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How to take the stunning rail journey from Cologne/Koln to the Worthersee
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Köln / Cologne / Koeln to Klagenfurt by train
Step on board for one of Europe's most epic rail journeys!
The route includes a journey through the majestic Rhine Gorge and the stunning Tauern Railway.
Use this journey guide to access good to know info for the stations, trains and tickets.
Routes you can take to go from Köln / Cologne / Koeln to Klagenfurt
When travelling between most cities by train there is only one logical option, though on other journeys there is a choice between different trains or alternative routes. If different options are available you can use the info to decide which is best for you.
Choose one of the following options:
Looking for connections?
Route Information
Option 1: taking the direct train
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
10hr 58min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
1 x direct train per day
Purchase Tickets
DB Guide
DB is the national railway operator in Germany, so its website can be used for booking journeys by German express trains; the ICE and IC trains and it doesn't charge booking fees.
It also sells tickets for journeys by direct trains on all international routes from Germany regardless of whether DB is operating the train service.
It also sells an extensive range of end-to-end journeys which involve making connections both within Germany and in neighboring countries, but journeys between Germany and Britain cannot be booked on DB.
On journeys within Germany and on most international journeys from and to Germany on trains operated by DB:
- For journeys by the express trains, EC. IC and ICE trains an adult (on German railways an adult is a person aged 15 and over) can take up to four children aged 6 - 14 with them at no additional charge.
- Tickets need to be booked for children aged 0 - 5, but there is no charge for them.
- Those aged 65 and over can take journeys at a discounted rate.
- Dogs, which are too large to be placed in pet carriers, require tickets which cost 50% of the adult rate.
When booking both types of the discounted 'Sparpreis' tickets seat reservations are an optional extra, so need to be added when booking if you want an assigned seat(s).
OBB Guide
OBB is the national rail operator and its booking service offers journeys by express trains within Austria, as well as international journeys which don't involve making a connection outside of Austria.
It pays off to book online, as the discounted 'Sparscheine' tickets are only ever made available on the website, and when making international journeys to and from Austria, these Sparscheine tickets tend to be cheaper.
OBB can offer particularly good value for money when travelling with children on international rail journeys, but something to watch out for when travelling between Austria and Germany on daytime trains, is that reservations are an optional extra; but if you book 1st class tickets with the Germany railways website DB, the reservations are complimentary.
OBB often takes a unique approach to its booking path, but a key thing to keep in mind is that the first price you will see for any journey is that of a Second Class seat.
The costs of upgrading to first class, a reservation, or a sleeping cabin etc, is then added to this price.
Travel Information
Final Destination: Klagenfurt
This train is named the 'Wörthersee' for a good reason as it links the cities of north-west Germany to the popular Austrian lake resort.
The train calls at three resort towns on the lake - Velden and Portschach and Krumpendorf.
The train also calls at: Salzburg, Bad Gastein and Villach there is a tightly timed connection in Villach into a train calling at Lesce-Bled and Ljubljana.
The alternative connection
Because this direct train takes the winding, but beautiful, Rhine Valley route, it's usually possible to set off from Koln around 40mins later on a train that takes the faster, high-speed route and then have an easily timed connection at Mannheim, into this train.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
From the timetable change on December 10th, the ICE trains will take over from the EC train.
The train will reverse direction on departure from Stuttgart and Munchen.
This is one of Europe's most epic train journeys
Sit on the left on the train when facing the direction of travel, this may seem the wrong way round, but the train will initially head north on departure and then loop around the city before heading south on the river bank.
You can then see the stunning views of the Upper Rhine Valley between Koblenz and Bingen.
The journey also has other scenic highlights, particularly between:
Stuttgart and Ulm - from the left of the train
And from the left and right of the train between Salzburg and Villach; though from the right has the edge.
Finally there are lake views between Villach and Klagenfurt also on the right.
The train will reverse direction on departure from Stuttgart and Munchen
Tickets
This daily direct train is usually scheduled to depart from Koln/Cologne at 08:17, 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.
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.
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 this direct train more easily by making a proactive selection of 'Direct Trains Only'.
Or to see all the combinations of trains and journey options, take off the 'fastest connections' default.
Route Information
Via stations: Frankfurt (Main) Hbf
Option 2: connect in Frankfurt
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
10hr 50min - 11hr 20min (approx)
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
2 x optimum connections per day
Purchase Tickets
DB Guide
DB is the national railway operator in Germany, so its website can be used for booking journeys by German express trains; the ICE and IC trains and it doesn't charge booking fees.
It also sells tickets for journeys by direct trains on all international routes from Germany regardless of whether DB is operating the train service.
It also sells an extensive range of end-to-end journeys which involve making connections both within Germany and in neighboring countries, but journeys between Germany and Britain cannot be booked on DB.
On journeys within Germany and on most international journeys from and to Germany on trains operated by DB:
- For journeys by the express trains, EC. IC and ICE trains an adult (on German railways an adult is a person aged 15 and over) can take up to four children aged 6 - 14 with them at no additional charge.
- Tickets need to be booked for children aged 0 - 5, but there is no charge for them.
- Those aged 65 and over can take journeys at a discounted rate.
- Dogs, which are too large to be placed in pet carriers, require tickets which cost 50% of the adult rate.
When booking both types of the discounted 'Sparpreis' tickets seat reservations are an optional extra, so need to be added when booking if you want an assigned seat(s).
Travel Information
If the timing of the direct train doesn't suit, one of the simpler alternative options is to make a connection in Frankfurt - though this routing will be compromised on many dates in 2024 because of construction work between Frankfurt and Mannheim.
When the usual timetable is available the time between arrival and departure at Frankfurt (Main) hbf will be an easily timed 45-50mins - when departing Koln at around 06:00 and 12:30.
This journey is made up of 1 change.
Train 1
Between Köln/Cologne Hbf and Frankfurt (Main) HbfYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
These trains travel at more than 270 k/mh Germany's fastest high speed line between Siegburg/Bonn and Frankfurt Flughafen.
If you have never travelled between Koln/Cologne and Frankfurt by train before, you have a choice between;
(1) experiencing the G-force on Germany's fastest train journey - this is a high speed line that most definitely has the wow factor,
OR (2) taking the alternative longer route via Koblenz* with its stunning views of The Rhine Valley; it's Germany's most scenic journey taken by express trains.
Train 2
Between Frankfurt (Main) Hbf and Klagenfurt HbfYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Journey description:
This is a stunning journey, so it can pay off to take the first train of the day!
Highlights include passing Geislingen between Stuttgart and Ulm, the descent into Villach...
....and the lake views between Villach and Klagenfurt.
All of these picks of the views, which can be seen after Bad Gastein, are from the right of the train; when facing the direction of travel.
Though the ascent up to Bad Gastein station can be best appreciated on the left.
So this can also be a journey where travelling 1st class can pay off, as you'll have more freedom to move from one side of the train to the other, to make the most of the trip.
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Tickets
Online bookings usually open: 6 months ahead of the travel date.
Look for the journey options which typically involves departing from Koln Hbf at around 06:00 and 12:27.
Though alternative connections, particularly those which involve more than one change of train, can be cheaper.
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 trains 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.
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.
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‘.
This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.
We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.
Instead of advertising or paywalls, your financial support will make a positive difference to delivering an enhanced service, as there’s a lot of ideas which we want to make happen.
So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please consider saying thank you.
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