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How to travel by train from London to Gothenburg, West Sweden
Travel flight-free by train from London to Gothenburg in West Sweden with just one overnight stop en route by travelling on Eurostar from London St Pancras via Brussels, Cologne, Hamburg and Copenhagen.
From the wonderful islands off the west coast, to Dalsland’s abundance of tranquil lakes and ancient forests in the north, Västra Götaland (West Sweden) is the perfect destination for enjoying the great outdoors.
Days spent sea kayaking in the Fjällbacka and Koster Archipelago, or hunting for lobster on the Skagerrak strait, can be ended with an evening sampling the region’s internationally renowned fresh seafood, and a stay in one of the many green and gorgeous hotels and B&Bs.
Flight-free travel by train from London to Gothenburg:
Journey Time: about 36 hours
Sample timetable: Depart London just after 11am, arrive Gothenburg at 6.20pm the following afternoon
Transfers: Four (all are convienient same-station platform changes, ie they don't require you have to cross the city) in Brussels, Cologne, Hamburg (where you stay overnight) and Copenhagen
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 journey like?
Take an afternoon or evening Eurostar to Brussels Midi station (or if you're coming from the East of England, take the ferry from Harwich to Hoek van Holland and then train to Brussels) where you stay overnight then in the morning take the high-speed Thalys or ICE trains to Cologne where there's an easy same-station platform change to take another train to Hamburg and then on to Copenhagen. Keep an eye out on the platform at Brussels, Cologne and Hamburg for the handy guide to the layout of incoming trains, which shows you where your carriage will arrive into the station so you can make your way to the correct part of the platform before the train arrives.
Alternatively, you could take a morning Eurostar to Brussels to change (withing the station) to the train to Hamburg where you stay overnight then catch the morning train to Gothenburg, arriving about 6.30pm.
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 Brussels 🏠
If you want to break the journey and stay overnight to see a bit more of Brussels while you're travelling through, there are lots of lovely places to stay conveniently near Brussels Midi.
Hotels close to Brussels Midi station 🚉
As their names imply, both Appart'City Confort Bruxelles Centre Gare du Midi and Park Inn by Radisson Brussels Centre Midi are just a few minutes walk from Gare du Midi (where you'll arrive on Eurostar). Rooms from about €100 per night. For more hotels near the station, see Hotels near Brussels Midi station
Green Traveller's Top Pick 💚
Aloft Brussels Schuman is the latest brand to join the Starwood Hotels group fold. Aimed squarely at a younger, socially connected, urban audience. This 147-room branch in the centre of Brussels features rooms with kingsize beds, a bar that’s home to both a resident DJ and a pool table, a 24-hour “grab and go” cafe and an in-house gym. It’s Green Key certified, with electricity supplied from renewable sources and rooms cleaned with biodegradable products.
Eco-certified hotels in Brussels ✔️
If you're looking for other sustainable green hotels in Brussels, then these have all been certified by an accredited ecolabel:
Hotel Made In Louise is a 15-min walk from The European Parliament (and just 5 mins walk from the Louise Metro Station, which is three stops from Gare du Midi).
Stanhope Hotel by Thon Hotels is an upmarket boutique hotel where you can have breakfast on a courtyard terrace. Nearest metro is Trone.
Stopover in Cologne 🏠
If you want to break the journey and stay overnight to see a bit more of Cologne while you're travelling through, there are lots of lovely places to stay conveniently near Cologne's railway station as well as certified green places to stay throughout the city.
Hotels near Cologne Station 🚉
For hotels near Cologne Hauptbahnhof - the city's main railway station, see Hotels near Cologne station
Green Traveller's Top Pick 💚
Hotel Domstern is a spick and span three-star 16-room hotel right by Cologne Haupbahnhof (the main railway station). Electricity comes from a green energy supplier and breakfasts are sourced ethically: organic, fair trade coffee comes from a small local roasting company; eggs, honey and more come from farmers around Cologne – the owners discovered their fruit juice supplier on a bicycle tour in the surrounding “Bergische Land”. Other items they make themselves, including yoghurt, jam, bread, butter and cream cheese.
Eco Certified Hotels in Cologne ✔️
Art’Otel has artistic sensibilities and a modern outlook. Its 218 guest rooms are bright and largely white, its restaurant serves pan-Asian food, it hosts a permanent exhibition of collages by Korean-born artist SEO and its terrace overlooks a harbour that was recently gentrified as part of the Rheinhaufen urban redevelopment project. Set in the southern reaches of the city’s Old Town, it’s also one of the city’s greener hotels with water-saving showers, sophisticated ventilation systems and energy-efficient lighting.
Radisson Blu Hotel Köln is an ultra-contemporary, four-star property in the city’s Deutz district, this 393-room hotel is a popular choice among business visitors. Free wifi, extensive gym and sauna facilities and easy access to the city’s leafy Rheinpark help guests unwind after hours, as does the hotel’s Feng Shui-inspired architecture. Motion detector lighting and green cleaning supplies help boost the hotel’s eco credentials.
Hostel Kohn is a modern, seven-story former office building (with 262 beds in 72 rooms) on a quiet side street between Neumarkt and Rudolph Place. It's just about the perfect place to stay for the flashpacker - rooms are smart, light and minimal, and cost from €19 in a 6-bed dorm, €24 in a 4-bed dorm, €30 per person for a twin room, or €45 for a single room to yourself. Prices include ample breakfast with wide choice of cereals, yogurt and bread.
Stopover in Hamburg 🏠
There are lots of places to stay conveniently near Hamburg's central station:
Hotels near Hamburg's main central railway station 🚉
Hotel Atlantic Hamburg is a plush upmarket hotel that's convieniently close to Hamburg Haupbahnhof - about 600 yds away. You might recognize it from the Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). Take afternoon tea in front of the fire in the elegant lobby and you’ll feel like you’ve wandered onto an Agatha Christie set.
See more hotels near Hamburg station
Green Traveller's Top Picks 💚
East Hotel has a young, trendy vibe, with a clash of oriental design, boutique-style rooms and superb cocktails. It's a 4-star design hotel with a large rooftop spa in the heart of the St. Pauli district (close to the Reeperbahn) that's one of five East Cosmos hotels (another is the Boston Hotel in Hamburg, Hotel NewBerlin and Sly Berin in Berlin, and the Park Inn in Wismar). Certified by the German ecolabel (more about ecolabels here).
Superbude Hamburg St Pauli is one of three Superbude hotels dotted around Hamburg are all easily reachable from on foot, on the U-Bahn or S-Bahn trains from the city’s main railway station – the gateway to the Nordic countries as well as to the Rostock ferry port for travelling up the Baltic Sea to Stockholm and Helsinki. All the hotels have installed a range of eco-friendly initiatives from energy-efficient lighting and reduction of water consumption to drawing on renewable energy suppliers and plastic-free cups, straws and bags.
Certified eco-friendly hotels in Hamburg ✔️
Tortue Hamburg is in the city centre, right next to the Neuer Wall shopping street and five minutes from the Jungfernsteig. Certified by the German ecolabel Certified Green Hotel (see link above).
Clipper Boardinghouse is 5 minutes walk from the city's harbour in the Portuguese Quarter and also five minutes from Landungsbrücken Underground and S-Bahn Station. Certified by the German eco label Green Sign.
Stopover in Copenhagen
If you'd prefer to break the journey again in Copenhagen, there are lots of hotels close to the railway station, see: Hotels close to Copenhagen Centraal
The city's tourist board Visit Copenhagen has put together a list of hotels in Copenhagen that have been certified by an eco-label, see: visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/planning/eco-certified-hotels-copenhagen
Map of hotels in central Gothenburg (yellow marker is the Central Railway Station)
More about Gothenburg and West Sweden:
West Sweden is a pioneer when it comes to green travelling and was the initiator of Swedish Welcome, which is a members organisation certifying accommodation and experiences. The certificate guarantees that the experience is professionally assessed from a guest perspective and enables confident choices for better experiences and sustainable development.
West Sweden has Swedish Welcome members offering a great variety of activities and accommodation. From lobster safaris and sea-kayaking along the Bohuslän coast, to castles, gardens and cosy B&B’s offering organic and local produce. Look for the smiling Swedish Welcome logo, symbolising good choices and happier guests!
Other symbols to look for when choosing accommodation are Green Key and Nordic Swan. When you want to explore nature experiences have a look at the Swedish Ecotourism certified eco-activities called Nature's Best. Then, when you’re ready to savour the best local food, find your restaurant among “Taste of West Sweden”. All restaurants that are members of this scheme are working with the best local products. To travel throughout the whole of West Sweden you can plan your trip at Västtrafik (train, bus and tram).
For more information about West Sweden, see our Green Traveller's Guide to West Sweden
