All that’s good to know about taking the train from Köln / Cologne / Koeln to Praha / Prague / Prag

Change trains in: Berlin

If you want to travel from Koln/Cologne to Praha/Prague solely by train, then this routing via Berlin is the easiest option as it only involves making one connection,

However, when the usual timetable is available, an ICE train service from Köln will typically arrive in Berlin Hbf less than 15 mins prior to the departure of an EC train on to Praha / Prague.
Hence when looking up this journey you will see a total journey time of around 8hr 40mins.
But this end-to-end journey time will be dependent on making that transfer in time and this cannot be guaranteed - it's not unusual for the ICE trains to arrive more than 5 mins late at the conclusion of a comparatively lengthy journey from Köln / Cologne.

Also in Berlin Hbf the train from Köln / Cologne will typically arrive at the upper most level of the station, but the train on to Praha / Prague will usually depart from the lowest level, so it will take at least 3 mins to transfer between these different parts of the station - and that needs to be increased to 10 mins if you will want to use the lifts / elevators to move between the different levels within the station.

So the recommended way to go is to accept a longer end-to-end journey time and take an earlier train from Köln Hbf, which will then allow around an hour to make the transfer in Berlin - particularly if you want to depart from Köln Hbf after 11:00am, as you will then be making a connection into the final EC train of the day on to Praha/Prague.
Regardless of the departure time from Köln / Cologne, that 15 min (ish) connection in Berlin will be quite a gamble - the trains on to the Czech capital depart every two hours.

Working out which alternative trains to take is made easier by looking up the journey on the DB, German national railways, website - you can use its tool to increase the minimum connection between trains, set it at at least 45mins and you will see the optimum combination of trains.

Connecting at Berlin-Spandau station

When looking up this journey on the DB website and extend the minimum transfer time between trains, when the usual timetable is available, the offered connection can be at Berlin-Spandau station and not Berlin Hnf.
This is simpler than making the transfer at Berlin Hbf, as the train from Köln and the train on to Praha will typically use the same platform.
The waiting time between trains will be around 48 minutes, - these trains, which will be heading from Hamburg, will usually spend around 25mins waiting in Berlin Hbf between arrival and departure.

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.

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‘.

For more easily timed transfer between trains in Berlin, use the 'Transfer Time' tool - the guide to using the DB website, explains how to do this.

A choice of tickets

Three 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
One type of non-discounted ticket - Flexpreis 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 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 Berlin and Praha / Prague - 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 - they are included within the cost of booking 1st class Flexpreis 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.