to Russian 5' gauge at Brest, as the train passes slowly through a special gauge-changing shed.   Courtesy of Stuart Wilks & Jaap van Ginkel.

2-berth sleeper with washbasin, in night & daytime modes...				Complimentary toiletry pack...

Option 2, by direct Paris-Berlin-Moscow Express, once a week...

• You can travel from Berlin to Moscow using Russian Railways excellent high-quality Paris-Moscow Express.

• It leaves Berlin Hbf every Friday at 07:26, arriving Moscow Belorussky around 11:45 next day, see the Paris-Moscow Express page.

• The train features modern air-conditioned Russian sleepers with 2nd class 4-berth & 1st class 2-berth compartments, VIP deluxe Russian sleepers with 1 or 2 berths, shower & toilet, and a Polish restaurant car is available throughout.  See panorama photo of a standard sleeper.

• How much does it cost?  Around 7,841 rubles (€125) in 2nd class 4-berth, 11,006 rubles (€175) in 1st class 2-berth, 25,982 rubles (€410) with sole occupancy of a deluxe sleeper with shower.

• How to buy tickets?  You can book online at the Russian Railways website www.rzd.ru.  You print your own ticket.

• Don't forget to arrange both your Russian visa & Belarus transit visa as the train runs via Belarus.  IMPORTANT:  See the update about travel to Russia through Belarus.

Option 3, using the daily Warsaw-Moscow sleeper train...

• Day 1 morning, take the EuroCity train leaving Berlin Hbf at 09:37 and arriving Warsaw Centralna at 15:33.  Book this train at www.bahn.de from €29.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class.

  On Mondays-Saturdays there's also an 05:43 from Berlin Hbf arriving Warsaw Centralna at 11:33, allowing you some time in Warsaw, see Warsaw Centralna station & city information.  Warsaw's historic old town is a 20 minute walk from Centralna station - if you fancy a modest splurge, the celebrated Ufukiera restaurant (www.ufukiera.pl) is excellent and right on the square in the heart of Warsaw's old town.  The Palace of Culture (a wedding cake style Soviet skyscraper and distinctive Warsaw landmark, www.pkin.pl) is right next to the station and has a viewing terrace on the 30th floor.

• Day 1 evening, travel from Warsaw to Moscow by Russian sleeper train, leaving Warsaw Centralna at 19:15 daily and arriving Moscow Belorussky at 16:58 next day (day 2).  You can check times at the Russian Railways website www.rzd.ru.

  This train uses impressive Austrian-built sleeping-cars with 4-berth compartments built in 2014, see photos of this type of sleeper here & see panorama photo inside one of these modern sleepers.  Each compartment can be sold as 1st class 1-berth, 1st class 2-berth or 2nd class 4-berth.  The train consist of two or three sleeping-car which start their journey in Prague.  There's a bistro car in Poland and a Russian restaurant car is attached between Brest (on the Polish/Belarus border) & Moscow.

  You can book this train by contacting reliable Polish train ticketing agency www.polrail.com - their booking system is at http://booking.polrail.com.  Tickets can be collected in Warsaw or (at extra charge) shipped to any address worldwide.

Alternatively, you can book with Russian Railways at www.rzd.ru although it's a little quirky and may not accept some overseas credit cards.

Don't forget to arrange both your Russian visa & Belarus transit visa as the train runs via Belarus.

IMPORTANT:  See the update about travel to Russia through Belarus.

Option 4, via Kiev avoiding Belarus and any issues crossing Belarus to reach Moscow...

• Day 1, travel from Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 09:37 and arriving at Warsaw Centralna at 15:33.

• Day 1, take the Kiev Express overnight sleeper train from Warsaw to Kiev, leaving Warsaw Centralna at 18:05 and arriving in Kiev at 11:00 on day 2.  This train has comfortable Ukrainian 1, 2 & 3 bed sleepers with washbasin.  There's no restaurant car, so take a picnic and perhaps some wine or beer.  The train is jacked up at the border to have its bogies changed from standard gauge (4' 8.5") to Russian 5' gauge, an interesting experience.  See the Kiev Express photos on the London to Ukraine page.  Spend the day exploring Kiev (by all means spend a night or two here if you like).

• Day 2, take an overnight sleeper train from Kiev to Moscow.  There are several night trains and times vary by date, but there's usually one leaving Kiev at 19:36 and arriving in Moscow Kievskaya station next morning at 10:13 (day 3 from Berlin).  2-berth & 4-berth sleepers are available.  No problems have been reported by westerners travelling from Kiev to Moscow on these trains.

• How much does it cost?

  Berlin to Warsaw starts at €29.90.  The fare varies, book ahead for cheapest prices.

  Warsaw to Kiev costs around around €57 with a bed in a 3-berth sleeper, €66 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €110 with a bed in a single-bed sleeper, if you book through Polrail.  It's a few euros cheaper (€46 in 4-berth) if you manage to book onliine as explained below.

  Kiev to Moscow costs around €92 with a bed in 4-berth kupé or €180 with a bed in a 2-berth spalny vagon.  Polrail.com charge about €95 for a bed in a 4-berth sleeper.

• To buy tickets...

  Book Berlin-Warsaw online at www.bahn.de.  You print your own ticket.

  Book Warsaw-Kiev and Kiev-Moscow, contact reliable Polish ticketing agency www.polrail.com.  Tickets are collected in Warsaw.

  Alternatively, you can book Warsaw to Kiev then Kiev to Moscow at the Ukrainian Railways website https://booking.uz.gov.ua/en/, although there are only very few berths from Warsaw to Kiev made available online, see the explanation & instructions on the London to Kiev page.  For the Kiev to Moscow booking you should book from Kyiv to Moskva Kievskaya.  You collect the Kiev-Moscow tickets at the station in Kiev.  Feedback appreciated!

• You'll still need a Russian visa, but you don't go through Belarus if you go this way.

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Berlin to Vilnius, Riga & Tallinn...

• Step 1, travel from Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train from €29.90, see the Berlin-Warsaw page for schedules, fares, how to buy tickets.

  Depending on the day of the week and onward trains you choose, you will either need to stop overnight in Warsaw or in Bialystok.

• Step 2, travel from Warsaw to Vilnius.  It's now possible to avoid a nightmare 9 hour bus journey and take comfortable modern trains between Warsaw, Bialystok & Vilnius at least on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, see the Warsaw to Vilnius page.

• Step 3, for onward travel from Vilnius to Riga, click here.

• Step 4, for onward travel from Riga to Tallinn, click here.

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Berlin to Ljubljana, Zagreb, Rijeka, Sarajevo...

Option 1, by Berlin-Munich daytime train then Munich-Zagreb sleeper train - the most comfortable & time-effective option...

• Step 1, travel from Berlin to Munich by ICE high-speed train from €29.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class.  For example, the 16:30 from Berlin Hbf arrives Munich Hbf 21:01, with time for dinner in Munich.

  Book this at German Railways www.bahn.de and print out your own ticket.

  For dinner in Munich with local Bavarian food & a beer or two try www.augustinerkeller.de at Arnulfstrasse 52, on the north side of Munich Hbf.

• Step 2, take the comfortable Croatian sleeper train Lisinski which leaves Munich Hbf at 23:20 and arrives at Ljubljana at 05:57 & Zagreb at 08:35 next morning.  It has a modern Croatian air-conditioned couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments and a modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car with comfortable 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, see the photos below and the Croatian sleeper video here.

  Fares start at €49 with a couchette in 6-berth, €59 with a couchette in 4-berth, €89 in a 2-bed sleeper with washbasin or €129 in a single-bed sleeper with washbasin.

  Book this sleeper online at the German Railways website www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.  Tickets can also be booked at the www.thetrainline.com, which gets its prices from the Austrian Railways ticketing system and can sometimes be cheaper.

• For Sarajevo, take the morning train to Sarajevo (if running!),  Buy the ticket at the station in Zagreb or on the train, around €30 one-way or €44 return, see here for more details.

• For Rijeka, change in Ljubljana.  Buy a Ljubljana-Rijeka ticket at the station, check times using www.bahn.de.

Option 2, by Berlin-Budapest sleeper then daytime train...

• Step 1, take the overnight sleeper train Metropol from Berlin to Budapest, leaving Berlin Hbf at 18:43 and arriving Budapest Keleti at 08:35 next morning.  It has couchettes and a comfortable sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments.  Fares from €39 with a couchette or €49 with a bed in a cosy 2-bed sleeper if you book in advance at www.bahn.de.  You print your own ticket.  This train starts running on 9 December 2018.

• Step 2 for Zagreb, enjoy a morning exploring Budapest then take the 15:35 InterCity train Agram from Budapest Deli to Zagreb arriving 21:05.  You can buy tickets for this train online from as little as €9 at www.mavcsoport.hu - see my advice for using it and how to collect your tickets.

• For Sarajevo, stay overnight in Zagreb and take the morning train to Sarajevo next morning if running.  Buy the ticket at the station in Zagreb, around €30 one-way or €44 return, see here for more details & to check the operational status of this train.

Option 3, by daytime trains with overnight hotel in Munich - if you prefer day trains & hotel to sleepers...

• Day 1,  take a daytime train from Berlin Hbf to Munich Hbf, journey time as little as 3h58, you can leave as late as 19:28.  Fares start at €29.90, check times and prices at www.bahn.de.

• Stay overnight in Munich.  Suggested hotels include the Sofitel Munich Beyerpost, Eden Hotel Wolff, InterCity Hotel or (budget) the Pension Locarno, all right next to the station with great reviews.

• Day 2, take a daytime train from Munich Hbf to Ljubljana or Zagreb from €39.90 with great scenery through the mountains of Austria and along the pretty River Sava, booked at www.bahn.de.  The first departure is at 08:17 with an easy cross-platform change at Villach.  More info here.

• For Rijeka, change in Ljubljana.  Buy a Ljubljana-Rijeka ticket at the station, check times using www.bahn.de.

Option 4, by daytime trains with overnight hotel in Budapest - if you prefer day trains & hotel to sleepers...

• Day 1, take the direct EuroCity train leaving Berlin Hbf at 09:16 arriving Budapest Nyugati at 20:20. Fares from €39.90, check times and prices at www.bahn.de.  There's a restaurant car for lunch and a beer or two, and great scenery along the Elbe river valley between Dresden and Prague, see the photos and video here.

• Stay overnight in Budapest.  For an inexpensive hotel with great reviews right next to Keleti Station, try the Royal Park Boutique Hotel or the inexpensive Baross City Hotel just across the road or the Elit Hotel two minutes walk away.  More hotels in Budapest

• Day 2, take a daytime train from Budapest to Ljubljana or Zagreb:

  The Citadella leaves Budapest Deli at 09:00 and arrives Ljubljana at 16:40. 

  The Gradec leaves Budapest Keleti at 06:35 arriving in Zagreb at 13:01 (this train only runs from 6 June to 13 September 2020), or spend a pleasant morning in Budapest and take the afternoon train Agram leaving Budapest Deli at 15:35 and arriving in Zagreb at 21:05, this runs every day all year round.

  Fares start at from €15 booked at www.mavcsoport.hu -see my advice for using it and how to collect your ticket.

Option 5, Berlin to Prague by day train, then Prague to Ljubljana & Rijeka by Regiojet sleeper train (summer-only, 3 times a week) - cheapest!

• Step 1, travel from Berlin to Prague by EuroCity train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 11:16 and arriving Prague Hlavni at 15:36.  Or you could take an earlier train 2 or 4 hours earlier and spend some time in Prague.  There's a restaurant car for lunch and a beer or two, and great scenery along the Elbe river valley between Dresden and Prague, see the photos and video here.

  Buy a ticket from €19.90 at www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.

• Step 2, travel from Prague to Ljubljana & Rijeka by Regiojet sleeper train.  This new train is operated by open-access operator Regiojet.  It runs on Tuesdays, Fridays & Sundays from 30 June to 25 September 2020, as COVID-19 border restrictions have now been relaxed (in other words, yes it's running in spite of COVID-19!).

  Update:  This train has proved so successful, it's being increased to run every day for much of this period.

  Update:  This train will only allow travel to Ljubljana if Slovenian COVID-19 restrictions allow, please check.

  The train leaves Prague Hlavni on Tuesdays, Fridays & Sundays in summer at 17:20 arriving Ljubljana at 05:14 & Rijeka at 08:56.

  The fare is €22 in a seat or €30 with a couchette in a shared 4-berth compartment, for sole occupancy of a whole couchette compartment simply buy 4 tickets.  The couchette fare includes all necessary bedding and a light breakfast.

  Buy an e-ticket online at www.regiojet.com.  It even allows you to choose your exact place from a carriage plan.

Regiojet sleeper train at Prague Hlavni.

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Berlin to Belgrade, Sofia, Montenegro, Thessaloniki, Athens & Istanbul...

Option 1, via Zagreb, as the route from Budapest to Belgrade is currently blocked by major track upgrading...

• Day 1, travel from Berlin to Munich by day train and Munich to Zagreb by sleeper as shown above.  You arrive at 08:35 on day 2.

• Day 2, travel from Zagreb to Belgrade by train.  Until 4 October 2020 it leaves Zagreb at 11:03 and arrives Novi Beograd at 18:00 & Belgrade Centar at 18:07.  From 5 October 2020 onwards it leaves Zagreb at 13:04 and arrives Novi Beograd at 20:17 & Belgrade Centar at 20:25.

  This train has air-conditioned Serbian carriages with comfortable 2nd class seats, but no 1st class.  There's no dining-car, so bring a picnic and some beer or wine.

  The fare is around €29 bought at the station in Zagreb or paid on board the train, but tickets cannot be bought online.

• For Montenegro, transfer to Belgrade Topcider station and either take the overnight sleeper Lovcen to Podgorica and Bar arriving in the morning on day 3, or stay overnight in Belgrade and take the daytime train Tara next day.  See the Belgrade to Montenegro page for schedule, fares & how to buy tickets.

• For Sofia, stay overnight in Belgrade and take the train from Belgrade to Sofia next day (day 3) arriving in the evening.  See the Belgrade to Sofia page for schedule, fares & how to buy tickets

• For Istanbul, stay overnight in Belgrade, take the train from Belgrade to Sofia on day 3 (see details here),  stay overnight and spend day 4 in Sofia, then take the Sofia-Istanbul Express sleeper train to Istanbul (see details here).

• For Thessaloniki & Athens, stay overnight in Belgrade and spend the following day there, then take the summer-only train from Belgrade to Thessaloniki for an onward train to Athens, see details here.

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Hotels in Berlin & other cities

My favourite hotel search site: www.booking.com www.booking.com is my favourite hotel booking site and I generally prefer booking my hotels all in one place here.  You can usually book with free cancellation - this allows you to confirm your accommodation at no risk before train booking opens.  It also means you can hold accommodation while you finalise your itinerary, and alter your plans as they evolve - a feature I use all the time when putting a trip together.  I never book hotels non-refundably.  I have also come to trust their review scores - you won't be disappointed with anything over 8.0. Tip:  It can pay to compare prices across multiple hotel sites:  HotelsCombined.com is a price comparison site which compares hotel prices on Booking.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, Accor, Agoda and many others.  Though if there's not much in it, I prefer keeping all my bookings together in one place at www.booking.com.

Other hotel sites worth trying...

• www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.

• 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...

• 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.

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