jelopez33

Hi to all friends!

As usual, I am in charge of planning the next trip of a group of friends....has anyone gone from Koln or Frankfurt to Strasbourg?

Is it possible with train without any dchange of trains?
Is better by airplane?

Please, share any experience or comments.

Thanks to all!

Ps.....a direct train Koln to Reims is suitable also.

PalenQ

go to www.bahn.de/em to see the schedules for any given day - if yours is not on yet simply pick an earlier similar day of the week - definitely hourly or more trains between Colgone and Frankfurt on the rather new high-speed line and no doubt on to Strasbourg as well.

book well in advance for nifty discounts - for lots of great stuff on German trains check these informative sites: www.seat61.com (good info on discounted tickets); www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

You can always get on trains even by just showing up IME - reservations are rarely required but a group should IME make an opinonal seat reservation if they want to sit toghether in 2nd class (1st class seems to usually have more empty seats and is of course more comfortable with bigger seats, fewer people in each sized train car, etc.

nytraveler

These trips are way too short to fly.

Cologne to Strasbourg is about 3 hours minimum with at least 1 change. Frankfurt (you don;t say is town or airport) is about 2 hours - and details depend on locations.

Bahn.de has every train.

jelopez33

Thanks PalenQ and nytraveller! I will check Bahn.de......and will make questions to you if needed...thanks again.

PalenQ

since Strsbourg is just over the German border (The Rhine) many mainline Germany trains going north-south will not detour to stop there but at Kehl (I believe it's Kehl) or other stations you can change to trains that trundle across the long bridges to Strasbourg - there are some direct trains from Frankfurt but if they do not comport to your time the change at Kehl is a snap.

jelopez33

Thanks PalenQ, good informatios.

PalenQ

Thanks for the thanks - There are many direct Strasbourg to Reims high-speed trains - they serve a TGV station a few miles out of the town but there are shuttle trains (navettes) that meet each train to trundle you into the city centre station. Check www.voyages-sncf.com or www.capitainetrain (same trains easier site for American credit cards to use) for fares and discounted fares if you want to book in stone weeks in advance.

Reims to Paris need not be pre-booked as there are fairly cheap walk up tickets on those trains I believe.

PalenQ

the Reims TGV station out of town is called CHAMPAGNE-ARDENNE in schedules and regional shuttle trains run from it into town. Book a ticket from Strasbourg to Reims and it will include the shuttle train.

PalenQ

Note that all Strasbourgh to Paris-est TGV high-speed line trains do not stop at Champagne-Ardennes so be sure yours does - some schedules I have seen route you thru Paris and back to Reims! So look at details of the journey before buying a ticket - total travel time is a key.