Ben’s Deutsche Bahn (DB) first class review dates back several years, and he did not visit a DB Lounge on that trip. As the lounge may be relevant to OMAAT readers connecting to or from a Star Alliance flight via Lufthansa Express Rail, as well as those considering a first class Rail&Fly ticket for travel within Germany, I thought it was time for a closer look at the newly renovated DB Premium Lounge in Cologne.

Deutsche Bahn — literally “German Railway” — is Germany’s national railway company and an intermodal Star Alliance partner . Lufthansa stopped flying between Cologne and Frankfurt in 2007, replacing the route with today’s Lufthansa Express Rail service in cooperation with DB. Express Rail is now available from more than 25 German cities.

I have taken Lufthansa Express Rail between Cologne and Frankfurt many times. This time, however, I was traveling on a regular train ticket from Cologne to Munich. Both my ticket type and BahnBonus Platinum status gave me access to the recently renovated DB Premium Lounge in Cologne — so naturally, I had to check it out.

For those unfamiliar with BahnBonus: That is DB’s loyalty program and works much like an airline frequent flyer program.

Deutsche Bahn operates 13 DB Lounges across Germany. Seven locations — Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanover, Cologne, Mannheim, and Munich — also feature a separate Premium Lounge with a wider selection of food and beverages than the standard lounge. This review focuses primarily on the DB Premium Lounge concept. Opening hours vary by location, but most lounges open between 6:00AM and 7:00AM and close between 9:00PM and 10:00PM.

For OMAAT readers, the most relevant ways to access the DB Standard and DB Premium Lounge are:

Access is valid nationwide for the entire day — before, during, and after the journey. In other words, there is some serious lounge-hopping potential here for anyone determined to maximize a train ticket.

BahnBonus status access will be less relevant to most OMAAT readers but since Ben is a completionist: Silver members receive eight lounge vouchers, Gold members may use regular DB Lounges with one guest, and Platinum members may also access Premium Lounges as long as they hold a valid ticket.