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Amsterdam to Köln / Cologne / Koeln by train
All that’s good to know about taking the train from Amsterdam to Cologne / Köln / Koeln
Fabulous state-of-the-art German ICE trains provide the super easy rail link between these two cities.
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Routes
From Amsterdam Centraal / Amsterdam CS to Köln/Cologne Hbf
Journey Summary
2hr 40min - 2hr 45min approx
Daily
Travel Information
Final Destination: Frankfurt (Main) or Basel SBB
The trains also calls at: Utrecht, connect from Rotterdam and Arnhem connect from Nijmegen; and Dusseldorf
There has a been a major recent change on the Amsterdam to Köln/Cologne rail route, namely the trains which are heading on to Frankfurt (Main) are now calling at Köln Messe-Duetz station, instead of the city's main rail station Köln Hbf.
The only daytime train from Amsterdam to Köln Hbf is the daily train heading to Basel, which typically departs Amsterdam just after 08:00.
Making a connection between Koln Messe-Duetz and Koln hbf is fairly awkward, particularly if you'll have luggage etc, as the connection up to the trains on to Koln hbf isn't step-free.
So it's worth looking up the location of your final destination in the city, as transferring to the U-Bahn (Metro) at Messe-Deutz could be an easier option than trying to access Koln hbf.
All four U-Bahn lines from Messe-Deutz call at Neumarkt, while lines/routes 3 and 4 also go to Appelhofplatz and Friesenplatz; and lines/routes 1 and 7 also go to Rudolfplatz.
Monday to Saturday 6 x trains per day
Sunday 5 x trains
the usual first regular departure of the day does not operate on Sundays.
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 6 months ahead of the travel date
When making an online booking, check that you’re looking at booking info for the direct trains.
Look for journeys times of around 2hr 45mins, a ‘0’ and only ‘ICE’ shown in the journey details
Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day, so you may need to look through the day's departures to find the cheapest fares.
(Trains can be diverted from the direct route, particularly at weekends, and when they are, the journey time will be longer).
Reservations:
Seat reservations are included when booking 1st class tickets.
However, if you book 2nd class tickets, or will be travelling with a 1st or 2nd class rail pass, reservations are optional - and these can be busy trains, particularly on Friday afternoons/evenings, Saturday mornings and Sunday evenings.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| NS Intl | from €19 | |
| DB Bahn | from €19 | |
| Save A Train | from €19 | |
| Trainline | from €19 | |
| Happy rail | from €19 |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
Note that Koeln is the Dutch spelling of Cologne, so this name for the city will be used on the train information screens at Amsterdam Centraal.
This is nearly always a stress-free journey, which showcases the best aspects of European international train travel.
The stations at both ends of the route have ideal city centre locations and the ICE 3 trains definitely have a wow factor!
Though what's a tad odd about this journey is that you'll be on board a train that's in the Top 5 on a 'fastest trains in Europe' list, but there's no high speed railway line between Amsterdam and Cologne.
So this route isn't particularly fast and it isn't going to wow scenery fans, but there's still lots to see as the train passes through numerous towns and cities.
And if you sit on the left, you'll see a typical Dutch canal between Amsterdam and Utrecht; so you can sit back and watch the boats go by.
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