Frankfurt – Cologne

Route

1. Frankfurt Hbf

2. Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbf

   Direct rail link into Terminal 1

3. Cologne Hbf

   Steps from Cologne Cathedral

What you'll see

• Trains run at up to 300 km/h through the Taunus and Westerwald hills on a line built specifically for high speed, opened in 2002
• Several long tunnels and the dramatic Sinsheim/Wiesbaden-style viaducts over river valleys along the route
• No scenic river views on this line — for that, ride the slower Middle Rhine route instead (see Rhine Valley below)

Stopover ideas

• Frankfurt — Römerberg old town square and the Main riverfront museums
• Cologne — the Cathedral (Kölner Dom) right by the station exit

Practicalities

Trains

ICE 41/45 and other services on the Cologne–Frankfurt Schnellfahrstrecke, every 30–60 minutes

Duration

about 1h05 non-stop from Frankfurt Flughafen; about 1h15 from Frankfurt Hbf

Best time of year

Year-round; useful as an airport transfer as well as a city-to-city hop

Which ticket?

This corridor is short and frequent enough that a Sparpreis or a Flexpreis bought a day or two ahead is usually good value; a rail pass day is better saved for longer legs unless this is one of several trips that day.

Plan the exact connection on the journey planner or work out whether a rail pass pays off on the trip planner.