Tips for trip to Germany (around Cologne)?

[Dren Ahmeti]

Evening all,
I’m in Cologne on holiday for a few days - I just wanted to see whether you all know of anything interesting haulage-wise, or any interesting places to visit around Cologne?
I’m thinking of getting a Quer-durchs-land ticket tomorrow, which would cover most of my travel…!

 

[StephenHunter]

The Nightjets pass through Cologne if you want some DB 101 action, although it's somewhat late at night.

 

[yorkie]

There was a loco hauled train in the area operated by National Express but I don't know if it still runs; @Richard Scott will know!

Ticketing is a bit complicated but once we were told what the best tickets to get were, it was fine.

You can find my thread from last year here:

Bonn/Cologne/Dusseldorf/Wuppertal ticketing

I'd like to do the loco hauled train between Bonn/Cologne and Wuppertal (see https://nationalexpress.de/files/nationalexpress/Baustellen/2020 Baustellen/Ersatzpark_National_Express_RB48_2021.pdf ) in at least one direction, but starting from and finishing in Düsseldorf. Is there a ticket that...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Gloster]

Try taking the tram along the river route to Bonn. Also try the line to Mainz along the Rhine: out one side, back the other. And, I think, there is the steep (steepest adhesion worked line in Germany?) from Boppard to Emmelshausen.

 

[Dren Ahmeti]

There was a loco hauled train in the area operated by National Express but I don't know if it still runs; @Richard Scott will know!

Ticketing is a bit complicated but once we were told what the best tickets to get were, it was fine.

You can find my thread from last year here:

Bonn/Cologne/Dusseldorf/Wuppertal ticketing

I'd like to do the loco hauled train between Bonn/Cologne and Wuppertal (see https://nationalexpress.de/files/nationalexpress/Baustellen/2020 Baustellen/Ersatzpark_National_Express_RB48_2021.pdf ) in at least one direction, but starting from and finishing in Düsseldorf. Is there a ticket that...

www.railforums.co.uk

Exactly what I’d heard of, and what I was looking for

The Nightjets pass through Cologne if you want some DB 101 action, although it's somewhat late at night.

Oooo, will look out for it!
My place is right next to Köln-Süd, so I can hear all the freights passing which is nice.

 

[Richard Scott]

There was a loco hauled train in the area operated by National Express but I don't know if it still runs; @Richard Scott will know!

Ticketing is a bit complicated but once we were told what the best tickets to get were, it was fine.

You can find my thread from last year here:

Bonn/Cologne/Dusseldorf/Wuppertal ticketing

I'd like to do the loco hauled train between Bonn/Cologne and Wuppertal (see https://nationalexpress.de/files/nationalexpress/Baustellen/2020 Baustellen/Ersatzpark_National_Express_RB48_2021.pdf ) in at least one direction, but starting from and finishing in Düsseldorf. Is there a ticket that...

www.railforums.co.uk

I believe it still runs. Think it was photographed with a 111 on it recently. There have been loco hauled vice units around Duesseldorf but not sure if they still run.

 

[317666]

If you do head out to Bonn, I'd recommend going a little further to Königswinter for the Drachenfelsbahn rack railway. It uses 1950s electric railcars with a great view from the top. There's also the choice of either light rail or heavy rail between Bonn and Königswinter so you can make a round trip of it.

 

[AlbertBeale]

There's the suspension railway in Wuppertal, which isn't too far on the train from Cologne. (And I believe Wuppertal station also houses DB's national Lost Property Office.....)

Aachen is worth a visit (it's a more manageable size than Cologne).

You're quite near the point where Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands meet (should you be a map fetishist) - and Maastricht (an interesting and lively town I think) is in that corner of the Netherlands. (I believe there's some sort of local travel ticket covering the border areas of all 3 countries.)

Obviously Cologne Cathedral is famous - though note that right by the cathedral and the station there's an unpleasant and busy and depressing main road, which I found made it hard to head in one direction from there on foot if you're not au fait with the area.

 

[DanielB]

You're quite near the point where Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands meet (should you be a map fetishist) - and Maastricht (an interesting and lively town I think) is in that corner of the Netherlands. (I believe there's some sort of local travel ticket covering the border areas of all 3 countries.)

There is indeed, that's the Euregio ticket.

 

[Dren Ahmeti]

I believe it still runs. Think it was photographed with a 111 on it recently. There have been loco hauled vice units around Duesseldorf but not sure if they still run.

I just scored some haulage behind a 146 and double-deck carriages on the RE2, and the FlixTrain up to Osnabrück had a Taurus on the front - so all’s good in my life so far.

 

[30907]

Almost any line towards the South and East offers pleasant or better scenery. I particularly like the Lahn valley from Koblenz to Limburg, and the lower Moselle (sadly, returning from Trier through the Eifel mountains is a wash-out at the moment).

Solingen-Wuppertal via Remscheid crosses the spectacular Müngsten Bridge, easy to combine with the Schwebebahn (but not on a QdL Ticket, which is heavy-rail-only).

 

[43096]

Exactly what I’d heard of, and what I was looking for


Oooo, will look out for it!
My place is right next to Köln-Süd, so I can hear all the freights passing which is nice.

The Amsterdam-Vienna changes loco in Köln as I understand it (possibly at Süd?). The loco from Amsterdam is one of the Vectrons NS are leasing from ELL.

 

[rvdborgt]

The Amsterdam-Vienna changes loco in Köln as I understand it (possibly at Süd?). The loco from Amsterdam is one of the Vectrons NS are leasing from ELL.

Probably Köln-West, where it is joined with the coaches from Brussels (3x/week).

 

[43096]

Probably Köln-West, where it is joined with the coaches from Brussels (3x/week).

That’ll be it. Thanks!

 

[StephenHunter]

Probably Köln-West, where it is joined with the coaches from Brussels (3x/week).

Unless engineering works force it to go to Troisdorf.

 

[MarcVD]

Cross the Rhine river by foot on the walkway located along the bridge supporting the 6 parallel tracks out of Köln Hbf. And take your time to admire the constant parade of trains crossing this bridge, day and night. This is one of the most heavily loaded section of railway line anywhere in the world.

 

[duesselmartin]

I can second Königswinter and its rack railway. Königswinter also has an LRT line along the Rhine promanade with services to Bonn.
Südbrücke bridge in Cologne is good for freight.

 

[superalbs]

Probably Köln-West, where it is joined with the coaches from Brussels (3x/week).

Correct, I did it Munich to Köln Hbf to desperately pick one of them up.

 

[Dren Ahmeti]

Cross the Rhine river by foot on the walkway located along the bridge supporting the 6 parallel tracks out of Köln Hbf. And take your time to admire the constant parade of trains crossing this bridge, day and night. This is one of the most heavily loaded section of railway line anywhere in the world.

Quite nice views

 

[JRT]

Almost any line towards the South and East offers pleasant or better scenery. I particularly like the Lahn valley from Koblenz to Limburg, and the lower Moselle (sadly, returning from Trier through the Eifel mountains is a wash-out at the moment).

Solingen-Wuppertal via Remscheid crosses the spectacular Müngsten Bridge, easy to combine with the Schwebebahn (but not on a QdL Ticket, which is heavy-rail-only).

One of the Länder regional tickets NRW should cover most of your requirements if not travelling too far, it covers most local transport but not Inter City etc.

An interesting (circular) itinerary involving a few different forms of transport, as follows:

Solingen Mitte (via trolleybus 683) Vohwinkel (Schwebebahn) Oberbarmen (local railway service S7) Schaberg (then a countryside walk to view the Müngstener Brücke from below, ending up at Schloß Burg (Seilbahn —cable car) down to the trolleybus stop near the bridge (trolleybus 683) Solingen Mitte

Please note that Solingen Mitte is some distance from the Hauptbahnhof!!

 

[Golghar]

Between the Müngstener Brücke and Schloss Burg you can cross the river Wupper on this contraption:

 

[DBNR]

Last I checked the Schwebefähre is out of action due to flood damage - not sure if things have changed but was certainly closed up around a month ago when I took the kids

 

[JRT]

Last I checked the Schwebefähre is out of action due to flood damage - not sure if things have changed but was certainly closed up around a month ago when I took the kids

Thanks Golghar I'd forgotten about that!

 

[Dren Ahmeti]

Last I checked the Schwebefähre is out of action due to flood damage - not sure if things have changed but was certainly closed up around a month ago when I took the kids

A lot of the railways in the Eifel are still shut too due to flood damage - SEV ersatzbuses are still about.

 

[TheSeeker]

I would recommend a boat trip. I was there two weeks ago and took the sight seeing boat. It goes under the railway bridge which is rather impressive. https://www.k-d.com/de/shop

 

[AlbertBeale]

Quite nice views

Are these photos actually taken from a public footway??

 

[Dren Ahmeti]

Are these photos actually taken from a public footway??

Yes! From the bridge itself!
Just me leaning my phone over.

 

[blackfive460]

If you enjoy views from high places try to find time to go to the viewing platform on top of the Köln Triangle building on the Deutz side of the Hohenzollernbrücke (http://www.koelntrianglepanorama.de/en/).

 

[philthetube]

Between the Müngstener Brücke and Schloss Burg you can cross the river Wupper on this contraption:

This has to be a must.

 

[JRT]

This has to be a must.

So good it's been posted twice — #21