We are planning to travel from Paris to Cologne, Germany on Sept. 17 with a return trip on Sept. 24. What is the best way to book a ticket? Is it best to do it now or is it okay to wait until the day of the trip? How do we book ticket?
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17344 posts
It is easier to book them on bahn.de. Advance-fare discounts are available (on the tgv trains as well) and you don't have to pretend you live somewhere else. You should receive a printout with a confirmation code that you show with your credit card when the conductor asks to see your ticket.
Edit: I meant "Thalys" trains, not "tgv". Thanks for the correction, Tim. And yes, there are discount fares available right now at bahn.de on these faster trains for Sept. 17 as well, although it appears the super-good 59 euro fare seats are gone.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
As Lola says, you'll get the cheapest fare if you book ASAP (up to 92 days allowed) on the German Rail site.
As of a moment ago you could get a fare of 39 EUR for Paris-Koeln (one connection in Mannheim) on 17 September and a fare of 49 EUR for Koeln-Paris with connections in Koblenz and Saarbruecken on 24 September.
If you're willing to pay a little more to travel directly and have a shorter ride, there still are some slightly reduced fares for Thalys trains in both directions. You can also book them on the German Rail site.