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Frankfurt to London by train
How to take a thrilling high speed rail journey from Frankfurt to London
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Routes
From Frankfurt Main Hbf to London St Pancras International
Journey Summary
6hr - 7hr 35min (approx
Daily
Travel Information
On this optimum routing journey the connecting time in Bruxelles-Midi/Zuid station between the arrival of the ICE train and departure of the Eurostar trains will be a minimum of 1hr 10 mins - 1hr 20 mins,
So this should allow sufficient time to check-in for the Eurostar even if the ICE train from Frankfurt (Main) arrives in Bruxelles/Brussels more than 45 mins late.
Hence the journey time being longer than when travelling from the UK - in the opposite direction the connecting time between trains at Bruxelles-Midi station is shorter).
This guide has more information re: making the connection into the Eurostar train at Bruxellles-Midi station.
The alternative routing:
Due to the reduction in the number of Eurostars operating on the Bruxelles to London route, many of the journey options which can be found online now involve:
1: Taking a train from Frankfurt to Paris
2. Making the transfer between Paris terminals
3. Taking a train from Paris to London
Current timetable (pre-pandemic):
Mon-Friday 3 x connections per day
Saturday = 1 x connection
Sunday = 2 x connections
Usual timetable (pre-pandemic):
Mon-Thurs: 3 or 4 x connections per day
Friday = 4 or 5 x connections
Saturday = 3 or 4 x connections
Sunday = 3 x connections
Change trains in: Bruxelles/Brussels
Tickets
Book Early And Save: Yes
Online bookings open: usually open around 6 months ahead of the travel date.
Check the schedules when looking up this journey, the results on the ticket agents combine this optimum routing; via Bruxelles and only one change of train, with alternative journey options via Paris
Seat Reservations:
The tickets will be train specific, but seat reservations are optional on the ICE train between Frankfurt (Main) and Bruxelles/Brussels when booking 2nd class tickets - they ARE included when booking 1st class tickets.
When looking up 2nd class tickets - the prices you will initially see on the agents do NOT initially include the costs of the reservation on these ICE trains.
The reservation fee is 2nd class = €4.50, 1st class = €5.50.
On DB and the Trainline, you will have to add the reservations.
Reservations are compulsory on the Eurostar and this is included when booking end2end journey tickets – your Eurostar seats will be automatically assigned.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| DB Bahn | from €69.90 | |
| Trainline | from €69.90 | |
| B-Europe | * |
Train 1
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Bruxelles-Midi/Brussel Zuid
All trains also call at: Frankfurt Flughafen/Airport
A fabulous journey by high speed train
Connect at Bruxelles-Nord for Bruxelles-Central station
This route showcases high speed train travel at it's finest, the journey between Frankfurt Flughafen and Seigburg/Bonn in particular can fuel adrenalin!
For virtually the entire train journey from Koln to Bruxelles the trains, will either be travelling at up to 290 km/h on purpose built high speed lines, or up to 200km/h on section of railway, that has been re-engineered to allow trains to travel faster.
It is a journey of eight distinct phases:
- Until Frankfurt Flughafen the train will snake its ways through the city's suburbs
- The train will then spend around 40 minutes travelling at more than 270 km/h on the high speed line.
The video was taking on a train travelling in the opposite direction, but it gives a sense of what a thrill this train ride can be; this is a journey when it's especially obvious that you're travelling on a high speed train!
- Between Koln and Aachen the trains travel at up to 200 km/h on a re-engineered stretch of railway.
- Then for most of the the 25 min journey between Aachen and Liege the train will travel at up to 290 km/h on a high speed line; this is also the most scenic part of the trip.
- Then for around five minutes after departure from Liege, the train will travel fairly slowly on a route which ascends from the city.
- Next up is the HS2 Belgian high speed route as far as Leuven, in theory the ICE and Thalys trains can accelerate back up to around 290 km/h on this part of the trip.
- From Leuven to just north of Brussel-Nord station the maximum speed is 200 km/h.
- For most of the journey between Brussel-Nord and Brussel-Zuid the railway crosses the city centre in a tunnel.
Train 2
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
As a consequence of the pandemic Eurostar is operating a particularly limited timetable for the time being - further information is available on Eurostar.com
Final Destination: London St. Pancras International
Some trains* also call at : Ebbsfleet International; Ashford International (these station calls are suspended for the time being)
Note that London is in a different time zone to mainland Europe, it is one hour behind - so when looking at a timetable the journey will look as though it's an hour shorter.
Most of the departures between Bruxelles/Brussels and London will be by the e320 trains; but the e300 trains are also used on this route.
Our guide to taking the Eurostar from Bruxelles/Brussels has more information including details of check-in and how to connect into the Eurostar from other train services.
Our guide to arriving by Eurostar in London is here.
It's not a scenic journey, but it is a journey with distinct phases and highlights:
1: There is little to see from the high speed lines in Belgium and France.
2: 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.
3: As the train nears Ebbsfleet International station, comes the scenic highlight of the journey - the crossing of the River Medway on a high bridge.
4: After Ebbsfleet International (which can only be seen from the right) the train will enter a tunnel under the River Thames.
As the train exits this tunnel, from the left, the Queen Elizabeth II road bridge can be seen.
5: For most of the final 8 -10 mins of the journey the trains use tunnels to enter London (Stratford International station is located between the tunnels).
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