Cheapest rail connection London to Berlin?

[Backdrifter]

I'm going nuts trying to find a good and relatively cheap train route to Berlin. General consensus is the bahn.de site is best but having carefully put in my requirements it keeps saying it cannot calculate the fare, no matter how far ahead I go within the booking period. I know there are eur49 fares possible for this route, how do I get them???

I realise many people's immediate response will be "just fly there" and I am investigating that but want to see about trains first. Any suggestions gratefully received, thanks.

[gollysailor]

Try the man in seat 61. http://www.seat61.com/Europe-train-travel.htm

[Backdrifter]

Yes thanks already looked there

[Buenchico]

Given that any rail route from London to Berlin will involve taking a Eurostar train (and that the cheapest return fares on any Eurostar service, to Lille, Brussels or Paris, are £69, I can't see how anyone can offer a €49 to Berlin).

Normally the cheapest through fares to European destinations are to be found by booking on the Eurostar website but, somewhat oddly, through booking to Berlin isn't available. (Only Aachen or Koln can be selected as destinations within Germany, probably because that's where Eurostar's Thalys partner operates to).

London to Koln costs from £48.50 single (£85 return) when booked via the Eurostar website (changing at Brussels Midi):
http://www.eurostar.com

Try phoning the Deutsche Bahn UK Booking Centre: 08718 80 80 66 (8p per minute from a BT landline).

STOP PRESS!
Having typed all of that I've just tried the DB website and managed to find a €69 single fare for a random journey. (Departing St Pancras 1057 on Wed 15/02/1, changing at Brussels Midi and Koln, arriving in Berlin at 2111). So perhaps the low fare you suggest might be attainable after all!

Check here (setting your departure time to 00:01 on your intended date of travel)
http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/index.shtml
but also try a phone call, as above.

Chris

[Backdrifter]

Thanks Chris - very helpful and interesting; I'll give it a go.