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

• New from the timetable change on 12 December 2021, a Nightjet sleeper train leaves Düsseldorf at 23:20 & Cologne Hbf at 23:53 every evening arriving Basel SBB at 06:45 & Zurich HB at 08:05.

  This comfortable Nightjet train has an air-conditioned sleeping-car with 1 & 2 berth compartments with washbasin.  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.

• Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 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 at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same prices, more fiddly).  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You print your own ticket.

The sleeping-car on the (Amsterdam-)Cologne-Zurich sleeper train.  More information about Nightjets.  Watch the video.

Single sleeper, washbasin behind door on right. Larger photo.		Breakfast next morning.  Larger photo.

4 or 6 berth couchettes, bedding supplied.  Larger photo.		Couchette car from Amsterdam arrived at Basel.

Step 1, Düsseldorf or Cologne to Innsbruck by Nightjet.  Above, the Nightjet arrived at Innsbruck Hbf.

Deluxe sleeper.  Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room.  Larger photo.  Video of deluxe room		The same deluxe sleeper in evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out.  Larger photo.		Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided.  Larger photo.		Standard sleeper set up as 2-berth, washstand open.  It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth.  Larger photo.

Couchette car...		6-berth couchettes.		4-berth couchettes.

Step 2, Innsbruck to Venice by Austrian EuroCity train.  This is the restaurant car on a EuroCity, arrived at Verona.  You don't need to book a table, just go along and sit down.  Dining on the move as the scenery glides by is one of the pleasures of travelling on trains like this.  More photos & information about these EuroCity trains.

2nd class seats, some in open-plan saloons like this, some in 6-seat compartments.		1st class leather seats.  You'll also find seats in classic 6-seat compartments..

The elegant restaurant car.  Larger photo.		Lunch with wine on board...

Mountains on the Brenner route...

Vineyards, mountains and castles south of Brenner as the train heads for Trento & Verona...

Watch out for hilltop fortresses...  See the Brenner Pass scenery video here.

Option 3, by day trains via the Brenner Pass with overnight stop in Munich - if you prefer day trains & a hotel to sleepers...

• Day 1, travel from Düsseldorf or Cologne to Munich in 4h31 on any ICE train you like, with restaurant, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  You can leave Cologne Hbf as late as 17:55 arriving Munich Hbf at 22:26, but I'd take an earlier train and spend a pleasant evening in Munich.  For a dinner of local 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.

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

• Day 2, travel from Munich to Venice by Austrian EuroCity train leaving Munich Hbf at 11:34 and arriving at Venice Santa Lucia at 18:25.

  The train travels through the scenic Brenner Pass, see the photos & information on the Brenner Pass page.  An Austrian restaurant car is available for lunch as the mountains glide by, treat yourself.  See the Brenner Pass scenery video here.

  The train has an elegant restaurant car so treat yourself to lunch and a beer as the mountains roll past, looking forward to Venice where you'll see gondolas and vaporettos on the Grand Canal the moment you walk out of the station.

  Alternatively you can take the earlier 07:34 EuroCity train which is direct to Venice at weekends arriving 14:25, but on weekdays you must change at Verona.  Or you can take the 09:34 EuroCity train from Munich with a change in Verona on all days, arriving Venice at 16:42.

• How much does it cost?

  Cologne or Düsseldorf to Venice starts at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• How to buy tickets...

  Book from Düsseldorf or Cologne to Venice at the German Railways website www.bahn.de, but click Stopover and enter Munich Hbf in the via box with (say) 12:00 in the hh:mm stopover box.  I've set up this bahn.de link with the necessary parameters for you.

  Look carefully in the search results to find a journey that suits, carefully adjusting the departure time and stopover duration to get the timings you want either side of Munich.  A little trial and error is sometimes needed!

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your smartphone or laptop.  I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

Step 1, Cologne to Munich by ICE...  This is an ICE3 at Munich Hbf.  More information about ICE trains.

2nd class seats on an ICE3M.  Larger photo.		1st class seats on an ICE3M.  Larger photo.

Proper china, metal cutlery.  I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier!  See current month's menu.		Restaurant car:  This is the small 12-seat restaurant area on an ICE3M.  Larger photo.

Step 2, Munich to Venice by Austrian EuroCity train.  This is the restaurant car on a EuroCity, arrived at Verona.  You don't need to book a table, just go along and sit down.  Dining on the move as the scenery glides by is one of the pleasures of travelling on trains like this.  More photos & information about these EuroCity trains.

Second class seats, mostly in 6-seat compartments with side-corridor like this, but some cars are open-plan saloons...				First class leather seats.  On a few trains you'll find 6-seat compartments too....

Mountains on the Brenner route...

Option 4, via Zurich & the Bernina Express through the Swiss Alps - the ultimate scenic route... 

• See details here.

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

Option 1, using the Nightjet sleeper train from Munich to Milan, Bologna, Florence & Rome - the most time-effective option...

• Step 1, travel from Düsseldorf or Cologne to Munich by ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. leaving Düsseldorf at 13:27 or Cologne Hbf at 13:55 and arriving at Munich Hbf at 18:27.

  Fares start at €27.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

  Book this train at the German Railways website www.bahn.de.  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or 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.

  By all means catch an earlier train and have dinner in Munich, for local Bavarian food & 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.

• Step 2, travel from Munich to Italy by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Munich Hbf at 20:10 & arriving Bologna Centrale 05:15, Florence SMN 06:32, Rome Termini 09:10.  Another portion goes to Milan Porta Garibaldi arriving 08:10.

  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, 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 prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.

• Step 3, onward trains from Rome to Naples, Rome to Sicily or Milan to Genoa (for example) can be booked separately at either www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, recognises 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).

Step 1, Cologne to Munich by ICE...  This is an ICE3 at Cologne Hbf.  More information about ICE trains.

2nd class seats on an ICE3M.  Larger photo.		1st class seats on an ICE3M.  Larger photo.

Proper china, metal cutlery.  I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier!  See current month's menu.		Restaurant car:  This is the small 12-seat restaurant area on an ICE3M.  Larger photo.

Step 2, Munich to Florence or Rome by Nightjet sleeper train, seen here boarding at platform 11 at Munich Hbf.  More information about Nightjet trains.

Deluxe sleeper.  Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room.  Larger photo.  Video of deluxe room		The same deluxe sleeper in evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out.  Larger photo.		Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided.  Larger photo.		Standard sleeper set up as 2-berth, washstand open.  It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth.  Larger photo.

6-berth couchettes...		4-berth couchettes...		Couchette car on the Nightjet train...

Option 2, by Nightjet sleeper train to Innsbruck & scenic daytime train to Venice - time-effective and great scenery next day.

• Step 1, travel to Innsbruck by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Düsseldorf at 21:43 or Cologne Hbf at 22:16 arriving Innsbruck Hbf 09:14.

  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, €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 prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.

• Step 2, travel from Innsbruck to Italy by EuroCity train, leaving Innsbruck Hbf at 11:24 & arriving Verona Porta Nuova 14:58 & Bologna 16:20.

  The train travels through the scenic Brenner Pass, see the photos & information on the Brenner Pass page.  An Austrian restaurant car is available for lunch as the mountains glide by, treat yourself.  See the Brenner Pass scenery video here.

  Change at Bologna for a high-speed Frecciarossa train to Florence, Rome or Naples.  Incidentally, I wouldn't book the 09:24 from Innsbruck to Verona, as the connection with the sleeper is much too tight.

  Fares from Innsbruck Verona or Bologna start at €29.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Onward fares from Bologna to Florence or Rome start at €19.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class.

  Book from Innsbruck to Florence, Rome, Naples or anywhere in Italy at either www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com as these connect to both the Austrian and Italian ticketing systems so you can book this as one transaction all in one place.  You print your own ticket for the Austrian train and the Italian high-speed trains are ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead for the German/Austrian EuroCity train, but only 4 months ahead for any onward Italian train.

  Tip:  Before running an enquiry at www.raileurope.com, click More options and enter either Bologna Centrale (if going to Florence, Rome or Naples on the 11:24) or Verona Porta Nuova (if using an earlier or later departure) as a via station with a stopover duration of 45 minutes.  This ensures a robust connection and it ensures Raileurope.com correctly splits the booking at Bologna or Verona.

Step 1, Cologne to Innsbruck by Nightjet sleeper train.  Above, a Comfortline sleeping-car on the Nightjet train at Innsbruck.  More information about Nightjet trains.

Deluxe sleeper.  Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room.  Larger photo.  Video of deluxe room		The same deluxe sleeper in evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out.  Larger photo.		Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided.  Larger photo.		Standard sleeper set up as 2-berth, washstand open.  It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth.  Larger photo.

6-berth couchettes...		4-berth couchettes...		Couchette car on the Nightjet train...

Step 2, Innsbruck to Verona, Bologna or Venice by Austrian EuroCity train.  This is the restaurant car on a EuroCity from Innsbruck arrived at Verona.  You don't need to book a table, just go along and sit down.  Dining on the move as the scenery glides by is one of the pleasures of travelling on trains like this...

2nd class seats, some in open-plan saloons like this, some in 6-seat compartments.		1st class leather seats.  You'll also find seats in classic 6-seat compartments..

The elegant restaurant car.  Larger photo.		Lunch with wine on board...

Mountains on the Brenner route...

Vineyards, mountains and castles south of Brenner as the train heads for Trento & Verona...

Watch out for hilltop fortresses...  See the Brenner Pass scenery video here.

Option 2, by daytime trains through the Swiss Alps - Cologne to Italy in a single day with great Alpine scenery!

• Step 1, travel from Cologne Hbf to Basel SBB by ICE train in 3h52 with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Step 2, travel from Basel SBB to Milan Centrale by EuroCity train through the Swiss Alps in 4h12.

  The EuroCity train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & fee WiFi.  It's a lovely ride across Switzerland through the Alps past various lakes.  The magnificent Milan Centrale is a landmark in its own right.

• Step 3, travel from Milan Centrale to Florence SMN in 1h39, Rome Termini in 2h55 or Venice Santa Lucia in 2h35 by Frecciarossa high-speed train.  The Frecciarossa has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• For example...

  Leave Cologne Hbf at 06:55, pick up the 12:28 from Basel SBB arriving Milan Centrale 16:40 & getting to Florence, Rome or Naples by evening.

  Leave Cologne Hbf at 12:55, pick up the 17:28 from Basel SBB arriving Milan Centrale 21:40.

• How much does it cost?

  Cologne or Dusseldorf to Basel starts at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.

  Basel to Milan starts at €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class. 

  Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

• How to buy tickets...

  First book the 06:55 or 12:55 ICE trains from Cologne to Basel SBB using www.bahn.de (in €, no booking fee) or www.raileurope.com (in €, £ or $, small booking fee).  Using www.raileurope.com means you can buy all your tickets together in one place.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.

  Then book a ticket from Basel SBB to Milan, Florence, Rome or Naples leaving at either www.raileurope.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or www.trenitalia.com (requires Italian place names, in €, see advice on using it).  It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.

  Always make sure you allow plenty of time between trains in Basel, in case of delay, I'd suggest at least 45 minutes.  In Milan, just accept the connection time the system offers you as you are on the through ticket so are entitled to take a later train in the event of any delay.

Step 1, Cologne to Basel by ICE...  This is an ICE3 at Cologne Hbf.  More information about ICE trains.

2nd class seats on an ICE3M.  Larger photo.		1st class seats on an ICE3M.  Larger photo.

Proper china, metal cutlery.  I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier!  See current month's menu.		Restaurant car:  This is the small 12-seat restaurant area on an ICE3M.  Larger photo.

Step 2, by EuroCity train from Basel to Milan through the Alps...  This is a Milan-Basel EuroCity train at Milan Centrale.  More information about Switzerland-Milan trains.

1st class seats.  Larger photo.		Restaurant car.  Larger photo.

Lunch in the restaurant car...		2nd class.  Larger photo.  360 degree photo.

You'll pass a lake or two.  This is Lake Maggiore, seen from the dining-car of a northbound Milan to Basel train over an excellent lunch of salmon tagliatelle & excellent (but expensive!) Swiss red wine.

Option 3, by day trains via the Brenner Pass with overnight stop in Munich - if you prefer day trains, scenery & a hotel to sleepers...

• Day 1, travel from Cologne to Munich in 4h31 on any ICE train you like, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  You can leave Cologne Hbf as late as 17:55 arriving Munich Hbf at 22:26, but by all means take an earlier train and have dinner in Munich.  For local 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.

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

• Day 2, travel from Munich to Verona or Bologna by Austrian EuroCity train thorough the Brenner Pass, see the Brenner Pass scenery video here.  Trains leave Munich Hbf for Verona Porta Nuova at 07:34, 09:34, 11:34 & every 2 hours, taking a leisurely 5h24.  The 07:34 goes through to Bologna Centrale on Mondays-Fridays and the 09:34 goes through to Bologna Centrale every day, Munich-Bologna in 6h45.  All these trains have an elegant restaurant car, treat yourself to lunch with wine as the mountains roll by.

• Day 2, travel from Verona or Bologna to anywhere you like in Italy by high-speed train.  If you leave Munich at 07:34 Mondays-Fridays or 09:34 any day of the week, you change trains in Bologna, which usually works out cheaper and offers a wider range of connections (especially to Florence SMN, as most of the direct trains from Verona to Florence only serve Florence Campo di Marte station on the edge of the city centre).  Otherwise you change in Verona.

• How much does it cost?

  Cologne to Bologna starts at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. 

  Bologna to Florence starts at €19.90, Bologna to Rome at €19.90.

  Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

• How to buy tickets...

  Step 1, book from Cologne to Verona at the German Railways website www.bahn.de, clicking Stopover and entering Munich Hbf in the via box and (say) 12:00 in the hh:mm stopover box to build in the overnight stop.  Look carefully in the search results to find a journey that suits you, adjusting departure time and stopover duration to get the trains you want - a little trial and error is sometimes needed.  I've set up this link to bahn.de with the necessary parameters for you.

  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.

  Step 2, now 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 if you buy separate tickets.  It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.

Step 1, Cologne to Munich by ICE...  This is an ICE3 at Munich Hbf.  More information about ICE trains.

2nd class seats on an ICE3M.  Larger photo.		1st class seats on an ICE3M.  Larger photo.

Proper china, metal cutlery.  I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier!  See current month's menu.		Restaurant car:  This is the small 12-seat restaurant area on an ICE3M.  Larger photo.

Step 2, Munich to Verona, Bologna or Venice by Austrian EuroCity train.  This is the restaurant car on a EuroCity train, arrived at Verona.  You don't need to book a table, just go along and sit down.  Dining on the move as the scenery glides by is one of the pleasures of travelling on trains like this.  More photos & information about these EuroCity trains.

2nd class seats, some in open-plan saloons like this, some in 6-seat compartments.		1st class leather seats.  You'll also find seats in classic 6-seat compartments.

The elegant restaurant car.  Larger photo.		Lunch with wine on board...

Mountains on the Brenner route...

Option 3, via Zurich & the Bernina Express through the Swiss Alps - the ultimate scenic route... 

• This takes longer and must be split over 2 days, but it's fabulous and well worth the extra time.  It involves the most spectacular Alpine panoramic scenic train of them all, the famous narrow-gauge Bernina Express.  And I'll show you how to do it really cheaply...

• Day 1, take an afternoon or evening ICE train from Cologne to Zurich in as little as 4h47.

  You can leave Cologne Hbf at 16:54, change at Basel SBB, arriving Zurich HB 22:00, by all means leave earlier & spend an evening in Zurich.

• Stay overnight in Zurich.  For something really special, the 5-star Hotel Schweizerhof is one of my favourite hotels anywhere, just across the road from the station.  They'll even send a uniformed commissionaire to meet you & carry your bags from the train.  For something cheaper, also next to the station with great reviews, try the 4-star Hotel St Gotthard or the excellent 3-star Hotel St. Josef, 7 minutes walk from the station, see walking map.  If you're on a tight budget you can book private rooms in a one-star hotel or backpacker hostel near the station at www.hostelworld.com.  Alternatively, you could stop overnight in the pleasant town of Chur instead.

• Day 2, travel from Zurich to Chur on the 07:07 InterCity train, from Chur to Tirano on the fabulous Bernina Express, then from Tirano to Milan Centrale by connecting Italian regional train.  You can reach Venice or Florence or Rome that evening.  See the Bernina Express page for full details of the Zurich-Chur-Tirano-Milan schedule.

• How much does it cost?

  Düsseldorf or Cologne to Tirano starts at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  If you want to travel in the panorama carriages of the famous Bernina Express you must pay a modest reservation fee, details here.

  Tirano to Milan by regional train costs €12, fixed-price.

  Milan to Florence or Venice starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• How to buy tickets...

  Step 1, book from Düsseldorf or Cologne to Tirano using the German Railways website www.bahn.de, use this special link I have set up.

  To get the overnight stop in Zurich, you click Stopover and enter Zurich HB and a suitable stopover duration, say 12h30 - the special link does that for you, just enter passenger numbers and your date of travel.

  In the search results, look for an option marked ICE, IC, D with arrival in Tirano at 12:49.  If you click show details the timings from Chur onwards should match those shown on the Bernina Express page.  Adjust the departure time & stopover duration to get an earlier or later train between Cologne and Zurich, some trial & error may be required!

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or 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.  But see my booking tip below...

  Step 2, if you want to travel in the panorama cars of the Bernina Express, make the necessary reservation following the instructions on the Bernina Express page.  Booking opens 60 days ahead.  You can travel in the Allegra unit that hauls the Bernina Express without any reservation if you like.

  Strep 3, buy the Tirano-Milan regional ticket on the day at the station, from the Italian station's cafe if the ticket office is closed or from the RhB station ticket office.  Or online at www.thetrainline.com.

  Step 4, buy an onward tickets from Milan Centrale to Florence, Rome, Naples or Venice at either www.thetrainline.com (in €, £, $ or Au$), www.italiarail.com (in €, £, $ or Au$) or www.trenitalia.com (in €).  You simply pay online and quote your booking reference (PNR) on board.  If you use ItaliaRail (which can also book the Milan-Florence/Rome/Naples connection), they'll refund their small booking fee if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR.

Bernina Express 1st class seats...		the Bernina Express uses panoramic carriages...

The Bernina Express descends from the Bernina Pass...

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Cologne or Düsseldorf to Barcelona & Spain from €74...

Option 1, Cologne to Barcelona by high-speed train in a single day.  Overnight in Barcelona.  Onwards to Malaga, Seville, Alicante & so on next morning.

• Step 1, travel from Cologne to Paris by high-speed Thalys train, leaving Cologne Hbf at 08:43 arriving Paris Gare du Nord around 12:10.

  Thalys trains have 3 classes, a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the Thalys guide.

  Fares start at €35 in 2nd class or €72 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

  Cross Paris to the Gare de Lyon and perhaps have lunch at the celebrated Train Bleu restaurant inside the Gare de Lyon.

• Step 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 15:12 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:54.

  This afternoon Paris-Barcelona TGV should run all year round, but due to covid-19 it will only run from 14 June to 30 September 2022.

  The 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, it's a scenic and comfortable journey, click here for the sights to see on the way.

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

• Stay overnight in Barcelona.  Suggested hotels close to Barcelona Sants station with good or great reviews include the Hotel Barcelo Sants (4-star, great reviews, directly above Barcelona Sants station itself, recommended), AC Hotel Sants by Marriott (4-star, just 50m from the station), Hotel Catalonia Roma (3-star), Hostal Baler (2-star), Hotel Transit (1-star), Meeting Point Hostel (inexpensive private rooms & dorm beds).

• Step 3, travel from Barcelona Sants to your Spanish destination 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, check times at www.raileurope.com.

  For Cordoba & Seville:  Take the direct AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Barcelona Sants at 08:30 arriving Cordoba 13:11 & Seville Santa Justa at 14:04.  Fares start at €45.  Alternatively, why not spend the morning in Barcelona and take the later 15:45 AVE, arriving in the evening?

  For Malaga:  Leave Barcelona Sants at 08:30 by AVE-S112 high-speed train and change at Cordoba onto a high-speed AVE/Avant train arriving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 14:56.  Alternatively, spend a morning in Barcelona and take the direct 15:45 AVE S112 high-speed train to Malaga.

  For Granada:  A direct AVE S112 high-speed train leaves Barcelona Sants at 08:30 arriving Granada at 14:52.

  For Valencia & Alicante:  EuroMed trains link Barcelona with Valencia & Alicante regularly through the day, for example one leaves Barcelona Sants at 08:15 Mondays-Fridays arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 10:55 & Alicante 12:45 or at 10:15 every day arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 12:55 & Alicante 14:48.  Fares from €23.

  For Santiago de Compostela, A Coruna & Vigo, there's a morning Alvia train to Galicia, see details here.

• How to buy tickets...

  Buy tickets from Cologne to Spain at www.raileurope.com, this connects to both the French and Spanish ticketing systems so you can buy all three tickets together in one place.  You can book from Cologne to Barcelona as one transaction and print your own tickets or can show a mobile ticket on your smartphone.  You can pay in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem.  There's a small booking fee.

  Booking for Thalys & the TGV usually opens 120 days ahead, for the AVE 60 days ahead.  First book from Cologne to Barcelona.  In the search results, look for an option with just 1 change.

  Tip:  Click More options and enter Paris with 1 hour duration, more if you fancy lunch in Paris.  This ensures at least an hour between trains and it'll also then show separate prices either side of Paris so you can upgrade to 1st class if it's cheap to do so on one leg or the other, without having to upgrade throughout.

  If you are heading for Madrid, Malaga, Seville, Cordoba, Valencia or Alicante, add the Cologne-Barcelona ticket to your basket, then book from Barcelona to your chosen Spanish destination for the following day, add this to you basket and check out.

  Travel tip: I recommend an upstairs seat on the TGV Duplex for the best views.  Raileurope.com shows you your seat number before you confirm & pay, and any seat number over 60 is on the upper deck.  If you don't get an upper deck seat, simply leave it in your basket & try again until you get an upstairs seat, then delete the tickets you don't want from your basket.

• Alternatively, you can book each train separately, although this takes more effort and is unlikely to make it materially cheaper:  Book the Cologne-Paris Thalys and the Paris-Barcelona TGV at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com in € with print-at-home or mobile tickets, then onward trains within Spain at www.renfe.com, very fiddly to use and may reject some overseas payment cards, see advice on using it here, I'd stick with much or easier-to-use www.raileurope.com (in €, £ or $, small fee) or www.petrabax.com (in US$, small mark-up).

Option 2, Cologne to Spain by high-speed train with overnight stop in Paris...

• Step 1, travel from Cologne to Paris by high-speed Thalys train leaving Cologne Hbf at 16:43 arriving Paris Gare du Nord around 20:14.

  Thalys trains have 3 classes, a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the guide to Thalys trains.  A  later departure at 18:43 is normally available but may be affected by Covid-19 service reductions, check online.

  Fares start at €35 in 2nd class (standard) or €79 in 1st class (comfort).  Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare de Lyon.

• Stay overnight in Paris, see suggested hotels near the Gare du Nord or Gare Lyon.

• Step 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 10:14 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 16:54. 

  The 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views.  It's a scenic and comfortable journey, click here for the sights to see on the way.

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

• Step 3, travel from Barcelona to Madrid, Valencia, Alicante and so on by high-speed train.

  Same-day connections to Madrid, Valencia & Alicante are possible off the 10:14 departure from Paris.  However, a same-day connection to Cordoba, Malaga or Seville is not possible, you'll need to stay the night then take the 08:30 AVE-S112 high-speed train next morning.

• How to buy tickets...

  Buy tickets from Cologne to Spain at www.raileurope.com, this connects to both the French and Spanish ticketing systems so you can buy all three tickets together in one place.  Booking for Thalys & the TGV opens up to 6 months ahead, for the AVE 60 days ahead though this varies.  You can pay in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem.  There's a small booking fee.

  First book from Cologne to Paris, looking for a direct train.  Add this to your basket.

  Then book from Paris to Barcelona for the following day and add that to your basket.  If going to Madrid, Valencia or Alicante where a same-day connection is possible, you can book from Paris to there as one booking.  Otherwise, book an onward ticket from Barcelona into Spain separately, add to basket & check out.

  Travel tip: I recommend an upstairs seat on the TGV Duplex for the best views.  Raileurope.com shows you your seat number before you confirm & pay, and any seat number over 60 is on the upper deck.  If you don't get an upper deck seat, simply leave it in your basket & try again until you get an upstairs seat, then delete the tickets you don't want from your basket.

  Alternatively, you can book each train separately, although this takes more effort and is unlikely to make it materially cheaper:  Book the Cologne-Paris Thalys and the Paris-Barcelona TGV at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com in € with print-at-home or mobile tickets, then onward trains within Spain at www.renfe.com, very fiddly to use and may reject some overseas payment cards, see advice on using it here, I'd stick with much or easier-to-use www.raileurope.com (in €, £ or $, small fee) or www.petrabax.com (in US$, small mark-up).

Step 1, Cologne to Paris by Thalys, seen arrived at Paris Nord.  See 360º photos inside Thalys.  More info about Thalys.

1st class (Comfort & Premium) seats, 2+1 across the car...		2nd class (Standard) seats, 2+2 across.  Larger photo.

Step 2, Paris to  Barcelona by TGV Duplex, a 320 km/h (199 mph) double-decker.  Watch TGV Duplex video.

Cafe-bar on upper deck in car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks & microwave-style hot dishes.		2nd class seats on the upper deck.  There's a mix or tables for 4 and unidirectional seating.  360º photo.

1st class seats on upper deck, a club duo on the left, a club quatre on the right.  360º photo.		A TGV Duplex at Barcelona Sants.  The red near the door indicates 1st class, pale green indicates 2nd class.

Mt Canigou & the Pyrenees...  One of the highest peaks in the mighty Pyrenees, the 2,784m (9,137 feet) high Mt Canigou dominates the skyline on the right all the way from Perpignan to Girona, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canigou.  More photos of what to see on the Paris-Barcelona train journey.

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Cologne or Düsseldorf to Ibiza & Mallorca...

• Step 1, travel from Cologne to Barcelona as shown above.

  You can leave Cologne in the early evening of Day 1, stay overnight in Paris, reaching Barcelona in the afternoon on Day 2, and Ibiza or Palma in time for breakfast on Day 3.

  In Barcelona, it's a 3.8km 46-minute walk from Barcelona Sants to the Acciona and Balearia ferry terminal at the foot of La Rambla, near the Columbus monument, see walking map.  Or use a taxi or the metro, nearest metro station Drassanes.

• Step 2, sail overnight from Barcelona to Ibiza or Palma de Mallorca by ferry.

  Ibiza:  Acciona Trasmediterranea operate an overnight ferry from Barcelona to Ibiza on most nights of the week sailing at or around 22:00, arriving 07:00.  Times and dates vary, check times and buy tickets at the Direct Ferries website or www.trasmediterranea.es.  Check-in for the ferry closes 30 minutes before sailing time.  You can pre-print your boarding pass to save time at the terminal.

  Mallorca:  There are two overnight ferries from Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca, both with restaurants, bars & cosy en suite cabins, both usually sailing from Barcelona around around 22:00 and arriving in Palma around 07:00.  One ferry is run by Acciona Trasmediterranea (www.trasmediterranea.es, the other run by Balearia (www.balearia.com).  You can check times & buy tickets at the Direct Ferries website.

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Cologne or Dusseldorf to Lisbon, Porto & Portugal...

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Cologne or Dusseldorf to Andorra...

Option 1, Cologne to Andorra in a day...

• Step 1, travel from Cologne to Paris by Thalys train, leaving Cologne Hbf at 08:43 and arriving Paris Gare du Nord around 12:10.

  High-speed Thalys trains travel at up to 300km/h, with 3 classes, a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the Thalys guide.

  Fares start from €35 in 2nd class (standard) or €72 in 1st class (comfort).  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (more fiddly, in €, but no fee).   You print your own ticket or can choose a mobile ticket.

  Change stations in Paris by metro or taxi.  Always allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Paris, but the longer the better.

• Step 2, travel from Paris to Toulouse by high-speed TGV, leaving Paris Montparnasse at 15:11 arriving Toulouse Matabiau 19:23.

  Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (more fiddly, in €, but no fee).   You print your own ticket or can choose a mobile ticket.

  Have dinner in Toulouse...

• Step 3, travel from Toulouse Matabiau to Andorra la Vella by bus, taking 4 hours, fare €33.

  There are 3 services every day run by Andbus, check times at www.andorrabybus.com.  I'd allow at least an hour between train and bus in Toulouse, just in case of delay.  There's normally a bus leaving Toulouse Matabiau at 20:00 arriving Andorra at midnight.

  The buses leave from bus stand 15 inside the Gare Routière (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 ticket at www.andorrabybus.com.

Take a high-speed TGV from Paris Montparnasse to Toulouse, with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.		1st class on TGV Atlantique, showing semi-compartments.  Courtesy Rafal Tomasik.

2nd class seats on the TGV.  Most are unidirectional, some are in bays of 4 like this.  See 360° photo		The café-bar car, serving drinks, snacks & microwaved hot dishes.  See a typical menu here...

Travel from Toulouse to Andorra by bus, seen at bus stand 15.  The bus station is right next to the rail station.		Bus station in Toulouse Matabiau forecourt.  Photos courtesy of Andrew McIntyre.

Option 2, using the Paris-Toulouse-l'Hospitalet overnight train...

• Step 1, travel from Cologne to Paris by Thalys train, leaving Cologne Hbf at 16:43 and arriving Paris Gare du Nord around 20:10.

  High-speed Thalys trains travel at up to 300km/h, they have 3 classes, a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the Thalys guide.

  Fares start at €35 in 2nd class (standard) or €72 in 1st class (comfort).  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (more fiddly, in €, but no fee).   You print your own ticket or can choose a mobile ticket.

  Change stations in Paris by metro or taxi.  Always allow at least 90 minutes between trains in Paris when catching a sleeper you don't want to miss.  Indeed, I recommend booking an earlier Thalys and having 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.

• Step 2, travel from Paris to Toulouse by Intercité de Nuit, leaving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 21:45 arriving Toulouse Matabiau at 07:05.

  The Intercité de Nuit has 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-Toulouse night train should run daily all year, but has an annoying habit of opening late for booking, less than the expected 4 months ahead, so don't be too impatient.

  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 €, more fiddly, no fee).  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can choose a mobile ticket.

• Step 3, 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 Routière (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 €33 one-way.

Paris to Toulouse or l'Hospitalet by Intercité de Nuit, seen here at Paris Gare d'Austerlitz:  More information about Intercité de Nuit trains.  Watch the video.  Photo courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry.

1st class 4-berth couchettes, as recently refurbished.  Courtesy of @Bristol_Phil.  Photo in 2nd class courtesy Dan Chester.		2nd class 6-berth couchettes		Chilling in the corridor...  Courtesy Dan Chester.

Upper berths, showing compartment lighting & temperature controls.  You can see the normal lock & security deadlock on the door.  Courtesy of Dan Chester.		Each couchette comes with a pillow, lightweight sleeping bag, bottled water, amenity kit with ear plugs & eye mask, reading light & power outlet.

Road transport to Andorra...  This is a Toulouse to Andorra bus at Toulouse bus stand 15.		The bus station in Toulouse Matabiau forecourt.  Photo courtesy of Andrew McIntyre.

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Cologne or Düsseldorf to Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck & Austria from €39.90...

Option 1, by comfortable daytime trains...

• For Vienna & Linz...

  High-quality ICE-T trains link Düsseldorf & Cologne with Linz & Vienna twice a day:

  Cologne Hbf depart 05:53, Vienna Hbf arrive 14:45.

  Cologne Hbf depart 09:53, Vienna Hbf arrive 18:45.

  It's a chill-out day with a good book and meals in the restaurant car accompanied by a decent weissbier. 

  These trains are superb German ICEs with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, and they take the scenic Rhine Valley route between Koblenz & Mainz - which just happens to be one of the most scenic main lines in Germany, twisting along the river past mountains, castles, vineyards and river boats and of course the famous legendary Lorelei Rock.  Sit on the left hand side of the train for the river scenery.  See the Rhine Valley scenery video here.

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

• For Salzburg, Bischofshofen, St Johann, Klagenfurt...

  A direct EuroCity train with bistro car links Düsseldorf & Cologne with Salzburg, Bischofshofen, St Johan & Klagenfurt every day, leaving Cologne Hbf at 08:17 and arriving Salzburg Hbf at 15:59, with fares from €29.90.

  This train also takes the scenic Rhine Valley route via Koblenz, make sure you sit on the left hand side of the train as the river boats, castles, vineyards and legendary Lorelei Rock roll past.

• For Innsbruck & St Anton there are various departures with 1 or 2 changes, check times at www.bahn.de.

• To buy tickets or check train times from anywhere in Germany to anywhere in Austria use the German Railways website www.bahn.de.  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.  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.

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

An ICE-T at Vienna Hbf.  These superb 7-car ICE-T trains run direct from Cologne to Vienna twice a day.

Table for two in 1st class, my favourite configuration.  There are also tables for four in both classes.		Restaurant:  In 1st class you can choose to be served at your seat.  I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier!

You can see into the cab at each end of the train.		Comfortable 2nd class seats on the ICE-T to Vienna...

You'll glimpse the Inn and Danube rivers from the Frankfurt-Vienna ICE...

Option 2, by Nightjet sleeper train - the safe, comfortable, time-effective option that saves a hotel bill...

• A comfortable Nightjet sleeper train leaves Dusseldorf 21:43 & Cologne Hbf 22:16, arriving Wels 07:14, Linz 07:46, Vienna Meidling 09:11 & Vienna Hbf 09:19, with a portion for Innsbruck Hbf arriving 09:14.  For Salzburg, change at Wels onto a railjet train arriving Salzburg Hbf at 08:48.

  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, €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 prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.

Düsseldorf or Cologne to Vienna by Nightjet...  Above, the Nightjet to Vienna & Innsbruck is about to leave Cologne Hbf.

Deluxe sleeper.  Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room.  Larger photo.  Video of deluxe room		The same deluxe sleeper in evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out.  Larger photo.		Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided.  Larger photo.		Standard sleeper set up as 2-berth, washstand open.  It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth.  Larger photo.

6-berth couchettes...		4-berth couchettes...		Couchette car on the Brussels-Vienna Nightjet...

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Cologne & Düsseldorf to Copenhagen, Odense & Denmark from €39.90...

• You can travel from Cologne to Copenhagen in a single day with 1 easy change in Hamburg, for example:

  Leave Cologne Hbf at 08:11 or Düsseldorf 08:32 by Intercity train, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 17:33.

  Leave Cologne Hbf at 12:11 by ICE train, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 21:33.

  The Hamburg to Copenhagen trains also call at Kolding (for Legoland) and Odense.

  Take a good book, sit back and enjoy the ride.  You travel from Cologne to Hamburg by either Intercity train with bistro car or ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Copenhagen to Hamburg is by Danish IC3 Intercity train with free WiFi whilst in Denmark, there's no catering car so bring your own food & drink.  See more information about the Hamburg to Copenhagen journey.

  From 18 June to 21 August 2022 an increased Hamburg-Copenhagen timetable operates, giving slightly different departures:

  Leave Cologne Hbf at 08:11, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 17:33.

  Leave Cologne Hbf at 10:11, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 19:33.

  Leave Cologne Hbf at 14:11, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 23:33.

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

• Book at the German Railways website www.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:  In the search results, look for options with 1 change, not 2 or 3.  Adjust the Duration of transfer feature if you'd like longer connections, or the Add intermediates stops feature if you'd like a stopover in Hamburg.

Step 1, Cologne to Hamburg by Intercity train.  More information about these Intercity trains.

Lunch in the bistro car...		2nd class seats...

Step 2, Hamburg to Copenhagen by Intercity train.  This is the late afternoon Hamburg-Copenhagen IC3 leaving platform 5 at Hamburg Hbf on a busy summer day.  The yellow stripe above the windows indicates first class, located at one end of both 3-car units.  More information about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey.

Boarding a Danish IC3 train at Hamburg Hbf...		1st class seats on an IC3 train.  Larger photo.

2nd class seats on a IC3 train.  Larger photo.		An IC3 train to Copenhagen at Hamburg.

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Cologne & Düsseldorf to Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö...

Option 1, Cologne or Düsseldorf to Stockholm using the Hamburg-Stockholm sleeper train, starting 1 September 2022 - the time-effective option...

• Step 1, travel from to Hamburg by ICE train, leaving Cologne Hbf at 16:11 or Düsseldorf at 16:34, arriving Hamburg Altona 20:29.

  The ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Always allow at least an hour when connecting with a sleeper train you don't want to miss.  Have dinner in Hamburg.

  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 www.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 on at any time and check or reprint tickets.

• Step 2, travel from Hamburg to Stockholm by sleeper train, leaving Hamburg Altona at 21:55 & arriving Stockholm Central 09:55 next morning.

  This train started running on 1 September 2022.  Procured by the Swedish government and run by Swedish Railways SJ, 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 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.  The sleeping-cars are former Austrian Railways AB32s, refurbished.  More information about the Hamburg-Stockholm sleeper train.

  Update: This train is initially running only with 4 & 6-berth couchettes. Delivery of refurbished sleeping-cars & formal approval of the seats cars have been delayed.

  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.

  Book tickets at either www.sj.se or (as this is a Nightjet partner route) Austrian Railways www.oebb.at.

  Booking opens several months ahead, you print your own ticket or can show it on your smartphone.

The inaugural Hamburg to Stockholm SJ EuroNight train at Hamburg Altona, 1 September 2022.  The author rode this first departure...		6-berth couchettes. Larger photo.

Couchettes in day mode, en route to Stockholm.  Larger photo.		The inaugural train from Hamburg to Stockholm calls at Padborg, just after entering Denmark.

Typical Swedish scenery on the morning run into Stockholm...

Option 2, Cologne or Düsseldorf to Stockholm, Gothenburg & Malmö in a single day...

• It's possible to travel from Cologne to Stockholm, Gothenburg or Malmo in a single day.  You'll usually find two services per day, but see what journey options www.bahn.de gives you as times may vary:

  Leave Cologne Hbf at 03:59, change at Hamburg Hbf & Copenhagen arriving Stockholm 19:37;

  Leave Cologne Hbf at 08:11, change at Hamburg Hbf & Copenhagen arriving Stockholm 23:41

  You travel by comfortable InterCity (IC) train with bistro car to Hamburg, Danish intercity train to Copenhagen, then either a 200 km/h Swedish X2000 high-speed train from Copenhagen to Stockholm or a comfortable Öresund train from Copenhagen to Malmo & Gothenburg.  You cross from Denmark to Sweden on the impressive Öresund fixed link.

  Fares start at €56.90 in 2nd class or €79.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de.  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.

  Book from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Malmo, Gothenburg or Stockholm as one transaction.  Don't worry about connections, you will be using a through ticket so will be entitled to travel onwards by later trains (and if necessary, a hotel) if a delay means a connection is missed, under the CIV international conditions of carriage.

  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.

Option 3, Cologne or Düsseldorf to Stockholm, Gothenburg & Malmö with overnight stop in Hamburg...

• It can be easier and sometimes more time-effective to break up the journey with an overnight hotel stop in Hamburg.  That way you can leave Cologne in the late afternoon or early evening, and travel from Hamburg to Sweden next day.  You can still benefit from the same cheap fares from €59.90.

• To book, go to www.bahn.de and click Stopover.  Enter Hamburg Hbf in the via box and perhaps 11 hours in the hh:mm stopover box.  Adjust the departure time and stopover period until you get trains which suit you either side of Hamburg.

  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.

• Suggested hotels in Hamburg across the road from Hamburg Hbf with good reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof (the one I'd pick), Hotel Atlantic Kempinski.

Step 1, Cologne to Hamburg by Intercity train.  More information about these Intercity trains.

Lunch in the bistro car...		2nd class seats...

Step 2, Hamburg to Copenhagen by Intercity train seen here at Copenhagen.  More about Hamburg to Copenhagen trains.

2nd class seats on an IC3 train.  Larger photo.		1st class seats on an IC3 train.  Larger photo.

Step 3, Copenhagen to Stockholm by tilting 200km/h X2000, seen at Stockholm Central.  More about X2000 trains.

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

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

Crossing the impressive Öresund bridge from Denmark to Sweden...

Option 4, Cologne or Düsseldorf to Gothenburg using Stena Line's Kiel-Gothenburg overnight ferry...

• Step 1, travel from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Kiel by train, leaving late morning.

  The journey takes around 5h25, you'll typically find a train leaving Cologne Hbf around 11:00 or Düsseldorf around 11:30 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 www.bahn.de.

  You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.  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.

• 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.

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Cologne & Düsseldorf to Oslo & Norway...

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

• Day 1, travel from Cologne to Copenhagen by train as shown above.

• Stay overnight in Copenhagen.  Hotels near the station with good reviews include the Nimb Hotel (5-star luxe), Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (5-star), Axel Guldsmeden (4-star), Andersen Boutique Hotel, First Hotel Mayfair (3-star), Hotel Ansgar (3-star), City Hotel Nebo (2-star).

• Day 2, travel from Copenhagen to Oslo, leaving Copenhagen at 09:27, change at Gothenburg Central, arriving Oslo Sentral 17:51.

  Earlier & later departures are available, see the Copenhagen-Oslo timetable & how to buy tickets here.

  Alternatively, spend a morning in Copenhagen, and after lunch take the DFDS overnight ferry to Oslo with a comfortable private cabin with shower & toilet, arriving Oslo at 09:15 on day 3, as also shown here.  This is remarkably affordable, and saves a hotel bill.  Book the ferry at www.dfds.co.uk.

Option 2, Cologne & Dusseldorf to Oslo via the Kiel-Oslo Color Line cruise ferry - the most luxurious way to Oslo...

• Day 1, travel from Cologne or Dusseldorf to Kiel on a very early morning train, for example leaving Cologne Hbf at 06:12.

  Fares start at €18.90 in 2nd class or €49.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

  Buy tickets at the German Railways website www.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.

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

• Day 1, 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 (day 2).

  Check times & buy tickets using the Direct Ferries website or www.colorline.com.  You print your own ticket.

  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.

This photo is taken from the exit of Kiel station, so you can see how close the ferry is.  It's a 5-6 minute walk across the harbour, with a street lift up to a connecting walkway which takes you to the ferry terminal. If you have reserved one of what Color Line call their "5 star suites", check in at the desk rather than the machines and you'll be directed to a special lounge to wait with free tea, coffee, juice, snacks & WiFi.  You'll also have priority boarding of the ship.  Photos courtesy of Andrew Leo.

Boarding the Color Line ferry to Oslo in Kiel...

A 5 Star Suite on the ferry...		More cruise liner than ferry!  The restaurant.

Wake up to this....

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Cologne & Düsseldorf to Helsinki & Finland...

Option 1, by direct ferry from Germany to Helsinki - the easiest option...

Finnlines sail from Travemünde in Germany to Helsinki every day, boarding from 22:30 to 24:00 and arriving Helsinki Vuosaari ferry terminal at 09:00 2 nights later.  First go to www.finnlines.com to check sailing dates, times & to book the ferry.  Then travel as follows:

• Step 1, travel from Cologne to Lübeck Travemünde Skandinavienkai Terminal.

  Take an InterCity or ICE train from Cologne Hbf to Hamburg Hbf, then take a local train from Hamburg Hbf to Lübeck, these run every 30 minutes during the day, hourly in the evening, journey time 42-43 minutes.

  At Lübeck, leave the station and follow the signs to the ZOB bus station.  Lübeck is a good place for dinner with plenty of bars & restaurants in the old town 5 minutes walk from the bus station.

  Now take a bus from Lübeck bus station to Travemünde Skandinavienkai Terminal (this is not the same stop as Travemünde Skandinavienkai), the bus ride takes 28 minutes, the last bus goes around 21:00.

  You can check journey times from Cologne to Travemünde Skandinavienkai Terminal at the German Railways website, just use this link to bahn.de as it has the bus times in its database as well as the trains, or you can find bus information at www.xn--sv-lbeck-95a.de.

• Step 2, sail from Travemünde to Helsinki with Finnlines.

  At the terminal, walk into the unassuming building next to the bus stop for check in.  You're looking for a large building marked HafenHaus and with a green neon Check in sign by the front door.  After check-in, you go downstairs to a large waiting hall, with a bar/cafe open until 10pm, toilets and a large supermarket open until 01:30 selling alcohol and chocolate.

  Check-in normally opens at 21:00 and the ship boards from 22:30 to 24:00, foot passengers are driven onto the car deck in a minibus.  The ship sails at 03:00 arriving at Helsinki Vuosaari ferry terminal outside Helsinki at 09:00 the following day (2 nights from Hamburg).

  The ship may not be quite as glamorous as some other cruise ferries on the Baltic, but it has all the essentials:  Comfortable cabins with private shower & toilet and free internet access (but not WiFi, so bring a network cable), restaurant, shop, bar, sundeck, and (naturally, being Finnish) a sauna.  It's a very civilised way to travel.

• Step 3, transfer from the Vuosaari ferry terminal to central Helsinki.  Helsinki's new Hansa Ferry Terminal in the Vuosaari Harbour is 16 km east of central Helsinki.  There is a bus connection (bus 90B) between Vuosaari harbour and Vuosaari metro station.  Take the metro from Vuosaari into central Helsinki, journey time 25 minutes.  Map of Helsinki showing Vuosaari.

One of Finnlines 3 star class ferries to Helsinki.  Courtesy of Finnlines.		Cabin on the ferry...

Option 2, travel to Stockholm and take a ferry from there...

• Step 1, travel from Cologne to Stockholm by train using any of the options shown in the Berlin to Sweden section.

• 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.

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Cologne or Düsseldorf to Prague from €29.90...

Option 1, by daytime train - the leisurely same-day option...

• Take a high-speed ICE2 train from Düsseldorf or Cologne Hbf to Berlin Hbf in 4h22, then a comfortable EuroCity train with restaurant car from Berlin Hbf to Prague Hlavni in 4h19.  For example:

  Leave Cologne Hbf 06:17, change at Berlin Hbf, arrive Prague Hlavni 15:35.

  Leave Cologne Hbf 07:48, change at Berlin Hbf, arrive Prague Hlavni 17:35.

  Leave Cologne Hbf 09:48, change at Berlin Hbf, arrive Prague Hlavni 19:35.

  Leave Cologne Hbf 11:48, change at Berlin Hbf, arrive Prague Hlavni 21:35.

  It's a leisurely journey with a good book and a glass of wine, with great scenery along the Elbe River between Dresden and Prague, see the scenery photos & video here.

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

• Buy tickets at the German Railways website www.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:  It's a good idea to click Stopover and enter Berlin Hbf as a via station, then it'll just show this route via Berlin with high-quality trains, look for easy options with just 1 change.  See suggested hotels in Prague.

  Tip:  Stopover in Berlin?   You normally seem to get an hour between trains in Berlin, which is enough to nip out to see the Reichstag 10 minutes walk from Berlin Hbf or the Brandenburg gate, 5 minutes walk further on.  But you can build in a longer stopover if you want, either a few hours or an overnight stop.  Simply click Stopover and enter Berlin Hbf then enter a suitable stopover duration.  For a few hours stop, select an early departure time from Cologne or Düsseldorf.

• This is the easiest and most scenic daytime option, with the chance for a stopover in Berlin, but for sheer cheapness, see option 3 below...

Step 1, Dusseldorf or Cologne to Berlin by ICE2.  These are 2nd class seats. Larger photo.

Restaurant car.  Larger photo.		Bar car.  Larger photo.

Boarding an ICE2 at Berlin Hbf...		1st class seats.  Larger photo.

Step 2, Berlin to Prague by EuroCity train, seen here boarding in Berlin...

1st class seats...		2nd class seats in a compartment car...

So civilised!  A meal in the Czech restaurant car as the Berlin-Prague express snakes along the beautiful Elbe river south of Dresden.  Most Berlin-Prague trains use Czech carriages like this, a few use Hungarian air-conditioned carriages.  See more photos, tips & info for the Berlin to Prague train ride.  Photo courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry.

Scenery along the Elbe river between Dresden & Prague...

Option 2, by daytime trains with overnight stop in Berlin from €39 - a time-effective option with an evening in Berlin...

• Day 1, take a comfortable high-speed ICE train from Cologne Hbf to Berlin Hbf in 4h22...

  Trains leave every hour, you can usually leave Cologne as late as 19:27 arriving Berlin at 00:10, but by all means book an earlier train and spend a pleasant evening in Berlin.

• Stay overnight in Berlin.  The 3-star InterCity Hotel (my favourite) or Meininger Hotel are right next to Berlin Hbf, a 10-minute walk from the Reichstag or 15 minutes from the Brandenburg Gate, relatively inexpensive with good reviews.  The Steigenberger Hotel is more upmarket, also right next to the station with great reviews.  If you want to push the boat out, the famous & historic Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is next to the Brandenburg Gate.  If you're on a tight budget, the cheaper Motel One Berlin-Hbf is behind the station or see www.hostelworld.com.

• Day 2, travel from Berlin to Prague by EuroCity train in just 4h19 on any train you like...

  The 07:16 EuroCity train from Berlin Hbf will get you to Prague Hlavni at 11:35 with breakfast in the restaurant car as you glide along the scenic Elbe river valley - or have a leisurely breakfast at your hotel and take the 09:16, they leave every two hours, see the timetable here.

• Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class, with overnight stop included.  Fares vary like air fares so book ahead.

• Buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de like this:

  Enter Cologne or Dusseldorf to Prague, then click Stopover and enter Berlin Hbf and a stopover duration of (say) 10 hours.  In fact, I've set up this special link to bahn.de for you with the necessary parameters, just enter your date of travel and adjust the departure time from Cologne and stopover duration in Berlin to get the trains you want on both days.  In the search results, look for journeys with just 1 change marked ICE,EC.  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.

Option 3, the cheapest option via Nuremburg & Cheb...

• It involves 3 changes, but you can potentially go from Cologne to Prague in comfort by train from as little as €21.

• The trick is to book from Cologne to Prague at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz, but before running the enquiry, click More options then Travel via and enter Cheb in the via box.  I'd also click Connection parameters and limit changes to 2.  Booking normally opens 90 days ahead.

  You'll see fares from as little as €21 (about 580 Czech Koruna) via a route with 3 changes at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, Nuremberg & Cheb.  You print your own ticket.  Treat yourself to first class from €39, about 1076 Koruna.  For example:

  Cologne Hbf depart 05:53, Prague Hlavni arrive 15:21.

  Cologne Hbf depart 07:53, Prague Hlavni arrive 17:21.

  Cologne Hbf depart 09:53, Prague Hlavni arrive 19:21.

• There's nothing cut-rate about the trains:  You take top-quality high-speed ICE trains from Cologne to Nuremberg with restaurant car & free WiFi, then a swish German air-conditioned regional train from Nuremberg to Cheb and a comfy air-conditioned Czech express train from Cheb to Prague with refreshment trolley and free WiFi.  See more photos, video guide, information & tips on travel to Prague via Cheb.

• It's an incredible price, unusually low, but genuine enough.  Too out of kilter for such low fares to survive long?  Who knows, but great while it's available. If you book this way, feedback would be appreciated!

The easy & relaxed interchange at Cheb...  The red train on the right is the German regional train arrived from Nuremberg.  You cross to the blue Czech train on the left about to leave for Prague - although always check the departure boards as sometimes a faster train to Prague goes from an adjacent platform.

The City Night Line sleeper train from Cologne to Prague was discontinued in December 2016.

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Cologne or Düsseldorf to Bratislava & Slovakia from €39.90...

Option 1, by daytime train... 

• You can travel from Cologne or Dusseldorf to Bratislava with just one change:

  Leave Dusseldorf 05:27 or Cologne Hbf 05:53 by ICE-T train to Vienna Hbf, then by Regional Express train to Bratislava Hlavna arriving 16:23.

  Leave Dusseldorf 08:27 or Cologne Hbf 09:53 by ICE-T train to Vienna Hbf, then by Regional Express train to Bratislava Hlavna arriving 20:23.

  The high-speed ICE-T trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Treat this as a chill-out trip...

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

• Book at the German Railways website www.bahn.de.  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You print your own ticket, in this case it 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.

Step 1, Cologne to Vienna by ICE-T train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi...

Table for two in 1st class, my favourite configuration.  There are also tables for four in both classes.		Lunch in the restaurant.  In 1st class you can choose to be served at your seat.  I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier!

You can see into the cab at each end of the train.		Comfortable 2nd class seats on the ICE-T to Vienna...

You'll glimpse the Inn and Danube rivers from the Frankfurt-Vienna ICE...

Step 2, Vienna to Bratislava by hourly regional express train.  More about these Vienna-Bratislava trains.

Option 2, by sleeper train...

• Step 1, travel from Düsseldorf or Cologne to Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Dusseldorf at 21:43 or Cologne Hbf at 22:16 every day, arriving Vienna Hbf at 09:19 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 an ordinary seats car.  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, €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 Austrian Railways own site www.oebb.at (same prices, a little more fiddly, in €). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.

  Tip:  If you have a sleeper ticket, you can use the ÖBB Lounge at Vienna Hbf between trains, with complimentary tea, coffee & free WiFi.

A 1, 2 or 3-bed sleeper with washbasin.  Larger photo.		The sleeping-car (vagon de dormit) on the westbound Ister at Bucharest.  Sleepers convert from beds to private sitting rooms for day use.  Courtesy of DiscoverByRail.

The vagon cuseta (couchette car) on the westbound Ister, boarding at Bucharest.  Couchettes convert from bunks at night to seats by day.  Courtesy of @AndyBTravels, DiscoverByRail.com .		4 or 6-berth couchettes.  Larger photo.

Option 3, with overnight stop in Budapest - if you prefer daytime trains & hotel to sleepers...

• Day 1, travel from Düsseldorf or Cologne to Budapest in a day, as shown in the Cologne to Budapest section above.

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

• Day 2, travel from Budapest to Romania by comfortable air-conditioned Intercity train.  These link Budapest Keleti with Cluj, Timisoara, Craiova, Sibiu, Sinaia, Brasov & Ploesti.  It's an all-day daytime run across Transylvania, see the Trains from Budapest page for details.

  Fares start at €26.30 in 2nd class or (on trains which have 1st class) €40.50 in 1st class.

  Buy tickets at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it.  Booking opens 60 days ahead.  You show your ticket in the MAV app on your smartphone.

  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.

The daytime train from Budapest to Bucharest has modern air-conditioned Romanian carriages.  Three cars travel all the way, additional cars are attached whilst in Hungary, and additional cars and a bar car are attached between Drobeta Turnu Severin & Bucharest.

On the left, the daytime train to Bucharest is about to leave Budapest Keleti...		Comfortable 2nd class seats on the Budapest to Bucharest train.  There are power outlets under the tables.  Larger photo.

A bar car is attached between Drobeta Turnu Severin & Bucharest.  Photos courtesy of @AndyBTravels, DiscoverByRail.com.

Step 1, Cologne to Munich by ICE.  This is an ICE3 at Cologne Hbf.  More information about ICE trains.

2nd class seats on an ICE3M.  Larger photo.		1st class seats on an ICE3M.  Larger photo.

Proper china, metal cutlery.  I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier!  See current month's menu.		Restaurant car:  This is the small 12-seat restaurant area on an ICE3M.  Larger photo.

Step 2, Munich to Ljubljana & Zagreb by sleeper train.  Above, the air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car from Munich to Zagreb is boarding on platform 12 at Munich Hbf.  It has 10 compartments with washbasin, each of which can be used as 1, 2 or 3 berth, with toilets at the end of the corridor.  Compartments convert to a private sitting room for evening or morning use.  A light breakfast is included in the sleeper fare.  The Croatian couchette car is the next vehicle to the right, also modern & air-conditioned with 4 & 6 bunk compartments, ideal for families.  Couchettes convert from bunks to seats for evening or morning use.

1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper.		Set up as a single-berth.		4 or 6-berth couchettes. 360º photo.

Wake up to scenery like this between Ljubljana & Zagreb, along the river Sava...

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Cologne or Dusseldorf to Belgrade, Sofia, Montenegro...

Option 1, to Belgrade & beyond using the Munich-Zagreb sleeper...

• Step 1, travel from Cologne to Munich by ICE train, leaving Cologne Hbf at 17:55 arriving Munich Hbf 22:26.

  Or leave Cologne Hbf at 15:55 arriving Munich Hbf 21:12 to allow time for dinner.  Just make sure you allow around an hour between trains in Munich in case of any delay.  ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Fares start at €27.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

  Book this train at the German Railways website www.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 on at any time and check or reprint tickets.

  Tip:  For dinner in Munich with Bavarian food and a beer or two before boarding the sleeper I recommend the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de) at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf, see walking map.

• Step 2, travel from Munich to Ljubljana or Zagreb by sleeper train, leaving Munich Hbf at 23:20 & arriving Zagreb at 08:32.

  The sleeper train Lisinski has an air-conditioned Croatian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments and a modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car with comfortable 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, see the photos below and the Croatian sleeper video here.

  Fares start at €49.90 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.

• Step 3, 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 is still currently suspended due to Covid-19.

  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.

• Step 4 for Sofia, stay overnight in Belgrade and take the train from Belgrade to Sofia next day (day 3), see the Belgrade to Sofia page for schedule, fares & how to buy tickets.

• Step 4 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.

Step 1, Cologne to Munich by ICE.  This is an ICE3 at Munich Hbf.  More information about ICE trains.

2nd class seats on an ICE3M.  Larger photo.		1st class seats on an ICE3M.  Larger photo.

Proper china, metal cutlery.  I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier!  See current month's menu.		Restaurant car:  This is the small 12-seat restaurant area on an ICE3M.  Larger photo.

Step 2, Munich to Zagreb by sleeper train.  Above, the air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car from Munich to Zagreb is boarding on platform 12 at Munich Hbf.  It has 10 compartments with washbasin, each of which can be used as 1, 2 or 3 berth, with toilets at the end of the corridor.  Compartments convert to a private sitting room for evening or morning use.  A light breakfast is included in the sleeper fare.  The Croatian couchette car is the next vehicle to the right, also modern & air-conditioned with 4 & 6 bunk compartments, ideal for families.  Couchettes convert from bunks to seats for evening or morning use.

1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper.		Set up as a single-berth.		4 or 6-berth couchettes. 360º photo.

Wake up to scenery like this between Ljubljana & Zagreb, along the river Sava...

Step 3, Zagreb to Belgrade on the daily train.  Above, Serbian air-conditioned cars.

Option 2, Cologne or Düsseldorf to Sofia via Bucharest - currently the easiest option for Sofia...

• Day 1, travel from Düsseldorf or Cologne to Vienna overnight as shown above, using the Nightjet sleeper train.

  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.

• Day 2, travel from Vienna to Budapest by railjet train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 11:40 and arriving Budapest Keleti at 14:19.

  The swish Austrian railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  By all means take an earlier train if you'd like more time in Budapest, perhaps for lunch.

  Fares start at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.  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).  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.

• 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 22:00) 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.

• 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.

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Cologne or Düsseldorf to Warsaw from €37.90...

Option 1, Cologne to Warsaw in a single day from €37.90 - the leisurely daytime option...

• Step 1, travel from Cologne Hbf to Berlin Hbf by high-speed ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Step 2, travel from Berlin Hbf to Warsaw Centralna by comfortable Berlin-Warsaw EuroCity train with restaurant car.

• For example:

  Leave Cologne Hbf 08:48, change Berlin Hbf, arriving Warsaw Centralna at 19:35.

  Leave Cologne Hbf 10:48, change Berlin Hbf, arriving Warsaw Centralna at 21:33.

  Leave Cologne Hbf 12:48, change Berlin Hbf, arriving Warsaw Centralna at 23:35.

• Fares start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

• Buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de.  Booking to Poland normally opens 60 days 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.

• Why not spend some time in Berlin between trains?  This breaks up the trip, there are left luggage lockers available and Berlin Hbf is just 10-15 min walk from the Reichstag & Brandenburg Gate, so even a couple of hours stopover is a worthwhile experience.  To build in a stopover using www.bahn.de simply click Stopover and enter Berlin Hbf plus the number of hours stopover you want - I have set up the special link for you with a 4-hour stopover added.

Option 2, Cologne to Warsaw with overnight stop in Berlin - time-effective & a chance to see Berlin...

• Day 1, travel from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Berlin on any afternoon or early evening high-speed ICE train.

  You can leave Cologne Hbf as late as 18:48 on most days, arriving Berlin Hbf around 23:04, but by all means take an earlier train and spend a pleasant evening in Berlin.  The high-speed ICE has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Stay overnight in Berlin.  The 3-star InterCity Hotel (my favourite) or Meininger Hotel are right next to Berlin Hbf, a 10-minute walk from the Reichstag or 15 minutes from the Brandenburg Gate, relatively inexpensive with good reviews.  The Steigenberger Hotel is more upmarket, also right next to the station with great reviews.  If you want to push the boat out, the famous & historic Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is next to the Brandenburg Gate.  If you're on a tight budget, the cheaper Motel One Berlin-Hbf is behind the station or see www.hostelworld.com.

• Day 2, travel from Berlin to Warsaw on any Berlin-Warsaw EuroCity train you like.

  Daily except Sundays, the 05:43 from Berlin Hbf will get you to Warsaw Centralna at 11:42 with breakfast in the restaurant car.  Or have a leisurely breakfast at your hotel and take the daily 09:38 arriving 15:45.  Or take spend some time in Berlin and take a later train, the German capital is fascinating, see the timetable here...

• Fares start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class all on one ticket.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de:  Enter Cologne or Dusseldorf to Warsaw, but click Stopover and enter Berlin Hbf and the number of hours stopover you want, say 10:00.  Adjust the departure time and the Berlin stopover duration to get the trains you want, with a little trial and error.  I have set up this link to Bahn.de for you with this included, just enter your own date of travel and the number of passengers.  Booking to Poland normally opens 60 days 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.

Step 1, Cologne or Düsseldorf to Berlin by ICE2 with power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  This is 2nd class.  Larger photo.

Restaurant car.  Larger photo.		Bar car.  Larger photo.

An ICE2 at Berlin Hbf...		1st class seats.  Larger photo.

Step 2, Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train, seen here at Berlin Hbf...

1st class compartment...		2nd class.  Some seats are in compartments.

The restaurant car on a Berlin-Warsaw express.  You don't need to reserve a table, just go along and sit down.  A steward will take your order...  These photos courtesy of DiscoverbyRail.com.  Larger photo.

The bar...		Decent food, served on proper china...

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Cologne or Düsseldorf to Wroclaw, Katowice & Krakow from €37.90...

Option 1, Cologne to Krakow by daytime trains a single day - Mondays-Saturdays only...

• Step 1, travel from Cologne to Berlin by ICE train with restaurant car & free WiFi, leaving Cologne Hbf at 04:26 & arriving Berlin Hbf 09:10.

  You've now time for breakfast in Berlin, and perhaps a wander to the Reichstag & Brandenburg Gate, 15 minutes walk from the station.

  Note that a later 06:17 departure is possible from Cologne every day of the week with a 27-minute connection in Berlin, but a 25+ minute delay would mean missing the once-a-day train to Krakow.  So I recommend sticking with the earlier train, running Mondays-Saturdays only, in spite of the early start!  However, with a through ticket you are entitled to later onward travel at no charge if there's a delay and missed connection, so you could risk it if you liked.

• Step 2, travel from Berlin to Krakow by EuroCity train Wawel with leaving Berlin Hbf at 10:39 and arriving Wroclaw 14:52, Katowice 16:57 & Krakow Glowny at 17:52.  The Wawel is comfortable & air-conditioned with restaurant car, treat yourself to lunch and a beer or two.

• Fares start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

• Buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de.  Tip:  Click Stopover, enter Berlin Hbf with a stopover duration of 45 minutes.  This gets you the robust connection in Berlin as recommended above.  Booking to Poland normally opens 60 days 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.

Step 1, Cologne or Düsseldorf to Berlin by ICE2 with power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  This is 2nd class.  Larger photo

Restaurant car.  Larger photo.		Bar car.  Larger photo.

An ICE2 at Berlin Hbf...		1st class seats.  Larger photo.

Step 2, Berlin to Krakow by EuroCity train Wawel.  This is the Wawel on platform 11 at Berlin Hbf.

2nd class.  Some seats are in compartments.		1st class on the Wawel.

The restaurant car on a Berlin-Warsaw express.  You don't need to reserve a table, just go along and sit down.  A steward will take your order...  These photos courtesy of DiscoverbyRail.com.  Larger photo.

The bar...		Decent food, served on proper china...

Option 2, Cologne to Krakow with overnight stop in Berlin - time-effective & a chance to see Berlin...

• Day 1, travel from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Berlin on any afternoon or early evening high-speed ICE train in 4h22.

  You can leave Cologne Hbf as late as 18:48 on most days, arriving Berlin Hbf around 23:04, but by all means take an earlier train and spend a pleasant evening in Berlin.  The high-speed ICE has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Stay overnight in Berlin.  The 3-star InterCity Hotel (my favourite) or Meininger Hotel are right next to Berlin Hbf, a 10-minute walk from the Reichstag or 15 minutes from the Brandenburg Gate, relatively inexpensive with good reviews.  The Steigenberger Hotel is more upmarket, also right next to the station with great reviews.  If you want to push the boat out, the famous & historic Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is next to the Brandenburg Gate.  If you're on a tight budget, the cheaper Motel One Berlin-Hbf is behind the station or see www.hostelworld.com.

• Day 2, travel from Berlin to Krakow by EuroCity train Wawel, leaving Berlin Hbf at 10:39 every day, arriving Wroclaw 14:52, Katowice at 16:57 & Krakow Glowny at 17:52.  The Wawel is comfortable & air-conditioned with restaurant car, treat yourself to lunch and a beer or two.

• Fares from Cologne or Dusseldorf to Krakow start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead. 

• Buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de:  Enter Cologne or Dusseldorf to Warsaw or Krakow, then to get the overnight stop  click Stopover and enter Berlin Hbf and the number of hours stopover you want, say 12:00.  Adjust the departure time and the Berlin stopover duration to get the trains you want, with a little trial and error.  I have set up this link to bahn.de for you, just enter your own date of travel and the number of passengers.  Booking to Poland normally opens 60 days ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.

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Cologne or Düsseldorf to Kiev & Ukraine...

Option 1, using the Warsaw-Kiev sleeper...

• Day 1, travel from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Berlin on any afternoon or early evening high-speed ICE train.

  You can leave Cologne Hbf as late as 18:48 on most days, arriving Berlin Hbf around 23:04, but by all means take an earlier train and spend a pleasant evening in Berlin.  The high-speed ICE has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Stay overnight in Berlin.  The 3-star InterCity Hotel (my favourite) or Meininger Hotel are right next to Berlin Hbf, a 10-minute walk from the Reichstag or 15 minutes from the Brandenburg Gate, relatively inexpensive with good reviews.  The Steigenberger Hotel is more upmarket, also right next to the station with great reviews.  If you want to push the boat out, the famous & historic Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is next to the Brandenburg Gate.  If you're on a tight budget, the cheaper Motel One Berlin-Hbf is behind the station or see www.hostelworld.com.

• Day 2, travel from Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train leaving Berlin Hbf at 09:38 every day and arriving Warsaw Centralna at 15:45. 

  Tip:  If you book the earlier 05:43 departure from Berlin on Mondays-Saturdays arriving Warsaw at 11:42 you have time to explore the city, 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.

  Fares from Cologne or Dusseldorf to Warsaw start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book from Cologne or Dusseldorf to Warsaw at www.bahn.de.  Booking to Poland normally opens 60 days ahead.  To build in the overnight stop, click Stopover and enter Berlin Hbf and the number of hours stopover you want, say 12:00.  Adjust the departure time and the Berlin stopover duration to get the trains you want, with a little trial and error.  I have set up this link to bahn.de for you, just enter your own date of travel and the number of passengers.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.

• Day 2, travel from Warsaw to Kiev on the Kiev Express, leaving Warsaw Wschodnia at 17:48 & arriving Kiev at 11:00 next morning.

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

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

• To book onward trains from Kiev to Odessa & other places in Ukraine, see the Ukraine page.

A Ukrainian sleeping-car on the Kiev Express at Warsaw Centralna.  Courtesy of DiscoverByRail.com.

1, 2 or 3-bed sleeper...		Washbasin...		Kiev Express...

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Cologne or Düsseldorf to Moscow, St Petersburg & Russia...

Option 1, using the daily Warsaw-Moscow sleeper train - suspended due to sanctions...

• Day 1, travel from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Berlin on any afternoon or early evening high-speed ICE train.

  You can leave Cologne Hbf as late as 18:48 on most days, arriving Berlin Hbf around 23:04, but by all means take an earlier train and spend a pleasant evening in Berlin.  The high-speed ICE has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Stay overnight in Berlin.  The 3-star InterCity Hotel (my favourite) or Meininger Hotel are right next to Berlin Hbf, a 10-minute walk from the Reichstag or 15 minutes from the Brandenburg Gate, relatively inexpensive with good reviews.  The Steigenberger Hotel is more upmarket, also right next to the station with great reviews.  If you want to push the boat out, the famous & historic Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is next to the Brandenburg Gate.  If you're on a tight budget, the cheaper Motel One Berlin-Hbf is behind the station or see www.hostelworld.com.

• Day 2 morning, travel from Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train leaving Berlin Hbf at 09:38 every day and arriving Warsaw Centralna at 15:45. 

  Tip:  If you book the earlier 05:43 departure from Berlin on Mondays-Saturdays arriving Warsaw at 11:42 you have time to explore the city, 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.

Fares from Cologne or Dusseldorf to Warsaw start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book from Cologne or Dusseldorf to Warsaw at www.bahn.de.  Booking to Poland normally opens 60 days ahead.

To build in the overnight stop, click Stopover and enter Berlin Hbf and the number of hours stopover you want, say 12:00.  Adjust the departure time and the Berlin stopover duration to get the trains you want, with a little trial and error.  I have set up this link to bahn.de for you, just enter your own date of travel and the number of passengers.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.

• Day 2 evening, travel from Warsaw to Moscow by Russian sleeper train, leaving Warsaw Centralna at 19:15 daily and arriving Moscow Belorussky at 16:58 next day (day 3 from Cologne).  You can check times at the Russian Railways website www.rzd.ru.

  This train was suspended due to Covid-19 and remains suspended due to sanctions.

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

  You can book this train by contacting reliable Polish train ticketing agency www.polrail.com - their booking system is at 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.

• For St Petersburg it's best to travel via Moscow.  Moscow to St Petersburg takes as little as 3h50 by daytime Sapsan trains, or can be done an a number of traditional overnight sleepers.  See the train travel in Russia page to buy tickets within Russia.

The train from Warsaw to Moscow uses Russian air-conditioned sleeping-cars, pictured below, with compartments which can be used as 1st class 2-berth or 2nd class 4-berth (shown below right), with a shower & toilets at the end of the corridor.  See panorama photo inside one of the new Russian sleepers.

 

Option 2, using the Berlin-Moscow Strizh (Swift) Talgo sleeper train, twice a week, suspended due to sanctions...

• Step 1, travel from Cologne to Berlin by ICE train, for example, leaving Cologne Hbf at 13:48 arriving Berlin Hbf at 18:10.

  By all means book an earlier train for more time in Berlin.  ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Fares start at €18.90 in 2nd class or €49.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

  Book this at the German Railways website www.bahn.de.  You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or smartphone.

• Step 2, travel from Berlin to Moscow by direct Russian sleeper train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 20:08 on Mondays & Saturdays, arriving at Moscow Belorussky station at 21:24 next day.

  This train was suspended due to Covid-19 and remains suspended due to sanctions.

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

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

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

  Don't forget to arrange both your Russian visa and Belarus transit visa as the train runs via Belarus.  See my important update about travel to Russia through Belarus.

The Strizh sleeper train from Berlin to Moscow.  It's a Spanish-built articulated Talgo train - note the relatively small size of each car, with just one axle between each pair of cars.  Photos courtesy of Jaap van Ginkel.

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

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Cologne & Düsseldorf to Athens, Corfu & Greece...

Option 1, Cologne to Athens by train & ferry via Italy - the leisurely option with an Adriatic cruise thrown in...

• The best and most comfortable option is to pick up a ferry in Bari.  The whole scenic and relaxing journey from Cologne to Athens will take around 2 nights & 3 days, depending how the connections work out on your particular date.

• Day 1, travel from Cologne to Milan in a single day as shown above, using option 2 via Basel.  Stay overnight in Milan.

• Day 2, take the 08:05 Frecciarossa train from Milan Centrale to Bari Centrale.

• Day 2, then sail across the Adriatic from Bari to Corfu, Igoumenitsa or Patras in Greece aboard a luxurious cruise ferry booked at www.superfast.com.  She normally sails daily except Sundays at 19:30 arriving 13:00 next day (day 3).

• Day 3, Patras is a few hours bus ride from Athens.  If you hunt for it, there's a bus/train combined timetable from Patras to Athens on www.hellenictrain.gr but it's pretty hard to find.

• The Milan to Athens part of this journey is explained in detail on the London to Greece page, just disregard the London to Milan part of the recommended journey!

2 or 4-berth cabin with private toilet & shower.		Relaxing on deck...

Option 2, Cologne to Athens overland by train via Munich & Belgrade - a rail adventure across the Balkans...

• You can also travel overland by train from Cologne to Athens via Belgrade & Thessaloniki.  It'll take 3 nights, with all the adventure of an epic train ride through the Balkans.

• Travel from Cologne to Munich in 4h31 by daytime ICE train from €29.90 booked at www.bahn.de.

• Pick up the London-Munich-Belgrade-Thessaloniki-Athens route in Munich, explained in detail on the London to Greece page.

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Cologne & Düsseldorf to Istanbul & Turkey...

• Travel to Munich by ICE train from €29.90 or to Vienna using the Cologne to Vienna Nightjet sleeper train from €59 with couchette.

• Then pick up the London-Istanbul route explained in detail on the London to Turkey page.  I suggest using an Interrail pass for this journey.

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Hotels in Cologne & other cities

Suggested hotels near the station in Cologne...

• Hotels near to Cologne Hauptbahnhof with good reviews include the Breslauer Hof Am Dom, Hotel Domspitzen, CityClass Hotel Europa am Dom, Hilton Cologne, Excelsior Hotel Ernst am Dom.

Other hotel sites worth trying...

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

Backpacker hostels...

• www.hostelworld.com:  If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels.  Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.

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Travel insurance & VPN

Always take out travel insurance...

Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover.  It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash and belongings, up to a sensible limit.  An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy myself.  Here are some suggested insurers.  Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.

In the UK, reliable insurers include Columbus Direct.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65, see www.JustTravelCover.com.

You can use Confused.com to compare prices & policies from many different insurers.

  If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.

A Curve card saves on foreign transaction fees...

Most banks give you a poor exchange rate, then charge you a currency conversion fee.  A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month at time of writing.  The balance goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.

How it works:  1. Download the app for iPhone or Android.  2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to most European addresses including the UK.  3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app.  4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, just like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance onto whichever of your debit or credit cards you choose.  You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.

I have a Curve Blue card myself - I get some commission if you sign up to Curve, but I'm recommending it here because it's great.  See details, download the app and get a Curve card - they'll give you £5 cashback through that link, too.

Get a VPN for safe browsing.  VPNs & why you need one explained...

When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure.  A VPN means your connection to the internet is encrypted & always secure, even using unsecured WiFi.  In countries such as China where access to Twitter & Facebook is restricted, a VPN gets around these restrictions.  And lastly, you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geographic restrictions which some websites apply - for example one booking site charges a booking fee to non-European visitors but none to European visitors, so if you're not located in Europe you can avoid this fee by browsing with a UK IP address using a VPN.  VPNs & why you need one explained.  ExpressVPN is a best buy and I use it myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription, and I get a small commission to help support this site.