![]() The Danish railways website is www.dsb.dk |
This page explains how to travel by train from Copenhagen to other cities all over Europe, and how to buy tickets the cheapest way. Train information is current for 2021.
Before you buy your
tickets...
Take a moment to read these tips for buying European train tickets. It answers all the usual questions, "Do I need to book in advance or can I just buy at the station?", "Can I stop off?", "Are there Senior fares?" and that old favourite, "Should I buy an $800 railpass or just buy a 35 point-to-point ticket online?". Click here to understand how far ahead you can buy train tickets.
European train travel
FAQ...
Copenhagen to Odense, Esbjerg, Arhus & other destinations in Denmark...
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The Danish Railways (DSB) website www.dsb.dk will book Danish internal long-distance trains, with cheaper prices if you pre-book.
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For English, scroll right to the bottom of their home page and click In English. For Copenhagen, type Copen... and select Kobenhavn H, which is Copenhagen main station.
In Denmark, the St. after a place name simply stands for station.
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Seat reservation is optional on most Danish internal trains, if you are happy sitting where you like without a specific reserved seat you can set Seat reservations to 0 when using dsb.dk. Reservation is not possible at all regional & suburban trains.
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DSB1 means 1st class.
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Standard is the regular full-flex price which cannot sell out. It's what you'd pay at the station on the day, valid on any train that day.
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Orange is a limited-availability cheap advance-purchase ticket giving up to 61% off the regular fare, specific train only, no refunds, no changes to travel plans, seat reservation included. Book ahead and pick this to save money on longer distance routes in Denmark.
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A Danish IC3 train at Copenhagen station... |
1st class seats on an IC3 train. Larger photo. |
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2nd class seats on an IC3 train. Larger photo. |
Boarding a Danish IC3 train... |
Legoland...
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The famous Legoland theme park, opened in 1968, is at Billund. There is no railway station at Billund, but there are buses from Vejle, Kolding & Fredericia.
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Coming from Hamburg, take a train to Kolding station. Bus 166 runs from Kolding bus station (just outside the station to the right) to Legoland in Billund every two hours through the day, taking 61 minutes, fare about 55 Kr (7). You can check bus times & fares at www.rejseplanen.dk.
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Coming from Copenhagen, take an hourly fast Lyntog ('Lightning train') to Vejle for a bus to Legoland. Use the journey planner at www.bahn.de to find train times to Vejle. Then use www.rejseplanen.dk to find bus times from Vejle to Legoland. Buses run twice an hour throughout the day, journey time about 45 minutes, fare about 65Kr (Ł8) each way. In fact, www.rejseplanen.dk is a multi-modal journey planner and you can ask it for combined train & bus times all the way from Copenhagen to Legoland.
Copenhagen to London from 98...
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See the London to Denmark page for routes, times, fares & how to buy tickets between the UK and Copenhagen, in either direction.
Copenhagen to Paris from 68...
Option 1, Copenhagen to Paris in a day - a chill-out day across Europe...
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Step 1, travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3 intercity train, leaving Copenhagen at 07:26 arriving Hamburg Hbf at 12:04.
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Step 2, travel from Hamburg to Cologne by InterCity train with bistro, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 12:46 and arriving Cologne Hbf at 16:50.
You've time for a beer in Cologne, and a look at the cathedral right outside the station.
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Step 3, travel from Cologne to Paris by Thalys train with cafe-bar & free WiFi, leaving Cologne Hbf 18:43 arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 22:05.
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How much does it cost?
Copenhagen to Cologne starts at 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class.
Cologne to Paris starts at 35 in 2nd class or 79 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
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How to buy tickets...
First book from Copenhagen to Cologne at the German Railways website www.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket of 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.
Then book from Cologne to Paris at either the French Railways website en.oui.sncf or www.thalys.com.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own tickets or can show a mobile ticket on your smartphone.
Option 2, with an overnight stop in Hamburg - a time-effective option...
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Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3 intercity train, leaving Copenhagen at 15:26 and arriving Hamburg Hbf at 20:02.
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 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.
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Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Paris, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:24, changing at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 16:54.
You travel from Hamburg to Frankfurt by ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, then from Frankfurt to Paris by impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) TGV Duplex with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this at www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket and 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.
Stay overnight in Hamburg. The Hotel Reichshoff Hamburg is just 200m from the station, features art deco-based design and gets great reviews. Other hotels next to Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget, private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf start at around Ł33 for one person or Ł49 for two people booked at www.hostelworld.com.
Option 3, by daytime trains with overnight stop in Cologne - another time-effective option...
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Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg leaving Copenhagen at 11:26 by Danish IC3 intercity train, changing at Hamburg Hbf onto a German Intercity train arriving at Cologne Hbf at 20:50.
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.
Book this 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 smartphone or laptop. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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Stay overnight in Cologne. The good & inexpensive Ibis Hotel Köln-am-Dom is ideal as it's part of Cologne Hbf itself, with an entrance to the left of the main station entrance - many of its rooms have a cathedral view. Also near the station with good reviews are the Breslauer Hof Am Dom, Hotel Domspitzen, CityClass Hotel Europa am Dom, Hilton Cologne, Excelsior Hotel Ernst am Dom. For dinner I recommend the traditional German fare at the Brauhaus Sion (www.brauhaus-sion.de), 5 minutes walk from the station, or there are plenty of restaurants down by the Rhine.
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Day 2, travel from Cologne to Paris by high-speed Thalys train, leaving Cologne Hbf at 06:44 & arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 10:05, or there are later trains at 08:44 and 10:44. Thalys trains have 3 classes, a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 35 in 2nd class or 79 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at French Railways website en.oui.sncf or www.thalys.com. Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your smartphone.
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Step 1, Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3... This is an IC3 at Copenhagen. The yellow stripe above the windows indicates first class, located at one end of both 3-car units. More information about the Copenhagen-Hamburg journey. |
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2nd class seats on a IC3 train. Larger photo. |
An IC3 train from Copenhagen at Hamburg. |
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Step 2, Hamburg to Cologne by Intercity train. More information about German Intercity trains. |
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Step 3, Cologne to Paris by Thalys. with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Above, a Thalys arrives at Paris Nord. See 360ş photos inside a Thalys. More information about Thalys. |
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Comfort & Premium seats, 2+1 across the car. Larger photo. |
Standard seats, 2+2 across. Larger photo. |
Copenhagen to Strasbourg...
Option 1, Copenhagen to Strasbourg in a single day...
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Leave Copenhagen at 07:26 by Danish IC3 intercity train, change at Hamburg Hbf onto an ICE train with restaurant car & free WiFi & Karlsruhe onto a TGV Duplex arriving Strasbourg at 18:47.
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How to buy tickets...
Go to the German Railways website www.bahn.de. However, if you book from Copenhagen to Strasbourg it will only show silly-money fares.
Step 1, book from Copenhagen to Karlsruhe looking for the 07:26 departure with 1 change.
Step 2, now use www.bahn.de again to book the 18:05 TGV Duplex from Karlsruhe to Strasbourg.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own tickets or can show them 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 1, Copenhagen to Strasbourg with an overnight stop in Hamburg...
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Step 1, travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3 intercity train, leaving Copenhagen at 15:26 and arriving Hamburg Hbf at 20:02.
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Stay overnight in Hamburg. The Hotel Reichshoff Hamburg is just 200m from the station, features art deco-based design and gets great reviews. Other hotels next to Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget, private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf start at around Ł33 for one person or Ł49 for two people booked at www.hostelworld.com.
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Step 2, travel from Hamburg to Frankfurt by ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 09:24 arriving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 13:00.
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Step 3, travel from Frankfurt to Strasbourg by TGV Duplex with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf around 13:57 every day arriving Strasbourg 16:01.
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How much does it cost?
Copenhagen to Hamburg starts at 27.90 in 2nd class or 49.90 in 1st class.
Hamburg to Strasbourg starts at 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
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How to buy tickets...
Step 1, use the German Railways website www.bahn.de to book from Copenhagen to Hamburg. 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, use www.bahn.de again to book from Hamburg to Strasbourg, but (and this is important) make sure you change Duration of transfer from standard to at least 40 minutes before running the enquiry. If you don't do that it'll put you on the 10:24 from Hamburg with a risky 8-minute connection in Frankfurt, one simple 10-minute delay and you're toast. So make sure it books you the 09:24 with time for a coffee at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf.
Copenhagen to Lyon, Avignon, Nice & other French cities from 68...
Option 1, Copenhagen to Lyon, Avignon or Marseille with an overnight stop in Hamburg. This option by-passes Paris...
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Step 1, travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3 intercity train, leaving Copenhagen at 15:26 and arriving Hamburg Hbf at 20:02.
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Stay overnight in Hamburg. The Hotel Reichshoff Hamburg is just 200m from the station, features art deco-based design and gets great reviews. Other hotels next to Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget, private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf start at around Ł33 for one person or Ł49 for two people booked at www.hostelworld.com.
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Step 2, travel from Hamburg to Frankfurt by ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 09:24 arriving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 13:00.
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Step 3, travel from Frankfurt to Lyon, Avignon, Aix en Provence or Marseille by TGV Duplex with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf around 13:57 every day arriving Lyon Part Dieu at 19:56, Avignon TGV at 21:11, Aix en Provence TGV 21:33 and Marseille St Charles at 21:49.
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Stay overnight in Marseille and travel to Cannes, Nice, Nimes, Montpellier, Perpignan next morning.
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How much does it cost?
Copenhagen to Hamburg starts at 27.90 in 2nd class or 49.90 in 1st class.
Hamburg to Lyon, Avignon, Aix or Marseille starts at 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
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How to buy tickets...
Step 1, use the German Railways website www.bahn.de to book from Copenhagen to Hamburg. 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, use www.bahn.de again to book from Hamburg to Lyon, Avignon, Aix or Marseille, but (and this is important) make sure you change Duration of transfer from standard to at least 40 minutes before running the enquiry. If you don't do that it'll put you on the 10:24 from Hamburg with a risky 8-minute connection in Frankfurt, one simple 10-minute delay and you're toast. So make sure it books you the 09:24 with time for a coffee at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf.
Book any onward trains within France at either www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , Ł or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website en.oui.sncf (in , more fiddly). Booking for French trains opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your smartphone.
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The TGV Duplex from Frankfurt to Lyon, Avignon & Marseille, about to leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf... |
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The cafe-bar on the upper deck in car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks & microwave-style hot dishes... |
2nd class seats, this is upper deck seating. There's a mix or tables for 4 and unidirectional seating. 360ş photo. |
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1st class seats on the upper deck, a club duo on the left, a club quatre on the right. 360ş photo. |
The TGV to Marseille, boarding at Frankfurt am Main Hbf. You enter on the lower deck, with 9 stairs up to top deck. |
Option 2, via Brussels - also avoids having to cross Paris...
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Stay overnight in Brussels. The Ibis Brussels Midi is good & inexpensive, just across the road from Brussels Midi station, or the more upmarket Pullman Hotel Brussels Midi is an integral part of the station itself.
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Day 2, travel from Brussels to Lyon, Avignon, Aix, Marseille, Nimes, Montpellier by direct TGV. There are several morning TGV departures from Brussels Midi which by-pass central Paris via Marne la Vallée & CDG.
Tip: Nimes & Montpellier Saint Roche are in the city centres. Nimes Pont du Gard and Montpellier Sud de France are out-of-town stations several kilometres outside the city.
Check times and buy tickets from Brussels to anywhere in France at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in , Ł or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website en.oui.sncf (in , more fiddly). Look carefully for journeys that don't involve changing in Paris.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your smartphone.
Option 3, via Paris - usually means changing trains & stations in Paris, but offers the widest range of options from Paris onwards...
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Stay overnight in Paris. Hotels near Paris Gare du Nord with good reviews: Libertel Gare du Nord Suede (5 min walk from Gare du Nord, 2-star), Mercure Terminus Nord (3-star, directly across the road from the Gare Du Nord); Art Hotel (3-star); Avalon Hotel (2-star); Hotel Cambrai (5 min walk from Gare du Nord, 1-star).
How to cross Paris by metro or taxi from the Gare du Nord to other Paris stations.
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Day 2, travel from Paris to Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Bordeaux, Toulouse or anywhere else in France.
Check times and buy tickets from Paris to anywhere in France at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in , Ł or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website en.oui.sncf (in , more fiddly).
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your smartphone.
Copenhagen to Brussels & Bruges from 49.90...
Option 1, Copenhagen to Brussels by train in a single chill-out day from 49.90...
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Leave Copenhagen at 07:26, change at Hamburg Hbf & Cologne Hbf and arrive Brussels Midi at 19:35.
You travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3 intercity train with free WiFi, Hamburg to Cologne by German Intercity train with bistro car and Cologne to Brussels by high-speed ICE3 train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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Fares start at 49.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
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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.
Option 2, by daytime trains with overnight stop in Hamburg - a time-effective option...
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Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3 intercity train, leaving Copenhagen at 15:26 and arriving Hamburg Hbf at 20:02.
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Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Brussels, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 06:46, change at Cologne Hbf, arriving Brussels Midi at 13:35, or there are later trains leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:46 or 10:46.
You travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3 intercity train with free WiFi, Hamburg to Cologne by German Intercity train with bistro car and Cologne to Brussels by high-speed ICE3 train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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How much does it cost?
Copenhagen to Brussels starts at 49.90 in 2nd class, 79.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Stay overnight in Hamburg. The Hotel Reichshoff Hamburg is just 200m from the station, features art deco-based design and gets great reviews. Other hotels next to Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget, private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf start at around Ł33 for one person or Ł49 for two people booked at www.hostelworld.com.
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How to buy tickets...
Buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
To get the overnight stop in Hamburg, click Add intermediate stops and enter Hamburg Hbf and a stopover duration of (say) 11 hours. Adjust departure time & stopover duration to get the trains you want either side of Hamburg. I have set up this link for you with the overnight stopover.
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, by daytime trains with overnight stop in Cologne - another time-effective option...
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Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Cologne, leaving Copenhagen at 11:26 by Danish IC3 intercity train, changing at Hamburg Hbf onto a German intercity train and arriving Cologne Hbf at 20:50.
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Stay overnight in Cologne. The good & inexpensive Ibis Hotel Köln-am-Dom is ideal as it's part of Cologne Hbf itself, with an entrance to the left of the main station entrance - many of its rooms have a cathedral view. Also near the station with good reviews are the Breslauer Hof Am Dom, Hotel Domspitzen, CityClass Hotel Europa am Dom, Hilton Cologne, Excelsior Hotel Ernst am Dom.
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Day 2, travel from Cologne to Brussels in 1h50 on any suitable train, a German ICE train leaves every 2 hours or so, alternating with a French-run Thalys train also leaving every 2 hours or so.
The 06:44 Thalys from Cologne Hbf arrives Brussels Midi at 08:35, the 07:42 ICE train arrives Brussels Midi at 09:35 or there are later trains.
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How much does it cost?
Copenhagen to Brussels starts at 49.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
These prices are for German Railways through tickets, assuming you use a German ICE train between Cologne & Brussels. If you want to use a Thalys train you need to buy separate tickets, Copenhagen to Cologne from 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class, then Cologne to Brussels from 19. I recommend sticking with German Railways as it's cheaper, and always better to use a through ticket.
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How to buy tickets...
Book from Copenhagen to Brussels at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. To get the overnight stop in Cologne, click Add intermediate stops and enter Köln Hbf and a stopover duration of (say) 11 hours. Adjust departure time & stopover duration to get the trains you want either side of Cologne. I have set up this link for you with the overnight stopover. You print your own ticket or can show it on your smartphone or laptop.
If you want to use Thalys between Cologne & Brussels, you need to book Copenhagen-Cologne with German Railways at www.bahn.de, then book Cologne to Brussels separately at www.thalys.com.
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Step 1, Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3... This is an IC3 at Copenhagen. The yellow stripe above the windows indicates first class, located at one end of both 3-car units. More information about the Copenhagen-Hamburg journey. |
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2nd class seats on a IC3 train. Larger photo. |
An IC3 train from Copenhagen at Hamburg. |
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Step 2, Hamburg to Cologne by Intercity train. More information about German Intercity trains. |
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Step 3, Cologne to Brussels by ICE. This is an ICE3 at Cologne Hbf. More information about ICE trains. |
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2nd class seats on an ICE3M. Larger photo. |
1st class seats on an ICE3M. Larger photo. |
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Food is served on china with metal cutlery. I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier! See current month's menu. |
Restaurant car: This is the small 12-seat restaurant on an ICE3M. Larger photo. |
Copenhagen to Amsterdam from 49.90...
Sadly, the Copenhagen-Amsterdam City Night Line sleeper was discontinued in 2014. But here are some good daytime options...
Option 1, Copenhagen to Amsterdam in a single chill-out day from 49.90.
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You can travel from Copenhagen to Amsterdam in a single day, with two departures to choose from:
Copenhagen depart 07:26, an easy change of train at Hamburg Hbf & Osnabruck, arriving Amsterdam Centraal 19:00.
Copenhagen depart 11:26, an easy change of train at Hamburg Hbf & Osnabruck, arriving Amsterdam Centraal 23:00.
You travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg by comfortable Danish IC3 Intercity train, Hamburg to Osnabruck by German Intercity train (or ICE1 train on some departures), then Osnabruck to Amsterdam by Intercity train with bistro car. Click all these links for more information, photos & tips.
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Fares start at 49.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. In the search results, look for journeys with just 2 changes. 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.. See suggested hotels in Amsterdam.
Option 2, Copenhagen to Amsterdam with overnight stop in Osnabruck from 49.90 - a time-effective option...
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Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3 intercity train, leaving Copenhagen at 15:26 by Danish IC3 Intercity train, change at Hamburg Hbf onto a German Intercity train, arriving Osnabruck 22:36.
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Stay overnight in Osnabrück.
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Day 2, travel from Osnabrück to Amsterdam leaving Osnabruck at 07:53 by InterCity train and arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 11:00. Or leave Osnabrück at 09:53 arriving Amsterdam 13:00.
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Fares start at 49.90 in 2nd class, 79.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
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Book from Copenhagen to Amsterdam at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. To get the overnight stop in Osnabruck, click Add intermediate stops and enter Osnabruck and a stopover duration of 8-10 hours. Adjust the stopover duration to get the trains you from Osnabruck to Amsterdam. I have set up this link for you with the overnight stopover, just enter the number of passengers and your date of travel. 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, Copenhagen to Amsterdam with overnight stop in Hamburg from 49.90 - a time-effective option...
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Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3 intercity train leaving Copenhagen at 15:26 and arriving Hamburg Hbf at 20:02.
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Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Amsterdam with 1 easy change at Osnabruck. You can leave Hamburg Hbf at 05:46 by InterCity train arriving Amsterdam Centraal 11:00. Or at 07:46 by InterCity train arriving 13:00. Or at 09:46 by InterCity train arriving 15:00. Whichever suits you.
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Fares start at 49.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Stay overnight in Hamburg. The Hotel Reichshoff Hamburg is just 200m from the station, features art deco-based design and gets great reviews. Other hotels next to Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget, private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf start at around Ł33 for one person or Ł49 for two people booked at www.hostelworld.com.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
Book from Copenhagen to Amsterdam, to get the overnight stop in Hamburg simply click Add intermediate stops, enter Hamburg Hbf and enter a stopover duration of 10:00 in the hh:mm stopover box. Adjust the stopover duration to get the train you want from Hamburg to Amsterdam. I have set up this link for you with the overnight stopover. 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. See suggested hotels in Amsterdam.
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Step 1, Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3... This is an IC3 at Copenhagen. The yellow stripe above the windows indicates first class, located at one end of both 3-car units. More information about the Copenhagen-Hamburg journey. |
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2nd class seats on a IC3 train. Larger photo. |
An IC3 train from Copenhagen at Hamburg. |
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Boarding a Danish IC3 train at Hamburg Hbf... |
1st class seats on an IC3 train. Larger photo. |
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Steps 2 & 3 Hamburg to Osnabruck & on to Amsterdam by Intercity train. More information about German Intercity trains. |
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The bistro car sells tea, coffee, wine, beer, soft drinks, snacks and hot dishes served on proper china. Larger photo. |
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2nd class seating is usually in open-plan saloons like this, most seats unidirectional, but with some tables for 4. Larger photo. |
Copenhagen to Luxembourg...
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You can travel from Copenhagen to Luxembourg by daytime trains in a single day, or you can split the journey with an overnight stop in Hamburg or Cologne.
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Fares start at 49.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
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Book from Copenhagen to Luxembourg 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.
To build in an overnight stop, click Add intermediate stops, enter Hamburg or Cologne and the number of hours stopover you want.
Copenhagen to Basel, Zurich. Geneva & Switzerland from 49.90...
Option 1, Copenhagen to Switzerland using the Hamburg-Zurich sleeper. The most time-effective option...
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Step 1, travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish InterCity train, leaving Copenhagen at 11:26 & arriving Hamburg Hbf at 16:02.
You can take the later 15:26 from Copenhagen arriving Hamburg Hbf at 20:02 if you like, but personally I'd play safe and take the earlier 11:26 departure with time for dinner in Hamburg.
Fares start at 27.90 in 2nd class or 59.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this 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.
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Step 2, travel from Hamburg to Switzerland by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Hamburg Hbf 20:50, arriving Basel SBB 07:20 & Zurich HB 09:05.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has two double-deck sleeping-cars with compact 1 or 2-berth standard compartments with washbasin and several 1 or 2-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet, plus one or two 3-berth compartments with washbasin. There are toilets 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.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , Ł 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.
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Step 3, change in Basel for frequent Swiss domestic trains to Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux, Bern, Interlaken, Brig or Zermatt. Change in Zurich for Lucerne, Lugano, Chur, St Moritz, Klosters, Davos.
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Step 1, Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3... This is an IC3 at Copenhagen. The yellow stripe above the windows indicates first class, located at one end of both 3-car units. More information about the Copenhagen-Hamburg journey. |
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2nd class seats on a IC3 train. Larger photo. |
An IC3 train from Copenhagen at Hamburg. |
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Step 2, Hamburg to Switzerland by Nightjet sleeper train. This is a double-deck sleeping-car arrived at Zurich HB. Courtesy of DiscoverbyRail.com. |
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2-berth sleeper on lower deck... |
Stairs down to pair of lower compartments... |
1 or 2-bed sleeper on lower deck with washbasin, viewed through window. Set up as 1-bed. Note how compact the compartment is... |
Option 2, Copenhagen to Switzerland by daytime trains in a single day...
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There are a couple of daytime options, for example...
Copenhagen depart 07:26 by Danish IC3 Intercity train, change at Hamburg Hbf onto a high-speed ICE4, arrive Basel SBB at 18:55.
Copenhagen depart 11:26 by Danish IC3 Intercity train, change Hamburg Hbf & Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arrive Basel SBB at 23:54.
Times may vary. From mid-July to early November you can leave Copenhagen at 11:26, change once at Hamburg Hbf & arrive Basel 23:04.
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Fares from Copenhagen to Swiss cities start at 49.90 in 2nd class, 79.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. You can book through to most Swiss cities, not just Basel.
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.
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Step 1, Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3... This is an IC3 at Copenhagen. The yellow stripe above the windows indicates first class, located at one end of both 3-car units. More information about the Copenhagen-Hamburg journey. |
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2nd class seats on a IC3 train. Larger photo. |
An IC3 train from Copenhagen at Hamburg. |
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Step 2, Hamburg to Basel by ICE4, seen here at Hamburg Altona. Most Hamburg-Switzerland ICEs are now ICE4. Click on the interior images below for larger photos. |
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1st class on an ICE4... |
Restaurant car. See current month's menu... |
Option 3, Copenhagen to Switzerland by daytime trains with an overnight stop...
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You can travel from Copenhagen to a suitable stopover point in Germany on day 1, then on to Switzerland on day 2. Possible stopover points might include Hamburg, Cologne, Koblenz, Heidelberg.
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For example, you could leave Copenhagen at 11:26, change at Hamburg Hbf and arrive Cologne Hbf at 20:50. Stay overnight in Cologne, the good & inexpensive Ibis Hotel Köln-am-Dom is ideal as it's part of Cologne Hbf itself, with an entrance to the left of the main station entrance - many of its rooms have a cathedral view. Also near the station with good reviews are the Breslauer Hof Am Dom, Hotel Domspitzen, CityClass Hotel Europa am Dom, Hilton Cologne, Excelsior Hotel Ernst am Dom.. Next day leave Cologne Hbf at 07:55 arriving Basel SBB at 11:47 or Zurich at 13:00.
Tip: The 08:53 EuroCity train from Cologne Hbf runs direct to Basel, Bern & Interlaken via the classic Rhine Valley line, a scenic treat, passing river boats, vineyards, castles and the legendary Lorelei Rock. It has a Swiss panorama car & Swiss restaurant car, see the Rails Down the Rhine page for more information.
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Fares from Copenhagen to Swiss cities start at 49.90 in 2nd class, 79.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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How to buy tickets...
Go to the German Railways website www.bahn.de and book from Copenhagen to your chosen Swiss destination.
To get the overnight stop, click Add intermediate stops and enter the place you want your overnight stop, for example put Cologne in the via box and (say) 12:00 in the hh:mm stopover box. 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. To get a journey along the classic Rhine Valley route, add Koblenz as a second via station using the Add intermediate stops feature.
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.
Copenhagen to Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome & Italy from 75...
Option 1, Copenhagen to Italy using the Hamburg-Zurich sleeper & the Gotthard route - the most time-effective option...
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Step 1, travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3 intercity train leaving Copenhagen at 11:26 arriving Hamburg Hbf at 16:02.
Fares start from 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 in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: You can also book at www.thetrainline.com, and using that allows you to buy all your tickets together in one place, in , Ł or $, in plain English, small booking fee.
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Step 2, travel from Hamburg to Zurich by Nightjet sleeper train leaving Hamburg Hbf at 20:50 and arriving Zurich HB at 09:05.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has two double-deck sleeping-cars with compact 1 or 2-berth standard compartments with washbasin and several 1 or 2-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet, plus several 3-berth compartments with washbasin. There are toilets 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.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , Ł or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in , more fiddly, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
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Step 3, travel from Zurich to Milan, Verona or Venice by EuroCity train, leaving Zurich HB at 10:33 and arriving Milan Centrale 14:50, Verona Porta Nuova 15:28 & Venice Santa Lucia 16:42. This train takes the scenic Gotthard route.
Zurich to Milan, Verona or Venice starts at 29 in 2nd class, 49 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Change in Milan for regular Frecciarossa trains to Florence SMN (1h40), Rome Termini (2h55) & Naples Centrale. Milan to Florence starts at 19.90, Milan to Rome or Naples at 29.90.
Buy tickets from Zurich to any Italian destination at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , Ł or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or using the Italian Railways website www.trenitalia.com (in , more fiddly, requires Italian-language place names). Zurich to Italy journeys are now ticketless, you just quote the booking reference when asked by the conductor on the train. Booking normally opens 120 days ahead, but it can vary.
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Step 1, Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3... This is an IC3 at Copenhagen. The yellow stripe above the windows indicates first class, located at one end of both 3-car units. More information about the Copenhagen-Hamburg journey. |
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2nd class seats on a IC3 train. Larger photo. |
An IC3 train from Copenhagen at Hamburg. |
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Step 2, Hamburg to Zurich by Nightjet sleeper train. This is a double-deck sleeping-car arrived at Zurich HB. Courtesy of DiscoverbyRail.com. |
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2-berth sleeper on lower deck... |
Stairs down to pair of lower compartments... |
1 or 2-bed sleeper on lower deck with washbasin, viewed through window. Set up as 1-bed. Note how compact the compartment is... |
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Step 3, Zurich to Milan, Verona or Venice by EuroCity train. This is a Swiss-owned Astoro train about to leave Zurich HB. More information about Zurich-Milan trains. |
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2nd class seats, arranged 2+2 across car width. |
1st class seats, 2+1 across car width. See larger photo. |
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The restaurant car on an ETR610... |
Lunch in the diner? |
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Lake Lugano, seen from a Milan to Zurich train on the Gotthard route. On the Zurich-Milan Gotthard route you'll also pass the Zugersee & the Vierwaldstattersee in Switzerland, and if it's a train routed via Como, you'll glimpse Lake Como too. |
Option 2, Copenhagen to Italy using the Hamburg-Innsbruck sleeper & the Brenner route - another time-effective option...
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Step 1, travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3 intercity train leaving Copenhagen at 11:26 and arriving Hamburg Hbf at 16:02.
Fares start at 27.90 in 2nd class or 47.90 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.
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Step 2, travel from Hamburg to Innsbruck by excellent Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 20:29 and arriving Innsbruck Hbf at 09:14. See important Covid-19 update about this Nightjet service.
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.
Tip: If you have a sleeper ticket and/or 1st class ticket for the onward train, you can use the ÖBB Lounge at Innsbruck Hbf between trains, with free WiFi and complimentary tea, coffee, soft drinks & snacks.
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Step 3, travel from Innsbruck to Italy by EuroCity train, leaving Innsbruck Hbf 11:24, arriving Verona P. Nuova 14:58 & Bologna Centrale 16:20.
The train travels through the lovely Brenner Pass, with a restaurant car for lunch, treat yourself! See the Brenner Pass scenery video here.
Tip: Don't risk a tight connection with the earlier 09:24 EuroCity to Verona, I'd play safe and stick with the 11:24.
Change at Verona Porta Nuova for Venice. Change at Bologna Centrale for Florence, Rome & Naples.
If you'd like a morning in Innsbruck, a later train leaves Innsbruck Hbf at 13:24 running via Verona direct to Venice Santa Lucia, arriving 18:25.
Fares from Innsbruck Verona or Bologna (or, on the direct train, Venice) start at 29.90 in 2nd class or 59.90 in 1st class.
Onward fares from Bologna to Florence or Rome start at 19.90 in 2nd class or 39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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How to buy tickets...
Step 1, book the Copenhagen-Hamburg 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 in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Step 2, book the nightjet sleeper from Hamburg to Innsbruck at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , Ł 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). Look for the train marked NJ (Nightjet) with 0 changes. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
Step 3, now use www.thetrainline.com again to book from Innsbruck to Florence, Rome, Naples or anywhere in Italy. This connects to both the German, 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 just quote the reference on board. Booking normally opens 120 days ahead, but it can vary. There's a small booking fee.
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Step 1, Amsterdam to Innsbruck by Nightjet sleeper train. Above, a Comfortline sleeping-car on a Nightjet train at Innsbruck. More information about Nightjet trains. |
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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. |
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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... |
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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.... |
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Mountains on the Brenner route... |
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Vineyards, mountains and castles south of Brenner as the train heads for Trento & Verona... |
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Watch out for hilltop fortresses... See the Brenner Pass scenery video here. |
Option 3, Copenhagen to Italy by daytime trains via the Gotthard route, with overnight stop in Zurich...
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Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Frankfurt, leaving Copenhagen at 11:26 by Danish intercity train, changing at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 21:00.
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.
Book at the German Railways website www.bahn.de and 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.
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Stay overnight in Frankfurt. Hotels just outside the station with good or great reviews include the Hotel Hamburger Hof, The Frankfurt, and the inexpensive Hotel Topas.
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Day 2, travel from Frankfurt to Milan by EuroCity train, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 08:01 and arriving Milan Centrale at 15:50. This train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares from 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book at the German Railways website www.bahn.de and print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or smartphone.
This train started running in December 2017, routed via the new Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world's longest railway tunnel. You get excellent views of Swiss mountains and Swiss and Italian lakes, see the photos and video of the Gotthard route here.
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Day 2, now take a high-speed Frecciarossa train from Milan Centrale to Venice, Florence, Rome & Naples. You can reach Venice Santa Lucia at 18:40, Florence SMN at 17:59, Rome Termini at 19:40. I'd allow at least 40 minutes between trains in Milan.
Book from Milan to Florence, Rome, Naples or any Italian destination at www.italiarail.com (they'll refund their small booking fee if you email them afterwards at seat61@italiarail.com) or www.trenitalia.com (requires Italian language place names). It's ticketless, you just quote your booking reference on board.
Option 4, Copenhagen to Italy by daytime trains via the Brenner route, with overnight stop in Munich...
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Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Munich, leaving Copenhagen at 07:26 by Danish IC3 intercity train, change at Hamburg Hbf onto an ICE train, arriving Munich Hbf at 18:42. Or leave Copenhagen at 11:26 by Danish IC3 intercity train, change at Hamburg Hbf onto an ICE train, arriving Munich Hbf at 22:38.
Fares start at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket 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.
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Day 2, travel from Munich to Italy by comfortable Austrian EuroCity train, leaving Munich Hbf every couple of hours.
The 07:34 from Munich Hbf goes to Verona Porta Nuova & Bologna Centrale on Mondays-Fridays or to Verona Porta Nuova & Venice Santa Lucia at weekends, arriving 14:25.
The 09:34 from Munich Hbf goes to Verona Porta Nuova and Bologna Centrale every day, change in Bologna for Florence, Rome & Naples, or change in Verona for Venice arriving 16:40.
The 11:34 from Munich Hbf goes to Verona & Venice every day, arriving Venice Santa Lucia at 18:25.
This is a wonderful ride on a comfortable spacious Austrian train with a proper restaurant car via the wonderfully scenic Brenner Pass, see the Brenner Pass video.
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.
To buy tickets for a direct train from Munich to Verona, Bologna or Venice, use the German Railways website www.bahn.de (in , no booking fee) or www.raileurope.com (in , Ł or $, small booking fee). You print your own tickets.
To buy tickets for journeys which involve a change of train (meaning any journey to Florence, Rome or Naples, or to Venice on a departure which isn't direct), use www.raileurope.com, clicking More options, entering Verona Porta Nuova (or if you want the 09:34 from Munich and you're heading for Florence, Rome or Naples, Bologna Centrale) with a stopover duration of 45 minutes to ensure a robust connection. www.raileurope.com connects to both the Trenitalia and DB systems so can source both tickets either side of Verona or Bologna as one transaction. You print your own tickets for the Austrian train or can show it on your smartphone, for Italian high-speed trains it's ticketless, you just quote the reference on board. Easy! Booking for the German/Austrian train opens up to 6 months ahead. Onward Italian trains normally open 120 days ahead, but this can vary.
Stay overnight in Munich. I suggest the Sofitel Munich Beyerpost, Eden Hotel Wolff, InterCity Hotel or (budget) the Pension Locarno, all right next to the station with good or great reviews.
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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. |
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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.... |
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Mountains on the Brenner route... |
Copenhagen to Barcelona, Madrid & Spain from 114...
Option 1, by daytime trains with overnight stop in Cologne...
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Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Cologne on one of these two departures...
Leave Copenhagen at 07:26, change at Hamburg Hbf, and arrive Cologne Hbf at 16:50.
Leave Copenhagen at 11:26, change at Hamburg Hbf, and arrive Cologne Hbf at 20:50.
You travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3 Intercity train then Hamburg to Cologne by Intercity train.
Fares start at 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this at 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.
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Stay overnight in Cologne. The good & inexpensive Ibis Hotel Köln-am-Dom is ideal as it's part of Cologne Hbf itself, with an entrance to the left of the main station entrance - many of its rooms have a cathedral view. Also near the station with good reviews are the Breslauer Hof Am Dom, Hotel Domspitzen, CityClass Hotel Europa am Dom, Hilton Cologne, Excelsior Hotel Ernst am Dom.
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Day 2, travel from Cologne to Paris by high-speed Thalys train, leaving Cologne Hbf at 08:44 and arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 12:05.
Thalys trains have 3 classes, a cafe-bar, free WiFi & power sockets at all seats, see the guide to Thalys. How to cross Paris by taxi or metro.
Fares start at 35 in 2nd class or 79 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both sites easy to use, in , Ł or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or using the French Railways website en.oui.sncf (in , more fiddly, no fee). Booking normally opens 120 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your smartphone.
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Day 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by high-speed TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 15:08 & arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:46.
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.
Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both sites easy to use, in , Ł or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or using the French Railways website en.oui.sncf (in , more fiddly, no fee). Booking normally opens 120 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your smartphone. It's sometimes cheaper to split the booking at Perpignan, see the advice here.
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Stay overnight in Barcelona. Hotels close to Barcelona Sants station with good or great reviews: 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).
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Day 3, take an onward high-speed train from Barcelona Sants next morning, check times & book at www.raileurope.com. Booking for Spanish trains normally opens 60 days ahead, but it can vary.
For Madrid: AVE-S103 high-speed trains link Barcelona Sants with Madrid Atocha every hour or two in as little as 2h30 from 35.
For Cordoba & Seville: Take the direct AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Barcelona Sants at 08:30 arriving Cordoba 13:12 & Seville Santa Justa at 14:02. Fares start at 53.
For Malaga: Take the 09:00 AVE high-speed train to Madrid Atocha arriving 11:45, then the 13:00 AVE high-speed train to Malaga Maria Zambrano, arriving 16:05.
Alternatively, or why not spend a morning in Barcelona and take the afternoon 15:50 AVE S112 high-speed train to Cordoba, Seville & Malaga arriving in the evening? Fares for all these trains start at 45.
For Granada: Take the direct AVE S112 high-speed train leaving 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.
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Step 1, Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3... This is an IC3 at Copenhagen. The yellow stripe above the windows indicates first class, located at one end of both 3-car units. More information about the Copenhagen-Hamburg journey. |
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2nd class seats on a IC3 train. Larger photo. |
An IC3 train from Copenhagen at Hamburg. |
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Step 2, Hamburg to Cologne by Intercity train. More information about German Intercity trains. |
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Step 3, Cologne to Paris by Thalys. with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Above, a Thalys arrives at Paris Nord. See 360ş photos inside a Thalys. More information about Thalys. |
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Comfort & Premium seats, 2+1 across the car. Larger photo. |
Standard seats, 2+2 across. Larger photo. |
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Step 4, Paris to Barcelona by TGV. These 320 km/h double-deckers link Paris & Barcelona. Watch TGV Duplex video. |
2nd class table for 4 on TGV Duplex upper deck... |
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1st class seats on the upper deck, with a club duo on the left, a club quatre on the right. |
A TGV Duplex at Barcelona Sants. The red near the door indicates 1st class, pale green indicates 2nd class. |
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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. |
Option 2, by daytime trains with overnight stop in Paris...
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Step 1, travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3 intercity train leaving Copenhagen at 07:26, arriving Hamburg Hbf at 12:04.
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Step 2, travel from Hamburg to Cologne by comfortable InterCity train with bistro car, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 12:46 and arriving Cologne Hbf at 16:50. You've time for a beer in Cologne, and a look at the cathedral right outside the station.
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Step 3, travel from Cologne to Paris by high-speed Thalys train leaving Cologne Hbf at 18:42, arriving Paris Gare du Nord around 22:05.
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Stay overnight in Paris, see suggested hotels near the Gare du Nord & Gare de Lyon. How to cross Paris by taxi or metro.
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Step 4, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 10:14 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 16:53. From late May to late August there's usually an earlier departure at 07:14 arriving Barcelona 13:40.
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.
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Step 4, change in Barcelona for an onwards high-speed train from Barcelona Sants to Madrid, Seville, Malaga, Valencia, Alicante or anywhere else in Spain. In summer when the 07:14 from Paris runs, you can connect with a direct AVE leaving Barcelona at 15:50 arriving Malaga, Cordoba & Seville in the evening, with cheap Promo or Promo+ fares if you pre-book - unfortunately, no same-day connections to Seville or Malaga are possible off the 10:14 from Paris.
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How much does it cost?
Copenhagen to Cologne starts at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class.
Cologne to Paris starts at 35 in 2nd class (standard) or 72 in 1st class (comfort).
Paris to Barcelona starts at 39 in 2nd class or 59 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
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To buy tickets...
Book Copenhagen to Cologne at 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.
Book Cologne to Paris & Paris to Barcelona at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both sites easy to use, in , Ł or $, small booking fee) or en.oui.sncf (in , more fiddly, but no fee). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.
Book onward tickets in Spain at either www.raileurope.com (easy to use, in , Ł or $, small booking fee) or Spanish Railways own site www.renfe.com (in , much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards see advice on using it first) or www.petrabax.com (easy to use, in $, small mark-up). Booking for Spanish trains normally opens 60 days ahead, but it can vary.
Option 3, by daytime trains with overnight stops in Hamburg & Marseille - This option avoids the need to change trains & stations in Paris...
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Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3 intercity train, leaving Copenhagen at 15:26 and arriving Hamburg Hbf at 20:02.
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Stay overnight in Hamburg. The Hotel Reichshoff Hamburg is just 200m from the station, features art deco-based design and gets great reviews. Other hotels next to Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget, private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf start at around Ł33 for one person or Ł49 for two people booked at www.hostelworld.com.
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Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Frankfurt by ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 09:24 arriving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 13:00.
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Day 2, travel from Frankfurt to Marseille by TGV Duplex with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 13:57 every day arriving Marseille St Charles at 21:49.
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Stay overnight in Marseille. Inexpensive hotels with good reviews just outside Marseille St Charles station include the Ibis Marseille Centre Gare St Charles, Holiday Inn Express Marseille St Charles.
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Day 3, travel from Marseille to Barcelona & Madrid by AVE-S100 high-speed train, leaving Marseille St Charles at 08:02 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 12:34 and Madrid Atocha at 15:41. Enjoy great scenery across the South of France and around the southern end of the Pyrenees with superb views of Mt Canigou.
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Day 3, change in Barcelona for Spanish high-speed trains to Valencia or Alicante, or the 15:50 direct AVE-S112 high-speed train to Cordoba, Malaga or Seville arriving in the evening. Barcelona to Malaga or Seville starts at around 45.
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How much does it cost?
Copenhagen to Hamburg starts at 27.90 in 2nd class or 49.90 in 1st class.
Hamburg to Marseille starts at 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class
Marseille to Barcelona starts at 39 in 2nd class or 59 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
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How to buy tickets...
Step 1, use the German Railways website www.bahn.de to book from Copenhagen to Hamburg. 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, use www.bahn.de again to book from Hamburg to Marseille, but (and this is important) make sure you change Duration of transfer from standard to at least 40 minutes before running the enquiry. If you don't do that it'll put you on the 10:24 from Hamburg with a risky 8-minute connection in Frankfurt, one simple 10-minute delay and you're toast. So make sure it books you the 09:24 with time for a coffee at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
Step 3, book from Marseille to Barcelona at either www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , Ł or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website en.oui.sncf (in , more fiddly, but no fee). Booking normally opens 120 days ahead. You print your own ticket.
Step 4, book from Barcelona to other Spanish destinations at either www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , Ł or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in , much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it first). Booking for Spanish trains normally opens 60 days ahead, but it can vary. You print your own ticket.
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The TGV Duplex from Frankfurt to Lyon, Avignon & Marseille, about to leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf... |
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The cafe-bar on the upper deck in car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks & microwave-style hot dishes... |
2nd class seats, this is upper deck seating. There's a mix or tables for 4 and unidirectional seating. 360ş photo. |
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1st class seats on the upper deck, a club duo on the left, a club quatre on the right. 360ş photo. |
The TGV to Marseille, boarding at Frankfurt am Main Hbf. You enter on the lower deck, with 9 stairs up to top deck. |
Copenhagen to San Sebastian...
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Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Paris in a day as shown in the Copenhagen to Paris section above, leaving Copenhagen at 07:26, changing at Hamburg Hbf & Cologne Hbf and arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 22:05. Book this as shown above. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
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Stay overnight in Paris...
Hotels near Paris Gare du Nord with good reviews: Libertel Gare du Nord Suede (5 min walk from Gare du Nord, 2-star), Mercure Terminus Nord (3-star, directly across the road from the Gare Du Nord); Art Hotel (3-star); Avalon Hotel (2-star); Hotel Cambrai (1-star).
Hotels near Paris Gare Montparnasse with good reviews: Mercure Paris Gare Montparnasse (150m from the station, 4-star); Best Western Sevres Montparnasse (15 minute walk from station, 3-star); La Maison Montparnasse (10 min walk from station, 2-star); Hotel du Maine (5 min walk from station, 2-star).
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Day 2, travel from Paris to Hendaye on the Spanish border by high-speed double-deck TGV Duplex Océane, leaving Paris Gare Montparnasse at 09:52 and arriving Hendaye at 14:28. A cafe-bar is available on board, there are power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 25 in 2nd class or 45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both sites easy to use, in , Ł or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website en.oui.sncf (in , more fiddly, no fee). French trains open for booking up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your smartphone.
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Day 2, walk out of Hendaye station and turn right, the little Euskotren station is in a corner of the main station forecourt. Buy a ticket for 2.75 at the station from the machines or staffed counter and hop on the next half-hourly Euskotren metro from Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara station, journey time 37 minutes. See the Paris to San Sebastian page for more information, photos & tips.
Copenhagen to Lisbon, Porto & Portugal...
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Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Paris in a single day as explained above.
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Stay overnight in Paris, see suggested hotels near the Gare du Nord.
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Day 2, travel from Paris to the Spanish border by TGV Duplex and overnight Sud Express sleeper train to Lisbon, arriving 07:30 on day 3, as explained in detail on the London to Lisbon page - just disregard the London to Paris bit.
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Change in Lisbon for trains to Porto & Faro.
On board the Sud Express from Hendaye to Lisbon: See more photos & information...
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The Sud Express, about to leave Irun on the Franco-Spanish frontier, bound for Lisbon... Courtesy of Ron Baker. See panorama photo... |
Gran Clase sleeper, in evening mode with the seats folded out... |
....return from the bar to find the attendant has made up the beds... |
Gran Clase private toilet & shower... |
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The trainhotel's café-bar serves drinks & food. Grab a barstool early, it gets crowded later on! |
4-berth tourist class sleepers (Turista Cama) are cosy & inexpensive. They convert from beds to seats as shown. See panorama photo of 4-berth sleeper. |
Copenhagen to Andorra...
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Stay overnight in Paris. Hotels near Paris Gare du Nord with good reviews: Libertel Gare du Nord Suede (5 min walk from Gare du Nord, 2-star), Mercure Terminus Nord (3-star, directly across the road from the Gare Du Nord); Art Hotel (3-star); Avalon Hotel (2-star); Hotel Cambrai (5 min walk from Gare du Nord, 1-star).
How to cross Paris by metro or taxi from the Gare du Nord to other Paris stations.
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Step 2, travel from Paris to Toulouse by TGV, one usually leaves Paris Montparnasse at 13:52 arriving Toulouse Matabiau around 18:10.
Fares start from 25 in 2nd class or 45 in 1st class.
Have dinner in Toulouse...
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Step 3, travel from Toulouse Matabiau station 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 station (bus stand 15) at 20:00 arriving Andorra at midnight.
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How to buy tickets...
Book from Copenhagen to Paris as shown in the Copenhagen to Paris section above. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
Book from Paris to Toulouse Matabiau at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in , Ł or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website en.oui.sncf (more fiddly, in , but no fee). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your smartphone.
Buy the bus ticket at www.andorrabybus.com.
Copenhagen to Hamburg, Cologne, Berlin & Germany from 27.90...
Option 1, by daytime trains...
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Direct Danish IC3 intercity trains link Copenhagen with Hamburg Hbf at 07:26, 11:26 & 15:26, journey time 4h36.
Change at Hamburg Hbf for connecting trains to Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich or anywhere else in Germany. Copenhagen to Berlin takes 7h07 centre to centre with no check-in or trek to and from remote airports.
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Fares start at 27.90 in 2nd class or 47.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
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Check times & 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.
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Step 1, Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3... This is an IC3 at Copenhagen. The yellow stripe above the windows indicates first class, located at one end of both 3-car units. More information about the Copenhagen-Hamburg journey. |
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2nd class seats on a IC3 train. Larger photo. |
An IC3 train from Copenhagen at Hamburg. |
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Boarding a Danish IC3 train at Hamburg Hbf... |
1st class seats on an IC3 train. Larger photo. |
Option 2, Copenhagen to Hamburg & Berlin by Berlin Night Express, twice a week March-September, daily in high summer...
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Step 1, take a local train from Copenhagen main station to Hřje-Taastrup, a local station just west of the city centre. These run every 10 minutes or so taking 15 minutes. Buy this ticket at the station. Don't cut it fine when connecting with a sleeper train!
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Step 2, travel from Hřje-Taastrup to Hamburg & Berlin by Berlin Night Express...
The Berlin Night Express runs on Wednesdays & Saturdays from 5 May to 29 September 2021, and every day 11 June to 5 September 2021.
It leaves Hřje-Taastrup at 22:45 and arrives Hamburg Hbf at 05:31 & Berlin Hbf at 08:52. Check times at www.snalltaget.se as there's a later arrival in Berlin on certain dates.
Private operator www.snalltaget.se has run a sleeper train between Malmö & Berlin twice a week in summer in previous years, and in 2021 it is being expanded to run direct from Stockholm & Malmö to Hamburg & Berlin, and for a longer operating period, too
The train has ordinary seats, reclining seats, and 6-berth couchettes. A fixed price is charged for a whole couchette compartment for private occupancy, the same price for 1 person or any number of people up to 6, unlike normal overnight trains berths are not sold individually.
Fares start at 499 SEK (about 49) per person with a seat, 749 SEK (74) per person with a reclining seat, or 2999 SEK (295) for sole occupancy of a couchette compartment for any number of people between 1 & 6.
See www.snalltaget.se for operating dates, times, fares & to buy tickets online.
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The Berlin Night Express at Berlin Hbf, see www.snalltaget.se. Courtesy of Stephen Barker... |
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The Berlin Night Express after being shunted aboard the Sassnitz-Trelleborg ferry above left and a 4 or 6 berth couchette compartment, above right. From 2021 it may no longer run via the ferry. Photos courtesy of Stephen Barker. |
Copenhagen to Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck & Austria from 78...
Option 1, using the Hamburg-Austria Nightjet sleeper train - the comfortable, time-effective option...
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Step 1, travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3 intercity train leaving Copenhagen at 11:26 and arriving Hamburg Hbf at 16:02.
Fares start at 27.90 in 2nd class or 47.90 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 and 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.
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Step 2, travel from Hamburg to Vienna, Linz or Innsbruck by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 20:29 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 09:19 next morning with another portion going to Innsbruck, arriving Innsbruck Hbf at 09:14. Change at Wels for a railjet train to Salzburg, arriving Salzburg 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.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , Ł or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in , more fiddly, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
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Step 1, Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3... This is an IC3 at Copenhagen. The yellow stripe above the windows indicates first class, located at one end of both 3-car units. More information about the Copenhagen-Hamburg journey. |
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2nd class seats on a IC3 train. Larger photo. |
An IC3 train from Copenhagen at Hamburg. |
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Step 2, Hamburg to Vienna or Innsbruck by Nightjet sleeper train. More information about Nightjet trains. |
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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. |
Option 2, by day trains with overnight stop in Frankfurt...
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Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Frankfurt, leaving Copenhagen at 11:26 by Danish intercity train, changing at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 21:00.
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Stay overnight in Frankfurt. Hotels just outside the station with good or great reviews include the Hotel Hamburger Hof, The Frankfurt, and the inexpensive Hotel Topas.
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Day 2, travel from Frankfurt to Austria on any train you like.
The 06:21 ICE-T train from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf arrives Vienna Hbf at 12:45, but by all means enjoy a leisurely breakfast and take a later one, they run every 2 hours.
The 06:54 from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf will get you to Salzburg at 11:59, but by all means take a later one, they leave regularly.
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Fares from Copenhagen to Austria start at 49.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book from Copenhagen to any station in Austria at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
To build in the overnight stop in Frankfurt, click Add intermediate stops and enter Frankfurt (Main) Hbf in the via box and (say) 12:00 in the hh:mm stopover box. Look carefully in the search results to find a journey that suits you, adjusting stopover duration to get the train you want from Frankfurt to Austria - a little trial and error is sometimes needed. I've set up this link to bahn.de for you with the necessary parameters.
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, by day trains with overnight stop in Hamburg...
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Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3 intercity train, leaving Copenhagen 15:26 & arriving Hamburg Hbf 20:02.
Stay overnight in Hamburg. The Hotel Reichshoff Hamburg is just 200m from the station, features art deco-based design and gets great reviews. Other hotels next to Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget, private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf start at around Ł33 for one person or Ł49 for two people booked at www.hostelworld.com.
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Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Vienna, Salzburg or anywhere in Austria. For example, a direct ICE train with restaurant car leaves Hamburg Hbf at 08:03 every day, arriving Vienna Hbf at 16:45.
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Fares from Copenhagen to Austria start at 49.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book from Copenhagen to any station in Austria at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
To build in the overnight stop in Hamburg, click Add intermediate stops and enter Hamburg Hbf in the via box and (say) 12:00 in the hh:mm stopover box. Look carefully in the search results to find a journey that suits you, adjusting stopover duration to get the train you want from Hamburg to Austria - a little trial and error is sometimes needed. I've set up this link to bahn.de for you with the necessary parameters.
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.
Copenhagen to Gothenburg & Malmö...
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Copenhagen to Malmö...
Öresund trains run from Copenhagen main station to Malmö Central every 20-30 minutes, no reservation necessary or possible, just turn up, buy a ticket and hop on the next one. Journey time 39 minutes.
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Copenhagen to Gothenburg...
An Öresund Link train runs from Copenhagen to Gothenburg (= Goteborg Central) every hour through the day, journey time 3h53. No reservation is necessary or possible for these trains, you just turn up, buy a ticket at a fixed price and hop on the next train.
You'll also see options involving SJ fast trains with a change of train, but it's best to stick with the Öresund trains.
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All these trains use the Öresund Link, a massive bridge-tunnel-bridge structure between Denmark & Sweden. It's like flying a hundred feet above the sea, quite an experience...
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You can check train times and (if you like, to save time buying at the station) buy tickets online at www.sj.se (Swedish Railways, no booking fee, see my advice on using it here).
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An Öresund Link Train (Öresundtĺg) from Copenhagen to Malmö & Gothenburg, seen at Malmö Central station. The train crosses from Denmark to Sweden on the 1999-built Öresund Link tunnel & road/rail bridge... |
Copenhagen to Stockholm from 254 SEK (28, Ł20, $30)...
The Swedish government introduced border controls for entering Sweden in 2016. Passport control for the direct Copenhagen-Stockholm X2000 trains now takes place on board the train when it enters Sweden. However, you should still turn up at Copenhagen station in good time for your train because the X2000 trains to Stockholm leave from platform 26, accessed via platforms 5 & 6, a fair old walk from the station concourse.
Option 1: Copenhagen to Stockholm by 125 mph X2000 daytime trains...
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Every couple of hours, a fast and comfortable 125 mph tilting X2000 train links Copenhagen with Stockholm Central, centre to centre with no check-in to worry about. From city centre to city centre it takes little longer than flying, and it's a lot more fun & interesting. These trains use the Öresund Link, a massive bridge-tunnel-bridge structure between Denmark & Sweden. It's like flying a hundred feet above the sea, quite an experience. Update: You may need to change in Malmo in first few months of 2021, due to Covid-19.
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Fares start at 254 Swedish Krona (around 28). Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
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Check times & buy tickets at either of the following websites:
Omio.com (formerly GoEuro.com) which links directly to SJ's ticketing system, same prices as SJ, quick & easy to use, small booking fee, no problem with overseas credit cards, you can pay in various currencies including Swedish Kr, Ł, and $.
SJ's own site www.sj.se, you pay in Swedish krona, no booking fee, you can usually choose a specific seat from a seating plan, but it can sometimes reject overseas credit cards. For step-by-step advice on using sj.se, click here.
Whichever site you use, you print your own ticket or can show it on your smartphone.
Tip: Booking doesn't open a set number of days ahead: Instead, SJ releases tickets in blocks 4 times a year, for example in early December for the period from early April to mid-June, in early April for the period from mid-June to mid-August and in mid-May for the mid-August to mid-December. You can see the exact dates on www.sj.se on their FAQ page.
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A Copenhagen-Stockholm X2000 train boarding at Copenhagen main station... |
2nd class seats on an X2000 train from Copenhagen to Stockholm. |
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X2000 bistro car... |
X2000 bistro car seating area... |
Bistro self-service... |
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Snowy scenery from a winter train between Copenhagen & Stockholm. Courtesy of Radoslav Sharapanov |
Option 2: Copenhagen to Stockholm by sleeper train - the time-effective option...
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Step 1, take an evening Öresund train from Copenhagen to Malmö Central, you can take the 20:47 departure or perhaps take the earlier 20:27, these trains run every 20 minutes, journey time 39 minutes. Passport control takes place on board these trains at the first station in Sweden.
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Step 2, take the excellent overnight sleeper train from Malmö to Stockholm, leaving Malmö Central daily except Saturdays at 22:32 arriving Stockholm Central at 05:55. Times may vary slightly. Expect to board shortly after 22:00. On arrival in Stockholm, you can remain on board until 07:00. There's no sleeper train on Saturday nights.
The train has 1st class sleeping-cars with private 1 & 2 bed sleeper compartments with en suite shower & toilet, 2nd class sleeping-cars with shared single-gender 3-berth sleeper compartments with washbasin, one 2nd class couchette car with shared 6-berth compartments, and a seats car.
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How to buy tickets...
Buy tickets from Copenhagen to Stockholm as one transaction at the Swedish railways website www.sj.se, looking for the sleeper option. There are some great cheap deals available if you book in advance. SJ.se sometimes rejects overseas credit cards, so if you can't get your credit card to work, first try alternative Swedish train booking site www.snalltaget.se, then try agency site www.acprail.com or call SJ telesales on +46 771 75 75 75 (touch tone 6 for English).
You print your own ticket or can show it on your smartphone. The ticket allows you to take any Oresund train from Copenhagen to Malmo, not just the one shown when you book, so by all means take an earlier one and have dinner in Malmo.
Alternatively, you can easily book the Malmo-Stockholm sleeper train at Omio.com, overseas cards no problem, but it will only book a seat or couchette in a 6-berth compartment, not a sleeper. You first need to book Malmo to Stockholm and look on the last page of the search results for the overnight train. Book that, then add a Malmo to Copenhagen ticket. You can pay in Ł, , $ or Krona, there's a small booking fee, you print your own ticket or can show it on your smartphone.
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The overnight sleeper to Malmö, about to leave Stockholm Central. Courtesy of Andrew Henry. |
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1st class sleeper with en suite shower & toilet, shown in day mode (above left) and night mode set up as a single with upper berth folded against the wall (above centre). Courtesy of Discoverbyrail.com. Click the images for larger photos... |
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6-berth couchettes - the economy option. Larger photo. |
The sleeper at Malmo Central. This is the sleeping-car with private 1 or 2-berth compartments with en suite shower & toilet. Courtesy of Ivor Morgan... |
Copenhagen to Oslo & Norway...
Option 1, Copenhagen to Oslo by train - the overland daytime option...
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You can travel from Copenhagen to Oslo by train with just 1 change, using an hourly Öresund Link train from Copenhagen to Gothenburg Central, then a comfortable Norwegian intercity train from Gothenburg Central to Oslo Sentral. Journey time around 8h25. Simply check times for your date of travel using www.sj.se - for English change the Swedish flag to a UK flag and book from Köbenhavn H to Oslo S. For example:
Copenhagen depart 09:27, change Gothenburg Central (arrive 13:20, depart 14:15) arrive Oslo Sentral at 17:51.
Copenhagen depart 13:27, change Gothenburg Central (arrive 17:20, depart 18:10) arrive Oslo Sentral at 21:51.
The fare is 79 on all departures if bought at www.sj.se.
But it can be cheaper to split the booking, to take advantage of cheap fares for the Norwegian train if bought direct from NSB Norwegian Railways. First go to the Norwegian Railways website www.vy.no and book from Goteborg C to Oslo S looking for a cheap Minipris fare. You can choose to load your ticket into the Vy app, or download it in PDF format which you can either print out or simply show on your smartphone or laptop. Then go to the Swedish website www.sj.se (no booking fee, see my advice on using it here) or www.tagbokningen.se (English button top right, small booking fee) and add a ticket from Copenhagen to Gothenburg Central. You print your own ticket.
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You'll also see journeys with 2 or 3 changes taking a bit longer. These involve SJ (Swedish Railways) trains rather than an Oresund train plus an NSB (Norwegian Railways) train, so SJ can offer cheap advance-purchase fares. Check for your date of travel at www.sj.se. For example:
Copenhagen depart 05:27, change Gothenburg Central, arrive Oslo Sentral at 13:51.
Copenhagen depart 10:27, change Gothenburg Central & Karlstad, arrive Oslo Sentral at 21:24.
Fares from as little as 20 in 2nd class or 34 in 1st class.
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Buy tickets at the Swedish railways website www.sj.se (no booking fee, see my advice on using it here) or at competing Swedish ticketing website www.tagbokningen.se (English button top right, small booking fee), or (if you have any problems) agency site www.acprail.com. You pay online and collect tickets from the Swedish Railways (SJ) ticket machines installed at Copenhagen main station or (for journeys involving only SJ trains) you print your own ticket. If you can't get your credit card to work on any of these sites, simply call SJ telesales on +46 771 75 75 75.
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Step 1, take an Öresund Train from Copenhagen to Gothenburg. One is seen here at Malmö Central station. The Öresundtĺg crosses from Denmark to Sweden on the 1999-built Öresund Link tunnel & road/rail bridge. |
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Step 2, take a Norwegian train from Gothenburg to Oslo... This is the Norwegian train from Gothenburg to Oslo, arrived at Oslo central. Photos courtesy of Ivor & Ines Morgan. |
NSB 'Komfort' class on the train to Oslo. |
Option 2, Copenhagen to Oslo by overnight ferry - The time-effective luxury overnight option...
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A luxurious overnight cruise ferry sails from Copenhagen to Oslo every night, leaving Copenhagen at 16:30 and arriving in Oslo at 09:45.
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The ships on this route are the Crown Seaways & the Pearl Seaways, with restaurants, bars, cinema and sauna. All passengers travel in comfortable private cabins, even the standard cabins come with en suite shower & toilet and satellite TV. To travel in luxury, treat yourself to DFDS's famous Commodore Class, some suites with private balconies with sea view.
Make sure you're on deck in the morning when the ferry sails up the scenic Oslo Fjord, a stunning way to arrive in Norway. You'll see coast on either side of the ship from about 07:00 and she enters the narrow part of the fjord by about 07:30.
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Fares start at around 120 for 1 person travelling solo including private standard cabin, or 120 for 2 people travelling together sharing a 2-berth standard cabin. Considering the cost of hotels in Scandinavia, this is a real bargain.
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See www.dfds.co.uk for times, prices & to buy tickets online.
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In Copenhagen the ferry terminal is about 4 km (3 miles) from Copenhagen main station, see map of Copenhagen showing DFDS ferry terminal, Taxis are available or you can take an 8-minute suburban train ride from Copenhagen main station to Nordhavn station from where it's a 10-minute 750m walk to the ferry terminal, easy enough even with luggage. There's also a DFDS shuttle bus from Norreport station, see www.dfds.co.uk.
At the DFDS ferry terminal, you can check yourself in at the self-service check-in machines just inside the entrance. You enter your booking reference, scan your passport, and it produces your boarding pass/cabin key. You then pass through a fairly nominal customs check and walk onto the ferry.
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In Oslo you can walk from the ferry terminal the city centre in 15-20 minutes, or you can take a taxi. I'd allow at least 90 minutes between the ferry's arrival and any onward train from Oslo Sentral. See map of Oslo showing ferry terminal.
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The huge DFDS luxury overnight cruise ferry Crown Seaways berthed at Oslo... Courtesy of Ivor Morgan. |
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The ferry is a floating hotel, with cabins, suites, restaurants, bars and entertainment. The Pearl Seaways even features an outdoor jacuzzi but reportedly her sister ship Crown Seaways lacks this. Courtesy of Andrew Leo. |
1, 2, 3 or 4 berth standard cabin on the Crown Seaways with shower & toilet and satellite TV. Larger photo. Courtesy of Ivor Morgan. |
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Commodore Class suite with double bed on board the DFDS superferry to Oslo. Courtesy of Andrew Leo. |
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Scenery in Oslo Fjord on the voyage to Norway... Courtesy of Ivor Morgan. |
Copenhagen to Helsinki & Finland...
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Step 1, take a fast and comfortable X2000 train from Copenhagen to Stockholm in just 5h from around 28 booked at www.sj.se. Allow plenty of time in Stockholm for transfer to the ferry terminal and for the ferry check-in.
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Step 2, take a ferry to Finland. Two companies run overnight cruise ferries from Stockholm to Helsinki, book these online at www.tallinksilja.com or www.vikingline.com.
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However, it's usually cheaper to take the shorter sea crossing from Stockholm to Turku in Finland, from where an Intercity train takes passengers on to Helsinki's main station. The Silja Line & Viking Line compete on this route too, with each operator running an overnight ferry and a daytime ferry.
Step 1, book the Stockholm-Turku daytime or overnight ferry at either www.tallinksilja.com or www.vikingline.com.
Step 2, buy a Turku-Helsinki train ticket online at the Finnish Railways website www.vr.fi. You'll find a train leaves Turku Harbour station (= Turku Satama) right next to the ferry terminal, shortly after the ferries arrive.
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Step 1, Copenhagen to Stockholm by X2000 train, seen here at Copenhagen main station... |
2nd class seats on an X2000 train from Copenhagen to Stockholm. |
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X2000 bistro car... |
X2000 bistro car seating area... |
Bistro self-service... |
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Snowy scenery from a winter train between Copenhagen & Stockholm. Courtesy of Radoslav Sharapanov |
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Step 2, Stockholm to Helsinki by luxurious overnight ferry... Sail direct from Stockholm to Helsinki by overnight ferry, a true floating hotel. Two operators, Silja Line & Viking Line compete with almost identical timings. Above, the massive Silja Symphony towers over the Silja Line terminal in Helsinki. Photos courtesy of Discoverbyrail.com |
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Viking Line's Gabriela sails out of Stockholm en route to Helsinki. Courtesy Jeremy Nicholls. |
Copenhagen to Prague from 37.90...
Option 1, in a single day...
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Step 1, travel from Copenhagen to Berlin, leaving Copenhagen at 07:26, changing at Hamburg Hbf to arrive Berlin Hbf at 14:20.
In Berlin you've time to see the Reichstag and Brandenburg gate which are only a 10-15 minute walk from Berlin Hbf.
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Step 2, travel from Berlin to Prague by comfortable EuroCity train with restaurant car leaving Berlin Hbf at 15:16 arriving Prague Hlavni at 19:36.
In summer when it's light this is a lovely scenic ride along the Elbe River valley south of Dresden, see the scenery photos and video here. By all means have a wander in Berlin and catch the later 16:59 to Prague, arriving 21:26. Berlin's Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate are just 15 minutes walk from the station. See suggested hotels in Prague.
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How much does it cost?
Copenhagen to Prague starts at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
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To buy tickets...
Buy a ticket 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.
Option 2, by day trains with overnight stop in Hamburg - a time-effective option...
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Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3 intercity train, leaving Copenhagen at 15:26 & arriving Hamburg Hbf at 20:02.
Stay overnight in Hamburg. The Hotel Reichshoff Hamburg is just 200m from the station, features art deco-based design and gets great reviews. Other hotels next to Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget, private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf start at around Ł33 for one person or Ł49 for two people booked at www.hostelworld.com.
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Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Prague by direct EuroCity train, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 06:48 & arriving Prague Holesovice at 13:26. Or leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:51 and arriving Prague Hlavni at 15:36.
This is a lovely scenic ride along the Elbe River valley south of Dresden, see the scenery photos and video here. The trains have free WiFi and an elegant restaurant car serving meals, snacks, beer & wine.
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How much does it cost?
Copenhagen to Prague starts at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
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To buy tickets...
Book from Copenhagen to Prague or any Czech station at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
To build in the overnight stop in Hamburg, click Add intermediate stops and enter Hamburg Hbf in the via box and (say) 12:00 in the hh:mm stopover box. Look carefully in the search results to find a journey that suits you, adjusting stopover duration to get the train you want from Hamburg to Prague - a little trial and error is sometimes needed. I've set up this link to bahn.de for you with the necessary parameters.
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, by day trains with overnight stop in Berlin - another time-effective option...
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Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Berlin by train, leaving Copenhagen at 15:26 by Danish IC3 intercity train, changing at Hamburg Hbf and arriving Berlin Hbf at 22:23.
By all means take the earlier 11:26 from Copenhagen and spend a pleasant evening in Berlin, Berlin Hbf is just 10 minutes walk from the Reichstag or 15 minutes walk from the Brandenburg Gate.
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Stay overnight in Berlin. The 3-star Meininger Hotel or InterCity Hotel are ideal as they are right next to Berlin Hbf and a 10-minute walk from the Reichstag or a 15-minute walk from the Brandenburg Gate, relatively inexpensive and get good reviews. If you want to push the boat out, try the famous & historic Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin right next to the Brandenburg Gate. If you're on a tight budget, try the cheaper Motel One Berlin-Hauptbahnhof just behind the station or see www.hostelworld.com.
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Day 2, travel from Berlin to Prague by EuroCity train on any train you like. The 07:16 from Berlin Hbf will get you to Prague Hlavni at 11:36 with breakfast in the restaurant car as you glide along the scenic Elbe river valley, see the scenery photos and video here, but by all means have a leisurely breakfast at your hotel and take the 09:16 or 11:16, they leave every two hours.
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How much does it cost?
Copenhagen to Prague starts at 37.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
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To buy tickets...
Book from Copenhagen to Prague or any Czech station at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
To build in the overnight stop in Berlin, click Add intermediate stops and enter Berlin Hbf in the via box and (say) 12:00 in the hh:mm stopover box. Look carefully in the search results to find a journey that suits you, adjusting stopover duration to get the train you want from Berlin to Prague - a little trial and error is sometimes needed. I've set up this link to bahn.de for you with the necessary parameters.
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.
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Step 1, Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3... This is an IC3 at Copenhagen. The yellow stripe above the windows indicates first class, located at one end of both 3-car units. More information about the Copenhagen-Hamburg journey. |
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2nd class seats on a IC3 train. Larger photo. |
An IC3 train from Copenhagen at Hamburg. |
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Step 2, Hamburg to Prague by EuroCity train, seen here calling at Berlin Hbf... |
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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. |
Option 4, using the summer-only Copenhagen-Berlin sleeper...
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Step 1, travel from Copenhagen to Berlin by Berlin Night Express sleeper train as shown above. This runs twice a week March-September, daily in high summer.
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Step 2, travel from Berlin to Prague by comfortable EuroCity train with restaurant car leaving Berlin Hbf at 11:16 arriving Prague Hlavni at 15:36.
This is a lovely scenic ride along the Elbe River valley south of Dresden, see the scenery photos and video here. By all means have a wander in Berlin and catch the later 16:59 to Prague, arriving 21:26. Berlin's Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate are just 15 minutes walk from the station. See suggested hotels in Prague.
Copenhagen to Bratislava & Budapest from 63...
Option 1, by daytime train with overnight stop...
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Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Berlin, leaving Copenhagen at 15:26 by Danish IC3 intercity train, changing at Hamburg Hbf onto an ICE train & arriving Berlin Hbf at 22:23. Or take the earlier train leaving Copenhagen at 11:26 for more of an evening in Berlin.
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 from Copenhagen to Berlin 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.
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Stay overnight in Berlin. The 3-star Meininger Hotel or InterCity Hotel are ideal as they are right next to Berlin Hbf and a 10-minute walk from the Reichstag or a 15-minute walk from the Brandenburg Gate, relatively inexpensive and get good reviews. If you want to push the boat out, try the famous & historic Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin right next to the Brandenburg Gate. If you're on a tight budget, try the cheaper Motel One Berlin-Hauptbahnhof just behind the station or see www.hostelworld.com.
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Day 2, travel from Berlin to Bratislava or Budapest on the comfortable EuroCity train Hungaria, leaving Berlin Hbf at 09:16 and arriving Bratislava Hlavna 17:50 & Budapest Nyugati at 20:20.
The Hungaria uses Hungarian Railways' latest air-conditioned cars with power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. There's a Hungarian restaurant car serving inexpensive meals with beer or wine, and there's lovely scenery along the Elbe River valley between Dresden & Prague, see the photos & video here. A day well spent!
If you like you can check the train formation & see what the carriages are like at www.vagonweb.cz - Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Czechia and click EC then look for the Hungaria.
Fares start at 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this train at www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket, but in this case it cannot be shown on a mobile device. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings at any time.
Tip: It's slightly cheaper to book from Copenhagen to Budapest as one transaction from 49.90, using the Add intermediate stops feature to build in a 10-hour overnight stopover in Berlin. However, in this case you end up with tickets by post, posted to you for a small extra fee. they can take up to 2 weeks to arrive. I'd book as shown above to get digital tickets that can be printed.
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Tip: Overnight stop in Hamburg instead of Berlin? I show the overnight stop at Berlin in this option, but you can equally well stop overnight in Hamburg. The 15:26 from Copenhagen arrives Hamburg Hbf 20:02. The EuroCity train Hungaria starts its journey in Hamburg, it leaves Hamburg Hbf at 06:48. In Hamburg, the Hotel Reichshoff Hamburg is just 200m from the station, features art deco-based design and gets great reviews. Other hotels next to Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget, private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf start at around Ł33 for one person or Ł49 for two people booked at www.hostelworld.com.
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Step 1, Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3... This is an IC3 at Copenhagen. The yellow stripe above the windows indicates first class, located at one end of both 3-car units. More information about the Copenhagen-Hamburg journey. |
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2nd class seats on a IC3 train. Larger photo. |
An IC3 train from Copenhagen at Hamburg. |
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The Berlin-Budapest Hungaria with the latest air-conditioned Hungarian cars. Photos courtesy of Siddhartha Verma. |
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2nd class seats on the Hungaria... |
Restaurant car on the Hungaria... |
Option 2, by daytime trains to Prague then the EuroNight sleeper to Budapest...
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Step 1, travel from Copenhagen to Prague, leaving Copenhagen at 07:26 by Danish IC3 intercity train, changing at Hamburg Hbf onto a comfortable EuroCity train with restaurant car & free WiFi arriving Prague Hlavni at 19:36.
Have dinner in Prague, see suggested restaurant.
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.
Book this 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.
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Step 2, travel from Prague to Budapest by sleeper train, leaving Prague Hlavni 21:56 & arriving Bratislava Hlavna 05:36 & Budapest Keleti 08:35.
This has a comfortable Czech Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin and three deluxe compartments with en suite toilet & shower. There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers, and morning tea or coffee is included in the fare. There is a couchette car with 4-berth and 6-berth compartments.
Fares start at 39 with a couchette, 49 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 69 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 80 in a single-bed sleeper.
Book this train at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz. Booking normally opens 90 days ahead. You print your own ticket.
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The Czech sleeping-cars from Prague to Budapest, boarding at Prague Hlavni platform 4... |
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Standard sleeper compartment, set up as a 2-berth, with the washstand open. Each room can be used as 1, 2 or 3 berth. Enlarge photo. |
The same sleeper with berths folded away & seats folded out, blind up, washstand closed. |
Standard sleeper compartments have a washstand with hot water, fresh towels, drinking water & soap. |
Deluxe compartments are very similar, but with small en suite toilet & shower... |
Option 3, by daytime trains to Berlin then sleeper to Budapest - same timings as option 2, but with an afternoon in Berlin...
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Step 1, travel from Copenhagen to Berlin, leaving Copenhagen at 07:26 by Danish IC3 intercity train, changing at Hamburg Hbf onto a comfortable ICE train with restaurant car & free WiFi arriving Berlin Hbf at 14:20. Enjoy an afternoon in Berlin...
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.
Book this 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.
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Step 2, travel from Berlin to Budapest by sleeper train, leaving Berlin Hbf 18:43 & arriving Bratislava Hlavna 05:50 & Budapest Keleti 08:35.
This has a comfortable sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and a couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats, In sleepers, morning tea or coffee is included in the fare.
Fares start at 49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 88.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , Ł 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. You print your own ticket.
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A 2-bed double sleeper (above left) in the air-conditioned Slovakian sleeping-car on the Metropol from Berlin to Budapest. Above right, a morning view of the Budapest-Berlin couchette car (nearest the camera) and sleeping-car in the morning light... Each sleeper compartment has 3 beds and can be sold as a single, double or triple. Sleeper compartments convert to comfortable private sitting room for evening use. A light breakfast is included in the fare. See larger photo. See more photos of this type of sleeping-car. Photos courtesy Helmut Uttenthaler. |
Copenhagen to Brasov, Bucharest & Romania...
Option 1, via Vienna & the Budapest-Bucharest Ister - the fastest option...
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Step 1, travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3 intercity train leaving Copenhagen at 11:26 and arriving Hamburg Hbf at 16:02.
Fares start at 27.90 in 2nd class or 47.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. 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.
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Step 2, travel from Hamburg to Vienna, Linz or Innsbruck by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 20:29 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 09:19 next morning with another portion going to Innsbruck, arriving Innsbruck Hbf at 09:14. Change at Wels for a railjet train to Salzburg, arriving Salzburg 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.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , Ł or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in , more fiddly, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Budapest by EuroCity train with restaurant car, leaving Vienna Hbf at 10:42 and arriving Budapest Keleti at 13:19. Enjoy an afternoon in Budapest.
Fares start at 19.90 in 2nd class or 29.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , Ł 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. You print your own ticket.
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Step 3, travel from Budapest to Brasov & Bucharest by sleeper train Ister leaving Budapest Keleti at 19:10 and arriving Brasov at 09:54 & Bucharest Gara de Nord at 12:33 next day.
This sleeper train Ister has an air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin and a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. There's wonderful almost Alpine scenery through the Carpathian mountains between Brasov and Bucharest, a real treat. Ister is the ancient name for the Danube.
Tip: If you like, you can check the consist for this train, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using the excellent www.vagonweb.cz. Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Hungary & click EN, then look for Ister.
Fares start at 39 with a couchette in 6-berth, 49 with couchette in 4-berth, or 89 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper.
Book this train at the Hungarian railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it. Booking normally opens 60 days ahead. You show the ticket in the MAV app on your smartphone.
Option 2, via Vienna & the Dacia Express to Romania...
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Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg by Danish IC3 intercity train, leaving Copenhagen 15:26 & arriving Hamburg Hbf 20:02.
Stay overnight in Hamburg. The Hotel Reichshoff Hamburg is just 200m from the station, features art deco-based design and gets great reviews. Other hotels next to Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget, private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf start at around Ł33 for one person or Ł49 for two people booked at www.hostelworld.com.
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Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Vienna by ICE train with restaurant car, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:03 every day, arriving Vienna Hbf at 16:45.
Fares from Copenhagen to Vienna start at 49.90 in 2nd class, 79.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for cheapest prices.
Book from Copenhagen to Vienna at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
To build in the overnight stop in Hamburg, click Add intermediate stops and enter Hamburg Hbf in the via box and (say) 12:00 in the hh:mm stopover box. Look carefully in the search results to find a journey that suits you, adjusting stopover duration to get the train you want from Hamburg to Austria - a little trial and error is sometimes needed. I've set up this link to bahn.de for you with the necessary parameters.
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.
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Day 2, travel from Vienna to Romania on the Dacia Express, leaving Vienna Hbf at 19:42 every day, arriving Sighisoara 10:34, Brasov 13:35 & Bucharest Gara de Nord 16:04 (Day 3 from Copenhagen).
The Dacia Express has a modern air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin and several deluxe compartments with en suite shower & toilet. It has a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments.
A Hungarian restaurant car is attached between Vienna and Budapest, treat yourself to dinner with wine. A bar-bistro is then attached in the morning between Arad & Bucharest, serving drinks, snacks and breakfast. There's wonderful almost Alpine scenery through the Carpathian mountains between Brasov and Bucharest, a real treat...
Fares start at 59 with a couchette in a 6-berth compartment, 69 with a couchette in a 4-berth compartment, 79 with a bed in a 3-berth sleeper, 99 with a bed in a 3-berth sleeper or 159 with a bed in a single-berth sleeper all to yourself. All per person per berth.
Book this train at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at. Booking normally opens 90 days ahead. In the search results, look for the direct train marked D with no changes. You collect tickets from the ÖBB ticket machines or staffed counter in Vienna.
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Step 2, Vienna to Romania by Dacia Express. This is the Dacia Express couchette car at Vienna Hbf. Couchettes convert from seats by day to bunks at night. |
4 or 6-berth couchettes. Larger photo. |
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A 1, 2 or 3-bed sleeper with washbasin. Larger photo. |
The Dacia Express arrived at Sighisoara. Sleepers convert from beds to private sitting rooms for day use. Courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry. |
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Enjoy breakfast in the bar-bistro eastbound, or an evening beer westbound, as a bar-bistro is attached in Romania to both the Ister & Dacia Express. Bar-bistro photos courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry. |
Option 3, via Budapest - if you prefer daytime trains & hotels to sleepers...
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Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Berlin, leaving Copenhagen at 15:26 by Danish IC3 intercity train, changing at Hamburg Hbf onto an ICE train & arriving Berlin Hbf at 22:23. Or take the earlier train leaving Copenhagen at 11:26 for more of an evening in Berlin.
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 from Copenhagen to Berlin at www.bahn.de and print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or smartphone.
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Stay overnight in Berlin. The 3-star Meininger Hotel or InterCity Hotel are ideal as they are right next to Berlin Hbf and a 10-minute walk from the Reichstag or a 15-minute walk from the Brandenburg Gate, relatively inexpensive and get good reviews. If you want to push the boat out, try the famous & historic Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin right next to the Brandenburg Gate. If you're on a tight budget, try the cheaper Motel One Berlin-Hauptbahnhof just behind the station or see www.hostelworld.com.
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Day 2, travel from Berlin to Budapest on the EuroCity train Hungaria, leaving Berlin Hbf at 09:16 and arriving Budapest Nyugati at 20:20.
The Hungaria uses Hungarian Railways' latest air-conditioned cars with power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. There's a Hungarian restaurant car serving inexpensive meals with beer or wine, and there's lovely scenery along the Elbe River valley between Dresden & Prague, see the photos & video here. A day well spent!
If you like you can check the train formation & see what the carriages are like at www.vagonweb.cz - Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Czechia and click EC then look for the Hungaria.
Fares start at 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this train at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket, but in this case it cannot be shown on a mobile device, it must be printed out.
Tip: It's actually slightly cheaper to book from Copenhagen to Budapest as one transaction from 49.90, using the Add intermediate stops feature to build in a 10-hour overnight stopover in Berlin. However, in this case you end up with tickets by post, posted to you for a small extra fee. they can take up to 2 weeks to arrive. I'd book as shown above to get digital tickets that can be printed.
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Stay overnight in Budapest. For an inexpensive hotel with great reviews right next to Keleti Station, try the Royal Park Boutique Hotel, the inexpensive Baross City Hotel just across the road or the Elit Hotel two minutes walk away.
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Step 2, travel from Budapest to Brasov & Bucharest by daytime train.
The comfortable air-conditioned InterCity train Traianus leaves Budapest Keleti daily at 07:10 and arrives Arad 12:37, Timişoara Nord 13:27 & Bucharest Nord at 23:59. A Romanian cafe-bar car is available for snacks & drinks.
Another air-conditioned IC train leaves Budapest Keleti 10:10 via Simeria & Sibiu and arrives Brasov 00:55.
Fares from Budapest to Brasov and other Romanian cities start at an unbelievably cheap 26.30 if you book in advance direct at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it. Booking opens 60 days ahead. For Bucharest, type Bucuresti.
Copenhagen to Ljubljana & Zagreb...
Option 1, using the Munich-Zagreb sleeper...
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Step 1, travel from Copenhagen to Munich, leaving Copenhagen at 07:26 by Danish IC3 intercity train with one easy change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Munich Hbf at 18:42.
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.
Book this at either www.thetrainline.com (in , Ł or $, small booking fee, using thetrainline allows you to buy both tickets together in one place) or the German Railways website www.bahn.de (in , no fee). You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.
Tip: Have dinner in Munich before boarding your sleeper, for typical Bavarian food & beer I recommend the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de) at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf, see walking map.
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Step 2, take the comfortable Croatian sleeper train Lisinski leaving Munich Hbf at 23:20 and arriving Zagreb at 08:35 next morning.
It has a modern Croatian air-conditioned couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments and a modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car with comfortable 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, see the photos below and the Croatian sleeper video here.
Fares start at 49 with a couchette in 6-berth, 59 with a couchette in 4-berth, 89 in a 2-bed sleeper or 129 in a single-bed sleeper.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in , Ł or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways own site www.oebb.at (same prices, in , a bit more fiddly). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
Important: Munich-Ljubljana-Zagreb sleeper train cancelled until at least 10 July 2021... Major engineering work has closed the Karawanks Tunnel between Austria & Slovenia until at least 10 July 2021, and the Munich-Zagreb sleeper train is temporarily cancelled. Please use another option until this work is completed and the sleeper train resumes.
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Step 2, Munich to Zagreb by sleeper. The modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car of the Lisinski from Munich to Zagreb has 10 compartments with washbasin, each of which can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth room, with toilets at the end of the corridor. Above left, the sleeper arrived at Zagreb. See larger sleeper photo... |
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The couchette car on the Lisinski has modern air-conditioned 6-berth and 4-berth compartments. Above right, the westbound train is seen boarding at Zagreb. See panorama photo. |
Option 2, by daytime trains with overnight stop in Munich...
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Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Munich by train, for example:
Leave Copenhagen at 07:26 by Danish IC3 intercity train, change at Hamburg Hbf onto an ICE train, arriving Munich Hbf at 18:42.
Leave Copenhagen at 11:26 by Danish IC3 intercity train, change at Hamburg Hbf onto an ICE train, arriving Munich Hbf at 22:36.
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.
Book this 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.
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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.
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Day 2, travel from Munich to Ljubljana or Zagreb, leaving Munich Hbf at 08:17 by railjet train, making a quick & easy cross-platform change at Villach onto a waiting Slovenian and Croatian EuroCity train Sava, arriving Ljubljana at 14:32 and Zagreb at 17:12.
The scenery across Austria on the Tauern route is wonderful, the journey along the river Sava between Ljubljana and Zagreb is a delight.
Alternatively, spend the morning in Munich and take the later 12:18 EuroCity train Mimara from Munich Hbf direct to Ljubljana & Zagreb.
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
Book this at www.bahn.de (use this special link). 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.
Important: Engineering work affecting the Munich-Ljubljana-Zagreb route until at least 10 July 2021... Major engineering work has closed the Karawanks Tunnel between Austria & Slovenia until at least 10 July 2021, and normal train service is suspended. To find alternatives, run a Munich-Ljubljana or Munich-Zagreb enquiry at the German Railways site www.bahn.de. You'll find Munich-Ljubljana services with 1 change at Villach onto a rail replacement bus. You'll find Munich-Zagreb journeys by train via the alternative Maribor route with 1 or 2 changes.
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An early lunch in the Austrian restaurant car as the Alpine scenery flies by. The first stage is on a smart Austrian EuroCity train from Munich to Villach... |
Through the Austrian Alps... Clinging to the mountainside high in the Austrian Alps, the train snakes along between snow-capped mountains, absolutely wonderful... |
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...and along the Sava river in Slovenia. Now across the border in Slovenia, the EuroCity train runs along the pretty River Sava all the way to Ljubljana and Zagreb... |
Comfortable seats: The 2nd class seats in the Slovenian cars are arranged 2+1 abreast, the same as 1st class! |
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The EuroCity train Sava, arrived at Zagreb. |
More scenery along the Sava between Ljubljana & Zagreb. |
Copenhagen to Belgrade, Sofia & Montenegro...
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Step 1, travel from Copenhagen to Munich & Zagreb, as shown in the Copenhagen-Zagreb section above.
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Step 2, travel from Zagreb to Belgrade by train. Until 10 July 2021 it leaves Zagreb at 13:04 arriving Novi Beograd 20:17 & Belgrade Centar at 20:25. From 11 July 2021 it leaves Zagreb at 11:04 arriving Novi Beograd 18:04 & Belgrade Centar at 18:12.
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.
Tip: Although Belgrade Centar is slightly closer to the city centre, you have to rely on a single bus line. Trams 7 & 9 link Novi Beograd station with the site of the now-defunct old Belgrade station on the edge of the old city every 5-10 minutes so you may prefer to get off at Novi Beograd and take a tram, see the Belgrade station page for more information.
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Step 4 for Sofia, stay overnight in Belgrade and travel from Belgrade to Sofia next day (day 3), see the Belgrade to Sofia page for schedule, fares & how to buy tickets.
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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.
Copenhagen to Warsaw & Krakow from 49.90...
Option 1, Copenhagen to Warsaw in a single day...
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Travel from Copenhagen to Warsaw, leaving Copenhagen 07:26, changing at Hamburg Hbf & Berlin Hbf arriving Warsaw Centralna 21:09.
The journey involves a comfortable Danish IC3 intercity train from Copenhagen to Hamburg, a superb German ICE train with restaurant car & free WiFi from Hamburg to Berlin, and a comfy Polish EuroCity train with restaurant car from Berlin to Warsaw. In Berlin you've time between trains to see the Reichstag and Brandenburg gate which are just 10-15 minutes walk away from Berlin Hbf.
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Fares start at 49.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
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Book from Copenhagen to Warsaw 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.
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If you're going to Krakow, stay overnight in Warsaw and take a Warsaw Centralna to Krakow train pre-booked from around 25 at www.intercity.pl. You print your own ticket or can show it on your smartphone.
Option 2, Copenhagen to Warsaw or Krakow with an overnight stop in Berlin...
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Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Berlin, leaving Copenhagen at 15:26 by comfortable Danish IC3 intercity train, one easy change at Hamburg Hbf onto a superb German ICE train with restaurant car & free WiFi, arriving Berlin Hbf at 22:23. By all means choose the earlier 11:26 departure from Copenhagen and spend a pleasant evening in Berlin.
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Stay overnight in Berlin. The 3-star Meininger Hotel or InterCity Hotel are ideal as they are right next to Berlin Hbf and a 10-minute walk from the Reichstag or a 15-minute walk from the Brandenburg Gate, relatively inexpensive and get good reviews. If you want to push the boat out, try the famous & historic Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin right next to the Brandenburg Gate. If you're on a tight budget, try the cheaper Motel One Berlin-Hauptbahnhof just behind the station or see www.hostelworld.com.
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For Warsaw...
Day 2, travel from Berlin Hbf to Warsaw Centralna in 5h30 on any Berlin-Warsaw EuroCity train you like. Mondays to Saturdays the 05:43 from Berlin Hbf will get you to Warsaw Centralna at 11:11 with breakfast in the restaurant car. Or have a leisurely breakfast and take the daily 09:37 arriving 15:19. By all means take a later train to have a morning in Berlin.
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For Krakow...
Day 2, travel from Berlin to Krakow by EuroCity train Wawel, leaving Berlin Hbf at 10:37 every day, arriving Katowice at 16:44 & Krakow Glowny at 17:39. The Wawel is comfortable & air-conditioned with restaurant car, treat yourself to lunch and a beer or two.
Fares start at 49.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book from Copenhagen to Warsaw or Krakow at the German Railways website www.bahn.de.
To get the overnight stop in Berlin simply click Add intermediate stops, enter Berlin Hbf and a suitable stopover duration, say 10 hours. Adjust departure time and stopover duration as necessary to get the desired trains either side of Berlin.
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.
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Step 2, Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train, seen here boarding at Berlin Hbf... |
Option 3, using the summer-only Copenhagen-Berlin sleeper...
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Step 1, travel from Copenhagen to Berlin by Berlin Night Express sleeper train as shown above. This runs twice a week March-September, daily in high summer.
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Step 2, travel from Berlin to Krakow by EuroCity train with restaurant car leaving Berlin Hbf at 10:37 arriving Krakow Glowny at 17:39.
Or Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train with restaurant car, leaving Berlin Hbf at 13:42 arriving Krakow Glowny at 19:34.
This is a lovely scenic ride along the Elbe River valley south of Dresden, see the scenery photos and video here. By all means have a wander in Berlin and catch the later 16:59 to Prague, arriving 21:26. Berlin's Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate are just 15 minutes walk from the station. See suggested hotels in Prague.
Copenhagen to Vilnius, Riga & Tallinn
Option 1, by ferry from Stockholm - the fastest route to Riga or Tallinn, and in many ways the nicest...
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Step 1, take a morning X2000 train from Copenhagen to Stockholm as shown above. I'd allow several hours in Stockholm between train and ferry, to allow for the station-ferry transfer and ferry check-in as well as any likely delay.
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Step 2, sail from Stockholm to Tallinn by daily overnight ferry as shown here, or from Stockholm to Riga by daily overnight ferry as shown here.
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Step 3, for Vilnius travel to Riga then take trains or a bus from Riga to Vilnius as shown on the Riga to Vilnius page.
Option 2, Copenhagen to the Baltic States with overnight stop & morning free in Warsaw...
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Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Warsaw, leaving Copenhagen 07:26, changing at Hamburg Hbf & Berlin Hbf arriving Warsaw Centralna 21:09.
The journey involves a comfortable Danish IC3 intercity train from Copenhagen to Hamburg, a superb German ICE train from Hamburg to Berlin, and a comfy Polish EuroCity train with restaurant car to Warsaw. In Berlin you've time between trains to see the Reichstag and Brandenburg gate which are a short walk away from Berlin Hbf.
Fares start at 49.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book from Copenhagen to Warsaw 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.
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Stay overnight in Warsaw and spend the following morning there. The Polonia Palace Hotel is excellent, historic, relatively inexpensive for such a good hotel, and it's just across the road from the station. For something much cheaper, but still with great reviews and near the station, try the Hotel Metropol next door to the Polonia Palace or the nearby Novotel Warsaw Centrum. Also see the Warsaw Centralna station & city information.
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Day 2, travel from Warsaw to Kaunas & Vilnius, leaving Warsaw at lunchtime, changing at Bialystok and arriving Kaunas in Lithuania in the evening, with connections to Vilnius, see the Warsaw to Vilnius page for details. Warsaw-Vilnius costs around 24.
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Day 3, for onward travel from Vilnius to Riga, see here.
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Day 4, for onward travel from Riga to Tallinn, see here.
Option 3, Copenhagen to the Baltic States with overnight stop in Berlin - Sundays-Fridays only, with a very early start from Berlin...
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Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Berlin in a day by Danish IC3 intercity train from Copenhagen to Hamburg and superb German ICE train from Hamburg to Berlin, as shown in the Copenhagen to Berlin section above.
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Stay overnight in Berlin. The 3-star Meininger Hotel or InterCity Hotel are ideal as they are right next to Berlin Hbf and a 10-minute walk from the Reichstag or a 15-minute walk from the Brandenburg Gate, relatively inexpensive and get good reviews. If you want to push the boat out, try the famous & historic Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is right next to the Brandenburg Gate, 15 min walk from the station. More hotels in Berlin. If you're on a tight budget, see www.hostelworld.com.
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Day 2, travel from Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train leaving Berlin Hbf at 05:43 Mondays-Saturdays only arriving Warsaw Centralna at 11:11.
The Berlin-Warsaw EuroCity train is a comfortable air-conditioned Polish train with trolley refreshment service and a restaurant car serving drinks, snacks and meals. Treat yourself to a cooked breakfast the restaurant car.
Fares from Copenhagen to Warsaw start at 49.90 in 2nd class or 79.90 in 1st class.
Buy tickets from Copenhagen to Warsaw at the German Railways website www.bahn.de.
To get the overnight stop in Berlin, click Add intermediate stops, enter Berlin Hbf and a suitable stopover duration, say 10 hours. Adjust departure time & stopover duration to get the trains you want either side of Berlin, a little trial & error may be needed.
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.
Tip: You may be able to buy a through ticket from Copenhagen to Bialystok covering both the Copenhagen -Berlin-Warsaw & Warsaw-Bialystok trains for almost the same price as Copenhagen to Warsaw. In which case, you just need to buy a Bialystok-Kaunas/Vilnius ticket at the station in Warsaw, or on board the train.
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Day 2, travel from Warsaw to Kaunas & Vilnius, leaving Warsaw at lunchtime, changing at Bialystok and arriving Kaunas in Lithuania in the evening, with connections to Vilnius, see the Warsaw to Vilnius page for details. Warsaw-Vilnius costs around 24.
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Day 3, for onward travel from Vilnius to Riga in Latvia, see here.
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Day 4, for onward travel from Riga to Tallinn in Estonia, see here.
Copenhagen to Kiev & Ukraine...
Option 1, using the Warsaw-Kiev Kiev Express...
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Day 1, travel from Copenhagen to Warsaw with an overnight stop in Berlin as shown above.
Or travel in a single day, stay overnight in Warsaw and have a day free to explore.
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Day 2, travel from Warsaw to Kiev on the Kiev Express, leaving Warsaw Centralna at 18:20 every day & 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 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.
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Boarding in Warsaw... |
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A sleeper compartment... |
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...with washbasin. |
Option 2, via Berlin & Przemysl...
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Step 1, travel from Copenhagen to Berlin, leaving Copenhagen at 07:26 by Danish IC3 intercity train, changing at Hamburg Hbf onto a comfortable ICE train with restaurant car & free WiFi arriving Berlin Hbf at 14:20. Enjoy an afternoon in Berlin...
Book this as one journey at the German Railways website www.bahn.de from 37.90. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, you print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.
Have dinner in Prague, see suggested restaurant.
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Step 2, travel from Berlin to Przemysl (on the Polish-Ukrainian border) by sleeper train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 18:43 and arriving Przemysl at 07:49. The train has a comfortable air-conditioned Polish sleeping-car with cosy 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin and two Polish 2nd class seats cars. There are no couchettes.
Fares start at 69 with a bed in a 3-berth, 89 with a bed in a 2-berth or 109 with a single-bed sleeper.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in , Ł or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in , same prices, a bit more fiddly). Booking normally opens 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket.
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Step 3, travel from Przemysl to Lviv & Kiev by air-conditioned Ukrainian intercity train, leaving Przemysl 13:10 arriving Lviv 16:02, Kiev 23:09.
Przemysl to Lviv costs around 7.10, Przemysl to Kiev around 13.40.
Book at the Ukrainian Railways website booking.uz.gov.ua/en - if you have any problems contact reliable Polish agency www.polrail.com.
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A 2-bed double sleeper (above left) in the air-conditioned Slovakian sleeping-car on the Metropol from Berlin to Przemysl. Each sleeper compartment has 3 beds and can be sold as a single, double or triple. Sleeper compartments convert to comfortable private sitting room for evening use. A light breakfast is included in the fare. See larger photo. See more photos of this type of sleeping-car. Photos courtesy Helmut Uttenthaler. |
Copenhagen to Moscow & St Petersburg...
Option 1, via Stockholm & Helsinki - avoids Belarus so no need to get a Belarus transit visa...
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Take a morning X2000 train from Copenhagen to Stockholm then a comfortable overnight ferry to Helsinki as shown above.
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Then take a lunchtime Allegro train from Helsinki to St Petersburg as shown here or the overnight sleeper train Tolstoi from Helsinki to Moscow, as shown here.
Option 2, via Hamburg & Berlin...
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Step 1, travel from Copenhagen to Berlin, leaving Copenhagen at 11:26 by Danish IC3 intercity train to Hamburg Hbf and changing onto a comfortable ICE train to Berlin Hbf arriving 18:20.
By all means take the earlier 07:26 from Copenhagen if you'd prefer an even m ore robust connection.
Book this from 37.90 at the German Railways website www.bahn.de and print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or smartphone.
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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 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' 8˝", 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.
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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. |
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Standard 2-berth sleeper with washbasin, in night-time & daytime modes... |
Complimentary toiletry pack... |
Option 2, via Berlin & Warsaw...
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Step 1, travel from Copenhagen to Warsaw as shown above.
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Step 2, travel from Warsaw to Moscow on the daily overnight sleeper train, see details here. This train passes through Belarus, so you'll need a Belarus transit visa, see my important update about travel to Russia through Belarus.
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.
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Copenhagen to Athens & Greece...
Option 1, Copenhagen to Athens by train & ferry via Italy, the leisurely way...
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Stay overnight in Milan. Hotels near Milan Centrale with good reviews include the Made to Measure Business, 43 Station Hotel, Starhotel Echo or Starhotel Anderson.
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Step 2, take the 07:35 Frecciabianca train next morning from Milan Centrale along the Adriatic coast to Bari Centrale,
Fares start at 29.90 in 2nd class or 39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this 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 (requires Italian language place names, no booking fee, read this advice on using it first).
In Bari, it's a short taxi ride or 25 minute walk to the ferry terminal. Remember the 2 hour check-in for the ferry, and allow plenty of time.
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Step 3, sail across the Adriatic from Bari to Corfu, Igoumenitsa or Patras in Greece aboard a ferry booked at www.superfast.com. She normally sails daily except Sundays at 19:30 arriving 13:00 next day (day 3). The ferry has bars, restaurants, lounges, reclining seats and cabins with en suite toilet & shower. It's a lovely crossing, see the photos below.
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Step 4, catch a bus/train combo from Patras to Athens, taking around 3 hours. If you hunt for it, there's a bus/train combined timetable from Patras to Athens on www.trainose.gr but it's not always easy to find.
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See the London to Greece page for more detailed train & ferry times, fares, photos and how to buy tickets. Just ignore the London-Paris part!
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2 or 4-berth cabin with private toilet & shower. |
Relaxing on deck... |
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At sea, passing Cephalonia & Ithaca. This is what travel to Greece should be like! |
Option 2, Copenhagen to Athens overland by train via Munich & Belgrade...
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You can also travel overland by train from Copenhagen to Athens via Munich, Zagreb, Belgrade, Thessaloniki.
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First, travel from Copenhagen to Munich as shown above.
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In Munich you pick up the overland route to Athens shown on the London to Athens page.
Copenhagen to Istanbul & Turkey
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Then pick up the journey from Vienna to Istanbul explained in detail on the London to Istanbul page.
Hotels
in Copenhagen
Suggested Copenhagen hotel: Axel Guldsmeden
The Axel Guldsmeden Hotel is a stone's throw from Copenhagen main station, so handy for arrivals and departures, and has been descibed as 'cool but not pretentions' by travellers - worth taking a look!
Hotels in Copenhagen near the station...
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Hotels in Copenhagen near the station with good reviews include the Nimb Hotel (5-star luxe), Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (5-star), Axel Guldsmeden (4-star), Andersen Boutique Hotel, First Hotel Mayfair (3-star), Hotel Ansgar (3-star), City Hotel Nebo (2-star).
Other hotel sites worth trying...
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www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.
Backpacker hostels...
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www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.
Travel insurance & VPN
Always take out travel insurance...
Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least Ł1m or preferably Ł5m 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
- 10% discount with code seat61.
You
can use
Confused.com to compare prices & policies from many
different insurers.
If
you live in
Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try
Columbus Direct's other websites.
If you live in the USA try
Travel Guard USA.
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, Ł500 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 Ł5 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.