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How to take the rail journey from London to Vienna/Wien
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London to Wien / Vienna by train
There are four options available for taking a journey by train from London to Vienna/Wien:
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Making the end-to-end journey by day.
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If you will be leaving London on a Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday then it's possible to take a Eurostar to Bruxelles and then a night train on from there to Wien/Vienna.
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Or if you will be leaving London on the other days of the week, an option is to make a connection of around 2hr 20 mins in Bruxelles in to a train on to Koln/Cologne, where around 4 hours after arriving there, an overnight train will depart for Wien/Vienna.
Routes you can take to go from London to Wien / Vienna
When travelling between most cities by train there is only one logical option, though on other journeys there is a choice between different trains or alternative routes. If different options are available you can use the info to decide which is best for you.
Choose one of the following options:
Looking for connections?
Route Information
Via stations: Bruxelles-Midi / Brussel Zuid and Frankfurt (Main) Hbf
Option 1: travelling by day
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
from 12hr 45mins (approx)
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
up to 2 x connections per day
Purchase Tickets
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Trainline Guide
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Rail Europe ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option when booking international journeys with connections and for travellers who don't reside in western Europe. Use the easy options on its home page if you will be booking tickets with a railcard: Or purchasing rail pass reservations.
Travel Information
It is possible to travel by day by train from London to Wien/Vienna.
- Typically on Monday to Friday the first Eurostar train of the day heading to Bruxelles typically departs at around 06:15 - and travelling by it is a good option for two reasons:
(1) the connecting time between trains in Bruxelles will be around 1hr 15mins, so this allows some contingency time in the event of a delay to the Eurostar
(2) There are later options to provide a back-up in the event of travel disruption along the route. - Usually on Saturday, when departing London at around 07:00, the connecting time between trains will be only be 20 mins - but if a delayed Eurostar causes it to be missed, later connections will be available which will reach Wien / Vienna by the end of the day
- On Sundays arriving in Wien / Vienna by the end of the day is typically wholly dependent on making a 20 min connection between trains in Bruxelles - when departing London at around 09:00*; so travelling by day on this day of the week is best avoided if possible.
*= On Monday to Saturday those second (back-up) options of the day are by taking the onward connections, available when departing London at around 09:00.
So opting to depart London at this time on Monday to Saturday is best avoided if possible, because you won't then be able to reach Wien/Vienna by the end of the day, if you depart at that time and then connections are missed.
In Frankfurt
Making the connection at Frankfurt (Main) hbf simply involves walking from on train to another.
Though some of the journey options connect in Frankfurt Flughafen where the connection simply involves waiting on the same platform / track for the train on to Wien / Vienna.
If a delay causes a late arrival into Frankfurt which leads to a booked connection to be missed, tickets and reservations can transferred to a later departure at a Reisezentrum travel desk.
At St Pancras:
Eurostar is currently suggesting that Standard and Plus Premier ticket holders should be at St Pancras International, ready to board 75 mins before departure; and that Premier ticket holders should be there 30 mins prior to departure.
The departure gates will close 45 mins prior to departure for Standard and Plus ticket holders; and 15 mins prior to departure for Business Premier ticket holders.
Our guide to taking a Eurostar from London is here.
Note that London is in a different time zone to mainland Europe, it is one hour behind; hence what can seem like a discrepancy between the journey time and the interval between the departure and arrival times.
This journey is made up of 2 changes.
Train 1
Between London St Pancras International and Bruxelles-Midi / Brussel ZuidYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Bruxelles-Midi or Amsterdam
The e320 trains are used for the departures heading to Amsterdam, but the e300 trains can be used on the services which terminat in Bruxelles.
It's not a scenic journey, but it is a journey with six distinct phases and highlights:
1: For most of the first 8 mins of the journey the trains use tunnels to exit London (Stratford International station is located between the tunnels).
2: Then from the right of the train, there are views of the River Thames marshes and of the Queen Elizabeth II road bridge.
3: The third tunnel that the train will pass through is the tunnel under the River Thames.
4: Shortly after Ebbsfleet International station (can only be seen from the right of the train) is the scenic highlight of the journey - the crossing of the River Medway.
5: The train will slow down as it approaches The Channel Tunnel.
Announcements are no longer made that the train is about to enter the tunnel.
The journey through the tunnel will take around 22 mins.
6: There is little of note to be seen from the high speed lines in France and Belgium.
Please support ShowMeTheJourney
This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.
We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.
Instead of advertising or paywalls, your financial support will make a positive difference to delivering an enhanced service, as there’s a lot of ideas which we want to make happen.
So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please go here to say thank you.
Train 2
Between Bruxelles-Midi / Brussel Zuid and Frankfurt (Main) HbfYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination Frankfurt (Main)
You may have to pass through security checks at Midi/Zuid station before boarding these trains and queues can build up at busy times.
This train journey from Bruxelles to Frankfurt is usually a great showcase for 21st century European train travel.
The sleek ICE 3 trains give any journey a wow factor and on virtually all of this route they're either travelling on a custom-built high speed line, or on a conventional railway that has been re-engineered so that the trains can travel faster.
The fastest part of this trip comes between Seigburg/Bonn and Frankfurt Flughafen, when the train will travel at up to 285 km/h on Germany's fastest high speed line.
Train 3
Between Frankfurt (Main) Hbf and Wien Hbf/HauptbahnhofYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Wien Flughafen (airport) or Wien Hbf
From December 10th, some of the departures will be by the ICE 4 trains
All trains also call at: Linz and St Polten and Wien-Meidling
Arriving in Wien/Vienna:
Check the location of your final destination in Wien/Vienna.
If you're heading to the south west corner of the city, or the area on the ring road around the Opera House - then it's likely that you'll have a faster and more convenient journey if you leave the train at Wien-Meidling station.
Journey description:
This is a journey of nine distinct phases: (the videos were filmed from a train travelling in the opposite direction)
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Between Frankfurt (Main) and Aschaffenburg the railway passes through a string of commuter towns.
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Then east of Aschaffenburg, is a scenic and slow part of the trip as the railway follows a series of valleys.
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As the River Main comes into view on the right, the train will speed up before bridging the river and entering a tunnel which will link it to the high speed line.
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The train will spend around 10-15 mins on the high speed line as it nears Wurzburg, just before the station look out on the right for a brief panorama over the river and city.
Because the train will spend such a small percentage of the journey on the high speed line, this hasn't been classed as a high speed trip -
On to Nurnberg the train will be on conventional railway tracks.
-
Between Nurnberg and Regensburg the train travels across a rolling landscape of hills.
-
Between Regensburg and Passau the railway line is beside the River Danube, which can be seen on the left.
Please support ShowMeTheJourney
This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.
We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.
Instead of advertising or paywalls, your financial support will make a positive difference to delivering an enhanced service, as there’s a lot of ideas which we want to make happen.
So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please go here to say thank you.
Tickets
Book Early And Save: Yes
Online bookings open: usually open around 6 months ahead of the travel date.
This booking period tends to be shorter when looking up journeys between mid August and mid October.
Eurostar's online booking service does not sell tickets for this journey.
Eurostar train's general ticket terms:
The only ticket type are the Flexible tickets, but it is the class of service you opt to travel by, which impacts on the terms and conditions of travel.
*Exchanges
Book to travel in Standard or Plus class:
The booked date and time can be exchanged to a different departure to the same destination up to one hour* before departure time.
- If the cost of your new ticket is more than the cost of your original ticket, you will be required to pay the difference;
- If the cost of your new ticket is less than the cost of your original ticket, you will not receive a refund of the difference.
Note that on your day of departure, if your journey to St Pancras is being compromised and you know that you won't make the booked train in time more than an hour ahead - Taking time out to access the service you booked with and making an exchange, will typically be a cheaper option than having to re-book.
*Tickets that are exchanged less than seven days before the departure date to a new later departure date cannot then ne refunded
Book to travel in Premier class:
The booked date and time can be exchanged to a different departure to the same destination up until 48 hrs after your booked departure date.
- If the cost of your new ticket is more than the cost of your original ticket, you will be required to pay the difference;
- If the cost of your new ticket is less than the cost of your original ticket, you will not receive a refund of the difference.
On the travel day Eurostar offers a boarding guarantee to Premier ticket holders, enabling any other departure to be taken at no extra charge.
Though Eurostar may not be able to offer the same travel class or the same onboard services such as catering.
The Eurostar ticket terms summary is here
Refunds
Book to travel in Standard or Plus class:
- Up to seven days or more before the date of departure you will need to pay a fee of £25 per person for a one-way / single ticket and £50 per person for a two-way / return ticket - So you will only receive any sum you paid in excess of these sums.
- Less than seven days before the date of departure, tickets are non-refundable - Also applies if you exchanged a ticket to an alternative departure, under seven days ahead.
- If you have booked return ticket, but only want to cancel one way, you will in effect receive the price you paid for this single leg and not the typical cost of a one-way only single journey.
Book to travel in Premier class:
Tickets are refundable with no fee up until 48 hours after your original departure time, but they become non-refundable when the 48 hrs has passed.
If you have booked return ticket, but only want to cancel one way, you will in effect receive the price you paid for this single leg and not the typical cost of a one-way only single journey.
Seat Reservations on the Eurostar
Reservations are mandatory so seats are assigned when booking - But after a booking has been completed, you use the ‘Manage Your Booking’ facility, which can be easily found on the Eurostar website and select specific seats within the travel class you have chosen.
You will need to enter a Booking Reference number - but other booking agents such as Trainline, Rail Europe, SNCF Connect, B-Europe and NS International, will also include this number on the communication sent to you.
ICE trains ticket terms summary:
- Super Sparpreis Europa / Super Saver Fare Europe tickets: cannot be exchanged or refunded.
- Sparpreis Europa / Saver Fare Europe: these tickets can be 'refunded; up until the day of departure for admin of €10. The refund will be in the form of a voucher, matching the value of the price paid.
So in effect these tickets can be exchanged for a fee of €10 and the difference in price will need to be paid. - Flexible tickets can be refunded free of charge with payment returned, but after the travel date a €19 admin fee is applied.
So in effect if you want to 'exchange' flexible tickets, you can use the cost you originally paid towards the cost of a re-booking, but the new price will likely be higher.
Seat Reservations:
Your seats will automatically be reserved on the Eurostar, but seat reservations on the ICE trains are an additional cost unless you book the most expensive type of ticket.
What if you miss a booked connection in Bruxelles:
Eurostar classifies end-to-end journeys involving Eurostar + Eurostar Thalys trains as 'through tickets', but it classifies journeys involving Eurostar + ICE trains as being booked as a ticketing bundle.
There are relatively new E.U. 'rules' protecting against financial loss in the event of a delay, but they only apply to 'through tickets'.
But DB which operates the ICE trains on to Frankfurt, has signed up to Agreement on Journey Continuation (AJC) policy for when a traveller holds separate transport 'contracts' for an end-to-end journey involving more than one train.
So this agreement applies both when 'a bundle' of tickets / contracts is issued as the result of a single transaction - and if travellers have bought several different tickets for their journey, even from different sales channels/ticket providers.
As long as the passenger had planned enough connecting time to change trains (called “reasonable connecting time”), the AJC will apply.
So in usual circumstances, if a delay to a Eurostar has caused a booked connection on to Wien to be missed, replacement tickets/reservations should be issued at Bruxelles-Midi
However, the AJC does not cover the cost of any overnight accommodation which will need to be booked if the final connections of the day on to Wien/Vienna are not made on time.
Using Rail Passes:
Rail pass users can now pay reservation fees to travel on Eurostar trains, in a similar manner to other international European high speed trains.
The new rail pass reservation fees are similar to the cheapest single journey ticket prices, but as those cheapest tickets can sell out quickly, it's likely that the rail pass reservation fees will save money.
You can purchase these online on B-Europe.
Booking in advance is recommended as it's not unknown for rail pass reservations on specific Eurostar services to sell out weeks in advance, there is evidently limited availability per departure.
Route Information
Via stations: Bruxelles-Midi / Brussel Zuid
Option 2: departing on Tues/Thurs/Sat and travelling overnight from Bruxelles
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
17hr 15min
Frequency
Not Every Day
Travel Info
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
Purchase Tickets
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Trainline Guide
Travel Information
If you will be departing London on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday*, this combination of trains will usually be available:
- Depart London at 15:04; arrive Bruxelles Midi/Zuid at 18:05
- Depart Bruxelles Midi/Zuid at 19:32; arrive Wien Hbf at 09:14.
*= This connection had previously departed Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
At St Pancras:
Eurostar is currently suggesting that Standard Class And Standard Premier ticket holders should be at the Eurostar departure area in St Pancras International 90 mins before departure; and that Business Premier ticket holders should be there 45-60mins prior to departure.
The departure gates will close 30 mins prior to departure for Standard Class And Standard Premier ticket holders; and 15 mins prior to departure for Business Premier ticket holders.
Our guide to taking a Eurostar from London is here.
Note that London is in a different time zone to mainland Europe, it is one hour behind; hence what can seem like a discrepancy between the journey time and the interval between the departure and arrival times.
This journey is made up of 1 change.
Train 1
Between London St Pancras International and Bruxelles-Midi / Brussel ZuidYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Bruxelles-Midi
It's not a scenic journey, but it is a journey with six distinct phases and highlights:
1: For most of the first 8 mins of the journey the trains use tunnels to exit London (Stratford International station is located between the tunnels).
2: Then from the right of the train, there are views of the River Thames marshes and of the Queen Elizabeth II road bridge.
3: The third tunnel that the train will pass through is the tunnel under the River Thames.
4: Shortly after Ebbsfleet International station (can only be seen from the right of the train) is the scenic highlight of the journey - the crossing of the River Medway.
5: The train will slow down as it approaches The Channel Tunnel.
Announcements are no longer made that the train is about to enter the tunnel.
The journey through the tunnel will take around 22 mins.
6: There is little of note to be seen from the high speed lines in France and Belgium.
Please support ShowMeTheJourney
This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.
We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.
Instead of advertising or paywalls, your financial support will make a positive difference to delivering an enhanced service, as there’s a lot of ideas which we want to make happen.
So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please go here to say thank you.
Train 2
Between Bruxelles-Midi / Brussel Zuid and Wien Hbf/HauptbahnhofYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Wien Hbf
The train also calls at: Linz and St. Polten and Wien-Meidling.
The journey experience is dependent on the type of accommodation you choose to travel by on the train - click the 'Nightjet' button above to discover the available options.
Tickets
Online bookings open 6 months ahead
You will need to book each journey separately; the details of how to do this are included on each of the respective journey guides:
Route Information
Via stations: Bruxelles-Midi / Brussel Zuid and Köln/Cologne Hbf
Option 3: taking a night train on from Koln/Cologne
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
17hr 15min
Frequency
Nightly
Travel Info
1 x connection per day
Purchase Tickets
Travel Information
If you will be departing London on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, this combination of trains will usually be available:
- Depart London at 15:04; arrive Bruxelles Midi/Zuid at 18:05
- Depart Bruxelles Midi/Zuid at 18:25; arrive Koln Hbf at 20:15*
- Depart Koln Hbf at 22:16; arrive Wien Hbf at 09:14.
*= Book this connection and if need be tickets can be transferred to the later Eurostar Thalys train at 19:25 - it will arrive in Koln more than 35 mins before the departure of the train on to Wien.
At St Pancras:
Eurostar is currently suggesting that Standard Class And Standard Premier ticket holders should be at the Eurostar departure area in St Pancras International 90 mins before departure; and that Business Premier ticket holders should be there 45-60mins prior to departure.
The departure gates will close 30 mins prior to departure for Standard Class And Standard Premier ticket holders; and 15 mins prior to departure for Business Premier ticket holders.
Our guide to taking a Eurostar from London is here.
Note that London is in a different time zone to mainland Europe, it is one hour behind; hence what can seem like a discrepancy between the journey time and the interval between the departure and arrival times.
This journey is made up of 2 changes.
Train 1
Between London St Pancras International and Bruxelles-Midi / Brussel ZuidYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Bruxelles-Midi
It's not a scenic journey, but it is a journey with six distinct phases and highlights:
1: For most of the first 8 mins of the journey the trains use tunnels to exit London (Stratford International station is located between the tunnels).
2: Then from the right of the train, there are views of the River Thames marshes and of the Queen Elizabeth II road bridge.
3: The third tunnel that the train will pass through is the tunnel under the River Thames.
4: Shortly after Ebbsfleet International station (can only be seen from the right of the train) is the scenic highlight of the journey - the crossing of the River Medway.
5: The train will slow down as it approaches The Channel Tunnel.
Announcements are no longer made that the train is about to enter the tunnel.
The journey through the tunnel will take around 22 mins.
6: There is little of note to be seen from the high speed lines in France and Belgium.
Please support ShowMeTheJourney
This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.
We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.
Instead of advertising or paywalls, your financial support will make a positive difference to delivering an enhanced service, as there’s a lot of ideas which we want to make happen.
So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please go here to say thank you.
Train 2
Between Bruxelles-Midi / Brussel Zuid and Köln/Cologne HbfYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
ICE train = Final Destination: Frankfurt (Main)
Eurostar Thalys train = Final Destination: Dortmund
Final Destination: Essen/Dortmund/Koln
All trains also call at: Aachen
The trains travel on high speed lines between Leuven and Liege and between Liege and Aachen.
Train 3
Between Köln/Cologne Hbf and Wien Hbf/HauptbahnhofYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Wien Hbf
The trains also calls at: Linz and St Polten
The journey experience is dependent on the type of accommodation you choose to travel by on the train - click the 'Nightjet' button above to discover the available options.
The coaches heading to Wien will be joined to another part of the train, which will be heading to Innsbruck
If you see a train heading to Innsbruck on the departure screens then the info will also apply if you are travelling to Wien.
Don't be concerned about boarding the wrong part of the train, your reservations will be in coaches that will be heading to Innsbruck.
The train manager will also greet travellers who have booked to travel in the couchettes or sleeping cabins.
Our guide to travelling on European overnight trains is available HERE.
Tickets
Online bookings open 6 months ahead
You will need to book each journey separately; which due to the long connecting time between trains shouldn't be an issue, the details of how to do this are included on each of the respective journey guides:
This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.
We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.
Instead of advertising or paywalls, your financial support will make a positive difference to delivering an enhanced service, as there’s a lot of ideas which we want to make happen.
So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please consider saying thank you.
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