There are multiple options for travelling from München/Munich to Köln/Cologne by train during the day and overnight
During the day ICE trains take two different routes from München/Munich to Köln/Cologne.
The more frequent services (and new fastest 'Sprinter' services) take a route via Nurnberg and Frankfurt, but they don't arrive at the main station in Köln/Cologne as their route takes them through a station named Köln Messe/Deutz.
However, other ICE trains from München/Munich do arrive at the main station, Köln hbf.
So check the location of your final destination in Köln/Cologne and use the station info below, to see which route will suit you better.
Köln Messe/Deutz is further from the city centre, but if your ultimate destination is located along the U-Bahn (metro) routes; 1, 3, 4 or 9 then connections are available to these lines at Messe/Deutz.
While U-Bahn lines 5, 16 and 18 have stations linked to Köln hbf.
If your final destination is within walking distance of Köln hbf and you won't be travelling with luggage etc and you can find a cheaper price for train Messe/Deutz; or if the arrival times of those trains suit you better, then take the trains heading to Messe-Deutz.
You can then hop on a local S-Bahn train at Messe-Deutz (if you book to Koln hbf) and can be at the main station less than 10 minutes after you have stepped off the train at Messe/Deutz.
However, if you will be heading to a location near Koln hbf and will have luggage etc, or making an onward connection in that station, then do target the direct ICE trains to Koln hbf.
That's because the interchange between the ICE and S-Bahn trains at Messe/Deutz involves walking up a staircase.
When travelling overnight you will arrive at Koln hbf, but can choose between travelling in a bed or bunk on the Nightjet train, or travelling on the same ICE trains as used for the daytime services.
Final Destination: Hamburg or Dortmund
These trains also call at: Munchen-Passing (the trains on the alternative route don't call at this station)
These trains, which travel via Stuttgart, arrive at Koln Hbf, the city's main station
During the day they usually depart from Munich/Munchen every other hour - in the odd hours.
1 x train every other hour
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 6 months ahead of the travel date
If you want to take THESE trains to Koln Hbf, then when looking up schedules or ticket prices enter ‘Köln Hbf’ into the ‘To’ box.
Do that, then on DB Bahn most of the journeys you will see involve making connections, (many of these options will be reaching Koln Hbf from the trains that only call at Koln Messe/Deutz).
These direct trains to Koln Hbf have:
- 0 in the changes column
- ICE (and only ICE) in the Product column
If you enter ‘COLOGNE’ into the ‘To’ box when looking up schedules or ticket prices -you will also see the direct trains to Koln Messe/Deutz.
Seat Reservations:
Reservations are strongly recommended for train journeys from Munchen/Munch to Koln/Cologne, no matter which route you choose to travel by.
Book 1st class ticket journey tickets on DB Bahn 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.
Finding a spare seat for the complete Munchen to Koln train journey is not guaranteed, particularly after midday on Fridays and Sundays.
Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
---|---|---|
DB | from €17.90 | |
Save A Train | from €17.90 | |
Omio | from €17.90 | |
Happy rail | from €17.90 |
Most of the departures on this route are now by the new ICE 4 trains, if you want to take a non-folding bicycle on a journey from Munchen to Koln, you need to target these trains.
This is a journey of six distinct phases
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So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please go here to say thank you.
Final Destination: Essen Or Dortmund
Now that the newest German high-speed line has been opened between Ulm and Wendlingen additional trains are now available between München / Munich and Köln / Cologne.
In effect trains which had taken a Köln Messe/Deutz - Frankfurt Airport ↔ Stuttgart route have had their journeys extended from/to München.
The trains on this route operate every other hour, so when combined with the long-standing hourly service of trains that travel on a route through Nurnberg and Wurzburg, in even hours there are now typically two trains departing München Hbf for Köln Messe/Deutz station.
1 or 2 x trains per hour
(even hours have two departures)
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 6 months ahead of the travel date
If you want to include these trains to Koln Messe/Deutz AND the alternative trains to Koln Hbf (when looking up schedules or ticket prices on the DB website, then enter ‘COLOGNE’ into the ‘To’ box.
Whether you enter 'Cologne' or Koln Hbf in the ‘To’ box, what you will also see is a multitude of options that involve taking more than one train from Munich to Cologne and making connections.
However, these direct trains have:
- 0 in the changes column
- ICE (and only ICE) in the Product column
Seat Reservations:
Reservations are strongly recommended for train journeys from Munchen/Munch to Koln/Cologne, no matter which route you choose to travel by.
These trains link more major German cities than any other ICE train, so they’re invariably busy.
Book 1st class ticket journey tickets on DB 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.
Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
---|---|---|
DB | from €17.90 | |
Save A Train | from €17.90 | |
Happy rail | from €17.90 | |
Omio | from €17.90 |
Despite the fact that these trains don’t call at Koln's main station (the hauptbahhof/hbf), they can be a good option for journeys by train from Munchen/Munich to Koln/Cologne.
For these reasons:
These trains now take either a route via Nurnberg, or they take a route via Stuttgart.
The route via Nurnberg
This is a journey of nine distinct phases
The route via Stuttgart*
This is a journey of seven distinct phases
Final Destination: Dusseldorf hbf
The departure times from Munchen hbf are 05:34 (not Sat/Sun) and 17:35 daily
These timings are due to these services being primarily aimed at business travelers, but anyone can use them; InterRail and Eurail pass users can board them without the need to pay any additional fees.
Monday to Friday: 2 x trains per day
Sat/Sun: 1 x train per day
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 6 months ahead of the travel date - usually
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 of more than €100.
However, for journeys less than around 4 months ahead, you should find the €27.90 fee on some departures.
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.
Finding Tickets:
When making an online booking, if you want to target these 'Sprinter' services, target the usual departure times of at 05:34 (not Sat/Sun) and 17:35 daily; 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).
On the DB booking site look for journeys that have
0 in the Chg. column
ICE (and only ICE) in the Products column.
Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
---|---|---|
DB | from €27.90 | |
Save A Train | from €27.90 | |
Omio | from €27.90 | |
Happy rail | from €27.90 |
These trains take a similar route to the other ICE trains which head to Koln from Munchen via Nurnberg, 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.
These trains now take either a route via Nurnberg, or they take a route via Stuttgart.
The route via Nurnberg
This is a journey of nine distinct phases
The route via Stuttgart*
This is a journey of seven distinct phases
Final Destination: Dortmund (or Koln)
The train also calls at: Munchen-Passing and Seigburg/Bonn
1 x train per night
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 6 months ahead of the travel date - usually
This train departs from Munchen Hbf nightly at 00:01 (1 min past midnight)
If you're happy to only have access to seats on a overnight journey from Munchen/Munich to Koln/Cologne, it is usually cheaper than travelling by the alternative Nightjet train
Though when comparing prices note that the initial price shown for Nightjet train will be for the ordinary seat; and not for places in its couchette berths or sleeping cabins.
Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
---|---|---|
DB Bahn | from €29 | |
Trainline | from €29 |
If the timings of the daytime ICE trains from Munich to Cologne don't meet your requirements an option is to travel overnight on this departure.
This train is usually scheduled to depart from Munchen Hbf nightly shortly after midnight and is scheduled to arrive in Koln/Cologne at 07:05.
It is (much) slower than the daytime trains because it makes more station calls; it is 21 stops from Munich to Cologne if you take this train.
This is an ordinary daytime ICE train that happens to run overnight.
It does not have any couchette sleeping berths or sleeping cabins.
But if you would rather travel in a bed or a bunk on an overnight train journey from Munchen to Koln, then you'll pleased to know that you can take the Nightjet train instead.
Final Destination: Amsterdam or Dusseldorf
This train also calls at: Koblenz
This train does not call at Bonn.
This train is usually scheduled to depart from Munchen Hbf at 22:50 and arrive in Köln Hbf before 07:00
1 x train per night
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 3 months ahead of the travel date
Despite the trains on this route travelling between two German cities and not through Austria, these trains are provided by Austria's national rail operator, OBB.
The train will have commenced its journey in Innsbruck.
Look for train which is usually scheduled to depart from Munchen Hbf at 22:50.
The train conveys:
Click the train button below* for more info including the rail pass reservation fees:
Rail pass users must reserve before boarding these trains and these reservations can be booked on the OBB website
Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
---|---|---|
OBB | * | |
DB Bahn | * |
If you want to travel in a bunk in a couchette or a bed in a sleeping cabin, then this train is the only option for making an overnight train journey from Munich to Cologne.
If you'd be happy to travel in a seat on a overnight Munchen/Munich to Koln/Cologne train journey, then a faster and usually cheaper alternative is to take the nightly ICE train.
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.
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.