Köln / Cologne / Koeln to Milano / Milan / Mailand by train

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

Taking the train from Cologne/Köln to Milano is typically a fabulous experience, with only one easy transfer required between two of Europe's smartest trains.
When looking up this journey you will see other options which require additional conditions, but there is no need to make more than one transfer.

Travelling overnight is a tad more awkward, despite a sleeper train now being available for the first part of the journey between Koln and Basel.
However, it is typically due to arrive in Basel SBB station only 8mins prior to the departure of an EC express train on to Milano; so a better option is to remain make the connection there.
There aren't any overnight trains available from Switzerland to Milano

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Routes

Option 1: travelling by day

Travel Information

There are no direct trains between Koln/Cologne and Milano and the only viable* end-to-end journey option sold by the ticket agents with just 1 x change of train, typically involves departing daily at 12:55 and transferring between trains at Basel SBB station (and NOT Basel Bad Bf station).

This routing includes a 41 min connection in Basel, but if the ICE train does arrive late, if need be you can depart Basel at 18:04 and make a connection in Arth-Goldau on to a train on to Milano.

*You could gamble on departing from Koln/Cologne before 07:00 and making a connection of around 10 mins in either Frankfurt or Mannheim into the daily direct EC train from Germany to Italy.
But we don't recommend doing so as those tightly timed connections cannot be guaranteed.

The alternative options

If you will be travelling from Koln/Cologne to Milano with a valid InterRail or Eurail pass, OR won't mind booking separate ticket for the Germany to Switzerland and Switzerland to Italy journeys, there are many other options available.
For example when SMTJ made this journey with an InterRail pass the route followed was:

  • 08:55 ICE train to Basel
  • train to Zurich from Basel
  • (lunch near Zurich station)
  • 15:33 EC train from Zurich to Milano; this route was chosen as it is a tad more scenic than the route from Basel to Milano.

1 x connection per day

Change trains in: Basel

Tickets

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

Book 1st class ticket journey tickets and your seat reservation is included on both the ICE train and the EC train

Book 2nd class tickets and your seat will be reserved on the EC train, but not on the ICE train, unless you opt to add the reservation.

Where to book
Ticket Provider Approximate Cost
Trainline *

Trainline Guide

Journey Features

Scenic - NoHigh Speed (partial journey)

Good to Know

Final Destination: Basel SBB

From the high speed line between Seigburg/Bonn and Frankfurt Flughafen From the high speed line between Seigburg/Bonn and Frankfurt Flughafen

These ICE trains travel at up to 285 km/h on Germany's fastest high speed line between Siegburg/Bonn and Frankfurt Flughafen.

They also take another higher speed route later in the journey between Karlsruhe and Offenburg.

But aside from the thrills of travelling at high speed, this isn't a particularly scenic journey.

So if time is on your side, or if you will be travelling with a rail pass, an alternative option is to travel by the EC trains on the exceptionally scenic route through the Rhine Valley.

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Journey Features

Scenic - YesLake viewsLandscape (Hills / Mountains)

Good to Know

Final Destination: Milano Cle.

All trains also call at:  Domodossola (connect for Centovali trains) and Stresa (for Lake Maggiore)

The train will reverse direction on departure from Bern

Journey description:

If your reserved seat is on the left of the train (when facing the direction of travel) there are some fabulous views over the beautiful Thunersee

On departure from Thun station:

And then on departure from Speiz station:

... though these videos were taken from a train travelling in the opposite direction, but they showcase how fine the views can be on a sunny day...

After departing from Brig these trains travel through The Simplon Tunnel which was the world's longest regularly used railway tunnel for much of the 20th century.

When the trains exit the tunnel, they travel through an impressive gorge in the mountains before descending to Domodossola.

Then for much of the journey between there and Arona the railway line is beside Lake Maggiore; and again the views of the lake are on the left.

As can be seen the view over the lake can be worth seeing even on a grey day; the beautiful islands in the video are just to the north of Stresa station.

The railway is also by the lake shore to the south of Stresa.

The train will reverse direction on departure from Bern so when boarding Basel hope that your assigned seats are on the right hand side.

Between Thun and Spiez Between Thun and Spiez
Looking down on Lake Thun north of Spiez Looking down on Lake Thun north of Spiez
South of The Simplon Tunnel South of The Simplon Tunnel
Descending on the approach to Domodossola Descending on the approach to Domodossola
Looking over Lake Maggiore north of Stresa Looking over Lake Maggiore north of Stresa
Looking over Lake Maggiore south of Stresa Looking over Lake Maggiore south of Stresa

Option 2: travelling overnight

Travel Information

The overnight train from Koln is typically due into Zurich HB station at 08:05; and the next train on to Milano Centrale station will be departing from there at 09:33.

1 connection per night

Changing trains in Zurich

Tickets

As this journey involves connections from a night train, separate bookings will be required for the Koln/Cologne to Zurich journey and the Zurich to Milano journey.

Journey Features

Night

Good to Know

Final Destination: Zurich HB

Journey Features

Scenic - YesLake viewsLandscape (Hills / Mountains)

Good to Know

Final Destination: Milano Centrale

This train also calls at : Como. S Giovanni and Monza

Journey description:

These trains may be faster than ever, but now that they use The Gotthard Base Tunnel and the brand new Ceneri Base Tunnel, this journey is also less scenic than it used to be.

The Gotthard Base Tunnel is now the world's longest railway tunnel, so long that it takes trains more than 15 mins to travel through it.
An announcement is made on the train just before it enters the tunnel.

However, this is still one of Europe's most epic express train journeys and thanks to those tunnels the journey time is now more than an hour faster than it was previously.

From the LEFT of the train (when facing the direction of travel) the first highlight to look out for is the view over Lake Zurich, as the train ascends up from the shore.

Then, if the weather is behaving itself, after departure from Zug station comes what is now the highlight of the journey, the view over the Zuger See.
This lake with its mountain peaks on the far shore can be seen on the right for more than 15 mins between Zug and Arth-Goldau station.

The next beautiful vista to look out for comes after departure from Arth-Goldau station, when on the right, the train will pass by the Lauerzersee.

The train then travels through a dramatic landscape to the north of Schwyz, which used to be a preview of what was to come when the trains still used the older Gotthard route.

Just to the south of here, also look out on the right for glimpses of the Luzernsee.

Now that the trains on this route use the Ceneri Base Tunnel the next scenic highlights on the journey
come shortly after departure from Lugano, where there are views over the lake, initially over on the LEFT.

The final wow moments come after departure from Lugano station, the train will travel along the shore of the Lago di Lugano

and then the train will cross the lake.

After the trains have crossed the lake, the best of the views switch to the right.

The Italian section of the journey south of Chiasso is more mundane, despite the trains passing through Como, its namesake lake can't be seen from these trains.

Looking down on Lake Zurich Looking down on Lake Zurich
Looking over the Zuger see to the south of Zug station Looking over the Zuger see to the south of Zug station
Between Zug and Arth-Goldau Lake Zug is on the right Between Zug and Arth-Goldau Lake Zug is on the right
To the south of Arth-Goldau, passing the Lauerzersee, which is on the right To the south of Arth-Goldau, passing the Lauerzersee, which is on the right
Then look out for glimpses of the Luzernsee also on the right Then look out for glimpses of the Luzernsee also on the right
Heading towards the Gotthard Base Tunnel Heading towards the Gotthard Base Tunnel
Between the Gotthard Base Tunnel and Bellinzona Between the Gotthard Base Tunnel and Bellinzona
Departing from Lugano station Departing from Lugano station
Looking over Lake Lugano to the south of the station Looking over Lake Lugano to the south of the station
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