Cologne to Antwerp by Train
Direct ICE via Brussels Airport

The direct service began on 7 September 2026. Deutsche Bahn runs it with SNCB, the Belgian national railway, using the ICE 3neo, the newest trains in the ICE fleet, with first and second class. There are two trains each way every day, weekdays and weekends alike, and both follow the same stopping pattern: Aachen, Liège-Guillemins, Leuven and Brussels Airport-Zaventem, then Antwerpen-Centraal.

From Cologne there is one early-morning departure and one in the afternoon; from Antwerp, one in the late morning and one in the evening. The two trains from Cologne are not equally quick: the afternoon train takes about 2 hours 20 minutes, while the early-morning train is slower at nearer 2 hours 50. Towards Cologne, both take about 2 hours 25 minutes. Timetables can change, especially at the annual timetable change in December, so check the exact departure before you travel.

The direct ICE is the simplest way to make the trip: one seat from Cologne to Antwerp, no change, and no need to cross Brussels. Its limitation is frequency. With only two trains a day in each direction, most departure times are not covered, and that is where the Brussels route comes in.

The alternative is a fast train from Cologne to Brussels on the existing corridor, then one of the frequent Belgian trains north to Antwerp. It usually takes a little longer than the faster direct ICE, depending on the connection, but it runs throughout the day. Direct does not always mean faster here: the early-morning direct train from Cologne can take about as long as a well-timed connection, so its main advantage is not having to change. DB and NMBS International can usually sell the whole journey with the change on a single ticket.

Leaving Cologne, the ICE runs west across the Rhineland plain to Aachen, Charlemagne's city and the last German stop. Shortly afterwards it crosses into Belgium in the wooded hills of the Pays de Herve and drops into the Meuse valley at Liège-Guillemins, Santiago Calatrava's sweeping white station of concrete and glass. The border is within the Schengen area, so there are no routine checks, but carry your passport or ID card.

From Liège the train crosses the open Hesbaye plateau on the high-speed line to Leuven, the old university city with its ornate Gothic town hall, an easy stop to break the journey. Instead of continuing into central Brussels, the direct ICE then turns off to Brussels Airport-Zaventem, its only Brussels stop, before heading north through Flanders to Antwerp.

The airport stop also makes the ICE useful for flights. Brussels Airlines and Deutsche Bahn sell combined train-and-flight tickets for connections at Brussels Airport, and Belgian trains run from the airport into Brussels city if that is where you are heading.

Two railways sell the direct ICE: Deutsche Bahn, on bahn.de and in the DB Navigator app, and NMBS International, the international sales arm of Belgian rail, on B-Europe. Saver fares reward booking ahead and tie you to the train you choose; flexible fares cost more but let you take another train on the same route. Tickets usually go on sale several months ahead.

Seat reservations are optional on the ICE between Germany and Belgium. Any valid ticket lets you board and take an unreserved seat, and a reservation is worth adding on busy days. Interrail passes are valid on the train; because reservation rules on some international ICE routes can differ in summer, check the Interrail planner for your specific travel date.

The direct ICE ends at Antwerpen-Centraal, one of Europe's most celebrated stations: a stone-and-iron palace opened in 1905, with a great domed hall above and trains on several levels below. It sits right in the city, so you step out into Antwerp itself. If you are booking a connection via Brussels, make sure your ticket reads Antwerpen-Centraal rather than Antwerpen-Berchem, a secondary station on the southern edge of the city.

From the station the Meir shopping street leads into the old town, with the Grote Markt and its guildhalls, the Cathedral of Our Lady and the Rubens House a short walk away; the diamond district sits right beside the station. Trams and the pre-metro run beneath it, and frequent Belgian trains continue to Ghent and Bruges.