How to get from Mannheim to Cologne by train

Book here on the website (or via email, WhatsApp or Telegram) and pay in advance by card or bank transfer. After payment we email your e-ticket as a PDF — just print it or show it on your phone when boarding. A small booking fee (from €4 per person) applies and is non-refundable.

An e-ticket is a cheaper PDF sent by email, issued in the passenger's name, and generally cannot be changed or cancelled. A paper ticket is physically delivered (to your home, hotel or our Prague office) for a delivery fee and, depending on the carrier and fare, may be changeable. Both are equally valid; at checkout you see which options exist for your train.

Most international routes go on sale about 60 days before departure. Because of the Europe-wide December timetable change, later dates open only from mid-to-late November. If your date isn't in the calendar yet, it simply hasn't opened — book early, as popular and night trains sell out.

On daytime trains a seat reservation is usually optional; on night trains a couchette or bed reservation is required and is included when you book. Seats are assigned automatically, so a specific seat can't be hand-picked. Book everyone in a single order to be seated together.

Usually only more room: fewer passengers around you and less noise. Both classes travel on the same train and arrive at the same time.

If your pass covers the countries on your route, you only need a seat reservation (or a couchette/bed reservation on night trains), not a ticket. Reservations are per person and non-refundable, and on some passes are supplied as paper.

E-tickets cannot be changed or cancelled. Refunds otherwise depend on the carrier and fare — many routes are non-refundable, and seat reservations, booking fees and admin charges are never refundable. Where cancellation is allowed, use the "Cancel Ticket" function in your order summary (paper tickets must be returned first).

Just board the train and show your printed ticket (plus a separate seat reservation, if any) and a valid passport or ID matching the booking name to the conductor. There's no need to stamp, validate or exchange the ticket at a station window.

Arrive about 20–30 minutes before departure. The platform is shown on the station screens only around 20–30 minutes beforehand, so we can't tell it in advance. A "direct" train means you stay on the same train (it stops on the way but you don't change); some daytime connections combine a train and a replacement bus — check the connection details above.

Night trains offer seats, couchettes and beds in shared or private cabins, plus higher-comfort deluxe cabins (private, sometimes with a washroom and breakfast) on some routes. A reservation is required and availability is limited, so book as early as possible.

Bicycles are carried only on certain trains and must be reserved in advance — €15, non-refundable; contact us to add one. Small pets travel in a carrier, and small-to-medium dogs on a separate ticket. Standard luggage (up to about three pieces per passenger that you can handle yourself) is free.