Dusseldorf/Koln trip

[Thebaz]

I'm looking to spend a weekend at the end of September partaking of the local hostelries around Dusseldorf and Koln. Is buying through Eurostar the cheapest way to book or is there another way which will yield cheaper tickets?

 

[island]

to do it cheaply book Eurostar to Any Belgian Station if they still do it, and a Deutschland-Ticket for the German bit. Might need a single from Hergenrath to Aachen too.

If a faster trip is a priority Thalys is the way to go.

 

[30907]

You can also book through with DB (using ICE from Brussels).

Deutschlandticket isn't valid from Hergenrath to the border, but I don't know what happened to the guy who was trying it on earlier this evening. Not sure what the rule is with ES Toute Gare Belge...

 

[rvdborgt]

Deutschlandticket isn't valid from Hergenrath to the border, but I don't know what happened to the guy who was trying it on earlier this evening. Not sure what the rule is with ES Toute Gare Belge...

That's valid to any station in Belgium but not on ICE or Thalys.

 

[30907]

That's valid to any station in Belgium but not on ICE or Thalys.

and more relevantly, not to the actual border on the local train?

 

[dutchflyer]

Note/hint: in DUS hotels tend to be considerably cheaper-except when there is a ¨messe´going on (tradefair). Several hotels near the main station=HBF issue guests who ask for it with a free ticket for VRR=the local ´Verbund´. LIke (these are a bit low-budget) CVMJ or BahnHotel.
Both mian towns are in different Verbund-areas: Köln is in VRS.
All cheaper BE tickets are only valid till last stop of train In the country-validity of DE-ticket (monthly subscription) varies to border or last stop (for trains)
There still should be a combo of €* with DB to main stations in DE.

 

[rvdborgt]

and more relevantly, not to the actual border on the local train?

That is correct.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Jul 2023 ==

There still should be a combo of €* with DB to main stations in DE.

To (almost) any station in Germany, since you buy it via DB.

 

[Thebaz]

Thanks for the tips guys. I'm just booking this now but for some reason Eurostar will not allow me to book a return journey from Dusselfdorf on 1 Oct. Looks like I'll have to do it the long way!

 

[30907]

I can't see a problem with your return (apart from the fact that ES don't do through bookings) - DB will produce the fare.

 

[Thebaz]

I can't see a problem with your return (apart from the fact that ES don't do through bookings) - DB will produce the fare.

That's weird because ES produces the outbound through fare. I messaged them on Twitter and they've said something about the timing of when the DB tickets are released. Anyway I will book it through DB now as I find their website pretty useful.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 Jul 2023 ==

Seeing as it's cheaper to return from Amsterdam I'm wondering whether I could buy that ticket but board the train at Brussels Midi?

 

[rvdborgt]

Seeing as it's cheaper to return from Amsterdam I'm wondering whether I could buy that ticket but board the train at Brussels Midi?

Probably not, I'm afraid.

 

[30907]

That's weird because ES produces the outbound through fare. I messaged them on Twitter and they've said something about the timing of when the DB tickets are released. Anyway I will book it through DB now as I find their website pretty useful.

Despite what ES have told you, they only offer through fares involving the handful of direct Thalys services, so it is these that are missing. It just happens to be a long holiday weekend in Germany, and I would put my money on engineering works. Tickets on Thalys/ES at the normal times are available from Köln on that day, so the work may be between there and Düsseldorf.

Seeing as it's cheaper to return from Amsterdam I'm wondering whether I could buy that ticket but board the train at Brussels Midi?

Sadly not - you can do it in the outward direction as they don't check tickets on arrival.

 

[DanielB]

Tickets on Thalys/ES at the normal times are available from Köln on that day, so the work may be between there and Düsseldorf.

It is, trains are being diverted between Cologne and Düsseldorf in the last weekend of September.

 

[Thebaz]

Well I've decided to go home via Amsterdam anyway, just to see a different route. It's cheaper than flying back to LCY too!