Train and Ferry from Helsinki to London
Overview
Detailed itinerary
Option 1: via Rostock, Hamburg, Cologne and Brussels |
||
|
Sample itinerary: The 2100 ferry from Helsinki arrives at 2300 the next day in Rostock, where you can spend the night before rising early for your onward train. The 0707 service from Rostock has you in Hamburg at 0924, where you can transfer to the 0946 service on to Cologne. In Cologne there's just enough time to grab a bite of lunch before taking the 1443 train to Brussels. The 1759 Eurostar service will then have you at St Pancras at 1903, in enough time to get dinner in London.
Price: Price to Rostock from £271 return (booked as a return journey outward from London). Ferries bookable at www.tallinksilja.com.
|
||
| Leg 1: | Helsinki to Rostock (ferry) Ferries depart Helsinki Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 2100. |
Frequency of service: 4 ferries a week.
Operator:
Tallink Journey time: 23 - 24 hours
|
| Transfer | You can either take a taxi from the ferry port to the main station (Hauptbahnhof), or take suburban rail (S-bahn) line S-3 from Seehafen Nord station, which is located near the ferry terminal, to Rostock Hauptbahnhof (around 20 minutes). |
Long hopTransfer time: Allow 45 minutes
Books a stopover hotel near Rostock Ferry Port
Book a hotel near Rostock Hauptbahnhof (Central Station)
|
| Leg 2: | Rostock to Hamburg First train departs Rostock Monday-Saturday at 0458, and there is an 0505 service every day of the week. Subsequent trains depart Rostock daily at 0707, 0825, 0907, 1025, 1107, 1243, 1307, 1425, 1507, 1625, 1707 and 1907. There are additional services at 0625 Monday-Saturday, 1825 Friday and Sunday, and 2025 Sunday. |
Frequency of service: Up to 15 trains a day.
Operator:
Deutsche Bahn Journey time: From 1 hour 47 minutes
|
| Transfer | A quick same-station change of platform at Hamburg Hauptbahnhof. |
Change of platformTransfer time: Allow 20 minutes.
Book a hotel near Hamburg Hauptbahnhof (Central Station)
|
| Leg 3: | Hamburg HBF to Cologne Central Station (Köln Hbf) First train departs Hamburg 0442 Monday to Saturday and 0538 Sunday. Last train departs Hamburg at 2246. |
Frequency of service: Around 25 trains a day
Operator:
DB Journey time: From 3 hours 29 minutes
|
| Transfer | A quick same-station change of platform at Cologne Central Station to catch the onward connection. If you have time to spare, Cologne cathedral is next door. |
Change of platformTransfer time: Allow 20 mins
Book a hotel near Cologne Central Station
|
| Leg 4: | Cologne Central Station (Köln Hbf) to Brussels Midi First train departs Cologne 0645. Further trains depart 0745, 0843, 1045, 1244, 1443, 1545, 1745, 1912 and 1943. |
Frequency of service: 10 trains per day
Operator:
InterCity Express Journey time: From 1 hour 47 minutes
|
| Transfer | A quick same-station change of platform at Brussels Midi station to catch the onward connection. |
Change of platformTransfer time: Allow 20 mins
Book a hotel near Brussels Midi
|
| Leg 5: | Brussels to London St Pancras First train 0659 (Mon-Thurs, Sat), 0759 (Fri), 0859 (Sun). Last train 2017 (Mon-Thurs), 2029 (Fri), 1959 (Sat), 2029 (Sun) |
Frequency of service: 9 trains a day.
Operator:
Eurostar Journey time: From 1 hr 58 mins
|
| Destination | Welcome to London. St Pancras International now has lots of lovely shops, restaurants and gastro pubs... and free wifi throughout the station. If you're planning to stay in the capital, there are over 60 hotels within a one mile radius of St Pancras (by the way, the new spectacular St Pancras Midland Grand Hotel - a 5-star Marriott hotel - has now opened!). From St Pancras, there are mainline rail connections to Derby, Leicester, Nottingham, Sheffield, as well as First Capital Connect trains on the cross-London Thameslink route which continues north as far as Bedford or south to Gatwick Airport and Brighton. Across the street is Kings Cross station, which has rail connections to the north of England and Scotland, and it's a 15-minute walk (in the opposite direction, heading west) to Euston Station for connections to the West Midlands, the West Coast (including Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester) and Glasgow (including the Scotrail sleeper service). |
Book a hotel near St Pancras
|
Your route back from Helsinki
The lines on the map are for illustrative purposes only - they don't show the exact route taken by the train.
