This page explains how to travel by train from Venice 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 Venice?  Santa Lucia!

Venice Santa Lucia is the main station in Venice, often abbreviated to Venezia SL, located in the city of Venice itself on the banks of the Grand Canal, 15 minutes walk from the Rialto Bridge and 20 minutes walk from St Mark's Square.  Venice Mestre is an industrial area on the mainland at which most trains call on their way into or out of Venice S.L.  So always make sure you buy tickets to or from Venice Santa Lucia, unless you specifically want Mestre.  On this page, 'Venice' means Venice Santa Lucia unless it says otherwise.  Map of Venice showing stations.

Venice to Florence, Rome, Naples, Milan & other Italian cities from €19.90!

• Nobody flies any more...  Venice to Rome takes just 3h45 by hourly Frecciargento or Frecciarossa high-speed train, city centre to city centre with zero check-in.  Venice to Florence takes as little as 1h53, Venice to Naples 5h10.  Flights will take 4 hours in total including the journey to and from the airports plus all the check-in and security hassle.

• 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.

  You can also buy Italian train tickets with no added fees using either www.loco2.com or www.trainline.eu, both of which connect to Trenitalia to sell at the same price, both are really easy to use.

  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!

• Private operator Italo:  Private operator NTV runs its Italo high-speed trains between Venice, Bologna, Florence, 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!

Venice to Verona...

• You have a choice.  Regional trains run every hour taking 1h27, fixed-price fare around €9 each way just buy a ticket at the station, no advance reservation necessary or possible.  Fast comfortable Frecciarossa trains also run every hour taking 1h10, reservation required, on-the-day base fare around €27, advance-purchase fares from €9.90.

Venice to Trieste...

• Regional trains run every hour, just buy a ticket at the station, no advance reservation necessary or possible.

Venice 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 and 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.

Venice to Palermo, Catania, Siracuse & Sicily...

• Catch a high-speed Frecciargento or Frecciarossa train to Rome Termini, then there are two daytime InterCity trains and one time-effective overnight sleeper train direct from Rome to Palermo, 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 Venice to Sicily at www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com.  More information here.

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Venice to Paris from €35...

Option 1, Venice to Paris by train in a single day...

Take fast daytime trains from as little as €48.  This is the most direct & cheapest option.  How about an afternoon in Turin?

• Step 1, travel from Venice to Milan by high-speed Frecciarossa train, leaving Venice Santa Lucia on the banks of the Grand Canal in central Venice at 10:50 and arriving at Milan Centrale at 13:15.  Frecciarossas have 4 classes, see the Frecciarossa page for an explanation.  Transfer from Milan Centrale to Milan Porta Garibaldi, a 5-minute €6 taxi ride, 15-minute €2 train ride or 25 minute walk.

• Step 2, travel from Milan to Paris by high-speed TGV leaving Milan Porta Garibaldi at 14:40 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 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 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.

• Better to change in Turin rather than Milan?   If you'd prefer an easier same-station change at Turin Porta Susa (so no need for a taxi between stations in Milan) with time for a leisurely lunch or wander around lovely Turin, there's a direct Frecciarossa train leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 08:20 arriving Turin Porta Susa at 11:43.  The afternoon TGV then leaves Turin Porta Susa at 16:11 arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 22:31 (22:37 on Saturdays).  Turin is a wonderful city, I think 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.  In fact, personally I'd consider option 2 below, with a night in Turin on the way...

• How much does it cost? 

  Venice to Turin or Milan by Frecciarossa starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.

  Milan or 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 Venice to Paris tickets is using the excellent www.loco2.com.  Loco2 can book Venice to Paris by daytime trains as one simple transaction as it connects to both the French SNCF ticketing system and the Italian Trenitalia system to sell both the Frecciarossa 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 Venice Santa Lucia to Paris (any station) as one journey.  If you want the 11:50 departure changing in Milan, set a 10:00 departure time.  If you want the 08:50 departure with an afternoon to explore Turin, set an 08:00 departure time and click More options, entering Turin Porta Susa and leaving the stopover time as default zero.  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 Venice to Milan or Turin 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 Milan or 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 if you use Loco2 in euros you can specify forward-facing seats & other seating options.  Both sites will give you 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-Paris TGVs at the Trenitalia website or at Italian stations as since 2011 these trains have been operated entirely by French railways on an 'open access' basis with no Trenitalia involvement.

Option 2, Venice to Paris by daytime trains with an overnight stop in Turin...

To see all the scenery in daylight you can use high-speed daytime trains with an overnight stop in Turin from just €48.  The overnight stop breaks up the trip nicely and allows you to see something of wonderful Turin.  This would probably be my own first choice!

• Day 1, travel from Venice Santa Lucia to Turin Porta Susa by high-speed Frecciarossa train on any afternoon or evening departure you like.  You can leave Venice as late as 19:50 reaching Turin Porta Susa at 23:19, but personally I'd take an earlier train for a pleasant evening or even a whole afternoon in Turin which 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.  Frecciarossas have 4 classes, see the Frecciarossa page for an explanation.

• Stay overnight in Turin.  I suggest the excellent Turin Palace Hotel in the centre right next to Turin's main Porta Nuova terminus where the trains from Venice 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 Turin Porta Susa station, so you don't need a taxi or walk.

• 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.  Either way, take a good book and enjoy a scenic daylight ride through the mountains, see the Paris-Milan TGV video guide showing both the train  itself and the scenery.  For more information, photos & video see the Paris-Milan by TGV page.

• How much does it cost? 

  Venice to Turin by Frecciarossa starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.

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

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

  The easy way to buy Venice to Turin & Turin to Paris tickets is using the excellent www.loco2.com.  Loco2 connects to both the French SNCF ticketing system and the Italian Trenitalia system to sell both the Frecciarossa 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 first book from Venice Santa Lucia to Turin Porta Susa.  Select a convenient train, ideally a direct one with 0 changes, and add this to your basket.  Then book from Turin (any station) to Paris (any station) for the following day, again looking for one of the direct TGVs with 0 changes.  Add this to your basket and check out.  You pay for both tickets as one transaction.

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

  Step 1, book the Frecciarossa train from Venice to Turin 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 (if you use Loco2 in  euros) you can specify forward-facing seats & other seating options.  They both issue 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-Paris TGVs at the Trenitalia website or at Italian stations as since 2011 these trains have been operated entirely by French railways on an 'open access' basis with no Trenitalia involvement.

Step 1, take a high-speed Frecciarossa ETR500 train from central Venice to Milan or Turn.  The name means Red Arrow.  More info about Frecciarossas.		Business (1st) class, all seats with power sockets, complimentary coffee, juice or prosecco included.

Step 2, take the TGV from Milan or Turin to Paris...  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 Paris-Milan 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, Venice to Paris by direct Thello sleeper train.  This is easily the most time-effective option, in effect as fast as flying and it saves a hotel bill too.  Even if Thello isn't the best-run sleeper train in the world, to put it mildly...

• The Thello sleeper train links Venice Santa Lucia with Paris Gare de Lyon overnight, every night, leaving after 7pm and arriving in central Paris around 9.55am.

• It has 1, 2 & 3 bed sleepers with washbasin, 6-berth & 4-berth couchettes and a restaurant car.  Realistic expectations are key to enjoying your trip on Thello, see the video guide here.  See the Thello sleeper train page for timetable, photos & information.

• Fares 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.

• It's very time-effective and can be a fun way to go, especially if a family or group of friends book inexpensive tickets for a whole 4-berth or 6-berth couchette compartment and bring along a picnic and bottle of wine!  Just bear in mind that it's not the best-run sleeper train there is, see the Man in Seat 61's opinion of Thello. 

• You can buy tickets at www.loco2.com (in € or £) or www.italiarail.com (in €, £, US$ or Au$) or www.thello.com (in €) all with similar prices and ticketless delivery - you just quote your booking reference on board the train.

• See the Thello sleeper train page for photos, information, the Man in Seat 61's opinion of Thello, and full details of how to buy tickets.

Sleepers:  This is a sleeping-car on the Thello sleeper train from Venice 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, Venice to Paris via the Bernina Express & Swiss Alps from €96 - 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, it's fabulous...

• Day 1, travel on the 06:50 Frecciarossa train from Venice Santa Lucia 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 Venice to Milan the previous evening or afternoon, to break it up.

  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.loco2.com or 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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Venice to Nice from €34.  Venice to Cannes, Monte Carlo, Marseille, Avignon...

Option 1:  Using the comfortable Thello trains from Milan to Nice, Cannes, Marseille - recommended option...

• You can leave Venice Santa Lucia at 07:50 by air-conditioned Frecciarossa train, make a simple change at Milan Centrale onto a smart air-conditioned Thello train leaving Milan Centrale at 11:10 and arriving Nice 16:02.  This Thello train uses Frecciabianca carriages with a cafe-bar counter and power sockets at all seats, see the photos below.  Change in Nice for onwards French trains to Antibes, Cannes, St Raphael & Marseille.

• Or you can leave Venice Santa Lucia at 11:50 by Frecciarossa train and make a simple change at Milan's magnificent Centrale station onto a daily 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 uses Frecciabianca carriages.  There's a cafe counter on board and power sockets at all seats.

• The Thello trains run along the coast between Genoa and Nice, a lovely 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?  Venice to Milan starts at €19.90, 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 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 Venice to Nice or (using the direct Thello train) Venice to Antibes, Cannes, St Raphael 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.

  However, 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 & French trains all in one place.  It provides ticketless travel on Italian trains & Thello, and print-at-home or collect-at-station tickets for most French trains.

The Milan-Nice Thello train at Milan Centrale...  It uses air-conditioned Frecciabianca carriages.  All seats have power sockets...		1st class seats on Thello.  More space per person than 2nd, with seats arranged 2+1 across the car width.

2nd class seats on the Thello train.  Very comfortable, seat arranged 2+2 across the car width.		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 - a useful fall-back if the Thello train timings don't suit...

• If option 1 using the new Thello trains doesn't suit you, no problem...  Simply catch a fast hourly Frecciarossa train to from Venice to Milan, then take an InterCity train along the scenic coastline of the Italian Riviera to Ventimiglia on the Italian/French border.  Then hop on the next local train to Monte Carlo, Nice or Cannes, these run every 30 minutes, no reservation required for this bit.  Bring a good book and enjoy the ride...

• There are various possible daily departures... 

  For example, you could leave Venice Santa Lucia (in the heart of Venice) around 06:20 to arrive at Ventimiglia at 13:07 and the next local train would get you to Nice by 14:10.

  Or you could leave Venice around 13:20 to arrive Ventimiglia at 21:07 for a local train getting to Nice around 22:10. 

  These times are just examples, simply go online and check for your date of travel following the how to buy tickets advice below.  I often find it easier to use the German Railways online timetable at www.bahn.de to find train times for the overall journey, even though you need to split the booking to buy tickets as shown below...

• How much does it cost? 

  Venice to Ventimiglia starts at just €28 in 2nd class or from €48 in 1st class if you pre-book a Super-economy or Economy advance-purchase fare.  Ventimiglia to Nice costs just €7.50 or so, bought at the station on the day, or just €6 if you buy it online, even on the day.

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

  Step 1, book from Venice to Ventimiglia (you can do 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 (can be more fiddly to use, requires Italian language place names, no booking fee, read this advice on using it first).

  Step 2, you can't pre-book the Ventimiglia to Nice, Cannes or Monte Carlo local train, and you don't need to, 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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Venice to Brussels, Bruges & Belgium from €64...

Option 1, using the overnight Thello sleeper train from Venice to Paris... 

• Step 1, book the Thello sleeper train from Venice 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 the types of couchette and sleeper on board.

• Allow at least 90 minutes to change trains and stations in Paris, preferably a bit more. 

• Then book a high-speed Thalys train from Paris Gare du Nord to Brussels Midi at www.b-europe.com, this journey takes just 1 hour 20 minutes from €29.  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.

Option 2, by daytime TGV via Paris...

• Step 1, book a Frecciarossa train train from Venice Santa Lucia to either Milan Centrale or Turin Porta Susa from €19.90 at www.trenitalia.com on any evening train you like.

• Stay overnight in either Milan or Turin, your choice.

• These Trenitalia trains arrive at the magnificent Milan Centrale station, which is an amazing Milan landmark, whereas the  you'll need to take a €6 5-minute taxi ride or €3 10-minute train ride over to Milan's lesser-known and more modern Porta Garibaldi station to pick up the TGV train to Paris.  A change of train at Turin Porta Susa can save the inter-station transfer in Milan.

• Step 2, use www.trainline.eu to book a morning TGV high-speed train from Milan Porta Garibaldi or Turin Porta Susa to Paris Gare de Lyon from just €29.  You print your own ticket.  It's a comfortable & scenic journey, see the video here.  See here for Milan-Paris timetable, fares & photos.

• Step 3, now use www.b-europe.com to book a Thalys high-speed train from Paris Gare du Nord to Brussels Midi in 1h20 from just €29.  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.  Make sure you allow at least 60 minutes, preferably a bit more to change trains & stations in Paris.

Option 3, through the scenic Brenner Pass to Innsbruck then Nightjet sleeper train to Cologne & Thalys to Brussels.

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Venice to Amsterdam from €64...

Option 1, Venice to Amsterdam via the scenic Brenner Pass & Innsbruck-Cologne Nightjet sleeper train - a time-effective option.

• Step 1, take the afternoon EuroCity train leaving Venice Santa Lucia every day at 13:50 and arriving Innsbruck at 18:36.  This is a wonderful journey, over the causeway across the lagoon from central Venice to the mainland, over to Verona and up the wonderfully scenic Brenner Pass with lunch in the elegant Austrian restaurant car. A real treat, see the Brenner Pass scenery video here. 

  Buy the Venice to Innsbruck ticket from €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class at the German Railways website www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.  In Innsbruck there's time for dinner.

• Step 2, now travel by Austrian Nightjet sleeper train leaving Innsbruck at 20:44 and arriving Cologne Hbf at 08:15 next morning, with comfortable sleeping-car and couchettes.  It's safe, comfortable & fun, and saves a hotel bill, too!  Fares from Innsbruck to Cologne start at €59 in 6-berth couchette, €69 in 4-berth couchettes, €99 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.

  Also buy this ticket at www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.

• Step 3, now take a smart German ICE train from Cologne to Amsterdam, leaving Cologne Hbf at 08:44 and arriving Amsterdam Centraal around 11:28.

  Fares from €19 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class, also buy this ticket at 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 Innsbruck to Cologne.  More information about Nightjets.

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

Option 2, Venice to Amsterdam by day trains with overnight stop in Munich - Easy, scenic, ideal if you prefer day trains to sleepers...

• Day 1, travel from Venice to Munich on a direct Austrian EuroCity train with restaurant car through the scenic Brenner pass, leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 13:50 arriving Munich Hbf at 20:21.  See the Brenner Pass scenery video here.

  Fares from €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class.

  Check times and buy tickets at www.bahn.de.  You print your own ticket.

• 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 - by all means choose an earlier or later departure.

  Fares from €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class.

  Check times and buy tickets at www.bahn.de.  You print your own ticket.  Easy!

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...  See the Brenner Pass scenery video here.

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

Mountains on the Brenner route...

Option 3, Venice to Amsterdam using the Venice-Munich Nightjet sleeper train - an easy and time-effective option... 

• Step 1, travel from Venice to Munich on the excellent Austrian Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 20:57 and arriving Munich Hbf at 06:10.

  Fares from €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 shower & toilet 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.  Alternatively, you can book at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at.

• Step 2, travel from Munich to Amsterdam by luxurious ICE train, leaving Munich at 07:55, one easy change in Frankfurt, arriving Amsterdam Centraal around 15:57.

  Fares from €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class.

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

Option 4, Venice to Amsterdam via the Venice-Paris Thello sleeper train...

• This option means changing trains & stations in Paris, but in couchettes it can be a cheap option, and why not spend some time in Paris?

• Step 1, book the Thello sleeper train from Venice Santa Lucia to Paris Gare de Lyon at either www.italiarail.com or www.thello.com, looking for a Smart or Go fare from €35 with 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 the couchettes and sleepers on board.  Realistic expectations are key to enjoying Thello!

• Allow at least 90 minutes to change trains and stations in Paris, preferably a bit more. 

• Step 2, book a high-speed Thalys train from Paris Gare du Nord to Amsterdam at www.b-europe.com, this journey takes just 3 hours 20 minutes, fares from €35.  You print out your own ticket.  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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Venice to Geneva, Zurich, Lucerne, Basel, Zermatt & Switzerland from €18...

Option 1, by direct train from Venice to Switzerland - first see if these direct trains suit your schedule...

• Direct train from Venice to Brig, Montreux, Geneva every day...  A direct EuroCity train from Venice to Brig and Geneva, leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 16:20 and arriving Geneva around 23:21.

  Fares start at €29 upwards in 2nd class or from €59 in 1st class with an advance-purchase Mini or Smart fare. Change in Brig for Zermatt.

  This train is a bullet-nosed ETR610 with restaurant car & power sockets at all seats, see the photos below.

  Buy tickets at www.loco2.com (easy to use, prices 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 (a bit more fiddly to use, you must use Italian language place names, no booking fee, read this advice on using it first).

• NEW: Direct train from Venice to Zurich on Saturdays & Sundays from 17 June 2017.  Leaves Venice Santa Lucia at 15:20, arrives Zurich 21:51.  Change at Arth Goldau for the branch line train to Lucerne.  Fares from €29 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class, book as shown above.

Option 2, by fast train to Milan, then EuroCity train from Milan to Brig, Geneva, Bern, Basel, Zurich, Lucerne - if the direct trains don't suit you...

• Step 1, take one of the hourly Frecciarossa train from Venice Santa Lucia to Milan Centrale in 2h35 with fares from €9.90 upwards.

• Step 2, then take a regular EuroCity train from Milan Centrale to Geneva, Montreux, Brig, Lugano & Zurich plus one or two daily direct trains from Milan Centrale to Bern, Lucerne, Spiez and Basel, with fares from €9 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class.  Milan to Zurich takes just 3h26.  Look out for great scenery on the routes from Italy into Switzerland, past lakes and mountains.

• How to buy tickets if no Swiss domestic train is involved, just a direct EuroCity from Milan to Zurich, Geneva, Brig, Lugano and so on...

  You can buy tickets from Venice to any of these Swiss cities as one easy transaction at either www.loco2.com (easy to use, prices 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 (a bit more fiddly to use, you must use 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.  It's ticketless, you simply quote the booking reference on board.

  You can book from anywhere in Italy to these Swiss cities as one transaction, or you may prefer to split the booking, first looking for a direct Milan-Switzerland train from €9, then booking a suitable Venice-Milan connecting train from €19.90, allowing at least 45 minutes to change in Milan in case of any delay.

ETR610 train, as now used on all Milan-Switzerland EuroCity trains.		2nd class seats on the stylish ETR610 EuroCity train...

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

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...

Sion castle, as seen from a Venice to Geneva train.  This route train passes through the famous Simplon Tunnel, opened in 1906, on the very route used by the celebrated Simplon Orient Express of Agatha Christie fame.

This is Lake Leman, seen from a Geneva-Milan EuroCity train on a wintry day.

Option 3, the ultimate scenic route:  Venice to St Moritz, Chur, Zurich via the Bernina Pass.  This is much slower and more fiddly to book, but it's an amazing experience, easily the best train ride of 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 Frecciarossa train from Venice to Milan Centrale, arriving any time before 09:40.  Pre-book this from €9.90 in 2nd class or €19.90 in 1st class at either www.italiarail.com & www.trenitalia.com.  It's ticketless, you just quote the booking reference on board.

• 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 from €39 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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Venice to Barcelona & Spain from €91...

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

• Day 1, travel from Venice to Marseille, using the 11:50 Frecciarossa train from Venice Santa Lucia to Milan Centrale from €19.90 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 Venice Santa Lucia at 07:50, 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 08:03 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.  Barcelona to Malaga or Seville starts at around €45.

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

• Alternatively, you can book each leg separately like this, although the extra work doesn't usually make it any cheaper...

  Step 1, book from Venice Santa Lucia 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 Venice 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.trainline.eu (in euros).  You print your own ticket.

  Step 3, book any onward trains within Spain at www.renfe.com (see this advice on using it) or (if you have any problems) www.loco2.com.  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 Venice late 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 Venice to Geneva by direct EuroCity train, leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 16:20 and arriving Geneva at 23:21.  Fares start at just €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class booked at www.loco2.com or www.italiarail.com.  By all means take an earlier train to enjoy the scenery in daylight through the Alps and arrive earlier in Geneva, although you'll then need to change trains in Milan.

• 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.

  Fares start at around €49 in 2nd class or €89 in 1st class.

  Buy tickets at www.loco2.com (anyone from any country, no booking fee), www.raileurope.com (US residents), www.raileurope-world.com (residents of Australia, Canada, Asia, Africa, South America) or www.trainline.eu (anyone from any country, no booking fees, with seating options).  You usually print your own ticket.  If you use www.loco2.com you can both Venice-Geneva and Geneva-Barcelona tickets in one place as one transaction, recommended.

  What's the journey like?  Between Valence & Barcelona you'll follow the same route taken by the Paris-Barcelona TGVs, see the photos & video on the Paris to Barcelona page.  You'll pass flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Montpelier and Perpignan, the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks, with great views of the massive Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees, visible all the way from Perpignan to Girona.

• Step 3, stay overnight in Barcelona (see suggested hotels near the 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 site www.petrabax.com/renfe.  You'll find a direct AVE leaving Barcelona Sants at around 08:30 arriving Malaga, Cordoba & Seville at lunchtime.

Step 1, Venice to Geneva by bullet-nosed ETR610 EuroCity train, seen here at Milan.		2nd class seats on an ETR610, all with power sockets.  See panorama photo.

The view from the train:  Lake Leman on a wintry day.

Step 2:  Geneva via Valence to Barcelona by TGV Duplex.  Above left, 1st class seats on TGV Duplex upper deck.  That's a 'club duo' on the left & a 'club quatre' on the right.  Above right, a TGV Duplex at Barcelona Sants.

The cafe-bar on the upper deck in car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks and microwave-style hot meal dishes....		2nd class seats on TGV Duplex upper deck.  There's a mix of unidirectional seating and some tables for four like this...

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.  More photos & a video about this journey...

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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Venice to Lisbon & Portugal...

• Day 1, travel from Venice to Marseille, stay overnight, then take the morning AVE high-speed train from Marseille to Madrid on day 2 as shown in the Venice 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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Venice to Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne or Dusseldorf from €59...

Option 1, Venice to Hamburg, Cologne or Düsseldorf by scenic EuroCity train to Innsbruck, then time-effective Nightjet sleeper train...

• Step 1, take the direct afternoon EuroCity train leaving Venice around 13:50 and arriving Innsbruck around 18:36.  This travels via the scenic Brenner Pass, see the Brenner Pass scenery video here.  The train has an elegant restaurant car, treat yourself to lunch.  In Innsbruck there's time for dinner.  Fares from €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class.

• Step 2, now travel by Austrian Nightjet sleeper train leaving Innsbruck at 20:44 and arriving next morning at Cologne Hbf at 08:15 and Düsseldorf at 08:42, with a separate portion arriving at Hamburg Hbf at 08:36.  It's safe, comfortable, fun and saves a hotel bill, too.

  Fares from Innsbruck to Cologne or Düsseldorf 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 shower & toilet are also available.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment.

• You can book the whole trip from Venice to Hamburg, Cologne or Dusseldorf as one transaction at www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.  I recommend registering when prompted, rather than booking as a guest, so you can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings.  If you want to mix and match classes, for example go 1st class on the EuroCity but 2nd class regular sleeper on the Nightjet, simply book each train separately.

Option 2, Venice to Berlin or Venice to Hamburg using the Venice to Munich Nightjet sleeper train, then onwards by daytime ICE train.

• Step 1, take the direct Austrian Nightjet sleeper train every night leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 20:57 and arriving Munich Hbf at 06:10 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 shower & toilet are also available.  Breakfast is included in sleepers, served in your compartment.

• Step 2, now take a superb daytime ICE train from Munich to Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne or Düsseldorf.  If you leave Munich Hbf after 07:00 you'd reach Berlin around 13:10, Hamburg around 12:55, Cologne around 12:05, Düsseldorf around 12:35.  Fares from €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class.

• You can book the whole trip from Venice to Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne or Dusseldorf as one transaction at www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.  I recommend registering when prompted, rather than booking as a guest, so you can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings.

2-berth regular sleeper with washstand...		The toilet & shower in a deluxe sleeper...		A Comfortline sleeping-car, as now used on the Austrian Nightjet trains from Venice to Munich or Innsbruck to Hamburg.  More information about Nightjets.

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

Option 3, Venice to anywhere in Germany by daytime trains with overnight stop in Munich - if you prefer day trains to sleepers...

• Day 1, take a comfortable Austrian EuroCity train with restaurant car from Venice to Munich via the scenic Brenner Pass leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 13:50 and arriving Munich Hbf at 20:21.  See the Brenner Pass scenery video here.

• 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.

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

• To buy tickets, book from Venice to your chosen German destination at www.bahn.de which I have set up including an intermediate stop in Munich.  You print your own ticket.  For an earlier departure from Venice or longer stopover in Munich, simply adjust the departure time from Venice 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!

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Venice to Munich or anywhere else in Germany from €39...

Option 1, Venice to Munich by Nightjet sleeper train, then onwards to anywhere in Germany.  This is the time-effective option!

• There is a direct Nightjet sleeper train every night leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 20:57 and arriving Munich Hbf 06:10, with onward connections by daytime ICE train to cities all over Germany.

• 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 shower & toilet are also available.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment.

• Buy online at the German Railways website www.bahn.de and print out your own ticket.  It can book tickets from Venice to anywhere in Germany using a combination of this sleeper train and onward daytime connections.  I recommend registering when prompted, rather than booking as a guest, so you can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings.

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 Venice to Munich.  More information about Nightjets.

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

Option 2, Venice to Munich by direct daytime EuroCity train via the Brenner Pass, then onwards to anywhere in Germany.  This is the scenic option!

• A smart Austrian EuroCity train leaves Venice Santa Lucia every day at 13:50 and arrives Munich Hbf at 20:21.  It uses comfortable Austrian coaches with a proper waiter-service restaurant car, and travels via the beautifully scenic Brenner Pass, see the Brenner Pass scenery video here.

• Fares from Venice to Munich start at just €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class if you pre-book.  Buy tickets online at www.bahn.de and if you select the direct train you can simply print out your own ticket.  I recommend registering when prompted, rather than booking as a guest, so you can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings.

• Although only one EuroCity train per day (plus the sleeper train) runs direct from Venice to Munich as explained above, there are in fact hourly Frecciarossa trains from Venice to Verona, and EuroCity trains from Verona to Munich every couple of hours.  So you can leave Venice earlier or later than the direct 13:35 train if you like.  Venice to Verona by Frecciarossa train starts at €9.90, Verona to Munich by EuroCity train starts at €39.  However, to buy tickets with a change of train at Verona, you have to split the booking.  First book from Verona Porta Nuova to Munich or any other chosen German destination using the German Railways website www.bahn.de.  You print out your own ticket.  Then book a suitable connecting train from Venice Santa Lucia 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.

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...  See the Brenner Pass scenery video here.

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

Mountains on the Brenner route...

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

• Day 1, take a comfortable Austrian EuroCity train with restaurant car from Venice to Munich via the scenic Brenner Pass leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 13:50 and arriving Munich Hbf at 20:21.  See the Brenner Pass scenery video here.

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

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

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

• To buy tickets, book from Venice to your chosen German destination at www.bahn.de which I have set up including an intermediate stop in Munich.  You print your own ticket.  For an earlier departure from Venice or longer stopover in Munich, simply adjust the departure time from Venice 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!

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

• Fast Frecciarossa trains link Venice Santa Lucia with Milan Centrale from €19.90.  Regular EuroCity trains link Milan Centrale with Zurich in around 3h26 via the Gotthard route in the Swiss Alps from just €9 upwards. Then regular direct ICE trains link Zurich with cities all over Germany from €39.

• Step 1, book a ticket from Venice Santa Lucia 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 Venice-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.

• There's another way to book this journey which you might want to try as well.  Try booking from Milan to your German destination at www.bahn.de - you'll often find cheap fares available for this whole journey if you book in advance.  Tickets need to be sent by post, that's the only drawback, they'll be sent anywhere in the world but can take up to 10 days to arrive.  You can then add a Venice to Milan ticket at either www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com, making sure you allow at least 45 minutes to change at Milan in case of any delay. 

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Venice to Vienna & Austria from €49..

Option 1, by Nightjet sleeper train from Venice to Vienna - the time-effective option...

• An excellent Austrian Nightjet sleeper train called the Venezia-Vienna Express leaves Venice Santa Lucia on the banks of the Grand Canal at 20:57, arriving at Vienna Hbf at 07:55 next morning.

• It has Austrian couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, an Austrian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3-berth compartments with washbasin, and several deluxe 1, 2 or 3 berth compartments with toilet & shower, see pictures, video & information about Nightjet trains.  The sleeper & couchette fare includes a light breakfast.

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

• You can book this train at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at and print your own ticket.  If it won't let you select the couchette or sleeper you want, try choosing a different fare.  This train may be shown in the search results as EN for EuroNight.  Tickets can also be booked with Italian railways at www.trenitalia.com, but this is rather more fiddly, see this advice on using the Trenitalia website.

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 Venice to Vienna.  More information about Nightjets.

Austrian couchette car or liegewagen.  Couchettes are the economical option, flat bunks with rug & pillow.		6-berth couchettes, the cheapest option...		4-berth couchettes, ideal for families...

Option 2, by direct daytime train from Venice to Vienna...

• A comfortable daytime EuroCity train was reinstated between Venice and Vienna in 2013, leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 15:55 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 23:35, maximising your time in Venice. 

  This train takes the beautiful UNESCO-listed Semmering route through the mountains, you might see something of this at least in summer when it's light until ten.  There's no catering car on this train, although there may be a refreshment trolley, but feel free to bring a picnic and bottle of wine along.

• Fares start at just €29 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book early for the cheapest prices.

• Buy tickets at www.oebb.at and print your own ticket.  Look for the direct EC (EuroCity train with 0 changes.

• You may also be able to book at www.trenitalia.com, with ticket collection at any main Trenitalia station in Italy.

Austrian EuroCity coaches.		2nd class seats, either in 6-seat compartments or open-plan seating.		1st class, open-plan.  Sometimes in 6-seat compartments.

Venice to Salzburg or Innsbruck...

Option 1, Venice to Salzburg on the late afternoon departure via Villach - the fastest way to Salzburg!

• A comfortable Austrian EuroCity train leaves Venice Santa Lucia at 15:55, final destination Vienna.  Change at Villach (arrive 19:11, depart 19:16), and arrive Salzburg at 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.

• Fares from €29 in 2nd class or €59 1st class, book at www.oebb.at and print your own ticket.

Option 2, Venice to Innsbruck & Salzburg by day trains via the scenic Brenner Pass... 

• Here's the best and easiest departure:  A comfortable direct Austrian EuroCity (EC) train with an elegant restaurant car leaves Venice Santa Lucia station in central Venice every day at 13:50, travelling via the wonderfully scenic Brenner Pass to Innsbruck, arriving 18:32.  See the EC train photos above and watch the Brenner Pass scenery video.  Change at Innsbruck for a smart modern Railjet train to Salzburg, arriving around 21:03.

• Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class.  Fares vary like budget air fares, so book early for the best prices.

• If you're going to Innsbruck, buy tickets for this option at Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.  Simply book from Venice to Innsbruck and look for the direct 13:50 EC train with 0 changes.  Easy!

• If you're going to Salzburg, use the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at and first try booking Venice to Salzburg. Look for the 13:50 departure.  If it routes you via Munich or Rosenheim and says it can only ticket part of the journey, you'll need to split the booking and book Venice-Innsbruck and then Innsbruck-Salzburg separately - at least, until they restore a 'via' option to their site so you can specify via Innsbruck.

• Other departures are available throughout the day roughly every two hours, but as these involve an Italian train between Venice and Verona, you have to split the booking between the Italian and Austrian rail websites like this:

  Step 1, book from Verona Porta Nuova to Innsbruck or Salzburg at www.oebb.at with print-at-home tickets from €39.

  Step 2, now book a suitable connecting train from Venice Santa Lucia to Verona Porta Nuova at either www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com from €9, allowing at least 40 minutes to change at Verona in case of any delay.

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....

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, Venice to Salzburg by Nightjet sleeper train - saves time and a hotel bill!

• A comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train leaves Venice Santa Lucia around 20:57 and arrives in Salzburg at 04:09 (ouch!)  But you don't need to get up that early, read on...

• Fares start at €59 with a couchette in a 6-berth compartment, €69 with a couchette in a 4-berth compartment, €99 with a bed in a cosy 2-bed sleeper or €139 with a single bed sleeper.  Deluxe sleepers with en suite shower & toilet are also available.  There's a shower & toilets at the end of the corridor for standard sleeper passengers.  A light breakfast is included in couchettes & sleepers, served in your compartment.  See pictures & information about these Nightjet trains.

• The sleeper costs exactly the same whether you book it to Salzburg or book it to Linz, St Pölten or Vienna, so I suggest booking it from Venice to Linz (arrive 06:01) or perhaps St Pölten (arrive at 07:13) then simply hop on the next hourly double-decker Westbahn train back to Salzburg, journey time 1h05 from Linz, 2h02 from St Pölten, you pay the €14 fare from Linz or €22 fare from St Pölten to the conductor on board, no reservation necessary, see www.westbahn.at.  Now no need to get up at 4am.  Simples!

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

Option 1, Venice to Copenhagen in 24h by using the Munich-Hamburg Nightjet sleeper train - the most time-effective option with great scenery!

• Step 1, take the afternoon EuroCity train leaving Venice Santa Lucia every day at 13:50 and arriving Innsbruck at 18:36.  This is a wonderful journey, over the causeway across the lagoon from central Venice to the mainland, over to Verona and up the wonderfully scenic Brenner Pass with lunch in the elegant Austrian restaurant car. A real treat, see the Brenner Pass video here. 

  Buy the Venice to Innsbruck ticket from €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class at German Railways www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.  In Innsbruck there's time for dinner.

• Step 2, now travel by Austrian Nightjet sleeper train leaving Innsbruck at 20:44 and arriving Hamburg Hbf at 08:36 next morning, with comfortable sleeping-car and couchettes.  This will save a hotel bill, too!  Fares from Innsbruck to Hamburg 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 shower & toilet are also available.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment.

  Buy this ticket at www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.

• Step 3. Take the 09:28 ICE-TD train from Hamburg Hbf to Copenhagen arriving 14:22 right in the centre of Copenhagen. Book this at www.bahn.de/en too, from €29 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.

  This journey is another treat - not only are these ICE-TD trains very comfortable, complete with on board bistro car, this train goes onto a train ferry for the 50 minute crossing from Puttgarden to Rødby, one of the few places in Europe (or the world) where trains go onto boats, a unique experience.  You leave the train whilst it's on the ferry and can go into the ferry's passenger accommodation or stroll in the sea air on deck.  You can leave your luggage on the train during the crossing.

• Step 4, take an X2000 train from Copenhagen to Stockholm.  If going to Stockholm, you should use www.bahn.de/en to book Hamburg to Stockholm all in one go from €39 - book Hamburg to Stockholm departing 09:28 using this link - or indeed you can book Munich to Stockholm looking for an option with an evening departure marked EN, ICE or EC, X2 and checking that this is the EN (for EuroNight) sleeper to Hamburg, ICE or EC to Copenhagen and X2000 (X2 on bahn.de) to Stockholm.  I find creative use of the Add intermediate stops feature entering Copenhagen and a duration often helps find the best options.

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 Innsbruck to Hamburg.  More information about Nightjets.

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

ICE 2nd class.		ICE 1st class with leather seats.		The ICE on board the ferry.

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

Option 2, Venice to Copenhagen in 24h by using the Venice-Munich sleeper - also a time-effective option...

• Step 1, travel from Venice to Munich on the excellent Austrian Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 20:57, arriving Munich Hbf at 06:10.

  Fares from €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 shower & toilet 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 Copenhagen by ICE & EuroCity train, leaving Munich at 08:22, making one easy change at Hamburg Hbf and arriving in Copenhagen at 20:22.

  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 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 but you can leave your luggage on the train.

  If you're just going to Copenhagen, book Munich to Copenhagen from €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class at the German Railways site www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.

• 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 4h05 by 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.

Option 3, Venice to Copenhagen by daytime trains with an overnight stop in Munich...

• Day 1, travel from Venice to Munich by direct EuroCity train with restaurant car, leaving Venice Santa Lucia in central Venice at 13:50 and arriving Munich Hbf around 20:21.  This train takes the scenic Brenner Pass route, see the Brenner Pass scenery video here you can enjoy the ride over a late lunch in the dining-car.

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

• Day 2, travel from Munich to Copenhagen by luxurious ICE & EuroCity train with 1 easy change in Hamburg.  There are several possible departures, for example at 06:17 arriving Copenhagen 18:22, or at 08:22 arriving Copenhagen 20:22, or at 10:48 arriving Copenhagen 22:22.

  The Hamburg to Copenhagen 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 crossing.

• How much does it cost?  Fares work like air fares, book early for the cheapest prices...

  Venice to Munich starts at €39 in 2nd class, €69 in 1st class.

  Munich to Copenhagen starts at €39 in 2nd class, €69 in 1st class.

• How to buy tickets...  Booking usually opens 92 days ahead.  Step 1, book from Venice to Munich at www.bahn.de looking for the direct EC train with 0 changes leaving at or around 13:35.  Step 2, book from Munich to Copenhagen at www.bahn.de looking for a convenient option with just 1 change.  You print out your own tickets.

Option 4, Venice to Hamburg day 1, overnight in Hamburg, Hamburg to Copenhagen, Stockholm or Oslo day 2...

• Day 1, travel from Venice to Hamburg with easy changes of train at Verona and Munich.  For example, you can leave Venice Santa Lucia in central Venice at 08:50, change at Verona and Munich to arrive Hamburg Hbf at 22:53.   You'll travel via the scenic Brenner Pass route, see the Brenner Pass scenery video here you can enjoy the ride over lunch in the elegant Austrian dining-car.

• Stay overnight in Hamburg.  Suggested hotels in Hamburg next to the Hauptbahnhof with good reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski.

• Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen using either the 07:25 EuroCity train (mid-March to late October only) arriving Copenhagen at 12:22 or the 09:28 ICE-TD train (all-year) arriving Copenhagen 14:22.

  The Hamburg to Copenhagen trains go 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, buy you can leave your luggage on the train.

• For Stockholm, now take a 125mph X2000 train from Copenhagen to Stockholm.  If you left Hamburg at 07:25 you'd arrive Stockholm at 17:39, if you left Hamburg at 09:28 you'd arrive Stockholm at 21:39.

• For Malmo or Gothenburg, Öresund Link trains run hourly from Copenhagen to Gothenburg in 3h33 and every half hour or better from Copenhagen to Malmo in 34 minutes.

• For Oslo & Norway, travel as far as Copenhagen, then take the overnight cruise ferry with bars, restaurants and en suite cabins to Oslo, she sails from Copenhagen daily around 16:30, arriving in Oslo around 09:45, see www.dfds.co.uk for times, prices & online tickets.

• How much does it cost?  Fares work like air fares, book early for the cheapest prices...

  Venice to Hamburg starts at €39 in 2nd class, €69 in 1st class.

  Hamburg to Copenhagen starts at €29 in 2nd class, €59 in 1st class.

  Hamburg to Stockholm or Gothenburg starts at €29 in 2nd class, €59 in 1st class.

• How to buy tickets...  Booking usually opens 92 days ahead. 

  Step 1, book from Venice to Hamburg at www.bahn.de as one journey, looking for the 08:50 departure with 2 changes with a cheap sparpreis fare shown in the Saver fare column.  If you don't see such a fare, split the booking, booking Verona Porta Nuova to Hamburg Hbf at www.bahn.de then adding the Venice Santa Lucia to Verona Porta Nuova connection separately at www.trenitalia.com. 

  Step 2, book from Hamburg to Copenhagen, Malmö, Gothenburg or Stockholm as one journey at www.bahn.de.  If you want the 09:28 Hamburg-Stockholm, book Hamburg to Stockholm departing 09:28 using this special  link.

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Venice to Prague from €68...  Venice to Cesky Krumlov...

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

• Step 1, travel from Venice to Vienna overnight on the comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 20:57 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 07:55 next morning.

  Fares start at €59 in 6-berth couchettes, €69 in 4-berth couchettes, €99 per person in a 2-bed sleeper or €139 in a single-bed sleeper.  Deluxe sleepers with shower & toilet also available.  There's a shower & toilets at the end of the sleeper corridor for standard sleeper passengers.  In sleepers & couchettes a light breakfast is included in the fare, 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 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, in the city centre walking distance from the old city. 

  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!

• 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...		Step 1, take the comfortable Austrian Nightjet train from Venice to Vienna.  More information about Nightjet trains...

Austrian couchette car or liegewagen.  Couchettes are the economical option, flat bunks with rug & pillow.		6-berth couchettes, the cheapest option...		4-berth couchettes, ideal for families...

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

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

Option 2, Venice to Prague or Cesky Krumlov using the Zurich-Prague sleeper - comfortable, safe & time-effective...

• Step 1, travel from Venice to Zurich by train, leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 11:50 by 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 Venice to Zurich using either www.loco2.com, www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com.  Venice to Milan starts at €19.90 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 from Zurich to Prague, ready to leave Zurich HB.  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.

Option 3, Venice to Prague by daytime trains with overnight stop in Vienna - if you prefer day trains with an overnight stop to sleepers...

• Day 1, travel from Venice to Vienna by comfortable Austrian EuroCity train, leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 15:55 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 23:35.  This train takes the beautiful UNESCO-listed Semmering route, you might see something of this at least in summer when it's light until ten.

  Book this train from just €29 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at and print your own ticket.

• Stay overnight in Vienna.  Hotels near the station with good or great reviews include the Motel One Vienna Hbf,  GraetzlHotel, Hotel Schani Wien.

• Day 2, travel from Vienna to Prague in 3h59 from just €19 in 2nd class, €29 in 1st class or €44 in premium Business Class by smart modern Czech Railjet train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 07:10 and arriving at Prague Hlavni at 11:06.  Or have a leisurely breakfast and take the 09:10 arriving 13:06.  Your call!

  You arrive in the city centre, walking distance from the old city.  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!

Option 4, Venice to Prague by daytime trains with overnight stop in Munich - another scenic daytime option...

• Day 1, travel from Venice to Munich via the scenic Brenner Pass on a comfortable Austrian EuroCity train with restaurant car leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 13:50 and arriving Munich Hbf at 20:21.  See the Brenner Pass scenery video here.

• 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 ALEX train from Munich to Prague in 5h40 from just €15 in 2nd class or €35 in 1st class booked at Czech Railways www.cd.cz/eshop - just avoid anything marked 'bus' in the search results.  You'll find train times, photos & information for these Munich to Prague trains here.

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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Venice to Bratislava from €54...

• Step 1, take the 20:57 Nightjet sleeper train from Venice Santa Lucia arriving Vienna Hbf at 07:55, with fares from €59 with couchette in 6-berth, €69 with couchette in 4-berth,r €99 with a bed in a cosy 2-bed sleeper or €139 in a single-bed sleeper as shown in the Venice to Austria section above.

  Book this 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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Venice to Budapest from €68...

Option 1, Venice to Budapest using the Venice-Vienna Nightjet sleeper train - a safe, comfortable & time-effective option...

• Step 1, travel from Venice to Vienna overnight on the comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 20:57 and arriving at Vienna Hbf at 07:55 next morning.

  Fares start at €59 with a couchette in a 6-berth compartment, €69 with a couchette in a 4-berth compartment, €99 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €139 in a single-bed sleeper.  Deluxe sleepers with shower and toilet are also available.  There's a shower & toilets at the end of the corridor for passengers in the standard sleepers.  A light breakfast is included in the fare 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 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 around 11:42 and arriving at Budapest Keleti at 14:19.

  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.

  Book 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...		Step 1, take the comfortable Austrian Nightjet train from Venice to Vienna.  More information about Nightjet trains...

Austrian couchette car or liegewagen.  Couchettes are the economical option, flat bunks with rug & pillow.		6-berth couchettes, the cheapest option...		4-berth couchettes, ideal for families...

Step 2, Vienna to Budapest by Railjet train....  A Railjet arrived at Budapest Keleti.  More information about Railjet trains.		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.

Option 2, Venice to Budapest by day trains with overnight stop in Vienna - if you prefer daytime trains with an overnight stop...

• Day 1, travel from Venice to Vienna by comfortable Austrian EuroCity train, leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 15:55 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 23:35.  This train takes the scenic UNESCO-listed Semmering route, you might see something of this at least in summer when it's light until ten.

  Book this train from just €29 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at and print your own ticket.

• Stay overnight in Vienna.  Hotels near the station with good or great reviews include the Motel One Vienna Hbf,  GraetzlHotel, Hotel Schani Wien.

• Day 2, travel from Vienna to Budapest in 2h37 from just €19 in 2nd class or €29 in 1st class by smart Austrian Railjet train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 07:42 and arriving at Budapest Keleti at 10:19.  Or have a leisurely breakfast and take the 08:42, or 09:42, and so on, trains to Budapest leave every hour or two.

  Why not book book a later Railjet & spend some time exploring Vienna?

  Book this train as a second transaction at www.oebb.at and print your own ticket.

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Venice to Bucharest, Brasov, Sighisoara & Romania...

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

• Step 2, now take the overnight EuroNight sleeper train Ister leaving Budapest Keleti at 19:10 and arriving Sighisoara at 06:56, Brasov around 09:30 & Bucharest at 12:10 next day.  This comfortable train has a restaurant car, 4 & 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 sleeper 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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Venice 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.

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

• Step 1, 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 website www.oebb.at.

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

• Step 2, 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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Venice to Dubrovnik & Split...

• You can travel overland all the way from Venice to Zagreb 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 can be time-effective to go by comfortable overnight ferry from Italy to Croatia as follows.  Incidentally, there are no longer any direct ferries from Venice to Split or Dubrovnik.

• 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 Venice Santa Lucia 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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Venice to Belgrade & Sofia...

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

• Step 1, 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 2, 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 3, if you're going to Sofia, spend the night in Belgrade - I recommend the historic Hotel Moskva.  Next day, take the daytime train called the Balkan to Sofia, 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.

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

• This is an excellent way to reach beautiful Montenegro from Venice.  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 in Italy to Bar in Montenegro.  Montenegro Lines (www.montenegrolines.net) sail several times a week, leaving around 22:00 and arriving 08:00.  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 Venice Santa Lucia to 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 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.  Regular buses link Bar bus station with Budva and Kotor.

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

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Venice to Warsaw, Krakow & Poland...

• Step 1, take the direct 20:57 Nightjet sleeper train from Venice Santa Lucia arriving Vienna Hbf at 07:55, with fares from €59 with couchette in 6-berth, €69 with 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 Venice to Austria section above.

  Book this 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.

• Step 2, spend a morning in Vienna, then take the EuroCity train leaving Vienna Hbf at 14:10 and arriving Warsaw Centralna at 21:01.  From €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class booked with Austrian Railways at www.oebb.at.  You collect tickets from the ÖBB self-service machines in Vienna.

• Or spend all day in Vienna, then take the overnight sleeper train from Vienna to Krakow & 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.  You collect tickets from the ÖBB self-service machines in Vienna.

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Venice to Kiev, Lviv & Ukraine...

• Day 1, travel from Venice to Budapest as shown in the Venice to Budapest section above, leaving Venice in the evening by Nightjet sleeper train and changing in Vienna Hbf onto a fast Railjet train to Budapest Keleti station, arriving at lunchtime on day 2.

• Spend the afternoon & evening in Budapest and stay overnight.

Day 3, take the comfortable Ukrainian sleeper train Latorca leaving Budapest Nyugati station at 07:23, arriving Lviv in thelate  evening and Kiev early 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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Venice to Moscow & Russia...

• Step 1, take the 20:57 Nightjet sleeper train from Venice Santa Lucia arriving Vienna Hbf at 07:55, with fares from €59 with couchette or €99 with a bed in a cosy 2-bed sleeper, as shown in the Venice to Austria section above.

  Book this 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.

• Step 2, then take the direct Vienna to Moscow train running several times a week, see the Vienna to Moscow section for details - you can check times, but not buy tickets, at www.bahn.de, just look for the direct train with 0 changes in the search results.  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 to Moscow...

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Venice to Athens & Greece...

• There are direct ferries from Bari to Patras in Greece every day, check times, dates and buy tickets online at www.superfast.com.  Superfast operate good modern ships, they sail overnight leaving every day, usually in the evening.  You can book a basic deck place and sleep on deck, or you can book a reclining seat, or preferably a cabin berth, either in a shared cabin or your own private cabin with en suite shower & toilet.  You'll also find direct ferries to Greece from Ancona, see www.superfast.com & www.anek.gr.  There are restaurants and bars on board, it's a lovely crossing, see the photos below.

• Now book a train from Venice to Bari Centrale at either www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com from €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class.  It's ticketless, you simply quote the reference number on board the train.

• In Bari, it's a 25 minute walk or 5 minute taxi ride to the ferry terminal near the old town.  Allow at least 3 hours to connect between train and ship as there's a 2-hour ferry check-in.

• Buses link Patras and Athens in just a few hours, see the London to Greece page for more details.

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

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Venice to Istanbul & Turkey...

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

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

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Hotels in Venice & 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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