I need some help understanding the train travel options between these two cities. I arrive in paris on June 28th staying 4 nights and meeting friends in Cologne on July 3rd. I want to take the high speed train from Paris to Colonge. I will then be renting a car and drving to Munich. As I am planning to fly roundtrip out of Paris I need to travel back to Paris from Munich, via either a high speed train or fly.

I've been to several sites, eurorail, railsaver, rick steves and what I find confusing is several different prices listed, not knowing if the price is for the high speed train, knowing if a 4 day 2 country selectpass would be cheapest and if that covers the high speed trains, whether it makes more sense to take the train only to Cologne and then fly out from Munich, or if I should fly home from Munich even though that is soem2what higher airfate, but would be more convenient. It would be great if someone could offer some advice on how to figure this out. Thanks!

Check http://www.whichbudget.com/ for cheap flights from Munich to Paris.

Here is the url for the German rail system. I plugged in a random date and the price looks to be 88.50euro and the trip is just under 4 hours. This is a great planning resource whether you purchase there or not.

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

If you have the option to fly home from Munich, the higher price might end up being a wash once you calculate how much it will cost you to get back to Paris. But you can check for cheap flights by going to
www.whichbudget.com

Have a fun trip!

If you have the option to

I got Cologne-Paris roundtrip tickets for 58 Euros per person, on Thalys.com , on the high-speed train. You have to choose France as your country, English as your language, and choose the option to print out the tickets.

Depending on the circumstances, it might be cheapest to buy a roundtrip ticket (which you can do 89 days in advance), then a one-way.

You can also fly between Paris and Cologne on Germanwings.

Take a look at www.whichbudget.com for Munich to Paris.

The standard 2nd class Thalys single fare from Paris to Koeln is E88.50. However, the Smilys (discount) fare booked online at www.thalys.com is E59.00. Although you'll be shown a fare of E29.50 each way, it must be booked as a return (roundtrip). Book an arbitrary return date and throw away the unused portion. Seats are limited so book as soon you can (up to 90 days in advance).

If you take the train from Munich to Paris, the direct night train would be a good choice because it saves you a night in a hotel.