Seafood Safari, Scenic Journeys & Idyllic Island Living

London to Gothenburg by Train

DAY 1 London to Hamburg by Train

Set off bright and early today for your morning Eurostar train from London St. Pancras station to Brussels, a journey that takes around two hours. Nab a seat by the window and pass the time watching the world go by as you wind your way across the tip of France and through Belgium to the capital.

You've got 20 minutes or so to change platforms, and then the second stage of your journey takes you from Brussels to Cologne on a speedy ICE (InterCity Express) high speed train, which takes under two hours. Then from Cologne, it's another relaxed connection and a final four-hour ICE train to the pretty port city of Hamburg where you will be staying for the night.

You'll arrive in the early evening, so after checking into your hotel, stretch your legs on a wander around the city centre with its picturesque canals and then go for a bite to eat - our Concierge can recommend a lovely local spot in a town renowned for its nightlife.

DAY 2 Hamburg to Copenhagen and on to Gothenburg by Train

Today, after filling up on a hearty breakfast at your hotel, catch a morning train from Hamburg to Copenhagen Central Station, arriving into the Danish capital after a scenic five-hour journey. The railway heads north across the border from Hamburg into Denmark (sadly the old routing, which involved a memorable crossing where the train was shunted onto a ferry for the 50-minute crossing from Puttgarden in Germany to Rodby in Denmark, has hit the buffers. It was one of the few places in Europe where trains still went onto ferries) and then cuts east to Funen Island and Zealand Island and finally the Danish capital across a series of bridges and tunnels. From Copenhagen, it's a four-hour train to Sweden's second city Gothenburg, where you will be staying for the night in a charming and characterful hotel. After checking in this evening and freshening up, enjoy a leisurely evening meal in the city, where our Concierge can recommend and reserve a great local spot.

DAY 3 Ferry to Kladesholmen

Your London to Gothenburg by train trip continues today with a ferry ride to the neighbouring island of Tjorn where you will be staying in the village of Kladesholmen in a unique floating hotel. During the ferry crossing, you will stop at a number of islands including the tiny, car-free island of Dyron. Here, you can go for a hike along a scenic three-mile trail with views over Marstrand fjord and the Carlstens Fortress you visited yesterday. Learn about the island from the information boards dotted along the trail and stop for a refreshing dip in one of the swimming areas or in a more secluded spot on one of the sandy beaches.

Keep an eye out for the wild mouflon sheep that live on the island -around 50 of them in total - and visit the studio of Dyron's gold and silversmith, Tintin Hallding, who will usually be found here busily working on her beautiful jewellery and interior accessories.

Upon arrival into Kladesholmen, check into your hotel where you will be staying for the night. Cosy up in the sauna and, come evening, tuck into a tasty menu of traditional, regional specialities such as sill (herring).

DAY 4 Explore Tjorn

Get your blood pumping today as you meet your guide this morning for a full day's tour of Tjorn island and its arty surroundings by kayak and bike. Known as the 'World's Sweatiest Art Trail' the tour combines art, culture and nature as you cycle, run or walk along the winding paths between the Nordic Watercolour Museum - which has exhibited world-class art including works by Salvador Dali as well as Swedish favourites - and the picturesque Pilane Sculpture Park, dotted with grazing sheep and Iron Age stone circles.

After the tour, you will be transferred 45 minutes to your next hotel, a quaint and characterful property in the seaside town of Ljungskile where you will be staying for the next two nights of your London to Gothenburg by train trip.

DAY 5 Train from Hamburg to London

The final leg of your train journey home takes you from Hamburg to London via Cologne and Brussels. Departing from Hamburg this morning, travel for four-hours through Germany to Cologne, arriving in the early afternoon. From here, it's a two-hour journey to Brussels where you'll catch your Eurostar back to London St. Pancreas, a journey that takes around three hours, arriving in the evening.

It's a fair distance home, but the perfect opportunity for some enforced R&R as you alternate between dozing, daydreaming (or train dreaming, in this case), gazing at the passing views and scrolling through your holiday snaps.