Wunderbarer Hauptbahnhof mit Dach. Die Imbiss und Sandwichshops sind offen. Es ist warm und sehr…read morehell. Review: 5

Central station for the city of Köln (Cologne), it is one of the busiest rail stations in Germany…read more It is quite large and I got to explore it a bit today thanks to a delay by the wonderful folks at Deutsche Bahn. My tip to you is that if you do have an extended layover here, use the luggage storage for your suitcases and step outside. You'll find the tremendous Kölner Dom that is worth photographing and touring. I did not have THAT much time so it was pictures only today. The train station has coffee (including Starbucks, yuck), pastries, lots of restaurants, restrooms, a waiting lounge if your train ticket includes that service, car rentals, ATMs and yes, the Ibis hotel. [Review 21267 overall - 271 in Germany - 232 of 2024.]

Mostly Stairs plus long distances to connecting local streetcars - it's just exhausting…read more Only a handful lockers :( I cannot recommend to exit here at all !

I could have sworn the name on the bar outside the train station said "Deutzer Bahnhof". It has a…read morebig patio outside of a good sized bar and grill. It also had a side trailer adjustment that served cocktails. If someone can tell me the true name of this place, I will correct it. We had a quick beer, so that we could put the great beer debate to the proper test. Who's beer is better? Dusseldorf Alt or Koln Golden Kolsch. The hands down winner is Alt. Sorry, Koln, but I thought your beer was not as tasty. Great bar, though. This place was pretty cool.

The newly renovated KVB station at Breslauer Platz is the first stop in the new Nord-Süd line that…read moresoon run through the heart of Altstadt Köln. As such, the designers spared no expense in making this station both good-looking and practically. From the practical side, the U-Bahn stop sits on the north side of the Hbf giving commuters easy access to the S-Bahn platforms on that end of the train station. The U-Bahn station itself is wide open with lots of space and easy access points. From an aesthetic side, the new station is a little disappointing. Aside from a series of large photos depicting the other future stops on the new line, the interior is quite bland. Large slabs of concrete are the norm here. The equipment in the interior is brand new, but we all know how long that'll last. On the whole, the new station is nice and practical. But, in 15 years once the new feel wears off, this will be just another sterile, concrete hole with trains running through it.

Bag store in the Hauptbahnhof Koln. Located in the…read moreconcourse station area, this is a luggage storage with a difference! The way it works: *approach the stand alone booth - about the size of 2 phone boxes. *pay your money *shutter opens *put luggage in *shutter closes - luggage disappears under the train station concourse *ticket with unique code dispensed - keep this safe! *retrieve luggage by keying in code *luggage travels back to you - shutter opens - hey presto! Not quite as amazing as the Koln Dom, but a little bit of fun - should have them everywhere

Horrible Horrible…read moreHorrible Don not ride with this people. ICE is really bad. They cancel trips at the very last minute. The employees have no idea how to help you. Anyways, if ICE train is your only option,... then WALK.