Travelling to Cologne

Old Apr 1, 2017, 8:31 pm
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Hong Kong
Posts: 430
Travelling to Cologne

I have a question. I will be travelling to Cologne this summer and on LH.com, I found out there are 2 option from HKG.

1) You can fly all the way and connect via Munich.
2) You can connect in FRA and take train to Koln station. Here is the confusion. The train number is on a LH number. So what happens to my luggage upon my arrival in FRA? Will I still need to lug it to the Train station myself? Do I collect the train ticket during my checkin in HKG? How does the system work?

Or is it just easier to connect my flight in Munich?

Thanks!
rogerli is offline  
Old Apr 2, 2017, 12:52 am
  #2  
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 170
If all legs are on one PNR, you'll get the boarding pass for the train upon check-in in HKG and your luggage will be delivered right to the train in FRA. If the city of Cologne itself is your final destination, the train is quite convenient.

Personally, I prefer to fly into CGN via MUC because I usually pick up a rental car upon arrival and that's much easier and quicker done at the airport than at the Cologne train station.
iadh is offline  
Old Apr 2, 2017, 1:01 am
  #3  
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Karlsruhe, Germany
Posts: 123
Originally Posted by iadh
your luggage will be delivered right to the train in FRA.
Are you sure with that? AFAIK you have to pick up your luggage at the AirRail counters, go through customs there and then take it to the train yourself (granted, the AirRail counters are pretty close to the train tracks, but still).
Fireflyer05 is offline  
Old Apr 2, 2017, 1:40 am
  #4  
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 57
Originally Posted by rogerli
Do I collect the train ticket during my checkin in HKG? How does the system work?
You should get a boarding pass for the FRA-QKL leg during on-line check-in or at the counter in HKG. The boarding pass is your train ticket.
radium_mask is offline  
Old Apr 2, 2017, 2:59 am
  #5  
Senior Moderator, Moderator: Community Buzz and Ambassador: Miles & More (Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and other partners)
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: 150km from MAN
Programs: LH SEN** HH Diamond
Posts: 29,501
Fireflyer05 is correct. Information is available on this page.
https://www.lufthansa.com/de/en/Lufthansa-Express-Rail

After your flight lands in Frankfurt, you can collect your baggage from the Lufthansa Express Rail baggage reclaim at the airports mainline station, take it through customs and then directly onto the train with you.

The Lufthansa baggage regulations apply to all Lufthansa Express Rail routes. The free baggage allowance corresponds to the baggage regulations of your connecting flight.
NewbieRunner is offline  
Old Apr 2, 2017, 6:37 am
  #6  
C W
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: LON, PDX
Programs: DL PM, AS MVP 75K, HH/SPG/MR Gold, Amex Plat, PRG, CSR
Posts: 2,064
If you enjoy trains, it's a very fun ride along the Neubaustrecke Kln-Rhein/Main high-speed line. The ICE does most of the route between Frankfurt and Kln at 300 km/h (186 mph) and it's a very unusual high-speed rail line because of frequent curves and grades of up to 4%.

The 3rd generation ICE trains required a multiple electric unit design with motors in the bogies of each coach to operate on the line, since traditional locomotives cannot provide enough traction and power to maintain high speeds at such grades.

Despite the curves and grades it is an extremely comfortable ride due to the superelevation of the tracks preventing you from feeling lateral g-forces and hermetic sealing of the trains keeping your ears from popping.
C W is offline  
Old Apr 2, 2017, 7:44 am
  #7  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 4
And, not unimportant: The train station in Cologne is located very centrally, in the heart of the city, whereas the airport is a bit far away.
RFGFan is offline  
Old Apr 2, 2017, 9:35 am
  #8  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Hong Kong
Posts: 430
Originally Posted by Fireflyer05
Are you sure with that? AFAIK you have to pick up your luggage at the AirRail counters, go through customs there and then take it to the train yourself (granted, the AirRail counters are pretty close to the train tracks, but still).
So where exactly is this AirRail counter? Is it in the arrivals hall before I exit custom? OR is it right over to the Railway station area?
rogerli is offline  
Old Apr 2, 2017, 12:20 pm
  #9  
Senior Moderator, Moderator: Community Buzz and Ambassador: Miles & More (Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and other partners)
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: 150km from MAN
Programs: LH SEN** HH Diamond
Posts: 29,501
Originally Posted by rogerli
So where exactly is this AirRail counter? Is it in the arrivals hall before I exit custom? OR is it right over to the Railway station area?
The AirRail counter is just before the long distance railway station on the pedestrian bridge connecting T1 with The Squaire (office/shopping comlex above the railway station). From your arrival gate follow the signs for Exit which will take you through passport control and then follow the signs for the long distance train station (marked with the letter T) which should take you up an escalator or an elevator to the pedestrian bridge. There are two train stations. The letter S is used for regional trains (to Frankfurt city, Mainz, etc.)



The AirRail counters are on your left as you walk towards the railway station. (This photo was taken coming from the railway station).



These photos are a few years old but the layout shouldn't have changed. LH now calls train services with flight numbers Express Rail rather than Air Rail or AIRail, so some of the signs may have changed.

Last edited by NewbieRunner; Apr 2, 2017 at 1:38 pm
NewbieRunner is offline  
Old Apr 3, 2017, 1:32 am
  #10  
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: DXB / KUO
Programs: AY, SQ, EK
Posts: 857
Went to CGN for a wedding last year.

Originally booked on TG to MUC and then flt MUC-CGN. Would have preferred this option. However, had to go to Kuwait - so ended up booking Kuwait Airways to FRA.

Took the train - not a pleasant experience on a Friday afternoon. People everywhere, and some passenger-of-size occupied my seat - did not have the heart to ask her to move. Also, there was nowhere to put my luggage, so ended up not having a seat at all for the short train journey. The positive aspect was that the train ride is fairly short indeed.

The train station in Cologne is somewhat unpleasant, but finding a taxi was not a huge issue.

I would vote for the option of flying MUC-CGN.
nanyang is offline  
Old Apr 3, 2017, 2:20 am
  #11  
C W
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: LON, PDX
Programs: DL PM, AS MVP 75K, HH/SPG/MR Gold, Amex Plat, PRG, CSR
Posts: 2,064
Originally Posted by nanyang
Went to CGN for a wedding last year.

Originally booked on TG to MUC and then flt MUC-CGN. Would have preferred this option. However, had to go to Kuwait - so ended up booking Kuwait Airways to FRA.

Took the train - not a pleasant experience on a Friday afternoon. People everywhere, and some passenger-of-size occupied my seat - did not have the heart to ask her to move. Also, there was nowhere to put my luggage, so ended up not having a seat at all for the short train journey. The positive aspect was that the train ride is fairly short indeed.

The train station in Cologne is somewhat unpleasant, but finding a taxi was not a huge issue.

I would vote for the option of flying MUC-CGN.
Honestly, it's your own fault for not asking the person of size to move. In Germany it is common for people to sit in a train seat that may be reserved. They will move without question or hard feelings if asked. Germans love following rules, that includes vacating seats that aren't theirs.
C W is offline  
Old Apr 3, 2017, 2:48 am
  #12  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 22
DUS

DUS is a nice alternative to CGN. There is a direct train twice an hour to Cologne, not speaking about connecting trains at Dusseldorft Hbf. And plenty of flight options.
train from FRA - years ago there was a "scenic route" by IC/ECs - following the river. I think todays ICE are going straight line...
michal is offline  
Old Apr 3, 2017, 4:17 am
  #13  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Berlin
Programs: BAEC; LH M&M; HH Diamond
Posts: 813
Originally Posted by michal
train from FRA - years ago there was a "scenic route" by IC/ECs - following the river. I think todays ICE are going straight line...
There still is a route along the Rhine, so long as you take the (slower and cheaper) train that goes via Mainz and Koblenz.

It is served by the more "traditional" express trains called IC, EC and some of the first generation ICEs. As noted in post #6 above, these trains cannot use the newer dedicated high-speed track.
AlienInTheFatherland is offline  
Old Apr 4, 2017, 6:05 am
  #14  
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Wesseling, NRW, Germany
Programs: UA *S , MR LT Titanium, HH Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,936
Originally Posted by nanyang
Went to CGN for a wedding last year.

Originally booked on TG to MUC and then flt MUC-CGN. Would have preferred this option. However, had to go to Kuwait - so ended up booking Kuwait Airways to FRA.

Took the train - not a pleasant experience on a Friday afternoon. People everywhere, and some passenger-of-size occupied my seat - did not have the heart to ask her to move. Also, there was nowhere to put my luggage, so ended up not having a seat at all for the short train journey. The positive aspect was that the train ride is fairly short indeed.

The train station in Cologne is somewhat unpleasant, but finding a taxi was not a huge issue.

I would vote for the option of flying MUC-CGN.
Different animal. Airrail has decicated seats on the train that will be vacated by the attendant if occupied and porter service handling the luggage on the train. So this is somewhat different from a normal train-ticket bought separately even with a reserved seat...

Not sure what is unpleasant about Cologne's train station - it is just that, a train station with all it's pros and cons, but I certainly have seen worse ones around the world...

Greetings - Dirk
djohannw is offline  
Old Nov 28, 2017, 3:07 am
  #15  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: TLV
Programs: UA Platinum, Avis Chairman, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, GA Pilot
Posts: 3,225
There is a reserved section of the train for LH passengers, and there's even (minimal) catering for the LH pax on the train. Car rental counters at the Cologne train station are a few steps from the tracks, so no more/less convenient than CGN airport. I have done both and both are relatively easy. For me it would depend on how long the layover is in MUC, and where I was staying in Cologne. If you're in the city center you don't need a car anyway and will find it hard to park. If you're going to the suburbs, then CGN and rental car might be better, depending on which suburb.
NYTA is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.