Köln Messe/Deutz (Köln / Cologne / Koeln)

Taking a train from Cologne/Köln to Munich/München is very straightforward but there is an unusually high number of options for taking a direct train, and in summary they are:
1: the most frequent service of high speed ICE trains, which happen to depart from Köln Messe/Deutz station.
2: other ICE trains which depart from the city's main central rail station, Köln hbf.
3. taking a more scenic, but slower route.
4. Travelling in a bed or a bunk on a Nightjet train
5. Travelling through the night on an ICE train

There are two very different routes taken by direct trains from Cologne/Köln to Nuremberg/Nürnberg.

1. The faster ICE trains which use the high speed line between Cologne and Frankfurt, depart from Koln Messe/Deutz station and not the city center station, Koln Hbf
2. The slower trains do depart from Koln Hbf and they take the more scenic route between Cologne and Frankfurt.

There are three optimum routings to choose from when taking a a journey by train from Cologne/Köln to Salzburg.

1. Boarding the only direct daytime train
2. The fastest option, but it involves departing from Koln Messe/Deutz station
3. Departing from Koln Hbf and also making a connection between trains in Frankfurt.

There are three options for taking a journey by train from Cologne/Köln to Stuttgart:

1. The ICE trains which depart from the main city centre rail station.
2. Alternative ICE trains, which leave from Messe/Deutz station.
3. Slower trains which take a more scenic route.

There are options for travelling from München/Munich to Köln/Cologne by train during the day and overnight

During the day ICE trains take two different routes from München/Munich to Köln/Cologne.
The more frequent services take a route via Nurnberg and Frankfurt, but they don't arrive at the main station in Köln/Cologne as their route takes them through a station named Köln Messe/Deutz.
However, other ICE trains from München/Munich do arrive at the main station, Köln hbf.

So check the location of your final destination in Köln/Cologne and use the station info below, to see which route will suit you better.
Köln Messe/Deutz is further from the city centre, but if your ultimate destination is located along the U-Bahn (metro) routes; 1, 3, 4 or 9 then connections are available to these lines at Messe/Deutz.
While U-Bahn lines 5, 16 and 18 have stations linked to Köln hbf.

If your final destination is within walking distance of Köln hbf and you won't be travelling with luggage etc and you can find a cheaper price for train Messe/Deutz; or if the arrival times of those trains suit you better, then take the trains heading to Messe-Deutz.
You can then hop on a local S-Bahn train at Messe-Deutz (if you book to Koln hbf) and can be at the main station less than 10 minutes after you have stepped off the train at Messe/Deutz.

However, if you will be heading to a location near Koln hbf and will have luggage etc, or making an onward connection in that station, then do target the direct ICE trains to Koln hbf.
That's because the interchange between the ICE and S-Bahn trains at Messe/Deutz involves walking up a staircase.

When travelling overnight you will arrive at Koln hbf, but can choose between travelling in a bed or bunk on the Nightjet train, or travelling on the same ICE trains as used for the daytime services.