Milan Centrale is a magnificent landmark in its own right, take the time to have a look around.

I want to go from Milan to...

Click here for journeys starting in another city

This page explains how to travel by train from Milan to other key European cities, and how to buy tickets the cheapest way. Information current for 2025.

Tip: For a coffee, beer or meal before your train try the Bistro Centrale on the main concourse. For a great Italian restaurant 5-10 min walk from the station, I recommend Noblesse Oblige, see map.

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

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

Which station in Milan?

Milan Centrale is Milan's magnificent main station, a landmark in its own right. Most trains use this, see the Milan Centrale guide.

Milan Porta Garibaldi is another main station, used by the French TGVs to/from Paris & a few Trenitalia mainline trains, see Milan Porta Garibaldi guide.

Milan Rogoredo & Milan Lambrate are secondary stations used by a handful of trains passing through Milan without going into the main termini, including the Milan to Vienna/Munich Nightjet and the Genoa-Zurich EuroCity. Trains heading to/from Centrale may also stop at these stations. See the Milan Rogoredo guide.

In the text below 'Milan' means Milan Centrale unless it says otherwise. If you need to transfer between Centrale and Porta Garibaldi, it's an 8-minute €8 taxi ride or a 25 minute walk or a €3 10-minute local train or metro ride. Map of Milan showing stations.

Milan to Florence, Rome, Venice, Naples & other Italian cities from €19.90

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 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, this 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 have seat 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 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 both 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 both 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 advice on using it.
All these sites offer ticketless travel for Trenitalia intercity & high-speed trains, you print 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.

Competing private operator Italo: Private operator NTV runs its Italo high-speed trains from Florence to Bologna, Milan, Venice Rome, Naples & Salerno in competition with State-owned Trenitalia, see the Italo page for more details. Check times & fares & book online at www.italotreno.it. Should you choose Trenitalia or Italo? This may help you decide!

Milan to Lake Como

Regional trains link Milan Centrale with Como San Giovanni on Lake Como every hour, see www.trenitalia.com for times & prices.
Como San Giovanni is the principal station in Como town, also served by some Milan-Zurich Eurocity trains.

Regional trains link Milan Centrale with Varenna-Esino & Lecco every hour or two, see www.trenord.it for times & prices.
No reservation necessary or possible, just turn up, buy a ticket and hop on the next one.

Milan to Pompeii, Sorrento, Amalfi

Step 1, travel from Milan Centrale to Naples Centrale by 300 km/h (186 mph) Frecciarossa with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Book this at either at www.italiarail.com, www.thetrainline.com or www.trenitalia.com.
Step 2, take the little electric Circumvesuviana Railway every half hour from Naples Centrale to Ercolano, Pompeii Scavi and Sorrento, with onward buses to Amalfi. There are also ferries to Capri.

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

Milan to Palermo, Catania, Siracuse & Sicily

Option 1, Milan to Sicily by direct sleeper train - an epic ride in your own private sleeper, direct to Sicily

An Intercity Notte sleeper train leaves Milan Centrale at 20:10 every night for Messina, Catania, Siracuse & Palermo.

Snuggle down in your own bed and wake up next morning speeding along the scenic Italian coast. 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.

The train has has a sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin and Comfort couchette cars with 4-berth compartments, ideal for families. The couchettes convert to seats for daytime use, the sleepers convert to a private sitting room with sofa. There's no restaurant car, so bring your own picnic and bottle of wine or beer. More about Intercity Notte.

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.
See the Sicily page for timetable, fares, how to buy tickets, photos & tips.


2-berth sleeper. It converts to a sofa by day. Larger photo		Yes, the train goes onto a ferry! This is the Milan-Sicily sleeper train on board the train ferry from Villa San Giovanni to Messina. Photos courtesy of Andrew Harris.

Option 2, Milan to Sicily using a Rome-Sicily sleeper - the most time-effective option

Catch an early-evening high-speed Frecciarossa to Rome Termini in as little as 2h55, then take an Intercity Notte sleeper train from Rome Termini to Cefalù, Palermo, Catania, Taormina or Siracuse. I'd allow at least an hour between trains in Rome when catching a sleeper.

In the morning the sleeper train is shunted onto a ferry to cross the Straits of Messina, a unique experience, have your camera ready. It arrives in Sicily late morning. More about trains to Sicily.

Milan to Rome starts at €29.90, Rome to Sicily starts at €39.90 in a couchette, €79.90 with a bed in a cosy 2-bed sleeper or €87.50 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself. Fares vary like air fares, 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.
If you'd like longer in Rome (perhaps for dinner or an afternoon wander) book each train separately, it makes no difference to the price.

See the trains to Sicily page for photos & travel tips.

Option 3, Milan to Sicily by daytime train. Milan to Sicily in a single day, an epic ride

You can travel from Milan to Palermo, Catania or Siracuse by train in a single day, albeit with an early start and late evening arrival. You take a high-speed Frecciarossa from Milan Centrale to Naples Centrale, then the afternoon InterCity train from 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. See the trains to Sicily page for photos & travel tips.
Fares start at just €39.80 in 2nd class or €59.80 in 1st class. 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.

Milan to London from €74

See the London to Italy page for times, fares, tickets between the UK & Italy - in either direction

Milan to Dublin & Ireland

Option 1, Milan to Dublin via London & Holyhead - daily departures

Day 1, travel from Milan to London by high-speed train & Eurostar, as shown on the London-Italy page.

Stay overnight in London, see suggested hotels near St Pancras. It's a 10 minute walk from London St Pancras to London Euston.
Day 2, travel from London Euston to Dublin on the morning train & ferry service, arriving Dublin Ferryport 17:25, see the London-Dublin page for times, fares & how to buy tickets. Rail & Sail is an inexpensive, fun and interesting way to go, see more about this journey.

Option 2, Milan to Dublin via Paris & Cherbourg - several times a week

Day 1, travel from Milan to Paris by Frecciarossa or TGV on an afternoon departure, see the timetable on the Milan-Paris page.
Fares start at €29, for full details see the Milan-Paris page. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com, both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee. Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

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

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


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

Milan to Paris from €29

Option 1, Milan to Paris by Trenitalia Frecciarossa - direct trains, 2 per day

Every day, 2 Frecciarossa 1000 trains link Milan Centrale & Turin Porta Susa with Paris Gare de Lyon, see the timetable here.
Update: The direct Milan-Paris line via Modane was blocked by a landslide in August 2023, and will remains blocked until at least March 2025. Until further notice, all direct Milan-Paris trains are cancelled. Until this is resolved, travel Milan to Paris via Switzerland as shown here.
The Frecciarossa has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
It's a scenic & relaxing run, initially a slow speed meander through the alps on the classic line from Italy into France via Modane, past Chambéry & Lyon, then a final high-speed dash to Paris at up to 300 km/h (186 mph) on the high-speed line. Bring a good book and a bottle of wine, and make it a relaxing journey with your feet up.
These trains started running in December 2021, in competition with the French Railways TGVs shown in option 2. Which is better, TGV or Frecciarossa? See a comparison here!
Fares start at €29 in standard (2nd class), €36 in business (1st class) or €165 in executive (premium 1st).
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets at www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in plain English, in €, £ or $, allows seat choice from a seat map, their small booking fee will be refunded if you email them afterwards at seat61@italiarail.com), www.raileurope.com (also easy to use, in plain English, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or www.thetrainline.com (also easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee). Booking opens 4 months ahead. It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.

A Frecciarossa 1000 at Milan Centrale. Interior photos in this section courtesy of Nicholas Brooke.


Standard class, with seats arranged 2+2 across the car width. Larger photo.		Premium class seats, identical to Standard class but in leather, sold as Standard on this route. Larger photo.


Business class seats 1+2 across car width, with tables for 2, tables for 4 & complimentary prosecco. Larger photo.		In business class you can order a simple meal at your seat, around €18.


Executive class at one end of the train. Larger photo.		The Executive class meeting room. Larger photo.

Option 2, Milan to Paris by French Railways TGV - direct trains, 3 per day

Every day, 3 French Railways TGV trains link Milan Porta Garibaldi & Turin Porta Susa with Paris Gare de Lyon, see the timetable here.
Update: The direct Milan-Paris line via Modane was blocked by a landslide in August 2023, and will remain blocked until at least March 2025. Until further notice, all direct Milan-Paris trains are cancelled. Until this is resolved, travel Milan to Paris via Switzerland as shown here.
The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

It's a scenic & relaxing run, initially a slow speed meander through the alps on the classic line from Italy into France via Modane, past Chambéry & Lyon, then a final high-speed dash to Paris at up to 300 km/h (186 mph) on the high-speed line. Bring a good book and a bottle of wine, and make it a relaxing journey with your feet up. See the Paris-Milan video showing the train & scenery.

Which is better, TGV or Frecciarossa? See a comparison here.

Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €44 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com (easy to use, in plain English, in €, £ or $, small booking fee, offers choice of seating options including forward-facing seats) or www.thetrainline.com (also easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee, ability to specify forward-facing seats & other seating options). Booking opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
You can also buy at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). You can't buy tickets at the Italian railways website or at Italian stations as since 2011 these trains have been operated entirely by French railways with no Trenitalia involvement.

TGV train from Paris to Milan about to leave Paris Gare de Lyon

A Milan-Paris TGV at Paris Gare de Lyon. There's no check-in, just be on board at departure time.


2nd class with mix of unidirectional seats & tables for 4. Seats 2+2 across car width. Larger photo.		The cheese platter bought from the cafe-bar as the mountains swept by.


Cafe-bar selling tea, coffee, beer, wine, cold snacks & microwaved dishes. Larger photo.		1st class with a mix of unidirectional seats, solo seats, tables for 2 & for 4. Seats 2+1 across car width. Larger photo.

Take a good book, a bottle o' red, and enjoy the scenery from Italy to Paris with your feet up. These are mountains in France. Watch the Paris-Milan TGV video guide.

And these are mountains in Italy between Oulx and Turin. Courtesy of www.discoverbyrail.com.

Option 3, Milan to Paris via the Bernina Express & Swiss Alps from €76 - much slower, but the ultimate scenic ride

This journey is longer and costs a bit more, but it will be a highlight of your trip. If you want the ultimate train ride through the Alps this is it! If you still need convincing, watch the video.

Day 1, take the 10:20 regional train from Milan Centrale along the shores of Lake Como to Tirano, then take the absolutely fabulous Bernina Express narrow-gauge panoramic train through the Alps to Chur, and a connecting train to Zurich, arriving 19:53. It's a long day, but worth it.
See the Bernina Express page for details & how to buy tickets. Watch the video.

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

Day 2, travel from Zurich to Paris by TGV-Lyria, leaving Zurich HB at 07:34, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 11:38.
Or there's a later TGV-Lyria leaving Zurich HB at 09:34, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 13:38. Your call!
TGV-Lyria trains have 3 classes, a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about TGV-Lyria.
Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €51 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead, you print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.


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

The train descends from the Bernina Pass

The Bernina Express descends from the Bernina Pass.

The Milan to Paris Thello sleeper train was suspended in March 2020 and has now been permanently discontinued.

Milan to Lyon

Two Frecciarossa 1000 trains link Milan Centrale with Lyon Part Dieu every day, at 06:25 & 15:53, see the timetable here.
Update: The direct Milan-Paris line via Modane was blocked by a landslide in August 2023, and will remain blocked until at least March 2025. Until further notice, all direct Milan-Paris trains are cancelled. Until this is resolved, take a EuroCity train to Geneva then a regional train to Lyon.
The Frecciarossa has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. After a short dash on the Milan-Turin high-speed line, the train slows right down for a scenic meander through the alps.

Fares start at €25 in standard (2nd class), €32 in business (1st class) or €149 in executive (premium 1st).
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.

Milan to Strasbourg

Step 1, travel from Milan to Basel by EuroCity train.

Departures from Milan Centrale are at 07:10, 11:10, 15:10, 18:05 taking 4h20 to Basel SBB.

The EuroCity has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. It's a lovely journey through the Alps.

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

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

Booking opens up to 3 months ahead. It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.
Step 2, take a TER train from Basel SBB to Strasbourg.

These run every hour, sometimes every half hour, journey time 1h18. There's no catering, so bring your own food & drink.

Fares are €28.90 in 2nd class or €43.40 in 1st class. These fares are fixed-price, unlimited availability.

Tickets are good for any train, so even a 10-minute connection is fine, if you miss it you can take the next one. At Basel SBB, the trains to Strasbourg leave from SNCF platforms 31-35.

Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com and print them out.

Booking opens up to 3 months ahead.

Milan to Vichy, Clermont, Le Mans, Tours, Brittany, Lille

Step 1, take the 06:25 Frecciarossa from Milan Centrale to Lyon Part Dieu, see the timetable here.
Update: The direct Milan-Paris line via Modane was blocked by a landslide in August 2023, and will remain blocked until at least March 2025. Until further notice, all direct Milan-Paris trains are cancelled. Until this is resolved, use alternative routes.
The Frecciarossa has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. After a short dash on the Milan-Turin high-speed line, the train slows right down for a scenic meander through the alps.
Fares start at €25 in standard (2nd class), €32 in business (1st class) or €149 in executive (premium 1st).

Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.

I'd allow at least an hour between trains in case of delay, given you will be using separate tickets.
Step 2, take a direct TGV from Lyon Part Dieu to Lille, Tours, Le Mans, Nantes, Rennes, or a direct TER or Intercité from Lyon Part Dieu to Vichy, Clermont-Ferrand and other destinations in central France.

Look up times and buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Alternatively, you can take the 15:53 afternoon Frecciarossa from Milan Centrale to Lyon Part Dieu, see the timetable here. Stay overnight in Lyon, and take an onward train next morning.
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.

Alternatively, take a train from Milan to Paris and an onward train from Paris. There's then a wider choice of departures and it's sometimes cheaper, but it usually involves changing stations in Paris.

Milan to Nice, Cannes, Monte Carlo

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

You take an Intercity train from Milan to Ventimiglia on the French border in as little as 3h45, then a double-deck TER train from Ventimiglia to Menton, Monte Carlo, Nice, Antibes & Cannes taking another hour or so.
It's a lovely journey along the Ligurian coast between Genoa & Ventimiglia, along the Côte d'Azur between Ventimiglia, Monaco, Nice & Cannes.

Fares from Milan to Ventimiglia start at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
The fare from Ventimiglia to Nice is €9.20, fixed-price, unlimited availability, 2nd class only.

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

Step 1, take an Intercity train from Milan to Ventimiglia in as little as 3h45. Here, a train is boarding at the magnificent Milan Centrale.


2nd class. Larger photo.		1st class. Larger photo.

Step 2, take a TER local train from Ventimiglia to Monaco, Nice & Cannes. Ventimiglia to Nice takes an hour along the coast. Here, a TER rolls into Juan les Pins station, between Nice & Cannes.

Coastal scenery between Nice & Ventimiglia

Coastal scenery from the upper deck of the TER from Ventimiglia to Nice & Cannes.

Milan to Brussels & Bruges from €64

Option 1, Milan to Brussels in a day via Lyon - easiest, avoids crossing Paris

Step 1, travel from Milan to Lyon by Frecciarossa, leaving Milan Centrale at 06:25, arriving Lyon Part Dieu 11:10.

Update: The direct Milan-Lyon-Paris line via Modane was blocked by a landslide in August 2023, and will remain blocked until at least March 2025. Until further notice, all direct Milan-Lyon trains are cancelled. Until this is resolved, please use alternative routes.
This is high-speed dash from Milan to Lyon, then a lovely ride at low speed on the classic line 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.

Fares start at €25 in standard (2nd), €32 in business (1st) or €149 in executive class (premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares so book ahead.

Book this train at 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 $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee. Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead, it's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.
Have lunch in Lyon, see suggested brasserie near Lyon Part Dieu.
Step 2, travel from Lyon to Brussels by direct TGV, leaving Lyon Part Dieu at 13:59, arriving Brussels Midi 17:43.

If you'd like time to explore Lyon, another TGV leaves Lyon Part Dieu at 17:00, arriving Brussels Midi 20:44.

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

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

Book this train at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.
Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead. you print your ticket or select a mobile ticket to show on your phone.

Paris to Florence by Frecciarossa: A Frecciarossa 1000 at Milan Centrale

Step 1, Milan to Lyon by Frecciarossa seen above at Milan Centrale. More about the Paris-Milan Frecciarossa. Interior photos in this section courtesy of Nicholas Brooke.


Standard class, with seats arranged 2+2 across the car width. Larger photo.		Premium class seats, identical to Standard class but in leather, sold as Standard on this route. Larger photo.


Business class seats 1+2 across car width, with tables for 2, tables for 4 & complimentary prosecco. Larger photo.		In business class you can order a simple meal at your seat, around €18.


Executive class at one end of the train. Larger photo.		The Executive class meeting room. Larger photo.

Mountains in Italy between Turin & Oulx, courtesy of www.discoverbyrail.com.

Mountains in France.

Step 2, Lyon to Brussels by TGV. Above left, 2nd class seats with a mix of unidirectional seats & tables for 4. Seats 2+2 across car width. Larger photo.


Cafe-bar selling tea, coffee, beer, wine, cold snacks & microwaved dishes. Larger photo.		1st class with mix of unidirectional seats, solo seats, tables for 2 & 4. Seats 2+1 across car width. Larger photo.

Option 2, Milan to Brussels in a day via Paris - usually fastest & cheapest, if you don't mind crossing Paris

You can travel from Milan to Brussels in a day.
Leave Milan Porta Garibaldi 06:00 every day, change trains & stations in Paris, arrive Brussels Midi 17:17.

Leave Milan Porta Garibaldi 12:10 on Saturdays & Sundays, change trains & stations in Paris, arrive Brussels Midi 22:17.

Update: The direct Milan-Paris line via Modane was blocked by a landslide in August 2023, and will remain blocked until at least March 2025. Until further notice, all direct Milan-Paris trains are cancelled. Until this is resolved, please use alternative routes.

Step 1, travel from Milan to Paris by TGV:
Leave Milan Porta Garibaldi 06:00, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 13:16, this runs every day.
Leave Milan Porta Garibaldi 12:10, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 19:16, this runs on Saturdays & Sundays.
The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
It's a scenic & relaxing run, initially a slow speed meander through the alps on the classic line from Italy into France via Modane, past Chambéry & Lyon, then a final high-speed dash to Paris at up to 300 km/h (186 mph) on the high-speed line, see the Paris-Milan TGV video. Bring a good book and a bottle of wine, and make it a relaxing journey with your feet up.

Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €44 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com and add to basket.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own tickets or can select mobile tickets to show on your phone.
In Paris, change stations by metro or taxi from the Gare de Lyon to the Gare du Nord. Allow at least 60 minutes between trains.
Step 2, travel from Paris to Brussels by Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
If you left Milan at 06:00, leave Paris Gare du Nord 15:55, arriving Brussels Midi 17:17.
If you left Milan at 12:10, leave Paris Gare du Nord 20:53, arriving Brussels Midi 22:17.
Eurostar trains have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €55 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, add to basket & check out.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own tickets or can select mobile tickets to show on your phone.

Tip: You can book Milan to Brussels in one go if you like, in which case I'd use www.raileurope.com, click More options, then enter Paris (any station) and a stopover duration of at least 60 minutes to get a robust connection. If you don't do that the system allows cross-Paris connections as tight as 40 minutes, which I consider to risky.

Option 3, Milan to Brussels with overnight stop in Lyon - easy and time-effective

Step 1, travel from Milan to Lyon by Frecciarossa, leaving Milan Centrale at 15:53, arriving Lyon Part Dieu 20:12.

Update: The direct Milan-Lyon-Paris line via Modane was blocked by a landslide in August 2023, and will remain blocked until at least March 2025. Until further notice, all direct Milan-Lyon trains are cancelled. Until this is resolved, please use alternative routes.
The Frecciarossa has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
It's a high-speed dash from Milan to Lyon, then a lovely ride at low speed on the classic line through the Alps, see more about the journey here. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

Fares start at €25 in standard (2nd), €32 in business (1st) or €149 in executive class (premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares so book ahead.

Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, using these sites you can buy all your tickets together in one place, in plain English, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee.

Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead, it's ticketless, you print your booking or show it on your phone.
Stay overnight in Lyon. The Ibis Budget Lyon Centre - Gare Part Dieu is affordable with good reviews right next to Lyon Part Dieu station, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Lyon also gets great reviews, a few minutes walk away.
Step 2, travel from Lyon to Brussels by direct TGV:

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

On any day of the week you can leave Lyon Part Dieu at 08:27, arriving Brussels Midi 12:26

The 300 km/h TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. These TGVs by-pass Paris.

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

Book this train at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.
Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead. you print your ticket or select a mobile ticket to show on your phone.

Option 4, Milan to Brussels with overnight stop in Zurich

Day 1, travel from Milan to Zurich by EuroCity train, leaving Milan Centrale at 19:10, arriving Zurich HB 22:27.
Trains leave every hour so by all means book the earlier 15:10, 17:10 or 18:10 departure for a pleasant evening in Zurich.
The EuroCity Giruno train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. It takes the scenic Gotthard route via the world's longest rail tunnel, the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the transit takes just 20 minutes. After the tunnel you pass beautiful Lake Lugano.
Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket at www.raileurope.com (east to use, in €, £ or $, international 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.

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 Brussels on ICE trains, for example:
Leave Zurich HB 07:59, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Brussels Midi 15:35.
Leave Zurich HB 09:59, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Brussels Midi 17:35.
These superb German ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €49.99 in 2nd class or €79.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com (which means you keep all your bookings together in one place), or at the German Railways website int.bahn.de (which allows seat selection on ICEs from a seat map).
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Milan to Amsterdam from €64

Option 1, Milan to Amsterdam using the Zurich-Amsterdam Nightjet sleeper - the time-effective option

Step 1, travel from Milan to Zurich by EuroCity train, leaving Milan Centrale at 17:10, arriving Zurich HB 20:27.
The EuroCity Giruno train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. It takes the scenic Gotthard route via the world's longest rail tunnel, the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the transit takes just 20 minutes. After the tunnel you pass beautiful Lake Lugano.
You've time for dinner in Zurich, I recommend steak-frites and a beer or two at the Brasserie Federal in the main station hall.

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 to at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee).
Booking usually opens up to 4 months ahead. It's ticketless, you print your booking reference or show it on your phone.
Step 2, travel from Zurich to Amsterdam by Nightjet, leaving Zurich HB at 21:59, arriving Amsterdam Centraal 09:44.
This comfortable Nightjet sleeper 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. Watch the Amsterdam-Switzerland sleeper video. More about Nightjets.

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

Book this train at www.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!

Step 1, Milan to Zurich by EuroCity train, through the Alps. This is a Giruno train at Milano Centrale. The train passes through the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world's longest rail tunnel, though the transit takes just 20 minutes.


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


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

Lake Lugano, seen from a Milan to Zurich train

Lake Lugano, seen from the Milan-Zurich EuroCity train on the Gotthard route.

AB33 sleeping-car on the Amsterdam-Zurich Nightjet train

Step 2, Zurich to Amsterdam by Nightjet sleeper train. More about Nightjets. Watch the sleeper video.


Single-bed sleeper with washbasin. Larger photo.		Breakfast next morning. Larger photo.


4 or 6 berth couchette compartment. Larger photo.		Couchette car.

Option 2, Milan to Amsterdam via Paris - means crossing Paris, but can be the cheapest option

Step 1, travel from Milan to Paris by TGV, leaving Milan Porta Garibaldi at 06:00, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 13:16.
Update: The direct Milan-Paris line via Modane was blocked by a landslide in August 2023, and will remain blocked until at least March 2025. Until further notice, all direct Milan-Paris trains are cancelled. Until this is resolved, use another option.
The TGV has a cafe-bar. power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. It's a scenic & relaxing run, initially a slow speed meander through the alps on the classic line from Italy into France via Modane, past Chambéry & Lyon, then a final high-speed dash to Paris at up to 300 km/h (186 mph) on the high-speed line, see the Paris-Milan TGV video. Bring a good book and a bottle of wine, and make it a relaxing journey with your feet up
Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €44 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com and add to basket. Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.
In Paris, change stations by metro or taxi from the Gare de Lyon to the Gare du Nord. Allow at least 60 minutes between trains.
Step 2, travel from Paris to Amsterdam by Eurostar (formerly Thalys), leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 14:22, arriving Amsterdam Centraal 17:50.
Eurostar trains have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys). Later departures are available from Paris to Amsterdam if you'd like a more relaxed transfer in Paris.
Fares start at €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, add to basket & check out.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own tickets or can select mobile tickets to show on your phone.
Overnight stop in Paris? You can also take the late afternoon Frecciarossa from Milan Centrale to Paris Gare de Lyon (see the timetable here), stay overnight in Paris (see suggested hotels at the Gare de Lyon) then take any morning Eurostar (formerly Thalys) train from Paris Gare du Nord to Amsterdam Centraal in 3h20.

Option 3, Milan to Amsterdam with overnight stop in Zurich - breaks up the journey nicely

Day 1, travel from Milan to Zurich by EuroCity train, leaving Milan Centrale at 19:10, arriving Zurich HB 22:27.
These trains run every hour or so, by all means book the earlier 15:10, 17:10 or 18:10 departure for a pleasant evening in Zurich.
The EuroCity train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. It takes the scenic Gotthard route via the world's longest rail tunnel, the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the transit takes just 20 minutes. After the tunnel it passes the beautiful Lake Lugano.
Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, you need to enter place names in Italian, 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.

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 on ICE trains, for example:
Leave Zurich HB 07:59, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Amsterdam Centraal 17:29.
Leave Zurich HB 09:59, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Amsterdam Centraal 19:29.
These superb German ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
The ICE trains all have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Check times & buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com (if you want to book all your tickets together in one place, in €, £ or $, small booking fee), or at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Milan to Luxembourg

Option 1, Milan to Luxembourg in a single day

Step 1, travel from Milan to Mannheim by EuroCity train, leaving Milan Centrale at 11:10, arriving Mannheim Hbf 17:58.

This excellent EuroCity Giruno train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. It takes the scenic Gotthard route via the world's longest rail tunnel, the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the transit takes just 20 minutes. After the tunnel it passes the beautiful Lake Lugano.

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

Book from Milan to Mannheim 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 phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Step 2, travel from Mannheim to Luxembourg, leaving Mannheim Hbf at 18:39, change at Koblenz, arriving Luxembourg 22:29.

Fares start at €20.99 in 2nd class or €27.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book from Mannheim to Luxembourg at int.bahn.de.

Tip: Click Stopovers and enter Igel with length of stay zero, This rids the search results of journeys involving a bus.

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Earlier departures are possible with an extra change in Zurich. In this case, you'd first book from Milan to Zurich at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, add to basket, then book from Zurich to Luxembourg (allowing at least 45 minutes between trains in Zurich), add to basket and check out.

Option 2, Milan to Luxembourg with an overnight stop in Zurich

Day 1, travel from Milan to Zurich by EuroCity train, leaving Milan Centrale at 19:10, arriving Zurich HB 22:27.
These trains run every hour or so, by all means book the earlier 15:10 or 17:10 departure for more of an evening in Zurich.
The EuroCity train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. It takes the scenic Gotthard route via the world's longest rail tunnel, the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the transit takes just 20 minutes. After the tunnel it passes the beautiful Lake Lugano.
Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, requires Italian 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.

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 on any departure you like. For example:
Leave Zurich HB 07:59, change at Mannheim & Trier, arriving Luxembourg 15:23.
Leave Zurich HB 09:59, change at Mannheim & Trier, arriving Luxembourg 18:23.
Leave Zurich HB 10:59 by train EC8, change at Koblenz, arriving Luxembourg 19:23.
These are comfortable air-conditioned trains, they will take you 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. You then travel from Koblenz to Luxembourg along the pretty Moselle Valley. The journey is made on a through ticket, so no worries about connections, they normally go like clockwork.
Train EC8 has an elegant Swiss restaurant car, treat yourself to lunch and some wine.
Fares start at €39.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
To get the 2-change all-train journeys via Mannheim, click Stopovers, enter Mannheim as stopover 1 and Igel as stopover 2, leaving length of stay 00:00 in both cases. Igel eliminates buses from the search results, the trains all call at Igel, the buses don't!
To get the 1-change journey on EC8, just click Stopovers and enter Igel with length of stay 00:00 to eliminate buses.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Milan to Geneva, Zurich, Luzern, Basel & Switzerland from €29

Option 1, Milan to Switzerland by EuroCity train to Brig, Geneva, Montreux, Bern, Spiez, Basel, Zurich, Lucerne

Direct EuroCity trains link Milan Centrale with Geneva, Zurich, Basel, Lausanne, Bern, Montreux, Brig, Lugano.
There are also one or two daily direct trains from Milan Centrale to Lucerne and Spiez (for Interlaken). Milan to Zurich takes just 3h17.
Look out for great scenery through the Alps, see more about these EuroCity trains & scenery & watch the Milan-Zurich video. The Milan-Zurich Gotthard route takes you through the world's longest rail tunnel, the Gotthard Base Tunnel, transit 20 minutes.
Tip: Two or three daily EuroCity trains run direct between Bologna or Genoa & Switzerland. These by-pass Milan Centrale, calling only Milan Lambrate & Milan Rogoredo. I'd stick with departures that go from Milan Centrale.

Fares from Milan to Switzerland using these direct trains start at €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares so book ahead.

How to buy tickets

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

Both are easy to use, in €, £ or $ (www.thetrainline.com can also sell in CHF), international credit cards no problem, small booking fee.

These retailers connect to both the Swiss and Italian systems so can book from anywhere in Italy to anywhere in Switzerland, but if necessary help it along by specifying a via or splitting the booking at the interchange point.

Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. Italian high-speed trains & the EuroCity trains are ticketless, you print your booking reference or show it on your phone. Swiss domestic tickets can be printed or shown on your phone.

An EuroCity train at Milan Centrale, about to leave for Switzerland. More about these EuroCity trains.


1st class seats. Larger photo.		Restaurant car. Larger photo.


Lunch in the restaurant car.		2nd class. Larger photo. 360 degree photo.

Sion castle, see from the train to Venice

Sion castle, as seen from the train. The train passes through the famous Simplon Tunnel, opened in 1906, on the very route used by the celebrated Simplon Orient Express of Agatha Christie fame.

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

This is much slower and a little more effort to book, but it's an amazing experience, the best Swiss Alpine train ride of them all. See video of a Milan to Zurich journey via the wonderful Bernina route.
Step 1, travel from Milan Centrale to Tirano by Trenord local train.
The 10:20 from Milan connects with the Bernina Express, with time for a sandwich and beer in Tirano, see the Bernina Express page.

However, these trains run every hour or two through the day, fare €12, check train times at www.thetrainline.com or www.trenord.it.

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

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

Step 2, travel from Tirano to St Moritz & Chur on the Rhätische Bahn.
This is the fabulous Bernina route over the Bernina Pass. Check times & prices from Tirano to St Moritz, Chur or Zurich at www.thetrainline.com or the Swiss Federal Railways website www.sbb.ch.
If you take one of the regular local trains (or sit in the unreserved seats in the Allegra car which hauls the Bernina Express), no reservation is necessary or possible, just turn up, buy a ticket, hop on. Only if you want to use the once or twice daily Bernina Express with its all-reserved panoramic carriages do you need a seat reservation, see the Bernina Express page.
Step 3, travel from Chur to Zurich by Swiss Intercity train.
On arrival in Chur, walk over to the half-hourly InterCity or InterRegional train to Zurich HB. Again, no reservation necessary or possible, if you're bound for Zurich simply buy a ticket to Zurich in Tirano. Check times and fares from Tirano to Zurich at www.thetrainline.com or www.sbb.ch.


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

The Bernina Express descends from the Bernina Pass.

Milan to Barcelona, Madrid & Spain

Option 1, Milan to Barcelona & Spain in a day via Lyon - easiest & usually cheapest

Day 1, travel from Milan to Lyon by Frecciarossa, leaving Milan Centrale at 06:25, arriving Lyon Part Dieu 11:10.

Update: The direct Milan-Paris line via Modane was blocked by a landslide in August 2023, and will remain blocked until at least March 2025. Until further notice, all direct Milan-Paris trains are cancelled. Please use one of the other options.
The Frecciarossa 1000 has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. It's a lovely ride at low speed snaking through the Alps, sit back and enjoy. More about this journey.
Have lunch in Lyon, see suggested brasserie near Lyon Part Dieu.

Day 1, travel from Lyon to Barcelona by AVE, leaving Lyon Part Dieu at 14:35, arriving Barcelona Sants 19:33.
The AVE S100 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 (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses approaching Perpignan and the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees. More about this journey.
Day 1, leave Barcelona Sants at 21:20 by AVE, arriving Madrid Atocha 23:50.

The AVE S103 high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

Earlier departures may be available with other operators, but I'd allow at least an hour between trains in Barcelona and it's better to stick with the same operator 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 2, travel from Barcelona to other Spanish destinations:

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

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

For Malaga: Leave Barcelona Sants at 08:35 by AVE S103 high-speed train, arriving Malaga Maria Zambrano 15:05.

For Cordoba & Seville: Leave Barcelona Sants at 08:35 by AVE S103 high-speed train, arriving Cordoba 13:27 & 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?

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 €17.05. 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 as then you can buy all your tickets together in one place, in plain English, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee. About Raileurope. About Thetrainline.

Step 1, book the direct morning train from Milan Centrale to Lyon Part Dieu for day 1 and add this to your basket.

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

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

Booking for the Frecciarossa and Lyon-Barcelona AVE opens up to 4 months ahead. Booking for Spanish domestic trains opens anything from 15 days to 9 months ahead. You print your tickets or can show them on your phone.

Another way to buy tickets

You can of course book each train separately with the relevant operator. More work and same prices, but no booking fee.

Step 1, buy tickets 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.

Step 2, book the direct train from Lyon to Barcelona at the Spanish Railways website, www.renfe.com (in €, fiddly, see advice on using it).

Step 3, book onward trains in Spain at www.renfe.com. You'll find using www.thetrainline.com easier!

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

Day 1, travel from Milan to Nice, leaving Milan Centrale 09:10, change at Ventimiglia, arriving Nice Ville 14:13.

Milan to Ventimiglia is by Intercity train, Ventimiglia to Nice by TER local train.

It's a lovely journey along the coast between Genoa & Nice. More about the Milan-Ventimiglia-Nice journey.

Day 1, travel from Nice to Marseille by TGV, leaving Nice Ville at 15:52, arriving Marseille St Charles 18:32.

The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seat & free WiFi. It runs along the coast between Nice & Toulon, past rocky headlands, millionaires' villas and yacht-filled harbours.

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, leaving Marseille St Charles at 08:04, arriving Barcelona Sants 12:38 & Madrid Atocha 15:45.
This comfortable Spanish AVE S100 high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Look out for Béziers cathedral, colonies of flamingos on the étangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses on the right approaching Perpignan and the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees. More about 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 leaves Barcelona Sants at 16:10 arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 19:02 & Alicante 21:34.

An AVE leaves Madrid Atocha at 16:35 every day, arriving Cordoba 18:34 & Malaga Maria Zambrano 19:43.
An AVE leaves Madrid Atocha at 16:30 daily except Saturdays arriving Seville Santa Justa 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 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?
Milan to Ventimiglia starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €26.90 in 1st class.

Ventimiglia to Nice by TER costs €9.20, fixed price. €7.50 or €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 Milan 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 $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee. If you have any problems, split the journey into stages, if necessary booking each train separately.
Booking for Trenitalia, French trains and the AVE from Marseille to Barcelona normally opens up to 4 months ahead. Booking for Spanish domestic trains opens anything from 15 days to 9 months ahead. You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.

Another way to buy tickets

Alternatively, you can book each train separately like this, it's more work, same fares, but no booking fee.

Step 1, book from Milan 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).

Step 2, book from Ventimiglia to Nice and from Nice to Marseille using the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

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

Step 4, also book onward trains within Spain at www.renfe.com (it's a lot easier to use www.thetrainline.com!).

Step 1, take an Intercity train from Milan to Ventimiglia. Above, an Intercity train at Milan Centrale.

2nd class. Larger photo.

1st class. Larger photo.

Step 2 & 3, take a TER local train from Ventimiglia to Nice, then a TGV from Nice to Marseille. Here, a TER rolls into Juan les Pins station, between Nice & Cannes.

Coastal scenery from the upper deck of the TER from Ventimiglia to Nice & Cannes.

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

Day 1, travel from Milan to Geneva by EuroCity, leaving Milan Centrale at 17:10, arriving Geneva 21:31.

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

The train takes the scenic Simplon route through the alps past Lake Maggiore, through the historic Simplon Tunnel, then along the shores of Lake Leman. There's also a 19:10 departure from Milan if you don't mind a midnight arrival in Geneva.

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

Book this train at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee), using either of these sites means you can book all your tickets 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. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Stay overnight in Geneva. 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 Lyon by TER, leaving Geneva at 09:30, arriving Lyon Part Dieu 11:22.
The TER regional train has no catering, so bring your own food & drink. It's a pleasant journey on former inter-city cars along the river Rhône.
The fare is €33.40 in 2nd class, €50.80 in 1st class, fixed-price, unlimited availability.
Book this at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com (both 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 ticket or can show it on your phone.

Have dinner in Lyon, see suggested restaurants near the station.

Day 2, travel from Lyon to Barcelona by AVE, leaving Lyon Part Dieu at 14:35, arriving Barcelona Sants 19:33.
This comfortable AVE S100 high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
It passes Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the étangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses approaching Perpignan. Look out for the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees. More about the journey.
Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.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).

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 other destinations in Spain:

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

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

For Malaga: Leave Barcelona Sants at 08:35 by AVE S103 high-speed train, arriving Malaga Maria Zambrano 15:05.

For Cordoba & Seville: Leave Barcelona Sants at 08:35 by AVE S103 high-speed train, arriving Cordoba 13:27 & 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.

Check times & buy tickets using 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 opens anything from 15 days to 9 months ahead.

Milan to Geneva by bullet-nosed EuroCity train. More about these EuroCity trains.

1st class seats. Larger photo.

Restaurant car. Larger photo.

Lunch in the restaurant car.

2nd class. Larger photo. 360 degree photo.

The view from the train: Lake Leman on a wintry day.

Lyon to Barcelona by S100 AVE, seen here at Barcelona Sants.

2nd class seats, all with power sockets & free WiFi. Panorama photo of 2nd class.

1st class seats on an S100 AVE, all with power sockets. Panorama photo of 1st class.

Cafe-bar on an S100 AVE serving tea, coffee, beer, wine, soft drinks, snacks & hot dishes.

Mt Canigou & the Pyrenees. One of the highest peaks in the mighty Pyrenees, the 2,784m (9,137 feet) high Mt Canigou dominates the skyline on the right all the way from Girona to Perpignan, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canigou.
Option 4, Italy to Barcelona by cruise ferry

Another excellent option is the Grimaldi Lines cruise ferry from Civitavecchia (an hour by regional train north of Rome) and Barcelona. The ferry usually sails daily at 22:15 and arrives at 18:15 next day.

To check times, fares, accommodation and to book online see the Direct Ferries website or go to www.grimaldi-lines.com. Grimaldi Lines also run a ferry several times a week between Barcelona and Livorno, and between Salerno (near Naples) and Valencia.

Back to top

Milan to Lisbon & Portugal

Option 1, Milan to Lisbon via Barcelona & Madrid

Day 1, travel from Milan to Marseille, stay overnight, then take the morning AVE to Madrid on day 2 as shown in the Milan to Madrid section.

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 day trains, as shown on the Madrid to Lisbon page.
Change at Lisbon Oriente for trains to Porto & Faro.

Option 1, Milan to Faro via Barcelona & Seville

Travel from Milan to Barcelona as shown in the Milan to Barcelona section.

Travel from Milan to Seville by AVE, then Seville to Faro by bus, as shown on the Trains from Barcelona page.

Back to top

Milan to Andorra

Day 1, travel from Milan to Nice as shown on the Milan to Nice page.
You can leave Milan at 15:10 by Intercity train, change at Ventimiglia, arriving Nice Ville 20:45.
Book this at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international cards no problem, small booking fee).
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.

Stay overnight in Nice. The Hotel 64 is just 3 minutes walk from the station, 15 minutes walk from the old town & sea front, and gets great reviews. The Hotel Paganini is also just outside the station with good reviews.

Day 2, travel from Nice to Toulouse on either of these departures:

Leave Nice Ville at 05:33, change at Marseille St Charles arriving Toulouse Matabiau 13:13.

Leave Nice Ville at 07:25, change at Marseille St Charles arriving Toulouse Matabiau 15:15.

Fares start at €56 in 2nd class or €74 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book from Nice or Cannes to Toulouse at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Day 2, travel from Toulouse Matabiau to Andorra la Vella by bus:
If you took the 05:33 from Nice, a bus leaves Toulouse Matabiau at 13:45 arriving Andorra 17:45.
If you took the 07:25 from Nice, a bus leaves Toulouse Matabiau at 17:45 arriving Andorra 21:45.
The buses leave from bus stand 15 in the Gare Routière, just outside Toulouse Matabiau station.
The fare is €36. The bus is run by Andbus, check times & buy a ticket at Andbus.net or Omio.com.

Travel from Toulouse to Andorra by bus, seen at bus stand 15. The bus station is next to the rail station.

Bus station in Toulouse Matabiau forecourt. Photos courtesy of Andrew McIntyre.

Back to top

Milan to Munich, Hamburg, Berlin & Germany from €39

Option 1, Milan to Hamburg or Berlin using the Zurich-Hamburg/Berlin sleeper - the most time-effective option

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

The EuroCity Giruno 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 rail tunnel, the Gotthard Base Tunnel.

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 $, international 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 print your booking reference or show it on your phone.

Have dinner in Zurich, I recommend steak-frites & a beer at the Brasserie Federal on the main concourse at Zurich HB.

Step 2, travel from Zurich to Germany on one of two Nightjet sleeper trains:

Leave Zurich HB 19:59, arriving Berlin Hbf 07:20

Leave Zurich HB 20:59, arriving Hamburg Hbf 07:53.

The Zurich-Berlin Nightjet 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 Zurich-Hamburg Nightjet 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).

Both trains have couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments & ordinary seats cars. The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee in the morning, see the Nightjet page for a guide to accommodation.

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

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, 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.

Option 2, Milan to Munich by Nightjet sleeper train, onwards to Frankfurt, Hamburg, Berlin or anywhere in Germany - the time-effective option!

Step 1, a comfortable Nightjet sleeper train leaves Milan Rogoredo at 21:26 every night arriving Munich Hbf at 09:20 next morning.
Important: This sleeper is cancelled from 17 November 2024 to 13 July 2025 due to work in the Tauern Tunnel in Austria.

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

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

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, 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 Austria & click nj.

Step 2, travel from Munich to anywhere in Germany, for example leaving Munich Hbf 10:55 by ICE train, arriving Berlin Hbf 15:29.
Book from Munich to anywhere in Germany at the German Railways website int.bahn.de, allowing at least 1 hour between trains in Munich.
Fares start at €18.90 upwards. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Milan to Munich by Nightjet sleeper train. More about Nightjets.

Deluxe sleeper. Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room. Larger photo. Video of deluxe room

Same deluxe sleeper in evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out. Larger photo.

Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided. Larger photo.

Standard sleeper set up as 2-berth, washstand open. It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth. Larger photo.

6-berth couchettes.

4-berth couchettes.

Couchette car.

Option 3, Milan to Germany using the direct Milan-Frankfurt train - the most convenient daytime route

A direct EuroCity train leaves Milan Centrale at 11:10 every day, arriving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 18:44.
The EuroCity Giruno train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

It takes the scenic Gotthard route via the world's longest rail tunnel, the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the transit takes just 20 minutes. After the tunnel it passes the beautiful Lake Lugano. See photos & video of the Gotthard route.

Change at Mannheim for Cologne & Düsseldorf, arriving Cologne Hbf around 20:15.
Change at Mannheim for Hamburg, arriving Hamburg Hbf around 22:45.
Change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf for Berlin, arriving Berlin Hbf around 23:30.
Fares starts at €49.99 in 2nd class or €89.99 in 1st class

Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

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

A superb Swiss Giruno train on its way across Switzerland.


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


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

Lake Lugano, seen from a EuroCity train from Milan.

Option 4, Milan to Germany by daytime trains via Zurich - as option 3, but earlier or later departures with a change in Zurich

Step 1, travel from Milan Centrale to Zurich HB by EuroCity trains in 3h17.
These EuroCity trains leave every hour, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. They run via the scenic Gotthard route through the Alps with great views of Italian & Swiss lakes, passing through the world's longest rail tunnel, the Gotthard Base Tunnel. See photos & video of the Gotthard route.
I'd allow at least 45 minutes between trains in Zurich. Have a beer (or lunch) at the Brasserie Federal on the concourse.
Step 2, travel from Zurich to cities all over Germany by ICE train, also every hour, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

How much does it cost?
Milan to Zurich by EuroCity train starts at €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class.

Zurich to Germany starts at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class

Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

How to buy tickets

You can book as one easy transaction using www.raileurope.com.

To see all the options & prices you must click More options and enter Zurich HB as a via station with duration set to at least 45 minutes. In the search results, look for journeys with 1 change. You can try this again with Basel SBB as the via station to see if you get timings you prefer.

You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.
Another way to buy tickets

Step 1, book a ticket from Milan to Zurich using www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international 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 after booking at seat61@italiarail.com) or www.trenitalia.com (in €). It's ticketless, you print your booking or show it on your phone.

Step 2, book from Zurich HB to anywhere in Germany at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Make sure you allow at least 45 minutes between trains in Zurich in case of delay.
This allows seat selection from a seat map on ICE trains. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Option 5, Milan to Munich or anywhere in Germany by daytime trains via the Brenner - another scenic option

Travel from Milan to Verona by Frecciarossa, then Verona to Munich by railjet, with a choice of daily departures:
Leave Milan Centrale 06:45, change at Verona P. Nuova onto the 09:01 railjet, arriving Munich Hbf 14:27.

Leave Milan Centrale 08:45, change at Verona P. Nuova onto the 11:01 railjet, arriving Munich Hbf 16:27.

Leave Milan Centrale 10:05, change at Verona P. Nuova onto the 13:01 railjet, arriving Munich Hbf 18:28.

Leave Milan Centrale 12:05, change at Verona P. Nuova onto the 14:58 railjet, arriving Munich Hbf 20:26.

Leave Milan Centrale 14:45, change at Verona P. Nuova onto the 17:01 EuroCity, arriving Munich Hbf 22:27.

The Italian Frecciarossa high-speed trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

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. They travel through the scenic Brenner Pass, see the photos & video on the Brenner Pass page.
Change in Munich for Nuremberg, Stuttgart, Berlin or anywhere in Germany.
How much does it cost?
Milan to Verona starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.
Verona to Munich starts at €37.99 in 2nd class or €47.99 in 1st class.

How to buy tickets
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com, but (and this is important) click More options, entering Verona Porta Nuova as a via station with a stopover duration of 45 minutes to ensure a robust connection. 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 either side of Verona as one seamless booking. You can pay in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee.
Booking for Italian trains opens up to 4 months ahead, booking for the Austrian/German trains opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own tickets or can show it on your phone.
Another way to buy tickets
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 (in €), then book from Verona to anywhere in Germany at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

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

Hilltop fortresses seen from the Brenner Pass train

Watch out for hilltop fortresses.


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

Mountains on the Brenner route. See the Brenner Pass scenery video here.

Milan to Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck & Austria from €48

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

A Nightjet leaves Milan Rogoredo at 21:26 every night, arriving Vienna Hbf 09:04.
Another portion of the same train arrives Salzburg Hbf 06:49
Update: The Milan-Salzburg portion won't run between 17 November 2024 & 13 July 2025 due to work in the Tauern Tunnel
Each portion of this comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes. See the Nightjet page for a guide to accommodation.
Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €69.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €89.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €139.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, 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 Austria & click nj.

The Nightjet sleeper at Vienna Hbf. More about Nightjet trains.


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


6-berth couchettes.		4-berth couchettes.		Couchette car on the Nightjet sleeper train.

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

Step 1, travel from Milan to Venice by EuroCity train, leaving Milan Centrale at 12:05, arriving Venice Santa Lucia 14:42.
By all means book an earlier train from Milan if you'd like lunch and a wander around Venice, for example the 08:05, 09:05, 10:05. 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. 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 $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in €, $ or £, they'll refund their small booking fee to seat61 users if you email them after booking at seat61@italiarail.com) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, more fiddly, 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 2, travel from Venice to Vienna by railjet train, leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 15:52, arriving Vienna Hbf 23:36.
The swish Austrian railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more about railjets. It takes the beautiful UNESCO-listed Semmering route through the mountains, you might see something of this at least in summer when it's light until ten.
For Salzburg, change in Villach arriving Salzburg Hbf around 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, €44.90 in 1st class or €59.90 in business class (premium 1st). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book from Venice to Vienna or Salzburg at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

A Venice-Vienna railjet at Venice Santa Lucia. More about Venice-Vienna railjets.


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


First class.		Economy class.

The railjet travels over the famous Semmering Railway, opened in 1854 and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See the Vienna to Venice page for more information, photos & video.

Option 3, Milan to Innsbruck by daytime trains via the Brenner Pass - another scenic option

Travel from Milan to Verona by Frecciarossa, then Verona to Innsbruck by railjet, with a choice of daily departures:
Leave Milan Centrale 06:45, change at Verona P. Nuova onto the 09:01 railjet, arriving Innsbruck Hbf 12:36.

Leave Milan Centrale 08:45, change at Verona P. Nuova onto the 11:01 railjet, arriving Innsbruck Hbf 14:36.

Leave Milan Centrale 10:05, change at Verona P. Nuova onto the 13:01 railjet, arriving Innsbruck Hbf 16:36.

Leave Milan Centrale 12:05, change at Verona P. Nuova onto the 15:01 railjet, arriving Innsbruck Hbf 18:36.

Leave Milan Centrale 14:45, change at Verona P. Nuova onto the 17:01 EuroCity, arriving Innsbruck Hbf 20:36.

The Italian Frecciarossa high-speed trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

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. They travel through the scenic Brenner Pass, see the photos & video on the Brenner Pass page.
Change in Innsbruck for Salzburg, Kitzbühel, Linz or Vienna
How much does it cost?
Milan to Verona starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.
Verona to Innsbruck & beyond starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
How to find train times & buy tickets
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com, but (and this is important) click More options, entering Verona Porta Nuova as a via station with a stopover duration of 45 minutes to ensure a robust connection.
www.raileurope.com connects to both the Italian and Austrian ticketing systems so can source both tickets either side of Verona as one seamless booking. You can pay in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee.
Booking for Milan-Verona trains opens up to 4 months ahead, for Verona-Innsbruck trains up to 6 months ahead. You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.

Another way to buy tickets
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 (in €), then book from Verona to anywhere in Austria at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.

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

Mountains on the Brenner route.


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

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

Milan to Copenhagen, Gothenburg & Stockholm

Option 1, Milan to Stockholm using the Hamburg-Stockholm sleeper train

Step 1, travel from Milan to Basel by EuroCity train, leaving Milan Centrale at 07:10, arriving Basel SBB 11:32.
This EuroCity train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Enjoy the superb scenery past Lake Maggiore and through the Alps via the historic Simplon Tunnel. See the photos here.
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 $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee).
Booking opens up to 4 months head. It's ticketless, you print your booking reference or show it on your phone.

Step 2, travel from Basel to Hamburg by ICE, leaving Basel SBB at 13:06, arriving Hamburg Hbf 19:36.
The ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Always allow at least an hour or two when connecting with a sleeper train. Have dinner in Hamburg, see suggested restaurants near the station.

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

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

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

Step 3, travel from Hamburg to Stockholm by sleeper, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 22:03, arriving Stockholm Central 09:55.
Run by SJ (Swedish Railways), this EuroNight sleeper train has one or two sleeping-cars with compact 1 & 2 berth compartments with washbasin, several 1, 2 or 3 bed deluxe compartments with en suite toilet & shower, couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A bistro car is attached between Malmö and Stockholm. More about the Hamburg-Stockholm sleeper.
Fares start at €44.90 with a couchette in 6-berth, €69.90 with a couchette in 4-berth, €79.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €164.90 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself. All prices per person per bed, fares vary like air fares so book ahead.

Book this train at SJ's website www.sj.se.

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

The inaugural Hamburg to Stockholm SJ EuroNight train in Hamburg on 1 September 2022. The author rode this first departure. More about this sleeper train.

6-berth couchettes.

2-bed sleeper. Larger photo.

The inaugural train from Hamburg to Stockholm calls at Padborg, just after entering Denmark.

Typical Swedish scenery on the morning run into Stockholm.

Option 2, Milan to Copenhagen, Gothenburg & Stockholm using the Zurich-Hamburg sleeper

Step 1, travel from Milan to Zurich by EuroCity train, leaving Milan Centrale at 15:10, 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 can recommend the steak-frites and a beer at the Brasserie Federal on the 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.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, requires Italian language place names, see advice on using it). It's ticketless, you print your booking reference or show it on your phone.
Step 2, travel from Zurich to Hamburg by Nightjet, leaving Zurich HB at 20:59, arriving Hamburg Hbf 07:53.

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

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

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
Step 3, travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:50, arriving Copenhagen 13:38.
The EuroCity train has power sockets at all seats & a refreshment trolley. More about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey.
Fares start at €27.99 in 2nd class or €59.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de or www.thetrainline.com.

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

Step 4, travel from Copenhagen to Sweden by train.
For Malmö, travel from Copenhagen to Malmö Central by Öresund train every 20-30 minutes taking 40 minutes.

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

For Stockholm, travel from Copenhagen to Stockholm by X2000 train leaving Copenhagen at 14:19, arriving Stockholm Central 19:37. Times may vary, an extra change at Malmö Central may be needed.

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

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

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

Gothenburg is listed as Göteborg Central. If you have any problems, for example if you don't see any through fares, split the booking, booking Hamburg to Copenhagen at int.bahn.de then Copenhagen to anywhere in Sweden at Omio.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, small fee) or www.sj.se (in SEK).

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

Double-deck sleeping-car on a Nightjet at Zurich

Zurich to Hamburg by Nightjet. This is a double-deck sleeping-car at Zurich HB. Courtesy of DiscoverbyRail.com.


2-berth sleeper on lower deck.		Stairs down to pair of lower compartments.		1 or 2-bed sleeper on lower deck with washbasin, set up as 1-bed. Note how compact the compartment is.


Nightjet couchette car.		6-berth couchettes.		4-berth couchettes.

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.

1st class comparment on a Berlin to Amsterdam train

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

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

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


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


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

Crossing the impressive Öresund bridge from Denmark to Sweden.

Option 3, Milan to Copenhagen, Gothenburg & Stockholm using the Milan-Munich sleeper - another time-effective option

Step 1, travel from Milan to Munich by Nightjet, leaving Milan Rogoredo at 21:26, 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.

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

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

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, 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 Austria & click nj.

Step 2, travel from Munich to Copenhagen, leaving Munich Hbf 10:20, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 21:38.

Treat this as a chill-out day with a good book and a glass or two of wine (I can recommend DB's Spätburgunder). You travel from Munich to Hamburg by ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. You travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen by comfortable EuroCity train, power sockets at all seats, refreshment trolley. Exact times may vary. More about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey.

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 phone.

Step 3 if you're going to Malmö, take a regular Öresund train from Copenhagen to Malmö Central in 40 minutes, these leave 2-3 times an hour. You can book from Munich to Malmö from €56.99 at int.bahn.de and print your own ticket or show it on your phone.

Step 3 if you're going to Stockholm or Gothenburg, stay overnight in Copenhagen then travel from Copenhagen to Stockholm Central in just 5h15 by X2000 high-speed train or from Copenhagen to Gothenburg Central 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. Book from Munich to Malmö, Göteborg Central or Stockholm from €56.99 with an overnight stop in Copenhagen added using the Stopovers feature. Adjust the length of stay as necessary to get the trains you want, it may take a bit of trial & error to get the trains you want.

Option 3, by daytime trains with overnight stop in Switzerland.

Day 1, travel from Milan to Basel by EuroCity, with a choice of departure:
Leave Milan Centrale at 15:10, arriving Basel SBB 19:32.
Leave Milan Centrale at 18:05, arriving Basel SBB 22:39.
The EuroCity train has a restaurant car for dinner. In summer when it's light it's a scenic ride past Italian lakes and through the Alps.
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 $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.italiarail.com (easy to use, their booking fee will be refunded if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com after booking) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, uses Italian place names). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Stay overnight in Basel. The Royal Hotel - Urban Living is right next to the station. For something cheap a few minutes walk from the station, try the easyHotel Basel.

Day 2, travel from Basel to Copenhagen with a choice of two departures:
Leave Basel SBB 07:06, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 19:38.
Leave Basel SBB 09:06, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 21:38.
It's a chill-out day, travelling from Basel to Hamburg by ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, then from Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train with power sockets at all seats, refreshments available. More about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey.
Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

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

For Stockholm, Gothenburg or Oslo, stay overnight in Copenhagen and book an onward ticket next day using the Swedish Railways website www.sj.se.

Option 4, Milan to Copenhagen, Gothenburg & Stockholm with overnight stop in Hamburg - if you prefer day trains & hotel to sleepers

Day 1, travel from Milan to Zurich by EuroCity, leaving Milan Centrale at 09:10, arriving Zurich HB 12:27.
The EuroCity train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. You get great views of the Alps and Italian & Swiss Lakes, even though 20 minutes is now spent inside the world's longest rail tunnel, the Gotthard Base Tunnel.
Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee). Using either of these sites you can make all your bookings together in one place.

You can also book at www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in €, $ or £, they'll refund the €3.50 booking fee to seat61 users if you email them after booking at seat61@italiarail.com) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, more fiddly, requires Italian-language place names). It's ticketless, you print your booking or show it on your phone.

Day 1, travel from Zurich to Hamburg by ICE, leaving Zurich HB at 13:59, arriving Hamburg Hbf 21:39.
The ICE4 train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com, www.raileurope.com or the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Make sure you allow at least 45 minutes between trains in Zurich, in case of delay.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

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

Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:50, arriving Copenhagen 13:38.
Fares start at €27.99 in 2nd class or €59.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at int.bahn.de, www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com.

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

Day 2, travel from Copenhagen to Sweden & Norway.
For Malmö or Gothenburg, Öresund trains run hourly from Copenhagen to Gothenburg taking 3h50 and every 20 minutes from Copenhagen to Malmö Central taking 40 minutes. You should book from Hamburg to Malmö or Gothenburg (= Göteborg Central) as one transaction from €56.99 at int.bahn.de and print your own ticket.

For Stockholm, travel from Copenhagen to Stockholm by X2000 train, leaving Copenhagen at 14:19, arriving Stockholm Central 19:37. Times may vary, an extra change may be needed at Malmö Central.

Book from Hamburg to Stockholm as one transaction from €56.99 at int.bahn.de and print your ticket or show it on your phone. If you have any problems, split the booking: Book Hamburg-Copenhagen at int.bahn.de, then Copenhagen-Stockholm with Swedish Railways at www.sj.se or using Omio.com.

For Oslo, either travel from Copenhagen to Oslo by train the same day, arriving late at night as shown in the Hamburg to Oslo section, or sail to Oslo by overnight ferry as shown here.

Back to top

Milan to Oslo & Norway

Option 1, Milan to Oslo with overnight stops in Basel & Copenhagen - by train all the way

Day 1, travel from Milan to Basel by EuroCity, with a choice of departure:
Leave Milan Centrale at 15:10, arriving Basel SBB 19:32.
Leave Milan Centrale at 18:05, arriving Basel SBB 22:39.
The EuroCity train has a restaurant car for dinner. In summer when it's light it's a scenic ride past Italian lakes and through the Alps.
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 $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.italiarail.com (easy to use, their booking fee will be refunded if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com after booking) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, uses Italian place names). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Stay overnight in Basel. The Royal Hotel - Urban Living is right next to the station. For something cheap a few minutes walk from the station, try the easyHotel Basel.

Day 2, travel from Basel to Copenhagen with a choice of two departures:
Leave Basel SBB 07:06, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 19:38.
Leave Basel SBB 09:06, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 21:38.
It's a chill-out day, travelling from Basel to Hamburg by ICE train with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, then from Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train with power sockets at all seats, refreshments available. More about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey.
Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your 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 Oslo, leaving Copenhagen at 07:30, change at Gothenburg Central, arriving Oslo Sentral 15:47.

Earlier & later departures are available, see Copenhagen-Oslo timetable here.

Alternatively, spend the day in Copenhagen and take the overnight ferry to Oslo with a comfortable private cabin with shower & toilet, sailing from Copenhagen at 16:30 (15:00 some days) and arriving Oslo at 10:00 on day 3, as shown here. This is remarkably affordable, and saves a hotel bill. Book the ferry at www.dfds.com.

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

Day 1, travel from Milan to Zurich by EuroCity train, leaving Milan Centrale at 15:10, 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 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 $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, uses Italian language place names, see advice on using it). Booking opens up to 90 days ahead. It's ticketless, you print your booking or show it on your phone.

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

This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two air-conditioned double-deck sleeping-cars (compact 1 & 2 bed compartments with washbasin, larger 1 & 2 bed deluxe compartments with shower & toilet, 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. More about Nightjets.

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

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

Day 2, take a regional train from Hamburg Hbf to Kiel Hbf, then the Color Line cruise ferry overnight to Oslo.
The ferry sails from Kiel around 14:00, arriving in Oslo around 10:00 on day 3 from Milan. For full details of this Hamburg to Oslo journey, see Hamburg-Oslo option 2 on the trains from Hamburg page.

Zurich to Hamburg by Nightjet. This is a double-deck sleeping-car at Zurich HB. Courtesy of DiscoverbyRail.com.

2-berth sleeper on lower deck.

Stairs down to pair of lower compartments.

1 or 2-bed sleeper on lower deck with washbasin, set up as 1-bed. Note how compact the compartment is.

Nightjet couchette car.

6-berth couchettes.

4-berth couchettes.

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.

Option 3, Milan to Oslo using the Zurich-Hamburg sleeper & Frederikshavn-Oslo ferry - cheaper, more changes, slightly quicker

Day 1, travel from Milan to Hamburg & stay overnight.

Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Oslo by train arriving late at night, or sail from Copenhagen to Oslo by overnight ferry.

For details of this journey see here.

Back to top

Milan to Helsinki & Finland

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

Day 1, travel from Milan to Munich by Nightjet, leaving Milan Rogoredo at 21:26, 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.

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

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

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, 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 Austria & click nj.

Day 2, travel from Munich to Hamburg by ICE4 train, leaving Munich Hbf at 10:20, arriving Hamburg Hbf 16:55.

Fares start at €27.99 in 2nd class or €56.99 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Day 2, transfer from Hamburg Hbf to the Travemünde ferry terminal by local train+bus and sail from Travemünde to Helsinki with Finnlines, as shown in detail on the Trains from Hamburg page.

Finnlines sail from Travemünde in northern Germany 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 Milan). Check sailing dates, times & book the ferry at www.finnlines.com.

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

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

Standard cabin. Larger photo.

Gym with a view.

Sauna.

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

Step 1, travel from Milan to Stockholm as shown above.

Step 2, travel from Stockholm to Helsinki either by direct overnight cruise ferry, or by daytime or overnight ferry to Turku and connecting train to Helsinki as shown on the Trains & ferries from Stockholm page.

Back to top

Milan to Prague from €68

Option 1, Milan to Prague via the Zurich-Prague sleeper - comfortable & time-effective

Step 1, travel from Milan to Zurich by EuroCity, leaving Milan Centrale at 15:10, arriving Zurich HB 18:27.
The EuroCity Giruno train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. It runs along Lake Maggiore and takes the scenic Gotthard route, through the world's longest rail tunnel, the Gotthard Base Tunnel then past beautiful Lake Lugano, see the scenery in this video.
Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at either www.raileurope.com, www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. It's ticketless, you print your booking or can show it on your phone.
You've time for steak-frites and a beer or two at the Brasserie Federal on the concourse at Zurich HB.

Step 2, travel from Zurich to Prague by sleeper, leaving Zurich HB at 19:59, arriving Prague Hlavni 09:23.

The EuroNight sleeper train Canopus has two Czech air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars each nine 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, and three 1, 2 & 3 bed deluxe compartments with en suite shower & toilet. There are toilets and a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in regular sleepers. There are also 4 & 6-berth couchettes. A light breakfast is included in the sleeper fare.

A Czech restaurant car is attached to the train between Leipzig (around 06:00) and Prague, if you'd like a cooked breakfast. Enjoy the scenic run along the Elbe river valley between Dresden & Prague.
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.
Book this sleeper online at the Czech Railways site www.cd.cz and print out your own ticket. See my tips for using cd.cz. For deluxe sleepers, select 1st class before running the enquiry. This is the only site that can book this sleeper, booking normally opens 3 months ahead.

Step 1, Milan to Zurich by EuroCity train, through the Alps. This is a Giruno train at Bellinzona. The train passes through the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world's longest rail tunnel, though the transit takes just 20 minutes.

1st class. Larger photo.

Restaurant car with bar counter. Larger photo.

2nd class. Larger photo

Level boarding. Note the destination screen in the door.

Lake Lugano, seen from a Milan to Zurich train on the Gotthard route.

Step 2, Zurich to Prague by sleeping-car, seen at Zurich HB. More about this sleeper.

Standard sleeper set up as a 2-berth, with blind down & washstand open. Each room can be used with 1, 2 or 3 beds.

Same sleeper with berths folded away & seats out, washstand closed. Very similar to a deluxe, but without shower & toilet.

Deluxe sleepers are similar to standard ones, with a bit more floorspace & compact shower & toilet instead of washstand.

Just like a hotel, the corridor in a Comfortline sleeping-car. There's a shower at end of the corridor for standard sleeper passengers.

6-berth couchettes. There are also 4-berths. Larger photo.

Couchette car on the inaugural Canopus from Prague, leased from RDC as CD don't have enough 200km/h couchette cars of their own. Photos courtesy of @_wrzlbrnft_

Option 2, Milan to Prague using the Milan-Vienna sleeper - safe, comfortable, time-effective

Step 1, travel from Milan to Vienna by Nightjet, leaving Milan Rogoredo at 21:26, arriving Vienna Hbf 09:04.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes. See the guide to Nightjet accommodation.

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

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, 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 Austria & click nj.
Tip: If you have a sleeping-car ticket and/or 1st class ticket for the onward train you can use the ÖBB lounge at Vienna Hbf between trains, with complimentary refreshments & WiFi.

Step 2, travel from Vienna to Prague by smart modern Czech railjet train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 11:10, arriving Prague Hlavni 15:15.
These swish railjet trains have a restaurant car with draught beer on tap, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. More about Vienna-Prague railjets.
Why not book a later railjet & spend some time exploring Vienna? Railjets 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.
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.
Book from Vienna to Prague at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, booking opens 6 months ahead, small booking fee) or the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz (in koruna, booking opens 3 months ahead). Check prices on both sites as one is often cheaper than the other. You print your own ticket. You can also book at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at. See suggested hotels in Prague.

Step 1, Milan to Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train. More about Nightjets.

Deluxe sleeper. Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room. Larger photo. Video of deluxe room

Same deluxe sleeper in evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out. Larger photo.

Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided. Larger photo.

Standard sleeper set up as 2-berth, washstand open. It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth. Larger photo.

6-berth couchettes.

4-berth couchettes.

Nightjet couchette car.

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


Economy (2nd) class. Mainly unidirectional seating but with some tables for 4. All seats have power sockets & free WiFi. Larger photo.		First class. Mainly unidirectional, with some tables for 2 & tables for 4. Larger photo


Restaurant car for snacks, meals, beer, wine, tea & coffee. You don't need to reserve, just turn up & sit down. There's waiter-service at tables or order at the counter & take back to your seat. Larger photo.		Business class = premium 1st class. Just 6 seats at one end of the 1st class car. Same seats but very different layout from business class on Austrian railjet. Larger photo.

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

Day 1, travel from Milan Centrale to Venice Santa Lucia by Frecciarossa in 2h27 using any departure you like.
You can spend a full day in Milan and take an evening train, or take an earlier train to 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 www.trenitalia.com (in €, uses Italian language place names). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

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, 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 Venice to Vienna railjets & the journey.
Fares start at €28.30 in 2nd class, €56.60 in 1st class or €71.60 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 €, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

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 railjet, leaving Vienna Hbf at 19:10, arriving Prague Hlavni 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, 92 days ahead at www.cd.cz. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone. See suggested hotels in Prague.

A Venice-Vienna railjet, at Venice Santa Lucia. More about Venice-Vienna railjets.

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

Business class. About business class.

First class.

Economy class.

The railjet travels over the famous Semmering Railway, opened in 1854 and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See the Vienna to Venice page for more information, photos & video.

Back to top

Milan to Bratislava from €54

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

Step 1, travel from Milan to Vienna by Nightjet, leaving Milan Rogoredo at 21:26, arriving Vienna Hbf 09:04.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes. See the guide to Nightjet accommodation.

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

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, international 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 sleeping-car 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 5 July 2025, see the update here.

Step 1, Milan to Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train. More about Nightjets.

Deluxe sleeper. Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room. Larger photo. Video of deluxe room

Same deluxe sleeper in evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out. Larger photo.

Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided. Larger photo.

Standard sleeper set up as 2-berth, washstand open. It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth. Larger photo.

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

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

Day 1, travel from Milan Centrale to Venice Santa Lucia by Frecciarossa in 2h27 using any train you like.
You can spend a full day in Milan and take an evening train, or take an earlier train to see something of Venice.

The Rialto bridge is only 15 minutes walk from Venice Santa Lucia, the Piazza San Marco only 25 minutes walk. Frecciarossas have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

Book this at www.thetrainline.com (easiest to use, in €, £ or $, overseas cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, uses Italian language place names). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

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, leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 09:56, 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 Venice-Vienna journey.
Fares start at €28.30 in 2nd class, €56.60 in 1st class or €71.60 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. You can check times using www.thetrainline.com or www.oebb.at. Important: If travelling before 5 July 2025, see the update here.

Venice to Vienna by railjet, seen at Venice Santa Lucia. More about Venice-Vienna railjets.

Restaurant car.

Business class. About business class.

First class.

Economy class.

The railjet travels over the famous Semmering Railway, opened in 1854 and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See the Vienna to Venice page for more information, photos & video.

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

Back to top

Milan to Budapest from €69

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

Step 1, travel from Milan to Vienna by Nightjet, leaving Milan Rogoredo at 21:26, arriving Vienna Hbf 09:04.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes. See the guide to Nightjet accommodation.

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

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same prices). 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 sleeping-car ticket and/or 1st class ticket for the onward train to Budapest you can use the ÖBB lounge at 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.

There's an earlier 09:42 to Budapest, but this is not a robust connection with the sleeper. However, trains leave every hour, by all means book a later train and 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 or can show it on your phone. Easy!

Step 1, Milan to Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train. More about Nightjets.

Deluxe sleeper. Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room. Larger photo. Video of deluxe room

Same deluxe sleeper in evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out. Larger photo.

Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided. Larger photo.

Standard sleeper set up as 2-berth, washstand open. It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth. Larger photo.

6-berth couchettes.

4-berth couchettes.

Couchette car on the Nightjet sleeper train.

Step 2, Vienna to Budapest by Hungarian EuroCity train.

1st class is usually in 6-seat compartments. Larger photo.

2nd class, open-plan saloon type, modernised. Larger photo.

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

Day 1, travel from Milan Centrale to Venice Santa Lucia by Frecciarossa in 2h27 using any train you like.
You can spend a full day in Milan and take an evening train, or take an earlier train to 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 www.trenitalia.com (in €, uses Italian language place names). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

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, leaving Venice Santa Lucia at 09:56, 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 Venice to Vienna railjets & the journey.
Fares start at €28.30 in 2nd class, €56.60 in 1st class or €71.60 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 or can show it on your phone.

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, leaving Vienna Hbf at 18:42, arriving Budapest Keleti 21:19.

The swish 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 $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

A Venice-Vienna railjet, at Venice Santa Lucia. More about Venice-Vienna railjets.

Restaurant car.

Business class. About business class.

First class.

Economy class.

The railjet travels over the famous Semmering Railway, opened in 1854 and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See the Vienna to Venice page for more information, photos & video.

Back to top

Milan to Bucharest, Brasov & Romania

Step 1, travel from Milan to Budapest as shown in the Milan to Budapest section.
You leave Milan in the evening by Nightjet sleeper train, changing in Vienna Hbf onto a fast railjet train to Budapest Keleti, arriving at lunchtime. You've an afternoon to explore Budapest.

Step 2, take the sleeper train Ister leaving Budapest Keleti at 19:10, 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 on 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 2 minutes walk away.
Next day, take a daytime train across Transylvania to Cluj, Timisoara, Simeria, Brasov or Bucharest as shown on the Budapest page. These trains are also bookable 60 days ahead from €26.30 at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice for using it.

A 1, 2 or 3-bed sleeper with washbasin. Larger photo.

The sleeping-car (vagon de dormit) on the westbound Ister at Bucharest. Sleepers convert from beds to private sitting rooms for day use. Courtesy of @AndyBTravels, DiscoverByRail.com.

The vagon cuseta (couchette car) on the westbound Ister, boarding at Bucharest. Couchettes convert from bunks at night to seats by day. Courtesy of @AndyBTravels, DiscoverByRail.com .

4 or 6-berth couchettes. Larger photo.

Back to top

Milan to Ljubljana & Zagreb

Option 1, Milan to Ljubljana & Zagreb using the Zurich-Zagreb sleeper - the most comfortable & time-effective option

Step 1, travel from Milan to Zurich by EuroCity train, leaving Milan Centrale at 15:10, 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, see the photos and video here. It passes through the world's longest railway tunnel, the Gotthard Base Tunnel.

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 Au$) or www.trenitalia.com (in €). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. It's ticketless, you print your booking or can show it on your phone.

Step 2, travel from Zurich to Zagreb by sleeper, leaving Zurich HB at 20:40, arriving Lesce-Bled 07:13, Ljubljana 08:09 & Zagreb 10:39.
This excellent EuroNight sleeper train has modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, see the Croatian sleeper video. It also has a couchette car and with 4 & 6 bunk compartments. The scenery in the morning is wonderful, along the River Sava between Ljubljana and Zagreb.
Fares start at €49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, €59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, €69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, €88.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Tip: There's no restaurant car, so have dinner before boarding your sleeper, see suggested restaurants at Zurich HB.
Tip: You can check the consist for this train, 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.
Important: This sleeper train is diverted via Graz due to work in the Tauern Tunnel and won't call at Lesce-Bled or Ljubljana from 17 November 2024 to 13 July 2025. Arrival in Zagreb is 11:33. For Ljubljana, either use another option or get off the sleeper at Celje in northern Slovenia at 09:47 then take a local train leaving Celje at 11:36 arriving Ljubljana 12:43. Check times for the local train at potniski.sz.si/en.

Step 1, Milan to Zurich by EuroCity train, through the Alps. This is a Giruno train at Bellinzona. The train passes through the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world's longest rail tunnel, though the transit takes just 20 minutes.

1st class. Larger photo.

Restaurant car with bar counter. Larger photo.

2nd class. Larger photo

Level boarding. Note the destination screen in the door.

Lake Lugano, seen from a Milan to Zurich train on the Gotthard route.

Step 2, Zurich to Ljubljana & Zagreb by sleeper seen boarding at Zurich HB as the sun sets on a summer day. That's the Croatian couchette car on the right, the Croatian sleeping-car on the left. See the Croatian sleeper video.

1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper.

Set up as a single-berth.

4 or 6-berth couchettes. 360º photo.

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

Option 2, Milan to Ljubljana & Zagreb using the Milan-Austria Nightjet sleeper train - another time-effective option.

Step 1, travel from Milan to Bruck an der Mur by Nightjet, leaving Milan Rogoredo at 21:26, arriving Bruck/Mur 06:39.

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

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

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, 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 Austria & click nj.

Step 2, travel from Bruck an der Mur to Ljubljana by EuroCity train Emona, leaving Bruck/Mur at 09:58, arriving Ljubljana 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 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class. 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 $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, you print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Option 3, Milan to Ljubljana & Zagreb by the direct route through Venice & Trieste

Direct trains from Italy to Slovenia were restored in 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. And if you've ever wondered where prosecco comes from, you'll find out on this route!

For example, you can take a lunchtime train from Milan, change in Venice & Trieste, arriving Ljubljana 21:41. Stay overnight an head for Zagreb next morning.

See train times & fares from Venice to Ljubljana & Zagreb & an account of the journey.

Add a Milan to Venice train ticket from €19.90 at either www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com.

Looking back from the rear of the Austrian EuroCity train as it climbs out of Trieste. Courtesy Helmut Uttenthaler.

Scenery in Slovenia on the way from Trieste to Ljubljana. More about Venice-Trieste-Ljubljana.

Option 4, Milan to Ljubljana by daytime trains, overnight stop, on to Zagreb next day - a leisurely daytime option

Step 1, travel from Milan to Venice by EuroCity train, leaving Milan Centrale at 12:05, arriving Venice Santa Lucia 14:42.
This EuroCity train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

If you'd like lunch and a wander around Venice, take an earlier Frecciarossa from Milan, for example the 08:05, 09:05 or 10:05.

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. Of course 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, 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.
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?

Milan 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 $, international 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 Milan 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.

Milan to Dubrovnik & Split

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

Step 1, travel from Milan to Zagreb by train as shown above.
Step 2, take a train from Zagreb to Split then a bus Split to Dubrovnik as shown here.

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

Step 1, book an overnight ferry with comfortable 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 and 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 Milan Centrale to Ancona Centrale or Bari Centrale using www.italiarail.com (easy to use, in €, £, $ or Au$) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, requires Italian-language place names, see advice on using it). Italiarail will refund their small booking fee if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your booking reference. It's ticketless, you print your booking reference or can 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.


Blue Line & Jadrolinija ferries in Split Harbour. Above right, a deluxe cabin on the Blue Line ferry, which comes complete with an en suite jacuzzi. Courtesy of Andrew Leo.

Back to top

Milan to Belgrade

Option 1, Milan to Belgrade & Sofia using the Zurich-Zagreb sleeper

Day 1, travel from Milan to Zurich by EuroCity, leaving Milan Centrale at 15:10, 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, see the photos and video here. It passes through the world's longest railway tunnel, the Gotthard Base Tunnel.

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 Au$) or www.trenitalia.com (in €). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.

Day 1, travel from Zurich to Zagreb by sleeper train, leaving Zurich HB at 20:40 arriving Zagreb 10:39 (11:33 until 13 July 2025)
This excellent EuroNight sleeper train has modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, see the Croatian sleeper video. It also has a couchette car and with 4 & 6 bunk compartments. The scenery in the morning is wonderful, all along the River Sava between Ljubljana and Zagreb.
Fares start at €49.90 with a couchette in a 6-berth, €59.90 with a couchette in a 4-berth, €69.90 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, €88.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €129.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Tip: There's no restaurant car, so have dinner before boarding your sleeper, see suggested restaurants on the Zurich HB station page.
Tip: You can check the consist for this train, 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 Zagreb to Belgrade by train, leaving Zagreb at 11:04, arriving Novi Beograd 18:04 & Belgrade Centar 18:12.
This train was suspended due to Covid-19 and remains suspended.

This train has air-conditioned Serbian carriages with comfortable 2nd class seats, but no 1st class. There's no catering, so bring a picnic and some beer or wine. The fare is around €29, it cannot be bought online so buy at the station or on board the train.
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 €21, buy a ticket at www.flixbus.com.

If you're going to Sofia, spend the night in Belgrade, I recommend the historic Hotel Moskva. Next day, travel from Belgrade to Sofia, see the Belgrade to Sofia page for details.

Step 1, Milan to Zurich by EuroCity train, through the Alps. This is a Giruno train at Milano Centrale. The train passes through the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world's longest rail tunnel, though the transit takes just 20 minutes.

1st class. Larger photo.

Restaurant car with bar counter. Larger photo.

2nd class. Larger photo

Level boarding. Note the destination screen in the door.

Lake Lugano, seen from a Milan to Zurich train on the Gotthard route.

Step 2, Zurich to Zagreb by sleeper trainseen here boarding at Zurich HB as the sun sets on a summer day. That's the Croatian couchette car on the right, the Croatian sleeping-car on the left. See the Croatian sleeper video.

1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper.

Set up as a single-berth.

4 or 6-berth couchettes. 360º photo.

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

Step 3, Zagreb to Belgrade by Serbian train.

Back to top

Milan to Sofia

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

Day 1, travel from Milan to Budapest as shown in the Milan-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, Milan to Sofia via Belgrade

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

Back to top

Milan to Bar, Budva, Kotor & Montenegro

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

Step 1, travel from Milan Centrale to Ancona by train, journey time around 3h30.
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.

The former Montenegro Lines ferry to Bari at Bar ferry terminal.

Back to top

Milan to Warsaw, Krakow & Poland

Day 1, travel from Milan to Vienna by Nightjet, leaving Milan Rogoredo at 21:26, arriving Vienna Hbf 09:04.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes. See the guide to Nightjet accommodation.

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

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, 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 Austria & click nj.
Tip: If you have a sleeping-car ticket and/or 1st class ticket for the onward train you can use the ÖBB lounge at Vienna Hbf, with complimentary refreshments & 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 21:55.
For Krakow, travel from Vienna to Krakow by EuroCity train Danubius, leaving Vienna Hbf at 16:10, arriving Krakow Glowny 21:25.
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 print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Step 1, Milan to Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train. More about Nightjets.


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


6-berth couchettes.		4-berth couchettes.		Couchette car on the Nightjet sleeper train.

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.

2nd class car on the Berlin to Warsaw train

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

Milan to Lviv, Kyiv, Moscow & St Petersburg

Day 1, travel from Milan to Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train as shown in the Milan to Vienna section.
You leave Milan Rogoredo in the evening and arrive 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 Ukraine by direct sleeping-car, leaving Vienna Hbf at 16:42 daily, arriving Lviv 09:59 & Kyiv 16:41 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.
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.

The Vienna-Kiev sleeping-car at Vienna Hbf

The Vienna-Kyiv sleeping-car at Vienna Hbf.


The Vienna-Kyiv sleeper about to leave Vienna Hbf. Courtesy of Helmut Uttenthaler.		The sleeper corridor. Courtesy Helmut Uttenthaler.		1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper compartment.

Milan to Athens & Greece

You can leave Milan Centrale 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.

Superfast ferry from Bari to Patras in Greece

The ferry Superfast II from Bari to Patras, boarding at Bari. Courtesy of DiscoverByRail.com.

Hotels in Milan

My favourite hotel search: www.booking.com

Booking.com is my favourite hotel booking site and I generally use it to book all my hotels in one place. I've come to trust booking.com's review scores, you won't be disappointed with any hotel that scores 8.0 or more. Crucially, booking.com usually lets you book with free cancellation, which means you can confirm accommodation risk-free before train booking opens and/or you can hold accommodation while you finalise your itinerary and alter your plans as they evolve - a feature I use all the time when planning a trip. I never book hotels non-refundably!

Backpacker hostels

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

Travel insurance & VPN

Always take out travel insurance

Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash and belongings, up to a sensible limit. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself. Here are some suggested insurers. Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.

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

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

If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.

Get an eSIM with mobile data package

Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a mobile data package for the country you're visiting and stay connected. Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM card so you don't need to buy a physical SIM, including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list. Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.

Get a Curve card for foreign travel

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

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

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

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

When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure. A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi. It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply. See VPNs & why you need one explained. ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription. I get a small commission to help support this site.

Carry an Anker powerbank

Tickets, reservations, vaccination records and Interrail or Eurail passes are often held digitally on your mobile phone, so it's vital to keep it charged. I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over if I can't get to a power outlet. Buy from Amazon.co.uk or from buy from Amazon.com.

Back to home page

	Armenia
	Azerbaijan
	Bangladesh
	Burma (Myanmar)
	Cambodia
	China
	Georgia
	Hong Kong
	India
	Indonesia
	Iran
	Iraq
	Israel
	Japan
	Jordan
	Kazakhstan
	Laos
	Malaysia
	Nepal
	North Korea
	Pakistan
	Philippines
	Saudi Arabia
	Singapore
	South Korea
	Sri Lanka
	Syria
	Taiwan
	Thailand
	Turkey
	Uzbekistan
	Vietnam

	Algeria
	Botswana
	Cameroon
	Egypt
	Ethiopia
	Gabon
	Kenya
	Mali
	Morocco
	Mozambique
	Namibia
	Senegal
	South Africa
	Sudan
	Tanzania
	Tunisia
	Zambia
	Zimbabwe

	Canada
	Cuba
	Peru
	South America
	United States

Europe by train introduction
How to buy European train tickets
London to Paris or Brussels by Eurostar
	Albania
	Andorra
	Austria
	Belgium
	Belarus
	Bosnia
	Bulgaria
	Croatia
	Cyprus
	Czech Rep.
	Denmark
	Estonia
	Finland
	France
	Germany
	Gibraltar
	Greece
	Hungary
	Iceland
	Italy
	Latvia
	Lithuania
	Luxembourg
	Macedonia
	Malta
	Moldova
	Montenegro
	Netherlands
	Norway
	Poland
	Portugal
	Romania
	Russia
	Serbia
	Slovakia
	Slovenia
	Spain
	Sweden
	Switzerland
	Turkey
	Ukraine


Lyon to Barcelona by S100 AVE, seen here at Barcelona Sants.		2nd class seats, all with power sockets & free WiFi. Panorama photo of 2nd class.


1st class seats on an S100 AVE, all with power sockets. Panorama photo of 1st class.		Cafe-bar on an S100 AVE serving tea, coffee, beer, wine, soft drinks, snacks & hot dishes.


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


The inaugural Hamburg to Stockholm SJ EuroNight train in Hamburg on 1 September 2022. The author rode this first departure. More about this sleeper train.		6-berth couchettes.


2-bed sleeper. Larger photo.		The inaugural train from Hamburg to Stockholm calls at Padborg, just after entering Denmark.


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


Standard sleeper set up as a 2-berth, with blind down & washstand open. Each room can be used with 1, 2 or 3 beds.		Same sleeper with berths folded away & seats out, washstand closed. Very similar to a deluxe, but without shower & toilet.		Deluxe sleepers are similar to standard ones, with a bit more floorspace & compact shower & toilet instead of washstand.		Just like a hotel, the corridor in a Comfortline sleeping-car. There's a shower at end of the corridor for standard sleeper passengers.


6-berth couchettes. There are also 4-berths. Larger photo.		Couchette car on the inaugural Canopus from Prague, leased from RDC as CD don't have enough 200km/h couchette cars of their own. Photos courtesy of @_wrzlbrnft_


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


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


1st class is usually in 6-seat compartments. Larger photo.		2nd class, open-plan saloon type, modernised. Larger photo.


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


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


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

Trains between European cities

Trains from Milan

Train travel UK & Ireland...

Train travel in Europe...

Train travel in Asia...

Train travel in Africa...

Train travel in America...

Train travel in Australasia

I want to go from Milan to...

Before you buy your tickets

European train travel FAQ

Which station in Milan?

Milan to Florence, Rome, Venice, Naples & other Italian cities from €19.90

Milan to Lake Como

Milan to Pompeii, Sorrento, Amalfi

Milan to Palermo, Catania, Siracuse & Sicily

Milan to London from €74

Milan to Dublin & Ireland

Milan to Paris from €29

Milan to Lyon

Milan to Strasbourg

Milan to Vichy, Clermont, Le Mans, Tours, Brittany, Lille

Milan to Nice, Cannes, Monte Carlo

Milan to Brussels & Bruges from €64

Milan to Amsterdam from €64

Milan to Luxembourg

Milan to Geneva, Zurich, Luzern, Basel & Switzerland from €29

Milan to Barcelona, Madrid & Spain

Milan to Lisbon & Portugal

Milan to Andorra

Milan to Munich, Hamburg, Berlin & Germany from €39

Milan to Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck & Austria from €48

Milan to Copenhagen, Gothenburg & Stockholm

Milan to Oslo & Norway

Milan to Helsinki & Finland

Milan to Prague from €68

Milan to Bratislava from €54

Milan to Budapest from €69

Milan to Bucharest, Brasov & Romania

Milan to Ljubljana & Zagreb

Milan to Dubrovnik & Split

Milan to Belgrade

Milan to Sofia

Milan to Bar, Budva, Kotor & Montenegro

Milan to Warsaw, Krakow & Poland

Milan to Lviv, Kyiv, Moscow & St Petersburg

Milan to Athens & Greece

Hotels in Milan

My favourite hotel search: www.booking.com

Backpacker hostels

Travel insurance & VPN

Always take out travel insurance

Get an eSIM with mobile data package

Get a Curve card for foreign travel

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

Carry an Anker powerbank

Train travel
UK & Ireland...

Train travel
in Europe...

Train travel
in Asia...

Train travel
in Africa...

Train travel
in America...

Train travel
in Australasia