Traveling from Cologne Germany to Madrid Spain
 

What is the best way to travel from Cologne Germany to Madrid Spain? Any info would be appreciated.

I haven't done it, but I'd take Germanwings.com .

I thought about it but I arrive that morning in Cologne and the flight does not leave until 4 Pm on Germanwings. I wondered if there was another way, without waiting all day.

You could take a number of trains, but it will be an extremely long ride that will go well past 4 PM. Otherwise, check out http://www.whichbudget.com and http://www.opodo.com .

Cologne is a great place to spend a few hours before going back out to the airport to take your Germanwings flight. Leave your bags at the station, walk out and - bam - there is the best-proportioned and most beautiful gothic cathedral in the world looking down at you. Go a bit further and ask about the chocolate museum by the river, keep walking, have a nice lunch when your feet have produced an appetite, and make sure you get back out to the airport early - way way early, because check-in at the Germanwing terminal, even though they have a bunch of positions, can take a l-o-n-g time.

They serve pretty good food in the waiting area near the gates, so better check in early and wait than be late, they do not wait for you.

The train takes forever - like 26 hours for the quickest, most of them take longer, and you change trains several times, so that is not even a sane option.

Thanks for your suggestions. I don't think I will even try to take the train! I agree its not a sane option.