R I P... The DFDS ferry to Norway was sadly withdrawn for good in September 2008, ending over 120 years of direct ferry links between the UK & Norway... Photo courtesy of DFDS

UK to Norway without flying...

Although the last ferry between the UK & Norway (DFDS Newcastle to Bergen) was sadly withdrawn in September 2008, there's still no need to fly to Norway.  It's easy to travel from London to Norway by train, using a lunchtime Eurostar to Brussels, a connecting high-speed train to Cologne, the excellent City Night Line sleeper overnight to Copenhagen and connecting trains to Oslo arriving in the evening the day after leaving London.  Or spend the day in Copenhagen then sail overnight by cruise ferry to Oslo.  Departures are daily.

Train times, fares & tickets...

On this page you'll find a step-by-step guide to planning, booking & making a journey from the UK to Norway by train, with train times, approximate fares, and the best way to buy tickets.

London to Oslo by train via Brussels, Cologne & Copenhagen.

London to Oslo alternative route via the Harwich-Esbjerg ferry

London to Kristiansand & Stavanger by train via Hirtshals.

Onward trains within Norway:  Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim...

How to buy Norwegian train tickets

Useful country information - dialling code, currency, time zone

Hotels & accommodation in Oslo, Bergen & Norway

General European train travel information

Luggage   Taking a bike   Taking a dog

Route map:  London to Oslo, Norway & Scandinavia by train & ferry...

Useful country information

London to Norway by train...

Here is the fastest way from London to Oslo without flying, marked in red on the route map above, and it's both comfortable and affordable, with daily departures.  If you're travelling to Bergen, Trondheim, Bodo, travel to Oslo as shown below, then take an onward train within Norway.  If you're travelling to Kristiansand or Stavanger you may prefer the 'short cut' via Hirtshals in northern Denmark, see below.  The line to Narvik starts in Sweden, so for Narvik, first travel to Stockholm, see here.

London ► Oslo

• Travel from London to Brussels by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras daily except Saturdays at 15:04, arriving Brussels Midi at 18:05.  On Saturdays, depart London at 12:58 arriving Brussels Midi at 16:08.  Advice on connections in Brussels.

• Travel from Brussels to Cologne by ICE high-speed train leaving Brussels Midi at 18:25 and arriving Cologne at 20:15.  On Saturdays you can also take the earlier 17:28 Thalys train arriving Cologne at 19:15.  You've time for dinner in Cologne.

• Travel overnight from Cologne to Copenhagen on the City Night Line sleeper train Borealis, leaving Cologne daily at 22:28 and arriving next morning in Copenhagen main station at 10:07.  This train has a sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments, economy with washbasin or deluxe with private shower & toilet), couchettes (4-berth & 6-berth) & seats.  More pictures & information about City Night Line sleeper trains.  A bistro-restaurant car is available in the morning between Hamburg and Copenhagen.

• Important:  From 20 July to 1 September 2013, the Cologne-Copenhagen sleeper won't run due to engineering work, but here's the alternative:  During this period, simply remain on board the 18:25 ICE from Brussels as far as Frankfurt arriving 21:30.  Another part of the same City Night Line sleeper leaves Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 22:19, still  arriving in Copenhagen at 10:07 next morning.  By all means use an earlier London-Frankfurt connection if you'd like a safer connection and dinner in Frankfurt, see the London-Germany page.

• Option 1, Copenhagen-Oslo by train:  You leave Copenhagen main station at 12:32 on a daily Öresund Link Train to Gothenburg arriving 16:17.  Change at Gothenburg onto a Norwegian train leaving Gothenburg at 18:00 daily arriving in Oslo at 21:49.  You can confirm train times for your date of travel at www.sj.se.  Soon after leaving Copenhagen, the Öresund Link train train to Gothenburg crosses the Öresund Fixed Link, opened in 1999 to connect Denmark with Sweden.  It's part tunnel, part double-decker road/rail bridge, and on the long bridge section your train seems to 'fly' across the sea to Sweden...  It can help to know that Gothenburg is 'Göteborg' in Swedish.

• Option 2, Copenhagen-Oslo by overnight cruise ferry:  Alternatively, you can spend a day in Copenhagen (left luggage is available at the station, details here) and sail overnight from Copenhagen to Oslo by cruise ferry with DFDS Seaways.  The ship (either the Crown of Scandinavia or Pearl of Scandinavia) sails daily from Copenhagen's International Ferry Terminal in Dampfærgevej at 17:00, arriving in Oslo at 09:30 next day.  All passengers travel in comfortable cabins with private toilet & shower.  To travel in luxury, treat yourself to one of DFDS's famous Commodore Class cabins, some with private balconies with sea view.  The ship has bars & restaurants for dinner & breakfast on board, you can pre-book dinner & breakfast with your ticket.  The ferry terminal is about 3km (2 miles) from Copenhagen main station in the city centre, taxis & free DFDS shuttle buses are available.  See www.dfds.co.uk.

Oslo ► London

• Option 1, Oslo-Copenhagen by train:  Travel from Oslo to Copenhagen by train.  Leave Oslo at 07:02 daily except Sundays, change at Gothenburg (arrive 10:45, depart 11:40) and arriving Copenhagen main station at 15:28.  No connection on Sundays.  You can check train times for your own date of travel at www.sj.se.  It can help to know that Gothenburg is Göteborg and Copenhagen is Köpenhamn in Swedish.

• Option 2, Oslo-Copenhagen by overnight cruise ferry:  Alternatively, you can sail from Oslo to Copenhagen with DFDS Seaways on a daily overnight cruise ferry.  The ship sails from Oslo's Vippetangen ferry terminal at 17:00, arriving in Copenhagen at 09:30 next morning.  You now have a free day to explore Copenhagen.  The ship has comfortable cabins, bars & restaurants for dinner & breakfast on board.  You can walk from central Oslo to the ferry terminal in 15-20 minutes, or you can take a taxi.  See www.dfds.co.uk for details.

• Day 1:  Travel overnight from Copenhagen to Cologne by City Night Line sleeper train Borealis, leaving Copenhagen main station daily at 18:46 and arriving Cologne at 06:14 next morning.  This train has couchettes (4-berth & 6-berth) and a sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments, economy with washbasin or deluxe with private shower & toilet).  More pictures & information about City Night Line sleeper trains.  A bistro-restaurant car is available for dinner in the evening, from Copenhagen as far as Hamburg.

• Day 2:  Travel from Cologne to Brussels by ICE high-speed train, leaving Cologne daily at 07:43, arriving Brussels Midi at 09:35.

• Day 2:  Travel from Brussels to London by Eurostar.  On Mondays to Saturdays, a Eurostar leaves Brussels Midi at 10:56 and arrives London St Pancras at 11:57.  On Sundays, a Eurostar leaves Brussels Midi at 11:56 and arrives London St Pancras at 12:57.

• Important:  From 19 July to 1 September 2013, the Copenhagen-Cologne sleeper won't run due to engineering work.  During this period, use the Copenhagen-Frankfurt portion of the same train, which will run, leaving Copenhagen at the same time, 18:46, arriving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 06:40.  Then take any Frankfurt to London service shown on the London-Germany page.

Take Eurostar to Brussels, then a German ICE high-speed train to Cologne...

ICE3 2nd class.  ICEs are one of the most comfortable trains in Europe...		ICE3 1st class, with real leather seats.  All seats have power sockets.		An ICE to Cologne waiting to leave Brussels Midi.  More ICE info.

Introducing the City Night Line sleeper train Borealis from Cologne to Copenhagen...

The Cologne to Copenhagen overnight train is one of the German Railway's excellent City Night Line sleeper trains with a choice of sleepers, couchettes & seats.  The modern Comfortline sleeping-car offers proper beds in 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet, or 1, 2 or 3-berth economy compartments with washbasin.  All sleepers have power-points for laptop computers, hotel-style cardkey locks, and there is a shower at the end of the corridor.  The air-conditioned couchette car offers simple flat padded berths with a rug & pillow in shared 4 & 6-berth compartments.  There are also ordinary seats in 6-seater compartments, but you should always book a couchette.  A bistro car is attached between Hamburg and Copenhagen in both directions.  The train actually starts its journey in Amsterdam.  More pictures & information about this City Night Line train.

Dinner in Cologne before you board?  For a traditional German meal in Cologne before boarding your sleeper, try the Brauhaus Sion (www.brauhaus-sion.de), 5 minutes walk from Cologne hauptbahnhof, or the Malzmuehle restaurant (www.muehlenkoelsch.de), 10-15 minutes walk from Cologne Hauptbahnhof, or there's a restaurant inside the Hauptbahnhof itself at the Schweinske, www.schweinske.de.  Feedback is always appreciated!

1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper: The most civilised option, economy with washbasin or deluxe with shower & toilet.		4-berth couchettes:  Ideal for families, much more space per person than 6-berth couchettes.		6-berth couchettes:  A very economical option, far better than a seat for just a few euros more...		A modern Comfortline sleeping-car used on the Cologne-Copenhagen City Night Line sleeper train Borealis. More pictures & information about this train...

Then travel from Copenhagen to Oslo by train or by DFDS overnight ferry...

Option 1:  Take an Öresund Train (Öresundtåg, pictured above) from Copenhagen to Gothenburg, then a connecting Norwegian train to Oslo (pictured below).  The train crosses from Denmark to Sweden on the 1999-built Öresund Link tunnel & road/rail bridge...				Option 2:  Spend the day exploring Copenhagen, then cruise to Oslo on the daily overnight DFDS ferry.  This is the m/v Crown of Scandinavia.

Arrival at Oslo...  This is the Norwegian train from Gothenburg to Oslo, arrived at Oslo central.  Photos courtesy of Ivor & Ines Morgan.		NSB 'Komfort' class on the train to Oslo.

How much does it cost?

How to buy tickets online...

Anyone from any country can buy tickets this way, at the cheapest prices direct from the operators.  Booking opens 120 days ahead for Eurostar, 92 days ahead for other trains, but I strongly recommend waiting and buying all tickets together, doing a dry run on all sites to check times, prices and availability before booking for real.  Hotel accommodation can be booked before booking your trains risk-free if you use a site such as www.booking.com with free cancellation.

• Step 1, book the Cologne-Copenhagen City Night Line sleeper train.  Go to the German Railways website www.bahn.de.  Book a sleeper or couchette ticket from Cologne (Köln Hbf) to Copenhagen (Koebenhvn H) and back, looking for the cheap Spezial fares on the direct CNL train with 0 changes.  You pay online and print out your own ticket in .PDF format on your own PC printer.  Easy!   I strongly recommend registering when it asks you before completing the purchase, so you can easily retrieve any bookings and re-print tickets at any time, from any PC.

• Step 2, book your Copenhagen-Oslo ticket.  To go by overnight cruise ferry, simply book online at www.dfds.co.uk and print your own ticket.  You can even pre-book dinner & breakfast.  To go by train, it's cheapest to split the booking, as NSB Norwegian Railways offer cheap Minipris fares for their Gothenburg to Oslo train which are only available from their own website.  So first book the Copenhagen-Gothenburg train using the Swedish Railways website www.sj.se (fixed price, see advice on using www.sj.se), then book the Gothenburg-Oslo train at www.nsb.no looking for a cheap Minipris fare.  Remember that Gothenburg appears as 'Gøteborg'.  If you can't get SJ.se to work for any reason, try www.oresundstag.se or www.bokatag.se - Bokatag charge a small fee on top, but their site is often less fussy about foreign credit cards.  If you still have any problems, simply call SJ telesales on +46 771 75 75 75, touch tone 6 for English.  Book early for the cheapest prices.  You simply print out your own ticket or collect them from the Swedish Railways (SJ) ticket machines installed at Copenhagen main station.  Similarly, you'll find cheap Minipris fares available from the Norwegian Railways site www.nsb.no, although this site has been known to struggle with some non-Nordic credit cards.

• Step 3, book your trains from London to Cologne & back.  I recommend comparing prices on two sites.

  First, check prices from London to Cologne at the German Railways website using the special links I'm about to give you.  You simply print out your own ticket.  I recommend booking a round trip as two one-ways, as it's easier to see where the availability is.  Here are the links I've set up with all the details necessary to bring up the cheap fares, just enter your departure date, remembering that on the inward journey, departure from Cologne will be the day after departure from Prague:

  Buy an outward ticket from London to Cologne leaving London at 12:58 on Saturdays or leaving London at 15:04 Mondays-Fridays & Sundays.

  Buy an inward ticket from Cologne to London leaving Cologne at 07:43 Monday-Saturday or leaving Cologne at 07:43 on Sundays.

  Now check prices from London to Cologne at the Belgian Railways international website www.b-europe.com.  This can sell London to Cologne tickets using Eurostar and ICE or Eurostar and Thalys, and it allows you to print your own ticket.  It may or may not be cheaper than bahn.de, just buy from whichever site has the cheaper fare!

• Alternatively, you can of course book London to Cologne in two stages direct with the relevant operators.  First, book from London to Brussels and back at www.eurostar.com.  You print your own ticket, and can buy tickets to Brussels starting not just in London, but from 130 UK towns and cities.  At the end of the booking, look for the link allowing you to book a specific seat.  Tips on choosing the best Eurostar seats.  Then book the ICE train from Brussels to Cologne and back at www.bahn.de.  You print your own ticket.  I strongly recommend registering, so you can log in and re-print or change bookings at any time.  The best connections for this particular journey are by ICE, as shown in the train times above, but if you want to stop off in Brussels or Cologne so want to book one of the Thalys trains between Brussels & Cologne instead, you can do this at www.thalys.com, also with self-print tickets.

• Starting your journey from a UK town or city outside London?  You can buy a special add-on ticket to connect with Eurostar from almost any station in Britain, with better terms and conditions than buying a regular domestic UK train ticket to London, see the advice here.

How to buy tickets by phone...

You can book through a number of UK agencies, but for this trip the best is probably Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card charge but no charge for debit cards) or www.europeanrail.com on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-17:30 Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 sat, £35 booking fee).  Click here for a list of agencies and more info on how to buy European train tickets.

Tailor-made train travel + hotel arrangements...

If you want a compete tailor-made trip with all your rail travel expertly booked for you and good quality hotels arranged, UK residents can call www.railbookers.com on 020 3327 0761.  US & Canadian residents can call them toll-free on 1-800-408-3280 or see website.  Australian residents can call their Sydney office toll-free on 1300 971 526 or see www.railbookers.com.au.  New Zealand residents call toll-free on 0800 002 034 or see website.  Just tell them what you want, and they'll advise you on the best trains, routes & hotels and sort it all out for you, hassle-free.  They get very positive reviews and take good care of their guests.

London to Oslo via the Harwich-Esbjerg ferry

The ferry alternative...

If you prefer cruise ferries to sleeper trains, you can travel from London to Copenhagen using a train to Harwich, the excellent 2 or 3 times a week DFDS Seaways cruise ferry to Esbjerg, then an InterCity train to Copenhagen.  Then you can then take onward trains or the overnight ferry to Oslo as shown above.  See the London to Denmark page for details of the Harwich-Esbjerg ferry option between London & Copenhagen.  You can book the overnight Copenhagen-Oslo ferry at www.dfds.co.uk along with the Harwich-Esbjerg ferry as one transaction.  Note that you arrive in Copenhagen too late to connect with that evening's ferry to Oslo, so plan on one night in a hotel in Copenhagen before continuing to Oslo by train or cruise ferry the next day.  Via Harwich-Esbjerg, the whole London-Oslo journey will therefore take 2 nights using the train from Copenhagen to Oslo, or 3 nights using the Copenhagen-Oslo cruise ferry.

London to Kristiansand & Stavanger by train...

As you can see on the route map above, this short cut by-passes Copenhagen & Sweden, heading up to northern Denmark for a ferry direct to southern Norway.

London ► Kristiansand & Stavanger

• Travel from London to Odense in Denmark by afternoon Eurostar to Brussels, connecting ICE high-speed train to Cologne, and City Night Line sleeper train overnight to Odense, leaving London at 15:04 (12:58 on Saturdays) and arriving in Odense at 08:33 next morning, see the London to Denmark page for full details.

• Travel from Odense to Hirtshals in northern Denmark using Danish domestic trains.  There are regular departures throughout the day.  For example, you can leave Odense at 10:07, change at Hjørring, arriving Hirtshals at 14:28.  Or depart Odense 12:07, change at Aalborg & Hjørring, arrive Hirtshals 16:28.  You can check times for your date of travel at www.dsb.dk, in Danish but Google's Chrome browser will translate this for you.  In Hirtshals, it's a few minutes walk from the station to the ferry terminal.

• Sail from Hirtshals to Kristiansand by Color Line ferry, see www.colorline.com.  There's usually a sailing at 20:45 arriving in Kristiansand at 23:59.  There's a 1 hour check-in for the ferry.

• If you're going to Stavanger, stay overnight in Kristiansand and take a train on to Stavanger next day, see here for advice on finding and booking a train.

Stavanger & Kristiansand ► London

• If you're coming from Stavanger, take an afternoon or evening train to Kristiansand and stay overnight, see here for advice on finding and booking a train.

• Sail from Kristiansand to Hirtshals by Color Line ferry, see www.colorline.com.  There's a sailing from Kristiansand at 08:00 arriving in Hirtshals at 11:15.  There's a 1 hour check-in for the ferry, so be at the port by 07:00.  On arrival in Hirtshals, it's a reasonably short walk from the ferry terminal to the station.

• Travel from Hirtshals to Odense by Danish domestic train.  You can leave Hirtshals at 13:39, change at Hjørring, arriving Odense at 18:05.  If for any reason you don't make this, no problem, there's another train at 14:08, change at Hjørring and Aalborg, arriving Odense at 19:05.  You can check times for your date of travel at www.dsb.dk.

• Travel from Odense back to London by City Night Line sleeper train to Cologne, ICE high-speed train to Brussels and Eurostar to London, see the London to Denmark page for full details.  You leave Odense at 20:28 and arrive London St Pancras next day at 11:57 Mondays-Saturdays or 12:57 on Sundays.

Fares & how to buy tickets...

• See the London to Denmark page for fares and how to book your trains from London to Odense.

• A ticket from Odense to Hirtshals costs around 366 Krone, about £48 each way.  You can buy it at the station in Odense.  You can buy it online and print out your own ticket at www.dsb.dk, but only if you leave their website in Danish.

• Hirtshals to Kristiansand by ferry costs from €19 booked in advance, €29 full-price.  Book online at www.colorline.com, or you can buy a ticket at the port.

Onward trains within Norway...

Train connections from Oslo to Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim & other Norwegian cities...

• Modern air-conditioned trains link Oslo with Bergen, one of Europe's most scenic train routes, a journey worth doing for its own sake!  Similar trains link Oslo with Stavanger, Kristiansand, Trondheim and other Norwegian cities.  To check train times within in Norway, see www.nsb.no or www.bahn.de.

• Oslo-Bergen costs between 199 Kr & 399 Kr (£22-£45) one-way with a limited-availability minipris fare or 815 Kr (£93) each way full fare.  Return fares are twice the one-way.  Oslo-Stavanger also costs between 199 Kr & 399 Kr each way with a limited-availability minipris fare or 904 Kr (£103) one-way full fare, return fares are twice this.  Anyone over 67 (or married couples where one partner is over 67) get a 50% discount.  Children under 4 free, children 4-15 (inclusive) half price.

How to buy Norwegian train tickets at www.nsb.no...

• You can buy Norwegian tickets online at www.nsb.no.  In fact, it pays to pre-book your tickets this way, because cheap advance-purchase Minipris fares are often available, saving a lot of money over the regular fare that you will be charged on the day of travel.  Minipris tickets are non-refundable and non-changeable.

• The English button is top centre.

• Useful words:  'Voksen' means adult.  'Barn' means child aged 4 to 15 inclusive (under 4's go free).  'Honnør' means senior citizen over 67 years old (anyone aged over 67 gets gets a 50% reduction on standard fares, although no reduction on Minipris fares).

• When you see the fares page, you'll see both standard fares (Ordinær) which are flexible and refundable, and cheap limited-availability Minipris fares which are non-changeable and non-refundable.  Minipris fares cost either 199Kr, 299Kr or 399Kr depending on availability.

• Useful words:  'Okonomi' means standard class, any fare including the word 'Komfort' means first class with larger seats, more space, laptop power points and complimentary tea and coffee.

• You need to make up a phone number.  You need to enter a local phone number as part of the booking process.  It won't accept international phone numbers, so just use any memorable 8-digit number such as your date of birth.  No-one is actually going to phone you, so it doesn't matter!

• You need to make up a postcode.  It won't accept UK-style postcodes so make up random digits such as '12345'.  No-one will send anything to you, so it doesn't matter!

• Acceptance of UK (and other non-Norwegian) credit cards:  www.nsb.no struggles with some UK-issued credit cards.  Many UK-issued cards certainly work, and most people report success buying tickets at nsb.no, but a few travellers report that their UK-issued card didn't work (and were even told by NSB telesales that the site only accepts Norwegian cards).  So try using www.nsb.no as your card may well work fine, and another card if the first one doesn't work, but if none of your cards work, simply call their telesales by phone on +47 23 15 15 15 and buy tickets that way.  NSB will definitely accept UK cards by phone, and you may well find the price three times cheaper than buying from a UK agency!

• You can choose to collect your ticket at the station or on board the train from the conductor.

• Oslo to Gothenburg:  www.nsb.no can also book train tickets between Oslo and Gothenburg (Goteborg) in either direction.  Tickets can be collected at Oslo or Gothenburg stations or on board the train.

• Oslo to Stockholm:  It won't book tickets between Oslo and Stockholm, as these trains are provided by Swedish train company SJ.  Oslo to Stockholm tickets should be booked online at www.sj.se.

• Feedback from booking this way and using these trains would be very welcome!

The scenic Flåm Railway...

A scenic tourist line worth mentioning is the famous Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana) from Myrdal (on the Oslo-Bergen line) 900m above sea level to Flåm on the Fjord below.  Train run daily all year round, 4 departures a day in winter, 10 or so in summer.  It can be done as a day trip from Oslo, as the Myrdal-Flåm journey itself only takes 40-50 minutes each way.  See www.flaamsbana.no, then see www.nsb.no for connections from Oslo or Bergen to Myrdal.

The Thomas Cook European Timetable

The Thomas Cook European timetable has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency & climate information.  Published since 1873, it costs £14.99.  It's essential for any serious traveller and an inspiration for armchair travellers.  Still not convinced you need one?  More information on what the Thomas Cook Timetable contains.  You can buy the latest monthly edition online at www.thomascookpublishing.com with worldwide delivery or buy it in person from selected UK branches of Thomas Cook (ask at the bureau de change), or from W H Smiths in Victoria station in London.  Or buy the twice-yearly independent traveller's edition with laminated cover from Amazon.co.uk:  Winter/Spring 2012/13 edition (Dec 2012 to June 2013) or (when available) Summer/Autumn 2013 edition (June to Dec 2013)

The Thomas Cook Rail Map of Europe is the best and most comprehensive map of train routes right across Europe, from Portugal in the west to Istanbul, Moscow & Ukraine in the east, from Finland in the north to Sicily & Crete in the south.  High speed & scenic routes are highlighted.  Highly recommended!  Buy online at www.amazon.co.uk (worldwide delivery).  See an extract from the map.

Make sure you take a good guidebook.  For independent travel, I think this means either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide.  Both guidebooks provide the same excellent level of practical information and cultural and historical background.  You won't regret buying one!

Click the images to buy at Amazon.co.uk

Find hotels in Oslo, Bergen & Norway...

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!).

• www.venere.com Norway hotels is worth a look.

Backpacker hostels...

• www.hostelbookers.com:  If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels.  Hostelbookers offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.

Travel insurance & health card...

Get travel insurance, it's essential...

Never travel without insurance from a reliable travel insurer with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover.  It should also cover loss of cash (up to a limit) & belongings, and cancellation. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year (I have an annual policy myself).  Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, though, see the advice on missed connections here.  Here are some suggested insurers, Seat61 gets a little commission if you buy through these links, and feedback from using insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome.

In the UK, use www.confused.com to compare prices & policy features across major insurance companies.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65 (no age limit), see www.JustTravelCover.com.

        If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct's other websites.

   If you live in the USA or Canada, try Travel Guard USA.

Get an EU health card, it's free...

If you're a UK citizen travelling in Europe, you should apply for a free European Health Insurance Card, which entitles you to free or reduced rate health care if you become ill or get injured in many European countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with the NHS.  This replaced the old E111 forms as from January 2006.  The EHIC card is available from www.ehic.org.uk.  It doesn't remove the need for travel insurance, though.

Get a spare credit card, designed for foreign travel with no currency exchange loading & low/no ATM fees

Taking out an extra credit card costs nothing, but if you keep it in a different part of your luggage you won't be left stranded if your wallet gets stolen.  In addition, some credit cards are better for overseas travel than others.  Martin Lewis's www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad.

You can avoid ATM charges and expensive exchange rates with a Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or their multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card, see www.caxtonfx.com for info.

Get an international SIM card to save on mobile data and phone calls...

Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, and if you're not careful you can return home to find a huge bill.  Consider buying a global pre-paid SIM card for your mobile phone from www.Go-Sim.com, which can slash costs by up to 85%.  Go-Sim cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide, and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries.  It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills when you get home.  It also allows cheap data access for laptops & PDAs.  A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't expire if it's not used between trips, unlike some others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone number' for life.