DeborahAnn

We have never traveled by train in Germany and my German doesn't yet go beyond basic greetings so I have a few questions about taking the train from Frankfurt airport to Cologne.

1. Is the Frankfurt airport called Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof on the DB website?

2. If we buy our tickets ahead of time to save money the website states that the exchange/return of the ticket is 15 euros but then it states "excluded from the 1st day of validity" what does that mean? Is that the day I buy the ticket online or the day of use?

3. Our plane from the US arrives at 6:10am, should I be able to catch an 8am train for Cologne with that arrival time?

Thank you for any help you can give me. Deborah

PalenQ

flughafen Fernbahnhof is the long-distance train station at the airport - there is also a Regional Bahnhof with local trains - Fernbahnhof is farther than the Regional bahnhof must closer to arrivals area.

I would just buy your tickets at the airport train station upon arrival - no language problem at airport station usually. Online tickets that are discounted are train specific and may cost 15 euros to change but ony before the first day of validity - the day of your train - tickets can often be used for a certain validity period and can be changed, etc.

Unless you are getting one of the discounted tickets there is no reason to buy online - the time savings are minimal and there are probably at least two trains an hour from airport to Cologne.

For lots on German trains I always spotlight these Wunderbar sites - www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Dukey1

1. Yes

2. Not sure

3. Depends on if your flight arrives on time; how long it takes you to retrieve any luggage/get through Immigration

capxxx

1. yes.
Flughafen = airport
Fernbahnhof = main terminal, I'm guessing (anyway, the station is in the main terminal).

2. Don't know.

3. If it were me, I'd plan on taking the 8am train -- you do have to go through customs and immigration, which take time, but on the other hand it is 6am (not so very crowded), and the train station is right inside the airport, and easy to find.

Do check whether your flight arrives in the main terminal or not -- if not, you'll need to take an airport shuttlebus, which would add more time and might be the deal-breaker for me.

capxxx

Wow Dukey, we crossed! Kinda spooky.

greg

Fernbahnhof = remote station.

Look at the Google map. The long distance Fernbahnhof in on ther other side of the highway while the Regionalbahnhof serving Frankfurt local region is just below the terminal.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=50.053...num=1&t=h&z=16

You are going to the wrong station if you are going underground. The correct way is through an overpass spanning over the highway.

DeborahAnn

Thanks for the prompt replies. USAir arrives at Terminal 1 according to the airport website. The cost of the reduced tickets is 69 euros for two. If we buy tickets when we arrive the tickets will cost 128 euros.

If the tickets are train specific and we miss the train can we exchange them for a later train, paying additional fees?

I might add an extra hour in the train selection--how comfortable is the airport train station??

Thanks again, Deborah

DeborahAnn

greg, from looking at the airport website we would take a walkway from Terminal 1 to the Air/train Terminal, correct? It appears that the trains to Cologne are only out of the long distance terminal, not the regional one. Thank you, Deborah

Dukey1

You won't have any trouble finding the correct station and platform. As to the time it might take, my basic inclination would probably be to shoot for that 8 AM departure and I agree that at the early hour there probably aren't going to be a lot of people trying to get through Immigration unless there are a couple of high capacity flights arriving at the same time yours does.

What time is the next possible direct/ no-change train? The fastest ones take about 57 minutes.

DeborahAnn

Dukey, its about one half hour later at 8:32am. We have had very good luck with arrival times to Europe with USAir. Thanks for your help, Deborah

DeborahAnn

Another basic question that I have. If I make my train specific reservation online from Frankfurt to Cologne will I have a seat assigned or do I do another step and get a seat assignment and pay an additional fee which is about 4 euros? Thanks again, Deborah

quokka

>2. If we buy our tickets ahead of time to save money the website states that the exchange/return of the ticket is 15 euros but then it states "excluded from the 1st day of validity" what does that mean? Is that the day I buy the ticket online or the day of use?

That means the ticket can be cancelled and refunded for that 15 € fee until 1 day prior to your travel date. But not on the day of travel or later, so if you miss your train your ticket is lost. Buying a new ticket means of course standard fare.

< If I make my train specific reservation online from Frankfurt to Cologne will I have a seat assigned or do I do another step and get a seat assignment and pay an additional fee which is about 4 euros?
A train ticket buys you the right to be on board a train but it does not guarantee you a seat. If you want a seat guaranteed you have to invest those 4 Euros and buy a seat reservation.

lincasanova

I always find these ahead -of- time -same -day- arrival purchases risky.

PalenQ

If the tickets are train specific and we miss the train can we exchange them for a later train, paying additional fees?>

Only tickets that are train-specific I think are the discounted online tickets otherwise with a full fare ticket you can hop any of that type of train anytime - there are no mandated seat reservations though you can make an optional seat reservation for a few extra euros. Now there may be more than one type of train and they may cost differently - the ICE trains should have a flat fare I believe as will the slower ones - not totally sure but when buying your ticket at the Fernbahnhof or Long-distance train station just ask - it is only the discounted tickets that are train-specific I believe and they too do not come with seat reservations but you must board one specific train.

Just get off the plane, gather your bags go thru Customs and head to the Fernbahnhof, about a 15-minute walk or less and buy your tickets at that train station - again many many trains so have no fear of not getting on trains. Cologne Hbf is your destination if you mean the main Cologne train shed by the world-famous Kolner Dom cathedral - there are plenty of other lesser train stations in Cologne at well but ICEs unlikely to stop at many or any.

These trains take a new high-speed rail line route and go up to nearly 200mph - slower trains can take an older route and take much long - the old classic route along the Rhine Gorge, a route that is infinitely more scenic IME but longer - the new high-speed route is mainly bordered by wind blocks so you see very little but do experience a really high-speed train.

PalenQ

the main high-speed line takes 56 minutes all told but the scenic route via rails right along the fabled Rhine Gorge - literally hugging the river between Mainz and Koblenz and onto Cologne takes 2 hrs 7 minutes but the cost of a full fare ticket to be used on any of those routed trains is just 43 euros so with a ticket like that you can hop any of the trains leaving the airport at :57 after each hour - see some awesome scenery and save about 25 euros a piece!

IMO Slow down and enjoy the scenery - even after a nightlong flight! You may also find these slower trains less crowded - much less IME so you can put your bags on an adjoining seat, etc.

PalenQ

Is that the only train trip you will take? If taking 3 or so more longish trips then check out the German Railpass which lets you hop on any train anytime - just show up - great for airport arrivals though you do have to validate the pass once before using it - simply done.

DeborahAnn

I appreciate the helpful comments and suggestions. They will certainly make our arrival day less stressful. Thank you, Deborah

DeborahAnn

Pal--we will be renting a car for the greater portion of our 3 weeks in Germany. We will have one additional train trip between Munich and Frankfurt but I can do a train specific reduced fare for that. I had looked at various train passes but didnt see an advantage for this trip. Thanks again, Deborah

PalenQ

with those plans definitely nein to a pass! Why not rent the car right from the airport?

PalenQ

About the slow train Frankfurt Flughafen to Cologne - advance tickets on those trains are just 24 euros - of course train specific but I guess not out all that much if miss and great deal if you build some time in in case plane is late - sip a coffee in the food court at the airport if on time and leisurely head for the train.