How to take the rail journey from Cologne/Köln to beautiful Interlaken on the daily direct train

This daily direct train is usually scheduled to depart from Koln/Cologne at 08:53.

On most dates until June 6th, this train will be departing from Koln - Messe/Deutz station.

Final Destination: Interlaken Ost

Leave the train (and book tickets to) Interlaken West if your final destination is in Interlaken town centre.

This train also calls at: Olten, [*Bern](/train-travel-info/countries/switzerland/cities/bern/rail-stations/bern/, Thun and Spiez.

This daily direct train is usually scheduled to depart from Koln/Cologne at 08:53, so target that time when looking up this journey
However, due to the length of the journey, this train departure is particularly susceptible to cancellation or alteration due to works on the line. 
If you can't see a journey with no changes on your travel date it means that this direct train is not running that day, so you will need to choose from one of the other options.
On most dates until June 6th, this train will be departing from Koln - Messe/Deutz station.

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 Europa and Super Sparpreis Europa
Two types of non-discounted ticket - Flexpreis Europa and Flexpreis Plus Europa.

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 Europa and Flexpreis Plus Europa 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 Europa tickets, as they aren't train departure specific.
If you book a Sparpreis Europa 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 Europa tickets can't be exchanged or refunded.

The Sparpreis, Flexpreis and Flexpreis Plus tickets also include 'City tickets', which can be used on public transport between locations in Köln city centre and Köln Hbf.

Seat reservations

Seat reservations are optional on this route - take note if you will be using a rail pass.
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 this train will be.
Though typically reservations are highly recommended for this journey if you'll be travelling 2nd class or with a rail pass - it's worth it to ensure that you have an assigned seat for the entire trip.

But this is a journey when travelling 1st class can pay off, you'll have greater opportunities to switch sides across the coach on the train, to ensure that you're always seeing the best of the views.

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‘.

You can find these direct trains more easily by making a proactive selection of 'Direct Trains Only'.

Or to see all the combinations of trains and journey options, most of which will be faster, take off the 'fastest connections' default.

When looking up this journey if you don't opt to only see the direct trains, there are more than a dosen daily journey options which involve taking more than one train.
Some of these involve making non-guaranteed connections between two ICE trains of less than 15 mins in Mannheim
Opting to taking a chance on making these connections isn't a gamble; unless the transfer is into the final train of the day on to Interlaken - you won't have to re-book tickets if a delayed train results in a missed connection.

Or you can avoid having to make such tightly timed connections between trains by honing in on the journey options, which typically involve an easily timed transfer in Basel of around 40mins between trains.
These are the journey options which usually have an end-to-end journey time of 6hr 21min and involve departing at 06:55, 08:55 or 10:55.

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 Europa and Super Sparpreis Europa
Two types of non-discounted ticket - Flexpreis Europa and Flexpreis Plus Europa.

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 Europa and Flexpreis Plus Europa 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 Europa tickets, as they aren't train departure specific.
If you book a Sparpreis Europa 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 Europa tickets can't be exchanged or refunded.

The Sparpreis, Flexpreis and Flexpreis Plus tickets also include 'City tickets', which can be used on public transport between locations in Köln city centre and Köln Hbf.

Seat reservations

Seat reservations are optional on the ICE train and on the EC train between Munchen and Innsbruck.
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.

On this journey which involves two trains on which seat reservations are available, the fees cover all trains - if reservations are added when initially booking.
Specific seats can be selected from seating plans, you don't have to accept the seat(s) that you will be automatically offered.

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.
Though if you opt to add reservations later you will have pay the fees per train..

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‘.