Buy train tickets in Italy at www.italiarail.com, www.thetrainline.com or www.trenitalia.com.

I want to go from Florence to...

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      Click here for journeys starting in another city

      Florence SMN station guide

      Recommended hotels in Florence

This page explains how to travel by train from Florence to other cities all over Europe, and how to buy tickets the cheapest way.  Information current for 2024.

Before you buy your tickets

Take a moment to read these tips for buying European train tickets.  It answers all 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

Which station in Florence?

The main station in the city centre is Firenze Santa Maria Novella, usually abbreviated to SMN.  It's a terminus, with easy level access between street, concourse and all platforms so no problem with luggage. To save reversing in the SMN terminus, some trains by-pass Florence SMN calling at Firenze Campo di Marte which is a taxi ride away, just on the edge of the city centre.  In the text below Florence means Firenze SMN unless it says otherwise.  A third station, Firenze Rifredi, is also not as central as SMN.  See map of Florence showing stations.  Florence Santa Maria Novella station guide.

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Florence to other Italian towns & cities from €9.90, www.italiarail.com

• Most trains in Italy are operated by Trenitalia, the passenger operating part of Ferrovie dello Stato (FS), Italian State Railways.

  Tickets for Trenitalia's high-speed & intercity trains always come with a seat reservation automatically included, so yes, in theory trains can sell out although although there are so many trains & seats it's easy to buy tickets at the station on the day if you like, the real issue is price.

  High-speed & intercity trains have airline-style pricing, so tickets are significantly cheaper booked in advance with a cheap Economy, Super-Economy or Speciale Frecce advance-purchase fare, specified train only, limited or no refunds or changes to travel plans.

  If you buy on the day the Base fare applies, which is flexible and can be changed to another departure up to 60 minutes after the departure of the train you originally booked. 

  Regional trains don't usually require reservations and have one fixed price called Ordinaria which you can pay at the station on the day and just hop on the next train.  There is no need to pre-book regional trains and no advantage in doing so other than saving a few minutes at the station.  More about how tickets for regional trains work.

• How to buy tickets

  1.  www.italiarail.com is easy to use, in €, £, $ & Aus$.  Only sells tickets for Trenitalia, not Italo or for other countries.  Allows seat selection from a seat map.  Italiarail can be cheaper than Trenitalia.com for 2 or more people travelling together as explained here.  They'll refund their €3.50 booking fee for seat61 users you email seat61@italiarail.com after you book.

  2.  www.thetrainline.com is also easy to use, in €, £, $, small booking fee.  Sells tickets for Trenitalia and Italo and can also book trains in other countries.  Allows seat choice from a seat map on Trenitalia high-speed & Intercity trains.  More about Thetrainline.

  3.  www.raileurope.com is easy to use, in €, £ & $, small booking fee.  Sells tickets for Trenitalia and Italo and can also book trains in other countries.  More about Raileurope.

  4.  www.trenitalia.com is Italian Railways' own website, only sells its own tickets, in €, allows seat selection from a seat map on high-speed & intercity trains.  It's fairly easy to use but you need to use Italian-language place names and it has a few quirks, especially when booking sleepers, see this advice on using it.

  All these sites offer ticketless travel for Trenitalia intercity & high-speed trains, you print out your booking or show it on your phone.

  Booking for high-speed trains usually opens 4 months ahead, but this varies, especially when the mid-December timetable change is imminent.

• For more information, including how to reach places such as Sorrento, Pompeii, Capri, Amalfi see the Train travel in Italy page.

Florence to Rome, Naples, Milan, Turin & Venice

• Nobody flies any more

  Florence to Rome takes as little as 1h32 by hourly Frecciarossa high-speed train, city centre to city centre with zero check-in and a departure once or twice an hour.  Florence to Venice takes just 2h05, again with trains once or twice an hour.  Florence to Naples takes as little as 2h29.

• A choice of operator:  Trenitalia or Italo

  You have a choice of operator on the high-speed Naples-Rome-Florence-Milan-Turin & Rome-Florence-Venice routes :  State-owned Trenitalia or privately-owned Italo.  Both are excellent, red-hot competition has driven quality up & fares down, see my advice on which operator to take.

  Trenitalia uses Frecciarossa 500s & Frecciarossa 1000s on the Naples-Rome-Florence-Milan-Turin route and a mixture of Frecciarossa 500, Frecciarossa 600 & Frecciarossa 1000 on the Rome-Florence-Venice route.  Italo operates a train every hour or so, using its original AGV trains on the Naples-Rome-Florence-Milan-Turin route and mostly its new EVO trains on the Naples-Rome-Florence-Venice route, see the Italo page for more details.  I can recommend all of these trains!

  Both operators use Florence's main station, Firenze Santa Maria Novella = Florence SMN.

• How much does it cost?

  Florence to Rome or Venice starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.

  Florence to Naples starts at €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class.

  Prices vary like air fares, so book ahead for the cheapest prices.

  Super-economy & Economy = advance-purchase fares with limited or no refunds or changes to travel plans. 

  Base = what you pay at the station on the day, refundable, changeable up to an hour after departure. 

  All tickets are for a specific train and come with a reserved seat.  But there are almost always places available on the day, if you're happy paying the most expensive Base fare.  These are Trenitalia's fare types, but it's a similar story on Italo.

• How to buy tickets

  1.  www.italiarail.com is easy to use, in €, £, $ & Aus$.  Only sells tickets for Trenitalia, not Italo or for other countries.  Allows seat selection from a seat map.  Italiarail can be cheaper than Trenitalia.com for 2 or more people travelling together as explained here.  They'll refund their €3.50 booking fee for seat61 users you email seat61@italiarail.com after you book.

  2.  www.thetrainline.com is also easy to use, in €, £, $, small booking fee.  Sells tickets for Trenitalia and Italo and can also book trains in other countries.  Allows seat choice from a seat map on Trenitalia high-speed & Intercity trains.  More about Thetrainline.

  3.  www.raileurope.com is easy to use, in €, £ & $, small booking fee.  Sells tickets for Trenitalia and Italo and can also book trains in other countries.  More about Raileurope.

  4.  www.trenitalia.com is Italian Railways' own website, only sells its own tickets, in €, allows seat selection from a seat map on high-speed & intercity trains.  It's fairly easy to use but you need to use Italian-language place names and it has a few quirks, especially when booking sleepers, see this advice on using it.

  5.  www.italotreno.it is Italo's own website, in €, easy to use.  It only sells Italo trains.

  All these sites offer ticketless travel for intercity & high-speed trains, you print out your booking or show it on your phone.

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead except when the mid-December timetable changes are imminent when the booking horizon shrinks.

Florence to Pisa

• Regional trains link Florence SMN with Pisa, one Regional Veloce (Regional Express) every hour taking between 49 & 60 minutes then at least one regular Regionale every hour taking between 1h11 & 1h21.  The fare is around €9.30 each way.

• No reservation is necessary or even possible, tickets for regional trains have a fixed price and unlimited availability so you can turn up, buy a ticket & hop on the next train.  All these regional trains are 2nd class only, they have toilets and plenty of room for luggage, most are now modern and air-conditioned.

• Visiting the Leaning Tower?  Pisa Centrale is 25 minutes walk from the famous Leaning Tower, but some trains go beyond Pisa Centrale to Pisa San Rossore which is 12 minutes walk from the Leaning Tower, see advice for visiting the leaning tower of Pisa.

• Check train times at www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com, but you can just buy regional train tickets at the station from the ticket office or Trenitalia ticket machines, there is no advantage in buying in advance other than saving time at the station.

  Tip:  If you buy a ticket for a regional train online, you need to check-in online before boarding, read about how online regional tickets work.

• See advice on train travel in Italy.

Trains of this type link Florence with Pisa & Livorno.

Florence to Siena

• Regional trains link Florence SMN with Siena every hour, journey time 1h28, fare around €10.20 each way.

• No reservation is necessary or even possible, tickets for regional trains have a fixed price and unlimited availability so you can turn up, buy a ticket & hop on the next train.  All these regional trains are 2nd class only, they have toilets and plenty of room for luggage, most are now modern and air-conditioned.

• In Siena, the station is at the foot of the hill and it used to be a steep trek up to the old town.  However, there's now a series of modern escalators and moving walkways that ferry you almost painlessly to the top of the hill, from where it's just a minute or two's walk to the Porta Camollia at the entrance to the old town.  From the Porta Camollia it's a pleasant 15 minute stroll to the famous Piazza del Campo.

• Check train times at www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com, but you can just buy regional train tickets at the station from the ticket office or Trenitalia ticket machines, there is no advantage in buying in advance other than saving time at the station.

  Tip:  If you buy a ticket for a regional train online, you need to check-in online before boarding, read about how online regional tickets work.

• See advice on train travel in Italy.

Trains of this type link Florence with Siena.

Florence to Lucca

• Regional trains link Florence SMN with Lucca once or twice per hour, journey time between 1h19 and 1h45, fare around €8.40 each way.

• No reservation is necessary or even possible, tickets for regional trains have a fixed price and unlimited availability so you can turn up, buy a ticket & hop on the next train.  All these regional trains are 2nd class only, they have toilets and plenty of room for luggage, most are now modern and air-conditioned.

• Check train times at www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com, but you can just buy regional train tickets at the station from the ticket office or Trenitalia ticket machines, there is no advantage in buying in advance other than saving time at the station.

  Tip:  If you buy a ticket for a regional train online, you need to check-in online before boarding, read about how online regional tickets work.

• See advice on train travel in Italy.

Vivalto double-deck regional train, used from Florence to Lucca and some services from Florence to Pisa.

Florence to Pompeii, Sorrento, Amalfi

• Take a mainline train from Florence SMN to Naples Centrale, book this at either at www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com.

• At Naples Centrale, head downstairs to the Circumvesuviana station and hop on the little half-hourly electric Circumvesuviana train from Naples Centrale to Herculaneum (Ercolano), Pompeii Scavi & Sorrento, with onward buses to Positano, Praiano & Amalfi.

  Just buy a Circumvesuviana ticket at the station or use a contactless bank card, see the day trip to Pompeii page for details.  There are also ferries from Naples or Sorrento to Capri.

• For Amalfi, you can also book a train to Salerno then a bus to Amalfi.

• How to reach Pompeii.  How to reach Sorrento.  How to reach Capri.  How to reach Amalfi, Positano & Praiano.

Florence to Palermo, Catania, Siracuse & Sicily

Option 1, Florence to Sicily by daytime trains - an epic ride

• You can travel from Florence to Palermo, Catania or Siracuse by train in a day, with two departures every day, early morning & mid-morning.

  Take a Frecciarossa high-speed train from Florence SMN to Rome Termini or Naples Centrale, then the afternoon InterCity train from Rome Termini & Naples Centrale to Sicily.

  The journey takes you along the coast past cliffs and beaches to the toe of Italy, then the Naples-Palermo/Catania/Siracuse train gets shunted onto a ferry to cross the Straits of Messina, a unique experience, have your camera ready.  There's no catering car on the InterCity train, so bring your own picnic and bottle of wine or beer.

• Fares start at €39.80 in 2nd class or €59.80 in 1st class.  Fares vary so book ahead.

• Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com, www.raileurope.com or www.italiarail.com.

  All these sites sell the same tickets, all offer ticketless travel for Italian intercity & high-speed trains, you print your booking reference or show it on your phone.  www.italiarail.com will refund their small booking fee if you email them afterwards at seat61@italiarail.com.

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead, except when the mid-June & mid-December timetable changes are imminent when the booking horizon shrinks to less than this with some trains loaded before others.  More about how to buy Italian train tickets.

• Tip:  I'd allow at least 45 minutes between trains in Rome or Naples, if necessary book each train separately.

Option 2, Florence to Sicily by an overnight sleeper - the time-effective option

• Step 1, take an early-evening Frecciarossa high-speed train from Florence SMN to Rome Termini in as little as 1h19.

• Step 2, take one of the two Intercity Notte sleeper trains from Rome to Sicily, one usually leaves Rome Termini around 20:30, the other 23:00.

  At Villa San Giovanni at the toe of Italy the train is shunted onto a ferry to cross the Straits of Messina.  It's a unique experience, have your camera ready.  In Messina the train splits, one portion goes to Cefalù & Palermo, the other to Catania, Taormina & Siracuse, arriving in the afternoon.  More about trains to Sicily.

  Tip:  The earlier sleeper boards the train ferry around 4am, I'd take the later sleeper to experience the train ferry at a more reasonable 6am!

  The sleeper trains have Comfort couchettes with 4-berth compartments, ideal for families.  They also have sleeping-cars with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin.  The couchettes convert to seats for daytime use, the sleepers convert to a private sitting room with sofa.  There's no restaurant car (although morning tea or coffee is provided), so bring your own picnic and bottle of wine or beer.  One of the trains normally has an Excelsior sleeper with a few deluxe compartments with en suite toilet & shower.  More about Italian domestic sleeper trains.

• Florence to Rome starts at €19.90, then Rome to Sicily starts at €39.90 with a couchette, from €79.90 with a bed in a cosy 2-bed sleeper or from €87.50 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself.  Book ahead for Trenitalia's cheap Super-Economy and Economy prices.

• Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com, www.raileurope.com or www.italiarail.com.

  All these sites sell the same tickets, all offer ticketless travel for Italian intercity & high-speed trains, you print your booking reference or show it on your phone.  www.italiarail.com will refund their small booking fee if you email them afterwards at seat61@italiarail.com.

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead, except when the mid-June & mid-December timetable changes are imminent when the booking horizon shrinks to less than this with some trains loaded before others.  More about how to buy Italian train tickets.

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Florence to London from €105

• For travel between Florence & London in either direction, see the London to Italy page.

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Florence to Paris from €48.90

• See the Florence to Paris by train page.

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Florence to Lyon from €54.90

• Step 1, travel from Florence to Milan by high-speed Frecciarossa, leaving Florence SMN at 12:55 and arriving Milan Centrale at 14:50.

  The 300 km/h Frecciarossa has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Step 2, travel from Milan to Lyon by high-speed Frecciarossa 1000, leaving Milan Centrale at 15:53 arriving Lyon Part Dieu at 20:23.

  The Frecciarossa 1000 has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  After an initial dash on the Milan-Turin high-speed line the train slows right down for a scenic meander through the Alps into France.

  Update:  The direct Milan-Lyon-Paris line via Modane was blocked by a landslide in August 2023, and remains blocked in 2024.  Until further notice, all direct Milan-Lyon-Paris trains are cancelled.  Please use alternative routes, for example Naples-Milan-Geneva-Lyon.  More information.

• How much does it cost?

  Florence to Milan starts at €19.90 in standard (2nd class) or €29.90 in business (1st class).

  Milan to Lyon starts at €25 in standard (2nd class), €32 in business (1st class) or €149 in executive (premium 1st).

• How to buy tickets

  Buy tickets at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, whichever you prefer, both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee.  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.

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Florence to Nice, Cannes, Monte Carlo

• There are several departures from Florence to Nice & the Côte d'Azur every day, see the Italy to Nice page for details.

  Take a high-speed Frecciarossa train from Florence SMN to the magnificent Milan Centrale in 1h55, an Intercity train from Milan to Ventimiglia on the French border in 3h45, then a TER local train from Ventimiglia to Menton, Monte Carlo, Nice, Antibes & Cannes.

  It's a lovely journey along the Ligurian coast between Genoa & Ventimiglia, along the scenic Côte d'Azur between Ventimiglia, Nice & Cannes.

• Fares start at around €48 in 2nd class or €65 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• See the Italy to Nice page for schedules, fares & how to buy tickets.

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Florence to Brussels & Bruges from €57.80

Option 1, Florence to Brussels using the Florence-Munich Nightjet sleeper - a comfortable & time-effective option

• Step 1, travel from Florence to Munich by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Florence SMN at 21:48 and arriving Munich Hbf 09:22.

  Important: This sleeper train is cancelled from 17 November 2024 to 13 July 2025 due to work in the Tauern Tunnel in Austria.

  From 10 September 2024 this train becomes 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 on-board accommodation, travel tips & photos.  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 (in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (same prices, more fiddly, in €).  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You print your own ticket.

  Tip:  If you like, you can check the train formation, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using the excellent www.vagonweb.cz.  Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Austria & click nj.

• Step 2, travel from Munich to Brussels by ICE, leaving Munich Hbf at 10:48, change at Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen, arriving Brussels Midi 17:35.

  ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Fares start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 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.  You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone.  I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

Step 1, Florence to Munich by Nightjet sleeper train.  More about new-generation Nightjets

Step 2, Munich to Brussels by ICE with a change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf. More about ICE. Above, an ICE3neo at Brussels Midi.  Photo courtesy of Christian Hunt.

Option 2, Florence to Brussels with an overnight stop in Lyon - easy & time-effective

• Day 1, travel from Florence to Milan by Frecciarossa, leaving Florence SMN at 12:55 and arriving Milan Centrale at 14:50.

  High-speed Frecciarossa trains have 4 classes, a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about Frecciarossas.

• Day 1, travel from Milan to Lyon by Frecciarossa, leaving Milan Centrale at 15:53 and arriving Lyon Part Dieu at 20:23.

  The Frecciarossa has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  It's a scenic & relaxing run, at up to 300 km/h (186 mph) on the high-speed line from Milan to Turin, then a slow meander on the classic line through the alps to Lyon.  Bring a good book and bottle of wine, and make it a relaxing afternoon with your feet up, although some scenery will be in darkness depending on the time of year.  More information, photos & tips about the Milan-Lyon-Paris Frecciarossa.

  Update:  The direct Milan-Lyon-Paris line via Modane was blocked by a landslide in August 2023, and remains blocked in 2024.  Until further notice, all direct Milan-Lyon trains are cancelled.  Please use alternative routes.  More information.

• Stay overnight in Lyon, The Ibis Budget Lyon Centre - Gare Part Dieu is affordable & right next to Lyon Part Dieu station with good reviews, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Lyon also gets great reviews and is just a few minutes walk away.

• Day 2, travel from Lyon to Brussels by direct TGV, with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi:

  On Mondays to Saturdays you can leave Lyon Part Dieu at 05:50 arriving Brussels Midi at 09:43.

  Or on any day of the week you can leave Lyon Part Dieu at 08:30 arriving Brussels Midi at 12:11

• How much does it cost?

  Florence to Milan starts at €19.90 in standard class, €29.90 in business class or €119.90 in executive class.

  Milan to Lyon starts at €25 in standard class, €32 in business class or €149 in executive class.

  Lyon to Brussels starts at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• How to buy tickets

  Buy tickets for each of these trains at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (whichever you prefer).  Book each train individually, adding it to your basket, then check out.

  www.raileurope.com and www.thetrainline.com connect to both the Italian and French booking systems so you can book all these trains in one place, in plain English, in €, £ or $.  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  There's a small booking fee.

  The Italian trains are ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.  For the TGV, you print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.

• How to buy tickets, advanced

  Alternatively, you can book each train separately, more work, more fiddly, same fares, but without any booking fee.  First book the Italian trains at www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in €, $ or £, seat choice from a seat map, they'll refund their small booking fee to seat61 users if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com afterwards) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, more fiddly, requires Italian-language place names, see advice on using it), then book the Lyon-Brussels TGV at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com.

Option 3, Florence to Brussels with an overnight stop in Turin

• Day 1, travel from Florence SMN to Turin Porta Susa on any afternoon or evening train you like.

  You can leave Florence as late as 18:55 arriving Turin 21:49, but I'd take an earlier train as Turin is well worth a stopover.  It's possibly one of Italy's most under-rated cities, even if you're not a fan of the 1969 Michael Caine film The Italian Job.

  You can take an Italo high-speed train or a Trenitalia Frecciarossa, two competing operators, choose whichever you like the look of.

• Stay overnight in Turin.  The Hotel Torino Porta Susa or Hotel Diplomatic, Best Quality Hotel Dock Milano or Al Porta Susa B&B are all next to Turin Porta Susa station with good or great reviews.

• Day 2, travel from Turin to Paris by TGV, leaving Turin Porta Susa at 07:36 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 13:16.

  The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  It's a comfortable & scenic journey, at low speed through the Alps, then a final dash along the high-speed line to Paris, see the video here.  Bring a good book and a bottle of wine, and make it a relaxing afternoon with your feet up.  More about the Paris-Milan TGVs.

  Update:  The direct Milan-Turin-Paris line via Modane was blocked by a landslide in August 2023, and remains blocked in 2024.  Until further notice, all direct Turin-Paris trains are cancelled.  Please use alternative routes.  More information.

  Change trains & stations in Paris by taxi or metro.

• Day 2, travel from Paris to Brussels by Eurostar (formerly Thalys), leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 14:22 and arriving Brussels Midi at 15:44.

  High-speed Eurostar trains have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).  Make sure you allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Paris, ideally more.

• How much does it cost? 

  Florence to Turin starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.

  Turin to Paris starts at €29 in 2nd class or €44 in 1st class.

  Paris to Brussels starts at €29 in 2nd class or €55 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• How to buy tickets

  Buy tickets at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, whichever you like best.

  These connect to both the Trenitalia, Italo & SNCF ticketing systems so you can book all your tickets together in one place, in plain English, in €, £ or $.  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  There's a small booking fee.

  First book Florence SMN to Turin Porta Susa and add to basket.  Then book Turin Porta to Brussels Midi for the following day, add to basket & check out.

  Tip:  Before running the Turin to Brussels enquiry at www.raileurope.com, click More options and enter Paris (any station) as a via point with a stopover duration of at least 1 hour to ensure a robust connection.  If you don't do this, the system allows cross-Paris connections as tight as 40 minutes, which I consider too tight.

  The Italian train is ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.  For the two French trains, you print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.

• How to buy tickets, advanced

  Alternatively, you can book each train separately, more effort, more fiddly, same fares, but no booking fee.  First book the Italian train at www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in €, $ or £, they'll refund the €3.50 booking fee to seat61 users if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com afterwards) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, more fiddly, requires Italian-language place names, see advice on using it), then book the TGV & Eurostar at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com.

Option 4, Florence to Brussels by day trains with overnight stop in Munich - avoids crossing Paris

• Day 1, travel from Florence to Munich, leaving Florence SMN at 12:36, change at Verona Porta Nuova and arriving Munich Hbf at 20:26.

  Other departures are possible, check times at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com.

  You take an Italian high-speed Frecciarossa from Florence to Verona with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, then a swish Austrian railjet train to Munich Hbf, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  The journey takes you through the scenic Brenner Pass, see the photos here.

  Florence to Verona starts at €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Verona to Munich starts at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book from Florence SMN to Munich Hbf at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com.

  Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead for the Italian train, you print out your ticket or show it on your phone.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead for the Austrian EuroCity train, you print your own ticket or can show them on your laptop or phone.

• 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.  Or consider the more 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 Brussels by ICE, leaving Munich Hbf at 08:47, change at Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen, arriving Brussels Midi 15:35.

  ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Exact times may vary, earlier or later departures are also available.

  Fares start at from €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 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.  You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone.  I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

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Florence to Amsterdam from €64

Option 1, Florence to Amsterdam using the Zurich-Amsterdam Nightjet sleeper - scenic & time-effective

• Step 1, travel from Florence to Milan by Frecciarossa, leaving Florence SMN at 13:55 and arriving Milan Centrale 15:50.

  High-speed Frecciarossa trains have 4 classes, a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about Frecciarossas.

  Fares start at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.  Fares work like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

  Book from Florence to Milan at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee).  Booking usually opens up to 4 months ahead.  It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.

  A later departure is theoretically possible, but you should allow plenty of time in both Milan and Zurich when connecting with a sleeper train.  Take some time to look around the magnificent Milan Centrale - can you spot Mussolini?

• Step 2, travel from Milan to Zurich by EuroCity train through the Alps, leaving Milan Centrale at 17:10 arriving Zurich HB at 20:27.

  The EuroCity train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & fee WiFi.  It's a lovely ride across Switzerland through the Alps past various lakes including Lake Lugano, see the Milan to Zurich video.  Have your camera ready!

  On arrival in Zurich you've time for dinner, I recommend steak-frites and a beer or two at the Brasserie Federal on the main concourse.

  Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class.  Fares work like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

  Book from Milan to Zurich at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee).  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.

• Step 3, travel from Zurich to Amsterdam by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Zurich HB at 21:59, arriving Amsterdam Centraal 09:14.

  This comfortable Nightjet train has an air-conditioned AB33 sleeping-car with 1 & 2 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, served in your compartment.  Watch the Amsterdam-Switzerland sleeper video.

  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.oebb.at.  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, sometimes less.

  Tip:  This train may be listed in the search results twice, once as an IC with seats, once as an NJ with couchettes/sleepers.  Choose the latter!

Option 2, Florence to Amsterdam using the Florence-Munich Nightjet sleeper train - a comfortable and time-effective option

• Step 1, travel from Florence to Munich by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Florence SMN at 21:48 and arriving Munich Hbf 09:22.

  Important: This sleeper train is cancelled from 17 November 2024 to 13 July 2025 due to work in the Tauern Tunnel in Austria.

  From 10 September 2024 this train becomes 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 on-board accommodation, travel tips & photos.  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 $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (same prices, more fiddly, in €).  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.

  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, scroll down to Austria & click nj.

• Step 2, travel from Munich to Amsterdam by ICE, leaving Munich Hbf at 11:51, change Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Amsterdam Centraal 20:29.

  ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Exact times may vary.

  Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.  Tip:  Change Transfer time from normal to 40 minutes. 

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

Step 1, Florence to Munich by Nightjet sleeper train.  More about new-generation Nightjets

Step 2, Munich to Amsterdam by ICE with a change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf.  Above, an ICE3neo at Amsterdam Centraal.  More about ICE.

Option 3, Florence to Amsterdam with overnight stop in Zurich - if you prefer day trains & a hotel to sleepers

• Day 1, travel from Florence to Milan by Frecciarossa high-speed train in 1h40 then from Milan to Zurich by EuroCity train in 3h17.  It's a lovely ride along Lake Lugano and through the Alps, see the Milan to Zurich video here.

  You can leave Florence SMN as late as 15:55 arriving Zurich HB 22:27, but by all means take an earlier train for an evening in Zurich.

  Florence to Milan starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.

  Milan to Zurich starts at €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Buy tickets from Florence to Zurich at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, more fiddly, you need to use Italian-language place names).

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

• 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 to Amsterdam by ICE, leaving Zurich HB 07:59, changing at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Amsterdam Centraal 17:29

  By all means book an earlier or later ICE, they leave every 2 hours.  Exact times may vary.  ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Fares start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com (in €, £ or $, small booking fee), or direct from German Railways at int.bahn.de (in €, no booking fee).

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

Option 4, Florence to Amsterdam with overnight stop in Munich - Another option if you prefer day trains to sleepers

• Day 1, travel from Florence to Munich, leaving Florence SMN at 12:36, change at Verona Porta Nuova and arriving Munich Hbf at 20:26.

  Other departures are possible, also with 1 change in Verona, check times at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com.

  You take an Italian high-speed Frecciarossa from Florence to Verona with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, then a swish Austrian railjet train to Munich Hbf, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  The journey takes you through the scenic Brenner Pass, see the photos here.

  Florence to Bolzano starts at €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Bolzano to Munich starts at €27.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book from Florence SMN to Munich Hbf at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com.

  Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead for the Italian train, you print out your ticket or show it on your phone.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead for the Austrian EuroCity train, you print your own ticket or can show them on your laptop or phone.

• 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.  Or consider the more 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 Amsterdam by ICE, leaving Munich Hbf 07:47, change Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen, arriving Amsterdam Centraal 15:29.

  ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Exact times and interchange station may vary, but always look for a journey with only 1 change.  By all means choose an earlier or later departure.

  Fares start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 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.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.  I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

A new generation railjet at Innsbruck.  Courtesy of @SimplyRailway.  Interior photos courtesy of ÖBB.

Economy class, open saloon.		Restaurant car.

First class, all in open saloons.		Business class = just four 4-seat compartments

Option 5, Florence to Amsterdam with an overnight stop in Paris

• Day 1, travel from Florence to Milan by Frecciarossa, leaving Florence SMN at 12:55 and arriving Milan Centrale at 14:50.

  High-speed Frecciarossa trains have 4 classes, a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about Frecciarossas.

• Day 1, travel from Milan to Paris by Frecciarossa, leaving Milan Centrale at 15:53 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 22:34.

  Update:  The direct Milan-Paris line via Modane was blocked by a landslide in August 2023, and remains blocked in 2024.  Until further notice, all direct Milan-Paris trains are cancelled.  Please use alternative options.  More information.

  The Frecciarossa has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  It's a scenic & relaxing run, at up to 300 km/h (186 mph) on the high-speed line from Milan to Turin, then a slow meander on the classic line through the alps, then another high-speed dash on the French high-speed line to Paris.  Bring a good book and bottle of wine, and make it a relaxing afternoon with your feet up, although some scenery will be in darkness depending on the time of year.  For more information, photos & tips, see the Paris-Milan by train page.

  Change trains & stations in Paris by taxi or metro.

• Stay overnight in Paris.  If you want a hotel room on arrival at the Gare de Lyon, I suggest the Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon as it's part of the station complex.  If you'd prefer to stay near the Gare du Nord I suggest the excellent 25 Hours Terminus Nord, directly across the road from the Gare du Nord with great reviews & great feedback from Seat61 users.  See other suggested hotels near the Gare de Lyon or Gare du Nord.

• Day 2, travel from Paris to Amsterdam in 3h19 next morning on any train you like.

  For example, the 07:25 from Paris Gare du Nord arrives Amsterdam Centraal at 10:44, but by all means book a later train, they leave every hour or so.  Eurostar trains have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more about Eurostar formerly Thalys).

• How much does it cost?

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

  Milan to Paris starts at €29 in standard class, €36 in business class or €165 in executive class.

  Paris to Amsterdam starts at €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• How to buy tickets

  Buy tickets for each of these trains at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (whichever you prefer).  Book each train individually, adding it to your basket, then check out.

  www.raileurope.com and www.thetrainline.com connect to both the Italian and French booking systems so you can book all these trains in one place, in plain English, in €, £ or $.  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  There's a small booking fee.

  The Italian trains are ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.  For the Eurostar, you print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.

• How to buy tickets, advanced

  Alternatively, you can book each train separately, more work, more fiddly, same fares, but with no booking fee.  First book the Italian trains at www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in €, $ or £, seat choice from a seat map, they'll refund their small booking fee to seat61 users if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com afterwards) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, more fiddly, requires Italian-language place names, see advice on using it), then book the Eurostar train at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com.

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Florence to Luxembourg

Option 1, Florence to Luxembourg using the Florence-Munich Nightjet sleeper train

• Step 1, travel from Florence to Munich by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Florence SMN at 21:48 and arriving Munich Hbf 09:22.

  Important: This sleeper train is cancelled from 17 November 2024 to 13 July 2025 due to work in the Tauern Tunnel in Austria.

  From 10 September 2024 this train becomes 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 on-board accommodation, travel tips & photos.  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 $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (same prices, a bit more fiddly, in €). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.

  Tip:  If you like, you can check the train formation, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using the excellent www.vagonweb.cz.  Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Austria & click nj.

• Step 2, travel from Munich to Luxembourg, leaving Munich Hbf at 11:28 by ICE, change Mannheim & Trier, arriving Luxembourg 18:23.

  ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  From Koblenz to Luxembourg it's a scenic run along the Moselle valley.

  Fares start at €32.90 in 2nd class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book from Munich to Luxembourg at the German Railways website int.bahn.de, allowing at least 1 hour between trains in Munich.

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

  Tip:  To avoid buses and get an all-train journey, click Stopovers and enter Igel as a stopover with length of stay left as zero.

Florence to Munich by Nightjet sleeper train.  More about new-generation Nightjets

Option 2, Florence to Luxembourg with overnight stop in Zurich

• Day 1, travel from Florence to Milan by Frecciarossa & Milan to Zurich by EuroCity train as shown in the Florence to Switzerland section.

  You can leave Florence SMN as late as 15:55 arriving Zurich HB 22:27, but an earlier train will give you more of an evening in Zurich.

  Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee.  It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.

• 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 to Luxembourg, leaving Zurich HB at 07:59, changing at Mannheim & Trier, arriving Luxembourg 15:23.

  Or have a leisurely breakfast and take the easiest departure with just 1 change, leaving Zurich HB at 10:59 by direct EuroCity train EC8 to Koblenz, time for coffee in Koblenz, then the 17:06 from Koblenz direct to Luxembourg arriving 19:23.

  These are all comfortable air-conditioned trains and they all head along the scenic Rhine Valley route between Mainz and Koblenz past vineyards, castles, river boats & the legendary Lorelei Rock, see the Rails Down the Rhine page.  They then run along the pretty Moselle river to Trier.  The whole journey is made on a through ticket, so no worries about connections, they normally go like clockwork.  There are earlier or later departures, too, just check online.

  Tip:  EuroCity train EC8 has a Swiss 1st class panorama car, to book it, see the advice on the Rails Down the Rhine page.

  Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book from Zurich to Luxembourg at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

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

  Tip:  To avoid journeys involving a bus, click Stopovers and enter Igel as a stopover, leaving length of stay as 00:00.

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Florence to Geneva, Zurich, Luzern, Basel & Switzerland from €49

Choose between fast, comfortable & scenic (option 1, using mainline trains) and slow, comfortable, fabulous world-class highlight-of-your-trip scenic (option 2, via the Bernina Express).

Option 1, Florence to Switzerland by high-speed train

• Step 1, travel from Florence SMN to Milan Centrale by Frecciarossa with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi in just 1h40.

• Step 2, travel from Milan Centrale to Switzerland by fast EuroCity train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  There are hourly EuroCity trains from Milan Centrale to Lugano & Zurich (3h17).

  And regular EuroCity trains from Milan Centrale to Brig, Montreux, Lausanne & Geneva (4h00).

  And several daily EuroCity trains from Milan Centrale to Bern, Lucerne, Spiez and Basel SBB.

  The Milan-Zurich EuroCity trains use the new Gotthard Base Tunnel, the longest rail tunnel in the world.  Look out for great scenery on the routes from Italy into Switzerland, past beautiful lakes and mountains.  Watch the video:  Milan to Zurich by EuroCity train.

• Step 3, take a Swiss connecting train if necessary, for example from Brig to Zermatt or from Spiez to Interlaken.

• How much does it cost?

  Florence to Milan start at €19.90 in 2nd (standard) class or €29.90 in 1st (business) class.

  Milan to Zurich, Geneva, Bern & other Swiss cities start at €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class when using a direct train.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• How to buy tickets

  Buy tickets from Florence to anywhere in Switzerland at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

  Both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee.  Booking for Italian domestic trains & the international EuroCity trains normally opens 4 months ahead.

  Italian high-speed trains & the EuroCity trains are ticketless, you print your booking reference or can show it on your phone.  Swiss domestic tickets can be printed out or a mobile ticket can be shown on your phone.

• How to buy tickets, advanced

  Now for the science bit.  Trenitalia's ticketing system can sell tickets for the international EuroCity trains between Italy & Switzerland, and obviously for its own trains within Italy, but cannot access SBB's ticketing system so cannot sell any journey involving a Swiss domestic train.

  Meanwhile, the Swiss ticketing system can sell Swiss domestic tickets & tickets for the international EuroCity trains to Italy which it jointly runs with Trenitalia, but it cannot access Trenitalia's ticketing system so cannot sell Trenitalia's cheap fares within Italy.

  Step 1, run an enquiry on the all-Europe online timetable provided by German Railways at int.bahn.de.  Look for a suitable journey, ideally with as few changes as possible.  Note down the trains you want, identifying the Italian train, the EuroCity train and any Swiss domestic train.

  For example, say you ran an enquiry from Florence to Zermatt.  You'd pick a journey that suits you:  A high-speed Frecciarossa from Florence to Milan, a EuroCity (EC) train from Milan to Brig, then a Swiss train from Brig to Zermatt.  Then you'd split the booking like this:

  Step 2, book the Italian train and EuroCity train using the Italian ticketing system at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in €, $ or £, they'll refund the €3.50 booking fee to seat61 users if you email them afterwards at seat61@italiarail.com) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, more fiddly, requires Italian-language place names, see advice on using it).

  In our example, you'd book from Florence to Brig.  Booking opens 90 days ahead.  Italian high-speed trains and the EuroCity are ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.

  Step 3, now add a Swiss domestic ticket separately using either www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in CHF, €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Swiss Federal Railways site www.sbb.ch (in €, no fee).  Regular Swiss tickets are fixed-price, cannot sell out, and are good for any train that day, so this bit isn't as crucial.  You could buy at the station on the day if you like!

  In our example, you'd book from Brig to Zermatt.  Booking opens 60 days ahead (if necessary, wait to book this bit).  You print your own ticket.

Option 2, Florence to St Moritz, Chur & Zurich via the scenic narrow-gauge Bernina route

• This is much slower and takes more effort to book, but it's the best Swiss Alpine train ride of all, an amazing experience.  Watch the video.

• Step 1, travel from Florence to Milan on any Frecciarossa train arriving before 09:45.

  Book this at either www.italiarail.com or www.thetrainline.com or www.trenitalia.com.

• Step 2, travel from Milan Centrale to Tirano by Trenord local train.

  The 10:20 from Milan connects with the Bernina Express itself, with time for a sandwich and beer in Tirano, see the Bernina Express page.

  However, these trains run every 2 hours throughout the day, fare around €12, check train times at www.trenord.it.

  No reservation necessary or even possible, just buy a ticket to Tirano from the self-service machines at Milan Centrale & hop on the next train.

  In Tirano, the Italian Trenord station is right next to the Rhätische Bahn one on the same town square.

• Step 3, travel from Tirano to St Moritz & Chur on the Rhätische Bahn.

  This is the fabulous Bernina Express route over the Bernina Pass.  Check times & prices from Tirano to St Moritz, Chur or Zurich at either www.thetrainline.com or the Swiss Railways website www.sbb.ch.

   If you take one of the regular normal local trains, no reservation is necessary or possible, just turn up, buy a ticket and hop on.  Only if you want to use the once or twice daily Bernina Express with its special all-reserved panoramic carriages do you need a seat reservation, see the Bernina Express page.

• Step 4, travel from Chur to Zurich by Intercity train.

  On arrival in Chur, cross the platform to the waiting half-hourly InterCity or InterRegional train to Zurich.  Again, no reservation necessary or possible, if you're bound for Zurich simply buy a ticket to Zurich in Tirano.  You can check times and fares from Tirano to Zurich at www.thetrainline.com or www.sbb.ch.

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Florence to Barcelona, Madrid & Spain from €89

Option 1, Florence to Barcelona & Spain via Lyon - the easiest & usually cheapest option

• Day 1, travel from Florence SMN to Milan Centrale on any afternoon or evening train you like.

  It takes as little as 2h23, trains leave every hour, all these trains have cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• 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 Lyon by Frecciarossa, leaving Milan Centrale at 06:25 & arriving Lyon Part Dieu at 11:10.

  Update:  The direct Milan-Lyon-Paris line via Modane was blocked by a landslide in August 2023, and remains blocked in 2024.  Until further notice, all direct Milan-Lyon trains are cancelled.  Please use another option.  More information.

  This is a lovely ride at low speed snaking through the Alps, see the photos & information here.  The train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, sit back and enjoy the ride.

• Have lunch in Lyon, see suggested brasserie near Lyon Part Dieu.

• Day 2, travel from Lyon to Barcelona by AVE S100 high-speed train, leaving Lyon Part Dieu at 14:35 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 19:33.

  This comfortable Spanish high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Look out for Béziers cathedral on the right, colonies of flamingos on the étangs in southern France, the Fort de Salses on the right approaching Perpignan and great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees.  More about AVE S100 & this journey.

• Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Madrid by AVE-S103 high-speed train, leaving Barcelona Sants at 21:20, arriving Madrid Atocha at 23:50.  Earlier departures may be available with other operators, but I recommend allowing at least an hour between trains in Barcelona and it's better to stick with the same operator if you can when making connections, in this case Renfe.

• Stay overnight in Barcelona.  The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users.  See other suggested hotels near the station.

• Day 3, travel from Barcelona to anywhere else in Spain by high-speed train.

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

  For Granada:  Leave Barcelona Sants at 06:45 by AVE S112 high-speed train arriving Granada at 13:10.

  For Malaga:  Leave Barcelona Sants at 08:35 by AVE S103 high-speed train arriving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 14:51.

  For Cordoba & Seville:  Leave Barcelona Sants at 08:35 by AVE S103 high-speed train arriving Cordoba 13:42 & Seville Santa Justa 14:32.

  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 Joaquin Sorolla 13:13 & Alicante 15:32.

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

• How much does it cost?

  Florence to Milan starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.

  Milan to Lyon starts at €25 in standard (2nd), €32 in business (1st) or €149 in executive class (premium 1st).

  Lyon to Barcelona starts at €39 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class.

  Barcelona to Madrid starts at around €35.  Barcelona to Seville or Malaga starts at around €45.

  All these fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• How to buy tickets

  The easiest way to buy tickets is to use either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (whichever you prefer) as you can buy all the tickets together in one place, in plain English, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee.  Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead.  About Raileurope.  About Thetrainline.

  Step 1, book an afternoon or evening train from Florence to Milan Centrale for day 1 and add this to your basket. 

  Step 2, book the direct morning train from Milan Centrale to Lyon Part Dieu for day 2 and add to your basket. 

  Step 3, book the afternoon train from Lyon Part Dieu to Barcelona for day 2 and add to your basket. 

  Step 4 if going beyond Barcelona, book a train from Barcelona to your Spanish destination for day 3, add to basket & check out.

  The Frecciarossa is ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.  For TGVs you can print your ticket or select a mobile ticket to show on your phone.  For AVE and other Spanish trains you print your own ticket.

• How to buy tickets, advanced

  You can of course book each train separately with the relevant operator, with no booking fee.  This means more work and it won't necessarily make it any cheaper.

  Step 1, buy tickets from Florence to Milan and from Milan to Lyon at either www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in plain English, allows seat choice from a seat map, they'll refund seat61 users their booking fee if you email seat61@italiarail.com afterwards) or Trenitalia's own website www.trenitalia.com, for that you'll need to use Italian-language place names, see this advice on using it.  It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone. 

  Step 2, if using the direct train from Lyon to Barcelona run by Renfe, book at the Spanish Railways website, www.renfe.com (in €, fiddly, see advice on using it).  If using the alternative trains run by SNCF, book these at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com.

  Step 3, book onward trains in Spain as a second transaction at www.renfe.com (in €, fiddly, see advice on using it).

Option 2, Florence to Barcelona & Spain with overnight stop in Marseille

• Day 1, travel from Florence to Marseille, leaving Florence SMN at 06:25 by Frecciarossa high-speed train to Milan Centrale, then taking the 09:10 Intercity train from Milan Centrale to Ventimiglia, a TER local train to Nice Ville and TGV to Marseille St Charles, arriving 18:32.

  This is a lovely journey with fabulous coastal scenery through Genoa, San Remo, Nice & Cannes.  For full details of the Florence to Nice part of this journey, see the Italy to Nice by train page.

• Stay overnight in Marseille.  Inexpensive hotels with good reviews just outside Marseille St Charles station include the Ibis Marseille Centre Gare St Charles, Holiday Inn Express Marseille St Charles.

• Day 2, travel from Marseille to Spain by AVE S100, leaving Marseille St Charles at 08:04, arriving Barcelona Sants 12:38 & Madrid Atocha 15:45.

  This comfortable Spanish high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Look out for Béziers cathedral on the right, colonies of flamingos on the étangs in southern France, the Fort de Salses on the right approaching Perpignan and great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees.  More about AVE S100 & this journey.

• Day 2, take a high-speed train from Barcelona to Valencia & Alicante or from Madrid to Cordoba, Seville, Granada, Malaga.

  A fast Euromed train leaves Barcelona Sants at 16:10 arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 19:02 & Alicante 21:34.

  An AVE high-speed train leaves Madrid Atocha at 16:35 every day, arriving Cordoba 18:34 & Malaga Maria Zambrano 19:43.

  An AVE high-speed train leaves Madrid Atocha at 16:30 daily except Saturdays arriving Seville Santa Justa at 19:03.  Or on any day of the week you can leave Madrid Atocha at 18:00 arriving Seville Santa Justa at 20:43.

  An AVE high-speed train leaves Madrid Atocha at 20:05 every day, arriving Granada 23:36.

  AVE & Euromed trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• How much does it cost?

  Florence to Milan starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.

  Milan to Ventimiglia starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €26.90 in 1st class.

  Ventimiglia to Nice by TER costs a fixed-price €8, although €7.50 or even €5 promotional fares are sometimes offered.

  Nice to Marseille by TGV starts at €15.

  Marseille to Barcelona starts at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.  Marseille to Madrid at €44 in 2nd class or €54 in 1st class.

  Barcelona to Alicante or Madrid to Malaga/Seville starts at around €30.

  All these fares (except for the TER) vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

• How to buy tickets

  Go to www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.  Book from Florence to Marseille on day 1 and add it to your basket.  Then book from Marseille to Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Alicante etc. for day 2, add it to your basket and check out.

  www.thetrainline.com & www.raileurope.com both connect to the Italian, French & Spanish rail ticketing systems, so you can buy all these tickets together in one place, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem.  There's a small booking fee.  If you have any problems, break the journey down into stages, if necessary booking each train separately.

  Booking for Trenitalia trains & French trains including the TGV to Barcelona normally opens up to 4 months ahead.  Booking for Spanish domestic trains opens 60 days ahead, but it varies.

  Trenitalia trains are ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.  For French trains, you print your own ticket or can choose a mobile ticket to show on your phone.  For trains in Spain, you print your ticket.

• How to buy tickets, advanced

  Alternatively, you can book each train separately like this, although it's more work and the fares should be the same, but with no booking fee.

  Step 1, book from Florence to Ventimiglia using either www.italiarail.com (easy to use, English place names, and they'll refund their €3.50 booking fee if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR) or Italian Railways' own site www.trenitalia.com (you'll need to use Italian language place names).  It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.

  Step 2, book from Ventimiglia to Marseille at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).  You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.

  Step 3, book from Marseille to Barcelona or Madrid for day 2 at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (a bit fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see this advice on using it).  You print your own ticket.

  Step 4, book onward trains within Spain as a second transaction at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (a bit fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see this advice on using it, it's a lot easier to use www.thetrainline.com).  You print your own ticket.

Option 3, Florence to Barcelona & Spain with overnight stop in Geneva

• This is a pleasant way to go, with interesting scenery on the way and a chance to spend some time in Geneva.  Leave Florence late afternoon, sleep soundly in a hotel in Geneva, spend a pleasant morning in Geneva next day, then take a TER regional train to Lyon and high-speed AVE to Barcelona arriving in the evening.

• Day 1, travel from Florence SMN to Milan Centrale by Frecciarossa high-speed train then Milan Centrale to Geneva by ETR610 EuroCity train.

  You can leave Florence SMN at 14:55, change at Milan Centrale, arriving Geneva at 21:21.

  Or leave Florence SMN at 16:55, change at Milan Centrale, arriving Geneva at 23:56.

  Fares start at €19.90 for Florence-Milan plus €29 upwards for Milan-Geneva.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book from Florence to Geneva at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee), using either of those websites means all your tickets can be booked together in one place.  Or book at www.italiarail.com in €, £ or $, the small fee will be refunded if you email them afterwards at seat61@italiarail.com.  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.

• Stay overnight in Geneva.  Suggested hotels with good reviews near the station include Hotel Cornavin Genève, Hotel Les Arcades, ibis Styles Geneva Gare.  Hotels in Switzerland can be expensive, if you're on a budget you can book budget private rooms in a one-star hotel or backpacker hostel near the station using www.hostelworld.com.

• Day 2, travel from Geneva to Barcelona, leaving Geneva at 07:14, change Lyon Part Dieu & Montpelier St-Roch, arriving Barcelona Sants 16:31.

  Geneva to Lyon is by TER regional train along the river Rhône, Lyon to Montpelier is by TGV with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, Montpelier to Barcelona is by TGV Duplex also with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  The TGV Duplex passes Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the lakes between Montpelier & Narbonne, the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks before Perpignan, with great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, see more photos & information about the journey.

  Geneva-Lyon costs a fixed-price €33.40.  Lyon-Barcelona starts at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

  Book from Geneva to Barcelona at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, 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 tickets or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.

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

  A high-speed AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 18:25, arriving Madrid Atocha 20:55, with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  A fast Euromed train leaves Barcelona Sants at 18:15 arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 21:07 & Alicante 23:40.

  For Granada, Seville, Cordoba & Malaga, stay in Barcelona overnight, I recommend the Hotel Barcelo Sants inside the station.  Next morning direct high-speed AVE trains leave Barcelona Sants at 06:45 for Granada and 08:35 for Cordoba, Seville Santa Justa & Malaga Maria Zambrano.

  Check times & buy tickets using either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or Spanish railways own site www.renfe.com (in €, much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it) or www.petrabax.com (in $, small mark-up).  You print your own ticket.

  Booking for Spanish trains normally opens only 60 days ahead, but this varies.  Allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Barcelona.

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Florence to Lisbon & Portugal

Option 1, Florence to Lisbon via Madrid

• Day 1, travel from Florence to Marseille, stay overnight, then take the morning AVE high-speed train from Marseille to Madrid on day 2 as shown in the Florence to Madrid section above.

• 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.

• Change at Lisbon Oriente for trains to Porto & Faro, as shown in the Madrid to Lisbon section.

Option 2, Florence to Faro & the Algarve using a bus from Seville

• Day 1, travel from Florence to Barcelona as shown above.

• Stay overnight in Barcelona.  The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users.  See other suggested hotels near the station.

• Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Seville by AVE S103 high-speed train leaving Barcelona Sants at 08:35 and arriving Seville Santa Justa at 14:32.

  Fares start at around €45.

  Book this at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, only in €, may reject some international credit cards).

• Day 2, travel from Seville to Faro by bus.  Buses run from Seville to Faro several times daily, journey time around 3h15, fare around €17-€20.

  Buses are run by Alsa, Damas & Eva-Bus amongst others, you can check times & buy tickets for various bus companies all in one place at Omio.com.  You print your own ticket.  I recommend the Alsa buses as these start from Seville Santa Justa station for easy train-bus connections.

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Florence to Andorra

• Step 1, travel from Florence to Marseille as shown in the Florence to Nice & Marseille section above.

  Book this at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee).

• Stay overnight in Marseille.  Inexpensive hotels with good reviews just outside Marseille St Charles station include the Ibis Marseille Centre Gare St Charles, Holiday Inn Express Marseille St Charles.

• Step 2, travel from Marseille to Toulouse by Intercité leaving Marseille St Charles at 07:25 & arriving Toulouse Matabiau at 11:18.

  Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

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

  Booking for French trains opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.

• Step 3, travel from Toulouse Matabiau station to Andorra la Vella by bus.  Andbus run several buses per day taking 4 hours, fare €36.

  There's a bus leaving Toulouse Matabiau station (bus stand 15) at 13:45 arriving Andorra 17:45.

  Book the bus at Andbus.net or Omio.com.  I'd allow at least an hour between train and bus in Toulouse in case of delay.

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Florence to Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin & Germany

Option 1, Florence to Munich by Nightjet sleeper train & onwards train to Frankfurt, Hamburg, Berlin or anywhere in Germany - the time-effective option

• Step 1, travel from Florence to Munich by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Florence SMN at 21:48 and arriving Munich Hbf 09:22.

  Important: This sleeper train is cancelled from 17 November 2024 to 13 July 2025 due to work in the Tauern Tunnel in Austria.

  From 10 September 2024 this train becomes 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 on-board accommodation, travel tips & photos.  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 $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (same prices, more fiddly, in €).  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.

  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, scroll down to Austria & click nj.

• Step 2, travel from Munich to anywhere in Germany, for example leaving Munich Hbf 10:55 by ICE train and arriving Berlin Hbf at 15:29.

  Book from Munich to anywhere in Germany at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

  Allow at least 1 hour between trains in Munich, ideally more.

  Fares start at €18.90 upwards.  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.   I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.

Florence to Munich by Nightjet sleeper train.  More about new-generation Nightjets

Option 2, Florence to Berlin using the Zurich-Berlin sleeper

• Step 1, travel from Florence to Milan by Frecciarossa, leaving Florence SMN at 11:55 and arriving Milan Centrale 13:50.

  The Frecciarossa has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  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 $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, requires Italian language place names, see advice on using it).  Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead.  It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.

• Step 2, travel from Milan to Zurich by EuroCity train, leaving Milan Centrale at 15:10 and arriving Zurich HB 18:27.

  The EuroCity train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  It's a lovely run through the Alps, past Italian and Swiss lakes and passing through the world's longest railway tunnel, the Gotthard Base Tunnel.  Have dinner in Zurich, I recommend steak-frites and a beer at the Brasserie Federal on the main concourse at Zurich HB.

  Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, requires Italian language place names, see advice on using it).

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

• Step 3, travel from Zurich to Berlin by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Zurich HB at 19:59 & arriving Berlin Hbf 07:20.

  This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has a 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.  The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu.  The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee in the morning, see the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, tips, photos & video.

  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 $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, more fiddly, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.

  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, scroll down to Switzerland & click nj.

Option 3, Florence to Hamburg using the Zurich-Hamburg sleeper

• Step 1, travel from Florence to Milan by Frecciarossa, leaving Florence SMN at 11:55 and arriving Milan Centrale at 13:50.

  The Frecciarossa has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  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 $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, requires Italian language place names, see advice on using it).

  Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead.  It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.

• Step 2, travel from Milan to Zurich by EuroCity train, leaving Milan Centrale at 15:10 and arriving Zurich HB at 18:27.

  The EuroCity train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  It's a lovely run through the Alps, past Italian and Swiss lakes and passing through the world's longest railway tunnel, the Gotthard Base Tunnel.  Have dinner in Zurich, I recommend steak-frites and a beer at the Brasserie Federal on the main concourse at Zurich HB.

  Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, requires Italian language place names, see advice on using it).  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.

• Step 3, travel from Zurich to Hamburg by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Zurich HB at 20:59 & arriving Hamburg Hbf 07:53.

  This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has two air-conditioned double-deck sleeping-cars (1 & 2 bed compartments with washbasin, 1 & 2 bed deluxe compartments with shower & toilet, plus a few 3-berth compartments with washbasin), couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments & ordinary seats.  The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu.  The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee in the morning, see the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, tips, photos & video.

  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 $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, more fiddly, same fares).  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.

  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, scroll down to Switzerland & click nj.

Option 4, Florence to Munich & Germany via the Brenner route - a scenic daytime option

• Take a high-speed train from Rome to Bologna or Verona, then a comfortable Austrian railjet train from Bologna or Verona to Munich.  The Verona-Munich railjet trains run every couple of hours.  For example:

  Leave Florence SMN at 08:36 daily, change at Verona Porta Nuova onto the 11:01 railjet train, arriving Munich Hbf 16:27.

  Leave Florence SMN at 10:20 daily, change at Bologna Centrale onto the 11:52 railjet train, arriving Munich Hbf 18:28.

  Leave Florence SMN at 12:36 daily, change at Verona Porta Nuova onto the 15:01 railjet train, arriving Munich Hbf 20:26.

  Leave Florence SMN at 14:20 Monday-Friday only, change at Bologna Centrale onto the 15:50 EuroCity train, arriving Munich Hbf 22:27.

  The 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.  These trains travel through the scenic Brenner Pass, see the photos & video on the Brenner Pass page.

• How much does it cost?

  Florence to Bologna or Verona starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.

  Bologna or Verona to Munich or anywhere in Germany starts at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• How to buy tickets

  Book from Florence SMN to Munich or anywhere in Germany at www.raileurope.com, but (and this is important) click More options, enter either Verona (any station) or Bologna Centrale as a via station and a stopover duration of 45 minutes.  Look for journeys with just 1 change to Munich or 2 changes if going beyond Munich.

  www.raileurope.com connects to both the Italian and German ticketing systems so can source both tickets as one seamless booking.  You can pay in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, there's a small booking fee.  The Italian train is ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.  For Austrian/German trains you can print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone.

  Alternatively, you can book the Italian train at www.italiarail.com (in €, £ or $, the small fee will be refunded if you email them afterwards at seat61@italiarail.com) or www.trenitalia.com, then book the Austrian/German trains from Bologna or Verona to anywhere in Germany at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

Bologna or Verona to Munich by new generation railjet, note the low-floor section for easy boarding.  Courtesy of @SimplyRailway.  Interior photos courtesy of ÖBB.

Economy class, open saloon.		Restaurant car.

First class, all in open saloons.		Business class = just four 4-seat compartments

Option 5, Florence to Frankfurt & Germany via the Gotthard route - another scenic daytime option

• Step 1, travel from Florence to Milan by Frecciarossa, leaving Florence SMN at 07:55 every day and arriving Milan Centrale 09:50.

  Fares start at €19.90 in standard class or €29.90 in business.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, it's ticketless, you print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.

• Step 2, travel from Milan to Frankfurt by ETR610 EuroCity train leaving Milan Centrale at 11:10 & arriving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 19:36.

  The train travels along Lake Maggiore and through the Swiss Alps via the famous Simplon & Lötschberg route.  Change in Frankfurt for Cologne, Düsseldorf and so on.  It's even possible to reach Hamburg or Berlin shortly after midnight!

  Fares from Milan to Germany start at €59.90 in 2nd class or €119.90 in 1st class.  Again, fares vary like air fares so book ahead.

  Book from Milan to anywhere in Germany at int.bahn.de or www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, looking for the 11:20 departure.  You print your own ticket.

Option 6, Florence to anywhere in Germany with overnight stop in Munich

• Day 1, travel from Florence to Munich, leaving Florence SMN at 14:20, changing at Bologna Centrale and arriving Munich Hbf at 22:27.

  Or take an earlier train and spend a pleasant evening in Munich - you'll find earlier departures arriving Munich at 16:27, 18:28 or 20:26.  Check times at www.raileurope.com.

  You take an Italian high-speed Frecciarossa to Bologna (or on some departures, Verona) with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, then a swish Austrian railjet train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi through the scenic Brenner pass to Munich Hbf.  The journey is worth doing in daylight.

  Florence to Bologna or Verona starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.

  Bologna or Verona to Munich starts at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book from Florence SMN to Munich Hbf at www.raileurope.com, but (this is important) click More options, enter Bologna Centrale as a via station and a stopover duration of 45 minutes.  Look for journeys with just 1 change.  Now re-run the enquiry with Verona Porta Nuova as a via station also with 45 minutes stopover selected to see if this gives a cheaper or quicker 1-change journey, which it will be on some departures.

  Booking normally opens 4 months ahead for Italian trains, which are ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead for the Austrian EuroCity trains, you print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

• 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.  Or consider the more 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 anywhere in Germany on comfortable ICE or IC trains.

  Fares start at €18.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Buy tickets at the German Railways website bahn.de.

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

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Florence to Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck & Austria from €59

Option 1, Florence to Salzburg & Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train - the time-effective option

• An excellent Nightjet sleeper train leaves Florence SMN at 21:48 every day, with a portion arriving at Salzburg Hbf at 06:49 and another portion arriving at Vienna Hbf at 09:04.

  From 10 September 2024 both portions of this train become 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 on-board accommodation, travel tips & photos.  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 $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (same prices, more fiddly, in €).  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.

  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, scroll down to Austria & click nj.

Florence to Salzburg or Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train.  More about new-generation Nightjets

Option 2, Florence to Salzburg or Vienna by daytime trains - a scenic daytime option with lunch in Venice

• You can travel from Florence to Salzburg or Vienna by train in a single chill-out day.  And how about lunch in Venice?

• Step 1, travel from Florence to Venice by Frecciarossa high-speed train, leaving Florence SMN at 12:20, arriving Venice Santa Lucia at 14:34.

  If you'd like lunch and a wander around Venice, take an earlier train from Florence, for example the 07:20, 08:20 or 09:20.  The Rialto Bridge is just 20 minutes walk from Venice Santa Lucia, St Mark's Square 27 minutes walk, see map of Venice showing station.  There's a left luggage office at the station.  Of course if you haven't been to Venice before, I'd recommend an overnight stop, not just a few hours!

  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 $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee, using this means you can book all your tickets together in one place) or www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in €, £, $ or Au$) or www.trenitalia.com (in €).  Italiarail will refund their booking fee if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com afterwards.

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

• Step 2, travel from Venice to Vienna by smart Austrian railjet train, leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 15:52 and arriving Vienna Hbf 23:36.

  This train takes the wonderful UNESCO-listed Semmering route, you might see something of the landscape at least in summer when it's light until ten.  The railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi, see the Venice to Vienna by railjet page.

  For Salzburg, change in Villach arriving Salzburg Hbf 21:48.  Don't worry about the 5-minute interchange at Villach, this is a recognised connection which many people make, it's a simple cross-platform switch from platform 2 to platform 3.  In any case you will have a through ticket so will be looked after if there's missed connection.

  Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class or €44.90 in 1st class or €59 in business class (= premium 1st).  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book from Venice to Vienna or Salzburg at www.thetrainline.com (easiest to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways web site www.oebb.at (in €, more fiddly, same fares). 

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You print your own ticket.

Option 3, Florence to Innsbruck, Salzburg or Vienna in a day via the Brenner Pass - another scenic daytime option

• Step 1, travel from Florence to Bologna by Frecciarossa, leaving Florence SMN at 10:36 and arriving Bologna Centrale at 11:15.

  The 300 km/h (186 mph) Frecciarossa has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Step 2, travel from Bologna to Innsbruck by railjet, leaving Bologna Centrale at 11:52 & arriving Innsbruck Hbf 16:36. 

  This 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.

• Step 3, travel from Innsbruck to Salzburg or Vienna by railjet, leaving Innsbruck Hbf 17:14, arriving Salzburg Hbf 19:02 & Vienna Hbf 21:32.

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

• How much does it cost?

  Rome to Bologna starts at €19.90 in 2nd class, €29.90 in 1st class.

  Bologna to anywhere in Austria starts at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• How to buy tickets

  First book the 11:52 from Bologna Centrale to Innsbruck, Salzburg, Vienna or anywhere in Austria using www.thetrainline.com (quickest & easiest to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (same prices, in €, more fiddly).  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You print your own ticket.

  Now add the connecting train from Florence SMN to Bologna Centrale at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee, using Trainline means all your bookings are together in one place), or www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in €, £, or $) or www.trenitalia.com (in €), making sure you have at least 40 minutes between trains in Verona in case of any delay.  If you use Italiarail they'll refund the 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.

A new generation railjet at Innsbruck, note the low-floor section for easy boarding.  Courtesy of @SimplyRailway.  Interior photos courtesy of ÖBB.

Economy class, open saloon.		Restaurant car.

First class, all in open saloons.		Business class = just four 4-seat compartments

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Florence to Copenhagen, Gothenburg & Stockholm

Option 1, Florence to Copenhagen, Gothenburg & Stockholm using the Zurich-Hamburg sleeper

• Step 1, travel from Florence to Milan by Frecciarossa, leaving Florence SMN at 11:55 and arriving Milan Centrale at 13:50.

  The Frecciarossa has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  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 $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, requires Italian language place names, see advice on using it).

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

• Step 2, travel from Milan to Zurich by EuroCity train, leaving Milan Centrale at 15:10 and arriving Zurich HB at 18:27.

  The EuroCity train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  It's a lovely run through the Alps, past Italian and Swiss lakes and passing through the world's longest railway tunnel, the Gotthard Base Tunnel.  Have dinner in Zurich, I can recommend the steak-frites and a beer at the Brasserie Federal on the main concourse at Zurich HB.

  Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, requires Italian language place names, see advice on using it).

  Booking opens up to 90 days ahead.  It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.

• Step 3, travel from Zurich to Hamburg by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Zurich HB at 20:59 and arriving Hamburg Hbf at 07:53.

  This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has two air-conditioned double-deck sleeping-cars (1 & 2 bed compartments with washbasin, 1 & 2 bed deluxe compartments with shower & toilet, plus a few 3-berth compartments with washbasin), couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments & ordinary seats.  The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee in the morning, see the Nightjet information page.

  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 $, overseas 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 and you print your own ticket.

  Tip:  If you like, you can check the train formation, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using the excellent www.vagonweb.cz.  Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Switzerland & click nj.

• Step 4, travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:50 & arriving Copenhagen at 13:34.

  Fares start at €27.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book from Hamburg to Copenhagen at the German Railways website int.bahn.de or www.raileurope.com

• Step 5, travel from Copenhagen to Sweden by train.

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

  For Gothenburg, travel from Copenhagen to Gothenburg by Öresund train, these leave every hour taking 3h50.

  For Malmo, travel from Copenhagen to Malmö Central by Öresund train every 20-30 minutes taking 39 minutes.

  All these trains cross the water from Denmark to Sweden over the impressive Öresund fixed link. 

  Fares from Hamburg to Sweden start at €56.90.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book from Hamburg to Stockholm, Gothenburg or Malmö as one transaction at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  Gothenburg is listed as Göteborg Central.  If you have any problems, for example if you don't see any affordable 1st class fares, split the booking, booking Hamburg to Copenhagen at int.bahn.de and booking Copenhagen to anywhere in Sweden at either Omio.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, small fee) or www.sj.se (in SEK, has been known to reject some overseas credit cards).

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

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 2024.  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.

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

Option 2, Florence to Copenhagen, Gothenburg & Stockholm using the Florence-Munich sleeper

• Step 1, travel from Florence to Munich by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Florence SMN at 21:48 and arriving Munich Hbf 09:22.

  Important: This sleeper train is cancelled from 17 November 2024 to 13 July 2025 due to work in the Tauern Tunnel in Austria.

  From 10 September 2024 this train becomes 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 on-board accommodation, travel tips & photos.  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 $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (same prices, more fiddly, in €).  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.

  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, scroll down to Austria & click nj.

  If you'd prefer a daytime journey with an overnight stop in Munich, use the Florence to Munich in a single day option above.

• Step 2, travel from Munich to Copenhagen, leaving Munich Hbf 10:21, changing at Hamburg Hbf & arriving Copenhagen 21:34.

  Treat this as a chill-out day with a good book and a glass or two of wine (I can recommend DB's Spätburgunder red).  You travel from Munich to Hamburg by ICE train with restaurant car for lunch, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  You travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen by comfortable EuroCity train, there's no catering car so bring your own food & drink.

  If you're only going as far as Copenhagen, book from Munich to Copenhagen from €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class at the German Railways site int.bahn.de.  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.

• Step 3 if you're going to Malmo, simply take the next available Öresund train from Copenhagen to Malmö Central, these leave every 20-30 minutes taking 39 minutes.  You can book through from Munich to Malmö from €39.90 at int.bahn.de and print your own ticket.

• Step 3 if you're going to Stockholm or Gothenburg, stay overnight in Copenhagen then travel to Stockholm in just 5h15 by X2000 high-speed train or to Gothenburg in 3h50 by Öresund train.

  You can book tickets from Copenhagen to anywhere in Sweden at the Swedish Railways site www.sj.se, but there's a cleverer way to book if you are coming from Munich.  Use this special link to bahn.de to book from Munich to Stockholm from €56.90 with an overnight stop in Copenhagen programmed in using the Stopover feature - just enter your date of travel from Munich.  Adjust the intermediate stopover time as necessary to get the trains you want, or if no fares show up initially, it may take a bit of trial & error to get the trains you want.  This method works to book from Munich to Gothenburg, too - you'll find bahn.de lists Gothenburg as Göteborg Central.

Florence to Munich by Nightjet sleeper train.  More about new-generation Nightjets

Option 3, Florence to Copenhagen, Gothenburg & Stockholm by daytime trains with overnight stops in Munich & Copenhagen

• Day 1, travel from Florence to Munich by daytime trains via the scenic Brenner Pass as shown in Florence-Munich option 3 above.

• 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.  Or consider the more 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 Copenhagen by train, leaving Munich Hbf at 09:55, 1 easy change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen at 21:34.

  Fares start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 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 can show it on your laptop or phone. 

• 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 3, travel from Copenhagen to Gothenburg by hourly Öresund train in 3h53, or travel from Copenhagen to Stockholm by fast X2000 train in around 5h15 with various departures to choose from, fares from around €28 upwards.  Book this at Omio.com or the Swedish Railways website www.sj.se.

  Tip:  You may be able to save money by buying a Munich-Stockholm or Munich-Gothenburg through ticket from German Railways like this:  Go to int.bahn.de, enter Munich-Stockholm or Munich-Gothenburg.  Before running the enquiry, click Stopovers, enter Copenhagen and a length of stay of (say) 12 hours.  It should then give you a Sparpreis fare with an overnight stop in Copenhagen, specified trains only, limited or no refunds.

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Florence to Oslo & Norway

Option 1, Florence to Oslo via Munich & Copenhagen - by train all the way

• Day 1, travel from Florence to Munich by daytime trains via the scenic Brenner Pass as shown in Florence-Munich option 3 above.

• 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.  Or consider the more 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 Copenhagen by train, leaving Munich Hbf at 08:20, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 19:34.

  Fares start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 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.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.  I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.

• 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 3, travel from Copenhagen to Oslo by train, leaving Copenhagen at 07:30, change at Gothenburg Central, arriving Oslo Sentral 15:47.

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

  Alternatively, spend a morning in Copenhagen, and after lunch take the DFDS overnight ferry to Oslo with a comfortable private cabin with shower & toilet, sailing from Copenhagen at 16:30 (15:00 some days) arriving Oslo at 10:00 on day 4, as shown here.  This is remarkably affordable, and saves a hotel bill.  Book the ferry at www.dfds.com.

Option 2, Florence to Oslo via the Kiel-Oslo cruise ferry - the most luxurious way to Norway

• Day 1, travel from Florence to Milan by Frecciarossa, leaving Florence SMN at 11:55 and arriving Milan Centrale at 13:50.

  The Frecciarossa has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  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 $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, requires Italian language place names, see advice on using it).  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.

• Day 1, travel from Milan to Zurich by EuroCity train, leaving Milan Centrale at 15:10 and arriving Zurich HB at 18:27.

  The EuroCity train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  It's a lovely run through the Alps, past Italian and Swiss lakes and passing through the world's longest railway tunnel, the Gotthard Base Tunnel.  Have dinner in Zurich, I can recommend the steak-frites and a beer at the Brasserie Federal on the main concourse at Zurich HB.

  Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, requires Italian language place names, see advice on using it).  Booking opens up to 90 days ahead.  It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.

• Day 1, travel from Zurich to Hamburg by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Zurich HB at 20:59 and arriving Hamburg Hbf at 07:53.

  This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has two air-conditioned double-deck sleeping-cars (1 & 2 bed compartments with washbasin, 1 & 2 bed deluxe compartments with shower & toilet, plus a few 3-berth compartments with washbasin), couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments & ordinary seats.  The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee in the morning, see the Nightjet information page.

  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 $, overseas 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 and you print your own ticket.

  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, scroll down to Switzerland & click nj.

• Day 2, travel from Hamburg Hbf to Kiel Hbf by regional train, these leave several times each hour taking 1h10, fixed-price fare around €23.

  In Kiel, the Color Line ferry terminal is only 6 minutes walk from Kiel Hbf, but allow several hours between train & ferry for the ferry check-in and in case of delay.

• Day 2, sail from Kiel to Oslo by luxurious overnight Color Line ferry, with a full range of en suite 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 3).

  Check times & buy tickets using the Direct Ferries website or www.colorline.com.

  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 Chrome translation 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.

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Florence to Helsinki & Finland

Option 1, Florence to Helsinki using the Finnlines ferry from Germany - the easiest option

• Day 1, travel from Florence to Munich by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Florence SMN at 21:48 and arriving Munich Hbf 09:22.

  Important: This sleeper train is cancelled from 17 November 2024 to 13 July 2025 due to work in the Tauern Tunnel in Austria.

  From 10 September 2024 this train becomes 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 on-board accommodation, travel tips & photos.  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 (in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (same prices, more fiddly, in €). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.

  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, scroll down to Switzerland & click nj.

• Day 2, travel from Munich to Hamburg by ICE4 train, leaving Munich Hbf at 10:21 and arriving Hamburg Hbf 15:55.  Times may vary.

  Fares start at €27.90 in 2nd class or €56.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

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

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

• Day 2, travel from Hamburg Hbf to Lübeck by regional train then take a bus to the Skandinavienkai ferry terminal in Travemünde.

  Tip:  Have dinner in Lübeck's old town, see suggested restaurant here.

  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 4 from Florence).

  For full details of the transfer, check-in arrangements & ferry crossing, see the Hamburg page.

  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.

Option 2, Florence to Helsinki by train to Stockholm then ferry

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Florence to Prague from €68

Option 1, Florence to Prague overnight via Vienna - comfortable, safe, time-effective, with a chance to see Vienna on the way

• Step 1, travel from Florence to Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Florence SMN at 21:48 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 09:04 next morning.

  From 10 September 2024 this train becomes 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 on-board accommodation, travel tips & photos.  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 $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (same prices, more fiddly, in €). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.

  Tip:  If you like, you can check the train formation, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using the excellent www.vagonweb.cz.  Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Austria & click nj.

  Tip:  If you have a sleeper ticket and/or 1st class ticket for the onward train to Prague you can use the ÖBB lounge in Vienna Hbf between trains, with complimentary refreshments & free WiFi.

• Step 2, travel from Vienna to Prague by smart modern Czech Railjet train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 11:10 & arriving Prague Hlavni at 15:15.

  These swish railjet trains have a restaurant car with draught beer on tap, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the railjet information page.

  Fares start at €14.90 in 2nd class, €29.90 in 1st class or €44.90 in business class (= premium 1st).  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Why not book a later railjet & spend some time exploring Vienna?  Railjets to Prague leave every two hours, see the timetable here.  Left luggage lockers are available in Vienna.  In Prague, you arrive in the city centre walking distance from the old city square.

  Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee, booking opens up to 6 months ahead) or the Czech Railways site www.cd.cz (in koruna, booking normally opens 92 days ahead, see tips for using it).  You print your own ticket.  Easy!  You can also book at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.  See suggested hotels in Prague.

• Alternative step 2 if you're going to Ceský Krumlov:  Travel from Vienna Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof to Ceský Krumlov in 4h26 as explained here.

Step 1, Florence to Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train.  More about new-generation Nightjets

Step 2, Vienna to Prague by railjet, with economy, first & business class, restaurant car, free WiFi and draught beer on tap.  More about Vienna-Prague railjets.

Option 2, Florence to Prague or Ceský Krumlov via Zurich - another comfortable, safe & time-effective option

• Step 1, travel from Florence to Milan by Frecciarossa, leaving Florence SMN at 11:55 and arriving Milan Centrale 13:50.

  High-speed Frecciarossa trains have 4 classes, a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about Frecciarossas.

  Fares start at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.  Fares work like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

  Book from Florence to Milan at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee).  Booking usually opens up to 4 months ahead.  It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.

  A later departure is theoretically possible, but you should allow plenty of time in both Milan and Zurich when connecting with a sleeper train.  Take some time to look around the magnificent Milan Centrale - can you spot Mussolini?

• Step 2, travel from Milan to Zurich by EuroCity train through the Alps, leaving Milan Centrale at 15:10 arriving Zurich HB at 18:27.

  The EuroCity train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & fee WiFi.  It's a lovely ride across Switzerland through the Alps past various lakes including Lake Lugano, see the Milan to Zurich video.  Have your camera ready!

  On arrival in Zurich you've time for dinner, I recommend steak-frites and a beer or two at the Brasserie Federal on the main concourse.

  Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class.  Fares work like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

  Book from Milan to Zurich at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee).  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.

• Step 3, travel from Zurich to Prague by sleeping-car, leaving Zurich HB at 21:40 and arriving Ceské Budejovice 08:52 & Prague Hlavni 10:39.

  The sleeping-car to Prague is a modern Czech Comfortline type with nine 1, 2 or 3 bed compartments with washbasin and three deluxe 1, 2 or 3 bed compartments with en suite toilet & shower.  There are toilets and a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. Morning tea & coffee is included in the sleeper fare.  There are no couchettes on this route.  More about the Zurich-Prague sleeper.

  Fares start at €45 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, €59 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €112 in a single-bed sleeper.  Deluxe sleepers cost a bit more.  All per person per berth.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this sleeper online at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz.  Booking normally opens 90 days ahead.  You print your own ticket.  Easy!  See my tips for using cd.cz.

• If you're going to Ceske Krumlov, get off the sleeper at Ceske Budejovice (its former name is Budweis, that's right, where the name of the beer comes from), have a coffee then take the 10:12 local train to Ceske Krumlov arriving 10:57.  In this case you'd use www.cd.cz to book Zurich to Cesky Budejovice, then buy a local ticket to Cesky Krumlov from the orange & green GWTR kiosk at Ceske Budejovice station.

Option 3, Florence to Prague with overnight stop in Venice - if you prefer day trains & hotel to sleepers

• Day 1, travel from Florence SMN to Venice Santa Lucia by Frecciarossa in just 2h14 using any train you like.

  You can spend a full day in Florence before taking an evening train, or take an earlier train and see something of Venice.  The Rialto bridge is just 15 minutes walk from Venice Santa Lucia, the Piazza San Marco is just 25 minutes walk.  Frecciarossas have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easiest to use, in €, £ or $, overseas cards no problem, small booking fee) or Trenitalia's website www.trenitalia.com (in €, more fiddly, same prices).  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.

  You can also try high-speed operator Italo for this journey, booked at www.italotreno.it.

• Stay overnight in Venice.  For a hotel that won't break the bank just 2 minutes walk from Venice Santa Lucia with good reviews, try the Hotel Maggior Consiglio or for a little more, the Hotel Abbazia.

• Day 2, travel from Venice to Vienna by railjet train, leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 09:56 and arriving Vienna Hbf 17:36.

  The swish Austrian railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  It takes the beautifully scenic UNESCO-listed Semmering route from Vienna to Graz, a real treat, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semmering_railway.  Treat yourself to lunch with wine as the mountains glide by.  More about the journey from Venice to Vienna.

  Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class, €44.90 in 1st class or €59.90 in business class (= premium 1st class, a real treat).  Fares vary like air fares.

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

  Tip:  If you have a 1st or business class ticket you can use the ÖBB Lounge at Vienna Hbf between trains with complimentary tea, coffee & WiFi.

• Day 2, travel from Vienna to Prague by swish modern Czech railjet train leaving Vienna Hbf at 19:10 and arriving Prague Hlavni at 23:19.

  The excellent air-conditioned railjet train has a restaurant car with draught beer on tap, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Fares start at €14.90 in 2nd class, €29.90 in 1st class or €44.90 in business class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this train at www.thetrainline.com or the Czech Railways site www.cd.cz, whichever is cheaper.  Booking opens 6 months ahead on www.thetrainline.com, but only 92 days ahead at www.cd.cz.  You print your own ticket.  See suggested hotels in Prague.

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Florence to Bratislava & Slovakia from €64

Option 1, Florence to Bratislava using the Florence-Vienna sleeper - safe, comfortable, time-effective

• Step 1, travel from Florence to Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Florence SMN at 21:48 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 09:04 next morning.

  From 10 September 2024 this train becomes 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 on-board accommodation, travel tips & photos.  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 $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (same prices, a bit more fiddly, in €). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.

  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, scroll down to Austria & click nj.

  Tip:  If you have a sleeper ticket you can use the ÖBB Lounge at Vienna Hbf between trains, with complimentary refreshments & free WiFi.

• Step 2, when you reach Vienna, simply buy a ticket for €11 and hop on the next hourly Regional Express train from Vienna Hbf to Bratislava Hlavna, no reservation necessary or possible, journey time 56 minutes, see the timetable here.  You can check times using www.thetrainline.com or www.oebb.at.  Important:  If travelling before 15 December 2024, see the update here.

Step 1, Florence to Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train.  More about new-generation Nightjets

Step 2, Vienna to Bratislava by hourly Regional Express train, seen about to leave Vienna Hbf.  Behind the locomotive is a smart Slovakian air-conditioned intercity coach, whilst the rest of the train consists of more basic non-air-con Austrian City Shuttle carriages, with interiors as shown in the photo above right.  Find a seat in the more comfortable Slovakian car if you can!

Option 2, Florence to Bratislava with overnight stop in Venice - if you prefer day trains & hotel to sleepers

• Day 1, travel from Florence SMN to Venice Santa Lucia by Frecciarossa in just 2h14 using any train you like.

  You can spend almost a full day in Florence before taking an evening train, or take an earlier train and see something of Venice.  The Rialto bridge is just 15 minutes walk from Venice Santa Lucia, the Piazza San Marco is just 25 minutes walk.  Frecciarossas have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easiest to use, in €, £ or $, overseas cards no problem, small booking fee) or Trenitalia's website www.trenitalia.com (in €, more fiddly, same prices).  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.

  You can also try high-speed operator Italo for this journey, booked at www.italotreno.it.

• Stay overnight in Venice.  For a hotel that won't break the bank just 2 minutes walk from Venice Santa Lucia with good reviews, try the Hotel Maggior Consiglio or for a little more, the Hotel Abbazia.

• Day 2, travel from Venice to Vienna by railjet train, leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 09:56 and arriving Vienna Hbf 17:36.

  The swish Austrian railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  It takes the beautifully scenic UNESCO-listed Semmering route from Vienna to Graz, a real treat, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semmering_railway.  Treat yourself to lunch with wine as the mountains glide by.  More about the journey from Venice to Vienna.

  Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class, €44.90 in 1st class or €59.90 in business class (= premium 1st class, a real treat).  Fares vary like air fares.

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

  Tip:  If you have a 1st or business class ticket you can use the ÖBB Lounge at Vienna Hbf between trains with complimentary tea, coffee & WiFi.

• Day 2, when you reach Vienna, simply buy a ticket for €11 and hop on the next hourly regional express train from Vienna Hbf to Bratislava Hlavna, no reservation necessary or possible, journey time 56 minutes, see the timetable here.  Check times at www.thetrainline.com or www.oebb.at.    Important:  If travelling before 15 December 2024, see the update here.

Vienna to Bratislava by hourly Regional Express train, seen about to leave Vienna Hbf.  Behind the locomotive is a smart Slovakian air-conditioned intercity coach, whilst the rest of the train consists of more basic non-air-con Austrian City Shuttle carriages, with interiors as shown in the photo above right.  Find a seat in the more comfortable Slovakian car if you can!

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Florence to Budapest from €68

Option 1, Florence to Budapest using the Florence-Vienna sleeper - safe, comfortable, time-effective

• Step 1, travel from Florence to Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Florence SMN at 21:48 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 09:04 next morning.

  From 10 September 2024 this train becomes 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 on-board accommodation, travel tips & photos.  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 $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (same prices, in €).  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.

  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, scroll down to Austria & click nj.

  Tip:  If you have a sleeper ticket and/or 1st class ticket for the onward train to Budapest you can use the ÖBB lounge in Vienna Hbf between trains, with complimentary refreshments & free WiFi.

• Step 2, travel from Vienna to Budapest by EuroCity train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 10:42 & arriving Budapest Keleti 13:19.

  This comfortable Hungarian EuroCity train has a restaurant car, treat yourself to an early lunch and a beer or two.

  There's an earlier 09:42 to Budapest, but this is not a robust connection with the sleeper.  However, trains leave every hour so by all means book a later train & spend some time in Vienna, see the timetable here.  Luggage lockers are available.

  Fares start at €19.90 in 2nd class, €29.90 in 1st class or €44.90 in business class (= premium 1st).  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com or www.oebb.at.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You print your own ticket.  Easy!

Step 1, Florence to Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train.  More about new-generation Nightjets

Step 2, Vienna to Budapest by Hungarian EuroCity train.

Option 2, Florence to Budapest with overnight stop in Venice - if you prefer day trains & hotel to sleepers

• Day 1, travel from Florence SMN to Venice Santa Lucia by Frecciarossa in just 2h14 using any train you like.

  You can spend almost a full day in Florence before taking an evening train, or take an earlier train and see something of Venice.  The Rialto bridge is just 15 minutes walk from Venice Santa Lucia, the Piazza San Marco is just 25 minutes walk.  Frecciarossas have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easiest to use, in €, £ or $, overseas cards no problem, small booking fee) or Trenitalia's website www.trenitalia.com (in €, more fiddly, same prices).  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.

  You can also try high-speed operator Italo for this journey, booked at www.italotreno.it.

• Stay overnight in Venice.  For a hotel that won't break the bank just 2 minutes walk from Venice Santa Lucia with good reviews, try the Hotel Maggior Consiglio or for a little more, the Hotel Abbazia.

• Day 2, travel from Venice to Vienna by railjet train, leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 09:56 and arriving Vienna Hbf 17:36.

  The swish Austrian railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  It takes the beautifully scenic UNESCO-listed Semmering route from Vienna to Graz, a real treat, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semmering_railway.  Treat yourself to lunch with wine as the mountains glide by.  More about the journey from Venice to Vienna.

  Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class, €44.90 in 1st class or €59.90 in business class (= premium 1st class, a real treat).  Fares vary like air fares.

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

  Tip:  If you have a 1st or business class ticket you can use the ÖBB Lounge at Vienna Hbf between trains with complimentary tea, coffee & WiFi.

• Day 2, travel from Vienna to Budapest by railjet train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 18:42 and arriving Budapest Keleti at 21:19. 

  The air-conditioned 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 or €44.90 in business class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

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

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Florence to Bucharest, Brasov & Romania

• Step 1, travel from Florence to Budapest as shown in the Florence to Budapest section above.

  You leave Florence in the evening by Nightjet sleeper train and change in Vienna onto a railjet train to Budapest, arriving at lunchtime.  You've an afternoon to explore Budapest.

• Step 2, take the overnight sleeper train Ister leaving Budapest Keleti at 19:10 and arriving Brasov 08:48 & Bucharest Nord 11:35 next day. 

  This comfortable train 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, see the photos on the London to Romania page.  There's no restaurant car so take a picnic and bottle of wine.

  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.

  Click EN top right for English.  Booking opens up to 90 days ahead.  For Bucharest type Bucuresti.  It can book seats, couchettes or sleepers.  You print your own ticket.

  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.

• Alternatively, stay overnight in Budapest, top choice for an inexpensive stay 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.  Next day, take a daytime train across Transylvania to Cluj, Timisoara, Simeria, Brasov or Bucharest as shown on the Trains from Budapest page.  These daytime trains are also bookable from €26.30 at www.mavcsoport.hu.

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Florence to Ljubljana & Zagreb

Option 1, Florence to Ljubljana & Zagreb using the Florence-Austria Nightjet sleeper train - the most time-effective option.

• Step 1, travel from Florence to Bruck an der Mur by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Florence SMN at 21:48 and arriving Bruck/Mur at 06:39.

  From 10 September 2024 this train becomes 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 on-board accommodation, travel tips & photos.  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 $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (same prices, a bit more fiddly, in €). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.

  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, scroll down to Austria & click nj.

• Step 2, travel from Bruck an der Mur to Ljubljana by EuroCity train Emona, leaving Bruck/Mur at 09:58, and arriving Ljubljana at 14:00. 

  Change at Zidani Most for Zagreb, arriving 17:10.

  It's an enjoyable ride with some great scenery.  The Emona  has air-conditioned cars and a restaurant car, treat yourself to lunch.

  Fares start at €19.90.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book from Bruck/Mur to Ljubljana or Zagreb at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, a bit more fiddly, same prices).  You print your own ticket.

Option 2, Florence to Ljubljana by daytime trains, overnight stop, on to Zagreb next day - the leisurely daytime option

• Step 1, travel from Florence to Venice by Frecciarossa 1000, leaving Florence SMN at 12:20, arriving Venice Santa Lucia 14:34.

  The Frecciarossa high-speed train has 4 classes, a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  By all means book an earlier train from Florence if you'd like lunch and a wander in Venice, for example the 07:30, 08:30 or 09:30.  The Rialto Bridge is just 20 minutes walk from Venice Santa Lucia, St Mark's Square just 27 minutes walk, see map of Venice showing station.  There's a left luggage office at the station.  If you haven't been to Venice before, I'd recommend an overnight stop, not just a few hours!

• Step 2, travel from Venice to Villach by railjet, leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 15:52 and arriving Villach 19:11.

  The smart Austrian railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Villach is in southern Austria.  Have a coffee at the station between trains.

• Step 3, travel from Villach to Ljubljana by express train, leaving Villach at 20:53, arriving Lesce-Bled 21:47 & Ljubljana 22:38.

• Stay overnight in Ljubljana, see suggested hotels near the station in Ljubljana.

• Step 4, travel from Ljubljana to Zagreb, leaving Ljubljana at 08:09 & arriving Zagreb 10:39.

  Enjoy the scenery as the train runs along the lovely river Sava from Ljubljana to Zagreb.

• How much does it cost?

  Florence to Venice starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Venice to Ljubljana starts at €26.50 in 2nd class or €39.40 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Ljubljana to Zagreb costs €9 bought at the station.

• How to buy tickets

  First book from Venice to Ljubljana at www.thetrainline.com (quickest & easiest to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same prices).  You print your own ticket.

  Now book a suitable connecting train from Florence to Venice at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £, $ or Au$) or www.trenitalia.com (in €).  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.

  Buy the ticket from Ljubljana to Zagreb at the station in Ljubljana.

Option 3, Florence to Ljubljana & Zagreb on the historic direct route through Trieste

• Direct trains from Italy to Slovenia were restored in September 2018.  Two modern air-conditioned trains now run from Trieste to Ljubljana every day, with connections from Venice - and there's now a daily Austrian EuroCity train from Trieste to Ljubljana, too.

  Just €22 or so gets you from Venice to Ljubljana, any day, any date, no prior reservation necessary, it cannot sell out, just buy at the station on the day.  Change in Ljubljana for Zagreb.  And if you've ever wondered where prosecco comes from, you'll find out on this route!

  It's possible to travel from Florence to Ljubljana in a day this way, although you'll need to stay overnight & catch a train to Zagreb next morning.

  Click here for timetable & fares between Venice, Ljubljana & Zagreb, with photos & an account of the journey.

• Add a ticket from Florence to Venice by Frecciarossa high-speed train from €19.90 at either www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com.

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Florence to Dubrovnik & Split

Option 1, Florence to Split & Dubrovnik via Zagreb - by train all the way

• Step 1, travel overland from Florence to Zagreb by train as shown above.

• Step 2, take a train from Zagreb to Split (daytime or sleeper) then a bus Split to Dubrovnik (4 hours, lots of buses). 

Option 2, Florence to Split & Dubrovnik by ferry from Ancona or Bari - more time-effective

• Step 1, book an overnight ferry with comfortable en suite cabin either from Ancona to Split or from Bari to Dubrovnik.

  www.jadrolinija.hr sails on both routes several times a week, leaving 19:45-22:00 and arriving 07:00-08:00.  You can choose a private cabin or cheaper berth in a shared cabin.  There are also reclining seats, but I always recommend a bed in a cabin for a safe & secure night's sleep.  Make sure you're on deck with your camera ready as the ship approaches the beautiful Croatian coast!

• Step 2, now add a train ticket from Florence SMN to either Ancona Centrale or Bari Centrale using www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in €, £, $ or Au$) or www.trenitalia.com (in €).  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. 

  You should choose a train which arrives in Bari or Ancona at least 3 hours before the ferry sails, to allow for transfer to the port and check-in.  In Bari it's a 25 minute walk via Bari's pleasant old town to the ferry terminal, or a 10 minute taxi ride.  In Ancona, take a taxi from station to ferry terminal.

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Florence to Belgrade

• Day 1, travel from Florence to Venice by Frecciarossa 1000, leaving Florence SMN at 12:20, arriving Venice Santa Lucia 14:34.

  The high-speed Frecciarossa train has 4 classes, a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  If you'd like lunch and a wander around Venice, take an earlier train from Florence, for example the 08:20 or 09:20.  The Rialto Bridge is just 20 minutes walk from Venice Santa Lucia, St Mark's Square 27 minutes walk, see map of Venice showing station.  There's a left luggage office at the station.  Of course if you haven't been to Venice before, I'd suggest an overnight stop, not just a few hours!

  Fares start at from €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this train at www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in €, £, $ or Au$) or www.trenitalia.com (in €).  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.

• Day 1, travel from Venice to Villach by railjet, leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 15:52 and arriving Villach 19:11.

  The smart Austrian railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Villach is in Austria, on the Slovenian border.

  Fares start at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this at www.thetrainline.com (quickest & easiest to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same prices, a bit more fiddly).  You print your own ticket.

• Stay overnight in Villach, I suggest the Hotel Goldenes Lamm or Hotel City, both near the station with great reviews.

• Day 2, travel from Villach to Zagreb, leaving Villach at 06:14 & arriving Zagreb at 10:39.

  Enjoy the lovely scenery as the train runs along the pretty river Sava from Ljubljana to Zagreb.

  Fares start at €19.90, 2nd class only.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this at www.thetrainline.com (quickest & easiest to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same prices).  You print your own ticket.

• Day 2, travel from Zagreb to Belgrade by train, leaving Zagreb at 11:04 and arriving Novi Beograd 18:04 & Belgrade Centar at 18:12.

  This train was suspended due to Covid-19 and is still suspended.

  2nd class only, with two comfortable Serbian air-conditioned cars.  There's no catering, so bring your own food & drink.  This train cannot be booked online, just buy at the station or on the train for around €29.

  While the train is suspended, take a bus from Zagreb to Belgrade

  It's a 17-minute 1.3 km walk from Zagreb station to Zagreb bus station, see walking map.

  A Flixbus leaves Zagreb bus station at 14:00, arriving Belgrade bus station at 19:30.

  The fare is around €20, buy a ticket at www.flixbus.com.

• If you're going to Sofia, spend the night in Belgrade, I recommend the historic Hotel Moskva.  Travel from Belgrade to Sofia by train next day, see the Belgrade to Sofia page for full details.  Buy this ticket at the station for €20.60, there are always places available, even on the day.  It cannot be booked online, and there's no need.

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Florence to Sofia

Option 1, Florence to Sofia via Budapest & Bucharest - currently the most viable option

• Day 1, travel from Florence to Budapest as shown in the Florence-Budapest section.

  Make sure you allow an hour or two between trains in Budapest.

• Day 2, travel from Budapest to Bucharest by sleeper, then Bucharest to Sofia by day train, as shown in the Budapest to Sofia section.

  You arrive in Sofia on the evening of Day 3.  Book as shown.

Option 2, Florence to Sofia via Belgrade

• Not currently viable with the Zagreb-Belgrade and Belgrade-Sofia trains suspended.

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Florence to Bar, Budva, Kotor & Montenegro

• This is an excellent way to reach beautiful Montenegro from Florence, if you can find a ferry.  Make sure you're on deck with your camera ready as the ship approaches the lovely Montenegrin coast!

• Step 1, travel from Florence SMN to Ancona by train.

  Obviously, check ferry operating dates and times first and work out a suitable connecting train after booking the ferry.  You should allow several hours in Ancona, check ferry check-in times, port location and procedures carefully.

  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.

• Step 2, take the overnight ferry from Ancona to Bar in Montenegro, arriving next morning.

  Montenegro Lines used to sail from Bari to Bar but ceased trading in early 2017, Jadrolinija (www.jadrolinija.hr) took over this route but then abandoned it.  In 2024, Adria Ferries started a twice-weekly ferry from Ancona to Bar, which may run again in 2025.  Days and times varied.

  Check sailing dates & book online at www.adriaferries.com/en/lines/ancona-bar.html.

  You can book a private cabin or berth in a shared cabin.  There are also reclining seats, but a bed in a cabin means a safe & secure night's sleep.

  If you find no sailings to Bar, book a sailing from Bari to Dubrovnik in Croatia with www.jadrolinija.hr.  From Dubrovnik it's a 3h45 bus ride to Bar.

• Trains link Bar with Podgorica and indeed with Belgrade on the spectacular Bar-Belgrade Railway.  Buses link Bar bus station with Budva & Kotor.

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Florence to Warsaw, Krakow & Poland

Option 1, Florence to Krakow & Warsaw using the Florence-Vienna sleeper

• Day 1, travel from Florence to Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Florence SMN at 21:48 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 09:04 next morning.

  From 10 September 2024 this train becomes 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 on-board accommodation, travel tips & photos.  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 $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (same prices, more fiddly, in €).  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, you print your own ticket.

  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, scroll down to Austria & click nj.

  Tip:  If you have a sleeper ticket and/or 1st class ticket for the onward train you can use the ÖBB lounge in Vienna Hbf for 1½ hours after arrival and before departure, with complimentary refreshments & free WiFi.

• Day 2, spend the morning in Vienna and travel to Poland in the afternoon.

  For Warsaw, travel from Vienna to Warsaw by EuroCity train Polonia, leaving Vienna Hbf at 14:10, arriving Warsaw Centralna 21:34.

  For Krakow, travel from Vienna to Krakow by EuroCity train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 16:10 and arriving Krakow Glowny 21:13.

  Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

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

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You collect tickets from the ÖBB ticket machines in Vienna.

Step 1, Florence to Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train.  More about new-generation Nightjets

Step 2, Vienna to Warsaw or Krakow by EuroCity train.  This is the Danubius to Krakow at Vienna Hbf on a winter afternoon.  That's the Czech through car to Wroclaw nearest the camera, the Polish cars to Krakow are ahead of it.  Courtesy of Helmut Uttenthaler.

Most 2nd class cars have compartments like this with side corridor & 6-seat compartments.

Option 2, Florence to Krakow & Warsaw with overnight stop in Vienna

• Day 1, travel from Florence to Vienna in one day, either via Innsbruck or via Venice, as shown in the Florence to Vienna section.

• Stay overnight in Vienna.  Hotels near the station with good reviews include the Motel One Vienna Hbf, GraetzlHotel, Hotel Schani Wien.

• Day 2, travel from Vienna to Warsaw or Krakow by comfortable EuroCity train, as shown in the Vienna-Poland section on the Vienna page.

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Florence to Lviv, Kyiv, Moscow

• Day 1, travel from Florence to Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train as shown in the Florence to Vienna section above, leaving Florence SMN in the evening and arriving at Vienna Hbf next morning.

• Day 2, enjoy the best part of the day in Vienna, left luggage lockers are available.

• Day 2, travel from Vienna to Lviv or Kyiv by direct sleeping-car. leaving Vienna Hbf at 16:42 and arriving Lviv 10:20 & Kyiv 17:03 next day.

  Introduced in 2017, this train consists of 2 or sometimes 3 direct Ukrainian sleeping-cars attached to a Vienna-Zahony EuroCity train.  The sleeping-cars have comfortable 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, see the photos below.  At Chop on the other side of the border the through sleeping-cars are jacked up to have their wheelsets changed from European standard gauge (4'8½") to Russian gauge used in Ukraine (5').

  Vienna to Lviv costs €71.20 in a 3-berth sleeper, €79.20 in a 2-berth sleeper or around €130 in a single sleeper.

  Vienna to Kyiv costs €89.60 in a 3-berth sleeper, €99.60 in a 2-berth sleeper or around €170 in a single sleeper.

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

  Booking for these direct sleeping-cars opens 20 days ahead, but tickets sell out a day or two after booking opens, so book as soon as the booking period opens.  If the ÖBB website says Ticket not available within 20 days it means fully-booked, if it says that more than 20 days ahead it means booking isn't open yet.

  Tickets can now be printed out so you can book in either direction.  However, you must print the ticket, it cannot be shown on a mobile device.

  Booked at the station in Ukraine, Kyiv to Vienna costs around €80, Lviv to Vienna around €60, in both cases with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper.

• Day 3, take a sleeper train from Kyiv to Moscow.  Train 6 leaves Kyiv at around 19:36 and arrives Moscow Kievskaya at around 10:09 next day (day 4 from Italy).  Taking the route via Kyiv avoids Belarus, so no need for a Belarus visa.

  These trains were suspended due to Covid-19, and are now cancelled - and the lines blown up - due to the war in Ukraine.

  The fare is around €92 with a bed in 4-berth kupé or €180 with a bed in a 2-berth spalny vagon.

  You can book tickets starting in Kyiv at the Ukrainian Railways site booking.uz.gov.ua/en/ booking from Kyiv to Moskva Kievskaya.  You collect tickets at the station in Kyiv.  Feedback appreciated!

  Change in Moscow for fast trains to St Petersburg, see the train travel in Russia page.

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Florence to Athens & Greece

• You can leave Florence SMN in the morning on a fast train to Bari, sail overnight to Patras in Greece and take a bus/train into Athens arriving in the early evening.  See the Italy to Athens page for details of times, fares & how to buy tickets.

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Florence to Istanbul & Turkey

• Step 1, travel from Florence to Bucharest as shown above.

• An overnight stop may be necessary in Bucharest.

• Step 2, travel from Bucharest to Istanbul overnight as shown on the Bucharest to Istanbul page.

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Railbookers custom-made tours

If you just want to buy train tickets at the cheapest price, book online as shown on this page.  However, if you want someone to sort out your whole trip for you, arranging all your trains, hotels and transfers, and to look after you if anything affects your arrangements, talk to Railbookers.  Railbookers can tailor-make a train trip around Europe to your own specification.  Just tell them what you want and they'll advise you on the best trains, routes & hotels.  They get good reports and a lot of repeat business!  They now have offices in the UK, North America and Australia.

  UK call 0207 864 4600, www.railbookers.co.uk.

  US call free 1-888-829-4775, see website.

  Canada call free 1-855-882-2910, see website.

  Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526, see website.

  New Zealand call toll-free 0800 000 554 or see website.

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Hotels in Florence

Hotels near Florence SMN

• For something fancy, try the Santa Maria Novella with a 9/10 review score and rooftop terrace overlooking the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella.  It's just a 5-minute 400m walk from the station.

• For something more affordable but also an easy walk from the station, try the Hotel Art Atelier.

• Other hotels nearby with good reviews include C-hotels Club, 7Florence B&B, Hotel Lombardia.

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.

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