But what about the train-ferry combination, the one many may recall fondly from their childhoods? It is still feasible, but these days it is not a streamlined option. You’ll need to purchase train and ferry tickets separately and finesse train station-port transportation on your own. The journey will also take 10 hours, so it’s best to leave that option to your memories. Instead, here are some more affordable ways to get from London to Paris and back again.

Related: 

• 50 Ways to save in Paris
• 21 Simple tips to save in London

Affordable Travel From London To Paris

Here are the most viable and cheapest ways to get between these two European centers.

Air: Fast but not so efficient

Though flying between London and Paris is by no means our recommended mode of transportation — the distance is simply too short to warrant the hassle, not to mention the carbon expenditure — there are a few ways to get between these two dynamic capital cities by air. These days the Paris-London route is used disproportionately for passengers connecting on to a long-haul destination, with the exception of business travelers flying in and out of London City Airport. That said, we did find one-way fares starting at $38 searching a few months in advance, but of course that doesn’t include all of the rail or taxi fares in between the airports and the city center.

• easyJet flies from London Gatwick to Paris-Charles de Gaulle.

• From London Luton, easyJet flies to Paris-Charles de Gaulle. You can find one-way fares three months in advance for as low as £30 (about $38).

• From London Heathrow, Air France flies to Paris-Charles de Gaulle with fares as low at £77 ($99), while British Airways flies to both Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly for as low as £47 ($60).

Rail: Comfortable and quick

The only direct train linkage from London to Paris these days is the Eurostar, which travels between London’s St. Pancras International and the Gare du Nord in Paris 15-17 times per weekday. The trip usually takes 2 hours and 15 minutes, with maximum speeds of up to 186 mph. However, Eurostar started rolling out brand new trains in late 2015 that can make the journey in only 2 hours at speeds of up to 200 mph.

The experience feels a bit like air travel, with its security checks and passport control in both directions. Because the UK is not part of the Schengen Area, passengers go through passport control prior to boarding their trains. Traveling from Paris to London, passengers first exit France through French passport control and then enter the UK via British passport control. In London, passengers will officially enter France in the station, submitting passports to French passport control before boarding their train to Paris.

From London, return Eurostar London to Paris fares begin at a very reasonable £41 round trip ($52) (between midday and midnight on a Monday; anytime on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday; and between midday and midnight on a Saturday). Booking nonrefundable tickets as far as possible in advance (up to 120 days) is your best bet for finding this low-cost fare. The cheapest tickets sell out first, so the earlier you book, the more you save.

Bus: Long but super cheap

The bus is usually the least expensive way to travel between Paris and London. It also takes much longer than a flight or the train. BlaBlaCar Bus and FlixBus are two major bus lines traveling between the two capitals. French BlaBlaCar Bus takes between 7.5 and 9 hours. The FlixBus journey takes between 9 and 10 hours. Both lines advertise free Wi-Fi and electrical outlets.

One-way FlixBus (formerly Eurolines) fares begin at £25 ($32). The FlixBus terminal in London is Victoria Coach Station; the Paris terminal is Bercy Seine.

BlaBlaCar Bus (formerly OUIBUS, and before that, iDBUS), a subsidiary of French train company SNCF, is a more comfortable option, with good legroom. Fares begin at around £25 for a one-way journey — promotional one-way fares and overnight trips can dip even lower. The BlaBlaCar Bus terminal in London is Victoria Coach Station; the BlaBlaCar Bus Paris terminal is Paris-Bercy.

What’s your preference?

How do you prefer to travel from London to Paris? Have any tips on ways to save on any of the transport options listed above? Share your tips with us in the comments section!

The post The cheapest way from London to Paris: Planes, trains & buses from £25 appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

The train strikes, however, have at least been organized with some transparency for travelers: Two days of strikes (during which SNCF train service is reduced by about 80%) are followed by three days of normal service. This “on again off again” strike schedule allows travelers the opportunity to avoid the strike days when booking, and even re-book their train tickets in advance without penalties.

I’m currently spending the week in Sète, a charming canal-lined city that hugs the Mediterranean in southwestern France. I had planned to travel with my family to Paris by TGV this Sunday, but because of the strikes, re-booked to leave on Saturday instead. (Sunday is a scheduled “strike day”, while Saturday is in the clear.) Fortunately, we hadn’t yet booked our hotel and had some flexibility with our schedule!

So what should you do if you’re wondering how your upcoming trip to France will be impacted by the rail strikes? Read on…

French train strike calendar

This calendar, from the SNCF website, illustrates the strike days in red. Note that the strike is scheduled to run from April 3 through June 28, 2018 (although it may be called off at any time).

If your travel days fall outside these scheduled strike days, you’re fine and don’t need to change your tickets. (You should, however, plan for a full train).

Travelers wait to change their tickets at the Gare de Sète.

What to do if you booked a train on a strike day

If you have already purchased SNCF train tickets on a day marked as a “strike day”, you should change your ticket as soon as possible to a non-strike day, when trains will be running normally. Note that trains on non-strike days are filling up quickly, so you’re encouraged to re-book as soon as possible.

As we mention in more detail below, all train tickets for April travel are currently fully changeable at no cost. However, the SNCF will not automatically change all tickets for May and June travel, and changing tickets may incur extra charges if the fare has increased since you made the original booking. This is because the strike may be called off at any time.

However, that’s hardly reassuring for travelers to France who need to know their itinerary in advance, especially as hotel reservations will need to be made ahead of time. Therefore, we would advise all travelers with tickets that fall on strike days to change them, if possible, to avoid any potential travel disruption. You don’t want to be stuck in the train station wondering where to go for the night.

How to re-book train tickets

If you’re already in France, you can re-book by heading into any train station. Ticketing machines are able to re-book tickets, but you may also head to a ticket counter to re-book with a ticketing agent.

You can also change your ticket online, by heading to the official France national rail service website, oui.sncf. From the railway’s website:

TGV around France and Europe and INTERCITÉS

You can exchange your tickets or request a refund at no extra cost, including non-exchangeable / non-refundable rates.

More info on our OUI.sncf website or app:

1. See more on « my bookings » on the website or « my journeys » on the app.
2. Enter your booking reference and the name used for the order.
3. Proceed to the exchange or cancellation of your ticket

For more information about Eurostar, Lyria, Thalys, and other TGV trains, see this page on the Oui.sncf website.

Note that the above policy refers to train tickets for April. Changing tickets for May or June travel dates may incur an extra charge if the ticket price has increased since the time of booking.

A few more hiccups…

If you have built flexibility into your schedule and have refundable (or changeable) hotel reservations, you should be able to avoid too many travel disruptions by simply bumping train travel dates to non-strike days. That’s the best case scenario.

However, travel issues will arise for the rest of us. For example:

• The SNCF’s website is currently allowing travelers to book trains on strike days without warning them that the trains will likely be cancelled. For example, a strike day is scheduled for June 13, yet a search for Paris-Avignon TGV trips brings up a long list of trains that are currently bookable — but scheduled to be cancelled.

• If you scored a cheap seat on the TGV for May or June and are now forced to change it to avoid a strike day, you’ll likely have to pay the fare difference. So much for early bird savings!

• If you’re forced to rework your travel itinerary because of the strikes but have non-refundable hotel rates, you’ll likely still have to pay for those nights.

• You might consider ditching the train altogether and opting for a rental car instead. That could work, but we forewarned that rental prices will increase because of the strikes, as will traffic. (This morning, for example, traffic into Paris was backed up for four hours…)

Stay up to date

For the latest on the rail strikes, check out this page on Oui.sncf, the official website of the SNCF. Eurostar customers can find more information specific to Eurostar service here.

Share your experience

Have you been impacted by the rail strike or do you have advice for those who might be impacted? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Instead of heading to the airport for a budget flight or booking multiple train tickets, the London to Amsterdam service will make the journey smoother than ever.

So how will this new route work?

Details on the London-Amsterdam train route

You will now be able to hop on the train at St. Pancras in the heart of London and ride straight to Amsterdam Central Station in a little less than four hours (3 hours and 41 minutes to be exact). The London to Amsterdam route will use the new e320 trains that we’re launched in 2015 and feature free Wi-Fi and plugs for your devices at every seat.

After you go through Passport control at St. Pancras International, you can sit back and relax until you get to Amsterdam. Order a croissant and coffee or a sandwich and glass of wine in the cafe car. Travelers will be happy to know they won’t have to switch trains in Brussels or anywhere else along the way on their trip to Amsterdam.

How to get €35 tickets

Budget travelers can rejoice as well because tickets for the new London-Amsterdam trip start at €35. Seats for this special promotion go on sale on February 20th, so mark your calendar if you want to score this super cheap deal. There will be two trains a day heading out from London at 8:31 am and 5:31 pm. Arrive in Amsterdam just in time for lunch with the morning train or an evening cocktail with the late afternoon train. Check eurostar.com for the latest updates.

Hotels in London and Amsterdam

Make your journey even easier by booking a hotel within a quick walking distance of St. Pancras International in the King’s Cross neighborhood or Amsterdam Central Station. You’ll never have to worry about being late for your train. Since it’s an international trip, just make sure you show up at least 30 minutes before your departure time (45 minutes on holidays and weekends) for the check-in and Passport control.

More travel tips for Europe
• The cheapest way between London & Paris: Planes, trains & buses from £10
• Should you fly or take a train around Europe?
• French Train Tips: How to find cheap TGV tickets

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Planning to take the journey this summer? Book it now through the SNCF to get this sale fare. But don’t delay, as the sale fare has been limited to 100,000 passengers.

Related: See all flash deals on European travel

Details:

• Eurostar is offering 100,000 round-trips at the sale fare.
• Tickets must be purchased by May 25, 2016
• Travel dates: Between May – November 2016
• Must purchase round-trip journey to get the sale fare.

Is this a good deal?

• Yes! The normal one-way ticket price starts at €55.

How can I book this?

• Through the SNCF website (French)
• Through the UK SNCF website (in English): Note that these sale fares are £29 each way.

More help

Need more help booking your train tickets? Read our article on how to book tickets directly through the SNCF.

The post FLASH: €39 Eurostar sale, London/Paris for summer 2016 travel appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Once thought of as pretty seedy, Kings Cross has cleaned up its act, and its central, canal side location make it a real winner when choosing a home base for your trip. The many connections from the train station (including the Eurostar to Paris) make it extra convenient for traveling, as well.

Location aside, the area’s offering when it comes to nightlife and dining is also vastly improved from what it once was and definitely worth spending an afternoon or evening exploring. Here’s where to start:

Where to stay

YHA St Pancras
79-81 Euston Road
Doubles from: $76 to $126

When compared to other YHA properties, the Kings Cross branch feels much more like a smart budget hotel than a sprawling hostel. Choose from dorm accommodation or a two, four, five or six-bedroom—perfect for couples or groups. Rooms are decorated simply but inoffensively, and they’re perfectly comfortable for relaxing in after a long day of sightseeing. As the hotel is located on quite a busy road, light sleepers may wish to request a room at the back. There’s a modern cafe/bar, where you can get food at very reasonable prices and a great TV lounge—a real draw for sleepy travelers.

The Princess is a friendly, low-cost place to stay with free breakfast that puts you very close to the Tube and St. Pancras train station. Photo: EuroCheapo

Princess Hotel
35-37 Argyle Street
Doubles from: $93

For something with more character and privacy, check in at the pretty Princess Hotel. This 32-room guesthouse is family run and perfect if you’re after a traditional B&B experience. Rooms are simple with hints of floral, and you get breakfast included in the room rate, so you can fuel up at the start of the day. All rooms come with a flat-screen TV, hairdryer and you can opt for either a shared or private bathroom.

Related: See the complete list of EuroCheapo’s budget hotels in Kings Cross.

What to see

Kings Place: Music + Art + Restaurants
90 York Way
London N1 9AG

This modern arts centre is worth a visit just to see the beautiful building and canal views, and if you have time to stay awhile, you won’t be disappointed. There is an ever-changing program of events ranging from contemporary art exhibitions and masterclasses, to live music and spoken word. The space houses three galleries—Pangolin London sculpture gallery, Kings Place Gallery and the Guardian Gallery, which is linked to the offices of the Guardian newspaper (also housed in the building) and is free to enter. Many of the other activities do have an entrance fee, but these are often greatly reduced if you buy online in advance, so do check the website.

Wellcome Collection
183 Euston Road
London NW1 2BE
Admission: Free

This unique space prides itself on being a destination for the “incurably curious”, and it certainly sets itself apart from other galleries and exhibition centers. Founded by Sir Henry Solomon Wellcome, it aims to present science in a totally new way by exploring the connection between medicine, life and art in the past, present and future. Check out the Collection’s free events, tours, exhibitions and special collections.

Note: The space is currently undergoing renovations, so not every room is open to the public, but there is still plenty to see and do.

Related: Another major attraction in the area is the British Library, the largest in the world holding over 150 million volumes.

Eating and drinking

Kerb – Food trucks and stalls
Granary Square,
London N1C

If the sun is shining head to one of Kings Cross’ newest public spaces, Granary Square, and feast on the array of lunchtime bites on sale from the Kerb food trucks and stalls between midday and 2 PM Monday to Friday. In the summertime, Kerb will also be setting up shop on the third Saturday of each month until October from 11 AM-5 PM, so grab a spot on the canal side steps and tuck in. Choices range from life changing burgers and tasty tacos to spicy curries and comforting mac and cheese.

Somers Town Coffee House
60 Chalton Street
London NW1 1HS

A lovely pub with secret private rooms accessed via a bookcase, Somers Town Coffee House offers a relaxed afternoon sampling cask ales and incredible British tapas—anywhere that offers pigs in blankets is a winner if you ask me! If you’ve got room, give one of the lovely cakes a go too; they are pure sugary goodness and a great opportunity to try some traditional British desserts.

Caravan
1 Granary Square
London N1C 4AA

I could eat at Caravan any time of day, but if I had to choose just one meal I’d go for brunch. On the weekends you’ll have to fight for a table (or sip a cocktail patiently at the bar) as they don’t take reservations, but I promise you it’s worth the wait. During the week you’ll find yourself rubbing shoulders with the arty students from Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design, as their swanky new school is housed in the same building. The menu is truly original, with more traditional breakfast favorites flavored up with soutsouki sausage or fresh sourdough bread. It’s also one of the best places in London to have a coffee, all of which is roasted onsite (and smells incredible).

Camino
3 Varnisher’s Yard
London N1 9FD

For tasty tapas and lovely cocktails, Camino is my top pick. The courtyard out front is a fun place for an outdoor drink in summer, while indoors the lively tapas restaurant and bar are buzzing all year round. There are also some great value deals—head down for lunch on a weekday and get two tapas for £6.75, while weekends welcome in a cocktail, wine and beer happy hour from 5-8 PM. If you fancy a dance, there are live DJs on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, and you never have to pay an entrance fee.

Treat yourself to a drink at the spectacular bar inside the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel. Photo: Gary J Wood

Special treat

Booking Office Bar
Euston Road
London NW1 2AR

While it’s unlikely any Cheapos will be resting their heads for the night at the five-star St. Pancras Renaissance hotel, you’ll thank yourself forever if you afford yourself a drink in the bar. This beautiful gothic masterpiece was originally a hotel designed by George Gilbert Scott and opened by Queen Victoria in 1873. When the hotel closed in 1935 the space was used as station offices until a huge restoration project began in 2011 to turn it into what it is today and restore it to its luxurious former glory.

If you’re just visiting, head to the Booking Office Bar (housed in the original station booking office) and prepare to be wowed by the space and the truly fabulous Victorian-inspired cocktails and punches. You’re looking at £8.50 and £9.50 for the cheapest glass of wine or cocktail, and if that proves too much, you can always opt for something softer while you drink in the surroundings.

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But in fact very few people take the Eurostar to Calais-Fréthun, which is about nine minutes by local train from Calais itself. Just three Eurostar trains stop at Calais-Fréthun each day in both directions on the London-Lille-Brussels route. On my day trip journey, I was one of just three passengers to alight.

And 12 hours later, when I boarded a train back to London, there were just six of us. The security and immigration staff arrived about a half hour before departure to open up the tiny check-in facilities and process our tickets and passports. The small post-security waiting room might be able to seat a few dozen passengers – in a pinch.

I hadn’t scheduled my day trip journey to see Calais, however. I was in France to see Dunkerque (Dunkirk), in particular to visit an ecologically sustainable housing development, Grand Large du ZAC, part of a long-term reorientation of Dunkerque towards the ocean. I’d chanced upon photos of the development’s gabled multi-storied dwellings months ago and waited until a free week and low fares materialized. The sustainable development received a special mention from l’Équerre d’Argent, the French architecture awards, in 2010.

There is no train service between Calais and Dunkerque, so I made the 40-minute journey by local bus; prior to this I had almost three and a half hours to wander Calais before my early afternoon bus departure.

Calais itself is a handsome little city, with very well kept parks and canals and seemingly omnipresent frites stands, its sea air fresh and invigorating. I breakfasted on a delicious apricot tart and wandered along side streets, and then via the center of town, ending up at the beach.

The bus to Dunkerque was packed with students. The final stop, Pôle Marine, is about a 10-minute walk to the housing development, which is more magnificent than photos make it out to be. Afterwards I took a very leisurely wander through Dunkerque’s core and stopped by the tourist office to learn more about the immediate region.

One interesting local attraction is the Dunes de Flandre regional project, which groups Dunkerque with the neighboring towns of Leffrinckoucke, Zuydcoote, and Bray-Dunes as a region of natural beauty. It is a candidate for “Grand Site” status; the French “Grand Sites” are meant to designate extraordinary landscapes that are both geographically and culturally significant and physically fragile.

There are buses from Dunkerque to Bray-Dunes, which borders Belgium, and across the border itself, making it easy for visitors to combine Dunkerque with a visit to the dunes.

Costs & tips

My Eurostar fare was £69 ($111). This appears to be the lowest fare for the roundtrip journey. The bus between Calais and Dunkerque runs €9 ($12.25) each way. My costs were in general very low. For example, a delicious cheese baguette along with a drink and pastry cost €4 at a small boulanger close to the center of Dunkerque.

Visitors from London interested in visiting Dunkerque and the nearby dunes who are not also interested in exploring Calais should consider taking the Eurostar to Lille and continuing on to Dunkerque by train from there, allowing for time to transfer. Lille’s two train terminals are a short walk from one another.

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Many travelers opt for Eurostar for its sheer convenience. With a headline travel time of just 2hrs 16mins from the heart of London to the middle of Paris, Eurostar will invariably be the fastest option. Others favor the international rail service for its reasonable fares. Book when tickets first go on sale (four months before travel on the London to Paris route), and you’ll surely catch a bargain.

From edgy and unloved landscapes…

But there is quite another reason why canny travelers bound for Paris are so inclined to hop on Eurostar. This journey has a remarkable cinematic quality. Climb aboard, settle down in a comfortable window seat and just watch.

The departure from St Pancras is a gentle piece of theatre. Then tunnels and light interact, with screenshots of edgy and unloved landscapes in Essex and north Kent. Cut from a scene of the old automobile plant at Dagenham to a late Saxon stone church stranded on the Essex marshes.

… to the garden of England

The train zips under the Thames then over the Medway, suddenly entering a green and pleasant land, a more rural England than we have seen in the first part of our journey. The railway plays cat and mouse with the Downs, here and there diving through tunnels under chalk hills.

Along the way, there are gorgeous scenes of Kentish orchards and pasture land. This is pure therapy.

Flanders fields

On, under the English Channel, and you’ll be in France within an hour of leaving London. Here the landscape has a more expansive demeanor.

Cassel, a magnificently-situated hill town in the distance, is a reminder that Flanders is not totally two-dimensional. Dashing south from Lille, the line cuts through territory defined by its rivers. We bridge the Scarpe and the Somme. This is a journey that evokes memories of too many wars. But it captures too the blessings of peace.

Arriving in Paris

Two hours out of London and we are into the final act. Paris suburbs are pushing north into fields where not so long ago sugar beet was grown.

We surf the city, making tracks for the Gare du Nord. But watch carefully, for just before arriving at the terminal, the River Seine has a minor walk-on role. You’ll catch a glimpse of it on the right as the train cruises south through St Denis.

Just over two hours of pure cinema. And like all good movies, it’s one worth watching time and time again.

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Fair fares and high speed

With adult return fares from London to Brussels and Paris currently available from £59 return, budget-conscious British travelers are well aware that in terms of price and city center to city center journey times Eurostar knocks spots off the competition from airlines. And this train service has subtly reshaped England’s relationship with Europe — most particularly since late 2007 when the stylish terminal at St. Pancras replaced dowdy Waterloo as the London launch-pad for trains to the continent.

Reshaping Europe

Londoners have suddenly realised that the journey from St. Pancras to Brussels takes no longer than the ride from St. Pancras to Sheffield. You can hop on Eurostar in London and alight at Calais (the first stop in France) less than an hour later.

But Eurostar is more than merely the canny way to reach Brussels and Paris. It is a good choice for a wonderful range of other journeys. For example, Eurostar offers winter-season direct trains from London to the French Alps. The current season is well underway with most services already heavily booked. The last return trains from Bourg-St-Maurice and Moûtiers-Salins are this year on April 13.

From London to Aix-en-Provence

Eurostar has long run a summer service from London to Avignon and that popular route to Provence is set to return for 2013, but with an interesting twist. Direct trains to Avignon will this year run for a longer summer season (with the first departure from London on May 4 and the last on August 31). During the months of May and June, these trains will be extended beyond Avignon to Aix-en-Provence.

Breaking records

Aix thus becomes the most distant point from London to which it has ever been possible to travel on a direct train from London. Way back in pre-Eurostar days, there were direct overnight sleeper services from London to the continent. The trains cars were ferried over the English Channel in a boat. For a time there were even through carriages to Switzerland, but never has there been anything to match this new direct train to Aix.

Eurostar will purr from St. Pancras to Aix-en-Provence, a journey of 1,215 km (about 755 miles), in just over six hours. Return fares to Aix can still be booked from just £109.

How to book tickets

To grab the best fares on Eurostar, bear in mind the forward booking horizons that apply to your intended route. For the capital city services from London to Paris and Brussels, tickets go on sale four months before departure. That same forward booking horizon applies for tickets to Calais and Lille.

But tickets for other Eurostar destinations go on sale very much longer in advance. For example, the company runs a direct service from London to Marne la Vallée – Chessy (a route that is hugely popular with British families bound for Disneyland, but also useful for the excellent connections at Marne la Vallée into the French TGV network). And tickets on those trains can already be booked right through to October 2013.

Tickets for all direct trains to Avignon and Aix in 2013 can already be booked on the Eurostar website — right through to August 31, 2013. But if you are looking to book a trip to the ski slopes on one of Eurostar’s direct trains to the Alps for next winter, you’ll have to wait a while yet. We expect tickets for those services to be released for sale in July 2013.

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New schedules from December 9

But they are not — at least in many cases. We are in the season when the standard three month advance booking horizon is often curtailed. That’s because many rail operators launch new schedules on December 9 and, until such time as those new timetables are finalized and opened for booking, trains beyond the changeover date remain veiled in secrecy. Imagine all those empty seats, entire empty trains, hidden away in the recesses of reservation systems, but not yet available to book.

When can I book?

Worry not! If you cannot book those Christmas and New Year trains, nobody else can either. It is just a question of patience, and before long all will be revealed. In fact this next week or two will see bookings open in some major markets.

France: For example, bookings for most French domestic services (for travel from December 9) will open next week. October 11 is the start date — bookings open in the early hours of the morning (European time).

Germany: Then just a few days later, Germany follows suit. Bookings for German domestic routes (as well as for many DB international daytime services and all City Night Line overnight trains to, from, or through Germany) will kick off on October 16, again in the wee small hours of the morning.

Spain, Italy, Switzerland and more: Expect bookings for other major European rail operators (such as RENFE, Trenitalia, ÖBB, SBB / CFF and PKP Inter City) to open sometime between mid-October and mid-November. Of course you can already book tickets and seats as normal for journeys up to and including December 8. It is merely those itineraries covered by the new schedules from December 9 that are not yet available for booking.

European Rail News last week published an overview of likely start dates for bookings for journeys on and after December 9.

Already available

There are always a handful of operators who beat the main pack away from the starting gate. Tickets are already on sale for the new timetable period for selected train companies (and that includes the full Christmas and the New Year period). Some services already available for booking include:

– All direct Eurostar services (viz. from London to Brussels, Paris and other destinations in France — including of course Eurostar’s popular ski trains)

– Eurostar tickets to “any Belgian station” (ie. routed via Brussels then onward with SNCB domestic services)

– All Thalys services (for example from Paris to Brussels, Amsterdam, Cologne and Essen)

– Domestic NSB services in Norway

– Domestic SJ services in Sweden

– International services on the route from Sweden to Narvik in northern Norway

– Direct ski trains operated under the Schnee Express or Alpen Expres brands from the Netherlands and northern Germany to Austria

– Daytime services operated by private operator HKX on the Cologne to Hamburg route

The post Christmas and New Year Train Trips: When to book your tickets appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Chamartín, tucked away in Madrid’s northern suburbs, is the poor relation. It is convenient for the Real Madrid stadium and not much else. Indeed Chamartín has a football theme. The station was built in the run-up to the 1982 World Cup which was hosted by Spain.

The Elipsos dining car. Photo © hidden europe

The 6:12 p.m. to Paris

So at six in the evening, while Atocha bustles with the commuter rush, Chamartín is sedate and relaxed. It is the boarding point for one of Europe’s most distinguished night trains. The Francisco de Goya is one of a suite of Elipsos hotel trains that link Spain with France, Italy and Switzerland. It leaves Madrid Chamartín early evening and arrives in Paris just after nine the following morning.

Across the sierra

There is a touch of theater about the Francisco de Goya. We used the train last week, leaving Madrid on a cool but perfectly clear spring evening. The first two hours set the mood for one of the best overnight rail journeys on offer. On the run north from Madrid the rail route tussles briefly with freeways before taking to the hills. The line climbs up past El Escorial, with a fine view from the train of one of Europe’s grandest Renaissance palaces.

Beyond El Escorial, the line climbs steeply over the southern flank of the rugged Sierra de Guadarrama. This is a part of Spain rarely visited by regular tourists, and the rail route gives a glimpse of difficult terrain where winter lingers till well past Easter. Snow fences protect the line from drifts. Away to the southwest, the last of the evening sun picks out the peaks of the Sierra de Gredos, the highest of them – the 2,600-meter Pico Almanzor – laced with pinkish cloud.

Spanish style

At eight we cruise without stopping past the walled town of Ávila, but by now the light has almost faded. For those whose biorhythms run to northern cycles, it is already time for dinner. The Spanish eat famously late, so the idea of sitting down to eat as early as eight is judged a northern delusion.

Spanish travelers on the Francisco de Goya won’t eat till ten or even much later, so the early sitting is the preserve of the English and a few other interlopers from northern Europe. Many of those who fill the restaurant car are British travelers returning home from Spain. It’s a wise choice for those who prefer not to fly. The onward connections from Paris to London with Eurostar are excellent, so it is perfectly possible to leave Madrid at six in the evening and be in London by shortly after noon the following day.

The restaurant car is civilized in that restrained way in which Spain excels. Stylish decor, snatches of well-known arias, a bone-dry fino or a sparkling cava…. yes, they know how to make you relax. Dinner includes salad, rabbit chasseur, a little cheese and fruit, all accompanied by the statutory Rioja. Haute cuisine it is not, but the entire show and setting is designed to make you feel good. The formula works.

Puccini with breakfast

We sleep perfectly, blissfully ignorant of the border with France, creeping by night past Biarritz and Bordeaux. When we awake and pull back the curtains in our sleeper we are sliding gently along the bank of the River Loire. A heavy overnight frost has left a ghostly white veil over trees and hedges while a light mist hangs heavy over the river.

It is an easy run north to Paris, but still time aplenty to shower and return to the restaurant car for breakfast. Puccini is the musical theme of the morning, always a sound choice for coffee and croissants, while a French nuclear power station drifts by beyond the carriage window.

Arrival in Austerlitz

All too soon, we arrive at Paris Austerlitz—an architectural disaster that for as long as we remember has been in the process of being rebuilt. In Spain, they know about style. Remember those tropical gardens at Atocha? At Paris Austerlitz they have squeezed a car park into the once handsome train shed. It makes us realize that Madrid Chamartín really did have a charm all its own.

Austerlitz is not a place to linger and the fraternity of travelers who rode the Francisco de Goya soon disperses. The English make tracks for Eurostar, a few smart business types head off to meetings. And us? We walk the banks of the Seine and wonder if it were all a dream. Did we really cross the wild sierra only last evening?

Elipsos facts

Elipsos run night trains from Madrid to Paris, and from Barcelona to Zürich, Geneva, Turin, Milan and Paris. All services operate year-round but not necessarily every night.

One-way summer-season fares start at €93. Various classes of on-board accommodation are available. For the top-of-the-range Grand Class sleepers, summer 2012 prices start at €186 per person. These sleeping compartments have en-suite facilities (including a shower) and Grand Class fare covers the full cost of dinner (including aperitifs, wines and spirits) and breakfast.

The post The Night Train from Madrid to Paris: The Elipsos experience appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.