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How to take the rail journey from Cologne/Köln to Nuremberg/Nürnberg
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Köln / Cologne / Koeln to Nürnberg / Nuremberg by train
There are two very different routes taken by direct trains from Cologne/Köln to Nuremberg/Nürnberg.
- The faster ICE trains which use the high speed line between Cologne and Frankfurt, depart from Koln Messe/Deutz station and not the city center station, Koln Hbf
- The slower trains do depart from Koln Hbf and they take the more scenic route between Cologne and Frankfurt.
Routes you can take to go from Köln / Cologne / Koeln to Nürnberg / Nuremberg
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: departing from Koln Messe/Deutz station on the regular ICE trains
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
3hr 15min - 3hr 25 min (approx)
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
1 x train per hour
Purchase Tickets
Exclusive for New Customers: Receive a 10% discount by using the code 24NOV on any purchase with a maximum total price of £100, until 28 November 2024 (11:59 pm CET). Limit one coupon per qualifying booking. Cannot be combined, transferred or exchanged.
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.
Other Ticket Providers
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.
Save A Train Guide
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.
Travel Information
Final Destination: Munchen Hbf
All trains also call at: Frankfurt (Main) and Wurzburg
Note that these fastest trains from Koln/Cologne to Nurnberg depart from Köln Messe/Deutz station; located on the opposite bank of The Rhine to the city centre.
They don’t depart from the main city centre station, Köln Hbf.
These trains are following ICE route 41 which is designed to allow the fastest journeys from Essen and Dusseldorf to München/Munich.
Calling at Koln Hbf station would require a reversal and add around 15 mins to the journey time.
If you want to travel direct by train from Koln Hbf to Nurnberg you can take the alternative slower trains, which also happen to take a more scenic route through The Rhine Valley.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
These trains reverse direction on departure from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf.
This is a journey of five distinct phases:
- Until Siegburg/Bonn the first part of the journey is on a conventional railway.
- On departure from Siegburg/Bonn comes the part of the journey with a wow factor, when the train spends around 40 minutes racing along the rollercoaster that is the high speed line to Frankfurt Flughafen, at more than 280 km/h.
Tickets
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 and Super Sparpreis
Two types of non-discounted ticket - Flexpreis Aktion and Flexpreis
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 tickets can be refunded at no additional charge.
- Flexpreis Aktion tickets can't be refunded either - but their higher cost is due to...
...the other key difference is that both types of Flexpreis tickets live up to their name, as they can be used on any departure on your travel date - in contrast, both types of Sparpreis tickets are only valid on the specific departures selected when booking,
Note that none of the tickets can be exchanged to a different departure.
There's no need for this to be available for both types of Flexpreis tickets, as they aren't train departure specific.
If you book a Sparpreis 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 tickets can't be exchanged or refunded.
When travelling to and from the major cities, the Sparpreis, Flexpreis Aktion and Flexpreis tickets also include 'City tickets', which can be used on public transport between locations in the city centre and the stations in in Köln and Nurnberg.
Seat reservations
Seat reservations are optional on ICE trains for journeys within Germany.
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 a departure will be.
1st Class tickets
No matter what type of ticket booked, if you choose to travel 1st class, you will have access to the same seating areas on the train, ICE trains do not have Business or Executive lounges.
Though only those who have booked 1st class Flexpreis or Flexpreis Plus tickets can access the DB Lounges at the stations.
Booking on the DB website
When looking for tickets from Köln on DB Bahn type ‘K‘ or 'COLOGNE' into the ‘from‘ box *and not ‘Ko‘.
To see all the combinations of trains and journey options, some of which may be cheaper, take off the 'fastest connections' default.
Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day, so if you can be flexible with your departure time use the 'best prices' tool - at the top right on the list of journey options.
Travelling from Koln Hbf station:
These ICE trains from Koln/Cologne to Nurnberg don't depart from the city's main station - Koln Hauptbahnhof.
But if you want to travel to Nurnberg from Koln Hauptbanhof faster than by the direct trains from that station, you can take a combination of 2 x ICE trains.
If you enter 'Köln hbf'' as the 'From' station on DB (cut and paste as you'll need to use the special charatcer over the 'o') you will see multiple journeys options by ICE trains with 1 x change of train, normally at either Frankfurt (Main) hbf or Frankfurt Flughafen.
Our advice is to avoid gambling on these connections in Frankfurt and instead book tickets for this journey from Köln Messe/Deutz.
Then purchase tickets at Köln hbf' for the one stop journey to KölnMesse /Deutz station; and make the connection there into these trains to Nurnberg.
If you're at Köln Hbf 20 mins before the departure time of the train from Köln Messe /Deutz, you can virtually guarantee that you'll arrive in time at Koln Messe/Deutz to make the ICE train to Nurnberg.
Though making the connection at Koln Messe/Deutz will involve going down a staircase.
Route Information
Option 2: departing from Koln Messe/Deutz on a Sprinter service:
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
2hr 48min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
Monday to Friday: 2 x trains per day
Sat/Sun: 1 x train per day
Purchase Tickets
Exclusive for New Customers: Receive a 10% discount by using the code 24NOV on any purchase with a maximum total price of £100, until 28 November 2024 (11:59 pm CET). Limit one coupon per qualifying booking. Cannot be combined, transferred or exchanged.
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.
Other Ticket Providers
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).
Save A Train Guide
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.
Travel Information
These trains will typically depart Koln Messe/Deutz at 06:27 (not Sat/Sun) and 16:27 daily.
Final Destination: Munchen Hbf
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
These trains take a similar route to the other ICE trains which head to Nurnberg from Messe/Deutz station, but aside from their fewer station calls, what makes them faster is that they don't divert off the direct route to call at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf; hence they don't reverse during the journey.
This is a journey of five distinct phases:
- Until Siegburg/Bonn the first part of the journey is on a conventional railway.
- On departure from Siegburg/Bonn comes the part of the journey with a wow factor, when the train spends around 40 minutes racing along the rollercoaster that is the high speed line to Frankfurt Flughafen, at more than 280 km/h.
Tickets
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.
Though what's unusual about these 'Sprinter' services is that if you book more than around 4 months ahead, you may see 'no special deals' available' on the DB website; with prices more than €100.
However, for journeys less than around 4 months ahead, you should find the €27.90 fee on some departures.
Finding Tickets:
When making an online booking, if you want to target these 'Sprinter' services, target the usual departure times of at 06:29 (not Sat/Sun) and 16:29 (not Sat) ; these trains aren't typically more expensive than the slower, regular ICE trains (when you don't see 'no special deals' listed against a departure).
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 and Super Sparpreis
Two types of non-discounted ticket - Flexpreis Aktion and Flexpreis
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 tickets can be refunded at no additional charge.
- Flexpreis Aktion tickets can't be refunded either - but their higher cost is due to...
...the other key difference is that both types of Flexpreis tickets live up to their name, as they can be used on any departure on your travel date - in contrast, both types of Sparpreis tickets are only valid on the specific departures selected when booking,
Note that none of the tickets can be exchanged to a different departure.
There's no need for this to be available for both types of Flexpreis tickets, as they aren't train departure specific.
If you book a Sparpreis 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 tickets can't be exchanged or refunded.
When travelling to and from the major cities, the Sparpreis, Flexpreis Aktion and Flexpreis tickets also include 'City tickets', which can be used on public transport between locations in the city centre and the stations in in Köln and Nurnberg.
Seat reservations
Seat reservations are optional on ICE trains for journeys within Germany.
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.
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.
1st Class tickets
No matter what type of ticket booked, if you choose to travel 1st class, you will have access to the same seating areas on the train, ICE trains do not have Business or Executive lounges.
Though only those who have booked 1st class Flexpreis or Flexpreis Plus tickets can access the DB Lounges at the stations.
Booking on the DB website
When looking for tickets from Köln on DB Bahn type ‘K‘ or 'COLOGNE' into the ‘from‘ box *and not ‘Ko‘.
Route Information
Option 3: departing from Köln Hbf
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
4hr 34 min (approx)
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
6 x trains per day
Purchase Tickets
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.
Travel Information
Final Destination: Wien or Munchen or Nurnberg or Passau
All trains also call at: Koblenz and Mainz
The journey is a delight, you can't miss the endless parade of boats travelling up and down the river and look out for the multitude of castles perched on top of the hills.
The alternative, faster ICE trains from Koln to Nurnberg, take a less scenic route, but they do use Germany's fastest high speed line between Seigburg/Bonn and Frankfurt Flughafgen.
But unlike these trains they don't depart from Koln Hbf station - instead they depart from the city's other main station, Koln Messe-Deutz.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
The first 3 x departures of the day are the ICE trains.
These trains reverse direction on departure from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf.
Sit on the left on the train (when facing the direction of travel), the train will initially head north before looping around the city to reach the west bank of the River Rhine.
You can then see the stunning views of the Upper Rhine Valley between Koblenz and Bingen.
The train will reverse direction on departure from Frankfurt (Main)** and then after Aschaffenburg another scenic part of the trip when the railway winds through the valleys.
North of Wurzburg the train will be on a high speed line for less than 15 minutes, but there are some nice views as the train crosses some long viaducts between more long tunnels.
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online usually bookings open: 6 months ahead of the travel date
The faster and more frequent direct trains to Nurnberg from Koln/Cologne depart from Koln Messe/Deutz station and NOT from the city’s main station, Koln Hbf.
These are the direct trains from Koln Hbf to Nurnberg - target these trains if:
- you want to travel city center to city center from Koln Hbf to Nurnberg Hbf without having to change trains;
- you want to see the stunning river valley views that can be seen from these trains.
Finding tickets:
If these trains are your preferred option - enter ‘Köln Hbf’ into the ‘from’ box when looking up schedules or prices.
You can find these direct trains more easily by making a proactive selection of 'Direct Trains Only'.
There can be gaps of more than two hours between the departures of these direct trains - so if you don't do so, they can be hard to spot amidst all the other journeys
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 and Super Sparpreis
Two types of non-discounted ticket - Flexpreis Aktion and Flexpreis
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 tickets can be refunded at no additional charge.
- Flexpreis Aktion tickets can't be refunded either - but their higher cost is due to...
...the other key difference is that both types of Flexpreis tickets live up to their name, as they can be used on any departure on your travel date - in contrast, both types of Sparpreis tickets are only valid on the specific departures selected when booking,
Note that none of the tickets can be exchanged to a different departure.
There's no need for this to be available for both types of Flexpreis tickets, as they aren't train departure specific.
If you book a Sparpreis 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 tickets can't be exchanged or refunded.
When travelling to and from the major cities, the Sparpreis, Flexpreis Aktion and Flexpreis tickets also include 'City tickets', which can be used on public transport between locations in the city centre and the stations in in Köln and Nurnberg.
Seat reservations
Seat reservations are optional on ICE trains for journeys within Germany.
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.
Booking on the DB website
When looking for tickets from Köln on DB Bahn type ‘K‘ or 'COLOGNE' into the ‘from‘ box *and not ‘Ko‘.
Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day, so if you can be flexible with your departure time use the 'best prices' tool - at the top right on the list of journey options.
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