Login
My Tickets
Did you book your train tickets at SNCB International, either online, through our app or via our contact centre? With MyTrain, you can find all your booking details, such as departure times or seat numbers, very easily.
Getting from Cologne to Lille is easy! On this train journey, you just need to change trains once, at Brussels (Midi/Zuid) station, after your arrival there from Cologne.
This journey of over 300 km from Germany to France takes just over 3 hours on high-speed trains. And as an added bonus, you’ll arrive in the city centre!
The first leg of your journey will take you from the central station in Cologne (Köln Hbf) to Brussels (Midi/Zuid) station. This service runs several times a day with high-speed Eurostar or ICE trains, and takes just 1 hour 47 minutes.
At Brussels (Midi/Zuid) station, board the Eurostar or TGV INOUI trains to Lille. All you have to do is change platforms after your arrival from Cologne. Very easy!
There are around 8 direct trains from Brussels to Lille on weekdays. They’ll take you to Lille Europe train station in around 35 minutes. One of 2 major railway stations in the city, Lille Europe is an international hub for Eurostar and TGV INOUI so if your journey’s taking you further into France, this is the ideal starting point to do so.
Due to planned engineering works on the German rail network, the latest ICE train of the day in both directions between Brussels and Cologne will be cancelled on several days from June to October 2025.
This concerns:
These trains will not operate between Brussels and Cologne on the following days:
Due to planned engineering works on the Belgian rail network, ICE trains connecting Brussels to Cologne and Frankfurt will be diverted from their usual itinerary from Saturday 2 August to Sunday 17 August 2025.
This will result in longer journey times. As a consequence, most ICE trains from Brussels to Germany will terminate in Cologne and ICE trains from Germany to Brussels will depart from Cologne.
Between Cologne and Frankfurt, passengers can use other trains operated by Deutsche Bahn.
From Saturday 16 to Sunday 31 August 2025 inclusive, engineering works are planned on the high-speed line between Brussels and the French border. During these works, Eurostar and TGV INOUI trains will be diverted via an alternative route, resulting in longer journey times.
Our journey planner, booking system and ticket details already takes these changes into account.
