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Travel Info & Tips By train to and from European airports
How to take trains to and from European airports

By train to and from European airports

Find out the options for taking the train from and to a European airport, whether you will be making the transfer to a city centre or a more distant location.

| Last Updated: 21 days ago
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ShowMeTheJourney strives to take the train for our journeys within Europe, but for those heading to Europe from other parts of the world, the train travel experience can usually begin and end at an airport.

The volume of destinations with direct rail links can vary hugely at airport stations, but some are hubs of a country's long-distance rail network, so provide easy alternatives to connecting in and out of a domestic flight.
Other airport stations are part of a regional rail network offering simple transfers to multiple locations in addition to city centre access.

Therefore the volume of train services available at European airport stations can make a difference to deciding which airport will be the optimum entry point into a country.
For example, if you will be heading to Germany and have a choice of flights to Frankfurt or Munich, it's good to know that Frankfurt Flughafen station has direct trains to most other German cities, including Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Freiburg, Hamburg, Leipzig, Nuremburg, Stuttgart and Ulm.
In contrast the station at Munich airport doesn't have direct rail links to any of these cities.

Airports with long-distance trains

The European international airports, which are also long-distance rail journey hubs, are Amsterdam-Schiphol, Birmingham, Bologna*, Brussels, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Geneva, Manchester, Paris-CDG, Pisa*, Stockholm-Arlanda, Vienna and Zurich.
*= once you have taken the people movers to the respective stations.

Airport stations which have some long-distance rail connections, as well as local rail services, include; Budapest-Ferihegy, Cologne-Bonn, Dusseldorf, London-Luton, London-Stansted, Lyon-St Exupéry*, Oslo-Gardermoen, Rome- Fiumicino, Southampton, Trieste and Trondheim.
*= At Lyon the local rail service is an express tram.

Airports with regional trains

Airports which have stations with regional trains services, in addition to city centre links, include; Berlin-Brandenburg, Cologne-Bonn, Edinburgh*, Frankfurt**, London-Gatwick, London-Heathrow, Marseille, Munich, Nice and Milan-Malpensa.
*= tram link with the station
**= Frankfurt Airport has two stations

Airports with local trains

Some airports have stations on one rail route, which links them with the city, from which they take their name, and other more distant destinations.
These include, Aalborg, Aberdeen, Catania, Glasgow-Prestwick, Helsinki, Inverness, Klagenfurt and Malaga.

While these airports only have rail links to and from the city centre;
Athens*, Barcelona*, Dresden, Graz, Hannover, Krakow, Lisbon*, London City*, Madrid-Barajas*, Nuremburg, Ostrava, Paris-Orly, Palermo, Porto*, Sofia*, Strasbourg, Stuttgart, Trondheim, Turin, Toulouse and Valencia*.
*= station is on the city's metro

Austria

Austria has a generally fabulous rail network, but one aspect which isn't in the top-tier is its rail links with airports.
The airports in Innsbruck, Linz and Salzburg do not have rail stations.
Salzburg Airport is linked to the city's main rail station by trolleybus; and Innsbruck's airport is connected to the city's railway station, by route/line F, which is a regular local bus service.

Linz airport offers a dedicated shuttle bus service to Horsching station, which typically has trains every 30 minutes to the main station in Linz and to Wels.

Vienna is Austria's only airport with long-haul flights, but its station is now directly linked to multiple other Austrian cities by trains which are among Europe's best.

Something to be aware of is that discounted Sparschiene tickets for long-distance journeys, which are typically less than half the price of tickets booked last minute on the travel date, are only valid on the specific departure selected when booking.
They cannot exchanged to a later departure in the event of a flight delay, or other delay in transit through airport arrivals.

Tickets can be booked online with the national rail operator, OBB, further information, including how to use the OBB website, is available on the guide to Austrian rail tickets.

Graz

Graz Airport has a station on line S5 of the local train network in the city.
Though the station is around a 5 minute open air walk from the airport.
Trains depart every 30 mins on Monday to Friday, but are hourly at weekends.
The journey time to the main rail station in Graz is only 11 minutes.
The first train of the day typically arrives in Flughafen-Graz-Feldkirchen station before 04:30 on Monday to Friday and before 06:30 on weekends.
The final train of the day departs the airport for the central station before 22:45.

The main rail station in the city, Graz Hbf, has frequent direct trains to/from Bruck an der Mur, Klagenfurt, Leoben, Vienna/Wien, Villach and Wiener-Neustadt.

Klagenfurt

The station which serves Klagenfurt Airport doesn't have the airport in its name, Klagenfurt-Annabichl, because it is a 5 - 10 minute walk down the street from the main airport building.
It also looks as though the station is request stop. meaning that when departing by train you need to signal to the driver that you want to board, and when heading to the airport you need to press a bell on the train.

The station is served by local trains on line S1 which typically depart every 30 minutes on Monday to Friday, but are only hourly at weekends.
The journey time to the main station in Klagenfurt is only five minutes.
The first train of the day typically departs from Klagenfurt Hbf at around 06:00 daily and the final train of the day typically departs from Klagenfurt-Annabichl at 21:55.
However, on summer weekends there are later trains, which depart at around 01:00 and 02:00.

The trains from the airport travel on beyond Klagenfurt city centre towards Villach, so they all call at multiple Worthersee resort towns including, Krumpendorf, Pörtschach and Velden.
The regular hourly trains will be heading beyond Villach to Lienz and they also also call in Spittal.

Vienna

A Railjet train from the airport arrives in Wien Hbf A Railjet train from the airport arrives in Wien Hbf

Three train services connect Wien/Vienna with its airport; the CAT trains, the local S-Bahn trains and long-distance Railjet services which call in the city on route to other destinations.

1: The CAT (City Airport Trains) trains shuttle every 30mins between the airport and Wien Mitte, which is on the eastern edge of the city centre and is served by U-Bahn metro line U3.
The specific part of Wien Mitte station used by the CAT trains is named Wien Mitte-LandsrtaBe and it houses check-in desks for many airlines.
You can only use these check-in desks if you take a CAT train to the airport.

The journey time between Wien Mitte-LandsrtaBe and the flughafen/airport by CAT train is only 16mins.

2: There are both S-Bahn commuter trains on line S7 and regional REX trains which also link Wien Mitte station and the airport/flughafen
Combined these two services are more frequent than the CAT trains and they are cheaper too, though they are slower, but only by 7 minutes!

Also unlike the CAT trains they also call at other stations on the eastern edge of Vienna city centre including Praterstern and Rennweg.

3: The city's main long-distance rail station, Wien Hbf is now linked to Vienna Airport/Flughafen by direct trains that generally operate every 30mins during the day.
That's because many of the long distance Railjet trains on the railway lines west towards Salzburg Innsbruck and Bregenz and south towards Graz, have had their journeys extended beyond Wien Hbf to/from Wien Flughafen station.

So these trains are a good option if the start/end point of your journey is around Wien Hbf, but the CAT or S-Bahn trains are a better option for travelling between the flughafen/airport and Wien city centre.

Long-distance express trains

To/from Bregenz Hbf:

  • Typical journey time = 7hr 15min
  • There are typically four of five direct trains per day, with connections from/to additional services available at Wien Hbf, including the overnight train
  • The first direct train of the day typically arrives in Flughafen Wien station at around noon on Monday to Friday, and at around 13:00 on weekends.
  • The final direct train of the day typically departs from the airport station just after 17:00.

To/from Graz Hbf:

  • Typical journey time = 3hrs
  • There are typically four trains per day, with connections from/to additional services available at Wien Hbf,
  • The first direct train of the day typically arrives in Flughafen Wien station at around 10:30
  • The final direct train of the day typically departs from the airport station just after 17:30.

To/from Innsbruck Hbf:

  • Typical journey time = 4hr 40min
  • There are typically twelve trains per day, there are departures in most hours
  • The first direct train of the day typically arrives in Flughafen Wien station shortly before 10:00.
  • The final direct train of the day typically departs from the airport station just after 19:00.

To/from Linz Hbf and St Polten:

  • Typical journey time = 1hr 40min to 1hr 55min
  • There are one or two departures per hour.
  • The first direct train of the day typically arrives in Flughafen Wien station shortly before 06:00 on Monday to Friday, and shortly before 08:00 on weekends.
  • The final direct train of the day typically departs from the airport station just after 22:00.

To/from Salzburg Hbf:

  • Typical journey time = 2hr 50min to 3hr 15min
  • There are one or two departures per hour.
  • The first direct train of the day typically arrives in Flughafen Wien station shortly before 08:00 on Monday to Friday, and shortly before 08:30 on weekends.
  • The final direct train of the day typically departs from the airport station just after 22:00.

To/from St.Anton:

  • Typical journey time = 5hr 50min
  • Monday to Thursday: 4 x trains
  • Friday: 6 x trains
  • Saturday and Sunday: 5 x trains per day
  • The first direct train of the day typically arrives in Flughafen Wien station shortly before 11:30 on Monday to Friday, and shortly before 12:30 on weekends.
  • The final daily direct train of the day typically departs from the airport station just before 19:30.

Click the city names below for more info about taking these trains:

Belgium

Unsurprisingly considering the size of Belgium, only two of its airports have rail links, though taking the train is often the easiest option for travelling to and from this charming country, due to a grand total of three cross-border high-speed railways.

In addition to the speed and convenience, another positive of taking a train to and from a Belgian airport is that the rail ticket prices are fixed, so there is no need to book ahead to save money.
You therefore also don't need to worry about specific terms of using tickets, such as advance tickets only being valid to travel by a specific departure.

Brussels

Brussels Airport is served by a station named Brussel Airport - Zaventem, which is located directly beneath the main terminal building.
Express IC trains on multiple routes link the airport with most other major Belgian cities.

There is no dedicated Brussels Airport train service providing a link with the city centre, but many of those IC trains pass through Brussel/Bruxelles.
Therefore up to six trains per connect the airport with the city centre stations of Brussel-Central and Brussel-Zuid and Brussel-Nord.
When heading to the airport from these city centre stations, those IC trains will either be terminating at the airport or at other destinations, particularly Amsterdam and Landen.
So look twice at the departure boards because you don't have to take a train terminating at Brussel Airport, a service calling at the airport on route to another destination. may be the next train to depart.

The first train of the day from these city centre stations typically arrives at the airport before 04:30 and the final train departs shortly after midnight.
The journey time by train between Brussels Airport and Brussel-Central is typically 15 - 20 minutes.
Though a surcharge price of €6.40, known as the Diabolo fee, is automatically added to the price of the rail tickets when travelling between the Belgian capital and its airport.

Also on Monday to Friday, two other hourly trains link the airport with the E.U. quarter area of Brussels with station calls at Bruxelles-Schuman and Bruxelles-Luxembourg.

Between Brussels Airport and other Belgian and Dutch cities

During the day these connections are typically available when travelling between Brussels Airport and other major cities in Belgium and The Netherlands by train.
Confirm the times of the first and last trains by using the journey guide on the SNCB website.

to /from Amsterdam

  • 1 x IC train per hour; Thalys trains do not call at the airport station
  • journey time = 2hr 25 min
  • final train departs before 21:15
  • first train arrives after 08:45

to /from Antwerp and Mechelen

  • 2 x IC trains per hour
  • journey time to/from Antwerp = 30 mins
  • final train departs before 23:45
  • first train arrives after 05:15

to /from Bruges

  • 1 or 2 x IC trains per hour
  • journey time = 1hr 27mins - 2hr 31mins, so target the faster trains
  • final train departs before 23:05
  • first train arrives after 05:55

to /from Charleroi

  • on Monday to Friday only
  • 1 x train per hour
  • journey time = 1hr 36mins
  • final train departs before 21:45
  • first train arrives after 07:10

to /from Ghent

  • 1 to 3 x IC trains per hour
  • journey time = 57mins - 1hr 22mins
  • final train departs before 23:05
  • first train arrives after 05:55

to /from Hasselt

  • 1 x IC train per hour
  • journey time = 1hr
  • final train departs before 23:35
  • first train arrives after 05:35

to /from Leuven connect for Liege:

  • 2 x IC trains per hour
  • journey time = 13mins
  • final train departs before 23:35
  • first train arrives after 05:35

to /from Mons

  • 1 x IC train per hour
  • journey time = 1hr 13min
  • final train departs before 23:35
  • first train arrives after 05:35

to /from Namur

  • on Monday to Friday only
  • 1 x train per hour
  • journey time = 1hr 12mins
  • final train departs before 21:20
  • first train arrives after 07:40

to /from Ostend

  • 1 x train per hour;
  • journey time = 2hr 49min; faster journeys are available by connecting in Bruxelles-Midi
  • final train departs before 20:15
  • first train arrives after 08:45

to /from Rotterdam

  • 1 x IC train per hour; Thalys trains do not call at the airport station
  • journey time =1hr 39 min
  • final train departs before 21:15
  • first train arrives after 08:45

to /from Tournai

  • 1 x IC train per hour
  • journey time =1hr 34 min
  • final train departs before 21:45
  • first train arrives after 08:45

Brussels South Charleroi

Brussels South Charleroi airport doesn't have a station, but an express bus service on route / line A which departs every 30 minutes, links the airport to Charleroi Central station in a journey time of 20 minutes.

This station has two trains per hour on Monday to Friday and one train per hour at weekends to and from the city centre stations in the Belgian capital: Brussel-Central and Brussel-Zuid and Brussel-Nord.
Once you have taken the bus to Charleroi Central, the journey time by train to Brussel Central station is around one hour.
Tickets can be booked on the SNCB website which include the bus transfer to and from the airport.

Charleroi Central station also has trains which are typically available hourly to and from Antwerp, Mons and Namur.

Denmark

Thanks to its geography Denmark only has international train services to and from Germany and Sweden.
Though multiple ferry routes also link Danish cities and towns, which have railway stations, with various Norwegian towns and cites.

If you will be flying into Copenhagen, in order to begin a tour of Europe on which you won't be taking to the skies, your first ride will be the train journey directly from the airport.
The only other Danish airport with a rail link is Aalborg,

Though bus services are timed to meet flight arrivals at Aarhus Airport, they travel to and from the city's main railway station.

Aalborg

One of Denmark's newest railway lines now links Aalborg Airport to the city centre.
The airport's railway station, which is named Aalborg Lufthavn St. is around a 2 to 3 minute walk from the main terminal and the journey time between this station and the city's main railway station is only 11 minutes.

On Mondays to Saturdays two trains per hour are typically available:

  • a local train train to from the central railway station
  • a Lyn train service which typically travels beyond Aalborg and links the airport with other cities in Denmark including: Aarhus in 1hr 42min; Fredericia in 2hr 51 mins; Odense in 3hr 24 mins and Copenhagen in 4hr 59min.
    How far the Lyn service travels beyond Aalborg depends on the time of day, some departures don't travel beyond the city.

On Sundays the Lyn service is the only hourly departure.

Copenhagen

Copenhagen airport, which is also known as Kastrup Airport, has two rail stations which are both directly connected to the airport's terminals.

  • Københavns Lufthavn St., is on the Copenhagen Metro
  • CPH Lufthavn, is on the national rail system
    Each of these two rail networks serve different areas within the city centre of the Danish capital.
    So it can be worth checking the locations of your start or end point. before assuming that taking the Metro will be the best option for an airport <> central Copenhagen transfer.

The metro line M2 provides a direct link between Copenhagen Airport and Christianshavn and Kongens Nytorv (connect for lines M3 and M4) and Norreport and Forum.
During the day the Metro trains operate at 2-6 minute intervals, but in the evenings the frequency drops to every 15 - 20 minutes.
The journey time between the airport and Kongens Nytorv is usually 13 minutes.

Between the airport and the main rail station

The trains which call at CPH Lufthavn station connect the airport to the city's main railway station, Kobenhavn H and to Østerport station.
They also call at Norreport, but the journey time between this station and the airport is 8 minutes slower than the metro and the service is less frequent too.

There is no dedicated airport express service to and from Kobenhavn H station, but there are typically four trains per hour, which are branded Oresundtag - and these are the trains which also connect the airport with Østerport station.
In addition to these Oresundtag services, there are also one or two Lyn services per hour which travel between the airport and Kobenhavn H station.
The journey time between CPH Lufthavn station and Kobenhavn H station is typically 13 minutes.

Travelling between Copenhagen Airport and other Danish cities by train

Those Lyn train services typically travel beyond Copenhagen and call at other Danish cities including: Aalborg in 4hr 38 mins and Aarhus in 3hrs - 3hr 14mins; Fredericia in 2hr 10 mins and Odense in 1hr 39 mins.

When travelling to and from Copenhagen airport by Lyn trains keep in mind that the discounted 'Orange' tickets, which will be cheaper when booked ahead, can only be used on the specific departure you select to travel by.
So if a flight delay causes you to miss your chosen departure, you cannot transfer these Orange tickets to a later train.

On Monday to Friday there are also hourly regional trains which link Copenhagen airport with multiple stations to the west of the Danish capital including Roskilde and Ringsted.

Travelling between Copenhagen Airport and Sweden by train

Those four Oresundtag trains per hour which connect Copenhagen Airport with the city centre, carry this branding, because in the other direction they travel across the Oresund Bridge which connects Denmark with Sweden.
Therefore both Malmo and Lund are connected with Copenhagen Airport by train up to four times per hour.

North of Lund, these Oresundtag trains operate hourly on three different routes to and from:

  • Gothenburg via Helsingborg; additional trains turn around Helsingborg;
  • Karlskrona via Hasselholm and Kristianstad, Bromolla and Karlshamn
  • Vaxjo via Hasselholm

In addition five to seven trains per day link Copenhagen Airport with Stockholm.

The Netherlands

Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam dominates Dutch air travel, it is the gateway to The Netherlands from anywhere outside of Europe, but when travelling to and from other European countries, taking the train can be an easy option.
International train services to and from The Netherlands have improved in recent years, with the return of night trains and the launch of Eurostar connections with London.

Another plus of making an international rail journey is that Schiphol is the only Dutch airport directly served by trains.
Therefore the start and finish of and end-to-end journey at another airport in The Netherlands, involves taking a bus
So this is the case at Eindhoven Airport and at Maastricht Airport.

If you will be travelling to and from Amsterdam and considering using either of these two airports as an alternative to Schiphol, the journey time by train to Amsterdam Central station is 1hr 18mins from Eindhoven and 2hr 24min from Maastricht.
Plus you will need to factor in the time to make the bus transfers from the airports.

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

The station at Schiphol Airport is a major hub of the entire Dutch rail system, so in addition to comparatively frequent trains to and from the city centre, direct trains also link Amsterdam Schiphol with multiple other Dutch cities, including Amersfoort, Arnhem, Den Haag / The Hague, Delft, Dordrecht, Eindhoven, Groningen, s-Hertogenbosch / Den Bosch, Leeuwarden, Nijmegen, Rotterdam and Utrecht.

International trains link Schiphol with Antwerp, Brussels and Paris.

Between Schiphol and Amsterdam city centre by train

During the day there are 6 x trains per hour between Amsterdam Centraal station and Schiphol Airport including the InterCity Direct (ICD) trains that depart every 15 mins.

To Schiphol from Amsterdam Centraal

When making the journey from Amsterdam Centraal it's worth targeting these ICD trains, as their branding stands out on the departure screens.
They will have Breda or Rotterdam C.S as the final destination.
They're also marginally faster than the other two trains which are Sprinter services, the journey time by the InterCity Direct trains is only 14 minutes.
When accessing Amsterdam Centraal from its main entrance, which faces the city centre, the ICD trains tend to depart from the 'a' ends of the platforms / tracks / sporen on the far side of the station.

No supplement is charged on the ICD trains for journeys between Amsterdam Centraal and Schiphol.
When travelling from Amsterdam Centraal to Schiphol, tickets are not valid on Thalys trains.

To Amsterdam Centraal from Schiphol

At Schiphol the train station is conveniently located in the middle of the airport.

The six trains per hour from Schiphol to Amsterdam Centraal typically depart from sporen (platforms / tracks) 1-2.
In addition to the four ICD services which will be terminating at Amsterdam C.S., which is the name used on the Dutch station departure screens for Amsterdam Centraal, there are two 'Sprinter' services which call at Amsterdam Centraal before heading on to Zwolle.
Those Sprinter trains also call at Amsterdam Sloterdijk station where connections are available with trains heading to Alkmaar, Enkhuizen, Haarlem and Hoorn.

Tickets for the journey to Centraal station can be purchased from the ticket machines.

If you will be using public transport while you're in Amsterdam, you can go to the NS ticket office in Schiphol and purchase an OV-chipkaart, though you will need have a passport photo with you.
These are cards which can be used on public transport in Amsterdam and throughout The Netherlands, including the metro, trams and buses.
Instead of buying tickets you tap in and out of ticket gates when taking rail journeys and tap machines on the buses, tram and metros.

The alternative to heading to/from Amsterdam Centraal

The Amsterdam Metro doesn't serve Schiphol Airport, but multiple Metro lines call at Amsterdam Zuid, which is one stop hop from Schiphol on very frequent regular trains.
These Metro lines also call at Amsterdam Centraal, but the station is located on the northern edge of the city centre.
So if you will be travelling between Schiphol and the areas of the city convenient to the stations named Nieuwmarkt and Rokin and Vijzelgracht and Waterlooplein, making the transfer at Amsterdam Zuid can be quicker than travelling through Amsterdam Centraal.

Between Schiphol and other Dutch cities by train

Intercity express trains provide direct links between Schiphol airport and multiple Dutch cities, including:
Amersfoort

  • Daily
  • journey time = 40 mins
  • 2 x trains per hour
  • earliest arrival at 06:18
  • final departure at 23:38
  • one train per hour travels beyond Amersfoort to/from Enschende with station calls in Apeldoorn, Deventer, Almelo and Hengelo

Arnhem

  • journey time = 1hr 12mins
  • 2 x trains per hour
  • Monday to Friday only
  • earliest arrival at 06:57
  • final departure at 19:33; at evenings and weekends, connect in Utrecht

Delft

  • journey time= 39 mins
  • 2 x trains per hour
  • Monday to Friday only
  • earliest arrival at 06:42
  • final departure at 19:42; at evenings and weekends, connect in Rotterdam

Den Haag / The Hague

  • journey time = 30 mins
  • 2 x trains per hour
  • Daily
  • earliest arrival at 05:52
  • final departure at 23:56; there is a later 'Sprinter' local train service

Dordrecht

  • journey = 1hr 9mins
  • 2 x trains per hour
  • Monday to Friday only
  • earliest arrival at 07:12
  • final departure at 18:43; at evenings and weekends, connect in Rotterdam

Eindhoven; connect in Eindhoven for Maastricht

  • journey time = 1hr 27mins
  • 2 x trains per hour
  • Daily
  • earliest arrival at 07:11
  • final departure at 22:19

Groningen

  • journey time = 2hr 7mins
  • 1 x direct train per hour; also connect in Zwolle from trains heading to Leeuwarden
  • Daily
  • earliest arrival at 07:54
  • final departure at 23:05

s-Hertogenbosch

  • journey time = 2hr 8mins
  • 2 x trains per hour
  • Daily
  • earliest arrival at 07:11
  • final departure at 22:19; until 21:49 the train will be heading to Helmond and Venlo

Leeuwarden

  • journey time = 2hr 8mins;
  • 1 x direct train per hour; also connect in Zwolle from trains heading to Groningen
  • Daily
  • earliest arrival at 07:24
  • final departure at 22:35

Nijmegen

  • journey time =1hr 29mins
  • 2 x trains per hour
  • Monday to Friday only; at evenings and weekends, connect in Utrecht
  • earliest arrival at 07:57
  • final departure at 19:33

Rotterdam

  • journey time = 26mins
  • 4 x trains per hour; slower and cheaper trains are also available
  • Daily;
  • earliest arrival at 04:01;
  • final departure at 00:43

Utrecht

  • journey time = 33mins
  • 4 - 6 x trains per hour
  • Daily
  • earliest arrival at 04:01
  • final departure at 23:48

The information above is a summary of the usual service, the journey details on your travel dates can be confirmed on the NS website.

Tickets will cost the same price if you book last minute at the station.

Rotterdam / The Hague Airport

There is a station on line E of the Rotterdam Metro named Meijersplein / Airport, but it is a case of close, but not quite.
The metro station is located is located approximately 500 meters from Rotterdam / The Hague Airport
Though a 10-15 minute walk can be avoided by taking bus route / line 33 for a three stop hop between the station and the airport terminal building.

The trains on Metro Line E typically operate every 10 mins and they link Meijersplein / Airport station with:

Connect at Den Haag Centraal station for multiple destinations including Gouda, Haarlem and Leiden; connect at Rotterdam Centraal station for Amsterdam, Delft, Dordrecht and Utrecht.

Norway

Due to the location of Norway at the north-eastern edge of the European rail network, I'll hold my hands up and admit flying home has saved a return rail journey of more than 1000km through Sweden, Denmark and Germany.
I've been at Bergen airport when I've been unable to resist my rail travels around the continent concluding at the western end of the Bergen line.

Bergen

Bergen's light-rail system, the Bybanen, provides a direct link between the city's main railway station and the airport; its stop at the station is named Nonneseter.

Oslo

Oslo Gardermoen Airport is 35km north of the city, but thanks to its location on the Oslo <> Trondheim railway route it's an easy train journey to and from the Norwegian capital.
Hence four groups of train services call at the station named Oslo lufthavn*, which is located directly beneath the airport's main terminal building.

  1. The dedicated Airport Express trains branded Flytoget which operate on an Oslo Lufthavn - Lillestrom - Oslo Sentral - Nationaltheatret - Drammen or Stabekk route
  2. Long distance express Regiontog trains operated by SJ NORD which connect Oslo airport with Trondheim; There are 4 x trains per day on Monday to Friday and Sunday and 2 x trains per day on Saturday. These trains make multiple station calls including at Lillehammer, Dombas, Oppdal and Storen.
  3. A night train also operated by SJ NORD which connects the airport with Trondheim
  4. Regional trains operated by Vy which typically depart hourly on these three routes:
  • Lillehammer - Hamar - Eidsvoll - Oslo Lufthavnn - Lillestrom - Oslo Sentral - Nationaltheatret - Asker
  • Eidsvoll - Oslo Lufthavnn - Lillestrom - Oslo Sentral - Nationaltheatret - Asker - Drammen - Larvik - Skien
  • Eidsvoll - Oslo Lufthavnn - Lillestrom - Oslo Sentral - Nationaltheatret - Asker - Drammen - Kongsberg

*=on some journey planners and timetables the station can be called Oslo Lufthavn Gardermoen

Connections to and from Kongsvinger are available at Lillestrom station, but for some years now the trains on the Oslo - Kongsvinger - Charlottenberg - Karlstad - Stockholm route haven't called at Lillestrom.

Tickets for the trains operated by SJ Nord and Vy can be booked with Entur which is the national public transport booking service in Norway, but it doesn't sell tickets for the Flytoget trains.

by train between Oslo Airport and the city centre

You'll note from the list of services above that the Flytoget trains are not the only option when travelling between Oslo Gardermoen Airport and the city centre.
Trains operated by Vy offer an alternative and both the Vy services and the Flytoget trains call at Oslo Sentral / Oslo S, the city's main railway station and the station named Nationaltheatret, which is on the western side of the heart of the city.
Connections with the Oslo Metro are available at both stations.

Good to know when comparing the Vy and Flytoget services:

  • Tickets for the Flytoget trains are typically more than 100 NOK more expensive.
  • The fastest Flytoget trains are non-stop between the airport and Oslo S in 19 minutes, but the Vy trains are typically only 4 mins slower.
  • Though only 50% of the Flytoget trains are non-stop.
  • The Flytoget trains are twice as frequent as the Vy services between Oslo S and the airport.
  • Though when heading to the airport, only one Flytoget train per hour commences its journey at Olso S station, in common with the Vy services, the other Flytoget trains will have already picked up passengers at other stations.
  • At Oslo S the Flytoget trains will have a final destination of Oslo Lufthavn and the trains operated by Vy will be heading to Eidsvoll or Lillehammer.
  • When heading to the city centre, all of the Flytoget trains commence their journeys at Olso Lufthavn station, but the Vy services will be calling at the airport. while on route from stations to the north.

Trondheim

Trondheim airport, which is also known as Trondheim Værnes airport, is 19km from the centre of the city it serves.
Hence the trains to/from Trondheim S station, being the fastest option for an airport to city centre transfer, as the journey time is 34 - 37 minutes.
On some timetables the station at the airport is named Værnes (Trondheim Lufthavn).

Most of the trains which serve the airport are services on the local rail system in Trondheim, which is known as the Trøndelag Commuter Rail.
The trains are operated by SJ NORD but you won't save by booking online; note that the airport website states that the trains are operated by Vy, but SJ NORD has since taken over.

The Trøndelag trains to the airport from Trondheim S will be heading to Steinkjer, though in most hours there is only one departure, so it's a good idea to look up the times in advance on the SJ NORD website.
In addition to the city's main station, Trondheim S, these Trøndelag trains also call at two other stations close to the city centre, Lademoen and Skansen.

Travelling to more distant destinations

The Trøndelag trains aren't the only services which call in the railway station at Trondheim airport.

There are two day trains and a night train also operated by SJ NORD which head to the north on the Nordland line.

  • to Mosjøen, Mo I Rana, Fauske (for buses to Narvik) and Bodø at 08:24.
  • to Mosjøen and Mo I Rana at 16:36; not Saturdays.
  • to Mosjøen, Mo I Rana, Fauske (for buses to Narvik) and Bodø at 23:37.

In the other direction theses trains are

  • from Mo I Rana and Mosjøen, not Sundays; arrives at Trondheim Lufthavn at 13:44.
  • Bodø, Fauske (buses from Narvik), Mo I Rana and Mosjøen; arrives at Trondheim Lufthavn at 21:48 and 06:43.

Connections by train to the Swedish cities of Are, Ostersund and Sundsvall are also possible.
You will need to change trains in Hell and Storlien and the typical departure times at Trondheim Lufthavn are 07:27 daily and 17:03 not Saturdays.

Spain

Travelling by train in Spain is frequently wonderful, but despite the billions of euros invested in high speed rail, none of the trains which use those railways call at stations attached to airports.
The Spanish airports, which do have rail stations, are all only served by local trains which solely provide services to and from city centres.

Barcelona

The local/regional network of mainline trains in Barcelona is the ‘Rodalies’ and Rodalies Line R2 (Nord) provides a direct link between a station located at Terminal 2 (T2) at El-Prat airport and Barcelona city centre.

Note that El Prat is located to the south of Barcelona city centre, but it is served by Line R2 (Nord) and NOT by Line R2 (Sud).

Trains on line R2 (Nord) call at two stations in central Barcelona, Barcelona Sants and Passeig de Gràcia stations; the latter is closer to the city centre.

Barcelona Sants is the city's main railway station and connections are available with trains to the majority of other Spanish cities.

Trains on line R2 (Nord) run every 30 mins and the journey between Sants station and the airport is around 19 mins.
The journey time between the airport and Passeig de Gràcia is around 26 mins.

Trains to Barcelona Airport: Terminal Two

When looking up journeys to El Prat Airport on the local journey planner 'Aeroport' is the name of the station El Prat airport.

The station used by line R2 (Nord) at the airport is located beneath Terminal 2.

At Barcelona Sants the trains to El-Prat on line R2 (Nord) depart from vias (platforms/tracks) 9 or 10.
'Aeroport' will be the destination on the front and sides of the trains.

Though you don't have to board these local Rodalies trains to the city's airport, El Prat, at Barcelona Sants station.
They also call at Passeig de Gràcia station.
Transfers to and from lines L2 , L3 and L4 of the Barcelona Metro are available at Passeig de Gràcia and connections with lines L3 and L5 are available at Sants / Estacio Sants.
Though most of these transfers between the metro and the Line R2 (Nord) trains involve fairly long walks through underground passage ways.

Note that at both Passeig de Gràcia and Sants stations there are also line R2 (Sud) trains which depart from the from the same vias (platforms/tracks) as the R2 (Nord) trains, but those R2 (Sud) trains don't serve the airport.
So when travelling to El-Prat by train from Barcelona city centre avoid trains heading to Saint Vincenc de Calders, Vilanova i la Geltrú or Castelldefels.

Trains to Terminal One at Barcelona Airport

The Rodalies Line R2 (Nord) trains do NOT provide a direct connection with Terminal 1 (T1) at El Prat airport.
Instead Terminal One (T1) at El Prat airport is served by a station on line L9 of the Barcelona Metro

However Metro L9 doesn’t get as close to the city centre as Sants or Passeig de Gràcia stations, which the Rodalies trains call at.

Therefore one option for travelling between Barcelona city centre and Terminal 1 at El Prat Airport by train is to take these two steps;
(1) take the Rodalies trains to the T2 station
(2) transfer there to/from the Metro for a one station hop to/from T1 - or exit from the T2 station and take a free shuttle bus

However, the quickest train travel option between the city centre and Terminal 1 is usually to make the transfer between the Rodalies and Metro trains, at El Prat de Llobregat station - instead of at the T2 station.
There are more frequent Rodalies trains between Sants Station/the city centre and El Prat de Llobregat; compared to the trains between the city centre and Terminal 2.

Metro Line L9 links El Prat de Llobregat station with T1 at Barcelona-El Prat airport, though be vigilant re: luggage and valuables when changing trains at El Prat de Llobregat.

So in summary, when travelling FROM the city to Terminal 1. an option is:

Step One: Take any train on Rodalies lines R2 (North) OR R2 (South); directions Saint Vincenc de Calders, Vilanova i la Geltrú , Castelldefels or Terminal 2, to El Prat de Llobregat station.
Step Two: Transfer to the Metro to T1 at El Prat de Llobregat station.

Madrid

Madrid Barajas airport occupies an enormous site, its terminals 1, 2 and 3 are grouped together in one location, but terminal 4 is around a kilometer away from them, on the other side of the town named Barajas

Therefore Line 8 of the Madrid Metro has two stations at the the airport, one of which serves terminals 1, 2 and 3, with the terminus of the line in a station at terminal 4.
This station at terminal 4 is also served by lines C1 and C10 of the local commuter rail system of Madrid, the Cercanias, but it does not have a station at terminals 1, 2 and 3.
So if you will be taking a Cercanias train to or from Madrid Airport and your flight will be using terminals 1, 2 or 3, the easiest access to/from the station at Terminal 4 is take the Metro.
Though if you will be using a ticket / rail pass which is only valid on the Cercanias trains, you will need to buy a ticket for the Metro.

Between the airport and the city centre

Madrid has a sprawling, large central area, but the Cercanias trains on lines C1 and C10 only call at two stations within it:

  1. Nuevos Ministerios
  2. Recoletos

Though the line 8 of the metro doesn't cross the city centre, so its only station in the city centre is also at Nuevos Ministerios.
So if you will be travelling between the Nuevos Ministerios and terminals 1, 2 and 3 at Barajas, taking the metro is the best option, but if you will heading to and from terminal 4, the faster option is to take the Cercanias trains.

Transfers are available at Nuevos Ministerios with metro line 6 and metro line 10.

If you will be travelling between Madrid Airport and the area around Sol station, connect between Cercanias trains at Chamartin station.

From Atocha station to Barajas airport

Follow these steps when heading to Barajas Airport by train from Atocha station.

(1) 'Cercanias' (local) trains on line C1 and C10 operate between Atocha and Barajas airport, they depart every 15-30 minutes and 'Aeropuerto' is their final destination.
The journey time is around 20 - 25 minutes.

(2) At Atocha they depart from via/platforms 1 and 2 in the Cercanias station; which is beside the main terminal.

(3) The Cercanias station has a concourse where you can buy a ticket; there are manned ticket desks and multiple machines.
Though if you have purchased a ticket to travel to Atocha by an AVE train operated by Renfe, there will be a barcode on your ticket, which will enable you take a journey by the Cercanias trains.
Eurail and InterRail passes are also valid on the Cercanias trains.

(4) Note that not all of the Cercanias trains, which depart from platforms/via 1 and 2, will be the line C-1 and C-10 trains heading to the Aeropuerto; so check the departure indicators and info on the trains.

(5) These line C1 and C10 trains call at a station that’s directly linked to Terminal 4 (the main terminal) of Barajas Airport

(6) However, if you take the C1 train to Barajas and your flight is departing from Terminals 1 or 2 or 3 you will pass the entrance to the Metro station at Terminal 4, which is served by line 8.
At this point you have a choice:

  • Take the Metro to its station that serves Terminals T1/T2 , but you will need to buy a separate ticket: OR
  • Take the free shuttle bus to terminals T1/T2. though the bus transfer can take more than 30 mins between stepping off the Cercanias train and being at the airport terminal.

From Chamartin station to Barajas airport
Cercanias trains on line C1 and C10 connect Chamartin station to Barajas airport in 15 mins.

These lines C1 and C10 trains heading to the Aeropuerto – T4 station will usually depart from via (platform/track) 11 at Charmatin; so wait by the entrance to via 11 for the departure details to be confirmed.
Note that not all of the Cercanias trains, that depart from via 11 will be line C-1 and C-10 trains heading to the Aeropuerto,so check the departure indicators and info on the trains.

There are 4 x trains per hour during the day, but there can be gaps of up to 20 mins between departures.

These line C1 and C10 trains call at a station that’s directly linked to Terminal 4 (the main terminal) of Barajas Airport
If your flight is departing from Terminals 1 or 2 or 3 the best option is take the Cercanias train to T4 and then transfer to the metro for a two station hop on to its T1/T2/T3 station.

Malaga

The station at Malaga Airport is a 5-10 min walk from the exit from the Arrivals Hall.

The signposting isn’t the best, we thought we were being directed to the upper level of the airport, but in fact you need to initially remain at ground level.
When you leave the arrivals hall turn to the left and then walk ahead towards the far end of the terminal building.
Turn to the right and then when you exit the terminal, the station is across the street.

The ticket machines aren’t particularly complicated and then once you have a ticket, there are escalators and elevators to take you down to the trains.
The journey to Malaga city centre takes 12 mins and the trains depart every 20 mins from via 2 (any train) – a single ticket costs less than €3.
The trains make two calls in the city centre:
1: Maria Zambrano
2. Centro-Alameda

Maria Zambrano is the city's main railway station, so connections are available with trains to and from Algeciras, Cordoba, Granada, Ronda and Seville

At the airport station trains heading to Fuengirola, which also call in Torremolinos and Benalmadena depart from via (platform/track) 1.

When travelling to the 'Aeropuerto' station from the city centre, take care to board line C1 trains which will be heading to Fuengirola

Valencia

Valencia airport is served by a station on lines 3 and 5 of the Valencia metro.
Both lines call at four city centre stations:

  1. Àngel Guimerà - transfer to lines 1 and 2
  2. Xàtiva - which is linked one of the city's two main rail stations, Valencia Nord; if you will be travelling between the airport and Valencia-Joaquin Sorolla station, use the free shuttle bus in Valencia Nord station.
  3. Colón
  4. Alameda

Sweden

Arlanda Express trains at Stockholm C station Arlanda Express trains at Stockholm C station

The only Swedish airport with a railway station is the country's dominant international gateway, Stockholm Arlanda.
It actually has three railway stations:

  1. Arlanda Nora, which is directly under terminal 5.
  2. Arlanda Central, which is the closest station to terminal 4; it's located under the Sky City area of the airport and is a 10 minute walk from terminal two and a four minute walk from terminal 5
  3. Arlanda Södra, which is located at the northern end of terminal two.

Between Arlanda and Stockholm city centre by train

The most frequent train service between the city's main railway station Stockholm C, and the airport is provided by the Arlanda Express.

Four trains per hour are typically available and the journey time is only 20 minutes.
Also because they only travel between Arlanda Airport and Stockholm C station, seats are pretty much guaranteed and the trains also have more luggage space than the norm.
Though the biggest plus of travelling by the Arlanda Express is that the trains have exclusive use of Arlanda Nora and Arlanda Södra stations, so they offer quicker transfers to and from flight arrivals and departures within the airport.

Though in the enormous Stockholm C station, the platforms / tracks 1 and 2, which are for the sole use of the Arlanda Express, are in the farthest part of the station from its main entrance.
The transfer to and from the metro at the adjacent T-Centralnen station is also particularly distant.
To ease the access to and from the Arlanda Express there is a separate Arlanda entrance / exit at Stockholm C, with its own taxi rank and drop off area.

However, these advantages of taking the Arlanda Express trains come at a cost.
Because tickets to travel by them are typically more than 120 SEK more expensive than taking the alternative trains which travel between Stockholm C and the Arlanda Central station.
The fastest of which can have a journey time of 18-23 minutes and therefore match the speed of the Arlanda Express trains.
So it can pay off to look up the prices and times of the different train services on your travel date on the SJ website, SJ is the national rail company in Sweden.
Though you won't need to book in advance to save money on any train between Stockholm and Arlanda; though something to watch out for is that SJ doesn't distinguish between the three separate stations at the airport.

Also if you will be travelling between Arlanda and areas of Stockholm to the north and south of Stockholm C station, there are local trains on route/line 40 of the city's commuter rail system, the Pendeltåg, which every 15-30 mins link Arlanda Central station with Odenplan station and Sodra station.
Odenplan is to the north of Stockholm C and Sodra is to the south.

Between Arlanda and destinations to the north by train

There is an alternative to taking the Arlanda Express for trains journeys between central Stockholm and the airport, because Arlanda Central station is on the railway between Stockholm and Uppsala.
So all trains between Stockholm and destinations to the north of Uppsala also call at Arlanda Central. hence Uppsala has a minimum of three trains per hour to/from Arlanda.
This includes the Snabbtåg express trains to and from Ostersund, Sundsvall and Umea, which can't be used for journeys beween Stockholm and Arlanda.
There are also more frequent IC trains between Arlanda and these cities, as well as IC trains to/from Borlange, Falun and Mora.
The sleeper trains to Boden and Narvik also call at Arlanda Central.

Departure / Arrival times and the ticket prices for travel by these IC trains, night trains and Snabbtåg trains can be looked up on the SJ website.
Though note if you book the cheaper Non-Rebookable tickets they live up to their name and can't be exchanged to an alternative departure in the event of a delayed flight arrival.

Switzerland

A very fortunate feature of Swiss railways is that Switzerland's only airports used by long-haul flights, in Geneva and in Zurich, are located at either end of the the country's primary railway route, which also calls in Bern, Fribourg and Lausanne.

Though if you will be travelling between Switzerland and a neighboring country, taking the train is obviously the way to go, thanks to the 50+ daily express day trains to/from the likes of Amsterdam, Berlin Bratislava, Budapest, Cologne, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Innsbruck, Linz, Milan, Munich Paris, Salzburg, Stuttgart, Venice and Vienna.

Geneva

All of the express trains between Geneva and other destinations in Switzerland start and end their journeys in the station at Geneva airport.
In summary the trains to and from Geneve Airport are travelling hourly on these five routes:

1: Geneve Aeroport - Lausanne - Fribourg - Bern - Zurich (city centre) - Zurich Airport - Winterthur and stations to St Gallen

2: Geneve Aeroport - Morges - Yverdon les Bains - Neuchâtel - Biel/Bienne (connect for Basel) - Solothurn - Olten - Aarau - Zurich (city centre) - Zurich Airport - Winterthur - St Gallen - Rorschach

3: Geneve Aeroport - Nyon - Morges - Lausanne - multiple stations including Fribourg and Bern to Luzern

4: Geneve Aeroport - Nyon - Morges - Lausanne - Vevey - Montreux - Aigle - Martigny - Sion - Sierre/Siders - Leuk - Visp - Brig

5: Geneve Aeroport - Lausanne - Vevey - Montreux - Aigle - St Maurice - Martigny - Sion - Sierre/Siders - Visp - Brig

All of these trains arrive and depart from the main railway station in Geneva.
The journey time and from the airport station is only 7 minutes.

Geneve Airport is also connected to multiple Swiss ski resorts by train; particularly straightforward transfers are available when travelling to and from:

Zurich

Zurich Flughafen station is located beneath the main terminal building at the airport and it is served by four groups of train services:

  1. Express IC trains to/from the likes of Bern, Biel/Bienne, Brig, Fribourg, Geneva, Interlaken, Lausanne, Neuchâtel, Romanshorn, Rorschach and St Gallen.
  2. International express EC trains to/from Bregenz, Lindau and Munich.
  3. Local 'S-Bhan' trains which connect the airport with multiple stations in Zurich.
  4. IR trains to/from Basel, Buchs*, Chur*, Landquart*, Lucerne and Konstanz.
    *= faster journeys are possible by making connections between trains in Zurich's main railway station, Zurich HB.

From Zurich airport to the city centre

When looking at the train departure screens at Zurich Flughafen you will see a swathe of trains calling at Zurich HB (Zurich’s main station) – listed in the ‘Nach’ column.
The journey time is 10 - 13 minutes.
If you will be be heading to the area around Zurich HB, or want to connect into other train services, it's easier and less confusing, if you target the trains which arrive at the part of the station attached to its main street level concourse.
These are:

  • the trains on line/route S24
  • the IR trains heading to Basel and Luzern.

What won’t be obvious from the departure screens, is that the ‘S’ (S-Bahn) trains, which typically depart every 30 minutes on each route/line, also call at stations in central Zurich other than Zurich HB.
S16 line trains, heading to Herriberg - also call at Zurich Stadelhofen station.

S16 line trains, heading to Herriberg and S2 line trains heading to Wilderswill - also call at Hardbrucke station.

S2 line trains heading to Wilderswill and S24 line trains heading to Zug - also call at both Zurich Weidikon station and Zurich Enge station.

Line S24 trains also call at Zurich Wipkingen station.

From Zurich's main station to the airport

There are more than 10 x trains per hour from Zurich HB station to Zurich Airport/Flughafen, but they depart from all three parts of the station.
Though there is no dedicated airport express service.

There are also no ‘next train to Zurich Flughafen’ indicators in the station, so the best option is to use the electronic displays; on the smaller yellow screens - check those marked ‘Fernverkehr’ AND those marked ‘S-Bahn’.
Most of the trains will be calling at Zurich Flughfaen en route to other destinations, including Winterthur, St Gallen and Romanshorn.

The train journey to Zurich Flughafen only takes 10-12 mins, so it doesn’t matter which type of train you take.

However, if you’ll be entering the station at the main concourse level and have luggage you'll need to allow 3-4 mins to access platforms/gleis 33-34 and 41-44.
You can save the bother and time involved of accessing these lower level platforms/gleis if you take a train to Zurich Flughafen that is departing from the street level platforms/gleis/tracks 3 – 18.
So check the departure boards carefully, if the next departure from platforms/gleis/tracks 3 – 18 is departing within 8 mins; the recommendation is to take that train.

Between Zurich airport and other Swiss cities

Look up the departure times and book tickets on the SBB website.

You can save money for these longer distance journeys by booking discounted Sparbillette (Supersaver) tickets.
They are train departure specific, so you can only use them on the departure you select when making a booking.
Though If you miss the train you are booked on, due to a delayed flight arrival, so will need to take an alternative train, you will have to buy a new ticket for the other train.
Show both tickets to the conductor and you can claim a refund for your original Sparbillette (Supersaver) ticket, but the process costs 10CHF.

Express IC trains provide daily direct links between Zurich and multiple other Swiss cities, including:
to/from Basel

  • journey time = 1hr 27 mins
  • 1 x train per hour
  • earliest arrival at 06:04
  • final departure at 20:56
  • by IR trains and not IC trains

to/from Bern

  • journey time = 1hr 20 mins
  • 2 x trains per hour
  • earliest arrival at 06:51
  • final departure at 22:45

to/from Biel/Bienne

  • journey time = 1hr 25 mins
  • 1 x train per hour
  • earliest arrival at 06:42
  • final departure at 20:48

to/from Brig

  • journey time = 1hr 25 mins
  • 1 x train every other hour; alternated with trains heading to Interlaken, connect in Bern in the hours when no direct train is available
  • earliest arrival at 08:14
  • final departure at 17:45
  • these trains also call at Thun and Spiez and Visp

to/from Fribourg

  • journey time = 1hr 47 mins
  • 1 x train per hour
  • earliest arrival at 07:51
  • final departure at 21:08

to/from Geneva

  • journey time = 3hrs - 3hr 10mins
  • 1 or 2 x trains per hour, most hours have 2 trains
  • earliest arrival at 08:51
  • final departure at 18:08; you can depart the airport later and change trains in Zurich HB
  • all trains travel beyond the main station in Geneva to terminate in the station at Geneva airport

to/from Interlaken

  • journey time = 2h 5
  • 1 x train every other hour; alternated with trains heading to Brig, connect in Bern in the hours when no direct train is available
  • earliest arrival at 09:14
  • final departure at 18:45
  • these trains also call at Thun and Spiez; they also call at two stations in Interlaken, the west station and Interlaken Ost

to/from Lausanne

  • journey time = 2hr 27min - 2hr 38min
  • 1 or 2 x trains per hour, most hours have 1 x train
  • earliest arrival at 08:12
  • final departure at 20:08; you can depart the airport later and change trains in Zurich HB

to/from Luzern

  • journey time = 1hr 10 mins - 1hr 14mins
  • 2 x trains per hour
  • earliest arrival at 06:21
  • final departure at 23:38
  • by IR trains and not IC trains

to/from Neuchâtel

  • journey time = 1hr 44min
  • 1 x train per hour
  • earliest arrival at 08;12
  • final departure at 19:48

to/from Romanshorn

  • journey time = 56min
  • 1 x train per hour
  • earliest arrival at 06:44
  • final departure at 23:16

to/from Rorschach

  • journey time = 1hr 8min
  • 1 x train per hour
  • earliest arrival at 06:46
  • final departure at 19:18, depart later by changing trains in St Gallen

to/from St Gallen

  • journey time = 50mins - 1hr
  • 2 x trains per hour
  • earliest arrival at 06:06
  • final departure at 00:30

A few Swiss cities and cities including don't have direct rail links with Zurich airport.
To travel by train between the airport and Bellinzona, Locarno and Lugano, make connections at Zurich HB station.
To travel to and from Montreux and Sion, make connections in Lausanne.

to ski resorts from Zurich airport

Zurich Airport is also connected to multiple Swiss ski resorts by train; particularly straightforward transfers are available when travelling to and from:

Author

Simon Harper

I wanted to share my passion for train travel and explain how anyone can take the fantastic journeys I have taken.

ShowMeTheJourney

This is one of more than 100 train travel guides available on ShowMeTheJourney, which will make it easier to take the train journeys you want or need to make. As always, all images were captured on trips taken by ShowMeTheJourney.

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