London to Berlin by train

Prices explained

Cheapest Price $97.23
30 day advance $141.91
7 day advance $327.83

89% based on 52,371 reviews

First train

06:13
Last train

19:34

Avg changes

2
Fastest journey

8hr 50m

Distance

930 kilometres
Trains per day

11

Avg. journey time

12hr 29m
Train operators

Travelling from London to Berlin by train

Fast trains from London to Berlin take around 8 hours and 50 minutes, covering a distance of approximately 930 kilometres. There are frequent services on the rail route between London and Berlin.

1. Are there direct trains from London to Berlin?

Journeys between London and Berlin usually involve 2 changes of train.

We usually find around 14 departures on the route from London to Berlin every weekday that leave enough time to change trains without waiting around for longer than necessary.

Trains are typically more frequent on weekends, when we found around 17 departures.

2. How long is the train journey from London to Berlin?

The London to Berlin train travel time is normally about 8 hours and 50 minutes, whatever time you make the journey.

3. What are the London to Berlin train times and schedule?

On weekdays the earliest train to Berlin is usually scheduled to depart London around 06:13 and the last train is around 20:04. At weekends the first train of the day leaves London around 06:57, and the last at 20:03.

What's the London to Berlin train price?

The earlier you book the better, and the cheapest tickets we've found for trains from London to Berlin are $97.23.

Trains departing 30 days in advance will cost around $141 while booking 7 days in advance the price is around $327. Booking on the day of travel is likely to be more expensive, so it is worth booking in advance if you can to save money.

When to book London to Berlin train tickets?

Trains for this journey usually open for booking around 6 months in advance. If booking is not yet open for your dates then you can set a booking alert to receive an email on the day that the cheapest tickets are released for your journey from London to Berlin by train.

Help with booking alerts

Which train companies operate between London and Berlin?

More than one train company operates on the route from London to Berlin, so you’ll be travelling with one or more of the following rail operators:

Eurostar
ICE
Intercity
Intercity-Express (ICE)
TGV
Train De Nuit

You can check which train you’ll be travelling on by looking for the train name in search results.

Berlin to London by train

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Eurostar, Thalys/ICE & ICE

It is very easy to travel by train from London to Berlin. The journey requires two simple changes of train, the first at Brussels Midi and the second at Cologne Hauptbahnhof. The timings are such that, if you are quick, you’ll have time to take a quick look at Cologne’s famous cathedral when changing trains there; the cathedral is right by the Hauptbahnhof.

The journey starts with a high-speed run from London to Brussels on Eurostar. In the Belgian capital, you change onto a German ICE train for the onward hop to Cologne. Thalys trains also ply the Brussels to Cologne route, but the cheapest fares on the London to Berlin route require that you use the ICE rather than Thalys for the Brussels to Cologne leg. In Cologne you join a comfortable Berlin-bound German ICE for the longest of the three journey legs.

If you leave London later in the day, it is also possible to take an overnight train from Cologne to Berlin.

London to Brussels

Board a Eurostar service from London St Pancras to Brussels. Little more than an hour after leaving London you’ll already be in northern France, speeding through Flanders fields towards Lille Europe, where many but not all Brussels-bound Eurostar trains make an intermediate stop. Some trains make up to three additional stops – at Ebbsfleet, Ashford and Calais.

Eurostar trains from London terminate at Brussels Midi station. Trains run every five minutes from Brussels Midi to Brussels Central (for the city centre). Your Eurostar ticket is valid for this short onward hop within Brussels. At Brussels Midi, there are good onward connections with a choice of Thalys or German ICE trains for direct links to Germany, as well as Belgian (or sometimes Dutch) Intercity trains to cities across the wider BeNeLux region.

Remember to factor in at least half an hour for Eurostar’s airline-style baggage check prior to boarding your train. This is a light-touch security scan, and there are no restrictions on taking liquids on board Eurostar trains.

Eurostar train guide

Brussels to Cologne

From Brussels-Midi there are up to nine high-speed trains to Cologne each day – a mix of Thalys and ICE services. The journey takes just under two hours and most trains make just a couple of stops along the way.

The first part of the journey from Brussels traverses the flat lands of Brabant to reach Liège-Guillemins station. East from Liège, the train joins a new high-speed line which cuts in tunnels through hilly country to reach the German border just before Aachen. Beyond Aachen, the train traverses flat terrain to reach the Rhineland city of Cologne, where you arrive at the city’s main station (the Hauptbahnhof), located on the west bank of the Rhine right by Cologne Cathedral.

Cologne to Berlin

ICE trains leave Cologne Hauptbahnhof once each hour for Berlin. Depending on the route and stopping pattern, the journey to Berlin Hauptbahnhof takes between 4 hrs 15 mins and 4 hrs 40 mins. In addition to these regular fast ICE services, there is also a slower overnight train from Cologne to Berlin.

Most of the ICE trains follow the Wupper Valley east, but occasional trains (including the overnight service) take a more northerly route through the Ruhr region to reach the North German Plain. The route then tracks east across generally flat terrain to reach the German capital. In Berlin the ICE trains usually serve three different stations: Spandau, Hauptbahnhof and Gesundbrunnen. Hauptbahnhof is the best place to alight for the city centre; it also offers the widest range of onward train connections.

InterCity Express (ICE) train guide

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