London to Cologne by train and return
Sep 23rd 2005 | 5:36 pm
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
London to Cologne by train and return
hello,
I see we can get a train from Waterloo via Brussels to Cologne.
Should I buy the tickets before we leave the USA or would getting them
when we arrive in the UK be as easy (we'll be in UK for 4 days before
we head to Germany for a wedding).
I've never taken a train in the UK or Germany, only in France.
Thanks much for any advice.
SCD
I see we can get a train from Waterloo via Brussels to Cologne.
Should I buy the tickets before we leave the USA or would getting them
when we arrive in the UK be as easy (we'll be in UK for 4 days before
we head to Germany for a wedding).
I've never taken a train in the UK or Germany, only in France.
Thanks much for any advice.
SCD
Sep 24th 2005 | 4:17 am
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: London to Cologne by train and return
"SCD" <[email protected]> a écrit dans le message de
news:[email protected]...
> hello,
> I see we can get a train from Waterloo via Brussels to Cologne.
Not exactly. You have to change trains at Brussels Midi/Zuid station. But
through ticketing is possible (and indeed a good idea).
> Should I buy the tickets before we leave the USA or would getting them
> when we arrive in the UK be as easy (we'll be in UK for 4 days before
> we head to Germany for a wedding).
> I've never taken a train in the UK or Germany, only in France.
Trains are generally similar everywhere in the EU, though both trains in
this case are not typical because they are versions of TGV (300 km/h max,
compulsory reservations etc.).
The UK is a big place, so many people find using the Internet is a lot more
convenient than making reservations in person at the departure station
(Waterloo International, London, in this case). But payment and timing may
be a consideration - cheaper fare deals are often sold out if you wait too
long. And if you order on-line, you have to decide where to pick up the
tickets.
These issues are discussed in more detail on-line eg at www.seat61.com
Regards,
- Alan (in Brussels)
news:[email protected]...
> hello,
> I see we can get a train from Waterloo via Brussels to Cologne.
Not exactly. You have to change trains at Brussels Midi/Zuid station. But
through ticketing is possible (and indeed a good idea).
> Should I buy the tickets before we leave the USA or would getting them
> when we arrive in the UK be as easy (we'll be in UK for 4 days before
> we head to Germany for a wedding).
> I've never taken a train in the UK or Germany, only in France.
Trains are generally similar everywhere in the EU, though both trains in
this case are not typical because they are versions of TGV (300 km/h max,
compulsory reservations etc.).
The UK is a big place, so many people find using the Internet is a lot more
convenient than making reservations in person at the departure station
(Waterloo International, London, in this case). But payment and timing may
be a consideration - cheaper fare deals are often sold out if you wait too
long. And if you order on-line, you have to decide where to pick up the
tickets.
These issues are discussed in more detail on-line eg at www.seat61.com
Regards,
- Alan (in Brussels)
Sep 24th 2005 | 6:37 pm
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: London to Cologne by train and return
thank you Alan!
I'm off to check out www.seat61.com
I did take the TGV from Paris to Lyon a few years ago - hard to watch
the countryside - it goes past SO fast!
SCD
On Sat, 24 Sep 2005 18:17:55 +0200, "Alan \(in Brussels\)"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>"SCD" <[email protected]> a écrit dans le message de
>news:[email protected].. .
>> hello,
>> I see we can get a train from Waterloo via Brussels to Cologne.
>Not exactly. You have to change trains at Brussels Midi/Zuid station. But
>through ticketing is possible (and indeed a good idea).
>> Should I buy the tickets before we leave the USA or would getting them
>> when we arrive in the UK be as easy (we'll be in UK for 4 days before
>> we head to Germany for a wedding).
>> I've never taken a train in the UK or Germany, only in France.
>Trains are generally similar everywhere in the EU, though both trains in
>this case are not typical because they are versions of TGV (300 km/h max,
>compulsory reservations etc.).
>The UK is a big place, so many people find using the Internet is a lot more
>convenient than making reservations in person at the departure station
>(Waterloo International, London, in this case). But payment and timing may
>be a consideration - cheaper fare deals are often sold out if you wait too
>long. And if you order on-line, you have to decide where to pick up the
>tickets.
>These issues are discussed in more detail on-line eg at www.seat61.com
>Regards,
>- Alan (in Brussels)
I'm off to check out www.seat61.com
I did take the TGV from Paris to Lyon a few years ago - hard to watch
the countryside - it goes past SO fast!
SCD
On Sat, 24 Sep 2005 18:17:55 +0200, "Alan \(in Brussels\)"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>"SCD" <[email protected]> a écrit dans le message de
>news:[email protected].. .
>> hello,
>> I see we can get a train from Waterloo via Brussels to Cologne.
>Not exactly. You have to change trains at Brussels Midi/Zuid station. But
>through ticketing is possible (and indeed a good idea).
>> Should I buy the tickets before we leave the USA or would getting them
>> when we arrive in the UK be as easy (we'll be in UK for 4 days before
>> we head to Germany for a wedding).
>> I've never taken a train in the UK or Germany, only in France.
>Trains are generally similar everywhere in the EU, though both trains in
>this case are not typical because they are versions of TGV (300 km/h max,
>compulsory reservations etc.).
>The UK is a big place, so many people find using the Internet is a lot more
>convenient than making reservations in person at the departure station
>(Waterloo International, London, in this case). But payment and timing may
>be a consideration - cheaper fare deals are often sold out if you wait too
>long. And if you order on-line, you have to decide where to pick up the
>tickets.
>These issues are discussed in more detail on-line eg at www.seat61.com
>Regards,
>- Alan (in Brussels)
Sep 25th 2005 | 11:31 pm
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: London to Cologne by train and return
Am Fri, 23 Sep 2005 22:36:14 -0700 schrieb SCD:
> I see we can get a train from Waterloo via Brussels to Cologne.
Why bother with the long train journey? You can get direct flights from
London Gatwick and Stanstaed to Cologne with Germanwings. Price depends on
the season, friends of mine just got theier tickets for around 30 GPB (one
way). And it only takes about an hour.
Regards,
Frank
> I see we can get a train from Waterloo via Brussels to Cologne.
Why bother with the long train journey? You can get direct flights from
London Gatwick and Stanstaed to Cologne with Germanwings. Price depends on
the season, friends of mine just got theier tickets for around 30 GPB (one
way). And it only takes about an hour.
Regards,
Frank
Sep 25th 2005 | 11:47 pm
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: London to Cologne by train and return
Frank Hucklenbroich wrote: You can get direct flights from
London Gatwick and Stanstead to Cologne with Germanwings. Price depends
on
the season, friends of mine just got their tickets for around 30 GPB
(one
way). And it only takes about an hour.
Flights can be as little as 19 euros one way. Of course, the longer
you wait to get your tickets, the price will possibly rise accordingly.
They also have a decent luggage allowance as contrasted to Ryanair.
George
London Gatwick and Stanstead to Cologne with Germanwings. Price depends
on
the season, friends of mine just got their tickets for around 30 GPB
(one
way). And it only takes about an hour.
Flights can be as little as 19 euros one way. Of course, the longer
you wait to get your tickets, the price will possibly rise accordingly.
They also have a decent luggage allowance as contrasted to Ryanair.
George
Sep 25th 2005 | 11:48 pm
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: London to Cologne by train and return
"Frank Hucklenbroich" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Am Fri, 23 Sep 2005 22:36:14 -0700 schrieb SCD:
> > I see we can get a train from Waterloo via Brussels to Cologne.
> Why bother with the long train journey? You can get direct flights from
> London Gatwick and Stanstaed to Cologne with Germanwings. Price depends on
> the season, friends of mine just got theier tickets for around 30 GPB (one
> way). And it only takes about an hour.
Easyjet also do gatwick-Cologne, I once got a cheap day return for 14 GBP.
(The germanwings coffee is cheaper and tastes better).
news:[email protected]...
> Am Fri, 23 Sep 2005 22:36:14 -0700 schrieb SCD:
> > I see we can get a train from Waterloo via Brussels to Cologne.
> Why bother with the long train journey? You can get direct flights from
> London Gatwick and Stanstaed to Cologne with Germanwings. Price depends on
> the season, friends of mine just got theier tickets for around 30 GPB (one
> way). And it only takes about an hour.
Easyjet also do gatwick-Cologne, I once got a cheap day return for 14 GBP.
(The germanwings coffee is cheaper and tastes better).
Sep 26th 2005 | 5:23 am
#7
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: London to Cologne by train and return
Frank Hucklenbroich wrote:
> Am Fri, 23 Sep 2005 22:36:14 -0700 schrieb SCD:
>
>> I see we can get a train from Waterloo via Brussels to Cologne.
>
> Why bother with the long train journey? You can get direct flights from
> London Gatwick and Stanstaed to Cologne with Germanwings. Price depends on
> the season, friends of mine just got theier tickets for around 30 GPB (one
> way). And it only takes about an hour.
Does that "only about an hour" include the wait around the lounge, check in
times, transport to and from the airport? If so,they operate some might
fast planes...
If not, well, DB also offers anall-in ticket London Koeln, which costs 49,
euros, (station taxes, handling fee, and fuel surcharges add another 0,-)
and takes 5 hours centre to centre. I seriously doubt flying Germanwings is
significantly faster.
--
/<rist
> Am Fri, 23 Sep 2005 22:36:14 -0700 schrieb SCD:
>
>> I see we can get a train from Waterloo via Brussels to Cologne.
>
> Why bother with the long train journey? You can get direct flights from
> London Gatwick and Stanstaed to Cologne with Germanwings. Price depends on
> the season, friends of mine just got theier tickets for around 30 GPB (one
> way). And it only takes about an hour.
Does that "only about an hour" include the wait around the lounge, check in
times, transport to and from the airport? If so,they operate some might
fast planes...
If not, well, DB also offers anall-in ticket London Koeln, which costs 49,
euros, (station taxes, handling fee, and fuel surcharges add another 0,-)
and takes 5 hours centre to centre. I seriously doubt flying Germanwings is
significantly faster.
--
/<rist
Sep 26th 2005 | 8:45 am
#8
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: London to Cologne by train and return
On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 19:23:10 +0200, "/<rist" <[email protected]> wrote:
>Frank Hucklenbroich wrote:
>> Am Fri, 23 Sep 2005 22:36:14 -0700 schrieb SCD:
>>
>>> I see we can get a train from Waterloo via Brussels to Cologne.
>>
>> Why bother with the long train journey? You can get direct flights from
>> London Gatwick and Stanstaed to Cologne with Germanwings. Price depends on
>> the season, friends of mine just got theier tickets for around 30 GPB (one
>> way). And it only takes about an hour.
>Does that "only about an hour" include the wait around the lounge, check in
>times, transport to and from the airport? If so,they operate some might
>fast planes...
>If not, well, DB also offers anall-in ticket London Koeln, which costs 49,
>euros, (station taxes, handling fee, and fuel surcharges add another 0,-)
>and takes 5 hours centre to centre. I seriously doubt flying Germanwings is
>significantly faster.
GermanWings shows a flight time of a little over an hour to
Coeln, but from Stansted.
It's 2:30 from Waterloo station to Bruxelles EST/Midi,
and about 2:30 on Thalys from Bruxelles-Midi to Koeln-Deutz. With
transfer time in Midi, thats a total of about 5:20, London-Koeln.
At 45 minutes on the Stansted Express at GBP 14.50 and 15 minutes
and a small fee from Koeln-Bonn airport into Koeln, one would
have to calculate total cost and time for a given journey.
Walking from the GermanWings gates to the Koeln airport train
station is a bit of a time-consumer, though.
Time-wise, the choice between GermanWings and the train is a
pretty close one, and might hinge on your actual starting and
ending points. For instance, from north London getting to
Stansted might be easier than getting to Waterloo station.
************* DAVE HATUNEN ([email protected]) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *
>Frank Hucklenbroich wrote:
>> Am Fri, 23 Sep 2005 22:36:14 -0700 schrieb SCD:
>>
>>> I see we can get a train from Waterloo via Brussels to Cologne.
>>
>> Why bother with the long train journey? You can get direct flights from
>> London Gatwick and Stanstaed to Cologne with Germanwings. Price depends on
>> the season, friends of mine just got theier tickets for around 30 GPB (one
>> way). And it only takes about an hour.
>Does that "only about an hour" include the wait around the lounge, check in
>times, transport to and from the airport? If so,they operate some might
>fast planes...
>If not, well, DB also offers anall-in ticket London Koeln, which costs 49,
>euros, (station taxes, handling fee, and fuel surcharges add another 0,-)
>and takes 5 hours centre to centre. I seriously doubt flying Germanwings is
>significantly faster.
GermanWings shows a flight time of a little over an hour to
Coeln, but from Stansted.
It's 2:30 from Waterloo station to Bruxelles EST/Midi,
and about 2:30 on Thalys from Bruxelles-Midi to Koeln-Deutz. With
transfer time in Midi, thats a total of about 5:20, London-Koeln.
At 45 minutes on the Stansted Express at GBP 14.50 and 15 minutes
and a small fee from Koeln-Bonn airport into Koeln, one would
have to calculate total cost and time for a given journey.
Walking from the GermanWings gates to the Koeln airport train
station is a bit of a time-consumer, though.
Time-wise, the choice between GermanWings and the train is a
pretty close one, and might hinge on your actual starting and
ending points. For instance, from north London getting to
Stansted might be easier than getting to Waterloo station.
************* DAVE HATUNEN ([email protected]) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *
Sep 26th 2005 | 9:33 am
#9
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: London to Cologne by train and return
On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 13:45:02 -0700, Hatunen <[email protected]> wrote:
>On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 19:23:10 +0200, "/<rist" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>Frank Hucklenbroich wrote:
>>> Am Fri, 23 Sep 2005 22:36:14 -0700 schrieb SCD:
>>>
>>>> I see we can get a train from Waterloo via Brussels to Cologne.
>>>
>>> Why bother with the long train journey? You can get direct flights from
>>> London Gatwick and Stanstaed to Cologne with Germanwings. Price depends on
>>> the season, friends of mine just got theier tickets for around 30 GPB (one
>>> way). And it only takes about an hour.
>>Does that "only about an hour" include the wait around the lounge, check in
>>times, transport to and from the airport? If so,they operate some might
>>fast planes...
>>If not, well, DB also offers anall-in ticket London Koeln, which costs 49,
>>euros, (station taxes, handling fee, and fuel surcharges add another 0,-)
>>and takes 5 hours centre to centre. I seriously doubt flying Germanwings is
>>significantly faster.
>GermanWings shows a flight time of a little over an hour to
>Coeln, but from Stansted.
>It's 2:30 from Waterloo station to Bruxelles EST/Midi,
>and about 2:30 on Thalys from Bruxelles-Midi to Koeln-Deutz. With
>transfer time in Midi, thats a total of about 5:20, London-Koeln.
>At 45 minutes on the Stansted Express at GBP 14.50 and 15 minutes
>and a small fee from Koeln-Bonn airport into Koeln, one would
>have to calculate total cost and time for a given journey.
>Walking from the GermanWings gates to the Koeln airport train
>station is a bit of a time-consumer, though.
>Time-wise, the choice between GermanWings and the train is a
>pretty close one, and might hinge on your actual starting and
>ending points. For instance, from north London getting to
>Stansted might be easier than getting to Waterloo station.
I've just recently flown Germanwings from Stansted to Koeln (and I'm
doing it again next month for a weekend break at Phantasialand theme
park). Good airline, btw, although I see their "taxes" are a lot
higher than other airlines' on teh same route.
From where I live in Hampshire, its 40 mins on the train to Waterloo,
and 1.5 hours drive minimum to Stansted. For the airport, I have to
check in minimum 40 mins before departure, which means allowing a lot
longer in case of traffic, even if you use the meet and greet car
parking service, If not add on another 20 mins.
So, in reality, travelling to Stansted, I have to leave home 3.5 hours
before departure. If I was getting a train from Waterloo, I could lose
an hour or more off that.
Add to that the time at the other end, particularly if you have
baggage to reclaim (although Koeln isn't too bad for that) and the
delays from taxiing and so on, and thens till getting into the city
from the airport, and I doubt I've ever got from home to Koeln city
centre in less than the c. 6 hours it would take by train, including
travelling to London.
In fact, with the right Tunnel connections, I could almost drive it in
that time, although not at the same cost. But if I had a carful of
people....?
Brian
>On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 19:23:10 +0200, "/<rist" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>Frank Hucklenbroich wrote:
>>> Am Fri, 23 Sep 2005 22:36:14 -0700 schrieb SCD:
>>>
>>>> I see we can get a train from Waterloo via Brussels to Cologne.
>>>
>>> Why bother with the long train journey? You can get direct flights from
>>> London Gatwick and Stanstaed to Cologne with Germanwings. Price depends on
>>> the season, friends of mine just got theier tickets for around 30 GPB (one
>>> way). And it only takes about an hour.
>>Does that "only about an hour" include the wait around the lounge, check in
>>times, transport to and from the airport? If so,they operate some might
>>fast planes...
>>If not, well, DB also offers anall-in ticket London Koeln, which costs 49,
>>euros, (station taxes, handling fee, and fuel surcharges add another 0,-)
>>and takes 5 hours centre to centre. I seriously doubt flying Germanwings is
>>significantly faster.
>GermanWings shows a flight time of a little over an hour to
>Coeln, but from Stansted.
>It's 2:30 from Waterloo station to Bruxelles EST/Midi,
>and about 2:30 on Thalys from Bruxelles-Midi to Koeln-Deutz. With
>transfer time in Midi, thats a total of about 5:20, London-Koeln.
>At 45 minutes on the Stansted Express at GBP 14.50 and 15 minutes
>and a small fee from Koeln-Bonn airport into Koeln, one would
>have to calculate total cost and time for a given journey.
>Walking from the GermanWings gates to the Koeln airport train
>station is a bit of a time-consumer, though.
>Time-wise, the choice between GermanWings and the train is a
>pretty close one, and might hinge on your actual starting and
>ending points. For instance, from north London getting to
>Stansted might be easier than getting to Waterloo station.
I've just recently flown Germanwings from Stansted to Koeln (and I'm
doing it again next month for a weekend break at Phantasialand theme
park). Good airline, btw, although I see their "taxes" are a lot
higher than other airlines' on teh same route.
From where I live in Hampshire, its 40 mins on the train to Waterloo,
and 1.5 hours drive minimum to Stansted. For the airport, I have to
check in minimum 40 mins before departure, which means allowing a lot
longer in case of traffic, even if you use the meet and greet car
parking service, If not add on another 20 mins.
So, in reality, travelling to Stansted, I have to leave home 3.5 hours
before departure. If I was getting a train from Waterloo, I could lose
an hour or more off that.
Add to that the time at the other end, particularly if you have
baggage to reclaim (although Koeln isn't too bad for that) and the
delays from taxiing and so on, and thens till getting into the city
from the airport, and I doubt I've ever got from home to Koeln city
centre in less than the c. 6 hours it would take by train, including
travelling to London.
In fact, with the right Tunnel connections, I could almost drive it in
that time, although not at the same cost. But if I had a carful of
people....?
Brian
Sep 26th 2005 | 6:48 pm
#10
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: London to Cologne by train and return
Thanks everyone for the ideas.
Here is why the train is good for us on this trip. (and there is a
special for this route of 69 GBP return)
we aren't in a hurry - we are needing to arrive "sometime thursday"
since the wedding rehersal is Friday afternoon.
I am traveling with my D-in-Law who has never been to Europe, has
never ridden on a train. Just seeing the countryside fly by in N.
France and parts of Belgium and Germany is going to be very
interesting for her.
My son has been only twice to Europe and only once on a train
(Paris-Lyon TGV) and my husband has also never taken a train in
Europe.
and I only 3 times.
So, for us, from the USA a train is an adventure - going to airports
is no fun. We are staying in a hotel near Waterloo, so it'll be so
much nicer than heading to an airport.
SCD
On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 22:33:17 +0100, bigbrian <[email protected]>
wrote:
>On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 13:45:02 -0700, Hatunen <[email protected]> wrote:
>>On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 19:23:10 +0200, "/<rist" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>Frank Hucklenbroich wrote:
>>>> Am Fri, 23 Sep 2005 22:36:14 -0700 schrieb SCD:
>>>>
>>>>> I see we can get a train from Waterloo via Brussels to Cologne.
>>>>
>>>> Why bother with the long train journey? You can get direct flights from
>>>> London Gatwick and Stanstaed to Cologne with Germanwings. Price depends on
>>>> the season, friends of mine just got theier tickets for around 30 GPB (one
>>>> way). And it only takes about an hour.
>>>Does that "only about an hour" include the wait around the lounge, check in
>>>times, transport to and from the airport? If so,they operate some might
>>>fast planes...
>>>If not, well, DB also offers anall-in ticket London Koeln, which costs 49,
>>>euros, (station taxes, handling fee, and fuel surcharges add another 0,-)
>>>and takes 5 hours centre to centre. I seriously doubt flying Germanwings is
>>>significantly faster.
>>GermanWings shows a flight time of a little over an hour to
>>Coeln, but from Stansted.
>>It's 2:30 from Waterloo station to Bruxelles EST/Midi,
>>and about 2:30 on Thalys from Bruxelles-Midi to Koeln-Deutz. With
>>transfer time in Midi, thats a total of about 5:20, London-Koeln.
>>At 45 minutes on the Stansted Express at GBP 14.50 and 15 minutes
>>and a small fee from Koeln-Bonn airport into Koeln, one would
>>have to calculate total cost and time for a given journey.
>>Walking from the GermanWings gates to the Koeln airport train
>>station is a bit of a time-consumer, though.
>>Time-wise, the choice between GermanWings and the train is a
>>pretty close one, and might hinge on your actual starting and
>>ending points. For instance, from north London getting to
>>Stansted might be easier than getting to Waterloo station.
>I've just recently flown Germanwings from Stansted to Koeln (and I'm
>doing it again next month for a weekend break at Phantasialand theme
>park). Good airline, btw, although I see their "taxes" are a lot
>higher than other airlines' on teh same route.
>From where I live in Hampshire, its 40 mins on the train to Waterloo,
>and 1.5 hours drive minimum to Stansted. For the airport, I have to
>check in minimum 40 mins before departure, which means allowing a lot
>longer in case of traffic, even if you use the meet and greet car
>parking service, If not add on another 20 mins.
>So, in reality, travelling to Stansted, I have to leave home 3.5 hours
>before departure. If I was getting a train from Waterloo, I could lose
>an hour or more off that.
>Add to that the time at the other end, particularly if you have
>baggage to reclaim (although Koeln isn't too bad for that) and the
>delays from taxiing and so on, and thens till getting into the city
>from the airport, and I doubt I've ever got from home to Koeln city
>centre in less than the c. 6 hours it would take by train, including
>travelling to London.
>In fact, with the right Tunnel connections, I could almost drive it in
>that time, although not at the same cost. But if I had a carful of
>people....?
>Brian
Here is why the train is good for us on this trip. (and there is a
special for this route of 69 GBP return)
we aren't in a hurry - we are needing to arrive "sometime thursday"
since the wedding rehersal is Friday afternoon.
I am traveling with my D-in-Law who has never been to Europe, has
never ridden on a train. Just seeing the countryside fly by in N.
France and parts of Belgium and Germany is going to be very
interesting for her.
My son has been only twice to Europe and only once on a train
(Paris-Lyon TGV) and my husband has also never taken a train in
Europe.
and I only 3 times.
So, for us, from the USA a train is an adventure - going to airports
is no fun. We are staying in a hotel near Waterloo, so it'll be so
much nicer than heading to an airport.
SCD
On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 22:33:17 +0100, bigbrian <[email protected]>
wrote:
>On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 13:45:02 -0700, Hatunen <[email protected]> wrote:
>>On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 19:23:10 +0200, "/<rist" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>Frank Hucklenbroich wrote:
>>>> Am Fri, 23 Sep 2005 22:36:14 -0700 schrieb SCD:
>>>>
>>>>> I see we can get a train from Waterloo via Brussels to Cologne.
>>>>
>>>> Why bother with the long train journey? You can get direct flights from
>>>> London Gatwick and Stanstaed to Cologne with Germanwings. Price depends on
>>>> the season, friends of mine just got theier tickets for around 30 GPB (one
>>>> way). And it only takes about an hour.
>>>Does that "only about an hour" include the wait around the lounge, check in
>>>times, transport to and from the airport? If so,they operate some might
>>>fast planes...
>>>If not, well, DB also offers anall-in ticket London Koeln, which costs 49,
>>>euros, (station taxes, handling fee, and fuel surcharges add another 0,-)
>>>and takes 5 hours centre to centre. I seriously doubt flying Germanwings is
>>>significantly faster.
>>GermanWings shows a flight time of a little over an hour to
>>Coeln, but from Stansted.
>>It's 2:30 from Waterloo station to Bruxelles EST/Midi,
>>and about 2:30 on Thalys from Bruxelles-Midi to Koeln-Deutz. With
>>transfer time in Midi, thats a total of about 5:20, London-Koeln.
>>At 45 minutes on the Stansted Express at GBP 14.50 and 15 minutes
>>and a small fee from Koeln-Bonn airport into Koeln, one would
>>have to calculate total cost and time for a given journey.
>>Walking from the GermanWings gates to the Koeln airport train
>>station is a bit of a time-consumer, though.
>>Time-wise, the choice between GermanWings and the train is a
>>pretty close one, and might hinge on your actual starting and
>>ending points. For instance, from north London getting to
>>Stansted might be easier than getting to Waterloo station.
>I've just recently flown Germanwings from Stansted to Koeln (and I'm
>doing it again next month for a weekend break at Phantasialand theme
>park). Good airline, btw, although I see their "taxes" are a lot
>higher than other airlines' on teh same route.
>From where I live in Hampshire, its 40 mins on the train to Waterloo,
>and 1.5 hours drive minimum to Stansted. For the airport, I have to
>check in minimum 40 mins before departure, which means allowing a lot
>longer in case of traffic, even if you use the meet and greet car
>parking service, If not add on another 20 mins.
>So, in reality, travelling to Stansted, I have to leave home 3.5 hours
>before departure. If I was getting a train from Waterloo, I could lose
>an hour or more off that.
>Add to that the time at the other end, particularly if you have
>baggage to reclaim (although Koeln isn't too bad for that) and the
>delays from taxiing and so on, and thens till getting into the city
>from the airport, and I doubt I've ever got from home to Koeln city
>centre in less than the c. 6 hours it would take by train, including
>travelling to London.
>In fact, with the right Tunnel connections, I could almost drive it in
>that time, although not at the same cost. But if I had a carful of
>people....?
>Brian
Sep 26th 2005 | 11:14 pm
#11
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: London to Cologne by train and return
"bigbrian" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 13:45:02 -0700, Hatunen <[email protected]> wrote:
> >On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 19:23:10 +0200, "/<rist" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >>Frank Hucklenbroich wrote:
> >>
> >>> Am Fri, 23 Sep 2005 22:36:14 -0700 schrieb SCD:
> >>>
> >>>> I see we can get a train from Waterloo via Brussels to Cologne.
> >>>
> >>> Why bother with the long train journey? You can get direct flights
from
> >>> London Gatwick and Stanstaed to Cologne with Germanwings. Price
depends on
> >>> the season, friends of mine just got theier tickets for around 30 GPB
(one
> >>> way). And it only takes about an hour.
> >>
> >>Does that "only about an hour" include the wait around the lounge, check
in
> >>times, transport to and from the airport? If so,they operate some might
> >>fast planes...
> >>
> >>If not, well, DB also offers anall-in ticket London Koeln, which costs
49,
> >>euros, (station taxes, handling fee, and fuel surcharges add another
0,-)
> >>and takes 5 hours centre to centre. I seriously doubt flying Germanwings
is
> >>significantly faster.
> >
> >GermanWings shows a flight time of a little over an hour to
> >Coeln, but from Stansted.
> >
> >It's 2:30 from Waterloo station to Bruxelles EST/Midi,
> >and about 2:30 on Thalys from Bruxelles-Midi to Koeln-Deutz. With
> >transfer time in Midi, thats a total of about 5:20, London-Koeln.
> >
> >At 45 minutes on the Stansted Express at GBP 14.50 and 15 minutes
> >and a small fee from Koeln-Bonn airport into Koeln, one would
> >have to calculate total cost and time for a given journey.
> >
> >Walking from the GermanWings gates to the Koeln airport train
> >station is a bit of a time-consumer, though.
> >
> >Time-wise, the choice between GermanWings and the train is a
> >pretty close one, and might hinge on your actual starting and
> >ending points. For instance, from north London getting to
> >Stansted might be easier than getting to Waterloo station.
> I've just recently flown Germanwings from Stansted to Koeln (and I'm
> doing it again next month for a weekend break at Phantasialand theme
> park). Good airline, btw, although I see their "taxes" are a lot
> higher than other airlines' on teh same route.
> From where I live in Hampshire, its 40 mins on the train to Waterloo,
> and 1.5 hours drive minimum to Stansted.
Germanwings also fly to Cologne from Gatwick - is that easier than Stansted
?
news:[email protected]...
> On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 13:45:02 -0700, Hatunen <[email protected]> wrote:
> >On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 19:23:10 +0200, "/<rist" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >>Frank Hucklenbroich wrote:
> >>
> >>> Am Fri, 23 Sep 2005 22:36:14 -0700 schrieb SCD:
> >>>
> >>>> I see we can get a train from Waterloo via Brussels to Cologne.
> >>>
> >>> Why bother with the long train journey? You can get direct flights
from
> >>> London Gatwick and Stanstaed to Cologne with Germanwings. Price
depends on
> >>> the season, friends of mine just got theier tickets for around 30 GPB
(one
> >>> way). And it only takes about an hour.
> >>
> >>Does that "only about an hour" include the wait around the lounge, check
in
> >>times, transport to and from the airport? If so,they operate some might
> >>fast planes...
> >>
> >>If not, well, DB also offers anall-in ticket London Koeln, which costs
49,
> >>euros, (station taxes, handling fee, and fuel surcharges add another
0,-)
> >>and takes 5 hours centre to centre. I seriously doubt flying Germanwings
is
> >>significantly faster.
> >
> >GermanWings shows a flight time of a little over an hour to
> >Coeln, but from Stansted.
> >
> >It's 2:30 from Waterloo station to Bruxelles EST/Midi,
> >and about 2:30 on Thalys from Bruxelles-Midi to Koeln-Deutz. With
> >transfer time in Midi, thats a total of about 5:20, London-Koeln.
> >
> >At 45 minutes on the Stansted Express at GBP 14.50 and 15 minutes
> >and a small fee from Koeln-Bonn airport into Koeln, one would
> >have to calculate total cost and time for a given journey.
> >
> >Walking from the GermanWings gates to the Koeln airport train
> >station is a bit of a time-consumer, though.
> >
> >Time-wise, the choice between GermanWings and the train is a
> >pretty close one, and might hinge on your actual starting and
> >ending points. For instance, from north London getting to
> >Stansted might be easier than getting to Waterloo station.
> I've just recently flown Germanwings from Stansted to Koeln (and I'm
> doing it again next month for a weekend break at Phantasialand theme
> park). Good airline, btw, although I see their "taxes" are a lot
> higher than other airlines' on teh same route.
> From where I live in Hampshire, its 40 mins on the train to Waterloo,
> and 1.5 hours drive minimum to Stansted.
Germanwings also fly to Cologne from Gatwick - is that easier than Stansted
?
Sep 26th 2005 | 11:56 pm
#12
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: London to Cologne by train and return
On Tue, 27 Sep 2005 12:14:51 +0100, "Miss L. Toe"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>"bigbrian" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected].. .
>> On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 13:45:02 -0700, Hatunen <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 19:23:10 +0200, "/<rist" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >
>> >>Frank Hucklenbroich wrote:
>> >>
>> >>> Am Fri, 23 Sep 2005 22:36:14 -0700 schrieb SCD:
>> >>>
>> >>>> I see we can get a train from Waterloo via Brussels to Cologne.
>> >>>
>> >>> Why bother with the long train journey? You can get direct flights
>from
>> >>> London Gatwick and Stanstaed to Cologne with Germanwings. Price
>depends on
>> >>> the season, friends of mine just got theier tickets for around 30 GPB
>(one
>> >>> way). And it only takes about an hour.
>> >>
>> >>Does that "only about an hour" include the wait around the lounge, check
>in
>> >>times, transport to and from the airport? If so,they operate some might
>> >>fast planes...
>> >>
>> >>If not, well, DB also offers anall-in ticket London Koeln, which costs
>49,
>> >>euros, (station taxes, handling fee, and fuel surcharges add another
>0,-)
>> >>and takes 5 hours centre to centre. I seriously doubt flying Germanwings
>is
>> >>significantly faster.
>> >
>> >GermanWings shows a flight time of a little over an hour to
>> >Coeln, but from Stansted.
>> >
>> >It's 2:30 from Waterloo station to Bruxelles EST/Midi,
>> >and about 2:30 on Thalys from Bruxelles-Midi to Koeln-Deutz. With
>> >transfer time in Midi, thats a total of about 5:20, London-Koeln.
>> >
>> >At 45 minutes on the Stansted Express at GBP 14.50 and 15 minutes
>> >and a small fee from Koeln-Bonn airport into Koeln, one would
>> >have to calculate total cost and time for a given journey.
>> >
>> >Walking from the GermanWings gates to the Koeln airport train
>> >station is a bit of a time-consumer, though.
>> >
>> >Time-wise, the choice between GermanWings and the train is a
>> >pretty close one, and might hinge on your actual starting and
>> >ending points. For instance, from north London getting to
>> >Stansted might be easier than getting to Waterloo station.
>> I've just recently flown Germanwings from Stansted to Koeln (and I'm
>> doing it again next month for a weekend break at Phantasialand theme
>> park). Good airline, btw, although I see their "taxes" are a lot
>> higher than other airlines' on teh same route.
>> From where I live in Hampshire, its 40 mins on the train to Waterloo,
>> and 1.5 hours drive minimum to Stansted.
>Germanwings also fly to Cologne from Gatwick - is that easier than Stansted
A little, not much in it, and the fares are usually more expensive
from Gatwick
Brian
<[email protected]> wrote:
>"bigbrian" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected].. .
>> On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 13:45:02 -0700, Hatunen <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 19:23:10 +0200, "/<rist" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >
>> >>Frank Hucklenbroich wrote:
>> >>
>> >>> Am Fri, 23 Sep 2005 22:36:14 -0700 schrieb SCD:
>> >>>
>> >>>> I see we can get a train from Waterloo via Brussels to Cologne.
>> >>>
>> >>> Why bother with the long train journey? You can get direct flights
>from
>> >>> London Gatwick and Stanstaed to Cologne with Germanwings. Price
>depends on
>> >>> the season, friends of mine just got theier tickets for around 30 GPB
>(one
>> >>> way). And it only takes about an hour.
>> >>
>> >>Does that "only about an hour" include the wait around the lounge, check
>in
>> >>times, transport to and from the airport? If so,they operate some might
>> >>fast planes...
>> >>
>> >>If not, well, DB also offers anall-in ticket London Koeln, which costs
>49,
>> >>euros, (station taxes, handling fee, and fuel surcharges add another
>0,-)
>> >>and takes 5 hours centre to centre. I seriously doubt flying Germanwings
>is
>> >>significantly faster.
>> >
>> >GermanWings shows a flight time of a little over an hour to
>> >Coeln, but from Stansted.
>> >
>> >It's 2:30 from Waterloo station to Bruxelles EST/Midi,
>> >and about 2:30 on Thalys from Bruxelles-Midi to Koeln-Deutz. With
>> >transfer time in Midi, thats a total of about 5:20, London-Koeln.
>> >
>> >At 45 minutes on the Stansted Express at GBP 14.50 and 15 minutes
>> >and a small fee from Koeln-Bonn airport into Koeln, one would
>> >have to calculate total cost and time for a given journey.
>> >
>> >Walking from the GermanWings gates to the Koeln airport train
>> >station is a bit of a time-consumer, though.
>> >
>> >Time-wise, the choice between GermanWings and the train is a
>> >pretty close one, and might hinge on your actual starting and
>> >ending points. For instance, from north London getting to
>> >Stansted might be easier than getting to Waterloo station.
>> I've just recently flown Germanwings from Stansted to Koeln (and I'm
>> doing it again next month for a weekend break at Phantasialand theme
>> park). Good airline, btw, although I see their "taxes" are a lot
>> higher than other airlines' on teh same route.
>> From where I live in Hampshire, its 40 mins on the train to Waterloo,
>> and 1.5 hours drive minimum to Stansted.
>Germanwings also fly to Cologne from Gatwick - is that easier than Stansted
A little, not much in it, and the fares are usually more expensive
from Gatwick
Brian
Sep 27th 2005 | 6:09 am
#13
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: London to Cologne by train and return
SCD wrote:
>
> Thanks everyone for the ideas.
>
> Here is why the train is good for us on this trip. (and there is a
> special for this route of 69 GBP return)
>
> we aren't in a hurry - we are needing to arrive "sometime thursday"
> since the wedding rehersal is Friday afternoon.
>
> I am traveling with my D-in-Law who has never been to Europe, has
> never ridden on a train. Just seeing the countryside fly by in N.
> France and parts of Belgium and Germany is going to be very
> interesting for her.
>
> My son has been only twice to Europe and only once on a train
> (Paris-Lyon TGV) and my husband has also never taken a train in
> Europe.
>
> and I only 3 times.
>
> So, for us, from the USA a train is an adventure - going to airports
> is no fun. We are staying in a hotel near Waterloo, so it'll be so
> much nicer than heading to an airport.
Have a good trip. And a few tips:
- The ticket you will buy will requite you to travel on particular trains.
Between London and Brussels this will be the Eurostar. Between Brussel and
Koeln this will be either an ICE train (run by DB) or a Thalys train. One
good thing to know is that if your train to Brussels is late, and you miss
your connecting train to Koeln, you are entitled to travel on the next
available train going from Brussels to Koeln, even if that train is run by
a different company. So if for example you have been booked on an ICE to
Koeln, but miss it because your Eurostar is late, you can take the next
available Thalys service to Koeln. There is a train from Brussels to Koeln
every one or two hours.
- If you happen to end up on an ICE train, check if there are any seats
unclaimed in the compartment directly behind the driver. Especially kids
love this, as you get to see the driver and look ahead over his shoulder.
At a speed of 250 kph this is quite spectacular, and I have even seen
drivers invite interested kids in to the driving cabin...
See here: http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix_frameset.html
Spotting the difference between an ICE set and a Thalys set is easy. The
Thalys is red, the ICE white...
--
/<rist
>
> Thanks everyone for the ideas.
>
> Here is why the train is good for us on this trip. (and there is a
> special for this route of 69 GBP return)
>
> we aren't in a hurry - we are needing to arrive "sometime thursday"
> since the wedding rehersal is Friday afternoon.
>
> I am traveling with my D-in-Law who has never been to Europe, has
> never ridden on a train. Just seeing the countryside fly by in N.
> France and parts of Belgium and Germany is going to be very
> interesting for her.
>
> My son has been only twice to Europe and only once on a train
> (Paris-Lyon TGV) and my husband has also never taken a train in
> Europe.
>
> and I only 3 times.
>
> So, for us, from the USA a train is an adventure - going to airports
> is no fun. We are staying in a hotel near Waterloo, so it'll be so
> much nicer than heading to an airport.
Have a good trip. And a few tips:
- The ticket you will buy will requite you to travel on particular trains.
Between London and Brussels this will be the Eurostar. Between Brussel and
Koeln this will be either an ICE train (run by DB) or a Thalys train. One
good thing to know is that if your train to Brussels is late, and you miss
your connecting train to Koeln, you are entitled to travel on the next
available train going from Brussels to Koeln, even if that train is run by
a different company. So if for example you have been booked on an ICE to
Koeln, but miss it because your Eurostar is late, you can take the next
available Thalys service to Koeln. There is a train from Brussels to Koeln
every one or two hours.
- If you happen to end up on an ICE train, check if there are any seats
unclaimed in the compartment directly behind the driver. Especially kids
love this, as you get to see the driver and look ahead over his shoulder.
At a speed of 250 kph this is quite spectacular, and I have even seen
drivers invite interested kids in to the driving cabin...
See here: http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix_frameset.html
Spotting the difference between an ICE set and a Thalys set is easy. The
Thalys is red, the ICE white...
--
/<rist
Sep 27th 2005 | 6:33 am
#14
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: London to Cologne by train and return
On Tue, 27 Sep 2005 20:09:35 +0200, "/<rist" <[email protected]> wrote:
>Have a good trip. And a few tips:
>- The ticket you will buy will requite you to travel on particular trains.
>Between London and Brussels this will be the Eurostar. Between Brussel and
>Koeln this will be either an ICE train (run by DB) or a Thalys train. One
>good thing to know is that if your train to Brussels is late, and you miss
>your connecting train to Koeln, you are entitled to travel on the next
>available train going from Brussels to Koeln, even if that train is run by
>a different company. So if for example you have been booked on an ICE to
>Koeln, but miss it because your Eurostar is late, you can take the next
>available Thalys service to Koeln. There is a train from Brussels to Koeln
>every one or two hours.
Out of idle curiosity, how often are Eurostars late, and by how
much?
>- If you happen to end up on an ICE train, check if there are any seats
>unclaimed in the compartment directly behind the driver. Especially kids
>love this, as you get to see the driver and look ahead over his shoulder.
>At a speed of 250 kph this is quite spectacular, and I have even seen
>drivers invite interested kids in to the driving cabin...
>See here: http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix_frameset.html
Being one of those people who keeps a messy desk, I just happened
to find my "Ihr Reiseplan"(*) for an ICE journey summer 2004, and
I see that at one end the car behind the driver is first class,
the other end is second class.
(*) When you board an ICE there is a brochure for your train at
the seats describing the train set, the onboard facilites, and
the details of each station stop, with connections. Nice touch.
************* DAVE HATUNEN ([email protected]) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *
>Have a good trip. And a few tips:
>- The ticket you will buy will requite you to travel on particular trains.
>Between London and Brussels this will be the Eurostar. Between Brussel and
>Koeln this will be either an ICE train (run by DB) or a Thalys train. One
>good thing to know is that if your train to Brussels is late, and you miss
>your connecting train to Koeln, you are entitled to travel on the next
>available train going from Brussels to Koeln, even if that train is run by
>a different company. So if for example you have been booked on an ICE to
>Koeln, but miss it because your Eurostar is late, you can take the next
>available Thalys service to Koeln. There is a train from Brussels to Koeln
>every one or two hours.
Out of idle curiosity, how often are Eurostars late, and by how
much?
>- If you happen to end up on an ICE train, check if there are any seats
>unclaimed in the compartment directly behind the driver. Especially kids
>love this, as you get to see the driver and look ahead over his shoulder.
>At a speed of 250 kph this is quite spectacular, and I have even seen
>drivers invite interested kids in to the driving cabin...
>See here: http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix_frameset.html
Being one of those people who keeps a messy desk, I just happened
to find my "Ihr Reiseplan"(*) for an ICE journey summer 2004, and
I see that at one end the car behind the driver is first class,
the other end is second class.
(*) When you board an ICE there is a brochure for your train at
the seats describing the train set, the onboard facilites, and
the details of each station stop, with connections. Nice touch.
************* DAVE HATUNEN ([email protected]) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *
Sep 27th 2005 | 6:52 am
#15
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: London to Cologne by train and return
On Tue, 27 Sep 2005 12:14:51 +0100, "Miss L. Toe"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Germanwings also fly to Cologne from Gatwick - is that easier than Stansted
For some reason I couldn't seem to get any info on Gatwick-Koeln
on the GermanWings website. And I'm not sure getting to Gatwick
is a great improvement over getting to Stansted.
We flew GemanWings Retrun helsinki-Koeln and thought it was quite
OK for shorter hops, despite the unassigned seats.
************* DAVE HATUNEN ([email protected]) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Germanwings also fly to Cologne from Gatwick - is that easier than Stansted
For some reason I couldn't seem to get any info on Gatwick-Koeln
on the GermanWings website. And I'm not sure getting to Gatwick
is a great improvement over getting to Stansted.
We flew GemanWings Retrun helsinki-Koeln and thought it was quite
OK for shorter hops, despite the unassigned seats.
************* DAVE HATUNEN ([email protected]) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *
