--- title: "Trains from Paris to Cologne | EveryRail" description: "Direct Eurostar trains (former Thalys) from Paris Gare du Nord to Köln Hbf in about 3 hours 20 minutes, five or six a day. Reservation included." image: "https://everyrail.com/api/route-image/paris-to-cologne/" --- [Home]()[Europe by train]()[France]()Paris to Cologne by train [Home]()[Europe by train]()[France]()Paris to Cologne by train **Share** - - [Share on WhatsApp]() - [Share on X]() - [Share on Facebook]() - [Share by email]() **On this page** - [About Paris to Cologne by train]() - [Where to book]() - [Find places to stay in Cologne]() - [Frequently asked questions]() - [More routes]() [Book now]() Last updated November 2026 # Paris to Cologne by train Direct Eurostar trains (former Thalys) from Paris Gare du Nord to Köln Hbf in about 3 hours 20 minutes, five or six a day. Reservation included. ![Cologne Cathedral and the Hohenzollern Bridge across the Rhine]() Origin [Paris]() Destination [Cologne]() Main stations Paris Gare du Nord to Köln Hbf Countries [France](), [Germany]() Direct Eurostar trains leave Paris Gare du Nord for Köln Hbf five or six times a day, and the journey takes about 3 hours 20 minutes. ## Take the direct Eurostar These are the former Thalys trains, now run by Eurostar. They call at Bruxelles-Midi, Liège-Guillemins and Aachen Hbf, then reach [Cologne]() without a change. Some carry on to Düsseldorf, Duisburg and [Dortmund](), so stay alert for the Köln Hbf stop. Departures run from early morning to early evening: five or six a day, with six on Fridays and Sundays. They can be two to four hours apart. Choose the train before you plan the rest of the day. ## Gare du Nord, not Paris Est Leave from Gare du Nord. Eurostar asks you to arrive 20 minutes before departure. Paris Est has direct trains to Germany too, but none to Cologne. Going that way means at least one change and takes more than five hours. ## Changing in Brussels When the direct trains are full or badly timed, take a Eurostar to Bruxelles-Midi and change to the [Deutsche Bahn]() ICE for Cologne. It takes about 4 hours in total, and the ICE follows the same line through Liège and Aachen. ## Tickets and prices Eurostar Standard fares to Cologne usually start from around €35 one way. Sale fares can go lower, and the cheapest seats go first. Plus gives you a larger reclining seat; Premier adds lounge access and a meal at your seat. Your ticket includes a reserved seat on one train. Standard and Plus tickets can be exchanged free until one hour before departure, and refunds cost €25 up to seven days before travel. Two bags of up to 75 x 53 x 30 cm plus hand luggage are allowed, with no weight limit. ## With an Interrail pass Pass holders must reserve. The Eurostar pass-holder reservation from [Paris]() to Germany costs around €32 in Standard or €37 in Plus, pass places are limited, and the reservation cannot be refunded or exchanged. A second-class pass gets you Standard only, and Premier is not available on a pass. Going via Brussels does not avoid the fee: the Eurostar from [Paris to Brussels]() needs a reservation, at around €27 in Standard. The ICE on to Cologne does not. ## The new timetable and January in Cologne The new timetable starts on 13 December 2026. Early 2027 keeps a similar pattern of direct trains, still about 3 hours 20 minutes. 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 actually arrives at before you set off. ## Where to book ![]() ### Book with Omio Find times and prices for Paris → 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 - [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 ### Is there a high-speed train from Paris to Cologne? Yes. Eurostar runs five or six direct high-speed trains a day from Paris Gare du Nord to Köln Hbf. These are the former Thalys trains. ### How long is the Eurostar from Paris to Cologne? About 3 hours 20 minutes. Changing in Brussels to an ICE takes about 4 hours. ### Does the Eurostar from Paris go straight to Cologne? Yes, without a change. It stops at Brussels, Liège and Aachen on the way, and some trains continue beyond Cologne to Düsseldorf, Duisburg and Dortmund. ### How much is the train from Paris to Cologne? 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. ### Can I use an Interrail pass from Paris to Cologne? Yes, but you need a pass-holder reservation on the Eurostar, around €32 in Standard or €37 in Plus. Pass places on each train are limited, and Premier is not available on a pass. ## 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/paris-to-cologne/#webpage", "name": "Trains from Paris to Cologne | EveryRail", "description": "Train travel information for Paris to Cologne. 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