Furthest distance day trips from London by train.

[stadler]

I made a post about this a while ago but i only just realised that day trips to Italy by train are technically possible now. So this might be the record for the furthest day trip from London possible by train. It has certainly never been possible to do a day trip to Italy until a recent timetable change this year.

06:01 London to Paris North 09:21
09:45 Paris Lyon to Oulx Cesana Claviere Sestriere 14:23

14:36 Oulx Cesana Claviere Sestriere to Paris Lyon 19:14
21:02 Paris North to London 22:30

It requires a 24 minute Paris North to Paris Lyon connection but this is technically possible if you walk fast or run and know exactly where you are going. The train is only 8 minutes and there is a 09:26-09:34 service or a 09:30-09:38 service. It would be a rush but i think it is just about doable if everything is on time.

My question is whether this is the record for the furthest distance you can get from London and back by train for a day trip? Or can anyone find any further?

You can also get to Basel or Geneva or Zurich for a day trip by train (and these are less rushed connections and you get more time there to look around) but i think that Oulx Cesana Claviere Sestriere in Italy is further? I am wondering if perhaps somewhere in Germany could bet it though?

06:16 London to Brussels South 09:13
09:25 Brussels South to Cologne 11:16

18:44 Cologne to Brussels South 20:35
20:56 Brussels South to London 21:57

This gives you seven hours and twentyeight minutes in Cologne so it may be possible to extend much further from there. I have looked in to whether Berlin is possible but it seems not. I can not find any Berlin journeys between those that work. But maybe somewhere near there.

I would be curious if anyone can find further? What is the furthest possible distance that you can find for a day trip?

I would also be interested to hear of any such day trips by train to Mainland Europe anyone has done. So far i have managed day trips by Eurostar to six countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Switzerland) and would be quite tempted to add Italy to the list of day trips by train that i have done. Just a shame you only get 13 minutes there. Just enough time to walk outside the station and get some photos.

These are some other day trips by Eurostar to various Mainland European countries and destinations that are currently possible to do:

LONDON TO PARIS (FR):
06:01 London to Paris North 09:21
Break
21:02 Paris North to London 22:30

LONDON TO BRUSSELS (BE):
06:16 London to Brussels South 09:13
Break
20:56 Brussels South to London 21:57

LONDON TO LILLE (FR):
07:04 London to Lille Europe 09:26
Break
21:35 Lille Europe to London 21:57

LONDON TO ROTTERDAM (NL):
06:16 London to Rotterdam Central 10:32
Break
19:28 Rotterdam Central to London 21:57

LONDON TO AMSTERDAM (NL):
06:16 London to Amsterdam Central 11:20
Break
18:40 Amsterdam Central to London 21:57

LONDON TO LUXEMBOURG (LU) VIA PARIS:
06:01 London to Paris North 09:21
10:39 Paris East to Luxembourg 12:51
Break
16:10 Luxembourg to Paris East 18:20
21:02 Paris North to London 22:30

LONDON TO LUXEMBOURG (LU) VIA BRUSSELS:
06:16 London to Brussels South 09:13
09:32 Brussels South to Luxembourg 12:49
10:32 Brussels South to Luxembourg 13:49
Break
16:11 Luxembourg to Brussels South 19:28
17:11 Luxembourg to Brussels South 20:28
20:56 Brussels South to London 21:57

LONDON TO BASEL (CH):
06:01 London to Paris North 09:21
10:21 Paris Lyon to Basel 13:26
Break
16:34 Basel to Paris Lyon 19:38
21:02 Paris North to London 22:30

LONDON TO GENEVA (CH):
06:01 London to Paris North 09:21
10:17 Paris Lyon to Geneva 13:29
Break
16:29 Geneva to Paris Lyon 19:42
21:02 Paris North to London 22:30

LONDON TO LAUSANNE (CH):
06:01 London to Paris North 09:21
11:56 Paris Lyon to Lausanne 15:40
Break
16:19 Lausanne to Paris Lyon 20:04
21:02 Paris North to London 22:30

LONDON TO ZURICH (CH):
06:01 London to Paris North 09:21
10:21 Paris Lyon to Zurich 14:26
Break
15:34 Zurich to Paris Lyon 19:38
21:02 Paris North to London 22:30

LONDON TO COLOGNE (DE):
06:16 London to Brussels South 09:13
09:25 Brussels South to Cologne 11:16
10:25 Brussels South to Cologne 12:15
Break
17:42 Cologne to Brussels South 19:35
18:44 Cologne to Brussels South 20:35
20:56 Brussels South to London 21:57

LONDON TO AACHEN (DE):
06:16 London to Brussels South 09:13
09:25 Brussels South to Aachen 10:33
10:25 Brussels South to Aachen 11:36
Break
18:20 Aachen to Brussels South 19:35
19:23 Aachen to Brussels South 20:35
20:56 Brussels South to London 21:57

LONDON TO FRANKFURT (DE) VIA BRUSSELS:
06:16 London to Brussels South 09:13
10:25 Brussels South to Frankfurt 13:31
Break
16:27 Frankfurt to Brussels South 19:35
20:56 Brussels South to London 21:57

LONDON TO FRANKFURT (DE) VIA PARIS:
06:01 London to Paris North 09:21
09:55 Paris East to Frankfurt 13:52
Break
15:53 Frankfurt to Paris East 19:55
21:02 Paris North to London 22:30

LONDON TO KARLSRUHE (DE):
06:01 London to Paris North 09:21
09:55 Paris East to Karlsruhe 12:34
Break
17:07 Karlsruhe to Paris East 19:55
21:02 Paris North to London 22:30

LONDON TO LYON (FR):
06:01 London to Paris North 09:21
09:55 Paris Lyon to Lyon Part Dieu 11:52
09:59 Paris Lyon to Lyon Part Dieu 11:56
Break
17:38 Lyon Part Dieu to Paris Lyon 19:34
18:04 Lyon Part Dieu to Paris Lyon 20:08
21:02 Paris North to London 22:30

LONDON TO MARSEILLE (FR):
06:01 London to Paris North 09:21
10:09 Paris Lyon to Marseille Saint Charles 13:15
10:37 Paris Lyon to Marseille Saint Charles 13:57
Break
16:04 Marseille Saint Charles to Paris Lyon 19:22
17:03 Marseille Saint Charles to Paris Lyon 20:22
21:02 Paris North to London 22:30

LONDON TO OULX CESANA CLAVIERE SESTRIERE (IT):
06:01 London to Paris North 09:21
09:45 Paris Lyon to Oulx Cesana Claviere Sestriere 14:23
Break
14:36 Oulx Cesana Claviere Sestriere to Paris Lyon 19:14
21:02 Paris North to London 22:30

So you can actually get quite far. A lot of these actually give you quite a bit of time to explore the place that you are visiting. For example if going to Basel or Geneva or Frankfurt you can get three hours to look around. If going to Luxembourg or Marseille you can get two hours to look around. If going to Cologne you could get six or seven hours to look around. Of course for Brussels or Paris you can easily have the whole day there for twelve hours.

Some are very tight and would require buying a first class Eurostar ticket for the return journey. If you have a first class Eurostar ticket then you can arrive just fifteen minutes before departure and be allowed to get through passport control and board your train. So technically twenty minute connections at Brussels on the return journey and thirty minute cross Paris connections via the RER on the return journey are possible if everything runs on time and you know where you are going. But you have spend a lot on a first class Eurostar ticket for the return journey.

 

[AndrewE]

Didn't we have a "Longest possible day trip" thread a few months ago? Or was it just "How far could you possibly get in a day?"

 

[30907]

Thanks. However I don't think you should rely on unofficial connections such as 24min across Paris (and using ES Premier is also cheating). How does it look without those (obviously Oulx fails the test).

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Stuttgart seems to be the furthest you can get into Germany - 39mins to witness the chaos that is the Hbf. and the home of Mercedes. On the Berlin route you can only get as far as Hannover. Inevitably, because of the significant gaps in the high-speed network you are going to be constrained as to the maximum possible distance compared to France.

I was hoping to cheat and see if Berlin was possible in an 'extended' day - overnight Harwich / Hoek, Rotterdam, Amersfort, Berlin and v.v. but that doesn't work either!

 

[EuxtonNeutral]

Stuttgart seems to be the furthest you can get into Germany - 39mins to witness the chaos that is the Hbf. and the home of Mercedes. On the Berlin route you can only get as far as Hannover. Inevitably, because of the significant gaps in the high-speed network you are going to be constrained as to the maximum possible distance compared to France.

I was hoping to cheat and see if Berlin was possible in an 'extended' day - overnight Harwich / Hoek, Rotterdam, Amersfort, Berlin and v.v. but that doesn't work either!

I would imagine southern Germany will open up once stuttgart hbf is finished. Wouldn’t be surprised if München became doable?

 

[stadler]

Didn't we have a "Longest possible day trip" thread a few months ago? Or was it just "How far could you possibly get in a day?"

I think there was a thread about two years ago. That is where it was first mentioned that Italy in a day was not possible back then. I also remember a thread about doing London to Aberdeen or London to Inverness as a day trip which i think is the furthest domestic day trip from London you can make.

Thanks. However I don't think you should rely on unofficial connections such as 24min across Paris (and using ES Premier is also cheating). How does it look without those (obviously Oulx fails the test).

I would still count unofficial connections and using first class tickets to arrive fifteen minute before departure. If it means that it is just about possible then i would count it. Of course it is not much of a day trip if you hardly have any time to look around but if you just want to tick off Italy as a day trip by train then it could work.

Stuttgart seems to be the furthest you can get into Germany - 39mins to witness the chaos that is the Hbf. and the home of Mercedes. On the Berlin route you can only get as far as Hannover. Inevitably, because of the significant gaps in the high-speed network you are going to be constrained as to the maximum possible distance compared to France.

I was hoping to cheat and see if Berlin was possible in an 'extended' day - overnight Harwich / Hoek, Rotterdam, Amersfort, Berlin and v.v. but that doesn't work either!

Stuttgart is still quite a distance so that is a good find and probably is indeed the furthest in Germany you can get. I was looking in to Munich and Nuremberg as well but could not find any times that worked. I tried looking in to Hamburg too as that is not far from Hannover but i can not seem to make that work.

I would imagine southern Germany will open up once stuttgart hbf is finished. Wouldn’t be surprised if München became doable?

I wonder if Munich becomes possible then it could one day be possible to do somewhere in Austria too. It is quite a short train ride from Munich to some stations in the North of Austria just across the border. Although that would probably still take up two to three hours there and back so you would need to speed up the journey to and from Munich a lot.

 

[Tester]

I think there was a thread about two years ago. That is where it was first mentioned that Italy in a day was not possible back then. I also remember a thread about doing London to Aberdeen or London to Inverness as a day trip which i think is the furthest domestic day trip from London you can make.

Watford-Aberdeen-Watford (crossing Glasgow both ways) is certainly possible - I know because I have actually done it

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

I wonder if Munich becomes possible then it could one day be possible to do somewhere in Austria too. It is quite a short train ride from Munich to some stations in the North of Austria just across the border. Although that would probably still take up two to three hours there and back so you would need to speed up the journey to and from Munich a lot.

The high-speed line from Stuttgart to Ulm is now open, and the reversal at Stuttgart Hbf. does impose a big time penalty so we shall see. Salzburg would be good - currently about 90 mins from Munich. One of the problems of Germany's high-speed network is that the plan was conceived before reunification - the lines run largely N-S and there is a distinct lack of E-W connections. Cologne to Hannover through the Rhur is very much needed, but it would hideously expensive, and another missing connection is Frankfurt - Fulda.

 

[Magdalia]

I would also be interested to hear of any such day trips by train to Mainland Europe anyone has done.

A long time ago I did Cambridge-Bruges and back in a day to go Christmas shopping.

 

[peteb]

With a 2 HR ish journey time from Paris, Bordeaux is a long way to get to for a day trip. I wonder if you could get to Hendaye/Irun and back too?

 

[nwales58]

With a 2 HR ish journey time from Paris, Bordeaux is a long way to get to for a day trip. I wonder if you could get to Hendaye/Irun and back too?

No, because Bordeaux-Hendaye is 2h30+

Montparnasse is high on my list of hell interchanges. You’d need to be in the Paris end set and fit for a 500m sprint from/to line 4.
Assuming you can make the 1011 to Bordeaux, on a good day that gets to Hendaye at 1447 but on many days terminates at Bordeaux. Although there is a 1504 back to Bordeaux, there’s next to no chance of a 6 minute connection working from the ABC platforms. As it’s France there is a 2 hour gap before that.

Dax is doable on theright days but I’ rather spend 5 hours in Bordeaux

Stadler: have you ever achieved Eurostar to Gare de Lyon in 24 minutes minus TGV barrier close time?

 

[The Pelican]

I've only done one European day trip from the uk- years ago, I did a day trip to Ghent/Gent from St Pancras- it's an appealing Flemish city, I was particularly keen on it's tram system, which loops around on itself in the centre to produce a distinctive smallish network. Also has an attractive town, not church, bell tower. Featured in Robert Browning's poem "How they brought the good news from Ghent to Aix", although you wouldn't know it was Ghent from the poem. Nice beer and Stoofvels, the Flemish beef stew. It's not very far from either Brussels or London, though.

 

[peteb]

Bedford dep 0413 to Toulon arr 1410, dep 1510 arr Bedford 2357 is possible, weekdays, allowing the requisite check in times for Eurostar and half an hour on arrival at St Pancras (indeed an earlier arrival of 2340 is possible).

Possibly mileage-wise (868 miles each way by road via the tunnel, so probably about the same by train) this might be as far as you could get in a day?