Exploring Cologne: A Travel Guide

Cologne, Germany is a major hub for international and domestic travel. The city is easily accessible by plane, train, bus, or car. Cologne Bonn Airport is served by several airlines, including Austrian Airlines, Eurowings, Lufthansa, Ryanair, Swiss, and VLM, and is connected to the city centre by suburban trains, regional trains, and high-speed ICE trains. The city's efficient public transportation system includes trams, buses, and suburban railways, with the S-Bahn trains connecting most outer suburbs and nearby cities to the city. Cologne's main railway station, the Hauptbahnhof, is conveniently located next to the city's celebrated cathedral and offers direct ICE train connections to Hamburg, Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin, as well as Thalys services to Paris and Brussels. Additionally, there are direct daytime trains to Switzerland and Austria, and overnight trains with comfortable sleepers to Innsbruck, Linz, Munich, and Vienna. For those travelling by car, Cologne is linked to the rest of Germany by fast Autobahn (A) routes, with the A1 leading north to Hamburg and the A3 leading southeast to Frankfurt.

By plane from the US

The best way to reach Cologne from the US is by plane to a major European transport hub, followed by a connecting flight or train to Cologne. The closest international airport is Cologne Bonn (CGN), located about 14km southeast of the city. However, there may be cheaper flight options to other German or European cities, from which you can easily travel onwards to Cologne.

Fly to Frankfurt

One option is to fly to Frankfurt Airport (FRA). There is a high-speed train line from the airport train station to Cologne, with a travel time of less than an hour. You can book your flight together with a Rail & Fly ticket, which is cheap and fully flexible. All airlines flying between the US and Germany offer this option, except for Delta. Be sure to book it during the booking process, as adding it later might not be possible. Lufthansa and United offer non-stop flights to Frankfurt from Dulles.

Fly to Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf Airport (DUS) is another option, with good connections to Cologne. It is a short train ride away.

Fly to Amsterdam

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) is a little further away but may offer cheaper connections. From there, you can take a train to Utrecht Centraal and then on to Cologne.

Fly to Brussels

You can also fly to Brussels (BRU) and take a train to Cologne.

Fly to Cologne/Bonn

If you want to fly directly to Cologne, you can do so via Pegasus Airlines, which offers direct flights from Istanbul, Izmir, Adana, Antalya, and Kayseri. The flight duration is approximately 3 hours and 20 minutes from Istanbul.

By train from the US

Travelling to Cologne from the US by Train

Travelling to Cologne from the US solely by train is not possible as there is no direct rail link between the US and mainland Europe. However, you can get to Cologne by first taking a flight to a European city and then taking a train to Cologne.

London to Cologne

One option is to take a flight to London and then take the train to Cologne. The high-speed Eurostar train from London St. Pancras to Brussels takes around two hours. From Brussels, you can take the high-speed Thalys or German ICE train to Cologne, which takes around one hour and fifty minutes to one hour and thirty minutes respectively. The entire train journey from London to Cologne takes a little over four hours, making it a great alternative to flying.

Brussels to Cologne

If you're already in Brussels, you can take the high-speed Thalys or German ICE train to Cologne. The journey takes around one hour and fifty minutes on the Thalys and one hour and thirty minutes on the ICE.

Frankfurt to Cologne

Frankfurt is another option for a connecting flight to Cologne. There is a high-speed train line from Frankfurt Airport to Cologne, and the travel time is less than an hour. The train travels at speeds of up to 185 mph.

Amsterdam to Cologne

You can also fly to Amsterdam and then take a train to Cologne. The train journey includes taking the train from Schiphol Airport to Utrecht Centraal and then another train from Utrecht Centraal to Koeln Messe/Deutz Gl.11-12.

New York to Cologne

For those travelling from the East Coast of the US, it is possible to take a flight to a European city and then connect to Cologne by train. For example, you can fly from New York JFK to Frankfurt and then take the train to Cologne.

Other Options

Other possible flight connections include flying into Düsseldorf, Cologne/Bonn Airport, or Brussels and then taking a train to Cologne. Additionally, you can look for flights to Amsterdam, which may offer cheaper connections, but you will need to factor in the additional travel to Cologne.

By plane from the UK

Flying from London to Cologne is the fastest way to travel to the German city, with the flight itself taking just over an hour and a half. There are four airports to choose from when travelling from London to Cologne by plane: London Heathrow, London Stansted, London Gatwick, and London Luton.

From London Heathrow, you can fly directly to Cologne Bonn Airport with British Airways, Eurowings, and Lufthansa. Eurowings and British Airways offer four flights per day.

From London Stansted, you can also fly directly to Cologne Bonn Airport. Ryanair offers this route.

London Gatwick and London Luton offer indirect flights to Cologne Bonn Airport. For these routes, you will be flying with EasyJet and Smartwings, respectively.

Before you fly

When travelling from London to Cologne by plane, it is recommended that you arrive at the airport at least two hours before your flight to allow for check-in and security.

After you land

Once you land in Cologne, you can take a bus or train to the city centre. Cologne Bonn Airport is about 15km southeast of the city centre.

Other ways to get to Cologne from the UK

If you don't want to fly, you can also take a bus or train from London to Cologne. The train is the fastest option, taking just under five hours, but it is also the most expensive. The bus is the cheapest option, but it will take over 12 hours.

By train from the UK

The best way to travel from the UK to Cologne is by train. The fastest route is to take the Eurostar from London St. Pancras International to Brussels-Midi, and then change to another Eurostar train to Cologne. This journey takes just over 5 hours.

Eurostar trains have two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats, and free WiFi. Plus and Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00). There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.

At Brussels-Midi, you can take a Thalys or German ICE train to Cologne. Both offer equally high levels of comfort and service. The Thalys train has three classes: standard, comfort (first class), and premium (premium first class with food and wine included). The ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats, and free WiFi. In first class, food and drink orders are taken and served at your seat.

The cheapest way to travel from London to Cologne is by bus, which costs around $36 (€31). However, this journey takes 12 hours.

Public transport in Cologne

The public transport system in Cologne is clean, efficient, and affordable. Cologne's public transport system is called KVB and includes trains, trams, and buses. The KVB website is available in English, and tickets can be purchased from vending machines at all public transport stations in the city.

Trains

Trains are at the heart of the public transport system in Cologne. The U-Bahn (underground trains) and S-Bahn (high-speed trains that are not necessarily faster than the U-Bahn) run from the outskirts to the city centre. The U-Bahn is indicated with a "U" on the line, while the S-Bahn lines are indicated with an "S" and a two-tone colour code of the original colour and white. Together, they are referred to as the Stadtbahnlinien, or city train lines, and are numbered from 1 to 18. All S-Bahns run via the main station in Cologne, but not all U-Bahns do. In most areas, they feel like trams as they run alongside or in the middle of the streets, but there are also areas where they run on special rails.

Trams

Trams in Cologne are unique as they operate both below and above ground. Certain tram stops are at street level, while others are similar to subway stations. Trams are ideal for travelling between the different attractions in the city as there are multiple stations throughout the city centre.

Buses

The bus system in Cologne consists of roughly 76 lines, carrying the numbers 120 to 196, with a few rare exceptions. Each district is assigned a certain range of numbers. For example, lines 120 and higher operate in the district of Chorweiler, while lines 130 and above operate in the district of Rodenkirchen. Buses cover a small portion of the city centre but can be a good way to take in the scenery of Cologne.

Tickets

A KVB ticket is used for all forms of transport in Cologne and can be purchased as day passes, single tickets, and weekly passes. Tickets can be bought:

• Via the KVB app (with a 3% discount)
• On the Internet (Online Ticket Shop)
• At 5 KVB customer centres and sales offices
• In over 100 private sales offices (kiosks)
• At ticket machines in buses, trains, and stations
• From the bus driver (who may not accept notes larger than €10)

Timetables

Trains and buses run at least every 20 minutes until very late in the evening and then thin out to 30 to 40 minutes. During rush hours, most trains go every 5 minutes, and most buses go every 10 minutes.

Frequently asked questions