London to Brussels by Eurostar

Eurostar links London and Brussels in as little as 1 hours 48 minutes. Some Eurostar services also call at either Ebbsfleet or Ashford in Kent. For times, fares and to buy tickets, see www.eurostar.com or call 03448 224 777.

London to other destinations in Belgium

If you buy your Eurostar tickets to 'Any Belgium Station' then you'll be able to continue your journey from Brussels to any station within Belgium, but not on Thalys or ICE services. Destinations include Brugge, Antwerp, Gent and Liege.

London to Luxembourg

Regular trains link Brussels with Luxembourg. You can check onward train times from within Belgium at www.b-rail.be.

Train times and fares within Belgium: www.b-rail.be

Train times and fares within Luxembourg: www.cfl.lu

London to Amsterdam by 'Dutchflyer':

Greater Anglia, Stena Line and Nederlandse Spoorwegen (Netherlands Railways) offer combined 'Dutchflyer' fares from just £45 one way from London (or any Greater Anglia station) to Amsterdam (or any station in the Netherlands). Tickets are available from any staffed Greater Anglia station or by telephoning 0345 700 6245, or visit the Stena Line website or call 08445 762 762 (08:30-20:00 Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-18:00 Saturdays, 09:00-17:00 Sundays).

London to Amsterdam by Eurostar

Eurostar trains are now direct to Amsterdam in just 3 hours 52 minutes. For times, fares and to book online, visit www.eurostar.com or call 03448 224 777.

Train times and fares within the Netherlands: www.ns.nl.

London to Switzerland by train

Eurostar connects in Paris* with high speed trains to Geneva, Lausanne, Zurich or Bern.

For information on train times, fares and to book online, please contact one of the Travel Agencies below.

Train times, fares and online tickets within Switzerland: www.sbb.ch

*Requires interchange from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon on RER service.

London to Italy by train​​​​​​​

Eurostar connects in Paris with high speed trains to Turin and Milan, and Venice. There are onward connections, both High Speed (Le Frecce) and regional (abbreviated with an R in timetables: Interregionale, Diretto and Espresso), to all parts of Italy from these stations.

For information on train times, fares and to book online, please contact one of the Travel Agencies below.

Train times, fares and online tickets within Italy: www.trenitalia.com/en

London to Spain or Portugal by train

Eurostar connects in Paris with fast TGV services to Barcelona on the new high speed line. It's also possible to travel from Paris to Irun in north west Spain. Trains link Madrid and Barcelona with cities all over Spain, and with Portugal. For information on train times, fares and to book online, please contact one of the Travel Agencies below.

Train times, fares and online tickets within Spain: www.renfe.es

Train times, fares and online tickets within Portugal: www.cp.pt

London to Germany, Austria and beyond by train​​​​​​​

Eurostar connects in Brussels with high speed trains to Cologne and Frankfurt for connections to stations in Austria, Poland, Czech Republic and beyond.

Eurostar connects in Paris with high speed trains to stations in Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Luxembourg for connections to eastern Europe, Russia and Scandinavia.

For information on train times, fares and to buy tickets, please contact one of the Travel Agencies below.

London to Dublin and Belfast by 'railandsail': You can buy combined 'railandsail' tickets from London or any National Rail station to Dublin, Belfast or any station in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland via most ferry routes. London to Dublin costs just £29 one way, with unlimited availability. You can buy tickets at most UK railway stations or by calling 08450 755 755 (08:00-20:00 Mondays-Fridays, 0900-1700 Saturdays and Sundays).

Train times and fares within the Republic of Ireland: www.irishrail.ie

Train times and fares within Northern Ireland: www.nirailways.co.uk

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company operate regular ferry (and fast ferry) services which connect the Isle of Man to Heysham, Liverpool, Belfast and Dublin.

Train times and fares within the Republic of Ireland: www.irishrail.ie

Train times and fares within Northern Ireland: www.nirailways.co.uk

Train times and fares within Great Britain: National Rail Enquiries

• Weymouth to Guernsey - the fast ferry service operated by Condor Ferries runs all year round. Crossing time 2 hours 10 minutes. The fastest service between the UK and Guernsey
• Poole to Guernsey - the fast ferry service operated by Condor Ferries runs during summer months. Crossing time 2 hours 30 minutes.
• Portsmouth to Guernsey - a conventional ferry operated by Condor Ferries runs daily except Sundays year round with a daytime crossing time of 7 hours. The overnight crossing from Guernsey (via Jersey) to Portsmouth is a very popular service, so be sure to book your crossing and cabin early!
• Guernsey to Sark - The Isle of Sark Shipping Company provides up to 5 sailings daily between St Peter Port (Guernsey) and Sark, taking 45 minutes.
• Guernsey to Alderney- Manche Iles Express provide occasional sailings to Alderney by fast ferry

Europe-wide online timetable The German Railways online timetable will show you train times between almost any two stations in Europe.

European Rail Timetable From 1873 to 2013, the famous Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable was an invaluable asset to all train travellers in Europe. Following its demise, the book is now published by one of the former compilers. The world-famous book has timetables for trains all over Europe, as well as ships to North Africa, Israel and the Mediterranean islands.

If you're going to travel a lot, for example with a European train pass like Interrail, or Eurail pass, then his can be an invaluable tool to help plan your journey. The European Rail Timetable is available online in both digital and physical forms, or from selected bookshops in the UK and Europe.

seat61.com A personal website, with train times, fares, information and tips for train travel from London to destinations in Europe and beyond.

When to book Bookings open 60 days in advance (120 days in advance for Eurostar, 90 days for trains in France and some other trains including the sleepers from Paris to Spain and Italy). You cannot book before reservations open.

Booking tickets to Europe online You can book tickets to destinations in France, Spain, Switzerland and Italy online, using one of the Travel Agencies below. When booking online, if you don't see attractive fares for the whole journey from London, try splitting your journey and book (for example) London-Paris and from Paris to your final destination as two separate journeys.

Child, senior and youth fares The age limits for children vary from country to country. On Eurostar and most European trains, children under 4 go free, children aged 4 to 11 pay a reduced fare, children 12 and over pay the normal adult fare. On many routes, there are special discounted fares for anyone under 26 or over 60. Please ask when you buy tickets.

Luggage There is no weight limit for baggage, just remember that you will have to carry what you bring. There is a baggage limit of two large items and one smaller item on Eurostar. Self-help trolleys and left luggage facilities are available at most major stations.

Bicycles Bicycles can be taken as hand luggage on Eurostar and on most other European train if they are placed in a special bike bag (available from cycle shops) with pedals removed and handlebars turned. Bicycles not placed in bike bags must be sent on Eurostar as registered baggage, for a small fee. See www.eurostar.co.uk for details.

Dogs and pets You cannot take dogs (other than guide dogs) or other pets on Eurostar. Most ferry companies will only accept dogs when carried in vehicles. However, if you can get across the Channel, dogs are carried (sometimes for a fee) on most European trains.

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