Overland to the start

London to Rome by train and ferry

No flights ~1.5 days travelling Bike friendly Trains + ferries

Rome is the end of the Via Romea Francigena, the pilgrim road from Canterbury, so there is a pleasing symmetry in travelling out to it the way the route comes back. Two days: the Channel, France by rail, the Alps into Lombardy, and down the peninsula. The mountains are the best part of the journey and the part you would have slept through on a plane.

The chain

  1. 🚆
    London to Dover by rail or road Off-peak trains out of London take an unbagged bike.
  2. â›´
    Dover to Calais by ferry P&O / Irish Ferries / DFDS · about 1h 30m · bikes roll on
  3. 🚆
    Calais to Paris by rail Direct TGVs run from Calais Fréthun; book a bike space when you book the seat.
  4. 🚆
    Paris to Milan by rail The day train over the Alps is the pretty way, through the Simplon or the Gotthard depending on the service.
  5. 🚆
    Milan to Rome by rail
Ferry times here are typical crossings, not a timetable. Trains change with the season and the day of the week. The planner checks both for your dates and warns you when a train wants the bike bagged. Check anything safety critical with the operator before you travel.

Put your own dates on this and TourTrax will time every train, check the bike rules on each leg, and build the rest of the tour around it. Free to start. No account needed.

Plan London to Rome live →

Book the legs

TourTrax never sells tickets. Each leg is booked with its operator directly:

Why go overland

Flying with a bike means a box, an oversize fee, and an hour on the airport floor with a multitool. Go this way and the bike stays built. Wheel it onto the ferry, hang it in the bike carriage, ride away at the far end. The travelling stops being the tax on the holiday and becomes the first two days of it.

This page comes from the corridor research that powers the TourTrax planner, written by a Cicerone guidebook author who travels this way. Have a look at the curated routes for where the chain could take you.