Green Traveller's Guide to taking the train from London St Pancras International Railway Station to Cologne, Germany.
Cologne is one of Germany’s oldest cities. A vast Gothic cathedral, the city’s best-known landmark and most visited site in the country, presides over an architectural patchwork of Roman towers, medieval churches and post-war office blocks. Around the cathedral is the Altstadt, or Old Town, where hops-loving visitors indulge in Kölsch, the distinctive local brew. For more information about the city, where to stay and eat, see our Green Travel Guide to Cologne.
Journey Time: from 4 hours 52 mins
Sample timetable: Depart London 12.58pm, arrive Cologne 18.15
Changes: 1
Transfer: Quick same-station change of platform within Brussels Midi station
Frequency of Departures: 5/day
Carbon emissions: 12.7kg (flight would be 45kg)* Train tickets provided by Trainline:
What's the journey like?
Take the Eurostar to Brussels Midi station where there's an easy same-station platform change to board the high-speed Thalys or ICE trains to Cologne. Keep an eye out on the platform at Brussels for the handy guide to the layout of incoming trains, which shows you where your carriage will arrive into the station so you can walk to the correct part of the platform before the train arrives.
Stopover hotels to break the journey in Brussels
If you want to break the journey and stay overnight to see a bit more of Brussels while you're travelling through, there are lots of lovely places to stay conveniently near Brussels Midi, see below:
Hotels near Brussels Midi station
Miss your connection?
Don’t panic. Railteam’s ‘Hop on the Next Available Train’ service means that if you have missed your connection because of a delay on the preceding leg of your journey, you’ll automatically be put on the next available high-speed train. NB Remember to get your ticket stamped by your Train Manager.
On arrival in Cologne
Willkommen in Köln! There are lots of places to stay close to the station, see below:
With over one million inhabitants, and a lively student population, Cologne is a vibrant metropolis: The Cologne Opera, Cologne Philharmonic Orchestra and numerous theatres are just some of the cultural events and attractions on offer. For more information on great restaurants, hotels, museums as well as how to get around the city by public transport and other things to see and do in this great city, see Green Traveller's Guide to Cologne.
Gute Reise!
For more train routes in Europe, see our Flight-Free Train & Ferry Journey Planner