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

I want to go from Rome to...

      Select your destination... ----------- Most popular ----------- Somewhere else in Italy... Amsterdam Barcelona Brussels, Bruges Budapest Munich, Berlin & Germany Nice Paris Prague Vienna, Salzburg & Austria Zurich, Lucerne & Switzerland ---------- All destinations --------- Alicante Amsterdam Athens Avignon Barcelona Bari Basel (Basle) Belgrade Berlin Bern (Berne) Brasov Bratislava Brussels Bruges (Brugge) Bucharest Budapest Cannes Catania Cesky Krumlov Cologne Copenhagen Dubrovnik Dusseldorf Faro Florence Frankfurt Geneva Gothenburg Hamburg Helsinki Innsbruck Interlaken Istanbul Kiev Krakow Lausanne Linz Lisbon Ljubljana London & UK Luxembourg Luzern (Lucerne) Lviv Madrid Malaga Malmo Marseille Milan Monte Carlo Montenegro - Podgorica, Bar Montreux Moscow Munich Naples Nice Oslo Palermo Paris Perpignan Porto Prague St Moritz St Petersburg Salzburg Seville Sicily Sofia Sorrento Split Stockholm Toulouse Valencia Venice Verona Vienna Warsaw Zurich Zagreb & Croatia Zermatt

       Click here for journeys starting in another city.

       Train information is current for 2017.

This page explains how to travel by train from Rome to other European cities and how to buy the cheapest tickets, usually online direct from the operators with print-at-home or collect-at-station tickets & no booking fees.  It doesn't matter where you live, in Europe, Asia, the USA or Australia, you can buy train tickets as shown below and save money over expensive railpasses or travel agent mark-ups.  On the other hand, if you'd rather someone sorted out your whole trip for you, see here.

Before you buy your tickets...

Take a moment to read these important 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 go online & buy a €35 point-to-point ticket?".  And most important, 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.

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Rome to Florence, Venice, Milan, Naples & other Italian cities from €19.90 - www.italiarail.com.

• 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.  Rome to Milan takes 2h55 by Frecciarossa.  Rome to Florence just 1h32.

• Trenitalia (= Italian State railways):  All Trenitalia long-distance trains need a reservation and have airline-style pricing, so yes, in theory trains can 'sell out' although although as there are so many trains & seats it's easy to buy tickets at the station on the day if you like, the only 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, more expensive bought on the day when the flexible Base fare applies.  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. 

• You can buy Italian train tickets online at www.italiarail.com or Italian Railways' own site www.trenitalia.com.

  Both sites sell the same tickets at the same prices, but www.italiarail.com can be cheaper than Trenitalia.com for 2 or more people travelling together as explained here.  Both sites allow you to choose your exact seats from a numbered seating plan, and both offer ticketless travel for Italian intercity & high-speed trains, you simply quote your PNR booking reference on board the train. 

  Italiarail.com is easy to use, uses English-language place names, can be used in €, £, $ & Aus$ and they'll refund their €3.50 booking fee if you email seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR.

  Trenitalia.com is also fairly easy to use but it requires Italian-language place names and has a few quirks so see this advice on using it, but there's no booking fee.

  Booking for high-speed trains usually opens 120 days ahead, except when the mid-June & mid-December timetable changes are in the offing.

• For more information, including how to reach places not directly on the rail network such as Sorrento, Pompeii, Capri, Amalfi see the Train travel in Italy page.

• Private operator Italo:  Private operator NTV runs its Italo high-speed trains from Florence to Bologna, Milan, Venice Rome & Naples in competition with State-owned Trenitalia trains, see the Italo page for more details.  Check times & fares & book online at www.italotreno.it.  Should you pick Trenitalia or Italo?  This may help you decide!

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. 

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

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

• There are two daytime InterCity trains and one time-effective overnight sleeper train direct from Rome to Palermo, Messina, Catania and Siracuse in Sicily - yes, they are indeed direct, the trains get ferried across the Straits of Messina on board a ferry, a fascinating experience.  Just book from Rome to Sicily at www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com.  More information here.

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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 to Milan or Turin at either www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com.  Italiarail is easier to understand, they charge a small fee that will be refunded if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com. It's ticketless, you just quote your booking number on board.  You'll need to stay overnight in Milan or Turin. 

  Next, go to either www.loco2.com or www.trainline.eu and book a morning TGV from Milan or Turin to Paris from just €29 in 2nd class or €44 in 1st class.  You print your own ticket.

  Finally, go to www.eurostar.com and book a Eurostar train from Paris to London from just £45, allowing at least 90 minutes or more to change trains and stations in Paris, including the necessary 30 minute Eurostar check-in.

• 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.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.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.

Step 1, travel from Florence SMN to Turin Porta Susa by Frecciarossa ETR500 high-speed train...		Business class, all seats with power sockets, complimentary coffee, juice or prosecco included.

Premium class (= premium 2nd class) on a AV ETR500 Frecciarossa train.  All seats have power sockets for laptops & mobiles.		All trains have a cafe-bar, some have a restaurant car.  A 3-course lunch costs around €32, ½ bottle of wine €9, credit cards accepted.

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.

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

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 23:05 every night and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 09:55 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 for the sleeper train start at €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.

• You can book from Rome to Paris as one transaction 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 booking reference) or at www.thello.com.  Make sure the system gives you at least an hour between trains in Milan, just in case of any delay as you can't afford to miss a sleeper train!

• Personally I'd take an earlier train from Rome and have dinner in Milan.  So I'd first use www.italiarail.com to book the sleeper train from Milan to Paris, then I would use www.italiarail.com again to book a suitable train from Rome Termini to Milan Centrale, picking one which got into Milan Centrale at two or three hours before the sleeper train left.

• You can also book this journey at www.loco2.com, at the same prices also with ticketless travel - you just quote your booking reference on board each train.

A sleeping-car on the Thello sleeper train from Milan to Paris...		1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper, beds folded away, sofa folded out.		The same sleeper with beds folded out.  More Thello info here.

Couchettes...  This is a 4 or 6 berth compartment.  It's a lot more comfy with just 4 people.		A couchette car on the overnight Thello train, seen 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, I'd strongly recommend considering this option!

• Day 1, travel on the 06:30 Monday-Friday or 06:20 Saturday Frecciarossa high-speed train from Rome Termini to Milan, 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 station.  One of my favourite hotels, they'll even send a uniformed commissionaire to meet you at the station and carry your bags across the road.  For something cheaper but also near the station with great reviews, try the Hotel du Théatre or Hotel St Gotthard.  If you're on a budget you can book inexpensive private rooms in a one-star hotel or backpacker hostel near the station using www.hostelworld.com.  Alternatively, you could stop overnight in the pleasant town of Chur instead.

• Day 2, take a TGV-Lyria high-speed train from Zurich to Paris Gare de Lyon in just 4h05 from €25 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 new Thello train from Milan direct to Nice, Cannes, Marseille...

• You can leave Rome Termini at 08:00 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 16:02.  This Thello train uses smart Frecciabianca carriages with a cafe-bar 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 20:04.  It extends to Cannes at 20:34, and Marseille St Charles at 22:42 every day until 30 September 2016, then on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays.  This Thello train also uses superior Frecciabianca carriages with a cafe counter and power sockets at all seats, see the photos below.

• 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 Milan-Nice-Marseille Thello train at Milan Centrale...  It uses comfortable air-conditioned Frecciabianca carriages.		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.

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 could 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 you could 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.bahn.de.

  It's not essential, but if you want to pre-buy your Ventimiglia-Nice ticket simply to save time at the ticket office and to save a euro (as it's only €6 if bought online, €7.50 bought at the station) you can do this at https://paca.shop.ter-sncf.mobi.  Just buy a ticket from  'Vintimille' (the French name for Ventimiglia) to 'Nice Ville' and select 'plein tariff' (= full fare with no railcard reductions).  You get a pdf-format ticket which you can print or show to the conductor on your laptop or smartphone.  The site won't give train times, a ticket bought online for a specific date is valid on any Ventimiglia-Nice train that day.  You'll still need to look up train times at www.bahn.de!

  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.

• 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 all have a cafe-bar, WiFi and power sockets at all seats, and the first class fare includes food & drink served at your seat, 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 on the excellent Austrian Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Rome Termini at 19:04, arriving Munich at 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.  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.  You can also book at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at.

• Step 2, travel from Munich to Brussels by luxurious ICE train & Thalys from €29+€19, leaving Munich at 10:55, change in Frankfurt, arriving Brussels Midi at 17:35.

  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...		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.

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

  You can leave Rome Termini as late as 12:50 arriving Munich at 22:21, 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 at 07:55, change in Frankfurt & Cologne, arriving Brussels Midi at 14:32.  Do not risk an earlier connection, just in case of delay.

  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.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 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 all have a cafe-bar, WiFi and power sockets at all seats, and the first class fare includes food & drink served at your seat, see the Thalys information page.

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Rome to Amsterdam from €64...

Option 1, Rome to Amsterdam using the Rome-Munich sleeper - an easy and time-effective option... 

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

  Fares from Florence to Germany 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.

• Step 2, travel from Munich to Amsterdam by luxurious ICE train from €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class, leaving Munich Hbf at 09:55 with one easy change in Frankfurt, arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 17:58.

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

2-berth regular sleeper with washstand...		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 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 EuroCity train through the Alps in 3h26 from €9 upwards.  It's a lovely ride 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 15:00 arriving Zurich 22:28, 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 station - 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 at 08:00 and arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 17:57 - or by all means choose an earlier or later departure. 

  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 but now you need to book Zurich-Frankfurt and Frankfurt-Amsterdam as two separate bookings.

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 an Austrian EuroCity train with restaurant car for dinner through the scenic Brenner pass to Munich.

  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 at 22:21, 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 Amsterdam by superb ICE train with one easy change in Frankfurt, leaving Munich at 07:55 and arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 15:57 - or by all means choose an earlier or later departure. 

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

The restaurant car on a EuroCity to Munich, seen 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...

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.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 all have a cafe-bar, WiFi and power sockets at all seats, and the first class fare includes food & drink served at your seat, see the Thalys information page.

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Rome to Geneva, Zurich, Lucerne, Basel & Switzerland from €38...

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

• Rome to Milan takes just 2h55 by Frecciarossa high-speed train.  Regular EuroCity trains with restaurant car then link Milan with Geneva, Montreux, Brig, Lugano & Zurich 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.

• 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 €9 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.		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 Leman, seen from a Geneva-Milan EuroCity train on a wintry day.

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.  See video of a Milan to Zurich journey via the wonderful Bernina route here.

• 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 €39...  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 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 22:31. 

  The 15:10 Thello train from Milan to Marseille runs on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays all year round, and runs on every day of the week from early April to mid-September plus some other dates.

  On days when it doesn't run, meaning Monday-Thursday until April and from mid-September onwards, you'll need to leave Rome Termini at 08:00 and change in Milan onto the earlier 11:10 Thello train to Nice, and change in Nice for a French train along the scenic Cote d'Azur to Marseille, arriving around 19:35.  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 high-speed train, leaving Marseille St Charles at 08:05 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 12:38 and Madrid Atocha at 15:45.  Fares for this leg start at €49 in 2nd class or €89 in 1st class.

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

• To buy tickets the easy way, simply go to www.loco2.com.  Book 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 as follows:

  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.renfe.com (fiddly, see this advice on using it) or (if you have any problems) www.loco2.com (same price, but much easier to use).  You print your own tickets.

The Milan-Marseille Thello train at Milan Centrale...  It uses comfortable air-conditioned Frecciabianca carriages.		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...		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 an afternoon high-speed TGV 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 23:21.  Fares start at just €29.90 for Rome-Milan plus €9 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 200mph double-decker TGV Duplex leaving Geneva at 12:41, change trains at Valence (arrive 15:10, depart 16:21) onto another TGV Duplex arriving Barcelona Sants at 20:34.

  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 either the Spanish railways website www.renfe.com or (if you have any problems) alternative sites www.loco2.com (in € or £) or www.petrabax.com/renfe (in $).  You'll find a direct AVE leaving Barcelona Sants at around 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...

• There is a direct Austrian Nightjet sleeper train leaving Rome Termini at 19:04 every night and arriving Munich at 08:19 next morning with onward connections by daytime ICE train to cities all over Germany.

• Fares from €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. 

• Buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de with print-at-home tickets.  It can book tickets from Rome to anywhere in Germany using a combination of this sleeper train and onward daytime connections.

2-berth regular sleeper with washstand...		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 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 for any reason no through fares appear, simply split the booking like this:  First book from Verona to Munich or any other chosen German destination using the German Railways website www.bahn.de.  Then book a suitable connecting train from Rome Termini to Verona Porta Nuova at either www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com, making sure you allow at least 40 minutes to change at Verona in case of any delay (on a through ticket, less time than this is fine).

The restaurant car on a EuroCity to Munich, seen 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...

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 video here.

  You can leave Rome Termini as late as 12:20, arriving Munich Hbf at 22:21, 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 in 2nd class or €69 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 for any reason no through fares appear, simply split the booking like this:  First book from Verona Porta Nuova to any German destination using the German Railways website www.bahn.de, with an intermediate stop of (say) 9 hours in Munich added.  Then book a suitable connecting train from Rome Termini to Verona Porta Nuova at either www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com, making sure you allow at least 40 minutes to change at Verona in case of any delay (on a through ticket, less time than this is fine).

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.  Regular EuroCity trains link Milan Centrale with Zurich in around 3h45 through the scenic Gotthard Pass in the Swiss Alps from just €22. Then regular direct ICE trains link Zurich with cities all over Germany from €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class.

• 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.

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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 - a safe, comfortable & time-saving option... 

• An excellent Nightjet sleeper train called the Allegro Tosca 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.

• Buy tickets for this sleeper train at Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at and print your own ticket.  Alternatively, you can also book a www.trenitalia.com, collecting tickets from the self-service machines at any main station in Italy, easy.

2-berth regular sleeper with washstand...		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 15 minutes walk from Venice Santa Lucia station, St Mark's Square just 25 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 comfortable Austrian EuroCity 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.

  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 Venice to Vienna or Salzburg from €29 at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at and 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.  There's usually 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 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 the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.  You print your own ticket.  It may help to click via and enter Innsbruck.

  Now add a suitable connecting train from Rome Termini to Bologna Centrale at 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.oebb.at, then add a Rome to Verona ticket at 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 to Munich, seen 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...

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 on the excellent Austrian Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Rome Termini at 19:04, arriving Munich at 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 luxurious ICE train, leaving Munich at 10:22, making one easy change in Hamburg onto a comfortable Danish IC3 EuroCity train (see the photos below) arriving Copenhagen at 22:19.

  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 Puttgarten & 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.

  If you're just going to Copenhagen, book Munich to Copenhagen from €39 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 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...		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...

Most Hamburg-Copenhagen trains are Danish IC3 trains like this, although one or two departures are Danish-owned German-designed ICE-TD 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 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 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,  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment.

  Book this train online at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at and print your own ticket.  Alternatively, you can also book at www.trenitalia.com, collecting tickets from the self-service machines at any main station in Italy.

• Step 2, travel from Vienna to Prague by smart modern Czech Railjet train in 3h56 from just €19 in 2nd class, €29 in 1st class or €44 in premium Business Class, leaving Vienna Hbf at 11:10 and arriving at Prague Hlavni at 15:06.  You arrive in the city centre, walking distance from the old city.  I wouldn't book the 09:10, the connection is a bit tight.

  If you buy 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?  Trains to Prague leave every two hours, see the timetable here.  Left luggage lockers are available.

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

• 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...		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...

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 EuroCity train through the Swiss Alps arriving in Zurich 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 €9.  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 the steak & frites and a beer or two at the Brasserie Federal on the main station concourse.

• Step 2, now take the Zurich to Prague sleeper leaving Zurich 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 €79 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, €89 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €129 in a single-bed sleeper.  Deluxe sleepers cost a bit more.

  Book this sleeper online at the Czech Railways site www.cd.cz/eshop and print out your own ticket.  Easy!  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/eshop 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.		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 Hauptbahnhof 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 Austrian Railways www.oebb.at and print your own ticket.  You can also book this train at www.trenitalia.com with ticket collection from the self-service machines at any main Italian station.

• Step 2, when you arrive at Vienna Hbf simply buy a ticket for around €15 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.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,  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment.

  Buy tickets for this train online at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at and print your own ticket.  Alternatively, you can also book at www.trenitalia.com, collecting tickets from the self-service machines at any main station in Italy.

• Step 2, travel from Vienna to Budapest by smart modern Austrian Railjet train from €19 in 2nd class, €29 in 1st class or €44 in premium Business Class, leaving Vienna Hbf at 09:42 and arriving at Budapest Keleti at 12:19.

  If you buy 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.oebb.at.  You print your own ticket.  Easy!

2-berth regular sleeper with washstand...		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, Sighisoara & 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 at 19:10 and arriving Sighisoara at 06:56, Brasov around 09:30 & Bucharest at 12:00 next day.  This comfortable train has a restaurant car, 4 and 6 berth couchettes and a modern air-conditioned sleeping-car with 1, 2 and 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...

• First the bad news.  There are now no trains across the Slovenian-Italian border, thanks to Trenitalia and EU policy - bring back the Iron Curtain!

• Now the good news, there's a cheap, scenic and comfortable alternative, Venice to Ljubljana twice daily by train-tram-train for just €22, Venice to Zagreb for around €40.  Click here to see full details and photos on the Venice to Ljubljana & Zagreb page. 

• You can add a Rome to Venice train ticket from €29.90 using either www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com.

The tram from Trieste to Villa Opicina on the border with Slovenia...

The Slovenia local train from Villa Opicina 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 15 minutes walk from Venice Santa Lucia station, St Mark's Square just 25 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 EuroCity train, leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 15:55 and arriving Villach at 19:11.  Book this from €19 at the Austrian Railways 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 08:12 and Zagreb at 10:46.  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 from either Ancona to Split or 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 the same route.  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 15 minutes walk from Venice Santa Lucia station, St Mark's Square just 25 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 EuroCity 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 the Austrian Railways website 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 main station at 17:32.  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 Austrian Railways 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.  Take the daytime train called the Balkan to Sofia next day, leaving Belgrade station at 09:25 and arriving Sofia Central Station at 20:10.  Buy this ticket at the station for around €30, there are always places available, even on the day.  It cannot be booked online, and there's no need.  2nd class seats only.  There's no catering car so bring your own picnic and wine or beer.

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 Hauptbahnhof 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.

  Book this train at the Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at and print your own ticket.  Alternatively, you can also book a www.trenitalia.com, collecting tickets from the self-service machines at any main station in Italy.

• Step 2, spend a morning in Vienna, then take the EuroCity train leaving Vienna Hauptbahnhof at 14:10 and arriving Warsaw Centralna at 21:01.  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.oebb.at from €39 with couchette or €69 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper.

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Rome to Kiev, Lviv & Ukraine...

• Day 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 on day 2.

• Spend the afternoon & evening in Budapest and stay overnight.  For an inexpensive hotel with great reviews right next to Keleti Station, try the Royal Park Boutique Hotel.  More hotels in Budapest.

Day 3, take the comfortable Ukrainian sleeper train Latorca leaving Budapest Nyugati station around 07:23, arriving Lviv around 22:24 and Kiev around 07:43 the following morning (day 4), as shown in the Budapest to Ukraine section.

The Budapest-Kiev train... Courtesy of Alessandro		A sleeper compartment...		...with washbasin.

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Rome to Moscow, St Petersburg & Russia...

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

  Book this at the Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at and print your own ticket.  Alternatively, you can also book a www.trenitalia.com, collecting tickets from the self-service machines at any main station in Italy.

• Step 2, then take the direct Vienna to Moscow train running several days a week, see the Vienna to Moscow section for details.  However, you will need to book Vienna to Moscow by phone.

• Alternatively, you can also travel to Warsaw as shown above, then take the 3-times-a-week sleeper train Polonez from Warsaw to Moscow, see the Warsaw to Moscow section for details.

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

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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.

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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

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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