Originally Posted by
wsflyer
How much time should be allowed for a train reservation to Cologne? For example, if scheduled to arrive in FRA at 7:00 am and departing 9 hrs later on a connection, it looks like my options for ICE to Cologne would be 8:25, 8:32, and 9:09 on a weekday. Which would you recommend?
I will be travelling with my family, so a reservation would save us a good deal of money; otherwise, I would just buy a ticket at the station.
Also, do you have any recommendations about where to store carry-on luggage during this quick trip to Cologne? Thanks.
Store your bags at the airport. There will be a storage facility somewhere. Check the Fraport website.
I did the Cologne to FRA ICE-3 run last year and it takes 40-45 minutes. There isn't much pretty scenery but it doesn't really matter because that train is a-bookin! You will probably hit speeds of 280-300 kph on some of the segments of track. Be advised, however, this is NOT an inexpensive ticket. I think IIRC my one-way, single person ticket last year was 60 euros. If you wanted instead to take a slower, cheaper, more scenic train ride, try this: Take the train to Mainz and then go up to Bingen & Koblenz. You will get the nice Rhine Valley tour and have a little time in Koblenz. Koblenz is where the two big wine rivers merge (Mosel and Rhine), and is a pretty town with nice shopping opportunities. Plan on 2-3 hours each way, however.