Can I Take a Car on the Eurostar

Motorail:Trains that carry cars...

On this page you'll find a beginner's guide to the few remaining European motorail services of interest to UK travellers. First up, here's a reality check...

Normal passenger trains don't carry cars or motorbikes, just passengers and sometimes bicycles. Only special Motorail trains carry cars & motorbikes, on car transporters attached to the train.
Motorail trains are an endangered species. They run on a dwindling handful of holiday routes, often summer-only and usually only once or twice a week, see the motorail route map below. All French Motorail trains from Calais were discontinued in 2010, Dutch Auto Slaap Trein from the Netherlands was discontinued in 2014, German DB Autozug discontinued in 2015, French Auto Train discontinued 2019. There are no motorail trains within the UK either, as these ceased in 1995. The remaining routes of interest to UK users are shown on the motorail route map below.
You must first take a ferry across the Channel, as motorail trains do not use the Channel Tunnel, they start at D�sseldorf in Germany. Motorail trains carry cars, motorbikes, small trailers & roof boxes, on some routes you can now take some over-height 4x4 vehicles & people carriers. However, they can't carry big 4X4s, vans, caravans or campers, as these are too high.

Interactive motorail map: Click a route for information...

Map of motorail train routes of use to UK travellers

How do I get my car from the UK to..?

Click your destination to find out how to get you & your car to these countries by motorail train or ferry:

France Italy Spain & Portugal Switzerland Germany & Austria Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland Eastern Europe, Turkey, Greece North Africa, Cyprus, Malta Motorail trains in the UK

Motorail routes, timetables, prices & information...

On this page you'll find information on each motorail operator, with a summary of prices, routes, on-board accommodation & how to buy tickets:

French Auto-Train Austrian motorail (�BB) Optima Tours Other motorail trains

How do I get my car from the UK to...?

	Who uses motorail?
	Families and couples for a start. The door-to-door convenience of taking your own car makes the logistics of a family holiday to Italy or Austria easy.
	Classic cars: Classic car owners who'd rather drive their vintage Jaguar than a characterless hire car take it with them on motorail. Classic cars are usually allocated a place on the lower deck.
	Bikers: Motorail is a bikers' favourite too...

France...

Ferry crossings to France: The cheapest short-sea crossing from Dover always seems to be DFDS (formerly Norfolkline) to Calais & Dunkirk, see www.dfds.com, though by all means check other operators such as www.poferries.com. For direct ferries to Normandy & Brittany try the excellent Brittany Ferries (www.brittany-ferries.co.uk).
Auto-Train: SNCF (French Railways) used to offer an all-year-round Auto-train service from Paris to Avignon, Marseille, Toulon, St Raphael, Nice. However, Auto-Train was discontinued completely from December 2019...

Corsica: Ferries sail from Marseille, Toulon or Nice to Corsica, a fantastic destination with a car. See www.sncm.fr or www.corsicaferries.com or use the Direct Ferries website for easy booking of all operators & routes.

Italy...

Italy is the most popular motorail destination of all, and no wonder. Until 2014 there were two companies offering Motorail to Italy, but both DB Autozug and Autoslaaptrein (Dutch Motorail) were discontinued. However, a new company has now started up...
Urlaubs-Express motorail from D�sseldorf to Verona: A Dusseldorf to Verona overnight motorail train was reinstated by Dutch company Treinreiswinkel, running from early June until late September on Friday nights southbound and Saturdays nights northbound, this was discontinued for the summer season 2018 but the route was then picked up by German charter train company Urlaubs-Express (www.urlaubs-express.de) and ran every Friday June-September in 2018/2019, see see the information below. It did not run in 2020, may or may not run in 2021.

D�sseldorf is a 3 hour 45 minute drive from Calais, or a 2 hours 30 minute drive from Hoek van Holland, Rotterdam or IJmuiden where the ferries from Harwich, Hull & Newcastle arrive. You can drive from Innsbruck to Italy via the scenic Brenner Pass, Innsbruck to Verona is 274 km (170 miles) and takes just over 3h by car.

Austrian Railways (�BB) Dusseldorf to Innsbruck (for Italy) used to run a motorail from Dusseldorf to Innsbruck for much of the year, but from 2021 the sleeper train to which the car transporters were attached has been extended to runs to/from Amsterdam with another portion to/from Brussels, and motorail car wagons are no longer attached.

Sardinia, Sicily: For onward travel from Livorno or Civitavecchia (just north of Rome) to Sardinia or from Naples to Palermo in Sicily, use the Direct Ferries website.
Car-carrying trains within Italy: Trenitalia's domestic Italian motorail trains were all discontinued in 2011.

Spain & Portugal...

There are no direct motorail trains to Spain from Calais, Paris or anywhere else, or any to Portugal. But there are several good alternatives:
www.brittany-ferries.co.uk sail up to five times a week from Plymouth or Portsmouth to Santander or Bilbao, taking just 24 hours. Brittany Ferries' ships Pont Aven and Cap Finist�re are truly excellent, a wonderful way to reach Spain with more in common with cruise liners than Channel ferries of old. There are also kennel facilities on board for dogs. Crossing the Bay of Biscay whilst whale-watching on deck is highly recommended! You'll find advice on ships & routes plus some photos here.
Ibiza, Minorca or Majorca: For onward travel to Ibiza, Minorca or Majorca, see ferry operator www.trasmediterranea.es or use the Direct Ferries website for easy booking for all operators.

Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg...

There are no motorail services from the UK to Belgium, the Netherlands or Luxembourg, but there are ferries to several ports.
Ferries include www.poferries.com (Hull-Rotterdam), www.stenaline.co.uk (Harwich-Hoek van Holland) & www.dfds.co.uk (Newcastle-IJmuiden overnight cruise ferry).

Switzerland...

There are no motorail trains to Switzerland, the only option is to drive from the channel ports all the way. The 3-times-a-week Auto-Train service from Paris to Geneva was withdrawn in 2010.

Germany & Austria...

Austrian Railways (�BB) used to operate an overnight motorail train from D�sseldorf to Innsbruck for most of the year, this has now been discontinued. The Dusseldorf-Vienna motorail service was discontinued in December 2017.

There are no more German (DB) motorail services from Dusseldorf, just the Austrian one to Innsbruck and the Urlaubs Express one to Italy.

Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland...

There are no motorail services from the UK to any of these countries.
There are also now no ferries from the UK to anywhere in Scandinavia either. The last ferry to Norway ended in 2008, and the ferry to Esbjerg in Denmark ended in September 2014 after almost 140 years of operation.
So you may need to take a ferry from Dover to Calais or Dunkirk (www.dfds.co.uk) or Harwich to Hoek van Holland (www.stenaline.co.uk) and drive. Once in Germany, www.finnlines.com operate a ferry several times a week from Travem�nde & Kiel in Germany to Helsinki in Finland. And once in Denmark, www.dfds.co.uk operate an overnight cruise ferry to Oslo in Norway.
You can book many ferries using the Direct Ferries website.

Eastern Europe, including Turkey & Greece...

Austrian Railways motorail operates from Dusseldorf to Innsbruck, see details here.
Optima Tours run motorail trains from Villach in southern Austria to Edirne in Turkey (near the Bulgarian border), with departures on various dates from May to October. See www.optimatours.de for dates, times & booking information (only available in German). You can use �BB's D�sseldorf-Innsbruck motorail to connect with it.
Greece by ferry: Alternatively, take the weekly summer Motorail from Dusseldorf to Verona or the more frequent D�sseldorf-Innsbruck motorail, then drive to Venice, Trieste or Ancona and take a direct cruise ferry from Venice to Igoumenitsa or Patras in Greece, see www.minoan.gr, www.anek.gr or www.bluestarferries.com or simply use the Direct Ferries website. The Direct Ferries website can also book onward ferries from Piraeus (the port of Athens) to Crete and many other Greek islands.
There are also ferries from other Italian ports to Greece, Croatia, Montenegro & Albania. See the Direct Ferries website for routes and booking.

North Africa, Cyprus, Malta, Egypt, Israel...

Malta is linked to Sicily by car-carrying catamarans of Virtu ferries, www.virtuferries.com. www.grimaldi-lines.com also operates a weekly cruise ferry from Genoa, Civitavecchia (near Rome) and Catania to Valetta, Malta.
Tunisia, Morocco: There are regular ferries from Marseille & Genoa to Tunisia, and from southern Spain & S�te in the South of France to Morocco, see the Direct Ferries website. A good site to consult for such ferry routes and operators is UK ferry agent www.viamare.com.
Cyprus, Egypt, Israel: There are now no car ferries to these destinations, but contact UK ferry specialists www.viamare.com for details of any available services.

Within the UK, to Scotland & Cornwall...

There are now no motorail trains at all within the UK. Motorail trains between London & Scotland ceased in 1995.

Urlaubs Express D�sseldorf - Verona

D�sseldorf in Germany to Verona in Italy: Still operating...

The original and popular Autoslaaptrein company threw in the towel in April 2015, and another Dutch company, Treinreiswinkel, started its own Motorail train branded Auto Express Italia for summer 2016 & 2017. They too threw in the towel, but German charter company, Urlaubs-Express (urlaubs is German for holiday) stepped in and will run a D�sseldorf-Verona motorail train weekly in summer 2018, with sleepers, couchettes, restaurant car and car transporters.

Website:	www.urlaubs-express.de.
Online booking:	Yes, www.urlaubs-express.de click Tickets then Book here then click the UK flag for English.
Phone:	See website.
Terminal:	Trains depart from D�sseldorf, a 3 hour 45 minute (245 mile) drive from Calais, 3 hours 20 minutes from Dunquerque, or 2 hour 30 minutes from Hook of Holland (157 miles), Rotterdam or IJmuiden (Amsterdam). The motorail terminal is in the city centre next to D�sseldorf Hauptbahnhof. Note: The city of D�sseldorf is a low-emission zone, but if you hold a valid motorail ticket you are allowed to access the motorail terminal regardless of your vehicle.
Route:	D�sseldorf to Verona in Italy
Dates & times:	To check times & dates, see their website. But here's a summary to give you a rough idea: The D�sseldorf-Verona motorail service will run once a week on Fridays from 22 May to 18 September 2020 returning on Saturdays 23 May to 19 September. It will run southbound on Friday nights leaving Dusseldorf around 18:30, arriving Verona around 10:00. The Verona-Dusseldorf service will run on Saturday nights leaving Verona at 18:05 and arriving Dusseldorf at 08:58.
How much does it cost?	Prices vary significantly, but 2 passengers in shared couchettes with a car might pay �280 each way in low season. With a private 2-bed sleeper, that might rise to �500 each way. A family of 2 adults, 2 children, car & dog with a whole 4-berth couchette to themselves might pay �469 each way. This can rise to over �950 in high summer. The online booking system at www.urlaubs-express.de will give you a price for you date.
Max vehicle dimensions:	Max height: 1.95m, max length 5.30m (with trailer max 10m), max width 1.95m measured with wing mirrors folded in. See www.urlaubs-express.de.
Sleepers & couchettes:	4-berth couchettes. Sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin. Junior suites = two adjacent 1/2/3-berth sleeper compartments so one can be used as beds, the other as a sitting room.
Pets:	Yes, dogs and other pets can be carried.
Suggested ferry connections:	The cheapest option is to use the short sea routes, Dover-Calais or Dover-Dunkirk, see www.poferries.com & www.dfds.com. Top tip: www.dfds.com Dover-Dunkirk (formerly Norfolkline) always seem by far the cheapest operator, typically charging �45-�70 return for a car and occupants when Dover-Calais operators persist in charging over �100 return. The more direct option from East Anglia or the North of England is to use www.stenaline.co.uk (Harwich-Hoek van Holland), www.dfds.co.uk (Newcastle-IJmuiden overnight cruise ferry), or www.poferries.com (Hull-Rotterdam overnight cruise ferry).


Restaurant car on the Autoslaaptrein version of the train...		1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper...

�BB Austrian Railways motorail

D�sseldorf in Germany to Innsbruck in Austria: Discontinued in 2021


Car transporters at the front of the Innsbruck-Dusseldorf �BB Nightjet motorail train, arrived at Dusseldorf Hbf platform 19.		The Innsbruck-Dusseldorf Nightjet train, arrived at Dusseldorf Hbf platform 19. See interior photos.

Auto-Train in France

Paris to Avignon, Marseille, Toulon, St Raphael, Nice: Discontinued December 2019...

The French Railways used to operate a domestic car-carrying service called Auto-Train, However, all services were discontinued in December 2019.

The SNCF Auto Train for Paris, loading at Narbonne (a terminal discontinued from late 2017). It just carries your car - you travel separately, on any normal passenger train you like. Courtesy of Scottish Golf by Train.

Optima Express

Villach in Austria to Edirne in Turkey: www.optimatours.de...

Optima Tours run their Optima Express motorail train at least weekly to Turkey on various departure dates between April & November, see www.optimatours.de for dates, times & online booking - you can select English top right. Villach is in southeast Austria and Edirne is in Turkey near the Bulgarian border, so is also good for Bulgaria. They carry motorbikes and cars up to 198cm high.
Times vary, so you'll have to check their site, but the journey from Austria to Turkey takes either 2 days & 1 night or 2 nights & 1 day. The train has covered car-carrying wagons and Bulgarian couchette cars, with compartments that can be used for sole occupancy for 1-6 people, or you can book one berth in a shared 6-berth compartment.
They take cars up to 152cm high, or for a slightly higher price, vehicles up to 198cm high.
The cost is around �259 one-way for a car plus �149 for one person in a shared 6-berth couchette compartment or �299 per person in a couchette compartment allocated for the exclusive private use of two people.
Austrian Railways �BB's overnight Dusseldorf-Innsbruck motorail can be used to connect with it.


Loading the Optima Tours motorail train to Turkey...		Couchette compartment on the Optima Tours train set up for 2-person occupancy.

Other motorail services

Austria: Vienna to/from Innsbruck, Feldkirch, Villach (Austrian domestic), Vienna-Hamburg, Vienna-Florence...

See www.oebb.at.

Czech Republic: Prague-Poprad Tatry, Prague-Kosice

See www.cd.cz/scripts/detail.php?pgid=628. Cheap overnight Motorail services.

Croatia: Zagreb-Split

The daily summer-only Zagreb-Split overnight sleeper train also has a car-carrying wagon. Information about this isn't readily available online, ask at the station when you get there.

Finland: Various domestic routes...

See www.vr.fi.

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Can I Take a Car on the Eurostar

Source: https://www.seat61.com/motorail-trains.htm