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Paris to Berlin by train
How to take a train journey from Paris to Berlin
What may not be obvious when looking up the train journey from Paris to Berlin on the ticket booking websites is that the journey options follow two routes:
1: Taking Thalys train service from the Gare Du Nord in Paris to Koln hbf and then connecting there for an ICE train on to Berlin
2: Taking A DB-SNCF train service from the Gare de l'Est in Paris to one of several stations in central Germany; from where connections by ICE train are available on to Berlin.
Connections between trains can be a available at different stations including Frankfurt (Main) hbf, Mannheim hbf and Karlsruhe hbf.
The ticket agents will offer a combination of connections which provide for the fastest end-to-end journey time.
However, it's easier to make the transfer between trains at Frankfurt (Main) hbf, at that station all the platforms/tracks are on the same level so making the connection there simply involves walking from one train to the other.
In times of distance travelled this combination of trains is further than the option via Koln/Cologne, but the high-speed lines and the fastest connections mean that journey times can be similar; if you're willing to gamble on making connections of under 30 minutes.
However, DB offers its 'Europa Spezial' ticket deals on this route, so this routing is usually cheaper too.
DB doesn't do this on the route via Koln as it doesn't operate the Thalys trains.
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Routes
Option 1: Depart from the Gare Du Nord and connect in Köln
Journey Summary
8hr 8min - 8hr 14min
Daily
Travel Information
Details of the departures which are available can be found on the Thalys website, (change the departure and arrival stations).
Note that these trains depart from Gare du Nord in Paris.
Final Destination: Dortmund or Essen or Köln
There are no direct daytime trains from Paris to Berlin
When taking the train from Paris to Berlin there is a choice of routes, you can either
(1) take this route - departing from the Gare Du Nord and travelling via Koln/Cologne, OR
(2) take an alternative route; departing from the Gare de l'Est and travelling via Frankfurt (Main)
There is little difference in journey times and neither route is particular scenic compared to the other; and both routes involve extensive travel on high speed lines on state of the art trains.
So the deciding factor as to which route to take is likely to be price. as explained in the 'Ticket Information' below.
Details of this journey option:
3 x optimum connections per day
Change trains in: Koln/Cologne
A plus of taking this routing is that you SHOULD have between 30 and 35 mins to to make the connection between trains at Koln Hbf.
Which is pretty much ideal IF the Thalys train from Paris arrives on time.
Though if you book an end-2-end ticket from Paris to Berlin, in the event of the train arriving too late in Koln to make the connection on to Berlin, your tickets/reservations can be transferred to the next departure.
Rail Pass Users:
If you will be travelling with a Eurail or InterRail pass valid in both France and Germany, you will save money if you travel on the alternative route via [Frankfurt (Main).
The overnight train:
The only direct train from Paris to Berlin is the 'Transeuropean Express', which is operated by Russsian Railways.
Though it USUALLY only departs on Thursday evenings.
Tickets
Book in advance and save: Yes
Online bookings usually open: 4 months ahead of the travel date
When travelling from by day Paris to Berlin by train you can either take this route via Koln/Cologne or travel on an alternative route
That route via Frankfurt tends to be the cheaper of the two; the German national rail operator, DB, offers its discounted ‘Europa-Spezial’ tickets on that route, but they’re not available when travelling via Koln/Cologne.
Though the prices of both routes can be compared on the Trainline website.
On this routing it's worth checking whether you can save money by booking separate tickets for the Paris to Koln/Cologne and Koln/Cologne to Berlin journeys.
Though be aware that if you do so, and the Thalys train from Paris arrives too late in Koln for you to make the fastest connection (of between 30 and 35 mins) into the train on to Berlin; you will then probably have to book a new ticket in Koln for the journey on to Berlin.
However, an option is to book the separate tickets, but then take a later train on from Koln to allow more than 1hr 30mins to make the connection at Koln Hbf station.
If you DO want to book the end-2-end journey on Oui.SNCF look for the journeys that have 2 corresp. THALYS ICE' in the journey summary.
Rail Pass Users:
If you will be making this journey with a valid InterRail or Eurai Pass, the route via Koln is more expensive, as the rail pass reservation fees are more expensive on the Paris – Koln Thalys trains.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Oui.SNCF | * | |
| Trainline | * | |
| Trainline | * |
Train 1
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
For a stress-free journey it's a good idea to be at the Gare Du Nord at least 20 minutes before departure as all passengers taking the Thalys trains have to pass through security checks.
So being at the back of the queue wondering if you'll be able to board in time is a scenario best avoided.
This is a fascinating journey of six distinct phases.
- Around seven minutes after departure the train will move on to the high speed line and it will then travel at more than 280 km/h for around 80 minutes until it reaches the suburbs of Bruxelles; this is the fastest part of the trip.
- On departure from Bruxelles-Midi the train will cross the city centre in a tunnel.
- Then after Bruxlles-Nord the train will move on to a re-engineered railway until Leuven.
- Between Leuven and five minutes before arrival in Liege the train will travel up to 250 km/h on a high speed line.
- After Liege and until Aachen the train will again achieve speed in excess of 280 km/h as it heads over the border into Germany.
- Then from Aachen until the suburbs of Koln/Cologne, the train will travel at 200 kn/h on a re-engineered railway.
Train 2
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
**Final Destination: Berlin-Gesundbrunnen
All trains also call at: Bielefeld, Hannover and Berlin-Spandau*
*If your final destination is in West Berlin, the fastest option is usually to leave these trains at Berlin-Spandau and connect there into S-Bahn commuter trains or Regio trains.
The station in the heart of West Berlin is Zoologischer-Garten, but these ICE trains do not call there.
If your final destination is to the north of the city centre, then it's likely that your best option is to take this train to Berlin-Gesundbrunnen station.
Check your onward connections in Berlin on this public transport map.
Travel overnight by train from Cologne/Koln to Berlin:
You can take an overnight train from Koln/Cologne to Berlin, but there are no sleeper trains between the two cities.
So if you need to be in Berlin by 07:00, you can take an ICE train, which happens to travel overnight.
This a journey on which we recommend having something to do on the trip, as it's a train ride with few wow moments.
A highlight of the train comes near the beginning, with the views over the city of Wuppertal, on the left hand side.
Between there and Bielefeld, the train will pass through an industrial landscape.
The train will travel at more than 250 km/h on a high speed line between Wolfsburg and Berlin-Spandau.
Option 2: Depart from Gare de l'Est, connecting in Karlsruhe
Journey Summary
8hr 33min
Daily
Travel Information
Final Destination: Stuttgart
This journey, which usually involves departing Paris at 10:55, has been singled out because it allows more than 30mins in Karlsruhe to make the connection between trains.
So making the connection is less of a gamble than making the more tightly timed connections on the alternative options that involve changing trains in Frankfurt or Mannheim.
However, when making connections in Germany with an end-2-end ticket, it/they can be always be transferred free of charge to a later departure, in the event of a train running late.
Keep that in mind as this journey option tends to be more expensive than making the connection between trains in Frankfurt or Mannheim.
Tickets
Book in advance and save: Yes
Online bookings usually open: 4 months ahead of the travel date
This particular journey option, which departs Paris at 10:55, tend to be more expensive than making connections in Frankfurt (Main) or Mannheim
It has been singled out because it allows more than 30 mins to make the connection between trains (similar to the connecting times between trains on the alternative route via Koln/Cologne).
The greater the connecting time between trains, the greater the chance of having a stress-free journey, when taking a train from Paris to Berlin.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| DB Bahn | * | |
| Trainline | * | |
| Trainline | * |
Train 1
Travelling On
Journey Features
The train will travel on a high speed line between Paris and Strasbourg
Train 2
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Berlin Ost
Train also calls at: Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe, Hildesheim and Berlin-Spandau.
If your final destination is in West Berlin, the quickest option is to leave this train at Berlin-Spandau and connect there for S-Bahn or Regio trains to stations in West Berlin.
Option 3: depart from Gare de l'Est, connecting in Frankfurt (Main)
Journey Summary
8hr 8min - 8hr 22min)
Daily
Travel Information
Final Destination: Frankfurt (Main)
All trains also call at: Mannheim (where connections can also be available into trains on to Berlin).
Note that these trains depart from the Gare de l'Est in Paris.
There are no direct daytime trains from Paris to Berlin
When taking the train from Paris to Berlin there is a choice of routes, you can either depart from the Gare Du Nord and travel via Koln/Cologne, OR take this route - departing from the Gare de l'Est and travelling via Frankfurt (Main)
Making the connection between trains in Frankfurt or Mannheim.
There is little difference in journey times and neither route is particular scenic compared to the other - and both routes involve extensive travel on high speed lines on state of the art trains.
So the deciding factor as to which route to take is likely to be price; as explained in the 'Ticket Information' below.
Details of this journey option:
4 x connections per day
Change trains in: Frankfurt (Main) OR Mannheim
If you book with DB Bahn two of these connections involve changing trains in Mannheim and not Frankfurt (Main).
However, if you will be booking end-2-end tickets then the slight issue with this route, is that you will only have less mins to make any of the optimum connections required in either Mannheim or Frankfurt (Main).
Delays of more than 10 mins are not unknown on these trains from Paris.
Though if you do miss the booked connection in Mannheim or Frankfurt (Main) due to late running, then tickets/reservations can be transferred free of charge to a later departure on to Berlin.
Though be aware that there are more frequent trains between Frankfurt (Main) and Berlin, than between Mannheim and Berlin.
Travelling with a rail pass
If you will be making this journey with a Eurail or InterRail pass then make reservations on a train to Frankfurt (Main) and make the connections there.
It's an exceptionally easy station in which to change trains and you won't have to make any reservations on trains between Frankfurt (Main)
Meaning that if the train from Paris arrives on time you can often gamble on making a 3-4 minute connection into a different ICE service on to Berlin, the tightly timed connection means that ticket bookers aren't given this option.
If you gamble and lose there will be another train on to Berlin within 15 minutes.
Tickets
Book in advance and save: Yes
Online bookings usually open: 4 months ahead of the travel date
When travelling from by day Paris to Berlin by train you can either take an alternative route via Koln/Cologne or travel on this route via Frankfurt (Main)
This route tends to be the cheaper of the two; the German national rail operator, DB, offers its discounted ‘Europa-Spezial’ tickets on this route, but they’re not available when travelling via Koln/Cologne.
When looking at journeys on DB Bahn this routing has a '1' in the chg. column and 'ICE' or 'TGV, ICE' in the Product column.
Though both routes can be compared on the Trainline website.
Rail Pass Users:
If you will be making this journey with a valid InterRail or Eurail Pass, the route via Koln is more expensive, as the rail pass reservation fees are more expensive on the Paris – Koln Thalys trains.
If you have a rail pass the best option is to book the reservation on a DB-SNCF train from Paris to Frankfurt (Main) – you’ll need to do this before you board this train
And then on arrival in Frankfurt (Main) you can either:
(1) hop on the next ICE train to Berlin – and hope that can find spare seats on the train (it’s more likely that you will, than you won’t).
(2) Use a DB ticket machine or stop by the Reisezentrum travel desk at Frankfurt (Main) and book reservations on the next ICE to Berlin
(3) Book the reservations on the Frankfurt to Berlin ICE before you leave Paris – and then IF you miss the connection you are booked on to, because the train from Paris is delayed, you can then transfer your reservation to the next ICE train, free of charge at the Reisezentrum travel desk.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| DB Bahn | from €69 (approx) |
Train 1
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
The morning departures are scheduled to be TGV trains, while the afternoon/evening departures SHOULD be ICE trains.
Via: Kaiserslautern
This is a journey of four distinct phases.
- Around 13 minutes after departure the train will move on to the high speed line, on which between Champagne-Ardennes and Lorraine, it should travel at more than 300 km/h (faster than the speed achieved by ICE trains in Germany).
- Shorty after passing Lorraine TGV station, the train will move on to conventional tracks.
- Between Kaiserslautern and Neustadt the train will travel through a series of forests in the valleys, this is the most scenic part of the journey.
- After passing through the cities of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim, the train will pass through the commuter towns to the south of Frankfurt.
Via: Strasbourg
This is a journey of three distinct phases.
- The train will take the same high speed line from Paris, but will remain on it until around 5 minutes before arrival in Strasbourg.
- On departure from Strasbourg the train will travel fairly slowly on a route it will share with local metro trains.
- Then it will speed up, but remain on conventional railway tracks as it passes through Karlsruhe and Mannheim.
Train 2
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
The ICE trains between Frankfurt (Main) and Berlin now take multiple routes, but the trains with the optimum connections with arrivals on Paris are the trains which travel via Kassel.
Arriving in Berlin:
These trains via Kassel also call at Berlin-Spandau station*
- Terminate at Berlin Ost station
If you’re heading to West Berlin the best option is usually to leave this train at Berlin-Spandau
You can then connect there into a S-Bahn (local) or Regio trains on to Zoologischer Garten (Berlin-Zoo) station, which is the main station in West Berlin.
Zoologischer Garten station also has trains from Berlin Hbf, but you'll end up travelling back the way, that the train from Frankfurt (Main), will have just travelled.
Now that the high speed line between Erfurt and Halle has opened, the ICE trains from Frankfurt (Main) to Berlin now take two different routes:
(1) via Erfurt OR
(2) via Kassel.
via Kassel
This is a journey of four distinct phases:
- From Frankfurt to Fulda on to the train will travel on a conventional railway
- Between Fulda and Hildeshein the train will make use of Germany's first high speed line; this is the part of the journey with a wow factor as the train will travel across dozens of viaducts and bridges, which occur as flashes between numerous tunnels
- Then between 10 minutes after departure from Braunschweig until Berlin-Spandau the train will be on a high speed line across dull farmland.
- One of the highlights of the journey comes right at the end of the trip when the train travels on a viaduct across Berlin with great views over the city centre.
via Erfurt
These trains follow the route above to Fulda and then take a twisty, but scenic route to Erfurt.
But then after departure from Erfurt they will travel at up to 290 km/h on Germany's newest high speed line for around 40 minutes, but the remainder of the journey on to Berlin is back on conventional tracks.
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