Berlin to Bruxelles / Brussels by train

There are no direct daytime trains between Berlin and Bruxelles/Brussels.
So this journey involves taking an ICE train between Berlin and Koln and then an ICE or a Thalys train between Koln and Bruxelles..

However, DB, the German national railways website, only sells tickets when the entire journey is by ICE train and it usually has the cheapest tickets on this route (see the 'Ticket Information' below)

Connections:

When looking up this journey, most of the connections involve making a transfer between trains in Koln Hbf of around 34 mins.
That applies when making the end-2-end journey on 2 x ICE trains.

If possible avoid the options that involve connecting into a Thalys train anywhere other than Koln hbf.
That's because when making the transfer between an ICE and a Thalys anywhere other than Koln hbf, the connecting time between trains is usually shorter; which ups the pressure on making the connection in time, but it will make no difference to the overall time of the end-to-end journey.

Also Thalys is the only direct train service between the likes of Dusseldorf or Essen and Bruxelles; and in comparison there are more frequent direct trains between Koln/Cologne and Bruxelles/Brussels.

Rail Pass users should avoid the journey options which involve taking the Thalys trains.

Book in advance and save: YES

Online bookings usually open: 6 months ahead of the travel date.

'Europa Spezial' tickets are the cheapest option for this journey and they are exclusive to DB; and can therefore only be used on the ICE trains between Koln/Cologne and Bruxelles/Brussels.

Look up this journey on DB and the connections that involve a Thalys train between these cities won' be available, as DB Bahn does not sell tickets for Thalys journeys.

However, look up this Berlin to Bruxelles journey on the other agents and you will have a wider choice of departures, as they will sell the journeys that include taking the ICE AND / OR the Thalys between Koln/Cologne and Bruxelles/Brussels.

But before booking a journey involving a Thalys train, it can be worth checking on DB Bahn if the most heavily discounted 'Spezial' tickets for the journey by 2 x ICE trains, are still available.
The difference in arrival/departure times between the Thalys and ICE connections can be as little as an hour and the overall journey times are very similar.

Missing the booked connection at Koln Hbf:

In the rare event of the train from Berlin arriving too late in Koln/Cologne to make a booked connection, tickets can be transferred free of charge to the subsequent departure on to Bruxelles; irrespective of whether it is by an ICE or Thalys train.
If the next departure is by ICE then any reservations can be swapped to the next train at the Reisezentrum desk in Koln Hbf.

However, if the next departure is a Thalys train the Reiszentrum desk cannot issue tickets or reservations for the Thalys train.
If need be you can then claim your cost of the Thalys tickets back from DB.

This potential for a complication with the tickets / reservation is another tick in the box for making the journey on the combination of 2 x ICE trains.

Final Destination: Bruxelles-Midi / Brussel-Zuid; these trains do not call at any other stations in Brussels
This train also calls at Antwerpen Centraal

European Sleeper is a new train operating company with a mission to provide links between cities with no direct train connection.
It's trains aren't brand new, though they have been refreshed, but if you:

• will want to travel direct by train between the German and Belgian capitals;
• need a morning arrival in Brussels;
• won't need to depart Berlin on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Saturday.
  then this service provides a new option for the journey by train from Berlin to Bruxelles / Brussels.

Book early and save: Yes
Online Bookings Usually Open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date

The ticketing options depend on the type of accommodation you wish to travel by on the train.
The seats are straightforward, the ticket(s) will include a reservation.

In the couchettes you can either book a place; or solo travellers can pay more and book the entire compartment in order to have sole occupancy.
If you will be travelling in groups of 4 or 6 people, you will be the only occupants of the compartment.
But if you will be travelling in a group of 5, the only method to ensure you won't be sharing the compartment with somebody else, is to book six tickets.
Similarly if you will be travelling in a group of 3 and don't want to share a four person compartment with anybody else, you will need to book four tickets.
Female only couchette compartments are available.

The sleeping cabins are priced according to how many people will be occupying them during the journey.
Solo travellers can either:

• Book a bed in a triple cabin and accept that you may share it with up to two other people (cheapest).
• Book a bed in a double cabin, accepting that you may be sharing it with another person.
• Book a single cabin, to ensure privacy (most expensive).

Pairs of travellers, who are happy to share a cabin, can either:

• Book two beds in a triple cabin, accepting that you may be sharing it with another person.
• Book a double cabin.

Groups of 3 travellers will have sole occupancy of a triple cabin, but groups of four or more will need to split the accommodation to whichever suits them; 2 x double cabins, or 1 x triple + 1 x single etc.