How to get to Kloster Steinfeld (https://www.kloster-steinfeld.de/en/homepage-kloster/):
General information:
In Germany we have a lot of maintenance of our train system during 2024. We are told that the train station „Urft” which is the closest to Steinfeld will be repaired until June 30th. If so, it may be bookable, if not: book your ticket to „Kall“ station which is 5 km away from Urft.
There are also different prices for trains depending on your booking date and your choice of train: a high speed train from Frankfurt Airport to Cologne takes 1 hour and may cost about 75 € one-way booking on the spot (Flexible ticket), while booking in advance can be only 25 € (www.bahn.de). Please note that if you book a reduced fare you are bound to a specific train at a specific time. If your flight is delayed and you miss the train you will need to book a new train ticket on the spot. There are also trains which are cheaper but take longer travel time.
The train timetable will be updated on April 1, 2024.
On both Sundays during registration hours we will pre-order taxis to wait at Kall train station. It is a small town so there are not necessarily taxis waiting for passengers at the train station during other hours. These taxis can take you from the station uphill to the monastery (about 15 €) but there is also a local bus.
Please be aware that the German railways has experienced a lot of difficulties these past couple of years with a lack of personell and strikes and therefore the schedule is not always reliable with last minute cancelations of trains possible. We highly recommend you leave for the airport well ahead of time. This means if your flight out is on Saturday before 2pm from Frankfurt you should consider staying at an airport hotel the night before. Unfortunately your stay at Kloster Steinfeld will be from Sunday to Saturday (either 6 or 13 nights) so we cannot refund any unused nights. The best is probably to book a flight out from Cologne or Frankfurt after Saturday afternoon. Or stay another day in Cologne or Frankfurt.
a) by air:
The closest airport is Cologne/Bonn Airport (Flughafen Köln-Bonn) https://www.cologne-bonn-airport.com/en/index.html many flight connections. From the airport you may go by train to Cologne (12 min) and from there take a regional train to Urft (if available after June 30th) or to Kall (about 1 hour). Regional trains have fixed prices.
Frankfurt International Airport can be reached from all over the world. It is a very busy airport in comparison to Köln-Bonn-Airport. When you fly into Frankfurt you take a train to Cologne station. Then take the regional train to Urft or Kall Station.
If you fly into Duesseldorf International Airport (about 60 km north of Cologne) you take a train to Cologne and then the regional train to Urft/Kall as written above.
Other airports are farther but are connected by train with Cologne Station. Be aware: if you get a cheap flight to these airports it takes money for the fares and time to reach Cologne – but maybe it is your best choice.
b) by train:
enter your departure station, your destination Kloster Steinfeld and your travel date in the schedule on https://int.bahn.de/en
c) by car:
Take the motorway A 1 (running Hamburg-Bremen-Münster-Dortmund-Cologne-Trier). From Cologne take direction south west to Trier. After about 55 km you already see a sign with the panorama of „Kloster Steinfeld“ on the right. Take the next exit 113 „Nettersheim“ and leave the motorway. Turn left direction „Zingsheim“, then roundabout direction „Kall“. You see a sign „Kloster Steinfeld“. After 4 km keep left „Kloster“, transit „Urft“, then turn right: uphill you see the three towers of the monastery.