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 Cologne to Vienna...  More pictures & information about Nightjets.

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

Option 3, Vienna to Munich by Westbahn+Meridian - slower but more flexible & cheaper at short notice...

• The excellent fast Railjet trains link Vienna to Munich in just 3h55 from just €29 if booked in advance at either www.bahn.de or www.oebb.at.  But what if you have left it too late to get a cheap ticket?  Full-price on the day costs over €90.  No problem!  Simply use the hourly double-decker Westbahn trains from Vienna Westbahnhof to Salzburg connecting with the regional Meridian trains from Salzburg to Munich

• The journey is slower at 4h28 overall but the total fare is only around €35 (or €26 if you are aged over 60) any day, any train, even bought on the day - just hop on any train and pay the conductor on board, easy!  In Salzburg it's usually an easy same-platform or cross-platform interchange. 

• For details & timetable see www.westbahn.at.

Westbahn double-deck train on the Salzburg-Vienna route. Click here for virtual tour of a Westbahn train

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Vienna to Berlin from €39...

Option 1, Vienna to Berlin by daytime trains from €39...

• The German Railways website www.bahn.de sells train tickets from Vienna to Berlin from just €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class.  You print your own ticket.  In the search results, look for an easy journey with just 1 change.

  Some journeys (usually the ones marked RJ, EC) take you via Prague, just 3h56 from Vienna to Prague by smart modern Railjet train then 4h29 from Prague to Berlin by EuroCity train with restaurant car.  Other journeys (usually marked ICE) take you through Germany with a change in somewhere like Fulda.

  The route via Prague is the nicest, taking you along the scenic Elbe river valley between Prague and Dresden, see the Prague to Berlin page for scenery photos, a video & more information.  Make sure you sit on the right hand side of the train going north from Prague towards Dresden.

• Tip 1:  How about a stopover in Prague? 

  At www.bahn.de, simply click Add intermediate stops, enter Prague and a duration of up to 48 hours (the maximum stopover possible with a cheap sparpreis fare) or up to 7 hours (the maximum you can stop off and still get from Vienna to Berlin in a day, if you catch the first train from Vienna and last train from Prague to Berlin).  You'll now get a cheap fare from €39 upwards from Vienna to Berlin, but with a stopover in Prague included.  Bargain!  A stopover in Dresden is also possible, instead of or in addition to Prague, booked in the same way.

• Tip 2:  Check Austrian Railways www.oebb.at as well, as although fares also start from €39 I've often seen significantly cheaper fares on oebb.at than bahn.de on a given date & train.  You also print your own ticket.

Option 2, Vienna to Berlin by day trains with overnight stop in Prague from €39...

• This is the same as option 1, but with an overnight stop in Prague, so it's time-effective and you can spend an evening in Prague.

• Day 1, take any Railjet train you like from Vienna to Prague in 3h56.  For example the 17:09 from Vienna Hbf arrives Prague Hlavni 21:08, or the 19:09 arrives Prague Hlavni at 23:08.  By all means take an earlier train and have an evening or an afternoon in Prague.

• Stay overnight in Prague.  Hotels near the station with good reviews include the Esplanade Hotel (5-star), Falkensteiner Hotel Maria (4-star), Chopin Hotel (3-star).  To stay in the old town, try the Ventana Hotel or Old Town Square Hotel (both 5-star), Grand Hotel Prague, Hotel Rott (both 4-star), Zlatý kůň Golden Horse (3-star).

• Day 2, take any EuroCity train you like from Prague to Berlin in 4h31.  The 06:28 from Prague Hlavni arrives Berlin Hbf at 10:57 with a restaurant car for breakfast, but by all means take a later train, they leave every 2 hours.  The Elbe river scenery between Prague & Dresden is lovely, see the Prague to Berlin page for scenery photos, video & more information.

• It's cheapest to book this as one journey from Vienna to Berlin at www.bahn.de.  Simply click Add intermediate stops, enter Prague and a duration of around 9 hours - I have set up this link to do that for you.  Vary the departure time and increase the stopover duration to get the trains you want -  a little trial & error is required until you see direct trains that suit you for both legs.

So civilised!  A meal in the Czech restaurant car as the Berlin-Prague express snakes along the beautiful Elbe river south of Dresden.  Photo courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry.

Option 3, Vienna to Berlin by direct EuroNight sleeper train - the comfortable time-effective option...

• There's a direct sleeper train from Vienna to Berlin, leaving Vienna Hbf at 22:50 and arriving Berlin Hbf at 09:07.

• It has a modern air-conditioned Czech sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed deluxe sleepers with shower & toilet, 1, 2 & 3 bed standard sleepers with washbasin, and a couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments.  The sleeping-car has a shower at the end of the corridor for standard sleeper passengers, and morning tea or coffee is included in the fare in the sleepers.

• Prices start at €49 with a couchette in 6-berth, €59 with a couchette in 4-berth, €89 in a 2-bed sleeper or €129 in a single-bed sleeper.

• Buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de looking for the direct EN train with 0 changes.  Booking normally opens 92 days in advance and you print your own ticket.

• UPDATE FOR DECEMBER 2017:  In spite of being popular with passengers, the Vienna-Berlin part of the Metropol is being discontinued from the timetable change on 10 December 2017, the usual railway politics and mishandling.  A great shame.

A Czech sleeping-car of the type used on this train.  Photo courtesy of Shaiq Ali Khan

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

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Vienna to Copenhagen, Stockholm & Scandinavia...

Option 1, Vienna to Copenhagen, Stockholm, Gothenburg or Oslo with an overnight stop in Hamburg..

• Day 1, travel from Vienna to Hamburg by luxurious ICE train from €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class booked at the German Railways website www.bahn.de.  There are various departures throughout the day with just 1 change, usually at Wurzburg, but there's one ideal direct ICE train with bistro-restaurant car leaving Vienna Hbf at 12:50 and arriving Hamburg Hbf at 21:53.  But by all means take an earlier train if you like for a leisurely evening in Hamburg.

• 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 by comfortable ICE-TD or EuroCity train.  From mid-March to late October there's an 07:25 EuroCity train from Hamburg Hbf arriving Copenhagen at 12:22.  Or have a leisurely breakfast and leave Hamburg Hbf by ICE-TD train at 09:28 arriving Copenhagen at 14:22, this departure runs all year.

  If you're only going as far as Copenhagen, book from Hamburg to Copenhagen from €29 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class at www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.

  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 ferries, a fascinating experience in its own right - you must leave the train and go upstairs into the ship's passenger accommodation during the 50-minute crossing, although you can leave your luggage on the train.

• If you're going to Stockholm... 

  Travel from Copenhagen to Stockholm by X2000 train.  If you take the 07:25 from Hamburg you should reach Stockholm Central at 17:39.  If you take the 09:28 from Hamburg you'll make the 16:34 X2000 arriving Stockholm Central at 21:39, with time for lunch in Copenhagen. 

  You should book from Hamburg to Stockholm as one transaction from €39 at www.bahn.de, looking for suitable departures with 1 change marked either 'ICE, X2' or 'EC, X2' (X2000s are shown as X2 on bahn.de for some reason).  

  If you want the 09:28, book Hamburg to Stockholm departing 09:28 using this special link which I have set up with the necessary parameters.

• If you're going to Malmö or Gothenburg...

  Travel from Copenhagen to Malmö or Gothenburg by Öresund Link train, these run several times each hour to Malmö, journey time 52 minutes, and once an hour to Gothenburg, journey time 4h05.  Book from Hamburg to Malmö or Gothenburg as one transaction at www.bahn.de (Gothenburg is listed as Göteborg Central).

• If you're going to Oslo...

  Travel from Copenhagen to Gothenburg as shown above.  Trains then run every couple of hours from Gothenburg to Oslo, you can check times at www.bahn.de and buy at the station or at www.sj.se or (if you have any problems) www.acprail.com or www.snalltaget.se.  You can make Hamburg to Oslo in a single day if you use the 07:25 March-October departure.

  Alternatively, sail overnight from Copenhagen to Oslo by direct cruise ferry with bars, restaurants and en suite cabins, booked at www.dfds.co.uk.  the ship sails around 16:30, don't risk any tight connections in Copenhagen.

Option 2, Vienna to Copenhagen from €68 by comfortable daytime trains with an overnight stop in Munich...

• Day 1, travel from Vienna to Munich by Railjet train with restaurant car, leaving Vienna Hbf at 18:30 and arriving Munich Hbf at 22:31.  These Railjets run every couple of hours, so by all means book an earlier one to have a leisurely evening in Munich.

• 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 EuroCity train with 1 easy change in Hamburg.  There are several possible departures, for example at 06:17 arriving Copenhagen 18:22, or at 09:05 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 ferries.  It's an interesting experience in its own right - you must leave the train and go upstairs into the ship's passenger accommodation during the 50-minute crossing, although you can leave your luggage on the train.

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

  Vienna to Munich starts at €29 in 2nd class, €59 in 1st class.

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

• How to buy tickets...  Step 1, book from Vienna 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.

Most Hamburg-Copenhagen trains are now Danish IC3 trains like this, although one departure in each direction is a Danish-owned German-designed ICE-TD train.

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

Option 3, using the Vienna-Hamburg sleeper train.  The most time-effective way!

• Step 1, take the Austrian Nightjet sleeper train from Vienna to Hamburg, Vienna Hbf depart 20:39, Hamburg Hbf arrive 08:36.  This train has 1, 2 & 3 bed sleepers and 4 & 6 bunk couchettes.  Fares from €59 with a couchette in 6-berth, €69 with a couchette in 4-berth, €99 with bed in a cosy 2-bed sleeper or €139 in a single-bed sleeper.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes.  Book this at German Railways www.bahn.de or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at and print your own ticket.

• Step 2, now take the 09:28 ICE-TD from Hamburg to Copenhagen arriving 14:22.  Fares from €29 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class at www.bahn.de.  You print your own ticket.

  This train goes onto a ferry between Puttgarten & Rødby, one of the few places in Europe where trains still get shunted onto ferries.  It's an interesting experience in its own right - you must leave the train and go upstairs into the ship's passenger accommodation during the 50-minute crossing, although you can leave your luggage on the train.

• If you're going to Stockholm, travel onwards from Copenhagen to Stockholm by X2000 train.  If you take the 09:28 from Hamburg you'll make the 16:34 X2000 arriving Stockholm Central at 21:39, with time for lunch in Copenhagen.  You should book from Hamburg to Stockholm as one transaction from €39 at www.bahn.de, looking for suitable departures with 1 change marked either 'ICE, X2' or 'EC, X2' (X2000s are shown as X2 on bahn.de for some reason).   Book Hamburg to Stockholm departing 09:28 using this special link which I have set up with the necessary parameters.

• If you're going to Malmö or Gothenburg, travel from Copenhagen to Malmö or Gothenburg by Öresund Link train, these run several times each hour to Malmö, journey time 35 minutes, and once an hour to Gothenburg, journey time 3h48.  Book from Hamburg to Malmö or Gothenburg as one transaction at www.bahn.de (Gothenburg is listed as Göteborg Central).

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 Vienna to Hamburg...

ICE 2nd class.  All seats in both classes have power sockets for laptops & mobiles...		ICE 1st class, with real leather seats.  Staff provide at-seat service of drinks & food.		The Hamburg-Copenhagen ICE on board the Puttgarden-Rødby ferry.  More info on ICE.

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Vienna to Oslo & Norway...

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

• See above.

Option 2, Vienna to Oslo via the Kiel-Oslo Color Line cruise ferry - the most comfortable way to Oslo...

• Step 1, travel from Vienna to Kiel on any suitable train.  Check times & buy tickets at the German Railways site www.bahn.de.  You can catch a daytime train and stay overnight, or use the Vienna-Hamburg sleeper and connection to Kiel. 

• In Kiel it's just a 5-6 minute walk from Kiel Hbf to the Color Line ferry terminal, but allow several hours between trains and ferry for the ferry check-in and in case of any delay.

• Step 2, sail from Kiel to Oslo by luxurious overnight Color Line ferry, with a full range of en suite cabins, suites, bars, restaurants and lounges.  The m/v Magic or m/v Fantasy normally sails at 14:00 arriving Oslo at 10:00 next morning. 

  Check times & buy tickets online at the seat61 Ferry Shop or www.colorline.com.

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

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

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

Wake up to this....

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Vienna to Helsinki...

• Although you can travel to Stockholm then take a ferry to Helsinki, you'll probably find it easier to take a direct ferry from Germany to Helsinki.

• First, check for Finnlines ferries from Travemünde to Helsinki at www.finnlines.com.

• Then use www.bahn.de to find connecting trains from Vienna to Travemünde.  Allow plenty of time for a transfer to the ferry terminal and the ferry check-in.

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Vienna to Prague from €19...

Option 1, by daytime Railjet trains in just 3h56...

• The train is definitely the way to go, see the Vienna to Prague page for full details...

• Smart new Railjet trains with power sockets, free WiFi & bistro-restaurant car link Vienna Hbf and Prague Hlavni every two hours, journey time just 3h56 from city centre to city centre and fares from just €19, or €29 in first class or €44 in the special Business class, see the Vienna to Prague page for details.

A blue Czech Railjet train from Prague to Vienna, seen at Prague Hlavni...

Option 2, by sleeper train...

• With daytime trains now taking only 3h56, it's hardly worth taking the sleeper.  But for those who want to save a hotel bill, there's also a sleeper train leaving Vienna Hbf at 22:50, arriving Prague Hlavni just after 04:00 (ouch!) with a sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments and couchettes with 4 & 6 bunk compartments.

• You can book it at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at and print your own ticket.

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Vienna to Český Krumlov for €43...

• You can travel from Vienna Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof to Český Krumlov in 4h26 with two simple changes of train, at Ceske Velenice and Ceske Budejovice.

• Departures are roughly every couple of hours, you can check times at either the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at or Czech Railways site www.cd.cz.  Just avoid any departure shown with 'bus' or a bus symbol.

• The full-price unlimited-availability one-way fare is around €43 bought online from CD or €51 bought online from ÖBB - so it's a no-brainer to buy from www.cd.cz and print out your own ticket any time before departure.

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Vienna to Bratislava for €10.30...

• Regional Express trains link Vienna Hbf with Bratislava Hlavna every hour through the day, journey time 1h06.  They usually leave Vienna Hbf at xx:16 minutes past each hour, it's the easiest way to travel between these cities.

  By the way, Hlavna is often abbreviated to hl.st and simply means main station.

  Incidentally, there's also an hourly train from Vienna Hbf to Bratislava Petrzalka station, but Bratislava Petrzalka is a secondary station further from the city centre and the trains to Bratislava Petrzalka  cost a few euros more.  So I'd stick with the trains to Bratislava Hlavna!

• How much does it cost?

  The one-way fare is €10.30, no reservation is necessary or even possible.  Just turn up, buy a ticket at the station & hop on.  These tickets have unlimited availability so cannot sell out.

  For a round trip, a Bratislava Ticket (also known as a EuRegio Slovakia ticket) costs €16.  You can travel outward on any train on the first day of validity and can travel back on any train on any day within 16 days.  These tickets have unlimited availability so cannot sell out, just buy at the station on the day.  With a Bratislava Ticket you also get free use of buses & trams in Bratislava city all day on the first day of validity, a bargain.

• Buy online...

  If you want to save time buying a ticket, you can buy a €10.30 one-way ticket online at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at and print it out.  It's valid on any train that day.  However, you cannot buy a Bratislava Ticket  online, so if you're planning a round trip, buy at the station.

• Seating tip:  You sit anywhere you like.  As you can see in the photo below, there's usually one smart Slovakian air-conditioned intercity coach, whilst the rest of the train consists of more basic non-air-con Austrian City Shuttle regional carriages, with interiors as shown in the photo below right.  Grab a seat in the more comfortable Slovakian car!

• River trip?  Also consider a river trip along the Danube, Vienna-Bratislava fast ferries and hydrofoils runs at least once a day in winter, up to 5 times a day in summer, 80 minutes.  At least two companies operate, see www.twincityliner.com or www.lod.sk.

The hourly regional express train from Vienna to Bratislava Hlavna, about to leave from Vienna Hauptbahnhof.  Tip:  Behind the locomotive there's usually a smart Slovakian air-conditioned intercity coach, whilst the rest of the train consists of more basic non-air-con Austrian City Shuttle carriages, with interiors as shown in the photo above right.  Find a seat in the more comfortable Slovakian car if you can!

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Vienna to Budapest from €19...

• Every hour or two, a smart Austrian Railjet train or air-conditioned EuroCity train links Vienna Hbf with Budapest Keleti station in only 2h40.

• Advance-purchase sparschiene fares start at €19 in 2nd class, €29 in 1st class or €44 in luxurious Business class.  Sparschiene fares mean taking the specified train only, limited or no changes or refunds.

  Alternatively, you can buy Vienna-Budapest tickets on the day but you'll then pay the full-flex price, €39.20 in 2nd class, this price has unlimited availability, no prior reservation is needed and it cannot sell out.

• Which station in Vienna?  Vienna Hbf is the best place to board, although many trains also serve Vienna Meidling.  www.oebb.at will default to Vienna Hbf if you just select 'Vienna'.  Since December 2015 mainline trains no longer serve Vienna Westbahnhof.

• How to buy tickets:  You can buy tickets at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at and print your own ticket.  oebb.at can book tickets for this route in either direction.

• Seat reservation is optional on Railjet & EuroCity trains, for a small extra fee, about €3 per seat. 

  Adding a seat reservation is a good idea if you plan to travel at busy times or if there's a small group of you and you want to be sure of seats together, but it's by no means essential and when travelling solo I don't usually bother.  The electronic display on the wall next to each seat shows which seats are available and which reserved. 

  However, a seat reservation is compulsory on the evening EuroNight (EN) train which continues to Bucharest, oebb.at will include this reservation  automatically if you choose this train.

• Business class:  If you want a luxurious business class seat, book as if buying a first class ticket and look for the option to make a seat reservation.  Then select a business class seat for an extra €15.  Railjet Business class is undoubtedly an extravagance, but a highly-recommended one that I'm rather partial to!  About business class.

• Save €6 on a round trip!  If you're making a round trip, the easy option is to book both legs as a round trip at www.oebb.at from €19 each way.  But as cheap fares from Budapest to Vienna start at only €13 if bought from Hungarian Railways (don't ask me why) you can save €6 by buying the outward leg from www.oebb.at and the return leg from www.mavcsoport.hu.  If you don't mind getting to grips with another site, of course!

Railjet first class, with black leather seats...		Business class...		Bistro-restaurant car...

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

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Vienna to Sighisoara, Brasov & Bucharest from €58...

Option 1, by sleeper train Dacia Express from Vienna to Bucharest - the easy direct option, but not usually the cheapest...

• A direct train called the Dacia Express leaves Vienna Hbf every day at 19:39 arriving next day at Brasov at 13:16 and Bucharest Gara de Nord at 16:00.  It has comfortable Romanian sleeping-cars and couchettes.  There's wonderful almost Alpine scenery through the Carpathian mountains between Brasov and Bucharest, a real treat...

• You can book this train at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at - but cheap advance-purchase fares may or may not show up, as the test bookings I've done recently only show €100+ undiscounted full-price.

  You can try and contact ÖBB telesales by phone or email via their website to see if there's a cheap fare available if none show up online.  Failing that, option 2 below is usually cheaper.

Option 2, by Railjet to Budapest then sleeper train to Bucharest - easily booked online and usually the cheapest option...

• Step 1, travel from Vienna to Budapest by EuroCity train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 14:39 and arriving Budapest Keleti at 17:19.  By all means take an earlier train and spend a day or an afternoon exploring Budapest.

  Fares start at €19 each way in 2nd class, €29 in 1st class.

  To check times and buy tickets use the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.  You print your own ticket.

• Step 2, take the EuroNight sleeper train Ister leaving Budapest Keleti around 19:10 and arriving next day at Sighisoara at 06:56, Brasov at 09:30 & Bucharest Nord at 12:00.

  This comfortable train has a restaurant car (great if it's attached, but sometimes it's missing, so take some provisions and a bottle of wine or a beer or two just in case), 4 & 6 berth couchettes and a modern air-conditioned sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, also deluxe sleepers with 1 or 2 beds and shower/toilet.  Ister is the historic name for the river Danube.

  Fares from Budapest to Bucharest start at €39 with a couchette or €59 with a bed in a sleeper.  There's wonderful scenery in the morning over breakfast in Transylvania and through the Carpathian mountains between Brasov and Bucharest.

  To book the Budapest to Bucharest train, use the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see advice on how to use mavcsoport.hu & how you collect your tickets.  For Bucharest, enter Bucuresti .

The Dacia Express about to leave Vienna for Bucharest.  The Romanian sleeping-car attendant greets passengers at the door...		2-berth sleeper with washbasin on the Vienna-Bucharest Dacia Express...		4 or 6 berth couchette compartment on the Dacia Express...

Option 3, using daytime trains with overnight stop - if you prefer day trains & hotels to sleepers...

• Day 1, take an air-conditioned Railjet train from Vienna to Budapest, leaving Vienna Hbf at 18:42 and arriving Budapest Keleti at 21:19.  By all means take an earlier train if you'd like an evening or even a whole afternoon in Budapest.

  Book this train from just €19 in 2nd class or €29 in 1st class at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at and print your own ticket.

• Stay overnight in Budapest.  For an inexpensive hotel with great reviews right next to Keleti Station, try the Royal Park Boutique Hotel.  More hotels in Budapest.

• Day 2, take a daytime train from Budapest to Transylvania & Bucharest.  A comfortable air-conditioned InterCity train leaves Budapest Keleti at 07:10 running via Timisoara and arriving Bucharest Nord at 22:56. 

  Another InterCity leaves Budapest at 09:10 via Simeria & Sibiu arriving Brasov 22:45.  Or if you get up early, the 05:55 goes via Cluj and arrives Brasov 21:57. 

  Book these trains from €29 (but no equivalent 1st class offer, so my advice is to stick with 2nd) at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, clicking EN for English top left and using Bucuresti if you want Bucharest.  You collect your tickets from the yellow ticket machines at Budapest Keleti station.

Air-conditioned 2nd class used on the Traianus from Budapest to Bucharest.

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Vienna to Ljubljana & Slovenia...

• An air-conditioned EuroCity train called the Emona links Vienna with Ljubljana every day, leaving Vienna Hbf at 07:58 and arriving Ljubljana around 14:06.

  The Emona has a restaurant car serving inexpensive waiter-service meals, beer & wine.  Enjoy the fabulous scenery along the beautiful UNESCO-listed Semmering route through the mountains between Vienna & Graz.

• Other departures are available leaving Vienna Hbf around 12:25, changing at Villach to arrive Ljubljana around 18:31, and leaving Vienna around 15:58, changing at Maribor onto a train to Ljubljana arriving around 21:53.

• Fares start at €24 in 2nd class or €34 in 1st class booked online at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.  You print your own ticket.

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Vienna to Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik & Croatia...

• An air-conditioned EuroCity train called the Croatia links Vienna with Zagreb every day, leaving Vienna Hbf at 15:58, arriving Zagreb at 22:42.

  The Croatia has a proper restaurant car, so treat yourself to dinner, and at least in summer enjoy the fabulous scenery along the beautiful UNESCO-listed Semmering route through the mountains between Vienna & Graz.

  Another departure is available leaving Vienna Hbf around 08:25 by Railjet train, changing at Villach onto a Croatian train to Zagreb arriving around 17:13.  And at 12:25, change at Villach, arriving 20:53.  This train also takes the UNESCO-listed Semmering route.

  Fares start at just €29 in 2nd class or €39 in 1st class.

  Buy tickets at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at and print your own ticket.

• For Split, either stay overnight in Zagreb and take one of two daily daytime trains from Zagreb to Split next day (a great idea as it's a scenic route well worth seeing by day) or take the overnight sleeper from Zagreb to Split which runs daily in summer, several times a week in winter.

  The fare by daytime train is only around €20 in 2nd class.  See the Trains from Zagreb page for photos and full details.

  You can check times & buy tickets online at the Croatian Railways website www.hzpp.hr - though it's not usually a problem to get places on the day.

  Alternatively, take the direct Budapest-Split train in summer:  There's a direct sleeper train from Budapest to Split on Tuesdays, Fridays & Sundays mid-June to early September, leaving Budapest Keleti around 18:15 and arriving Split around 07:57 next morning, a comfortable & time-effective option.  You can book this train at Hungarian Railways www.mavcsoport.hu from €79 with couchette or €92 with a bed in a cosy 2-bed sleeper, collecting your tickets from the yellow self-service machines in Budapest.  Then add a Vienna to Budapest ticket at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at and print your own ticket, making sure you allow at least 1 hour between trains in Budapest in case of delay.

• For Dubrovnik, take a bus from Split to Dubrovnik.  Buses leave every hour or even every half hour from Split bus station and take between 3h45 and 4h35 to Dubrovnik bus station.  There are various operators, the fare is between €13 and €17.  Buy at the bus station on the day, it's easy.

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Vienna to Belgrade from €34.  Vienna to Sofia from €74...

Option 1, by daytime trains to Belgrade then overnight sleeper to Sofia...

• An excellent direct daily air-conditioned EuroCity train called the Avala leaves Vienna Hbf at 08:39 and arrives at Belgrade main station at 20:15.  It uses smart air-conditioned Hungarian carriages and there's a Hungarian restaurant car serving tea, coffee, wine, beer, snacks and inexpensive full meals.

• To buy tickets you'll need to split the booking, as unfortunately the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at only sells expensive full-flex tickets for the Vienna-Belgrade EuroCity train, even though in theory there are cheap advance-purchase fares from €39 if you were able to get to an ÖBB sales outlet somewhere in Austria in person a few weeks or months in advance, which most of us can't.  You could try phoning or emailing ÖBB telesales to get the cheap fare, I suppose that might work.  But here's the easy solution...

  Step 1, use www.oebb.at to pre-book a cheap €19 advance-purchase ticket from Vienna to Budapest on this 08:39 departure, train EC345.  You collect your ticket from any ÖBB ticket machine at any station in Austria, including Vienna Hbf.

  Step 2, now use the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu (see this advice on using it & collecting tickets) to book a cheap €15 ticket from Budapest to Belgrade on the same train, the 12:05 EuroCity train EC345 from Budapest Keleti to Belgrade arriving 20:15.

  Tickets booked at mavcsoport.hu have to be collected from the yellow ticket machines installed at all main Hungarian stations including Budapest Keleti, they cannot be printed at home.  But don't worry, this train arrives at Budapest Keleti at 11:19 and doesn't leave again until 12:05 - it's a terminus, so the train changes direction and they have to attach another locomotive at the other end.  So you have plenty of time to nip to one of the yellow ticket machines located around the station a few yards from your train.

  Incidentally, don't bother with 1st class on this route, 2nd class is absolutely fine.  There is no 1st class equivalent of the €15 fare between Budapest and Belgrade therefore the Hungarian Railways site won't sell you anything in 1st class as it only sells special fares not regular fares.  It is simply not worth buying a €70 1st class ticket at the station on the day to get 2" more legroom when you can buy a €15 ticket for 2nd class in advance online.

• If you're heading to Sofia, spend the night in Belgrade - I recommend the excellent and historic Hotel Moskva 10 minutes walk from the station - and take the daytime train called the Balkan to Sofia next day, leaving Belgrade station at 09:25 and arriving Sofia Central Station at 20:10.  Buy this ticket at the station for around €22, 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.  Important, please click here to check for updates about the Belgrade-Sofia train.

Option 2, Vienna to Belgrade with overnight stop in Budapest: 

• Day 1, take any train you like from Vienna Hbf to Budapest Keleti in 2h40 from €19 in 2nd class or €29 in 1st class booked at www.oebb.at with print-at-home tickets.

• Stay overnight in Budapest.  For an inexpensive hotel with great reviews right next to Keleti Station, try the Royal Park Boutique Hotel.  More hotels in Budapest.

• Day 2, take the EuroCity train Ivo Andric on day 2, leaving Budapest Keleti at 08:05 and arriving Belgrade station at 16:32.  Book this for €15 at Hungarian Railways www.mavcsoport.hu.  This is an unlimited-availability special offer, it is available at that price even at the station on the day, although seat reservations are required on both the 08:05 & 12:05 trains from Budapest Keleti to Belgrade.  The 08:05 Ivo Andric uses Serbian air-conditioned cars (comfortable enough if the air-con works) but there's no catering car so bring your own provisions and a beer or two - the later 12:05 Hungarian Avala is the better train and has a Hungarian restaurant car.  Don't bother with 1st class on this route, as there is no 1st class equivalent of the €15 2nd class special fare.  A 1st class ticket would have to be bought at the station on the day for perhaps €70, a lot extra to pay for a mere 2" more legroom!

The morning Serbian train from Budapest to Belgrade, seen at Budapest Keleti.  Just €15!

Option 3, using the Budapest-Belgrade sleeper...

• Step 1, travel from Vienna to Budapest by smart Austrian Railjet train leaving Vienna Hbf at 17:42 arriving Budapest Keleti around 20:19.  Have dinner in Budapest, perhaps at the Baross restaurant on platform 6.  Fares start at €19 booked at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at, you print your own ticket.

• Step 2, travel from Budapest to Belgrade on the sleeper train Beograd, leaving Budapest Keleti at 22:25 & arriving Belgrade station at 06:13 

  The fare from Budapest to Belgrade is just €15 if you book at the Hungarian railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, clicking EN for English top left.  A couchette is an extra €8 in 6-berth or €10 in 4-berth.  A bunk in a 4-berth is recommended as it gives you a lot more space per person.  You collect your tickets from the yellow ticket machines at Budapest Keleti station.  There's usually no sleeper on this train these days.

• Step 3, travel from Belgrade to Sofia on the Balkan, leaving Belgrade station at 09:25 and arriving Sofia Central Station at 20:10.  Buy this ticket at Belgrade 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.

The Budapest to Belgrade night train...		Serbian 2-bed sleeper...		Elderly Serbian 6-berth couchettes...

Belgrade to Sofia by train...		Old-school but comfortable compartment.

If you're heading for Montenegro...

• Travel to Belgrade as shown above.

• Then take either the daytime train Tara or the sleeper train Lovcen from Belgrade to Podgorica & Bar in Montenegro.  It's one of the most scenic lines in Europe, for times, fares & photos see the Belgrade to Montenegro page.

• Change at Podgorica for regular buses to Budva or Kotor.

• If you need to spend the night in Belgrade, I recommend the historic Hotel Moskva.

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Vienna to Warsaw & Krakow from €39...

Option 1, by daytime train...

• A direct afternoon Vienna-Warsaw EuroCity train leaves Vienna Hbf around 14:10 arriving Warsaw Centralna around 21:01, from €39 in 2nd class or from €49 in 1st class.  There's a restaurant car for dinner - treat yourself to an inexpensive meal with beer or wine.

• Book this train online at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at and collect tickets from an ÖBB ticket machine in Vienna.

Option 2, by overnight sleeper - the safe, comfortable & time-effective option...

• A daily sleeper train called the Chopin leaves Vienna Hbf at 22:50 for Warsaw Centralna (arriving 07:05) and Krakow Glowny (arriving 07:08). 

  It has a comfortable and secure sleeping-car with 1, 2 or 3 beds per compartment.  The Vienna-Warsaw sleeping-car is air-conditioned and also has a couple of 1 or 2 bed deluxe compartments with shower & toilet.  What's the Vienna-Krakow sleeping-car like?  The train also has economical couchettes in 4 & 6-bunk compartments.

  Vienna to Krakow starts at €39 plus €26 supplement for a bed in a 3-bed sleeper or €39 for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper (per person, berth sold individually).

• Book this train online at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at and collect tickets from an ÖBB ticket machine in Vienna.

The Vienna to Krakow train has a smartly-refurbish Polish sleeping-car like this, with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin.		Cosy 2-bed sleeper with washbasin...

The Vienna to Warsaw train has a modern air-conditioned sleeping-car with standard & deluxe compartments like this one.		Deluxe sleeper, set up as a 2-berth, showing TV & wardrobe.		Deluxe sleeper:  En suite shower & toilet...

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Vienna to Kiev & Ukraine...

Option 1, via Warsaw...

• Step 1, travel overnight from Vienna to Warsaw or Krakow by direct sleeper train as explained above, booked online as shown.

• Spend a day exploring Warsaw or Krakow.

• Step 2, travel overnight from Warsaw (depart 16:10) to Kiev (arrive 08:35 next day) by direct sleeper train Kiev Express as shown in detail on the trains from Warsaw page or from Krakow to Kiev by direct sleeper train as shown on the trains from Krakow page.

  Book either of these trains via reliable Polish ticketing agency www.polrail.com.

Option 2, via Budapest...

• Step 1, take any train you like from Vienna to Budapest Keleti station booked online at www.oebb.at from €19 in 2nd class or €29 in 1st class.  Trains leave every hour or two, journey 2h45.

• Stay overnight in Budapest.  For an inexpensive hotel with great reviews right next to Keleti Station, try the Royal Park Boutique Hotel.  More hotels in Budapest.

• Step 2, take the direct train leaving Budapest Nyugati station daily at 07:23 and arriving Lviv around 22:24 that same day and Kiev around 07:43 next morning.  For details of fares & how to buy tickets see the Trains from Budapest page.

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

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Vienna to Moscow, St Petersburg & Russia...

Option 1, by direct Russian Railways sleeping-car twice a week...

• For Moscow, a direct Russian sleeping-cars with 1, 2 and 3 bed compartments with washbasin which link Vienna with Moscow twice a week, leaving Vienna Hbf around 18:09 on Thursdays & Saturdays, arriving Moscow Belorussky around 22:30 next day.

  The train uses modern Austrian-built sleeping-cars with 2 & 4 berth compartments, see panorama photo inside one of these new sleepers.

• For St Petersburg, there is a direct Russian sleeping-car leaving Vienna Hbf on Saturdays at 18:09 arriving St Petersburg 2 nights later at around 07:23.

  Or take the Vienna to Moscow car and change in Moscow, taking either a Sapsan daytime train in 3h50 or an overnight train, see the train travel in Russia page.

• You can check times & days of running and buy tickets online at the Russian Railways website www.rzd.ru - see my tips for using rzd.ru in English here.  You print your own ticket.  For Vienna you need to type Wien.

• These cars pass through Belarus, so don't forget your Belarus transit visa.  Read important update about travel to Russia through Belarus.  To travel to Moscow avoiding Belarus, see option 4 below.

The direct Vienna to Moscow sleeping-cars are new, built in Austria in 2014.  Each compartment converts from comfortable sofas to equally comfortable beds and can be used as either 1st class 2-berth with two lower berths or as 2nd class 4-berth with all four berths in use.  There are a shower and toilets at the end of the corridor.  Compartments have electronic key-card locks, and the cars are very smooth-riding.  The sleeper attendant can serve lovely Russian tea for around €0.50 a glass.  Highly recommended!

Option 2, by direct train, aboard the weekly Nice-Moscow Express...

• You can also travel from Vienna to Moscow on the Nice-Moscow Express.  This leaves Vienna Hbf around 16:41 on Sundays arriving Moscow around 22:00 on Monday.  This is the Nice-Moscow Express run by RZD Russian Railways.  It's identical to the Paris-Moscow train shown here.  You can book it online at the Russian Railways website www.rzd.ru and print your own ticket - see my advice for using rzd.ru.

Option 3, with a day in Warsaw, 3 times a week...

• Step 1, take the daily overnight sleeper from Vienna to Warsaw as shown in detail above, booking this train online at www.oebb.at.

• Spend the morning and much of the afternoon exploring Warsaw.

• Step 2, then take the sleeper train Polonez leaving Warsaw Centralna at 15:50 on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays and arriving Moscow Belorussky station next day at 11:45 (late March to late October) or 12:45 (late October to late March). 

  The Polonez uses modern air-conditioned Russian sleepers, with 1st class 2-berth or 2nd class 4-berth compartments with washbasin, toilets & shower at the end of the corridor.  This train passes through Belarus, so you'll need a Belarus transit visa.  Fare around €111 in a 2-berth sleeper.  See panorama photo inside one of these new Russian sleepers.

• You can try booking the Polonez online at www.voyages-sncf.com, this may or may not work for this train, it has in the past.  Alternatively, anyone can contact highly-recommended Polish train ticketing agency www.polrail.com (their booking system is at http://booking.polrail.com), who can arrange train tickets for international trains starting in Poland with tickets collected in Warsaw or (at extra charge) shipped to any address worldwide.

Option 4, via Budapest & Kiev - takes a bit longer, but avoids Belarus, offers daily departures and gives you a free day in Kiev...

• Day 1, take any train you like from Vienna to Budapest Keleti station booked online at www.oebb.at from €19 in 2nd class or €29 in 1st class.  Trains leave every hour or two, journey 2h45.

• Stay overnight in Budapest.  For an inexpensive hotel with great reviews right next to Keleti Station, try the Royal Park Boutique Hotel.  More hotels in Budapest.

• Day 2, take the direct train leaving Budapest Nyugati station daily at 07:23 and arriving Kiev around 07:43 next morning.  For details of fares & how to buy tickets see the Trains from Budapest page.

• Day 3, spend the day exploring Kiev...

• Day 3 evening, take an overnight sleeper train from Kiev to Moscow arriving in the morning of day 4. There are several night trains and times vary by date, but for example there's usually one leaving Kiev at 19:33 and arriving in Moscow Kievskaya station next morning at 09:48 (day 4 from London). 2-berth and 4-berth sleepers available. Check times for your date using www.bahn.de/en or www.poezda.net. Incidentally, there's also a direct train from Kiev to St Petersburg, but this passes through a small corner of Belarus, requiring a Belarus visa and so defeating the object of the exercise...

  You can try booking this train at www.rzd.ru (Russian Railways) but you may have to use an agency such as www.realrussia.co.uk or www.trainticketsukraine.com.

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Vienna to Athens & Greece...

Option 1, overland by train through the Balkans, an adventure...

• Day 1, travel from Vienna to Belgrade by comfortable air-conditioned EuroCity train Avala with restaurant car as shown above from €34, booked as shown in that section.

• Spend a night & day in Belgrade.  I recommend the excellent and well-located Hotel Moskva 10 minutes walk from the station

• Day 2, take the direct overnight couchette train from Belgrade to Thessaloniki in Northern Greece as shown on the trains from Belgrade page for €42 including couchette.  You can buy at this price at the station on the day if you like, there are almost always places available and it's not expensive.

  Note that engineering work in Serbia means this train won't run in winter 2016/17 from September until Spring 2017, though you can still go to Vienna-Sofia and then Sofia to Thessaloniki.

• Day 3, take a very scenic 5h train ride from Thessaloniki to Athens, either bought at the station or booked online in advance from as little as €9 at www.trainose.gr with the advice shown here.

The Belgrade to Thessaloniki couchette car...  Below, scenery between Thessaloniki & Athens...

After leaving Thessaloniki, the InterCity train runs along the Aegean coast and past Mount Olympus (seen above, from the train), mythical home to the Greek gods...		Between Larissa & Athens, the train snakes through the mountains, over the famous Gorgopotamos viaduct, blown up by the British S.O.E. in WW2...

Emerging from the mountains, the train descends a spectacular escarpment (above left), with the Greek plain laid out hundreds of feet below...

Option 2, by train to Italy then ferry...

• Day 1, take the comfortable overnight sleeper from Vienna to Venice as shown above from €59 with couchette or from €99 with a bed in a cosy 2-bed sleeper or €139 in a single-bed sleeper, light breakfast included.  You could also take the earlier 19:23 sleeper from Vienna to Bologna instead, this works just as well.  Book this at www.oebb.at and print your own ticket.

• Day 2, take a train from Venice (or Bologna) to Bari, booked at either www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com from just €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class.  I'd allow at least 60 minutes between trains in venice.

• Day 2, sail from Bari to Patras in Greece by cruise ferry.  The ferry usually sails daily except Sundays at 19:30, arrives Patras around 13:00 next day (day 3 from Vienna).  Fares from around €60 with a deck place, rising to over €120 or so if you want a cabin - check times, prices and buy tickets at www.superfast.com.  It's a wonderful journey, past Ithaca & Kefalonia on a ship with cabins, sun decks, bars & restaurants.  Then catch a bus from Patras to Athens.  You'll find more details about both the ferry and onward transport from Patras to Athens on the London to Greece page, just ignore the London to Bari part!

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

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Vienna to Istanbul & Turkey...

Option 1, via Budapest & Bucharest...

• Take an afternoon Railjet train from Vienna to Budapest in 2h45 from €19 bought at www.oebb.at. 

• Then pick up the overnight sleeper train Ister from Budapest to Bucharest and the onward train from Bucharest to Istanbul as explained in detail in this section on the London to Turkey page, buying tickets as shown on that page.  It's a 2-night journey.

Option 2, via Belgrade & Sofia...

• Take a train from Vienna to Belgrade as explained above.

• Then take the daytime train to Sofia, spend a day exploring Sofia and then take the overnight couchette train to Istanbul, explained in detail in this section on the London to Turkey page, buying tickets as shown on that page.  This is also a 2-night journey.

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Railbookers custom-made tours

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

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Hotels in Vienna & 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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