Rails Down The Rhine: Cologne to Basel by EuroCity train EC9 

For practical information about this journey - and how to book the panorama car on this particular EC9 EuroCity train - see www.seat61.com/places-of-interest/rails-down-the-rhine.htm

Great trip. When the train running parallel with Rhine and passing some barges and river cruise is my favourite.

This looks to be a reincarnation of the famous "dome car" that used to run on the TEE Rhinegold. I'll have to add this to my bucket list if I ever get back to that part of Europe.

Great video! I've done this Swiss EC train first class too. However the panoramic carriage can get very busy, whilst the last first class carriage is often much quieter. Steward service is excellent throughout!

Such a scenic route. My wife and I travelled in a Panorama Car 2 weeks ago. Ironically, you were lucky to have a cloudy day. We travelled on a hot and sunny day..... resulting in other travellers lowering window blinds and obstructing our view!

A panorama coach is also on EC 163/164 Zürich-Graz/Graz-Zürich and on some IC trains between Zürich and Chur. But most of them are used in the Gotthard Panorama Express, a train to discover the old Gotthard line.

Fabulous journey - thankfully not ruined by someone trying to be a TV presenter.

I enjoyed watching every minute of this fantastic train journey...

Thanks a zillion for your efforts, god bless you. Please keep sharing more such videos

Thank you for the video. You brought back many happy memories of a school trip at Easter 1963, staying in Koblenz, 121 Moselleweisse Strasse. Would love to know whether the hotel is still there. We walked through the forests from Koblenz to Boppard, saw Die Lorelei, Cologne cathedral, and Beethoven’s monument in Bonn during the trip, as well as the Deutsches Eck, as well as a mysterious green light,in the Ehrenbreitstein Castle. Lovely memories 60 years on, thank you. Grateful for the opportunity to say thank you to Mr. Walker who led the trip, assisted by Mr. White and Mr. Sibley, all long departed I guess.

Amazing 👏

Always a fun and scenic trip! Ive done it several times over the past 3 decades of travel.

Love it. Always love your videos more please. Best site on the internet

Amazing trip.

Beautiful landscapes! These panorama cars need to become more common imo

Great journey as always. There was a 1969 Film about the distruction of the Ramage Bridge.

Nice overview of all the sights I have seen so many times. Now the river section is bypassed by a high speed line but there are still enough trains serving the towns along the rhine.

Thanks for the fantastic video. I rode EC8 in the opposite direction from Cologne to Hamburg in summer 2014 on the first day of my 14-day Germany trip. I didn't plan to take that particular train but it just happened to be there when I finished sightseeing in Cologne. The panorama car was perhaps too full so I settled in another 1st class carriage. There were only a few people in that car and the journey was scenic and tranquil. At Hamburg I didn't want to leave, even after 4 hours on the train. I think I would still say the same if I rode the whole 10.5 hours of it!

Having been on this route twice, 2012 and 2018.

From Cologne to Basel ist rather UP than DOWN the Rhine 😁

Ooh cool bananas. I was just thinking about doing this trip. Might try get Munich into it as well! Thanks for this 😘

Wonderfully scenic route. When I first travelled round Germany by train (in 1985), this was actually the main route between Cologne and Frankfurt. After the fast ICE line was introduced (on a far less scenic route, but an hour quicker) fewer intercity trains travel that way, sadly. I would also recommend the Regional Express service from Frankfurt via Rüdesheim (a town which in itself is well worth the visit) to Koblenz which gives you the view from the other side of the river. and which makes for equally attractive viewing.

Lovely to see the SBB/CFF/FFS panoramic cars still running. I used to get them on Train EC97 "Iris" that ran from Bruxelles Midi to Luxembourg (the train carried on to Chur), departing at 12.15 back in the 1990s. The train was a very limited stop service, and was in my humble opinion, a far better option that the all-station AM82 Break Unit. Back then it was hauled by a SNCB/NMBS Class 20 Co-Co electric loco, as far as Luxembourg.

tolles Video bin einen Teil der Strecke vor paar Monaten gefahren Köln-Frankfurt-Wien allerdings mit ICE

I booked this train from Koblenz to Zurich on Interrail! Im very looking forward to trying SBB Panorama coach!

I loved koln train station

fantastic. especially the bit between Koblenz and Mainz. would be useful to se the same route covered by regional trains - 9 eur pass and all that 🙂

A bit surprised how busy the river is, and the cruise boats are all back… Plus the long container transporter at the Loreley… still tricky, and requires concentration of the crew. If you have time, take a river boat from Mainz (or Rüdesheim) to Koblenz.

I love this train, too. But you actually went up the Rhine. With respect to rivers, down always means the direction the water flows. Not south 😉

That's a loud cabin. That's alright, go with the flow so to speak. Lol

Many and many a year ago I took the Rhine Valley trip from Koblenz to Mainz on the boat. Magnificent journey! The cruise line had a guide to the sights--is there anything like that for the train (other than your helpful flagging here)?

Europa é linda !!

Anyone who wants to take this trip in the panorama car should not wait too long. Although nothing has been announced yet it is very likely that the train will be replaced by an ICE via the high-speed line in the next couple of years. But SBB will renovate the panorama cars as part of the renovation project of all their EC cars, so they will still be used, but probably mainly in Switzerland.

You missed the cold water geysir. The installation is visible shortly before Andernach.

Stand by for services from Germany going forward to Switzerland (and vice versa) omitting Basel SBB and taking the current freight only line between Bad Bhf and Muttenz. It won't happen tomorrow, but it's been announced. This will lop a good 15-20 mins off. Services which currently terminate / originate at SBB will continue to do so, thus maintaining connections to other Swiss destinations. As for serving Euroairport; well how long is a piece of string? Little or no movement on that front.

Thanks, interesting video! Are these the same panoramic coaches used on the Gotthard Express? If so, really good.

Shouldn't it be "UP the Rhin", rather than "DOWN"?

That’s a long train

I wonder if Mark took advantage of the 9 Euro offer while he was out and about?

I'd have titled it Cologne to Mainz, which is undoubtedly the most scenic section......well once you're south of Bonn anyway. I've lived in Freiburg since 1989, and can understand why you didn't include anything between Mainz and, say, Offenburg. Thereafter, the line follows the western edge of the Black Forest as far as Mülheim. There's nothing to see on the other side, and once past Mülheim, the run-in to Basel is as unscenic as the rest of what was left out. Perhaps a bit either side of Freiburg showing the vineyards may have been worth a few seconds, to be fair.

How much is ticket from cologne to Basel by euro city Ec9

Kindly advice me how to purchaser this train ticket.

Where the does the DB 101 get uncoupled is it at Basel SBB.

As I was to travel to Geneva for a week, I decided to do the return journey in this train, so I did this trip in the opposite direction last Saturday, 11 August 2022. I had taken your advice and had booked a seat in the panorama car, which I was really looking forward to. However, on entering the car, it was like a sauna; the air conditioning was out of order, though it was fine in the rest of the train. As the journey progressed, more and more of the panorama car passengers fled to the other two first class carriages, so that these were almost full to the brim.Though we left more or less on time, the train became later and later as we travelled northbound. Due to engineering works mainly, but this also meant that we went up the right bank of the Rhine and missed a lot of the expected scenery. By the time we reached Cologne, where I was to change to a train for Brussels, we were 63 minutes late. Needless to say, I missed my onward connection. I am sure it can be a great experience, but not for me this time, I’m afraid. In fact rail travel was a disaster; on the outward journey, I was supposed to go via Paris with Thalys and TGV. However a breakdown in the catenary just outside Paris Gare du Nord meant all trains from Brussels to Paris were cancelled on that day until 16:00. As my ongoing connection was at 16:10, and I really had to be in Geneva that evening, I had to buy a plane ticket at the last minute; financial ouch! So, rail travel can be great, but not always.

Was there Wi-Fi on board? I’m thinking of taking this train but I would have to do some work on my laptop during the ride

Great video! But why did you write "Cologne" in the title and not Duisburg? 57km between them is quite a distance :D

It's a beautiful trip that I also once took (Münster -> Zürich), and was lucky to do so in an almost empty panorama car, just like you. I will say that travelling in one of those seats for 8 hours was quite physically destroying. They are good, but not ICE or German IC(1) good. And if there's someone sitting opposite / next to you, that becomes even worse. Not much table space either. And note there are no airline style seats on swiss trains like this one. So I'd say it's a trade-off for people here, the beautiful panoramic view on this section or the comfort and privacy of better-interior, more modern trains. If you got a 2nd class interrail and are looking at this train though, I'd say don't bother and just take a German IC or ICE on the Rhine valley portion instead. Because again, better interior comfort and the panorama car is only for 1st class.

What is the Max Speed?

Worst train ever!!! to crowded and cramped.... After one hour no toiletpaper available anywhere on the train... and then the 40 minute delay!

Are masks still mandatory?