Eurostar train from London to Brussels

Buy Eurostar tickets to Brussels from £52 at www.eurostar.com

small bullet point  Buy Eurostar tickets at www.eurostar.com with e-tickets, no booking fee.

small bullet point  Book journeys to Germany & beyond at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

small bullet point  Eurostar bookings open up to 11 months ahead.

small bullet point  You can buy a ticket to Brussels or to Any Belgian Station, which then includes onward travel to Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp etc.

small bullet point  Plus & Premier = 1st class with drinks & meals. Standard = 2nd class.  More about Eurostar classes.

small bullet point  You print your ticket or can show it in the Eurostar app on your phone.

small bullet point  Tips on choosing a Eurostar seat

small bullet point  Buy connecting UK train tickets

London to Brussels 2h01, Bruges 3h25

Eurostar is the high-speed passenger train from London St Pancras to Brussels Midi through the Channel Tunnel.  taking just 2 hours from central London to central Brussels.  It's faster than flying as well as more comfortable, more reliable, and with up to 90% lower CO2 emissions.  Or you can travel overnight from London to Antwerp & Brussels via the Harwich-Hoek van Holland ferry, sleeping in a cosy cabin.  Change in Brussels for all other destinations in Belgium.

small bullet point  London to Belgium by Eurostar - the fast way

small bullet point  London to Belgium by train & ferry - the ferry alternative

small bullet point  London to Belgium via Lille - for Tournai, Mons & Ypres

small bullet point  Other UK cities to Brussels & Belgium

Train travel within Belgium

small bullet point  Train travel in Belgium

small bullet point  Battle of Waterloo - a day trip from Brussels

International trains to/from Belgium

small bullet point  Trains to Brussels from other European cities

small bullet point  Trains from Brussels to other European cities

small bullet point  Trains from Bruges to other European cities

Other useful information

small bullet point  London St Pancras station guide

small bullet point  Brussels Midi station & advice on changing trains

small bullet point  Hotels in Brussels & Bruges

small bullet point  Short breaks to Brussels or Bruges by train

small bullet point  Luggage on trains

small bullet point  Left luggage in Brussels & other stations

small bullet point  Taking bikes  - Taking dogs

small bullet point  General train travel to Europe information

small bullet point  Insurance, mobile data packages & other tips


Useful country information

Train operator  

in Belgium:

SNCB (Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Belges) www.belgiantrain.be for times & fares in Belgium.

Eurostar trains London-Brussels:  www.eurostar.com. All-Europe online train times

 

Railpasses:

 

Beginner's guide to European railpassesBuy a rail pass online

   

Time zone:

GMT+1 (GMT+2 from last Sunday in March to last Saturday in October).

 

Dialling code:

 

+32

   

Currency:

£1 = approx 1.15 euros  Check current exchange rates

 

Tourist information:

www.visitbelgium.com.  Brussels bus, tram & metro info:  www.stib.be  

 

Hotels & guesthouses:

Find hotels in Brussels, Bruges & Belgium    www.tripadvisor.com

 

Page last updated:

10 December 2024

 

Option 1, London to Belgium by Eurostar

This is the fastest and easiest way, London to Brussels by Eurostar in 2 hours.  Change at Brussels Midi for Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp or anywhere else in Belgium.

Timetable outward 2025

 London ► Brussels, Ghent, Bruges  (weekdays)  

 Eurostar (30 minute check-in)  

Mondays-Fridays

 London St Pancras depart:

06:16

07:04

08:16

09:01

11:04

13:01

15:04

17:04

18:04

19:34

 Pick up at Ebbsfleet 

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 Brussels Midi arrive:

09:13

10:05

11:13

12:05

14:05

16:06

18:05

20:05

21:05

22:38

 Change in Brussels onto a twice-hourly InterCity train to Ghent & Bruges.

 Brussels Midi depart:

09:29

10:29

11:29

12:29

14:29

16:29

18:29

20:29

21:29

22:51

 Ghent St Pieters arrive:

09:57

10:57

11:57

12:57

14:57

16:57

18:57

20:57

21:57

23:19

 Bruges arrive:

10:26

11:26

12:26

13:26

15:26

17:26

19:26

21:26

22:26

23:50

  London ► Brussels, Ghent, Bruges  (weekends)

 Eurostar (30 min check-in)  

Saturdays

Sundays

 London St Pancras depart:

07:04

08:16

09:01

11:04

13:01

15:04

17:04

19:34

08:16

09:01

11:04

13:01

15:04

17:04

18:04

19:34

 Pick up at Ebbsfleet 

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 Brussels Midi arrive:

10:05

11:13

12:05

14:05

16:06

18:05

20:05

22:38

11:13

12:05

14:05

16:06

18:05

20:05

21:05

22:38

 Change in Brussels onto a twice-hourly InterCity train to Ghent & Bruges.

 Brussels Midi depart:

10:28

11:28

12:28

14:28

16:28

18:28

20:28

23:03

11:28

12:28

14:28

16:28

18:28

20:28

21:28

23:03

 Ghent St Pieters arrive:

10:56

11:56

12:56

14:56

16:56

18:56

20:56

23:32

11:56

12:56

14:56

16:56

18:56

20:56

21:56

23:32

 Bruges arrive:

11:26

12:26

13:26

15:26

17:26

19:26

21:26

23:59

12:26

13:26

15:26

17:26

19:26

21:26

22:26

23:59

Timetable inward 2025

 Bruges, Ghent, Brussels ► London  (weekdays)

 Belgian Intercity train:

Mondays-Fridays

 Bruges depart:

05:52

06:59

07:58

10:58

12:58

14:58

15:58

16:58

17:58

18:58

 Ghent St Pieters depart:

06:24

07:24

08:24

11:24

13:24

15:24

16:24

17:24

18:24

19:24

 Brussels Midi arrive:

06:52

07:52

08:52

11:52

13:52

15:52

16:52

17:52

18:52

19:52

 Change in Brussels onto Eurostar - remember the minimum 30 minute check-in.

 Brussels Midi depart:

07:56

08:52

10:56

12:56

14:52

16:56

17:56

18:51

19:56

20:56

 Drop off at Ebbsfleet (near M25) 

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 London St Pancras arrive:

08:59

09:57

11:57

13:57

15:57

17:57

18:57

19:57

20:57

21:57

  Bruges, Ghent, Brussels ► London  (weekends)

 Belgian Intercity train:

Saturdays

Sundays

 Bruges depart:

05:58

06:59

07:59

10:59

13:59

15:59

16:59

18:11

06:59

08:59

09:59

10:59

12:59

13:59

15:59

16:59

18:59

 Ghent St Pieters depart:

06:25

07:25

08:25

11:25

14:25

16:25

17:25

18:41

07:25

09:25

10:25

11:25

13:25

14:25

16:25

17:25

19:25

 Brussels Midi arrive:

06:53

07:53

08:53

11:53

14:53

16:53

17:53

19:09

07:53

09:53

10:53

11:53

13:53

14:53

16:53

17:53

19:53

 Change in Brussels onto Eurostar - remember the minimum 30 minute check-in.

 Brussels Midi depart:

07:56

08:52

10:56

12:56

14:52

17:56

18:51

20:22

08:52

10:56

11:56

12:56

14:52

16:56

17:56

18:51

20:56

 Drop off at Ebbsfleet (near M25) 

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 London St Pancras arrive:

08:57

09:57

11:57

13:57

15:57

18:57

19:57

21:27

09:57

11:57

12:57

13:57

15:57

17:57

18:57

19:57

21:57

Notes for timetable

How to read these timetables:  It's easy, you read downwards, each column is a journey you can take.  You change trains at the grey bar.

Times vary, check your date at www.eurostar.com.  Check trains in Belgium at www.belgiantrain.be.

There are no Eurostar services on Christmas Day and a reduced service on Boxing Day.  More about Eurostar.

London to Brussels by Eurostar is 373 km (232 miles).  Eurostars won't call at Ashford or Ebbsfleet in 2025.

How much does it cost?

London to Brussels starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in standard, £97 one-way, £140 return in Plus class (1st class).

London to Any Belgian Station starts at £64.50 one-way or £103 return in standard, £116 one-way or £178 return in Plus class.

Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead and avoid busy days such as Fridays or Sundays.

Children under 4 free, no ticket required.  Children under 12 travel at the child rate on both Eurostar and Belgian trains.

Tip:  A through ticket to Any Belgian Station is usually cheaper than buying separate tickets when going to Bruges, but when going to Antwerp or Ghent it's slightly cheaper to buy a Eurostar ticket to Brussels and a separate ticket for the Belgian train.  Check fares for Belgian trains at Belgian Railways www.belgiantrain.be/en.

How to buy tickets

Buy Eurostar tickets at www.eurostar.com.

Booking opens up to 11 months ahead, but remember that data may be incomplete if you look more than a few months ahead.

For Brussels, type Bru in the destination box and select Brussels-Midi/Zuid.

For Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp or anywhere else in Belgium, type any and select Brussels-Midi/Zuid + Any Belgian Station ticket.

Tip:  You may find certain London-Brussels departures missing until 2 months or so before departure.

Eurostar trains that go through to Amsterdam may be kept closed for sale for Brussels passengers and missing from the results if you search until 60 days before departure.  This is Eurostar policy to give London-Amsterdam passengers first bite at the cherry.

You print your ticket or can load it into the Eurostar app & show on your phone. 

Tip:  After booking, go to www.eurostar.com and use Manage your booking to view & change your seats, see tips for choosing seats.

Eurostar any Belgian station ticket

Travel tips

How to use an Any Belgian Station ticket

A Eurostar ticket to Any Belgian Station (ABS) includes onward travel to/from any station in Belgium on any SNCB (Belgian Railways) domestic train.

In the outward direction you can travel from Brussels to any station in Belgium within 24h of your Eurostar arrival in Brussels.  It only takes a few minutes to change trains at Brussels Midi, if you miss a train you can catch the next one.  No reservation is necessary for Belgian domestic trains, just hop on and sit anywhere.

In the inward direction, you can travel from any station in Belgium to Brussels in the 24h before your Eurostar departure.  I'd allow at least 60 minutes between the Belgian train arriving and your Eurostar departure, ideally more, to allow for delay and Eurostar's minimum 30 minute check-in.

ABS tickets are not valid on high-speed Eurostar (formerly Thalys) trains or German ICE trains or the Dutch EuroCity Direct trains.  Belgian Intercity (IC) trains are OK.

And yes, with a Plus (1st class for leisure) or Premier (1st class for business) ABS ticket you go 1st class on the Belgian part of the journey.  Even though with a Plus ticket there's usually an asterisk in the class column.

When you use www.eurostar.com to book to/from Any Belgian Station, the times you see are for the Eurostar between London & Brussels.  You have to check train times between Brussels and whatever Belgian station you want separately, using www.belgiantrain.be.

Going to Bruges?

Buy a Eurostar ticket to Any Belgian Station.  When boarding a train for Bruges in Brussels, the departure indicators usually show Oostende, Knokke or Blankenberge as the destination of your train, Bruges is only a calling point so not always shown.  Remember that Bruges is Brugge in Flemish, Bruges in French, it's the same place.

Tip:  You want the Brussels-Bruges mainline trains through Ghent taking around 1 hour.  Don't get on a stopping train to Bruges via Roesalere taking 2h16!

Going to Tournai, Mons & western Belgium?

Parts of western Belgium are better reached via Lille, including Kortrijk, Tournai, Mons & Ypres, see the Belgium via Lille section.

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What are Eurostar trains like?

Eurostar has 3 classes, Standard, Plus (1st class for leisure), and Premier (1st class for business).

Premier has flexible tickets, a hot meal served at your seat with alcoholic & non-alcoholic drinks, access to business lounges in London & Brussels and a 10 minute minimum check-in.

Plus offers exactly the same 1st class seating, but with more affordable less flexible fares, a cold tray meal served at your seat with complimentary alcoholic & non-alcoholic drinks, a 30-minute minimum check-in and no access to business lounges.

Eurostar trains are smooth & quiet even at 186 mph.  There are two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedures.

A Eurostar e320 train at London St Pancras   Eurostar e320 first class seats

Eurostar e320 at St Pancras.  More about Eurostar.

 

1st class: Plus or Premier seating.

Eurostar e320 2nd class seats   Eurostar e320 cafe-bar

Standard class.  Larger photo.

 

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

Arriving at Brussels Midi

Eurostar arrives on platform 1 or 2 if it terminates in Brussels or on platform 3 or 4 if it continues to Amsterdam.

It's Bruxelles Midi in French, Brussel Zuid in Flemish, Brussels South in English, all the same place.  Brussels Midi is a 25 minute walk from the Grand Place (Grote Markt) in the city centre or there are buses, taxis & a metro.  Brussels Midi station guide.

All Eurostar tickets include a free transfer by Belgian Railways train to Brussels Central, 3 minutes walk from the Grand Place.

To walk to the city centre, leave the station from the main doors on the Eurostar terminal (platform 1/2) side of the station, turn right, walk along the side of the station/tracks for a few minutes and then turn left along the Rue Stalingrad to central Brussels.

Left luggage lockers are available.  When returning to London, remember the minimum 30 minute check-in.  Map of BrusselsBus, tram & metro info for Brussels.

Onwards to Ghent & Bruges

For Bruges or Ghent, look on the departure boards for a train going to Oostende, Knokke or Blankenberge, these trains stop at Ghent & Bruges.  Remember that Bruges is Brugge in Flemish, Ghent is Gand in French.  In Bruges, you want the main station shown as plain Bruges, not the local station called Bruges St Pieters.  However, just to confuse you, the main station in Ghent is called Ghent St Pieters.  Clear?  Great!

Most Brussels-Bruges trains use modern double deck M7 trains as shown below.  A few use an older single-deck type.  There's no catering, so bring your own food & drink.  The double-deck trains have power sockets, the older single-deck trains don't.  There are no seat reservations, you sit where you like.

Tip:  You can see which train type will operate your departure by running an enquiry at www.belgiantrain.be.  In the search results, click on your departure and an image of the train will appear.  Or download the SNCB/NMBS app and run an enquiry on your phone.

Double-deck intercity train from Brussels to Bruges

A double-deck Intercity train from Brussels arrived at Bruges station, final destination Oostende.  Most departures use these double-deck M7 trains.

Entrance & stairs on a double-deck intercity train from Brussels to Bruges 2nd class seats on a double-deck intercity train from Brussels to Bruges

Above left, the entrance and stairs to upper & lower decks.

Above right, 2nd class upper deck seats on a Brussels-Luxembourg train.

1st class seats on a double-deck intercity train from Brussels to Bruges   Bruges station

Above left, the rather nice steampunk-style 1st class, on these trains all 1st class seats are on the upper deck.

Above right, Bruges station.  At the time of writing, the classic main entrance and station hall are closed for renovation.  You enter through an entrance to the left, directly into the passageway under all the tracks with escalators up to each platform.

Bruges station

Bruges railway station.  Left luggage lockers are available, card-operated like the ones in Brussels.

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Option 2, London to Belgium by train & ferry

For over a century, the traditional direct route from London to Brussels was via Dover & Oostende. However, there have been no ferries from Dover to Oostende since the 1990s.  But there's still an alternative to Eurostar worth considering, especially if you live in East Anglia or have a phobia about the Channel Tunnel, with easy train-ferry connections at each end.  It's overnight while you sleep in a cosy private cabin with shower, toilet & satellite TV, so it's actually pretty time-effective, it's also punctual, all-weather-reliable and fun, too!  This route is also pet-friendly & bike-friendly.

London ► Antwerp & Brussels

Brussels & Antwerp ► London

How much does it cost?

How to buy tickets

What's the journey like?

Step 1, London to Hoek van Holland by train & ferry

An air-conditioned train whisks you from London Liverpool Street station direct to the ferry terminal at Harwich International.  You walk off the train, into the terminal, get your boarding card at the Stena Line check-in desk and walk onto the overnight ferry to Hoek van Holland, sleeping in a cosy private cabin.  The superferries Stena Britannica & Stena Hollandica are the largest ferries of their kind in the world.  The journey is explained in detail on the Stena Line Rail & Sail page See the video.

Stena Line ferry at Harwich

The Stena Hollandica boarding at Harwich, a floating hotel with private cabins, restaurant, bar, lounges, shop & kennels.

Standard outside cabin on Stena Line ferry   Stena Plus lounge on the ferry to Hoek van Holland

Above left, a standard outside cabin.  Larger photo.  360º photoAbove right, the Stena Plus lounge with complimentary red & white wine, tea, coffee & snacks.

Bar on the Stena Line ferry to Hoek van Holland   London to Amsterdam via the Stena Line ferry

Above left, the bar on 9 deck. Above right, a Captain's Class cabin with complimentary minibar, toilet & shower.

Step 2, Hoek van Holland to Rotterdam by metro

Air-conditioned metro trains link Hoek van Holland with Eendrachtsplein & Beurs stations in downtown Rotterdam every 20-30 minutes, journey time around 30 minutes, either get off at Eendrachtsplein and stroll 10 minutes to Rotterdam Centraal, or change at Beurs onto metro line D/E and go 2 stops to Rotterdam Centraal.

Metro from Hoek van Holland   Inside the metro from Hoek van Holland

Step 3, Rotterdam to Belgium by train. 

Every hour, a fast EuroCity Direct train links Rotterdam Centraal with Antwerp Centraal & Brussels Midi.  From 15 December 2024 these are operated new ICNG (Intercity New Generation) trains with power sockets, USB ports & free WiFi.  There's a mix of seating types in both classes, luggage racks, bike spaces, wheelchair accessible toilets and easy level boarding.

There is also a much slower service every hour branded EuroCity using older trains, but tickets for EuroCity Direct are not valid on the (plain) EuroCity trains.

Rotterdam Centraal was rebuilt in 2014, and is now one of Europe's most impressive modern stations - it's worth wandering into the main hall and onto the forecourt to admire it.  The lovely Centraal Station lettering and clock on the front is taken from the previous 1957 building.

InterCity New Generation train at Brussels

An ICNG (InterCity New Generation) train at Brussels Midi.  These will operate the EuroCity Direct services from December 2024.

InterCity New Generation train at Brussels   InterCity New Generation train at Brussels

ICNG 2nd class.  Larger photo.

 

ICNG 1st class.  Larger photo.

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Option 3, London to Belgium via Lille

A few destinations in western Belgium are best reached by taking Eurostar to Lille Europe, walking 500m to Lille Flandres station, then taking a local train.  This includes Kortrijk, Mons, Tournai and Ypres, the place WW1 British soldiers knew as 'Wipers'.

Book Eurostar to Lille at www.eurostar.com.  Then check onward times from Lille Flandres at the Belgian railways website, www.belgiantrain.be.

For example, an hourly regional train runs from Lille to Kortrijk (the final destination of this train is usually Antwerp/Anvers), change at Kortrijk for the branch line to Ypres (Ieper) and Poperinge. 

You don't need a reservation for Lille-Belgium regional trains so can easily buy the Lille-Belgium ticket at the station in Lille when you get there.

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Short breaks to Brussels or Bruges

The historic city of Bruges makes a truly excellent short break destination from the UK - better in my opinion than Brussels, although both cities are worth the trip.  You can find short breaks to Bruges or Brussels combining Eurostar and hotel at:

Bruges waterfront

The old city of Bruges.  My favourite hotel, the Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce, is in the centre of this photo.

Bruges grote markt   Belfry of Bruges

The Grote Markt, Bruges

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Other UK cities to Belgium

There are special tickets to London International CIV from most UK stations which have better terms and conditions specially designed for connecting with Eurostar:  Buy a special add-on ticket from almost any station in Britain to London International (St Pancras).

East Anglia to Brussels by train & ferry

If you live in East Anglia, a convenient, affordable, time-effective option is to use the Harwich to Hoek van Holland ferry, see the section above.

Devon & Cornwall to Brussels by sleeper & Eurostar

You can take the overnight Night Riviera sleeper train from Cornwall, Plymouth, Newton Abbott or Exeter to London Paddington, take the Underground to St Pancras, then hop on a Eurostar to Brussels, see the Sleeper to Cornwall page.

Scotland to Brussels by sleeper & Eurostar

You can take the overnight Caledonian Sleeper from Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and many other Scottish town and cities to London Euston, walk to St Pancras, then hop on a Eurostar to Brussels, see the Caledonian Sleeper page.

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GuidebooksAmazon logo

Take a good guidebook, even in the age of the internet!  For the independent traveller, I think this means either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide.  I personally prefer the layout of the Lonely Planet, but others prefer the Rough Guide.  Both guidebooks provide the same excellent level of practical information and historical background.  You won't regret buying one!

Click the images to buy at Amazon.co.uk

Click to buy - Lonely Planet Western Europe Lonely Planet Belgium & Luxembourg - buy online at Amazon.co.uk Rough Guide to Belgium & Luxembourg - buy online at Amazon.co.uk

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European Rail Timetable & maps

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

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

 

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Hotels in Belgium

Hotels near Brussels Midi

Hotels in the centre of Brussels

In Bruges: Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce

Find hotels at Booking.comMy 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!

Backpacker hostels: www.hostelworld.com

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 Paris and most other European cities at rock-bottom prices.

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Travel insurance & other tips

 

Staysure travel insurance

 

Columbus Direct logo

Always take out travel insurance

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

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

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

US flag  If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.

 

Maya.net logo

Get an eSIM with mobile data package

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

 

Curve card

Curve card

Get a Curve card for foreign travel

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

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

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

 

Express VPN

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

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

 

Anker Powerrbank

Carry an Anker powerbank

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

Touring cities?  Use hill walking shoes!

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

 


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