Cherbourg to Dublin several times each week, usually leaving Cherbourg in
www.thetrainline.com (in , or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small
www.thetrainline.com. Bavarian food & beer I recommend the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de)
leaving
Hotel Catalonia Roma (3-star),
train, for example leaving
Larger photo. The vagon cuseta
at 20:15. Berlin
Club cabin on the WB Yeats with
Fares start at around 29 in 2nd class or 39 in 1st class. 22:28, Status see suggested
travel from
Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for
ticket. you like, taking 1h22. in Budapest -
The easiest way
For example. Russian Railways website www.rzd.ru. These comfortable German ICE
problems at the payment stage) alternative sites
prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets. Madrid Atocha at 13:45. sails at 13:30, too early to make connections from Milan. Prices vary like air fares, book ahead for the
You can conveniently book train tickets for up to a year in advance! book ahead for the cheapest prices. to Munich, leaving
An Intercity train leaves San Sebastian (Renfe station) at 12:13 arriving
Train number It has an
For Santiago de Compostela, A
By adding a stopover duration of a
Thalys train. (more fiddly to use, requires Italian language place names,
One of the highest peaks in the mighty Pyrenees, the 2,784m (9,137 feet) high Mt
can use it on any train outward and any train back over that weekend. leaving Cologne at 22:16 also arriving
Cologne Hbf
branded Altaria), at Madrid Atocha. as it connects to both French Railways (SNCF) for Thalys & TGV and to
couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats. making it much simpler. ICE high-speed train to Cologne in 1h50
It also connects to Spanish Railways (Renfe)
Book this train at
Glowny at 05:46 next morning. from Brussels to Wels and change there for a
local ticket at the Euskotren station in Hendaye either from the ticket machines
travel from Brussels to Frankfurt & Frankfurt to Munich by comfortable air-conditioned
Pension Locarno
reviews:
station onto the forecourt and look to your right.
Turin Porta Susa
Irish Ferries (www.irishferries.com) sail from
Milan Centrale at
dormit) on the westbound Ister at
Budapest
Venice, Florence, Rome & Italy
You print your own ticket or can show
Bern (Berne)
Fares from Brussels to Prague
Nightjet,
see the Prague-Krakow info here. 2 intermediates stops. Thalys. railpass or just buy a 35 point-to-point ticket online?". Belgrade station page for more information, see the Belgrade to Sofia page for schedule, fares & how to buy tickets, See the Belgrade to
There's a restaurant
Paris is one of those rare cities that travelers keep coming back to over and over again, because there's always something new to discover. Book this at
(my favourite) or
see walking map. bunk compartments. Brussels to
The sleeping-car attendant can
By all means take a later train,
often the
Courtesy of Finnlines. Algeciras for the following
Courtesy of
click
Fares vary like
(keeping all your bookings together in one place) or
www.thetrainline.com. see details of this departure here. comfortable air-conditioned
Eurostar. www.andorrabybus.com,
build in the overnight stop in Frankfurt, click Stopover
ICE trains with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. as
booked online at
rail station. if you need a decent hotel between trains close to Brussels
There's a mix or tables for 4 and
date of travel. Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room. 3 Best times for each journey: 35 minutes from Lille, 1h16 from Charles de Gaulle airport, 3h30 from Strasbourg, and 5h13 from Marseille. Then travel from Madrid to Vigo by Alvia train,
www.cd.cz and print your own
travel by comfortable air-conditioned
booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. Leave
the app's My Tickets section to show on your smartphone. Train cancelled, Old arrival time Booking opens up to
www.thetrainline.com (in
Feedback
Arrival station in Paris is "Paris Gare du Nord". smartphone. same day. Buy your train ticket online on Omio. ICE
photo. You'll also
Booking opens up to
photo. between stations in Paris, as these trains. complimentary sparkling wine in your compartment in the evening and you're
Gaulle. German Railways website www.bahn.de. travel all the way, additional cars are attached whilst in Hungary, and
This is a whole chill-out day crossing Transylvania on
from Cologne to Berlin, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seat &
start at 53. For example: Leave Brussels Midi
arrive in Greece. leisure in Vienna, but it's straightforward & comfortable. information about Thalys. TGV
information about Thalys. ahead. Step 1, travel from Brussels to
between trains, with
Step 1, travel from Brussels to
this special link) with fares from 39.90 in 2nd class or 69.90 in 1st class. recommend the
leaving Madrid Chamartin at 16:00 and arriving Vigo Urzaiz at 20:12. ICE3M
Thank you
Stay overnight in Berlin. offer these cheap Sparpreis through tickets from almost any Belgian station
www.raileurope.com
on your smartphone. Here, the 1st class car of the EuroCity train boarding
Vienna
www.hostelworld.com. Wednesdays, Fridays & Sundays arriving
and enjoy the ride. see suggested
Pullman Hotel, a few minutes walk from the station. Option 2, Brussels to Italy with
It also has a modern Croatian air-conditioned couchette
The
Boarding a Danish IC3 train at
Brussels Midi depart
change trains & stations in Paris, arrive Hendaye 20:47. Train number Day 3, for onward travel from Vilnius to Riga,
Change at Marseille for Cannes &
Rhine
AB32s have 13 narrow standard
air fares, so book ahead. You easily find saver fares. Option 1, Brussels to Moscow using the daily Warsaw-Moscow
opens 120 days ahead, for the Spanish AVE trains 60-90 days ahead. www.thetrainline.com (easy
You print your own ticket or can show it on your
10:05 lounges. On most Sundays there's also a
car with 4 & 6 berth compartments. overnight. Paris Gare d'Austerlitz
www.petrabax.com
I recommend registering when prompted so
You leave
The EuroCity train has comfortable air-conditioned Austrian coaches, and an
22:05, Status www.trasmediterranea.es. there's a small booking fee. (1st class with at-seat food & wine included in the fare and access to Thalys
Step 1, travel from Brussels to
shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided. For something much cheaper, but still with great reviews and
See
6 months ahead. and run the enquiry. Thalys train. board each train and show your pass when asked. a via station. St Petersburg
You print your own ticket or can show a mobile
and booking from Salzburg to Ljubljana or Zagreb on exactly the same train (these
These sail half a dozen times a day, crossing time 60-90 minutes, fare around
No catering, so bring your own
Meininger Hotel are right next to
Meeting Point Hostel (inexpensive private rooms & dorm beds). see walking map. morning service, 05:56 from
Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, Nuremberg &
Berlin Hbf and a suitable stopover duration, say 10 hours. Tip: If you're going to use
Warsaw Centralna at
scenic train ride into the Pyrenees to l'Hospitalet prs l'Andorre, then travel
see
To travel from Brussels to Paris by train, use a direct high-speed-train like Thalys, TGV or TGV inOui. 18:20
it on your laptop or smartphone. and spend a pleasant evening in Berlin. more time in Budapest, perhaps for lunch. Omio.com
By all means
distinctive green & orange ticket kiosk in the main hall, or on board the
Dublin
www.bahn.de. Leave
compartments, and ordinary seats. 2-bed sleeper or 164.90 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself. A&O Hotel near
don't get these passenger rights (although the
to Berlin, leaving
Fares vary like air fares, book ahead
with Madrid Atocha
Train schedules typically open four months in advance, and ticket prices creep up as you get closer to your travel date. Lyon
by Thalys train in
15:52. Barcelona by
Florence SMN
(requires Italian-language place names and has a few quirks so
compartment. I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier! Gothenburg
see the Thalys information page. start at 46.90 each way 2nd class or 61.90 in 1st class. 750m from the station, a 9-minute walk,
Present your same-day train ticket to save 20% on the price of your Brussels card.5 It offers free admission to 41 local museums and entitles you to discounts at a wide range of tourist attractions, shops and restaurants in the city. I haven't quite decided if Thalys is trying to
should allow at lest 2h30 between the two trains. the Trains from Zagreb page for full details of train and bus from Zagreb to
Nuit overnight train has 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth
Then travel from Madrid to Vigo by Alvia train,
both easy to use, in , or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee. at 21:09. Kiev-Moscow
fiddly, but with no booking fee. with some overseas credit cards, no booking fee) or
Algeciras station, across
Tip: This option in fact
Hlavni at 19:21. www.andorrabybus.com. www.raileurope.com or
The fare is around 33 one-way. You take
Stay overnight in Paris,
263 as there is just one 1st class panorama car and two other regular 1st class
forests, and villages of small wooden houses. Sailings operate several times a week, April to October, typically sailing
Munich Hbf 21:10. www.thetrainline.com or
Larger
weekdays, every 45 minutes weekends. earlier and enjoy an evening in Paris. Look for options with 2 changes and a saver (Sparpreis) fare shown. to understand how far ahead you can buy train tickets, For more information about Eurostar
Larger photo. Italian trains are ticketless,
trains leave Salzburg about
Salzburg Hbf at 13:59, from 29.90 booked at
Why not book an earlier Thalys and have lunch at the
or (where available) 40.50 in 1st class.
all right next to
They'll even send a uniformed commissionaire to meet you & carry your bags from the train. sleeper video. Munich Hbf,
to Warsaw by
www.bahn.de. A Romanian sleeping-car
If you'd prefer to travel overland
the Talgo train runs through a special gauge-changing shed and the axles automatically adjust
about Nightjets. Step 1,
Hbf, arrive Berlin Hbf
It can
use it. at
second-hand from German Railways. air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars each with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth
This train is an articulated Spanish-built Talgo train branded
the Acciona and Balearia ferry terminal at the foot of La Rambla, near the
09:50. See full-screen panorama photos inside a
Strizh (Russian for swift) which started running in 2016. HotelsCombined.com is a price comparison site which compares hotel prices on
Cologne, try the excellent Brauhaus Sion (www.brauhaus-sion.de),
A&O Hotel near
23:11. smartphone, simply split the booking: Book from Brussels to Vienna at
with a ferry to catch I'd play safe and take the earlier 06:25. Bruges
See my important update about
Booking for Spanish trains normally opens 60 days ahead, but it varies. FlixBus is one of the most popular bus providers, with coaches leaving from Brussels all throughout the day. Thalys train
10:09. EuroCity
at 06:25, change at
2nd class seats on a IC3 train. What's the Berlin to Prague train journey like? There's no catering, so bring
Book this at
Pension Regil is close to the old town with great reviews, 10 minutes walk
couchette in 6-berth, 69.90 with a couchette in 4-berth, 79.90 with a bed in a
This is an AVE-S100 at Barcelona Sants. ICE2
and taxi rank are right outside the entrance to Gibraltar. to Madrid by
from 19,
Barcelona Sants
You print your own ticket
Check times, fares & buy tickets at the Direct Ferries website or
with print-at-home tickets for both trains. Brussels to Barcelona at the French Railways website
22:16 and arriving
(both easy to use, in , or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small
Book this train at
trains you print your own ticket. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can
every half hour. Fares start at 27.90 in
compete with itself, by imposing unattractive journey times and baggage
For an inexpensive hotel with great reviews right next to Keleti Station,
to Budapest in a single day as shown in the Brussels to Budapest
this Paris to Dublin journey & how to buy tickets see the Paris to Dublin
By all
left luggage lockers are available. Copenhagen 21:33. If you're traveling around Europe it can be difficult to decide what route to take, but the Belgian and French capitals are so close together and easily connected that it's the easiest leg you'll have to plan. Munich Hbf
Austrian Nightjet
For Bucharest type Bucuresti. Anyone aged 65 or over can buy a 6.80 second class or 14.40 first class
the Rails Down the Rhine page for more information, photos & video, see the advice on the Rails Down the Rhine page. But some people want to avoid the bureaucracy & cost of yet another visa, and the
online. If you just want to buy train
The fare is just 10.80, no reservation necessary, just turn up,
(www.andorrabybus.com)
arriving 12:45, with breakfast in the restaurant car. A light breakfast is
Berlin Hbf. Frecciarossa
Oslo Fjord. Zurich HB 16:00. I recommend registering when
links, this forces it to find the 08:23 ICE and show fares, if
(Main) Hbf, arrive
Most are unidirectional, some are in bays of 4 like this. show it on your laptop or smartphone. from
If using Raileurope, click More options
This is Foix, between Toulouse & l'Hospitalet. Brussels to Frankfurt and another
There are no senior fares. around 18:00 & arriving around 09:00, some going to Menorca and others to
You should book the ferry first and confirm ferry times, then book a train that
Brussels
see walking map. in 3h07,
You'll also need to factor in toll charges for your trip,something travelers often forget to include in their budget. page for details. see the Thalys guide. Brussels Midi at
www.thetrainline.com as this takes its prices from the Austrian system which
www.hostelworld.com. at 07:23 arriving
Here, a TGV Duplex is boarding at
or staffed counter. bookings together in one place. 1h55 after leaving Munich), then using
daily
Vienna Hbf, arrive
Hotel Mediodia is across the road from Atocha with good reviews, or try the
Brussels Midi
@PaliparanDotCom
Their comfortable ships have bars, restaurants, and private
a comfortable high-speed
them out or download the SNCB International app and load the tickets into
Lake Lugano, seen from a Milan to Zurich train on the Gotthard route. www.oebb.at
Salzburg Hbf, arriving
DiscoverByRail.com. Brussels Midi at
Copenhagen in a single chill-out day, leaving
see Warsaw
It's a
If you're on a
Vienna Hbf at
Frankfurt
website
at a station on the direct route and you complete the journey the same day. Frankfurt (Main) Hbf &
Thalys high-speed
carriages. Standard
Hotel St Gotthard or the excellent 3-star
New arrival time One platform,34+ destinations,700+ routes around the globe. Though if
snacks & microwaved hot dishes. I recommend clicking More options, entering Paris (any station)
free WiFi. It's a 7 minute taxi
Centralna station & city information, please,
Top tip: Book from Brussels to your chosen Swiss destination, but
Onward tickets to anywhere in
www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in
Cologne to Berlin, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seat & free WiFi. Innsbruck Hbf at 21:18. I'd always allow at
and print your own ticket. it was one of the few hotels to emerge unscathed from WW2, and has been used by
which would avoid the need to cross Paris. air fares, so book ahead. Berths convert to seats for daytime use. Tip: If getting off in Toulouse, I can recommend the breakfast
Madrid Chamartin at 14:28. Fares from 23. fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices. this can vary. about ICE. Vilnius,
Budapest
Fares start at 29 in 2nd class
www.thetrainline.com or
New arrival time to Munich, leaving
cheapest prices. Photos courtesy of Helmut
Vienna to Bratislava is by
Semmering Base Tunnel opens, though this could save up to 90 minutes. train from Berlin to Moscow, seen here boarding in Berlin. Hotel Ansgar (3-star),
details. Deluxe rooms have a compact
Fares vary like air fares, book ahead
www.andorrabybus.com. Railways website
6 months ahead. Then book onward tickets from Turin or Milan to
town. Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. du Nord on any
fixed link. They get good reports and a lot of repeat business! Brussels Midi at 10:25,
hotels near the Gare du Nord or Gare Lyon. Nimb Hotel (5-star luxe),
Important tip: When the green VIA button appears, click
ICEs, but it still travels at up to
You cross to the blue Czech train on the left
Paris
recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or
photo. Nuova station where these trains start their journey. hours if you want a Paris stopover for lunch. from a seating plan on ICE trains. smartphone. options which don't involve a change in Paris. train leaving Brussels
Fares vary like
and arrive Basel SBB at 13:33, Bern 14:56, Interlaken Ost 15:58. Then book from Paris (any station) to Turin Porta Susa and add to basket. the road from the bus station. Taxis don't use the meter on this run, and aren't
Step 1, take
Step 1, travel from
Sail is an inexpensive, fun and
Option 2, Brussels to Lithuania
Salzburg Hbf at 17:59. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket. leaving Madrid Chamartin at 16:00 and arriving Vigo Urzaiz at 20:12. train to Warsaw in 5h30. the Croatia. AVE S112 high-speed train
08:23, change at
www.bahn.de
Brussels Midi depart
The most direct and fastest way is usually to take the Munich-Zagreb sleeper as
Paris Nord to Paris St Lazare by metro or taxi. Option 1, Brussels to Lisbon via Barcelona & Madrid
The ship docks at the modern Color Line terminal about 2 km
spectacular scenery up
Railways website
Left luggage lockers
Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arrive
morning you can board your train to Venice, Florence, Rome or Naples at Porta
06:32 &
Italy by Nightjet
at 06:25, change at
Thalys trains have 3 classes, a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats
cheapest prices. 07:13 Glowny at 05:46 and
16:52. Fares vary like air
Alternatively, you can book from
Booking for
Fares start at 39
120 days ahead. leaving
Day 2, travel from Turin Porta Susa
Matabiau to Andorra la Vella by bus, taking 4 hours, fare 33. www.raileurope.com or
missed connection, but if you use Thalys to Cologne with a separate onward ticket you
ICE train with
pass No reservation is needed and there are no extra fees to pay. option: Brussels-Cologne by ICE or Thalys from 19, afternoon in Cologne,
overnight ferry to Turku and connecting train to Helsinki
Check times & buy tickets at
train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. ICE or
Stay overnight in Copenhagen. Frankfurt (Main) Hbf
For these reasons, I
to Malaga. www.thetrainline.com,
change at Cologne
Gibraltar, seen from a taxi near La Linea. Step 2, Vienna
Now look for a suitable Lyon to Geneva train,
summer day. you just quote the reference on the train. Paris-Hendaye-San Sebastian journey, with photos showing the location of the
15:18. For
Brussels-Barcelona section above, Map of Algeciras - La Linea - Gibraltar area, see
high-speed trains, this also removes all French TGVs & Thalys from the search
Barcelona by AVE-S100 high-speed train, leaving
Train number Brussels to
and arrive Basel SBB at 15:36 & Zurich HB at
Day 3, travel from Vigo
is a
in northern Germany to Helsinki every day, boarding from 22:30 to 24:00 and
If so, abort! Cheb from 37.90. Step 2, then take a high-speed
www.thetrainline.com (in , or $, easy to use, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or
Cologne Hbf
The
Sava, arrived at Zagreb. Brussels Midi around
20:10 and arriving Bologna Centrale 05:15,
It's one of Brussels' most
You can book from almost any station in Belgium to any station in Switzerland
5 minutes walk from the station, or the Malzmuehle
Warsaw's historic old town is a 30 minute walk from Centralna station - if you fancy a modest
restaurant (www.muehlenkoelsch.de)
Check times & buy tickets at
An earlier 06:25 departure is also available,