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How to take a rail journey from Cologne/Köln to Berlin
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Köln / Cologne / Koeln to Berlin by train
As is the norm when travelling between major German cities by train, smart ICE trains provide hourly direct connections throughout the day on this route, so this is typically a very straightforward journey.
And now there are also three additional 'Sprinter' services per day which are non-stop from Köln to Berlin
Then for travel overnight, sleeper trains aren't available on this route, but one of the ICE trains is made available.
Cities including Aachen, Bonn and Koblenz have less frequent trains from Berlin, so when the timings of those trains don't suit, connections are available in Koln hbf.
Routes you can take to go from Köln / Cologne / Koeln to Berlin
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:
Looking for connections?
Route Information
Option 1: taking the more frequent regular services
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
4hr 18 min - 4hr 28min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
1 x train per hour
Purchase Tickets
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Trainline Guide
Other Ticket Providers
DB Guide
DB is the national railway operator in Germany, so its website can be used for booking journeys by German express trains; the ICE and IC trains and it doesn't charge booking fees.
It also sells tickets for journeys by direct trains on all international routes from Germany regardless of whether DB is operating the train service.
It also sells an extensive range of end-to-end journeys which involve making connections both within Germany and in neighboring countries, but journeys between Germany and Britain cannot be booked on DB.
On journeys within Germany and on most international journeys from and to Germany on trains operated by DB:
- For journeys by the express trains, EC. IC and ICE trains an adult (on German railways an adult is a person aged 15 and over) can take up to four children aged 6 - 14 with them at no additional charge.
- Tickets need to be booked for children aged 0 - 5, but there is no charge for them.
- Those aged 65 and over can take journeys at a discounted rate.
- Dogs, which are too large to be placed in pet carriers, require tickets which cost 50% of the adult rate.
When booking both types of the discounted 'Sparpreis' tickets seat reservations are an optional extra, so need to be added when booking if you want an assigned seat(s).
Happy rail Guide
Happy Rail is a Netherlands rail ticket agency which sells tickets for both national and international journeys within a range of countries including Belgium France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland.
HappyRail doesn't charge booking fees in the conventional sense, but if you're not Dutch you can expect to pay additional transaction fees, which will be added to the total cost.
That's because the most common form of online payment used in The Netherlands is 'iDEAL' and HappyRail doesn't charge a transaction fee for 'iDEAL' payments, but only Dutch residents can sign up to 'iDEAL'.
Other forms of payment include Visa debit cards will incur a fee.
Save A Train Guide
Travel Information
Final Destination: Berlin Ostbahnhof station, which lives up to it name with a location to the east of the city centre.
All trains also call at: Bielefeld, Hannover and Berlin-Spandau*
The trains which depart in even hours are now 10 mins faster, because they don't call in Hamm or Wolfsburg and ICE 4 and ICE 1 trains are now used for these services.
The trains which depart in odd hours call in Hamm, where there are joined to other trains that have travelled from Dusseldorf and the ICE 2 trains always used for these services.
Arriving in Berlin
*If your final destination is in West Berlin, the fastest option is usually to leave these trains at Berlin-Spandau and connect there into S-Bahn commuter trains or Regio trains.
The station in the heart of West Berlin is Zoologischer-Garten, but these reguklar ICE trains do not call there.
Check your onward connections in Berlin on this public transport map.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
In some odd hours there are other ICE trains which head to Berlin from Koln/Cologne, but they take a longer route via Dusseldorf and Osnabruck, so have a journey time that's close to an hour longer at 5hr 15mins - and are therefore best avoided.
This a journey on which we recommend having something to do on the trip, as it's a train ride with few wow moments.
A highlight of the train comes near the beginning, with the views over the city of Wuppertal, on the left hand side.
Between there and Bielefeld, the train will pass through an industrial landscape.
The train will travel at more than 250 km/h on a high speed line between Wolfsburg and Berlin-Spandau.
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings usually open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date - but this period of time is shorter when looking up journeys in August to October.
A choice of tickets
Four types of tickets are available:
Two types of discounted tickets, which will be cheaper the further ahead you book - Sparpreis and Super Sparpreis
Two types of non-discounted ticket - Flexpreis Aktion 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.
- Flexpreis Aktion tickets can't be refunded either - but their higher cost is due to...
...the other key difference is that both types of Flexpreis tickets live up to their name, as they can be used on any departure on your travel date - in contrast, both types of Sparpreis tickets are only valid on the specific departures selected when booking,
Note that none of the tickets can be exchanged to a different departure.
There's no need for this to be available for both types of 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, Flexpreis Aktion and Flexprei tickets also include 'City tickets', which can be used on public transport between locations in the city centre and the stations in Cologne and Berlin.
Seat reservations
Seat reservations are optional on ICE trains for journeys within Germany.
They cost €4.90 when travelling in 2nd Class and €5.90 when travelling in 1st class.
Specific seats can be selected from seating plans - you don't have to accept the seat(s) that you will be automatically offered.
They are included within the cost of booking 1st class Flexpreis tickets and both 1st and 2nd class Flexpreis Plus tickets.
Though despite seats being automatically assigned when booking these three types of ticket - and these tickets being valid on any departure, you will need to pay to re-book the reservations, if you subsequently decide to travel on an alternative train.
So because you won't save by booking these types of tickets in advance, it can be a good idea to wait until you are sure when you will want to travel.
When booking Super Sparpreis, Sparpreis and 2nd class Flexpreis tickets, you have the option of purchasing seat reservations later.
It can be worth re-looking up a journey a week or two ahead of travel, because the DB website will indicate how busy a departure will be.
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.
Booking on the DB website
When looking for tickets from Köln Hbf on the DB website type ‘K‘ or 'COLOGNE' into the ‘from‘ box and not ‘Ko‘.
To see all the combinations of trains and journey options, some of which may be cheaper, take off the 'fastest connections' default.
Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day, so if you can be flexible with your departure time use the 'best prices' tool - at the top right on the list of journey options.
Route Information
Option 2: Taking the faster Sprinter services
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
4hrs
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
3 x trains per day
Purchase Tickets
DB Guide
DB is the national railway operator in Germany, so its website can be used for booking journeys by German express trains; the ICE and IC trains and it doesn't charge booking fees.
It also sells tickets for journeys by direct trains on all international routes from Germany regardless of whether DB is operating the train service.
It also sells an extensive range of end-to-end journeys which involve making connections both within Germany and in neighboring countries, but journeys between Germany and Britain cannot be booked on DB.
On journeys within Germany and on most international journeys from and to Germany on trains operated by DB:
- For journeys by the express trains, EC. IC and ICE trains an adult (on German railways an adult is a person aged 15 and over) can take up to four children aged 6 - 14 with them at no additional charge.
- Tickets need to be booked for children aged 0 - 5, but there is no charge for them.
- Those aged 65 and over can take journeys at a discounted rate.
- Dogs, which are too large to be placed in pet carriers, require tickets which cost 50% of the adult rate.
When booking both types of the discounted 'Sparpreis' tickets seat reservations are an optional extra, so need to be added when booking if you want an assigned seat(s).
Omio Guide
Omio is an online ticket agency which offers tickets for rail journeys in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain.
The three key advantages of using Omio are
- it offers prices in multiple currencies
- it usually offers price comparison with other modes of travel including flights and buses
- when visiting Europe, you can book journeys in multiple countries in one transaction.
The disadvantage of booking with Omio is that it often adds a booking fee to the final price; therefore when it does so without offering a price advantage, SMTJ doesn't tend to offer Omio as a booking option.
Save A Train Guide
Happy rail Guide
Happy Rail is a Netherlands rail ticket agency which sells tickets for both national and international journeys within a range of countries including Belgium France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland.
HappyRail doesn't charge booking fees in the conventional sense, but if you're not Dutch you can expect to pay additional transaction fees, which will be added to the total cost.
That's because the most common form of online payment used in The Netherlands is 'iDEAL' and HappyRail doesn't charge a transaction fee for 'iDEAL' payments, but only Dutch residents can sign up to 'iDEAL'.
Other forms of payment include Visa debit cards will incur a fee.
Travel Information
These 'Sprinter' services are typically schedule to depart daily from Koln at 06:17, 12:17 and 18:17.
In addition to Berlin Hbf and Berlin Spandau, which are served by all of these ‘Sprinter’ services, the trains go on terminate at different stations in the German capital.
Final Destinations:
Berlin Sudkreuz - the first two trains of the day
Berlin Ostkreuz - the final train of the day
Though what’s particularly noteworthy is that final departure of the day from Koln is the first ICE service in more than 10 years to call at Berlin Zoologischer Garten station, the main station in West Berlin.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
These 'Sprinter' trains take the same route from Köln to Berlin as the regular ICE services between the two cities; they're around 20mins faster because they skip all the intermediate station calls.
Although what is a tad disappointing is that these new ‘Sprinter’ services don’t enhance any international rail travel opportunities.
Frustratingly an ICE from Bruxelles will get into Koln, only 3 mins after the 12:17 ‘Sprinter’ will leave for Berlin.
Restaurant cars are included on the trains used for these 'Sprinter' services, but they are not available on the regular, slower departures.
Travelling with bicycles:
As ICE 4 trains are used for these services, these are the only trains on the Koln/Cologne to Berlin route on which non-folding bicycles can be taken on board.
Final Destination: Koln Hbf or Koblenz Hbf
All trains also call at: Berlin-Spandau; Wuppertal
The train will commence its journey at Berlin Gesundbrunnen.
At Berlin Hbf the train should depart from the lower level (tief) platforms/gleis.
The train heading to Koln or Koblenz will be joined to another train heading to Dusseldorf.
The trains are seperated on arrival at Hamm (West).
So check the electonic departure screens on the gleis/platform at Berlin Hbf, so that you're waiting in the right zone for easy boarding into the train heading to Koln/Cologne
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings usually open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date - but this period of time is shorter when looking up journeys in August to October.
A choice of tickets
Four types of tickets are available:
Two types of discounted tickets, which will be cheaper the further ahead you book - Sparpreis and Super Sparpreis
Two types of non-discounted ticket - Flexpreis and Flexpreis Plus
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 and Flexpreis Plus 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 both types of 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, Flexpreis and Flexpreis Plus tickets also include 'City tickets', which can be used on public transport between locations in the city centre and the stations in Cologne and Berlin.
Seat reservations
Seat reservations are optional on ICE trains for journeys within Germany.
They cost €4.90 when travelling in 2nd Class and €5.90 when travelling in 1st class.
Specific seats can be selected from seating plans - you don't have to accept the seat(s) that you will be automatically offered.
They are included within the cost of booking 1st class Flexpreis tickets and both 1st and 2nd class Flexpreis Plus tickets.
Though despite seats being automatically assigned when booking these three types of ticket - and these tickets being valid on any departure, you will need to pay to re-book the reservations, if you subsequently decide to travel on an alternative train.
So because you won't save by booking these types of tickets in advance, it can be a good idea to wait until you are sure when you will want to travel.
When booking Super Sparpreis, Sparpreis and 2nd class Flexpreis tickets, you have the option of purchasing seat reservations later.
It can be worth re-looking up a journey a week or two ahead of travel, because the DB website will indicate how busy a departure will be.
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.
Booking on the DB website
You can find these faster trains more easily by making a proactive selection of 'Direct Trains Only'.
Or to see all the combinations of trains and journey options, some of which may be cheaper, take off the 'fastest connections' default.
Route Information
Option 3: taking the Flix Trains
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
4hr 5min - 4hr 20min (approx)
Frequency
Not every day
Travel Info
Monday = 2 x trains
Tues / Weds = 1 x train per day
Thursday to Sunday = 2 x trains per day
Purchase Tickets
Travel Information
Final Destination: Berlin Sudkreuz or Leipzig
Most trains also call at Berlin-Spandau
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Final Destination: Koln Hbf or Koblenz Hbf
All trains also call at: Berlin-Spandau; Wuppertal
The train will commence its journey at Berlin Gesundbrunnen.
At Berlin Hbf the train should depart from the lower level (tief) platforms/gleis.
The train heading to Koln or Koblenz will be joined to another train heading to Dusseldorf.
The trains are seperated on arrival at Hamm (West).
So check the electonic departure screens on the gleis/platform at Berlin Hbf, so that you're waiting in the right zone for easy boarding into the train heading to Koln/Cologne
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings usually open: up to 3 months ahead
Something to be aware of when booking tickets for journeys by FlixTrain is that Flix is predominantly a bus operator, so the train travel options for booking tickets are listed alongside the bus travel options; also some of the info around ticket exchanges and FAQs in general can point at the FlixBus website.
To make a it easier to hone in on a train journey it can be a good idea to look up the timetables to check the departure times which suit and then keep these times in mind looking for your rail ticket(s).
Much of the general advice around booking and using rail tickets in Germany doesn't apply to journeys by FlixTrain.
Tickets booked with DB, the German national rail operator, can't be used on FlixTrains, as Flix has used its own terms and conditions and set its own policies for how its tickets can be booked and used.
What are particularly different from DB is the reservation / seat selection on FlixTrain and how tickets can be exchanged (how tickets can be exchanged on FlixTrain also applies to FlixBus).
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