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This page explains how to travel by train from Cologne or Düsseldorf to other European cities, and how to buy tickets. Information updated for 2026.

Before you buy your tickets

Take a moment to read these tips for buying European train tickets. It answers the usual questions, "Do I need to book in advance or can I buy at the station?", "Can I stop off?", "Are there Senior fares?" and that old favourite, "Should I buy an $800 railpass or a €35 point-to-point ticket?". How far ahead can you buy train tickets?

European train travel FAQ

An introduction to European train travel	Senior fares (over 60)	Guide to Eurail passes (overseas visitors)
Important tips for buying European train tickets	Youth fares (under 26)	Guide to Interrail passes (for Europeans)
How to check European train times	Child fares & child age limits	Couchettes & sleepers on night trains
Do I need to book in advance?	Luggage on European trains	Train seat numbering plans
How far ahead can I book?	Luggage storage at stations	Wheelchairs & special needs
Can I stop off on the way?	Taking a bike by train	Real-time service updates
Should I travel 1st or 2nd class?	Taking a car by train	Hotels & accommodation
How long to allow for connections?	Taking dogs & pets by train	Changing stations in Paris by metro or taxi
How early to arrive at the station?	Maps of the European rail network	What to do when things go wrong...

Cologne & Düsseldorf to other destinations in Germany

Cologne or Düsseldorf to anywhere in Germany

int.bahn.de will book trains from Düsseldorf or Cologne to anywhere in Germany.

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, except when the mid-December timetable change gets in the way. More about when booking opens.

With a handful of exceptions, German domestic trains are never reservation compulsory so you can always just turn up, buy a ticket and get on the next train without a reservation - although you will usually have to pay the more expensive Flexpreis on the day of travel.

However, if you pre-book there are cheap advance-purchase Sparpreis & Super Sparpreis (savings) fares for €19.99, €29.99, €39.99 etc. for long-distance journeys, so buy in advance if you want to save money.

A seat reservation is usually optional for a small extra charge, €5.50 2nd class or €6.90 1st class, per seat - if you don't want one you can sit in any unreserved seat. You can choose your seat from a seat map when booking a German IC or ICE train.

I recommend registering when prompted rather than booking as a guest, so you can always log in and check or re-print your bookings.
You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone. More tips for using bahn.de.

About train travel in Germany

See the train travel in Germany page for a beginner's guide to train travel in Germany, including how to buy tickets online or by phone and an explanation of the Deutschland Ticket, Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket and Lander tickets.

Cologne to Munich by Nightjet sleeper

A Nightjet sleeper train leaves Cologne Hbf at 22:01 on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, arriving Munich Ost 05:43.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has two air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars each with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has two couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes. See the guide to Nightjet accommodation.

Book this at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same prices).
Lo-cost Flixtrains to Hamburg & Berlin

In addition to the regular service provided by DB, competing lo-cost operator Flixtrain offers two trains per day from Cologne & Düsseldorf to Osnabrück, Hamburg & Berlin. Flixtrains have one class of seating with power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. There's no catering.

Fares start at €9.99 and vary like air fares. If you need to travel at short notice, Flixtrain can be a lot cheaper than using DB.

Book at www.flixtrain.com or Omio.com.

Take the scenic route to Frankfurt, Munich & southern Germany!

The fast ICE trains from Cologne to Frankfurt & Munich use the Cologne-Frankfurt high-speed line. If you don't mind taking an extra hour, you can still take the classic curvaceous route along the Rhine Valley, past river boats, castles, vineyards & the legendary Lorelei Rock.
When using int.bahn.de to book to Frankfurt or Southern Germany, click Stopovers and enter Koblenz Hbf leaving length of stay as 00:00. Any trains routed via Koblenz take the Rhine Valley route. See the Rails Down the Rhine page.

Cologne to Berlin by ICE


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).

Cologne to Berlin by lo-cost Flixtrain

These lo-cost trains have one class and no catering, but low prices even at short notice.


A Flixtrain at Cologne, www.flixtrain.com		One class seating on Flixtrain.

Cologne or Düsseldorf to London & UK

Option 1, by Eurostar

Travel from Cologne to Brussels by ICE or Eurostar (formerly Thalys), then take Eurostar to London, see the London to Germany page.

Option 2, by ferry from Hoek van Holland - a useful alternative, cheaper than Eurostar at short notice

Step 1, travel from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Utrecht by ICE train then Utrecht to Rotterdam Alexander by Dutch train.
To connect with the overnight sailing, an ICE usually leaves Cologne Hbf at 14:49, Düsseldorf at 15:11, arriving Utrecht Centraal 16:59.
Fares start at €18.99, book Cologne to Rotterdam Alexander at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Step 2, hop on the RET metro from Rotterdam Alexander to Hoek van Holland Haven, 2-3 departure per hour taking 50 minutes.
The fare is around €4, buy a ticket at the station or simply tap any contactless bank card on the ticket gates.

Step 3, travel from Hoek van Holland to London by Stena Line Sail & Rail, either overnight sleeping in a cosy private cabin or by day.
You sail from Hoek van Holland to Harwich by superferry, then Harwich to London Liverpool Street by train. It's an integrated train & ferry service with a daytime sailing from Hoek van Holland at 14:00 and an overnight sailing from Hoek van Holland at 22:00 getting you to London around 08:56 next morning.
See the Stena Line Rail & Sail page for times, fares & how to buy tickets.

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Dublin & Ireland

Option 1, Düsseldorf or Cologne to Dublin via London & Holyhead - daily departures

Day 1, travel from Düsseldorf or Cologne to London St Pancras, see the London-Cologne timetable here.

Stay overnight in London, see suggested hotels near St Pancras. It's a 9 minute walk from London St Pancras to London Euston.
Day 2, travel from London Euston to Dublin on the morning train & ferry service, arriving Dublin Ferryport 17:25, see the London-Dublin page for times, fares & how to buy tickets. Rail & Sail is an inexpensive, fun and interesting way to go, see more about the journey.

Option 2, Düsseldorf or Cologne to Dublin via Paris & Cherbourg - several times a week

Day 1, travel from Cologne to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys), leaving Cologne Hbf at 18:44 daily except Saturdays, arriving Paris Nord 22:15.
Or on any day of the week you can leave Cologne Hbf at 16:43, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 20:12. Or there are earlier trains.
Eurostar (formerly Thalys) travels at up to 300 km/h (186 mph) with cafe area, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com, in €, £ or $, small booking fee, or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no fee). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Stay overnight in Paris, see suggested hotels near the station.
Day 2, travel from Paris to Dublin by train & ferry, taking a morning train from Paris St Lazare to Cherbourg & an overnight ferry to Dublin as shown in the Paris to Dublin section, arriving in the morning on day 3. Irish Ferries sails Cherbourg-Dublin several times a week.
Start by booking the ferry at www.irishferries.com, then add a suitable train connection at www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com, see the Paris to Dublin section for details.

Sail from Cherbourg to Dublin aboard Irish Ferries' WB Yeats. WB Yeats photos courtesy of Irish Ferries.


Club cabin on the WB Yeats with shower & toilet.		Deluxe cabin on the WB Yeats with shower & toilet.

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Paris from €35

Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed trains link Düsseldorf & Cologne Hbf with Paris Gare du Nord several times a day.
Departures from Cologne Hbf are usually at 06:44*, 08:44, 12:42, 16:43 & 18:44** taking around 3h30.
Departures from Düsseldorf are usually at 06:09 & 08:10 Monday-Saturday, 10:07 & 11:54 Sundays, taking around 4 hours.
* Not Sundays. ** Not Saturdays.
Eurostar (formerly Thalys) trains run at up to 300 km/h (186 mph) with 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

Fares start at €35 in standard class, €72 in plus class or €135 in premier.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead. If you buy on the day it costs over €130 full-flex in standard class, ouch! All tickets come with a seat reservation and are only valid on the specific train you book. The cheapest fares mean limited or no refunds or changes to travel plans.
Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or with French Railways at www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no fee).
Thetrainline connects to both the French and German ticketing systems so can book journeys between most German stations and most French stations. SNCF-connect can only book Eurostar and onwards French trains, it cannot book all German trains.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket (A4 paper, Letter size is fine) or can show it on your phone.

A Eurostar at Cologne Hbf. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).


1st class (Comfort & Premium) seats, 2+1 across the car.		2nd class (Standard) seats, 2+2 across. Larger photo.

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Strasbourg from €32.99

You can travel from Cologne to Strasbourg in as little as 2h54 with 1 change, using a high-speed ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi from Cologne Hbf to Mannheim, then another ICE or a TGV Duplex from Mannheim to Strasbourg.
Check times & buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Tip: Look for 1-change journeys with a cheap fare shown, from €32.99 upwards.
It's possible to travel more cheaply and with more frequent departures, using an ICE train from Cologne to Offenburg then a regional train from Offenburg to Strasbourg - although this takes longer, 3h15-4h15.
The catch?
Bahn.de only shows an expensive €100+ full-flex fare for these useful 1-change journeys.
The solution?
Split the booking! First check Cologne to Strasbourg times via Offenburg int.bahn.de, it helps to click Stopovers and enter Offenburg as a stopover with length of stay zero. You should see departures every 2 hours with 1 change. Then use int.bahn.de to book from Cologne to Offenburg on the train you want with advance-purchase Sparpreis fares from €17.99. Then use int.bahn.de again to buy a fixed-price full-flex ticket from Offenburg to Strasbourg for around €12, good for any Offenburg-Strasbourg regional train that day. Easy!

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Lyon, Marseille, Nice & other destinations in France

Option 1, using the once-a-day direct TGV from Germany to Lyon, Avignon, Aix en Provence & Marseille - easiest, usually cheapest

Step 1, travel from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Mannheim by ICE, leaving Düsseldorf 11:26 or Cologne Hbf at 11:54, arriving Mannheim 13:25.
Check times at int.bahn.de, I'd allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Mannheim.

Step 2, travel from Mannheim to France by TGV Duplex, leaving Mannheim at 14:42, arriving Lyon Part Dieu 19:58, Avignon TGV 21:09, Aix en Provence TGV 21:31 & Marseille St Charles 21:46.
The 320 km/h double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views.

Fares start at €39.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Before running the enquiry, click Stopovers and enter Mannheim Hbf with length of stay 45 minutes.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

The TGV Duplex from Frankfurt & Mannheim to Lyon & Marseille, seen here at Frankfurt am Main Hbf.


The cafe-bar on upper deck in car 4 (or 14), serving tea, coffee, wine, beer, snacks & microwaved hot dishes.		2nd class seats, this is upper deck seating. There's a mix or tables for 4 and unidirectional seating. 360º photo.


1st class seats on the upper deck, with a club duo on the left, a club quatre on the right. 360º photo.		The TGV to Marseille, boarding at Frankfurt am Main Hbf. You enter on the lower deck, with 9 stairs up to top deck.

Option 2, via Paris - means changing trains & stations in Paris by taxi or metro, but more choice

Step 1, take a Eurostar (formerly Thalys) from Cologne Hbf to Paris Gare du Nord in 3h21.
Eurostar trains have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about Eurostar (formerly) Thalys.
Fares start at €35 in 2nd class (standard) or €79 in 1st class (comfort). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
In Paris, transfer by metro or taxi to the relevant Paris station. Allow at least 60 minutes between trains, ideally more.
Step 2, take a high-speed TGV Duplex from Paris Gare de Lyon to Nice in 5h45, Lyon in 2h or Marseille in 3h30. Or to anywhere in France.
Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets from Cologne to anywhere in France at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee.
Booking for French trains opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Tip: When using www.raileurope.com, click More options and enter Paris (any station) with a 1 hour stopover duration to ensure a robust connection between trains in Paris, or to create a longer stopover in Paris - if heading to Avignon, Marseille, Montpellier, Cannes or Nice, how about lunch between trains at the celebrated Train Bleu restaurant inside the Gare de Lyon?
Alternatively, you can book from Cologne to Paris, then from Paris to any destination in France at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

Option 3, changing in Brussels & by-passing Paris

You can avoid having to cross Paris by taking an ICE or Eurostar (formerly Thalys) from Cologne Hbf to Brussels Midi, then using a direct TGV from Brussels Midi to Lyon, Avignon, Marseille, Cannes Nice, Nîmes, Montpelier, Perpignan.
These Brussels-France direct TGVs by-pass Paris using the high-speed line through Aéroport CDG & Marne La Vallée (for Disneyland Paris). Just be aware that there are fewer departures this way and fares might be more expensive than via Paris.

Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com.
Set up an enquiry from Cologne to any French destination, click More options and enter Brussels as a via station with at least 30 minutes (ideally longer) stopover duration. Look carefully at the search results for journeys that by-pass Paris.

Option 4, Cologne to Toulon, Cannes, Antibes & Nice, using the Paris-Nice overnight train

Step 1, travel from Cologne to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys), leaving Cologne Hbf at 12:39, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 16:10.
A later Eurostar leaves Cologne Hbf at 16:43, arriving Paris Nord 20:12, but giving only 73 minutes in Paris. Your call!
Eurostars travel at up to 300 km/h (186 mph) with power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
In Paris, transfer by metro or taxi from Gare du Nord to Gare d'Austerlitz. I'd allow at least 90 minutes between trains when catching a sleeper.

Tip: Have dinner at the celebrated Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon before strolling across the bridge over the Seine to the Gare d'Austerlitz in good time for your sleeper south. Or try the floating restaurant Off Paris Seine on the river next to the Gare d'Austerlitz.

Step 2, travel from Paris to the Côte d'Azur by Intercité de Nuit, leaving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 21:25 every day, arriving Toulon 07:12, St Raphael (for St Tropez) 08:07, Cannes 08:31, Antibes 08:43 & Nice Ville 09:09.
The Intercité de Nuit sleeper train has 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes & reclining seats. You can book a whole couchette compartment for private occupancy for 1 to 6 people if you like. More about Intercités de Nuit.
How much does it cost?

Cologne to Paris starts at €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class.
Paris to the South of France starts at €19 in a reclining seat, €29 in a 2nd class couchette or €59 in a 1st class couchette.

Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

How to buy tickets

Book at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

To make sure you have at least 90 minutes between trains in Paris, I'd book Cologne to Paris, add to basket, then Paris to Nice, add to basket & check out. Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Tip: To book sole or dual occupancy of a 4-berth or 6-berth couchette compartment, see the advice on the Intercités de Nuit page.

Step 1, Cologne to Paris by Eurostar. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).


1st class (Comfort & Premium) seats, 2+1 across the car.		2nd class (Standard) seats, 2+2 across. Larger photo.

Intercite de nuit overnight train at Paris Austerlitz

Step 2, Paris to Cannes, Antibes or Nice by Intercité de Nuit. More about Intercités de Nuit.


2nd class 6-berth couchettes.		A cosy 2nd class couchette.


1st class couchette, made up for the night.		1st class 4-berth couchettes.

The Paris to Nice sleeper running along theMediterranean coast

The Paris to Nice Intercité de Nuit running along the Côte d'Azur in the morning sun. Photo courtesy of Noam auf Gleis 13.

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Brussels, Bruges, Ghent or Antwerp from €18.99

High-speed trains link Cologne Hbf with Brussels Midi every hour in 1h50.
One hour it's a German ICE, the next hour it's a Eurostar (formerly Thalys). Unfortunately, fares & booking aren't integrated, so this hourly train service is in effect two separate services each only running every 2 hours!
ICEs have a restaurant car, Eurostars have a refreshment trolley & vending machines, both have power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Change at Brussels Midi for Belgian InterCity trains to Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp or anywhere else in Belgium.
ICE fares start at €18.99 in 2nd class or €49.99 in 1st class.
Eurostar fares start at €19 in standard or €49 in plus.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com.
These can book tickets from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Brussels or anywhere in Belgium via both Eurostar and ICE.
Both are easy to use, in €, £ or $, international cards no problem, small booking fee. You print your ticket on A4 paper (US Letter size is fine) or can show it on your phone. Booking for Eurostar opens up to 4 months ahead, for ICE up to 6 months ahead.

Or buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
This sells through tickets from anywhere in Germany to Brussels or anywhere in Belgium, but only via their own ICE trains.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. Easy to use, no booking fee, and it allows exact seat choice from a seat map on ICEs. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Or buy tickets at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com.
This can book from Cologne (or on the handful of daily direct Eurostar trains, Düsseldorf) to Brussels, but only using Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

Tip: Tickets from Germany to Bruges or other Belgian station beyond Brussels are valid on any Belgian domestic train leaving Brussels that day, no reservation required - even if the ticket is for a specific ICE between Germany and Brussels. So don't obsess about your connection time in Brussels, it only takes a few minutes to step off the ICE and walk to another platform for the onward Belgian train, if there's a delay and you miss the planned train there'll be another one in half an hour, no worries! How about lunch in Brussels' Grande Place between trains? I recommend Aux Armes de Bruxelles (auxarmesdebruxelles.com) for classic Belgian moules-frites.

An ICE3neo at Cologne Hbf, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about ICEs. Photo courtesy of Christian Hunt.


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


2nd class seats on an ICE3neo. Larger photo.		Lunch and a beer!

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Amsterdam from €19.99

Superb ICE trains link Cologne Hbf & Düsseldorf with Amsterdam Centraal roughly every 2 hours, Cologne-Amsterdam in 2h40.
The ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. They also call at Arnhem (for the Airborne Museum) & Utrecht.

Fares start at €18.99 in 2nd class or €49.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
This sells through tickets from any station in Germany to Amsterdam or almost any station in the Netherlands
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone. Suggested hotels in Amsterdam.

An ICE3neo at Amsterdam Centraal, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about ICEs.


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!

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Luxembourg from €19.99

You can travel from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Luxembourg by train from €18.99 in 2nd class or €49.99 in 1st class.

The line from Koblenz to Luxembourg is very scenic, it runs along the Moselle valley past river boats and vineyards. For the best river views, sit on the left hand side when going west from Koblenz (the train leaves Koblenz station heading north before turning west).

Tip: There's a direct train to Luxembourg every day leaving Düsseldorf at 13:45 & Cologne Hbf at 14:17, arriving Luxembourg 17:48. This is a swish double-deck CFL (Luxembourg Railways) train like the one shown below.

Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your ticket or can show it on your phone.

Double-deck train between Koblenz, Trier & Luxembourg

Koblenz to Luxembourg by double deck regional train. This is a CFL double-decker at Luxembourg.


1st class on the upper deck. Larger photo.		2nd class on the upper deck. Larger photo.

Scenery along the Moselle between Koblenz & Luxembourg in the morning sun, the mists still clearing. For the best river views, sit on the right hand side of the train going east from Luxembourg, left hand side going west from Koblenz.

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Basel, Zurich, Geneva & Switzerland from €37.99

Option 1, Düsseldorf & Cologne to Basel & Zurich by sleeper - the time-effective option

A Nightjet sleeper train leaves Cologne Hbf at 23:53 (23:42 some dates), arriving Basel SBB 06:21 & Zurich HB 08:05.
This comfortable Austrian-run Nightjet has an air-conditioned AB33 sleeping-car with 1, 2 or 3 berth compartments with washbasin. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes. More about Nightjets.
Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.raileurope.com (in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same prices, more fiddly). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Tip: You can check the train formation, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using www.vagonweb.cz. Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations and search for NJ 403.

AB33 sleeping-car on the Amsterdam-Zurich Nightjet train

The sleeping-car on the Amsterdam-Cologne-Zurich sleeper train. More about Nightjets. Watch the video.


Single sleeper, washbasin behind door on right. Larger photo.		Breakfast next morning. Larger photo.


4 or 6 berth couchettes, bedding supplied. Larger photo.		Couchette car from Amsterdam arrived at Basel.

Option 2, by high-speed train - the fast daytime option

ICE trains link Cologne Hbf with Basel SBB every 2 hours in 3h54.
These all have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat. They use the high-speed line between Cologne & Frankfurt, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).
Change at Basel SBB for Swiss trains to destinations all over Switzerland.

Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
You can book from Düsseldorf or Cologne to any station in Switzerland, and will get a through ticket.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
A through ticket from Germany to Swiss destinations such as Luzern, Wengen or St Moritz includes the onward Swiss domestic train and it's a lot cheaper than buying a separate full-price Swiss domestic ticket from Basel.

An ICE3 at Cologne Hbf. More about ICEs.


2nd class seats on an ICE3. Larger photo.		1st class seats on an ICE3. Larger photo.


Proper china, metal cutlery. I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier! See current month's menu.		Restaurant car: This is the small 12-seat restaurant area on an ICE3. Larger photo.

Option 3, by classic train along the Rhine Valley - the slower scenic option

Instead of taking the high-speed line between Cologne and Mainz (as in option 2), you can take the classic line along the scenic Rhine valley if you like, past river boats, vineyards, castles and the legendary Lorelei Rock, see the Rails Down the Rhine page. Well worth the extra hour!
In 2026 there are no direct trains (unfortunately the Swiss Eurocity trains EC6-EC9 have been discontinued), so you'll need to change trains at Mannheim. Times vary, but for example:

Leave Cologne Hbf 06:53, change at Mannheim, arriving Basel SBB 11:48, Zurich HB 13:00.

Leave Cologne Hbf 08:53, change at Mannheim, arriving Basel SBB 13:48, Bern 14:56, Interlaken Ost 15:59.

Leave Cologne Hbf 10:53, change at Mannheim, arriving Basel SBB 15:48.

And every two hours to Basel until 18:53, reaching Basel SBB at 23:49.

All three trains in each case are superb German ICE trains with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat. The second change of train is at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf rather than Mannheim on some dates.

Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
You can buy tickets from Cologne or Düsseldorf to almost any station in Switzerland for an inclusive price.
To get the Rhine Valley route, click Stopovers and enter Koblenz Hbf leaving length of stay 00:00. Look for a 1-change journey.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Pfalzgrafenstein Castle seen from the train

Pfalzgrafenstein castle on the Rhine. See the Rails Down the Rhine page.

Cologne to Venice from €37.99

Option 1, Cologne to Venice in a day - the scenic option

Step 1, travel from Cologne to Munich by ICE, leaving Cologne Hbf at 05:48 every day, arriving Munich Hbf 10:32.
Or on Mondays-Saturdays you can leave Cologne Hbf at 05:25 if you like, arriving Munich Hbf 09:40.

ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets & free WiFi. In 1st class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat.

Step 2, travel from Munich to Venice by railjet, leaving Munich Hbf at 11:23, arriving Verona Porta Nuova 16:59 & Venice Santa Lucia 18:25.
The swish Austrian railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st & business class a steward takes restaurant orders and serves you at your seat. The train travels through the scenic Brenner Pass, see the photos & video on the Brenner Pass page.

How much does it cost?
Cologne or Düsseldorf to Venice starts at €37.99 in 2nd class or €47.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

How to buy tickets
Book from Düsseldorf or Cologne to Venice at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
I'd change Transfer time from normal to 45 minutes, although you'll probably find this 1-change journey without doing that.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Step 1, Cologne to Munich by ICE. Above, an ICE4 at Cologne Hbf. More about ICE4.


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.

Step 2, Munich to Verona & Venice by new generation railjet, seen here art Verona Porta Nuova.


First class, in open saloons.		Business class, in 4-seat compartments.


Restaurant car.		Economy (2nd) class.

Mountains on the Brenner route.


Vineyards, mountains and castles south of Brenner as the train heads for Trento & Verona.

Hilltop fortresses seen from the Brenner Pass train

Watch out for hilltop fortresses. See the Brenner Pass scenery video here.

Option 2, using the Nightjet sleeper train from Stuttgart to Venice - the time-effective option

Step 1, travel to Stuttgart by ICE, leaving Düsseldorf at 15:26 or Cologne Hbf at 15:54, arriving Stuttgart Hbf 18:11.
ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat. Have dinner in Stuttgart.
Fares start at €29.99 in 2nd class or €59.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
Tip: In Stuttgart, the bar at the Steigenberger Graf Zeppelin Hotel across the road makes a good VIP waiting lounge, or try the nearby Biergarten im Schlossgarten, see the advice here.

Step 2, travel from Stuttgart to Venice by Nightjet leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 20:29, arriving Venice Santa Lucia 08:34.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes. See the guide to Nightjet accommodation.

Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €69.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €89.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €139.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, more fiddly, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

Step 1, Cologne to Stuttgart by ICE. This is an ICE4 at Cologne Hbf. More about ICEs.


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.

The Nightjet train from Vienna to Venice, arrived at Venice Santa Lucia

Step 2, Stuttgart to Venice by Nightjet sleeper train. Above, the Nightjet arrived at Venice Santa Lucia. More about Nightjets.


2-berth deluxe sleeper. More info about Nightjet trains.		...en suite toilet & shower.		4-berth couchettes.

Sunrise as the sleeper train crosses the causeway into Venice

Sunrise as the Munich-Venice Nightjet crosses the causeway over the lagoon into Venice. Courtesy of Andreas Wiedenhoff.

Option 3, by day trains via the Brenner Pass with overnight stop in Munich

Day 1, travel from Cologne to Munich on any ICE train you like.
You can leave Cologne Hbf as late as 17:54 arriving Munich Hbf 22:29.
But by all means book an earlier train and spend a pleasant evening in Munich. For a dinner of local Bavarian food and a beer or two I recommend the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de) at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf, see walking map.
ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

Stay overnight in Munich.
The affordable Eden Hotel Wolff & NH Collection München are across the road from the station's north side exit with great reviews. I've stayed at both myself, the former is a cosy traditional hotel, the latter has a more modern corporate style. Or try the upmarket 25 Hours Hotel The Royal Bavarian, Excelsior by Giesel & Mercure City Center. For a splurge, the luxurious Sofitel Munich Beyerpost occupies the former Royal Bavarian Post Office building of 1896-1900, at the station's south side exit.

Day 2, travel from Munich to Venice via the scenic Brenner Pass, see the timetable here. For example:
Leave Munich Hbf 07:23 by EuroCity train, arriving Venice Santa Lucia 15:14 (14:25 at weekends).
Leave Munich Hbf 11:23 by railjet, arriving Venice Santa Lucia 18:25.
The swish Austrian railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. The EuroCity train uses older carriages with refreshment trolley. All these trains climb up and over the scenic Brenner Pass, see the photos & video here.

How much does it cost?
Cologne or Düsseldorf to Venice starts at €37.99 in 2nd class or €47.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

How to buy tickets
Book from Düsseldorf or Cologne to Venice at the German Railways website int.bahn.de
To get the overnight stop in Munich, click Stopovers and enter Munich Hbf with a length of stay of (say) 12:00.
Look carefully in the search results to find a journey that suits, carefully adjusting the departure time and length of stay to get the trains you want either side of Munich. A little trial and error may be needed!
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Option 4, via Zurich & the Bernina Express through the Swiss Alps - the ultimate scenic experience

Day 1, travel from Düsseldorf or Cologne to Zurich by train, using options 2 or 3 n the Cologne to Switzerland section.
A direct train leaves Cologne Hbf at 14:54, arriving Zurich HB 20:00, but there are 12:54 or 16:54 departures with a change in Basel.

Stay overnight in Zurich.
For something special, the 5-star Hotel Schweizerhof is one of my favourite hotels anywhere, just across the road from the station. They'll even send a uniformed commissionaire to meet you & carry your bags from the train. For something cheaper, also next to the station with great reviews, try the Ruby Mimi Hotel or the excellent 3-star Hotel St. Josef, 7 minutes walk from the station, see walking map. If you're on a budget, book a private rooms in a 1-star hotel or backpacker hostel near the station at www.hostelworld.com.

Day 2, travel from Zurich HB to Chur, take the amazing Bernina Express to Tirano, and an Italian regional train to Milan Centrale as shown here as shown here. Change at Milan Centrale for Verona & Venice.


Bernina Express 1st class seats.		the Bernina Express uses panoramic carriages.

The train descends from the Bernina Pass

The Bernina Express descends from the Bernina Pass.

Cologne to Florence, Rome, Milan, Verona or anywhere else Italy

Option 1, Cologne to Italy in a day via the Swiss Alps - a chill-out day with great scenery!

You can travel from Cologne to Milan in a single day with a choice of departures:
Leave Cologne Hbf 06:54, change at Basel SBB, arriving Zurich HB 12:00. Leave Zurich HB at 13:33, arriving Milan Centrale 16:50.
Leave Cologne Hbf 06:54, change at Basel SBB, arriving Zurich HB 12:00. Leave Zurich HB at 14:33, arriving Bologna 21:28 & Florence SMN 21:30.
Leave Cologne Hbf 08:54, change at Basel SBB, arriving Zurich HB 14:00. Leave Zurich HB at 15:33, arriving Milan Centrale 18:50.
Leave Cologne Hbf 10:54 direct to Zurich, arriving Zurich HB 16:00. Leave Zurich HB at 17:33, arriving Milan Centrale 20:50.
You travel from Cologne to Basel (or on the 10:54, Zurich) by ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat. Basel to Zurich is by Swiss domestic train.

You then travel from Basel to Milan (or on the 14:33 from Zurich, to Bologna & Florence) by Swiss EuroCity train through the Swiss Alps, also with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & fee WiFi.

It's a lovely ride through the Alps on the Gotthard route, past Swiss & Italian lakes. The train passes through the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world's longest rail tunnel, the transit tales 20 minutes. You arrive at the magnificent Milan Centrale, a landmark in its own right.
You can board these Cologne-Basel/Zurich trains at Düsseldorf, they leave Düsseldorf 20 minutes before leaving Cologne.

Change in Milan Centrale for a high-speed Frecciarossa to Venice Santa Lucia (2h40), Florence SMN (1h39), Rome Termini (2h55).
Frecciarossas have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

How much does it cost?
Cologne or Düsseldorf to Zurich starts at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.

Zurich to Milan starts at €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class.

Zurich to Bologna or Florence on the direct train starts at €49 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class.

Milan to Florence starts at €19.90 in standard, €29.90 in business.

Milan to Rome or Naples starts at €29.90 in standard, €39.90 in business,

All these fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
How to buy tickets

Step 1, book from Cologne to Zurich using the German Railways website int.bahn.de (in €, no booking fee) or www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com (both in €, £ or $, small booking fee).

If you use www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com you can buy all your tickets in one place.

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Step 2, book from Zurich to Milan, Florence, Rome or Naples at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee), or at www.trenitalia.com (requires Italian place names, in €, see advice on using it).

Booking typically opens 4 months ahead. It's ticketless, you print out your booking reference or can show it on your phone.

Make sure you allow plenty of time between trains in Zurich in case of delay, I suggest 60-90 minutes, the times above include this.
In Milan you can accept the connection the system offers as you'll have a Zurich-Italy through ticket and can take a later train if there's a delay.

Step 1, Cologne to Basel or Zurich by ICE. This is an ICE3 at Cologne Hbf. More about ICEs.


2nd class seats on an ICE3. Larger photo.		1st class seats on an ICE3. Larger photo.


Proper china, metal cutlery. I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier! See current month's menu.		Restaurant car: This is the small 12-seat restaurant area on an ICE3. Larger photo.

EuroCity train from Zurich to Milan at Zurich HB

Step 2, Zurich to Milan (or on one departure per day, Bologna or Florence) by EuroCity train. This is a Giruno train at Zurich HB. More about Zurich-Milan trains.


Giruno, 1st class. Larger photo.		Restaurant car with bar counter. Larger photo.


Giruno 2nd class. Larger photo		Level boarding. Note the destination screen in the door.

Lake Lugano, seen from a Milan to Zurich train

Lake Lugano, seen from a Zurich-Milan train on the Gotthard route. On the Gotthard route you'll also pass the Zugersee & the Vierwaldstattersee in Switzerland, and if it's a train routed via Como, you'll glimpse Lake Como too.

Option 2, using the Nightjet sleeper train from Munich to Bologna, Florence & Rome - the time-effective option

Step 1, travel to Munich by ICE, leaving Düsseldorf at 13:26 or Cologne Hbf at 13:54, arriving Munich Hbf 18:29.
ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Times may vary.
Fares start at €27.99 in 2nd class or €59.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
Tip: I'd book an earlier train and have dinner in Munich. For local Bavarian food & a beer or two I recommend the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de) at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf, see walking map.

Step 2, travel from Munich to Italy by Nightjet, leaving Munich Hbf at 20:07, arriving Bologna Centrale 05:38, Florence Campo di Marte 06:48 & Rome Tiburtina 10:05. Departure from Munich is at 19:59 from 14 June to 12 December 2026.
This is a new generation Nightjet with 1 & 2 bed sleepers all with shower & toilet, 4-berth comfort couchettes, individual mini cabins and ordinary seats, see the new generation Nightjet page for a guide to accommodation. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. A light breakfast is included in sleepers, couchettes & mini cabins.

Fares start at €59.90 in a mini cabin or 4-berth couchettes, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, a bit more fiddly, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.

Step 3, book onward trains from Rome to Naples or Rome to Sicily (for example) at either www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, recognises English place-names) or www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, the small booking fee will be refunded if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR) or Italian Railways own website www.trenitalia.com (more fiddly to use, requires Italian language place names, read this advice on using it first). I'd allow at least 90 minutes between trains in Rome.

Step 1, Düsseldorf or Cologne to Munich by ICE. This is an ICE3 at Cologne Hbf. More about ICEs.


2nd class seats on an ICE3. Larger photo.		1st class seats on an ICE3. Larger photo.


Proper china, metal cutlery. I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier! See current month's menu.		Restaurant car: This is the small 12-seat restaurant area on an ICE3. Larger photo.

Step 2, Munich to Bologna, Florence or Rome by Nightjet. More about new-generation Nightjets.


Comfort Plus sleeper with shower & toilet.		Comfort sleeper with shower & toilet


4-berth couchettes.		Mini-cabins - enclosed individual capsules.

Option 3, by day trains via the Brenner Pass with overnight stop in Munich - if you prefer day trains & a hotel to sleepers

Day 1, travel from Cologne to Munich on any ICE train you like.
You can leave Cologne Hbf as late as 17:54 arriving Munich Hbf 22:29.
But by all means book an earlier train and spend a pleasant evening in Munich. For a dinner of local Bavarian food and a beer or two I recommend the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de) at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf, see walking map.
ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

Stay overnight in Munich.
The affordable Eden Hotel Wolff & NH Collection München are across the road from the station's north side exit with great reviews. I've stayed at both myself, the former is a cosy traditional hotel, the latter has a more modern corporate style. Or try the upmarket 25 Hours Hotel The Royal Bavarian, Excelsior by Giesel & Mercure City Center. For a splurge, the luxurious Sofitel Munich Beyerpost occupies the former Royal Bavarian Post Office building of 1896-1900, at the station's south side exit.

Day 2, travel from Munich to Verona or Bologna by railjet.
Trains leave Munich Hbf for Verona Porta Nuova at 07:23, 09:23, 11:23, taking around 5h30.
The 09:23 goes through to Bologna Centrale, arriving 16:08. The 07:23 & 11:23 go direct to Venice. See the timetable here.
These swish Austrian railjet trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st & business class a steward takes restaurant orders and serves you at your seat. The trains travel through the scenic Brenner Pass, see the photos & video on the Brenner Pass page.

Day 2, travel from Verona or Bologna to anywhere you like in Italy by high-speed train.
If you leave Munich at 09:23, change trains at Bologna Centrale for Florence, Rome & Naples, this usually works out cheaper and offers a wider range of connections. On all other departures, change at Verona Porta Nuova.

How much does it cost?
Cologne to Bologna starts at €37.99 in 2nd class or €47.99 in 1st class.

Bologna to Florence or Rome starts at €19.90 in standard, €29.90 in business.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

How to buy tickets
Step 1, book from Cologne to Verona (or if using the 09:33 direct train, Bologna) at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

Click Stopovers and enter Munich Hbf with a length of stay of (say) 12:00 hours to get the overnight stop. Look carefully in the search results to find a journey that suits, adjusting departure time & length of stay to get the trains you want. A little trial and error may be needed!

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Step 2, buy onward tickets from Verona (or Bologna) to Florence, Rome or Naples separately at either www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, their small booking fee will be refunded if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR) or Italian Railways own website www.trenitalia.com (more fiddly, requires Italian language place names, read this advice on using it).
I 'd allow at least 45 minutes to change in Verona in case of any delay. Italian trains are ticketless, you simply print your booking reference or show it on your phone.

Step 1, Cologne to Munich by ICE. This is an ICE3 at Munich Hbf. More about ICEs.


2nd class seats on an ICE3. Larger photo.		1st class seats on an ICE3. Larger photo.


Proper china, metal cutlery. I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier! See current month's menu.		Restaurant car: This is the small 12-seat restaurant area on an ICE3. Larger photo.

Step 2, Munich to Verona, Bologna or Venice by new generation railjet, seen here at Verona Porta Nuova.


First class, in open saloons.		Business class, in 4-seat compartments.


Restaurant car.		Economy (2nd) class.

Mountains on the Brenner route.

Option 4, via Zurich & the Bernina Express through the Swiss Alps - the ultimate scenic route

This takes longer and must be split over 2 days, but it's fabulous and well worth the extra time. It involves the most spectacular Alpine panoramic scenic train of them all, the famous narrow-gauge Bernina Express. And I'll show you how to do it really cheaply.
Day 1, take an afternoon train from Düsseldorf or Cologne to Zurich.
A direct train leaves Düsseldorf at 14:27 or Cologne Hbf at 14:54, arriving Zurich HB 20:00.
But there are 12:54 or 16:54 departures from Cologne if you prefer, with a change in Basel.

Stay overnight in Zurich.
For something special, the 5-star Hotel Schweizerhof is one of my favourite hotels anywhere, just across the road from the station. They'll even send a uniformed commissionaire to meet you & carry your bags from the train. For something cheaper, also next to the station with great reviews, try the Ruby Mimi Hotel or the excellent 3-star Hotel St. Josef, 7 minutes walk from the station, see walking map. If you're on a budget, book a private rooms in a 1-star hotel or backpacker hostel near the station at www.hostelworld.com.
Alternatively, you could stop overnight in the pleasant town of Chur instead.

Day 2, travel from Zurich to Chur on the 06:38 InterCity train, from Chur to Tirano on the fabulous Bernina Express, then Tirano to Milan Centrale by Italian regional train. You can reach Venice or Florence or Rome that evening, see the Bernina Express page for full details.
How much does it cost?
Düsseldorf or Cologne to Tirano starts at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.

Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

If you want to travel in the panorama carriages of the famous Bernina Express you must pay a modest reservation fee, details here.

Tirano to Milan by regional train costs €12, fixed-price, unlimited availability.

Milan to Florence or Venice starts at €19.90 in standard or €29.90 in business. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
How to buy tickets

Step 1, book from Düsseldorf or Cologne to Tirano using the German Railways website int.bahn.de,

To get the overnight stop in Zurich, click Stopovers and enter Zurich HB with a suitable length of stay, say 12h30.

In the search results, look for an option marked ICE, IC, PE with arrival in Tirano at 12:49. If you click show details the timings from Chur onwards should match those shown on the Bernina Express page. Adjust the departure time & length of stay to get an earlier or later train between Cologne and Zurich, some trial & error may be required!

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. But see my booking tip below.

Step 2, if you want to travel in the panorama cars of the Bernina Express, make the necessary reservation as shown on the Bernina Express page. Or you can travel in the Allegra unit that hauls the Bernina Express without any reservation.

Step 3, buy a ticket from Tirano to Venice, Florence, Rome at either www.thetrainline.com (in €, £, $ or Au$), www.italiarail.com (in €, £, $ or Au$) or www.trenitalia.com (in €). If you use ItaliaRail (which can also book the Milan-Florence/Rome/Naples connection), they'll refund their small booking fee if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR.


Bernina Express 1st class seats.		the Bernina Express uses panoramic carriages.

The Bernina Express descends from the Bernina Pass.

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Barcelona & Spain from €74

Option 1, Cologne to Barcelona by high-speed train in a single day. Overnight in Barcelona. On to Malaga, Seville, Alicante & so on next morning.

Day 1, travel from Cologne to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys), leaving Cologne Hbf at 08:39, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 12:10.

Eurostar (formerly Thalys) trains have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

Fares start at €35 in 2nd class or €72 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

In Paris, transfer by metro or taxi to the Gare de Lyon, 2 stops on RER line D.

Perhaps have a coffee or beer at the celebrated Train Bleu restaurant.

Day 1, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 14:42, arriving Barcelona Sants 21:32.

This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views.

The train speeds along the Rhône valley past pretty villages & picturesque churches, then past Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the étangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses approaching Perpignan and the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees. More about the journey.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Stay overnight in Barcelona.

The Hotel Barcelo Sants is top choice here, it's located above Barcelona Sants station itself and gets great reviews, with nice rooms, a great breakfast buffet and a delightfully kitsch space theme. Alternatively, the Nobu Hotel and AC Sants Hotel by Marriot are both just across the road from the station. Other suggested hotels near the station.

Day 2, travel from Barcelona Sants to other destinations next morning.

For Madrid: AVE S103 high-speed trains link Barcelona Sants & Madrid Atocha every hour or two in as little as 2h30.

For Granada: Leave Barcelona Sants at 06:45 by AVE 112 high-speed train, arriving Granada at 13:11.

For Malaga: Leave Barcelona Sants at 08:30 by AVE S103 high-speed train, arriving Malaga Maria Zambrano 14:54.

For Cordoba & Seville: Leave Barcelona Sants at 08:30 by AVE S103 high-speed train, arriving Cordoba 13:17 & Seville Santa Justa 14:22.

For Valencia & Alicante: Euromed trains link Barcelona Sants with Valencia & Alicante regularly through the day, for example one leaves Barcelona Sants at 07:15 Mondays-Saturdays arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 10:10 & Alicante 12:38 or at 10:15 every day arriving Valencia Nord 13:13 & Alicante 15:32.

For Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña & Vigo, there's a morning Alvia train to Galicia, see details here.
How to buy tickets

Buy tickets from Cologne to Spain at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, these connect to both the French and Spanish ticketing systems so you can buy all your tickets together in one place. You can book from Cologne to Barcelona as one transaction and print your own tickets or can show them on your phone. You can pay in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem. Small booking fee.

Booking for Eurostar & the TGV usually opens 4 months ahead, for the AVE 60 days ahead, but this varies. First book from Cologne to Barcelona. In the search results, look for an option with just 1 change.

Tip: Using www.raileurope.com, click More options and enter Paris with 1 hour duration, more if you want lunch in Paris. This ensures at least an hour between trains.

If you are heading for Madrid, Malaga, Seville, Cordoba, Valencia or Alicante, add the Cologne-Barcelona ticket to your basket, then book from Barcelona to your chosen Spanish destination for the following day, add to basket and check out.
Another way to buy tickets

Alternatively, you can book each train separately, more work and same prices, but no booking fee: Book the Cologne-Paris Eurostar and Paris-Barcelona TGV at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com.

Then book onward trains within Spain at www.renfe.com, fiddly to use and may reject some overseas payment cards, see advice on using it, or stick with www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, much easier to use.
Tip: If you use www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com, you can choose your TGV seats from a seat map when booking 1st class.

Option 2, Cologne to Spain by high-speed train with overnight stop in Paris

Day 1, travel from Cologne to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys) leaving Cologne Hbf at 16:43, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 20:12.

Or daily except Saturdays you can leave Cologne Hbf at 18:44, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 22:05.

Eurostar trains have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

Fares start at €35 in 2nd class (standard) or €79 in 1st class (comfort). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

In Paris, transfer by metro or taxi to the Gare de Lyon, 2 stops on RER line D.

Stay overnight in Paris.
The Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon is part of the Gare de Lyon, right next to the station's iconic clock tower, the perfect choice with an early train to catch next morning. I've stayed here myself, it deserves its great reviews for staff, cleanliness & comfort.
Also try the Citizen M Hotel, a easy 2-minute 160m walk from the station, it gets great feedback from travellers (4-star), or Hotel Terminus Lyon in front of the station, 3-star; Or the Novotel Paris Gare de Lyon, opposite the station, 4-star. There aren't many cheap hotels around here, but try the 2-star Hotel 26 Faubourg a 5 min walk from Gare de Lyon.
Day 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 07:42, arriving Barcelona Sants 14:32.

This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views.

The train speeds along the Rhône valley past pretty villages & picturesque churches, then past Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the étangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses approaching Perpignan and the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees. More about the journey.
Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Madrid, Valencia, Alicante, Seville, Malaga and so on by high-speed train.

For Madrid, a high-speed AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 15:25 Mondays-Fridays, arriving Madrid Atocha 17:55.

Another AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 16:00 every day, arriving Madrid Atocha 19:12.

For Cordoba & Seville, a high-speed AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 15:15, arriving Cordoba 20:16, Seville Santa Justa 21:24.

For Malaga, a high-speed AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 15:15, arriving Malaga Maria Zambrano 21:43.

For Valencia & Alicante, a fast Euromed train leaves Barcelona Sants at 16:10 arriving Valencia Nord 19:02 & Alicante 21:34.

All these trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
How to buy tickets

Buy tickets from Cologne to Spain at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

These connect to both the French and Spanish ticketing systems so you can buy all your tickets together in one place, in €, £ or $. Small booking fee. Booking for Eurostar & TGV opens up to 6 months ahead, for the AVE 60 days ahead though this varies.

Step 1, book from Cologne to Paris, looking for a direct train. Add to your basket.

Step 2, book from Paris to Barcelona or another Spanish destination for the following morning, add to basket & check out.
Another way to buy tickets

Alternatively, you can book each train with the operator, more effort and same prices, but no booking fee.

Step 1, book the Cologne-Paris Eurostar at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com.

Step 2, book the Paris-Barcelona TGV at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com.

Step 3, book onward trains within Spain at www.renfe.com, fiddly to use and may reject some overseas payment cards, see advice on using it, or stick with www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.
Tip: If you use www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com, you can choose your TGV seats from a seat map when booking 1st class.

Step 1, Cologne to Paris by Eurostar, seen at Cologne Hbf. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).


1st class (Comfort & Premium) seats, 2+1 across the car.		2nd class (Standard) seats, 2+2 across. Larger photo.

Paris-Barcelona TGV train at Paris Gare de Lyon

Step 2, Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, a 320 km/h (199 mph) double-decker. Watch TGV Duplex video.


Cafe-bar on upper deck in car 4 (or 14), serving tea, coffee, wine, beer, snacks & microwaved hot dishes.		2nd class seats on the upper deck. There's a mix or tables for 4 and unidirectional seating. 360º photo.


1st class upper deck seats, club duo on the left, a club quatre on the right. 360º photo.		TGV Duplex at Barcelona. The 1 near the door indicates 1st class, a 2 indicates 2nd class.


Dinner from the cafe-bar.		View from the train, passing Béziers.

Mt Canigou & the Pyrenees. One of the highest peaks in the mighty Pyrenees, the 2,784m (9,137 feet) high Mt Canigou dominates the skyline on the right all the way from Perpignan to Girona, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canigou. More photos of what to see on the Paris-Barcelona train journey.

Option 3, Cologne to Paris by Eurostar, Paris to the Spanish border by French sleeper train, then onward Spanish trains

Step 1, travel to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys), leaving Düsseldorf Hbf 16:17 or Cologne Hbf 16:43, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 20:12.

Eurostars have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
Fares start at €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee. About Raileurope. About Thetrainline. Or you can buy tickets at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no fee).
In Paris, transfer by metro or taxi from the Gare du Nord to the Gare d'Austerlitz.
Step 2, travel from Paris to Latour de Carol in the Pyrenees by French sleeper train leaving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz 22:13, and take a local train from Latour to Barcelona Sants arriving around 14:00.

See the Paris to Barcelona by sleeper page for full details & how to buy tickets.

Step 3, travel from Barcelona to other Spanish destinations in the afternoon.

For Madrid: AVE-S103 high-speed trains link Barcelona Sants with Madrid Atocha every hour or two in as little as 2h30 from €35.

For Cordoba & Seville: Take the direct AVE S103 high-speed train leaving Barcelona Sants at 15:15 arriving Cordoba & Seville Santa Justa in the evening. Fares start at around €45.

For Valencia & Alicante: A Euromed train leaves Barcelona Sants at 16:10 arriving Valencia Nord at 19:02 and Alicante at 21:34. Fares start from €23.

Check Spanish train times & buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, in €, see my advice before using it). I'd allow at least 1 hour between trains in Barcelona.

Cologne or Düsseldorf to San Sebastian & Bilbao

Option 1, Cologne to San Sebastian in a day

Step 1, travel from Cologne to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
On Mondays-Fridays, leave Cologne Hbf at 08:39, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 12:10.
On Saturdays & Sundays, leave Cologne Hbf at 10:39, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 14:10.
Eurostar (formerly Thalys) trains reach up to 300 km/h, they have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
In Paris, transfer by metro or taxi from the Gare du Nord to the Gare Montparnasse. Have lunch in Paris.

Step 2, travel from Paris to Hendaye by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare Montparnasse at 16:09, arriving Hendaye 20:48.
The impressive 300 km/h double-deck TGV Duplex Océane has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views. Hendaye is on the French side of the Spanish border. Exact times may vary.
Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Tip: If you use www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com, you can choose your seats from a seat map when booking 1st class on a TGV.

Step 3, travel from Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara by Euskotren, runs every 30 minutes, journey 37 minutes, fare €2.90.

Walk out of Hendaye station and turn right, the little Euskotren station is just 50m away. Buy a ticket at the Euskotren station from the machines or staffed counter with cash or card and hop on the next half-hourly Euskotren to San Sebastian Amara. Check times at www.euskotren.eus. More about the Paris to San Sebastian journey.

See the Paris to San Sebastian page for more details, including tips for the Paris-Hendaye-San Sebastian journey, with photos showing the location of the Euskotren station at Hendaye.

Stay overnight in San Sebastian.
The Pension Regil is close to the old town with great reviews, 10 minutes walk from the Renfe station, 7 minutes walk from the Amara Euskotren station. If you want something in the old town itself, try the Pension Garibai or Pension Alameda. If you want to push the boat out, San Sebastian's most venerable hotel (which I can recommend personally, having stayed there) is the Hotel de Londres y Inglaterra, on the sea front.
Step 4, travel from San Sebastian Amara to Bilbao Matiko by Euskotren.

This narrow-gauge Euskotren service leaves Amara every hour at xx:50 past each hour until the last train at 19:50.

Journey time is 2h35 to Matiko station (the end of the line, 18 minutes walk from the Guggenheim Museum) or only 2h29 to Zazpi Kaleak station which is closer to both the old quarter and the 19th century new town, but further from the Guggenheim (22 minutes walk).

San Sebastian to Bilbao costs €7.00, buy at the station on the day.

Check times at www.euskotren.eus, remembering that San Sebastian to Bilbao will be listed as Amara-Donostia to Matiko-Bilbao as those are the station names. The adult one-way fare is shown as 'ida'.

Option 2, Cologne to San Sebastian with an overnight stop in Paris

Day 1, travel from Cologne to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys) with a choice of departure:

Leave Cologne Hbf at 16:43 daily, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 20:12.

Leave Cologne Hbf at 18:44 daily except Saturdays, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 22:15.

Eurostar (formerly Thalys) trains run at up to 300 km/h with 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both sites easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

In Paris, transfer by metro or taxi from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon.
Stay overnight in Paris.
Hotels near the Gare Montparnasse with good reviews include the Mercure Paris Gare Montparnasse (4-star, a 6 minute 400m walk), or for something cheaper, L'Hotel de Paris Montparnasse (3-star, a mere 3-minute 190m walk) & Waldorf Montparnasse (3-star, a 4 minute 280m walk).

Day 2, travel from Paris to Hendaye by TGV Duplex Océane, with a choice of departure:
Leave Paris Gare Montparnasse at 06:38 Sundays, arriving Hendaye 11:47.
Leave Paris Gare Montparnasse at 07:11 Mondays-Saturdays, arriving Hendaye 11:48.
Leave Paris Gare Montparnasse at 10:11 daily, arriving Hendaye 14:47.
The TGV Duplex Océane has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Hendaye is on the French side of the Spanish border.
Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both sites easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

French trains open for booking up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Day 2, travel from Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara by Euskotren, every 30 minutes, journey 37 minutes, fare €2.90.

Simply walk out of Hendaye station and turn right, the little Euskotren station is 50m away. Buy a ticket at the Euskotren station from the machines or staffed counter with cash or card and hop on the next half-hourly Euskotren to San Sebastian Amara.

Check times at www.euskotren.eus. More about the Paris to San Sebastian journey.

TGV from Paris Gare Montparnasse to Hendaye, for the train to San Sebastian

Paris to Hendaye by TGV Duplex, seen here at Paris Gare Montparnasse.

TGV Océane cafe-bar on the upper deck in car 4 or 14 (above left) and 2nd class seats (above right).

TGV Océane 1st class seats. All 1st class seats (except the end ones) rotate to face direction of travel. There are USB & 2-pin outlets above each drop-down table.

TGV Océane stairs, just 9 easy shallow steps. There are toilets & luggage racks upstairs & downstairs. Above right, luggage racks upstairs.

Walk out of Hendaye mainline station & turn right. The Euskotren station is just 50m away.

Euskotren train to San Sebastian at Hendaye

The Euskotren station has just two platforms, it's the terminus from which trains start, all trains go to San Sebastian Amara! These air-conditioned metro trains leave every 30 minutes. There's plenty of space for luggage and they even have a wheelchair-accessible toilet.

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Ibiza & Mallorca

Step 1, travel from Cologne to Barcelona as shown above.

You can leave Cologne in the late afternoon or early evening on day 1, stay overnight in Paris, reaching Barcelona in the afternoon on day 2, and Ibiza or Palma in time for breakfast on day 3.
In Barcelona, it's a 4 km 46-minute walk from Barcelona Sants station to the Trasmed and Balearia ferry terminal at the foot of La Rambla, near the Columbus monument, see walking map. A taxi costs around €20 & takes 13 minutes or take metro line L3 from Barcelona Sants to Drassane metro station (see www.tmb.cat), from where the Balearia terminal is 7 minutes walk, the Trasmed terminal is 9 minutes walk. Map of Barcelona showing station and Trasmed/Balearia ferry terminals.

Step 2, sail overnight from Barcelona to Ibiza or Palma de Mallorca by ferry.

Ibiza: Balearia operate an overnight ferry from Barcelona to Ibiza most nights of the week, sailing around 22:00, arriving in Ibiza (Ibiza Ciudad) at 06:00, with a range of cosy cabins with shower & toilet. Buy tickets at the Direct Ferries website or www.balearia.com.

Trasmed also operate an overnight ferry from Barcelona to Ibiza most nights of the week sailing around 22:00, arriving 07:00. Times and dates vary, buy tickets at the Direct Ferries website or www.trasmed.com. Check-in for the ferry closes 30 minutes before sailing. You can pre-print your boarding pass to save time at the terminal.

Mallorca: There are two overnight ferries from Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca, both sailing around 22:00, arriving in Palma around 07:00.

Both have restaurants, bars & cosy cabins with shower & toilet. One ferry is run by Trasmed (www.trasmed.com), the other run by Balearia (www.balearia.com). You can check times & buy tickets at the Direct Ferries website.

Balearia ferry in Ibiza harbour. Courtesy of Discoverbyrail.com.

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Lisbon, Porto & Portugal

Option 1, to Lisbon via Barcelona & Madrid

Day 1, travel from Cologne to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys) with a choice of departure.

Leave Cologne Hbf at 16:43 daily, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 20:12.

Leave Cologne Hbf at 18:44 daily except Saturdays, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 22:15.

Eurostar (formerly Thalys) trains run at up to 300 km/h with 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

Fares start at €35 in 2nd class (standard) or €79 in 1st class (comfort). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this at www.raileurope.com, www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com.

Booking opens up to 4 months ahead, you print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

In Paris, transfer by metro or taxi to the Gare de Lyon, 2 stops on RER line D.

Stay overnight in Paris.
The Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon is part of the Gare de Lyon, right next to the station's iconic clock tower, the perfect choice with an early train to catch next morning. I've stayed here myself, it deserves its great reviews for staff, cleanliness & comfort.
Also try the Citizen M Hotel, a easy 2-minute 160m walk from the station, it gets great feedback from travellers (4-star), or Hotel Terminus Lyon in front of the station, 3-star; Or the Novotel Paris Gare de Lyon, opposite the station, 4-star. There aren't many cheap hotels around here, but try the 2-star Hotel 26 Faubourg a 5 min walk from Gare de Lyon.

Day 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 07:42, arriving Barcelona Sants 14:32.

The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views.
The train speeds along the Rhône valley past pretty villages & picturesque churches, then past Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the étangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses approaching Perpignan and the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees. More about the journey.
Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares work like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this at www.raileurope.com, www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com.

Booking opens up to 4 months ahead, you print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Madrid by AVE, leaving Barcelona Sants at 15:25 Mondays-Fridays, arriving Madrid Atocha 17:55.

Another AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 16:00 every day, arriving Madrid Atocha 19:12.

These comfortable AVE S103 high-speed trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

Fares start at €17.05 in standard class or €68.05 in comfort class. Fares work like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

Booking for Spanish trains opens anything from 15 days to 9 months ahead.
Stay overnight in Madrid.
The classic Hotel Mediodia is across the road from Atocha with good reviews, or try the NH Hotel Madrid Atocha or Only YOU Hotel Atocha, also across the road from the station.

Day 3, travel from Madrid to Lisbon by daytime trains as shown on the Madrid to Lisbon page.

Option 2, via San Sebastian, Vigo & Porto - slightly slower, can be cheaper

Day 1, travel from Cologne to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
On Mondays-Fridays, leave Cologne Hbf at 08:39, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 12:10.
On Saturdays & Sundays, leave Cologne Hbf at 10:39, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 14:10.
Eurostar (formerly Thalys) trains reach up to 300 km/h, they have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
In Paris, transfer by metro or taxi from the Gare du Nord to the Gare Montparnasse. Have lunch in Paris.

Day 1, travel from Paris to Hendaye by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare Montparnasse at 16:09, arriving Hendaye 20:48.
The impressive 300 km/h double-deck TGV Duplex Océane has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views. Hendaye is on the French side of the Spanish border. Exact times may vary.
Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Tip: If you use www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com, you can choose your seats from a seat map when booking 1st class on a TGV.

Day 1, travel from Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara by Euskotren, runs every 30 minutes, journey 37 minutes, fare €2.90.

Walk out of Hendaye station and turn right, the little Euskotren station is just 50m away. Buy a ticket at the Euskotren station from the machines or staffed counter with cash or card and hop on the next half-hourly Euskotren to San Sebastian Amara. Check times at www.euskotren.eus. More about the Paris to San Sebastian journey.

See the Paris to San Sebastian page for more details, including tips for the Paris-Hendaye-San Sebastian journey, with photos showing the location of the Euskotren station at Hendaye.

In San Sebastian, Amara station is an easy 12-minute walk from the Renfe station, see walking map.

Stay overnight in San Sebastian.
The Pension Regil is close to the old town with great reviews, 10 minutes walk from the Renfe station, 7 minutes walk from the Amara Euskotren station. If you want something in the old town itself, try the Pension Garibai or Pension Alameda. If you want to push the boat out, San Sebastian's most venerable hotel (which I can recommend personally, having stayed there) is the Hotel de Londres y Inglaterra, on the sea front.

Day 2, travel across Spain from San Sebastian to Vigo on one of these two possible departures:
Morning departure, every day:
Travel from San Sebastian to Madrid by Alvia, leaving San Sebastian (Renfe) at 08:47, arriving Madrid Chamartin 13:51.
Then travel from Madrid to Vigo by AVE, leaving Madrid Chamartin at 16:05, arriving Vigo Urzaiz 19:58.
The comfortable high-speed Alvia & AVE trains have a cafe-bar, standard & comfort class. Vigo Urzaiz is an easy 10 minute 500m walk from Vigo Guixar, see how to walk between stations using the halo lift.
Afternoon departure, Wednesdays, Fridays & Sundays only:
Spend the morning in San Sebastian. An Intercity train leaves San Sebastian Renfe station at 11:30 arriving Vitoria/Gasteiz 13:35. This is a guaranteed connection into the Barcelona-Galicia Alvia train which leaves Vitoria/Gasteiz at 14:03 on Wednesdays, Fridays & Sundays arriving Vigo Guixar at 22:51.
San Sebastian to Vigo starts at €23 each way. The price varies, book ahead for the cheaper prices.

Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

Booking for Spanish trains opens anything from 15 days to 9 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Tip: If using the daily departure with a change in Madrid, you might need to treat San Sebastian-Madrid & Madrid-Vigo as separate bookings.
Stay overnight in Vigo.
The lovely NH Collection Vigo hotel & cheaper Hotel Atlantico Vigo are both near the station with great reviews.

Day 3, travel from Vigo to Porto by Celta regional express, leaving Vigo Guixar at 08:58 arriving Porto Campanhã 10:20.
The fare is €16.25, fixed price.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. Booking opens 60 days ahead, but this can vary.
Day 3, travel from Porto to Lisbon by Alfa Pendular, leaving Porto Campanhã at 11:40, arriving Lisbon Santa Apolonia 14:30.
Or book a later train and spend some time exploring wonderful Porto.
Fares start at €15. Book this at the Portuguese Railways website www.cp.pt (in €) or at Omio.com (in €, £ or $).

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Faro & the Algarve

Option 1, Cologne to Faro using a bus from Seville to Faro - fastest & easiest

Day 1, travel from Düsseldorf or Cologne to Paris by Eurostar and Paris to Barcelona by TGV, as shown in the Cologne-Barcelona section.
Stay overnight in Barcelona.
The Hotel Barcelo Sants is top choice here, it's located above Barcelona Sants station itself and gets great reviews, with nice rooms, a great breakfast buffet and a delightfully kitsch space theme. Alternatively, the Nobu Hotel and AC Sants Hotel by Marriot are both just across the road from the station. Other suggested hotels near the station.

Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Seville by AVE high-speed train, then from Seville to Faro by bus, as shown in the Barcelona to Faro section.
The Alsa bus from Seville to Faro takes 3h15 and leaves from right outside Seville Santa Justa station, making connections easy.

Option 2, Cologne to Faro via Lisbon - a longer way round, but all-train.

Step 1, travel from Düsseldorf or Cologne to Lisbon as shown above.
Step 2, take a train from Lisbon to Faro as shown here.

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Andorra

Option 1, Cologne to Andorra in a day

Step 1, travel from Cologne to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys), leaving Cologne Hbf at 08:39, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 12:10.
Eurostar trains travel at up to 300km/h, with 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

Fares start from €35 in 2nd class (standard) or €72 in 1st class (comfort). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can choose a mobile ticket.

In Paris, transfer by metro or taxi to the Gare Montparnasse. Allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Paris, but the longer the better.

Step 2, travel from Paris to Toulouse by TGV, leaving Paris Montparnasse at 15:07 arriving Toulouse Matabiau 19:41.
Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Have dinner in Toulouse.

Step 3, travel from Toulouse Matabiau to Andorra la Vella by bus, leaving Toulouse Matabiau at 21:45 arriving Andorra 01:45.
Check times at Andbus.net or Omio.com. I'd allow at least an hour between train and bus in Toulouse in case of delay.
The bus leaves from bus stand 15 in the Gare Routière (bus station) outside Toulouse Matabiau station. Simply walk out of the station onto the forecourt and look to your right. The bus station is the modern building with the glass-and-blue-framework, see the photos below.
The fare is €36.
Book the bus at Andbus.net or Omio.com.

Paris to Toulouse by TGV Duplex: This is a TGV Duplex at Paris Gare Montparnasse. Click the images below for larger photos.

TGV Océane cafe-bar (above left) and 2nd class seats (above right).

TGV Océane 1st class seats. All 1st class seats (except the end ones) rotate to face direction of travel. There are USB & 2-pin outlets above each drop-down table.


Toulouse to Andorra by bus, seen at bus stand 15. The bus station is next to the rail station.		Bus station in Toulouse Matabiau forecourt. Photos courtesy of Andrew McIntyre.

Option 2, using the Paris-Toulouse sleeper

Step 1, travel from Cologne to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys), leaving Cologne Hbf at 16:43, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 20:12.
Eurostar trains travel at up to 300km/h, they have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

Fares start at €35 in 2nd class (standard) or €72 in 1st class (comfort). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). You print your own ticket or can choose a mobile ticket.

In Paris, transfer by metro or taxi from the Gare du Nord to the Gare d'Austerlitz.
Always allow at least 90 minutes between trains in Paris when catching a sleeper you don't want to miss.
Have dinner in Paris, see suggested restaurants near the Gare d'Austerlitz.

Step 2, travel from Paris to Toulouse by Intercité de Nuit, leaving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 22:13 arriving Toulouse Matabiau 07:44.
This train has 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes & 2nd class seats. More about Intercité de Nuit.
Fares start at €29 in a 2nd class couchette or €60 in a 1st class couchette. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead, but this train has an annoying habit of opening late for booking, less than the expected 4 months ahead, so don't be impatient. You print your own ticket or can choose a mobile ticket.
Tip: On arrival in Toulouse, I recommend the breakfast buffet at the nearby Pullman Hotel!

Step 3, travel from Toulouse to Andorra by bus, leaving Toulouse Matabiau at 09:45, arriving Andorra la Vella bus station at 14:00.
The bus is run by Andbus, check times at Andbus.net. I'd allow at least an hour between train & bus in Toulouse in case of delay.
The bus leaves from bus stand 15 in the Gare Routière (bus station) outside Toulouse Matabiau railway station. Walk out of the station onto the forecourt and look to your right. The bus station is the modern building with the glass-and-blue-framework, see the photos below.
The fare is €36 one-way. Book the bus at Andbus.net.
A better route on Fridays & Saturdays, daily June-September:
On Friday & Saturday nights and every day from June to September, the same 22:13 Intercité de Nuit from Paris conveys 1st & 2nd class couchettes & reclining seats direct to Andorre-l'Hospitalet, the nearest station to Andorra, arriving 09:39.

Book this Paris to Andorre-l'Hospitalet sleeper at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no fee).

A bus run by Hife leaves l'Hospitalet station at 10:15, arriving Andorra La Vella bus station 11:30.
The bus fare is €24, pre-book the bus at www.hife.es.
Alternatively, a taxi from l'Hospitalet costs around €80 for up to 4 passengers, taking 47 minutes for the 38 km drive. Pre-book a taxi to meet the train, call Altitud Taxis, 00 376 856255 or 00 33 561644714. This is a nicer and faster option than the bus from Toulouse, when running.

Paris to Toulouse or l'Hospitalet by Intercité de Nuit. More about Intercités de Nuit.


2nd class 6-berth couchettes.		A cosy 2nd class couchette.


1st class couchette, made up for the night.		1st class 4-berth couchettes.


Road transport to Andorra. This is a Toulouse to Andorra bus at Toulouse bus stand 15.		The bus station in Toulouse Matabiau forecourt. Photo courtesy of Andrew McIntyre.

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck & Austria from €39.99

Option 1, by comfortable daytime trains

For Vienna & Linz
Until 13 June 2026:
Direct ICE trains link Düsseldorf & Cologne with Linz & Vienna every day:
Leave Düsseldorf 09:27 or Cologne Hbf 09:53, arriving Vienna Hbf 19:47.
Leave Düsseldorf 13:27 or Cologne Hbf 13:53, arriving Vienna Hbf 23:47.
These are all superb German ICE-T trains with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat.
Both trains take the scenic Rhine Valley route between Koblenz & Mainz, one of the most scenic main lines in Germany, along the river past mountains, castles, vineyards and river boats and the legendary Lorelei Rock. Sit on the left hand side of the train for the river scenery. it's a chill-out day with a good book and meals in the restaurant car with a Weissbier or two, see the Rhine Valley video here.
Fares start at €39.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
From 14 June to 12 December 2026:

You'll need to travel via Munich, due to major trackwork on the line between Nuremberg & Passau.
Leave Düsseldorf 07:26 or Cologne Hbf 07:54, change at Munich Hbf, arriving Vienna Hbf 17:32.
Leave Düsseldorf 09:26 or Cologne Hbf 09:54, change at Munich Hbf, arriving Vienna Hbf 19:32.
Leave Düsseldorf 11:26 or Cologne Hbf 11:54, change at Munich Hbf, arriving Vienna Hbf 21:32.
Cologne-Munich is by German ICE, Munich-Vienna is by Austrian railjet, both trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat.

For Salzburg, Bischofshofen, St Johann, Klagenfurt, Graz
A direct ICE4 train links Düsseldorf & Cologne with Salzburg, Bischofshofen, St Johan, Villach, Klagenfurt & Graz every day, leaving Düsseldorf at 08:33 & Cologne Messe/Deutz at 08:58, arriving Salzburg Hbf 15:59, Graz 19:56.
For Innsbruck & St Anton

A direct ICE4 train leaves Cologne Messe/Deutz at 09:58 every day, arriving Innsbruck Hbf 19:16.

However, it won't run on most dates from 10 January to 6 Feb or 6 March to 7 June 2026.

This comfortable ICE4 train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

Buy tickets to anywhere in Austria at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Tip: Check Austrian Railways www.oebb.at as well, as although fares also start from €29 I've often seen significantly cheaper fares on oebb.at than bahn.de on the same date & train. You also get a print-at-home ticket.

An ICE-T at Vienna Hbf. These superb 7-car ICE-T trains run direct from Cologne to Vienna twice a day.


Table for two in 1st class, my favourite configuration.		Lunch in the restaurant. I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier!


You can see into the cab at each end of the train.		Comfortable 2nd class seats on the ICE-T to Vienna.

You'll glimpse the Inn and Danube rivers from the Frankfurt-Vienna ICE.

Option 2, by Nightjet sleeper train - the safe, comfortable, time-effective option

A Nightjet leaves Cologne Hbf at 21:52 on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, arriving Salzburg Hbf 07:26, Linz Hbf 08:46 & Vienna Hbf 10:13.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars each with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has two couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes. See the guide to Nightjet accommodation.
Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in plain English, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at (in €, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket. Child under 6? See here.

The Nightjet sleeper to Vienna at Cologne Hbf

Düsseldorf or Cologne to Vienna by Nightjet. Above, the Nightjet to Vienna & Innsbruck is about to leave Cologne Hbf.


Deluxe sleeper. Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room. Larger photo. Video of deluxe room		Same deluxe sleeper in evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out. Larger photo.		Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, soap & towels & provided. Larger photo.		Standard sleeper set up as 2-berth, washstand open. It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth. Larger photo.


6-berth couchettes.		4-berth couchettes.		Couchette car on the Brussels-Vienna Nightjet.

Cologne & Düsseldorf to Copenhagen, Odense & Denmark from €39.99

You can travel from Cologne to Copenhagen in a single day with 1 easy change in Hamburg, for example:
Leave Cologne Hbf 06:11, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 15:38.

Leave Cologne Hbf 08:11, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 17:38.

Leave Cologne Hbf 10:14, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 19:38.

Leave Cologne Hbf 12:11, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 21:38.

Leave Cologne Hbf 14:11, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 23:37, runs daily except Saturdays 29 March to 11 December 2026.

Take a good book, sit back and enjoy the ride. You travel from Cologne to Hamburg by ICE4 with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, then Copenhagen to Hamburg by EuroCity train with power sockets at all seats and refreshments available. More about the Hamburg to Copenhagen journey. If you're starting from Düsseldorf, check times at int.bahn.de.

The Hamburg to Copenhagen EuroCity trains also call at Kolding (for Legoland) and Odense.
Fares start at €39.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.

Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Tip: In the search results, look for options with 1 change, not 2 or 3. Adjust the Transfer time if you'd like longer connections, or use the Stopovers feature if you'd like a stopover in Hamburg.

Step 1, Cologne or Düsseldorf to Hamburg by ICE4, with restaurant car, cafe counter, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about ICEs.


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.

Step 2, Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train. From June 2023, these trains are temporarily being operated by former German Railways intercity cars and a Danish electric locomotive, until new trains being built by Talgo arrive in 2026. The current trains have 1st & 2nd class, power sockets at seats, but no catering so bring your own food & drink. More about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey.

2nd class seats are almost all open-plan like this. There are a handful of 6-seat 2nd class compartments in one of the coaches, but only a few.

1st class comparment on a Berlin to Amsterdam train

1st class 6-seat compartment on a Berlin to Amsterdam train

The 1st class car has 6-seater compartments like this. Larger photo. Larger photo.

Cologne & Düsseldorf to Stockholm & Sweden

Option 1, Cologne or Düsseldorf to Stockholm using the Hamburg-Stockholm sleeper - the time-effective option

Step 1, travel from to Hamburg by ICE train, leaving Cologne Hbf at 15:11 or Düsseldorf at 15:34, arriving Hamburg Hbf 19:15.
The ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

Later departures are possible, but I recommend an hour or two between trains when catching a sleeper.

Fares start at €18.99 in 2nd class or €29.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Have dinner in Hamburg, see suggested restaurants near the station.

Step 2, travel from Hamburg to Stockholm by sleeper train, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 21:53, arriving Stockholm Central 09:56.
Run by SJ (Swedish Railways), the train has one or two sleeping-cars with compact 1 & 2 berth compartments with washbasin, several 1, 2 or 3 bed deluxe compartments with toilet & shower, couchette cars with 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A bistro car is attached between Malmö and Stockholm. More about the Hamburg-Stockholm sleeper train.
Fares start at €44.90 with a couchette, €79.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €164.90 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself. All prices per person per bed, fares vary like air fares so book ahead.

Book tickets at SJ's website www.sj.se.

Booking opens several months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

AB32 sleeping-car to Hamburg & Berlin at Stockholm Central

A sleeping car on the SJ EuroNight at Stockholm Central.


Standard sleeper with washbasin, night mode.		Standard sleeper in day mode.		Deluxe sleeper with shower & toilet.		Deluxe sleeper shower & toilet.


6-berth couchettes.		Hamburg-Stockholm couchette car at Padborg on the Danish border.

Scenery from the Hamburg to Stockholm train

Swedish scenery on the morning run into Stockholm.

Option 2, Cologne or Düsseldorf to Malmö or Gothenburg in a day, or to Stockholm with overnight stop in Copenhagen

Day 1, travel from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Copenhagen with a choice of departures:
Leave Cologne Hbf 06:11, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 15:38.

Leave Cologne Hbf 08:11, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 17:38.

Leave Cologne Hbf 10:11, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 19:38.

Leave Cologne Hbf 12:11, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 21:38.

Take a good book, sit back and enjoy the ride. You travel from Cologne to Hamburg by ICE4 with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, then Copenhagen to Hamburg by EuroCity train with power sockets at all seats and refreshments available. More about the Hamburg to Copenhagen journey. If you're starting from Düsseldorf, check times at int.bahn.de.

If you're going to Malmö, hop on the next Öresund train to Malmö Central, these run every 15 minutes, taking 40 minutes.

If you're going to Gothenburg, hop on the next Öresund train to Göteborg Central, these run every hour, taking 3h35.

You can check times from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Malmö or Gothenburg at int.bahn.de, look for journeys with just 2 changes.

Stay overnight in Copenhagen.

The friendly Astoria Hotel is a 1930s design classic right outside Copenhagen station main entrance, see photos & information here. Other hotels near the station with good reviews include the Nimb Hotel (5-star luxe), Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (5-star), Axel Guldsmeden (4-star), Andersen Boutique Hotel, First Hotel Mayfair (3-star), Hotel Ansgar (3-star), City Hotel Nebo (2-star).

Day 2, travel from Copenhagen to Stockholm by X2000, leaving Copenhagen at 08:21, arriving Stockholm Central 13:34.

SJ's X2000 trains have a bistro, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. They use the impressive Öresund fixed link from Sweden to Denmark.

Update 2026: Unfortunately, SJ is short of X2000s and until further notice you'll need to change at Malmö:

Leave Copenhagen 07:30, change at Malmö Central, arriving Stockholm Central 13:32.

Leave Copenhagen 09:29, change at Malmö Central, arriving Stockholm Central 15:35.

Or there are earlier & later departures, check times at www.sj.se or Omio.com.

How much does it cost?

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Copenhagen starts at €49.99 in 2nd class or €79.99 in 1st class.

Copenhagen to Stockholm starts at 280 SEK (€28).

There are through fares from Germany to Malmö & Gothenburg from €56.99 in 2nd class, €79.99 in 1st class.

Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

How to buy tickets
If you're going to Malmö or Gothenburg, book from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Malmö Central or Göteborg Central at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

If you're going to Stockholm, book from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Copenhagen at int.bahn.de. Then book from Copenhagen to Stockholm for the following day using www.sj.se (in SEK) or using Omio.com (in SEK, €, £ or $, small booking fee).

I'd change Transfer time from normal to 40 minutes or more.

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.

Option 3, Cologne or Düsseldorf to Malmö, Gothenburg or Stockholm with overnight stop in Hamburg

Day 1, travel from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Hamburg by ICE on any departure you like, for example:
Leave Cologne Hbf at 19:11 or Düsseldorf at 19:34, arriving Hamburg Hbf 23:16.
But by all means book an earlier train for more of an evening in Hamburg.
The ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

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, travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:53, arriving Copenhagen 13:38.

The EuroCity train has power sockets at all seats and free WiFi. More about this journey.
Day 2, travel from Copenhagen to Sweden:

For Malmö, hop on the next Öresund train from Copenhagen to Malmö Central, these leave every 15 minutes taking 40 minutes.

For Gothenburg, hop on the next Öresund train from Copenhagen to Göteborg Central, these leave every hour taking 3h35.

For Stockholm, travel from Copenhagen to Stockholm by X2000, leaving Copenhagen at 14:19, arriving Stockholm Central 19:37.

SJ's X2000 trains have a bistro, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. They use the impressive Öresund fixed link from Sweden to Denmark,

Update 2026: Unfortunately, SJ is short of X2000s and until further notice you'll need to change at Malmö:

Leave Copenhagen 14:44, change at Malmö Central, arriving Stockholm Central 21:35.

How much does it cost?

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Copenhagen starts at €39.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.

Copenhagen to Stockholm starts at 280 SEK (€28).

There are through fares from Germany to Malmö & Gothenburg from €56.99 in 2nd class, €79.99 in 1st class.

Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

How to buy tickets
If you're going to Malmö or Gothenburg, book from Cologne to Malmö Central or Göteborg Central with German Railways at int.bahn.de.

If you're going to Stockholm, first book from Cologne to Copenhagen using int.bahn.de.

To get the overnight stop in Hamburg, click Stopovers and enter Hamburg Hbf with a suitable length of stay, say 10 hours. Adjust departure time and length of stay to get the trains you want either side of Hamburg. A little trial & error may be needed!

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.
Then book from Copenhagen to Stockholm using www.sj.se (in SEK) or using Omio.com (in SEK, €, £ or $, small booking fee).

Step 1, Cologne or Düsseldorf to Hamburg by ICE4, with restaurant car, cafe counter, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about ICEs.


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.

2nd class seats are almost all open-plan like this. There are a handful of 6-seat 2nd class compartments in one of the coaches, but only a few.

The 1st class car has 6-seater compartments like this. Larger photo. Larger photo.

Step 3, Copenhagen to Stockholm by tilting 200km/h X2000, seen at Stockholm Central. More about X2000 trains.


1st class on an X2000. Larger photo.		2nd class on an X2000. Larger photo.


Bistro seating on an X2000 train. Larger photo.		Bistro on an X2000 train. Larger photo.

Crossing the impressive Öresund bridge from Denmark to Sweden.

Option 4, Cologne or Düsseldorf to Gothenburg using Stena Line's Kiel-Gothenburg overnight ferry

Step 1, travel from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Kiel by train, leaving late morning.
You'll usually find a train leaving Cologne Hbf at 10:14 or Düsseldorf at 10:36, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Kiel Hbf 15:21.

However, you should book the ferry first and confirm ferry times, then book a train arriving Kiel Hbf at least 2 hours before the ferry sails.

Book the train at the German Railways site int.bahn.de.

I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

In Kiel, the ferry terminal is just a 9-minute 750m walk from the station.

Step 2, sail overnight from Kiel to Gothenburg by Stena Line ferry.
The ferry normally sails at 18:45 and arrives around 09:15, but times may vary so check online.

The ferry is a floating hotel with restaurants & bars, all passengers travel in a cosy private cabin with en suite toilet & shower. You can add dinner & breakfast to your ticket when you book.

Fares vary, you might pay €39 per passenger as basic fare plus €75-€89 per cabin for a private 1 or 2 bed room.

Book the ferry at www.stenaline.com and print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
In Gothenburg, the ferry terminal is a short taxi ride (or 4.3 km 53-minute walk) from Göteborg Central station, see walking map.

The Stena Line ferry from Kiel to Gothenburg, boarding at Kiel. Courtesy of Catherine Jones.

Cologne & Düsseldorf to Oslo & Norway

Option 1, Cologne or Düsseldorf to Oslo with overnight stop in Hamburg - by train all the way

Day 1, travel from Cologne Hbf or Düsseldorf to Hamburg Hbf by ICE in as little as 3h42.
There are hourly departures until early evening, with restaurant car. power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €17.99 in 2nd class or €23.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy a ticket at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Stay overnight in Hamburg.
The Hotel Reichshof Hamburg is 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, travel from Hamburg to Gothenburg by EuroCity train & Öresund train:

Leave Hamburg Hbf 08:53, arriving Copenhagen 13:38. Leave Copenhagen at 14:29, arriving Göteborg Central 18:05.

The EuroCity train from Hamburg to Copenhagen has power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey. The Öresund train from Copenhagen to Gothenburg has power sockets & free WiFi, but bring your own food & drink.

Have an early dinner in Gothenburg.

Fares from Hamburg to Gothenburg start at €56.99. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy a ticket from Hamburg to Gothenburg at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Tip: If you don't see any affordable fares (which may be the case if you want 1st class), split the booking: First book Hamburg to Copenhagen at int.bahn.de. Then buy a ticket from Copenhagen to Göteborg Central at www.oresundstag.se.
Day 2, travel from Gothenburg to Oslo by Norwegian train, leaving Göteborg Central at 20:10, arriving Oslo Sentral 23:47.

The smart modern Norwegian train is run by Vy, it has power sockets & free WiFi, but bring your own food & drink.
Fares start at 309 Krone (€26) if you book a few weeks ahead.
Book this at the Vy website www.vy.no or at www.entur.no.

Option 2, Cologne to Oslo with overnight stop in Copenhagen - by train all the way

Day 1, travel from Cologne to Copenhagen by train as shown above.
Stay overnight in Copenhagen.

The friendly Astoria Hotel is a 1930s design classic right outside Copenhagen station main entrance, see photos & information here. Other hotels near the station with good reviews include the Nimb Hotel (5-star luxe), Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (5-star), Axel Guldsmeden (4-star), Andersen Boutique Hotel, First Hotel Mayfair (3-star), Hotel Ansgar (3-star), City Hotel Nebo (2-star).

Day 2, travel from Copenhagen to Oslo, leaving Copenhagen at 07:30, change at Gothenburg Central, arriving Oslo Sentral 15:47.

Earlier & later departures are available, see the Copenhagen-Oslo timetable & how to buy tickets here.

Alternatively, spend the day in Copenhagen then take the overnight ferry to Oslo with a comfortable private cabin with shower & toilet, arriving Oslo at 10:00 on day 3, as shown here. This is remarkably affordable, and saves a hotel bill. Book the ferry at www.dfds.com.

Scenery from the Gothenburg to Oslo train

Gothenburg to Oslo by Norwegian train. Above, scenery between Gothenburg & Oslo. Courtesy of @Simply_Railway.

Seats on the Norwegian train from Gothenburg to Oslo

The Norwegian train from Gothenburg to Oslo, arrived at Oslo Central

Above right, the Norwegian train arrived at Oslo Sentral. Photos courtesy of @AndyBTravels & @Marcos Castro.

Option 3, Cologne & Düsseldorf to Oslo via the Kiel-Oslo Color Line cruise ferry - the most luxurious way to Oslo

Day 1, travel from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Kiel by ICE, leaving Cologne Hbf at 06:11 or Düsseldorf 06:34, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Kiel Hbf 11:40.
Fares start at €18.99 in 2nd class or €49.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

In Kiel it's a 7-minute 450m walk from Kiel Hbf to the Color Line ferry terminal. But always allow several hours between trains and ferry for the ferry check-in and in case of delay.
Day 1, sail from Kiel to Oslo by luxurious overnight Color Line ferry, with a full range of 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 (day 2).
Check times & buy tickets using the Direct Ferries website or www.colorline.com. You print your own ticket.
Money-saving tip: It's considerably cheaper to book on Color Line's Norwegian website www.colorline.no in Norwegian Krone, for example a €274 fare becomes the equivalent of €164. You'll need to use Google to translate the Norwegian. You are still able to enter a UK or other European address and contact details. Feedback appreciated.

Make sure you're on deck next morning as the ship sails through spectacular scenery up Oslo Fjord. The ship docks at the modern Color Line terminal about 2 km from the city centre. Color Line provide transfer buses to Oslo Sentral station costing 55 krone, or there are plenty of taxis. If you have little luggage it's possible to walk. See map of Oslo showing ferry terminal.

Sail from Kiel to Oslo with Color Line. It's just a 6 minute walk across from Kiel Hbf to the Color Line terminal. There's a lift up to a connecting walkway which takes you to the ferry terminal. If you've booked one of Color Line's 5 star suites, check in at the desk rather than the machines to be directed to a VIP lounge with free tea, coffee, juice, snacks & WiFi. You'll have priority boarding & free access to the on-board spa. Photos courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry except where shown.

Above left, cabin with TV, shower & toilet, luxury suites are also available. Above right, restaurant with a view.

Restaurant and lounge on the Kiel-Oslo ferry.

Wake up to lovely scenery sailing up Oslo Fjord.

The Color Line ferry, arrived at Oslo. Above right, there's a transfer bus to Oslo Sentral, photo courtesy of Andrew Leo.

Cologne & Düsseldorf to Helsinki & Finland

Option 1, by direct ferry from Germany to Helsinki - the easiest option

Day 1, travel from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Hamburg by ICE, taking any train you like arriving in Hamburg before about 18:00.

For example, leaving Cologne Hbf at 13:11 or Düsseldorf at 13:34 , arriving Hamburg Hbf 17:15.

The ICE has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

Fares start at €17.99 in 2nd class or €26.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
You should book from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Skandinavienkai Terminal, Lübeck as one transaction as this gets you a through ticket to the ferry terminal covering the train to Hamburg, the regional train to Lübeck and the bus to the Skandinavienkai Terminal. If you'd like time for dinner in Lübeck (see suggested restaurant here), click Stopovers and enter Lübeck Hbf with a length of stay of (say) 2 hours.

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

Day 1, travel from Hamburg Hbf to Lübeck by regional train then take a bus to the Skandinavienkai ferry terminal in Travemünde.

Sail from Travemünde to Helsinki by Finnlines ferry. Finnlines sail from Travemünde to Helsinki every day, boarding at 23:30, sailing at 02:45 (the exact time varies) and arriving at Helsinki's Hansa Terminal in Vuosaari at 09:15 2 nights later (Day 3 from Cologne/Düsseldorf).

For details of the transfer, check-in arrangements & ferry crossing, see here.

Book the ferry using the Direct Ferries website or at www.finnlines.com.

Book onward trains within Finland at the Finnish Railways website www.vr.fi.

Finnlines operate the Finnstar, Finnmaid & Finnlady on the Travemünde-Helsinki route. Photo courtesy of Hubert Bartkowiak. Photos below courtesy of Chris Russell.


Standard cabin. Larger photo.		Gym with a view.		Sauna.

Option 2, travel to Stockholm and take a ferry from there

Step 1, travel from Cologne to Stockholm by train using any of the options shown in the Berlin to Sweden section.
Step 2, travel from Stockholm to Helsinki either by direct overnight cruise ferry, or by daytime or overnight ferry to Turku and connecting train to Helsinki as shown on the Trains & ferries from Stockholm page.

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Prague from €29.99

Option 1, by daytime train - the leisurely same-day option

You can travel from Cologne to Prague in a day with a range of departures to choose from. For example:
Leave Cologne Hbf 06:25, change at Berlin Hbf, arrive Prague Holesovice 15:15.

Leave Cologne Hbf 07:27, change at Berlin Hbf, arrive Prague Hlavni 17:25.

Leave Cologne Hbf 09:27, change at Berlin Hbf, arrive Prague Holesovice 19:15.

Leave Cologne Hbf 11:28, change at Berlin Hbf, arrive Prague Hlavni 21:25.

It's a leisurely journey with a good book and glass of wine, with great scenery along the Elbe River between Dresden & Prague, see the photos & video here. You travel from Cologne to Berlin by ICE and Berlin to Prague by ComfortJet, both with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Times vary significantly by time of year, check your date online.
Fares start at €18.99 in 2nd class or €28.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

To get the route via Berlin with a robust connection, click Stopovers, enter Berlin Hbf and set length of stay to 30 minutes.

In the search results, look for a 1-change journey.

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone. Suggested hotels in Prague.

Tip: Stopover in Berlin? Even an hour between trains in Berlin is enough to stroll past the Reichstag building to the Brandenburg Gate, just 17 minutes walk from the station. You can build in a longer stopover if you want, either a few hours or an overnight stop. Simply click Stopovers and enter Berlin Hbf with a suitable length of stay.

High-speed ICE1 train from Cologne to Berlin

Step 1, Cologne or Düsseldorf to Berlin by ICE. These are 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).

Step 2, Berlin to Prague by ComfortJet. Enjoy the scenery as the Berlin-Prague express snakes along the beautiful Elbe river south of Dresden. Above, a Eurocity train at Prague. More about these trains. Click the images below for larger photos.


2nd class with power outlets & free WiFi.		1st class with power outlets & free WiFi

Between Berlin & Prague the train runs along the pretty river Elbe, or Labe in Czech. One of Europe's major rivers, the Elbe eventually flows into the North Sea at Cuxhaven near Hamburg. Watch for river boats and even the occasional paddle steamer.

Option 2, by daytime trains with overnight stop in Berlin from €39 - a time-effective option with an evening in Berlin

Day 1, take a high-speed ICE train from Cologne Hbf to Berlin Hbf in just over 4 hours.
Trains leave every hour, you can usually leave Cologne as late as 19:27 arriving Berlin after midnight, but by all means book an earlier train and spend a pleasant evening in Berlin.
ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets & free WiFi. In 1st class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat.

Stay overnight in Berlin.

Top choice here is the InterCity Hotel Berlin Hbf (my favourite), only 200m from Berlin Hbf's main entrance, relatively inexpensive with great reviews, or if you're in the money, the excellent 5-star Steigenberger Hotel just outside the station. If you're on a budget, the cheaper 3-star Motel One Berlin-Hbf is behind the station or use www.hostelworld.com. Of course, if you really want to push the boat out, the famous Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is next to the Brandenburg Gate just 17 minutes walk away.

Day 2, travel from Berlin to Prague on any departure you like, see the timetable here.

Leave Berlin Hbf at 07:28, arriving Prague Hlavni 11:25.

Leave Berlin Hbf at 09:28, arriving Prague Hlavni 13:25.

Leave Berlin Hbf at 11:28, arriving Prague Holesovice 15:15.

These new ComfortJet trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

There's lovely scenery along the river Elbe south of Dresden, see photos & tips for the Berlin to Prague train ride. Find a seat on the left-hand side of the train for the best views along Elbe. Suggested hotels in Prague.

Fares start at €29.99 in 2nd class or €59.99 in 1st class, overnight stop included. Fares vary like air fares so book ahead.
Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de like this:

Enter Cologne or Düsseldorf to Prague, click Stopovers and enter Berlin Hbf with length of stay set to (say) 10 hours. Adjust the departure time and length of stay to get the trains you want either side of Berlin.

In the search results, look for journeys with just 1 change.

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Český Krumlov & other Czech destinations

You can book from Cologne or Düsseldorf to almost anywhere in the Czech Republic using the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Tip: It's an all-day ride from Cologne or Düsseldorf to the Czech Republic, so enter a morning departure time to do it all in one day.

Tip: You might prefer breaking up a long journey with an overnight stop, perhaps Nuremberg, if your route goes that way. To get an overnight stop, click Stopovers and enter Nuremberg, with a suitable length of stay, say 11 hours.

Tip: Also check times & prices using the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz.

For Český Krumlov (a lovely town, and the second most-visited place in the Czech Republic, see the Český Krumlov page) you need to book to České Budějovice, not Český Krumlov, because the branch line between České Budějovice and Český Krumlov is run by private operator GWTR and German Railways cannot ticket that part.

So book from Cologne or Düsseldorf to České Budějovice at int.bahn.de from €37.99, then buy the local ticket from České Budějovice to Český Krumlov either at the station in České Budějovice from the distinctive green & orange ticket kiosk in the main hall, or on board the train using the self-service ticket machines, contactless cards accepted. You can check train times from České Budějovice to Český Krumlov at www.gwtr.cz.
For Karlovy Vary or Plzen, book at int.bahn.de, looking for 3-change options via Frankfurt, Nuremberg & Cheb from €37.99.
For Brno, book Cologne or Düsseldorf to Brno at int.bahn.de. It tends to route you via Vienna, as this is slightly quicker. By all means click Stopovers and enter Prague, this can be cheaper. By entering a suitable length of stay, you can have an overnight stop if you like.

The most time-effective option from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Brno is to take the Nightjet sleeper train to Vienna overnight as shown above, allow at least an hour between trains in Vienna, then take a Vienna-Brno train booked at either www.thetrainline.com (sells both Regiojet & ÖBB/CD trains), www.oebb.at (ÖBB/CD trains only) or www.regiojet.com (Regiojet trains only).

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Bratislava & Slovakia from €39.99

Option 1, by daytime train

You can usually travel from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Bratislava with just one change:
Until 13 June 2026:
Leave Düsseldorf 09:27 or Cologne Hbf 09:53, change at Vienna Hbf, arriving Bratislava Hlavna 21:10.
Leave Düsseldorf 13:27 or Cologne Hbf 13:53, change at Vienna Hbf, arriving Bratislava Hlavna 01:40.
The Düsseldorf-Vienna trains are both superb German ICE-T trains with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat. Vienna to Bratislava is by regional express train.
Both trains take the scenic Rhine Valley route between Koblenz & Mainz, one of the most scenic main lines in Germany, along the river past mountains, castles, vineyards and river boats and the legendary Lorelei Rock. Sit on the left hand side of the train for the river scenery. it's a chill-out day with a good book and meals in the restaurant car with a Weissbier or two, see the Rhine Valley video here.
From 14 June to 12 December 2026:

You'll need to travel via Munich, due to major trackwork on the line between Nuremberg & Passau.
Leave Düsseldorf 07:26 or Cologne Hbf 07:54, change at Munich Hbf & Vienna Hbf, arriving Bratislava Hlavna 18:29.
Leave Düsseldorf 09:26 or Cologne Hbf 09:54, change at Munich Hbf & Vienna Hbf, arriving Bratislava Hlavna 21:10.
Leave Düsseldorf 11:26 or Cologne Hbf 11:54, change at Munich Hbf & Vienna Hbf, arriving Bratislava Hlavna 22:29.
Düsseldorf-Cologne-Munich is by German ICE, Munich-Vienna is by Austrian railjet, both trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat. Vienna-Bratislava is by regional express train.
Fares start at €39.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Step 1, Düsseldorf or Cologne to Vienna by ICE-T with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.


Table for two in 1st class, my favourite configuration.		Lunch in the restaurant. I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier!


You can see into the cab at each end of the train.		Comfortable 2nd class seats on the ICE-T to Vienna.

You'll glimpse the Inn and Danube rivers from the Frankfurt-Vienna ICE.

2nd class seats in an open-plan OBB Intercity car

OBB intercity cars as used between Vienna & Bratislava

Step 2, Vienna to Bratislava Hlavna by regional express train. More about these Vienna-Bratislava trains.

Option 2, by sleeper train - the time-effective option

Step 1, travel from Cologne to Vienna by Nightjet, leaving Cologne Hbf at 21:52 on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, arriving Vienna Hbf 10:13.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars each with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has two couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes. See the guide to Nightjet accommodation.

Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways own site www.oebb.at (in €, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket. Child under 6? See here.
Tip: If you have a sleeping-car ticket, you can use the ÖBB lounge at Vienna Hbf between trains, with complimentary refreshments & WiFi.

Step 2, travel from Vienna to Bratislava by regional express, leaving Vienna Hbf at 11:14, arriving Bratislava Hlavna 12:10.
You can buy a ticket for this train at the station for €12.30, no reservation necessary of possible, just buy a ticket and hop on the next train. You can check times & prices at www.oebb.at. More about these Vienna-Bratislava trains.

Step 3 if you're going to eastern Slovakia & the Tatra mountains: Take an express from Bratislava to Poprad Tatry & Košice. In this case, you'd pre-book a ticket from Vienna to Poprad Tatry & Košice from €29.90 at either www.thetrainline.com or www.oebb.at and print your own ticket. You'll find a regional train leaving Vienna Hbf at 11:14, change at Bratislava Hlavna arriving Poprad Tatry late afternoon & Košice early evening.

Step 1, Cologne to Vienna by Nightjet. Above, the Nightjet about to leave Cologne Hbf.


Deluxe sleeper. Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room. Larger photo. Video of deluxe room		Same deluxe sleeper in evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out. Larger photo.		Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, soap & towels provided. Larger photo.		Standard sleeper set up as 2-berth, washstand open. It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth. Larger photo.


6-berth couchettes.		4-berth couchettes.		Couchette car on a Nightjet.

Step 2, Vienna to Bratislava Hlavna by regional express train. More about these Vienna-Bratislava trains.

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Budapest from €39.99

Option 1, Düsseldorf or Cologne to Budapest in a day- the leisurely daytime option

You can usually travel from Düsseldorf or Cologne to Budapest in one leisurely day, with 1 easy change:
Until 13 June 2026:
Leave Düsseldorf 07:26 or Cologne Hbf 07:54, change at Munich Hbf, arriving Budapest Keleti 20:19.
Leave Düsseldorf 09:27 or Cologne Hbf 09:53, change at Vienna Hbf, arriving Budapest Keleti 23:19.
Leave Düsseldorf 11:26 or Cologne Hbf 11:54, change at Munich Hbf, arriving Budapest Keleti 00:19.
On the 07:26 & 11:26 departures, the Düsseldorf-Cologne-Munich train is a superb German ICE train, the Munich-Budapest train is a smart Austrian railjet. Both trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat.
On the 09:27 departure, the Düsseldorf-Cologne-Vienna train is a German ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. This train takes the scenic Rhine Valley route between Koblenz & Mainz, one of the most scenic main lines in Germany, along the river past mountains, castles, vineyards and river boats and the legendary Lorelei Rock. Sit on the left hand side for the river scenery. it's a chill-out day with a good book, meals in the restaurant and a Weissbier or two, see the Rhine Valley video here. Vienna to Budapest is by EuroCity train.
From 14 June to 12 December 2026:

You'll need to travel via Munich, due to major trackwork on the line between Nuremberg & Passau.
Leave Düsseldorf 07:26 or Cologne Hbf 07:54, change at Munich Hbf, arriving Budapest Keleti 20:19.
Leave Düsseldorf 11:26 or Cologne Hbf 11:54, change at Munich Hbf, arriving Budapest Keleti 00:19.
Düsseldorf-Cologne-Munich is by German ICE, Munich-Budapest is by Austrian railjet. Both trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat.
Fares start at €39.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets at the German Railways website, int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. In the search results, look for options with just 1 change. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Step 1, Düsseldorf or Cologne to Vienna by ICE-T with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.


Table for two in 1st class, my favourite configuration.		Lunch in the restaurant. I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier!


You can see into the cab at each end of the train.		Comfortable 2nd class seats on the ICE-T to Vienna.

You'll glimpse the Inn and Danube rivers from the Frankfurt-Vienna ICE.

Step 2, Vienna to Budapest by railjet, seen about to leave Vienna Hbf. More about railjets.


Business class. About.		Restaurant. In 1st & business you're served at your seat.


First class.		Economy class.

Option 2, using the Stuttgart-Budapest sleeper train - the time-effective option

Step 1, travel to Stuttgart by ICE, leaving Düsseldorf at 15:26 or Cologne Hbf at 15:54, arriving Stuttgart Hbf 18:11.
Times may vary, make sure you allow at least an hour between trains in Stuttgart, ideally more. ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat. Have dinner in Stuttgart.
Fares start at €29.99 in 2nd class or €59.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
Tip: In Stuttgart, the bar at the Steigenberger Graf Zeppelin Hotel across the road makes a good VIP waiting lounge, or try the nearby Biergarten im Schlossgarten, see the advice here.
Step 2, travel from Stuttgart to Budapest by sleeper train, leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 20:29, arriving Budapest Keleti 09:19.
The EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre has a comfortable air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and an air-conditioned Hungarian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments. In sleepers, a light breakfast is included. More about this sleeper train.
Fares start at €49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, €59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, €69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, €88.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (more fiddly, same prices, in €). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

Step 1, Cologne to Stuttgart by ICE. This is an ICE4 at Cologne Hbf. More about ICEs.


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.

The sleeper train Kalman Imre from Munich to Budapest

Step 2, Stuttgart to Budapest by sleeper train. More about this sleeper train.


2 bed sleeper, can also be set up as 1 or 3 bed.		4-berth couchettes.		6-berth couchettes.

Option 2, by sleeper train via Vienna - another time-effective option

Step 1, travel from Cologne to Vienna by Nightjet, leaving Cologne Hbf at 21:52 on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, arriving Vienna Hbf 10:13.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars each with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has two couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes. See the guide to Nightjet accommodation.

Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways own site www.oebb.at (in €, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket. Child under 6? See here.
Tip: If you have a sleeping-car ticket, you can use the ÖBB lounge at Vienna Hbf between trains, with complimentary refreshments & WiFi.

Step 2, travel from Vienna to Budapest by railjet with restaurant car, leaving Vienna Hbf at 11:40, arriving Budapest Keleti 14:19.
The railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €19.90 in 2nd class, €29.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, a bit more fiddly, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.

Step 1, Cologne to Vienna by Nightjet, seen here at Cologne Hbf.


Deluxe sleeper. Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room. Larger photo. Video of deluxe room		Same deluxe sleeper in evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out. Larger photo.		Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, soap & towels provided. Larger photo.		Standard sleeper set up as 2-berth, washstand open. It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth. Larger photo.


6-berth couchettes.		4-berth couchettes.		Couchette car on a Nightjet.

Step 2, Vienna to Budapest by railjet. with restaurant car & free WiFi. More about Vienna-Budapest trains.


Business class. About.		Restaurant car.


First class.		Economy class.

The railjet has landed. A railjet arrived spot on time on platform 9 at Budapest Keleti station, built 1881-1884.

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Bucharest & Romania

Option 1, via Vienna - the fastest & most comfortable option

Step 1, travel to Vienna, leaving Düsseldorf 07:26 or Cologne Hbf 07:54, change at Munich Hbf, arriving Vienna Hbf 17:32.

The Düsseldorf-Cologne-Munich train is a superb German ICE, the Munich-Vienna train is a swish Austrian railjet. Both trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat.

Fares start at €39.99 in 2nd or €69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Step 2, travel from Vienna to Romania on the Dacia, leaving Vienna Hbf at 19:08, arriving Simeria 05:35, Alba Iulia 06:18, Sighișoara 07:31, Braşov 11:03, Sinaia 12:08, Ploesti Vest 13:00 & Bucharest Nord 13:38.

The Dacia has an air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car of the latest type with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, plus several 1 or 2 bed compartments with shower & toilet. It has a Romanian couchette car with 4-berth & 6-berth compartments, and 2nd class seats.

It's a fascinating journey across rural Transylvania, with wonderful Alpine scenery through the Carpathian mountains between Brasov and Bucharest. However, there's no catering so bring a picnic & bottle of wine.

Fares start at €59 with a couchette in a 6-berth compartment, €69 with a couchette in a 4-berth compartment, €79 with a bed in a 3-berth sleeper, €99 with a bed in a 3-berth sleeper or €159 with a bed in a single-berth sleeper all to yourself. All per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.

Booking opens up to 90 days ahead. In the search results, look for the direct train marked D with no changes. You collect tickets from the ÖBB ticket machines or staffed counter in Vienna.

You can also book this train at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro. Click EN top right for English. Booking opens up to 90 days ahead. For Vienna type Wien, for Bucharest type Bucuresti. It can book seats, couchettes or sleepers. For Austria to Romania journeys you now print your own ticket or can show it on your phone. Tip: Prices might be cheaper than on oebb.at, so check both sites!

Step 1, Cologne to Vienna by ICE with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.


Table for two in 1st class, my favourite configuration.		Lunch in the restaurant. I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier!


You can see into the cab at each end of the train.		Comfortable 2nd class seats on the ICE-T to Vienna.

You'll glimpse the Inn and Danube rivers from the Frankfurt-Vienna ICE.


Step 2, Vienna to Romania on the Dacia Express. The Dacia has an air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car of their most modern type. Each compartment can be sold as a single, double or triple. Most have a washbasin, two compartments have a shower & toilet. Beds fold away to form a private sitting room for day use. Sleeper photo courtesy of @PaliparanDotCom. Larger photo.


The Dacia Express couchette car, boarding at Vienna Hbf. There is one Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6-berth compartments, bedding provided. Larger photo.

Transylvania: The Dacia Express crosses rural Transylvania. Courtesy of @PaliparanDotCom

The Carpathian mountains: Almost Alpine scenery between Brasov & Bucharest. Courtesy of @PaliparanDotCom

Option 2, via Budapest

Step 1, travel from Cologne to Vienna by Nightjet, leaving Cologne Hbf at 21:52 on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, arriving Vienna Hbf 10:13.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars each with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has two couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes. See the guide to Nightjet accommodation.

Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways own site www.oebb.at (in €, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket. Child under 6? See here.
Tip: If you have a sleeping-car ticket or 1st class ticket for the onward train, you can use the ÖBB lounge at Vienna Hbf between trains, with complimentary refreshments & WiFi.

Step 2, travel from Vienna to Budapest by railjet, leaving Vienna Hbf at 11:40, arriving Budapest Keleti 14:19.
The swish Austrian railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Enjoy an afternoon in Budapest.
Fares start at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, a bit more fiddly, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

Step 3, travel from Budapest to Romania by sleeper train Ister, leaving Budapest Keleti at 19:10, arriving Braşov 07:57 & Bucharest Nord 10:37.

This sleeper train Ister has an air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin and a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. There's no restaurant car so take a picnic and bottle of wine. There's wonderful almost Alpine scenery through the Carpathian mountains between Brasov and Bucharest, a real treat. Ister is the ancient name for the Danube.

Fares start at €39 with a couchette in 6-berth, €46 with a couchette in 4-berth, €69 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, €84 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €162 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself. All prices per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro.
Booking opens up to 90 days ahead. Click EN top right for English. For Bucharest type Bucuresti. It can book seats, couchettes or sleepers. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
You can also book at the Hungarian Railways website www.mav-start.hu, see my advice on using it. For Bucharest type Bucuresti. You show your ticket in the MAV app on your phone.


A 1, 2 or 3-bed sleeper with washbasin. Larger photo.		The sleeping-car (vagon de dormit) on the westbound Ister at Bucharest. Sleepers convert from beds to private sitting rooms for day use. Courtesy of DiscoverByRail.


The vagon cuseta (couchette car) on the westbound Ister, boarding at Bucharest. Couchettes convert from bunks at night to seats by day. Courtesy of @AndyBTravels, DiscoverByRail.com .		4 or 6-berth couchettes. Larger photo.

Option 3, with overnight stop in Budapest - if you prefer daytime trains & hotel to sleepers

Day 1, travel from Düsseldorf or Cologne to Budapest in a day, as shown in the Cologne to Budapest section.
Stay overnight in Budapest.

Top choice next to Budapest Keleti is the Intercity Hotel just across the square in front of the station. Also try the Royal Park Boutique Hotel, the inexpensive Baross City Hotel across the road or the Elit Hotel two minutes walk away. Of course, if you want to push the boat out, the luxurious Corinthia Hotel opened in 1896 was almost certainly the inspiration for the 2014 film The Grand Budapest Hotel, 20 minutes walk or 9 minutes by taxi from Keleti station. More hotels in Budapest.

Day 2, travel from Budapest to Romania by air-conditioned Intercity train:
The Traianus leaves Budapest Keleti at 05:10, arriving Arad 10:50, Timişoara Nord 11:26, Craiova 18:24 & Bucharest Nord 22:37.
The Hargita leaves Budapest Keleti at 06:40 arriving Brasov 22:24.
The Claudiopolis leaves Budapest Keleti daily at 09:10 arriving Cluj Napoca 20:28.
These trains have comfortable air-conditioned carriages. The Traianus should have a Romanian bar car, the Hargita & Claudiopolis have no catering, so bring your own food & drink.
Fares start at €26.30 in 2nd class or (where available) €40.50 in 1st class. These are limited availability fares, book ahead for these prices.
Book at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it.
Booking opens 60 days ahead. You show the ticket in the MAV app on your phone.
You can also book at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro. Click EN top right for English. Booking opens up to 90 days ahead. For Bucharest type Bucuresti. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

The daytime train from Budapest to Bucharest

The Traianus from Budapest to Bucharest has modern air-conditioned Romanian carriages. Several cars travel all the way, additional cars are attached whilst in Hungary. There should be a Romanian bar car, but always bring your own supplies and maybe bottle of wine.


On the left, the daytime train to Bucharest is about to leave Budapest Keleti.		Comfortable 2nd class seats on the Budapest to Bucharest train. There are power outlets under the tables. Larger photo.


A Romanian bar car is attached to the Traianus. Photos courtesy of @AndyBTravels, DiscoverByRail.com.

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Ljubljana & Zagreb from €37.99

Option 1, by daytime trains in a single day

Step 1, travel from Cologne to Munich by ICE, with a choice of departure:
Leave Cologne Hbf at 04:28 daily, arriving Munich Hbf 09:13.

Leave Cologne Hbf at 05:25 Monday-Saturday, arriving Munich Hbf 09:40.

The earlier departure gives a safer connection! The ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat.

Step 2, travel from Munich to Ljubljana & Zagreb by Eurocity train Mimara, leaving Munich Hbf at 10:16, arriving Lesce-Bled 15:46, Ljubljana 16:40 & Zagreb 19:21.
The Mimara has comfortable air-conditioned Austrian carriages with 1st & 2nd class, but no catering so bring your own food & drink.
After leaving Munich the train snakes through pretty Bavarian scenery. Just before arriving at Salzburg, look to your right as you cross the River Salzach for views of Salzburg fortress. After Salzburg the train crosses the Austrian Alps overthe Tauern railway climbing high through the mountains. Look out for the magnificent fortress at Werfen perched on a hilltop on the right hand side, guarding the approaches to Salzburg along the Salzachtal valley. You enter Slovenia just after Villach, there's more beautiful scenery along the Sava river between Ljubljana & Zagreb.
Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €56.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book from Cologne to Ljubljana or Zagreb at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Tip: If you don't see any cheap fares from Munich to Ljubljana or Zagreb using bahn.de, try going to the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at and booking from Salzburg to Ljubljana or Zagreb on exactly the same train (these trains leave Salzburg about 1h55 after leaving Munich), then using www.oebb.at again to add a ticket from Munich to Salzburg on the same train.
Step 3, stay overnight in Zagreb, then travel from Zagreb to Split by train & Split to Dubrovnik by bus, see the Zagreb-Split-Dubrovnik section.

Austrian Intercity cars as used on the Mimara from Munich to Zagreb.

Above left, 2nd class. Above right, 1st class.

Scenery in the Austrian Alps between Munich & Ljubljana

The train crosses Austria on the Tauern railway between Salzburg & Villach, clinging to mountainsides high in the Austrian Alps.

Across the border in Slovenia, the EuroCity train runs along the pretty River Sava all the way to Ljubljana & Zagreb.

Option 2, by sleeper train from Stuttgart to Ljubljana & Zagreb - the most time-effective option

Step 1, travel to Stuttgart by ICE, leaving Düsseldorf at 15:26 or Cologne Hbf at 15:54, arriving Stuttgart Hbf 18:11.
Times may vary, make sure you allow at least an hour between trains in Stuttgart, ideally more. ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat. Have dinner in Stuttgart.
Fares start at €29.99 in 2nd class or €59.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
Tip: In Stuttgart, the bar at the Steigenberger Graf Zeppelin Hotel across the road makes a good VIP waiting lounge, or try the nearby Biergarten im Schlossgarten, see the advice here.
Step 2, travel from Stuttgart by sleeper train, leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 20:29, arriving Lesce-Bled 07:05, Ljubljana 07:50 & Zagreb 10:31.
The Croatian sleeper train Lisinski has a comfortable air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car with comfortable 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments, a modern Croatian air-conditioned couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats, see the photos below and the Croatian sleeper video here.
Fares start at €49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, €59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, €66.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, €86.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this sleeper at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, easy to use, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at (in €, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.

Step 1, Cologne to Stuttgart by ICE. This is an ICE4 at Cologne Hbf. More about ICEs.


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.

The 'Lisinski' sleeper train from Munic to Zagreb, boarding in Munich

Step 2, Stuttgart to Ljubljana & Zagreb by sleeper train. Above, the air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car to Zagreb. It has 10 compartments with washbasin, each of which can be used as 1, 2 or 3 berth, with toilets at the end of the corridor. Compartments convert to a private sitting room for evening or morning use. A light breakfast is included in the sleeper fare. The Croatian couchette car is the next vehicle to the right, also modern & air-conditioned with 4 & 6 bunk compartments, ideal for families. Couchettes convert from bunks to seats for evening or morning use.


1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper.		Set up as a single-berth.		4 or 6-berth couchettes. 360º photo.

Wake up to scenery like this between Ljubljana & Zagreb, along the river Sava.

Option 3, by daytime trains with overnight stop in Munich

Day 1, travel from Cologne to Munich on any ICE train you like.
You can leave Cologne Hbf as late as 17:54 arriving Munich Hbf 22:29.
But by all means book an earlier train and spend a pleasant evening in Munich. For a dinner of local Bavarian food and a beer or two I recommend the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de) at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf, see walking map.
ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

Stay overnight in Munich.
The affordable Eden Hotel Wolff & NH Collection München are across the road from the station's north side exit with great reviews. I've stayed at both myself, the former is a cosy traditional hotel, the latter has a more modern corporate style. Or try the upmarket 25 Hours Hotel The Royal Bavarian, Excelsior by Giesel & Mercure City Center. For a splurge, the luxurious Sofitel Munich Beyerpost occupies the former Royal Bavarian Post Office building of 1896-1900, at the station's south side exit.

Day 2, travel from Munich to Ljubljana & Zagreb by Eurocity train Mimara, leaving Munich Hbf at 10:16, arriving Lesce-Bled 15:46, Ljubljana 16:40 and Zagreb 19:21.
The Mimara has comfortable air-conditioned Austrian carriages with 1st & 2nd class, but no catering so bring your own food & drink.
After leaving Munich the train snakes through pretty Bavarian scenery. Just before arriving at Salzburg, look to your right as you cross the River Salzach for views of Salzburg citadel. After Salzburg the train crosses the Austrian Alps, climbing high through the mountains. Look out for the magnificent fortress at Werfen perched on its hilltop on the right hand side, guarding the approaches to Salzburg along the Salzachtal valley. You enter Slovenia just after Villach, there's more beautiful scenery along the Sava river between Ljubljana & Zagreb, a real treat.
How much does it cost?
Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €56.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
How to buy tickets

Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. To get the overnight stop in Munich, click Stopovers and enter Munich Hbf with a suitable length of stay, say 10 hours. Adjust the departure time & length of stay to get the trains you want either side of Munich. A little trial & error may be needed!

I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Tip: If you don't see any cheap fares from Munich to Ljubljana or Zagreb using bahn.de (for example, if it says No special fares available), try going to the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at and booking from Salzburg to Ljubljana or Zagreb on exactly the same train (these trains leave Salzburg about 1h55 after leaving Munich), then using www.oebb.at again to add a ticket from Munich to Salzburg on the same train.

Austrian Intercity cars as used on the Momara from Munich to Zagreb.

Above left, 2nd class. Above right, 1st class.

The train crosses Austria on the Tauern railway between Salzburg & Villach, clinging to mountainsides high in the Austrian Alps.

Across the border in Slovenia, the EuroCity train runs along the pretty River Sava all the way to Ljubljana & Zagreb.

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Sarajevo & Mostar

Step 1, travel from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Zagreb as shown above.
Step 2, travel from Zagreb to Sarajevo by bus, see the Zagreb-Sarajevo section.
For onward trains to Mostar, see the Sarajevo to Mostar page.

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Belgrade & Montenegro

Option 1, using the Stuttgart-Budapest sleeper

Step 1, travel to Stuttgart by ICE, leaving Düsseldorf at 15:26 or Cologne Hbf at 15:54, arriving Stuttgart Hbf 18:11.
Times may vary, make sure you allow at least an hour between trains in Stuttgart, ideally more. ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat. Have dinner in Stuttgart.
Fares start at €29.99 in 2nd class or €59.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
Tip: In Stuttgart, the bar at the Steigenberger Graf Zeppelin Hotel across the road makes a good VIP waiting lounge, or try the nearby Biergarten im Schlossgarten, see the advice here.
Step 2, travel from Stuttgart to Budapest by sleeper train, leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 20:29, arriving Budapest Keleti 09:19.
The EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre has a comfortable air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and an air-conditioned Hungarian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments. In sleepers, a light breakfast is included. More about this sleeper train.
Fares start at €49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, €59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, €69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, €88.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (more fiddly, same prices, in €). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Transfer from Keleti to Nyugati station by metro, tram or taxi as shown here.

Step 3, travel from Budapest to Belgrade, leaving Budapest Nyugati at 11:45, changing at Szeged & Subotica, arriving Belgrade Centar 18:38.
You take a Hungarian Intercity train from Budapest to Szeged, a local train across the border to Subotica and a 200 km/h SOKO train to Belgrade, for details see the Budapest to Belgrade page.
Fares start at €26, see more about fares.
Buy tickets as shown on the Belgrade to Budapest page.

Option 2, by daytime trains with overnight stop in Budapest - if you prefer daytime trains & hotel to sleepers

Day 1, travel from Düsseldorf or Cologne to Budapest as shown in the Cologne to Budapest section.
Stay overnight in Budapest.

For an affordable hotel close to Budapest Nyugati, look no further than the 3-star T62 Hotel just across the road, a traveller's favourite with funky interior design. The cheaper 3-star Star Inn Budapest Centrum is a few minutes walk away, also with good reviews. The 4-star Radisson Blu Béke Hotel is one block along the road from the station. Of course, if you want to push the boat out, the luxurious Corinthia Hotel opened in 1896 was almost certainly the inspiration for the 2014 film The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Day 2, travel from Budapest to Belgrade with a choice of departure:
Leave Budapest Nyugati at 05:50, change at Szeged & Subotica, arriving Belgrade Centar 12:38.
Leave Budapest Nyugati at 11:45, change at Szeged & Subotica, arriving Belgrade Centar 18:38.
You take a Hungarian Intercity train from Budapest to Szeged, a local train across the border to Subotica and a 200 km/h SOKO train to Belgrade, for details see the Budapest to Belgrade page.
Fares start at €26, see more about fares.
Buy tickets as shown on the Belgrade to Budapest page.
For onward trains to Montenegro, see the Belgrade to Podgorica & Bar page.

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Sofia

Option 1, Cologne or Düsseldorf to Sofia via Bucharest

Day 1, travel to Vienna, leaving Düsseldorf 07:26 or Cologne Hbf 07:54, change at Munich Hbf, arriving Vienna Hbf 17:32.

The Düsseldorf-Cologne-Munich train is a superb German ICE, the Munich-Vienna train is a swish Austrian railjet. Both trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat.

Fares start at €39.99 in 2nd or €69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Day 1, travel from Vienna to Bucharest by sleeper train Dacia, leaving Vienna Hbf at 19:08, arriving Bucharest Nord 13:38.

The Dacia has an air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car of the latest type with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, plus several 1 or 2 bed compartments with shower & toilet. It has a Romanian couchette car with 4-berth & 6-berth compartments, and 2nd class seats.

It's a fascinating journey across rural Transylvania, with wonderful Alpine scenery through the Carpathian mountains between Brasov and Bucharest. However, there's no catering so bring a picnic & bottle of wine.

Fares start at €59 with a couchette in a 6-berth compartment, €69 with a couchette in a 4-berth compartment, €79 with a bed in a 3-berth sleeper, €99 with a bed in a 3-berth sleeper or €159 with a bed in a single-berth sleeper all to yourself. All per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.

Booking opens up to 90 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

You can also book this train at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro. Click EN top right for English. Booking opens up to 90 days ahead. For Vienna type Wien, for Bucharest type Bucuresti. For Austria to Romania journeys you now print your own ticket or can show it on your phone. Tip: Prices might be cheaper than on oebb.at, so check both sites!
Day 2, stay overnight in Bucharest.

The Hotel MyContinental Bucuresti Gara de Nord, Hello Hotels Gara de Nord & Euro Hotel Grivita are all just a 350m 5 minute walk from the station, inexpensive with good reviews. I personally didn't get on with the Grivita in spite of its good reviews, perhaps try Hello Hotels Gara de Nord. The Ibis Styles Bucharest Center is an 18-minute hike from the station (see walking map), but would be a reliable choice. However, if you want a landmark hotel in the city centre, go for the Athenee Palace Hotel, see why I love that hotel here.

Day 3, travel from Bucharest to Sofia by daytime train as shown in the Bucharest-Sofia section of the Trains from Bucharest page.
You leave Bucharest Nord at 10:11 and arrive Sofia Central at 20:35 after a pleasant day meandering across the Danube and through the river valleys of Bulgaria. In summer it's direct, in winter you have to switch trains at Ruse. There's no catering car, so bring your own food & drink.
The fare is €36.

Book this at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro/en. You print your own ticket.

Option 2, Cologne or Düsseldorf to Sofia via Belgrade

Not currently viable while Zagreb-Belgrade, Budapest-Belgrade and Belgrade-Sofia trains remain suspended.

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Warsaw from €37.99

Option 1, Cologne to Warsaw in a single day from €37.99 - the leisurely daytime option

Step 1, travel from Cologne Hbf to Berlin Hbf by ICE with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

Step 2, travel from Berlin Hbf to Warsaw Centralna by comfortable EuroCity train with restaurant car.
For example:

Leave Cologne Hbf 06:25, change at Berlin Hbf, arriving Warsaw Centralna 17:00.

Leave Cologne Hbf 08:25, change at Berlin Hbf, arriving Warsaw Centralna 19:00.

Leave Cologne Hbf 10:24, change at Berlin Hbf, arriving Warsaw Centralna 21:00.

Leave Cologne Hbf 12:26 daily except Saturdays, change Berlin Hbf, arriving Warsaw Centralna 23:00.

Times vary significantly over 2026, check your date at int.bahn.de. You'll sometimes find trains diverted to use Berlin Gesundbrunnen instead of Berlin Hbf;

Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.

Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Why not spend some time in Berlin between trains? This breaks up the trip, there are left luggage lockers available and you can stroll past the Reichstag building to the Brandenburg Gate in just 17 minutes from the station, so even a couple of hours stopover is a worthwhile experience. To build in a stopover using int.bahn.de simply click Stopovers and enter Berlin Hbf and the length of stay you want in hours.

Option 2, Cologne to Warsaw with overnight stop in Berlin - time-effective & a chance to see Berlin

Day 1, travel from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Berlin on any afternoon or early evening ICE train.
You can leave Cologne Hbf as late as 19:28 on most days, arriving Berlin Hbf around 00:14.
But by all means take an earlier train and spend a pleasant evening in Berlin. The ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat.

Stay overnight in Berlin.

Top choice here is the InterCity Hotel Berlin Hbf (my favourite), only 200m from Berlin Hbf's main entrance, relatively inexpensive with great reviews, or if you're in the money, the excellent 5-star Steigenberger Hotel just outside the station. If you're on a budget, the cheaper 3-star Motel One Berlin-Hbf is behind the station or use www.hostelworld.com. Of course, if you really want to push the boat out, the famous Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is next to the Brandenburg Gate just 17 minutes walk away.

Day 2, travel from Berlin to Warsaw on any EuroCity train you like, see the timetable here.

Daily except Sundays, the 05:51 from Berlin Hbf arrives Poznan 08:31 & Warsaw Centralna 11:00.

From 14 December 2025 there'll also be a daily EuroCity train leaving Berlin Hbf at 07:49, arriving Poznan 10:31 & Warsaw Centralna 13:00.

On any day of the week, the 09:52 from Berlin Hbf arrives Poznan 12:31 & Warsaw Centralna 15:00.

Or take spend some time in Berlin and take a later train, the German capital is fascinating.

These comfortable Polish EuroCity trains have a restaurant car and power sockets at all seats.
Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class all on one ticket.

Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

To get the overnight stop in Berlin, click Stopovers and enter Berlin Hbf with the length of stay you want, say 10:00 hours. Adjust the departure time and the length of stay to get the trains you want, with a little trial and error.

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Step 1, Cologne or Düsseldorf to Berlin by ICE with power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. This is 1st class.


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


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

Berlin to Warsaw train about to leave Berlin Hbf

Step 2, Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train, seen here on platform 12 at Berlin Hbf.


1st class compartment.		2nd class compartment.

Bistro-restaurant car on the Berlin-Warsaw Express

The restaurant car on a Berlin-Warsaw express. You don't need to reserve a table, just go along and sit down. A steward will take your order. Photos below courtesy of DiscoverbyRail.com. Larger photo.


The bar.		Decent food, served on proper china.

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Wroclaw, Katowice & Krakow from €37.99

Option 1, Cologne to Krakow by daytime trains

Step 1, travel from Cologne to Berlin by ICE, leaving Cologne Hbf at 10:45, arriving Berlin Hbf 15:03.
ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Times vary, check your date at int.bahn.de. I'd want at least 40 minutes between trains in Berlin, ideally more.
You've now time for a wander, perhaps a stroll past the Reichstag building to the Brandenburg Gate, 17 minutes walk from Berlin Hbf.

Step 2, travel from Berlin to Krakow by EuroCity train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 16:52, arriving Wroclaw 20:43, Katowice 22:48 & Krakow Glowny 23:43.

The EuroCity train Oder is comfortable & air-conditioned with restaurant car, treat yourself to lunch and a beer or two.

Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.

Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

Tip: Click Stopovers and enter Berlin Hbf with a length of stay of 40 minutes. This gets you the recommended robust connection in Berlin.

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Step 1, Cologne or Düsseldorf to Berlin by ICE with power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. This is 1st class.


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


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

Step 2, Berlin to Krakow by EuroCity train. This is a EuroCity to Poland on platform 11 at Berlin Hbf.


1st class compartment.		2nd class compartment.

The restaurant car on a Berlin-Krakow EuroCity train. You don't need to reserve, just go along and sit down. A steward will take your order. Larger photo.


I recommend the zurek soup!		Kotlet schabowy, served on proper china.

Option 2, Cologne to Krakow with overnight stop in Berlin - time-effective & a chance to see Berlin

Day 1, travel from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Berlin on any afternoon or early evening ICE train in just over 4 hours.
You can leave Cologne Hbf as late as 19:27 on most days, arriving Berlin Hbf after midnight, by all means take an earlier train and spend a pleasant evening in Berlin. ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

Stay overnight in Berlin.

Top choice here is the InterCity Hotel Berlin Hbf (my favourite), only 200m from Berlin Hbf's main entrance, relatively inexpensive with great reviews, or if you're in the money, the excellent 5-star Steigenberger Hotel just outside the station. If you're on a budget, the cheaper 3-star Motel One Berlin-Hbf is behind the station or use www.hostelworld.com. Of course, if you really want to push the boat out, the famous Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is next to the Brandenburg Gate just 17 minutes walk away.

Day 2, travel from Berlin to Krakow by EuroCity train Galicija, leaving Berlin Hbf at 08:52 every day, arriving Wroclaw 12:54, Katowice 15:09 & Krakow Glowny 16:05. Later trains are available, see the timetable here.

The EuroCity train is comfortable & air-conditioned with restaurant car, treat yourself to lunch and a beer or two.
Fares from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Krakow start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.

Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. To get the overnight stop in Berlin, click Stopovers and enter Berlin Hbf with the length of stay you want, say 12:00 hours. Adjust the departure time and the length of stay to get the trains you want, with a little trial and error.

I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn

Option 1, Cologne to Vilnius with overnight stop in Warsaw

Day 1, travel from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Warsaw as shown in the Cologne to Warsaw section. You can easily do this in a day.

Stay overnight in Warsaw.
The Polonia Palace Hotel is excellent, historic, relatively inexpensive for such a good hotel, and it's just across the road from the station. For something much cheaper, but still with great reviews and near the station, try the Hotel Metropol next door to the Polonia Palace or the nearby Novotel Warsaw Centrum. Also see the Warsaw Centralna station & city information.

Day 2, travel from Warsaw to Vilnius by train, leaving Warsaw Centralna at 08:57, change at Mockava, arriving Vilnius 17:25.

This is an excellent integrated train service with an easy cross-platform change at Mockava. A comfortable air-conditioned Polish train with restaurant car runs from Warsaw to Mockava, connecting with a modern air-conditioned Lithuanian train from Mockava to Vilnius.

Fares start at €15.90, standard price is €29.

For details & how to buy tickets, see the Warsaw to Vilnius page.
Stay overnight in Vilnius.
Try the inexpensive Stay Vilnius hotel, a 6-minute walk from the station, or the quirky Grotthuss Boutique Hotel, a 11-minute walk from the station towards the old town, both with excellent reviews. At the upmarket end, the Radisson Blu Royal Astorija Hotel gets great reviews and is just a 13 minute walk from the station.

Day 3, travel from Vilnius to Riga (Latvia) & Tallinn (Estonia) by train, as shown on the Vilnius-Riga-Tallinn page.

Option 2, Cologne to Vilnius with overnight stop in Berlin

Day 1, travel from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Berlin on any afternoon or evening train you like.

Stay overnight in Berlin.

Top choice here is the InterCity Hotel Berlin Hbf (my favourite), only 200m from Berlin Hbf's main entrance, relatively inexpensive with great reviews, or if you're in the money, the excellent 5-star Steigenberger Hotel just outside the station. If you're on a budget, the cheaper 3-star Motel One Berlin-Hbf is behind the station or use www.hostelworld.com. Of course, if you really want to push the boat out, the famous Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is next to the Brandenburg Gate just 17 minutes walk away.

Day 2, travel from Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 07:49, arriving Warsaw Centralna 13:00.

The EuroCity train is a comfortable air-conditioned Polish train with restaurant car, treat yourself to a cooked Polish breakfast.
Day 2, travel from Warsaw to Vilnius by train, leaving Warsaw Centralna at 14:57, change at Mockava, arriving Vilnius 23:25.

This is an excellent integrated train service with an easy cross-platform change at Mockava. A comfortable air-conditioned Polish train with restaurant car runs from Warsaw to Mockava, connecting with a modern air-conditioned Lithuanian train from Mockava to Vilnius.

For details, see the Warsaw to Vilnius page.

Stay overnight in Vilnius.
Try the inexpensive Stay Vilnius hotel, a 6-minute walk from the station, or the quirky Grotthuss Boutique Hotel, a 11-minute walk from the station towards the old town, both with excellent reviews. At the upmarket end, the Radisson Blu Royal Astorija Hotel gets great reviews and is just a 13 minute walk from the station.

Day 3, travel from Vilnius to Riga (Latvia) & Tallinn (Estonia) by train, see the Vilnius-Riga-Tallinn page.
How much does it cost?
Cologne or Düsseldorf to Warsaw starts at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Warsaw to Vilnius starts at €15.90, standard price €29.
For fares from Vilnius to Riga & Tallinn, see the Vilnius-Riga-Tallinn page.
How to buy tickets
Step 1, book from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Warsaw at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
To get the overnight stop in Berlin, click Stopovers, enter Berlin Hbf and a suitable length of stay, say 10 hours. Adjust the length of stay and departure time to get the trains you want either side of Berlin. A little trial & error may be needed!
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Step 2, book from Warsaw to Vilnius as shown on the Warsaw to Vilnius page.
Step 3, book from Vilnius to Riga or Tallinn as shown on the Vilnius-Riga-Tallinn page.

Warsaw to Vilnius by train: Interchange at Mockava

Above, the Warsaw to Vilnius train service involves a simple cross-platform change at Mockava from a Polish train to a Lithuanian one.

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Kyiv & Ukraine

Option 1, Cologne to Lviv & Kyiv via Regiojet from Prague - easiest to book and usually has plenty of availability

Day 1, travel from Cologne to Prague, leaving Cologne Hbf 07:27, change at Berlin Hbf, arrive Prague Hlavni 17:25.
You travel from Cologne to Berlin by ICE and Berlin to Prague by ComfortJet, both have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

Fares start at €18.99 in 2nd class or €28.99 in 1st class.

Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

To get the route via Berlin with a robust connection, click Stopovers and enter Berlin Hbf with length of stay (say) 40 minutes.

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone. See suggested hotels in Prague.

Day 1, travel from Prague to Przemysl by Regiojet sleeper train, leaving Prague Hlavni at 21:48 every day, arriving Przemysl 06:25 (day 2).

A connecting Ukrainian Intercity train leaves Przemysl at 09:49, arriving Lviv 12:26 & Kyiv Pass at 20:10 (day 2).

The Regiojet sleeper train has 3 & 4 berth couchettes set up with full bedding like a sleeping-car. You can book an inexpensive berth in a shared compartment or you can book a whole compartment for sole occupancy if you like. Refreshments are available from the train staff.

The Ukrainian intercity train is comfortable and air-conditioned with cafe-bar. Regiojet have an allocation of seats and a Regiojet ticket from Prague to Lviv or Kyiv includes a 2nd class seat on this train, booked as one combined ticket from Prague to Lviv/Kyiv.

Prague to Lviv or Kyiv starts at €58 with a berth in a shared compartment, or €119.90 for sole occupancy of a 4-berth couchette compartment for 1 to 4 people. Fares vary slightly according to demand. The fare includes the sleeper and a 2nd class seat on the connecting Ukrainian train.

Buy tickets from Prague to Lviv or Kyiv at www.regiojet.com.

Booking opens 1-2 months ahead, so book your other trains first then book this one a month or two before travel. There is usually plenty of availability 3+ weeks before departure, although it can sell out with a week or two to go. You print your ticket or show it on your phone.

Prague to Przemysl by Regiojet sleeper train


Przemysl to Lviv & Kyiv by Intercity train.		1st class. Courtesy of DiscoverByRail.com.


2nd class. Courtesy of DiscoverByRail.		Cafe counter. Courtesy DiscoverByRail.

Option 2, using the Warsaw-Kyiv sleeper

Day 1, travel from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Berlin on any afternoon or evening ICE train.
You can leave Cologne Hbf as late as 19:27 most days, arriving Berlin Hbf after midnight, but by all means take an earlier train and spend a pleasant evening in Berlin. ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Stay overnight in Berlin.

Top choice here is the InterCity Hotel Berlin Hbf (my favourite), only 200m from Berlin Hbf's main entrance, relatively inexpensive with great reviews, or if you're in the money, the excellent 5-star Steigenberger Hotel just outside the station. If you're on a budget, the cheaper 3-star Motel One Berlin-Hbf is behind the station or use www.hostelworld.com. Of course, if you really want to push the boat out, the famous Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is next to the Brandenburg Gate just 17 minutes walk away.

Day 2, travel from Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train, with a choice of departure:
Leave Berlin Hbf at 05:51 Mondays-Saturdays, arriving Warsaw Centralna 11:00.
Leave Berlin Hbf at 07:49 daily, arriving Warsaw Centralna 13:00.
Leave Berlin Hbf at 09:52 daily, arriving Warsaw Centralna 15:00.
Fares from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Warsaw start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Warsaw at int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
To build in the overnight stop, click Stopovers and enter Berlin Hbf with the length of stay you want, say 12:00 hours. Adjust the departure time and the length of stay to get the trains you want, with a little trial and error.
You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Day 2, travel from Warsaw to Kyiv on the Kyiv Express, leaving Warsaw Wschodnia at 18:50, arriving Kyiv 12:13 next day.
This train has comfortable Ukrainian 1, 2 & 3 bed sleepers with washbasin. There's no restaurant car, so take a picnic and perhaps some wine or beer.
The fare booked with Polrail is around €59 including a bed in a 3-berth sleeper, €93 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €162 in a single-bed sleeper all to yourself.
Buy tickets via reliable Polish agency Polrail, booking.polrail.com.
Tickets can be collected in Warsaw or (at extra charge) shipped to any address worldwide. Polrail may or may not be able to arrange the return reservation back from Kyiv.

To book onward trains from Kyiv to Odessa & other places in Ukraine, see the Ukraine page.

The Warsaw to Kiev train at Warsaw Wschodnia

A Ukrainian sleeping-car on the Kyiv Express at Warsaw Wschodnia.


1, 2 or 3-bed sleeper.		Washbasin.		Kyiv Express at Warsaw Wschodnia.

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Moscow & Russia

Option 1, using the daily Warsaw-Moscow sleeper train - suspended due to sanctions

Day 1, travel from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Berlin on any afternoon or early evening ICE train.
You can leave Cologne Hbf as late as 19:27 on most days, arriving Berlin Hbf after midnight, but by all means take an earlier train and spend a pleasant evening in Berlin. The high-speed ICE has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Stay overnight in Berlin.

Top choice here is the InterCity Hotel Berlin Hbf (my favourite), only 200m from Berlin Hbf's main entrance, relatively inexpensive with great reviews, or if you're in the money, the excellent 5-star Steigenberger Hotel just outside the station. If you're on a budget, the cheaper 3-star Motel One Berlin-Hbf is behind the station or use www.hostelworld.com. Of course, if you really want to push the boat out, the famous Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is next to the Brandenburg Gate just 17 minutes walk away.

Day 2 morning, travel from Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train leaving Berlin Hbf at 09:52 every day, arriving Warsaw Centralna 15:00.
Tip: If you book the earlier 05:51 departure from Berlin on Mondays-Saturdays arriving Warsaw at 11:16 you have time to explore the city, see Warsaw Centralna station & city information. Warsaw's historic old town is a 30 minute walk from Centralna station - if you fancy a modest splurge, the celebrated Ufukiera restaurant (www.ufukiera.pl) is excellent and right on the square in the heart of Warsaw's old town. The Palace of Culture (a wedding cake style Soviet skyscraper and distinctive Warsaw landmark, www.pkin.pl) is right next to the station and has a viewing terrace on the 30th floor.

Fares from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Warsaw start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Warsaw at int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.

To build in the overnight stop, click Stopovers and enter Berlin Hbf with the length of stay you want, say 12:00 hours. Adjust the departure time and the length of stay to get the trains you want, with a little trial and error.

You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Day 2 evening, travel from Warsaw to Moscow by Russian sleeper train, leaving Warsaw Centralna at 19:15 daily, arriving Moscow Belorussky at 16:58 next day (day 3 from Cologne). You can check times at the Russian Railways website www.rzd.ru.
This train was suspended due to Covid-19 and remains suspended due to sanctions & the war in Ukraine.
This train uses impressive Austrian-built sleeping-cars with 4-berth compartments built in 2014, see photos of this type of sleeper here & see panorama photo inside one of these modern sleepers. Each compartment can be sold as 1st class 1-berth, 1st class 2-berth or 2nd class 4-berth. The train consist of two or three sleeping-car which start their journey in Prague. There's a bistro car in Poland and a Russian restaurant car is attached between Brest (on the Polish/Belarus border) & Moscow.

You can book this train by contacting reliable Polish train ticketing agency www.polrail.com - their booking system is at booking.polrail.com. Tickets can be collected in Warsaw or (at extra charge) shipped to any address worldwide.

Alternatively, you can book with Russian Railways at www.rzd.ru although it's a little quirky and may not accept some overseas credit cards.

Don't forget to arrange both your Russian visa & Belarus transit visa as the train runs via Belarus.

IMPORTANT: See the update about travel to Russia through Belarus.

For St Petersburg it's best to travel via Moscow. Moscow to St Petersburg takes as little as 3h50 by daytime Sapsan trains, or can be done an a number of traditional overnight sleepers. See the train travel in Russia page to buy tickets within Russia.

The train from Warsaw to Moscow uses Russian air-conditioned sleeping-cars, pictured below, with compartments which can be used as 1st class 2-berth or 2nd class 4-berth (shown below right), with a shower & toilets at the end of the corridor. See panorama photo inside one of the new Russian sleepers.

A modern Russian sleeping-car of the sort used on the Polonez

A 2-berth or 4-berth compartment in daytime mode

Option 2, using the Berlin-Moscow Strizh (Swift) Talgo sleeper train, twice a week, suspended due to sanctions

Step 1, travel from Cologne to Berlin by ICE train, for example, leaving Cologne Hbf at 13:48 arriving Berlin Hbf at 18:10.
By all means book an earlier train for more time in Berlin. ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

Fares start at €18.99 in 2nd class or €49.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. You print your own ticket or show it on your phone.

Step 2, travel from Berlin to Moscow by direct Russian sleeper train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 20:08 on Mondays & Saturdays, arriving at Moscow Belorussky station at 21:24 next day.
This train was suspended due to Covid-19 and remains suspended due to sanctions.
This train is an articulated Spanish-built Talgo train branded Strizh (Russian for swift) which started running in 2016. It has ordinary seats, 2nd class 4-berth sleepers, 1st class 1 or 2 berth sleepers with washbasin and deluxe 1 or 2 berth sleepers with en suite shower & toilet. There's a restaurant & bistro car.
Russian track gauge is 5', but most of Europe (including the UK) is 4' 8½", so at Brest on the Belarus frontier the Talgo train runs through a special gauge-changing shed and the axles automatically adjust to the new gauge. Once in Russia, the scenery is rolling hills, birch tree forests, and villages of small wooden houses. Approaching Moscow, you may glimpse the plaques on the station building marked '1812' and '1942' as the train passes through the small station of historic Borodino.

You can book the Berlin-Moscow train at the Russian Railways website www.rzd.ru and print your own ticket, it's a little fiddly but usually works, or you can easily buy it online with English language after-sales service if you need it, using the Real Russia online system here.

Don't forget to arrange both your Russian visa and Belarus transit visa as the train runs via Belarus. See my important update about travel to Russia through Belarus.

The Strizh sleeper train from Berlin to Moscow. It's a Spanish-built articulated Talgo train - note the relatively small size of each car, with just one axle between each pair of cars. Photos courtesy of Jaap van Ginkel.


Standard 2-berth sleeper with washbasin, in night-time & daytime modes.				Complimentary toiletry pack.

Option 4, via Kyiv avoiding Belarus and any issues crossing Belarus to reach Moscow

Day 1, travel from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Berlin on any afternoon or early evening high-speed ICE train.
You can leave Cologne Hbf as late as 18:48 on most days, arriving Berlin Hbf around 23:04, but by all means take an earlier train and spend a pleasant evening in Berlin. The high-speed ICE has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Stay overnight in Berlin. Top choice here is the InterCity Hotel Berlin Hbf (my favourite), only 200m from Berlin Hbf's main entrance, relatively inexpensive with great reviews, or if you're in the money, the excellent 5-star Steigenberger Hotel just outside the station. If you're on a budget, the cheaper 3-star Motel One Berlin-Hbf is behind the station or use www.hostelworld.com. Of course, if you really want to push the boat out, the famous Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is next to the Brandenburg Gate just 17 minutes walk away.
Day 2 morning, travel from Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train leaving Berlin Hbf at 09:52 every day, arriving Warsaw Centralna 15:00.
Tip: If you book the earlier 05:51 departure from Berlin on Mondays-Saturdays arriving Warsaw at 11:00 you'll have time to explore the city, see Warsaw Centralna station & city information. Warsaw's historic old town is a 30 minute walk from Centralna station - if you fancy a modest splurge, the celebrated Ufukiera restaurant (www.ufukiera.pl) is excellent and right on the square in the heart of Warsaw's old town. The Palace of Culture (a wedding cake style Soviet skyscraper and distinctive Warsaw landmark, www.pkin.pl) is right next to the station and has a viewing terrace on the 30th floor.
Fares from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Warsaw start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Warsaw at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
To build in the overnight stop in Berlin, click Stopovers and enter Berlin Hbf with the length of stay you want, say 12:00 hours. Adjust the departure time and length of stay to get the trains you want, with a little trial and error.
You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Day 2 evening, travel from Warsaw to Kyiv on the Kyiv Express, leaving Warsaw Wschodnia at 18:50, arriving Kyiv 12:13 next day.
This train has comfortable Ukrainian 1, 2 & 3 bed sleepers with washbasin. There's no restaurant car, so take a picnic and some wine or beer.
The fare booked with Polrail is around €59 including a bed in a 3-berth sleeper, €93 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €162 in a single-bed sleeper all to yourself.
Buy tickets via reliable Polish agency Polrail, booking.polrail.com.
Tickets can be collected in Warsaw or (at extra charge) shipped to any address worldwide. Polrail may or may not be able to arrange the return reservation back from Kyiv as they have close contacts with Ukrainian Railways.
Day 3, take an overnight sleeper train from Kyiv to Moscow. There are several night trains and times vary by date, but there's usually one leaving Kyiv at 19:36 and arriving in Moscow Kievskaya station next morning at 10:13 (day 4 from Cologne). 2-berth & 4-berth sleepers are available. No problems have been reported by westerners travelling from Kyiv to Moscow on these trains.

These trains are suspended due to the war in Ukraine

Book Warsaw-Kyiv and Kyiv-Moscow, contact reliable Polish ticketing agency www.polrail.com. Tickets are collected in Warsaw.

Alternatively, you can book Warsaw to Kyiv then Kyiv to Moscow at the Ukrainian Railways website booking.uz.gov.ua/en, although there are only very few berths from Warsaw to Kyiv made available online, see the explanation & instructions on the London to Kyiv page. For the Kyiv to Moscow booking you should book from Kyiv to Moskva Kievskaya. You collect the Kyiv-Moscow tickets at the station in Kyiv. Feedback appreciated!

You'll still need a Russian visa, but you don't go through Belarus if you go this way.

Cologne & Düsseldorf to Athens & Greece

Option 1, Cologne to Athens by train & ferry via Italy - the leisurely option with an Adriatic cruise thrown in

The best and most comfortable option is to pick up a ferry in Bari. The whole scenic and relaxing journey from Cologne to Athens will take around 2 nights & 3 days, depending how the connections work out on your particular date.
Day 1, travel from Cologne to Milan in a single day as shown above.
Stay overnight in Milan.

Affordable hotels with good or great reviews just outside Milan Centrale include the Hotel Bristol, Hotel Bernina, 43 Station Hotel, B&B Hotel Milano Central Station, Guesthouse Teodora. Pricier more upmarket hotels include HD8 Hotel, Glam Hotel, Made to Measure Business, Starhotel Echo or Starhotel Anderson.

Day 2, travel from Milan to Bari by Frecciarossa, leaving Milan Centrale at 07:50, arriving Bari Centrale 15:27.

The Frecciarossa has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. It's a pleasant journey along Italy's Adriatic coast.

Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, easy to use, small booking fee) or www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in €, £, $ or Au$) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, more fiddly). Italiarail will refund their small booking fee if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your booking reference. Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.

In Bari, transfer from station to port, see map of Bari showing station, port entrance, check-in building & Superfast Ferries berth.

You can walk the 1.9 km from the station to the port entrance in 25 minutes, a stroll through Bari's pleasant old town, see correct walking map from the station to the port entrance gate - if Google tells you any different, trust me, not Google!

Alternatively, bus 50 runs from Bari Centrale station to the road outside the port gate roughly every 40 minutes. A taxi will take 10 minutes.

Day 2, sail overnight from Bari to Patras in Greece with Superfast Ferries.

The ferry sails from Bari at 19:30 on Mondays-Saturdays, arriving Patras at 13:00 next day (Day 3).

On Sundays the ship sails at 13:30, too early to make connections from Milan.

You can check sailing times & dates at using the Direct Ferries website or at www.superfast.com or www.ferriesingreece.com.

You should check in at the Superfast desk on the ground floor of the cruise terminal (Terminal Crociere) at Bari port with passport & booking number to get your boarding pass, ideally 3 hours before departure in summer, although in practice 2 hours or even 1½ hours is normally fine.

You then walk 500m from check-in to the ferry, board the ferry via the foot passenger gangway at the stern and head up the escalator to the main lounge and reception desk to get your cabin key.

The ship is comfortable, with self-service restaurant, lounge, bar and sun deck. You can book a deck place (a good & cheap option in summer if you have your own sleeping bag), a reclining seat or various types of cabin, all with private shower & toilet. Strolling the decks in the morning sun as the ship cruises past the islands of Cephalonia and Ithaca is the nicest part of the trip, and it's a wonderful way to arrive in Greece.

In Patras, the ferry arrives at the new South ferry terminal a few km from the town centre. Bus 18 links the port with the Patras bus station every hour on the hour, fare €1.20 or you can hop in a taxi for around €9, journey time 15-20 minutes.
Day 3, travel from Patras to Athens by Greek Railways bus/train combo.

Hellenic Train (Greek Railways) operate an integrated bus/train service from Patras to Athens every hour or two, total journey time 3h02, fare around €18. No prior reservation is necessary, just buy a ticket to Athens at Patras railway station ticket office.

For example, at the time I write this, buses leave from outside Patras railway station at 14:15, 15:15, 16:00, 17:15 & 18:15, taking 90 minutes to reach Kiato railway station near Corinthos. At Kiato they connect with a modern air-conditioned regional train taking 78 minutes to Athens Larissa Station in downtown Athens. You can check Patra to Athens bus/train times using the journey planner at www.hellenictrain.gr.
Corfu: The Bari-Patras ferry calls at Corfu on certain dates in summer. It calls at Igoumenitsa on the Greek mainland on all departures year-round. If you can't find a direct ferry to Corfu, book the ferry from Bari to Igoumenitsa, then take the local ferry from Igoumenitsa to Corfu with Kerkyra Lines (kerkyralines.com). These sail half a dozen times a day, crossing time 60-90 minutes, fare around €5-€10. Buy a ticket at kerkyralines.com or when you get to Igoumenitsa.

Superfast ferry from Bari to Patras in Greece

The ferry Superfast II from Bari to Patras, boarding at Bari. Photos courtesy of DiscoverByRail.com.


The passenger gangway, onto the ferry.		Reception desk & lounge on the ferry.


Lounge and bar on the Superfast II.		Self-service restaurant.


Private cabin with en suite toilet & shower.

Scenic views from the ferry from Italy to Greece

The ferry passes Cephalonia & Ithaca then approaches mainland Greece. This is what travel to Greece should be like!

The ferry from Bari arrives at Patras

The ferry approaches the new port of Patras.

Option 2, Cologne to Athens overland by train via Munich & Belgrade

This route is not currently viable, there are no international trains to or from Greece.

Cologne & Düsseldorf to Istanbul & Turkey

Step 1, travel from Düsseldorf or Cologne to Bucharest as shown above.

Do not risk any tight connections in Bucharest, I'd allow a minimum of 2 hours, or plan an overnight stop.

Step 2, travel overnight from Bucharest to Istanbul as shown on the Bucharest to Istanbul page.
Book online as shown on those pages, but you should consider using an Interrail pass for the flexibility it gives. You'll find more info about using a pass for a journey like this on the London to Istanbul page.

Hotels in Cologne & other cities

For advice on hotels in Cologne, see the hotels section on the Cologne station page.

My favourite hotel search: www.booking.com

Booking.com is my favourite hotel booking site and I generally use it to book all my hotels in one place. I've come to trust booking.com's review scores, you won't be disappointed with any hotel that scores 8.0 or more. Crucially, booking.com usually lets you book with free cancellation, which means you can confirm accommodation risk-free before train booking opens and/or you can hold accommodation while you finalise your itinerary and alter your plans as they evolve - a feature I use all the time when planning a trip. I never book hotels non-refundably!

Suggested hotels near the station in Cologne

Hotels near to Cologne Hauptbahnhof with good reviews include the Breslauer Hof Am Dom, Hotel Domspitzen, CityClass Hotel Europa am Dom, Hilton Cologne, Excelsior Hotel Ernst am Dom.

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.

Travel insurance & VPN

Always take out travel insurance

Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash and belongings, up to a sensible limit. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself. Here are some suggested insurers. Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.

www.staysure.co.uk offers enhanced Covid-19 protection & 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 mobile data package for the country you're visiting and stay connected. Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM card so you don't need to buy a physical SIM, including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list. 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 at time of writing. The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.

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 digging 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 you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure. 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 the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription. I get a small commission to help support this site.

Carry an Anker powerbank

Tickets, reservations, vaccination records and Interrail or Eurail passes are often held digitally on your mobile phone, so it's vital to keep it charged. I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over if I can't get to a power outlet. Buy from Amazon.co.uk or from buy from Amazon.com.

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Trains between European cities

Trains from Cologne

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Before you buy your tickets

European train travel FAQ

Cologne & Düsseldorf to other destinations in Germany

Cologne or Düsseldorf to anywhere in Germany

About train travel in Germany

Cologne to Munich by Nightjet sleeper

Lo-cost Flixtrains to Hamburg & Berlin

Take the scenic route to Frankfurt, Munich & southern Germany!

Cologne to Berlin by ICE

Cologne to Berlin by lo-cost Flixtrain

Cologne or Düsseldorf to London & UK

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Dublin & Ireland

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Paris from €35

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Strasbourg from €32.99

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Lyon, Marseille, Nice & other destinations in France

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Brussels, Bruges, Ghent or Antwerp from €18.99

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Amsterdam from €19.99

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Luxembourg from €19.99

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Basel, Zurich, Geneva & Switzerland from €37.99

Cologne to Venice from €37.99

Cologne to Florence, Rome, Milan, Verona or anywhere else Italy

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Barcelona & Spain from €74

Cologne or Düsseldorf to San Sebastian & Bilbao

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Ibiza & Mallorca

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Lisbon, Porto & Portugal

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Faro & the Algarve

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Andorra

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck & Austria from €39.99

Cologne & Düsseldorf to Copenhagen, Odense & Denmark from €39.99

Cologne & Düsseldorf to Stockholm & Sweden

Cologne & Düsseldorf to Oslo & Norway

Cologne & Düsseldorf to Helsinki & Finland

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Prague from €29.99

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Český Krumlov & other Czech destinations

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Bratislava & Slovakia from €39.99

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Budapest from €39.99

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Bucharest & Romania

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Ljubljana & Zagreb from €37.99

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Sarajevo & Mostar

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Belgrade & Montenegro

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Sofia

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Warsaw from €37.99

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Wroclaw, Katowice & Krakow from €37.99

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Kyiv & Ukraine

Cologne or Düsseldorf to Moscow & Russia

Cologne & Düsseldorf to Athens & Greece

Cologne & Düsseldorf to Istanbul & Turkey

Hotels in Cologne & other cities

My favourite hotel search: www.booking.com

Suggested hotels near the station in Cologne

Backpacker hostels

Travel insurance & VPN

Always take out travel insurance

Get an eSIM with mobile data package

Get a Curve card for foreign travel

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

Carry an Anker powerbank

Train travel
UK & Ireland...

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in Europe...

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in Asia...

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in Africa...

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in America...

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in Australasia