Help on cheap train tickets to Berlin

[ModernRailways]

Hi,
I'm looking at travelling to Berlin on the 4th August to the 11th August (Can travel on sleeper services) I want to arrive on the 4th August at any time of day and will be leaving on the 11th.
I hate planes and would also like to travel by Eurostar.
Does anyone know if their are cheaper fares than the £273.00 quoted on RailEurope?
Thanks in advance!

 

[starrymarkb]

I'd look at bahn.co.uk for the London Special
http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/prices/europe/london-spezial.shtml

Also fares can be cheaper if you don't use ICEs.

If traveling at the weekend you can get a Beautiful Weekend ticket which covers all Regional trains (no InterCity or ICE services) in Germany for €42
http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/prices/germany/schoenes-wochenende-ticket.shtml

 

[Oscar]

Outward Option 1:

London St. Pancras International Sa, 03.08.13 ab 12:58 EST 9132 EUROSTAR
Reservierungspflicht, Besonderer Fahrschein oder Zuschlag erforderlich, Check-In Zeiten beachten, Nichtraucherzug, Bistro Cafe
Bruxelles-Midi Eurostar Sa, 03.08.13 an 16:08
Übergang 17 Min.
Umsteigezeit anpassen
Bruxelles-Midi Sa, 03.08.13 ab 18:25 4 ICE 19 Intercity-Express
Bordbistro
Köln Hbf Sa, 03.08.13 an 20:15 4
Umsteigezeit 10:11 h
Umsteigezeit anpassen

Overnight stay in Köln

Köln Hbf So, 04.08.13 ab 06:26 5 ICE 543 Intercity-Express
Bordrestaurant
Berlin Hbf So, 04.08.13 an 11:08

119 € on www.bahn.de; enter 02:00 stop-over in Brussels and 10:00 in Köln


Outward option 2:

London St. Pancras International Sa, 03.08.13 ab 19:04 EST 9156 EUROSTAR
Reservierungspflicht, Besonderer Fahrschein oder Zuschlag erforderlich, Check-In Zeiten beachten, Nichtraucherzug, Bistro Cafe
Bruxelles-Midi Eurostar Sa, 03.08.13 an 22:08
Übergang 17 Min.

Overnight stay in Brussels
Umsteigezeit anpassen
Bruxelles-Midi So, 04.08.13 ab 10:25 5 ICE 15 Intercity-Express
Bordbistro
Köln Hbf So, 04.08.13 an 12:15 5
Umsteigezeit 23 Min.
Umsteigezeit anpassen
Köln Hbf So, 04.08.13 ab 12:38 2 ICE 559 Intercity-Express
Bordrestaurant
Berlin Hbf So, 04.08.13 an 17:08 11 D - G

59 €

Return option 1:


Berlin Hbf So, 11.08.13 ab 06:49 13 ICE 654 Intercity-Express
Bordrestaurant
Köln Hbf So, 11.08.13 an 11:09 6
Umsteigezeit 34 Min.
Umsteigezeit anpassen
Köln Hbf So, 11.08.13 ab 11:43 5 ICE 16 Intercity-Express
Bordbistro
Bruxelles-Midi So, 11.08.13 an 13:35 5
Übergang 45 Min.
Check-In Zeiten beachten
Umsteigezeit anpassen
Bruxelles-Midi EST So, 11.08.13 ab 14:52 EST 9141 EUROSTAR
Reservierungspflicht, Besonderer Fahrschein oder Zuschlag erforderlich, Check-In Zeiten beachten, Nichtraucherzug, Bistro Cafe
London St. Pancras International So, 11.08.13 an 16:03
119 €

Return option 2:

Berlin Hbf (tief) So, 11.08.13 ab 13:57 6 IC 1917 Intercity
Fahrradmitnahme reservierungspflichtig, Fahrradmitnahme begrenzt möglich
Köln Hbf So, 11.08.13 an 19:15 7
Umsteigezeit 28 Min.
Umsteigezeit anpassen
Köln Hbf So, 11.08.13 ab 19:43 5 ICE 10 Intercity-Express
Bordbistro
Bruxelles-Midi So, 11.08.13 an 21:35 5
Übergang 45 Min.
Check-In Zeiten beachten

Overnight stay in Brussels

Umsteigezeit anpassen
Bruxelles-Midi EST Mo, 12.08.13 ab 06:56 EST 9109 EUROSTAR
Reservierungspflicht, Besonderer Fahrschein oder Zuschlag erforderlich, Check-In Zeiten beachten, Nichtraucherzug, Bistro Cafe
London St. Pancras International Mo, 12.08.13 an 07:57
59 €

These London-Spezial tickets are released 3 months in advance and 59 € fares are usually available on a wide selection of trains when these fares are released. However, the availability of the lowest fares is usually much more limited six weeks in advance and is typically restricted to itineraries requiring an overnight stay.

Contact Eurostar Domestic Sales to buy a two Advance tickets between Newcastle and Lndon Estar (CIV) which you can collect an a TVM. There is usually high availability of the lowest Advance tier on the East Coast route, in this case £15 or £9.90 with a 16-25 Railcard.

 

[30907]

Rail Europe can't sell you German Advance fares, of which London-Special is one.

You are travelling at a very busy time, anyway, and there's not much in the way of cheap fares left now.

However:
if you can leave London on the Saturday evening, overnight in Brussels and wiat for the 10.25 thence (civilised!), you can do the trip for EUR59.- plus your hotel (there's an Ibis at Midi station...).
The same works on the return if you use an IC not ICE train from Berlin to Cologne - doesn't seem to matter what time you travel Brussels-London on the Monday.
Without the overnight stop you'll not do much better than RailEurope.

The alternative with similar timings is to travel from Liverpool Street on the Stena Line ferry from Harwich, but that actually works out more expensive.

You can cut the cost slightly with a Schoenes Wochenende Ticket, as starrymarkb says, as a Dutchflyer is valid TO the German border (or a Eurostar "Any Station Belgium" ticket) and the SWT FROM the border - BUT using Regional trains only will add several hours to the journey and I wouldn't recommend it.

PS - Oscar's beaten me to it with a better option for the return and an equally good one for the outward.
You could almost certainly get a more civilised departure from Koeln to Berlin too, and there's a reasonable choice of hotels near the main station in Koeln.
,
(PS to other readers - the overnight-at-Brussels trick (and sometimes at Koeln) will very often get you the headline EUR59 fare to anywhere in Germany)

 

[ModernRailways]

Thanks all for the help! Really is appreciated. I have managed to save about £50 at least - I've included any food costs and potential other costs.

I'm going Interrailing on a 5 in 10 days ticket with a friend from Berlin which is why I am going there. I plan to make a diary of my journeys and hopefully I will post them all up on these forums!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Koln far better than Brussels - (if you have to stay overnight) - decent enough places within a walk from the station ..or an IBIS right there (or the one at Koln Deutz over the bridge..)

 

[gordonthemoron]

I agree that Cologne is better for accommodation, but I prefer Brussels as a city

 

[leytongabriel]

Try riniging DB UK at their Surbiton office - can be better than theri website,

 

[ModernRailways]

Try riniging DB UK at their Surbiton office - can be better than theri website,

I think I'll give them a call in the morning just to see what they can do.

 

[30907]

They're good but I can't see how they can beat EUR118 return.

They may however have a better fare than the website for a same day connection, I've read that the contingents aren't linked