From Madrid to Warsaw, these 15 European destinations are accessible by train

Cross the European continent without hurrying, letting yourself be guided by the railways.

The train has everything to appeal to travelers for whom the path is as important as the destination.

If it is already preferred to travel to Amsterdam (3:19), Brussels (1:22) or London (2:17) from Paris, it is the plane that we naturally choose for more distant destinations. .

From a few tens of euros for a two-hour flight, there is a great temptation to reach Barcelona, ​​Berlin or Rome by air.

Read alsoTrain or plane: which transport to choose for your trips to Europe?

At high speed or by night train

Without a unified rail network, crossing Europe in one go is not that easy. It is often necessary to make several reservations and to multiply the connections. Since the start of the health crisis, several European lines have been suspended and their future is uncertain (Paris-Moscow, Hendaye-Lisbon ...), while others have been purely deleted, like Thello's Paris-Venice. But long journeys are possible from around sixty euros, provided you book well in advance and agree to take your time.

Le Figaro

has selected 15 European destinations accessible from Paris by train (day or night, high speed or not) or by combining train and ferry.

For each destination, we indicate the best prices and travel times.

Train:

Minimum price observed in October 2021 on the websites of the railway companies or on reservation platforms (Omio, Raileurope, etc.), excluding reduction cards, for a one-way second class departure from Paris.

For night trains, the prices indicated correspond to a place in a reclining seat (additional costs for the berths).

The minimum price indicated does not necessarily correspond to the fastest route.

Ferry:

Minimum price noted on the websites of the shipping companies for a place in a reclining seat (additional costs for higher classes).

Barcelona (Spain)

The festive capital of Catalonia is accessible without change from Paris Gare de Lyon.

Every day, an inOui TGV connects the two cities in each direction in 6:41, stopping in particular in Montpellier, Figueres and Girona (departure at 10:12 am from Paris Gare de Lyon, departure at 10:05 am from Barcelona-Sants).

A daily return trip is also available between Lyon Part-Dieu and Barcelona in 5 hours, thanks to the Renfe-SNCF cooperation.

From € 39.

Reservations on oui.sncf.

Read the dossier Barcelona: the

travel guide

Berlin (Germany)

The journey between Paris East and Berlin Hauptbahnhof (photo) takes around 7 hours 30 minutes and requires only one change.

244108859 / hanohiki - stock.adobe.com

Leaving at 7:08 am from Gare de l'Est in Paris, you will arrive in central Berlin at best at 3:27 pm, i.e. an 8:19 hour journey.

The first part is done by TGV inOui to Frankfurt (3 hours 50), then by ICE to Berlin Hauptbahnhof (4 hours 13).

Thanks to SNCF-Deutsche Bahn cooperation, travel between France and Germany is financially advantageous.

A Paris-Berlin (878 km, from € 47.90) can cost only a few euros more than a Paris-Frankfurt (479 km, from € 39.90).

The cheapest price is Sparpreis Europa: the ticket is cancellable and refundable in the form of a voucher (with a deduction of € 10) and includes a journey on public transport in the German city of departure and arrival.

From € 47.90.

Reservations on bahn.de.

Read also48 hours in Berlin: history is on every corner

Copenhagen (Denmark)

To get by train to the land of

, a lifestyle that particularly advocates slowness ... it is better to take your time! The journey of more than 14 hours begins in Paris Est with the TGV inOui 9561 at 7:08 am. In Karlsruhe take the ICE 76 to Hamburg, then the Intercity 392 to Copenhagen, where you arrive at 9:33 pm. After this day on the rails, nothing better than to relax in one of the hotels for less than 150 € in the Danish capital. Each of the two connections lasts an hour, which leaves a good margin in case of delay. Want to go further in Scandinavia? Once in Copenhagen, high-speed trains take you to Stockholm in five hours (direct) and Oslo in eight hours (with a change in Gothenburg).

From € 74.90.

Reservations on raileurope.com or bahn.de.

Read also48 hours in Copenhagen: trip through the popular districts of the Danish capital

Corsica (France)

The Corsican Railways have a 232 km network which serves Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi and Corté in particular.

Shutterstock / Leonid Katsyka

A route combining train and ferry allows you to reach Ajaccio or Bastia from Paris. To start, go to Marseille by TGV inOui or Ouigo from Gare de Lyon (3 hours 20 minutes). At Saint-Charles station, reach La Joliette ferry terminal on foot or by metro. From there, a Corsica Linea ferry takes you daily to Ajaccio or Bastia in 12 hours (also to L'Île Rousse and Porto-Vecchio three times a week). The crossing is certainly long, but remains economical at any time of the year. Indeed, the price of the crossing fluctuates very little. Even at the last minute, lounge chairs are available for less than € 50 for pedestrian passengers. To explore the picturesque and steep landscapes of the Isle of Beauty, we will take theone of the trains of the Railways of Corsica.

From € 19 for the Paris-Marseille with Ouigo and from € 45 for the Marseille-Corsica crossing with Corsica Linea.

Read the file Corsica: the

travel guide

Dublin (Ireland)

• By Cherbourg

Two routes combining train and ferry lead to Dublin from Paris, capitals just 780 km away as the crow flies.

The longest (almost 24 hours!): Reach Cherbourg by Nomad train from Paris-Saint-Lazare (3 hours 17), then board an Irish Ferries boat to Dublin (crossing of 19 hours 3 times per week).

From € 20 for the Paris-Cherbourg journey with SNCF, from € 80 for the Cherbourg-Dublin crossing with Irish Ferries.

• By England

A (slightly) faster alternative is through England.

It has three stages: Paris-London by Eurostar (2 hours 17), then a train from London-Euston to Holyhead (whose railway station adjoins the maritime terminal) with Avanti West Coast (3 hours 40), then a crossing with Irish Ferries to Dublin (3 hours 15 minutes).

From € 44 for the Paris-London train with Eurostar, fixed price of € 60 (£ 50) for the London-Dublin journey by train and ferry by booking a combined ticket with Transport for Wales.

Read the dossier Dublin: the

travel guide

Edinburgh (Scotland)

The Caledonian Sleeper company operates every night (except Saturdays) between London and the main cities of Scotland.

Here, a Caledonian Double cabin.

Caledonian Sleeper

• By day

Leaving Paris in the early morning and arriving in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, in the middle of the afternoon, it is possible.

We start with a Eurostar ride to London St Pancras International (2 hours 17 minutes).

From there, you can walk to the adjoining King's Cross station, where trains leave for Scotland.

London North Eastern Railway (LNER) runs every 30 minutes to Edinburgh (4:20) with brand new Azuma trains capable of going up to 200 km / h.

From € 44 for the Paris-London journey with Eurostar, from € 51 for the London-Edinburgh with LNER.

• By night

The journey between London and Edinburgh is also possible by night train.

Every evening (except Saturdays), several trains of the private company Caledonian Sleeper leave London Euston station for several Scottish cities (Aberdeen, Glasgow, Inverness ...), including Edinburgh (around 7:30 am).

Departure times vary depending on the day.

Monday to Friday it leaves London at 11:50 p.m. arriving in Edinburgh at 7:22 a.m.

In addition to the reclining seats, the trains have three categories of private cabins as well as a bar-restaurant car.

From € 40 for a seat, € 165 for the Classic solo cabin or € 200 for two people.

Reservation with Caledonian Sleeper.

Read also5 good reasons to go to Scotland by train (even when you're not green)

Ljubljana (Slovenia) and Zagreb (Croatia)

Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, can be reached by night train from Zurich.

dreamer4787 - stock.adobe.com

One change is enough to reach the capitals of Slovenia and Croatia.

From Paris Gare de Lyon, take the TGV Lyria to Zurich (4:04).

From there, board the Euronight 40465 (departure at 8:40 p.m.) which serves Ljubljana (arrival 8:13) and continues to its terminus Zagreb (arrival 10:43).

From € 29 for Paris-Zurich with TGV Lyria, from € 29.90 for Zurich-Ljubljana / Zagreb (reservation with ÖBB).

Read also: A breath of fresh air in the Slovenian Alps

Madrid (Spain)

Paris-Madrid in less than ten hours, it is possible by taking two high-speed trains: the TGV to Barcelona (6 hours 41) then its Spanish equivalent, the AVE, to Madrid (2 hours 30) .

Departing from Gare de Lyon with the 10:12 am TGV, you will arrive at 7:55 pm at the earliest in the Spanish capital.

Since May 10, 2021, SNCF Ouigo have been running between Barcelona and Madrid with call prices of € 9.

Avlo, the low-cost subsidiary of Renfe, also embarked on this route last June.

From € 39 for Paris-Barcelona with SNCF, from € 7 for Barcelona-Madrid with Avlo, € 9 with Ouigo España.

IN VIDEO - In Spain, SNCF is launching a top-of-the-range Ouigo with first class and bar

Mallorca and the Balearic Islands (Spain)

Six and a half hours by train and about eight hours by ferry.

This is the route to follow to get to the Balearic Islands from Paris.

By taking TGV 9713 from 10:14 am to Gare de Lyon, you arrive in Barcelona at 4:53 pm.

Well on schedule to reach the Moll Adossat quay, where the ferries to the Balearic Islands cast off around 10 p.m.

In Barcelona, ​​two companies connect the mainland to Ibiza and Mallorca every day: Balearia and Trasmediterranea.

For Formentera and Menorca, the route includes a stopover.

From € 39 the Paris-Barcelona with SNCF, from € 23 the Barcelona-Balearic Islands crossing with Balearia, € 49 with Trasmediterranea.

Read also Balearic Islands, which island to choose?

Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca ... Our travel guide

Rome (Italy)

Once in Turin or Milan, you have to take an Italian high-speed train from Trenitalia or Italo to reach Rome.

Shutterstock / GoneWithTheWind

It takes about 11 hours to reach Rome from Paris.

First step, join Turin or Milan by TGV inOui from the Gare de Lyon.

Then you have the choice between the historical operator Trenitalia and its Frecciarossa or its private competitor Italo.

Leaving Paris at 6:44 am, you arrive in its Italian twin at 5:49 pm at the earliest.

Note that the new French subsidiary of Trenitalia will “soon” launch a link between Paris and Milan using the same route as the French TGV (stops in Lyon, Chambéry, Modane and Turin).

From € 29 for Paris-Milan with SNCF, from € 49.90 for Milan-Rome with Italo or € 57.90 with Trenitalia.

Read also48 hours in Rome: a beautiful getaway in the Eternal City

Warsaw (Poland)

Since the interruption of Paris-Moscow due to the health situation, it is no longer possible to reach Warsaw without making a change.

The trip is still achievable during the day, as long as you wake up early and stay up late and take three different trains: an inOui TGV from Paris East to Frankfurt, then an ICE to Berlin (see

above) and finally a Eurocity to Warsaw (6:01 am).

Departing from Paris at 7:08 am, you arrive in the Polish capital at 9:43 pm, a total journey of 14:35.

From € 47.90 for Paris-Berlin, from € 27.90 for Berlin-Warsaw (make two separate bookings on bahn.de).

Read also48 hours in Krakow, the former Polish capital undergoing a metamorphosis

Venice (Italy)

From the stop of the Paris-Venice line operated by Thello, it is no longer possible to go to Venice by night train.

The young French company Midnight Trains plans to run "hotels on rails" on this link from 2024. In the meantime, the journey can be made during the day with two high-speed trains: a TGV inOui between Paris Gare de Lyon and Turin or Milan (see

above), then a Frecciarossa or Italo train to Venice Santa-Lucia (2 hours 30).

Leaving Paris at 6:47 am, you will arrive at 5:12 pm at the earliest in the capital of the Veneto.

From € 29 for Paris-Milan with SNCF, from € 19.90 for Milan-Venice with Italo or € 39.90 with Trenitalia.

Read alsoThe Venice of the Venetians in 25 addresses

Vienna (Austria) and Bratislava (Slovakia)

The Austrian Railways (ÖBB) Nightjet will provide three round trips per week between Paris-Est and Vienna Central Station via Strasbourg and Munich.

GEORG HOCHMUTH / APA / AFP

Falling asleep in Paris and waking up in Vienna will be possible from December 13th.

The Austrian railway company (ÖBB) will then launch its night train (“Nightjet”) between the two capitals with stops in Strasbourg, Munich and Salzburg.

The trip will be completed in 14 hours with three round trips per week.

You can also travel during the day by going to Frankfurt by TGV (3 hours 50 minutes), then taking an ICE (6 hours 20 minutes).

Once in the capital of Austria, it only takes an hour's journey by train to reach the Slovak capital, Bratislava.

From € 29.90 per seat, € 59.90 per berth and € 89.90 per private cabin.

Reservation with ÖBB.

Read also From Paris to Vienna, by night train: all you need to know

Practical Guide

• To book

Oui.sncf, Trainline, Omio, RailEurope ... These online platforms sell tickets for several European rail companies.

Take the time to do your research on several sites.

Some fares and routes exist only on the official website of the companies (Deutsche Bahn for Germany, Renfe for Spain, ÖBB for Austria, etc.).

• Inquire

Who better than "railroads" to talk about the train?

Étienne, a university student, made many train journeys as long as they were improbable, such as Paris-Shanghai through inland Asia.

On his blog Le Monde en train, he shares tips, anecdotes and itinerary ideas inspired by his own travels.

Another mine of information, The Man in Seat 61. Created by Mark Smith, British traveler passionate about train, the site (in English) explains how to travel on each continent, by country.

By browsing his site, you will have the impression that this enthusiast has traveled through all the stations and used all the railways in the world.

The rail.cc site (mainly in English) has been fed by rail enthusiasts since 1996. Beyond tips and tricks, the site contains many travel stories on board night trains and tourist trains.

• Advice

Some companies offer on their site to choose the intermediate stops and the duration of the connections.

Convenient if you want to visit a city for a few hours or a whole day before reaching your final destination.

To avoid missing a connection, allow sufficient time (at least 30 minutes) between two trains.

When possible, book a single ticket for the entire journey, you will be better protected in the event of a disruption (reimbursement, overnight accommodation, etc.).

If the missed connection is between two trains of the same company or between two high-speed trains of the Railteam alliance (DB, TGV, Eurostar, ÖBB / Railjet, Thalys, TGV Lyria), you are authorized to take the following train .

* This article, originally published on March 6, 2020, has been updated.