All Expressions rail holidays are tailor-made for individuals (they are not set group departures) according to your requirements. We offer complete flexibility on the duration, date of travel, number of places visited, the number of nights in each place and the type of hotel you stay at. From a single-centre stay in a destination that is reached by train to a touring holiday that visits multiple locations, we cater for your interests.
How our rail holidays to Eastern Europe work
We feature suggested itineraries that you can book as they are or adapt. You choose your date of departure and the class of travel. We will put together a tailor-made price based on best available train fares and hotel rates. We will offer you upgrade options and we can arrange local entrances, sightseeing, guides and opera and concert tickets too.
Train travel to Eastern Europe
A rail holiday to Eastern Europe starts with the Eurostar from London St. Pancras, Ebbsfleet or Ashford stations probably to Brussels if you are heading for Germany or Paris if you are taking a route through Switzerland.
Eurostar offers almost hourly departures every day, allowing you to travel, non-stop, from the centre of London to the centre of Brussels in just under 2 hours and Paris in just over 2 hours. Some trains stop at the Ebbsfleet and Ashford stations in Kent, and parking is plentiful at both stations and it allows you to avoid London. Check-in is 30 to 45 minutes prior to departure, customs formalities are completed before boarding and there is no limit to the amount of baggage that can be taken on board. The Eurostar trains have 8 coaches which are split into Standard Class, Standard Premier and Business Premier as well as 2 cafeterias. Standard Premier customers are served a light cold meal and enjoy a more spacious environment than Standard Class, while Business Premier customers receive a hot meal and unlimited beverages as well as lounge access.
You may wish to stay for a night or two in Paris or Brussels – we can arrange overnight accommodation for you in characterful, good quality, central hotels on request.
Nightjet trains are owned by the OBB Austrian Railways and operate overnight sleeper services from various European cities to Austria and on to Budapest. There is a choice of single, double and triple compartments, offering a standard (small wash basin) and a deluxe (with own shower and WC, wash basin, shower gel and towels). The compartment can be locked by the passenger, and an intercom system allows direct contact with the train team. There is a food service on board that provides hot and cold food and beverages.
The Nightjet runs to Vienna (and on to Budapest) from Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg, Munich, Venice, Rome, Florence, Verona, Milan and Zurich.
Railjet trains are owned and operated by the OBB Austrian Railways and connect numerous European cities with all of Austria, with a top speed of 230 kms per hour. Two Railjets run between Vienna and Salzburg every hour. Every two hours there is a Railjet from Prague to Graz via Vienna. Twice a day Railjet travels from Vienna to Venice. Railjet also offers a service from Zurich via Innsbruck, Salzburg and Linz to Vienna in about 8 hours. From December 2018 Bratislava is also included in the network. These trains are modern, efficient, comfortable, with first and second class, and have an excellent restaurant on board.
ICE are German high-speed trains covering long distance journeys, for example from Berlin to Munich (a journey time of just under 4 hours). ICE offers comfortable seating with good legroom, free wifi, quiet zones, socket at your seat and on-board catering with meals, drinks and snacks. Other long distance trains might be the IC (Intercity) and the EC (EuroCity) connecting German cities to ones in neighbouring countries. The EuroCity might be operated by more than one nationality of the route, so a journey from Berlin to Prague might be operated by a Czech EuroCity although a service continuing to Budapest might be operated by the Hungarian EuroCity.
Venice Simplon-Orient-Express travels into Eastern Europe as follows:
15 May 2019 Venice to Prague to London
1 May 2019 Venice to Budapest, Vienna, Paris and to London
6 June 2019 London to Paris and Berlin
8 June 2019 Berlin to Paris and London
23 August 2019 Paris to Budapest, Bucharest and Istanbul
30 August 2019 Istanbul to Bucharest, Budapest and Paris
Contact us for prices combined with additional travel and hotel requirements.
Our hotels
Expressions Holidays has put together a personal selection of hotels in all the destinations in Eastern Europe we are offering you. Our hotels are selected to provide exceptionally high standards of character, comfort and service. Many of our hotels are among the most highly acclaimed in each country we feature. Others are full of charm and character or provide rest and relaxation amid an atmosphere of luxury and style.
Star ratings are an important indicator of facilities and price, but, just as important as a star rating is character and ambience. We believe that whatever the official star rating of our hotels, each hotel has unique qualities and a sincere individuality of its own.