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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. Information current for 2023.
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
Berlin to other destinations in Germany
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Berlin to any destination in Germany
int.bahn.de will book trains from Berlin Hbf to anywhere in Germany.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, except when the mid-December timetable change gets in the way. More information about when train booking opens.
With just a handful of 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 more expensive 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.
A seat reservation is usually optional for a small extra charge, around 4.50 per seat, usually free if you're buying a 1st class ticket - if you don't want one you can sit in any unreserved seat. You can choose your seat from a seating plan when booking a German IC or ICE train.
You print your own tickets (on A4 paper but U.S. Letter size is fine) or you can show it on your laptop or phone. 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.
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Lo-cost Flixtrains to Hamburg, Dόsseldorf & Cologne
In addition to the regular service provided by DB, competing lo-cost operator Flixtrain offers two trains per day from Cologne & Dusseldorf to Osnabruck, Hamburg & Berlin. Flixtrains have one class of seating with power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. There's no catering.
Fares start at 9.99 and vary like air fares. If you need to travel at short notice, Flixtrain can be a lot cheaper than using DB.
Book at www.flixtrain.com.
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About train travel in Germany
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 Deutschland Ticket, Schφnes-Wochenende-Ticket and Lander tickets.
Berlin to Munich from 17.50. See the video
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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 3h56 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 trains have power sockets at all seats, a restaurant car and free WiFi.
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Fares start at just 17.50 in 2nd class or 26.40 in 1st class if you pre-book. The Flexpreis is around 135 if you buy on the day, 2nd class.
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Buy tickets at int.bahn.de and print your own ticket out or show it on your laptop or phone. Booking now opens up to 6 months ahead, though much less when the mid-June or mid-December timetable change is in the offing. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Berlin to London & UK
Option 1, Berlin to London by high-speed train & Eurostar
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Travel from Berlin to Cologne & Brussels by high-speed ICE train, then take Eurostar to London.
See the London to Germany page for train times, fares & how to buy tickets.
You can buy Berlin to London rail tickets at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com, both easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
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Buy onward tickets from London to other British towns & cities at www.thetrainline.com.
You collect tickets from the self-service ticket machines or in many cases you can print them out or show it on your phone.
If you're booking a train-specific Advance fare and your onward train leaves from St Pancras, Kings Cross or Euston, I'd allow at least 1 hour between Eurostar arrival and any onward train to allow for delay, even though it only takes 3 minutes to walk across the road to Kings Cross or 10 minutes to walk to Euston. I'd allow 90 minutes if booking a train-specific Advance fare and your onward train goes from Paddington, Waterloo or Liverpool Street as then you'll need to change stations by Underground or taxi.
Option 2, Berlin to London via the Hoek van Holland-Harwich ferry - the ferry alternative
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Take a Intercity train from Berlin to Amsterdam, then travel overnight from Amsterdam to London, sleeping in a cosy private cabin on the Hoek van Holland - Harwich ferry with toilet, shower & satellite TV. Inexpensive, comfortable and a chance to see Amsterdam on the way.
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See the London to Germany page for times, fares & how to buy tickets.
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Captain's Class cabin on the Harwich-Hoek ferry with double bed, complimentary minibar with sparkling wine, tea & coffee making facilities, hairdryer. Larger photo. |
Boarding the Stena Britannica at Harwich, a floating hotel to Hoek van Holland, with easy rail connections on either side of the Channel. Restaurants, bars, shop, kennels, cinema. |
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Dinner before bed? Metropolitan ΰ la carte restaurant. |
Standard outside cabin. Larger photo. 360Ί photo. |
Berlin to Dublin & Ireland
Option 1, Berlin to Dublin via London & Holyhead - daily departures
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Day 1, travel from Berlin to London by high-speed train & Eurostar, see the London-Germany page for times, fares, how to buy tickets.
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Stay overnight in London, see suggested hotels near St Pancras.
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Day 2, travel from London Euston to Dublin on the morning train & ferry service, arriving Dublin Ferryport 17:25, see details here.
It's only a 10 minute walk between St Pancras & Euston stations. Rail & Sail is an inexpensive, fun and interesting way to go, see an illustrated account of the journey. By all means stop off in London for longer if you like.
Option 2, Berlin to Dublin via Paris & Cherbourg - several times a week
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Day 1, travel from Berlin to Paris by high-speed train on any departure you like, as shown below.
Fares start at 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend changing Transfer time from Normal to minimum 30 minutes. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.
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Stay overnight in Paris, see suggested hotels near the stations.
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Day 2, travel from Paris to Dublin by train & ferry, taking a morning train from Paris St Lazare to Cherbourg & an overnight ferry to Dublin as shown in the Paris to Dublin section, arriving in the morning on Day 3.
Irish Ferries sails Cherbourg-Dublin several times a week. Start by booking the ferry at www.irishferries.com and add a train connection using www.thetrainline.com, see the Paris to Dublin section for full details.
Berlin to Paris from 39.90
Option 1, Berlin to Paris in a day
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You can travel from Berlin to Paris by superb German ICE high-speed train & French TGV Duplex with cafe-bar or restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, city centre to city centre through the countryside, for example:
Berlin Hbf depart 07:33 by ICE, change Mannheim onto a TGV Duplex, arrive Paris Gare de l'Est at 16:54.
Berlin Hbf depart 09:26 by ICE, change Karlsruhe onto a TGV Duplex, arrive Paris Gare de l'Est at 18:05.
Berlin Hbf depart 11:30 by ICE, change Frankfurt (Main) Hbf onto a TGV Duplex, arrive Paris Gare de l'Est at 20:41.
Berlin Hbf depart 13:29 by ICE, change Frankfurt (Main) Hbf onto an ICE3, arrive Paris Gare de l'Est at 22:52.
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Fares start at 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de and look for a suitable 1-change option.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show on your laptop or phone.
Tip: I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: int.bahn.de won't suggest impossible connections, many connections simply involve stepping off one 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. However, I'd seriously consider changing Transfer time from normal to minimum 30 minutes to give more robust connections, so that a 15 minute delay doesn't mean a missed connection and a 2 hours late arrival.
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If you'd prefer the slightly faster route with 1 change at Cologne onto a Thalys high-speed train, use www.thetrainline.com instead, easy to use, in , £ or $, small booking fee. 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. Alternatively, you can of course book a Berlin-Cologne train at int.bahn.de then book a Cologne to Paris Thalys train separately at www.sncf-connect.com (in , no booking fee). For example:
Berlin Hbf depart 07:46 by ICE, change at Cologne Hbf onto Thalys, arrive Paris Gare du Nord at 16:05.
Berlin Hbf depart 11:46 by ICE, change at Cologne Hbf onto Thalys, arrive Paris Gare du Nord at 20:05.
Berlin Hbf depart 13:46 by ICE, change at Cologne Hbf onto Thalys, arrive Paris Gare du Nord at 22:05.
Option 2, Berlin to Paris by high-speed train with an overnight stop - a time-effective option
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You can travel from Berlin to Paris time-effectively by train without having to fly. This breaks up the trip nicely.
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Day 1, take the 17:26 ICE train from Berlin Hbf to Mannheim arriving 22:44. Or by all means book an earlier train, they leave regularly.
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Stay overnight in Mannheim. Inexpensive hotels just outside the station with great reviews include the Station Hotel, Mannheim InterCity Hotel & the Hotel Kurpfalzstuben.
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Day 2, take a morning ICE train from Mannheim to Paris. On Mondays-Fridays the 06:40 from Mannheim arrives Paris Gare de l'Est at 09:52, with breakfast on board. On Saturdays a 07:40 arrives Paris Gare de l'Est 10:54. On Sundays a 07:38 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.
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Fares from Berlin to Paris start at 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book from Berlin to Paris at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
To get the overnight stop at Mannheim, click Stopovers and enter Mannheim Hbf with a suitable length of stay, say 10 hours.
Adjust the departure time and length of stay to get the trains you want either side of Mannheim. Obviously, look for 1-change options in the search results.
I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show on your laptop or phone.
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Alternatively, stop overnight in Cologne...
Step 1, travel from Berlin to Cologne by ICE train in 4h17 from 27.90, booked at int.bahn.de.
You can leave as late as 19:46 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 Kφln-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.
Step 2, travel from Cologne to Paris by high-speed Thalys train in 3h21 from 35 booked at www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, easy to use, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.sncf-connect.com (in , no booking fee).
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, Berlin to Paris with an overnight stop in Amsterdam
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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.
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Day 1, travel from Berlin Hbf to Amsterdam Centraal by InterCity train in 6h27. You can leave Berlin as late as 16:33, see the Berlin to Amsterdam timetable & photos of the train & sights to see on the way.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
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Stay overnight in Amsterdam...
Suggested hotels with good or great review include 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.
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Day 2, travel from Amsterdam Centraal to Paris Gare du Nord by Thalys high-speed train in 3h20.
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 a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi. More information about Thalys.
Fares start at 35 in 2nd class or 79 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, easy to use, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.sncf-connect.com (in , no booking fee). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Berlin to Strasbourg
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You can travel from Berlin to Strasbourg in around 6h30 with just 1 change, using a high-speed ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi from Berlin Hbf to Mannheim or Frankfurt, then another ICE or a TGV Duplex to Strasbourg.
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Check times & buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
Tip: Look for 1-change journeys with a cheap fare shown, from 42.90 upwards.
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Tip: It's possible to travel more cheaply, with more frequent departures, using a direct Berlin-Offenburg ICE train then a regional train from Offenburg to Strasbourg.
The catch? Bahn.de only shows an expensive 139 full-flex fare for these useful 1-change journeys.
The solution? Split the booking! First check Berlin to Strasbourg times via Offenburg using this special link to bahn.de, just enter your date of travel and you should see departures every 2 hours with 1 change. Then use int.bahn.de to book Berlin-Offenburg on the train you want with advance-purchase Sparpreis fares from just 17.50. Then use int.bahn.de again to buy a fixed-price full-flex ticket from Offenburg to Strasbourg for 9.90, good for any Offenburg-Strasbourg regional train that day. Easy!
Berlin to Lyon, Avignon, Marseille, Nice & other cities in France
Option 1, using the direct TGV from Frankfurt to Lyon, Avignon, Aix en Provence & Marseille - recommended, avoids having to cross Paris!
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Frankfurt by ICE train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 09:04 and arriving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 12:59.
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Step 2, travel from Frankfurt to France by TGV Duplex, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 13:56, arriving Lyon Part Dieu at 19:56, Avignon TGV 21:09, Aix en Provence 21:33 & Marseille St Charles 21:48.
This impressive double-deck TGV Duplex runs direct from Frankfurt to Lyon & the South of France every day, with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.
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Step 3, stay overnight in Marseille and continue to Cannes, Nice, Nimes, Montpellier, Perpignan or Toulouse next day.
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Fares start at 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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How to buy tickets
Book from Berlin to Lyon, Avignon, Aix or Marseille at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
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 recommend changing Transfer time from Normal to minimum 30 minutes so you get the trains I suggest above.
If you're going beyond Marseille (for example, to Nice, Montpellier or Perpignan), book the onward French train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, easy to use, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in , no booking fee).
Option 2, Berlin to Lyon & the South of France via Paris
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Cross Paris by metro or taxi... Always allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Paris. You may need to stay overnight in Paris, see suggested hotels near the Gare de l'ESt & Gare de Lyon.
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Step 2, take an onward train from Paris to Nantes, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Lyon, Nice or anywhere in France.
Check times & buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in , no booking fee). Booking for French trains open up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
Option 3, Berlin to Lyon & the South of France using the Berlin-Basel Nightjet sleeper train
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Basel SBB by Nightjet sleeper train as shown in the Berlin to Switzerland section, leaving Berlin Hbf at 21:51 and arriving Basel SBB at 07:20. Book this at www.thetrainline.com and print your own ticket. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
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Step 2, take a Swiss domestic train to Geneva and a TER regional train to Lyon Part Dieu, arriving around 13:34.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in , no booking fee). Booking for French trains opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
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Step 3, take an onward train to Nice, Nimes, Montpellier, Perpignan, also booked at www.raileurope.com, www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com.
Berlin to Brussels & Bruges from 27.90
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Option 1, Berlin to Brussels by European Sleeper - the time-effective overnight option, 3 times a week
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A sleeper train now links Berlin & Brussels on Tuesday, Thursday & Sunday nights, see the European Sleeper page.
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*** 25% autumn discount on European Sleeper, exclusive to Seat61.com ***
I'm delighted to offer seat61 visitors an exclusive 25% discount on the European Sleeper: If you click the links to www.europeansleeper.eu on this page and book tickets between 14 September & 15 October for travel between 21 September & 21 December, 25% will be knocked off the fare at the checkout stage before you pay.
Option 2, Berlin to Brussels by high-speed train - the daytime option
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High-speed ICE2 trains link Berlin and Cologne every hour in just 4h19, connecting with ICE3 trains from Cologne to 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 06:46 by ICE2, change at Cologne Hbf onto an ICE3, arrive Brussels Midi at 13:35.
Leave Berlin Hbf at 08:46 by ICE2, change at Cologne Hbf onto an ICE3, arrive Brussels Midi at 15:35.
Leave Berlin Hbf at 10:46 by ICE2, change at Cologne Hbf onto an ICE3, arrive Brussels Midi at 17:35.
Leave Berlin Hbf at 12:46 by ICE2, change at Cologne Hbf onto an ICE3, arrive Brussels Midi at 19:35.
Leave Berlin Hbf at 14:46 by ICE2, change at Cologne Hbf onto an ICE3, arrive Brussels Midi at 21:35.
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Fares start at 27.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Prices vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
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Buy tickets from Berlin to Brussels or anywhere in Belgium at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. Look for journeys with just 1 change. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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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 phone following their instructions.
Berlin to Amsterdam from 37.90
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Option 1, Berlin to Amsterdam by European Sleeper - the time-effective overnight option, 3 times a week
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A sleeper train links Berlin & Amsterdam on Tuesday, Thursday & Sunday nights, see the European Sleeper page.
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*** 25% autumn discount on European Sleeper, exclusive to Seat61.com ***
If you click the links to www.europeansleeper.eu on this page and book European Sleeper tickets between 13 September & 15 October for travel between 21 September & 21 December, 25% will be knocked off the fare at the checkout stage before you pay.
Option 2, Berlin to Amsterdam by Intercity train - the comfortable daytime option
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Comfortable air-conditioned InterCity trains link Berlin Hbf and Amsterdam Centraal every two hours, city centre to city centre in 6h27, see the timetable here.
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.
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Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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See the Berlin to Amsterdam InterCity train page for timetable, photos and information including photos of the things to look out for from the train on the way. It's an interesting ride!
Berlin to Luxembourg from 37.90
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Berlin to Luxembourg takes around 7h55 by train.
The last leg from Koblenz to Luxembourg is very scenic, much of it along the Moselle valley past river boats and vineyards. For the best river views, sit on the left hand side when going west from Koblenz (the train leaves Koblenz station heading north before turning west).
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Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone or laptop. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: 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.
Tip: To avoid journeys involving a bus cluttering up the search results, click Stopovers and enter Igel as a stopover with length of stay left as zero. The trains all call at Igel, the buses don't!
Berlin to Basel, Zurich, Geneva & Switzerland from 37.90
Option 1, Berlin to Switzerland by sleeper train - the time-effective option
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An excellent Nightjet sleeper train leaves Berlin Hbf at 20:51 every night, arriving Basel SBB at 07:20 & Zurich HB at 09:05 next morning.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.
Tip: The bar at the Steigenberger Hotel just outside the station makes the best VIP waiting room when catching a sleeper train at Berlin Hbf.
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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.
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Book this train at www.raileurope.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways own site www.oebb.at (same prices, a bit more fiddly, in ). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
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Change in Basel for Luzern, Bern, Interlaken, Lausanne, Geneva. Change in Zurich for Lugano, Chur, St Moritz, Davos, Klosters.
Buy onward tickets within Switzerland at www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $) or at the Swiss Railways website www.sbb.ch (in CHF). You print your own ticket.
Tip: If you wait until 60 days or less before your travel date, you may find Supersaver fares available for longer Swiss domestic journeys (for example, Basel-Geneva), saving up to 70% off the regular flexible fare. Supersaver fares commit you to a specific train, so I'd allow at least an hour between the Nightjet arrival and an onward train.
Tip: At www.raileurope.com, this train may be listed in the search results twice, once as seats, once as couchettes/sleepers. Choose the latter!
Option 2, Berlin to Switzerland by daytime train
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Comfortable German ICE trains link Berlin Hbf with Basel SBB every 2 hours from 04:30 until 16:30, 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 more information about ICE trains. Most of these trains are now of the ICE4 type.
Berlin-Basel takes 7h18 centre to centre, Berlin to Bern 8h27, a chill-out journey with a good book and perhaps lunch in the restaurant car. I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier!
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Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de, this can book to almost any station in Switzerland for one inclusive price.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or you can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: In the search results, look for trains marked ICE with 0 changes if going to Basel, Zurich, Bern or Interlaken, or ideally just 1 change if going beyond those stations.
Option 3, Berlin to Switzerland with overnight stop in Frankfurt - a time-effective option
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Day 1, take any train you like from Berlin Hbf to Frankfurt (Main) Hbf in 3h39. You can leave Berlin as late as 19:05 by ICE train arriving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 22:59, but by all means take an earlier train.
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Stay overnight in Frankfurt. Hotels next to the station with good or great reviews include the Flemings Express Hotel & Hotel Hamburger Hof, both of which I have stayed at and can recommend. There's also The Frankfurt and the inexpensive Hotel Topas.
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Day 2, 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!
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Fares from Berlin to Switzerland start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book from Berlin to anywhere in Switzerland at int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
To get the overnight stop in Frankfurt, click Stopovers and enter Frankfurt (Main) Hbf with a suitable length of stay, say 10 hours.
Adjust the departure time & length of stay to get the trains you want either side of 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.
You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Berlin to Verona or Venice from 49.90
Option 1, Berlin to Venice by evening ICE to Munich & Nightjet sleeper train - the most time-effective option.
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Munich by high-speed ICE train leaving Berlin at 18:04 arriving Munich Hbf 22:01.
The ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more information about ICE trains.
Fares start at 29.90 in 2nd class or 59.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Personally, I'd take the earlier 16:04 ICE (they run regularly through the day) to allow time for dinner in Munich.
Book this train at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Transfer from Munich Hbf to Munich Ost by frequent S-Bahn train, taking 8 minutes.
Tip: For a beer or two whilst waiting for your sleeper (or for a meal if you've allowed time for dinner), try the Haidhauser-Augustiner Bavarian restaurant, (www.haidhauser-augustiner.de) just 5 minutes walk from the main station exit on the north side of Munich Ost, see walking route. Feedback appreciated.
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Step 2, travel from Munich to Venice by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Munich Ost at 23:54 and arriving at Venice Santa Lucia at 08:34.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, tips, photos & video.
The train rumbles across the causeway over the lagoon and arrives at Venice Santa Lucia in central Venice on the banks of the Grand Canal.
Fares start at 49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 89.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 139.90 in a single-bed sleeper.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways own site www.oebb.at (same prices, a bit more fiddly, in ). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Option 2, Berlin to Venice in a single day from 49.90 - the daytime option with great scenery
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Munich by high-speed ICE train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 06:29 arriving Munich Hbf at 11:02.
These superb German ICE trains travel at up to 300 km/h (186 mph), they have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More information about ICE trains.
Tip: Consider booking the earlier & faster 06:00 ICE from Berlin Hbf arriving Munich Hbf at 10:02, for a more robust connection in Munich and a chance to stretch your legs or even walk to the cathedral and the Marienplatz, 15 minutes walk from the station.
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Step 2, travel from Munich to Venice by EuroCity train leaving Munich Hbf at 11:32 & arriving Verona P. Nuova 16:58 & Venice S. Lucia 18:25.
This Austrian EuroCity train travels via the lovely scenic Brenner Pass, see the Brenner Pass video here. It rolls over the causeway across the lagoon and arrives in central Venice on the banks of the Grand Canal.
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Fares from Berlin to Venice start at 49.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: If you'd like the earlier 06:00 from Berlin Mondays-Saturdays, simply adjust Transfer time from normal to minimum 35 minutes.
Option 3, Berlin to Venice with overnight stop in Munich - as option 2, but with an overnight stop.
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Munich on an early-evening ICE high-speed train in as little as 3h58.
You can leave Berlin Hbf as late as 20:04 arriving Munich Hbf at 00:01, but by all means book an earlier train for a pleasant evening in Munich. ICE trains are very comfortable indeed, with a restaurant car for dinner, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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Stay overnight in Munich. The affordable Eden Hotel Wolff & NH Collection Mόnchen are across the road from the station's north side exit with great reviews. Or consider the more upmarket 25 Hours Hotel The Royal Bavarian, Excelsior by Giesel & Mercure City Center. For a splurge, the luxurious Sofitel Munich Beyerpost occupies the former Royal Bavarian Post Office building of 1896-1900, at the station's south side exit.
For a Bavarian meal and a beer or two in the evening, I recommend the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de) at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf, see walking map.
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Step 2, travel from Munich to Venice by EuroCity train leaving Munich Hbf at 11:32 & arriving Verona P. Nuova 16:58 & Venice S. Lucia 18:25.
This Austrian EuroCity train travels via the lovely scenic Brenner Pass, see the Brenner Pass video here. It rolls over the causeway across the lagoon and arrives in central Venice on the banks of the Grand Canal.
There's also a 07:34 EuroCity train from Munich Hbf to Verona every day, extended to Venice on Saturdays & Sundays arriving 14:25, change at Verona on weekdays. Or take the 09:34 from Munich Hbf arriving Venice 16:40, although this requires a change of train in Verona on all days.
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Fares from Berlin to Venice start at 49.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
To get the overnight stop in Munich, click Stopovers and enter Munich Hbf with a length of stay of (say) 12 hours.
Look carefully in the search results to find a journey with 1 change marked ICE, EC and an arrival in Venice at 18:25. Adjust the length of stay and departure time to get the trains you want either side of Munich.
You print your own ticket or you can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Berlin to Florence, Rome, Milan, Verona or anywhere else Italy from 39.90
Option 1, Berlin to Italy using the Nightjet sleeper train from Munich to Milan, Bologna, Florence or Rome - the most time-effective option
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Munich by high-speed ICE train leaving Berlin Hbf at 14:29 and arriving Munich Hbf at 19:03.
The ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more information about ICE. Personally, I'd take the earlier 12:05 or 12:30 ICE from Berlin and have dinner in Munich: For Bavarian food and a beer or two I recommend the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de) at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf, see walking map.
Fares start at 17.50 in 2nd class or 26.40 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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Step 2, travel from Munich to Italy by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Munich Hbf at 20:09 with a portion arriving Verona Porta Nuova 05:51, Milan Rogoredo 07:42, Genoa Piazza Principe 09:38 & La Spezia 11:10, another portion arriving Bologna Centrale 05:15, Florence SMN 06:18 & Rome Termini 09:10.
Each portion of this comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.
Fares start at 49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, 59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, 69.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, 89.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or 139.90 in a single-bed sleeper. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in , same prices, a bit more fiddly). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Update: Due to trackwork, from 10 June to 9 September 2023 & on certain weekends the Nightjet sleeper to Florence & Rome will terminate at Bologna Centrale. During this time you will need to buy a separate onward ticket by Italian high-speed train from Bologna to Florence or Rome.
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Step 3, take an onward train from Rome to Naples, Rome to Sicily or Milan to Ancona (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, read this advice on using it first).
Option 2, Berlin to Florence or Rome in a single day - the daytime option with great scenery
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Munich by high-speed ICE train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 06:29 and arriving Munich Hbf at 11:02.
ICE trains travel at up to 300 km/h (186 mph), with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more information about ICE.
Tip: Consider taking the earlier & faster 06:01 ICE from Berlin Hbf arriving Munich Hbf at 10:02 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.
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Step 2, travel from Munich to Verona by Austrian EuroCity train, leaving Munich Hbf at 11:32 and arriving Verona P. Nuova at 16:58.
This train takes the scenic Brenner Pass through the Alps, see the Brenner Pass scenery photos & video.
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Step 3, travel from Verona to Florence or Rome by high-speed Frecciarossa, leaving Verona P. Nuova at 17:52 arriving Florence SMN 19:24 & Rome Termini 21:10.
The Frecciarossa has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I'd allow at least 45 minutes between trains in Verona in case of delay.
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How much does it cost?
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.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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How to buy tickets
Go to www.raileurope.com. This 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 $. There's a small booking fee. 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.
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How to buy tickets, advanced
This should make no difference to the price, it involves more work. First book from Berlin to Verona Porta Nuova at the German Railways website int.bahn.de and print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone. Tip: If you'd like the earlier 06:01 from Berlin Mondays-Saturdays, simply adjust Transfer time from normal to minimum 35 minutes.
Then book from Verona Porta Nuova to Florence or Rome at www.raileurope.com (easy to use, prices in , £ or $, small booking fee), 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 , you'll need to use Italian language place names and it has a few other quirks so see this advice on using it). Italian high-speed trains are ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.
Option 3, Berlin to Italy via the Brenner Pass with overnight stop in Munich - as option 2 but with an overnight stop
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Day 1, travel from Berlin to Munich on any ICE high-speed train you like in as little as 3h58.
You can leave Berlin Hbf as late as 20:04 arriving 00:01 on most days, but by all means book an earlier train and spend a pleasant evening in Munich. ICE trains are very comfortable indeed, with a restaurant car for dinner, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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Stay overnight in Munich. The affordable Eden Hotel Wolff & NH Collection Mόnchen are across the road from the station's north side exit with great reviews. Or consider the more upmarket 25 Hours Hotel The Royal Bavarian, Excelsior by Giesel & Mercure City Center. For a splurge, the luxurious Sofitel Munich Beyerpost occupies the former Royal Bavarian Post Office building of 1896-1900, at the station's south side exit.
For a Bavarian meal and a beer or two in the evening, I recommend the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de) at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf, see walking map.
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Day 2, travel from Munich to Verona by 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 P. Nuova which extends direct to Venice Santa Lucia on Saturdays & Sundays arriving 14:25.
There's an 09:34 to Verona P. Nuova & Bologna, extended to Rimini from late May to early September.
There's an 11:32 to Verona P. Nuova & Venice Santa Lucia, arriving 18:25.
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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 P. Nuova to Florence SMN takes just 2h35, Verona P. Nuova to Rome Termini as little as 2h50 if you choose a direct train.
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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 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, Bologna to Rome starts at 19.90 in 2nd class or 29.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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How to buy tickets
Step 1, book from Berlin to Verona or (if using a direct train) Bologna or Venice at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
To get the overnight stop in Munich, click Stopovers and enter Munich Hbf with a length of stay of (say) 12:00.
Look carefully in the search results to find a journey that suits, adjusting the departure time and length of stay in Munich as necessary to get the trains you want. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
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, read this advice on using it first). I recommend allowing at least 45 minutes to change in Verona in case of any delay. Booking for Italian trains opens up to 4 months ahead.
Alternatively, you can book all of these trains together in one place at www.raileurope.com, just add each train to your basket and pay at the end when you check out. Plain English, prices in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone, the Italian high-speed trains are ticketless.
Option 4, Berlin to Italy using the Berlin-Zurich Nightjet sleeper train, then a scenic ride through the Alps
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Zurich by Nightjet sleeper train leaving Berlin Hbf at 20:51 and arriving Zurich HB at 09:05 next morning.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.
Fares start at 59.90 in 6-berth couchettes, 69.90 in 4-berth couchettes, 89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, 109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or 159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in , a bit more fiddly, same fares). Look for the train marked NJ (Nightjet) with 0 changes. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
Tip: The bar at the Steigenberger Hotel just outside the station makes the best VIP waiting room when catching a sleeper train at Berlin Hbf.
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Step 2, travel from Zurich to Milan by EuroCity train, leaving Zurich HB at 11:33 and arriving Milan Centrale at 14:50.
The EuroCity train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. It travels through the Swiss Alps via the Gotthard route, with great views of various Swiss & Italian lakes, passing through the World's longest rail tunnel, the Gotthard Base Tunnel.
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Step 3, travel from Milan Centrale to Florence SMN, Rome Termini or Naples Centrale by high-speed Frecciarossa, or take the hourly fast train to Verona & Venice Santa Lucia. For example, you'd reach Florence SMN 17:04, Rome Termini 18:40 or Venice Santa Lucia 17:47.
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Buy tickets from Zurich to anywhere in Italy at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, prices in , £ or $, small booking fee), or www.italiarail.com (easy to use, prices in , $ or £, they'll refund their 3.50 booking fee to seat61 users if you email them afterwards at seat61@italiarail.com) or www.trenitalia.com (in , 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 simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.
Option 5, Berlin to Italy by daytime trains via the Swiss Alps - also a scenic ride, in a day or with overnight stop
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You can also travel from Germany to Italy via Switzerland.
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Step 1, use int.bahn.de to book from Berlin Hbf to Basel SBB with fares from 37.90 upwards. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
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Step 2, book an onward journey from Basel to Florence, Venice, Rome or wherever at www.thetrainline.com (easiest, means you can buy all your tickets together in one place, small booking fee) or the Italian Railways website www.trenitalia.com (more fiddly, requires Italian-language place names). I'd allow at least 45 minutes between trains in Basel or Zurich.
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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.
Berlin to Barcelona, Madrid & Spain from 79
Option 1, Berlin to Barcelona & Spain with overnight stop in Paris
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Day 1, travel from Berlin to Paris, leaving Berlin Hbf at 11:30, changing at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 20:41.
By all means take an earlier train and have a leisurely dinner in Paris. You travel from Berlin to Mannheim by high-speed ICE train with restaurant car, then Mannheim to Paris by impressive 320 km/h double-deck TGV Duplex with cafe-bar. Both trains have power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: I'd change Transfer time from normal to minimum 30 minutes for a more robust connection, so that a 20 minute delay doesn't mean a missed connection and 2 hour late arrival.
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Stay overnight in Paris. The Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon is part of the Gare de Lyon station complex, ideal for an early train next morning. See other suggested hotels near the Gare de Lyon.
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Day 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 09:42 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 16:34.
This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. It's a comfortable & scenic journey - I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views, click here for the sights to see from the train on the way.
Fares start at 39 in 2nd class or 59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in , £ or $, small booking fee) or www.sncf-connect.com (in , no booking fee). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
Tip: See advice about sometimes getting a cheaper fare by split-ticketing at Perpignan.
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Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Madrid, Malaga, Cordoba, Seville, Valencia or Alicante and so on by high-speed train.
A high-speed AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 18:00, arriving Madrid Atocha 21:12, with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
A fast EuroMed train leaves Barcelona Sants at 18:15 arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 21:02 & Alicante 23:14.
For Granada, Seville, Cordoba & Malaga, stay in Barcelona overnight, I recommend the Hotel Barcelo Sants inside the station. Next morning a direct high-speed AVE train leaves Barcelona Sants at 08:35 for Granada, Cordoba & Seville Santa Justa, change Cordoba for Malaga Maria Zambrano.
Check times & buy tickets using either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in , £ or $, small booking fee) or Spanish railways own site www.renfe.com (in , much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it) or www.petrabax.com (in $, small mark-up). You print your own ticket.
Booking for Spanish trains normally opens only 60 days ahead, but this varies. Allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Barcelona.
Option 2, Berlin to Barcelona & Spain with overnight stop in Marseille
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This avoids crossing Paris, with high-quality high-speed trains throughout. If you've time to spend 24h in Marseille do so, it's a great city!
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Day 1, travel from Berlin to Marseille, leaving Berlin Hbf at 09:04 by ICE train to Frankfurt (Main) Hbf then the direct high-speed TGV Duplex to Marseille St Charles arriving 21:48.
Both the ICE & TGV Duplex have power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. The ICE has a restaurant car, the TGV Duplex a cafe-bar.
Fares start at 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: 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 recommend changing Transfer time from Normal to minimum 30 minutes so you get the trains I suggest above.
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Stay overnight in Marseille: 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.
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Day 2, travel from Marseille to Barcelona & Madrid by AVE S100 high-speed train, leaving Marseille St Charles at 08:03 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 12:38 & Madrid Atocha 15:45. This train starts running on 29 July 2023, initially only on Saturdays, Sundays & Mondays, but becoming daily all year from 30 September 2023 onwards.
This comfortable Spanish high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Look out for Bιziers cathedral on the right, colonies of flamingos on the ιtangs in southern France, the Fort de Salses on the right approaching Perpignan and great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees. More information about AVE S100 & this journey.
Fares from Marseille to Barcelona start at 25 in 2nd class or 45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Fares from Marseille to Madrid start at 44 in 2nd class or 54 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this journey at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in , £ or $, small booking fee) or using Renfe's own website www.renfe.com (in , more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
Alternatively, on any day of the week you can travel from Marseille to Barcelona leaving Marseille St Charles at 11:24, change at Nξmes, arriving Barcelona Sants 16:34. Or spend a morning & have lunch in Marseille, then leave Marseille St Charles at 15:27, change at Nξmes, arriving Barcelona Sants 21:25. You travel from Marseille to Nimes by Intercitι and from Nimes to Barcelona by double-deck 320 km/h (199 mph) TGV Duplex with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.
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Day 2, take a high-speed train from Barcelona to Valencia & Alicante or from Madrid to Cordoba, Seville, Granada, Malaga.
A fast EuroMed train leaves Barcelona Sants at 16:10 arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 18:57 & Alicante 21:05.
An AVE high-speed train leaves Madrid Atocha at 16:48 every day, arriving Cordoba 18:54 & Malaga Maria Zambrano 20:09.
An AVE high-speed train leaves Madrid Atocha at 17:00 daily except Saturdays arriving Seville Santa Justa at 19:55. Or on any day of the week you can leave Madrid Atocha at 18:05 arriving Seville Santa Justa at 21:00.
An AVE high-speed train leaves Madrid Atocha at 20:03 every day, arriving Granada 23:48.
AVE & EuroMed trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Check times & buy tickets using either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in , £ or $, small booking fee) or Spanish railways own site www.renfe.com (in , much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it) or www.petrabax.com (in $, small mark-up). You print your own ticket.
Booking for Spanish trains normally opens 60 days ahead, but it varies. I'd allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Barcelona or Madrid.
Option 3, Berlin to Paris by high-speed train, French sleeper train to the Spanish border & onward Spanish trains
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Day 1, travel from Berlin to Paris, leaving Berlin Hbf at 07:33 by ICE train, changing at Karlsruhe onto an impressive 320 km/h TGV Duplex arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 16:54. Later departures are possible, but with less robust connections.
Both trains have catering, free WiFi & power sockets at all seats. Have a leisurely dinner at the Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon before strolling across the bridge over the River Seine to the Gare d'Austerlitz.
Fares start at 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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Step 2, travel overnight from Paris to Latour de Carol in the heart of the Pyrenees or to Cerbθre on the Spanish border by French sleeper train, leaving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 21:14. Then take a local train from Latour or Cerbθre to Barcelona Sants arriving around 14:00.
See the Paris to Barcelona by sleeper train page for full details, prices, tips & how to buy tickets.
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Step 3, travel from Barcelona to other Spanish destinations next morning.
For Madrid: AVE-S103 high-speed trains link Barcelona Sants with Madrid Atocha every hour or two in as little as 2h30 from 35.
For Cordoba & Seville: Take the direct AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Barcelona Sants at 15:15 arriving Cordoba & Seville Santa Justa in the evening. Fares start at around 45.
For Valencia & Alicante: A EuroMed train leaves Barcelona Sants at 16:10 arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 18:50 and Alicante at 20:37. Fares start from 23.
Check Spanish train times & buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, in , see my advice before using it). I'd allow at least 1 hour between trains in Barcelona.
Berlin to San Sebastian
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Day 1, travel from Berlin to Paris by high-speed train in a single day from 39.90, as shown in the Berlin to Paris section above.
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Stay overnight in Paris...
Hotels near Paris Gare Montparnasse with good reviews: Mercure Paris Gare Montparnasse (150m from the station, 4-star); Best Western Sevres Montparnasse (15 minute walk from station, 3-star); La Maison Montparnasse (10 min walk from station, 2-star); Hotel du Maine (5 min walk from station, 2-star).
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Day 2, travel from Paris to Hendaye by TGV Duplex Ocιane, leaving Paris Gare Montparnasse at 10:11 and arriving Hendaye 14:47.
An earlier 07:11 departure is available on Mondays to Saturdays, arriving Hendaye at 11:47.
The TGV Duplex Ocιane has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Hendaye is on the French side of the Spanish border.
Fares start at 25 in 2nd class or 45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both sites easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in , no booking fee). French trains open for booking up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
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Day 2, transfer from Hendaye to San Sebastian by Euskotren metro, every 30 minutes, journey time 37 minutes.
Simply walk out of Hendaye station and turn right, the little Euskotren station is in a corner of the main station forecourt. Buy a ticket for 2.75 at the Euskotren station from the machines or staffed counter and hop on the next half-hourly Euskotren metro from Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara station. See the Paris to San Sebastian page for more information, photos & tips.
Berlin to Lisbon, Porto, Faro & Portugal
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Day 1, travel from Berlin to Paris by high-speed train in a single day, as shown in the Berlin to Paris section above.
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Stay overnight in Paris. The Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon is part of the Gare de Lyon station complex, ideal for an early train next morning. See other suggested hotels near the Gare de l'Est & Gare de Lyon.
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Day 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by 320 km/h TGV Duplex leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 09:42 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 16:34.
This double-deck TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. It's a comfortable & scenic journey, see an account of the sights to see from the train on the way.
Fares start at 39 in 2nd class or 59 in 1st class. Fares work like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, both easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee. These websites connect to both SNCF and Renfe ticketing systems so you can buy tickets for both trains together in one place.
Booking for the TGV opens up to 4 months ahead.
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Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Madrid by AVE high-speed train, leaving Barcelona Sants at 18:25 and arriving Madrid Atocha at 20:55.
The AVE has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More information about trains from Barcelona to Madrid.
Fares start at 38 in Standard class or 45 in Comfort class. Fares work like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, both easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee. These websites connect to both SNCF and Renfe ticketing systems so you can buy tickets for both trains together in one place.
Booking for Spanish trains normally opens 60 days ahead, but this varies.
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Stay overnight in Madrid. The classic Hotel Mediodia is across the road from Atocha with good reviews, or try the NH Hotel Madrid Atocha or Only YOU Hotel Atocha, also across the road from the station.
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Day 3, travel from Madrid to Lisbon by daytime trains as shown on the Madrid to Lisbon page.
Berlin to Andorra
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Paris by high-speed ICE, leaving Berlin Hbf at 07:33, changing trains at Mannheim & arriving Paris Est at 16:54.
Fares start from 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: Before running the enquiry, I recommend changing Transfer time from Normal to minimum 40 minutes. This avoids risky 15-minute connections when you've onward connections in Paris. And always allow at least 90 minutes between trains in Paris when catching a sleeper you don't want to miss.
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Change stations in Paris by metro or taxi.
Tip: I recommend dinner at the Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon before strolling over the bridge across the Seine to the Gare d'Austerlitz.
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Step 2, travel from Paris to either Toulouse or l'Hospitalet prθs l'Andorre by Intercitι de Nuit, leaving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 21:14 arriving Toulouse Matabiau at 05:54 or l'Hospitalet prθs l'Andorre at 08:46.
Intercitιs de Nuit have 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes & 2nd class reclining seats.
Fares start at 35 in a 2nd class couchette or 65 in a 1st class couchette. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
The Paris-L'Hospitalet night train should run daily all year, but there are occasional dates or periods when it doesn't run due to track work, so check for your date of travel. It also has an annoying habit of opening late for booking, less than the expected 4 months ahead, so don't be too impatient. If it's not running to l'Hospitalet on your date of travel, check the night train from Paris to Toulouse.
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in , no booking fee). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can choose a mobile ticket.
Tip: If getting off in Toulouse, I can recommend the breakfast buffet at the Pullman Hotel, a few minutes walk from the station.
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Step 3 if you go via Toulouse (slower, longer road journey, but cheaper): Travel from Toulouse to Andorra by bus.
A bus run by Andbus (www.andorrabybus.com) typically leaves Toulouse at 11:00, arriving Andorra la Vella bus station at 15:00. Check current times at www.andorrabybus.com, I'd allow at least an hour between train and bus in Toulouse in case of delay.
The bus leaves from bus stand 15 inside the Gare Routiθre (bus station) immediately outside Toulouse Matabiau station. Simply walk out of the station onto the forecourt and look to your right. The bus station is the modern building with the glass-and-blue-framework upper section, see the photos below.
Book the bus at www.andorrabybus.com. The fare is around 36 one-way.
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Step 3 if you go via l'Hospitalet (fastest, more rail & less road, but with expense of a taxi): Enjoy the scenic train ride into the Pyrenees to l'Hospitalet prθs l'Andorre, then travel from l'Hospitalet to Andorra la Vella by road, see the London to Andorra page for taxi details.
Berlin to Vienna from 37.90
Option 1, Berlin to Vienna by ICE train - a leisurely daytime option with restaurant car
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A superb German ICE-T train called the Berolina leaves Berlin Hbf at 10:04 every day and arrives Vienna Hbf at 17:47.
It has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more information about ICEs. In 1st & business class a steward takes food orders from the restaurant menu and serves them at your seat. This train is routed through Germany via Nuremberg.
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Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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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 37.90. At int.bahn.de, simply click Stopover, 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 2, Berlin to Vienna by railjet train departing 06:17 - another leisurely daytime option with restaurant car
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A swish Austrian railjet train called the Vindobona leaves Berlin Hbf at 06:17, arriving Vienna Hbf at 14:49.
Important: Due to trackwork in the Czech Republic this train isn't running from 11 December 2022 until 1 July 2023, but it resumes from 2 July 2023 onwards.
This modern railjet train has 2nd class, 1st class, business class (= premium 1st class, just 6 luxurious seats at one end of the train) and a restaurant car. There's free WiFi & power sockets at all seats. In 1st & business class a steward takes food orders from the restaurant menu and serves them at your seat.
Although it takes a bit longer than the direct ICE train in option 1 above, 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.
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Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class, 69.90 in 1st class or 84.90 in business class (= premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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, they run every 2 hours. To do this, simply click Stopovers before running your Berlin-Vienna enquiry at int.bahn.de, enter PRAGUE and a length of stay between 2 & 8 hours. You could of course choose a later departures from Berlin if you like, too.
Option 3, Berlin to Vienna by nightjet sleeper train - the time-effective overnight option
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An excellent nightjet sleeper train leaves Berlin Hbf at 18:52 & arrives Vienna Hbf at 07:00 next morning.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.
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Fares start at 59.90 in 6-berth couchettes, 69.90 in 4-berth couchettes, 89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, 109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or 159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in , same prices, a bit more fiddly). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Option 4, Berlin to Vienna with overnight stop in Prague
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Day 1, travel from Berlin to Prague on any EuroCity train you like, for example leaving Berlin Hbf at 17:01 and arriving Prague Hlavni at 21:35.
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.
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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), Zlatύ kůň Golden Horse (3-star).
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Day 2, travel from Prague to Vienna on any railjet train you like, for example leaving Prague Hlavni at 06:24 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 10:49.
By all means take a later train, they run every two hours through the day, see the timetable here. Railjets have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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Book from Berlin to Vienna at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
To get the overnight stop in Prague, click Stopovers, enter Prague and a length of stay of up to 48 hours (the maximum allowed on a Sparpreis fare). Adjust the departure time and increase the length of stay to get the trains you want with the 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 int.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.
Berlin to Salzburg, Innsbruck, Hallstatt & Austria from 29.90
Berlin to Salzburg or Innsbruck by daytime trains
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The German Railways website int.bahn.de can book tickets from Berlin to Salzburg, Innsbruck, Hallstatt or any station in Austria.
Fares start at 27.90 in 2nd class or 59.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print out your own ticket or you can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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Berlin to Salzburg takes as little as 6h37 from as little with 1 easy level-access change at Munich Hbf. Just use int.bahn.de to find times and buy tickets. The journey involves a superb high-speed ICE train from Berlin Hbf to Munich Hbf with bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, then a EuroCity train or railjet train from Munich Hbf to Salzburg. I've even seen a Berlin-Salzburg fare as low as 19.90, but there aren't many of those!
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Tip: Look in the search results for journeys with the fewest transfers, and feel free to change Transfer time from normal to (say) minimum 30 minutes for more robust connections.
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Tip: Check www.thetrainline.com or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at as well, as although fares also start from 29.90 I've often seen cheaper fares on the Austrian Railways system than bahn.de on a given date & train. You also get a print-at-home ticket.
Berlin to Legoland, Odense & Copenhagen from 37.90
Option 1, Berlin to Copenhagen by daytime trains, daily all year round
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Several daily departures link Berlin with Copenhagen, with one easy change in Hamburg:
Leave Berlin Hbf at 06:38, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen at 13:34.
Leave Berlin Hbf at 10:38, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen at 17:34.
Leave Berlin Hbf at 14:38, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen at 21:34.
The Hamburg-Copenhagen trains also call at Kolding (for Legoland) and Odense.
Take a good book, sit back and enjoy the ride. You travel from Berlin to Hamburg by ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, then Hamburg to Copenhagen by Danish Intercity train, there's no catering on these trains so bring your own food & drink.
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An altered timetable applies from 17 June to 20 August 2023:
Leave Berlin Hbf at 08:38, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen at 15:34.
Leave Berlin Hbf at 10:38, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen at 17:34.
Leave Berlin Hbf at 12:38, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen at 19:34.
Leave Berlin Hbf at 16:38, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen at 23:34.
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Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
In the bahn.de search results, look for options with 1 change. You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: If you'd like a few hours stopover in Hamburg, click Stopover, enter Hamburg Hbf and a specify the number of hours.
Hamburg to Copenhagen by Intercity train. From June 2023, these trains are temporarily being operated by former German Railways intercity cars and a Danish electric locomotive, until new trains being built by Talgo arrive in 2024. The current trains have 1st & 2nd class, power sockets at seats, but no catering so bring your own food & drink. More information about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey.
2nd class seats are almost all open-plan like this. There are a handful of 6-seat 2nd class compartments in one of the coaches, but only a few.
The 1st class car has 6-seater compartments like this. Larger photo. Larger photo.
Option 2, Berlin to Copenhagen by Snδlltεget sleeper train, runs daily except Saturdays 31 March to 6 November
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Step 1, travel overnight from Berlin to Malmφ by Snδlltεget sleeper train run by private operator Snδlltεget (www.snalltaget.se).
It runs daily except Saturdays from 31 March to 6 November 2023. It also runs over Christmas & New Year.
It leaves Berlin Hbf at 20:57, Hamburg Hbf at 23:59 and arrives Malmφ Central station at 07:35.
The train has 6-berth couchette compartments & ordinary seats. Couchettes can be booked individually in shared compartments, or you can pay a fixed price for a whole couchette compartment for private occupancy by 1-6 people, the same price for any number of people up to 6.
Fares start at 499 SEK (about 49) per person with a seat, 749 SEK (74) per person with a couchette in a shared 6-berth compartment, or 2999 SEK (295) for sole occupancy of a whole couchette compartment for any number of people between 1 & 6.
See www.snalltaget.se for operating dates, times, fares & to buy tickets online.
Tip: Book from Berlin to Kobenhavn H, this will then include the connecting Φresund train.
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Step 2, travel from Malmφ to Copenhagen main station by Φresund train, these run every 20 minutes or so, taking 39 minutes, there's one at 08:01 arriving Copenhagen 08:37.
Berlin to Stockholm, Gothenburg & Malmφ from 56.90
Option 1, Berlin to Stockholm by SJ EuroNight sleeper train - the time-effective option
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A direct sleeper train leaves Berlin Gesundbrunnen at 18:37 & arrives Stockholm Central 09:55
Procured by the Swedish government and run by SJ (Swedish Railways), the train has sleeping-cars with compact 1 & 2 berth compartments with washbasin, several 1, 2 or 3 bed deluxe compartments with en suite toilet & shower, couchette cars with 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. The sleeping-cars are former Austrian Railways AB32s, refurbished. More information about the Berlin-Stockholm sleeper train.
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Fares start at 44.90 with a couchette in 6-berth, 69.90 with a couchette in 4-berth, 79.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 164.90 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself. All prices per person per bed, fares vary like air fares so book ahead.
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Book tickets at the Swedish Railways website www.sj.se.
Booking opens several months ahead, You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Option 2, Berlin to Stockholm by train in a single day - the comfortable daytime option
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There are two comfortable options for Berlin to Stockholm in a day:
Leave Berlin Hbf at 06:38, change at Hamburg Hbf & Copenhagen, arrive Stockholm Central 19:36.
Leave Berlin Hbf at 10:38, change at Hamburg Hbf & Copenhagen, arrive Stockholm Central 23:39.
Times may vary, especially June-August.
You travel from Berlin to Hamburg by ICE with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, Hamburg to Copenhagen by Danish Intercity train then Copenhagen to Stockholm by fast X2000 train with bistro, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
You can also book from Berlin to Malmo or Gothenburg (= Gφteborg Central), check times at int.bahn.de.
Fares from Berlin to Malmo, Gothenburg & Stockholm start at 56.90.
Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: If bahn.de won't come up with prices (or if you want to travel 1st class), book Berlin-Copenhagen at int.bahn.de then book Copenhagen-Stockholm separately at www.sj.se or Omio.com.
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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 Stopovers, enter Copenhagen and a length of stay of (say) 10 hours or more.
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).Z
Hamburg to Copenhagen by Intercity train: From June 2023, these trains are temporarily being operated by former German Railways intercity cars and a Danish electric locomotive, until new trains being built by Talgo arrive in 2024. The current trains have 1st & 2nd class, power sockets at seats, but no catering so bring your own food & drink. More information about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey.
2nd class seats are almost all open-plan like this. There are a handful of 6-seat 2nd class compartments in one of the coaches, but only a few.
The 1st class car has 6-seater compartments like this. Larger photo. Larger photo.
Option 3, Berlin to Stockholm using the Malmφ-Stockholm sleeper
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Copenhagen, leaving Berlin Hbf at 10:38, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen at 17:34.
You travel from Berlin to Hamburg by ICE train with restaurant, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. You travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen by Danish intercity train. In Copenhagen you've time for dinner.
Fares start at 27.90 in 2nd class or 39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at int.bahn.de. Booking opens 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket of show it on your laptop or phone.
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Step 2, travel from Copenhagen to Malmφ Central by Φresund train, leaving Copenhagen at 20:50 or earlier, they run every 20 minutes taking 39 minutes.
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Step 3, travel from Malmφ to Stockholm by sleeper train, leaving Malmφ Central daily except Saturdays around 22:35 arriving Stockholm Central around 06:00. There's no sleeper on Saturday nights.
The train has 6-berth couchettes, sleeping-cars with shared single-gender 3-berth compartments and a 1st class sleeping car with 1 & 2 bed compartments with shower & toilet.
Buy tickets from Copenhagen to Stockholm at the Swedish railways website www.sj.se with cheap fares 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 4, Berlin to Malmo & Stockholm by direct Snδlltεget sleeper train, daily except Saturdays 31 March to 6 November 2023
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Private operator Snδlltεget (www.snalltaget.se) runs a direct sleeper train from Berlin to Malmo & Stockholm.
It runs daily except Saturdays from 31 March to 6 November 2023. It also runs over Christmas & New Year.
It leaves Berlin Hbf at 20:57, Hamburg Hbf at 23:59 and arrives Malmφ Central 07:35 & Stockholm Central at 14:10.
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The train has 6-berth couchette compartments & ordinary seats. There's a restaurant car between Malmo & Stockholm, which they call the Krogen (the pub). Couchettes can be booked individually in shared compartments, or you can pay a fixed price for a whole couchette compartment for private occupancy by 1-6 people, the same price for 1 person or any number of people up to 6.
The train normally consists of 5 cars from Berlin: 2 cars only going as far as Malmo, and 2 couchette cars & 1 seats car going all the way to Stockholm. The Berlin-Stockholm cars are attached to a Snδlltεget daytime train between Malmφ & Stockholm.
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Fares start at 499 SEK (about 49) per person with a seat, 749 SEK (74) per person with a couchette in a shared 6-berth compartment, or 2999 SEK (295) for sole occupancy of a whole couchette compartment for any number of people between 1 & 6.
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See www.snalltaget.se for operating dates, times, fares & to buy tickets.
Option 5, Berlin to Gothenburg using Stena Line's Kiel-Gothenburg overnight ferry
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Kiel by train in the early afternoon.
The journey takes around 3h30, you'll typically find a train leaving Berlin Hbf around 12:38 with 1 easy change at Hamburg Hbf. However, you should book the ferry first and confirm ferry times, then book a train that arrives at Kiel Hbf around 2 hours before the ferry sails.
Book the train at the German Railways site int.bahn.de.
You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.
In Kiel, the ferry terminal is 750m from the station, a 9-minute walk, see walking map.
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Step 2, sail overnight from Kiel to Gothenburg by Stena Line ferry.
The ferry normally sails at 18:45 and arrives around 09:15, but times may vary so check online.
The ferry is a floating hotel with restaurants & bars, all passengers travel in a cosy private cabin with en suite toilet & shower. You can add dinner & breakfast to your ticket when you book.
Fares vary, you might pay 39 per passenger as basic fare plus 75-89 per cabin for a private 1 or 2 bed room.
Book the ferry at www.stenaline.com and print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
In Gothenburg, the ferry terminal is a short taxi ride (or 4.3 km 53-minute walk) from Goteborg Central station, see walking map.
Berlin to Oslo & Norway
Option 1, Berlin to Oslo via Hamburg & Copenhagen - by train all the way
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Stay overnight in Copenhagen. The friendly Astoria Hotel is a 1930s design classic right outside Copenhagen station main entrance, see photos & information here. Other hotels near the station with good reviews include the Nimb Hotel (5-star luxe), Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (5-star), Axel Guldsmeden (4-star), Andersen Boutique Hotel, First Hotel Mayfair (3-star), Hotel Ansgar (3-star), City Hotel Nebo (2-star).
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Day 2, travel 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 17:43, but check times online.
Option 2, Berlin to Oslo via the Kiel-Oslo cruise ferry - the most luxurious way to Oslo
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Step 1, catch an early morning train from Berlin Hbf to Kiel Hbf in 3h24 on any suitable train.
Fares start at 23.90 in 2nd class or 33.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at the German Railways site int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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.
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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 using the Direct Ferries website or www.colorline.com.
Money-saving tip: It appears that it's considerably cheaper to book on Color Line's Norwegian website www.colorline.no in Norwegian Krone, for example a 274 fare becomes the equivalent of 164. You'll need to use Google Chrome translation to translate the Norwegian. You are still able to enter a UK or other European address and contact details. Feedback appreciated.
Make sure you're on deck next morning as the ship sails through spectacular scenery up Oslo Fjord. The ship docks at the modern Color Line terminal about 2 km from the city centre. Color Line provide transfer buses to Oslo Sentral station costing 55 krone, or there are plenty of taxis. If you have little luggage it's possible to walk. See map of Oslo showing ferry terminal.
Option 3, Berlin to Oslo, by train to Copenhagen then DFDS overnight ferry to Oslo - cheaper than Color Line
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Frederikshavn by train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 08:38, changing at Hamburg Hbf, Aarhus & Aalborg Vestby, arriving Frederikshavn at 18:26.
Take a good book, sit back and enjoy the ride. The Berlin-Hamburg train is a superb ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. The Hamburg to Aarhus train is a Danish IC3 intercity train.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
In Frederikshavn it's a 1.3 km 16 minute walk from station to ferry terminal, see walking route map. If you find a good restaurant for dinner, let me know!
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Step 2, sail from Frederikshavn to Oslo overnight by luxurious cruise ferry with DFDS Seaways, leaving Frederikshavn ferry terminal at 23:45 and arriving Oslo at 09:15 next day.
Check times, prices & buy tickets at www.dfds.co.uk or using the Direct Ferries website.
All passengers travel in comfortable private cabins with en suite toilet & shower and satellite TV. To travel in luxury, treat yourself to DFDS's famous Commodore Class, some suites with private balconies with sea view.. The ship has bars & restaurants for breakfast on board, you can pre-book breakfast with your ticket. There's also a sauna. The ships on this route are the Crown Seaways or Pearl Seaways.
Make sure you're on deck in the morning when the ferry sails up the scenic Oslo Fjord, a stunning way to arrive in Norway. You'll see coast on either side of the ship from about 06:30 and she enters the narrow part of the fjord by about 07:00.
Incidentally, from 2021 it's no longer possible to pick this ferry up in Copenhagen where it starts, as it now leaves too early for a robust connection with even the first train of the day from Hamburg.
At the DFDS ferry terminal, you can check yourself in at the self-service check-in machines just inside the entrance. You enter your booking reference, scan your passport, and it produces your boarding pass/cabin key. You then pass through a fairly nominal customs check and walk onto the ferry.
In Oslo you can walk from the ferry terminal the city centre in 15-20 minutes, or you can take a taxi. I'd allow at least 90 minutes between the ferry's arrival and any onward train from Oslo Sentral. See map of Oslo showing ferry terminal.
Berlin to Helsinki & Finland
Option 1, Berlin to Helsinki using a direct ferry from Germany - the easiest option
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Day 1, travel from Berlin to Hamburg by ICE train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 16:38 & arriving Hamburg Hbf at 18:22.
The ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 17.90 in 2nd class or 26.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.
Tip: You should book from Berlin to Skandinavienkai Terminal, Lόbeck as one transaction as this gets you a through ticket to the ferry terminal covering the ICE from Berlin to Hamburg, the regional train to Lόbeck and the bus to the Skandinavienkai Terminal.
Tip: If you take the earlier 15:38 from Berlin Hbf arriving Hamburg Hbf 17:24, you'll have time for dinner in Lόbeck, there are lots of bars & restaurants in Lόbeck old town 5 minutes walk from the station. When booking, click Stopovers and enter Lόbeck Hbf with a length of stay of (say) 2 hours. I suggest the Schiffergesellschaft restaurant (schiffergesellschaft.de) located in a historic seamans' union building, 21 minutes walk from the station, see walking map.
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Day 1, travel from Hamburg Hbf to Lόbeck by regional train then take a bus to the Skandinavienkai ferry terminal in Travemόnde.
Sail from Travemόnde to Helsinki by Finnlines ferry. Finnlines sail from Travemόnde to Helsinki every day, boarding at 23:30, sailing at 02:45 (the exact time varies) and arriving at Helsinki's Hansa Terminal in Vuosaari at 09:15 2 nights later (Day 3 from Berlin).
For full details of the transfer, check-in arrangements & ferry crossing, see the Hamburg page.
Book the ferry using the Direct Ferries website or at www.finnlines.com.
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Book onward trains within Finland at the Finnish Railways website www.vr.fi.
Option 2, Berlin to Helsinki, by train to Stockholm then ferry
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Step 2, travel from Stockholm to Helsinki either by direct overnight cruise ferry, or by daytime or overnight ferry to Turku and connecting train to Helsinki as shown on the Trains & ferries from Stockholm page.
Berlin to Prague from 18.90
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Air-conditioned EuroCity trains link Berlin Hbf and Prague Hlavni every couple of hours in 4h19. It's the recommended way to travel between these cities, as fast or faster than flying, much cheaper and far less hassle.
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?
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Fares start at 18.90 in 2nd class or 27.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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See the Berlin to Prague page for schedules, fares, tips & how to buy tickets.
Berlin to Českύ Krumlov for 29.40
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You can travel from Berlin to Českύ 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 07:01, change at Prague Holesovice & Ceske Budejovice, arriving Cesky Krumlov 15:11.
Berlin Hbf depart 11:01, change at Prague Holesovice & Ceske Budejovice, arriving Cesky Krumlov 18:56.
Berlin Hbf depart 13:01, change at Prague Hlavni & Ceske Budejovice, arriving Cesky Krumlov 20:57.
Berlin Hbf depart 15:01, change at Prague Holesovice & Ceske Budejovice, arriving Cesky Krumlov 23:48.
Check train times from Berlin to Cesky Krumlov at int.bahn.de, although you won't see prices at this stage.
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How much does it cost?
Berlin to Ceske Budejovice starts at 27.90 in 2nd class or 36.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Ceske Budejovice to Cesky Krumlov costs around 40 Czech Koruna, about 1.55.
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How to buy tickets
Step 1, go to the German Railways website int.bahn.de and book from Berlin Hbf to Ceske Budejovice.
If you try booking to Cesky Krumlov you won't see any prices, it'll just say Determine price. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
If you'd like a stopover in Prague on the way, simply click Stopovers, enter PRAGUE and whatever length of stay you want between 2h and 48h, and it'll programme in the stop for a similar end-to-end price.
Step 2, you buy a local ticket from Ceske Budejovice to Českύ Krumlov from the machine on board the train on the day or (if there's time) at the distinctive green & orange GWTR ticket kiosk at Ceske Budejovice station ticket hall, see more information on the Cesky Krumlov page.
Berlin to Karlovy Vary for 31
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This takes around 6h01 using a swish EuroCity train from Berlin to Usti Nad Labem, changing there for a Czech train to Karlovy Vary.
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Book from Berlin to Karlovy Vary from 35 (890 Czech Koruna at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz, booking normally opens 90 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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You can also book this journey at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking on bahn.de opens up to 6 months ahead.
Berlin to Brno for 27.90
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There are departures every 2 hours with a change at Prague Hlavni.
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Check times & buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de, booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You can also book at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz, where booking opens 90 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Berlin to Bratislava from 46.90
Option 1, Berlin to Bratislava by EuroNight sleeper train Metropol - the time-effective option, saves a hotel bill too
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A comfortable EuroNight sleeper train called the Metropol leaves Berlin Hbf at 18:52 and arrives Bratislava Hlavna at 05:54 next morning.
The train has an air-conditioned sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, an air-conditioned couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments and 2nd class seats. In the sleeping-car, a light breakfast with tea or coffee is included in the fare. The train's final destination is Budapest. More information about the Berlin-Bratislava sleeper train.
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Fares start at 49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 88.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in , a little more fiddly, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Option 2, Berlin to Bratislava by EuroCity train - the direct daytime option
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A EuroCity train called the Hungaria leaves Berlin Hbf at 09:01 every day, arriving Bratislava Hlavna at 17:54.
The Hungaria uses Hungarian Railways' latest air-conditioned cars with restaurant car, 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. Have lunch in the restaurant as the scenery glides by...
Alternatively, you can take the earlier 06:59 departure or later 10:59 departure and make one easy change of train at Prague Hlavni.
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Fares start at 29.90 in 2nd class or 59.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket, but in this case the ticket cannot be shown on a mobile device, it must be printed out. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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Stopover in Dresden? To book a Berlin to Bratislava train journey with a stopover in Dresden for a few hours, go to int.bahn.de, enter Berlin to Bratislava, click Stopovers, enter Dresden and a suitable length of stay in hours. Then run the enquiry and buy the ticket. There are left luggage lockers at Dresden Hbf.
Option 3, Berlin to Bratislava by daytime trains - alternative daytime option
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Vienna by ICE-T, leaving Berlin Hbf at 10:04 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 17:47.
The air-conditioned German ICE-T train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Tip: If you have a 1st ticket you can use the ΦBB Lounge at Vienna Hbf between trains with complimentary tea, coffee & WiFi.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Bratislava by hourly regional express train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 18:16 and arriving Bratislava Hlavna at 19:23.
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Fares from Berlin to Bratislava start at 46.90 in 2nd class or 59.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
Berlin to Poprad-Tatry & Kosice from 46.90
Option 1, Berlin to the Tatra mountains in a day
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It's about possible to travel from Berlin to Poprad-Tatry & Kosice in a (long) day. You leave Berlin Hbf at 07:01 by EuroCity train and change at Prague Hlavni & Puchov, arriving Poprad Tatry 21:39 & Kosice 22:53.
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Fares start at 46.90 in 2nd class or 59.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Check times & buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket, but in this case it must be printed out, it cannot be shown on a mobile device.
Tip: You can use the Stopover feature to give yourself an overnight stopover in Bratislava if you like.
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There is one other option: You can leave Berlin Hbf at 07:01 by EuroCity train and change at Prague Hlavni onto an excellent privately-run Leo Express train from Prague to Poprad-Tatry arriving 20:09. In this case, book Berlin to Prague at int.bahn.de then book the Leo Express train separately at www.le.com.
Option 2, Berlin to the Tatra mountains using the Prague-Slovakia sleeper - the most time-effective option, with dinner in Prague
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Prague by EuroCity train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 15:01 and arriving Prague Hlavni at 19:35.
The trains have comfortable air-conditioned cars, a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. There's great scenery along the Elbe river valley between Dresden & Prague, see the Berlin to Prague by train page for timetable photos, tips and more information. I'd allow at least 1 hour between trains in Prague, just in case of delay.
Have a wander around Prague's old town and have dinner, see my restaurant suggestions in Prague. By all means take an earlier train from Berlin and have more time in Prague, see the Berlin-Prague timetable here.
Fares start at 18.90 in 2nd class or 39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
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Step 2, travel from Prague to Poprad-Tatry or Kosice by sleeper train Slovakia, leaving Prague Hlavni at 22:13 & arriving Poprad-Tatry 06:35 & Kosice 08:33.
The Slovakia has Slovakian 4 & 6 berth couchettes, a modern Slovakian air-conditioned sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and several modern air-conditioned Czech sleeping-cars with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, 1, 2 & 3 bed deluxe compartments with en suite shower & toilet.
Book this at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz and print your own ticket. Booking normally opens 90 days ahead.
Option 3, Berlin to the Tatra mountains using the Berlin-Bratislava sleeper - also a time-effective option
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Bratislava by overnight sleeper, as shown in the Berlin-Bratislava by sleeper section above. Book this as shown in that section.
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Step 2, take an air-conditioned Slovakian express train with restaurant car from Bratislava Hlavna to Poprad Tatry & Kosice, arriving at lunch time. Book this at the Slovakian Railways website www.zssk.sk. I'd allow at least 1 hour between trains in Bratislava.
Berlin to Budapest from 46.90
Option 1, Berlin to Budapest by sleeper train Metropol - the time-effective option which saves a hotel bill
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A comfortable EuroNight sleeper train called the Metropol leaves Berlin Hbf at 18:52 and arrives Budapest Nyugati at 08:29 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. In the sleeping-car, a light breakfast with tea or coffee is included in the fare. More information about the Berlin-Budapest sleeper train.
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Fares start at 49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 88.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in , same prices, a bit more fiddly). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
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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 has 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, the couchette car has 4-berth & 6-berth compartments.
Option 2, Berlin to Budapest by EuroCity train Hungaria - the direct daytime option
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A comfortable EuroCity train called the Hungaria leaves Berlin Hbf at 09:01 every day, arriving Budapest Nyugati 20:28.
The Hungaria uses Hungarian Railways' 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!
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Fares start at 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket. However, in this case the ticket cannot be shown on a mobile device, it must be printed out. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Option 3, Berlin to Budapest by day trains - alternative daytime options
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Vienna by ICE-T Berolina, leaving Berlin Hbf at 10:04 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 17:47.
The air-conditioned German ICE-T train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Tip: If you have a 1st ticket you can use the ΦBB Lounge at Vienna Hbf between trains with complimentary tea, coffee & WiFi.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Budapest by railjet train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 18:42 and arriving Budapest Keleti at 21:19.
The smart Austrian railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. It also offers business class (= premium first).
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Fares from Berlin to Budapest start at 46.90 in 2nd class or 59.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
Tip: By default, the system suggests you change at Vienna Meidling. Click Stopovers and enter Wien Hbf, then it'll give you a longer interchange at Vienna Hbf with better facilities.
Berlin to Bucharest, Brasov & Romania
Option 1, Berlin-Budapest by sleeper, day at leisure in Budapest, Budapest to Brasov & Bucharest by sleeper - the most time-effective option
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Budapest by sleeper train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 18:52 & arriving Budapest Nyugati 08:29, as shown above.
The comfortable sleeping-car has 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin and there's a couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments. Buy tickets as shown above.
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Spend a day in Budapest. Left luggage lockers are available. If you have a ticket for a single or double sleeper you can use the 1st class lounge on platform 9 at Budapest Keleti for an hour or two after arrival and before departure.
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Step 2, travel from Budapest to Romania by sleeper train Ister, leaving Budapest Keleti at 19:10 & arriving Brasov 08:40 & Bucharest Gara de Nord 11:19 next day.
This sleeper train Ister has an air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin and a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. There's wonderful almost Alpine scenery through the Carpathian mountains between Brasov and Bucharest, a real treat. Ister is the ancient name for the Danube.
Fares start at 39 with a couchette in 6-berth, 46 with a couchette in 4-berth, 69 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 84 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 162 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself. All prices per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro. Click EN top right for English. Booking opens up to 90 days ahead. For Bucharest type Bucuresti. It can book seats, couchettes or sleepers. You print your own ticket.
You can also book at the Hungarian Railways website www.mav-start.hu, see my advice on using it. For Bucharest type Bucuresti. You show your ticket in the MAV app on your phone.
Option 2, Berlin-Vienna by day train, Vienna to Sighisoara, Brasov & Bucharest by Dacia Express - the fastest option
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Vienna by superb German ICE-T train Berolina, leaving Berlin Hbf at 10:04 every day & arriving Vienna Hbf 17:47.
It has a 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 train is routed through Germany via Nuremberg.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Romania on the EuroNight sleeper train Dacia Express, leaving Vienna Hbf at 19:42 every evening and arriving next day in Simeria 07:13, Sighisoara 09:21, Braşov 12:35, Ploeşti 14:27 & Bucharest Nord at 15:05.
The Dacia Express has modern & comfortable Romanian sleeping-cars (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments, including a couple of deluxe sleepers with shower & toilet) and couchettes (4-berth & 6-berth compartments). There's wonderful Alpine-style scenery through the Carpathian mountains between Brasov and Bucharest, a real treat.
The Dacia Express also conveys a portion from Vienna to Cluj Napoca, also leaving Vienna Hbf at 19:42 and arriving Cluj Napoca at 08:19. This portion has a Romanian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments, and ordinary seats.
Fares start at 59 with a couchette in a 6-berth compartment, 69 with a couchette in a 4-berth compartment, 79 with a bed in a 3-berth sleeper, 99 with a bed in a 3-berth sleeper or 159 with a bed in a single-berth sleeper all to yourself. All per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at. Booking normally opens 90 days ahead. In the search results, look for the direct train marked D with no changes. If it says not available you can't book it, but if a Sparschiene fare is shown you can. You collect tickets from an ΦBB ticket machine in Vienna.
You can also (as of 2022) book this train at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro. Click EN top right for English. Booking opens up to 90 days ahead. For Vienna type Wien, for Bucharest type Bucuresti. It can book seats, couchettes or sleepers. For Austria to Romania journeys you now print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. Tip: Prices might be cheaper than on oebb.at, so check both sites!
Tip: If you like, you can check the consist for this train, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using www.vagonweb.cz. Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Austria & click D, then look for Dacia.
Option 3, Berlin to Romania by daytime trains with overnight stop in Budapest - if you prefer daytime trains & hotels
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Day 1, travel from Berlin to Budapest by EuroCity Hungaria, leaving Berlin Hbf at 09:01, arriving Budapest Nyugati 20:28.
Between Dresden & Prague the Hungaria 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. There's free WiFi. The train has a Hungarian restaurant car, 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. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket (it must be printed in this case, it cannot be shown on a mobile device).
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Stay overnight in Budapest. Top choice for an inexpensive stay next to Budapest Keleti is the Intercity Hotel just across the square in front of the station. Also try the Royal Park Boutique Hotel, the inexpensive Baross City Hotel across the road or the Elit Hotel two minutes walk away. Of course, if you want to push the boat out, the luxurious Corinthia Hotel opened in 1896 was almost certainly the inspiration for the 2014 film The Grand Budapest Hotel, 20 minutes walk or 9 minutes by taxi from Keleti station. More hotels in Budapest.
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Day 2, travel from Budapest to Bucharest by Intercity train, leaving Budapest Keleti at 07:10 and arriving Bucharest Nord at 23:49, or from Budapest to Brasov leaving Budapest Keleti at 09:10 and arriving Brasov at 22:46.
Fares start at 26.30 in 2nd class or (where available) 40.50 in 1st class. These are limited availability fares, book ahead for these prices.
Book at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it. Booking opens 60 days ahead. You show the ticket in the MAV app on your phone.
You can also book at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro. Click EN top right for English. Booking opens up to 90 days ahead. For Bucharest type Bucuresti. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
Berlin to Ljubljana, Zagreb, Rijeka, Sarajevo, Split, Dubrovnik
Option 1, Berlin to Ljubljana & Zagreb in a single day
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Munich by high-speed ICE train leaving Berlin Hbf at 06:29 and arriving Munich Hbf 11:02.
The ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more information about ICE trains.
A later departure is theoretically possible with a tight 15-minute connection in Munich, but I wouldn't risk it, stick with this earlier train.
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Step 2, travel from Munich to Ljubljana or Zagreb by EuroCity train Mimara, leaving Munich Hbf at 12:17 and arriving Lesce-Bled 17:50, Ljubljana 18:32 & Zagreb 20:45.
This comfortable Austrian EuroCity train offers 1st class seats in classic 6-seat compartments and 2nd class seats in a choice of open-plan seating or classic 6-seat compartments. There's a restaurant car attached as far as Villach on the Slovenian border, reached around 16:40. There is beautiful scenery through the mountains across Austria, and along the river Sava between Ljubljana & Zagreb.
Tip: If you like, you can check the consist for this train, see car photos, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using www.vagonweb.cz. Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Austria & click EC, then look for Mimara.
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How much does it cost?
Fares from Berlin to Ljubljana or Zagreb start at 39.90 in 2nd class or 57.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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How to buy tickets
Buy tickets from Berlin to Ljubljana or Zagreb at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
I have set up that link to int.bahn.de for you incorporating a 1-hour stopover in Munich to ensure a robust connection, look for the journey with 1 change of train in Munich. Don't risk any connection less than an hour.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.
Option 2, Berlin to Munich by day train then Munich to Zagreb by sleeper - the most comfortable & time-effective option
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Munich by high-speed ICE train leaving Berlin at 18:04 arriving Munich Hbf 22:01.
The ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more information about ICE trains.
Fares start at 29.90 in 2nd class or 59.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Personally, I'd take the earlier 16:30 ICE (they run regularly through the day) to allow time for dinner in Munich.
Book this train at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Transfer from Munich Hbf to Munich Ost by frequent S-Bahn train, taking 8 minutes.
Tip: For a beer or two whilst waiting for your sleeper (or for a meal if you've allowed time for dinner), try the Haidhauser-Augustiner Bavarian restaurant, (www.haidhauser-augustiner.de) just 5 minutes walk from the main station exit on the north side of Munich Ost, see walking route. Feedback appreciated.
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Step 2, travel from Munich to Zagreb by sleeper train Lisinski, leaving Munich Ost at 23:54 and arriving Ljubljana 08:09 & Zagreb 10:39.
The Lisinski has a modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car with comfortable 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, a Croatian air-conditioned couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments and ordinary seats. See the photos below & see the Croatian sleeper video.
From 31 March to 2 September 2023, there's a direct Croatian sleeping-car for Rijeka, leaving Munich Ost at 23:54 & arriving Rijeka 11:25.
Fares start at 49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 66.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 86.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in , a little more fiddly, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
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Step 3, take an onward connection...
For Sarajevo, see the Zagreb to Sarajevo page.
For Rijeka, change in Ljubljana. Buy a Ljubljana-Rijeka ticket at the station, check times using int.bahn.de.
For Split, either stay overnight in Zagreb and take a daytime train from Zagreb to Split next day (a great idea as it's a lovely scenic route well worth seeing by day) or take the overnight sleeper from Zagreb to Split. The fare by daytime train is only around 20 in 2nd class. See the Trains from Zagreb page for details. Buy tickets at the Croatian Railways website www.hzpp.hr - though it's not usually a problem to get places on the day. www.hzpp.hr can sell daytime tickets and couchettes on the night train, but not sleepers.
For Dubrovnik, take a bus from Split to Dubrovnik. Buses leave every hour or even every half hour from Split bus station taking between 3h45 and 4h35 to Dubrovnik bus station. There are various operators, the fare is between 13 & 17. Buy at the bus station on the day, it's easy.
Option 3, Berlin to Vienna by sleeper then onward daytime train to Ljubljana & Zagreb
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 18:52 & arriving Vienna Hbf at 07:00 next morning.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.
Fares start at 59.90 in 6-berth couchettes, 69.90 in 4-berth couchettes, 89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, 109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or 159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in , same prices, a bit more fiddly, no fee). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Ljubljana leaving Vienna Hbf at 07:58, arriving Ljubljana at 14:00.
For Zagreb, change at Zidani Most, arriving Zagreb at 17:12.
This is the EuroCity train Emona, air-conditioned with restaurant car. It takes the UNESCO-listed Semmering route south of Vienna, with more great scenery further south into Croatia. Enjoy a freshly-cooked lunch in the Slovenian restaurant car.
Buy tickets from Vienna to Ljubljana or Zagreb from 29.90 at www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in , same prices, a bit more fiddly, no fee). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
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Step 3, take an onward connection...
For Sarajevo, see the Zagreb to Sarajevo page.
For Rijeka, change in Ljubljana. Buy a Ljubljana-Rijeka ticket at the station, check times using int.bahn.de.
For Split & Dubrovnik, travel to Zagreb, then either stay overnight in Zagreb and take a daytime train to Split next day (a great idea as it's a lovely scenic route well worth seeing by day) or take the overnight sleeper to Split. The fare by daytime train is only around 20 in 2nd class. See the Trains from Zagreb page for details. Buy tickets at the Croatian Railways website www.hzpp.hr - though it's not usually a problem to get places on the day. www.hzpp.hr can sell daytime tickets and couchettes on the night train, but not sleepers. Then take a bus from Split to Dubrovnik. Buses leave every hour or even every half hour from Split bus station taking between 3h45 and 4h35 to Dubrovnik bus station. There are various operators, the fare is between 13 & 17. Buy at the bus station on the day, it's easy.
Option 4, Berlin to Budapest by sleeper then onward daytime train
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Budapest by sleeper train Metropol, leaving Berlin Hbf at 18:52 & arriving Budapest Nyugati at 08:29 next morning.
The Metropol has a comfortable Slovakian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments & a Slovakian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments. You're now free to explore Budapest until mid-afternoon.
Fares start at 49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 88.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in , same prices, a bit more fiddly). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
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Step 2, travel from Budapest to Zagreb on the InterCity train Agram leaving Budapest Deli at 15:35 and arriving Zagreb at 22:10.
Buy tickets for this train from as little as 9 at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it.
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Step 3, take an onward connection...
For Sarajevo, see the Zagreb to Sarajevo page.
For Rijeka, change in Ljubljana. Buy a Ljubljana-Rijeka ticket at the station, check times using int.bahn.de.
For Split, either stay overnight in Zagreb and take a daytime train from Zagreb to Split next day (a great idea as it's a lovely scenic route well worth seeing by day) or take the overnight sleeper from Zagreb to Split. The fare by daytime train is only around 20 in 2nd class. See the Trains from Zagreb page for details. Buy tickets at the Croatian Railways website www.hzpp.hr - though it's not usually a problem to get places on the day. www.hzpp.hr can sell daytime tickets and couchettes on the night train, but not sleepers.
For Dubrovnik, take a bus from Split to Dubrovnik. Buses leave every hour or even every half hour from Split bus station taking between 3h45 and 4h35 to Dubrovnik bus station. There are various operators, the fare is between 13 & 17. Buy at the bus station on the day, it's easy.
Option 5, by daytime trains with overnight hotel in Munich - if you prefer day trains & hotel to sleepers
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Day 1, travel from Berlin Hbf to Munich Hbf by ICE train on any afternoon or evening train you like, journey time as little as 3h58. You can leave Berlin as late as 20:05, but I'd leave earlier to have more of an evening in Munich.
ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 27.90 in 2nd class, 39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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Stay overnight in Munich. The affordable Eden Hotel Wolff & NH Collection Mόnchen are across the road from the station's north side exit with great reviews. Or consider the more upmarket 25 Hours Hotel The Royal Bavarian, Excelsior by Giesel & Mercure City Center. For a splurge, the luxurious Sofitel Munich Beyerpost occupies the former Royal Bavarian Post Office building of 1896-1900, at the station's south side exit.
For dinner, I recommend the Bavarian food & beer at the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de) at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf, see walking map.
Day 2, travel from Munich Hbf to Ljubljana or Zagreb, the first departure is at 08:16 with an easy cross-platform change at Villach. More info.
There's great scenery through the mountains of Austria via the Tauern route and along the pretty River Sava,
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket at the German Railways website int.bahn.de
. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.For Rijeka, change at Ljubljana. Buy a Ljubljana-Rijeka ticket at the station, check times using int.bahn.de.
Option 6, by daytime trains with overnight hotel in Budapest - if you prefer day trains & hotel to sleepers
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Day 1, travel from Berlin to Budapest by EuroCity Hungaria, leaving Berlin Hbf at 09:01, arriving Budapest Nyugati 20:28.
Between Dresden & Prague the Hungaria 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 Hungarian restaurant car, 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. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket (it must be printed in this case, it cannot be shown on a mobile device).
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Stay overnight in Budapest. Top choice for an inexpensive stay next to Budapest Nyugati is the T62 Hotel just across the road, a traveller's favourite. Of course, if you want to push the boat out, the luxurious Corinthia Hotel opened in 1896 was almost certainly the inspiration for the 2014 film The Grand Budapest Hotel, 15 minutes walk or 5 minutes by taxi from Nyugati station.
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Day 2, take a daytime train from Budapest to Ljubljana or Zagreb:
The Citadella leaves Budapest Deli at 09:00 and arrives Ljubljana at 16:35.
The Agram leaves Budapest Deli at 15:35 and arriving in Zagreb at 22:10.
Fares start at from 15, book this at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it.
Option 7, using the Regiojet sleeper train from Prague to Rijeka - summer-only, 3 times a week, cheapest.
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Prague by EuroCity train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 11:01 and arriving Prague Hlavni at 15:35.
Or 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.
Fares start at 18.90 in 2nd class or 39.90 in 1st class.
Buy a ticket at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
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Step 2, travel from Prague to Rijeka by Regiojet sleeper train 3 times a week June-September.
It runs 3 times a week from 16 June to 30 September.
It leaves Prague Hlavni around 17:12 (16:45 some dates) on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday, arriving Rijeka at 10:40 next morning.
This excellent Regiojet train has 4-berth couchettes and seats. The couchette fare includes all necessary bedding and a light breakfast. There's excellent on-board at-seat service from an extensive menu, with complimentary bottled water and excellent Illy coffee. There's free WiFi.
Fares start at 22.90 in a seat or 29.90 with a couchette in a shared 4-berth compartment, or 125.90 for sole occupancy of a private couchette compartment for 1 to 4 people.
Buy an e-ticket online at www.regiojet.com. It even allows you to choose your exact place from a carriage plan.
Berlin to Belgrade, Sofia, Montenegro
Option 1, Berlin to Belgrade & beyond via Zagreb - the route from Budapest to Belgrade is currently blocked by track upgrading...
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Day 1, travel from Berlin to Munich by high-speed ICE train leaving Berlin at 18:04 arriving Munich Hbf 22:01.
The ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more information about ICE trains.
Fares start at 29.90 in 2nd class or 59.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Personally, I'd take the earlier 16:30 ICE (they run regularly through the day) to allow time for dinner in Munich.
Book this train at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Transfer from Munich Hbf to Munich Ost by frequent S-Bahn train, taking 8 minutes.
Tip: For a beer or two whilst waiting for your sleeper (or for a meal if you've allowed time for dinner), try the Haidhauser-Augustiner Bavarian restaurant, (www.haidhauser-augustiner.de) just 5 minutes walk from the main station exit on the north side of Munich Ost, see walking route. Feedback appreciated.
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Day 1, travel from Munich to Zagreb by sleeper train Lisinski, leaving Munich Ost at 23:54 and arriving Zagreb at 10:39.
The Lisinski has a modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car with comfortable 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, a Croatian air-conditioned couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments and ordinary seats. See the photos below & see the Croatian sleeper video.
Fares start at 49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 66.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 86.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in , a little more fiddly, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
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Day 2, travel from Zagreb to Belgrade by train, leaving Zagreb at 11:04 and arriving Novi Beograd 18:04 & Belgrade Centar at 18:12.
This train was suspended due to Covid-19 and remains suspended.
This train has air-conditioned Serbian carriages with comfortable 2nd class seats, but no 1st class. There's no catering, so bring a picnic and some beer or wine.
The fare is around 29 bought at the station in Zagreb or paid on board the train, but tickets cannot be bought online.
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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.
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For Sofia, stay overnight in Belgrade and travel from Belgrade to Sofia next day (day 3), see the Belgrade to Sofia page for schedule, fares & how to buy tickets.
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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).
Option 3, Berlin to Sofia via Budapest & Bucharest - currently the easiest option between Berlin & Sofia
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Day 1, travel from Berlin to Budapest overnight as shown above, using the Berlin-Budapest sleeper.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in , a bit more fiddly, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
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Day 2, travel from Budapest to Bucharest on the sleeper train Muntenia, leaving Budapest Keleti at 15:10 and arriving Bucharest Nord at 08:06.
The Muntenia has 4 & 6-berth couchettes and ordinary seats. A Romanian sleeping-car is attached from Timişoara Nord (depart 21:50) to Bucharest. There's no catering car, so bring your own food & drink.
Fares start at 40 with a couchette in 6-berth or 47 with a couchette in 4-berth. These are limited-availability advance-purchase fares
Book this at the Romanian Railways international website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro/en. You print your own ticket.
If you want the comfort & privacy of a proper sleeper from Timisoara to Bucharest, (1) book a 2nd class seat from Budapest to Timisoara from 17 using bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro/en. You print your own ticket. (2) Now book berths in a 1, 2 or 3-bed sleeper from Timisoara Nord to Bucharest Nord at the Romanian domestic website bilete.cfrcalatori.ro and print your own ticket.
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Day 3, travel from Bucharest to Sofia by daytime train as shown on the train from Bucharest page. You leave Bucharest Nord at 10:55 and arrive Sofia Central at 20:10 after a pleasant day meandering across the Danube and through the river valleys of Bulgaria. In summer it's direct, in winter you have to switch trains at Ruse. There's no catering car, so bring your own food & drink.
The fare is around 34.
Book this at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro/en. You print your own ticket.
Berlin to Warsaw from 27.90: See the Berlin-Warsaw EuroCity train page
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Comfortable EuroCity trains link Berlin Hbf & Warsaw Centralna in 5h30 or so several times per day, city centre to city centre. These are smart modern air-conditioned Polish trains with restaurant car serving inexpensive meals, beer & wine.
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Fares start at 27.90 in 2nd class or 39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking to Poland opens 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Berlin to Krakow from 27.90
Option 1, Berlin to Krakow by EuroCity train Wawel - the daytime option
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The direct Berlin-Krakow EuroCity train Wawel made a welcome return from December 2020.
It leaves Berlin Hbf every day at 10:52, arriving Wroclaw 14:50, Katowice 16:58 & Krakow Glowny at 18:01.
It has modern air-conditioned cars and a restaurant car. Treat yourself to lunch and a beer or two!
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Fares start at 27.90 in 2nd class or 39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking to Poland normally opens 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Option 2, Berlin to Krakow by daytime trains via Warsaw from 37.90
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The direct Wawel is the train to go for if you can. But there are also afternoon departures leaving Berlin at 13:51 & 15:52, changing at Warsaw.
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Step 1, travel from Berlin Hbf to Warsaw Centralna in around 5h30 by comfortable EuroCity train.
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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.
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Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy a ticket from Berlin to Krakow at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking to Poland normally opens 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Why not stop off for a few hours in Warsaw? Perhaps have lunch in the old town between trains. Simply click Stopovers and enter the length of stay you want, in hours. 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 int.bahn.de, 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 3, Berlin to Krakow using the Poznan-Krakow sleeper train - the time-effective sleeper option with dinner in Poznan
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Poznan by comfortable air-conditioned EuroCity train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 17:52 and arriving Poznan at 20:31.
This runs daily except Saturdays, or on any day of the week you can leave Berlin Hbf at 15:52 and arriving Poznan at 18:31.
Fares start at 18.90 in 2nd class or 29.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.
Have dinner in Poznan.
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Step 2, travel from Poznan to Krakow by sleeper train, leaving Poznan at 22:53 and arriving Krakow Glowny around 06:12 next morning.
The fare is around 111 zlotys (26) with a couchette in 6-berth, 211 zlotys (47) for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper, or 397 zlotys (87) for a single-bed sleeper all to yourself, a bargain.
Book this train at the Polish Railways website www.intercity.pl and print your own ticket. Booking normally opens 30 days ahead.
Berlin to Wroclaw from 27.90
Option 1, Berlin to Wroclaw by direct EuroCity train
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Morning train: The EuroCity Wawel leaves Berlin Hbf at 10:52 every day, arriving Wroclaw 14:50. This comfortable air-conditioned Polish EuroCity train has 1st & 2nd class with restaurant car.
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Evening train: Another EuroCity train leaves Berlin Hbf at 18:52 every evening, arriving Wroclaw Glowny at 22:57. This train has EuroCity coaches but no restaurant car so bring your own food & drink.
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Fares start at 27.90 in 2nd class or 39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.
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In Wroclaw, I recommend the excellent Hotel Altus Palace, a 9-minute 700m walk from the station (see walking map), a 10-minute walk from the old town's main square. It has a restaurant & spa.
Option 2, Berlin to Wroclaw by Kulturzug regional train on Fridays & Saturdays from 16 June to 9 September 2023
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A direct regional train called the Kulturzug links Berlin & Wroclaw twice a week from 16 June to 9 September 2023:
It leaves Berlin Lichtenberg at 14:43 on Fridays arriving Wroclaw Glowny at 19:18.
It leaves Berlin Lichtenburg at 07:59 on Saturdays arriving Wroclaw Glowny at 12:35.
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Check times and days of running at int.bahn.de and/or www.vbb.de/vbb-services/freizeitangebote/polen/breslau-wroclaw/ (please let me know if the latter link stops working).
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The fare is 24.90 each way.
It's a Regional Express, 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.
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In the return direction, the train leaves Wroclaw Glowny at 17:30 on Sundays arriving Berlin Lichtenburg at 21:58, and on Fridays at 19:32 arriving 23:58, check times & running days at int.bahn.de and/or www.vbb.de/vbb-services/freizeitangebote/polen/breslau-wroclaw/.
Option 3, Berlin to Wroclaw with a change at Poznan or Rzepin - if none of the direct trains suit you
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Take any Berlin-Warsaw EuroCity train and change at Rzepin or Poznan for a Polish train to Wroclaw Glowny.
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For example, the 05:52 Mondays-Saturdays will get you to Wroclaw Glowny at 10:15, or the daily 12:52 from Berlin will get you to Wroclaw at 17:05 or there are other departures.
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Fares start at 27.90 in 2nd class or 39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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You can check times & buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
Tip: The system often suggests journeys involving a 5 or 10 minute connection. Although you'll have a through ticket so can take a later onward train if a delay means you miss the connection, you may prefer booking a more robust connection to start with. If so, simply change Transfer time from normal to minimum 20 minutes before running the enquiry.
Berlin to Gdansk & Gdynia from 27.90
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An excellent direct EuroCity train leaves Berlin every day at 12:52 direct to Gdansk (the former Danzig) & Gdynia. See the Berlin-Warsaw EuroCity train page for details.
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You can check times & buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Berlin to Szczecin (Stettin) for 13.80
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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.
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You can check times at int.bahn.de to see train times, but it only shows fares starting at 33 or so, so do not buy here...
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The local transit authority VBB offers a special Berlin-Stettin Ticket for around 13.80, 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 13.80 Berlin-Stettin Ticket online, but it's easy to buy at the station from the VBB ticket machines or staffed counter. Feedback appreciated!
You can check this price at the VBB website www.vbb.de/fahrinfo.
Berlin to Vilnius, Riga & Tallinn
Berlin to Lithuania with overnight stop in Warsaw
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Day 1, travel from Berlin to Warsaw on any train you like, see the timetable here.
You can leave Berlin as late as 17:52 on Mondays-Fridays & Sundays, or at 15:52 on Saturdays, but by all means leave earlier and have some time in Warsaw.
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Stay overnight in Warsaw. The Polonia Palace Hotel is excellent, historic, relatively inexpensive for such a good hotel, and it's just across the road from the station. For something much cheaper, but still with great reviews and near the station, try the Hotel Metropol next door to the Polonia Palace or the nearby Novotel Warsaw Centrum. Also see the Warsaw Centralna station & city information.
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Day 2, travel from Warsaw to Kaunas & Vilnius by train as shown on the Warsaw to Vilnius page.
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Day 3, for onward travel from Vilnius to Riga in Latvia, see here.
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Day 4, for onward travel from Riga to Tallinn in Estonia, see here.
Berlin to Lviv, Kyiv & Ukraine from 85
Option 1, Berlin to Ukraine using the Warsaw to Kyiv sleeper - a good option
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 09:51 every day and arriving Warsaw Centralna at 15:22.
Fares start at 27.90 in 2nd class or 39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
Tip: You could take the earlier 05:52 departure on Mondays-Saturdays arriving 11:16 and have time to explore Warsaw, see Warsaw Centralna station & city information. Warsaw's historic old town is a 30 minute walk from Centralna station - if you fancy a modest splurge, the celebrated Ufukiera restaurant (www.ufukiera.pl) is excellent and right on the square in the heart of Warsaw's old town. The Palace of Culture (a wedding cake style Soviet skyscraper and distinctive Warsaw landmark, www.pkin.pl) is right next to the station and has a viewing terrace on the 30th floor.
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Step 2, travel from Warsaw to Kyiv by Kyiv Express sleeper train, leaving Warsaw Wschodnia at 17:49 and arriving Kyiv at 13:12 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 Kyiv as they have close contacts with Ukrainian Railways.
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Book onward trains from Kyiv to Odessa & other places in Ukraine as shown on the Ukraine page.
Berlin to Moscow, St Petersburg & Russia
Option 1, Berlin to Moscow by twice-weekly Swift sleeper train - runs via Belarus. Suspended due to war in Ukraine.
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Russian Railways RZD introduced a twice-weekly sleeper train from Berlin to Moscow in 2016, leaving Berlin Hbf at 20:08 on Mondays & Saturdays, arriving at Moscow Belorussky station at 21:24 next day (20:43 from late March to late October).
This train was suspended due to Covid-19 and remains suspended due to sanctions and the war in Ukraine.
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.
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.
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The fares is around 13,000 rubles (181) with a bed in a 4-berth sleeper, 18,000 rubles (251) with a bed in a 1st class 2-bed sleeper.
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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.
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Don't forget to arrange both your Russian visa & Belarus transit visa as the train runs via Belarus.
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IMPORTANT: See the update about travel to Russia through Belarus.
Option 2, Berlin to Moscow using the daily Warsaw-Moscow sleeper train.
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Step 1, travel from Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 09:51 and arriving Warsaw Centralna at 15:22.
Fares start at 27.90 in 2nd class or 39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
Tip: On Mondays-Saturdays there's also an 05:43 from Berlin Hbf arriving Warsaw Centralna at 11:42, which would give you some time in Warsaw, see Warsaw Centralna station & city information. Warsaw's historic old town is a 30 minute walk from Centralna station - if you fancy a modest splurge, the celebrated Ufukiera restaurant (www.ufukiera.pl) is excellent and right on the square in the heart of Warsaw's old town. The Palace of Culture (a wedding cake style Soviet skyscraper and distinctive Warsaw landmark, www.pkin.pl) is right next to the station and has a viewing terrace on the 30th floor.
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Step 2, travel from Warsaw to Moscow by sleeper train, leaving Warsaw Centralna at 19:15 daily, arriving Moscow Belorussky at 16:58 next day.
This train was suspended due to Covid-19 and remains suspended due to sanctions.
You can check times at the Russian Railways website www.rzd.ru. This Russian sleeper train uses impressive Austrian-built sleeping-cars with 4-berth compartments built in 2014, see photos of this type of sleeper here & see panorama photo inside one of these modern sleepers. Each compartment can be sold as 1st class 1-berth, 1st class 2-berth or 2nd class 4-berth. The train consist of two or three sleeping-car which start their journey in Prague. There's a bistro car in Poland and a Russian restaurant car is attached between Brest (on the Polish/Belarus border) & Moscow.
You can book this train by contacting reliable Polish train ticketing agency www.polrail.com - their booking system is at booking.polrail.com. Tickets can be collected in Warsaw or (at extra charge) shipped to any address worldwide.
Alternatively, you can book with Russian Railways at www.rzd.ru although it's a little quirky and may not accept some overseas credit cards.
Don't forget to arrange both your Russian visa & Belarus transit visa as the train runs via Belarus.
IMPORTANT: See the update about travel to Russia through Belarus.
Option 4, Berlin to Moscow via Kyiv - this route avoids Belarus
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Day 1, travel from Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 09:51 every day and arriving Warsaw Centralna at 15:22.
Tip: You could take the earlier 05:43 departure on Mondays-Saturdays arriving 11:42 and have time to explore Warsaw, see Warsaw Centralna station & city information. Warsaw's historic old town is a 30 minute walk from Centralna station - if you fancy a modest splurge, the celebrated Ufukiera restaurant (www.ufukiera.pl) is excellent and right on the square in the heart of Warsaw's old town. The Palace of Culture (a wedding cake style Soviet skyscraper and distinctive Warsaw landmark, www.pkin.pl) is right next to the station and has a viewing terrace on the 30th floor.
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Day 1, travel from Warsaw to Kyiv by Kyiv Express sleeper train, leaving Warsaw Wschodnia at 17:49 & arriving in Kyiv at 13:12 next day.
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 Kyiv Express photos on the London to Ukraine page. Spend the day exploring Kyiv (by all means spend a night or two here if you like).
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Day 2, travel from Kyiv to Moscow by sleeper train.
There are several night trains, there's usually one leaving Kyiv at 19:36 and arriving Moscow Kievskaya at 10:13 next morning (day 3 from Berlin). 2-berth & 4-berth sleepers are available.
The Kyiv-Moscow sleeper trains were suspended due to Covid-19, and now due to the war in Ukraine.
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How much does it cost?
Berlin to Warsaw starts at 27.90 in 2nd class or 39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Warsaw to Kyiv 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 3-berth) if you manage to book online as explained below.
Kyiv to Moscow costs around 92 with a bed in 4-berth kupι or 180 with a bed in a 2-berth spalny vagon. Polrail.com charge about 95 for a bed in a 4-berth sleeper.
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To buy tickets
Book Berlin-Warsaw at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
To book the Warsaw-Kyiv & Kyiv-Moscow trains, contact reliable Polish ticketing agency www.polrail.com. Booking opens 60 days ahead. Tickets are collected in Warsaw.
Alternatively, you can book Warsaw to Kyiv then Kyiv to Moscow at the Ukrainian Railways website booking.uz.gov.ua/en/, although there are only very few berths from Warsaw to Kyiv made available online, see the explanation & instructions on the London to Kyiv page. For the Kyiv to Moscow booking you should book from Kyiv to Moskva Kievskaya. You collect the Kyiv-Moscow tickets at the station in Kyiv. Feedback appreciated!
Berlin to Athens, Corfu & Greece
Option 1, Berlin to Athens by train & ferry via Italy - the leisurely option with an Adriatic cruise thrown in...
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The best and most comfortable option is to pick up a ferry in Bari. The whole scenic and relaxing journey to Athens will take around 2 nights & 3 days, depending how the connections work out on your particular date.
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Day 1, travel from Berlin Hbf to Verona Porta Nuova in a single chill-out day with a restaurant car for lunch & dinner.
I'd leave around 08:30, have at least an hour between trains in Munich just in case of delay, then arrive Verona around 18:58, but there are later or earlier options.
Fares start at from 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Check times & buy a ticket at the German Railways website int.bahn.de - I recommend changing Transfer time from normal to a longer period for a more robust connection in Munich.
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Stay overnight in Verona. Hotels near the station with good or great reviews include the Corte Merighi Rooms & Breakfast, Novo Hotel Rossi, Guesthouse Verona or (a little closer to the centre but with fab reviews) the Relais Empire.
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Day 2, travel from Verona to Bari, leaving Verona Porta Nuova around 07:50.
Fares start at 29.90 in 2nd class or 39.90 in 1st class.
Book this at either www.italiarail.com (they'll refund their small booking fee if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com afterwards) or www.trenitalia.com. Booking normally opens 4 months ahead. It's ticketless, you print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.
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In Bari, transfer from station to port, see map of Bari showing station, port entrance, check-in building & Superfast Ferries berth.
You can walk the 1.9 km from the station to the port entrance in 25 minutes, a stroll through Bari's pleasant old town, see correct walking map from the station to the port entrance gate - if Google tells you any different, trust me, not Google!
Alternatively, bus 50 runs from Bari Centrale station to the road outside the port gate roughly every 40 minutes. A taxi will take 10 minutes.
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Day 2, sail overnight from Bari to Patras in Greece with Superfast Ferries.
The ferry sails from Bari at 19:30 on Mondays-Saturdays, arriving Patras at 13:00 next day (Day 3).
On Sundays the ship sails at 13:30, too early to make connections from Verona.
You can check sailing times & dates at using the Direct Ferries website or at www.superfast.com or www.ferriesingreece.com.
You should check in at the Superfast desk on the ground floor of the cruise terminal (Terminal Crociere) at Bari port with passport & booking number to get your boarding pass, ideally 3 hours before departure in summer, although in practice 2 hours or even 1½ hours is normally fine.
You then walk 500m from check-in to the ferry, board the ferry via the foot passenger gangway at the stern and head up the escalator to the main lounge and reception desk to get your cabin key.
The ship is comfortable, with self-service restaurant, lounge, bar and sun deck. You can book a deck place (a good & cheap option in summer if you have your own sleeping bag), a reclining seat or various types of cabin, all with private shower & toilet. Strolling the decks in the morning sun as the ship cruises past the islands of Cephalonia and Ithaca is the nicest part of the trip, and it's a wonderful way to arrive in Greece.
In Patras, the ferry arrives at the new South ferry terminal a few km from the town centre. Bus 18 links the port with the Patras bus station every hour on the hour, fare 1.20 or you can hop in a taxi for around 9, journey time 15-20 minutes.
Day 3, travel from Patras to Athens by Greek Railways bus/train combo.
Hellenic Train (Greek Railways) operate an integrated bus/train service from Patras to Athens every hour or two, total journey time 3h02, fare around 18. No prior reservation is necessary, just buy a ticket to Athens at Patras railway station ticket office.
For example, at the time I write this, buses leave from outside Patras railway station at 14:15, 15:15, 16:00, 17:15 & 18:15, taking 90 minutes to reach Kiato railway station near Corinthos. At Kiato they connect with a modern air-conditioned regional train taking 78 minutes to Athens Larissa Station in downtown Athens. You can check Patra to Athens bus/train times using the journey planner at www.hellenictrain.gr.
Option 2, Berlin to Athens overland by train via Munich & Belgrade - a rail adventure across the Balkans
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You can also travel overland by train from Berlin to Thessaloniki & Athens via Belgrade. It'll take 3 or 4 nights, with the romance and adventure of an epic train ride through the Balkans. Unfortunately, the Belgrade-Greece train has been cut to just June-September, didn't run at all in 2022 and won't run in 2023.
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Travel from Berlin to Budapest as shown above.
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In Budapest you pick up the London-Budapest-Belgrade-Thessaloniki-Athens route explained in detail on the London to Greece page.
Berlin to Istanbul & Turkey
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Travel from Berlin to Budapest either by day train then staying in Budapest overnight, or by sleeper train, as shown in the Berlin to Budapest section above.
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From Budapest you can pick up the London-Bucharest-Istanbul route shown on the London to Turkey page.
Hotels in Berlin & other cities
For advice on hotels in Berlin, see the hotels section on the Berlin station page.
Backpacker
hostels
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www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.