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Köln / Cologne / Koeln to Hamburg by train
How to take the rail journey from Cologne/Köln to Hamburg
Despite being one of Germany's busiest railway routes, there is no high speed line between Cologne/Köln and Hamburg, this part of country is so densely populated that it would send constructions costs into the stratosphere.
Though ICE trains are increasingly being switched to this route, as they have a more comfortable ambience than the IC trains and they also convey restaurant cars.
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Routes
Option 1: taking the IC, EC or ICE trains
Journey Summary
3hr 45min - 4hr 10mins (approx)
Daily
Travel Information
Final Destination: Hamburg-Altona (or Kiel or Lubeck or Westerland)
Most trains also call at: Bremen
All of these trains will call at two stations adjacent to Hamburg city centre; Hamburg Hbf and Hamburg Dammtor
So it can be worthwhile working out which of these stations in the city, will suit your needs best, before making the journey.
The different trains and routes:
Despite there being no high speed lines between Koln/Cologne and Hamburg, most of the trains between the two cities are ICE trains and multiple times of ICE trains are now used on these departures.
Two of the trains in the timetable, the departures which typically leave at 17:09 and 19:09 are EC trains as these trains will have commenced their journeys in Switzerland; so you may find yourself on a Swiss train.
The trains between Koln/Cologne and Hamburg also take one of two routes:
- via Dusseldorf and Essen, or
- via Wuppertal.
Trains that travel via Wuppertal are slightly faster than those which travel via Essen, but the time difference is marginal, so it's not worth targeting the trains that travel via Wuppertal.
Whether a train travels via Wuppertal or Essen also makes no difference to the ticket price.
1 or 2 x trains per hour
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings usually open: 6 months ahead of the travel date
When looking for tickets from Köln Hbf on DB Bahn type ‘K' or 'COLOGNE‘ into the ‘from‘ box and not ‘Ko‘.
Check that you’re looking at info for the direct trains.
On the DB Bahn booking site look for journeys that have 0 in the Chg. column
Use the earlier/later buttons to search for the cheapest ticket prices.
Seat reservations:
Reservations are highly recommended for this journey, book a 1st class ticket and your seat will be assigned, but not if you book 2nd class or will be travelling with a rail pass
This is one of Germany's busiest rail services.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| DB Bahn | from €17.90 | |
| Trainline | from €17.90 | |
| Happy rail | from €17.90 | |
| Save A Train | from €17.90 | |
| Omio | from €17.90 |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
The train which typically departs daily at 16:04 is designated as an ICE -Sprinter and it is this train which has a journey time of around 3hr 45 mins, because it makes fewer station calls than any other departure.
Though up to five other daily departures have a journey time of around 3hr 50min because they are non-stop between Munster and Hamburg, so don't divert off the direct route to call in Bremen.
Option 2: taking the Flixtrains
Journey Summary
3hr 55min (approx)
Not Every Day
Travel Information
Final Destination Hamburg Hbf
All trains also call at: [Hamburg-Harburg]https://goo.gl/maps/phvNgorBuZRdtiDM8)
Monday = 1 x train
Thursday = 1 x train
Friday = 2 x trains
Saturday = 1 x train
Sunday = 2 x trains
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).
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Flix | * |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
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