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Route from UK to Copenhagen and Stockholm + Sleeper advice

  • 10 April 2024
  • 8 replies
  • 143 views
P

Hi all

Planning to be back on the rails for a two week trip around the end of August, so thought I’d see if anyone has any hot tips/suggestions. Family of four.

We want to cover Copenhagen and Stockholm, and are thinking of adding Oslo to the mix if it’s worth it. Also want to do the Hamburg <> Stockholm sleeper (private couchette)

No set dates as yet, and fairly flexible through August

Initial thoughts are:

London > Brussels

Brussels > Stockholm (via Hamburg and sleeper)

Stockholm > Copenhagen

Then back to London via Brussels (or maybe Amsterdam)

or opposite way round: Brussels > Copenhagen > Stockholm > Brussels (via sleeper and Hamburg)

 

Initial investigations suggest the sleeper is not yet up for booking. I also haven’t yet decided on whether to go interrail pass or not, but I suspect in order to get the Eurostar reservations I’ll need to decide this sooner than the sleeper booking opens up so may not really be able to price up properly. Assume the sleeper pricing is quite dynamic.

Any thoughts on which direction to take the sleeper? Loos like starting at Hamburg is 10pm to 10am and the other way is 5.30pm to 6am, so both probably offer daylight views of the same sections.

Worth putting Oslo in between? Fair bit of travel, but open to it if we can get 2/3 full days in each city (not Brussels).

Any nuggets of wisdom?

Thanks

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Best answer by thibcabe 10 April 2024, 18:31

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T
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London -> Amsterdam direct Eurostar still run while in the other direction you must change in Brussels (works in the Amsterdam security terminal). This might rearrange the order of your trip.

Actually there are 2 night trains between Berlin/Hamburg and Stockholm : SJ and Snälltåget. You should compare both and decide. SJ isn't open yet indeed, Snälltåget might be.

You could even go all the way to Berlin to have a longer night's sleep on the train. :)

I would try to avoid the 6am arrival as it probably means waking up at 4:30 or so…

You could add Oslo or Gothenburg. Train links are good but quite slow along the coast.

EDIT: Interrail will probably be good value, if only for the Eurostar return and the night train.

P

Ah yes, I forgot to ask about the SJ and Snälltåget. Do you know if there is much difference in the services/stock? I can compare prices against the latest available ones and it looks like Snälltåget is already available.

Berlin may be a good shout, particularly if we go with Snälltåget as that leaves at midnight from Hamburg. Will have a look at the return times.

Yes, if we decide to add Amsterdam we'll do it at the start. Will have to see if connection to Hamburg is easy from there.

Thanks

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I believe Snälltåget is better but I haven't taken either. Maybe @AnnaB could advise? :)

Amsterdam - Hamburg is relatively easy with a change in Osnabrück. Note the mandatory reservation on the first train (due to overcrowding in summer). New carriages should enter service in June on Amsterdam - Osnabrück - Berlin.

It is hopefully more reliable than the current Brussels/Amsterdam - Germany ICEs...

A
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The SJ Euronight has seats, chouchettes and sleepers. Snälltåget has seats and couchettes. With Interrail, SJ Euronight is cheaper than Snälltåget.

SJ Euronight is often an hour or more delayed as there are some problems with the brakes on the sleeping cars, thus the train has to run at reduced speed.

Snälltåget has a dining car between Stockholm and Malmö where reservations have to be made in advance.

At SJ Euronight the train staff has some light food and snacks to sell, at least on the route from Stockholm. Stock might run out and you should be prepared to bring thing to eat and drink yourself.

Please note that I don't work for Interrail/Eurail and that I don't reply to personal messages.
P

Thanks. This has given me some things to think about.

I like the idea of the dining cart, and if I go as far as Berlin it arrives around 8.

You mention SJ is cheaper reservations. Do you know how much for a private berth? I can’t see that on the reservations page, but assume it would be EUR20 x 6 berths = EUR120? Snälltåget is SEK2,500 (around EUR220).

So I might do London > Amsterdam (2 nights) > Copenhagen (4 nights) > Oslo (4 nights) > Stockholm (4 nights) > Berlin (sleeper 1 night) > Brussels (1 night) > London.

 

A
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SJ Euronight has the following prices per person.

Seat 165 SEK

Couchette 385 SEK

Sleeper 830 SEK

You can't book a private couchette compartment with Interrail on the SJ Euronight. 

At the moment there are no actual seating cars as the Danish authorities haven't approved them so SJ run couchette cars as seat cars, but without pillow, blanket and ladder. This means that you actually can lie down even if you buy a seat reservation. This as long as the seating cars don't get approved. And no one knows when that will happen. 

Please note that I don't work for Interrail/Eurail and that I don't reply to personal messages.
A
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Here are the prices with Snälltåget. To book a private compartment with Snälltåget, you need to be at least 2 persons. 

 

 

Please note that I don't work for Interrail/Eurail and that I don't reply to personal messages.
P

Thanks. Yes, think I’ll probably go with Snälltåget from Stockholm to Berlin. Definitely want a private couchette and will probably go with Interrail pass, so makes sense. Saw the prices and wanted to compare to SJ - I guess if I can’t wait for SJ to release tickets and still need to get Eurostar reservations done it’ll be safer to go with Snälltåget.

 

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