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Köln / Cologne / Koeln to Aachen by train
How to travel by train from Cologne/Köln to Aachen
Aachen is close enough to Köln/Cologne to be served by Regio trains and if you will be buying tickets at the station for a spontaneous day trip, they are the logical option, they provide both the most frequent and cheapest service.
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Routes
Option 1: taking the Regio trains
Journey Summary
55 min (Regio)
Daily
Travel Information
Final Destination: Aachen
Taking these Regio trains is usually the logical choice when making the journey from Koln/Cologne to Aachen.
They're much more frequent than the ICE trains and it's a comparatively short journey.
Tickets for journeys by Regio trains have a fixed price, so you won't pay any extra if you buy tickets last minute.
And when you're booking tickets at the station they will be much cheaper than the ICE trains.
Though if you have booked a ticket for the Regio train, you cannot then take the ICE train if it is the next train to depart, or in the event of a delay to the Regio train(s).
2 x trains per hour
Tickets
Look up this journey on the DB, German national railways website and you can check the departure times of these Regio trains, but will only be able to purchase tickets on the website for the alternative service of ICE trains.
Hence the lack of the usual ticketing links.
On this journey
Travelling On
Good to Know
Aachen cathedral is around a 15 to 25 minute walk from Aachen hauptbahnhof, bus routes/lines 11, 21, 31 and 51 go to the nearest stop at Ellsenbrunen.
The Regio trains take the same 'route' as the ICE trains, but for most of the distance between Koln and Aachen there are parallel sets of railway tracks, one of which is used by the Regio trains and the other is used by the ICE trains.
The set of tracks used by the ICE trains has been engineered so that the ICE trains can travel faster, as it's a fairly straight route.
From Köln/Cologne Hbf to Aachen Hbf
Journey Summary
33 min (ICE)
Daily
Travel Information
Final Destination: Bruxelles-Midi (or Aachen)
These ICE trains are non-stop from Koln to Aachen, which is why they are more than 20 mins faster than the alternative, more frequent service, of Regio trains.
They also tend to be more expensive, even if you can book months ahead, but the one advantage over the Regio trains, is that seat reservations are available on these ICE trains.
Though if you will be travelling 2nd class, paying the optional €4.50 reservation fee is a tad indulgent for such a comparatively short journey.
However, if you book a 1st class, a complimentary seat reservation is included.
5 - 7 x trains per day
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes (on these ICE trains)
Online bookings open: 6 months ahead of the travel date (ICE trains)
The alternative Regio trains are much more frequent, so if you want to to travel on these ICE trains, then you may need to use the 'earlier' or 'later buttons on DB Bahn to find them.
These ICE trains are easy to spot when looking for these tickets online, as unlike the Regio trains, these ICE trains CAN be booked in advance on DB Bahn - so they're the journeys that have the price displayed.
The Thalys trains - which match the ICE trains for journey time on this route, can't be booked on the DB website and they can't be purchased at Köln station either, so they're best avoided for this journey.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| DB Bahn | * |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Bruxelles-Midi (or Aachen)
These ICE trains are non-stop from Koln to Aachen, which is why they are more than 20 mins faster than the alternative, more frequent service, of Regio trains.
They also tend to be more expensive, even if you can book months ahead, but the one advantage over the Regio trains, is that seat reservations are available on these ICE trains.
Though if you will be travelling 2nd class, paying the optional €4.50 reservation fee is a tad indulgent for such a comparatively short journey.
However, if you book a 1st class, a complimentary seat reservation is included.
The final departure of the day is by an ICE 2 train, all other departures are by ICE 3 trains.
Final Destination: Bruxelles-Midi (or Aachen)
These ICE trains are non-stop from Koln to Aachen, which is why they are more than 20 mins faster than the alternative, more frequent service, of Regio trains.
They also tend to be more expensive, even if you can book months ahead, but the one advantage over the Regio trains, is that seat reservations are available on these ICE trains.
Though if you will be travelling 2nd class, paying the optional €4.50 reservation fee is a tad indulgent for such a comparatively short journey.
However, if you book a 1st class, a complimentary seat reservation is included.
If you are new to travelling by train in Germany, we recommend taking a look at our GermanTrain Travel Guide.
It is packed with info and useful links to help ensure you’ll have a stress-free trip.
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