Train to Paris from €19.99: DB fares, mandatory seat reservation and metro

Traveling to Paris by train saves time and stress. You board in the center of a German city and step off in the center of Paris, with no check-in and no extra fees for luggage.

We checked Deutsche Bahn fares and put together the essentials for buying a ticket: which trains go to France, how much a ticket costs, why seat reservation is mandatory, and how to get from the station to your hotel.

Reference figures: a one-way ticket starts at €19.99 in second class, and the fastest train from Frankfurt takes 3 hours 40 minutes (as of 09/2026, Deutsche Bahn).

Ad: this article contains affiliate links, we earn a commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you.

Which trains go to Paris

💡 In short:

• Direct services from Frankfurt, Cologne, Stuttgart, and Düsseldorf take about 3-4 hours; there are also direct trains from Munich and Berlin.
• A ticket with the Super Sparpreis Europa fare starts at €19.99, with Sparpreis Europa from €24.99.
• Seat reservation on trains to France is mandatory, but it is already included in the ticket price.
• Fares and fare conditions: 09/2026, verified on the official DB website.

Two operators run services on the Germany-Paris route. Deutsche Bahn operates ICE International, and SNCF runs TGV INOUI. Both trains travel at high speed, and the cars have power outlets, Wi-Fi, and a dining car.

ICE and TGV trains from Germany arrive at Gare de l'Est. Direct Eurostar services from Cologne and Düsseldorf arrive at Gare du Nord. Both stations are right in the city center, so getting to your hotel takes only a few minutes.

Which German cities have train service

Direct trains to Paris depart from six major German cities. Eurostar runs from Cologne and Düsseldorf, TGV from Munich, and ICE from Berlin.

Travel times and frequency: connection search on bahn.de (as of 09/2026). The schedule varies by date, so check your specific date separately.

Frankfurt is the most convenient option: trains depart almost every hour. From Berlin, the journey takes a full day, and at that distance you would compare the train with flying.

How much does a train to Paris cost

The fare determines the price, not the distance. The earlier you book and the more flexible your date, the cheaper the ticket.

Prices for Super Sparpreis Europa and age conditions: Deutsche Bahn FAQ (as of 09/2026). The Sparpreis Europa fare is more expensive and starts at 24.99 €. Travelers aged 15-26 get the same cheap ticket through the Super Sparpreis Europa Young program.

Important: cheap fares are non-refundable. If your plans might change, paying extra for Flexpreis Europa pays off, because that ticket can be returned.

Discount cards give their own percentage. BahnCard 25 reduces the price by 25% for flexible and saver fares (Flexpreis and Sparpreis), and Probe BahnCard 25 costs 19.90 € for three months (as of 09/2026, terms on the BahnCard website). Before buying, check whether the card applies to your chosen fare: discounts often do not apply to the cheapest fare buckets.

You can compare prices and schedules across all options in a single search: compare trains and buses to Paris on Trip.com.

Train or plane: which is cheaper

The train wins on short and medium distances. From Frankfurt, Cologne and Stuttgart you get to central Paris faster than by plane once you factor in travel to and from the airport.

From Berlin it is different: the train takes more than seven hours, and flying can be faster here. But even in this case the train keeps its advantage: you arrive with no security screening, no paid baggage and no late-night trip from the airport into the city.

5 Tips for buying a cheap ticket

• Book early. The cheap Super Sparpreis fare buckets sell out first. The earlier the date opens, the higher your chance of catching 19.99 €.

• Pick midweek. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday have more cheap seats available than Friday and Sunday.

• Check the cheap dates calendar. In the bahn.de search, next to the date there is an icon showing the minimum price for that day.

• Buy the return ticket separately. There is no single Sparpreis "round trip" fare.

• Keep your ticket in DB Navigator. In the app you see the current route, platform number and connections.

How to get from Gare de l'Est to the center

ICE and TGV trains from Germany arrive at Gare de l'Est. Eurostar from Cologne and Düsseldorf arrives at Gare du Nord. From there you go down into the metro in a couple of minutes: lines 4, 5 and 7 pass through the station, and they lead to Châtelet, the Opera and Notre-Dame.

© Yann Caradec from Paris, France · CC BY-SAPhoto: Yann Caradec from Paris, France, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0), Wikimedia Commons

A Métro-Train-RER ticket costs 2.55 € per ride and 1.30 € at the reduced fare (as of 09/2026, Île-de-France Mobilités). Paper t+ tickets are no longer sold in Paris, so you buy your ticket on a Navigo Easy card or through the app.

You can walk to Gare du Nord. This is convenient if you are continuing to London or Brussels on Eurostar.

If you arrive in the evening, it is better to look for a hotel near the station or in the 10th arrondissement: find hotels in Paris on Trip.com.

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

How long does the train from Frankfurt to Paris take?

A direct ICE or TGV train takes about 3 hours 40 minutes. There are up to 18 departures a day on this route, so you can find a suitable time for almost any date (according to Deutsche Bahn, 09/2026). From Cologne, the travel time is slightly shorter.

How much is the cheapest ticket to Paris?

A one-way ticket on the Super Sparpreis Europa fare starts at €19.99 in second class and €29.99 in first class (as of 09/2026, Deutsche Bahn). The fare is non-refundable, and the number of cheap seats is limited.

Do I need to reserve a seat?

Yes. Seat reservation is mandatory on ICE and TGV high-speed trains to France (according to Deutsche Bahn, 09/2026). You don't need to pay separately: the reservation is already included in the ticket price. Without a seat reservation, you simply won't be allowed on such a train.

Can I get a refund on my ticket?

It depends on the fare. Sparpreis and Super Sparpreis Europa are non-refundable. Flexpreis Europa costs more, but you can cancel it and get your money back. If your travel date is uncertain, a flexible fare is cheaper than losing the entire amount.

Where does the train arrive and how do I get to my hotel?

ICE and TGV trains from Germany stop at Gare de l'Est in central Paris. Eurostar from Cologne and Düsseldorf arrives at Gare du Nord. Metro lines 4, 5, and 7 run through the Gare de l'Est station. A hotel near the station or in the 10th arrondissement will save you a late-night trip across the city.

Does the BahnCard apply to tickets to France?

BahnCard 25 gives you a 25% discount on flexible and saver fares (as of 09/2026, bahn.de). The discount often does not apply to the cheapest Super Sparpreis Europa fare buckets.

In short: what to book

If you're traveling from Frankfurt, Cologne, or Stuttgart, take a direct train: the journey takes about four hours. Travelers with flexible dates save even more: check the cheap days on the bahn.de calendar and leave midweek.

If budget matters more than time, compare the train with the bus. If you're bringing a large suitcase, the train beats the plane on two counts right away: baggage is included in the price, and the stations are in the city center.

Compare train and bus prices on Trip.com and find a hotel in Paris.