[Anonymous]

[AllOverTheGaff]

Can anyone help me with some advice re Cologne?

I’m scheduled to go to Cologne soon and the people I am traveling with have booked an airport hotel on the basis that; “it only takes half-an-hour on the train to downtown”. I’ve tried to get them to change as I would much rather be downtown but they’re digging in and I have to stay with them at the airport.

Has anyone any experience of traveling from airport to downtown and is it as seamless as I’m being told? Tripadvisor sates the trains are every half hour and take half an hour…so it shouldn’t be hugely traumatic but I have visions of horror!

Thanks in advance.
AOTG.

[VintageKrug]

Yes. The trains run every half an hour. It is not traumatic at all.

[AMcWhirter]

Hello AOTG

Best source of timings is bahn.com

You’ll see there are S-Bahn trains every 20 mins (journey time 15 mins) with an extra regional train (journey time 14 mins) once an hour.

S-Bahn trains depart Cologne Airport at 04, 24, 44 mins.

The regional train departs at 08 mins past the hour.

All arrive at Koeln Hauptbahnhof (Cologne Central Station).

[Bunnahabhain]

I was there a few years ago and just got lucky that the next train into the city centre was an ICE, non-stop in about 10 minutes.

[AMcWhirter]

You were lucky.

I would have mentioned ICE trains but they operate infrequently every one or two hours depending on the time of day. The ICE takes 11 mins according to bahn.com

Bahn.com shows a one-way on the ICE of Euros 8. Not sure how much the S-Bahn costs (S-Bahn fares should be cheaper) but even Euros 8 is much cheaper than a taxi.

[AllOverTheGaff]

Thanks thus far for the advice, it now turns out post phone conversation that we are 2.5 miles from the airport but on the underground service….oh well….:-(

Will make the most of it.

Regards.
AOTG.

[Author]

Posts