Köln / Cologne / Koeln to Leipzig by train

How to take the rail journey from Cologne/Köln to Leipzig

Routes

From Köln/Cologne Hbf to Leipzig Hbf

Journey Summary

From

Köln / Cologne / Koeln

Köln/Cologne Hbf Rail Station Guide

Leipzig

The gleis/platforms are to the right and the main entrance is to the left

Leipzig Hbf Rail Station Guide

Travel Time

6hr 4 min (approx)

Frequency

Daily

Travel Information

Final Destination: Dresden

All trains also call at: Magdeburg;

These direct trains are usually the slowest option for travelling from Koln/Cologne to Leipzig by train.

So if you're not averse to changing trains, you can get to Dresden more than an hour faster by taking a combination of ICE trains.

Though these direct trains are usually the (much) cheaper option for travelling by train from Koln/Cologne to Leipzig.

Monday to Friday = 6 x trains per day
Saturday = 5 x trains
Sunday = 6 x trains

Tickets

Book early and save: Yes

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

Finding tickets:

When looking for tickets from Köln Hbf on DB type ‘K‘ or 'COLOGNE' into the ‘from‘ box and not ‘Ko‘.

Most of the options sold by DB, Germany's national rail operator, for travelling between Koln/Cologne and Leipzig by train involve taking more than one train and making a connection.

So if you want to travel by these direct trains, on the DB booking site look for journeys that have:

0 in the Chg. column
IC (and only IC) in the Products column.

Use the earlier/later buttons to search for the cheapest ticket prices.

There can be gaps of more than three hours between the departures of these direct IC trains, so it can also be necessary to search for 'earlier' or 'later' trains to find them on the booking sites.

Reservations:

Book 1st class ticket journey tickets and your seat reservation is included - but they're optional when booking 2nd class tickets, or if you will be travelling with a 1st or 2nd class rail pass.

Where to book

Ticket Provider	Approximate Cost
DB Bahn	from €17.90
DB Bahn 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. A key feature of DB website worth keeping mind is that it offers 1st class ticket purchasers complimentary seat reservations on journeys both within and to/from Germany. Seat reservations for daytime in both 1st and 2nd class can also be booked separately from tickets. Buying and using tickets for German rail travel This guide to buying tickets and using rail passes for train journeys both within and to, from Germany will help you save money, time and confusion. Buying and using tickets for German rail travel This guide to buying tickets and using rail passes for train journeys both within and to, from Germa... How to Book Tickets on the DB Website This step by step guide shows how to use DB, the German railways website, to buy German train tickets, so that you can book and save with confidence! How to Book Tickets on the DB Website This step by step guide shows how to use DB, the German railways website, to buy German train ticket... Booking and Using Tickets for European journeys involving more than one train What to look out for when purchasing tickets for more complicated European train journeys which involve connecting between trains Booking and Using Tickets for European journeys involving more than one train What to look out for when purchasing tickets for more complicated European train journeys which invo... Using Rail Passes in and to/from Germany All that's good to know about using Eurail and InterRail passes on German train journeys and on international trains to and from Germany Using Rail Passes in and to/from Germany All that's good to know about using Eurail and InterRail passes on German train journeys and on inte...
Omio	from €17.90
Omio Guide Omio is an online ticket agency which offers tickets for rail journeys in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain. The three key advantages of using Omio are it offers prices in multiple currencies it usually offers price comparison with other modes of travel including flights and buses when visiting Europe, you can book journeys in multiple countries in one transaction. The disadvantage of booking with Omio is that it often adds a booking fee to the final price; therefore when it does so without offering a price advantage, SMTJ doesn't tend to offer Omio as a booking option. Booking Train Tickets with an Independent Ticketing Service What to look out for when using Omio, SaveATrain, HappyRail, Trainline and RailEurope (UK) when booking train tickets for European rail journeys Booking Train Tickets with an Independent Ticketing Service What to look out for when using Omio, SaveATrain, HappyRail, Trainline and RailEurope (UK) when book... Booking and Using Tickets for European journeys involving more than one train What to look out for when purchasing tickets for more complicated European train journeys which involve connecting between trains Booking and Using Tickets for European journeys involving more than one train What to look out for when purchasing tickets for more complicated European train journeys which invo...
Save A Train	from €17.90
Save A Train Guide Booking Train Tickets with an Independent Ticketing Service What to look out for when using Omio, SaveATrain, HappyRail, Trainline and RailEurope (UK) when booking train tickets for European rail journeys Booking Train Tickets with an Independent Ticketing Service What to look out for when using Omio, SaveATrain, HappyRail, Trainline and RailEurope (UK) when book... Booking and Using Tickets for European journeys involving more than one train What to look out for when purchasing tickets for more complicated European train journeys which involve connecting between trains Booking and Using Tickets for European journeys involving more than one train What to look out for when purchasing tickets for more complicated European train journeys which invo...
Happy rail	from €17.90
Happy rail Guide Happy Rail is a Netherlands rail ticket agency which sells tickets for both national and international journeys within a range of countries including Belgium France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland. HappyRail doesn't charge booking fees in the conventional sense, but if you're not Dutch you can expect to pay additional transaction fees, which will be added to the total cost. That's because the most common form of online payment used in The Netherlands is 'iDEAL' and HappyRail doesn't charge a transaction fee for 'iDEAL' payments, but only Dutch residents can sign up to 'iDEAL'. Other forms of payment include Visa debit cards will incur a fee. Booking Train Tickets with an Independent Ticketing Service What to look out for when using Omio, SaveATrain, HappyRail, Trainline and RailEurope (UK) when booking train tickets for European rail journeys Booking Train Tickets with an Independent Ticketing Service What to look out for when using Omio, SaveATrain, HappyRail, Trainline and RailEurope (UK) when book... Booking and Using Tickets for European journeys involving more than one train What to look out for when purchasing tickets for more complicated European train journeys which involve connecting between trains Booking and Using Tickets for European journeys involving more than one train What to look out for when purchasing tickets for more complicated European train journeys which invo...

On this journey

Travelling On

Intercity 2 (Germany) Train Guide

Journey Features

Not High Speed

However, having something to watch or read with you is recommended, for most of this train ride, you will be travelling across the flat plains of northern Germany,

The general guide to German rail travel Discover what's good to know about riding the trains, taking popular journeys, using the major stations, booking tickets and travelling with rail passes.

Take the stress out of your journey Everything planned to your specification, so sit back and relax… Try Concierge

Please support ShowMeTheJourney

Help keep us advertising and paywall free!

Donate

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.

See if there’s a unique journey guide for your trip, featuring info on the trains, tickets & stations.

Leaving From

Going To

This is one of more than 100 train travel guides available on ShowMeTheJourney, which will make it easier to take the train journeys you want or need to make. As always, all images were captured on trips taken by ShowMeTheJourney.

Related Content

Content

Share