Cologne airport to city?

I'm thinking of going to cologne to see the Xmas markets.
Just wondering if anyone knows the best way from cologne airport into the city? Is there handy transport links? Any idea of costs?

I know a lot of people who go to the markets there fly to Düsseldorf, any particular reason?

Louche Lad

bubblypop wrote: »

I'm thinking of going to cologne to see the Xmas markets.
Just wondering if anyone knows the best way from cologne airport into the city? Is there handy transport links? Any idea of costs?

A few years since I've done it, but I found the train was very good - there's a station built into the airport complex.

You have to validate your ticket in a machine before you get on the train (that's the way they do it in Germany). Also, your ticket will probably not be valid one the ICE (high speed train), but the local train is quick enough. The ticket was quite cheap (I can't remember now how much).

munchkin_utd

people fly (flew) to düsseldorf as that was till recently the only direct link (aer lingus), and Ryanair operated to an airport called Düsseldorf (Weeze)- which is nearly nearer Amsterdam than Düsseldorf, but certainly not near Cologne, but its called Düsseldorf so no doubt many went there and spent half a day getting to Cologne.
Now that theres flights to Cologne/Bonn, then you dont need to go to Düsseldorf, except if you just prefer aerlingus over Ryanair

Anyhow, from Düsseldorf and Cologne airport theres direct regional trains from the airport itsself every 20minutes or half hour that'll have you to cologne quickly and cheaply.
The ticket costs what it costs, the ticket machines are touchscreen so you just enter your destination and it'll give you ticket options, either for 1 way or day tickets. Any ticket for the local trains will also do for a follow on journey by underground or tram when in Cologne.

And theres also frequent direct high speed trains from Frankfurt airport that take an hour, but you really need to book those train tickets in advance or they are quite dear (unless you get a rail+fly add on for Lufthansa, but dont ask me how to do that).

That's great.
munchkin thanks for that.
Perfect.

munchkin_utd

bubblypop wrote: »

That's great.
munchkin thanks for that.
Perfect.

no probs
aparantly a single ticket from cologne airport to cologne city is only €2.80, day ticket €8.10 per person, €12.10 for up to 5people travelling together.
Heres a chart with all the price info.
http://www.bahn.de/regional/view/mdb/pv/deutschland_erleben/nrw/s-bahn_koeln/tarifaushaenge/2014/mdb_148471_koeln_bonn-flughafen.pdf
if going somewhere else, you can figure out the cost from the list on the left, and prices at the bottom (but the touch screen ticket machine will do all that for you when actually buying the ticket)

keithclancy

munchkin_utd wrote: »

And theres also frequent direct high speed trains from Frankfurt airport that take an hour, but you really need to book those train tickets in advance or they are quite dear (unless you get a rail+fly add on for Lufthansa, but dont ask me how to do that).

You book a flight with Lufthansa from Dublin - Wherever and its treated like a connecting flight in your ticket

Victor

Note that Cologne is Köln in German, but that it is often spelt Koeln when dealing with the internet.

http://www.koeln-bonn-airport.de/en/parking-arrival/bus-rail-services.html
http://www.kvb-koeln.de/german/home/index.html

munchkin_utd wrote: »

Any ticket for the local trains will also do for a follow on journey by underground or tram when in Cologne.

The S-bahn in Cologne is just the city centre section of the tram lines.