Eurostar e320 at St Pancras.  More about Eurostar.		1st class: Plus or Premier seating.

Standard class.  Larger photo.		One of two cafe-bars, cars 8 & 9.  Larger photo.

The restaurant car.  See current month's menu.		1st class seats on an ICE3neo.  Larger photo.

2nd class seats on an ICE3neo.  Larger photo		Lunch:  I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier!

ICE1 at Cologne Hbf.		1st class seats.  Larger photo.

Restaurant car.  Larger photo.		Bar car.  Larger photo.

2nd class seats.  Larger photo.		Lunch in the restaurant (or at seat in 1st).

4. Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train

These comfortable air-conditioned trains have a restaurant car, treat yourself to lunch.  More about these EuroCity trains.  Warsaw Centralna station guide.

A Berlin-Warsaw EuroCity train on platform 12 at Berlin Hbf.

Restaurant car.

Above left, Zurek soup, a tasty starter.  Above right, kotlet schabowy, served on proper china.

Looking back from the rear car as the Eurocity train speeds across Poland.

5. Warsaw to Vilnius

A twice-daily train service links Warsaw & Vilnius, consisting of a Polish Intercity train from Warsaw to Mockava and a connecting Lithuanian train from Mockava to Vilnius, for details see the Warsaw to Vilnius by train page.

The Intercity train about to leave Warsaw Centralna for Mockava.

You can select a 2nd class seat in a classic 6-seat compartment (above left) or an open-plan car (above right).  Most travellers prefer open-plan seating, but if you're a family or group of friends you may prefer a compartment.

Restaurant car on the Warsaw to Mockava Hancza.  I recommend the Polish Breakfast eastbound (above right), a sort of tasty ham-and-cheese omelette.  For lunch eastbound and dinner westbound, try the wonderful zurek soup and the kotlet schabowy (schnitzel).  Or just go along for a coffee or beer!

Above, the easy cross-platform change at Mockava from the Polish train (left) to the Lithuanian train for Vilnius.

The Lithuanian train arrived at Vilnius station.  It's still daylight as this is the earlier departure from Warsaw.

Vilnius station, beautifully restored.

Back to top

---

Option 2, by train to Germany then ferry to Lithuania

This is a leisurely way to Lithuania, using comfortable trains from the UK to Germany then a comfortable DFDS Seaways ferry from Germany to Lithuania.  It's shown in purple on the route map above.

London ► Klaipeda & Vilnius

• Day 1, travel by train from London to Hamburg by train, see the London to Germany page for train times, fares & how to buy tickets.

  You leave London in the morning by Eurostar to Brussels, a comfortable ICE3 to Cologne then another ICE to Hamburg Hbf arriving in the evening.

• Stay overnight in Hamburg.  The Hotel Reichshof Hamburg is the top choice here, just across the road 100m from the station's Kirchenallee exit, with art deco-based design and great reviews.  Other hotels near Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski.  If you're on a budget, cheap private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf can be booked at www.hostelworld.com.

• Day 2, take a local train from Hamburg to Kiel, these run at least hourly, journey time around 1h17.

  In Kiel, the DFDS ferry terminal is 5.3 km from Kiel Hbf, see location map.  Bus 60S runs every 15 minutes from outside the station (bus stop D2) to its last stop at Schwentinestrasse, from where you can see the terminal, a 700m 7 minute walk away.  Or take a taxi from the station to the ferry terminal, 13 minutes.

• Day 2, sail from Kiel to Klaipeda in Lithuania with DFDS Seaways.

  A ferry sails 6 days a week, departure time varies between 14:00 & 23:00 and arrival in Klaipeda next day (day 3 from London) in the afternoon or evening roughly 22 hours later, see www.dfds.com for ferry sailing dates, times & fares.  The ferry has 2 & 4 berth cabins with shower & toilet, plus extra-comfort Commodore Class cabins with TV & minibar.  There are restaurants and bars on board too.

  In Klaipeda, the station is 5 km from the DFDS ferry terminal.  It’s a short walk from the ferry terminal to the main road where bus 9 leaves from the Strėvos Street stop on the opposite side of the road roughly every 15 minutes to the city centre, taking around 11 minutes.  Fare €1, pay the driver or tap a debit/credit card on the reader.  See walking map from ferry terminal to Strėvos Street bus stop.

• Day 3 late afternoon (if your ferry arrives early enough on that particular date) or (if it doesn't) in the morning of day 4, take a train from Klaipeda to Vilnius, journey time 4h45 or so.  There are several departures daily, see the trains from Vilnius page.

Vilnius & Klaipeda ► London

• Day 1, take a morning train from Vilnius to Klaipeda, there are several trains a day, journey time around 4h40, see the Train Travel in Lithuania section.

  In Klaipeda, the DFDS ferry terminal is 5 km south of the station.  Bus 9 links the city centre (Baseino Street bus stop, see walking map from station to bus stop) to the Strėvos Street stop near the ferry terminal roughly every 15 minutes, taking 11 minutes.  Fare €1, pay the driver or tap a debit/credit card on the reader.  See walking map from Strėvos Street bus stop to DFDS ferry terminal.  Or take a taxi.

• Day 1, sail from Klaipeda in Lithuania to Kiel in Germany with DFDS Seaways.  A ferry sails 6 days a week, departure time varies between 15:00 & 23:00 and arrival in Klaipeda next day (day 2) in the afternoon or evening roughly 21 hours later, see www.dfds.com for ferry times, dates & fares.  The ferry has 2 & 4 berth cabins with shower & toilet, plus extra-comfort Commodore Class cabins with TV & minibar.  There are restaurants and bars on board too.

  In Kiel, the DFDS ferry terminal is 5.3 km from Kiel Hbf, see location map.  Walk 700m to the starting point of Bus 60S at Schwentinestrasse and take bus 60S every 15 minutes to Kiel Hbf.  Or take a taxi from the ferry terminal to the station, 13 minutes.

• Stay overnight in Kiel, the InterCity Hotel Kiel gets good reviews, is relatively inexpensive and is right next to the station and a few minutes walk from the ferry.  The B&B Hotel Kiel City is also next to the station with good reviews, and is even cheaper.  For something upmarket, the Atlantic Hotel Kiel gets great reviews and is in Bahnhofsplatz in front of the station.

  If the ferry arrives early enough on your specific date, you may want to hop on a train to Hamburg and stay overnight there instead.  Trains link Kiel & Hamburg regularly and take around 1h15.  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 3, travel from Kiel to London by comfortable daytime trains, leaving in the morning and arriving London St Pancras in the evening, see the London to Germany page for times, fares & how to buy tickets.

How much does it cost?

• London to Brussels by Eurostar starts at £51 one-way or £78 return in Standard, £98 one-way, £140 return in Plus (1st class).

• Brussels to Hamburg starts at €27.99 each way in 2nd class, €59.99 each way in 1st class.

• Hamburg to Kiel by regional train costs €22, fixed-price.

• Kiel to Klaipeda by DFDS ferry might typically cost around £104 with a bed in a shared cabin or £116 per person for two people travelling together sharing a 2-berth cabin.  But it depends on the season and cabin choice.

• Klaipeda to Vilnius by train costs €24.80 in 2nd class, €35.30 in 1st class.

How to buy tickets

• Step 1, book from London to Hamburg as shown in the London to Hamburg section on the Germany page.

• Step 2, book the ferry at www.dfds.com.

• You can buy the Hamburg-Kiel regional train ticket at the station on the day, no reservation necessary or possible.

What's the journey like?

1. London to Brussels by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Brussels in just 2 hours, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Plus and Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure.  St Pancras station guide.  Brussels Midi station guide.

2. Brussels to Cologne by ICE3

Germany's superb ICEs have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  In 1st class, food & drink orders are taken at your seat.  More about ICE3 trains.  Brussels Midi station guide.  Cologne Hbf station guide.

An ICE3neo at Brussels Midi with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  More about ICE trains.  Photo above courtesy of Christian Hunt.

3. Cologne to Hamburg by ICE4

ICE4s have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, and are capable of 265 km/h (165 mph).  Immediately after leaving Cologne Hbf, Cologne-Hamburg trains cross the Hohenzollern bridge over the Rhine, then pass through the industrial Ruhr.  More about ICE trains.  Hamburg Hbf station guide.

An ICE4 at Hamburg Hbf.  Click on the images below for larger photos.

1st class on an ICE4.		Restaurant car on an ICE4.  Sample menu.

Bar counter at the other end of the kitchen.		2nd class seats on an ICE4.

4. Kiel to Klaipeda by DFDS ferry

Traveller Lewis Baston reports:  "We took the Friday ferry that departs at 22:00, making - if you can get the 06:50 from London to Brussels - it feasible to board the ferry on Day 1, overnight, and arrive on Day 2 in the evening (20:00) in Klaipeda. The Klaipeda boat leaves from Ostuferhafen, which is in an industrial area east of the fjord on which Kiel is built. The ferries to Sweden leave from a very modern looking port more or less across the road from Kiel Hbf but the Klaipeda dock is more basic. The signage isn't great - if people know exactly what they are doing, there's a number 11 bus from Hbf that gets you most of the way to Ostuferhafen, but for the uninitiated it is a 10-15 minute taxi ride from the city centre and station.

The ferry is of a standard type rather than the vast mega-ferries that go on routes from Kiel to Sweden or from Hoek van Holland to Harwich. Embarkation is smooth and uncomplicated; the check-in building has a pizza restaurant in it. Passengers are taken to the ferry by a shuttle bus from the terminal. The last shuttle leaves an hour before departure.

Facilities on the ferry are pretty good. It is Lithuanian-operated and crewed, so you do get the occasional taste of post-Soviet customer service, but mostly it is fine and the quality of the food and cabins is a pleasant surprise. We went 'Commodore Class' which involves two proper beds and an outside window, looking out in the direction of travel. The ferry was busy, with lorries packed in like sardines. There are two bars and two restaurants (one self service canteen style and one a la carte). We chose to book breakfast, lunch and dinner (a word of warning - if during booking online you are offered breakfast vouchers and your room rate says it includes breakfast DO NOT order a breakfast voucher - this differs from Stena Line's system I think). The meals are full, hearty and Baltic-style - and very tasty and filling, particularly if you (like me) are fond of meat and potatoes. But my companion, whose tastes are more refined, also thought the food was good. In retrospect, you only really need breakfast and one other meal, not two!

Arrival in Klaipeda is, as in Kiel, in an industrial port area. There is a bus into town but its timetable does not match up very well to the later ferries. Arriving on the 22:00 departure from Kiel you need to be lucky and on the first shuttle bus from the ferry to the dock gate to get the bus (it does not wait for passengers, however useful that would be!) and there aren't buses to meet the 23:00 departure from Kiel. You are more or less at the mercy of taxi drivers, although even taxis are scarce. Booking in advance might be efficient. We paid €20 split between four, which felt reasonable at the time as it was bucketing with rain. The standard bus fare is LIT2.60, a good deal if you arrive earlier in the day as the stop is just outside the dock gate and port building where outbound passengers check in.

Photos below courtesy of Lewis Baston & Michael Allsop.

4. Klaipeda to Vilnius by train

Comfortable modern air-conditioned trains link Klaipeda with Vilnius in as little as 4h05 several times a day.  See ltglink.lt.  The trains have 1st & 2nd class, but no catering car so bring your own supplies.  You can easily buy a ticket at the station on the day.

Back to top

---

Train travel in Lithuania

Back to top

---

Moving on from Lithuania

• See the Trains & ferries from Vilnius page for travel from Vilnius to Riga, Tallinn, St Petersburg, Moscow, Stockholm, Helsinki.

Back to top

---

European Rail Timetable & maps

The European Rail Timetable (formerly the Thomas Cook European Timetable) has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency & climate information.  It is essential for regular European train travellers and an inspiration for armchair travellers.  Published since 1873, it had just celebrated 140 years of publication when Thomas Cook decided to pull the plug on their entire publishing department, but the dedicated ex-Thomas Cook team set up a private venture and resumed publication of the famous European Rail Timetable in March 2014.  You can buy it online at www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses) or www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (shipping worldwide).  More information on what the European Rail Timetable contains.

Rail Map Europe is the map I recommend, covering all of Europe from Portugal in the west to Moscow & Istanbul in the east, Finland in the north to Sicily & Athens in the south.  Scenic routes & high-speed lines are highlighted.  See an extract from the map.  Buy online at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (shipping worldwide) or at www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses).

Back to top

---

Make sure you take a good guidebook, even in this age of the internet.  For the independent traveller, this means either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide.  Both books provide a similarly excellent level of cultural and historical background and practical information.  You won't regret buying one of these guides..!

Click the images to buy online at Amazon.co.uk

 

Back to top

---

Hotels in Vilnius & Lithuania

• Hotels are cheap by western standards, with good hotels often under £100. 

  At the affordable end, the highly-rated Grotthuss Boutique Hotel is located in a historic building on a medieval street in the old town, just 11 minutes walk from the station, see walking map.

  Or the Shakespeare Boutique Hotel, housed in a renovated 17th century palace in the old town 50m from Cathedral Square, also with great reviews.  It's a 26-minute walk from the station, you may want to take a taxi!

• At the more upmarket end, try the Relais & Châteaux Stikliai Hotel, also in the old town in a historic building with Baroque and Gothic features.  It's 18 minutes walk from the station, see walking map, or a short taxi ride.  Or if you can't cope without an indoor swimming pool, try the Radisson Blu Royal Astorija Hotel, with great reviews 14 minutes walk from the station.

• If you want a hotel near the station, try the inexpensive Stay Vilnius hotel, a 6-minute walk from the station, or the Conti Hotel Vilnius, a 9-minute walk from the station towards the old town, both with excellent reviews.

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.

Back to top

---

Travel insurance & other tips

Always take out travel insurance

You should take out travel insurance with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover from a reliable insurer.  It should cover trip cancellation and loss of cash & belongings up to a reasonable limit.  These days, check you're covered for covid-19-related issues, and use an insurer whose cover isn't invalidated by well-meant but excessive Foreign Office travel advice against non-essential travel. An annual policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself.  Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, see the advice on missed connections here.  Here are some suggested insurers, I get a little commission if you buy through these links, feedback always welcome.

  www.staysure.co.uk offers enhanced Covid-19 protection and gets 4.7 out of 5 on Trustpilot.

  www.columbusdirect.com is also a well-know brand.

  If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.

Get an eSIM with mobile data package

Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a European mobile data package and stay connected.  Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list.  There's no need to buy a physical SIM card!  Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.

Get a Curve card for foreign travel

Most banks give you a poor exchange rate then add a foreign transaction fee on top.  A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month as I write this.  The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.  And you can get a Curve card for free.

How it works:  1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android.  2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses.  3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card.  4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app.  You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.

I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader.  The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than getting a card out).  I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great.  See details, download the app and get a Curve card, they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.

Get a VPN for safe browsing.  Why you need a VPN

When travelling you may use free public WiFi which is often insecure.  A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi.  It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply.  See VPNs & why you need one explained.  ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using this link you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription.  I also get some commission to help support this site.

Carry an Anker powerbank

Tickets, reservations, hotel bookings and Interrail or Eurail passes are often now held on your mobile phone.  You daren't let it run out of power, and you can't always rely on the phone's internal battery or on being near a power outlet.  I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over.  Buy from Amazon.co.uk or buy from Amazon.com.

Touring cities?  Use hill walking shoes!

One of the best things I've done is swap my normal shoes for hill-walking shoes, in my case from Scarpa.  They're intended for hiking across the Pennines not wandering around Florence, but the support and cushioning for hiking works equally well when you're on your feet all day exploring foreign cities.  My feet used to give out first and limit my day, now the rest of me gives up before they do!

 

---

Back to top

Back to home page