Great Western Coffee Shop

Would not want an over night stay but don't mind overnighting on a train

Possible gig in cologne but the interview would be in dusseldorf

Cologne's relatively straightforward - FGW to Pad, Eurostar to Brussels then connect into a Thalys service to Cologne (aka Koln in the timetable). Dusseldorf is only a 30-minute onward connection from there.

Man in seat 61 has details...

http://www.seat61.com/Germany.htm#Cologne (http://www.seat61.com/Germany.htm#Cologne)

Read the info carefully because it looks like there are some excellent tips for getting bargain fares in there.

Doesn't look like you have many options in the way of sleepers though, unless you want to travel there or back using Stena's Harwich - Hoek van Holland ferry service which connects into train services to Rotterdam and Utrecht, from where it looks like you can get to Dusseldorf easily enough.

http://www.seat61.com/Netherlands.htm#train+ferry (http://www.seat61.com/Netherlands.htm#train+ferry)

There's a night ferry in both directions, appears to take about 8 hours. In terms of rail sleepers I think you'd be looking at a massive back-double to Berlin then travelling back via Paris which is taking hte scenic route, to put it mildly.

I'm just trying to minimize cost and maximise comfort

Would rather a sleeper state en route than pay for a hotel and/or fly bus class

so the ferry might be an option - will know more tomorrow after the initial telephone interview

Looking on the DB web site it gives:

08:27 St Pancras 14:50 Dusseldorf 2 changes 5:23

It's an ICE3 from Brussels which you'll love even in standard  and IC from Colongne from Brussels.

11:04 St.P 17:01 Dusseldorf

But it's Thalys (French TGV seating a la Eurostar) from Brussels. 2 changes could be cheaper because its an RE from Cologne.

Try seat61 as suggested, if you want to speak to someone try DB in Surbiton

 08718 80 80 66
(calls cost 8p per minute from a BT landline. Calls from other networks may vary and mobiles may cost more) not a cheap call but very helpful.

For times try http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en?new request=yes&protocol=http:& (http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en?new request=yes&protocol=http:&) the en gives the English version.

It may be possible by putting in  say Hanover as your final destination and putting a stopover in Dusseldorf to get one of the very elusive  DBs 46 Euro singles  from St Pancras but it has to be an ICE from Brussels.

Just hang onto your goods and chatels at Brussels you've got a 52 minute change on the 08:27. It's notorious for pickpockets, someone on our last trip lost their wallet and i know someone who had a camara stolen. Which was really annoying as they'd gone to photograph Belgian and Dutch traction for the a book.

It's only 27 minutes  off the 11:04.

Go for it and see what a real railway is like.

Hi

Try booking on DB from london to Koln ( Cologne)  you might still get cheaper seats next Wednesday still at 56 Euros one way

Basset

Probably too late for you but Eurostar  are offering cheap tickets to Amsterdam and Cologne from 19/11 to 29/01 at ^89 pounds return.

Must be thalys from Brussels. Buy through Eurostar.

Reference Today's Railways Europe November.

Re if you book only to Cologne you can get a local day rover ticket for local transport around Cologne and Dusseldorf, trams buses, S bahn, RB and RE. Not IC or ICE.

Try http://www.kvb-koeln.de/german/home/ (http://www.kvb-koeln.de/german/home/) Cologne public transport.
 Click on the Union Flag for english version

From the timetable page I got. RE 1 and 5 34 minutes.

Click on ticket helpdesk I got.

Tariff recommendation for Preisstufe 5
 
1. Recommended ticket combination
 
Ticket: EinzelTicket Erwachsene
Number of tickets: 1
 
 
Price: 9.80 ^
 
 
2. Recommended ticket combination
 
Ticket: 4erTicket Erwachsene
Number of tickets: 1
 
 
Price: 35.20 ^ ( Reisepreis ca. 8.80 ^ )
 
 
3. Recommended ticket combination
 
Ticket: TagesTicket 1 Person
Number of tickets: 1
 
 
Price: 20.90 ^
 
 
 
Further information
 
Impressum
All information without liability  
 Einzel = single
Erwaschene = person

Tages = day This will give you unlimted travel around Tarriff Zone 5
Price Level 5 (regional ticket)
^ if the enlarged VRS network (cities and villages of the district
   Ahrweiler, involved in the enhanced VRS network, with special arrangements
   for job, large customers, students and SemesterTicket)
^ In the education market and in the Rhine-Ruhr cities and municipalities of the
   Great border traffic VRS / VRR ", the price level 5 no net force.

If you go for the ferry option (overnight there and overnight back perhaps...?) then this website may well be helpful...really good fares available from any NXEA station (Liverpool St is probably most useful to you) to any Dutch station:

http://www.stenaline.co.uk/ferry/rail-and-sail/holland/ (http://www.stenaline.co.uk/ferry/rail-and-sail/holland/)

So you might be able to get a bit of a bargain return between London and Utrecht, just leaving you to sort out the connections from NLS to PAD or Zone 1 (reckon you're pretty familiar with that one!) and the onward journey from Utrecht to Dusseldorf. There are some through Intercity trains from Utrecht Centraal to Dusseldorf City that take about 1hr 50minutes if that's helpful.

I can recommend the overnight ferry. The cheap fare is the transport only - you have to pay extra for the cabin on the overnight crossing. Both Harwich and Hook are good interchanges between rail and ferry - you walk onto the ferry instead on having to go on a bus ride.

The DB timetable website gives the Hoek van Holland - Dusseldorf routing as changing at Rotterdam, Venlo and Moenchengladbach, so the all-in ticket would get you to Venlo (lot further than Utrecht).

Also don't forget you can get a London International ticket to get you St Pancras. No peak restrictions.

9934 or LOE is the destination you need to get the booking office clerk to put into the system "LNDON ESTAR CIV".
That has some very cheap singles with very good or no restrictions. Even has a tube journey slapped on it as well.

and for DB surbiton. Try  020 8339 4701. Works for me every time and I don't have to pay for the call.

Thanks all - still waiting on the first telephone interview but its still in progress - juse wanted to know my options if/when etc

currently in florida fulfilling the last of current gig hence the odd times!

From NLS, you have to use LNE or "LONDON INTL(CIV)" as there aren't any fares to LOE.

only Eurostar are allowed to sell to LOE.