 Take your car...to Innsbruck or Villach by Urlaubs Express for Austria, Italy, Slovenia & Croatia to Spain by ferry with Brittany Ferries.
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Trains that carry cars
This page is a guide to the few remaining European motorail services of interest to UK travellers. But first, a reality check:
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Normal passenger trains don't carry cars or motorbikes, just passengers and sometimes bicycles. Only special Motorail trains carry cars & motorbikes, on car transporters attached to the train.
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Motorail trains are an endangered species, running run on a handful of holiday routes, often summer-only, usually once or twice a week, see the motorail route map below. All French Motorail trains from Calais were discontinued in 2010, Dutch Auto Slaap Trein from the Netherlands was discontinued in 2014, German DB Autozug discontinued in 2015, French Auto Train discontinued 2019. Motorail trains in the UK ceased in 1995. The remaining routes of interest to UK users are shown on the motorail route map below.
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You must first take a ferry across the Channel, motorail trains start at Düsseldorf in Germany. Motorail trains carry cars, motorbikes, small trailers & roof boxes, you can now take some over-height 4x4 vehicles & people carriers on some routes. But they don't carry big 4X4s, vans, caravans or campers.
Interactive motorail map: Click a route
How do I get my car from the UK to...?
Who uses motorail? |
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Families and couples for a start. The door-to-door convenience of taking your own car makes the logistics of a family holiday to Italy or Austria easy. |
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 Classic cars: Classic car owners who'd rather drive their vintage Jaguar than a characterless hire car take it with them on motorail. Classic cars are usually allocated a place on the lower deck. |
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 Bikers: Motorail is a bikers' favourite too. |
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To find out how to get you & your car to these countries by motorail train or ferry, click a destination:
France Italy Spain & Portugal Switzerland Germany & Austria Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland Eastern Europe, Turkey, Greece North Africa, Cyprus, Malta
France
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The cheapest short-sea crossing from Dover always seems to be DFDS to Calais & Dunkirk, see www.dfds.com, though by all means check other operators such as www.poferries.com.
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For direct ferries to Normandy & Brittany try the excellent Brittany Ferries (www.brittany-ferries.co.uk).
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French Railways' Auto-train service from Paris to the south of France was discontinued in December 2019.
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Corsica: Ferries sail from Marseille, Toulon or Nice to Corsica, a fantastic destination with a car. See www.corsicalinea.com or www.corsicaferries.com or use the Direct Ferries website for easy booking of all operators & routes.
Italy
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Italy is the most popular motorail destination of all. There are currently no motorail trains to Italy, but German company Urlaubs-Express (www.urlaubs-express.de) runs motorail trains from Düsseldorf to Innsbruck Villach, see the information below. You can use these to reach Italy.
The trains typically run once a week, overnight with sleeping-cars, couchettes and car transporter wagons.
Düsseldorf is a 3h45 drive from Calais or 2h30 drive from Hoek van Holland, Rotterdam or IJmuiden where the ferries from Harwich, Hull & Newcastle arrive.
Innsbruck to Verona via the scenic Brenner pass is 274 km (170 miles) and takes just over 3h by car. Villach to Venice is a 2h40 drive, 249 km (155 miles).
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For the record, the popular Autoslaaptrein company ran a motorail from the Netherlands to Italy for many years, but have up in April 2015. Dutch company Treinreiswinkel took over in summer 2016 & 2017, until they too gave up. German charter company Urlaubs-Express (urlaubs is German for holiday) stepped in and ran a weekly Düsseldorf-Verona motorail train in 2018 & 2019. Suspended during the pandemic, the Düsseldorf-Verona has not resumed due to issues with the operation in Italy. Trenitalia's domestic motorail trains were discontinued in 2011.
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Sardinia, Sicily: For onward travel from Livorno or Civitavecchia (just north of Rome) to Sardinia or from Naples to Palermo in Sicily, use the Direct Ferries website.
Spain & Portugal
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There are no motorail trains to Spain or Portugal, but Brittany Ferries (www.brittany-ferries.co.uk) sail up to five times a week from Portsmouth or Plymouth to Santander or Bilbao. Brittany Ferries' ships are excellent, a wonderful way to reach Spain with more in common with cruise liners than Channel ferries of old. There are kennel facilities & pet-friendly cabins. Crossing the Bay of Biscay whilst watching for dolphins and whales is highly recommended! You'll find advice on ships & routes plus some photos here.
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Ibiza, Minorca or Majorca: For onward travel to Ibiza, Minorca or Majorca, see ferry operator www.balearia.com or use the Direct Ferries website for easy booking for all operators.
Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg
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There are no motorail services from the UK to Belgium, the Netherlands or Luxembourg, but there are ferries to several ports including www.poferries.com (Hull-Rotterdam), www.stenaline.co.uk (Harwich-Hoek van Holland) & www.dfds.com (Newcastle-IJmuiden overnight cruise ferry).
Switzerland
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There are no motorail trains to Switzerland, the only option is to drive from the channel ports all the way. The 3-times-a-week Auto-Train service from Paris to Geneva was withdrawn in 2010.
Germany & Austria
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Take the Urlaubs-Express motorail from Düsseldorf to Innsbruck: German charter train company Urlaubs-Express (www.urlaubs-express.de) runs Düsseldorf-Innsbruck overnight with sleeping-cars, couchettes and car transporter wagons, see the information below.
Düsseldorf is only a 3h45 drive from Calais or a 2h30 drive from Hoek van Holland, Rotterdam or IJmuiden where the ferries from Harwich, Hull & Newcastle arrive.
Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland
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There are no motorail trains or ferries from the UK to any of these countries, the last ferry to Norway sailed in 2008, the ferry to Esbjerg in Denmark ended in September 2014 after almost 140 years of operation. You now have to take a ferry from Dover to Calais or Dunkirk (www.dfds.com) or Harwich to Hoek van Holland (www.stenaline.co.uk) and drive. Once in Germany, www.finnlines.com operate a ferry several times a week from Travemünde in Germany to Helsinki in Finland, Color Line operate a ferry from Kiel to Oslo. www.dfds.com operate an overnight cruise ferry from Copenhagen to Oslo. You can book all these ferries using the Direct Ferries website.
Slovenia, Croatia
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Take the Urlaubs Express from Düsseldorf to Innsbruck or Villach, see details here.
From Villach it's a 2h40 209 km drive to Rijeka in Slovenia or a 5h40 drive to Split in Croatia.
Greece
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Step 1, take the Urlaubs Express from Düsseldorf to Innsbruck or Villach, see details here.
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Step 2, drive from Innsbruck or Villach to Venice. Villach to Venice is a 2h40 drive, 249 km (155 miles).
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Step 3, take a ferry from Venice to Igoumenitsa or Patras in Greece, see www.minoan.gr, www.anek.gr or www.bluestarferries.com or simply use the Direct Ferries website. The Direct Ferries website can also book onward ferries from Piraeus (the port of Athens) to Crete and many other Greek islands.
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There are also ferries from other Italian ports to Greece, Croatia, Montenegro & Albania. See the Direct Ferries website for routes and booking.
Turkey
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Step 1, take the Urlaubs Express from Düsseldorf to Innsbruck or Villach, see details here.
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Step 2, take the Optima Tours motorail train from Villach to Edirne in Turkey (near the Bulgarian border), with departures on various dates from May to October. See www.optimatours.de for dates, times & booking information (only available in German).
North Africa, Cyprus, Malta, Egypt, Israel
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Malta is linked to Sicily by car-carrying catamarans of Virtu ferries, www.virtuferries.com. www.grimaldi-lines.com also operates a weekly cruise ferry from Genoa, Civitavecchia (near Rome) and Catania to Valetta, Malta.
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Tunisia, Morocco, Cyprus: There are regular ferries from Marseille & Genoa to Tunisia, and from southern Spain & Sète in the South of France to Morocco, see the Direct Ferries website. There's now a ferry in summer from Greece to Cyprus. A good site to consult for such ferry routes and operators is UK ferry agent www.viamare.com.
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Egypt, Israel: There are now no car ferries to these destinations, but contact UK ferry specialists www.viamare.com for details of any available services.
Within the UK, to Scotland & Cornwall...
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There are now no motorail trains in the UK. Motorail trains between London & Scotland ceased in 1995.
Motorail routes, prices & information
On this page you'll find information on each motorail operator, with a summary of prices, routes, on-board accommodation & how to buy tickets:
Urlaubs Express Austrian motorail (ÖBB) Optima Tours Other motorail trains
Urlaubs Express
Düsseldorf to Innsbruck or Villach
This is a convenient route from northwest Europe for Austria, Italy, Slovenia & Croatia.
How to book:
Book at www.urlaubs-express.de. Click the Click here for booking button, then click the UK flag for English. To book one-way, leave the return journey section alone.
Departure point:
Trains depart from Düsseldorf, a 3h45 (245 mile) drive from Calais, 3h20 from Dunquerque, or 2h30 from Hook of Holland (157 miles), Rotterdam or IJmuiden (Amsterdam). The motorail terminal is in the city centre next to Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof. The city of Düsseldorf is a low-emission zone, but if you hold a valid motorail ticket you are allowed to access the motorail terminal regardless of your vehicle.
Arrival point:
Trains go to either Innsbruck or Villach in Austria. Innsbruck to Verona is a 274 km (170 mile) drive taking just over 3h. Villach to Venice is a 249 km (155 mile) drive taking 2h40.
Dates & times:
Trains typically run once a week from May to October, check times & dates at www.urlaubs-express.de.
Trains typically leave 19:00-21:00 and arrive 07:45-08:45 next morning. You need to check in around 2h before departure for loading.
How much does it cost?
Prices vary significantly, but 2 passengers in shared couchettes with a car might pay €460 each way in low season rising to over €1000 in high summer. The online booking system at www.urlaubs-express.de will give you a price for you date.
Max vehicle dimensions:
Max height: 1.95m, max length 5.30m (with trailer max 10m), max width 1.95m measured with wing mirrors folded, max height 198cm to Villach, 203cm to Innsbruck (but max height only 195cm to both destinations if roof width exceeds 135cm). See www.urlaubs-express.de.
Sleeper & couchette accommodation
4-berth couchettes. Sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin. Junior suites = two adjacent 1/2/3-berth sleeper compartments so one can be used as beds, the other as a sitting room.
Pets allowed?
Dogs and other pets can be carried.
Suggested ferry connections:
The cheapest option is to use the short sea routes, Dover-Calais or Dover-Dunkirk, see www.poferries.com & www.dfds.com. Tip: www.dfds.com Dover-Dunkirk usually seem the cheapest operator.
The more direct option from East Anglia or the North of England is to use www.stenaline.co.uk (Harwich-Hoek van Holland), www.dfds.com (Newcastle-IJmuiden overnight cruise ferry), or www.poferries.com (Hull-Rotterdam overnight cruise ferry).
Urlaubs Express couchette car. Photo Urlaubs Express.
Above left, a sleeper of type used on the Urlaubs Express. Set up here as a single, it can be set up as 1, 2 or 3 beds one above the other. There is a washbasin in the corner, and toilets at the end of the corridor. Beds come fully-made up.
Above right, a typical couchette car can be set up as either 4 or 6 bunk, shown in daytime mode. Blanket, sheet & pillow are supplied.
ÖBB Austrian Railways motorail
Düsseldorf in Germany to Innsbruck in Austria: Discontinued in 2021
Auto-Train in France
Paris to Avignon, Marseille, Toulon, St Raphael, Nice: Discontinued in 2019
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The French Railways used to operate a domestic car-carrying service called Auto-Train, However, all services were discontinued in December 2019.
Optima Express
Villach in Austria to Edirne in Turkey: www.optimatours.de
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Optima Tours run their Optima Express motorail train at least weekly to Turkey on various departure dates between April & November, see www.optimatours.de for dates, times & online booking - you can select English top right. Villach is in southeast Austria and Edirne is in Turkey near the Bulgarian border, so is also good for Bulgaria. They carry motorbikes and cars up to 198cm high.
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Times vary, so you'll have to check their site, but the journey from Austria to Turkey takes either 2 days & 1 night or 2 nights & 1 day. The train has covered car-carrying wagons and Bulgarian couchette cars, with compartments that can be used for sole occupancy for 1-6 people, or you can book one berth in a shared 6-berth compartment.
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They take cars up to 152cm high, or for a slightly higher price, vehicles up to 198cm high.
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The cost is around €259 one-way for a car plus €149 for one person in a shared 6-berth couchette compartment or €299 per person in a couchette compartment allocated for the exclusive private use of two people.
Other motorail services
Switzerland
Lörrach (Switzerland) to Hamburg: See www.urlaubs-express.de.
Germany
Hamburg to Munich, Lörrach (Switzerland), Innsbruck & Villach (Austria): See www.urlaubs-express.de.
Austria
Vienna to Innsbruck, Feldkirch, Villach (Austrian domestic), see www.oebb.at.
Innsbruck & Villach (Austria) to Hamburg & Düsseldorf: See www.urlaubs-express.de.
Czech Republic: Prague-Poprad Tatry, Prague-Košice
See www.cd.cz/autovlak for cheap overnight motorail services between Prague & Slovakia.
Croatia
The daily summer-only Zagreb-Split overnight sleeper train also has a car-carrying wagon. Information about this isn't readily available online, ask at the station when you get there.
Finland
Finnish Railways operate various domestic routes, see www.vr.fi.