--- title: "Trains from Brussels to Cologne | EveryRail" description: "Direct ICE and Eurostar trains link Bruxelles-Midi and Köln Hbf in about 1 hour 50 minutes, around a dozen times a day, calling at Liège and Aachen." image: "https://everyrail.com/api/route-image/brussels-to-cologne/" --- [Home]()[Europe by train]()[Belgium]()Brussels to Cologne by train [Home]()[Europe by train]()[Belgium]()Brussels to Cologne by train **Share** - - [Share on WhatsApp]() - [Share on X]() - [Share on Facebook]() - [Share by email]() **On this page** - [About Brussels to Cologne by train]() - [Where to book]() - [Find places to stay in Cologne]() - [Frequently asked questions]() - [More routes]() [Book now]() Last updated November 2026 # Brussels to Cologne by train Direct ICE and Eurostar trains link Bruxelles-Midi and Köln Hbf in about 1 hour 50 minutes, around a dozen times a day, calling at Liège and Aachen. ![Cologne Cathedral and the Hohenzollern Bridge across the Rhine]() Origin [Brussels]() Destination [Cologne]() Main stations Bruxelles-Midi to Köln Hbf Countries [Belgium](), [Germany]() Direct trains from Bruxelles-Midi reach Köln Hbf in about 1 hour 50 minutes. [Deutsche Bahn]() runs the ICE and Eurostar runs the rest. ## ICE or Eurostar Between them, the two operators give you around a dozen direct trains a day. The ICE to [Frankfurt]() leaves roughly every two hours, and Eurostar trains from Paris fill most of the gaps. A few Eurostar departures run Monday to Saturday only. Journey times are almost identical. Both trains stop at Liège-Guillemins and Aachen Hbf, and neither needs a change. Pick on price and departure time. ## Which Brussels station to use Board at Bruxelles-Midi (Brussel-Zuid). All the ICE and Eurostar trains from central [Brussels]() start or call there. The ICE also stops at Bruxelles-Nord a few minutes later, handy if you are staying north of the centre, but Eurostar does not. No direct train to [Cologne]() calls at Brussels-Central. Flying into Brussels? Two ICEs a day from [Antwerp]() run to Cologne via Leuven and Brussels Airport, skipping the city centre altogether. At the other end, Köln Hbf sits right beside the cathedral. ## Tickets, reservations and passes Eurostar Standard fares start from €19 one way, and Deutsche Bahn's second-class ICE fares from €19.99. Seats at those prices are limited. Deutsche Bahn sells ICE tickets up to 12 months ahead, and Eurostar opens 7 to 12 months ahead depending on the season. The operators treat seats differently. Eurostar reservations are compulsory, so your ticket is for one train. On the ICE a reservation is optional, though worth having at busy times. ICE Sparpreis and Super Sparpreis tickets are valid only on the train you booked; Flexpreis lets you take any train. Eurostar lets you bring two items of luggage up to 75 x 53 x 30 cm plus one piece of hand luggage, with no weight limit. Interrail pass holders pay a pass-holder reservation on Eurostar, around €27 in Standard or €32 in Plus. Pass places are limited, so reserve once your dates are fixed. A second-class pass covers Standard only. On the ICE the pass alone is enough. An optional seat costs around €5.50 in second class or €6.90 in first. ## Timetable change and the January closure in Cologne The new timetable starts on 13 December 2026. Early 2027 keeps the same mix of ICE and Eurostar trains, but times can still shift. From 21:00 on 8 January to 21:00 on 19 January 2027, Köln Hbf is closed to long-distance trains while Deutsche Bahn brings a new signal box into service. The ICEs from Brussels are timetabled to stop at Köln-Ehrenfeld instead. Eurostar has not yet shown how its trains run during the closure, so whichever train you take in that window, check which Cologne station it uses before you book. ## Where to book ![]() ### Book with Omio Find times and prices for Brussels → Cologne. [Check times & prices]() ### Other places to book Ticket websites - [Rail Europe]() - [Trainline]() These links open the provider’s website. Search for your journey there. ### Train service - [Deutsche Bahn]() Deutsche Bahn (DB) is Germany's national railway, running ICE, IC and regional trains with Flexpreis, Sparpreis and Super Sparpreis fares. [Official website]() [Check times & prices]() - [Eurostar]() Eurostar runs high-speed trains from London St Pancras to Paris (2 h 16 min), Brussels (1 h 53 min) and Amsterdam; London departures require border checks. [Official website]() [Check times & prices]() ## Find places to stay in Cologne [![Bright bedroom with white bedding and a breakfast tray on the bed]()**Browse stays in Cologne**Hotels and apartments via Booking.com]() ## Frequently asked questions ### How long is the train from Brussels to Cologne? About 1 hour 50 minutes. The ICE and Eurostar trains between Bruxelles-Midi and Köln Hbf are all direct, with around a dozen a day. ### Do I need a seat reservation from Brussels to Cologne? Only on Eurostar, where every ticket is for a reserved train. On the Deutsche Bahn ICE a reservation is optional. ### Can I use an Interrail pass from Brussels to Cologne? Yes. The ICE accepts the pass on its own. Eurostar needs a pass-holder reservation, around €27 in Standard or €32 in Plus, and pass places on each train are limited. ### Which Brussels station do trains to Cologne leave from? Bruxelles-Midi, for both ICE and Eurostar. The ICE also stops at Bruxelles-Nord. Brussels-Central has no direct trains to Cologne. ### How much is a train ticket from Brussels to Cologne? Eurostar Standard starts from €19 one way and the ICE from €19.99 in second class. Seats at those prices are limited and sell first, so fares climb closer to the date. ## More routes [![Ornate guild house facades on Brussels' Grand Place]()![SNCB]()![NS]()![Eurostar]()Amsterdam to Brussels by trainDirect Eurostar from Amsterdam Centraal in 1h52, or Eurocity Direct from Amsterdam Zuid in just over two hours, up to 16 a day. Fares from €25.]()[![Cologne Cathedral and the Hohenzollern Bridge across the Rhine]()![ÖBB]()![NS]()![Deutsche Bahn]()Amsterdam to Cologne by trainDirect ICE International from Amsterdam Centraal to Köln Hbf roughly every two hours, taking about 2 hours 40 minutes. Fares from €20.]()[![View of Brussels, Belgium]()![SNCB]()![Eurostar]()Antwerp to Brussels by trainAntwerp to Brussels by train takes about 45 minutes on frequent direct SNCB InterCity trains, with a choice of three central Brussels stations.]()[![Deutsche Bahn ICE trains beneath the glass roof of Berlin Hauptbahnhof]()![Eurostar]()![European Sleeper]()![Deutsche Bahn]()Berlin to Brussels by trainDaytime trains take about 7 to 8 hours with a change, usually in Cologne; European Sleeper runs direct overnight from Berlin Hbf six times a week.]()[![Cologne skyline and Rhine River]()![Deutsche Bahn]()Berlin to Cologne by trainBerlin to Cologne takes 3 hours 43 minutes on the fastest direct ICE; most trips take 4 to 5 hours, with around 35 daily trains from DB and FlixTrain.]()[![Ornate guild house facades on Brussels' Grand Place]()![SNCB]()Bruges to Brussels by trainDirect SNCB trains connect Bruges and Brussels in about an hour, roughly every 30 minutes, with distance-based fares and automatic weekend and age discounts.]()[![Amsterdam canal houses and houseboats illuminated at night]()![SNCB]()![NS]()![Eurostar]()Brussels to Amsterdam by trainDirect trains link Brussels and Amsterdam: Eurostar reaches Amsterdam Centraal in around 1h52, while Eurocity Direct uses Amsterdam Zuid.]()[![Antwerp Central Station facade with ornate clock and gold detailing]()![SNCF Voyageurs]()![SNCB]()![Deutsche Bahn]()Brussels to Antwerp by trainBrussels to Antwerp trains take as little as 33 minutes, run every 15 to 30 minutes, and cost €6 to €12 one way.]() ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://everyrail.com/#organization", "name": "EveryRail", "url": "https://everyrail.com/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://everyrail.com/_astro/everyrail-logomark-2026.VJ4vNX1T.webp", "@id": "https://everyrail.com/#organization-logo-1" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.instagram.com/everyrailtravel/", "https://www.facebook.com/everyrail", "https://www.threads.com/@everyrailtravel" ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://everyrail.com/#website", "name": "EveryRail", "url": "https://everyrail.com/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://everyrail.com/#organization" }, "inLanguage": "en" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://everyrail.com/trains/brussels-to-cologne/#webpage", "name": "Trains from Brussels to Cologne | EveryRail", "description": "Train travel information for Brussels to Cologne. 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