London to Berlin by train

There is no direct train from London to Berlin. Every journey requires two changes: at Brussels Midi, and then at Cologne Hauptbahnhof. The fastest connections take around 9 hours, though most travellers land somewhere between 10 and 11 hours depending on which trains they pick.

The route runs across four countries. Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels Midi takes roughly 2 hours through the Channel Tunnel. A Deutsche Bahn ICE3neo then covers Brussels to Cologne in around 2 hours. From Cologne, an ICE to Berlin Hauptbahnhof takes around 4 hours. Each change is at the same station you arrived at. No cross-town transfers, no luggage chaos.

How to get from London to Berlin by train

The route

Three train segments, two changes. The pattern is the same on every departure.

Hbf stands for Hauptbahnhof (German for main station).

Timetable 2026 (Mon-Fri, indicative)

The 15:04 from London arrives in Cologne after the last same-day ICE to Berlin. Take the 13:01 if you need to be in Berlin the same evening. The 19:34 departure involves an overnight stop in Brussels before continuing the following morning.

Engineering works on the Cologne to Berlin line can shift times in 2026. Treat this table as orientation and check your exact departure at int.bahn.de.

The Brussels connection

Twenty minutes between the Eurostar and the ICE3neo sounds tight. It is actually a recognised connection. The booking system knows these trains work together, and the connection has been standard practice for years. Sometimes it runs to 18 or 19 minutes. That is generally fine.

What protects you if the Eurostar is delayed is the Railteam Promise (also called HOTNAT). It lets you board the next available ICE at no extra charge. This protection applies if you book a linked journey through Trainline or RailEurope, or if int.bahn.de has confirmed your Eurostar and ICE as a recognised connection.

If fares are similar, book an earlier Eurostar than strictly necessary. A longer gap in Brussels costs nothing and buys you insurance against a late Eurostar.

Tickets and where to buy

There is no through-ticket from London to Berlin. Buy the Eurostar and the Brussels-Berlin ICE separately. Trainline and RailEurope handle both in one transaction; int.bahn.de handles only the continental leg.

Eurostar: London to Brussels

Eurostar fares from London to Brussels start from around £51 one-way in Standard class. Eurostar Plus (which includes a meal and extra legroom) starts from around £98 one-way. Prices rise sharply for Friday departures and Sunday afternoons.

Eurostar return fares are cheaper than two one-ways. This is unusual for European train tickets and worth knowing. If you are travelling both ways, always book the Eurostar as a return, not two separate tickets.

Booking opens up to 11 months ahead. The cheapest fares do not last long.

Eurostar travel classes on this route:

• Standard: Free WiFi, power sockets, café-bar access.

• Eurostar Plus: Larger reclining seats with extra legroom, a meal at your seat, lounge access at St Pancras.

Deutsche Bahn ICE: Brussels to Berlin

DB advance fares on the Brussels to Berlin ICE start from around €39.99 in second class and €59.99 in first class. Fares work like air fares. Book ahead, especially for Fridays and Sundays, when trains fill up faster.

Second class is comfortable: bistro car, power sockets, WiFi. First class adds at-seat meal service and more space.

Seat reservations on ICE trains are optional. Most travellers reserve anyway because trains can get busy. A reservation costs €5.50 in second class or €6.90 in first class. You can add one during booking or later at int.bahn.de using the “Book seat only” toggle.

Children under 15 travel free on DB trains when accompanied by a parent or grandparent.

DB booking opens up to 12 months ahead.

Where to buy

Trainline or RailEurope: One transaction covers both the Eurostar and the ICE. HOTNAT protection is built in. Small booking fee on each ticket. Works on your phone.

eurostar.com + int.bahn.de: More steps, but no booking fee on the DB side and you can choose your seat from a seat map. Before buying separately at int.bahn.de, run a London to Cologne search and confirm your chosen Eurostar and ICE appear as a single recognised journey. That is what triggers HOTNAT protection.

Rail passes

Interrail and Eurail passes are valid on both Eurostar and Deutsche Bahn ICE, but the rules on each segment are different.

Eurostar

Eurostar requires a separate passholder reservation. This is not a standard seat reservation; it requires a specific Interrail or Eurail booking made through a dedicated channel. It costs around €30 per journey.

The important catch: Eurostar only releases a limited number of passholder seats on each departure. Once they are gone, your pass will not get you on that train. Check passholder availability before buying any pass for a trip that includes Eurostar. If availability is limited in your travel window, you will need a standard Eurostar ticket regardless of what pass you hold.

Deutsche Bahn ICE

Your pass covers travel on the Brussels to Berlin ICE. Seat reservations are optional at €5.50 in second class or €6.90 in first class.

Pass versus point-to-point

A pass rarely saves money if you can book months ahead. Where it does make sense: booking at short notice when advance fares have gone, or when you want to change plans freely. Run the maths for your specific dates before deciding.

Night train: European Sleeper Brussels to Berlin

European Sleeper operates a night train from Brussels to Berlin three times a week. The train departs Brussels Midi on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings at 19:22 and arrives at Berlin Gesundbrunnen at around 06:03 the following morning.

Note the arrival station: European Sleeper arrives at Berlin Gesundbrunnen, not Berlin Hauptbahnhof. Gesundbrunnen is a major interchange station with S-Bahn and U8 connections and is about 3 km north of the Hbf. For most central Berlin destinations it makes little practical difference.

From London, take the 13:01 or 15:04 Eurostar to Brussels. That gives you time for dinner in Brussels before the 19:22 European Sleeper departure.

Shared Classic compartment tickets start from €69.99 one-way. Private compartments for up to five people start from €249.99. European Sleeper also offers Budget and Comfort classes, and Interrail/Eurail reservations are available.

Arriving in Berlin

Daytime trains arrive at Berlin Hauptbahnhof, the city’s main station on the north bank of the Spree. The Reichstag is a 5-minute walk away. The Brandenburg Gate is about 20 minutes on foot.

Getting into the city from Berlin Hbf:

• U-Bahn U5: Direct to central stops including Brandenburger Tor, Unter den Linden, and Alexanderplatz.

• S-Bahn S3, S5, S7, S9: All serve Berlin Hbf and connect to major districts including Potsdamer Platz and the Ostbahnhof.

Buy a Berlin ABC zone ticket at the station before boarding. The ticket machines have English-language menus.

Booking tips

Book the Eurostar as a return if you are travelling both ways. Eurostar return fares are considerably cheaper than two separate one-ways. Book the Eurostar return first, then buy the outward and return ICE tickets separately.

Check the Cologne connection carefully. In the search results at int.bahn.de, click “details” on your journey and check how long you have in Cologne. Eastbound (towards Berlin), a 20-minute connection is normally workable. Westbound (back towards London), give yourself more time. You have a Eurostar to catch and Eurostar check-in to account for. A 45-minute gap in Cologne is safer westbound. If the search shows a 10-minute connection, re-run with a longer minimum transfer time.

Mid-week is usually cheaper. Fridays and Sunday afternoons are the busiest and most expensive departures in both directions.

Verify times before you travel. Engineering works on the Cologne to Berlin line in 2026 can move departure and arrival times. The timetable in this guide is a starting point, not a booking confirmation.