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Under 5 hours
by train from London:
Amsterdam
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Arrive same day by train from London:
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Require overnight stopover from London:
Copenhagen
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How to travel by train and ferry from London to Greece
It is possible to travel from London to Greece by train and ferry in about 48 hours, with just one overnight stopover (in Turin or Milan) and then the overnight ferry from Bari on the east coast of Italy across to Greece.
Take the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris then take the train to Turin or Milan to overnight then the following morning take any day time train to Bari on the east coast of Italy where you catch the overnight ferry to Igoumenitsa (for onward travel to Thessaloniki and the north of Greece) or Patras (for Athens, central and southern Greece).
Flight-free travel by train and ferry from London to Greece
Routes: Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord then change to Gare de Lyon for train to Turin or Milan where you stay overnight, then train Bari in Italy then overnight ferry across the Adriatic to the west cost of Greece - Igoumenitsa (for Thessaloniki) or Patras (for Athens)
Journey Time: about 48 hours
Carbon emissions: train to Bari is approx 65kg (flight would be approx 480kg)*
Tickets provided by Trainline, which allows you to buy tickets for multiple train operators in multiple European countries. It does charge a small booking fee, but offers several useful facilities, such as a free email alert service to let you know as soon as bookings open for your chosen route so you can snap up the cheapest tickets when they become available.
How to book train tickets as part of a package with accommodation
If you want someone to book the whole journey for you or combine it with staying in hotels en route, get in touch with the travel agent Byway through its page for booking enquiries.
On Board Eurostar
For ticket types (Standard, Plus and Premier) and information on what it's like on board, see our Guide to Eurostar
What's the train leg of the journey like?
In Paris, you change stations from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon, which can take about half an hour on the Paris RER line (it's only two stops, though we recommend you leave at least 50 minutes for the entire transfer - you have about an hour and a quarter to get the connection). See our guide to How to transfer between train stations across Paris.
At Gare de Lyon, board a TGV high speed train to 'Milan Centrale' station. Stay overnight in Milan, then the following morning take the high speed train to Bari to catch the overnight ferry to either Igoumenitsa or Patras on the west cost of Greece, arriving just after midday.
Miss your connection?
Don’t panic. Railteam’s ‘Hop on the Next Available Train’ service means that if you have missed your connection because of a delay on the preceding leg of your journey, you’ll automatically be put on the next available high-speed train. NB Remember to get your ticket stamped by your Train Manager.
Stopover in Paris 🏠
If you want to break the journey and stay overnight to see a bit more of Paris while you're travelling through, there are lots of lovely places to stay conveniently near the two railway stations (ie the station you arrive at on the Eurostar in Paris – Gare du Nord, and the station that you depart from Paris – Gare de Lyon).
Hotels close to Gare du Nord 🚉
Grand Hotel de Paris and Hôtel Kabanel are just a few minutes walk from Gare du Nord (and Gare de L'Est so also great if you're heading out east). Rooms from about €100 per night. For more hotels near the station, see Hotels near Gare du Nord
Hotels close to Gare de Lyon 🚉
citizenM Paris Gare de Lyon is one of 5 citizenM hotels in Paris that aim to provide 'affordable luxury' in central city locations. Billed as 'hybrid hotels', they're as much about places to work as they are to sleep, with the idea that you can meet local people in a smart, cozy environment. For more hotels near the station, see Hotels near Gare de Lyon
Green Traveller's Top Pick 💚
Mob Hotel is a particularly environmentally friendly and socially conscious hotel that's in the heart of St Ouen, just a few miles north of Gare du Nord and close to the Garibaldi metro station (line 13). The hotel is all about being socially engaged within its neighbourhood (the artistic creations of local craftspeople are everywhere), but it also has strong eco credentials, such as water jugs rather than plastic bottles, refillable toiletries and organic cosmetics in the rooms. The restaurant is fully organic with a seasonal menu that draws on produce from farming cooperatives or direct from local producers (they also make their own honey and beer).
Eco-certified hotels in Paris ✔️
If you're looking for other green hotels in the French Capital, then these have all been certified by an accredited ecolabel: Hotel Gavarnie (near the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides Museum) | Hotel Le Pavillion (a former convent in the Saint-Dominique area) | Amélie Hotel (2-star) | Hôtel Malar (10 minutes from the Champs Elysees) | Hôtel Du Printemps, about a mile from Gare de Lyon.
Stopover in Turin or Milan
If you decide to overnight in either Turin or Milan, there are lots of lovely places to stay conveniently near the railway stations, see below:
Hotels near Turin Porta Susa | Hotels near Milan Porta Garibaldi | Hotels near Milan Centrale
Ferry from Bari to Greece
There are several operators that run overnight ferry services from Bari across to west coast of Greece, most offer 7 sailings per week and the journey takes 8–10 hours.
Ferry tickets provided by Direct Ferries, which allows you to search and compare prices for the different operators and routes from the mainland ports in Italy to Greece.
On arrival at Bari Railway Station
From the station, you'll need to take a bus to the port to catch the ferry. The buses leave from just outside the railway station. Bari is a lovely city so it's worth spending some time here if you can, but if you only have a few hours and want to have a pizza, then I recommend Solho (see photos below), which is just a few hundred yards from the railway station.
Solho Gourmet Pizza and Apulian food is just a few hundred metres from Bari railway station.
Photos: Richard Hammond
Bus from Bari Railway Station to Bari Port
The buses depart from just opposite the railway station exit. Buy your ticket from the ticket booth and then board the 50 bus to the port. On arrival at the departure terminal of the port, you'll then need to take a transit bus to the ferry check-in terminal. Once you've checked in, you then take the transit bus back to the departure terminal. Do make sure you check-in at the check-in desk (not at the ferry departure terminal) as you won't be allowed on without doing so.
left: Bus No. 50 goes from the Bari Centrale to the port. right: Ticket booth opposite the station. Photos: Richard Hammond
left: The transit bus takes from the port departure terminal to the check-in desk (right)
Photos: Richard Hammond
Ferry from Bari to Igoumenitsa or Patras on the west cost of Greece
If you're looking to travel onwards to Thessaloniki then take the ferry to Igoumenitsa, if you're going to Athens, take the crossing to Patras.
Left: Boarding as food passenger for the ferry from Bari across the Adriatic. Centre: Sunset from the Muster station. Right: four berth cabin. Photos: Richard Hammond
On arrival in Greece
At Igoumenitsa, it's just a short 5-10 minute walk from the port to the bus station from where it takes 4 hours by bus to Thessaloniki. For information timetables, see ktelmacedonia.gr
At Patras, you'll need to take a bus to town centre bus station (it takes 15-20 minutes) to board the bus to Kiato railway station from where there are trains to Athens. For more information on timetables, see: hellenictrain.gr
Kaló Taxídi!
