How to travel from Cologne to Berlin

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Travel Information to Berlin from Cologne

Distance296 miles (478 km)
Available travel modesBus, train or flight
Ticket price range$20 - $100
Cheapest modeTrain • $20 (€18) • 4 h 31 min
Fastest modeFlight • $100 (€90) • 1 h 10 min
Popular travel companiesFlixBus, Eurowings or Deutsche Bahn

Travel 296 miles (478 km) by bus, train or flight from Cologne to Berlin. The most popular travel companies which serve this route are FlixBus, Eurowings or Deutsche Bahn among others. Travelers can even take a direct bus, flight or train from Cologne to Berlin.

Travel options
from Cologne to Berlin

How to get from Cologne to Berlin by train, bus or flight.

Our recommendation

train

The best way to travel from Cologne to Berlin is by taking a train because it’s the best combination of price and speed.

FlixTrainFlixTrain
08:01AM5h31
Cologne Hbf
01:32PMBerlin Hbf
$411One-way
0 transfers

Cheapest

FlixBusFlixBus
09:45PM9h15
Köln, Kennedystraße (Bonn Flughafen)
07:00AMBerlin, Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof (ZOB)
$351One-way
0 transfers

Fastest

Eurowings EW4
10:35AM1h10
Cologne Bonn Airport
11:45AMBerlin Brandenburg Airport
$3071One-way
0 transfers

Other options

FlixTrainFlixTrain
08:01AM5h43
Cologne Hbf
01:44PMBerlin Ostbahnhof
$411One-way
0 transfers
Deutsche BahnICE 845
07:26AM4h50
Cologne Hbf
12:16PMBerlin Hbf
$691One-way
0 transfers
Deutsche BahnIC 2204 · ICE 757
09:38AM5h25
Cologne Hbf
03:03PMBerlin Hbf
$691One-way
1 transfer
FlixBusFlixBus
09:45PM9h50
Köln, Kennedystraße (Bonn Flughafen)
07:35AMBerlin, Bahnhof Südkreuz
$351One-way
0 transfers
FlixBusFlixBus
05:45PM9h25
Köln, Kennedystraße (Bonn Flughafen)
03:10AMBerlin, Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof (ZOB)
$431One-way
0 transfers
FlixBusFlixBus
05:45PM9h45
Köln, Kennedystraße (Bonn Flughafen)
03:30AMBerlin, Bahnhof Südkreuz
$431One-way
0 transfers
Eurowings EW8071
06:20PM1h10
Cologne Bonn Airport
07:30PMBerlin Brandenburg Airport
$3071One-way
0 transfers
Eurowings EW14
07:05PM1h10
Cologne Bonn Airport
08:15PMBerlin Brandenburg Airport
$3071One-way
0 transfers
Eurowings EW8051
08:45AM1h10
Cologne Bonn Airport
09:55AMBerlin Brandenburg Airport
$3691One-way
0 transfers

Find all the dates and times for this journey by train, bus, flight, and ferry .

Compare prices and tickets Prices for trains, buses and flights

Compare bus, train, 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.

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The Journey from Cologne to Berlin

Traveling from Cologne to Berlin across Germany can all be conveniently done by train, plane, or bus, depending on budget and available time. A direct route between the two cities measures 480 kilometers, and takes around an hour by plane. Journeys by rail and road will take around four and eight hours respectively. The quickest routes of both go north-west via Dortmund and Hanover on the way to Berlin.

Buses from Cologne to Berlin

Buses leave Leverkusen-Mitte bus station in Cologne more than a dozen times per day for the capital, and with several providers offering services, prices are competitive and usually lower than going by plane or train. Journey times traveling from Cologne direct to Berlin are around eight hours, with the final stop in Berlin city center dependent on the provider.

Trains from Cologne to Berlin

Traveling from Cologne to Berlin on Germany’s regional train service or Intercity Express (ICE) usually takes around four hours and 20 minutes from Cologne's central station to Berlin Hauptbanhof, and there are trains departing at least every hour until mid-evening.

Flights from Cologne to Berlin

Traveling from Cologne to Berlin offers the shortest journey time and most direct route, with several providers offering flights several times per day. Flights take just over an hour from Cologne Bonn Airport to both Berlin Tegel and Berlin Schönefeld airports and just a short onward journey to the city's center. Flight prices are commonly higher when booking at short notice, but flights can be found with budget airlines such as Ryanair and Eurowings going to both Berlin airports that compete with or even beat the cost of many rail and bus tickets.

How to get from Cologne to Berlin

The Best Way According to our Users

Whether it is for business or leisure, in order to travel from Cologne to Berlin, 68,34% of our customers choose the train as their preferred mode of transportation. By traveling by train on this route, you can enjoy the comfort of spacious seats, spectacular views—and in some cases free Wi-Fi—in both second and first class. Our customers have decided that the train is the best way to get from Cologne to Berlin and have chosen to enjoy this fast, safe and efficient way to arrive at their destination. Taking the train also avoids long lines or potential expenses for transfers to/from the station—especially since most main railway stations are located in the city center. Train companies in Europe vary from country to country, but most of them offer high-speed train routes, therefore when you add up at the end-to-end journey time, the train is often also the fastest way to get to your destination.

Search on Omio to find cheap tickets from Cologne to Berlin. It’s easy to find the most attractive prices and choose your preferred route for your journey. Book on web or app, and travel with your mobile ticket —without the stress of printing your ticket.

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Trenitalia
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Deutsche Bahn
SNCF

FAQs: Travel from Cologne to Berlin

Travel to Berlin easily. Whether you want fast, cheap or something entirely different, our travel experts have collected everything you need to know so you can find the best option from Cologne to Berlin.

FAQs

You can get from Cologne to Berlin 3 different ways: bus, train or flight.

The cheapest way to go to Berlin from Cologne is by taking a train, which costs on average $20 (€18).

This is compared to other ways of getting from Cologne to Berlin:

Taking a train costs $1 (€1) less than taking a bus, which costs on average $20 (€18) for the same trip.

A train is $80 (€72) less than a flight for this journey with tickets for a flight from Cologne to Berlin costing on average $100 (€90).

The quickest way to travel to Berlin from Cologne is by flight, which takes on average 1 h 10 min   compared to other travel options that take longer:

Getting to Berlin by bus takes 8 h 30 min on average.

Taking a train requires on average 4 h 31 min of travel time.

The distance from Cologne to Berlin is approximately 296 miles (478 km).

The average frequency per day from Cologne to Berlin is:

  • 11 buses per day.
  • Around 8 flights per day.
  • Around 12 trains per day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Cologne and Berlin as scheduled services by bus, train or flight can vary by season or day of the week.

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Cologne to Berlin:

  • Flights mostly depart from Cologne Bonn Airport and arrive in Berlin Brandenburg Airport.
  • Trains from Cologne to Berlin most often leave from Cologne Hbf and arrive in Berlin Hbf.

Omio works with many trusted partners that can help you travel the best way from Cologne to Berlin:

  • You can go to Berlin from Cologne by bus with FlixBus or Wupsi. You'll see cheap bus tickets for $20 (€18) with FlixBus from Cologne to Berlin on Omio.
  • You can take a flight from Cologne to Berlin with Eurowings, Smartwings, Air Mercury, Lufthansa Cityline (2), Air Baltic or Lufthansa. Cheap tickets can be found for $55 (€50) with Smartwings from Cologne to Berlin.
  • You can take a train from Cologne to Berlin with Deutsche Bahn, FlixTrain or Österreichische Bundesbahnen. Cheap tickets can be found for $20 (€18) with Deutsche Bahn from Cologne to Berlin.

Yes, there are direct services available from Cologne to Berlin with the following travel companies:

  • 9 direct buses per day with FlixBus.
  • Direct flight available with Eurowings 3 direct flights per day.
  • 8 direct trains per day with Deutsche Bahn, FlixTrain or Österreichische Bundesbahnen.

Direct services tend to save you time and add more convenience in getting you to Berlin as you won't need to transfer at another stop in between, so it's worth paying attention to before booking your tickets to Berlin from Cologne.

Many of our customers traveling from Cologne to Berlin don't make Berlin their final stop. Some of the destinations worth visiting after Berlin are Prague, Paris, Amsterdam, Munich or Dresden, either of which you could add to your trip itinerary. Check Omio for the best and cheapest ways to travel from Berlin to any of these top destinations today!
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