--- title: "Trains from Cologne to Paris | EveryRail" description: "Direct Eurostar trains (former Thalys) from Köln Hbf to Paris Gare du Nord in about 3 hours 25 minutes, five or six a day. Reservation included." image: "https://everyrail.com/api/route-image/cologne-to-paris/" --- [Home]()[Europe by train]()[Germany]()Cologne to Paris by train [Home]()[Europe by train]()[Germany]()Cologne to Paris by train **Share** - - [Share on WhatsApp]() - [Share on X]() - [Share on Facebook]() - [Share by email]() **On this page** - [About Cologne to Paris by train]() - [Where to book]() - [Find places to stay in Paris]() - [Frequently asked questions]() - [More routes]() [Book now]() Last updated November 2026 # Cologne to Paris by train Direct Eurostar trains (former Thalys) from Köln Hbf to Paris Gare du Nord in about 3 hours 25 minutes, five or six a day. Reservation included. ![Paris skyline with the Eiffel Tower]() Origin [Cologne]() Destination [Paris]() Main stations Köln Hbf to Paris Gare du Nord Countries [Germany](), [France]() Direct Eurostar trains run from Köln Hbf to Paris Gare du Nord in about 3 hours 25 minutes, with five or six departures a day. ## Take the direct Eurostar The former Thalys trains, now run by Eurostar, go through to [Paris]() without a change. They call at Aachen Hbf, Liège-Guillemins and Bruxelles-Midi on the way. Some start in [Dortmund]() and stop at Düsseldorf before reaching [Cologne](). Expect five or six direct trains a day, with six on Fridays and Sundays, from early morning to early evening. The gaps between them run to two or even four hours. Pick your train first, then plan the day around it. ## Changing in Brussels If no Eurostar fits, the [Deutsche Bahn]() ICE runs from Köln Hbf to Bruxelles-Midi, where you change to a Eurostar for Paris. It takes about 4 hours in total. The ICE also stops at Aachen and Liège, so the route is the same. You just swap trains halfway. Either way you arrive at Paris Gare du Nord, which is served by Metro and RER lines. ## Tickets and prices Eurostar Standard fares usually start from around €35 one way. Sale fares can go lower, and the cheapest seats sell first. Eurostar Plus gives you a larger reclining seat, and Premier adds lounge access and a meal at your seat. Every Eurostar ticket comes with a reserved seat on one train. Standard and Plus tickets can be exchanged free until one hour before departure; a refund costs €25 and is possible up to seven days before travel. You can bring two bags of up to 75 x 53 x 30 cm plus hand luggage, with no weight limit. ## With an Interrail pass Your pass covers the Eurostar, but a pass-holder reservation is compulsory: around €32 in Standard or €37 in Plus. Each train has a limited number of pass places, and the reservation cannot be refunded or exchanged, so book it as soon as your plans are fixed. A second-class pass gets you Standard only, and Premier is not available on a pass. Changing in Brussels does not avoid the fee. The ICE needs no reservation, but the Eurostar from [Brussels to Paris]() still does, at around €27 in Standard. ## The new timetable and January in Cologne The new timetable starts on 13 December 2026. Early 2027 keeps a similar pattern of direct trains at similar times. 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. Eurostar has not yet shown how its trains run during the closure, so if you travel in that window, check which Cologne station your train leaves from before you set off. ## Where to book ![]() ### Book with Omio Find times and prices for Cologne → Paris. [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 - [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 Paris [![Bright bedroom with white bedding and a breakfast tray on the bed]()**Browse stays in Paris**Hotels and apartments via Booking.com]() ## Frequently asked questions ### Is there a direct train from Cologne to Paris? Yes. Eurostar runs five or six direct trains a day from Köln Hbf to Paris Gare du Nord, calling at Aachen, Liège and Brussels. These are the former Thalys trains. ### How long does the train from Cologne to Paris take? About 3 hours 25 minutes on the direct Eurostar. With an ICE to Brussels and a change to Eurostar, allow about 4 hours. ### How much is the train from Cologne to Paris? Eurostar Standard tickets usually start from around €35 one way, sometimes less in a sale, and the lowest fares sell out first. Plus and Premier cost more. ### Do I need a reservation on the Eurostar from Cologne? Yes. A seat reservation is compulsory, and it comes with every Eurostar ticket. Interrail pass holders pay for a pass-holder reservation, around €32 in Standard or €37 in Plus, and pass places are limited. ### Which Paris station does the train from Cologne arrive at? Paris Gare du Nord, for both the direct Eurostar and journeys with a change in Brussels. Metro and RER lines run from the station. ## More routes [![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.]()[![Notre-Dame gargoyle overlooking Paris and the Eiffel Tower at sunset]()![Eurostar]()Amsterdam to Paris by trainDirect Eurostar trains from Amsterdam to Paris take about 3 hours 15 to 35 minutes, with about 10 weekday departures and advance Standard fares from €35.]()[![Paris skyline with the Eiffel Tower]()![SNCF Voyageurs]()![Ouigo]()Avignon to Paris by trainDirect TGV INOUI and OUIGO trains run from Avignon TGV to Paris in about 2 hours 40 minutes; some OUIGO trains run to Marne-la-Vallée Chessy instead.]()[![Notre-Dame gargoyle overlooking Paris and the Eiffel Tower at sunset]()![SNCF Voyageurs]()Barcelona to Paris by trainBarcelona to Paris TGV inOui takes about 6 hours 45 minutes; tickets from €69 one way in second class on selected trains and dates, subject to availability.]()[![Gare du Nord train station in Paris]()![SNCF Voyageurs]()![SBB CFF FFS]()Basel to Paris by trainTravel from Basel to Paris by train with TGV Lyria's direct service, in around 3 hours from Basel SBB to Paris Gare de Lyon.]()[![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.]()[![Notre-Dame gargoyle overlooking Paris and the Eiffel Tower at sunset]()![Eurostar]()![Deutsche Bahn]()Berlin to Paris by trainHow to travel from Berlin to Paris by train. The daily direct ICE takes around 8 hours from Berlin Hbf to Paris Gare de l’Est. For an overnight option, the European Sleeper night train runs three times a week. Covers tickets, Interrail reservations, and which Paris station to aim for.]()[![Notre-Dame gargoyle overlooking Paris and the Eiffel Tower at sunset]()![SNCF Voyageurs]()Bordeaux to Paris by trainTGV INOUI takes as little as 2 hours 8 minutes from Bordeaux to Paris; OUIGO takes around 2 to 3.5 hours, with fares from €16 and compulsory reservations.]() ```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/cologne-to-paris/#webpage", "name": "Trains from Cologne to Paris | EveryRail", "description": "Train travel information for Cologne to Paris. 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