An ICE departs from Koln Hbf

How to take the rail journey from Frankfurt (Main) to Köln / Cologne

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Frankfurt to Köln / Cologne / Koeln by train

When taking a train from Frankfurt (Main) to Cologne / Köln there are three things to keep in mind.

  1. The route: Most of the trains rush along Germany's fastest high speed line, but some trains still take the slower, but much more beautiful route through the Rhine Gorge and Bonn.
  2. The location of your ultimate destination: Many of the fast trains which take the high-speed route arrive at a secondary station in Cologne / Köln, located on the east bank of the River Rhine.
    Other trains, including all those on the slower route, arrive at the city's main station, Koln Hbf.
  3. Price: The popularity of a departure and not the route it takes, or the station it arrives at, are what most greatly affects the cost of taking each specific train.

Routes you can take to go from Frankfurt (Main) to Köln / Cologne / Koeln

When travelling between most cities by train there is only one logical option, though on other journeys there is a choice between different trains or alternative routes. If different options are available you can use the info to decide which is best for you.

Choose one of the following options:

Route Information

Option 1: taking the high speed route
Travel Time (approx)

1hr - 1hr 15min (approx)

Frequency

Daily

Travel Info

To Koln Hbf:
1 or 2 trains per hour

To Koln Messe-Deutz:
1 x train per hour

Route Information

Option 2: taking the slower, but more scenic route
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