A German ICE train...

I want to go from Frankfurt to...

Click here for journeys starting in another city

Click for Frankfurt (Main) Hbf station information

This page explains how to travel by train from Frankfurt to other cities all over Europe, and how to buy tickets the cheapest way. Train information is current for 2021.

Before you buy your tickets...

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

European train travel FAQ...

An introduction to European train travel	Senior fares (over 60)	Guide to Eurail passes (overseas visitors)
Important tips for buying European train tickets	Youth fares (under 26)	Guide to Interrail passes (for Europeans)
How to check European train times	Child fares & child age limits	Couchettes & sleepers on night trains
Do I need to book in advance?	Luggage on European trains	Train seat numbering plans
How far ahead can I book?	Luggage storage at stations	Wheelchairs & special needs
Can I stop off on the way?	Taking a bike by train	Real-time service updates
Should I travel 1st or 2nd class?	Taking a car by train	Hotels & accommodation
How long to allow for connections?	Taking dogs & pets by train	Changing stations in Paris by metro or taxi
How early to arrive at the station?	Maps of the European rail network	What to do when things go wrong...

Frankfurt to Cologne, Berlin, Munich & other destinations in Germany...

Frankfurt am Main Hauptbahnhof is the main station right in the city centre. See station guide
Frankfurt Flughafen is the airport station, also served by many mainline trains.
With only one or two exceptions, German trains are never 'reservation compulsory' so you can always just turn up, buy a ticket and get on the next train without a reservation. However, there are cheap advance-purchase Sparpreis fares for €19.90, €29.90, €39.90 etc. for long-distance journeys if you pre-book, so buy in advance if you want to save money. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
The German Railways website www.bahn.de will book all German long-distance daytime trains. A seat reservation is usually optional, for a small extra charge. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted, rather than booking as a guest, so you can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings.
See the train travel in Germany page for a beginner's guide to train travel in Germany, including how to buy tickets online or by phone and an explanation of the Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket and Lander tickets.

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Frankfurt to London...

See the London to Germany page for train times, fares, tickets and more information.

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Frankfurt to Paris from €39.90...

Superb German ICE3 trains and the occasional French TGV Duplex link Frankfurt (Main) Hbf with Paris Gare de l'Est in just 3h45 city centre to city centre several times a day. Faster than flying!
ICE3 trains have a restaurant car, TGV Duplex have a cafe-bar, both types 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.

Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or smartphone.
I recommend registering when prompted, rather than booking as a guest, so you can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings.
Tip: Click More means of transport and change admit changes to direct connections to see just the direct trains.

An ICE3 (class 407) to Paris at Frankfurt

A Frankfurt to Paris ICE3 boarding at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf. More information about ICE trains...


Bistro-restaurant car...		Lunch in the restaurant car...


2nd class seats...		1st class seats...

Frankfurt to Strasbourg from €29.90...

Frankfurt to Strasbourg takes as little as 1h51 on several direct trains per day, 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.
Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class or €49.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Check times & buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

Frankfurt to Lyon, Avignon, Marseille, Cannes, Nice...

Option 1, using the direct Frankfurt-Marseille TGV...

A TGV Duplex leaves Frankfurt (Main) Hbf every day at 13:57, arriving Lyon Part Dieu 19:56, Avignon TGV 21:11, Aix en Provence TGV 21:33 & Marseille St Charles 21:49.
The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views.
Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this train at www.bahn.de (in €, no booking fee) or www.raileurope.com (in €, £ or $, small booking fee). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.

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.
Next morning, take any train you like from Marseille St Charles to Cannes or Nice from €15 booked at www.raileurope.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or en.oui.sncf (in €, more fiddly, no fee). You print your own ticket.
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...

Day 1, travel from Frankfurt to Milan by direct ETR610 EuroCity train leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 08:01 every day arriving Milan Centrale at 15:50 after a scenic ride over the Gotthard route.
Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this at the German Railways website www.bahn.de (in €, no booking fee) or www.raileurope.com (in €, £ or $, using Raileurope means you can book all your tickets easily in one place, small booking fee). You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.

Stay overnight in Milan. Hotels near the station with good reviews: Made to Measure Business, 43 Station Hotel, Starhotel Echo or Starhotel Anderson.
Day 2, travel from Milan to the South of France by Thello train, leaving Milan Centrale at 07:10 arriving Nice Ville at 11:58. Change in Nice for local trains to Antibes, Cannes, and so on.
Fares start at €15 in 2nd class or €30 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this at www.raileurope.com. It's ticketless, you just quote the reference on board.

The direct TGV Duplex from Frankfurt to Marseille, ready to leave Frankfurt am Main Hbf...


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


1st class seats on the upper deck, a club duo on the left, a club quatre on the right. 360º photo.		The TGV to Marseille, boarding at Frankfurt am Main Hbf. You enter on the lower deck, with 9 stairs up to top deck.

Frankfurt to Brussels or Bruges from €29.90...

German ICE trains link Frankfurt (Main) Hbf with Brussels Midi several times a day, taking just 3h05.
These superb ICE trains have a bistro-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.
Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

Tip: Look for journeys with 0 changes. It can help to click More means of transport and change admit changes to direct connections.

Tip: www.bahn.de can book tickets from Frankfurt to any Belgian destination including as Bruges, Antwerp or Ghent as one transaction for one inclusive price, cheaper than buying a separate Belgian domestic ticket.

ICE3M to Cologne & Frankfurt, boarding at Brussels Midi

An ICE3M at Brussels Midi. More information about ICE trains...


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


Food is served on proper china with metal cutlery. I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier! See current month's menu.		Restaurant car: This is the small 12-seat restaurant on an ICE3M. ICE3 classes 403 & 407 have a larger restaurant area. Larger photo.

Frankfurt to Amsterdam from €29.90...

German ICE trains link Frankfurt (Main) Hbf with Amsterdam Centraal several times a day, taking just 3h57.
These superb ICE trains have a bistro-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.
Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class or €49.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

Buy tickets at the German Railways site www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: Look for journeys with 0 changes. It can help to click More means of transport and change admit changes to direct connections.

Tip: 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! See suggested hotels in Amsterdam.

An ICE3M to Frankfurt at Amsterdam Centraal. More information about ICE trains...

2nd class seats on an ICE3M. Larger photo.

1st class seats on an ICE3M. Larger photo.

Food is served on proper china with metal cutlery. I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier! See current month's menu.

Restaurant car: This is the small 12-seat restaurant on an ICE3M. ICE3 classes 403 & 407 have a larger restaurant area. Larger photo.

Frankfurt to Luxembourg from €20.90...

You can travel from Frankfurt to Luxembourg by train in as little as 3h49, with regular departures through the day.
Fares start at €20.90 in 2nd class or €27.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

Tip: To avoid journeys involving a rail replacement bus cluttering up the search results, click Add intermediate stops and enter Igel as a via station. 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. Avoid journeys involving a bus.

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Frankfurt to Basel, Zurich, Geneva & Switzerland from €37.90...

Superb German ICE trains link Frankfurt (Main) Hbf with Basel SBB (2h57) at least every hour through the day, many trains 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.

Fares start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book these trains at the German Railways website www.bahn.de, Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or smartphone.
You can book through tickets from Frankfurt to places like Luzern, Zermatt or St Moritz this way, at one cheap price if you pre-book. I recommend registering when prompted, rather than booking as a guest, so you can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings.

An ICE3 at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf. More information about ICE...

2nd class seats on an ICE3M. Larger photo.

1st class seats on an ICE3M. Larger photo.

Food is served on proper china with metal cutlery. I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier! See current month's menu.

Restaurant car: This is the small 12-seat restaurant on an ICE3M. ICE3 classes 403 & 407 have a larger restaurant area. Larger photo.

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Frankfurt to Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome & Italy from €39.90...

Option 1, in a day through the Alps - the scenic option...

Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Milan by EuroCity train, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 08:01 and arriving Milan Centrale at 15:50. This train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares from €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this train at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
This train started running in December 2017, 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.

Step 2, allowing at least 40 minutes between trains in Milan, take a high-speed Frecciarossa train from Milan Centrale to Venice, Florence, Rome & Naples. You can reach Venice Santa Lucia at 18:40, Florence SMN at 17:59, Rome Termini at 19:40.
Milan to Florence or Venice starts at €19.90 in 2nd class, €29.90 in 1st class. To Rome or Naples, from €29.90 2nd class, €39.90 1st class.
Book from Milan to anywhere in Italy 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). Booking normally opens 120 days ahead. It's ticketless, you just quote your booking reference on board.

Earlier or later departures are also possible, although you need to change twice, at both Zurich (or sometimes Basel SBB) and Milan. To find these journeys, use www.raileurope.com. As this connects to both the German & Italian ticketing systems it is capable of booking as one transaction.
Tip: Click More options and enter Milan (any station) as a via station, leaving stopover duration zero.

For Frankfurt-Zurich trains you print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or . For Zurich-Milan & onward Italian high-speed trains it's ticketless, you quote your booking reference on board.

ETR610 train at Milan Centrale, as used on the Frankfurt-Milan EuroCity train & Switzerland-Milan trains.


2nd class table for four, ideal for families...		1st class seats, 2+1 across car width. See larger photo.


The restaurant car on an ETR610...		Dinner in the diner, northbound...

Lake Maggiore, seen from a Milan to Basel train

This is Lake Maggiore, seen from the restaurant car of the 11:25 Milan to Basel EuroCity train over an excellent lunch of salmon tagliatelle & excellent Swiss red wine...

Option 2, by sleeper train - the time-effective option...

Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Munich by ICE train, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 15:54 and arriving Munich Hbf at 19:11 or (if going to Venice) leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 17:54 and arriving Munich Hbf at 21:10.
Fares start at €17.50 in 2nd class or €31.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

Tip: I recommend booking an earlier train to give more time for dinner in Munich before boarding your sleeper, check times at www.bahn.de. For typical Bavarian food & beer I recommend the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de) at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf, see walking map.

Step 2, travel from Munich to Italy by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Munich Hbf at 20:10 and arriving Bologna Centrale 05:20, Florence SMN 06:19 & Rome Termini 09:22 with a portion for Milan Porta Garibaldi arriving 08:10.
Another Nightjet sleeper train leaves Munich Hbf at 23:20 arriving Venice Santa Lucia at 08:34.

You can easily pick up either of these trains by taking a late afternoon train from Frankfurt to Munich.

These comfortable Austrian Nightjet trains each have an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.

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

Book the nightjet at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, more fiddly, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.

The Munich to Venice Nightjet, arrived at Venice Santa Lucia. More information about Nightjet trains.

Deluxe sleeper. Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room. Larger photo. Video of deluxe room

The same deluxe sleeper in evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out. Larger photo.

Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided. Larger photo.

Standard sleeper set up as 2-berth, washstand open. It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth. Larger photo.

6-berth couchettes...

4-berth couchettes...

Couchette car on the Nightjet train...

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

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

Day 1, take an afternoon or evening train from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Zurich HB in just 3h55, you can leave Frankfurt as late as 18:05, but by all means leave earlier and spend a pleasant evening in Zurich.
Fares start at €27.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

Stay overnight in Zurich. For something special, consider the wonderful Hotel Schweizerhof located right next to Zurich station. One of my favourite hotels, they'll even send a uniformed commissionaire to meet you at the station and carry your bags across the road. For something cheaper but also near the station with great reviews, try the Hotel du Théatre or Hotel St Gotthard. If you're on a budget you can book inexpensive private rooms in a one-star hotel or backpacker hostel near the station using www.hostelworld.com. Alternatively, you could stop overnight in the pleasant town of Chur instead.

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. You can reach Venice or Florence or Rome that evening. See the Bernina Express page for full details of schedule, prices and how to buy tickets.
If you follow my advice here you can book Zurich to Tirano in advance from just €29.90. Tirano to Milan is €12 bought at the station.

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

Bernina Express 1st class seats...

the Bernina Express uses panoramic carriages...

The Bernina Express descends from the Bernina Pass...

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Frankfurt to Sicily...

There are many and various ways to travel from Germany to Sicily with many possible stopovers on the way. But the simplest is as follows:

Day 1, travel from Frankfurt to Milan by bullet-nosed ETR610 EuroCity train, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 08:01 and arriving Milan Centrale at 15:50. There's a restaurant car, and all seats have power sockets. Enjoy an afternoon in Milan and have an early dinner there.

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

Book at the German Railways website www.bahn.de and print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

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.
Tip: For an early dinner in Milan I recommend the inexpensive and typically Italian restaurant Nobelsse Oblige (ristorantenoblesseoblige.com) 5 minutes walk from Milan Centrale, see walking map.

Day 1, travel from Milan to Sicily on Italy's longest train ride, an epic direct sleeper train leaving Milan Centrale at 20:10 every night and arriving next day (day 2) at Catania 14:32, Siracuse 15:48 with another portion to Palermo arriving 16:56.

This train has 4-berth Comfort couchettes and a sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments. 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! See the Trains to Sicily page for more information, photos & travel tips.

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 smartphone.

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Frankfurt to Barcelona, Madrid, Alicante, Malaga & Spain...

Option 1: Frankfurt to Spain in one day, by high-speed train...

Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 08:56 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est around 12:52.

The train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

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

Book this train at the German Railways website www.bahn.de (in €, no booking fee) and print your own ticket or show it on your smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

Alternatively, If you'd prefer to buy all your tickets together in one place, book at either 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 to the Gare de Lyon.

Step 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 15:08 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:46.

This train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. It's a fascinating journey with a lot to see on the way, from the Chateau de Montfaucon on the Rhone to Béziers cathedral to the flamingos in the south of France to Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees, see photos & video about this journey here. I recommend an upstairs seat on this 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck train for the best views.

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

Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both sites easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or en.oui.sncf (in €, more fiddly, no booking fee). Booking normally opens 120 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can select a mobile ticket to show on your smartphone.

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

Step 3, take an onward high-speed train from Barcelona Sants next morning...

For Madrid: AVE-S103 high-speed trains link Barcelona Sants with Madrid Atocha every hour or two in as little as 2h30 from €35.

For Cordoba & Seville: Take the direct AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Barcelona Sants at 08:30 arriving Cordoba 13:12 & Seville Santa Justa at 14:02. Fares start at €53.

For Malaga: Take the 09:00 AVE high-speed train to Madrid Atocha arriving 11:45, then the 13:00 AVE high-speed train to Malaga Maria Zambrano, arriving 16:05.

Alternatively, or why not spend a morning in Barcelona and take the afternoon 15:50 AVE S112 high-speed train to Cordoba, Seville & Malaga arriving in the evening? Fares for all these trains start at €45.

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

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

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

Buy tickets for these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (in £ or €, both easy to use, overseas 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 normally opens 60 days ahead, but it varies.

Option 2: Frankfurt to Spain with overnight stop in Marseille - avoids having to cross Paris...

Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Marseille by TGV Duplex leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 13:57 and arriving Marseille St Charles at 21:49.

The train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

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

Book this train at the German Railways website www.bahn.de (in €, no booking fee), Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

Alternatively, If you'd prefer to buy all your tickets together in one place, book at either 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.

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.

Step 2, travel from Marseille to Barcelona or Madrid by AVE-S100 high-speed train leaving Marseille St Charles at 08:02 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 12:34 and Madrid Atocha at 15:41. The train has a cafe-bar, and power sockets at all seats.

Marseille-Barcelona starts at €25 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both sites easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website en.oui.sncf (in €, more fiddly, no fee). Booking normally opens 120 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your smartphone.

Step 3, take an onward high-speed train from Barcelona to Madrid, Seville, Malaga etc, for example a daily direct AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 15:50 for Malaga, Cordoba & Seville, arriving in the evening.

Find trains & buy tickets using www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, 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). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but it varies.

Step 1, Frankfurt to Marseille by direct TGV Duplex, seen here ready to leave Frankfurt am Main Hbf...

The cafe-bar on the upper deck in car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks & microwave-style hot dishes...

2nd class seats, this is upper deck seating. There's a mix or tables for 4 and unidirectional seating. 360º photo.

1st class seats on the upper deck, with a club duo on the left, a club quatre on the right. 360º photo.

The TGV to Marseille, boarding at Frankfurt am Main Hbf. You enter on the lower deck, with 9 stairs up to top deck.

Step 2, Marseille to Barcelona by AVE... Above, an AVE-S100 at Barcelona Sants.

1st class seats on an AVE S100. 360º photo of 1st class.

Cafe-bar...

These S100 AVE trains operate the TGV/AVE services from Madrid to Marseille, Barcelona to Lyon, Toulouse. This is an AVE-S100 at Barcelona Sants.

2nd class seats on the S100 AVE, all with power sockets. Luggage goes on the racks at the car ends or above the seats. 360º photo of 2nd class More photos & info about AVE S100.

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

Option 3: Frankfurt to Spain with overnight stop in Paris...

Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 16:58 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est around 20:41.

Or there's a later train around 18:56 daily except Saturdays arriving Paris Gare de l'Est around 22:52.

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

Book this train at the German Railways website www.bahn.de (in €, no booking fee) & print your own ticket or show it on your smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

Alternatively, If you'd prefer to buy all your tickets together in one place, book at either 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 to the Gare de Lyon.

Stay overnight in Paris, see suggested hotels near the Gare de Lyon.

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

From late May June to late August there's usually also an earlier departure from Paris at 07:14 arriving Barcelona Sants at 13:40.

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

Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both sites easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website en.oui.sncf (in €, more fiddly, no fee). Booking normally opens 120 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can select a mobile ticket to show on your smartphone.

Step 3, now take an onward high-speed train from Barcelona to Madrid, Valencia, Alicante...

Same-day connections to Madrid, Valencia & Alicante are possible off both the 07:14 and 10:14 departures from Paris. If you take the 07:14 from Paris (summer only) you can connect with a direct AVE leaving Barcelona at 15:50 arriving Malaga, Cordoba & Seville in the evening. If you take the 10:14 TGV from Paris (all year) a same-day connection to Cordoba, Malaga or Seville is not possible, so you'll need to stay the night then there's an 08:30 AVE next morning.

Find trains & buy tickets using www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, much more fiddly, rejects some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but it varies.

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Frankfurt to San Sebastian...

Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Paris by high-speed ICE leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 06:56 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 10:52.
The ICE has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

Book this train at the German Railways website www.bahn.de (in €, no booking fee) & print your own ticket or show it on your smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

Alternatively, If you'd prefer to buy all your tickets together in one place, book at either 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.
Change stations in Paris by metro or taxi.

Step 2, travel from Paris to Hendaye by TGV Duplex Océane, leaving Paris Gare Montparnasse at 12:52 and arriving Hendaye at 17:36.
The high-speed double-deck TGV Duplex Océane 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, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both sites easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website en.oui.sncf (in €, more fiddly, no fee).

Booking for French trains opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can select a mobile ticket to show on your smartphone.

Step 3, walk out of Hendaye station and turn right, the little Euskotren station is in a corner of the main station forecourt. Buy a ticket for €2.75 at the station from the machines or staffed counter and hop on the next half-hourly Euskotren metro from Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara station, journey time 37 minutes. See the Paris to San Sebastian page for more information, photos & tips.

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

Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Paris by high-speed ICE leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 06:56 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 10:52.
Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

Book this train at the German Railways website www.bahn.de (in €, no booking fee) & print your own ticket or show it on your smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

Alternatively, If you'd prefer to buy all your tickets together in one place, book at either 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.
Change stations in Paris by metro or taxi.

Step 2, travel from Paris to Hendaye by TGV Duplex Océane, leaving Paris Gare Montparnasse at 12:52 and arriving Hendaye at 17:36.
The high-speed double-deck TGV Duplex Océane 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, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both sites easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website en.oui.sncf (in €, more fiddly, no fee). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your smartphone.

Step 3, travel from Hendaye to Lisbon overnight on the Sud Express sleeper train leaving Hendaye at 18:35 and arriving Lisbon Oriente at 07:20 and Lisbon Santa Apolonia at 07:30 next morning. See more information about the Sud Express.
Fares start at €37 with bed in a tourist class 4-bed sleeper, €132 with a bed in a preferente 2-bed sleeper, or €148 with a bed in a 2-bed gran clase sleeper with shower & toilet.
Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. Booking for this train only opens 60 days ahead, sometimes less than this, although sometimes more, give it a try but be aware that this can be the limiting factor. You can also book at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com, much more fiddly, rejects some overseas credit cards, in €.

For Porto, book a connecting ticket from Lisbon Santa Apolonia to Porto Campanhã at the Portuguese Railways website www.cp.pt, which is the only site that can book Portuguese trains. You print your own ticket. Alfa Pendular 125mph tilting trains or slightly slower InterCity trains leave regularly.

For the Algarve, change at Lisbon Oriente for a train to Faro or Albufeira, book this at the Portuguese Railways website www.cp.pt and print your own ticket.

See the London to Portugal page for full details of the Paris-Lisbon journey with photos, simply disregard the London to Paris bit. If necessary, travel from Cologne to Paris the night before and stop over in Paris.

The Sud Express, about to leave Irun on the Franco-Spanish frontier, bound for Lisbon... Courtesy of Ron Baker. See panorama photo...

Gran Clase sleeper, in evening mode with the seats folded out...

....return from the bar to find the attendant has made up the beds...

Gran Clase private toilet & shower...

The trainhotel's café-bar serves drinks & food. Grab a barstool early, it gets crowded later on!

4-berth tourist class sleepers (Turista Cama) are cosy & inexpensive. They convert from beds to seats as shown. See panorama photo of 4-berth tourist sleeper.

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Frankfurt to Andorra...

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

Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Paris by ICE train, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 06:56 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 10:38.
The ICE 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 €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

Change stations in Paris by metro or taxi. Always allow at least 70 minutes between trains in Paris.

Step 2, travel from Paris to Toulouse by high-speed TGV, one usually leaves Paris Montparnasse at 13:52 arriving Toulouse Matabiau 18:10.
Fares start from €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

Have dinner in Toulouse...

Step 3, travel from Toulouse Matabiau station to Andorra la Vella by bus, taking 4 hours, fare €33. There are 3 services every day run by Andbus, check times at www.andorrabybus.com. I'd allow at least an hour between train and bus in Toulouse, just in case of delay. There's normally a bus leaving Toulouse Matabiau station (bus stand 15) at 20:00 arriving Andorra at midnight.

How to buy tickets...
Buy a ticket from Frankfurt to Toulouse Matabiau at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website en.oui.sncf (more fiddly, in €, but no fee). If necessary, book Frankfurt-Paris & Paris-Toulouse separately, to get sufficient time between trains in Paris. You print your own ticket or can choose a mobile ticket.
Buy the bus ticket at www.andorrabybus.com.

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

Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 16:56 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 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 €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the German Railways website www.bahn.de (in €, no fee). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.

Change stations in Paris by metro or taxi. I'd allow at least 90 minutes between trains in Paris when catching a sleeper you don't want to miss. Indeed, why not leave earlier 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?

Step 2, take the Intercité de Nuit couchette train leaving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 22:12 and arriving l'Hospitalet pres l'Andorre at 08:46.
This train has 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes & reclining seats. Fares start at €35 including a couchette.

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

Step 3, take a taxi or taxi+bus from l'Hospitalet station to Andorra La Vella as explained on the London to Andorra page - just disregard the London-Paris part.

Alternatively, you can travel from Paris to Toulouse on the same night train, leaving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 22:12 and arriving Toulouse Matabiau at 06:00. Have breakfast in Toulouse (I can recommend the breakfast buffet at the Pullman Hotel around the corner from the station), then take a bus to Andorra la Vella. A bus run by Andbus (www.andorrabybus.com) leaves from outside Toulouse Matabiau station (bus stand 15) at 11:00, arriving Andorra la Vella bus station at 15:00. This is also explained in more detail on the London to Andorra page.

The intercité de nuit overnight train from Paris to Latour de Carol has 1st class 4-berth & 2nd class 6-berth couchettes, each with lightweight sleeping-bag & mineral water...

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Frankfurt to Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck & Austria from €27.90...

Option 1, by daytime trains...

Comfortable ICE trains with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi link Frankfurt (Main) Hbf with Vienna Hbf in 6h24.
There are also trains between Frankfurt and other cities in Austria, including Salzburg, Hallstatt, Graz or Innsbruck.

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

Check train times and buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: 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.

An ICE-T from Frankfurt to Vienna, at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf. More information about ICE-T.

Table for two in 1st class, my favourite configuration. There are also tables for four in both classes.

Lunch in the restaurant. In 1st class you can choose to be served at your seat. I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier!

You can see into the cab at each end of the train.

Comfortable 2nd class seats on the ICE-T to Vienna...

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

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Frankfurt to Copenhagen & Denmark from €39.90...

You can easily travel from Frankfurt to Copenhagen by ICE train & Danish Intercity train, for example:
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 07:58, change at Hamburg Hbf, arrive Copenhagen at 17:33.

Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 11:58, change at Hamburg Hbf, arrive Copenhagen at 21:33.

The ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi - take a good book, sit back and enjoy the ride. The Hamburg to Copenhagen Intercity trains also call at Kolding (for Legoland) & Odense. See photos, tips & information for the Hamburg to Copenhagen intercity train.

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

Book at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your smartphone or laptop. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: I recommend clicking Add intermediate stops and entering Hamburg Hbf with a stopover duration of 00:40 (= at least 40 minutes), to get a robust 1h18 connection in Hamburg (with time for a coffee or beer!) rather than an 18-minute one. The times above take that into account.

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

Boarding a Danish IC3 train at Hamburg Hbf...

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

2nd class seats on a IC3 train. Larger photo.

An IC3 train to Copenhagen at Hamburg.

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Frankfurt to Stockholm, Gothenburg & Malmö from €59.90...

Option 1, by daytime trains with an overnight stop in Hamburg...

Step 1, travel from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Hamburg Hbf by ICE train in 3h37, there are regular departures right up until the evening.

Stay overnight in Hamburg. The Hotel Reichshoff Hamburg is just 200m from the station, features art deco-based design and gets great reviews. Other hotels next to Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget, private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf start at around £33 for one person or £49 for two people booked at www.hostelworld.com.

Step 2, travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen by Danish IC3 intercity train, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:55 and arriving Copenhagen 13:33.

Step 3 for Stockholm, travel from Copenhagen to Stockholm by X2000 train leaving Copenhagen at 14:19 & arriving Stockholm Central 19:36.
The German Railways sell through fares from Frankfurt to Stockholm from €59.90 in 2nd class.

Book from Hamburg to Stockholm at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. To build in the overnight stop in Hamburg, click Add intermediate stops and enter Hamburg Hbf as a via station with a suitable stopover duration, say 11 hours, in the hh:mm box. I have set up this special link to Bahn.de for you, just enter your date of travel and number of passengers. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

Step 3 for Malmö or Gothenburg, Öresund Link trains run every half hour from Copenhagen to Malmo taking 39 minutes, and hourly from Copenhagen to Gothenburg taking 3h53.
The German Railways sell through fares from Frankfurt to Malmö or Gothenburg from €56.90 in 2nd class.

Book from Hamburg to Malmö or Gothenburg (listed as Goteborg Central) at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. To build in the overnight stop in Hamburg, click Add intermediate stops and enter Hamburg Hbf as a via station with a suitable stopover duration, say 11 hours, in the hh:mm box. I have set up this special link to Bahn.de for you, just enter your date of travel and number of passengers. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.

Step 3 for Oslo & Norway, travel as far as Copenhagen, then take the overnight cruise ferry with bars, restaurants and en suite cabins to Oslo, She sails from Copenhagen daily around 16:30, arriving in Oslo around 09:45.
Book the trains from Frankfurt to Copenhagen from €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. To build in the overnight stop in Hamburg, click Add intermediate stops and enter Hamburg Hbf as a via station with a suitable stopover duration, say 11 hours, in the hh:mm box. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.

Book the Copenhagen-Oslo overnight ferry at www.dfds.co.uk.

Option 2, by daytime trains with an overnight stop in Copenhagen...

Day 1, travel from Frankfurt to Copenhagen by ICE train & Danish Intercity train, for example:
Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 07:58, change at Hamburg Hbf, arrive Copenhagen at 17:33.

Leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 11:58, change at Hamburg Hbf, arrive Copenhagen at 21:33.

The ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi - take a good book, sit back and enjoy the ride. See photos, tips & information for the Hamburg to Copenhagen intercity train.

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

Day 2, if travelling to Stockholm: Travel from Copenhagen to Stockholm by X2000 train in around 5h11, there are regular departures. There's usually one leaving Copenhagen around 08:19 arriving Stockholm Central 13:35, by all means have a leisurely breakfast and take a later one.

Day 2, if travelling to Gothenburg or Oslo: Travel from Copenhagen to Gothenburg (= Göteborg Central) by hourly Öresund train, journey time 3h53. For Oslo, take the 09:27, change at Gothenburg and arrive Oslo Sentral (= Oslo S) at 17:51.

How much does it cost?
German Railways sell Sparpreis tickets from Frankfurt to Malmö, Gothenburg or Stockholm from €59.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. The fare varies, book early for the best prices.

How to check times & buy tickets...
If travelling to Stockholm or Gothenburg, go to www.bahn.de and book from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Stockholm or Göteborg Central with a morning departure selected, but to see these cheap fares you must click Add intermediate stops, enter Copenhagen in the via box and a time of (say) 12:00 in the hh:mm stopover box. This will give you a 12-hour stopover in Copenhagen. Click here for a link to bahn.de which I've set up for you. Adjust the overnight stopover time as necessary to get the trains you want, a little trial & error is often needed!

If travelling to Oslo, go to www.bahn.de and book from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Göteborg Central with a afternoon departure selected, but to see the cheap fares you must click Add intermediate stops enter Copenhagen in the via box and a time of say 12:00 in the hh:mm stopover box. Click here for a link to bahn.de which I've set up for you. Adjust the overnight stopover time as necessary to get the trains you want. Now add a connecting Gothenburg to Oslo S ticket using either www.vy.no or www.sj.se.

A Danish IC3 train at Copenhagen station...

1st class seats on an IC3 train...

2nd class seats on an IC3 train...

Boarding a train to Copenhagen in Hamburg.

The view from your seat as the IC3 train slowly runs onto the Puttgarden-Rødby ferry. Courtesy of Adina Bogert-O'Brien. Interior & Hamburg photos above courtesy of DiscoverbyRail.com.

A Copenhagen-Stockholm X2000 train boarding at Copenhagen main station...

2nd class seats on an X2000 train from Copenhagen to Stockholm.

X2000 bistro car...

X2000 bistro car seating area...

Bistro self-service...

Winter scenery from a train between Copenhagen & Stockholm. Courtesy of Radoslav Sharapanov

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Frankfurt to Oslo & Norway...

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

See the section above.

Option 2, Frankfurt to Oslo via the Kiel-Oslo Color Line cruise ferry - the most luxurious & scenic route to Oslo...

Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Kiel, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 05:06 Mondays-Saturdays, arriving Kiel at 10:10. On Sundays, leave at 05:50, changing in Hamburg, arriving 10:57.
Fares start at €17.50 in 2nd class or €26.40 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
In Kiel it's just a 5-6 minute walk from Kiel Hbf to the Color Line ferry terminal, but allow several hours between trains and ferry for the ferry check-in and in case of any delay.

Step 2, sail from Kiel to Oslo by luxurious overnight Color Line ferry, with a full range of en suite cabins, suites, bars, restaurants and lounges. The m/v Magic or m/v Fantasy normally sails at 14:00 arriving Oslo at 10:00 next morning.
Check times & buy tickets using the Direct Ferries website or at www.colorline.com. You print your own ticket.
Make sure you're on deck next morning as the ship sails through spectacular scenery up Oslo Fjord. The ship docks at the modern Color Line terminal about 2 km from the city centre. Color Line provide transfer buses to Oslo Sentral station costing 55 krone, or there are plenty of taxis. If you have little luggage it's possible to walk. See map of Oslo showing ferry terminal.

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

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

A 5 Star Suite on the ferry...

More cruise liner than ferry! The restaurant.

Wake up to this....

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Frankfurt to Helsinki & Finland...

Option 1, using a Finnlines ferry from Germany to Helsinki - the easiest option...

Day 1, travel from Frankfurt to Hamburg by ICE train, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 14:58 and arriving Hamburg Hbf 18:35.

Fares start at €27.90 in 2nd class or €56.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book this train at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or smartphone.
I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

Day 1, transfer from Hamburg Hbf to the Travemünde ferry terminal by local train+bus and sail from Travemünde to Helsinki with Finnlines.

Finnlines sail from Travemünde in northern Germany to Helsinki every day, boarding from 22:30 to 24:00 and arriving Helsinki Vuosaari ferry terminal at 09:00 2 nights later (Day 3 from Frankfurt). See the Trains from Hamburg page for full details.

Check sailing dates, times & book the ferry at www.finnlines.com or using the Direct Ferries website.

Book onward trains within Finland at the Finnish Railways website www.vr.fi.

One of Finnlines 3 star class ferries to Helsinki. Courtesy of Finnlines.

Cabin on the ferry...

Option 2, by train to Stockholm, then ferry to Helsinki...

Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Stockholm as shown above.

Step 2, travel from Stockholm to Helsinki either by direct overnight cruise ferry, or by daytime or overnight ferry to Turku and connecting train to Helsinki as shown on the Trains & ferries from Stockholm page.

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Frankfurt to Prague from €16 - yes, really...

Option 1, the fastest & cheapest route via Cheb - all train, no buses, from €16 - or €30 in 1st class!

Go to the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz, change the Czech flag to the UK flag for English at top right, enter Frankfurt (Main) to Prague and - this is the important bit - click More options then Travel via and enter Cheb in the via box. Booking opens 90 days ahead.
In the search results, you should see journeys taking around 6h58 with fares from just €16 (around 442 Czech koruna) in 2nd class or €30 (800 koruna) in 1st class. They all involve taking a smart German ICE train from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Nuremberg, a fast regional train to Cheb, then a swish air-conditioned Czech regional express similar to this one to Prague Hlavni. For example,

Frankfurt (Main) Hbf depart 08:22, Prague Hlavni arrive 15:21.

Frankfurt (Main) Hbf depart 10:22, Prague Hlavni arrive 17:21.

Frankfurt (Main) Hbf depart 12:22, Prague Hlavni arrive 19:21.

Frankfurt (Main) Hbf depart 14:21, Prague Hlavni arrive 21:21.

You print your own ticket. Simples! And so much nicer than enduring a bus.
There's nothing cut-rate about the trains on this route: You take top-quality high-speed ICE train from Frankfurt to Nuremberg with restaurant car & free WiFi, then a swish German air-conditioned regional train from Nuremberg to Cheb and a comfy air-conditioned Czech express train from Cheb to Prague with refreshment trolley and free WiFi. See more photos, video guide, information & tips on travel to Prague via Cheb.

Cheb station, en route from Brussels to Prague

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


Scenery between Nuremberg & Cheb. Courtesy of Arnaud Loneux.		Hills & forest between Cheb & Prague. Courtesy of Arnaud Loneux.

Option 2, the scenic route via Dresden, from €39.90...

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 photos of the Dresden-Prague scenery here.
Frankfurt (Main) Hbf depart 07:16, change at Dresden Hbf, arriving Prague Hlavni 15:36.

Frankfurt (Main) Hbf depart 09:20, change at Dresden Hbf, arriving Prague Hlavni 17:36.

Frankfurt (Main) Hbf depart 11:20, change at Dresden Hbf, arriving Prague Hlavni 19:36.

Frankfurt (Main) Hbf depart 13:20, change at Dresden Hbf, arriving Prague Hlavni 21:36.

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 elegant restaurant car along the scenic Elbe valley. Sit on the left hand side of the train for the best river views.
Fares start at €27.90 in 2nd class or €36.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Go to the German Railways website www.bahn.de and book from Frankfurt to Prague, but before running the enquiry click Add intermediate stops and enter Dresden in the via box. I've set up this link to bahn.de for you, just enter your date and time.
Tip: Look for options with just 1 change. In fact, you can force it to only offer 1-change journeys by clicking More means of transport and changing admit changes to direct connections in both the drop-down boxes.

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Stopover in Dresden? If you'd like to spend a few hours exploring Dresden on the way, no problem, click Add intermediate stops, enter Dresden and any stopover time up to 48:00 hours in the hh:mm stopover box. Dresden is well worth a stop, even for a few hours, left luggage lockers are available.


So civilised! A meal in the Czech restaurant car as the Berlin-Prague express snakes along the beautiful Elbe river south of Dresden. See more photos, tips & info for the Dresden to Prague train ride. Photo courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry.

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Frankfurt to Cesky Krumlov & other Czech destinations...

You can book from Frankfurt to almost anywhere in the Czech Republic at the German Railways website www.bahn.de with through fares from €37.90. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.

Tip: Also check times & prices using the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz. On cd.cz, booking normally opens 90 days ahead.

For Cesky Krumlov (a lovely town, and the second most-visited place in the Czech Republic, see the Cesky Krumlov page) you need to book to Ceske Budejovice, not Cesky Krumlov, because the branch line between Ceske Budejovice and Cesky Krumlov is now run by private operator GWTR and German Railways can no longer ticket that part.

So book from Frankfurt to Ceske Budejovice at www.bahn.de from €27.90, then buy the local ticket from Ceske Budejovice to Cesky Krumlov either at the station in Ceske Budejovice 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 Ceske Budejovice to Cesky 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 www.bahn.de then book Linz to Ceske Budejovice at www.cd.cz. It's a short connection in Linz, so I'd actually book Frankfurt-Passau at www.bahn.de then Passau-Ceske Budejovice 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.

For Karlovy Vary or Plzen, book at www.bahn.de, looking for 3-change options via Frankfurt, Nuremberg & Cheb from €18.90.

For Brno, book Frankfurt to Brno at www.bahn.de. It tends to route you via Vienna, as this is slightly quicker. By all means click Add intermediate stops and enter Prague, this can be cheaper. By adding a stopover duration of a suitable number of hours, you can have an overnight stop there.

Frankfurt to Bratislava from €39.90...

Take a luxurious ICE train from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Vienna Hbf in 6h24 and change onto the hourly Regional Express train from Vienna Hbf to Bratislava Hlavna taking 1h07.
Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Check train times & buy tickets at the German Railways website www.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. You print your own ticket, though in this case it cannot be shown on a smartphone, it must be printed. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

Tip: If you'd like more time in Vienna between trains - perhaps a stop for lunch or even overnight - simply click Add intermediate stops before running the enquiry at bahn.de, enter Vienna Hbf and a stopover duration up to 48 hours, and you'll still get a ticket from Frankfurt to Bratislava from €39.90, but with a pre-programmed stopover in Vienna.

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 €11.20 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.


The hourly regional express train from Vienna to Bratislava Hlavna, about to leave from Vienna Hbf. More about these Vienna-Bratislava trains.

Frankfurt to Poprad Tatry & Kosice

You can book from Frankfurt to Poprad-Tatry or Kosice at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.
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.
Tip: It can help to click Add intermediate stops and enter Bratislava as a via station.
Tip: You might want to break up the journey with an overnight stop in Vienna or Bratislava. click Add intermediate stops and enter Bratislava hl.st. or Vienna Hbf as a via station with a suitable overnight stopover duration. Adjust the departure time and stopover duration to get the trains you want either side of your overnight stop.

Frankfurt to Budapest from €39.90...

Option 1, by daytime trains - the leisurely daytime option...

Take a luxurious ICE-T train from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Vienna, then a smart Austrian railjet train or Hungarian EuroCity train to Budapest:
Frankfurt (Main) Hbf depart 06:21, change at Vienna Meidling, arriving Budapest Keleti 16:19.
Frankfurt (Main) Hbf depart 08:22, change at Vienna Meidling, arriving Budapest Keleti 18:19.
Frankfurt (Main) Hbf depart 10:22, change at Vienna Meidling, arriving Budapest Keleti 20:19.
Frankfurt (Main) Hbf depart 12:22, change at Vienna Hbf, arriving Budapest Keleti 22:19.

Frankfurt (Main) Hbf depart 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, take a bottle of wine and put your feet up...
Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Book at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket, although in this case it must be printed out, it cannot be shown on a mobile device. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

Important tip: You should specify Budapest Keleti as your destination rather than the generic BUDAPEST. If you use plain BUDAPEST the journey planner sometimes finds the privately-run Regiojet IC trains (which go to Budapest Deli station and which it can't sell tickets for) as the fastest onward connection from Vienna, and therefore can't sell that departure from Frankfurt. If you specify Budapest Keleti it always finds a normal Austrian or Hungarian Railways train to Budapest Keleti so cheap fares now appear for that departure from Frankfurt. Easy when you know!

A railjet train about to leave Munich Hbf

A railjet to Budapest about to leave Munich Hbf...


Railjet first class, with black leather seats...		Business class...		The restaurant...


Economy class on RailJet, in open saloons with picture windows. Some seats around tables, most unidirectional.		The RailJet from Munich, arrived at Budapest Keleti spot on time. More photos & information about Railjet trains.

Option 2, using the Munich-Budapest sleeper train - the safe, comfortable, time-saving option...

Step 1, travel from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Munich Hbf by ICE train in 3h15 on any evening train you like.

You can leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 18:54 but how about taking the earlier 17:54 and having dinner in Munich? For typical Bavarian cooking I recommend the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de) at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf, see walking map.

Fares start at €17.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

Book this at the German Railways website www.bahn.de, you print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. Tip: Book the sleeper first & confirm times, then add a suitable Frankfurt-Munich train.

Step 2, take the Hungarian sleeper train Kalman Imre leaving Munich Hbf at 23:20 and arriving Budapest Keleti at 09:19.

This train has a comfortable air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, see the Hungarian sleeping-car video, an air-conditioned Hungarian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. The sleeper fare includes morning tea or coffee.

Fares start at €49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, €59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, €69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, €88.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas 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.


*The overnight sleeper Kalman Imre* from Munich to Budapest...**		2-bed sleeper. Larger photo


6-berth couchettes...		4-berth couchettes		Hungarian couchette car at Munich

Frankfurt to Brasov & Bucharest from €79...

Option 1, using the sleeper train Dacia Express from Vienna to Romania - the fastest & most comfortable option...

Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Vienna by ICE-T high-speed train, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 12:22 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 18:45.

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

Buy tickets at the German Railways site www.bahn.de & print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Step 2, travel from Vienna to Romania on the Dacia Express, leaving Vienna Hbf at 19:42 every day and arriving Sighisoara 10:34, Brasov 13:35 & Bucharest Gara de Nord at 16:04.

The Dacia Express has a modern air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, plus several deluxe compartments with en suite 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 or two. A bar-bistro is then attached in the morning between Arad & Bucharest, serving drinks, snacks and breakfast. There's wonderful almost Alpine scenery through the Carpathian mountains between Brasov and Bucharest, a real treat...

Fares start at €59 with a couchette in a 6-berth compartment, €69 with a couchette in a 4-berth compartment, €79 with a bed in a 3-berth sleeper, €99 with a bed in a 3-berth sleeper or €159 with a bed in a single-berth sleeper all to yourself. All per person per berth.

Book this train at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at. Booking normally opens 90 days ahead. In the search results, look for the direct train marked D with no changes. You collect tickets from an ÖBB ticket machine in Vienna.

The Dacia Express couchette car at Vienna Hbf. Always book a couchette not just a seat. Couchettes convert from seats by day to bunks at night.

4 or 6-berth couchettes. Larger photo.

A 1, 2 or 3-bed sleeper with washbasin. Larger photo.

The Dacia Express arrived at Sighisoara. Sleepers convert from beds to private sitting rooms for day use. Courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry.

Enjoy breakfast in the bar-bistro eastbound, or an evening beer westbound, as a bar-bistro is attached in Romania to both the Ister & Dacia Express. Bar-bistro photos courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry.

Option 2, using the sleeper train Ister from Budapest to Romania...

Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Budapest with 1 easy change of train, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 06:21 arriving Budapest Keleti at 16:19.

Book this at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. You print your own ticket, although in this case it must be printed out, it cannot be shown on a mobile device. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

Important tip: You should specify Budapest Keleti as your destination rather than the generic BUDAPEST. If you use plain BUDAPEST the journey planner sometimes finds the privately-run Regiojet IC trains (which go to Budapest Deli station and which it can't sell tickets for) as the fastest onward connection from Vienna, and therefore can't sell that departure from Frankfurt. If you specify Budapest Keleti it always finds a normal Austrian or Hungarian Railways train to Budapest Keleti so cheap fares now appear for that departure from Frankfurt.

Step 2, travel from Budapest to Romania on the sleeper train Ister, leaving Budapest Keleti at 19:10 and arriving Brasov 09:54 & Bucharest Gara de Nord at 12:33 next day.

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 (although a bar-bistro is usually attached within Romania) 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.

Book this train at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro. Click EN top right for English. Booking opens 60 days ahead. For Bucharest type Bucuresti. It can book seats, couchettes or sleepers. For Hungary to Romania journeys you print your own ticket.
You can also normally 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 smartphone. However, since MAV revamped its website in 2020, it can't book couchettes or sleepers, only seats, though this should be fixed at some point.

Option 3, by daytime trains with overnight stop in Budapest - if you prefer daytime trains & hotels to sleeper trains...

Day 1, travel from Frankfurt to Budapest on any departure you like, as shown in the Frankfurt to Budapest section above.

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

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

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

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

Frankfurt to Ljubljana or Zagreb from €29...

Option 1, by daytime trains...

A direct EuroCity train leaves Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 08:20 arriving Lesce-Bled 17:50, Ljubljana 18:33 & Zagreb 20:53.

The train has comfortable air-conditioned Austrian coaches, an elegant Austrian restaurant car is attached from Frankfurt as far as 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.

Note that on departure from Frankfurt, only one 1st class compartment car, one 2nd class compartment car & one 2nd class open-plan car go through to Ljubljana & Zagreb, the rest of the EuroCity Blauer Enzian goes to Klagenfurt. The through cars to Ljubljana & Zagreb are detached at Villach and attached to two Slovenian cars to become the EuroCity Mimara from Villach to Zagreb.

If you like, you can check the train formation & see carriage photos & seat numbering plans using www.vagonweb.cz - Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Austria, click EC then select EC113 Blauer Enzian.

Important: Engineering work affecting the Munich-Ljubljana-Zagreb route until at least 31 July 2021... Major engineering work has closed the Karawanks Tunnel between Austria & Slovenia until at least 31 July 2021, and normal train service is suspended. To find alternatives, run a Munich-Ljubljana or Munich-Zagreb enquiry at the German Railways site www.bahn.de. You'll find Munich-Ljubljana services with 1 change at Villach onto a rail replacement bus. You'll find Munich-Zagreb journeys by train via the alternative Maribor route with 1 or 2 changes.

Fares to Ljubljana or Zagreb start at just €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at the German Railways website, www.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

Scenery in the Austrian Alps between Munich & Ljubljana

Through the Austrian Alps... Clinging to the mountainside high in the Austrian Alps, the train snakes along between snow-capped mountains, absolutely wonderful...


2nd class seats in an open-plan saloon. See larger photo.		2nd class seats in a compartment. See larger photo.


...and along the Sava river in Slovenia. Now across the border in Slovenia, the EuroCity train runs along the pretty River Sava all the way to Ljubljana and Zagreb...		1st class seats in an Austrian 6-seat compartment with side corridor as used on the Blauer Enzian/Mimara...

Option 2, using the excellent Munich-Zagreb sleeper train - safe, comfortable & time-effective...

Step 1, travel from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Munich Hbf on any evening ICE train arriving in Munich before 22:20, as I'd recommend allowing at least an hour between trains in Munich.

You could leave Frankfurt as late as 18:54, but how about taking the earlier 17:54 and having dinner in Munich? For typical Bavarian cooking & good Bavarian 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 €17.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

Book this at the German Railways website www.bahn.de, you print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. Tip: Book the sleeper first & confirm times, then add a suitable Frankfurt-Munich train.
Step 2, travel from Munich to Ljubljana or Zagreb by sleeper train, leaving Munich Hbf at 23:20, arriving Ljubljana at 05:57 & Zagreb at 08:35.

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.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways own site www.oebb.at (same prices, in €, more fiddly). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

Important: Munich-Ljubljana-Zagreb sleeper train cancelled until at least 31 July 2021... Major engineering work has closed the Karawanks Tunnel between Austria & Slovenia until at least 31 July 2021, and the Munich-Zagreb sleeper train is temporarily cancelled. Please use another option until this work is completed and the sleeper train resumes, for example option 4 below.


The sleeping-car on the Lisinski: The modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car of the Lisinski from Munich to Zagreb has 10 compartments with washbasin, each of which can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth room, with toilets at the end of the corridor. Above left, the sleeper arrived at Zagreb.


The couchette car on the Lisinski has modern air-conditioned 6-berth and 4-berth compartments. Above right, the westbound train is seen boarding at Zagreb. See panorama photo.

Scenery between Ljubljana, Zagreb & Belgrade

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

Frankfurt to Belgrade, Sofia, Montenegro...

Step 1, travel from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Munich Hbf on any evening ICE train arriving in Munich before 22:20, as I'd recommend allowing at least an hour between trains in Munich.

You could leave Frankfurt as late as 18:54, but how about taking the earlier 17:54 and having dinner in Munich? For typical Bavarian cooking & good Bavarian 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 €17.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

Book this at the German Railways website www.bahn.de, you print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. Tip: Book the sleeper first & confirm times, then add a suitable Frankfurt-Munich train.
Step 2, travel from Munich to Zagreb by sleeper train, leaving Munich Hbf at 23:20, arriving Zagreb at 08:35.

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.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways own site www.oebb.at (same prices, in €, more fiddly). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

Important: Munich-Ljubljana-Zagreb sleeper train cancelled until at least 31 July 2021... Major engineering work has closed the Karawanks Tunnel between Austria & Slovenia until at least 31 July 2021, and the Munich-Zagreb sleeper train is temporarily cancelled. Please use another option until this work is completed and the sleeper train resumes, for example option 4 below.

Step 3, travel from Zagreb to Belgrade by train. Until 31 July 2021 it leaves Zagreb at 13:04 arriving Novi Beograd 20:17 & Belgrade Centar at 20:25. From 1 August 2021 it leaves Zagreb at 11:04 arriving Novi Beograd 18:04 & Belgrade Centar at 18:12.

This train has air-conditioned Serbian carriages with comfortable 2nd class seats, but no 1st class. There's no 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.

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

Step 4 for Montenegro, transfer to Belgrade Topcider station and either take the overnight sleeper Lovcen to Podgorica and Bar arriving in the morning on day 3, or stay overnight in Belgrade and take the daytime train Tara next day. See the Belgrade to Montenegro page for schedule, fares & how to buy tickets.


*The Lisinski* sleeper train from Munich to Zagreb.** This is sleeping-car on the Lisinski arrived at Zagreb. The modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car of the Lisinski from Munich to Zagreb has 10 compartments with washbasin, each of which can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth room, with toilets at the end of the corridor. See larger sleeper photo. See the Croatian sleeper video.


The couchette car on the Lisinski has modern air-conditioned 6-berth and 4-berth compartments. Above right, the westbound train is seen boarding at Zagreb. See panorama photo.

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

Frankfurt to Warsaw & Krakow from €37.90...

Option 1, Frankfurt to Warsaw by in a single day from €37.90 - all in one day...

You can travel from Frankfurt to Warsaw in a single day, for example:
Frankfurt (Main) Hbf depart 09:02, change at Berlin Hbf, arrive Warsaw Centralna 19:09.

Frankfurt (Main) Hbf depart 13:02, change at Berlin Hbf, arrive Warsaw Centralna 23:04.

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...
Fares start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking to Poland opens 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Tip: I recommend clicking Add intermediate stops, entering Berlin Hbf with a stopover duration of at least 40 minutes, this gives you a more robust connection in case of delay.

Option 2, Frankfurt to Krakow in a single day from €37.90 - Mondays-Fridays only...

Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Berlin by ICE train with restaurant car & free WiFi, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 06:00, arriving Berlin Hbf 09:54.
A later departure is possible with a tighter connection in Berlin, but any delay means missing the once-a-day train to Krakow, so I recommend the earlier train shown here, Mondays-Fridays only.

Step 2, travel from Berlin to Krakow by EuroCity train Wawel leaving Berlin Hbf at 10:37 and arriving Krakow Glowny at 17:39.

The Wawel is a comfortable Polish EuroCity train with restaurant car. Take a good book, a bottle of wine and put your feet up...

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

Buy tickets at www.bahn.de. Booking to Poland opens 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

Tip: Click Add intermediate stops, enter Berlin Hbf with a stopover duration of 40 minutes. This gets you the robust connection in Berlin as recommended above. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.

Option 3, Frankfurt to Krakow using the Berlin-Krakow sleeper - why not spend a few hours in Berlin?

Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Berlin by ICE train, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 13:02 and arriving Berlin Hbf 16:59.

The ICE has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. By all means book an earlier train to have more time in Berlin, there are left luggage lockers available and Berlin Hbf is just 10-15 min walk from the Reichstag & Brandenburg Gate, so even a few hours stopover is a worthwhile experience.

Fares start at €19.90 in 2nd class or €49.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

Step 2, travel from Berlin to Krakow or Rzeszow by sleeping-car, leaving Berlin Hbf at 18:43 and arriving Krakow Glowny nice & early (well, early) at 03:47 & Rzeszow Glowny at 06:39.

Tip: Instead of getting off at Krakow at silly o'clock, I suggest booking the sleeper to Rzeszow Glowny. Have breakfast in the historic city of Rzeszow with its well-preserved old town, then return to Krakow on any train you like, Rzeszow to Krakow takes 1h40, trains leave regularly.

The Berlin-Krakow/Rzeszow sleeper train has two seats cars and a safe & comfortable Polish sleeping-car bound for Przemysl. The sleeping-car has 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin. There are no couchettes on this train and no restaurant car, so bring a picnic & bottle of wine along, or have an early dinner in Berlin.

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

Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com, this allows you to buy both tickets together in one place, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee: First book the sleeper from Berlin to Krakow (or Rzeszow), and add to basket. Booking for this sleeper normally opens 60 days ahead. Then add a suitable connecting train from Frankfurt to Berlin allowing at least 1 hour between trains in Berlin, add to basket and check out. You print your own tickets.

Alternatively, more work but no booking fee, first book the sleeper from Berlin to Krakow (or Rzeszow) at Hamburg to Berlin at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at and print your own ticket, then book your Frankfurt-Berlin connecting train separately at the German Railways website www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.

If you want to pre-book a Rzeszow-Krakow ticket, buy this at the Polish Railways website www.intercity.pl and print it out.

Option 4, Frankfurt to Warsaw or Krakow with overnight stop in Berlin from €37.90...

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 23:24, but by all means take an earlier train and have an evening in Berlin.
Stay overnight in Berlin, the 3-star Meininger Hotel is ideal as it's right next to Berlin Hbf and a 10-minute walk from the Reichstag or a 15-minute walk from the Brandenburg Gate, it's inexpensive and gets good reviews. If you want to push the boat out, try the famous Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is right next to the Brandenburg Gate, 15 min walk from the station. More hotels in Berlin. If you're on a tight budget, see www.hostelworld.com.

For Warsaw...

Day 2, travel from Berlin to Warsaw on any Berlin-Warsaw EuroCity train you like. Daily except Sundays the 05:43 from Berlin Hbf will get you to Warsaw Centralna at 11:11 with breakfast in the restaurant car. Or have a leisurely breakfast at your hotel and take the daily 09:37 arriving 15:19. By all means take a later train from Berlin to spend some time in Berlin. The German capital is fascinating...

For Krakow...

The direct Berlin-Krakow EuroCity train Wawel makes a welcome return from 13 December 2020: Day 2, travel from Berlin to Krakow by EuroCity train Wawel, leaving Berlin Hbf at 10:37 every day, arriving Katowice at 16:44 & Krakow Glowny at 17:39. The Wawel is comfortable & air-conditioned with restaurant car, treat yourself to lunch and a beer or two.

Fares from Frankfurt to Warsaw or Krakow start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de: Enter Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Warsaw or Krakow, but click Add intermediate stops and enter Berlin and the number of hours stopover you want, say 12:00. Adjust the departure time and the Berlin stopover duration to get the trains you want, with a little trial and error. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.

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.

A Berlin-Warsaw EuroCity train at Berlin Hbf...


1st class compartment car...		2nd class open-plan car. Some seats are in compartments.


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

Frankfurt to Vilnius. Riga, Tallinn...

Option 1, Frankfurt to Lithuania with overnight stop & morning free in Warsaw...

Day 1, travel from Frankfurt to Warsaw by ICE & EuroCity train in a single day as shown in the Frankfurt to Warsaw section above.
Fares start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €56.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.
Buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking to Poland opens 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.

Stay overnight in Warsaw and spend the following morning there. The Polonia Palace Hotel is excellent, historic, relatively inexpensive for such a good hotel, and it's just across the road from the station. For something much cheaper, but still with great reviews and near the station, try the Hotel Metropol next door to the Polonia Palace or the nearby Novotel Warsaw Centrum. Also see the Warsaw Centralna station & city information.

Day 2, travel from Warsaw to Kaunas & Vilnius, leaving Warsaw at lunchtime, changing at Bialystok and arriving Kaunas in Lithuania in the evening, with connections to Vilnius, see the Warsaw to Vilnius page for details. Warsaw-Vilnius costs around €24.

Day 3, for onward travel from Vilnius to Riga, see here.

Day 4, for onward travel from Riga to Tallinn, see here.

Option 2, Frankfurt to Lithuania with overnight stop in Berlin - faster, Sundays-Fridays only, with a very early start from Berlin...

Day 1, travel from Frankfurt to Berlin by ICE train in the early evening.

Stay overnight in Berlin. The 3-star Meininger Hotel or InterCity Hotel are ideal as they are right next to Berlin Hbf and a 10-minute walk from the Reichstag or a 15-minute walk from the Brandenburg Gate, relatively inexpensive and get good reviews. If you want to push the boat out, try the famous & historic Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is right next to the Brandenburg Gate, 15 min walk from the station. More hotels in Berlin. If you're on a tight budget, see www.hostelworld.com.

Day 2, travel from Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train leaving Berlin Hbf at 05:43 Mondays-Saturdays only arriving Warsaw Centralna at 11:11.
The Berlin-Warsaw EuroCity train is a comfortable air-conditioned Polish train with trolley refreshment service and a restaurant car serving drinks, snacks and meals. Treat yourself to a cooked breakfast the restaurant car.

Frankfurt to Warsaw starts at €37.90 in 2nd class or €56.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

Buy tickets from Frankfurt to Warsaw at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Booking to Poland opens 60 days ahead. To get the overnight stop in Berlin, click Add intermediate stops, enter Berlin Hbf and a suitable stopover duration, say 10 hours. Adjust departure time & stopover duration to get the trains you want either side of Berlin, a little trial & error may be required.

Tip: You may be able to buy a through ticket from Frankfurt to Bialystok covering both the Frankfurt-Berlin-Warsaw & Warsaw-Bialystok trains for almost the same price as Frankfurt to Warsaw. In which case, you just need to buy a Bialystok-Kaunas/Vilnius ticket at the station in Warsaw, or on board the train.

Day 2, travel from Warsaw to Kaunas & Vilnius, leaving Warsaw at lunchtime, changing at Bialystok and arriving Kaunas in Lithuania in the evening, with connections to Vilnius, see the Warsaw to Vilnius page for details. Warsaw-Vilnius costs around €24.

Day 3, for onward travel from Vilnius to Riga in Latvia, see here.

Day 4, for onward travel from Riga to Tallinn in Estonia, see here.

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Frankfurt to Lviv, Kiev & Ukraine...

Option 1, via Vienna...

Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Vienna, leaving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 08:22 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 14:45.
Fares start at €27.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

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

Step 2, travel from Vienna to Lviv or Kiev by direct Ukrainian sleeping-car. leaving Vienna Hbf at 16:42 every day and arriving next day (day 3) at Lviv at 10:14 & Kiev at 17:21. Introduced in December 2017, this train has a Ukrainian sleeping-car with comfortable 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, see the photos below. At Chop on the other side of the border the through sleeping-car is jacked up to have its wheelsets changed from European standard gauge (4'8½") to Russian gauge used in Ukraine (5').
Book the train from Vienna to Lviv or Kiev online at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.

This will only book one-way or round trip starting in Vienna because tickets need to be collected from an ÖBB station in Austria. They cannot be collected in Ukraine. Booking this way you pay no fee or mark-up, just the official fare. The sleeper has become popular, it can sell out.

If you have any problems or want a one-way ticket starting in Ukraine, you can also book the Vienna-Kiev train via reliable agency www.polrail.com, with tickets posted or couriered to you for a small fee. Polrail are based in Poland so charge in zlotys, but as they have access to Ukrainian ticketing system they are good for booking this train.

Booked through oebb.at:

Vienna to Kiev costs €80.50 in a 3-berth sleeper, €90.50 in a 2-berth sleeper or €152.90 in a single sleeper.

Vienna to Lviv costs €62.10 in a 3-berth sleeper, €70.10 in a 2-berth sleeper or €119.30 in a single sleeper.
Booked through Polrail:

Vienna to Kiev costs around €138 in a 3-berth sleeper €149 in a 2-berth sleeper, or €241 in a single-berth sleeper.

Vienna to Lviv costs around €120 in a 3-berth sleeper €129 in a 2-berth sleeper, or €207 in a single-berth sleeper.

Booked at the station in Ukraine, Kiev to Vienna costs around €80, Lviv to Vienna around €60, in both cases with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper.

The Vienna-Kiev sleeping-car at Kiev Pass. Photos courtesy of Helmut Uttenthaler.


The Vienna-Kiev sleeper about to leave Vienna Hbf... Courtesy of Helmut Uttenthaler.		The sleeper corridor. Courtesy Helmut Uttenthaler.		1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper compartment.

Option 2, via Warsaw...

Day 1, take a late afternoon or early evening train from Frankfurt to Berlin in around 4h10, booked at the German Railways website www.bahn.de from €27.90. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.
Stay overnight in Berlin, the 3-star Meininger Hotel is ideal as it's right next to Berlin Hbf and a 10-minute walk from the Reichstag or a 15-minute walk from the Brandenburg Gate, it's inexpensive and gets good reviews. If you want to push the boat out, try the famous Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is right next to the Brandenburg Gate, 15 min walk from the station. More hotels in Berlin. If you're on a tight budget, see www.hostelworld.com.

Day 2 morning, travel from Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train leaving Berlin Hbf at 09:37 daily and arriving Warsaw Centralna at 15:19. On Mondays to Saturdays there's also an earlier Berlin-Warsaw EuroCity train leaving Berlin Hbf at 05:43 every day and arriving Warsaw Centralna 11:11. Fares start at €27.90, also booked at www.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 20 minute walk from Centralna station - if you fancy a modest splurge, the celebrated Ufukiera restaurant (www.ufukiera.pl) is excellent and right on the square in the heart of Warsaw's old town. The Palace of Culture (a wedding cake style Soviet skyscraper and distinctive Warsaw landmark, www.pkin.pl) is right next to the station and has a viewing terrace on the 30th floor.
Tip: It's usually cheaper to book like this: Go to www.bahn.de and set up an enquiry from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Warsaw Centralna, click Add intermediate stops and enter Berlin and a stopover duration of say 10 hours. You'll then get a through fare from €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class with an overnight stop in Berlin built in. I have set up this link to Bahn.de for you with the necessary parameters entered. Adjust the departure time and stopover duration 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-Kiev Kiev 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.

Day 2 evening, travel overnight from Warsaw to Kiev on the Kiev Express sleeper train leaving Warsaw Centralna at 18:20 and arriving Kiev at 11:00 next morning. This train has comfortable Ukrainian 1, 2 and 3 bed sleepers with washbasin. There's no restaurant car, so take a picnic and perhaps some wine or beer.
The fare is around €46 in a 3-bed sleeper if you manage to book via the Ukrainian Railways website. If you have to book via Polrail it costs around €57 including a bed in a 3-berth sleeper, €66 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €110 in a single-bed sleeper all to yourself.
To buy tickets, first see if you can book online with Ukrainian Railways at booking.uz.gov.ua/en - but please, please, please read the important notes here which explain how to book this train using that website. If that doesn't work for you, book with reliable Polish agency Polrail at http://booking.polrail.com. Tickets can be collected in Warsaw or (at extra charge) shipped to any address worldwide. Polrail are also pretty good at arranging the return reservation back from Kiev as they have close contacts with Ukrainian Railways.

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

Boarding in Warsaw...

A sleeper compartment...

...with washbasin.

Back to top

Frankfurt to Moscow, St Petersburg & Russia...

Option 1, via Kiev - avoids Belarus, daily departures...

Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Kiev as explained in detail above, taking a morning train to Vienna on day 1 and overnight sleeper from Vienna to Kiev, arriving in late afternoon on day 2.

Step 2, take one of the various Kiev to Moscow sleeper trains, for example train 6 leaves Kiev at 19:36 arriving Moscow Kievskaya station at 10:09 the next morning (= the morning of day 3 from Frankfurt).
The fare is around €92 with a bed in 4-berth kupé 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 Kiev 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 Kiev. Feedback appreciated!

Option 2, using the new Berlin-Moscow Strizh sleeper train, twice a week...

Step 1, travel from Frankfurt to Berlin from €27.90. 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 www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.

Step 2, travel from Berlin to Moscow by direct Russian sleeper train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 20:08 on Mondays & Saturdays, arriving at Moscow Belorussky station at 21:24 next day.
This train is an articulated Spanish-built Talgo train branded Strizh (Russian for swift) which started running in 2016. It has ordinary seats, 2nd class 4-berth sleepers, 1st class 1 or 2 berth sleepers with washbasin and deluxe 1 or 2 berth sleepers with en suite shower & toilet. There's a restaurant & bistro car. See photo of 2-berth sleeper on this train.
Russian track gauge is 5', but most of Europe (including the UK) is 4' 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, using the daily Warsaw-Moscow sleeper.

Day 1, take a late afternoon or early evening train from Frankfurt to Berlin, it takes just 4h10 from €27.90 with regular departures, check times and buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.
Stay overnight in Berlin. The 3-star Meininger Hotel is ideal as it's right next to Berlin Hbf and a 10-minute walk from the Reichstag or a 15-minute walk from the Brandenburg Gate, it's inexpensive and gets good reviews. If you want to push the boat out, try the famous Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is right next to the Brandenburg Gate. More hotels in Berlin. If you're on a tight budget, see www.hostelworld.com.

Day 2 morning, travel from Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train leaving Berlin Hbf at 09:37 daily and arriving Warsaw Centralna at 15:19. Fares start at €27.90, also booked at www.bahn.de.
Alternatively, on Mondays to Saturdays you can take the earlier 05:43 EuroCity train which gives you time to explore Warsaw, see Warsaw Centralna station & city information. Warsaw's historic old town is a 20 minute walk from Centralna station - if you fancy a modest splurge, the celebrated Ufukiera restaurant (www.ufukiera.pl) is excellent and right on the square in the heart of Warsaw's old town. The Palace of Culture (a wedding cake style Soviet skyscraper and distinctive Warsaw landmark, www.pkin.pl) is right next to the station and has a viewing terrace on the 30th floor.
Tip: It's usually cheaper to book like this: Go to www.bahn.de and set up an enquiry from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Warsaw Centralna, click Add intermediate stops and enter Berlin Hbf and a stopover duration of say 10 hours. You'll then get a through fare from €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class with an overnight stop in Berlin built in. I have set up this link to Bahn.de for you with the necessary parameters entered. Adjust the departure time and stopover duration 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.

Day 2, travel from Warsaw to Moscow by Russian sleeper train, leaving Warsaw Centralna at 19:15 daily and arriving Moscow Belorussky at 16:58 next day (day 3 from Frankfurt). You can check times at the Russian Railways website www.rzd.ru.
This train uses impressive Austrian-built sleeping-cars with 4-berth compartments built in 2014, see photos of this type of sleeper here & see panorama photo inside one of these modern sleepers. Each compartment can be sold as 1st class 1-berth, 1st class 2-berth or 2nd class 4-berth. The train consist of two or three sleeping-car which start their journey in Prague. There's a bistro car in Poland and a Russian restaurant car is attached between Brest (on the Polish/Belarus border) & Moscow.

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

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

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

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

These modern sleeping-cars run from Warsaw to Moscow...

Frankfurt to Athens, Corfu & Greece...

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

The best and most comfortable option is to pick up a ferry in Bari. The whole scenic and relaxing journey to Athens will take around 2 nights & 3 days, depending how the connections work out on your particular date.
Day 1, travel from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Verona Porta Nuova via Munich and the scenic Brenner Pass on any train you like.

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

Check times & buy a ticket at the German Railways website www.bahn.de, Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I'd change Duration of transfer from standard to at least 40 minutes. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.

Stay overnight in Verona. Hotels near the station with good or great reviews include the Corte Merighi Rooms & Breakfast, Novo Hotel Rossi, Guesthouse Verona or (a little closer to the centre but with fab reviews) the Relais Empire.
Day 2, travel from Verona to Bari, leaving Verona Porta Nuova around 07:50.

Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class.

Book this at either www.italiarail.com (they'll refund their small booking fee if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com afterwards) or www.trenitalia.com. Booking normally opens 120 days ahead. It's ticketless, you just quote the reference on the train.

In Bari it's a 10 minute taxi ride or 25 minute walk to the ferry terminal next to Bari's pleasant old town. I'd allow at least 3 hours between train and ferry in Bari, including the 2-hour ferry check-in.

Day 2, sail from Bari to Patras with Superfast Ferries. The ferry sails normally daily except Sundays at 19:30 arriving Patras at 13:00 the next day (day 3). On Sundays the ship sails at 13:30, too early to make connections from Verona.
Check ferry times, dates, prices & buy tickets using the Direct Ferries website or at www.superfast.com or www.ferriesingreece.com.

The ship is modern and comfortable, with restaurants, bars, lounges and sun decks. You can book a deck place (a nice cheap option in summer if you have your own sleeping bag) or a reclining seat or a berth in various types of cabin, including luxury cabins 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 number 18 links the port with the town bus station every hour on the hour, fare €1.20 or you can hop in a taxi for around €7, journey time 15-20 minutes.

Day 3, from Patras it's 3 hours to Athens by bus/train combo. There's a bus/train combined timetable from Patras to Athens on www.trainose.gr but it takes a bit of finding. Buy the bus ticket when you reach Patras, it costs around €18.


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

The ferry from Bari to Greece at sea

At sea, passing Cephalonia & Ithaca. This is what travel to Greece should be like!

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

You can also travel overland by train from Frankfurt to Athens via Belgrade & Thessaloniki. It'll take 3 nights, with the romance and adventure of an epic train ride through the Balkans.
Travel from Frankfurt to Munich by daytime ICE trains from €29.90 booked at www.bahn.de.
In Munich you pick up the London-Munich-Belgrade-Thessaloniki-Athens route explained in detail on the London to Greece page.

Frankfurt to Istanbul...

You can pick up the London-Istanbul route suggested on the London to Turkey page in Munich.
For details of how to buy tickets, see the London to Turkey page and just ignore the London-Munich part.

Hotels in Frankfurt & other cities

My favourite hotel search site: www.booking.com

www.booking.com is my favourite hotel booking site and I generally prefer booking my hotels all in one place here. You can usually book with free cancellation - this allows you to confirm your accommodation at no risk before train booking opens. It also means you can hold accommodation while you finalise your itinerary, and alter your plans as they evolve - a feature I use all the time when putting a trip together. I never book hotels non-refundably. I have also come to trust their review scores - you won't be disappointed with anything over 8.0.

Tip: It can pay to compare prices across multiple hotel sites: HotelsCombined.com is a price comparison site which compares hotel prices on Booking.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, Accor, Agoda and many others. Though if there's not much in it, I prefer keeping all my bookings together in one place at www.booking.com.

Other hotel sites worth trying...

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

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

Always take out travel insurance...

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

In the UK, reliable insurers include Columbus Direct.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65, see www.JustTravelCover.com - 10% discount with code seat61.

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

If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct's other websites.

If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.

A Curve card saves on foreign transaction fees...

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

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

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

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

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

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


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


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


1st class seats on the upper deck, with a club duo on the left, a club quatre on the right. 360º photo.		The TGV to Marseille, boarding at Frankfurt am Main Hbf. You enter on the lower deck, with 9 stairs up to top deck.


1st class seats on an AVE S100. 360º photo of 1st class.		Cafe-bar...


These S100 AVE trains operate the TGV/AVE services from Madrid to Marseille, Barcelona to Lyon, Toulouse. This is an AVE-S100 at Barcelona Sants.		2nd class seats on the S100 AVE, all with power sockets. Luggage goes on the racks at the car ends or above the seats. 360º photo of 2nd class More photos & info about AVE S100.


The Sud Express, about to leave Irun on the Franco-Spanish frontier, bound for Lisbon... Courtesy of Ron Baker. See panorama photo...		Gran Clase sleeper, in evening mode with the seats folded out...		....return from the bar to find the attendant has made up the beds...		Gran Clase private toilet & shower...


The trainhotel's café-bar serves drinks & food. Grab a barstool early, it gets crowded later on!		4-berth tourist class sleepers (Turista Cama) are cosy & inexpensive. They convert from beds to seats as shown. See panorama photo of 4-berth tourist sleeper.


The intercité de nuit overnight train from Paris to Latour de Carol has 1st class 4-berth & 2nd class 6-berth couchettes, each with lightweight sleeping-bag & mineral water...


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


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


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


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


A Danish IC3 train at Copenhagen station...		1st class seats on an IC3 train...


2nd class seats on an IC3 train...		Boarding a train to Copenhagen in Hamburg.


A Copenhagen-Stockholm X2000 train boarding at Copenhagen main station...		2nd class seats on an X2000 train from Copenhagen to Stockholm.


X2000 bistro car...		X2000 bistro car seating area...		Bistro self-service...


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


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

Trains between European cities

Trains from Frankfurt . . .

Train travel UK & Ireland...

Train travel in Europe...

Train travel in Asia...

Train travel in Africa...

Train travel in America...

Train travel in Australasia

I want to go from Frankfurt to...

Before you buy your tickets...

European train travel FAQ...

Frankfurt to Cologne, Berlin, Munich & other destinations in Germany...

Frankfurt to London...

Frankfurt to Paris from €39.90...

Frankfurt to Strasbourg from €29.90...

Frankfurt to Lyon, Avignon, Marseille, Cannes, Nice...

Frankfurt to Brussels or Bruges from €29.90...

Frankfurt to Amsterdam from €29.90...

Frankfurt to Luxembourg from €20.90...

Frankfurt to Basel, Zurich, Geneva & Switzerland from €37.90...

Frankfurt to Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome & Italy from €39.90...

Frankfurt to Sicily...

Frankfurt to Barcelona, Madrid, Alicante, Malaga & Spain...

Frankfurt to San Sebastian...

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

Frankfurt to Andorra...

Frankfurt to Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck & Austria from €27.90...

Frankfurt to Copenhagen & Denmark from €39.90...

Frankfurt to Stockholm, Gothenburg & Malmö from €59.90...

Frankfurt to Oslo & Norway...

Frankfurt to Helsinki & Finland...

Frankfurt to Prague from €16 - yes, really...

Frankfurt to Cesky Krumlov & other Czech destinations...

Frankfurt to Bratislava from €39.90...

Frankfurt to Poprad Tatry & Kosice

Frankfurt to Budapest from €39.90...

Frankfurt to Brasov & Bucharest from €79...

Frankfurt to Ljubljana or Zagreb from €29...

Frankfurt to Belgrade, Sofia, Montenegro...

Frankfurt to Warsaw & Krakow from €37.90...

Frankfurt to Vilnius. Riga, Tallinn...

Frankfurt to Lviv, Kiev & Ukraine...

Frankfurt to Moscow, St Petersburg & Russia...

Frankfurt to Athens, Corfu & Greece...

Frankfurt to Istanbul...

Hotels in Frankfurt & other cities

My favourite hotel search site: www.booking.com

Other hotel sites worth trying...

Backpacker hostels...

Travel insurance & VPN

Always take out travel insurance...

A Curve card saves on foreign transaction fees...

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

Train travel
UK & Ireland...

Train travel
in Europe...

Train travel
in Asia...

Train travel
in Africa...

Train travel
in America...

Train travel
in Australasia


The Dacia Express couchette car at Vienna Hbf. Always book a couchette not just a seat. Couchettes convert from seats by day to bunks at night.		4 or 6-berth couchettes. Larger photo.


A 1, 2 or 3-bed sleeper with washbasin. Larger photo.		The Dacia Express arrived at Sighisoara. Sleepers convert from beds to private sitting rooms for day use. Courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry.


Enjoy breakfast in the bar-bistro eastbound, or an evening beer westbound, as a bar-bistro is attached in Romania to both the Ister & Dacia Express. Bar-bistro photos courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry.


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