London to Berlin by Train or Bus
England to Germany by Eurostar, Thalys, ICE and Night Sleeper Trains
Apr 17, 2008
Trains and buses can often compete on price, if not on time, with low-cost airlines when traveling between London in Britain and Berlin in Germany. Train journeys from England require at least one transfer in Brussels and can be as quick as ten hours while direct buses take eighteen hours.
By Train from London to Berlin via Brussels
Train journeys from London to Germany generally start from London St Pancras International Station on the Eurostar. The most logical routing is via Brussels in Belgium with the fastest journeys taking just over ten hours.
The Eurostar trains stop in Belgium at Brussels Midi Eurostar station from where it is about a 15-minute walk for transfers to regular long-distance trains. Eurostar trains have check-in times, usually half an hour before listed departure time, while other trains can be boarded up to seconds prior to departure.
- Online reservation services may use alternative versions of Brussels Midi such as Brussels Zuid, Bruxelles Midi, or Brussels South.
Some, but not all, long-distance trains also stop at Berlin-Spandau and Berlin-Zoologischer Garten station before reaching Berlin-Hauptbahnhof and continuing on to Berlin-Ost. These three stations are often more convenient than the Hauptbahnhof.
- The cheapest return fares from London to Berlin, taking into account all readily available discounts and restrictions, are around €160 / £130 for daytime trains and €125 / £100 if the German night train is used between Brussels and Berlin.
From Brussels-Midi to Berlin, several routings are available with options to use daytime trains (transfer again in Cologne) or direct overnight sleeper trains:
- From London to Berlin via Brussels during Daytime
From Brussels-Midi station, travelers can take either the Thalys TGV or the Germany Inter-City-Express (ICE) train to Cologne Main Station (Köln Hauptbahnhof). The journey is two hours fifteen minutes. From Cologne, frequent ICE trains run to Berlin in just over four hours.
- More complicated routings that avoid ICE trains are possible but are hardly worth the additional transfers. Similarly, routings via Paris are also available but more expensive and slower.
Daytime trains depart generally hourly from London between 7 and 10 am to arrive in Berlin between 6 and 9 pm. From Berlin, daytime trains depart from just before 7 am to 1 pm to arrive in London between 4 and 10 pm.
- From London to Berlin via Brussels using the City Night Liner Sleeper Train
An interesting alternative to the Thalys TGV and ICE trains is to use a night train from Brussels Midi to Berlin. The German Railways City Night Liner (CNL) trains are not only modern with luxurious options but convenient (no further connections are needed) and surprisingly cheap.
- City Night Liner CNL243 departs Brussels Midi at 11:41 pm and reaches Berlin Hauptbahnhof just after 8 am the following morning. To connect with the CNL243, travelers have to leave London St Pancras at the latest at 7:34 pm.
- City Night Liner CNL242 departs from Berlin-Hauptbahnhof at 9:26 pm to reach Brussels Midi at just after 6 am the following morning. From Brussels Midi, the Eurostar departs just before 7 am to reach London St Pancras International shortly before 8 am.
Reservations are required for City Night Liner, Thalys TGV, and Eurostar trains.
By Bus from London in Britain to Berlin in Germany
Buses offer an alternative to trains and planes when traveling between London and Berlin. Motor coaches operated by Eurolines (in cooperation with Deutsche Touring, Berlin Linien Bus, and National Express) are modern with comfortable seats and onboard toilets.
- Buses depart five to seven times per week from Berlin Zentrale Omnibusbahnhof (ZOB) in the west of Berlin at 7:15 pm to reach London Victoria Coach Station just after noon the next day. The return journey leaves London at 2:30 pm and reaches Berlin at 9:30 am the next day.
En route to London, passengers may board the bus only at German stops (Braunschweig, Hannover, and Bielefeld) and disembark at international stops (Eindhoven, Brussels, and Lille). The reverse applies on return journeys.
- Special one-way fares are available at €44 / £35 while the normal fare is €90 / £70 (€162 / £130 return). Checked luggage incurs a €1.50 fee payable at the bus. Seat reservations are essential.
Trains and buses can be price competitive with cheap flights on journeys between London and Berlin if use is made of discounted tickets. Trains from London to Cologne can even be time competitive with cheap flights while trains to Southern Germany (Stuttgart and Munich) offer a slower alternative to flying.
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