Newcastle to Berlin via Cologne

[ModernRailways]

Hi all,

I'm planning on going to Berlin in February and so far my plan is the following:
Newcastle to London via Grand Central or East Coast on Friday 14th Feb 2014.
On Saturday (15th Feb) I would like to travel from London to Cologne.
On Sunday (16th Feb) in the afternoon (to give some time in Cologne) I would like to head onwards to Berlin to arrive for around 7/8pm.
I plan on returning on the 19th Feb to London.

I've looked and it will cost around £190 for a return trip and was wondering if anyone knows of anywhere it will be easier to book as right now it's all in splits with a Newcastle to London (will be kept as single), London to Cologne and then Cologne to Berlin. Is there any easier way to book it instead of in splits and possibly get it cheaper? The booking engines don't seem to allow for stopovers.

If splitting them saves me then I won't mind splitting

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[317666]

You might already be looking here, but your best bet is to book with www.bahn.de, the Deutsche Bahn website. Only they offer the cheapest fares from London to Germany, starting at €59. You can be quite specific with regards to minimum connection times, but I'm not entirely sure how to set up a full-on stopover. You might also find useful information on http://www.seat61.com/Germany.htm

On another note, there is a sleeper from Cologne to Berlin which you may find convenient if you want to spend the afternoon in Cologne - the only catch is it stops at Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 04:23 in the morning...

 

[burns20]

Add stopover of how many hours you want in Cologne and London to Berlin can be booked throughout. Also to reduce cost untick ICE trains as a means of travel. I saved €30 this way from Dusseldorf to Berlin

 

[ModernRailways]

Add stopover of how many hours you want in Cologne and London to Berlin can be booked throughout. Also to reduce cost untick ICE trains as a means of travel. I saved €30 this way from Dusseldorf to Berlin

I'd like to travel on the ICE if possible just to experience them. Although on the return journey it may be best to experience it, and just do the normal IC from Cologne to Berlin as I believe it only takes 30 minutes longer.

 

[lemonic]

Unless there is a big price differential, I would recommend travelling on the ICE rather than an IC train, as ICE trains are IMO some of the best trains in Europe so are worth experiencing while you have the opportunity.

Top tip to save money from Newcastle to London:
After booking your London to Berlin ticket on www.bahn.de as recommended above, call the Eurostar Domestic phone line 01233 617913 and you may well get cheaper connecting tickets to London than you can buy online. This is still possible even though you are travelling to London the day before and may not be booking your tickets from London to Brussels (and onwards) from Eurostar themselves.

 

[ModernRailways]

You might already be looking here, but your best bet is to book with www.bahn.de, the Deutsche Bahn website. Only they offer the cheapest fares from London to Germany, starting at €59. You can be quite specific with regards to minimum connection times, but I'm not entirely sure how to set up a full-on stopover. You might also find useful information on http://www.seat61.com/Germany.htm

On another note, there is a sleeper from Cologne to Berlin which you may find convenient if you want to spend the afternoon in Cologne - the only catch is it stops at Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 04:23 in the morning...

Yeah, I was looking at the bahn website for the London Spezial and that's where I got it cheap, but then Cologne to Berlin was around €69 single which I found to be a little expensive. The sleeper would also be a possibility but as you say the timings are a bit early. Thanks anyway though.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Unless there is a big price differential, I would recommend travelling on the ICE rather than an IC train, as ICE trains are IMO some of the best trains in Europe so are worth experiencing while you have the opportunity.

Top tip to save money from Newcastle to London:
After booking your London to Berlin ticket on www.bahn.de as recommended above, call the Eurostar Domestic phone line 01233 617913 and you may well get cheaper connecting tickets to London than you can buy online. This is still possible even though you are travelling to London the day before and may not be booking your tickets from London to Brussels (and onwards) from Eurostar themselves.

That's exactly why. I would definitely want a trip on the ICE as I am still yet to experience one. However, I wouldn't mind the IC one way.

Never knew that, I always thought you had to pay via Eurostar to get the special fare to London! Thanks for the tip!

 

[gordonthemoron]

German IC trains can be a bit tatty (they're due for replacement) and the provision of catering is hit and miss

 

[tony_mac]

Yeah, I was looking at the bahn website for the London Spezial and that's where I got it cheap, but then Cologne to Berlin was around €69 single which I found to be a little expensive.

You can book the whole thing as one ticket - the DB website allows 2 stopovers of up to 48 hours each. (choose 'change other data' next to the search box)
This doesn't work well for your times, unfortunately, but specify a 17 hour stopover, and it is currently €69

London St. Pancras International	 Sa, 15.02.14	 dep	10:58	  	EST 9126	 EUROSTAR
Bruxelles-Midi Eurostar	 Sa, 15.02.14	 arr	 14:05	  
Bruxelles-Midi	 Sa, 15.02.14	 dep	14:25 	 5	ICE 17	 Intercity-Express
Köln Hbf	 Sa, 15.02.14	 arr	 16:15 	 4
Köln Hbf	 Su, 16.02.14	 dep	09:48 	 2	ICE 857	 Intercity-Express

For future refererence, if you wanted to spend longer in Cologne, you can specify each stopover at a different station and get 96 hours in one place.

e.g.; the following is currently €59

London St. Pancras	 	Tu, 25.02.14	 dep	15:04	  	EST 9140	 EUROSTAR
Bruxelles-Midi Eurostar		Tu, 25.02.14	 arr	 18:05	  
Bruxelles-Midi	 		Tu, 25.02.14	 dep	18:25 	 4	ICE 19	 Intercity-Express
Köln Hbf	 		Tu, 25.02.14	 arr	 20:15 	 4
Köln Hbf	 		Tu, 25.02.14	 dep	20:24	 10	RB 11570	 Regionalbahn
Köln Messe/Deutz 	 	Tu, 25.02.14	 arr	 20:26	 9
Köln Messe/Deutz	 	Th, 27.02.14	 dep	16:34	 10	RB 11557	 Regionalbahn
Köln Hbf	 		Th, 27.02.14	 arr	 16:36	 11
Köln Hbf	 		Sa, 01.03.14	 dep	16:48 	 2	ICE 653	 Intercity-Express
Berlin Hbf	 		Sa, 01.03.14	 arr	 21:08 	 11 D-G

 

[eastwestdivide]

Now that's useful, tony_mac.
It seems you might also be able to specify some stopovers in countries between the UK and Germany as well - I just did one with a 24 hour stopover in Liege, (ICE both times between Brussels-Liege-Cologne), but it wouldn't give me a London-Spezial price via Maastricht.

 

[Oscar]

If you don't mind taking an IC from Köln to Berlin, you can travel to Köln on Saturday and on to Berlin on Sunday afternoon for 69 €:

London St. Pancras International Sa, 15.02.14 ab 10:58 EST 9126 EUROSTAR
Reservierungspflicht, Besonderer Fahrschein oder Zuschlag erforderlich, Check-In Zeiten beachten, Nichtraucherzug, Bistro Cafe
Bruxelles-Midi Eurostar Sa, 15.02.14 an 14:05
Übergang 17 Min.
Umsteigezeit anpassen
Bruxelles-Midi Sa, 15.02.14 ab 14:25 5 ICE 17 Intercity-Express
Bordbistro
Köln Hbf Sa, 15.02.14 an 16:15 4
Umsteigezeit 23:23 h
Umsteigezeit anpassen
Köln Hbf So, 16.02.14 ab 15:38 3 IC 1914 Intercity
Fahrradmitnahme reservierungspflichtig, Fahrradmitnahme begrenzt möglich, SnackPoint/Imbiss im Zug
Berlin Hbf (tief) So, 16.02.14 an 21:00 3

Specific stop-overs at Köln Hbf (23:00) and Mülheim(Ruhr) Hbf (00:00).

You can return at 10:47 on 19th (arriving in London at 19:57) for 89 €, using the ICE from Berlin to Köln. If you specific via Hagen Hbf and not using ICE trains from Berlin to Hagen, you can leave at 08:36 and use slower trains (IC/RE) to Köln for a total Berlin to London price of 69 €.

You can break your journey on certain routes in Belgium, as long as Liège - Aachen is by ICE, and you do not double back. The website also permits a break of journey in Lille, as long as Lille - Brussels is by Eurostar.

 

[30907]

You can break your journey anywhere in Belgium, as long as Liège - Aachen is by ICE, and you do not double back. The website also permits a break of journey in Lille, as long as Lille - Brussels is by Eurostar.

To clarify: break of journey on the direct route is OK (the DB T&Cs suggest otherwise but the website allows it and the Belgians don't seem worried). Off-route is not (though within Germany some pretty impressive detours are possible: London-Berlin via Koeln and Frankfurt is possible, for maximum use of ICEs and HSLs - but not travelling through Germany on a peak Sunday, it seems, on a quick check.

I hadn't spotted the Lille option, and wonder how ES would manage this in practice if anyone showed up at Brussels with such a booking.

 

[dutchflyer]

Could it be that this only holds for TO BRU from LIlle? That avoids the enormous problems you Brits feel the need to have with the supposed millions of people who do not detrain nicely as promised at Lille going toward LONdon.
Maastricht is clearly completely out of the route-and not served by ICE either. If a visit to there is wanted, just by a local return Liege-Mstr during your stop.

 

[Oscar]

To clarify: break of journey on the direct route is OK (the DB T&Cs suggest otherwise but the website allows it and the Belgians don't seem worried). Off-route is not (though within Germany some pretty impressive detours are possible: London-Berlin via Koeln and Frankfurt is possible, for maximum use of ICEs and HSLs - but not travelling through Germany on a peak Sunday, it seems, on a quick check.

I think this is what is intended, but the DB site offers London-Spezial tickets for some other itineraries like the following:

London St. Pancras International Mi, 15.01.14 ab 17:04 EST 9148 EUROSTAR
Reservierungspflicht, Besonderer Fahrschein oder Zuschlag erforderlich, Check-In Zeiten beachten, Nichtraucherzug, Bistro Cafe
Bruxelles-Midi Eurostar Mi, 15.01.14 an 20:05
Übergang 17 Min.
Umsteigezeit anpassen
Bruxelles-Midi Mi, 15.01.14 ab 22:36 14 IC 1521 Intercity
Hasselt Do, 16.01.14 an 00:03
Umsteigezeit 5:41 h
Umsteigezeit anpassen
Hasselt Do, 16.01.14 ab 05:44 2 IR 2904 Interregio
Liège-Guillemins Do, 16.01.14 an 06:44 7
Umsteigezeit 28 Min.
Umsteigezeit anpassen
Liège-Guillemins Do, 16.01.14 ab 07:12 1 ICE 11 Intercity-Express
Bordbistro
Aachen Hbf Do, 16.01.14 an 07:37 9

(59 €)

I admit however that London-Spezial tickets are not available for all possible routes through Belgium, so have amended the post to "on certain routes".

London-Spezial tickets are however available for itineraries with a break of journey at Lille and/or Calais on the return journey as well as the outward:

Bahnhof/Haltestelle Datum Zeit Gleis Produkte
Köln Hbf Mi, 15.01.14 ab 19:43 5 ICE 10 Intercity-Express
Bordbistro
Bruxelles-Midi Mi, 15.01.14 an 21:35
Übergang 45 Min.
Check-In Zeiten beachten
Umsteigezeit anpassen
Bruxelles-Midi EST Do, 16.01.14 ab 07:56 EST 9113 EUROSTAR
Reservierungspflicht, Besonderer Fahrschein oder Zuschlag erforderlich, Check-In Zeiten beachten, Nichtraucherzug, Bistro Cafe
Lille Europe Eurostar Do, 16.01.14 an 08:32
Umsteigezeit 58 Min.
Umsteigezeit anpassen
Lille Europe Eurostar Do, 16.01.14 ab 09:30 EST 9117 EUROSTAR
Reservierungspflicht, Besonderer Fahrschein oder Zuschlag erforderlich, Check-In Zeiten beachten, Nichtraucherzug, Bistro Cafe
Calais-Fréthun Do, 16.01.14 an 09:57
Umsteigezeit 11:04 h
Umsteigezeit anpassen
Calais-Fréthun Do, 16.01.14 ab 21:01 EST 9161 EUROSTAR
Reservierungspflicht, Besonderer Fahrschein oder Zuschlag erforderlich, Check-In Zeiten beachten, Nichtraucherzug, Bistro Cafe
London St. Pancras International Do, 16.01.14 an 21:03

(89 €)

 

[30907]

I live and learn! The more extreme deviations in BE I tested didn't work.

 

[Oscar]

I wonder how the DB site decides which deviations or double-backs to allow - might there be a maximum percentage of the distance or a complicated algorithm at work? For example, if I try Nürnberg Hbf to Berlin Hbf via München Hbf, no fares are shown. However, if I change the destination to Rostock Hbf, fares come up (Sparpreise at varying levels and maximum Normalpreis). As Rostock is further from Nürnberg than Berlin, the deviation south becomes shorter in proportion to the direct route.