Query re train travel in Germany (Cologne/Düsseldorf/Aachen)

Chivito550

I'm heading to Germany in December for Christmas markets. Flying on a Friday evening to Düsseldorf. The plan is:

- Train from Düsseldorf Airport to Aachen Friday evening:

- Return bus from Aachen to Monschau on the Sunday:

- Train from Aachen to Cologne Monday morning (throw bag in locker in train station for the day)

- Train from Cologne to Düsseldorf airport Monday evening

The bus I'm not too worried about as I assume it's just a walk on, pay the driver kind of thing, but regarding the 3 trains above, will I be paying through the nose if I pay on the day? Is it significantly cheaper to book online in advance? I'd rather not as I prefer the flexibility of deciding on the day which train to get, but if the difference is substantial then I'd book in advance.

Also, how frequent are trains from Cologne to Düsseldorf airport?

Thanks

schemingbohemia

Do you need to buy tickets in advance?

◾No, for regional trains - the ones marked R, RE, M, ALX & so on in the search results on www.bahn.de. Regional trains have one fixed price with unlimited availability and no reservations necessary or possible. Treat them as you would a city metro: Turn up, buy a ticket and hop on the next train. They cannot 'sell out'! If you're making multiple journeys, there are some regional train passes explained here.

From http://www.seat61.com/Germany-trains.htm

spurious

Chivito550 wrote: »

Also, how frequent are trains from Cologne to Düsseldorf airport?

Every ten to twenty minutes or so. Very frequent.

munchkin_utd

as said above, the regional trains you're taking are frequent and cant be booked in advance to save money.

The ticket for the first day can be got from a touch screen machine at the airport station, just enter start and end points and it'll work it out. Seemingly it'll cost €21.80 for the SchöneReiseTicket deal and theres a direct train from the airport to Aachen every hour at 32 past. Otherwise youve to get to Cologne or Düsseldorf and change there.
NOTE: theres 2 stations at that airport, one a terminal for the sbahn, another a halt on the mainline to which youve to get the sky train monorail. You'll be looking to get the monorail to the mainline.

on the last day, you get the same ticket as before only in the other direction. A break in journey is allowed so long as you complete the journey on the same day

I think the train timetables should be on google maps which is an easy way of seeing the basic options.
If you want proper realtime timetables modified to reflect any rail works or incidents, then install the "db navigator" app .

Chivito550

munchkin_utd wrote: »

on the last day, you get the same ticket as before only in the other direction. A break in journey is allowed so long as you complete the journey on the same day.

Is Cologne on the Düsseldorf to Aachen line? Do all trains to Aachen go through Cologne first?

munchkin_utd

Chivito550 wrote: »

Is Cologne on the Düsseldorf to Aachen line? Do all trains to Aachen go through Cologne first?

I just looked it up, and it seems that the direct train does indeed go via cologne.

Theres another routing where you get to Düsseldorf station and then a direct train to Aachen, and this bypasses Cologne and goes through Mönchengladbach instead.

heres a schematic map of the rail network, and you are only focusing on the leftmost third.
http://www.vrr.de/imperia/md/content/fahrten/verkehrsplaene/nrw_regionalverkehrsplan.pdf

Chivito550

munchkin_utd wrote: »

I just looked it up, and it seems that the direct train does indeed go via cologne.

Theres another routing where you get to Düsseldorf station and then a direct train to Aachen, and this bypasses Cologne and goes through Mönchengladbach instead.

heres a schematic map of the rail network, and you are only focusing on the leftmost third.
http://www.vrr.de/imperia/md/content/fahrten/verkehrsplaene/nrw_regionalverkehrsplan.pdf

And going from Aachen to Cologne there are 2 per hour so I assume only one goes to the airport in Düsseldorf and if I get the other one I'd have to buy 2 separate tickets rather than just use the one ticket with a gap as suggested?

munchkin_utd

Chivito550 wrote: »

And going from Aachen to Cologne there are 2 per hour so I assume only one goes to the airport in Düsseldorf and if I get the other one I'd have to buy 2 separate tickets rather than just use the one ticket with a gap as suggested?

why do you think you'd need 2 tickets ?
They are all part of the same system so you can get off and on again so long as youre heading in the one direction.

Chivito550

munchkin_utd wrote: »

why do you think you'd need 2 tickets ?
They are all part of the same system so you can get off and on again so long as youre heading in the one direction.

Perfect, thanks a mill for your help.

I guess I'm used to our dreadful public transport in Ireland too much.

spurious

Chivito550 wrote: »

I guess I'm used to our dreadful public transport in Ireland too much.

The German system is certainly an eye opener.

munchkin_utd

spurious wrote: »

The German system is certainly an eye opener.

its a system, a planned network of services feeding into each other working off a common timetable and fare structure,
rather than what you have in Ireland which is a heap of trains and busses running in parallel to each other with separate ticketing arrangements and a bus licencing system that goes back to a free for all in the 30s when bus drivers literally ended up in fist fights in the middle of towns after trying to poach passengers from each other.

Its so disfunctional its comical.

In fairness though, with Irish rail on a standard ticket you can break a journey en route for free like you'd be planning in Cologne
http://www.irishrail.ie/media/conditionsoftravel1.pdf section 8

Vic_08

Chivito550 wrote: »

Perfect, thanks a mill for your help.

I guess I'm used to our dreadful public transport in Ireland too much.

The exact same applies to Irish Rail journeys that require a change, there has never been a requirement to buy two separate tickets.

Living Off The Splash

I loved Dusseldorf but didn't think much of Aachen. Cologne is good also.