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Trip Planning: Information, advice and questions!

It should be a relatively easy trip from Phantasialand to EP but there are a few ways to make it easier. It looks like the majority of it will be via ICE train from Cologne to Offenburg, so as long as you're at the Cologne station at the right time you can take the regional train there from Brühl at any time prior to the connection. The regional trains run frequently and are generally very reliable so you can easily give yourself a lot of buffer time just to make sure you make all the connections. I would also recommend getting to Cologne a bit earlier to walk around the cathedral, it's directly outside the central station and is one of the most incredible things I've ever seen.

Also make sure to book a seat reservation for the ICE leg, it's only a few euros and that way you're guaranteed to have a spot to sit down. Cologne station is pretty big but the DB app will tell you which platform you'll depart from, and once on the platform they usually have signage matching the wagons to the platform areas so you'll even know exactly where to wait.

For additional info I can recommend the wonderful Man In Seat 61 page. More information than you'll ever need about the how-to of European train travel :)
 
You wouldn't be bound to a specific bus, it just means you don't have to pull out cash to pay the fare for the final leg. I always book my entire journey to and from the hotels stop and the bus driver has barely ever glanced at the tickets, much less tried to check any of the details.

Generally when booking via Deutsche Bahn only long distance (IC/ICE/EC) trains have Zugbindung (literally "train committment") while regional and local trains do not. So if you book a ticket with a combo of ICE trains and regional or local transit you only have to make sure you catch the ICE train at the time specified on the ticket, and for the rest of the trip you can any train or bus at any time as long as it's on the same route and calendar day.

Ah perfect, we're in Baden-Baden anyway so regional is the option.
 
It's the leaving from PL to get to Koln on time that's giving me the jitters 😂 1015 train. Reckon 8.30 ample time?
Yeah you'll be fine, go from Bruhl station and not Bruhl Mitte. Takes 15-20 mins.

Not sure if the shuttle bus from Phannyland to Bruhl will be running at that time though. Ask the hotel reception to book you a cab or it's a 45 min walk.
 
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