Euro 2024 By Train: Gelsenkirchen

Gelsenkirchen is the exception among the Euro 2024 host cities because it isn't one of the hub cities of the rail network in Germany.
Though this won't be obstacle as the Euro 2024 organisers have evidently contrived to mininise the distance that most supporters will need to travel, as most of the teams playing in Gelsenkirchen will have other games in the comparatively adjacent cities of Cologne, Dortmund and Dusseldorf.

Those latter two cities, Dortmund and Dusseldorf are connected with Gelsenkirchen by trains on routes which don't need to be booked in advance to save money.

The impressive Gelsenkirchen VELTINS-Arena is located to the north of the city centre.
Tram line 302 connects the city's main rail station, Gelsenkirchen Hbf, where the tram stop is underground, to the stop aptly named 'Arena' which is less than a five minute walk to the stadium.
It is an 11 stop ride and most of the trams from Gelsenkirchen Hbf have a final destination of Buer-Rathaus, but some trams are turned around at the Arena stop on match days, which makes it easier to board, particularly post-game.
The final tram of the day typically departs the stadium for Gelsenkirchen Hbf at 23:39, but presumably later trams will be available during the tournament - timings can be checked on the journey planner.

Tickets and passes
Tickets for the tram journey cost €3.30 each way, but remember that you’ll need to stamp your physical tickets before starting your journey.

Match ticket holders are entitled to a 36 Hour Travel Pass across the entire VRR (Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr and VRS (Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg) networks at no additional cost.
The pass is valid from 06:00 on matchday until 18:00 the following day.

Düsseldorf is a good choice of base city for followers of the England team, despite the team not playing any of its group stage matches in the city.
Gelsenkirchen and Cologne both have 24 hour train services from and to Düsseldorf with rail journey times of under an hour.
Plus the iconic high speed ICE trains take less than 1hr 15 mins to travel between Düsseldorf and Frankfurt Flughafen, for connections into local trains to/from the Stadion station - which is is a 10 min walk from the Frankfurt Arena aka the Deutshe Bank Park Stadium.

The key things worth knowing about tickets to travel on trains to and from Gelsenkirchen.

• Tickets for the Regio and S-Bahn trains can be purchased at the station on the day of travel - they can't be booked online as they're not discounted
• The Regio and S-Bahn trains are available for travel direct between Gelsenkirchen and both Dortmund and Dusseldorf and a combination of 2 x Regio trains can be taken on the journey between Gelsenkirchen and Cologne.
• Tickets for the journeys involving the ICE and IC trains between Gelsenkirchen and Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt (Main), Hamburg, Leipzig and Munich can be booked online and are already available for travel during the tournament.
• However, match ticket holders can book the DB Ticket Euro 2024 offer for journeys by ICE and IC trains at a flat rate price of €29.90 in 2nd class and €39.90 in 1st class - see the info below,

Those with match tickets are able to access a special type of ticket, the DB Ticket Euro 2024 for travel by ICE and IC train to the host city of the corresponding game - the train conductor will ask to see the rail ticket and the match ticket.
Though the tickets have limited availability per departure, so for the widest possible choice of trains, it will be best to book as far in advance as possible.
The key plus of these tickets is that they have a flat rate price for a one-way trip of €29.90 in 2nd class and €39.90 in 1st class; so when the cheapest prices of both types of Sparpreis tickets have sold out, these Euro 2024 tickets obviously become the cheapest option.
They're likely to money savers when travelling between Gelsenkirchen and Berlin, Frankfurt (Main), Hamburg, Leipzig and Munich.

If when looking up a journey on DB there are tickets available at a cheaper price than €29.90 in 2nd class and €39.90 in 1st class, they will be offered as an alternative.

The info on our general Euro2024 guide has step-by-step instructions on how to book these tickets.

seat reservations

The 1st class tickets include a seat reservation, which otherwise costs €5.90, but seat reservations are not included when booking the 2nd class DB Ticket Euro 2024 tickets - and a 2nd class seat reservation has an additional charge of €4;90.
If you don't reserve it will be possible to board a train with a 2nd class DB Ticket Euro 2024 ticket to find that no seats are available.
Note that once you factor in the reservation, the additional cost of a 1st class DB Ticket Euro 2024 ticket is only €5-6 - for longer journeys this extra cost will be worth every cent!

core terms and conditions

These Euro 2024 tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded - so book your accommodation before you arrange the rail travel.
U[p to four children aged 6 to 14 can travel with for free of charge with someone aged 15 and over who has purchased a Euro 2024 ticket.

book to travel on to the stadiums

To make the journeys to the stations / public transport stops by the stadiums easier to book, a dedicated journey look up service has been created.
It shows the names of the stations / stops closest to the stadiums in each of the Euro 2024 cities.
That's because the the DB Ticket Euro 2024 ticket can include the transfer on to the stops by the stadiums.
Though something to look out for, is that to book the DB Ticket Euro 2024 ticket, you need to:

• copy the name of the stop
• scroll up the page and click on the red 'Jetzt Ticket buchen' button
• paste the name of the stadium stop into the 'to' box
• follow the booking path - info on how to do this is available here.
  However, if you click on the name of the stadium stop on this look-up page, it will then be automatically included as the destination on DB's standard booking path - but if you proceed to book, you seemingly won't then see the DB Ticket Euro 2024 offer.

Compared to the other Euro 2024 host cities there are comparatively few long-distance trains which call in Gelsenkirchen.

Every two hours a combination of InterCity and ICE trains take a Koblenz - Bonn - Koln - Dusseldorf - Duisburg ↔ Gelsenkirchen - Munster(West) - Rheine - Emden route.
There are also is 1 x ICE trains per day on these three routes:
1: Klagenfurt - Villlach - Salzburg - Munich - Stuttgart - Mainz - Koblenz - Bonn - Koln - Dusseldorf - Duisburg ↔ Gelsenkirchen - Munster(West)
2: Koln - Dusseldorf - Duisburg ↔ Gelsenkirchen - Munster(West) - Emden - Hamburg
3: Munchen - Nürnberg - Wurzburg - Frankfurt (Main) Hbf - Frankfurt Flughafen - Köln Messe/Deutz - Dusseldorf ↔ Gelsenkirchen - Oberhausen route; during the tournament the train heading from Gelsenkirchen to Munchen will depart at 00:44 and travel overnight.
The trains on all routes call at additional stations to those listed above.

Gelsenkirchen Hbf is a busy station because it is served by multiple Regio and S-Bahn routes.

The teams playing in Gelsenkirchen will also be playing matches in the cities listed below:

typical journey time = around 4hr 20mins
usual frequency = 1 x journey option per hour

There are no direct trains between Gelsenkirchen and Berlin, so the journey in each direction requires what is typically a simple transfer between trains in Dortmund.
There are 2 x Regio trains per hour from Gelsenkirchen to Dortmund; line RB32 will terminate in Dortmund and line RE3 will be heading to Hamm(West), the journey time is around 25 mins.
It is usually the RE3 service which offers the optimum onward connection, it is typically due to arrive in Dortmund around 14 mins prior to the departure of the ICE train on to Berlin
There are also S-Bahn services on line S2 which head to Dortmund, but there are due to arrive there only 5 mins before the Berlin train departs
Combined the RE3 + the ICE train will give a total journey time of around 4hr 20mins.

The DB Ticket Euro 2024 will be available for travel on this route - the general Euro 2024 guide explains how to book them.

If you will be travelling direct to the Olympiastadion leave the train at Berlin-Spandau and connect into a local S-Bahn train on lines S3 or S9.
The RE3 train, which should depart Gelsenkirchen at 23:29, has a 35 min connection into the final train of the day on to Berlin - note that the train on route RB32, which departs at 23:58 has a non-guaranteed 8 minute connection.

From Berlin

There are one or two ICE trains per hour from Berlin to Dortmund, which connect with trains on to Gelsenkirchen - the trains which depart in every hour have 7 minute connections into S-Bhan trains on line S2 which have a final destination of Essen.
If this connection is missed, 16 mins later a Regio train on route RB32 will depart and it has a final destination of Duisburg.
The total journey time from Berlin to Gelsenkirchen will therefore be around 4hr 15mins

The German rail national operator DB has scheduled multiple additional services during the tournament, but seemingly not on the Berlin to Dortmund route so the final departures from Berlin Hbf are at 19:46 on Mon - Sat - and on Sunday at 21:27.

Seeing the games in Dortmund can be done as a day trip from Gelsenkirchen.

typical journey time = 25 - 35mins
usual frequency = 3 x direct trains per hour

There are 2 x Regio trains per hour from Gelsenkirchen to Dortmund; line RB32 will terminate in Dortmund Hbf and line RE3 will be heading to Hamm(West), the journey time is around 25 mins.
There are also S-Bahn services on line S2 which also terminate in Dortmund, but they stop at all stations so have a journey time of 35mins.
Through the night the Regio and S-Bahn trains alternate to provide a 24hr service.

from Dortmund
There are 2 x Regio trains per hour from Dortmund to Gelsenkirchen, line RB32 will be heading to Duisburg and line RE3 will be heading to Dusseldorf, the journey time is around 25 mins.
There is also an hourly S-Bahn service on line S2 with a journey time of around 35 mins, which will be heading to Essen.
Through the night the Regio and S-Bahn trains alternate to provide a 24hr service.

Seeing the games in Düsseldorf can be done as a day trip from Gelsenkirchen.

typical journey time = around 43mins
usual frequency = 2 x direct trains per hour

To Düsseldorf

There are 2 x Regio trains per hour from Gelsenkirchen to Düsseldorf Hbf to Gelsenkirchen, the trains on route RE2 and RE3 both typically terminate in Düsseldorf - the journey time by both services is only 43 mins.
The final train of the day typically departs Gelsenkirchen at 23:28, but there are later indirect alternatives - all through the night there are trains in each hour which will depart Gelsenkirchen for Duisburg or Essen - and these trains all have onward connections to Dusseldorf.
Both services call at the station linked to Dusseldorf Airport / Flughafen.

How to transfer between Düsseldorf Hbf and the stadium.

From Düsseldorf
There are 2 x Regio trains per hour from Düsseldorf Hbf to Gelsenkirchen, line RE2 will be heading on to Osnabruck or Munster and line RE3 will be heading to Hamm (West) - the journey time is 43 mins.
The final train of the day typically departs shortly after midnight.
Both services call at the station linked to Dusseldorf Airport / Flughafen.

typical journey time to the city centre = around 2hr 20mins
usual daytime frequency = 1 or 2 x journey options per hour

During the tournament there will be an ICE train which will depart from Gelsenkirchen at 00:44 and arrive in Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 03:03.

During the day there aren't any direct trains between Gelsenkirchen and Frankfurt (Main), but it's typically a straightforward journey with a choice of connections in either Duisburg or Essen.
There are typically 5 x trains per hour from Gelsenkirchen to Duisburg which have a journey time of around 18 mins; and there are typically 3 x trains per hour from Gelsenkirchen to Essen that have a journey time of around 10 mins.
There are usually 1 or 2 x ICE trains per hour from both Duisburg and Essen on to Frankfurt (Main), so when looking up the journey, you will see options which connect in both Duisburg and Essen.
The total journey time is typically around 2hr 20mins.

Travelling direct to the stadium in Frankfurt

These trains to Frankfurt (Main) along with other ICE trains from both Duisburg and Essen will call in the station at Frankfurt Flughafen.
When heading direct to the Arena Frankfurt from Gelsenkirchen the quickest route will be to make a second connection at Frankfurt Flughafen into a local S-Bahn train on to Stadion station - take trains on lines S8 and S9, which will be heading towards Hanau.
Stadion station in Frankfurt lives up to its name with a location that is a 10 min walk from the Arena Frankfurt.
The total journey time to the Stadion station will typically be around 2hr 40 mins.

The DB Ticket Euro 2024 will be available for travel on this route - the general Euro 2024 guide explains how to book them.

From Frankfurt (Main)
There aren't any direct trains between Frankfurt (Main) and Gelsenkirchen.
Virtually all of the trains from from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Düsseldorf go on to call at Duisburg and many of them also call at Essen - and connections are available to Gelsenkirchen from the stations in both of those cities.
There are typically 5 x trains per hour from Duisburg to Gelsenkirchen which have a journey time of around 18 mins; and there are typically 3 x trains per hour from Essen on to Gelsenkirchen which have a journey time of around 10 mins.

Though the final trains of the day with connections on to Gelsenkirchen, which connect in Essen, depart from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 22:09 and from the station in Frankfurt Flughafen at 23:07.

typical journey time = around 3hr 25mins
usual daytime frequency = 1 x journey option per hour

There is one daily direct ICE train which departs from Gelsenkirchen Hbf at 20:45 and arrives into Hamburg Hbf at 23:46.

If the timings of this direct train doesn't suit there are hourly options which involve making a connection between trains at Munster (West) station.
When taking a train on route RE2, which will be heading to Osnabruck, there will be 15-25 mins to make a transfer into an ICE train on Hamburg, and the total journey time will be around 3hr 25mins.

The DB Ticket Euro 2024 will be available for travel on this route - the general Euro 2024 guide explains how to book them.

From Hamburg

There is one daily direct ICE train which departs from Hamburg-Altona station at 07:38 and from Hamburg Hbf at 07:54 and arrives into Gelsenkirchen Hbf at 10:47 - the train will have a final destination of Köln Hbf.

If the timings of that train don't suit, there are 1 or 2 x ICE trains per hour from Hamburg Hbf which call in Munster (West) which have 20-25 mins connection into Regio trains on route RE2 - which will be heading to Dusseldorf.
The total journey time will be 3hr 30mins.
During the tournament there will be an additional train which will depart from Hamburg Altona at 23:32 and from Hamburg Hbf at 23:48 and it has a connection in Dortmund for a train on to Gelsenkirchen.

typical journey time = around 5 hours
usual daytime frequency = 1 x journey option every other hour

Leipzig is the furthest Euro 2024 host city from Gelsenkirchen, hence the lack of direct trains, though despite the distance it should be a straightforward journey by train across Germany.

There are IC trains or ICE trains, with a journey time of around 4hr 50mins, which depart every other hour from Dortmund Hbf with a usual final departure at 16:28 - there will be an additional train during the tournament which will depart Dortmund at 01:42.

Regio trains on line RE3 from Gelsenkirchen, which will be heading to Hamm(West), arrive in Dortmund Hbf around 30-35mins prior to the departure of the daytime trains on to Leipzig.
The total journey time will be around 6hrs 45mins.
A Regio train on line RB32, which is due to depart Gelsenkirchen shortly before midnight, connects into that overnight train to Leipzig,

The DB Ticket Euro 2024 will be available for travel on this route - the general Euro 2024 guide explains how to book them.

typical journey time = around 5hr 35mins
usual daytime frequency = 1 or 2 x journey options per hour.

During the tournament there will be a direct train from Gelsenkirchen to München Hbf, which will travel overnight, as it will depart from Gelsenkirchen Hbf at 00:44 and arrive into Munich / München shortly after 07:00.
Though it will be an ICE train, that is usually used for daytime services.
However, it is possible to travel overnight from Gelsenkirchen to Munich / München in a sleeper train, if you connect in Dusseldorf.
Depart Gelsenkirchen at 19:29 on a Regio train on line RE3 and it will arrive in Dusseldorf Hbf around an hour before the departure of a Nightjet train, which will be scheduled to arrive into München Hbf shortly after 07:00.

The DB Ticket Euro 2024 will be available for travel on this route - the general Euro 2024 guide explains how to book them.

As an alternative to travelling overnight, during the day there are usually1 or 2 x ICE trains per hour from both Duisburg and Essen on to Munich / München and both Duisburg and Essen have trains from Gelsenkirchen.
So when looking up the journey, you will see options which connect in both Duisburg and Essen.