The new service is a high-profile addition to Europe’s international night train trip options. It also makes it possible to take a train from London to Stockholm in a single day. British travelers who like to try new things and care about the environment are happy and starting to plan a trip to Scandinavia that is better for the environment.
Everyone from romantics to travelers who care about the environment has been looking for more ways to travel slowly in Europe in the past few years. Most of this need has been met by NightJet routes from OBB (Austrian Railways) that spread out from Vienna in all directions. Night services have also been brought back by the SNCF in France and the Turkish Railways.
Swedish Railway’s (SJ) decision to follow suit and offer a connection to Hamburg from the south isn’t a game changer. Even though sleeper services were cut in other parts of Europe, they still ran between towns and cities in Sweden, Norway, and Finland, which are very far apart. Also, the seasonal Snalltget service between Berlin and Stockholm has been running for a long time. A private company runs this service.
The departure
The trip from London takes at least four long-distance trains and 1902 km, or 1182 miles. Traveling for a whole day is no easy task.
The trip starts at London’s St. Pancras International, a good place to begin any great train trip. Even 15 years after it opened for international service, the red-brick Victorian Gothic masterpiece’s train shed is still the best.
In the summer of 2022, when travel to mainland Europe will be in great demand, quick, frequent trains from here to Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam will act as an antidote to the isolation caused by the Brexit vote. Most people get to the airport well before the 45-minute check-in cut-off time because they know that passport lines can take a long time.
On the day of my trip, everyone was so well-organized that the longest line of the day was for coffee outside the immigration desks. My tip is to get a cup of coffee before you check in or get one on the train. Or, you can join the long, very British line. It’s part of the fun.
The travel experience
Brussels will be the first stop, with or without a cup of coffee. It’s also dangerous if you want to get to Stockholm in a day. Timetables and most companies selling tickets will tell you that the best way to get to Cologne, the next stop on the way to Stockholm, is on the German Deutsche Bahn ICE instead of the Thalys.
Plan based on how willing you are to take risks. Instead of playing “travel roulette,” I took a chance to make a short connection from the Eurostar to the Thalys. (I was lucky because the ICE I would have been on that morning was canceled.) You could take (slower) regional trains from Brussels to Welkenraedt and Aachen as backup. On the German north-south line, you can also get to Hamburg through Amsterdam and Osnabrück.
As a positive, there are several trains to Hamburg, many of which go all the way to Altona, where the Stockholm train leaves, so you don’t have to change trains at Hamburg Hauptbanhof station.
I loved spending a few happy hours looking out the window at the countryside, getting flattered. I only left my window seat to walk to the onboard restaurant for a late lunch.
The arrival
Once the train was in Sweden, it went north for five hours until it reached the capital. When you’re on a night train going somewhere new, waking up somewhere new is a magical part of the trip. In the morning, you’ll be in a new place. A misty dawn over forests and lakes that looked very Nordic added to the excitement, and it felt very far from London’s rush hour.
We got to Stockholm on time, at 9:55 a.m. This gave me more time than on some sleeper trains to eat breakfast on the train (€9.40 for a roll, jam, and as much coffee as you want) and watch the Swedish countryside go by. The train stopped at another great cathedral of train travel: Stockholm’s Central Station, whose elegantly curved waiting area and stately mix of water, land, and modern living beyond. When you get to Stockholm, it’s time to try out all the best things to do there.
Information about the Night train from Hamburg to Stockholm
When should you go
May and June are the best months to go north because there are more daylight hours and fewer people.
Food and drink while on the trip
Some restaurants are open for at least part of the trip on the Eurostar, the InterCity, and the EuroNight trains. Along the route, there are a lot of places to eat at train stations. This means that you’re only a few steps away from being able to save money by having a picnic on the train.
Tickets
The cheapest tickets for this route cost about $130, but the price depends on how far in advance you book, which class you choose, and what kind of room you want on the night service. The ticket cost me $180.
Eurostar tickets can be bought up to 120 days ahead of time, and it’s a good idea. Lately, this option has become more expensive because overall prices have increased and there are fewer services. However, if you choose an early departure, you can save money. Other train tickets can be bought 90 days ahead of time. National carriers, like Eurostar and Trainline.com, let you book domestic and international trips.
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Transport
London and Stockholm are great hubs for getting to other places by train, bus, or plane.
Places to Stay
Near St. Pancras in London and Stockholm Central, you can find places to stay at all price points.