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London to Cologne by train
Prices explained
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Cheapest Price $86.57
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30 day advance $113.42
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7 day advance $225.49
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First train06:13
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Last train19:34
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Avg changes1
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Fastest journey3hr 56m
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Distance497 kilometres
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Trains per day10
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Avg. journey time5hr 43m
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Train operators
Travelling from London to Cologne by train
Fast trains from London to Cologne take around 3 hours and 56 minutes, covering a distance of approximately 497 kilometres. There are frequent services on the rail route between London and Cologne.
1. Are there direct trains from London to Cologne?
Journeys between London and Cologne usually involve one change of train.
We usually find around 11 departures on the route from London to Cologne every weekday that leave enough time to change trains without waiting around for longer than necessary.
There are typically fewer departures at weekends, when we found around 10 departures.
2. How long is the train journey from London to Cologne?
The London to Cologne train travel time is normally about 3 hours and 56 minutes, whatever time you make the journey.
3. What are the London to Cologne train times and schedule?
On weekdays the earliest train to Cologne is usually scheduled to depart London around 06:13 and the last train is around 20:04. At weekends the first train of the day leaves London around 06:57, and the last at 20:03.
What's the London to Cologne train price?
The earlier you book the better, and the cheapest tickets we've found for trains from London to Cologne are $86.57.
Trains departing 30 days in advance will cost around $113 while booking 7 days in advance the price is around $225. Booking on the day of travel is likely to be more expensive, so it is worth booking in advance if you can to save money.
When to book London to Cologne train tickets?
Trains for this journey usually open for booking around 6 months in advance. If booking is not yet open for your dates then you can set a booking alert to receive an email on the day that the cheapest tickets are released for your journey from London to Cologne by train.
Which train companies operate between London and Cologne?
More than one train company operates on the route from London to Cologne, so you’ll be travelling with one or more of the following rail operators:
- Eurostar
- ICE
- Intercity Express
- Intercity-Express (ICE)
- Thalys
You can check which train you’ll be travelling on by looking for the train name in search results.
Other journeys to Cologne View all journeys to Cologne
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From Amsterdam From $22.15
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From Brussels From $18.79
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From Düsseldorf From $12.75
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From Nuremberg From $21.48
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From Copenhagen From $53.69
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From Vienna From $43.62
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From Paris From $37.58
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From Berlin From $20.80
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From Munich From $38.25
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From Hamburg From $38.25
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From Mainz Hbf From $22.82
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From Basel From $36.91
Eurostar & ICE/Thalys
The train journey from London to Cologne is very easy. Eurostar trains from London connect very efficiently at Brussels Midi station with onward high-speed services to Cologne. These latter trains are either Thalys services or ICE trains operated by Deutsche Bahn. Both offer equally high levels of comfort and service. The cheaper fares sold by Loco2 tend to be for the Eurostar and ICE combination rather than for the Eurostar and Thalys option.
On your journey from London to Cologne by train, you’ll speed across the territory of four countries: England, France, Belgium and Germany. As the latter three countries are all members of Schengen, there is little by way of border formalities.
London to Brussels
Board a Eurostar service from London St Pancras to Brussels. Little more than an hour after leaving London you’ll already be in northern France, speeding through Flanders fields towards Lille Europe, where many but not all Brussels-bound Eurostar trains make an intermediate stop. Some trains make up to three additional stops – at Ebbsfleet, Ashford and Calais.
Eurostar trains from London terminate at Brussels Midi station. Trains run every five minutes from Brussels Midi to Brussels Central (for the city centre). Your Eurostar ticket is valid for this short onward hop within Brussels. At Brussels Midi, there are good onward connections with a choice of Thalys or German ICE trains for direct links to Germany, as well as Belgian (or sometimes Dutch) Intercity trains to cities across the wider BeNeLux region.
Remember to factor in at least half an hour for Eurostar’s airline-style baggage check prior to boarding your train. This is a light-touch security scan, and there are no restrictions on taking liquids on board Eurostar trains.
Brussels to Cologne
From Brussels-Midi there are up to nine high-speed trains to Cologne each day – a mix of Thalys and ICE services. The journey takes just under two hours and most trains make just a couple of stops along the way.
The first part of the journey from Brussels traverses the flat lands of Brabant to reach Liège-Guillemins station. East from Liège, the train joins a new high-speed line which cuts in tunnels through hilly country to reach the German border just before Aachen. Beyond Aachen, the train traverses flat terrain to reach the Rhineland city of Cologne, where you arrive at the city’s main station (the Hauptbahnhof), located on the west bank of the Rhine right by Cologne Cathedral.
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