goingbytrain.eu

Journeys from Stockholm

Alasdair Skelton

Rail journeys from Stockholm are structured as follows:

  • Stockholm to Hamburg

  • Hamburg to Bucharest

  • Hamburg to Brussels

  • Hamburg to Glasgow

  • Hamburg to Lausanne

  • Hamburg to Salzburg

  • Hamburg to Tübingen

  • Hamburg to Milan

  • Milan to Rome

  • Milan to Athens

  • Hamburg to Paris

  • Paris to Marseille

  • Paris to Madrid

Stockholm to Hamburg

If you are travelling from Stockholm to most other European countries, you will first need to travel via Hamburg. To do so, I recommend day trains:

For the outward journey:

  • Travel from Stockholm to Malmö on an SJ X2000. Trains usually run every hour and the journey time is typically 4½ hours. I recommend choosing the first departure after 6 a.m. Seat reservations are required. Interrail passengers can purchased them from SJ (see "Seat reservations").

  • Travel with Öresundståg from Malmö to Copenhagen. Trains usually run every 15 minutes and the joureny time is typically 45 minutes. Seat reservations are not required.

  • Plan on a stopover of 2-2½ hours in Copenhagen. This is to allow for delays between Stockholm and Malmö and/or between Malmö and Copenhagen. If both trains are on time, 2½ hours is plenty of time to walk to the harbour in Nyhavn (30 minutes from the station) for an open sandwich and a beer - a Danish favourite. If not, you won't need to stress about missing your onwards connection to Hamburg.

  • Travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg on a German IC train. These are operated by DSB International and DB International. Direct trains usually run every 2 hours and the journey time is typically 4½ hours. If you opt for the first departure after 2 p.m., you should reach Hamburg in time for an evening meal. Seat reservations are recommended (required in the summer). Interrail passengers can purchase them from DSB International or DB International (see "Seat reservations").

  • Stay overnight in Hamburg before continuing your journey, unless you are continuing with an ÖBB NightJet (see below).

For the return journey:

  • Travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen on a German IC train. These are operated by DSB International and DB International. Direct trains usually run every 2 hours and the journey time is typically 4½ hours. If you are beginning your journey after an overnight stay in Hamburg, I recommend choosing the first departure after 8 a.m., so that you have time for breakfast in Hamburg as there is little (or no) food on the train. If you are arriving in Hamburg on a ÖBB NightJet (see below), I recommend choosing the first depature after 10 a.m.

  • Travel with Öresundståg from Copenhagen to Malmö. Trains usually run every 15 minutes and the joureny time is typically 45 minutes.

  • Plan on a stopover of 1-1½ hours in Malmö. This is to allow for delays between Hamburg and Copenhagen and/or between Copenhagen and Malmö. If both trains are on time, 1½ hours is plenty of time to walk to the main square for a coffee or a beer. If not, you won't need to stress about missing your onwards connection to Stockholm.

  • Travel from Malmö to Stockholm on an SJ X2000. Trains usually run every hour and the journey time is typically 4½ hours. If you opt for the first departure after 4 p.m., you should reach Stockholm before 9 p.m. 

Click here for example train times.

Tip: There are also night trains between Stockholm and Hamburg. These are operated by SJ (until August 2026) and Snälltåget. I do not recommend either of them for business travellers. Snälltåget do not offer sleeper berths (only 6-person couchettes) and SJ's EuroNight tends to be fully booked and (in my experience) there is also a tendency for long delays and "forgotten" wagons, meaning that even if you have reserved a sleeper berth, you risk finding yourself sitting up all night (or on a bus for all or part of the journey).

From Stockholm to Bucharest

To travel between Stockholm and Bucharest, I recommend day trains between Stockholm and Hamburg, overnight in Hamburg, day trains between Hamburg and Vienna, and night trains between Vienna and Bucharest.

For the outward journey:

  • Travel from Stockholm to Hamburg by day trains (see “Stockholm to Hamburg”) on Day 1.

  • Stay overnight in Hamburg.

  • Take an ICE train from Hamburg to Vienna on Day 2. Trains run every 1-2 hours, mostly via Nürnberg, but with one direct train (recommended). This train departs from Hamburg at 08:02 and reaches Vienna at 16:47.

  • Enjoy an evening meal near the railway station in Vienna.

  • Take the Dacia Express from Vienna to Bucharest. You need a reservation and I recommend a sleeper cabin on this train. This night train departs from Vienna at 19:42 and reaches Bucharest at 15:26 on Day 3.

For the return journey:

  • Take the Dacia Express from Bucharest to Vienna. This night train departs from Bucharest at 15:07 on Day 1 and reaches Vienna at 08:02 on Day 2.

  • Enjoy breakfast at or near the railway station in Vienna.

  • Take an ICE train from Vienna to Hamburg on Day 2. Trains run every 1-2 hours, via Nürnberg. I recommend choosing the first departure after 10 a.m. from Vienna. I also recommend allowing a minimum of 45 minutes for changing trains in Nürnberg. You should then reach Hamburg at around 8 p.m., which is still in time for an evening meal.

  • Stay overnight in Hamburg.

  • Travel from Hamburg to Stockholm by day trains (see “Stockholm to Hamburg”) on Day 3.

For the return journey, I recommend an Interrail pass (7 days in 1 month) with seat reservations booked with SJ as far as Copenhagen, seat reservations booked with DB International between Copenhagen and Vienna, and private sleeper cabins booked with Austrian State Railways between Vienna and Bucharest (see “Seat reservations” and “Night trains”).

Click here for example train times.