 A German ICE train |
This page explains how to travel by train from Frankfurt to other cities all over Europe, and how to buy tickets the cheapest way. Information current for 2025.
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 buy at the station?", "Can I stop off?", "Are there Senior fares?" and that old favourite, "Should I buy an $800 railpass or a 35 point-to-point ticket?". How far ahead can you buy train tickets?
European train travel FAQ
Frankfurt to other destinations in Germany
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Frankfurt am Main Hauptbahnhof is the main station in the city centre. See station guide.
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Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen is the airport station, also served by many mainline trains.
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The German Railways website int.bahn.de will book trains from Frankfurt to anywhere in Germany, without any booking fee.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, except when the mid-December timetable change gets in the way. More about when booking opens.
With just a few exceptions, German domestic trains are never reservation compulsory, you can always just turn up, buy a ticket and get on the next train without a reservation - although you will usually have to pay the more expensive Flexpreis on the day of travel.
However, if you pre-book there are cheap advance-purchase Sparpreis (savings) fares for 19.99, 29.99, 39.99 etc. for long-distance journeys, so buy in advance if you want to save money.
A seat reservation is usually optional for a small extra charge, 5.20 in 2nd class, 6.50 in 1st class, per seat - if you don't want one you can sit in any unreserved seat. You can choose your seat from a seating plan when booking a German IC or ICE train.
I recommend registering when prompted, so you can always log in and check or re-print your bookings.
You print your own tickets or can show it on your phone. More tips for using bahn.de.
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About train travel in Germany
See the train travel in Germany page for a beginner's guide to train travel in Germany, including how to buy tickets online or by phone and an explanation of the Deutschland Ticket and Lander tickets.
Frankfurt to Berlin
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Regular fast trains run by DB
ICE trains run by Deutsche Bahn (DB, German Railways) link Frankfurt am Main Hbf with Berlin Hbf every hour or better, journey time as little as 3h53 centre to centre with no check-in, typical journey time 4h35. These trains have 1st & 2nd class, restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 17.99 in 2nd class or 26.99 in 1st class, fares vary like air fares to book ahead.
Book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Lo-cost trains run by Flixtrain
In addition, lo-cost operator Flixtrain run two trains per day from Frankfurt Sud to Berlin Hbf, journey time just over 4 hours. Frankfurt Sud is on the edge of the city centre, easily reached by frequent S-Bahn local train from Frankfurt am Main Hbf.
Flixtrains have one class of seating with power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. There's no catering, so bring your own food & drink.
Fares start at 9.99 and vary like air fares. If you need to travel at short notice, Flixtrain can be a lot cheaper than using DB.
Book at www.flixtrain.com or Omio.com.
Frankfurt to London & UK
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See the London to Germany page for train times, fares & tickets.
Frankfurt to Dublin & Ireland
Option 1, Frankfurt to Dublin via London & Holyhead - daily departures
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Day 1, travel from Frankfurt to London St Pancras by ICE & Eurostar, see the London-Germany page for times, fares & tickets.
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Stay overnight in London, see suggested hotels near St Pancras. It's a 9 minute walk from London St Pancras to London Euston.
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Day 2, travel from London Euston to Dublin on the morning train & ferry service, arriving Dublin Ferryport 17:25, see the London-Dublin page for times, fares & tickets. Rail & Sail is an inexpensive, fun and interesting way to go, see more about the journey.
Option 2, Frankfurt to Dublin via Paris & Cherbourg - several times a week
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Day 1, travel from Frankfurt to Paris by high-speed train on any afternoon or early evening departure you like, as shown below.
Fares start at 39.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Stay overnight in Paris, see suggested hotels near Paris stations.
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Day 2, travel from Paris to Dublin by train & ferry, taking a morning train from Paris St Lazare to Cherbourg & an overnight ferry to Dublin as shown in the Paris to Dublin section, arriving in the morning on Day 3.
Irish Ferries sails Cherbourg-Dublin several times a week. Start by booking the ferry at www.irishferries.com and add a train connection using www.thetrainline.com, see the Paris to Dublin section for full details.
Frankfurt to Paris from 39.99
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Superb German ICE3 trains and the occasional French TGV Duplex link Frankfurt (Main) Hbf with Paris Gare de l'Est in 3h45 centre to centre several times a day. Faster than flying! This is a joint service run by SNCF & DB (French & German railways).
ICE3 trains have a restaurant car, TGV Duplex have a cafe-bar, both have power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. These trains travel at up to 320 km/h (199 mph) on the TGV-Est high-speed line between Strasbourg & Paris. See the Paris-Frankfurt ICE video.
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Fares start at 39.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Tip: Use the Direct services only toggle to see just the direct Frankfurt-Paris trains.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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You can also buy tickets at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com, but read this advice:
If you're only going Frankfurt-Paris, check both sites!
I've seen int.bahn.de want 44.99 non-refundable for Frankfurt-Paris when www.sncf-connect.com wanted only 39 for the same train, refundable less 15 up to 3 days before departure. And www.sncf-connect.com would let me hold the ticket at that price without payment for a week while I finished my planning. So I bought from www.sncf-connect.com! Also, www.sncf-connect.com normally lets you choose your seat from a seat map when travelling 1st class on a TGV to or from Germany, not possible using int.bahn.de.
If you have kids, it's better to use int.bahn.de.
If you buy from the Germans, the more generous German child age limits apply, under 6 free, under 15 child rate. Furthermore, DB have a permanent offer, children under 15 go free on the German section when accompanied by a parent, grandparent or guardian using a Sparpreis advance-purchase fare. If you buy from the French, under 4s go free, under 12 get the child rate, and there's no kids-go-free deal. So if you have children, it's a no-brainer to buy from the Germans.
If you're starting somewhere else in Germany, it's usually better to use int.bahn.de.
The Germans sell through tickets from almost anywhere in Germany to Paris for one inclusive price, so in principle, Berlin-Paris or Nuremberg-Paris also starts from 39.99. The French charge for each train, so that same Berlin-Paris journey might be 39 for the direct Mannheim-Paris train + another 40 for the Berlin-Mannheim train, making it significantly more expensive than buying from DB. It's just the different way the French & German ticketing systems work!
Frankfurt to Strasbourg from 29.99
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Frankfurt to Strasbourg takes as little as 1h51 on several direct trains per day.
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The trains are either German ICE trains with restaurant car or French TGV Duplex high-speed trains with cafe-bar, both types have power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Other departures are available with 1 or 2 changes.
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Fares start at 29.99 in 2nd class or 49.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Tip: Use the Direct services only toggle to quickly see the direct trains.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Frankfurt to Lyon, Avignon, Marseille, Cannes, Nice
Option 1, using the direct Frankfurt-Marseille TGV
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A TGV Duplex leaves Frankfurt (Main) Hbf every day at 13:56, arriving Lyon Part Dieu 19:56, Avignon TGV 21:09, Aix en Provence TGV 21:31 & Marseille St Charles 21:46.
The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upstairs.
Fares start at 39.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
You can also book at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com (both easy to use, in , £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) using either of these allows you to book both tickets in one place.
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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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Next morning, take any train you like from Marseille St Charles to Toulon, Cannes or Nice from 15 booked at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com (both easy to use, in , £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in , no booking fee). You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Marseille to Nice takes just 2h35. There's wonderful scenery along the Cote d'Azur between St Raphael and Nice, past rocky headlands, bays, harbours and millionaires' villas.
Option 2, via Milan
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Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Milan by direct ETR610 EuroCity train leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 08:05 every day, arriving Milan Centrale 15:50 after a scenic ride over the Gotthard route.
Fares start at 39.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de (in , no booking fee) or www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $).
Using raileurope or thetrainline means you can book all your tickets in one place, small booking fee. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Step 2, travel from Milan to the Ventimiglia on the French border by Intercity train, leaving Milan Centrale at 17:05 arriving Ventimiglia at 20:58.
Fares start at 19.90 in 2nd class or 26.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this journey at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in , £ or $, international credit cards no problem, this keeps all your bookings together in one place, small booking fee). It's ticketless, you simply print your booking or show it on your phone. You can also book at www.trenitalia.com, but you'll need to use Italian-language city names.
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Step 3, travel from Ventimiglia to Menton, Monte Carlo, Nice, Antibes or Cannes by TER local train.
Check times at www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com. Ventimiglia to Nice takes about 60 minutes. There's usually a late night connection on Saturdays & Sundays and on some weekdays, but on some weekdays there's no sufficiently late TER train to provide a connection off the 17:05 from Milan. Check and see.
The fare is 9.20, promotional fares of 5 or 7.50 are sometimes available. 2nd class only.
Buy a ticket at www.thetrainline.com, www.raileurope.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, small booking fee) or www.sncf-connect.com (in , no fee).
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
You'll find full details of the journey from Verona & Milan to Nice with photos & tips on the Nice to Italy by train page.
Frankfurt to Brussels or Bruges from 29.99
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German ICE trains link Frankfurt (Main) Hbf with Brussels Midi every 2 hours from 06:27 to 18:27, taking 3h10.
These superb ICE3neo trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. They travel at up to 300 km/h (186 mph) on the Frankfurt-Cologne high-speed line.
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Fares start at 29.99 in 2nd class or 59.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
Tip: If going to Brussels and not beyond, use the Direct services only toggle.
Tip: int.bahn.de can book tickets from Frankfurt to any station in Belgium including as Bruges, Antwerp or Ghent for one inclusive price, usually cheaper than buying a separate Belgian domestic ticket.
An ICE3neo at Brussels Midi with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about ICEs. Photo courtesy of Christian Hunt.
Frankfurt to Amsterdam from 29.99
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German ICE trains link Frankfurt (Main) Hbf with Amsterdam Centraal every 2 hours from 05:27 to 17:27, taking just 4 hours.
These superb ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. They travel at up to 300 km/h (186 mph) on the Frankfurt-Cologne high-speed line.
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Fares start at 29.99 in 2nd class or 49.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways site int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
Tip: Use the Direct services only toggle.
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Frankfurt-Amsterdam ICE trains cross the Rhine before entering Cologne Hbf, with the impressive towers of Cologne cathedral on the left right by the station. The train will then leave the same way it came in, re-crossing the Rhine before turning north. So don't be surprised when your train changes direction at Cologne, and crosses the same Rhine bridge twice! Suggested hotels in Amsterdam.
An ICE3neo at Amsterdam Centraal. Click on the interior images for larger photos.
Frankfurt to Luxembourg from 20.99
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You can travel from Frankfurt to Luxembourg by train in as little as 3h49, with regular departures through the day.
The line from Koblenz to Luxembourg is very scenic, along the Moselle valley past river boats and vineyards. For the best river views, sit on the left hand side going west from Koblenz (the train leaves Koblenz station heading north before turning west).
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Fares start at 20.99 in 2nd class or 27.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Tip: To avoid journeys involving a bus cluttering up the search results, click Stopovers and enter Igel as a stopover leaving length of stay zero. The trains all call at Igel, the buses don't!
Tip: In the search results, look for journeys by train involving just 1 change at Koblenz.
Frankfurt to Basel, Zurich, Geneva & Switzerland from 37.99
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Superb German ICE trains link Frankfurt (Main) Hbf with Basel SBB (2h58) at least every hour through the day, some going on to Zurich HB (3h55), Bern (4h06) or Interlaken Ost (5h07). Change in Basel or Zurich for destinations all over Switzerland.
The ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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Fares start at 37.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book these trains at the German Railways website int.bahn.de,
You can book through tickets from Frankfurt to most Swiss stations including Luzern, Interlaken or St Moritz this way, for one inclusive price, cheaper than adding a domestic Swiss ticket.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log in and check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
Frankfurt to Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome & Italy from 39.99
Option 1, Frankfurt to Italy in a day through the Alps - the scenic option
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Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Milan by EuroCity train, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 08:05, arriving Milan Centrale 15:50.
This excellent EuroCity Giruno train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
The train takes the Gotthard route, running along beautiful Lake Lugano and through the Gotthard Base Tunnel (the world's longest railway tunnel), then past Lake Como, see the photos and video of the Gotthard route here.
Fares start at 39.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
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Step 2, travel from Milan to Venice, Florence, Rome & Naples by high-speed Frecciarossa train.
For Venice, leave Milan Centrale at 16:45 daily except Saturdays arriving Verona P. Nuova 17:58 and Venice Santa Lucia 19:12. There's a later connection on Saturdays.
For Florence, Rome, Naples, a Frecciarossa leaves Milan Centrale at 16:58 arriving Florence SMN 18:50, Rome Termini 20:35, Naples Centrale 22:03.
Fares to Venice or Florence start at 19.90 in 2nd (standard) class or 29.90 in 1st (business) class.
Fares to Rome or Naples start at 29.90 in 2nd (standard) class or 39.90 in 1st (business) class.
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 simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.
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Earlier or later departures are also possible, although you need to change twice, at Zurich (or sometimes Basel SBB) and Milan. To find these journeys, use www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com. As these connect to both the German & Italian ticketing systems they can book as one transaction.
Tip: Using www.raileurope.com, click More options and enter Milan as a via station, leaving stopover duration zero.
You print your own tickets or can show them on your laptop or phone.
Lake Lugano, seen from a EuroCity train to Milan.
Option 2, Frankfurt to Milan, Florence, Rome & Naples by sleeper train - the time-effective option
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Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Munich by ICE train, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 15:50, arriving Munich Hbf 19:12.
The ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Tip: Why not book an earlier train & having dinner in Munich before boarding the sleeper? For Bavarian food & beer I recommend the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de) at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf, see walking map.
Fares start at 17.99 in 2nd class or 31.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Step 2, travel from Munich to Italy by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Munich Hbf at 20:08:
One portion arrives Bologna Centrale 05:38, Florence Campo di Marte 06:48 & Rome Tiburtina 10:05.
Another portion arrives Verona P. Nuova 05:51 & Milan Rogoredo 07:42.
Important: This sleeper train is cancelled from 17 November 2024 to 13 July 2025 due to work in the Tauern Tunnel in Austria.
Important: From 29 September to 13 December 2025, both portions of this train are cancelled due to trackwork and replaced by a single train, leaving Munich Hbf at 20:08, arriving Bologna Centrale 05:38 & Milan Rogoredo 07:58. Change in Bologna or Milan for Florence, Rome & Naples.
The Bologna, Florence & Rome portion is a new generation Nightjet with 1 & 2 bed sleepers all with shower & toilet, 4-berth comfort couchettes, individual mini cabins and ordinary seats, see the new generation Nightjet page for a guide to accommodation. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. A light breakfast is included in sleepers, couchettes & mini cabins.
The Milan portion 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. See the guide to Nightjet accommodation.
Fares for the new-generation nightjet start at 59.90 in a mini cabin or 4-berth couchettes, 109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or 159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Fares for the original Nightjet start at 49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, 59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, 69.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, 89.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or 139.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book the nightjet at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, international 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.
Step 3, for Naples take a train from Rome Termini to Naples Centrale, book this at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, small booking fee) or www.trenitalia.com (in , requires Italian place names).
Option 3, Frankfurt to Venice by sleeper train - the time-effective option
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Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Stuttgart by ICE train, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 17:50, arriving Stuttgart Hbf 19:08.
The ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 17.99 in 2nd class or 31.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Tip: In Stuttgart, the bar at the Steigenberger Graf Zeppelin Hotel across the road makes a good VIP waiting lounge, or try the nearby Biergarten im Schlossgarten, see the advice here.
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Step 2, travel from Stuttgart to Venice by Nightjet, leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 20:29, arriving Venice Santa Lucia 08:34.
Important: This sleeper train is cancelled from 17 November 2024 to 13 July 2025 due to work in the Tauern Tunnel in Austria.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper 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. See the guide to Nightjet accommodation.
Fares start at 49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, 59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, 69.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, 89.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or 139.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book the nightjet at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, international 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.
Option 4, Frankfurt to Italy using the Bernina Express through the Swiss Alps - the ultimate scenic route
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This takes longer and must be split over 2 days, but it's fabulous and well worth the extra time. It involves the most spectacular Alpine panoramic scenic train of them all, the famous narrow-gauge Bernina Express. I'll show you how to do it cheaply.
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Day 1, take an afternoon or evening train from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Zurich HB in 3h55, you can leave Frankfurt as late as 18:05 arriving Zurich 22:00, but by all means leave earlier and spend a pleasant evening in Zurich.
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Stay overnight in Zurich. For something special, the 5-star Hotel Schweizerhof is one of my favourite hotels anywhere, just across the road from the station. They'll even send a uniformed commissionaire to meet you & carry your bags from the train. For something cheaper, also next to the station with great reviews, try the Ruby Mimi Hotel or the excellent 3-star Hotel St. Josef, 7 minutes walk from the station, see walking map. If you're on a budget, book a private rooms in a 1-star hotel or backpacker hostel near the station at www.hostelworld.com.
Alternatively, you could stay overnight in the smaller town of Chur.
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Day 2, travel from Zurich to Chur early morning, then by the fabulous Bernina Express from Chur to Tirano and by afternoon connecting regional train to Milan Centrale, see the Bernina Express page for details. You can reach Venice or Florence or Rome that evening.
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How much does it cost?
Frankfurt to Tirano starts at 29.99 in 2nd class or 39.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
If you want to travel in the panorama carriages of the famous Bernina Express you must pay a modest reservation fee, details here.
Tirano to Milan by regional train costs 12, fixed-price.
Milan to Florence or Venice starts at 19.90 in 2nd class or 29.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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How to buy tickets
Step 1, book from Frankfurt to Tirano using the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
To get the overnight stop in Zurich, click Stopovers and enter Zurich HB and a suitable length of stay, say 12:30. In the search results, look for an option marked ICE, IC, PE with arrival in Tirano at 12:49. If you click show details the timings from Chur onwards should match those shown on the Bernina Express page. Adjust the departure time & length of stay in Zurich to get an earlier or later train between Frankfurt and Zurich, some trial & error may be needed!
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
Step 2, if you want to travel in the panorama cars of the Bernina Express, make the necessary reservation as shown on the Bernina Express page. Or you can travel in the Allegra unit that hauls the Bernina Express without a reservation.
Strep 3, buy the Tirano-Milan regional ticket on the day at the station, from the Italian station's cafe if the ticket office is closed or from the RhB station ticket office. Or online at www.thetrainline.com.
Step 4, buy an onward tickets from Milan Centrale to Florence, Rome, Naples or Venice at either www.thetrainline.com (in , £, $ or Au$), www.italiarail.com (in , £, $ or Au$) or www.trenitalia.com (in , requires Italian language place names). You print your ticket or show it on your phone. If you use ItaliaRail (which can also book the Milan-Florence/Rome/Naples connection), they'll refund their small booking fee if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR.
Frankfurt to Sicily
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There are many and various ways to travel from Frankfurt to Sicily with many possible stopovers on the way. But here's simplest & most epic:
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Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Milan by EuroCity train, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 08:05, arriving Milan Centrale 15:50.
EuroCity train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
This train is routed via the new Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world's longest railway tunnel, but you still get excellent views of Swiss mountains and Swiss and Italian lakes, see the photos and video of the Gotthard route here.
Fares start at 39.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Enjoy an afternoon in Milan and have an early dinner.
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Step 2, travel from Milan to Sicily on Italy's longest train ride, an epic direct sleeper train leaving Milan Centrale at 20:10 every night, arriving next day (day 2) at Catania 14:32, Siracuse 15:48 with another portion to Palermo arriving 16:56.
This Intercity Notte sleeper train has 4-berth Comfort couchettes and a sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments. The Milan-Catania-Palermo portion also has an Excelsior sleeping-car with a few deluxe compartments with toilet & shower. It is ferried across the Straits of Messina to Sicily on a train ferry, a unique experience and one of the few places in the world where trains go onto ships, have your camera ready! More about trains to Sicily.
Fares start at 39.90 with a couchette, 59.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper, 89.90 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself.
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com and print them out or show them on your phone.
Frankfurt to Barcelona, Madrid, Alicante, Malaga & Spain
Option 1, Frankfurt to Barcelona & Spain in a single day
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Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 08:56 Monday-Saturday, arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 12:52.
On Sundays, you need to leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 06:56 by ICE, arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 10:38.
The TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. The ICE3 has restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 39.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the German Railways website int.bahn.de (in , no booking fee).
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
If you'd rather buy all your tickets together in one place, use www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in , £ or $, small booking fee) as these two websites connect to the German, French & Spanish railway ticketing systems.
Cross Paris by metro or taxi from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare de Lyon.
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Step 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 14:42, arriving Barcelona Sants 21:29.
This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.
The train speeds along the Rhτne valley past pretty villages & picturesque churches, then past Bιziers cathedral, flamingos on the ιtangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses approaching Perpignan and the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees. More about the journey.
Fares start at 39 in 2nd class or 59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both sites easy to use, in , £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.sncf-connect.com (in , no booking fee).
Booking normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Stay overnight in Barcelona. The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.
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Step 3, take an high-speed train from Barcelona to other Spanish destinations:
For Madrid: AVE S103 high-speed trains link Barcelona Sants & Madrid Atocha every hour or two in as little as 2h30.
For Granada: Leave Barcelona Sants at 06:45 by AVE 112 high-speed train, arriving Granada at 13:11.
For Malaga: Leave Barcelona Sants at 08:35 by AVE S103 high-speed train, arriving Malaga Maria Zambrano 15:05.
For Cordoba & Seville: Leave Barcelona Sants at 08:35 by AVE S103 high-speed train, arriving Cordoba 13:27 & Seville Santa Justa 14:32.
For Valencia & Alicante: Euromed trains link Barcelona Sants with Valencia & Alicante regularly through the day, for example one leaves Barcelona Sants at 07:15 Mondays-Saturdays arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 10:10 & Alicante 12:38 or at 10:15 every day arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 13:13 & Alicante 15:32.
For Santiago de Compostela, A Coruρa & Vigo, there's a morning Alvia train to Galicia, see details here.
Buy tickets for these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (in £ or , both easy to use, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.petrabax.com (in $, small mark-up, easy to use) or the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, rejects some overseas credit cards, in , see this advice on using it). Spanish train booking opens anything from 15 days to 9 months ahead.
Option 2, Frankfurt to Barcelona & Spain with overnight stop in Marseille - avoids having to cross Paris
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Day 1, travel from Frankfurt to Marseille by TGV Duplex leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 13:56, arriving Marseille St Charles 21:46.
This French double-deck high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upstairs seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.
Fares start at 39.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the German Railways website int.bahn.de (in , no booking fee),.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
Alternatively, if you'd rather buy all your tickets together in one place, book at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, small booking fee) as these two websites connect to the German, French & Spanish railway ticketing systems.
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Stay overnight in Marseille: Inexpensive hotels with good reviews just outside Marseille St Charles station include the Ibis Marseille Centre Gare St Charles, Holiday Inn Express Marseille St Charles.
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Day 2, travel from Marseille to Spain by AVE, leaving Marseille St Charles at 08:04, arriving Barcelona Sants 12:38 & Madrid Atocha 15:45.
This comfortable AVE S100 high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Look out for Bιziers cathedral on the right, colonies of flamingos on the ιtangs in southern France, the Fort de Salses on the right approaching Perpignan and views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees. More about this journey.
Fares from Marseille to Barcelona start at 25 in 2nd class or 45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Fares from Marseille to Madrid start at 44 in 2nd class or 54 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this journey at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in , £ or $, small booking fee) or using Renfe's own website www.renfe.com (in , more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it).
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Day 2, take a high-speed train from Barcelona to Valencia & Alicante or from Madrid to Cordoba, Seville, Granada, Malaga.
A fast Euromed train leaves Barcelona Sants at 16:10 arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 19:02 & Alicante 21:34.
An AVE high-speed train leaves Madrid Atocha at 16:35 every day, arriving Cordoba 18:34 & Malaga Maria Zambrano 19:43.
An AVE high-speed train leaves Madrid Atocha at 16:30 daily except Saturdays arriving Seville Santa Justa at 19:03. Or on any day of the week you can leave Madrid Atocha at 18:00 arriving Seville Santa Justa at 20:43.
An AVE high-speed train leaves Madrid Atocha at 20:05 every day, arriving Granada 23:36.
AVE & Euromed trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Check times & buy tickets using either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in , £ or $, small booking fee) or Spanish railways own site www.renfe.com (in , much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it) or www.petrabax.com (in $, small mark-up). You print your own ticket.
Booking for Spanish trains opens anything from 15 days to 9 months ahead. I'd allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Barcelona or Madrid.
Option 3, Frankfurt to Barcelona & Spain with overnight stop in Paris
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Day 1, travel from Frankfurt to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 16:56, arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 20:41.
Or there's a later train at 18:56 daily except Saturdays arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 22:52.
The train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 39.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Alternatively, if you'd rather buy all your tickets together in one place, use www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, small booking fee) as these two websites connect to the German, French & Spanish railway ticketing systems.
Cross Paris by metro or taxi from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare de Lyon.
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Stay overnight in Paris. The Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon is part of the Gare de Lyon station complex, ideal for an early train next morning. See other suggested hotels near the Gare de l'Est & Gare de Lyon.
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Day 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by high-speed TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 07:42, arriving Barcelona Sants 14:29.
This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.
The train speeds along the Rhτne valley past pretty villages & picturesque churches, then past Bιziers cathedral, flamingos on the ιtangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses approaching Perpignan and the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees. More about the journey.
Fares start at 39 in 2nd class or 59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in , £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in , no fee). Booking normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Madrid, Valencia, Alicante, Seville, Malaga and so on by high-speed train.
For Madrid, a high-speed AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 15:25 Mondays-Fridays, arriving Madrid Atocha 17:55.
Another AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 16:00 every day, arriving Madrid Atocha 19:12.
For Cordoba & Seville, a high-speed AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 15:15, arriving Cordoba 20:16, Seville Santa Justa 21:24.
For Malaga, a high-speed AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 15:15, arriving Malaga Maria Zambrano 21:43.
For Valencia & Alicante, a fast Euromed train leaves Barcelona Sants at 16:10 arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 19:02 & Alicante 21:34.
All these trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Check times & buy tickets using either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in , £ or $, small booking fee) or Spanish railways own site www.renfe.com (in , much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it) or www.petrabax.com (in $, small mark-up). You print your own ticket.
Booking for Spanish trains opens anything from 15 days to 9 months ahead. Allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Barcelona.
Option 4, Frankfurt to Paris by TGV, French sleeper train to the Spanish border & onward Spanish trains
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Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 16:56, arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 20:41.
The TGV Duplex travels at up to 320 km/h (199 mph) on the TGV-Est high-speed line, with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.
Fares start from 39.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in , £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the German Railways website int.bahn.de (in , no fee).
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Cross Paris by metro or taxi from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare d'Austerlitz. Allow at least 90 minutes in Paris when catching a sleeper.
Tip: Take the earlier 12:56 from Frankfurt and have dinner at the Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon before strolling across the bridge over the River Seine to the Gare d'Austerlitz. Or try the floating restaurant Off Paris Seine on the river next to the Gare d'Austerlitz.
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Step 2, travel overnight from Paris to Latour de Carol in the Pyrenees by Intercitι de nuit, leaving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz 22:13. Then take a local train from Latour to Barcelona Sants arriving around 14:00.
In 2025, this French sleeper train runs Friday, Saturday, Sunday, daily June-September.
See the Paris to Barcelona by sleeper train page for details & how to buy tickets.
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Step 3, travel from Barcelona to other Spanish destinations in the afternoon.
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 S103 high-speed train leaving Barcelona Sants at 15:15 arriving Cordoba & Seville Santa Justa in the evening. Fares from around 45.
For Valencia & Alicante: A Euromed train leaves Barcelona Sants at 16:10 arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 19:02 & Alicante at 21:34.
Check Spanish train times & buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in , £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, in , see my advice before using it). I'd allow at least 1 hour between trains in Barcelona. Booking for Spanish trains opens anything from 15 days to 9 months ahead.
Frankfurt to San Sebastian & Bilbao
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Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Paris by high-speed ICE leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 06:56, arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 10:52.
The ICE has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 39.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Alternatively, If you'd rather buy all your tickets together in one place, book at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, small booking fee) as these websites connect to the German, French & Spanish railway ticketing systems.
Cross Paris by metro or taxi from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare Montparnasse.
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Step 2, travel from Paris to Hendaye by TGV Duplex Ocιane, leaving Paris Gare Montparnasse at 12:11, arriving Hendaye 16:47.
The high-speed double-deck TGV Duplex Ocιane has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 25 in 2nd class or 45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in , £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in , no booking fee).
Booking for French trains opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Step 3, travel from Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara by Euskotren, runs every 30 minutes, journey 37 minutes, fare 2.90.
Simply walk out of Hendaye station and turn right, the little Euskotren station is just 50m away. Buy a ticket at the Euskotren station from the machines or staffed counter with cash or card and hop on the next half-hourly Euskotren to San Sebastian Amara. Check times at www.euskotren.eus. More about the Paris to San Sebastian journey.
See the Paris to San Sebastian page for more details, including tips for the Paris-Hendaye-San Sebastian journey, with photos showing the location of the Euskotren station at Hendaye.
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Step 4, travel from San Sebastian Amara to Bilbao Matiko by Euskotren.
This narrow-gauge Euskotren service leaves Amara every hour at xx:50 past each hour until the last train at 19:50.
Journey time is 2h35 to Matiko station (the end of the line, 18 minutes walk from the Guggenheim Museum) or only 2h29 to Zazpi Kaleak station which is closer to both the old quarter and the 19th century new town, but further from the Guggenheim (22 minutes walk).
Hendaye to Bilbao costs 7.00, buy a ticket to Bilbao at Hendaye Euskotren station on the day.
Check times at www.euskotren.eus, remembering that San Sebastian to Bilbao will be listed as Amara-Donostia to Matiko-Bilbao as those are the station names. The adult one-way fare is shown as 'ida'.
Frankfurt to Lisbon, Porto & Portugal
Option 1, Frankfurt to Lisbon via Barcelona & Madrid
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Day 1, travel from Frankfurt to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 16:56, arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 20:41.
A later 18:56 departure by high-speed ICE is also available on Mondays-Fridays & Sundays, arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 22:54.
Fares start at 39.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Alternatively, If you'd rather buy all your tickets together in one place, book at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, small booking fee) as these connect to the German, French & Spanish railway ticketing systems.
Cross Paris by metro or taxi from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare de Lyon.
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Stay overnight in Paris. The Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon is part of the Gare de Lyon station complex, ideal for an early train next morning. See other suggested hotels near the Gare de l'Est & Gare de Lyon.
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Day 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 07:42, arriving Barcelona Sants 14:29.
The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a cafι-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.
The train speeds along the Rhτne valley past pretty villages & picturesque churches, then past Bιziers cathedral, flamingos on the ιtangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses approaching Perpignan and the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees. More about the journey.
Fares start at 39 in 2nd class or 59 in 1st class. Fares work like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. Booking for the TGV opens up to 4 months ahead.
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Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Madrid by AVE, leaving Barcelona Sants at 15:25 Mondays-Fridays, arriving Madrid Atocha 17:55.
Or on any day of the week, leave Barcelona Sants at 16:00 by AVE, arriving Madrid Atocha 19:12.
These comfortable AVE S103 high-speed trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 17.05 in standard class or 68.05 in comfort class. Fares work like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.
Booking for Spanish trains opens anything from 15 days to 9 months ahead.
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Stay overnight in Madrid. The classic Hotel Mediodia is across the road from Atocha with good reviews, or try the NH Hotel Madrid Atocha or Only YOU Hotel Atocha, also across the road from the station.
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Day 3, travel from Madrid to Lisbon by daytime trains as shown on the Madrid to Lisbon page.
Option 2, Frankfurt to Lisbon via San Sebastian & Vigo
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Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 08:56 Monday-Saturday, arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 12:52.
On Sundays, leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 10:56, arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 14:52.
The train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 39.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train the German Railways website int.bahn.de (in , no booking fee) & print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
Alternatively, to buy all your tickets together in one place, use www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, small booking fee) as these websites connect to the German, French & Spanish railway ticketing systems.
Cross Paris by metro or taxi from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare de Lyon. Allow at least 60-70 minutes between trains in Paris, ideally more.
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Day 1, travel from Paris to Hendaye by TGV Duplex Ocιane, leaving Paris Gare Montparnasse at 16:11 arriving Hendaye 20:47.
The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 25 each way in 2nd class, 40 each way in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. Booking for the TGV opens up to 4 months ahead.
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Day 1, at Hendaye walk out of the station and turn right, walk across the forecourt to the Euskotren station (www.euskotren.eus). Buy a ticket for 2.90 with cash or card and hop on the half-hourly local train to San Sebastian Amara. Hendaye to San Sebastian takes 37 minutes.
In San Sebastian, Amara station is 10 minutes walk from the Renfe station, see walking route.
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Stay overnight in San Sebastian. The Pension Regil is close to the old town with great reviews, 10 minutes walk from the Renfe station, 7 minutes walk from the Amara Euskotren station. If you want something in the old town itself, try the Pension Garibai or Pension Alameda. If you want to push the boat out, San Sebastian's most venerable hotel (which I can recommend personally, having stayed there) is the Hotel de Londres y Inglaterra, on the sea front.
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Day 2, travel across Spain from San Sebastian to Vigo on one of these two possible departures:
Morning departure, every day: Travel from San Sebastian to Madrid by Alvia, leaving San Sebastian Renfe station at 08:47, arriving Madrid Chamartin 13:51. Then travel from Madrid to Vigo by Alvia, leaving Madrid Chamartin at 16:00, arriving Vigo Urzaiz 20:12. The comfortable high-speed Alvia trains have a cafe-bar, standard & comfort class. Vigo Urzaiz is an easy 10 minute 500m walk from Vigo Guixar, see how to walk between stations using the halo lift.
Afternoon departure, Wednesdays, Fridays & Sundays only: Spend the morning in San Sebastian. An Intercity train leaves San Sebastian Renfe station at 11:30 arriving Vitoria/Gasteiz 13:35. This is a guaranteed connection into the Barcelona-Galicia Alvia train which leaves Vitoria/Gasteiz at 14:03 on Wednesdays, Fridays & Sundays arriving Vigo Guixar at 22:51.
San Sebastian to Vigo starts at 23 each way. The price varies, book ahead for the cheaper prices.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. Booking for Spanish trains normally opens 60 days ahead, but this varies.
Tip: If using the daily departure with a change in Madrid, you might need to treat San Sebastian-Madrid & Madrid-Vigo as separate bookings.
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Stay overnight in Vigo. The lovely NH Collection Vigo hotel & cheaper Hotel Atlantico Vigo are both near the station with great reviews.
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Day 3, travel from Vigo to Porto by Celta regional express, leaving Vigo Guixar at 08:58 arriving Porto Campanhγ 10:20.
The fare is 16.25, fixed price.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. Booking opens 60 days ahead, but this can vary.
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Day 3, travel from Porto to Lisbon by Alfa Pendular, leaving Porto Campanhγ at 11:40, arriving Lisbon Santa Apolonia 14:30.
Or book a later train and spend some time exploring wonderful Porto.
Fares start at 15. Book this at the Portuguese Railways website www.cp.pt (in ) or at Omio.com (in , £ or $).
Frankfurt to Faro & the Algarve
Option 1, Frankfurt to Faro using a bus from Seville to Faro - fastest & easiest
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Day 1, travel from Frankfurt to Paris by TGV then Paris to Barcelona by TGV, as shown in the Frankfurt to Barcelona section.
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Stay overnight in Barcelona. The Hotel Barcelo Sants is top choice here, it's located above Barcelona Sants station itself and gets great reviews, with nice rooms, a great breakfast buffet and a delightfully kitsch space theme. Alternatively, the Nobu Hotel and AC Sants Hotel by Marriot are both just across the road from the station. Other suggested hotels near the station.
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Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Seville by AVE high-speed train, then from Seville to Faro by bus, as shown in the Barcelona to Faro section.
The Alsa bus from Seville to Faro takes 3h15 and leaves from right outside Seville Santa Justa station, making connections easy.
Option 2, Frankfurt to Faro via Lisbon - a longer way round, but all-train.
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Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Lisbon as shown above.
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Step 2, take a train from Lisbon to Faro as shown here.
Frankfurt to Andorra
Option 1, Frankfurt to Andorra in a day
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Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Paris by ICE, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 08:56 Monday-Saturday arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 12:52.
On Sundays leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 06:56, arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 10:38.
The ICE3 train travels at up to 300 km/h on the TGV-Est high-speed line, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start from 39.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de (in , no booking fee) & print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
Alternatively, to buy all your tickets together in one place, use www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, small booking fee) as these websites connect to the German & French ticketing systems.
Cross Paris by metro or taxi from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare Montparnasse. Allow at least 70 minutes between trains in Paris.
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Step 2, travel from Paris to Toulouse by TGV, leaving Paris Montparnasse at 15:07 arriving Toulouse Matabiau 19:41.
Fares start at 25 in 2nd class or 45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in , no fee). You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Have dinner in Toulouse.
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Step 3, travel from Toulouse Matabiau to Andorra la Vella by bus, leaving Toulouse Matabiau at 21:45 arriving Andorra 01:45.
Check times at Andbus.net or Omio.com. I'd allow at least an hour between train and bus in Toulouse in case of delay.
The bus leaves from bus stand 15 in the Gare Routiθre (bus station) outside Toulouse Matabiau station. Simply walk out of the station onto the forecourt and look to your right. The bus station is the modern building with the glass-and-blue-framework, see the photos below.
The fare is 36.
Book the bus at Andbus.net or Omio.com.
Option 2, Frankfurt to Andorra using the Paris-Toulouse sleeper
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Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 16:56, arriving Paris Gare de l'Est 20:41.
The TGV Duplex travels at up to 320 km/h (199 mph) on the TGV-Est high-speed line, with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views.
Fares start from 39.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in , £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the German Railways website int.bahn.de (in , no fee). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Cross Paris by metro or taxi from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare d'Austerlitz. Allow at least 90 minutes in Paris when catching a sleeper.
Tip: Have dinner at the Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon before strolling across the bridge over the River Seine to the Gare d'Austerlitz.
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Step 2, travel from Paris to Toulouse by Intercitι de Nuit, leaving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 22:13, arriving Toulouse Matabiau 07:44.
This train has 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes & 2nd class seats. More about Intercitι de Nuit.
Fares start at 29 in a 2nd class couchette or 59 in a 1st class couchette. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in , £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in , no fee).
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead, but this train has an annoying habit of opening late for booking, less than the expected 4 months ahead, so don't be impatient. You print your own ticket or can choose a mobile ticket.
Tip: On arrival in Toulouse, I recommend the breakfast buffet at the nearby Pullman Hotel!
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Step 3, travel from Toulouse to Andorra by bus, leaving Toulouse Matabiau at 09:45, arriving Andorra la Vella bus station at 14:00.
The bus is run by Andbus, Andbus.net. I'd allow at least an hour between train & bus in Toulouse in case of delay.
The bus leaves from bus stand 15 in the Gare Routiθre (bus station) outside Toulouse Matabiau railway station. Walk out of the station onto the forecourt and look to your right. The bus station is the modern building with the glass-and-blue-framework, see the photos below.
The fare is 36 one-way. Book the bus at Andbus.net.
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A better route, Fri/Sat/Sun, daily June-September:
On Friday, Saturday & Sunday nights and every day from June to September, the same 22:13 Intercitι de Nuit from Paris conveys 1st & 2nd class couchettes & reclining seats direct to Andorre-l'Hospitalet, the nearest station to Andorra, arriving 09:43.
Book this Paris to Andorre-l'Hospitalet sleeper at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in , £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in , no fee).
A bus run by Hife (www.hife.es) leaves l'Hospitalet station at 10:15, arriving Andorra La Vella bus station 11:30.
The bus fare is 24, pre-book the bus at www.hife.es.
Alternatively, a taxi from l'Hospitalet costs around 80 for up to 4 passengers, taking 47 minutes for the 38 km drive. Pre-book a taxi to meet the train, call Altitud Taxis, 00 376 856255 or 00 33 561644714. This is a nicer and faster option than the bus from Toulouse, when running.
Frankfurt to Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck & Austria from 27.99
Frankfurt to Austria by daytime trains
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Direct ICE trains link Frankfurt (Main) Hbf with Vienna Hbf 5 times a day, journey time 6h25
These comfortable ICE-T trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat.
There are also trains between Frankfurt and other cities in Austria, including Salzburg, Hallstatt, Graz or Innsbruck.
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Fares start at 27.99 in 2nd class or 59.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Check train times and buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
If going to Vienna, use the Direct services only toggle.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Tip: Check www.thetrainline.com too, this connects to the Austrian Railways ticketing system. You may find cheaper fares on the Austrian system than bahn.de on the same date & train. You print your own ticket.
Frankfurt to Copenhagen from 39.99
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You can easily travel from Frankfurt to Copenhagen by ICE train & EuroCity train, for example:
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 05:50, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 15:38.
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 07:58, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 17:38.
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 09:58, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 19:38.
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 11:58, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 21:38.
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 13:58, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 23:38 (runs 12 April to 2 November 2025)
The Hamburg to Copenhagen EuroCity trains also call at Kolding (for Legoland) & Odense.
Take a good book, sit back and enjoy the ride. The Frankfurt-Hamburg ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. The Hamburg to Copenhagen EuroCity trains has power sockets at all seats & a refreshment trolley. More about the Hamburg to Copenhagen journey.
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Fares start at 39.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
I'd change Transfer time from normal to 30 minutes for robust connection in Hamburg, the times above take this into account.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train. From June 2023, these trains are temporarily being operated by former German Railways intercity cars and a Danish electric locomotive, until new trains being built by Talgo arrive in 2025-2026. The current trains have 1st & 2nd class, power sockets at seats, but no catering so bring your own food & drink. More about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey.
2nd class seats are almost all open-plan like this. There are a handful of 6-seat 2nd class compartments in one of the coaches, but only a few.
The 1st class car has 6-seater compartments like this. Larger photo. Larger photo.
Frankfurt to Stockholm, Gothenburg & Malmφ from 59.99
Option 1, Frankfurt to Stockholm using the Hamburg-Stockholm sleeper train - the time-effective option
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Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Hamburg by ICE train, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 16:58, arriving Hamburg Hbf 20:30.
The ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Allow at least an hour when connecting with a sleeper train. Have dinner in Hamburg, see suggested restaurants near the station.
Fares start at 18.99 in 2nd class or 29.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Step 2, travel from Hamburg to Stockholm by sleeper train, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 22:03, arriving Stockholm Central 09:55.
Run by SJ (Swedish Railways), the EuroNight sleeper train has one or two sleeping-cars with compact 1 & 2 berth compartments with washbasin, several 1, 2 or 3 bed deluxe compartments with en suite toilet & shower, couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A bistro car is attached between Malmφ and Stockholm. More about the Hamburg-Stockholm sleeper.
Fares start at 44.90 with a couchette in 6-berth, 69.90 with a couchette in 4-berth, 79.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 164.90 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself. All prices per person per bed. Fares vary like air fares so book ahead.
Book tickets at SJ's website www.sj.se.
Booking opens several months ahead, You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Option 2, Frankfurt to Malmφ, Gothenburg or Stockholm with overnight stop in Hamburg
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Day 1, travel from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Hamburg Hbf by ICE, trains leave every hour until 19:58, arriving 23:39.
The ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Have dinner in Hamburg, see suggested restaurants near the station.
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Stay overnight in Hamburg. The Hotel Reichshof Hamburg is the top choice here, just across the road 100m from the station's Kirchenallee exit, with art deco-based design and great reviews. Other hotels near Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget, cheap private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf can be booked at www.hostelworld.com.
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Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:50, arriving Copenhagen 13:38.
The EuroCity train has power sockets at all seats and a refreshment trolley. More about this journey.
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Day 2, travel from Copenhagen to Sweden:
For Malmφ, hop on the next Φresund train from Copenhagen to Malmφ Central, these leave every 15 minutes taking 40 minutes.
For Gothenburg, hop on the next Φresund train from Copenhagen to Gφteborg Central, these leave every hour taking 3h50.
For Stockholm, travel from Copenhagen to Stockholm by X2000, leaving Copenhagen at 14:19, arriving Stockholm Central 19:37.
SJ's X2000 trains have a bistro, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. They use the impressive Φresund fixed link from Sweden to Denmark,
Update 2025: Unfortunately, SJ is short of X2000s and until further notice you'll need to change at Malmφ:
On Mondays-Fridays, leave Copenhagen 15:59, change at Malmφ Central, arriving Stockholm Central 21:33.
On Saturdays & Sundays, leave Copenhagen 14:59, change at Malmφ Central, arriving Stockholm Central 20:36.
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How much does it cost?
Frankfurt to Copenhagen starts at 39.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class.
Copenhagen to Stockholm starts at 280 SEK (28).
There are through fares from Frankfurt to Malmφ & Gothenburg from 56.99 in 2nd class, 79.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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How to buy tickets
If you're going to Malmφ or Gothenburg, book from Frankfurt to Malmφ Central or Gφteborg Central with German Railways at int.bahn.de.
If you're going to Stockholm, first book from Frankfurt to Copenhagen using int.bahn.de.
To get the overnight stop in Hamburg, click Stopovers and enter Hamburg Hbf with a suitable length of stay, say 10 hours. Adjust departure time and length of stay to get the trains you want either side of Hamburg. A little trial & error may be needed!
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.
Then book from Copenhagen to Stockholm using www.sj.se (in SEK) or using Omio.com (in SEK, , £ or $, small booking fee).
Option 3, Frankfurt to Malmφ, Gothenburg or Stockholm with overnight stop in Copenhagen
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Day 1, travel from Frankfurt to Copenhagen by ICE train & EuroCity train, for example:
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 07:58, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 17:38.
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 09:58, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 19:38.
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 11:58, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 21:38.
Take a good book, sit back and enjoy the ride. The Frankfurt-Hamburg ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. The Hamburg to Copenhagen EuroCity train has power sockets at all seats & a refreshment trolley. More about the Hamburg to Copenhagen journey.
If you're going to Malmφ, hop on the next Φresund train to Malmφ Central, these run every 15 minutes, taking 40 minutes.
If you're going to Gothenburg, hop on the next Φresund train to Gφteborg Central, these run every hour, taking 3h50.
You can check times from Frankfurt to Malmφ or Gothenburg at int.bahn.de, look for journeys with just 2 changes.
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Stay overnight in Copenhagen. The friendly Astoria Hotel is a 1930s design classic right outside Copenhagen station main entrance, see photos & information here. Other hotels near the station with good reviews include the Nimb Hotel (5-star luxe), Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (5-star), Axel Guldsmeden (4-star), Andersen Boutique Hotel, First Hotel Mayfair (3-star), Hotel Ansgar (3-star), City Hotel Nebo (2-star).
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Day 2, travel from Copenhagen to Stockholm by X2000, leaving Copenhagen at 08:21, arriving Stockholm Central 13:34.
SJ's X2000 trains have a bistro, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. They use the impressive Φresund fixed link from Sweden to Denmark.
Update 2025: Unfortunately, SJ is short of X2000s and until further notice you'll need to change at Malmφ:
On Mondays-Fridays, leave Copenhagen 08:59, change at Malmφ Central, arriving Stockholm Central 14:39.
On Saturdays & Sundays, leave Copenhagen 08:44, change at Malmφ Central, arriving Stockholm Central 14:32.
Or there are earlier & later departures, check times at www.sj.se or Omio.com.
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How much does it cost?
Frankfurt to Copenhagen starts at 49.99 in 2nd class or 79.99 in 1st class.
Copenhagen to Stockholm starts at 280 SEK (28).
There are through fares from Frankfurt to Malmφ & Gothenburg from 56.99 in 2nd class, 79.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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How to buy tickets
If you're going to Malmφ or Gothenburg, book from Frankfurt to Malmφ Central or Gφteborg Central at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
If you're going to Stockholm, book from Frankfurt to Copenhagen at int.bahn.de. Then book from Copenhagen to Stockholm for the following day using www.sj.se (in SEK) or using Omio.com (in SEK, , £ or $, small booking fee).
I'd change Transfer time from normal to 40 minutes or more.
Booking normally opens 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.
Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train. From June 2023, these trains are temporarily being operated by former German Railways intercity cars and a Danish electric locomotive, until new trains being built by Talgo arrive in 2025-2026. The current trains have 1st & 2nd class, power sockets at seats, but no catering so bring your own food & drink. More about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey.
2nd class seats are almost all open-plan like this. There are a handful of 6-seat 2nd class compartments in one of the coaches, but only a few.
The 1st class car has 6-seater compartments like this. Larger photo. Larger photo.
Option 4, Frankfurt to Gothenburg using Stena Line's Kiel-Gothenburg overnight ferry
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Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Kiel by train, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 10:58, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Kiel Hbf 16:24.
The ICE train from Frankfurt to Hamburg has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
However, you should book the ferry first to confirm times, then book a train that arrives at Kiel Hbf at least 2 hours before the ferry sails.
Book the train at the German Railways site int.bahn.de.
I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
In Kiel, the ferry terminal is 750m from the station, a 9 minute walk, see walking map.
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Step 2, sail overnight from Kiel to Gothenburg by Stena Line ferry.
The ferry normally sails at 18:45 and arrives around 09:15, but times may vary so check online.
The ferry is a floating hotel with restaurants & bars, all passengers travel in a cosy private cabin with en suite toilet & shower. You can add dinner & breakfast to your ticket when you book.
Fares vary, you might pay 39 per passenger as basic fare plus 75-89 per cabin for a private 1 or 2 bed room.
Book the ferry at www.stenaline.com and print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
In Gothenburg, the ferry terminal is a short taxi ride (or 4.3 km 53-minute walk) from Gφteborg Central station, see walking map.
Frankfurt to Oslo & Norway
Option 1, Frankfurt to Oslo with overnight stop in Hamburg - by train all the way
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Day 1, travel from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Hamburg Hbf by ICE, trains leave every hour until 19:58, arriving 23:39.
The ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Have dinner in Hamburg, see suggested restaurants near the station.
Fares start at 17.99 in 2nd class or 23.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Stay overnight in Hamburg. The Hotel Reichshof Hamburg is top choice here, just across the road 100m from the station's Kirchenallee exit, with art deco-based design and great reviews. Other hotels near Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget, cheap private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf can be booked at www.hostelworld.com.
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Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Gothenburg by EuroCity train & Φresund train:
Leave Hamburg Hbf 08:50, arriving Copenhagen 13:38. Leave Copenhagen at 14:30, arriving Gφteborg Central 18:20.
The EuroCity train from Hamburg to Copenhagen has power sockets at all seats & a refreshment trolley. More about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey. The Φresund train from Copenhagen to Gothenburg has power sockets & free WiFi, but bring your own food & drink.
Have an early dinner in Gothenburg.
Fares from Hamburg to Gothenburg start at 56.99. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket from Hamburg to Gothenburg at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Tip: If you're clever, you can book a through ticket from Frankfurt to Gothenburg using int.bahn.de. To get the overnight stop in Hamburg, click Stopovers and enter Hamburg Hbf with a suitable length of stay, say 10 hours. Adjust departure time and length of stay to get the departure from Brussels you want and the 08:50 departure from Hamburg next morning.
Tip: If you don't see any affordable fares (which may be the case if you want 1st class), split the booking: First book Hamburg to Copenhagen at int.bahn.de. Then buy a ticket from Copenhagen to Gφteborg Central at www.oresundstag.se.
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Day 2, travel from Gothenburg to Oslo by Norwegian train, leaving Gφteborg Central at 20:10, arriving Oslo Sentral 23:47.
The smart modern Norwegian train is run by Vy, it has power sockets & free WiFi, but bring your own food & drink.
Fares start at 249 Krone (24) if you book a few weeks ahead.
Book this at the Vy website www.vy.no or at www.entur.no.
Option 2, Frankfurt to Oslo with overnight stop in Copenhagen - by train all the way
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Day 1, travel from Frankfurt to Copenhagen as shown above.
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Stay overnight in Copenhagen. The friendly Astoria Hotel is a 1930s design classic right outside Copenhagen station main entrance, see photos & information here. Other hotels near the station with good reviews include the Nimb Hotel (5-star luxe), Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (5-star), Axel Guldsmeden (4-star), Andersen Boutique Hotel, First Hotel Mayfair (3-star), Hotel Ansgar (3-star), City Hotel Nebo (2-star).
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Day 2, travel from Copenhagen to Oslo by train, leaving Copenhagen at 07:30, change at Gothenburg Central, arriving Oslo Sentral 15:47.
Earlier & later departures are available, see the Copenhagen-Oslo timetable & how to buy tickets.
Alternatively, spend the day in Copenhagen and take the overnight ferry to Oslo with a comfortable private cabin with shower & toilet, sailing from Copenhagen at 16:30 (15:00 some days) and arriving Oslo at 10:00 on day 3, as shown here. This is remarkably affordable, and saves a hotel bill. Book the ferry at www.dfds.com.
Gothenburg to Oslo by Norwegian train. Above, scenery between Gothenburg & Oslo. Courtesy of @Simply_Railway.
Above right, the Norwegian train arrived at Oslo Sentral. Photos courtesy of @AndyBTravels & @Marcos Castro.
Option 3, Frankfurt to Oslo via the Kiel-Oslo cruise ferry - the most luxurious & scenic route to Oslo
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Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Kiel, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 05:05 Monday-Saturday, arriving Kiel Hbf 10:09.
On Sundays, leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 05:50, change Hamburg Hbf, arriving Kiel Hbf 11:53.
Fares start at 17.99 in 2nd class or 26.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
In Kiel it's a 7 minute 450m walk from Kiel Hbf to the Color Line ferry terminal, see walking map. But always allow several hours between trains and ferry for the ferry check-in and in case of any delay.
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Step 2, sail from Kiel to Oslo by luxurious overnight Color Line ferry, with a full range of cosy cabins, suites, bars, restaurants and lounges. The m/v Magic or m/v Fantasy normally sails at 14:00 arriving Oslo at 10:00 next morning.
Check times & buy tickets using the Direct Ferries website or at www.colorline.com. You print your own ticket.
Money-saving tip: It appears that it's considerably cheaper to book on Color Line's Norwegian website www.colorline.no in Norwegian Krone, for example a 274 fare becomes the equivalent of 164. You'll need to use Google to translate the Norwegian. You are still able to enter a UK or other European address and contact details. Feedback appreciated.
Make sure you're on deck next morning as the ship sails through spectacular scenery up Oslo Fjord. The ship docks at the modern Color Line terminal about 2 km from the city centre. Color Line provide transfer buses to Oslo Sentral station costing 55 krone, or there are plenty of taxis. If you have little luggage it's possible to walk. See map of Oslo showing ferry terminal.
Sail from Kiel to Oslo with Color Line. It's just a 6 minute walk across from Kiel Hbf to the Color Line terminal. There's a lift up to a connecting walkway which takes you to the ferry terminal. If you've booked one of Color Line's 5 star suites, check in at the desk rather than the machines to be directed to a VIP lounge with free tea, coffee, juice, snacks & WiFi. You'll have priority boarding & free access to the on-board spa. Photos courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry except where shown.
Above left, cabin with TV, shower & toilet, luxury suites are also available. Above right, restaurant with a view.
Restaurant and lounge on the Kiel-Oslo ferry.
Wake up to lovely scenery sailing up Oslo Fjord.
The Color Line ferry, arrived at Oslo. Above right, there's a transfer bus to Oslo Sentral, photo courtesy of Andrew Leo.
Frankfurt to Helsinki & Finland
Option 1, Frankfurt to Helsinki using a Finnlines ferry from Germany - the easiest option
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Day 1, travel from Frankfurt to Hamburg by ICE train, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 14:58, arriving Hamburg Hbf 18:36.
Fares start at 27.99 in 2nd class or 56.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
Tip: You should book from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Skandinavienkai Terminal, Lόbeck as one transaction as this gets you a through ticket to the ferry terminal covering the train to Hamburg, the regional train to Lόbeck and the bus to the Skandinavienkai Terminal. If you'd like time for dinner in Lόbeck (see suggested restaurant here), click Stopovers and enter Lόbeck Hbf with a length of stay of (say) 2 hours.
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Day 1, travel from Hamburg Hbf to Lόbeck by regional train then take a bus to the Skandinavienkai ferry terminal in Travemόnde.
Sail from Travemόnde to Helsinki by Finnlines ferry. Finnlines sail from Travemόnde to Helsinki every day, boarding at 23:30, sailing at 02:45 (the exact time varies) and arriving at Helsinki's Hansa Terminal in Vuosaari at 09:15 2 nights later (Day 3 from Frankfurt).
For full details of the transfer, check-in arrangements & ferry crossing, see the Hamburg page.
Book the ferry using the Direct Ferries website or at www.finnlines.com.
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Book onward trains within Finland at the Finnish Railways website www.vr.fi.
Option 2, Frankfurt to Helsinki by train to Stockholm, then ferry
Frankfurt to Prague from 20.99
Option 1, Frankfurt to Prague via Cheb
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You can travel from Frankfurt to Prague via Nuremberg & Cheb, it's the most direct and (by a small margin) fastest route:
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 06:19, change at Nuremberg & Cheb, arriving Prague Hlavni 13:22.
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 08:22, change at Nuremberg & Cheb, arriving Prague Hlavni 15:22.
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 10:22, change at Nuremberg & Cheb, arriving Prague Hlavni 17:22.
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 12:22, change at Nuremberg & Cheb, arriving Prague Hlavni 19:22.
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 14:21, change at Nuremberg & Cheb, arriving Prague Hlavni 21:22.
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 16:21, change at Nuremberg & Cheb, arriving Prague Hlavni 23:22.
You take a high-quality high-speed ICE train from Frankfurt to Nuremberg with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, then a smart German air-conditioned regional train from Nuremberg to Cheb, then a comfy Czech Interjet train from Cheb to Prague with refreshment trolley and free WiFi. More about travel to Prague via Cheb. Suggested hotels in Prague.
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Fares start at 20.99 in 2nd class or 29.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
To see only journeys via this route, click Stopovers and enter Cheb, leaving length of stay 00:00.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Tip: If you don't see any attractive prices at int.bahn.de, check prices for the same trains at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz instead. Booking at cd.cz only opens 90 days ahead.
Option 2, Frankfurt to Prague via Dresden - the scenic route, from 27.99
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This usually takes just over an hour longer than option 1, but with only one change of train and high-quality express trains with restaurant car throughout, plus great scenery between Dresden & Prague along the Elbe River valley, see the photos here.
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 07:18, change at Dresden Hbf, arriving Prague Hlavni 15:23.
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 09:18, change at Dresden Hbf, arriving Prague Hlavni 17:23.
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 11:18, change at Dresden Hbf, arriving Prague Hlavni 19:23.
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 13:18, change at Dresden Hbf, arriving Prague Hlavni 21:23.
Frankfurt to Dresden is by luxurious ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Dresden to Prague is by comfortable EuroCity train with restaurant car along the scenic Elbe valley. Sit on the left hand side of the train for the river views.
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Fares start at 27.99 in 2nd class or 36.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Book from Frankfurt to Prague, but before running the enquiry click Stopovers and enter Dresden, leaving length of stay 00:00.
Look for options with just 1 change.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Stopover in Dresden? If you'd like to spend a few hours exploring Dresden on the way, no problem, click Stopovers, enter Dresden Hbf and any length of stay up to 48h. Dresden is well worth a stop, even for a few hours, left luggage lockers are available.
Option 3, Frankfurt to Prague by sleeper - the time-effective option
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The EuroNight sleeper train Canopus leaves Frankfurt Sόd (Frankfurt South) at 00:27 every night, arriving Prague Hlavni 09:23.
The EuroNight sleeper train Canopus has two Czech air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars each nine 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and three 1, 2 & 3 bed deluxe compartments with en suite shower & toilet. There are toilets and a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in regular sleepers. There are also 4 & 6-berth couchettes. A light breakfast is included in the sleeper fare.
A Czech restaurant car is attached to the train between Leipzig (around 06:00) and Prague, if you'd like a cooked breakfast.
In the morning, enjoy the scenic run along the Elbe river valley between Dresden & Prague. The train arrives at Prague Hlavni, just 15 minutes walk from Prague's historic old town. See Prague Hlavni station guide.
Tip: You can transfer between Frankfurt (Main) Hbf and Frankfurt Sόd by regional or S-Bahn train, these run every 5-10 minutes, taking 5 minutes, fare a few euros, check times at int.bahn.de.
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Fares start at 49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, 59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, 69.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, 89.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or 139.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book the sleeper at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com.
You'll see the train listed twice, once for the seats cars (marked DB if you're using Trainline) and once for the sleepers & couchettes (marked ΦBB on Thetrainline). Needless to say, you should select the version that offers the couchettes and sleepers.
Booking opens up to several months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
If you have any problems, you can also book with Austrian Railways at www.oebb.at (as it's a Nightjet partner route), same prices, in .
Frankfurt to Českύ Krumlov & other Czech destinations
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You can book from Frankfurt to almost anywhere in the Czech Republic at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Through fares start at 27.99.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Tip: Also check times & prices using the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz. On cd.cz, booking normally opens 90 days ahead.
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For Českύ Krumlov (a lovely town, and the second most-visited place in the Czech Republic, see the Českύ Krumlov page) you must book to Českι Budějovice, not Českύ Krumlov, because the branch line between Českι Budějovice and Českύ Krumlov is now run by private operator GWTR and German Railways can no longer ticket that part.
So book from Frankfurt to Českι Budějovice at int.bahn.de from 27.99, then buy the local ticket from Českι Budějovice to Českύ Krumlov either at the station in Českι Budějovice from the distinctive green & orange ticket kiosk in the main hall, or on board the train using the self-service ticket machines, contactless cards accepted. You can check train times from Českι Budějovice to Českύ Krumlov at www.gwtr.cz.
Tip: The easiest journey is with 1 change in Linz, but Bahn.de doesn't show any cheap fares for this route! The solution is to split the booking, first book Frankfurt to Linz at int.bahn.de then book Linz to Českι Budějovice at www.cd.cz. It's a short connection in Linz, so I'd actually book Frankfurt-Passau at int.bahn.de then Passau-Českι Budějovice at www.cd.cz, making sure the Passau-Linz part of your train-specific Czech ticket is for the same ICE train that your Frankfurt-Passau ticket is for. Then your rights are protected if there's a delay and you miss the connection and can take a later onward train at no extra cost.
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For Karlovy Vary or Plzen, book at int.bahn.de, looking for 3-change options via Frankfurt, Nuremberg & Cheb from 18.99.
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For Brno, book Frankfurt to Brno at int.bahn.de. It tends to route you via Vienna, as this is slightly quicker. By all means click Stopovers and enter Prague, this can be cheaper. By adding a stopover with a suitable length of stay, you can have an overnight stop there if you like.
Frankfurt to Bratislava from 39.99
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Take a luxurious ICE train from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Vienna Hbf in 6h25 and change onto the hourly Regional Express train from Vienna Hbf to Bratislava Hlavna taking 56 minutes. Important: If travelling before 5 July 2025, see the update here.
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Fares start at 39.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
In the search results, look for options with just 1 change. Bratislava Hlavna (main station, shown as Bratislava hl.st) is the best station to arrive at, closer to the city centre than Bratislava Petrzalka.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Tip: If you'd like more time in Vienna between trains - perhaps a stop for lunch or even overnight - simply click Stopovers before running the enquiry at bahn.de, enter Vienna Hbf and a length of stay up to 48 hours, and you'll get a ticket from Frankfurt to Bratislava with a stopover.
Tip: It's sometimes cheaper to book Frankfurt to Vienna using www.thetrainline.com as this connects to the Austrian Railways system rather than the German, then buy an open 11 ticket from Vienna to Bratislava either at www.thetrainline.com or at the station in Vienna, no reservation necessary or possible, you simply hop on the next hourly regional Express train to Bratislava Hlavna.
Frankfurt to Poprad Tatry & Kosice
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You can book from Frankfurt to Poprad-Tatry or Kosice at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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It's an all-day journey taking a superb ICE-T train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Vienna Hbf leaving just after 08:00, the hourly regional express from Vienna Hbf to Bratislava Hlavna, then a Slovakian Express from Bratislava Hlavna to Poprad Tatry & Kosice, arriving late at night.
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Tip: It can help to click Stopovers and enter Bratislava.
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Tip: You might want to break up the journey with an overnight stop in Vienna or Bratislava. click Stopovers and enter Bratislava hl.st. or Vienna Hbf as a via station with a suitable overnight length of stay. Adjust the departure time and length of stay to get the trains you want either side of your overnight stop.
Frankfurt to Budapest from 39.99
Option 1, Frankfurt to Budapest by daytime trains - the leisurely daytime option
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Take a luxurious ICE-T train from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Vienna, then a smart Austrian railjet train or Hungarian EuroCity train to Budapest:
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Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 06:19, change at Vienna Hbf, arriving Budapest Keleti 16:19.
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 08:22, change at Vienna Hbf, arriving Budapest Keleti 18:19.
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 09:54, change at Munich Hbf, arriving Budapest Keleti 20:19.
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 12:22, change at Vienna Hbf, arriving Budapest Keleti 22:19.
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 14:21, change at Vienna Hbf, arriving Budapest Keleti 00:19.
All these trains have restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, it's a chill-out day with a good book, put your feet up.
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Fares start at 39.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Tip: Specify Budapest Keleti as your destination rather than the generic BUDAPEST, that stops the planner finding the privately-run Regiojet IC trains to Budapest Deli station for which it can't sell tickets.
Tip: If it suggests changing trains at Vienna Meidling, re-run the enquiry, this time clicking Stopovers and entering Vienna Centrale with length of stay left 00:00. Hey presto, the change will now be at the main Vienna Hbf with much better facilities than Meidling.
Option 2, Frankfurt to Budapest using the Stuttgart-Budapest sleeper - the safe, comfortable, time-effective way
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Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Stuttgart by ICE train, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 17:50, arriving Stuttgart Hbf 19:08.
The ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 17.99 in 2nd class or 31.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Tip: In Stuttgart, the bar at the Steigenberger Graf Zeppelin Hotel across the road makes a good VIP waiting lounge, or try the nearby Biergarten im Schlossgarten, see the advice here.
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Step 2, travel from Stuttgart to Budapest by sleeper train, leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 20:29, arriving Budapest Keleti 09:19.
The EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre has a comfortable air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and an air-conditioned Hungarian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments. In sleepers, a light breakfast is included. More about this sleeper train.
Fares start at 49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 88.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in , more fiddly, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Tip: You can check the train formation, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using www.vagonweb.cz. Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations and search for Kalman Imre.
Frankfurt to Bucharest & Romania
Option 1, Frankfurt to Romania by Dacia Express sleeper train from Vienna to Sighisoara, Brasov & Bucharest - the fastest & most comfortable option
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Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Vienna by ICE, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 12:22, arriving Vienna Hbf 18:47.
This ICE-T high-speed train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 27.99 in 2nd class or 59.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Romania on the Dacia Express, leaving Vienna Hbf at 19:42 every day, arriving next day in Simeria 07:17, Sighisoara 09:17, Braşov 12:50, Ploeşti Vest 14:47 & Bucharest Nord 15:26.
The Dacia Express has a modern air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, plus several deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. It has a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments.
A Hungarian restaurant car operates between Vienna & Budapest, treat yourself to dinner and a glass of wine. A bar car is attached in the morning between Arad & Bucharest, serving drinks & snacks. There's wonderful almost Alpine scenery through the Carpathian mountains between Brasov and Bucharest.
The Dacia Express also conveys a portion from Vienna to Cluj Napoca, also leaving Vienna Hbf at 19:42, arriving Cluj Napoca 10:44. This portion has a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.
Fares start at 59 with a couchette in a 6-berth compartment, 69 with a couchette in a 4-berth compartment, 79 with a bed in a 3-berth sleeper, 99 with a bed in a 3-berth sleeper or 159 with a bed in a single-berth sleeper all to yourself. All per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.
Booking opens up to 90 days ahead. In the search results, look for the direct train marked D with no changes. You collect tickets from an ΦBB ticket machine in Vienna.
You can also book this train at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro.
Click EN top right for English. Booking opens up to 90 days ahead. For Vienna type Wien, for Bucharest type Bucuresti. For Austria to Romania journeys you now print your own ticket or can show it on your phone. Tip: Prices might be cheaper than on oebb.at, so check both sites!
Option 2, Frankfurt to Romania using the sleeper train Ister from Budapest to Brasov & Bucharest
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Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Budapest, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 06:19, change at Vienna Hbf, arriving Budapest Keleti 16:19.
Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Tip: Specify Budapest Keleti as your destination rather than the generic BUDAPEST, that stops the planner finding the privately-run Regiojet IC trains to Budapest Deli station for which it can't sell tickets.
Tip: If it suggests changing trains at Vienna Meidling, re-run the enquiry, this time clicking Stopovers and entering Vienna Centrale with length of stay left 00:00. Hey presto, the change will now be at the main Vienna Hbf with much better facilities than Meidling.
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Step 2, travel from Budapest to Romania by sleeper train Ister, leaving Budapest Keleti at 19:10, arriving Brasov 08:48 & Buchareste Nord 11:35.
This comfortable train has an air-conditioned sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments. There's no restaurant car, so take a picnic and bottle of wine. There's wonderful almost Alpine scenery through the Carpathian mountains between Brasov and Bucharest, a real treat.
Fares start at 39 with a couchette in 6-berth, 46 with a couchette in 4-berth, 69 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 84 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 162 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself. All prices per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro.
Click EN top right for English. Booking opens up to 90 days ahead. For Bucharest type Bucuresti. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
You can also book at the Hungarian Railways website www.mav-start.hu, see my advice on using it. For Bucharest type Bucuresti. You show your ticket in the MAV app on your phone.
Option 3, Frankfurt to Romania with overnight stop in Budapest - if you prefer daytime trains & hotel to sleepers
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Day 1, travel from Frankfurt to Budapest on any departure you like, as shown in the Frankfurt to Budapest section.
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Stay overnight in Budapest. Top choice for an inexpensive stay next to Budapest Keleti is the Intercity Hotel just across the square in front of the station. Also try the Royal Park Boutique Hotel, the inexpensive Baross City Hotel across the road or the Elit Hotel two minutes walk away. Of course, if you want to push the boat out, the luxurious Corinthia Hotel opened in 1896 was almost certainly the inspiration for the 2014 film The Grand Budapest Hotel, 20 minutes walk or 9 minutes by taxi from Keleti station. More hotels in Budapest.
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Day 2, travel from Budapest to Romania by comfortable air-conditioned Intercity train. These link Budapest Keleti with Cluj, Timisoara, Craiova, Sibiu, Sinaia, Brasov & Ploesti. It's an all-day daytime run across Transylvania, see the Trains from Budapest page for details.
Fares start at 26.30 in 2nd class or (on trains which have 1st class) 40.50 in 1st class.
Buy tickets at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it.
Booking opens 60 days ahead. You show your ticket in the MAV app on your phone.
You can also book at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro.
Click EN top right for English. Booking opens up to 90 days ahead. For Bucharest type Bucuresti. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Frankfurt to Ljubljana & Zagreb from 29.99
Option 1, Frankfurt to Ljubljana & Zagreb in a day
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A EuroCity train leaves Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 08:20, there's a quick & easy cross-platform change at Villach, arriving Lesce-Bled 17:50, Ljubljana 18:32 & Zagreb 20:47.
The train has comfortable air-conditioned Austrian coaches, an Austrian restaurant car runs from Frankfurt to Villach on the border with Slovenia, so treat yourself to breakfast and/or lunch. The scenery through the mountains on the Tauern route through Austria is fantastic, and the scenery along the Sava river between Ljubljana and Zagreb is lovely, at least in summer when it's light.
Important update: The closure of the Tauern Tunnel affects this route between 17 November 2024 & 13 July 2025, check times at int.bahn.de.
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Fares to Ljubljana or Zagreb start at 39.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website, int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Option 2, Frankfurt to Ljubljana & Zagreb by sleeper - safe, comfortable & time-effective
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Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Stuttgart by ICE train, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 17:50, arriving Stuttgart Hbf 19:08.
The ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 17.99 in 2nd class or 31.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Tip: In Stuttgart, the bar at the Steigenberger Graf Zeppelin Hotel across the road makes a good VIP waiting lounge, or try the nearby Biergarten im Schlossgarten, see the advice here.
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Step 2, travel from Stuttgart by sleeper train, leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 20:29, arriving Lesce-Bled 07:13, Ljubljana 08:09 & Zagreb 10:39.
The comfortable sleeper train Lisinski has a modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, and a modern air-conditioned Croatian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments. See the photos below & see the Croatian sleeper video.
Fares start at 49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 66.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 86.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways own site www.oebb.at (same prices, in , more fiddly). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Important: This sleeper train is diverted via Graz due to work in the Tauern Tunnel and won't call at Lesce-Bled or Ljubljana from 17 November 2024 to 13 July 2025. Arrival in Zagreb is at 11:33. For Ljubljana, either use another option or get off the sleeper at Celje in northern Slovenia at 09:47 then take a local train leaving Celje at 11:36 arriving Ljubljana 12:43. Check times for the local train at potniski.sz.si/en.
Frankfurt to Belgrade & Montenegro
Option 1, Frankfurt to Belgrade using the Stuttgart-Budapest sleeper - due to start 8 December 2024 but postponed, see updates.
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Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Stuttgart by ICE train, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 17:50, arriving Stuttgart Hbf 19:08.
The ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 17.99 in 2nd class or 31.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Tip: In Stuttgart, the bar at the Steigenberger Graf Zeppelin Hotel across the road makes a good VIP waiting lounge, or try the nearby Biergarten im Schlossgarten, see the advice here.
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Step 2, travel from Stuttgart to Budapest by sleeper train, leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 20:29, arriving Budapest Keleti 09:19.
The EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre has an air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and an air-conditioned Hungarian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments. In sleepers, a light breakfast is included. More about this sleeper train.
Fares start at 49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 88.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in , £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in , more fiddly, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Transfer from Keleti to Nyugati station by metro, tram or taxi as shown here.
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Step 3, travel from Budapest to Belgrade, leaving Budapest Nyugati at 11:50, changing at Szeged & Subotica, arriving Belgrade Centar 18:38.
You take a Hungarian Intercity train from Budapest to Szeged, a local train across the border to Subotica and a 200 km/h SOKO train to Belgrade, for details see the Budapest to Belgrade page.
Fares start at around 23, see more about fares.
Option 2, Frankfurt to Belgrade using the Stuttgart-Zagreb sleeper - currently involves a bus
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Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Stuttgart by ICE train, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 17:50, arriving Stuttgart Hbf 19:08.
The ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 17.99 in 2nd class or 31.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Step 2, travel from Stuttgart to Zagreb by sleeper train, leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 20:29, arriving Zagreb 10:39.
The comfortable sleeper train Lisinski has a modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, and a modern air-conditioned Croatian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments. See the photos below & see the Croatian sleeper video.
Fares start at 49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, 59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, 66.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 86.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways own site www.oebb.at (same prices, in , more fiddly). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
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Step 3, travel from Zagreb to Belgrade by train, leaving Zagreb at 11:04, arriving Novi Beograd 18:04 & Belgrade Centar 18:12.
This train was suspended due to Covid-19 and is still suspended.
This train has air-conditioned Serbian carriages with comfortable 2nd class seats, but no 1st class. There's no dining-car, so bring a picnic and some beer or wine.
The fare is around 29 bought at the station in Zagreb or paid on board the train, but tickets cannot be bought online.
While the train is suspended, take a bus from Zagreb to Belgrade
It's a 17-minute 1.3 km walk from Zagreb station to Zagreb bus station, see walking map.
A Flixbus leaves Zagreb bus station at 14:00, arriving Belgrade bus station at 19:30.
The fare is around 21, buy a ticket at www.flixbus.com.
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Step 4 for Montenegro, 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.
Frankfurt to Sofia & Bulgaria
Option 1, Frankfurt to Sofia via Bucharest
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Day 1, travel from Frankfurt to Vienna by ICE, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 12:22, arriving Vienna Hbf 18:47.
This ICE-T high-speed train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 27.99 in 2nd class or 59.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Day 1, travel from Vienna to Bucharest on the Dacia Express, leaving Vienna Hbf at 19:42, arriving Bucharest Nord 15:26 (day 2).
The Dacia Express has a modern air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, plus several deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. It has a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments.
A Hungarian restaurant car operates between Vienna & Budapest, treat yourself to dinner and a glass of wine. A bar car is attached in the morning between Arad & Bucharest, serving drinks & snacks. There's wonderful almost Alpine scenery through the Carpathian mountains between Brasov and Bucharest.
Fares start at 59 with a couchette in a 6-berth compartment, 69 with a couchette in a 4-berth compartment, 79 with a bed in a 3-berth sleeper, 99 with a bed in a 3-berth sleeper or 159 with a bed in a single-berth sleeper all to yourself. All per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.
Booking opens up to 90 days ahead. In the search results, look for the direct train marked D with no changes. You collect tickets from an ΦBB ticket machine in Vienna.
You can also book this train at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro. Click EN top right for English. Booking opens up to 90 days ahead. For Vienna type Wien, for Bucharest type Bucuresti. For Austria to Romania journeys you now print your own ticket or can show it on your phone. Tip: Prices might be cheaper than on oebb.at, so check both sites!
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Day 2, stay overnight in Bucharest. The Euro Hotel Grivita, Hotel MyContinental Bucuresti Gara de Nord & Hello Hotels Gara de Nord are all just a 5 minute 350m walk from the station, inexpensive with good or great reviews. Other hotels in Bucharest.
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Day 3, travel from Bucharest to Sofia by daytime train as shown in the Bucharest-Sofia section of the Trains from Bucharest page.
You leave Bucharest Nord at 10:11 and arrive Sofia Central at 20:35 after a pleasant day meandering across the Danube and through the river valleys of Bulgaria. In summer it's direct, in winter you have to switch trains at Ruse. There's no catering car, so bring your own food & drink.
The fare is around 34.
Book this at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro/en. You print your own ticket.
Option 2, Frankfurt to Sofia via Belgrade
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Not currently viable while Zagreb-Belgrade, Budapest-Belgrade and Belgrade-Sofia trains remain suspended.
Frankfurt to Warsaw from 37.99
Option 1, Frankfurt to Warsaw in a day from 37.99 - all in one day
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You can travel from Frankfurt to Warsaw in a single day, for example:
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 07:02, change at Berlin Hbf, arriving Warsaw Centralna 17:00.
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 09:02, change at Berlin Hbf, arriving Warsaw Centralna 19:00.
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 11:02, change at Berlin Hbf, arriving Warsaw Centralna 21:00.
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 13:02 daily except Saturdays, change at Berlin Hbf, arriving Warsaw Centralna 23:00.
You travel from Frankfurt to Berlin on a superb ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, then from Berlin to Warsaw on a comfortable air-conditioned Polish EuroCity train with restaurant car. Take a good book, a bottle of wine and put your feet up.
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Fares start at 37.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
I recommend clicking Stopovers and enter Berlin Hbf with length of stay 45 minutes. The times above take this into account.
Booking to Poland opens 60 days ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Option 2, Frankfurt to Warsaw with overnight stop in Berlin from 37.99
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Day 1, travel from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Berlin by ICE train in 3h59. You can leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf as late as 19:14 arriving Berlin Hbf at 23:29, but by all means take an earlier train and have an evening in Berlin.
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Stay overnight in Berlin. Top choice here is the InterCity Hotel Berlin Hbf (my favourite), only 200m from Berlin Hbf's main entrance, relatively inexpensive with great reviews, or if you're in the money, the excellent 5-star Steigenberger Hotel just outside the station. If you're on a budget, the cheaper 3-star Motel One Berlin-Hbf is behind the station or use www.hostelworld.com. Of course, if you really want to push the boat out, the famous Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is next to the Brandenburg Gate just 17 minutes walk away.
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Day 2, travel from Berlin to Warsaw on any EuroCity train you like, see the timetable here.
Daily except Sundays the 05:51 from Berlin Hbf arrives Warsaw Centralna 11:00 with breakfast in the restaurant car.
Or have a leisurely breakfast at your hotel and take the daily 09:52 arriving Warsaw Centralna 15:00. By all means take a later train from Berlin to spend some time in Berlin. The German capital is fascinating.
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Fares start at 37.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
To get the overnight stop in Berlin, click Stopovers and enter Berlin Hbf with a length of stay of, say, 12 hours. Adjust the departure time and length of stay to get the trains you want either side of Berlin. A little trial and error may be needed!
You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Tip: Tickets to Poland only go on sale 60 days ahead, but you can book from Frankfurt to Berlin up to 6 months ahead, adding a separate Berlin-Warsaw or Berlin-Krakow ticket when booking to Poland opens.
Frankfurt to Krakow from 37.99
Option 1, Frankfurt to Wroclaw & Krakow in a single day from 37.99
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You can travel from Frankfurt to Warsaw in a single day with a choice of departures:
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 08:02, change at Berlin Hbf, arriving Wroclaw 16:53, Katowice 19:12 & Krakow Glowny 20:06.
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 11:14, change at Berlin Hbf, arriving Wroclaw 20:57, Katowice 22:54 & Krakow Glowny 23:47.
You travel from Frankfurt to Berlin on a superb ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, then from Berlin to Warsaw on a comfortable Polish EuroCity train with restaurant car. Take a good book, a bottle of wine and put your feet up.
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Fares start at 37.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
I recommend clicking Stopovers and enter Berlin Hbf with length of stay 45 minutes. The times above take this into account.
Booking to Poland opens 60 days ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Option 2, Frankfurt to Krakow with overnight stop in Berlin from 37.99
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Day 1, travel from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Berlin by ICE train in 3h59. You can leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf as late as 19:14 arriving Berlin Hbf at 23:29, but by all means take an earlier train and have an evening in Berlin.
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Stay overnight in Berlin. Top choice here is the InterCity Hotel Berlin Hbf (my favourite), only 200m from Berlin Hbf's main entrance, relatively inexpensive with great reviews, or if you're in the money, the excellent 5-star Steigenberger Hotel just outside the station. If you're on a budget, the cheaper 3-star Motel One Berlin-Hbf is behind the station or use www.hostelworld.com. Of course, if you really want to push the boat out, the famous Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is next to the Brandenburg Gate just 17 minutes walk away.
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Day 2, travel from Berlin to Krakow by EuroCity train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 08:52, arriving Wroclaw 12:52, Katowice 15:09, Krakow Glowny 16:09.
The EuroCity train Galicija is comfortable & air-conditioned with restaurant car, treat yourself to lunch with a beer or two.
Later trains are available, see the timetable here.
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Fares from Frankfurt to Krakow start at 37.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
To get the overnight stop in Berlin, click Stopovers and enter Berlin Hbf with a length of stay of, say, 12 hours. Adjust the departure time and length of stay to get the trains you want either side of Berlin. A little trial and error may be needed!
You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Tip: Tickets to Poland only go on sale 60 days ahead, but you can book from Frankfurt to Berlin up to 6 months ahead, adding a separate Berlin-Warsaw or Berlin-Krakow ticket when booking to Poland opens.
Frankfurt to Vilnius. Riga, Tallinn
Frankfurt to Lithuania with overnight stop in Warsaw
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Day 1, travel from Frankfurt to Warsaw in a day as shown in the Frankfurt to Warsaw section.
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Stay overnight in Warsaw. The Polonia Palace Hotel is excellent, historic, relatively inexpensive for such a good hotel, and it's just across the road from the station. For something much cheaper, but still with great reviews and near the station, try the Hotel Metropol next door to the Polonia Palace or the nearby Novotel Warsaw Centrum. Also see the Warsaw Centralna station & city information.
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Day 2, travel from Warsaw to Kaunas & Vilnius by train as shown on the Warsaw to Vilnius page.
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Stay overnight in Vilnius. Try the inexpensive Stay Vilnius hotel, a 6-minute walk from the station, or the Conti Hotel Vilnius, a 9-minute walk from the station towards the old town, both with excellent reviews.
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Day 3, travel from Vilnius to Riga (Latvia) or Tallinn (Estonia) by train, as shown on the Vilnius-Riga-Tallinn page.
Frankfurt to Lviv, Kyiv & Ukraine
Option 1, Frankfurt to Lviv & Kyiv via Regiojet from Prague - easiest to book and usually has plenty of availability
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Day 1, travel from Frankfurt to Prague, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 12:22, change at Nuremburg & Cheb, arriving Prague Hlavni 19:22.
Allow plenty of time in case of missed connections, there's an earlier 10:22 departure if you'd like a more time in Prague.
Fares start at 20.99 in 2nd class or 29.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at German Railways website int.bahn.de.
To see journeys via Cheb, click Stopovers and enter Cheb, leaving length of stay 00:00.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Day 1, travel from Prague to Przemysl by Regiojet sleeper train, leaving Prague Hlavni at 21:47 every day, arriving Przemysl 07:35 (day 2).
A connecting Ukrainian Intercity train leaves Przemysl at 09:35, arriving Lviv 12:27 & Kyiv Pass at 19:57 (day 2).
The Regiojet sleeper train has 3 & 4 berth couchettes set up with full bedding like a sleeping-car. You can book an inexpensive berth in a shared compartment or you can book a whole compartment for sole occupancy if you like. Refreshments are available from the train staff.
The Ukrainian intercity train is comfortable and air-conditioned with cafe-bar. Regiojet have an allocation of seats and a Regiojet ticket from Prague to Lviv or Kyiv includes a 2nd class seat on this train, booked as one combined ticket from Prague to Lviv/Kyiv.
Prague to Lviv or Kyiv starts at 58 with a berth in a shared compartment, or 119.90 for sole occupancy of a 4-berth couchette compartment for 1 to 4 people. Fares vary slightly according to demand. The fare includes the sleeper and a 2nd class seat on the connecting Ukrainian train.
Buy tickets from Prague to Lviv or Kyiv at www.regiojet.com.
Booking opens 1-2 months ahead, so book your other trains first then book this one a month or two before travel. There is usually plenty of availability 3+ weeks before departure, although it can sell out with a week or two to go. You print your ticket or show it on your phone.
Prague to Przemysl by Regiojet sleeper train
Option 2, Frankfurt to Lviv & Kyiv via Vienna
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Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Vienna, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 08:22, arriving Vienna Hbf 14:47.
The ICE-T train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at 27.99 in 2nd class or 59.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Ukraine by direct sleeping-car, leaving Vienna Hbf at 16:42 daily, arriving Lviv 09:59 & Kyiv 16:41 next day.
Introduced in 2017, this train consists of 2 or sometimes 3 direct Ukrainian sleeping-cars attached to a Vienna-Zahony EuroCity train. The sleeping-cars have comfortable 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, see the photos below. At Chop on the other side of the border the through sleeping-cars are jacked up to have their wheelsets changed from European standard gauge (4'8½") to Russian gauge used in Ukraine (5').
Vienna to Lviv costs 71.20 in a 3-berth sleeper, 79.20 in a 2-berth sleeper or around 130 in a single sleeper.
Vienna to Kyiv costs 89.60 in a 3-berth sleeper, 99.60 in a 2-berth sleeper or around 170 in a single sleeper.
Book this train at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.
Booking for these direct sleeping-cars opens 20 days ahead, but tickets sell out a day or two after booking opens, so book as soon as the booking period opens. If the ΦBB website says Ticket not available within 20 days it means fully-booked, if it says that more than 20 days ahead it means booking isn't open yet.
Tickets can now be printed out so you can book in either direction. However, you must print the ticket, it cannot be shown on a mobile device.
Booked at the station in Ukraine, Kyiv to Vienna costs around 80, Lviv to Vienna around 60, in both cases with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper.
Option 3, Frankfurt to Kyiv via Warsaw
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Day 1, take a late afternoon or early evening train from Frankfurt to Berlin, booked at the German Railways website int.bahn.de from 27.99. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Stay overnight in Berlin. Top choice here is the InterCity Hotel Berlin Hbf (my favourite), only 200m from Berlin Hbf's main entrance, relatively inexpensive with great reviews, or if you're in the money, the excellent 5-star Steigenberger Hotel just outside the station. If you're on a budget, the cheaper 3-star Motel One Berlin-Hbf is behind the station or use www.hostelworld.com. Of course, if you really want to push the boat out, the famous Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is next to the Brandenburg Gate just 17 minutes walk away.
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Day 2 morning, travel from Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train leaving Berlin Hbf at 09:52 daily, arriving Warsaw Centralna 15:00.
On Mondays to Saturdays there's also an earlier Berlin-Warsaw EuroCity train leaving Berlin Hbf at 05:51, arriving Warsaw Centralna 11:00. Fares start at 27.99, also booked at int.bahn.de.
If you take the earlier train you have some time to explore Warsaw, see Warsaw Centralna station & city information. Warsaw's historic old town is a 30 minute walk from Centralna station - if you fancy a modest splurge, the celebrated Ufukiera restaurant (www.ufukiera.pl) is excellent and right on the square in the heart of Warsaw's old town. The Palace of Culture (a wedding cake style Soviet skyscraper and distinctive Warsaw landmark, www.pkin.pl) is right next to the station and has a viewing terrace on the 30th floor.
Tip: It's usually cheaper to book like this: Go to int.bahn.de and set up an enquiry from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Warsaw Centralna, click Stopovers and enter Berlin with a length of stay of (say) 10 hours. You'll then get a through fare with an overnight stop in Berlin built in. Adjust the departure time and length of stay as necessary to get the trains you want in the evening and morning.
Alternatively, you could leave Frankfurt earlier on day 1 and go Frankfurt-Warsaw all in one day, and staying overnight in Warsaw rather than Berlin. That would also allow you to take the Sunday departure of the Warsaw-Kyiv Kyiv Express, as there's no connection from Berlin early enough on Sundays in this timetable period. And it would give you a half day to explore Warsaw.
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Day 2, travel from Warsaw to Kyiv on the Kyiv Express sleeper train leaving Warsaw Wschodnia at 17:49, arriving Kyiv 10:45 next day.
This train has comfortable Ukrainian 1, 2 and 3 bed sleepers with washbasin. There's no restaurant car, so take a picnic and some wine or beer.
The fare booked with Polrail is around 59 including a bed in a 3-berth sleeper, 93 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or 162 in a single-bed sleeper all to yourself.
Buy tickets via reliable Polish agency Polrail, booking.polrail.com.
Tickets can be collected in Warsaw or (at extra charge) shipped to any address worldwide. Polrail may or may not be able to arrange the return reservation back from Kyiv.
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To book onward trains from Kyiv to Odessa and other places in Ukraine, see the Ukraine page.
Frankfurt to Moscow & Russia
Option 1, Frankfurt to Moscow via Kyiv - avoids Belarus, daily departures. Suspended due to sanctions.
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Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Kyiv as explained in detail above, taking a morning train to Vienna on day 1 and overnight sleeper from Vienna to Kyiv, arriving in late afternoon on day 2.
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Step 2, take one of the various Kyiv to Moscow sleeper trains, for example train 6 leaves Kyiv at 19:36 arriving Moscow Kievskaya station at 10:09 the next morning (= the morning of day 3 from Frankfurt).
This train was suspended due to Covid-19 and remains suspended due to sanctions & the war in Ukraine.
The fare is around 92 with a bed in 4-berth kupι or 180 with a bed in a 2-berth spalny vagon.
You can ask www.polrail.com to book this for you too, or you can book tickets from Kyiv to Moscow at the Ukrainian Railways site booking.uz.gov.ua/en/ booking from Kyiv to Moskva Kievskaya. You collect tickets at the station in Kyiv. Feedback appreciated!
Option 2, Frankfurt to Moscow using the Berlin-Moscow sleeper train, twice a week. Suspended due to sanctions
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Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Berlin from 27.99. For example, the 14:13 from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf arrives Berlin Hbf at 18:29, but by all means take an earlier train and have dinner in Berlin. Book this at int.bahn.de and print your own ticket.
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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 was suspended due to Covid-19 and remains suspended due to sanctions & the war in Ukraine.
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.
Russian track gauge is 5', but most of Europe (including the UK) is 4' 8½", so at Brest on the Belarus frontier the Talgo train runs through a special gauge-changing shed and the axles automatically adjust to the new gauge. Once in Russia, the scenery is rolling hills, birch tree forests, and villages of small wooden houses. Approaching Moscow, you may glimpse the plaques on the station building marked '1812' and '1942' as the train passes through the small station of historic Borodino.
You can book the Berlin-Moscow train at the Russian Railways website www.rzd.ru and print your own ticket, it's a little fiddly but usually works, or you can easily buy it online with English language after-sales service if you need it, using the Real Russia online system here.
Don't forget to arrange both your Russian visa and Belarus transit visa as the train runs via Belarus. See my important update about travel to Russia through Belarus.
Option 3, Frankfurt to Moscow using the daily Warsaw-Moscow sleeper.
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Day 1, take a late afternoon or early evening train from Frankfurt to Berlin, it takes just 4h10 from 27.99 with regular departures, check times and buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de and print your own ticket.
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Stay overnight in Berlin. Top choice here is the InterCity Hotel Berlin Hbf (my favourite), only 200m from Berlin Hbf's main entrance, relatively inexpensive with great reviews, or if you're in the money, the excellent 5-star Steigenberger Hotel just outside the station. If you're on a budget, the cheaper 3-star Motel One Berlin-Hbf is behind the station or use www.hostelworld.com. Of course, if you really want to push the boat out, the famous Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is next to the Brandenburg Gate just 17 minutes walk away.
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Day 2 morning, travel from Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train leaving Berlin Hbf at 09:52, arriving Warsaw Centralna 15:00. Fares start at 27.99, also booked at int.bahn.de.
Alternatively, on Mondays to Saturdays you can take the earlier 05:52 EuroCity train arriving 11:16, which gives you time to explore Warsaw, see Warsaw Centralna station & city information. Warsaw's historic old town is a 30 minute walk from Centralna station - if you fancy a modest splurge, the celebrated Ufukiera restaurant (www.ufukiera.pl) is excellent and right on the square in the heart of Warsaw's old town. The Palace of Culture (a wedding cake style Soviet skyscraper and distinctive Warsaw landmark, www.pkin.pl) is right next to the station and has a viewing terrace on the 30th floor.
Tip: It's usually cheaper to book like this: Go to int.bahn.de and set up an enquiry from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Warsaw Centralna, click Stopovers and enter Berlin Hbf with a length of stay of (say) 10 hours. You'll then get a through fare with an overnight stop in Berlin built in. Adjust the departure time and length of stay as necessary to get the trains you want in the evening and morning.
Alternatively, you could leave Frankfurt earlier on day 1 and go Frankfurt-Warsaw all in one day, and staying overnight in Warsaw rather than Berlin.
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Day 2, travel from Warsaw to Moscow by Russian sleeper train, leaving Warsaw Centralna at 19:15 daily, arriving Moscow Belorussky at 16:58 next day (day 3 from Frankfurt). You can check times at the Russian Railways website www.rzd.ru.
This train is currently suspended due to sanctions & the war in Ukraine.
This train uses impressive Austrian-built sleeping-cars with 4-berth compartments built in 2014, see photos of this type of sleeper here & see panorama photo inside one of these modern sleepers. Each compartment can be sold as 1st class 1-berth, 1st class 2-berth or 2nd class 4-berth. The train consist of two or three sleeping-car which start their journey in Prague. There's a bistro car in Poland and a Russian restaurant car is attached between Brest (on the Polish/Belarus border) & Moscow.
You can book this train by contacting reliable Polish train ticketing agency www.polrail.com - their booking system is at http://booking.polrail.com. Tickets can be collected in Warsaw or (at extra charge) shipped to any address worldwide.
Alternatively, you can book with Russian Railways at www.rzd.ru although it's a little quirky and may not accept some overseas credit cards.
Don't forget to arrange both your Russian visa & Belarus transit visa as the train runs via Belarus. See my important update about travel to Russia through Belarus.
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For St Petersburg it's best to travel via Moscow. Moscow to St Petersburg takes as little as 3h50 by daytime Sapsan trains, or can be done an a number of traditional overnight sleepers. See the train travel in Russia page to buy tickets within Russia.
Frankfurt to Athens & Greece
Option 1, Frankfurt to Athens by train & ferry via Italy - the leisurely option with an Adriatic cruise thrown in
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Day 1, travel from Frankfurt to Milan by EuroCity train, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 08:05, arriving Milan Centrale 15:50.
This excellent ETR610 EuroCity train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
This train is routed via the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world's longest railway tunnel. You get excellent views of the Alps and Swiss and Italian lakes, see the photos and video of the Gotthard route here.
Fares start at 39.99 in 2nd class or 69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
Enjoy an evening in Milan.
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Stay overnight in Milan: Affordable hotels with good or great reviews just outside Milan Centrale include the Hotel Bristol, Hotel Bernina, 43 Station Hotel, B&B Hotel Milano Central Station, Guesthouse Teodora. Pricier more upmarket hotels include HD8 Hotel, Glam Hotel, Made to Measure Business, Starhotel Echo or Starhotel Anderson.
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Day 2, travel from Milan to Bari, leaving Milan Centrale at 08:05 on a pleasant journey along the Adriatic coast arriving Bari Centrale 15:27.
Fares start at 29.90 in 2nd class or 39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in , £ or $, easy to use, small booking fee) or www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in , £, $ or Au$) or www.trenitalia.com (in , more fiddly). Italiarail will refund their small booking fee if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your booking reference. Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.
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In Bari, transfer from station to port, see map of Bari showing station, port entrance, check-in building & Superfast Ferries berth.
You can walk the 1.9 km from the station to the port entrance in 25 minutes, a stroll through Bari's pleasant old town, see correct walking map from the station to the port entrance gate - if Google tells you any different, trust me, not Google!
Alternatively, bus 50 runs from Bari Centrale station to the road outside the port gate roughly every 40 minutes. A taxi will take 10 minutes.
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Day 2, sail overnight from Bari to Patras in Greece with Superfast Ferries.
The ferry sails from Bari at 19:30 on Mondays-Saturdays, arriving Patras at 13:00 next day (Day 3).
On Sundays the ship sails at 13:30, too early to make connections from Milan.
You can check sailing times & dates at using the Direct Ferries website or at www.superfast.com or www.ferriesingreece.com.
You should check in at the Superfast desk on the ground floor of the cruise terminal (Terminal Crociere) at Bari port with passport & booking number to get your boarding pass, ideally 3 hours before departure in summer, although in practice 2 hours or even 1½ hours is normally fine.
You then walk 500m from check-in to the ferry, board the ferry via the foot passenger gangway at the stern and head up the escalator to the main lounge and reception desk to get your cabin key.
The ship is comfortable, with self-service restaurant, lounge, bar and sun deck. You can book a deck place (a good & cheap option in summer if you have your own sleeping bag), a reclining seat or various types of cabin, all with private shower & toilet. Strolling the decks in the morning sun as the ship cruises past the islands of Cephalonia and Ithaca is the nicest part of the trip, and it's a wonderful way to arrive in Greece.
In Patras, the ferry arrives at the new South ferry terminal a few km from the town centre. Bus 18 links the port with the Patras bus station every hour on the hour, fare 1.20 or you can hop in a taxi for around 9, journey time 15-20 minutes.
Day 3, travel from Patras to Athens by Greek Railways bus/train combo.
Hellenic Train (Greek Railways) operate an integrated bus/train service from Patras to Athens every hour or two, total journey time 3h02, fare around 18. No prior reservation is necessary, just buy a ticket to Athens at Patras railway station ticket office.
For example, at the time I write this, buses leave from outside Patras railway station at 14:15, 15:15, 16:00, 17:15 & 18:15, taking 90 minutes to reach Kiato railway station near Corinthos. At Kiato they connect with a modern air-conditioned regional train taking 78 minutes to Athens Larissa Station in downtown Athens. You can check Patra to Athens bus/train times using the journey planner at www.hellenictrain.gr.
Option 2, Frankfurt to Athens overland by train via Munich & Belgrade - a rail adventure across the Balkans
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This is not a viable option as there are currently no international trains to or from Greece.
Frankfurt to Istanbul
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Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Bucharest as shown above.
Do not risk any tight connections in Bucharest, I'd allow a minimum of 2 hours, or plan an overnight stop.
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Step 2, travel overnight from Bucharest to Istanbul as shown on the Bucharest to Istanbul page.
Book online as shown on those pages, but you should consider using an Interrail pass for the flexibility it gives. You'll find more info about using a pass for a journey like this on the London to Istanbul page.
Hotels in Frankfurt
For advice on hotels in Frankfurt, see the hotels section on the Frankfurt Hbf page.
Backpacker
hostels
www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.
Travel insurance & VPN
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Always take out travel insurance
Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash and belongings, up to a sensible limit. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself. Here are some suggested insurers. Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.
www.staysure.co.uk
offers enhanced Covid-19 protection & gets 4.7 out of 5 on
Trustpilot.
www.columbusdirect.com
is also a well-know brand.
If you live in the USA try
Travel Guard USA.
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Get an eSIM with mobile data package
Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a mobile data package for the country you're visiting and stay connected. Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM card so you don't need to buy a physical SIM, including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list. Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.
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Get a Curve card for foreign travel
Most banks give you a poor exchange rate, then add a foreign transaction fee on top. A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month at time of writing. The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.
How it works: 1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android. 2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses. 3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card. 4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app. You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.
I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader. The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than digging a card out). I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great. See details, download the app and get a Curve card, they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.
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Get a VPN for safe browsing. Why you need a VPN
When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure. A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi. It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply. See VPNs & why you need one explained. ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription. I get a small commission to help support this site.
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Carry an Anker powerbank
Tickets, reservations, vaccination records and Interrail or Eurail passes are often held digitally on your mobile phone, so it's vital to keep it charged. I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over if I can't get to a power outlet. Buy from Amazon.co.uk or from buy from Amazon.com.