How to travel by train Vienna to Cologne

Final Destination: Dortmund

All trains also call at: St Polten, Linz and Mainz, Koblenz and Bonn

Departing from Wien / Vienna

If your journey in Vienna is commencing in the south-west corner of the city, or the area on the ring road around the Opera House - then it's likely that you'll have a faster and more convenient journey if you join the train at Wien-Meidling station.

Wien Meidling is connected to line U6 of the Vienna Metro, which serves the western side of the city centre.

Though we particularly recommend opting to make reservations on these trains if you want to join this train at Wien-Meidling.

Alternative connections:

These direct ICE trains to Koln/Cologne from WienVienna don't use the high speed line between Frankfurt (Main) and Koln, they still take the pre-high speed route through The Rhine Valley via Bonn and Koblenz.
Therefore when looking up journeys, you will see faster journey options, than these direct trains, that have 1 x chg. of train.
These faster journey options involve connecting at Frankfurt Flughafen or Frankfurt (Main) into a train that will take the high speed line - and not this longer (and much more scenic) route via Koblenz.

Online bookings open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date
This booking period tends to be shorter when looking up journeys between mid August and mid October.

It can be worth comparing prices on the different ticket agents, the cheapest 'Europa Spezial' tickets can still be available on DB, the German railways website, when the most heavily discounted 'Sparschiene' tickets are sold out on OBB, the Austrian railways website.
And the reverse can be true, cheaper Sparschiene tickets can still be available on OBB, meaning that DB can be more expensive.

There is a 4 hour gap between departures of these direct trains between around 11:15 and 15:15.
That is because the train that departs Wien at 13:15 will be heading to Hamburg; and this train has an 8 min connection at Wurzburg into a train on to Frankfurt (Main) Hbf.

A choice of tickets on the DB website

Three types of tickets are always available: Sparpreis and Super Sparpreis and Flexpreis.

A key difference between these types of tickets is refunds:

• Super Sparpreis tickets are cheapest, but they can't be refunded at all.
• Sparpreis tickets can be refunded for a fee, but the refund will be in the form of travel vouchers to be used for alternative / future journeys.
• Flexpreis tickets can be refunded at no additional charge.

The other key difference is that both types of Sparpreis tickets are only valid on the specific departures selected when booking, but the Flexpreis tickets live up to their name, as they can be used on any departure on your travel date.

Note that none of the tickets can be exchanged to a different departure.
There's no need for this to be available for Flexpreis tickets, as they aren't train departure specific.
If you book a Sparpreis ticket and want to travel by a different departure you can refund it and then use the travel voucher towards the cost of the new booking.
Super Sparpreis tickets can't be exchanged or refunded.

When travelling to and from the major cities, the Sparpreis and Flexpreis tickets also include 'City tickets', which can be used on public transport on from Koln Hbf.
1st Class tickets

No matter what type of ticket booked, if you choose to travel 1st class, you will have access to the same seating areas on the train, ICE trains do not have Business or Executive lounges.
Though only those who have booked 1st class Flexpreis or Flexpreis Plus tickets can access the DB Lounges at the major stations.

Seat reservations:

Reservations are recommended for this journey due to its length, but whether seat reservations will be included with a ticket(s) will depend on which booking service you use and the type of ticket you select.

Book with OBB:

Seat reservations have to be proactively added for an additional charge, when booking any type of ticket.

Book with DB:

Reservations included within the cost of booking 1st class Flexpreis tickets and both 1st and 2nd class Flexpreis Plus tickets.
When booking Super Sparpreis, Sparpreis and 2nd class Flexpreis tickets, you have the option of purchasing seat reservations>

Specific seats can be selected from seating plans - you don't have to accept the seat(s) that you will be automatically offered.

Though in general reservations are highly recommended for this journey, particularly if you'll be travelling 2nd class; it's worth it to ensure that you have an assigned seat for the entire trip.

You can find this trains more easily by making a proactive selection of 'Direct Trains Only'.
But if you can't see it (because the schedule is being disrupted' look again without this option,
Or to see all the combinations of trains and journey options, some of which may be cheaper, take off the 'fastest connections' default..

Booking on the OBB website

The discounted tickets are the 'Sparscheine' tickets and they can be booked online up until the day of departure, but they CAN'T be booked at stations, so booking last minute at the station is always more expensive.

Though you'll usually need to book the 'Sparscheine' tickets at least a couple of days ahead to obtain them at the cheapest possible price.

Book a Sparschiene ticket and it will be specific to the departure you selected when making a booking and it can't be refunded at all if you subsequently change your travel plans and it also can't be exchanged to an alternative, later departure.

Using rail passes

Travelling in June to August:

Reservations are mandatory for this journey, so need to be booked pre-boarding.

Travelling in September to May:

If you a valid Eurail or InterRail pass you can opt to make reservations for this journey but you can simply board with a pass and hope that seats will be available.

Final destination: Amsterdam

This train is usually scheduled to depart from Wien Hbf beween 20:10 and 20:50 and arrive in Köln Hbf before 07:00
It is a longer journey than taking the daytime ICE trains.
Check here to check whether the route will be affected by construction work

On departure from Wien Hbf it will be joined to another train heading to Hamburg; if you see 'Hamburg' on the departure screens, then the info will also be for this train.
Don't be concerned about joining the wrong part of the train, your reservations will be in the part of the train that will be heading to Koln.

And the train conductor will greet passengers travelling in the sleeping cabins.

This train also departs from: Wien Meidling, St Polten and Linz (at 22:16)

Book early and save: Yes

This train is usually scheduled to depart from Vienna/Wien at 20:41 so target that time when looking up this journey.

Online bookings open:
6 months ahead of the travel date on OBB
3 months ahead of the travel date on DB Bahn

Our step-by-step guide to booking train tickets on the DB (German national railways) website is available HERE.

Our step-by-step guide to booking night train tickets on the OBB (Austrian national railways) website is available HERE.

The choice of accommodation - summary:

- Compartment Seats (Sitzwagen)
- Couchettes (Liegewagen); 4 berths AND 6 berths
- Standard sleeping cars (Schlafwagen) with 3 bed, 2 bed and 1 cabins
- Deluxe sleeping cars with showers (Schlafwagen) with 3 bed, 2 bed and 1 cabins

Click the yellow train button above for more info including the rail pass reservation fees:

The first price you will see on the OBB ticketing site will be for the compartment seats.

Travelling with a rail pass:

Rail pass users must reserve before boarding this train.

However, these rail pass reservations can NO longer be booked online the DB website, but you can now book rail pass reservations without paying booking fees on the OBB website (OBB operates these trains).
Though the process for doing so isn't particularly obvious, hence this step-by-step guide.
If you'd rather not do so, rail pass reservations can be arranged and paid for at the ÖBB Reisebüro desk in Wien Hbf; ideally do this when you first arrive at Wien Hbf on the preceding train on your itinerary.