Question -
What happens if you miss your ICE train? Will book from Frankfurt airport to Koln- what if our flight is delayed, and we miss our train? Since it is an ICE train, are we just out of luck and need to buy a day of fare? I know with the regional trains your ticket is good all day for the route, but wasn't sure what happens with the ICE train (I don't see any regional trains that make that route - at least on the DB site)
thanks!
I see a Flexpreis option would cover me, but of course on the day I am looking it is more than double the price of the Sparpreis
If you miss your scheduled train on a saver fare ticket, you forfeit the ticket.
Regional trains are always an option. The regional route takes you to Cologne via the Rhine River Valley, Germany's most scenic train ride.
Expect to spend 4 hours or so to get there this way.
A wise move, if you are planning to see the best part of the Rhine Valley, is to drop Cologne as your first destination. Stay in one of the Rhine towns in the scenic part instead, which greatly shortens this trip. Then see Cologne later. You could reach Rüdesheim, a good jumping-off point for cruises and castle tours, in just 90 minutes by regional train.
Map of the scenic Rhine Gorge area:
http://www.loreley-info.com/eng/rhein-rhine/walking-hiking.php
The fare to R'heim from FRA is €11 ea. Buy the ticket once you get to the airport's Regionalbahnhof station and hop on any of the regional trains heading to R'heim. Service is typically every 30 minutes.
thanks Russ- you were a bunch of help when we planned last summers trip- and the Boppard recommendation was great - this is a Christmas Market trip - Koln for 3 days, then to Strasbourg for 5 - then home from CDG - but normally I agree completely with your recommendation
Be aware that DB plans maintenance works for Cologne rail hub in December.
"Bereits Ende 2025 gehe das neue Stellwerk für den Kölner Hauptbahnhof in Betrieb - auch dafür ist bereits eine längere Sperrung eingeplant."
(The new interlocking system for Cologne Central Station will go into operation at the end of 2025 - a longer closure has already been planned for this too.)
Source: article
this is a Christmas Market trip
Perfect. Rüdesheim, Wiesbaden, Mainz and Koblenz all have Christmas markets across several holiday weeks.
The Koln market is okay, I think Mainz is just as good. Rudesheim is a pass, really. Wiesbaden was nice last year. But one thing you shouldn't miss, in that area, is the Winter Garden at Fortress Ehrenbritstein in Koblenz. It starts at sundown and it's great. Food booths, light and fire displays, live music, a skating rink, etc. And the killer view of the Eck at night.
and to get to the Fortress there is a very scenic cable car from the town across the Rhine and up the hill. Very nice.
I just missed several ICE trains last week, once our mistake, and 2 times the trains were so late we took another train. I would download the DB app, load a credit card onto it for quick use, and wait until you land to book your train ticket, as long as the pricing works for you!
This is a case where a Lufthansa rail ticket is handy if you haven't already booked your ticket. Just use the Köln train station code QKL as the destination when booking. It typically adds less to the cost of the flight than a separate ICE ticket plus you are guaranteed not to miss your train as they just rebook you automatically if you flight is delayed. I've used these the last 3 times I've traveled to Germany.
DJ
This is a case where a Lufthansa rail ticket is handy if you haven't already booked your ticket. Just use the Köln train station code QKL as the destination when booking. It typically adds less to the cost of the flight than a separate ICE ticket plus you are guaranteed not to miss your train as they just rebook you automatically if you flight is delayed.
Wow, wish we'd known that last week!
I've found that Lufthansa's instructions on how to book train travel are not very clear because it doens't instruct you to use the train station IATA code: https://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/rail-and-fly.html
United's instructions are a little more clear (but they do have a typo for the Munich train station, it should be ZMU): https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/company/transportation-partners/deutsche-bahn.html
Station IATA code Destination rail station
