To buy train tickets within Italy, use www.loco2.com, www.italiarail.com or Italian Railways' own website www.trenitalia.com.

This page explains how to travel by train from Rome to other European cities and how to buy tickets the cheapest way. Train information is current for 2018.

Before you buy your tickets...

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

European train travel FAQ...

Which station in Rome?

Roma Termini is the main central station in Rome, walking distance from most of the sights, and used by most trains.  However, Rome Tiburtina and Rome Ostiense are also important, but a little further out of the centre.  On this page, 'Rome' means Rome Termini unless it says otherwise.  Map of Rome showing stations.

Rome to other Italian towns & cities from €9.90 - www.italiarail.com.

• Most trains in Italy are operated by Trenitalia = Italian State railways.  All Trenitalia long-distance trains have airline-style pricing with a seat reservation automatically included with every ticket, so yes, in theory trains can sell out although although there are so many trains & seats it's easy to buy tickets at the station on the day if you like, the real issue is price.  Trenitalia has dynamic airline-style pricing, so tickets will be much cheaper if booked in advance with a cheap Economy or Super-Economy advance-purchase fare, specified train only, limited or no refunds or changes to travel plans.  If you buy on the day the Base fare applies, which is flexible and can be changed to another departure up to 60 minutes after the departure of the train you originally booked.  So pre-book if possible.

  Local, suburban and regional trains don't require reservations and have one fixed price called Ordinaria which you can pay at the station on the day and just hop on the next train, remembering to validate the ticket.  There is no need to pre-book regional trains and no advantage in doing so other than saving a few minutes at the station. 

• Buy Italian train tickets online at either www.loco2.com, www.italiarail.com or Italian Railways' own site www.trenitalia.com.

  All 3 sites sell the same tickets, all offer ticketless travel for Italian intercity & high-speed trains, you simply quote your booking reference on board the train.

  Booking for high-speed trains opens 120 days ahead, except when the mid-June & mid-December timetable changes are imminent when the booking horizon shrinks to less than this with some trains loaded before others.

  1.  www.loco2.com is easy to use, it's written in plain English, it can be used in € & £, and it has no booking fee.

  2.  Italiarail.com is also easy to use, it's in plain English, it can be used in €, £, $ & Aus$.  They charge a €3.50 booking fee but they'll refund this if you email seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR after you book.  A key advantage is that it can be cheaper than Trenitalia.com for 2 or more people travelling together as explained here.

  3.  Trenitalia.com is fairly easy to use but you need to use Italian-language place names and it has a few quirks so see this advice on using it.   There's no booking fee.

• For more information, including how to reach places such as Sorrento, Pompeii, Capri, Amalfi see the Train travel in Italy page.

Rome to Florence, Venice, Milan, Turin, Naples...

• Nobody flies any more...

  Rome to Venice takes just 3h45 by hourly Frecciargento or Frecciarossa high-speed train, city centre to city centre with zero check-in and a departure every hour.  Rome to Milan takes just 2h55 by Frecciarossa.  Rome  to Florence as little as 1h32, Rome to Naples 1h10.  Flights will take 4 hours in total including the journey to and from the airports plus all the check-in and security hassle.

• A choice of operator...

  On the premier Rome-Florence-Milan-Turin, Rome-Florence-Venice & Rome-Naples route you have a choice of operator:  State-owned Trenitalia or privately-owned Italo.  Both are excellent, indeed red-hot competition has driven quality up & fares down, see my advice on which operator to take.

  Trenitalia uses Frecciarossa 500s & Frecciarossa 1000s on the Naples-Rome-Florence-Milan-Turin route and a mixture of Frecciargento, Frecciarossa 500 & Frecciarossa 1000 on the Rome-Florence-Venice route.  Italo operates a train every hour or so, using its original AGV trains on the Naples-Rome-Florence-Milan-Turin route and mostly its new EVO trains on the Naples-Rome-Florence-Venice route, see the Italo page for more details.  I can recommend all of these trains!

  Both operators leave from Rome's main station, Roma Termini.

• How much does it cost?

  Rome to Naples starts at €9.90 in 2nd class or €19.90 in 1st class.

  Rome to Florence starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.

  Rome to Milan, Turin or Venice starts at €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class.

  Prices are dynamic like air fares, so book early for the cheapest rates.  On Trenitalia, Super-economy & Economy fares = advance-purchase, limited or no refunds or changes to travel plans.  Base = what you pay at the station on the day, refundable, changeable up to an hour after departure.  Trains are all-reserved, tickets are for a specific train and come with a reserved seat.  But there are always places available on the day, if you're happy paying the most expensive Base fare.  It's a similar situation on Italo.

• How to buy tickets...

  Buy Trenitalia tickets at either www.loco2.com, www.italiarail.com or Italian Railways' own site www.trenitalia.com, all linking to Trenitalia's ticketing system so all essentially the same price, see the section above to understand the differences.

  Buy Italo tickets direct from Italo at www.italotreno.it.  You can also book them at www.loco2.com with no mark-up or fee.

  Whichever operator or website you choose, it's ticketless, you simply quote the reference (or show the booking printout) to the conductor on board the train.

Rome to Pompeii, Sorrento, Amalfi...

• Take a mainline train to Naples Centrale, booked at either at www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com.  Then take the local Circumvesuviana Railway from Naples Centrale to Ercolano. Pompeii Scavi & Sorrento, with onward buses to Amalfi.  There are also ferries to Capri.  See the day trip to Pompeii page.

• How to reach Pompeii.  How to reach Sorrento.  How to reach Capri.  How to reach Amalfi, Positano & Praiano.

Rome to Palermo, Catania, Siracuse & Sicily from €19.90...

• Two comfortable InterCity trains link Rome with Palermo, Messina, Catania and Siracuse in Sicily every day, one leaving Rome Termini in the early morning, and another leaving late morning.

  Yes, these trains are indeed direct, they get ferried across the Straits of Messina on board a ferry, a fascinating experience, see the video here.  It's a lovely journey along the coast to the toe of Italy, then across the Sicily with fine views of Mount Etna from the trains to Catania & Siracuse, too.  A treat, have your camera ready!  There's no catering car, so bring a picnic and bottle of wine like the Italians do.

• Fares from Rome to Sicily start at just €19.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in first class.

• Book from Rome to Sicily at www.loco2.com, www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com.  It's ticketless, you just quote your booking reference on board the train.

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Rome to London from €74...

• For full details of train travel between Rome & London in either direction see the London to Italy page.

• A Rome to London daytime journey can easily be booked like this...

  Step 1, book an evening train from Rome Termini to Milan or Turin at www.loco2.com and add this to your basket.  You'll need to stay overnight in Milan or Turin.

  Step 2, still on www.loco2.com, now book a morning TGV from Milan Porta Garibaldi or Turin Porta Susa to Paris Gare de Lyon from €29 in 2nd class or €44 in 1st class and add to your basket.

  Step 3, still on www.loco2.com, book a Eurostar train from Paris Gare du Nord to London St Pancras from £44, allowing at least 90 minutes or more to change trains and stations in Paris, including the necessary 30 minute Eurostar check-in.  Add this to your basket and check out.

  The Italian Rome-Milan/Turin train is ticketless, you just quote your booking number on board.  For the other trains you simply print your own ticket.

• Alternatively, you can take a high-speed Frecciarossa train from Rome to Milan in as little as 2h55 from €29 in the early evening, the overnight Thello sleeper train from Milan to Paris from €35, and a Eurostar to London from £45.  Book from Rome to Milan and then from Milan to Paris using either www.loco2.com, www.italiarail.com allowing at least 1 hour to change in Milan, then use www.eurostar.com to book a Eurostar train from Paris to London, allowing at least 90 minutes or more to change trains and stations in Paris (this includes the 30 minute Eurostar check-in).  See the Thello sleeper train information page.

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Rome to Paris from €59...

Option 1, Rome to Paris in a single leisurely afternoon & evening, by high-speed train from €59 - fastest & cheapest...

• Step 1, travel from Rome to Turin by high-speed Frecciarossa, leaving Rome Termini at 11:00 arriving Turin Porta Susa at 14:52. 

  If you prefer to try the competition, you can leave Rome Termini at 09:45 this time on an NTV Italo train arriving Turin Porta Susa at 14:13.  The trains all call at Milan's magnificent Centrale station on the way, a landmark in its own right, so watch out for it and maybe stretch your legs briefly on the platform.

• Step 2, now travel from Turin to Paris by high-speed TGV leaving Turin Porta Susa at 16:11 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 22:31 (22:37 on Saturdays).

  It's a scenic & relaxing run, at slow speed through the mountains then a high-speed dash to Paris at up to 186mph, see the Paris-Milan TGV video guide showing both the scenery and what it's like on board the train.  For detailed train times, fares & other information see the Paris-Milan by TGV page.  Bring a good book and a bottle of wine, and make it a relaxing afternoon with your feet up, although some scenery will be in darkness depending on the time of year, so consider option 2 below.

• How about an afternoon in Turin?   Turin is a wonderful place, I reckon it's one of Italy's most under-rated cities even if you're not a fan of the 1969 Michael Caine film The Italian Job...  If you'd like to have lunch in Turin and an afternoon exploring the city, simply take an earlier Frecciarossa train leaving Rome Termini at (say) 08:00 Mondays-Fridays arriving Turin Porta Susa at 11:52.  Check times for your date of travel.  This breaks up the trip nicely...

• How much does it cost?

  Rome to Turin starts at just €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class. 

  Turin to Paris by TGV starts at €29 in 2nd class or €44 in 1st class.

• How to buy tickets...  

  Booking usually opens 120 days ahead. 

  The easy way to buy Rome to Paris tickets is using the excellent www.loco2.com.  Loco2 can book Rome to Paris by daytime trains as one simple transaction, as it connects to both the French SNCF ticketing system and the Italian Trenitalia system and Italo's system to sell both the Frecciarossa or Italo ticket and the TGV ticket together in the same place at the cheapest prices with a print-at-home ticket for the TGV and ticketless for the Frecciarossa - you just quote the booking reference on board the train.  You can use www.loco2.com wherever you live in the world as it accepts all international credit cards.

  Booking tips:  Go to www.loco2.com and book from Rome Termini to Paris (any station) as one journey, with desired departure time set to 11:00.  If you want to leave earlier and spend some time in Turin simply set (say) 08:00 as departure time and click More options, entering Turin Porta Susa and setting stopover time to 5 hours.  In the search results, look for an option shown with just 1 change.

• Alternatively, you can book each train separately, like this.... 

  Step 1, book the Frecciarossa train from Rome Termini to Turin Porta Susa at either www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises familiar English-language place names and they'll refund the €3.50 booking fee if you email seat61@italiarail.com with your booking reference) or www.trenitalia.com (you'll need to use Italian place names).  Both sites charge the same price and both allow ticketless travel - you just quote the booking reference on board the train.

  Step 2, book the TGV from Turin to Paris at www.loco2.com or www.trainline.eu.  These sites can be used by anyone from any country with international credit cards accepted, no booking fee, and you can specify forward-facing seats & other seating options, and it issues print-at-home tickets.

  For the record, you can also book at www.raileurope.com (US & Canadian residents, in US$, no seating options and booking fee added) or www.raileurope-world.com (residents of Australia, Canada, Asia, Africa, South America, no seating options, booking fee added).  You can no longer buy tickets for the Milan-Turin-Paris TGVs at the Trenitalia website or at Italian stations as since December 2011 these trains have been operated entirely by French railways on an 'open access' basis with no Trenitalia involvement.

Option 2, to see all the scenery in daylight, use high-speed trains from €58 with an overnight stop in wonderful Turin - the option I'd recommend!

• Day 1, travel from Rome Termini to Turin Porta Susa by Frecciarossa high-speed train, using any afternoon or evening train you like.  You can leave Rome as late as 19:00 reaching Turin Porta Susa at 23:02, but trains run regularly and I'd take an earlier one as Turin is well worth a longer stop.  It's possibly one of Italy's most under-rated cities, even if you're not a fan of the 1969 Michael Caine film The Italian Job!  Competing high-speed train operator Italo also runs direct Naples to Turin Italo trains, it's worth checking their times & prices at www.italotreno.it.

• Stay overnight in Turin.  The excellent Turin Palace Hotel is right in the centre next to Turin's main Porta Nuova terminus where the trains from Rome terminate - they call briefly at Turin Porta Susa but end their journey at Turin's main Porta Nuova station.  Next morning it's a 7 minute taxi ride or 20 minute walk to Porta Susa station where the TGV departs.  Or try the small Al Porta Susa B&B right next to Porta Susa station.

• Day 2, travel from Turin to Paris by TGV, taking either the 07:39 TGV from Turin Porta Susa arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 13:19, or have a leisurely breakfast and take the 10:11 from Turin Porta Susa arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 16:11.  Or have a day in Turin and take the 16:11 TGV arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 22:31 (22:37 on Saturdays).

  Whichever train you choose, take a good book and enjoy a scenic ride through the mountains, see the Paris-Milan TGV video guide showing both the train  itself and the scenery.  For more information see the Paris-Milan by TGV page.

• How much does it cost? 

  Rome to Turin by Frecciarossa starts at just €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class

  Turin to Paris by TGV starts at just €29 in 2nd class or €44 in 1st class.

• How to buy tickets...   Booking usually opens 120 days ahead. 

  The easy way to buy Rome to Paris tickets is using the excellent www.loco2.com, as it connects to both the French SNCF ticketing system and the Italian Trenitalia system and the Italo system to sell both the Frecciarossa or Italo ticket and the TGV ticket together in the same place at the cheapest prices with a print-at-home ticket for the TGV and ticketless for the Frecciarossa or Italo - you just quote the booking reference on board the train.  You can use www.loco2.com wherever you live in the world as it accepts all international credit cards.

  Booking tips:  Go to www.loco2.com and book from Rome Termini to Turin Porta Susa, selecting any suitable direct train with 0 changes, adding this to your basket.  Then book from Turin (any station) to Paris (any station).  In the search results, look for the direct TGVs with 0 changes.  Add this to your basket and check out.  Simples!

• Alternatively, you can book each train separately, like this.... 

  Step 1, book the Frecciarossa train from Rome Termini to Turin Porta Susa at either www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises familiar English-language place names and they'll refund the €3.50 booking fee if you email seat61@italiarail.com with your booking reference) or www.trenitalia.com (you'll need to use Italian place names).  Both sites charge the same price and both allow ticketless travel - you just quote the booking reference on board the train.  If you want an Italo train, book at www.italotreno.it.

  Step 2, book the TGV from Turin to Paris at www.loco2.com or www.trainline.eu.  These sites can be used by anyone from any country with international credit cards accepted, no booking fee, and you can specify forward-facing seats & other seating options, and it issues print-at-home tickets.

  For the record, you can also book at www.raileurope.com (US & Canadian residents, in US$, no seating options and booking fee added) or www.raileurope-world.com (residents of Australia, Canada, Asia, Africa, South America, no seating options, booking fee added).  You can no longer buy tickets for the Milan-Turin-Paris TGVs at the Trenitalia website or at Italian stations as since December 2011 these trains have been operated entirely by French railways on an 'open access' basis with no Trenitalia involvement.

Rome to Turin by high-speed Frecciarossa...

Standard class seats, 2+2 across width.  Larger photo.		Frecciarossa 1000 at Milan Centrale.  More about these trains

Business class seats 1+2 across car width, with tables for 2 and tables for 4 and complimentary prosecco. Larger photo.		In business class you can order a simple meal at your seat, around €18...

Turin to Paris by high-speed TGV...

Step 2, travel from Turin to Paris by high-speed TGV...  Above left, the cafe-bar serving drinks, snacks & hot dishes  Above right, the TGV at Paris Gare de Lyon.  Larger bar photo.

A table for four in 2nd class on the TGV to Paris.  360 degree photo.		1st class seats on the Turin-Paris TGV.  360 degree photo.

Take a good book, a bottle o' red, and enjoy the scenery from Italy to Paris with your feet up...  These are mountains in France...  Watch the Paris-Milan TGV video guide.

And these are mountains in Italy.  Scenery between Oulx and Turin, courtesy of www.discoverbyrail.com.

Option 3, by high-speed train from Rome to Milan, then Thello sleeper train from Milan to Paris - the most time-effective option...

• Step 1, travel from Rome Termini to Milan Centrale by high-speed Frecciarossa train.  They leave every hour or better through the day, taking just 2h55 with fares from €29.90.  You can leave Rome as late as 19:00, but I suggest taking an earlier train to give time for dinner in Milan.

  Milan Centrale's station bistro shuts at 21:30, so try the excellent inexpensive Italian restaurant Noblesse Oblige just 5 min walk outside the station, book a table at www.ristorantenoblesseoblige.com.

• Step 2, take the Thello sleeper train leaving Milan Centrale at 23:10 every night and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 09:37 next morning.  It's a time-effective way to travel, although not the most modern sleeper train there is, see the Man in Seat 61's opinion of Thello.  it has 1, 2 & 3 bed sleepers with washbasin, 6-berth & 4-berth couchettes and a restaurant car.  Realistic expectations are key to a trip on Thello, see the video guide here.  See the Thello sleeper train page for the Rome-Milan-Paris timetable, photos, information.

• Fares...

  Fares for the sleeper train start at just €35 with a couchette in a 6-berth compartment, €55 with a couchette in a 4-berth compartment, €95 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €115 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself.

  Rome to Milan starts at €29.90 in standard class or €39.90 in business class.

• To buy tickets...

  You can book from Rome to Paris as one transaction at either www.loco2.com (easy to use, in plain English, no booking fee), www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, small booking fee will be refunded if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your booking reference) or at www.thello.com. 

  But personally I'd book in two stages:  First book the sleeper train from Milan to Paris looking for the direct overnight train with 0 changes in the search results, and add that to your basket.  Then book a connecting Frecciarossa train from Rome Termini to Milan Centrale making sure you allow at least an hour between trains in Milan just in case of any delay - you can't afford to miss a sleeper train!  In fact if it were me I'd take an earlier train from Rome and have a couple of hours for dinner in Milan.

A sleeping-car on the Thello sleeper train to Venice boarding at Paris Gare de Lyon.  More Thello info here.		Sleeper with beds folded away.  Larger photo.  360.		2-bed sleeper.  Larger photo.  360 degree photo.

4 or 6 berth couchette compartment.  Much more comfortable with just 4 people.  Larger photo.  360 degree photo.		A couchette car on the Thello train from Paris to Venice, at Paris Gare de Lyon.  More Thello info here.

Option 4, Rome to Paris via the Bernina Express & Swiss Alps from €106 - much slower, but the ultimate Alpine scenic experience...

• This journey is longer and costs a bit more, but it will be a highlight of your whole trip.  If time isn't pressing and you want the ultimate train ride through the Alps, this option is fabulous!

• Day 1, travel on the 06:30 Monday-Friday or 06:20 Saturday Frecciarossa high-speed train from Rome Termini to Milan Centrale, then the 10:20 Italian regional train along the shores of Lake Como to Tirano, then the absolutely fabulous Bernina Express narrow-gauge panoramic train through the Alps to Chur, then by Swiss train to Zurich, arriving around 20:00.  It's a long day, but worth it - by all means travel from Rome to Milan the previous evening or afternoon, to break it up.  On Sundays there's no train sufficiently early, so travel from Rome to Milan on Saturday evening and stay overnight.

  See the Bernina Express page for full details of this journey & how to buy tickets.   Watch the video.

• Stay overnight in Zurich.  For something special, book the wonderful Hotel Schweizerhof located right next to Zurich HB.  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, take a TGV-Lyria high-speed train from Zurich HB to Paris Gare de Lyon in just 4h05 from €29 booked at www.trainline.eu.  If you take the 07:34 you can be in central Paris at 11:38.  Or the 09:34 arrives Paris at 13:38.  Your call!  TGV-Lyria trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats, and first class fares include snacks & drinks served at your seat, see the TGV-Lyria page for photos & information.

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

The Bernina Express descends from the Bernina Pass...

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Rome to Nice from €35, Rome to Cannes, Monte Carlo, Marseille, Avignon...

Option 1:  Using a Thello train from Milan direct to Nice, Cannes, Marseille...

• You can leave Rome Termini at 07:30 by high-speed Frecciarossa train, make one simple change at Milan's magnificent Centrale station onto a daily air-conditioned Thello train leaving Milan Centrale at 11:10 and arriving Nice Ville at 15:57.  This Thello train has a cafe counter and power sockets at all seats, see the photos below.  Change in Nice for frequent French local trains to Antibes, Cannes, St Raphael, Toulon and Marseille.

• Or you can leave Rome Termini at 11:00 Mondays-Fridays or 10:20 at weekends by high-speed Frecciarossa train and make one simple change at Milan Centrale into a daily direct Thello train leaving Milan Centrale at 15:10 and arriving Nice Ville at 19:59.  It extends to Cannes at 20:27, and Marseille St Charles at 22:36 on Saturdays & Sundays and every day from 25 March to 16 September 2018.

• The Thello trains run along the coast between Genoa and Nice, an enjoyable & scenic ride - if you get any good coastal scenery photos I'd love to see them.  Thello is a subsidiary of Trenitalia, their trains enter France as open access trains under EU open competition laws.  Tickets for Thello are not sold by French Railways!

• How much does it cost?  Rome to Milan starts at €29.90, then Milan to Nice starts at €15.  Milan to Marseille on the direct train starts at €30.  It's cheapest to pre-book, if you buy on the day much higher fares apply.  If you have to change at Nice onto a connecting French train, you'll need a separate ticket for the French train.

• How to buy tickets...

  You can book from Rome to Nice or (using the direct Thello train) Rome to Cannes or Marseille all in one go at www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, small booking fee will be refunded if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR) or Italian Railways own website www.trenitalia.com (sometimes more fiddly to use, requires Italian language place names, no booking fee, read this advice on using it first).  Look for a cheap super-economy or economy fare.  It's ticketless, you just quote your booking reference on board the train.  Italiarail can be cheaper if there are two or more of you travelling, as it can mix and match price levels within the same booking, Trenitalia.com can't.

  If your journey involves a change in Nice onto an onward French train, I'd suggest using www.loco2.com rather than ItaliaRail or Trenitalia, as Loco2 has a direct connection to both French & Italian ticketing systems so you can book journeys involving both Italian and French trains all in one place.  It also offers ticketless travel on Italian trains & Thello, and print-at-home or collect-at-station tickets for most French trains.

The Thello train to Nice & Marseille about to leave Milan Centrale.  See more photos & information about these Thello trains...		1st class seats on Thello.  All seats have power sockets.  There's plenty of room for luggage on racks & between seat backs...

2nd class seats on the Thello train.  All seats have power sockets, with plenty of luggage space on racks and between seat backs.		The small cafe-bar counter on the Milan to Nice & Marseille Thello train serving tea, coffee, wine, beer, soft drinks and snacks.

Views from the train, along the Ligurian coast between Genoa and Nice.  Photos courtesy of Lucas Martin.

Option 2:  Using Italian trains to Ventimiglia, and a French local train...

• If option 1 using the new Thello train doesn't suit, no problem...  Take a fast Frecciabianca train from Rome Termini to Genoa Piazza Principe, and change onto an InterCity train along the scenic coastline of the Italian Riviera to Ventimiglia on the French border.  Local trains run from Ventimiglia to Monte Carlo, Nice & Cannes every 30 minutes or so throughout the day, journey time 48 minutes from Ventimiglia to Nice.  Change in Nice for trains to Marseille, Avignon and beyond.  Take a picnic, bottle of wine and a good book and enjoy the journey.

• There are various possible daily departures... 

  For example, you can leave Rome around 06:15, change at Genoa, arriving Ventimiglia at 13:07, then a local train would get you to Nice by around 14:10. 

  Or leave Rome around 13:57, change at Genoa, arriving Ventimiglia at 21:07, then a local train would get you to Nice by around 22:10. 

  Or spend the night in Genoa:  Then you could leave Rome as late as 18:27 arriving Genoa 22:42, stay overnight, then take any morning train from Genoa to Ventimiglia and onwards to Nice, arriving late morning.  A time-effective option! 

  All these times are just examples, simply go online and check for your date of travel following the how to buy tickets advice below.

• How much does it cost?

  Rome to Ventimiglia starts at just €28 in 2nd class or from €48 in 1st class if pre-booked with a Super-economy or Economy advance-purchase fare.  Ventimiglia to Nice costs just €7 or so, bought at the station on the day.

• How to buy tickets...  The trick is to only book to Ventimiglia!!

  Step 1, book from Rome to Ventimiglia (you can book this all in one go) using either www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, small booking fee will be refunded if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR) or Italian Railways own website www.trenitalia.com (sometimes more fiddly to use, requires Italian language place names, no booking fee, read this advice on using it first).  Look for a cheap super-economy or economy fare.  It's ticketless, you just quote your booking reference on board the train.

  Step 2, you can't pre-book the Ventimiglia to Nice, Cannes or Monte Carlo local train, and you don't need to, you can simply turn up at Ventimiglia and buy a ticket at the station, no reservation necessary or possible, and hop on the next train.  Easy!  If you want to check train times from Ventimiglia to Monte Carlo, Nice or Cannes just do this using www.loco2.com.

  It's not essential, but if you want to buy your Ventimiglia-Nice ticket online in advance simply to save time at the ticket office you can do this at www.loco2.com.  If you buy a TER ticket online for a specific train it is in fact good for on any Ventimiglia-Nice train that day, not just the one you choose, no reservation necessary or possible.  You can print your own ticket or choose a mobile ticket which you can show on your smartphone.

  Step 3, if you want an onward train from Nice to Marseille, Avignon, Perpignan and so on, pre-book this at either www.loco2.com or www.trainline.eu with print-at-home or collect-at-station tickets, and cheap fares from €15 if you pre-book.  Just make sure you allow plenty of time to connect in Ventimiglia and in Nice in case of any delay, as your ticket from Nice onwards will only be valid on the specific train you book.

Italian InterCity trains link Milan & Genoa with Ventimiglia on the French/Italian border.  Most cars are of the traditional side-corridor type with 6-seater compartments (pictured above).				Double-decker regional trains like this link Ventimiglia with Monte Carlo, Nice & Cannes every 30 minutes.

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Rome to Brussels & Bruges from €64...

Option 1, by daytime TGV via Paris, with overnight stop in Milan or Turin...

• Step 1, book any afternoon or evening Frecciarossa train you like from Rome Termini to Milan Centrale or Turin Porta Susa from €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class at either www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, small booking fee will be refunded if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR) or Italian Railways own website www.trenitalia.com (sometimes more fiddly to use, requires Italian language place names, no booking fee, read this advice on using it first).  Most Trenitalia trains arrive at Milan Centrale, a magnificent landmark well worth seeing as you pass through.  Stay overnight in Milan or Turin.

• Step 2, use www.loco2.com or www.trainline.eu to book either the 07:39 or 10:11 TGVs from Milan Porta Garibaldi or Turin Porta Susa to Paris Gare de Lyon from just €29 in 2nd class or €44 in 1st class.  You'll get a print-at-home e-ticket.  It's a comfortable and scenic journey, see the video here.  See here for Milan-Paris timetable, fares, photos & video.

• Step 3, use www.b-europe.com to book a Thalys high-speed train from Paris Gare du Nord to Brussels Midi from €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class.  Make sure you allow at least 60 minutes, preferably more to change trains and stations in Paris.  Thalys trains have 3 classes, a cafe-bar, WiFi and power sockets at all seats, see the Thalys information page.

• You can also do this same trip with an overnight stop in Paris, just book a late morning Frecciarossa train to Turin Porta Susa and the 16:11 TGV from Turin Porta Susa to Paris arriving 22:31, stay overnight in Paris, then catch a morning Thalys train to Brussels in 1h20, they leave every hour or so.

Option 2, using the Rome-Munich Nightjet sleeper train - an easy & time-effective option, with no need to cross Paris... 

• Step 1, travel from Rome to Munich by excellent Austrian Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Rome Termini at 19:04, arriving Munich Hbf 08:19.

  Fares from €59 with couchette in 6-berth, €69 with couchette in 4-berth, €99 per person in a cosy 2-bed sleeper or €139 in a single-bed sleeper, deluxe compartments with en suite toilet & shower are also available, there's a shower at the end of the corridor for standard sleeper passengers.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment, see the Nightjet sleeper information page.

  Book this at the German Railways site www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.  You can also book at www.trainline.eu.

• Step 2, travel from Munich to Brussels by luxurious ICE train from €39.90, leaving Munich Hbf at 10:54, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Brussels Midi at 17:35.  ICE trains have a bistro-restaurant, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Book this at either the Belgian Railways site www.b-europe.com or the German Railways site www.bahn.de, you print your own ticket.

2-berth regular sleeper with washstand.  Larger photo.		The toilet & shower in a deluxe sleeper...		A Comfortline sleeping-car, as now used on the Austrian Nightjet train from Rome to Munich.  More information about Nightjets.

Austrian couchette car or liegewagen...		6-berth couchettes...		4-berth couchettes...

Option 3, by day trains with overnight stop in Munich - if you prefer day trains to sleepers, also avoids crossing Paris...

• Day 1, travel from Rome to Munich from €39 using an Italian high-speed train to Bologna or Verona then an Austrian EuroCity train with restaurant car for dinner through the scenic Brenner pass to Munich Hbf.

  Check times and buy tickets as one journey at www.bahn.de.

  You can leave Rome Termini as late as 12:50 arriving Munich Hbf at 22:27, but by all means take an earlier train for an evening in Munich.

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

• Day 2, travel from Munich to Brussels by luxurious ICE train & Thalys from €29+€19, leaving Munich Hbf at 07:54, change in Frankfurt & Cologne, arriving Brussels Midi at 14:35.  Do not risk an earlier connection, just in case of delay.  ICE trains have a bistro-restaurant, Thalys have a cafe-bar, both trains have power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Book this at the Belgian Railways site www.b-europe.com (as that can book German trains and Thalys) and print your own ticket.  Alternatively, you might get a better price at the German Railways site www.bahn.de, but with much fiddling of times using the add intermediate stops feature and a suitable stopover time to get a German ICE train for all sectors.

Option 4, by high-speed train Rome to Milan, overnight sleeper to Paris & high-speed Thalys train to Brussels... 

• Step 1, book the Thello sleeper train from Milan Centrale to Paris Gare de Lyon at either www.italiarail.com or www.thello.com, looking for a Smart or Go fare from just €35 including a couchette or €145 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper, see the Thello sleeper train page for fares, train times and details of couchette and sleeper on board.

• Step 2, now add a ticket from Rome to Milan by high-speed Frecciarossa train in 2h55 from €29.90 using either www.loco2.com, www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com.  Allow at least 60 minutes to change trains in Milan.  If you use www.italiarail.com they'll refund their small booking fee if you email your PNR to seat61@italiarail.com.

• Step 3, now book a high-speed Thalys train from Paris Gare du Nord to Brussels Midi at www.b-europe.com, this journey takes just 1 hour 20 minutes from €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class.  Allow at least 60 minutes to change trains and stations in Paris.  Thalys trains have 3 classes, a cafe-bar, WiFi and power sockets at all seats, see the Thalys information page.

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Rome to Amsterdam from €64...

Option 1, Rome to Amsterdam using the Rome-Munich sleeper - the safe, comfortable & time-effective option... 

• Step 1, travel from Rome to Munich by excellent Austrian Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Rome Termini at 19:04, arriving Munich Hbf 08:19. 

  Fares start at €59 in 6-berth couchettes, €69 in 4-berth couchettes, €99 in a 2-bed sleeper or €139 in a single-bed sleeper.  Deluxe sleepers with en suite toilet & shower are also available, and there's a shower for standard sleeper passengers at the end of the corridor.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment, see the Nightjet sleeper information page.

  Book this at the German Railways site www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.

• Step 2, travel from Munich to Amsterdam by luxurious ICE train, leaving Munich Hbf at 09:51 with one easy change in Frankfurt, arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 17:28.  These ICE trains have a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.

  Book this at the German Railways site www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.

2-berth regular sleeper with washstand.  Larger photo.		The toilet & shower in a deluxe sleeper...		A Comfortline sleeping-car, as now used on the Austrian Nightjet train from Rome to Munich.  More information about Nightjets...

Austrian couchette car or liegewagen...		6-berth couchettes...		4-berth couchettes...

An ICE3 at Amsterdam Centraal platform 2...		ICE3 2nd class seats.  Larger photo.

ICE3 1st class, with leather seats.  Larger photo.		ICE3 bistro car.  See sample menu.

Option 2, Rome to Amsterdam by day trains with overnight stop in Zurich - if you prefer day trains to sleepers...

• Day 1, travel from Rome to Milan by high-speed Frecciarossa train in 2h55 from €29.90 then from Milan to Zurich by ETR610 EuroCity train through the Alps in 3h26 from €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class.  It's a lovely ride along Lake Maggiore and through the Alps.

  Check times and buy tickets as one journey at either www.loco2.com or www.trenitalia.com.

  You can leave Rome Termini as late as 16:00 arriving Zurich HB at 22:51, but by all means take an earlier train for an evening in Zurich.

• Stay overnight in Zurich.  For something special, look no further than the superb five-star Hotel Schweizerhof, just across the road from Zurich HB - they'll even send a uniformed commissionaire to meet you at the station and carry your bags from the train.  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 tight budget you can book inexpensive private rooms in a one-star hotel or backpacker hostel near the station using www.hostelworld.com.

• Day 2, travel from Zurich to Amsterdam by superb ICE train with one easy change in Frankfurt, leaving Zurich HB at 08:00 and arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 17:28 - but by all means choose an earlier or later departure.  These ICE trains have a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  You can check times and buy tickets as one transaction at www.loco2.com, or you can book direct with German Railways at www.bahn.de.

Option 3, Rome to Amsterdam by day trains with overnight stop in Munich - Another option if you prefer day trains to sleepers...

• Day 1, travel from Rome to Munich from €39 using an Italian high-speed train to Bologna or Verona then a comfortable Austrian EuroCity train with restaurant car for dinner through the scenic Brenner pass to Munich Hbf.

  Check times and buy tickets as one journey at www.bahn.de - this has always worked previously, but if you see no fares simply switch to booking at www.loco2.com, clicking More options and entering Verona in the via box. You print your own tickets.

  You can leave Rome Termini as late as 12:50 arriving Munich Hbf at 22:27, but by all means take an earlier train for an evening in Munich.  I'd allow at least 40 minutes between trains at the interchange point, either Verona or Verona, unless on a through ticket issued at bahn.de.

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

• Day 2, travel from Munich to Amsterdam by superb ICE train with one easy change in Frankfurt, leaving Munich Hbf at 07:54 and arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 15:28 - but by all means choose an earlier or later departure.  These ICE trains have a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  You can check times and buy tickets as one transaction at www.bahn.de.

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

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

Watch out for hilltop fortresses...

Vineyards, mountains and castles south of Brenner as the train heads from Verona to Innsbruck...

Mountains on the Brenner route...  See the Brenner Pass scenery video here...

Option 4, Rome to Amsterdam via Paris - if you want to stop off in Paris... 

• You need to split this journey over 2 days with a comfortable overnight hotel stop in either Turin or Paris.  It's your decision where you stop off, and for how long.

• Step 1, book a high-speed Frecciarossa train from Rome to Turin in as little as 4h15 from €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st (business) class at either www.loco2.com, www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, the small booking fee will be refunded if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR) or Italian Railways own website www.trenitalia.com (more fiddly to use, requires Italian language place names, no booking fee, read this advice on using it first).

• Step 2, book one of the three daily direct TGV trains from Turin to Paris Gare de Lyon in 5h40 from €29 in 2nd class or €44 in 1st class using either www.loco2.com or www.trainline.eu.  See the Paris-Turin TGV page for timetable, fares, scenery photos & video.  It's a nice scenic run!

• Allow at least 60 minutes or more to cross Paris by metro or taxi.

• Step 3, book a high-speed Thalys train from Paris Gare du Nord to Amsterdam Centraal in 3h20 from €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class at either www.b-europe.com or www.thalys.com.  Thalys trains have 3 classes, a cafe-bar, WiFi and power sockets at all seats, see the Thalys information page.

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Rome to Geneva, Zurich, Lucerne, Basel & Switzerland from €59...

Choose between fast, comfortable & scenic (option 1, using mainline trains) and slow, comfortable, fabulous world-class highlight-of-your-trip scenic (option 2, via the Bernina Express).  With the daytime trains increasingly fast, there are no longer any sleeper trains between Italy & Switzerland.

Option 1, by high-speed train from Rome to Milan, then ETR610 EuroCity train from Milan to Brig, Geneva, Bern, Basel, Zurich, Lucerne...

• Rome to Milan takes only 2h55 by Frecciarossa high-speed train.  ETR610 EuroCity trains with restaurant car then link Milan with Geneva (4h00), Montreux, Brig, Lugano & Zurich (3h26) plus one or two daily direct trains from Milan to Bern, Lucerne, Spiez and Basel.  Milan-Zurich takes just 3h26 via the new Gotthard Base Tunnel, the longest in the world.  Look out for great scenery on the routes from Italy into Switzerland, past lakes and mountains.  Watch the video:  Milan to Zurich by EuroCity train.

• Fares from Rome to Milan start at €29.90 in 2nd (standard) class or €39.90 in 1st (business) class with a super-economy ticket.

• Fares from Milan to major Swiss cities by direct train start at €29 upwards in 2nd class or €49 upwards in 1st class if you book well in advance.

• How to buy tickets, if using a direct EuroCity train from Italy to a major Swiss city, with no Swiss domestic train involved...

  You can buy tickets from Rome to any of these Swiss cities as one easy transaction at either www.loco2.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, recognises English place names, no added fees or mark-up) or www.italiarail.com (easy to use, choice of paying in €, $ or £, recognises English place names, the small booking fee will be refunded if you email them afterwards at seat61@italiarail.com with your booking reference) or Italian Railways own website www.trenitalia.com (more fiddly to use, requires Italian language place names, no booking fee, read this advice on using it first).  All these sites connect to Trenitalia's ticketing system with the same prices, give or take exchange rates.  It's now all ticketless, you simply quote the booking reference on board each train.

  Although you can book from anywhere in Italy to these Swiss cities as one transaction, you may prefer to split the booking, first looking for a direct Milan-Switzerland train from €9, then booking a suitable Rome-Milan connecting train from €19, allowing at least 40 minutes to change in Milan in case of any delay, if not buying a through ticket.

• How to buy tickets if your journey involves a Swiss domestic element, e.g. Rome to Zermatt, Interlaken, Wengen, Lauterbrunnen & so on...

  OK, so here's the problem.  www.italiarail.com & www.trenitalia.com can book the direct EuroCity trains from Milan to key Swiss cities, but they can't book journeys which involve a change of train within Switzerland onto a Swiss domestic train, because Italian Railways cannot sell tickets for the Swiss domestic part of the journey.  And although www.loco2.com can book such journeys, it doesn't connect directly to the Swiss system so can't do print-at-home Swiss domestic tickets, conventional tickets have to be posted and will only be posted to UK addresses.

  Now here's the solution.   First use the journey planner at www.bahn.de to find a suitable journey, note where the change is within Switzerland.

  Then use www.loco2.com or www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com to book from anywhere in Italy to that interchange point.

  Then use the Swiss Railways website www.sbb.ch to buy a print-at-home ticket for the Swiss domestic journey from the interchange point to your final destination.  Or you can buy at the station as there's one fixed price and no reservations necessary for Swiss domestic trains, but buying a print-at-home ticket in advance saves time so you can hop on the next available connection.

  So for Rome to Interlaken, Wengen, Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald, you'd book from Rome to Spiez at www.loco2.com or www.italiarail.com using a direct Milan-Spiez train, then buy a separate ticket from Spiez to Interlaken Ost, Wengen, Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald either in person at Spiez station or online at www.sbb.ch with print-at-home tickets.

  For Rome to Zermatt, you'd book Rome to Brig at www.loco2.com or www.italiarail.com, then Brig to Zermatt in person at the station or online at www.sbb.ch with print-at-home tickets.

  For the record, Swiss Railways, www.sbb.ch can book from Italy to anywhere in Switzerland as one transaction with print-at-home tickets, but it cannot access the cheaper economy & super-economy fares for Trenitalia trains south of Milan, it will always charge you the most expensive base fare for the Italian domestic leg.  So for journeys from Venice to Switzerland I'd recommend booking as above, and not with sbb.ch.

ETR610 EuroCity train, as used on all Milan-Switzerland routes.  More information about ETR610 trains.		2nd class seats on the stylish ETR610 EuroCity train...

Restaurant car on an ETR160...		Lunch!

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...

This is Lake Lugano, seen from a Milan-Zurich EuroCity train...

Option 2, Rome to St Moritz, Chur, Zurich via the Bernina route.  This route may be much slower and a little more fiddly to book, but it's an amazing experience, arguably the best train ride of them all through the Swiss Alps...

• This is a slow local route, with part of the journey on the fabulous narrow-gauge Bernina Railway.  But it's one of the most scenic routes in the Alps, or anywhere for that matter.  Watch the video:  Milan to Zurich via the wonderfully scenic Bernina route.

• Step 1, take an early high-speed train from Rome Termini to Milan Centrale, arriving any time before 09:40.  Pre-book this at either www.italiarail.com & www.trenitalia.com.

• Step 2, take a local train from Milan Centrale to Tirano.  These run every 2 hours throughout the day, fare around €12, you can check train times at www.trenord.it.  No reservation is necessary or even possible, you just buy a ticket to Tirano from the self-service machines at Milan Centrale and hop on the next train.  At Tirano, the Italian railways station is right next to the Rhätische Bahn one on the same town square.  The 10:20 from Milan connects with the Bernina Express itself, with time for a sandwich and beer in Tirano, see the Bernina Express page.

• Step 3, now take one of the regular Rhätische Bahn trains from Tirano to St Moritz & Chur.  This is the fabulous Bernina Express route over the Bernina Pass.  You can check times & prices from Tirano to St Moritz, Chur or Zurich at the main Swiss Railways website www.sbb.ch.  If you take one of the regular normal local trains, no reservation is necessary or possible, just turn up, buy a ticket and hop on.  Only if you want to use the once or twice daily Bernina Express with its special all-reserved panoramic carriages do you need a seat reservation, see www.rhb.ch and the seat61 Bernina Express page.

  How to buy a cheap ticket from Tirano to Zurich from €29.90...  Normal Swiss fares are expensive, so see my instructions for buying a cheap advance-purchase ticket from Tirano to Chur or Zurich here.

• Step 4, on arrival in Chur, simply cross the platform to the waiting half-hourly InterCity or InterRegional train to Zurich.  Again, no reservation necessary or possible, if you're bound for Zurich simply buy a ticket to Zurich in Tirano.  You can check times and fares from Tirano to Zurich at www.sbb.ch.

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

The Bernina Express descends from the Bernina Pass...

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Rome to Barcelona, Madrid & Spain...

Option 1, by daytime trains with overnight stop in Marseille - usually the cheapest & most direct option...

• Day 1, travel from Rome to Marseille, using the 11:30 or 12:00 Frecciarossa high-speed train from Rome Termini to Milan Centrale from €29.90 then the 15:10 Thello train from Milan Centrale to Marseille from €30, arriving Marseille St Charles at 22:36.

  The Milan-Marseille Thello train runs on Saturdays & Sundays all year round, and every day from 25 March to 16 September 2018.

  On days when it doesn't run (or any day if you like), you leave Milan on the earlier 11:10 Thello train to Nice and change there for a French train along the scenic Cote d'Azur to Marseille, arriving around 19:07.  On the plus side, you now have more of an evening in Marseille...

  This is a very pleasant journey with fabulous coastal scenery through Genoa, San Remo, Nice & Cannes.  By all means take an earlier train and stop off in Nice or spend an afternoon in Marseille, a great city to visit.

• 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.

• Day 2, travel from Marseille to Barcelona & Madrid by direct AVE-S100 high-speed train, leaving Marseille St Charles at 08:01 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 12:38 and Madrid Atocha at 15:45.  Fares for this leg start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.

• Day 2 afternoon, change in Barcelona for Spanish high-speed trains to Valencia or Alicante, or the direct AVE S112 high-speed train leaving Barcelona Sants at 15:50 to Cordoba, Malaga or Seville arriving in the evening.

• To buy tickets the easy way...

  Go to www.loco2.com, book from Rome to Marseille on day 1 and add it to your basket.  Then book Marseille to Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Alicante, Seville, Malaga or wherever for day 2 as one booking, add it to your basket and check out.  www.loco2.com connects directly to the Italian, French and Spanish rail ticketing systems, so you can buy all these tickets at the cheapest prices all in one place.  All international credit cards are accepted.  Tickets within Spain & for the Barcelona-Marseille train will be print-at-home, the Florence-Marseille trains are ticketless, you just quote your booking reference to the conductor on board.

• Alternatively, you can book each leg separately like this, although it's unlikely to be any cheaper...

  Step 1, book from Rome Termini to Marseille St Charles using either www.italiarail.com (easy to use, English place names, and they'll refund the small booking fee to seat61 users if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR) or Italian Railways' own site www.trenitalia.com (you'll need to use Italian language place names).  It's ticketless, you just quote your booking reference to the conductor on board the train.

  If your journey from Rome to Marseille involves a change in Nice, you'll need to use www.italiarail.com/www.trenitalia.com to book Milan to Nice then www.trainline.eu to book Nice-Marseille.

  Step 2, book from Marseille to Barcelona or Madrid at www.loco2.com or www.trainline.eu.  You print your own ticket.

  Step 3, book any onward trains within Spain at www.loco2.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, no booking fees) or www.renfe.com (in €, can be fiddly, see this advice on using it).  You print your own tickets.

The Milan-Marseille Thello train at Milan Centrale.  See more photos & information about these Thello trains...		1st class seats on Thello.  All seats have power sockets.  Plenty of luggage room on racks & between seat backs...

2nd class seats on the Thello train.  All seats have power sockets, with plenty of luggage space on racks and between seat backs.		The small cafe-bar counter on the Milan to Nice & Marseille Thello train serving tea, coffee, wine, beer, soft drinks and snacks.

View from the train between Nice & Marseille...

Marseille to Barcelona & Madrid by Spanish S100 AVE train.  See more photos & information about these AVE-S100 high-speed trains.		2nd class seats, all with power sockets.  Luggage goes on the racks at the car ends or above the seats.  Panorama photo of 2nd class

Cafe-bar on an S100 AVE serving tea, coffee, beer, wine, soft drinks, snacks & hot dishes...		1st class seats on an S100 AVE.  Panorama photo of 1st class

Mt Canigou & the Pyrenees...  Seen from the train and one of the highest peaks in the mighty Pyrenees, the 2,784m (9,137 feet) high Mt Canigou dominates the skyline all the way from Girona to Perpignan...

Option 2, by daytime high-speed trains with hotel in Geneva...

• This is a pleasant way to go, with interesting scenery on the way and a chance to spend some time in Geneva.  Leave Rome mid-afternoon, sleep soundly in a hotel in Geneva, spend a pleasant morning in Geneva next day, then take a TER regional train to Lyon and high-speed AVE to Barcelona arriving in the evening.

• Step 1, travel from Rome Termini to Milan Centrale by Frecciarossa high-speed train and onwards from Milan Centrale to Geneva by EuroCity train.  You can leave Rome at 14:00, change Milan, arriving Geneva at around 21:21.  Or leave Rome around 16:00, change Milan, to arrive Geneva around 23:22.  Fares start at just €29.90 for Rome-Milan plus €29 upwards for Milan-Geneva booked as one transaction at www.italiarail.com.

• Stay the night in Geneva, and spend next morning exploring this lakeside city.  Suggested hotels with good reviews near the station include Hotel Cornavin Geneve, Hotel Les Arcades, ibis Styles Geneva Gare.  Hotels in Switzerland can be expensive, if you're on a budget you can book budget private rooms in a one-star hotel or backpacker hostel near the station using www.hostelworld.com.

• Step 2, travel from Geneva to Barcelona by TGV.  Usually you'll find a TER regional train leaving Geneva at 11:22, change trains at Lyon Part Dieu (arrive 13:22, depart 14:24) onto a direct AVE-S100 high-speed train arriving Barcelona Sants at 19:31.  Fares start at around €69 in 2nd class.

  Buy tickets at www.loco2.com (anyone from any country, no booking fee), www.raileurope.com (US residents), www.raileurope-world.com (residents of Australia, Canada, Asia, Africa, South America) or www.trainline.eu (anyone from any country, no booking fees, with seating options).  You usually print your own ticket.

• Step 3, stay overnight in Barcelona (see suggested hotels near Barcelona Sants station) and book onward high-speed trains from Barcelona to Madrid, Seville, Malaga, Alicante etc, using www.loco2.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, no booking fees) or Spanish railways own website www.renfe.com (in €, can be fiddly) or www.petrabax.com (in US$, small mark-up).  You'll find a direct AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Barcelona Sants at 08:30 arriving Malaga, Cordoba & Seville at lunchtime.

Option 3, Italy to Barcelona by luxury cruise ferry...

• Another excellent option is the Grimaldi Lines cruise ferry from Civitavecchia (an hour by regional train north of Rome) and Barcelona.  The ferry sails daily at 22:15 and arrives at 18:15 next day.  To check times, fares, accommodation and to book online see the Seat61 ferry shop or go to www.grimaldi-lines.com.  Grimaldi Lines also run a ferry several times a week between Barcelona and Livorno, and between Salerno (near Naples) and Valencia.

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Rome to Lisbon & Portugal...

• Day 1, travel from Rome to Marseille, stay overnight, then take the morning AVE high-speed train from Marseille to Madrid on day 2 as shown in the Rome to Madrid section above.  You've an evening in Madrid.

• Day 2, take the excellent overnight sleeper train Trainhotel Lusitania overnight from Madrid to Lisbon as shown in the Madrid to Lisbon section, arriving at 07:30 on day 3.

• Change at Lisbon Oriente for trains to Porto & Faro, as shown in the Madrid to Lisbon section.

Gran Clase sleeper, in evening mode with the seats folded out...		...return from dinner to find the attendant has made up the beds...		Gran Clase sleepers have a private toilet & shower...		The trainhotel Lusitania from Madrid to Lisbon is an articulated Spanish Talgo train.  Seen here at Madrid Chamartin station.

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Rome to Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin & Germany from €39...

Option 1, Rome to Munich by direct Nightjet sleeper train & onward trains to anywhere in Germany - the time-effective option...

• Step 1, a comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train leaves Rome Termini at 19:04 every night and arrives at Munich Hbf at 08:19 next morning.

  Fares start at €59 in 6-berth couchettes, €69 in 4-berth couchettes, €99 per person in a 2-bed sleeper or €139 in a single-bed sleeper.  Deluxe sleepers with shower & toilet are also available.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment.

  Book this sleeper at either www.trainline.eu or www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.  It's a good idea to check fares on both systems.

• Step 2, now book an onward train from Munich to anywhere in Germany at www.bahn.de from €19.90 upwards, allowing at least 1 hour between trains in Munich.  You print your own ticket.  For example, you can leave Munich Hbf by high-speed ICE train and arrive Berlin Hbf at 14:23.

2-berth regular sleeper with washstand.  Larger photo.		The toilet & shower in a deluxe sleeper...		A Comfortline sleeping-car, as now used on the Austrian Nightjet train from Rome to Munich.  More information about Nightjets...

Austrian couchette car or liegewagen...		6-berth couchettes...		4-berth couchettes...

Option 2, Rome to Munich & anywhere in Germany by daytime trains via the Brenner Pass - the scenic daytime option...

• Take a high-speed train from Rome to Verona in 2h50, then a comfortable Austrian EuroCity train with restaurant car from Verona to Munich via the Brenner Pass in around 5h10, see the Brenner Pass scenery video here.  The Verona-Munich EuroCity trains run every couple of hours and it's a lovely run up the Brenner over a meal in the elegant restaurant car.

• Rome to Munich or anywhere in Germany starts at €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class.

• To buy tickets, first try booking direct from Rome Termini to your chosen German destination at www.bahn.de.  You print your own ticket.

• If through fares appear, that's great.  This will be the cheapest option, with all trains on one ticket.  If you see no fares simply switch to booking at www.loco2.com, clicking More options and entering Verona Porta Nuova in the via box with a stopover duration of 45 minutes. You print your own tickets.  Loco2 connects to both Trenitalia and DB German Railways, so can source both tickets as one transaction.

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

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

Watch out for hilltop fortresses...

Vineyards, mountains and castles south of Brenner as the train heads from Verona to Innsbruck...

Mountains on the Brenner route...  See the Brenner Pass scenery video here...

Option 3, Rome to anywhere in Germany by daytime trains with overnight stop in Munich...

• Day 1, take a high-speed train from Rome to Verona in 2h50, then a comfortable Austrian EuroCity train with restaurant car from Verona to Munich via the scenic Brenner Pass in around 5h10, see the Brenner Pass scenery video here.

  You can leave Rome Termini as late as 12:20, arriving Munich Hbf at 22:27, but by all means travel earlier and have a pleasant evening in Munich.

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

• Day 2, take comfortable ICE or IC trains from Munich to anywhere in Germany.

• Rome to anywhere in Germany starts at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.

• To buy tickets, first try booking direct from Rome Termini to your chosen German destination using this special link to www.bahn.de which I have set up including an intermediate stop in Munich.  You print your own ticket.  For an earlier departure from Rome or longer stopover in Munich, simply adjust the departure time from Rome and/or click Add Intermediate stops and adjust the stopover duration in Munich.  Not rocket science, but a bit of trial and error is sometimes needed!

  If through fares appear, that's great.  This will be the cheapest option, with all trains on one ticket.  If you see no fares simply switch to booking at www.loco2.com, clicking More options and entering Verona Porta Nuova in the via box with a stopover duration of 45 minutes. You print your own tickets.  Loco2 connects to both Trenitalia and DB German Railways, so can source both tickets as one transaction.

Option 4, Italy to Germany by daytime trains via Zurich & the Gotthard Pass.  Another scenic option...

• High-speed trains link Rome Termini with Milan Centrale in as little as 2h55 from €29.90.  Every two hours or so, ETR610 EuroCity trains link Milan Centrale with Zurich HB in around 3h26 via the scenic Gotthard route in the Swiss Alps from €29. Then regular direct ICE trains link Zurich HB with cities all over Germany from €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.

  In addition, from 10 December 2017 there's a direct ETR610 EuroCity train from Milan to Frankfurt with restaurant car.  You can leave Rome Termini at 07:20 daily, change in Milan Centrale (arrive 10:40, depart 11:23) and arrive Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 18:59.  Rome-Milan from €29.90 then Milan-Frankfurt from €49.90 in 2nd class or €89.90 in 1st class.

• To book a journey using the new direct EuroCity train to Frankfurt:

  You can book both trains in one place at www.loco2.com.  I recommend first booking the Milan to Frankfurt train (making sure you select the direct train) and adding it to your basket.  Then click Add another journey and book a suitable connection Rome Termini to Milan Centrale, allowing at least 40 minutes or longer between trains in Milan.  Add this to your basket and check out. 

  Rome-Milan is ticketless, you just quote the reference on board.  Milan-Frankfurt you print your own ticket.  Alternatively, book Milan-Frankfurt at www.bahn.de and Rome-Milan at www.italiarail.com.

• To book other journeys with changes in both Milan and Zurich:

  Step 1, book a ticket from Rome to Zurich using www.italiarail.com, as this will happily book both trains as one transaction.  You collect your tickets from the self-service ticket machines at any main Italian station.  If you want a safer connection in Milan or just want to stop off there for a while, simply split the booking into Rome-Milan then Milan-Zurich.  Allow at least 60 minutes in Zurich for connections, in case of any delay.

  Step 2, now book from Zurich HB (HB=Hauptbahnhof) to anywhere in Germany at www.bahn.de.  You print your own ticket.

  ETR610 train, as used on the Milan-Zurich and Milan-Frankfurt routes.  More information about ETR610 trains.		2nd class seats on the stylish ETR610 EuroCity train...

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

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Rome to Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck & Austria from €59..

Option 1, by direct Nightjet sleeper train from Rome to Salzburg or Vienna - the safe, comfortable, time-saving option... 

• An excellent Nightjet sleeper train leaves Rome Termini at 19:04 and arrives Salzburg at 06:15 & Vienna Hbf at 08:46.

• Fares start at just €59 with couchette in 6-berth, €69 with couchette in 4-berth, €99 with a bed in a cosy 2-bed sleeper or €139 with a single-bed sleeper.  This train also has deluxe sleepers with en suite shower & toilet.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment.  A fun European travel experience and it saves a hotel bill too.  See the Nightjet guide for more photos & information.

• Buy tickets for this sleeper train at www.trainline.eu (easiest to use, overseas payment cards no problem) or at Austrian Railways' own site www.oebb.at (same prices but a bit more fiddly).  You print your own ticket.  Easy!

2-berth regular sleeper with washstand.  Larger photo.		The toilet & shower in a deluxe sleeper...		A Comfortline sleeping-car, as now used on the Austrian Nightjet train from Rome to Vienna & Salzburg.  More information about Nightjets.

Austrian couchette car or liegewagen...		6-berth couchettes...		4-berth couchettes...

Option 2, Rome to Salzburg or Vienna by daytime trains - a daytime option with lunch in Venice...

• You can travel from Rome to Vienna by train in a single chill-out day from €58.  And how about lunch in Venice?

• Step 1, travel from Rome to Venice by Frecciarossa high-speed train, leaving Rome Termini at 10:50, arriving Venice S. Lucia at 14:35. 

  If you'd like lunch and a wander around Venice, take an earlier train from Rome, for example the 06:50, 07:50 or 08:50.  The Rialto Bridge is just 20 minutes walk from Venice Santa Lucia, St Mark's Square just 27 minutes walk, see map of Venice showing station.  There's a left luggage office at the station.  Of course if you haven't been to Venice before, I'd recommend an overnight stop, not just a few hours!

  Book this train from €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class at www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in €, £, $ or Au$) or www.trenitalia.com (in €).  Italiarail will refund their small booking fee if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your booking reference.  It's ticketless, you just quote your booking reference on board.

• Step 2, travel from Venice to Vienna by smart Austrian railjet train, leaving Venice S. Lucia at 15:55, arriving Vienna Hbf 23:35.

  This train takes the wonderfully scenic UNESCO-listed Semmering route, you might see something of the landscape at least in summer when it's light until ten.  The railjet train has a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the railjet information page.

  For Salzburg, change in Villach arriving Salzburg around 21:48.  Don't worry about the 5-minute interchange at Villach, this is a recognised connection which many people make, it's a simple cross-platform switch from platform 2 to platform 3.  In any case you will have a through ticket so will be looked after if there's missed connection.

  Book from Venice to Vienna or Salzburg from €29 in 2nd class, €44 in 1st class or €59 in business class (= premium 1st class, a real treat) at www.trainline.eu (quickest & easiest to use, overseas payment cards no problem) or at Austrian Railways' own site www.oebb.at (same prices but a bit more fiddly).  You print your own ticket.

Option 3, Rome to Innsbruck, Salzburg or Vienna by day trains in a single day via the Brenner Pass - the scenic daytime option...

• You can travel from Rome to Austria by train in a single chill-out day via the Scenic Brenner Pass from €68.

  For example, if you left Rome Termini around 08:50 you'd reach Innsbruck around 16:30, Salzburg around 19:00, Vienna around 21:30.

• Step 1, take a fast Frecciarossa from Rome Termini to Bologna Centrale in 2h17 from €19.90.  Look for one around 08:50.

• Step 2, take a comfortable Austrian EuroCity train with restaurant car leaving Bologna at 11:52 for Innsbruck via the scenic Brenner Pass, see the Brenner Pass scenery video here.  Fares from Bologna to anywhere in Austria start at €39.  Treat yourself to a meal in the restaurant car as the mountains glide by...  Change in Innsbruck for regular trains to Salzburg, Linz & Vienna.

• To buy tickets, first book the 11:52 from Bologna Centrale to Innsbruck, Salzburg, Vienna or anywhere in Austria using www.trainline.eu (quickest & easiest to use, overseas payment cards no problem) or Austrian Railways' own site www.oebb.at (same prices but a bit more fiddly).  You print your own ticket.

  Now add a suitable connecting train from Rome Termini to Bologna Centrale at www.trainline.eu (easy to use, in various currencies, no booking fee), or www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in €, £, $ or Au$) or www.trenitalia.com (in €), making sure you have at least 40 minutes between trains in Verona in case of any delay.  If you use Italiarail they'll refund the small booking fee if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your booking reference.

• Earlier or later departures are possible, but with a change in Verona Porta Nuova rather than Bologna, as trains link Verona and Innsbruck every 2 hours, only one or two a day start back in Bologna.  In this case, you'd first book Verona to Austria using www.trainline.eu, then add a Rome to Verona ticket at www.trainline.eu or www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com, again making sure you allowed at least 40 minutes between trains in Verona.

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

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

Watch out for hilltop fortresses...

Vineyards, mountains and castles south of Brenner as the train heads from Verona to Innsbruck...

Mountains on the Brenner route...  See the Brenner Pass scenery video here...

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Rome to Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo & Scandinavia...

• Step 1, travel from Rome to Munich by excellent Austrian Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Rome Termini at 19:04, arriving Munich Hbf 08:19. 

  Fares start at €59 in 6-berth couchettes, €69 in 4-berth couchettes, €99 in a 2-bed sleeper or €139 in a single-bed sleeper.  Deluxe sleepers with en suite toilet & shower are also available.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment.

  Book this at the German Railways site www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.

  If you'd prefer a daytime journey with overnight stop in Munich, simply use the Rome to Munich in a single day option above.

• Step 2, travel from Munich to Copenhagen by train, leaving Munich Hbf at 10:21 by luxurious ICE train, making one easy change in Hamburg onto a comfortable Danish EuroCity train arriving Copenhagen at 22:26.

  Treat this as a chill-out day with a good book and a glass or two of wine - there's a bistro-restaurant car for lunch.  The Hamburg to Copenhagen EuroCity train goes onto a ferry between Puttgarden & Rødby, one of the few places in Europe where trains still get shunted onto ships.  It's an interesting experience in its own right - you must leave the train and go upstairs into the ship's passenger accommodation during the 50-minute crossing, although you can leave your luggage on the train.  See photos, tips & information for the Hamburg to Copenhagen journey.

  If you're just going to Copenhagen, book Munich to Copenhagen from €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class at the German Railways site www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.  Tip:  I recommend changing Duration of transfer from standard to at least 45 minutes.

• Step 3 if you're going to Malmo, simply take a regular Öresund train from Copenhagen to Malmö in 52 minutes with passport check off-train at Kastrup, these leave twice an hour.  You can book through from Munich to Malmö from €39 at www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.

• Step 3 if you're going to Stockholm or Gothenburg, stay overnight in Copenhagen then travel to Stockholm in just 5h15 by X2000 high-speed train or to Gothenburg in 4:05 by hourly Öresund train.

  You can book tickets from Copenhagen to anywhere in Sweden at the Swedish Railways site www.sj.se, but there's a cleverer way to book if you are coming from Munich.  Use this special link to bahn.de to book from Munich to Stockholm from €39.90 with an overnight stop in Copenhagen programmed in using the Add intermediate stops feature - just enter your date of travel from Munich.  Adjust the intermediate stopover time as necessary to get the trains you want, or if no fares show up initially, it may take a bit of trial & error to get the trains you want.  This method works to book from Munich to Gothenburg, too - you'll find bahn.de lists Gothenburg as Göteborg Central.

• Step 3 for Oslo, stay overnight in Copenhagen and travel from Copenhagen to Oslo by train next day as shown here.  Or spend the day in Copenhagen and take the overnight DFDS cruise ferry to Oslo as also shown here.

2-berth regular sleeper with washstand.  Larger photo.		The toilet & shower in a deluxe sleeper...		A Comfortline sleeping-car, as now used on the Austrian Nightjet train from Rome to Munich.  More information about Nightjets.

Austrian couchette car or liegewagen...		6-berth couchettes...		4-berth couchettes...

All Hamburg-Copenhagen EuroCity trains are now Danish IC3 trains like this...

A 125 mph X2000 train from Copenhagen to Stockholm....		2nd class seating on the X2000.  All seats have power sockets for laptops & mobiles...		Self-service buffet car on the X2000 to Stockholm. More info on X2000 trains

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Rome to Prague from €68...

Option 1, Rome to Prague overnight via Vienna - comfortable, safe & time-effective, with a chance to see Vienna on the way...

• Step 1, travel from Rome to Vienna by comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train leaving Rome Termini at 19:04 & arriving Vienna Hbf 08:46.

  Fares start at €59 in 6-berth couchettes, €69 in 4-berth couchettes, €99 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €139 in a single-bed sleeper.  Deluxe sleepers with en suite toilet & shower are also available, and there's a shower at the end of the corridor for regular sleeper passengers.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment.

  Book this train online at www.trainline.eu (quickest & easiest to use, overseas payment cards no problem) or at Austrian Railways' own site www.oebb.at (same prices but a bit more fiddly).  You print your own ticket.

• Step 2, travel from Vienna to Prague by smart modern Czech Railjet train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 11:10 & arriving Prague Hlavni at 15:07.

  Fares start at just €19 in 2nd class, €29 in 1st class or €44 in business class (= premium 1st class).

  These swish railjet trains have a bistro-restaurant car with draught beer on tap, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the railjet train information page.  Tip:  With a 1st or business class ticket you can use the ÖBB lounge in Vienna Hbf between trains, with complimentary refreshments & free WiFi.

  Why not book book a later railjet & spend some time exploring Vienna?  Railjets to Prague leave every two hours, see the timetable here.  Left luggage lockers are available in Vienna.  In Prague, you arrive in the city centre walking distance from the old city square.

  Book this train at either www.trainline.eu or www.cd.cz - check prices on both sites as one is often cheaper than the other for the same train.  You print your own ticket.  Easy!  You can also book at www.oebb.at.

• Alternative step 2 if you're going to Cesky Krumlov:  Travel from Vienna Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof to Cesky Krumlov in 4h26 as explained here.

2-berth regular sleeper with washstand.  Larger photo.		The toilet & shower in a deluxe sleeper...		A Comfortline sleeping-car, as now used on the Austrian Nightjet train from Rome to Vienna.  More information about Nightjets.

Austrian couchette car or liegewagen...		6-berth couchettes...		4-berth couchettes...

Step 2, take a smart modern Railjet train from Vienna to Prague, with economy, first & business class, restaurant car, free WiFi and draught beer on tap...

Restaurant car...  Courtesy David Malone		Economy (2nd) class...  Courtesy Cortney Lollar

Option 2, Rome to Prague or Cesky Krumlov via Zurich - a comfortable, safe & time-effective option...

• Step 1, travel from Rome to Zurich by train, leaving Rome Termini at 12:00 by 186mph Frecciarossa high-speed train, making one quick and easy change at Milan's magnificent Centrale station onto a bullet-nosed ETR610 EuroCity train along Lake Maggiore and through the Swiss Alps arriving at Zurich HB at 18:51.  The Milan-Zurich train takes the scenic Gotthard route, although half an hour of this journey is now inside the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world's longest.

  Book from Rome Termini to Zurich using either www.loco2.com, www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com.  Rome to Milan starts at €29.90 then Milan to Zurich starts at €29.  Just make sure you have at least an hour in Zurich to change trains in case of any delay.  It's ticketless, you just quote your booking reference on board each train.

  You've time for dinner in Zurich, I can recommend steak & frites and a beer at the Brasserie Federal on the main concourse at Zurich HB.

• Step 2, now take the Zurich to Prague sleeper leaving Zurich HB at 21:40 every night and arriving next morning at Ceske Budejovice at 08:51 & Prague Hlavni at 10:57.  The train has a modern Czech sleeping-car, some deluxe sleepers have an en suite shower & toilet, there's a shower for standard sleeper passengers at the end of the corridor.  Morning tea & coffee is included in the sleeper fare.  There are no couchettes on this route.

  Fares start at €45 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, €59 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €112 in a single-bed sleeper.

  Book this sleeper online at the Czech Railways site www.cd.cz and print out your own ticket.  Easy!  See my tips for using cd.cz.  For deluxe sleepers, select 1st class before running the enquiry.

• If you're going to Ceske Krumlov, get off the sleeper at Ceske Budejovice (its former name is Budweis, that's right, where the name of the beer comes from), have a coffee at the station then take the 10:13 express train to Ceske Krumlov arriving 10:50.  In this case you'd use www.cd.cz to book Zurich to Cesky Krumlov, of course looking for the 21:40 departure with 1 change.

ETR610 EuroCity train, as used on the Milan-Zurich route.  More information about ETR610 EuroCity trains.		2nd class seats on the stylish ETR610 EuroCity train...

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

The sleeping-car to Prague, ready to leave Zurich HB.  Photo courtesy of Shaiq Ali Khan

Standard sleeper set up as a 2-berth, with blind down & washstand open.  Each room can be used with 1, 2 or 3 beds.		The same sleeper with berths folded away & seats folded out, washstand closed.  Very similar to a deluxe, but without the shower & toilet.		Deluxe sleepers are similar to standard ones, but with a bit more floorspace & compact shower & toilet instead of washstand.		Just like a hotel, the corridor in a Comfortline sleeping-car.  There's a shower at end of the corridor for standard sleeper passengers.

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Rome to Bratislava from €64...

• Step 1, take the excellent Austrian Nightjet sleeper train leaving Rome Termini at 19:04 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 08:46, fares from €59 with couchette in 6-berth, €69 with a couchette in 4-berth, €99 with a bed in a cosy 2-bed sleeper or €139 in a single bed sleeper as shown in the Rome to Austria section above.

  Book this train online at www.trainline.eu (quickest & easiest to use, overseas payment cards no problem) or at Austrian Railways' own site www.oebb.at (same prices but a bit more fiddly).  You print your own ticket.

• Step 2, when you arrive at Vienna Hbf simply buy a ticket for around €10.50 and hop on the next hourly local train to Bratislava, no reservation necessary or possible, journey time 1 hour 6 minutes.  You can check times using www.trainline.eu or www.oebb.at.

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Rome to Budapest from €68...

• Step 1, travel from Rome to Vienna overnight on the comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train leaving Rome Termini at 19:04 and arriving at Vienna Hbf at 08:46 next morning.

  Fares start at €59 in 6-berth couchettes, €69 in 4-berth couchettes, €99 in a 2-bed sleeper or €139 in a single-bed sleeper.  Deluxe sleepers with en suite toilet & shower are also available, and there's a shower for standard sleeper passengers at the end of the corridor.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment.

  www.trainline.eu (quickest & easiest to use, overseas payment cards no problem) or at Austrian Railways' own site www.oebb.at (same prices but a bit more fiddly).  You print your own ticket.

• Step 2, travel from Vienna to Budapest by smart modern Austrian railjet train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 09:42 & arriving Budapest Keleti 12:19.

  Fares start at just €19 in 2nd class, €29 in 1st class or €44 in business class (= premium 1st class).

  These swish railjet trains have a bistro-restaurant car with draught beer on tap, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the railjet train information page.  Tip:  With a 1st or business class ticket you can use the ÖBB lounge in Vienna Hbf between trains, with complimentary refreshments & free WiFi.

  Why not book book a later train & spend some time in Vienna?  Trains to Budapest leave every hour or two, left luggage lockers are available.

  Buy tickets for this train as a second transaction at www.trainline.eu (or www.oebb.at).  You print your own ticket.  Easy!

2-berth regular sleeper with washstand.  Larger photo.		The toilet & shower in a deluxe sleeper...		A Comfortline sleeping-car, as now used on the Austrian Nightjet train from Rome to Vienna.  More information about Nightjets...

Austrian couchette car or liegewagen...		6-berth couchettes...		4-berth couchettes...

Austrian Railjet train from Vienna to Budapest.  This is a RailJet at Budapest Keleti...  More photos, video & information about Railjets		Business class costs €15 more than normal 1st class...		Economy class on RailJet, comfortable open saloons with large picture windows.  Some seats around tables, some unidirectional.

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Rome to Bucharest, Brasov & Romania...

• Step 1, travel from Rome to Budapest as shown in the Rome to Budapest section above, leaving Rome in the evening by Nightjet sleeper train and changing in Vienna onto a fast Railjet train to Budapest, arriving at lunchtime.  You've an afternoon to explore Budapest.

• Step 2, now take the overnight EuroNight sleeper train Ister leaving Budapest Keleti at 19:10 and arriving, Brasov around 09:26 & Bucharest at 12:05 next day.  This comfortable train has 4 & 6 berth couchettes and a modern air-conditioned sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, also deluxe sleepers with 1 or 2 beds and shower/toilet.  See the photos on the London to Romania page.

• You can book the Budapest to Bucharest train with fares from €49 in a 2-bed sleeper at the Hungarian railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, collecting your tickets from the yellow ticket machines at Budapest Keleti station.

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Rome to Ljubljana & Slovenia, Zagreb...

Option 1, by the direct route through Trieste...

• Direct trains from Italy to Slovenia are restored from 9 September 2018!  Two modern air-conditioned trains now run from Trieste to Ljubljana every day, with connections from Venice.  Just €22 or so gets you from Venice to Ljubljana, any day, any date, no prior reservation necessary, it cannot sell out, just buy at the station on the day.  Change in Ljubljana for Zagreb.  And if you've ever wondered where prosecco comes from, you'll find out on this route!

  Click here to see full details of times & fares from Venice to Ljubljana & Zagreb, including photos & an account of the journey.

• Add a ticket from Rome Termini to Venice by Frecciarossa high-speed train from €29.90 at either www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com.

The hourly regional train from Venice to Trieste.  No reservation necessary, turn up & go!  You sit where you like.

Scenery in Slovenia, seen from the train from Trieste to Ljubljana...

Option 2, with overnight stop in Villach, Austria - a useful alternative...

• Step 1, travel from Rome to Venice by Frecciarossa high-speed train, leaving Rome Termini at 10:50, arriving Venice S. Lucia at 14:35. 

  If you'd like lunch and a wander around Venice, take an earlier train from Rome, for example the 06:50, 07:50 or 08:50.  The Rialto Bridge is just 20 minutes walk from Venice Santa Lucia, St Mark's Square just 27 minutes walk, see map of Venice showing station.  There's a left luggage office at the station.  Of course if you haven't been to Venice before, I'd recommend an overnight stop, not just a few hours!

  Book this train from €29.90 at www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in €, £, $ or Au$) or www.trenitalia.com (in €).  Italiarail will refund their small booking fee if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your booking reference.  It's ticketless, you just quote your booking reference on board.

• Step 2, travel from Venice to Villach in Austria near the Slovenian border by comfortable Austrian railjet train, leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 15:55 and arriving Villach at 19:11.  Book this from €19 at either www.trainline.eu or Austrian Railways' own site www.oebb.at.

• Stay in Villach overnight - try the Hotel Goldenes Lamm or Hotel City, both near the station with great reviews.

• Step 3, travel from Villach to Ljubljana & Zagreb by direct train, leaving Villach at 06:25 and arriving Ljubljana at 08:11 and Zagreb at 10:43.  Buy this ticket at the station, likely to be around €20 to Ljubljana, €40 to Zagreb.

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Rome to Dubrovnik & Split...

• You can travel overland all the way from Rome to Zagreb by train as shown above, then take a train from Zagreb to Split (daytime or sleeper) then a bus Split to Dubrovnik (4 hours, many buses).  But it's more time-effective to go by comfortable overnight ferry from Italy to Croatia as follows.

• Step 1, book an overnight ferry with comfortable en suite cabin either from Ancona to Split or from Bari to Dubrovnik.  www.jadrolinija.hr sails on both routes several times a week, leaving 19:45-22:00 and arriving 07:00-08:00.  Also try www.blueline-ferries.com who sail Ancona-Split.  You can choose a private cabin or cheaper berth in a shared cabin.  There are also reclining seats, but I always recommend a bed in a cabin for a safe and secure night's sleep.  Make sure you're on deck with your camera ready as the ship approaches the beautiful Croatian coast!

• Step 2, now add a train ticket from Rome Termini to either Ancona Centrale or Bari Centrale using www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in €, £, $ or Au$) or www.trenitalia.com (in €).  Italiarail will refund their small booking fee if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your booking reference.  It's ticketless, you just quote your booking reference on board. 

  You should choose a train which arrives in Bari or Ancona at least 3 hours before the ferry sails, to allow for transfer to the port and check-in.  In Bari it's a 25 minute walk via Bari's pleasant old town to the ferry terminal, or a 10 minute taxi ride.  In Ancona, take a taxi from station to ferry terminal.

Blue Line & Jadrolinija ferries in Split Harbour...  Above right, a deluxe cabin on the Blue Line ferry, which comes complete with an en suite jacuzzi...  Courtesy of Andrew Leo.

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Rome to Belgrade & Sofia...

Option 1, with overnight stop in Villach, Austria - the cheapest and simplest option...

• Step 1, travel from Rome to Venice by Frecciarossa high-speed train, leaving Rome Termini at 10:50, arriving Venice S. Lucia at 14:35. 

  If you'd like lunch and a wander around Venice, take an earlier train from Rome, for example the 06:50, 07:50 or 08:50.  The Rialto Bridge is just 20 minutes walk from Venice Santa Lucia, St Mark's Square just 27 minutes walk, see map of Venice showing station.  There's a left luggage office at the station.  Of course if you haven't been to Venice before, I'd recommend an overnight stop, not just a few hours!

  Book this train from €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class at www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in €, £, $ or Au$) or www.trenitalia.com (in €).  Italiarail will refund their small booking fee if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your booking reference.  It's ticketless, you just quote your booking reference on board.

• Step 2, travel from Venice to Villach in Austria near the Slovenian border by comfortable Austrian railjet train, leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 15:55 and arriving Villach at 19:11.  Book this from €19 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class at either www.trainline.eu or Austrian Railways' own site www.oebb.at.  You print your own ticket.

• Stay in Villach overnight - try the Hotel Goldenes Lamm or Hotel City, both near the station with great reviews.

• Step 3, travel from Villach to Belgrade by direct train, leaving Villach at 06:25 and arriving Belgrade Centar station at 17:28.  There's lovely scenery along the River Sava between Ljubljana & Zagreb.  You can buy the ticket at Villach station, fare around €97 if bought on the day, there are always places available.  To reduce the cost you could pre-book a Villach to Zagreb advance-purchase sparschiene ticket from €29 at www.trainline.eu or www.oebb.at, but you'll then need to ask the Croatian conductor to sell you an onward ticket from Zagreb to Belgrade, likely to be about €35, or break your journey in Zagreb for a day to buy a new ticket.  Zagreb is a city well worth a stopover!

• Step 4, if you're going to Sofia, spend the night in Belgrade - I recommend the historic Hotel Moskva.  From 15 June to 17 September 2018 there's a direct train called the Balkan which leaves Belgrade Topcider station at 09:06 and arrives Sofia Central Station at 20:12.  2nd class only, bring your own picnic and bottle of wine as there's no catering.  At other times of year you leave Belgrade Centar station at 04:00, change at Nis & Plovdiv arriving Sofia at 18:50.  Buy this ticket at the station for €20.60, there are always places available, even on the day.  It cannot be booked online, and there's no need.

Option 2, Rome to Belgrade via the Bari-Bar overnight ferry - a lovely journey via a spectacular railway...

• Step 1, travel by fast train from Rome Termini to Bari Centrale in about 4 hours from €29.90 booked at www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in €, £, $ or Au$) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, requires Italian language place names).  Italiarail will refund their small booking fee if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your booking reference.  It's ticketless, you just quote your booking reference on board.  In Bari it's a 25 minute walk or 10 minute taxi ride from the station to the ferry terminal near the pleasant old town.  Allow several hours between train arrival and ferry departure, to allow for any delay and for the ferry check-in.

• Step 2, sail overnight from Bari to Bar in Montenegro with Jadrolinija, as shown in the Rome to Montenegro section below.  The ferry sails weekly all year round, twice weekly in high summer.  In Bar, it's an easy 20 minute walk from ferry terminal to station.

• Step 3, travel from Bar to Belgrade on the spectacular Bar to Belgrade Railway as shown here.  There's a daytime train and a sleeper train.  If the ferry is on time you might just make the one-hour connection between the ferry arrival and the 09:00 departure of the daytime train.

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Rome to Bar, Budva, Kotor & Montenegro...

• This is an excellent way to reach beautiful Montenegro from Florence.  Make sure you're on deck with your camera ready as the ship approaches the lovely Montenegrin coast!

• Step 1, book an overnight ferry with comfortable en suite cabin from Bari to Bar in Montenegro.  Montenegro Lines ceased trading in early 2017, but Croatian ferry line Jadrolinija (www.jadrolinija.hr) will resume sailings shortly with one sailing per week all year round, twice a week in high summer.  You can choose a private cabin or cheaper berth in a shared cabin.  There are also reclining seats, but I always recommend a bed in a cabin for a safe and secure night's sleep.

• Step 2, now add a train ticket from Rome Termini to Bari Centrale from €29.90 using www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in €, £, $ or Au$) or www.trenitalia.com (in €).  Italiarail will refund their small booking fee if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your booking reference.  It's ticketless, you just quote your booking reference on board.

  You should choose a train which arrives in Bari at least 3 hours before the ferry sails, to allow for transfer to the port and check-in.  In Bari it's a 25 minute walk via Bari's pleasant old town to the ferry terminal, or a 10 minute taxi ride.

• Trains link Bar with Podgorica and indeed with Belgrade on the spectacular Bar-Belgrade Railway.  Buses link Bar bus station with Budva and Kotor.

The former Montenegro Lines ferry to Bari at Bar ferry terminal...

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Rome to Warsaw, Krakow & Poland...

• Step 1, take the 19:04 direct Nightjet sleeper train from Rome Termini to Vienna Hbf arriving 08:46 from €59 with couchette or €99 with a bed in a cosy 2-bed sleeper as shown in the Rome to Austria section above.

  www.trainline.eu (quickest & easiest to use, overseas payment cards no problem) or at Austrian Railways' own site www.oebb.at (same prices but a bit more fiddly).  You print your own ticket.

• Step 2, spend a morning in Vienna, then take the EuroCity train leaving Vienna Hbf at 14:10 and arriving Warsaw Centralna at 21:20.  From €29 booked with Austrian Railways at www.oebb.at.

• Or spend the day in Vienna, then take the overnight sleeper train from Vienna to Krakow or Warsaw as shown in the Austria to Poland page, booked online at www.trainline.eu or www.oebb.at from €39 with couchette or €69 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper.

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Rome to Lviv, Kiev & Moscow...

• Day 1, travel from Rome to Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train as shown in the Rome to Vienna section above, leaving Rome Termini in the evening and arriving at Vienna Hbf next morning.

• Enjoy the best part of a day in Vienna, left luggage lockers are available.

• Day 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 09:10 & Kiev at 16:11.  Introduced in December 2017, this train has a Ukrainian sleeping-car with comfortable 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, see the photos below.  An air-conditioned Slovakian restaurant car operates from Vienna to Zahony, on the border with Ukraine reached around midnight.  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.

• Day 3, take a sleeper train from Kiev to Moscow.  Train 6 leaves Kiev at around 19:33 and arrives Moscow Kievskaya at around 10:00 next day (day 4 from Italy).  Taking the route via Kiev avoids Belarus, so no need for a Belarus visa!

  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 book tickets starting in Kiev at the Ukrainian Railways site https://booking.uz.gov.ua/en/ booking from Kyiv to Moskva Kievskaya.  You collect tickets at the station in Kiev.  Feedback appreciated!

  Change in Moscow for fast trains to St Petersburg, see the train travel in Russia page.

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.

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Rome to Athens & Greece...

A train ride then Adriatic cruise - The civilised way to Athens...

• Step 1, travel from Rome Termini to Bari Central by tilting Frecciargento train in 3h59 from €29.90 booked at either www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com.  It's an enjoyable and scenic ride across the spine of Italy.  Obviously, you should book the ferry first and work out connecting Rome-Bari trains afterwards.

  On arrival at Bari Centrale, walk 25 minutes or take a taxi from Bari Centrale to the ferry terminal which is adjacent to Bari's pleasant old town.

  Always allow at least 3 hours between train arrival and ferry departure.

• Step 2, sail from Bari to Patras by daily cruise ferry with Superfast Ferries.  The ferry sails daily except Sundays at 19:20 and arriving Patras at 13:00 the next day (day 3).  On Sundays the ship sails at 13:30, too early to make connections from Rome but you can take a train to Bari on Saturday evening and stay overnight in Bari.

  You can check ferry times, dates, prices & buy tickets online at either the Seat61 Ferry Shop or 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, travel from Patras to Athens by bus+train or direct bus.  There are regular Greek Railways (OSE) buses from outside Patras railway station to Kiato station where you board a modern air-conditioned regional train for Athens.  For Athens Larissa station (Athens main station in the city centre) you must change at Ano Liosia.  You can buy a through ticket to Athens at Patras station ticket office.  There's an OSE bus from Patras at 16:30 arriving at Kiato at 18:20, connecting into the 18:25 air-conditioned train from Kiato to Athens arriving at Athens' main Larissa Station at 19:50.  The bus+train combo fare to Athens is around €18, see here for information.  You can find these train+bus times on www.trainose.gr but it takes a while to find it - look under Destinations then Athens Suburban railway.  Alternatively, there are hourly direct buses from Patras bus station to Athens KTEL Kifissos bus station, fare around €20.60, although this means 3-4 hours on a bus.

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

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

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Rome to Istanbul & Turkey...

• Travel from Rome to Vienna by direct overnight sleeper train as shown above and pick up the route to Istanbul via Vienna, Budapest & Bucharest shown on the London to Turkey page.

• Or you can travel from Rome to Venice by train, then from Venice to Zagreb as shown here, then pick up the route via Zagreb, Belgrade and Sofia shown on the London to Turkey page.

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Railbookers custom-made tours

If you just want to buy train tickets at the cheapest price, book online as shown on this page.  However, if you want someone to sort out your whole trip for you, arranging all your trains, hotels and transfers, and to look after you if anything affects your arrangements, talk to Railbookers.  Railbookers can tailor-make a train trip around Europe to your own specification.  Just tell them what you want and they'll advise you on the best trains, routes & hotels.  They get good reports and a lot of repeat business!  They now have offices in the UK, North America and Australia.

  UK call 020 3327 0761, www.railbookers.co.uk.

  US call free 1-888-829-4775, see website.

  Canada call free 1-855-882-2910, see website.

  Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526, see website.

  New Zealand call toll-free 0800 000 554 or see website.

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Hotels in Rome & other cities

		◄ Favourite hotel search & price comparison: hotelscombined.com
		www.hotelscombined.com checks all the main hotel booking sites at once to find the widest choice of hotels & the cheapest seller.  It's been named as the World's Leading Hotel Comparison Site in the World Travel Awards and I recommend it to find hotels in even the smallest places and to check that another retailer isn't selling the same hotel for less. ► Favourite hotel booking site: www.booking.com www.booking.com is my favourite hotel booking site, and unless HotelsCombined throws up major price differences I prefer doing my bookings 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.

Other hotel sites worth trying...

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

• www.booking.com is my own preferred hotel booking system (Hotels Combined being a search/comparison system).  It has a simple interface, a good selection in most countries worldwide, useful online customer reviews of each hotel, and decent prices, usually shown inclusive of unavoidable extras such as taxes (a pet hate of mine is systems that show one price, then charge you another!).

Backpacker hostels...

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

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Travel insurance & health card

Take out decent travel insurance, it's essential...

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, try Columbus Direct or use Confused.com to compare prices & policies from many different insurers.

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

        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.

Get a spare credit card, designed for travel with no currency exchange loading & low or no ATM fees...

It costs nothing to take out an extra credit card.  If you keep it in a different part of your luggage so you're not left stranded if your wallet gets stolen, this is a form of extra travel insurance in itself.  In addition, some credit cards are significantly better for overseas travel than others.  Martin Lewis's www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad.  Taking this advice can save you quite a lot on each trip compared to using your normal high-street bank credit card!

 

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