Take the train to London from Malmö
The route to London is well-travelled, with plenty of departures, and goes via Denmark, Germany, and Brussels.
Leave Malmö early in the morning and arrive in London the same evening, or take the night train to Hamburg and continue the route the next day. The last train from Brussels to London leaves just before nine in the evening.
With the night train Malmö-Hamburg
SJ and Snälltåget operate night trains from Stockholm to Hamburg. Passengers can easily board in Malmö.
Snälltåget departs from Stockholm shortly after 4 p.m., from Malmö shortly after 10 p.m., and arrives at Hamburg Central Station at 5:30 a.m. the following day.
SJ’s night train departs from Stockholm at half past five in the evening, from Malmö just before midnight and arrives at Hamburg Central Station at half past six the following day.
Journey Malmö to London (with the night train Snälltåget from Malmö-Hamburg)
Malmö (10.10 p.m.), Hamburg (6.46 a.m.), Cologne (10.49 a.m.),
Cologne (11.42 a.m.), Brussels (1.35 p.m.) Brussels (5.56 p.m.), London (7.00 p.m.)
Taking the night train is often convenient because you sleep for several hours. But night trains are not for everyone. You need to be able to sleep on trains, and if you choose Snälltåget, you will share a compartment with five other people. SJ has a couchette car with up to six beds and sleeping cars in second and first class. Night trains can also be a more expensive option compared to day routes.
If you are not a great fan of night trains, there is a high-speed train from Copenhagen to Hamburg that departs several times a day. The first part of the journey from Malmö to Copenhagen is only 30 minutes, and the train departs frequently throughout the day.
From Hamburg, take an ICE train (high-speed) to Köln. The journey takes around four hours. From Köln, the trip to Brussels is approximately two hours. The last departure of the day is the Eurostar to London.
Transit times
It is possible to connect to Copenhagen, Hamburg, and Köln by only a 15-minute transit. However, delays happen, so 45 minutes to an hour can be less stressful. If the previous train is on time, use the time to have coffee at the station, get some food and snacks (there are great facilities at both Hamburg Central Station and Köln Central Station), or explore the city.
You need a bit more time in Brussels as Eurostar requires check-in and passport control. The company recommends travellers arrive 90 to 60 minutes before departure.
Plan and book your journey
There is currently no unified booking system for all European trains. Therefore, you must book tickets with different train companies or through a travel agency.
Not all train operators and companies are user-friendly. We recommend using Deutsche Bahn to book as much of your journey as possible, as the webpage and booking system are very user-friendly.
The example journey above is booked through Snälltåget (for the night train), Deutsche Bahn (for the trains Hamburg to Cologne and Cologne to Brussels), and Eurostar (for the last part of the journey between Brussels and London).
Several booking platforms have been launched in recent years, such as Trainline.
Seat 61 is a great webpage for information about booking and using routes in Europe. It’s run by Mark Smith and provides detailed information about routes and tickets.
Food, bikes and pets
The stations have plenty of restaurants, shops and cafés for those who want to stock up on food and drink. Most trains have either a restaurant or the option to buy refreshments. You can easily see this when you book your journey.
You can take your bike on board. According to Eurostar, not all trains have space for bikes, and passengers are advised to book a space in advance by emailing travelservices@eurostar.com. If you are travelling by train between Paris and London, your bike must be dismantled and packed in a box.
Unfortunately, you cannot bring pets with you to London. However, you can travel with an assistance dog or cat. Contact Eurostar for more information before travelling.
If you are travelling with a wheelchair or have reduced mobility in the EU, you have the same rights as everyone else to travel by train, bus, boat, or plane. Assistance at terminals and on board should be free of charge. Be sure to contact the train company at least 48 hours before departure to ensure you receive the assistance you are entitled to.
How much does it cost?
Like flights, train prices vary. Not all countries have the same booking system and price setting.
According to the online travel agency Trainline, a one-way trip from Malmö to London costs from £130.
An Interrail pass is often the most cost-effective option if you travel for four days or more. Night trains and Eurostar are availble at an additional cost. Seat reservations are not included in the Interrail pass, so these must be booked separately.
The advantage of Interrail is that if you miss a connection, you can easily hop on the next train.
The Interrail pass is free for children up to 11.
What to do if you miss a connection?
The EU Regulation and the Rail Passenger Rights Regulation protect passenger rights. The regulation serves as a minimum standard for various European companies and helps travelers with information provision, ticket purchase, and assistance for those with disabilities or reduced mobility.
In addition to the EU Rail Passenger Rights Regulations, passengers are also protected by the Agreement on Journey Continuation (AJC) and HOTNAT. The AJC is an agreement between 17 European railway operators. Its aim is to ensure that international passengers who have missed a connection can travel on subsequent trains to reach their final destination.
HOTNAT (Hop on the next available train) also applies if you are travelling on a high-speed train belonging to the Railteam Alliance (DB, SNCF Voyageurs, SNCB, Eurostar, NS International, ÖBB, SBB and TGV Lyria) and depart from Paris, Brussels, Cologne, Munich, Basel or Zurich.
Good to know
Time ca 16 hours and 44 minutes to 1day and 4 hours
Number of trains 4–8
Countries Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Belgium and UK
Wi-fi every train except SJ EuroNight
66 kg co2/person*
*Calculated according to Travel & Climate