- Must visit
Museum of Fine Arts
Major fine arts museum on Heroes’ Square with European paintings, sculpture, and temporary exhibitions.
Cheapest price
$84
Average price
$107
Fastest journey
17 h 15 m
Average duration
17 h 30 m
Buses per day
30
Distance
956 km
The best way to find a cheap bus ticket from Cologne to Budapest is to book your journey as far in advance as possible and to avoid traveling at rush hour.
The average ticket from Cologne to Budapest will cost around $107 if you buy it on the day, but the cheapest tickets can be found for only $84.
Of the 30 buses that leave Cologne for Budapest on Tue, Jun 30, 2 travel direct so it’s quite easy to avoid journeys where you’ll have to change along the way.
On Tue, Jun 30 the direct buses cover the 956 km distance in an average of 17 h 30 m but if you time it right, some buses will get you there in just 17 h 15 m .
On Tue, Jun 30 the slowest buses will take 17 h 50 m and usually involve a change or two along the way, but you might be able to save a few pennies if you’re on a budget.
FlixBus · FlixBus
FlixBus · FlixBus
FlixBus · FlixBus
FlixBus · FlixBus
FlixBus · FlixBus
FlixBus
FlixBus · FlixBus
FlixBus · FlixBus
FlixBus
FlixBus · FlixBusOmio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Cologne to Budapest among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the bus with prices starting from $61. For those with little time consider booking a flight which can get you there in 1h 58m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the train is your best bet as it emits only 0.3 - 0.9kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of $61, and a flight costs an average of $101.
Distance: 594 miles (956 km)
| Bus | Most popular Train | Flight | Driving |
|---|---|---|---|
$89 Average price Cheapest | $189 Average price | $519 Average price | $38 Average price (fuel + tolls) |
16h 52m Average total duration 16h 22m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 13h 10m Average total duration 12h 40m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 4h 58m Average total duration Fastest 1h 58m Onboard + 3h 0m Additional time* | 11h 43m Average total duration (door-to-door) |
1.0 - 2.4kg CO2 emissions | 0.3 - 0.9kg CO2 emissions Lowest | 2.9 - 5.7kg CO2 emissions | - CO2 emissions |
![]() Most popular bus company | ![]() Most popular train company | ![]() Most popular airline | Your own car or car rental |
Direct Options | Direct Options | Direct Options | Direct Options |
Additional time: Average total travel duration to departure point, security checks and transfers.
This is compared to other travel options from Cologne to Budapest:
A bus is $100 (€82) less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Cologne to Budapest costing on average $189 (€156).
A bus is $430 (€353) less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Cologne to Budapest costing on average $519 (€427).
Other travel options to Budapest take longer:
Train takes on average 12h 40m.
Bus takes on average 16h 22m.
You'll arrive about -5h -39m sooner (16h 22m by bus vs 11h 43m by car) and save roughly $-51.50 (€-42.33) compared to fuel and tolls ($89 (€74) vs $38 (€31)). You also skip the drive itself — no traffic stress, no parking, and you can use the time to work, nap, or catch up on a series with the onboard Wi-Fi.
Direct coaches are operated by FlixBus.
Driving is still worth considering if you're travelling with bulky luggage, need flexibility on departure times, or plan to stop along the way.
| Operator | Departure Time | Arrival Time | Duration | Departure days | Cheapest price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 02:20AM | Arrival Time 08:55PM | Duration 18h35 | Departure days Everyday | Cheapest price $78 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 03:10AM | Arrival Time 11:50PM | Duration 20h40 | Departure days Everyday | Cheapest price $82 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 04:50AM | Arrival Time 11:50PM | Duration 19h00 | Departure days Sat, Sun | Cheapest price $108 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 08:14AM | Arrival Time 06:25AM | Duration 22h11 | Departure days Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sun | Cheapest price $94 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 08:15AM | Arrival Time 05:35AM | Duration 21h20 | Departure days Thu | Cheapest price $86 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 08:35AM | Arrival Time 04:20AM | Duration 19h45 | Departure days Mon, Wed, Sat | Cheapest price $83 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 09:01AM | Arrival Time 09:05AM | Duration 24h04 | Departure days Thu, Fri, Sun | Cheapest price $105 |
Operator BlaBlaCar Bus | Departure Time 09:25AM | Arrival Time 06:20PM | Duration 32h55 | Departure days Fri, Sat, Sun | Cheapest price $182 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 10:35AM | Arrival Time 08:40AM | Duration 22h05 | Departure days Tue, Thu, Fri | Cheapest price $96 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 10:45AM | Arrival Time 07:30AM | Duration 20h45 | Departure days Thu, Sun | Cheapest price $85 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 11:05AM | Arrival Time 05:05AM | Duration 18h00 | Departure days Sun | Cheapest price $135 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 11:20AM | Arrival Time 07:30AM | Duration 20h10 | Departure days Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat | Cheapest price $78 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 12:14PM | Arrival Time 06:10AM | Duration 17h56 | Departure days Mon, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun | Cheapest price $97 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 12:55PM | Arrival Time 06:10AM | Duration 17h15 | Departure days Everyday | Cheapest price $82 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 01:35PM | Arrival Time 12:35PM | Duration 23h00 | Departure days Tue, Fri, Sun | Cheapest price $95 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 01:50PM | Arrival Time 05:10AM | Duration 15h20 | Departure days Mon, Wed, Sat | Cheapest price $92 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 03:50PM | Arrival Time 09:05AM | Duration 17h15 | Departure days Everyday | Cheapest price $77 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 04:14PM | Arrival Time 10:50AM | Duration 18h36 | Departure days Everyday | Cheapest price $82 |
Operator FlixTrain | Departure Time 04:14PM | Arrival Time 12:55PM | Duration 20h41 | Departure days Thu, Fri, Sun | Cheapest price $84 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 06:35PM | Arrival Time 05:50PM | Duration 23h15 | Departure days Thu, Fri, Sun | Cheapest price $86 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 07:35PM | Arrival Time 01:25PM | Duration 17h50 | Departure days Everyday | Cheapest price $81 |
Operator RegioJet a.s. | Departure Time 07:40PM | Arrival Time 04:35PM | Duration 20h55 | Departure days Everyday | Cheapest price $128 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 09:00PM | Arrival Time 06:45PM | Duration 21h45 | Departure days Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun | Cheapest price $84 |
Operator FlixBus | Departure Time 11:35PM | Arrival Time 05:50PM | Duration 18h15 | Departure days Everyday | Cheapest price $78 |
The table below shows live departures for Cologne to Budapest buses for tomorrow, Tuesday, June 30. You can also manually refresh the results below to see updated bus journeys.
| Provider | Departs | Duration | Arrives | Transfers | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FlixBus · FlixBus | 2:20 AM Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen) | 19h25 | 9:45 PM Budapest, Népliget Autóbusz-Pályaudvar | 1 transfer | |
FlixBus · FlixBus | 2:20 AM Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen) | 18h35 | 8:55 PM Budapest, Liszt Ferenc Nemzetközi Repülőtér | 1 transfer | |
FlixBus · FlixBus | 3:10 AM Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen) | 19h35 | 10:45 PM Budapest, Népliget Autóbusz-Pályaudvar | 1 transfer | |
FlixBus · FlixBus | 3:10 AM Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen) | 20h40 | 11:50 PM Budapest, Kelenföld Vasútállomás | 1 transfer | |
FlixTrain+ FlixBus · FlixBus | 8:14 AM Cologne Hbf | 24h51 | 9:05 AM Budapest, Krisztina körút / Kosciuszkó Tádé utca | 2 transfers | |
FlixTrain+ FlixBus | 8:14 AM Cologne Hbf | 22h11 | 6:25 AM Budapest, Népliget Autóbusz-Pályaudvar | 1 transfer | |
FlixTrain+ FlixBus | 8:14 AM Cologne Hbf | 21h56 | 6:10 AM Budapest, Kelenföld Vasútállomás | 1 transfer | |
FlixTrain+ FlixBus · FlixBus | 8:14 AM Cologne Hbf | 24h26 | 8:40 AM Budapest, Keleti Vasútállomás (Kerepesi út) | 2 transfers | |
FlixBus · FlixBus · FlixBus | 10:35 AM Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen) | 22h05 | 8:40 AM Budapest, Keleti Vasútállomás (Kerepesi út) | 2 transfers | |
FlixBus · FlixBus | 11:20 AM Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen) | 20h10 | 7:30 AM Budapest, Liszt Ferenc Nemzetközi Repülőtér | 1 transfer | |
FlixBus · FlixBus | 11:20 AM Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen) | 18h15 | 5:35 AM Budapest, Népliget Autóbusz-Pályaudvar | 1 transfer | |
FlixBus · FlixBus | 12:55 PM Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen) | 17h15 | 6:10 AM Budapest, Kelenföld Vasútállomás | 1 transfer | |
FlixBus · FlixBus · FlixBus | 1:35 PM Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen) | 23h00 | 12:35 PM Budapest, Mexikói Út M | 2 transfers | |
FlixBus | 3:50 PM Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen) | 17h15 | 9:05 AM Budapest, Krisztina körút / Kosciuszkó Tádé utca | 0 transfersDirect | |
FlixBus · FlixBus | 3:50 PM Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen) | 18h25 | 10:15 AM Budapest, Kelenföld Vasútállomás | 1 transfer | |
FlixBus | 3:50 PM Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen) | 17h35 | 9:25 AM Budapest, Népliget Autóbusz-Pályaudvar | 0 transfersDirect | |
FlixBus · FlixBus | 3:50 PM Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen) | 19h25 | 11:15 AM Budapest, Liszt Ferenc Nemzetközi Repülőtér | 1 transfer | |
FlixBus · FlixBus | 3:50 PM Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen) | 21h05 | 12:55 PM Budapest, Keleti Vasútállomás (Kerepesi út) | 1 transfer | |
FlixTrain+ FlixBus | 4:14 PM Cologne Hbf | 18h36 | 10:50 AM Budapest, Kelenföld Vasútállomás | 1 transfer | |
FlixTrain+ FlixBus | 4:14 PM Cologne Hbf | 18h56 | 11:10 AM Budapest, Népliget Autóbusz-Pályaudvar | 1 transfer | |
FlixTrain+ FlixBus · FlixBus | 4:14 PM Cologne Hbf | 23h21 | 3:35 PM Budapest, Liszt Ferenc Nemzetközi Repülőtér | 2 transfers | |
FlixBus · FlixBus | 7:35 PM Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen) | 17h35 | 1:10 PM Budapest, Kelenföld Vasútállomás | 1 transfer | |
FlixBus · FlixBus | 7:35 PM Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen) | 20h00 | 3:35 PM Budapest, Liszt Ferenc Nemzetközi Repülőtér | 1 transfer | |
FlixBus · FlixBus | 7:35 PM Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen) | 17h50 | 1:25 PM Budapest, Népliget Autóbusz-Pályaudvar | 1 transfer | |
(Amsterdam -> Prague) · (Prague -> Budapest) | 7:40 PM Köln, Köln Bonn Flughafen (Terminal 2) | 20h35 | 4:15 PM Budapest, Kelenföld Vasútállomás | 1 transfer | |
(Amsterdam -> Prague) · (Prague -> Budapest) | 7:40 PM Köln, Köln Bonn Flughafen (Terminal 2) | 20h55 | 4:35 PM Budapest, Népliget Autóbusz-Pályaudvar | 1 transfer | |
FlixBus · FlixBus | 9:00 PM Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen) | 21h45 | 6:45 PM Budapest, Liszt Ferenc Nemzetközi Repülőtér | 1 transfer | |
FlixBus · FlixBus | 11:35 PM Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen) | 18h15 | 5:50 PM Budapest, Kelenföld Vasútállomás | 1 transfer | |
FlixBus · FlixBus | 11:35 PM Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen) | 21h20 | 8:55 PM Budapest, Liszt Ferenc Nemzetközi Repülőtér | 1 transfer | |
FlixBus · FlixBus | 11:35 PM Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen) | 18h35 | 6:10 PM Budapest, Népliget Autóbusz-Pályaudvar | 1 transfer | |
Find all the dates and times for this journey
Compare train, bus, and flight prices over the next three weeks. See the best deals at a glance, find the lowest fares, and choose the option that fits your budget.
Buses from Cologne to Budapest run on average 21 times per day, taking around 16h 22m. Cheap bus tickets for this journey start at $61 (€50) if you book in advance.
There are 1 buses per day. The earliest bus runs at 00:45, the last at 23:55. The fastest bus covers the 594 miles (956 km) distance in 17h 15m.
Distance 594 miles (956 km) |
Average bus duration 16h 22m |
Cheapest ticket price $61 (€50) |
Buses per day 21 |
Direct buses 1 |
Fastest bus 17h 15m |
First bus 12:45 AM |
Last bus 11:55 PM |
Cheapest Month Jul |
Cheapest Day Mon |
High Season Oct - Dec |
Low Season Jan - Mar |
Busiest Day Sun |
Least Busy Day Sat |
Best time to book 70 days |
Discover the best of Budapest — top attractions, local food, transport tips, budget advice, and currency essentials. Plan your perfect Budapest trip today.
Major fine arts museum on Heroes’ Square with European paintings, sculpture, and temporary exhibitions.
A powerful museum on the fascist and communist dictatorships in Hungary, set in the former secret police headquarters.
The main museum for Hungarian art, housed inside Buda Castle with medieval, baroque, and modern collections.
Historic hilltop quarter of cobbled lanes, viewpoints, and elegant buildings surrounding Buda Castle.
Popular walking area for dramatic overlooks of the Danube, bridges, and the Pest skyline.
Grand boulevard lined with mansions, cultural venues, and cafés, ideal for architecture-focused walks.
Hungary’s iconic paprika-rich soup with beef, potatoes, and vegetables. In Budapest, it is a classic introduction to traditional home-style cooking.
Spicy fisherman’s soup made with river fish and paprika. It is a celebrated Hungarian dish, especially valued for its bold, deep flavor.
Tender chicken cooked in a creamy paprika sauce, often served with nokedli. It is one of the most beloved comfort dishes in Hungarian cuisine.
A respected family-run restaurant serving Hungarian and Hungarian-Jewish specialties in a warm, classic setting loved by locals and visitors.
A Michelin-starred Budapest dining room offering refined contemporary Hungarian cuisine with polished service and a fine dining atmosphere.
A stylish, long-running restaurant near Andrássy Avenue known for reliable Hungarian classics, retro atmosphere, and broad local appeal.
Moderate by European standards: public transport and casual dining are good value, while central hotels and upscale restaurants cost more.
A 10% service charge is often added in restaurants. If not, tip 10%. Round up for taxis; small tips for hotel staff are appreciated.
Official public transport app
Budapest, Népliget Autóbusz-Pályaudvar -> Deák Ferenc Tér, Budapest
Find answers to the most common questions about traveling from Cologne to Budapest by bus. From journey times and ticket prices to direct connections, first and last departures, and even whether the route is scenic, our FAQs cover everything you need to plan your trip. Whether you’re looking for the fastest bus, the cheapest option, or tips for making the most of your visit at Budapest, this guide helps you travel smarter and with confidence.

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