Train Travel

Europe

Why fly to Europe from the UK when you can travel in comfort by train. It's a fantastic way to travel and is quick and easy. It is however, sometimes, not easy to find out about train travel to Europe. We will give you details of where to get the best prices and how to book with ease.

Where to buy train tickets to Europe

Buying tickets online: The most cost effective way to buy train tickets to France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland is online - using either the Eurostar, the French Railways or the UK Rail Europe websites. If you want to travel just in one country you can buy online at the train operator's website. Other European destinations will need to be booked by telephone. Website: www.raileurope.co.uk or email:

Buying tickets by phone: Rail Europe - 0870 5 848 848 This is the best contact for trips from London to France, Switzerland, Italy and Spain. Phone lines open: 08:00-21:00 Mondays to Fridays, 09:00-18:00 Saturdays & 10:00-17:00 Sundays.

You can book in person at the Rail Europe travel centre at 179 Piccadilly, London, open 10:00-18:00 Mondays to Fridays, 10:00-17:00 Saturdays.

Europe's biggest rail agency, is Rail Europe which is owned by French Railways (SNCF). French Railways run the reservation system so journeys through France are well organised. The staff are able to give you full details of your trip and help with fares and availability. There are sometimes however, problems booking travel outside of France, for example to smaller destinations. Also cities or towns such as Moscow, Istanbul and Bucharest can be difficult to book. For travel to Germany making a reservation with Deutsche Bahn has a good reservation system and offers the best fares - they are also able to book travel to Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. For travel to Spain visit www.spanish-rail.co.uk. Rail Europe is the best place to start your travel bookings but if you have any problems try Deutsche Bahn. Rail and Sea tickets to Paris or Brussels can only be booked through Eurostar and they will only sell to UK addresses. A booking fee of around £6 per person is payable, although there is no fee for online bookings at www.raileurope.co.uk.

To contact Deutsche Bahn call 0870 243 5363 - recommended for journeys from London to Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, Central & Eastern Europe. Phone lines are open between 09:00-17:00 Monday to Friday, not open weekends. Or visit the website at www.bahn.co.uk or email

Deutsche Bahn has an excellent UK office offering assistance with tickets to Germany including access to all German Railways special offers. They also cover Scandinavia, Austria and Eastern Europe including Russia and the Ukraine. No booking fee is charged. Excellent with straight forward bookings - smaller agencies sometimes have more time to help you with more detailed bookings. Tickets can only be sent to a UK address.

European Rail - 020 7387 0444 - They are recommended for journeys from London to most destinations, including Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, central & eastern Europe. Phone lines are open between 09:00-17:00 Monday to Friday, but are closed at the weekend. Visit their website at www.europeanrail.com.

Sometimes smaller agencies are more willing to help with more complicated or particular travel arrangements but a larger booking fee may be charged. European Rail are able to use both French and German Railways reservation systems and are good for travel to Germany, Scandinavia and central and eastern Europe. A booking fee of around £20 per person is payable.

Spanish Rail UK - 020 7224 0345 - They are recommended for journeys from London to Spain & Portugal. Phone lines are open between 09:30-17:30 Monday to Friday, but not at weekends. Visit the Spanish Rail website at www.spanish-rail.co.uk or email to Spanish Railways are good for travel to and within Spain and Portugal. The booking fee is around £10 per person.

Ffestiniog Travel - 01766 512400 - They are recommended for journeys from London to most European destinations. Phone lines are open between 09:00-17:00 Monday to Friday, but closed weekends. Visit their website at www.festtravel.co.uk or email to for more details. They are a small agency offering a personal service with a detailed range of tickets including Eurostar and all supplements. A booking fee of 8% of the sales value to a maximum of £25.

TrainsEurope - 0871 700 7722 - They are recommended for journeys from London to most destinations. Phone lines are open between 09:00-17:00 Monday to Friday, but are closed at weekends. Visit the website at www.trainseurope.co.uk or email to for more details. TrainsEurope can make all supplement bookings for many trains in Europe except those starting in Portugal, Serbia, Greece, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova or the Baltic states. They will send tickets overseas if required - from outside the UK, call +44 1354 660222. A booking fee of around £10 per person is payable.

If you live in the Republic of Ireland you can book European train travel through Irish Rail by telephone on (01) 703 1885, in person at 35 Lower Abbey Street, Dublin 1, or by e-mail at

To book tickets from the USA or Canada, visit www.raileurope.com. It is the largest rail ticketing agency in North America but to get the best deals it is often best to book online direct with the European train operator and collect your tickets at the station. Alternatively online bookings can be made at www.europeanrail.com or www.trainseurope.co.uk and extra courier or postage can be paid for overseas mail.

Booking online is the is the cheapest way to buy tickets for train journeys in western Europe. More complicated trips, involving a number of destinations will probably not be able to be booked online and will need to be booked by phone.

Book online at www.eurostar.com for trips from London to Paris, France, Belgium and The Netherlands. You can collect tickets at your departure station or they can be sent to any UK address. The Eurostar website is very simple to use and generally will offer you the best priced tickets. Overnight trains will have to be booked direct with the train operator or by using your travel agency. The RailEurope website can also help you with bookings for other train journeys.

For travel from London to France, Spain Italy and Switzerland you can book at www.raileurope.co.uk or www.voyages-sncf.com. Tickets can be collected from the departure station or they can be posted to any UK address. Make sure you do plenty of investigation before you make your booking. List the destinations you want to visit and then work through the trains you will need.

To get the absolute best deals purchase tickets in Euros on www.veyages-sncf.com. Alternatively purchase from www.raileurope.co.uk which is backed by a UK call centre if you get stuck. For either site, tickets can be sent to any UK address or picked up at rail stations in France. Look for the 'English' button: www.raileurope.co.uk is already in English of course, but on www.voyages-sncf.com, it's a UK flag at bottom left.

www.voyages-sncf.com will send tickets to any address in Europe and in many countries worldwide, but not to the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or Singapore. To take advantage of cheaper tickets available in Europe purchase online and then choose to collect your tickets from the ticket office in Paris. Alternatively your tickets can be sent to your hotel awaiting your arrival.

First organise and book your trip from Paris to your destination and back to Paris - then select 'add another ticket' and book the Eurostar from London to Paris and back. You can pay for the whole amount at the end of your booking. This is the best way to get the most reasonable fares. If you book your trip in one go, the websites are unable to take into account cheap fares on parts of your journey, or if you want to mix classes, or if you want to extend your trip to Paris.

Take care when booking seats, couchettes or sleeper compartments. There is a big difference between a 2nd class sleeper and a 1st class reclining seat and its not a good one! Never compromise from a sleeper or couchette to a seat - it is not a comfortable way to travel overnight and it is worth budgeting for a good nights sleep.

Shop around and use other websites to investigate and book onward journeys. For example book Eurostar on voyages-sncf.com from London to Paris and your sleeper train from Paris to Rome or Madrid. You may however have problems booking onward connections and if you can it probably won't offer you the best prices. Contact the relevant national rail operators website for example in Italy use www.trenitalia.it and your tickets can be picked up at the station.

If you are getting confused or the system is not offering what you want you should book by telephone either with Voyages Sncf or Deutsche Bahn's UK office.

International journeys within Europe - International journeys from Paris or other main cities in France to Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland you can book online at www.voyages-sncf.com. You can pick up your tickets at any main French Railway station by selecting 'France' and paying by credit card.

International journeys from Italy to France, Germany, Austria can be booked online at www.trenitalia.it - tickets can be picked up at most stations in Italy.

For journeys starting in Austria you can book at www.oebb.at - you print out your own ticket.

For journeys starting in Germany book online at http://bahn.hafas.de. For sleeper trains from Germany to Austria, Italy, France, Denmark, Poland and Switzerland you can book at www.nachtzug.de - for English click 'buchung' then 'fahrkarte' then 'anwendung offnen'. You can often just print out your own ticket.

International trains such as Thalys (Paris - Brussels - Amsterdam / Cologne), CityNightLine (overnight hotel trains linking Amsterdam, Germany, Switzerland, Austria), and of course Eurostar (London to Paris & Brussels) are available online direct.

For journeys in one country only contact the national railway website in the particular country for the best deals. Tickets can normally be picked up at main railway stations in the country or sometimes printed out on your own printer.

www.voyages-sncf.com for France (including overnight trains)

http://bahn.hafas.de (not overnight trains) or www.nachtzug.de (overnight trains) for Germany

www.trenitalia.it for Italy

www.sbb.ch for Switzerland

www.oebb.at for Austria

www.renfe.es for Spain

www.cp.pt for Portugal

Reservations open 60 days in advance of departure and can usually be made up to shortly before departure. Some services such as Thalys, Paris/Italy, Paris/Spain, Paris/Switzerland and French domestic trains open 90 days before departure. Eurostar bookings are now open 120 days before departure. No bookings will be taken on any train until reservations open.

European Railways change timetables in June & December - You should always check your booking is subject to the correct timetable. You will not be able to book tickets until the new data is on the database. This can cause confusion with regard to the opening of reservations depending on the actual date of the timetable change. Just remember no one else can book tickets until reservations officially open. It is rare to be unable to book tickets in advance.

To check train times for any journey in Europe visit http://bahn.hafas.de - This is the best online resource for timetables for most of Europe. For UK train travel visit www.nationalrail.co.uk as this will show engineering works in progress.

The most well known train timetable is The Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable - It has timetables for trains, buses and boats in all European countries and includes ships to Israel, the Mediterranean and North Africa. For a nominal cost of just #11.50 from any Thomas Cook bureau de change, it will be your bible. Plan all your journeys before you get to the train station or your travel agency and be one step ahead.

For journeys just in one country check the railway website for that country to check fares.

Check fares to all major cities in France, Spain, Italy and Switzerland by visiting www.voyages-sncf.com or www.raileurope.co.uk. Some through sleepers or direct trains are not shown on these websites. Book by phone if you have any doubt.

Check international fares by using www.trenitalia.it. Eurostar fares from London to Paris or Brussels are available at www.eurostar.com. Use the German online timetable at http://bahn.hafas.de/english.html to check fares on most international routes from Germany.

Senior (over 60) & youth (under 26) fares

Senior fares are available for anyone over 60 and youth fares for anyone under 26. You just need to carry proof of age when purchasing your ticket. Remember to tell your booking agency to get the best prices. When booking online make sure you select 'youth' or 'senior' rather than 'adult' to get the best fares. Sometimes, to get the best fares, senior and youth tickets are not available and the best way to get cheap tickets is to book ahead on a no refunds or changes basis. If all the cheap tickets have been sold or you have to travel at short notice then use senior or youth fares.

The Rail+Plus Senior card costs £12, and gives a 25% reduction on full fares for most international journeys. You will need to already have a UK Senior Railcard, and the Rail+Plus Senior card will be dated to expire on the same date as your UK railcard. However, before you rush off and buy one, remember that the Rail+Plus Senior card (a) doesn't give any discount on internal journeys, just international journeys, (b) it is a discount on the FULL fare, not on the discounted special fare that you'd probably find without a card on many routes, and (c) it does not apply to many 'special' international services such as Eurostar, Thalys, the Paris-Italy and Paris-Spain night trains, CityNightLine hotel trains etc. You can get a Rail+Plus Senior card from Rail Europe, by calling 0870 5 848 848 or going to their travel centre at 178 Piccadilly, London, but check it is worth buying one.

Child fares & travelling with kids

Children under 5 travel free and children aged 5 to 15 travel at half the adult fare. Children under 4 travel free on Eurostar and children aged 4 to 11 travel at a reduced fare. Children 12 and over travel at the adult fare. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult and those aged between 12 to 16 will need written consent from their parent or guardian. Full details are available at www.eurostar.com.

Ensure that you let your booking agency know how old your children are - this is the best way to ensure the correct fare is paid. Child fares are normally half the adult fare but this does vary from country to country and is dependent on the fare charged. There is normally a special child fare on most international trains.

Children enjoy trains - You are able to spend time with your children on a train unlike being in a car. They are able to move around and they love the sleepers or couchettes - its so exciting for them.

When travelling with children ensure you travel as light as possible. There are spaces to stow pushchairs but if you are able to carry a small baby in a sling then this is a better option. Children who travel free are not allocated seats so be aware they will have to sit on your lap for the entire journey unless there are empty seats. If you pay a child fare, a seat or sleeping berth is allocated.

A good tip if you're travelling 2nd class on Eurostar or on French TGV trains, ask for seats in the family-friendly coaches (cars 1 or 18 on Eurostar). Here there are bays of 4 seats around tables at one end of the train, away from other passengers who are walking through to and from the bar, so it's better for children to play. It's also close to the baby changing room. Most modern trains now have good baby changing facilities. Eurostar has baby-changing facilities in 2nd class cars 1 & 18, at each end of the 18-car Eurostar train, but none in 1st class at the centre of the train. The baby changing rooms have sink, soap, changing table and disposable changing table covers.

Investigate in lightweight cots for very young travellers. Some lightweight travel cots will fit on the floor in your sleeper or couchette compartment and also can be used in your destination hotel.

Online rail maps can be found by visiting www.europrail.net/content/documents/eurailmap.pdf or try www.bueker.net/trainspotting/maps.php

The Thomas Cook Rail Map of Europe is easily the best and most comprehensive map of European train routes. Scenic routes are highlighted. It is priced reasonably at £7.95 from branches of Thomas Cook and is worth having if you are buying an InterRail or Eurail pass.

European Rail Agencies can sell a basic train ticket for most national and international journey in Europe. But you will need to make a reservation for a sleeper or couchette or for a train which is designated as 'reservation obligatory'. Some of these are not possible from the UK.

There is a European computer reservation system which covers most of Western Europe and some of Eastern Europe. Most tickets, and reservations of seats, couchettes or sleepers can be made using European rail agents in the UK and at railway stations in western Europe. But, it cannot reserve places on trains in countries outside that area (e.g. Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine) or on trains starting outside that area heading back in, for example, Moscow back to Cologne, or Istanbul back to Budapest.

Bookings which are not able to be booked online can be obtained by your agency using fax or telex - however many agencies will not do this. Some smaller, more personal, agencies generally offer more help and try to book these for you - for an extra fee. Booking seats or sleepers can be made at the reservation office at your station of departure.

Eurostar is the fantastic high speed train from London to Paris or Brussels through the Channel Tunnel. If you are travelling to Europe your journey is likely to start with a Eurostar trip to Paris or Brussels. Complimentary drinks and meals are included on all 1st class fares. All passengers have access to a bar serving snacks and drinks. An airline style security check in is required so you must allow at least 30 minutes before departure. Christmas Day is the only day Eurostar does not run. The Eurostar website is www.eurostar.com.

When changing trains in Paris, the Eurostar arrives at the Gare du Nord and your connecting train will probably leave from one of the other Paris stations. A 10 minute walk from the Gare due Nord is the Gare l'Est. For other Paris stations you will need to take the metro or the RER across Paris. Visit www.ratp.fr for maps of the Paris metro system and bus routes.

90% of Eurostar trains arrive within 15 minutes of the advertised time due to the opening of the new UK high speed line. The Channel Tunnel does however tend to delay Eurostar by an hour. Always ensure you allow extra time for connecting trains.

When arriving in Brussels, again allow plenty of time to make sure you make your connecting train. Its not unknown to have to queue for passport control as you exit the platform. Its much easier in Brussels as the Eurostar arrives at Brussels Midi station which is where all long distance trains leave from.

Travelling by train + ferry

If you live in the north of England or Scotland, a good option is to take a direct ferry from Newcastle to IJmuiden (Amsterdam) with www.DFDSseaways.co.uk, Hull to Rotterdam with www.POFerries.com, or Rosyth (Edinburgh) to Zeebrugge with www.superfast.com instead of the train to London and Eurostar onwards. http://bahn.hafas.de will tell you train times from Zeebrugge or Rotterdam onwards to Paris or Brussels.

Many independent rail booking agencies can sell Eurostar and train and ferry tickets and are able to combine these for travel to Paris or Brussels.

1st or 2nd class

Second class is the most cost effective way to travel through Europe. Even in Southern and Eastern Europe, you don't need to pay for a 1st class ticket to travel in comfort, especially on the fast modern air-conditioned expresses. But sometimes 1st class travel can be an affordable treat. In Europe a 1st class ticket is normally just 50% more than second class. 1st class rail travel in Portugal, Spain, Italy and Eastern Europe is particularly good value, because their rail fares are so cheap to start with. First class gets you wider seats, more legroom, and fewer passengers per coach.

On overnight trains your comfort depends on the type of sleeping accommodation you pay for: ordinary seat, couchette, or sleeping-car. A 2nd class couchette is more comfortable (and more secure) than a 1st class seat. A 2nd class sleeper is more comfortable than a 1st class couchette.

Travelling overnight

Travelling overnight on a long distance express is not only convenient but comfortable. Modern 'hotel trains' match the facilities of a standard hotel or overnight trains known as 'EuroNight' are more luxurious.

There are three ways to travel overnight: In an ordinary seat, in an economical couchette or in a comfortable sleeping-car. It is better to spend your money on a comfortable sleeping car rather than a 1st class seat ticket.

A sleeping car is your lounge by day and your bedroom by night - You have a comfortable bedroom with a washbasin and room service. The beds fold away into a sofa by day. Sleepers are available in 1, 2, 3 and sometimes 4 berths and the price escalates depending on your budget. If you are travelling alone single sex berths are available rather than having to book a 1st class single room. All sleeper compartments have a security lock which cannot be opened from the outside, even with a staff key. A sleeper costs about £20-£39 in western Europe or £11-£20 in eastern Europe per person per night for a berth in a 3-berth in addition to the relevant 2nd class ticket or railpass. A 2-berth costs about £35-£49 per night, plus either a 1st or 2nd class ticket or railpass depending on the route and type of sleeper. A single room costs around £70-£90 per night and you must have a 1st class ticket or railpass.

A couchette is the cheap option but is still comfortable - an ordinary seating compartment for six people by day, with fold-out padded bunks for six people by night, each with bedlinen which you arrange yourself. Compartments are normally mixed, but apart from removing coats and shoes, passengers do not undress. A berth in a couchette compartment costs around £13 per berth per night, in addition to a 2nd class ticket or railpass. In addition to the normal lock, couchette compartments have a security lock which cannot be opened from outside, even with a staff key.

On some routes you can pay a higher supplement (about £18) to travel in a less crowded 4-berth couchette compartment.

Travelling overnight in an ordinary seat is not recommended - it is not a comfortable way to travel overnight. We recommend that you always budget for at least the couchette supplement for a comfortable night.

EuroCity is Europe's International daytime express. They are fast, modern and air-conditioned, and have refreshments available. In most countries, a small supplement is payable in addition to the normal fare to travel, which includes the seat reservation fee.

EuroNight is Europe's best international overnight expresses. EuroNight trains are modern and air-conditioned, and have comfortable sleeping accommodation. Morning refreshments are normally included in the sleeper or couchette supplement.

TGVs, ICEs, Thalys, InterCity and Talgos

Many of these train companies will charge a supplement to travel with them - ensure these are included in your budget.

Luggage

Virtually all major stations across Europe have a 'left luggage' facility, either a staffed facility or self-service lockers or both. When changing trains with some time to spare, you can leave your luggage and explore the town. Paris Gare du Nord has left luggage lockers ('consignee' in French) downstairs under the concourse at the Eurostar terminal end of the station. Brussels Midi station has both luggage lockers and a staffed left luggage facility near the Eurostar check-in and Thalys reception.

Major stations have self-help luggage trolleys. Sometimes these require a coin to release them, which is returned when you return the trolley.

Bicycles on European trains

Many European trains are able to take bicycles, but arrangements do vary. Motorails are the only trains able to carry motorbikes.

Travelling by bicycle from London to Paris/Brussels by Eurostar:

Eurostar charge a one-way fee of #20 to take bicycles. There should be checked in as registered baggage. Occasionally a delay of around 24 hours may be possible at your destination. To ensure this does not happen it is recommended that you send your bicycle a day in advance. Visit www.Eurostar.co.uk for details. That's what is supposed to happen - in reality you are normally able to take your bikes with you as carry on luggage free of charge as long as they are in bike bags (available from bike shops) with wheels and pedals removed and handlebars turned - this reduces the bulk of the bike. It can then be stored in the normal luggage racks at the end of each coach.

Instead of using the Eurostar you could use the train and ferry. It is cheaper but it will take longer. A bike bag is not required when travelling on the ferry. Taking your bike is free of charge between London and Dover except if you arrive in London before 10am on any weekday or leaving London between 4pm and 7pm weekdays. The ferry does not make a charge for taking your bike. Again when travelling on trains in France bikes are carried free. From Boulogne to Paris, bikes are carried in special bicycle compartments marked with a bicycle logo.

Beyond Paris and Brussels:

When travelling beyond Paris and Brussels to be sure of being able to take your bike on board it is essential that you have a bike bag (dimensions should not exceed 120cm x90cm). Many national and international trains will accept bikes in bike bags with the wheels and pedals removed. You will be required to keep your bike bag with you even in a full 6 berth couchette compartment. It will prove to be hard work as you will need to keep dismantling and reassembling your bike. Many other European trains will allow you to carry your bike in the luggage compartment for a small charge. International expresses and many high speed trains will not take bikes unless they are in bike bags. Before travelling with your bike always check the train operators website.

Taking bikes to other destinations in France: Bikes are carried free of charge in the luggage compartment on local, regional and most ordinary (non-TGV) express trains. Travelling by train, ferry and train makes the trip from London to Paris a very bike friendly option. Bikes are generally carried free of charge in the guard's van on all London to Dover trains except during rush hours. You are also able to take bicycles in the luggage compartment if you reserve a space and pay a small fee. The same applies on most high-speed TGV trains from Lille and Paris to the Mediterranean.

Bicycles can be carried on most Belgian internal trains by buying a 'bike card' for about 4.10 Euros at the ticket office before boarding - visit www.sncb.be for more information.

Bicycles can be carried on the hourly InterCity (non-Thalys) trains from Brussels to Rotterdam, Den Haag, Amsterdam, and from Brussels to Luxembourg on payment of a small fee before travelling (more info at www.sncb.be).

Taking bikes to destinations in Germany: Bicycles are not carried on Thalys or ICE, which are unfortunately the only types of train between Brussels and Germany, other than the overnight train and some local services. However, bicycles can be carried in a special bicycle compartment on the overnight sleeper between Paris / Brussels and Hamburg / Berlin. Bikes are carried on the overnight train from Paris to Munich, again in a special bicycle compartment, for a small charge.

Elsewhere in Germany, bicycles can be taken on most German Inter-Regio and InterCity trains (but not on high speed 'ICE' trains) for a small charge, providing you make a prior reservation for your bicycle.

Taking bikes to Switzerland: Bikes are carried on the daytime trains from Paris to Basel and on the overnight train from Paris to Basel, Zurich & Chur. Bikes are carried for a fee of about 15 Euros on the two daytime trains between Brussels and Switzerland - however, the connections into and out of these trains to/from London are poor, and may require an overnight stop in Brussels.

When travelling to any other destination to be sure that your bike is accepted it is best to put it in a bike bag. Bikes not in bike bags will not be accepted on the Spanish, Italian overnight trains or TGVs --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Motorail - taking your car abroad - Normal passenger trains do not carry cars or motorcycles - just passengers and their luggage, and in some cases bicycles. However, Motorail trains carry cars and motorbikes. These generally run on holiday routes and on a limited timetable.

Taking your pet on holiday

Eurostar does not carry animals except guide dogs. Some ferry companies will take pets but they must remain in your car. Foot passengers are not allowed to take pets. However, P&O Ferries will accept dogs with foot passenger as long as they are in approved PDSA carriers. Before attempting to take your animal ensure that the travel operator will accept them.

In France, pets can be taken on trains from Calais Ville station to Paris (Gare du Nord). You can check Calais-Paris train times at www.voyages-sncf.com. Beyond Paris, pets can normally be carried on most trains across Europe, sometimes for a small charge. On overnight sleepers pets are only normally allowed when all the berths are occupied by the same party.

Passengers with special needs

Eurostar can provide assistance to passengers with special needs travelling from London to Paris, Lille or Brussels. If you are wheelchair bound, each Eurostar train has wheelchair spaces and wheelchair-friendly toilets. There are also special fares for people travelling with disabilities and their travelling companions.

It is essential you check your train operators website for details of travelling with wheelchairs. If you need any assistance call Rail Europe on 0870 5 848 848 (lines open 08:00-21:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-18:00 Sat, 10:00-17:00 Sun).

Travelling in France: Take Eurostar to Lille. High-speed TGV trains have wheelchair spaces and wheelchair-friendly toilets and run direct from Lille to many French destinations, including Lyon, Valence, Avignon, Marseille, Toulon, Cannes, Nice, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Nantes. For travel information for passengers with disabilities on French Railways, see www.voyages-sncf.com.

Travelling in Italy: Take Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord. Travel across Paris to the Gare de Bercy will need to be arranged. Wheelchair places and accessible toilets are available on TGV daytime trains from Paris to Turin and Milan, but there are none available on the overnight trains from Paris to Italy. Once you are in Italy most train services have wheelchair spaces and accessible toilets.

Travelling in Spain: Overnight trains from Paris to Madrid or Barcelona do not have wheelchair facilities. The best option is to travel by ferry direct to Spain using Brittany Ferries www.Brittany-Ferries.co.uk or P&O www.poportsmouth.com or www.atferries.com.

Travelling in the Netherlands. First travel by Eurostar to Brussels. The Thalys high speed trains from Brussels to Amsterdam have wheelchair spaces. Travel by sea to Amsterdam or Hoek van Holland. Visit www.stenaline.co.uk or www.dfdsseaways.co.uk for more details.

Travelling in Germany. Start your journey on Eurostar to Brussels or Paris. There are good wheelchair facilities on almost all the InterCity and InterCity Express trains all over Germany. Assistance with boarding can be provided at most major rail stations. Overnight trains from Paris to Munich and from Brussels to Hamburg and Berlin have a wheelchair accessible couchette compartment with adjacent wheelchair friendly toilet. Visit www.bahn.de for more information on travelling with a disability in Germany.

Travelling in Austria: Again start your journey on Eurostar to Brussels. Wheelchair facilities are available on the Thalys high speed trains and the CityNightLine hotel train from Cologne to Linz and Vienna also has a wheelchair accessible compartment.

Recommended reading

Never travel anywhere without a good guidebook. If you are travelling independently the Lonely Planet or Rough Guides are a good buy. For basic train information 'Europe by Rail' is excellent.

Hotels & guesthouses in Europe

Visit www.venere.com for a hotel in Europe or search on the Internet for hotels and guesthouses.