How to travel from Cologne to Berlin

Mon, Sep 09
+ Add return
QR-Code
Scan to get our free app
Use our app to get live travel updates and book mobile tickets for trains, buses, flights, and ferries.
App Store
rate4.9
42K ratings
Google Play
rate4.6
136K reviews

Travel Information from Cologne to Berlin

distanceDistance296 miles (478 km)
modeAvailable travel modesTrain, bus or flight
priceTicket price range$23 - $92
cheapestCheapest modeTrain • $23 (€20) • 4 h 17 min
fastestFastest modeFlight • $92 (€80) • 1 h 10 min
carriersPopular travel companiesBlaBlaCar, Eurowings or Deutsche Bahn

Take a train, bus or flight to travel 296 miles (478 km) between Cologne and Berlin. The most popular travel companies which serve this route are BlaBlaCar, 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.

FlixTrain
04:14PM5h14
Cologne Hbf
09:28PMBerlin Hbf
$351One-way
0 transfers
Cheapest
FlixTrain
04:14PM5h14
Cologne Hbf
09:28PMBerlin Hbf
$351One-way
0 transfers
Fastest
Eurowings
03:20PM1h10
Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN)
04:30PMBerlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)
$1611One-way
0 transfers
Other options
FlixTrain
04:14PM5h24
Cologne Hbf
09:38PMBerlin Südkreuz station
$351One-way
0 transfers
FlixTrain
06:13AM5h19
Cologne Hbf
11:32AMBerlin Hbf
$431One-way
0 transfers
FlixTrain
10:14AM5h40
Cologne Hbf
03:54PMBerlin Südkreuz station
$491One-way
0 transfers
FlixBus
07:50AM9h10
Köln, Flughafen
05:00PMBerlin, Zentralen Omnibusbahnhof
$411One-way
0 transfers
FlixBus
07:50AM9h45
Köln, Flughafen
05:35PMBerlin, Bahnhof Südkreuz
$411One-way
0 transfers
FlixBus
05:35PM9h30
Köln, Flughafen
03:05AMBerlin, Zentralen Omnibusbahnhof
$421One-way
0 transfers
Eurowings
02:20PM1h10
Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN)
03:30PMBerlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)
$1741One-way
0 transfers
Eurowings
06:30AM1h10
Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN)
07:40AMBerlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)
$2411One-way
0 transfers
Air Mercury
08:15AM1h10
Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN)
09:25AMBerlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)
$2681One-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

Mon
Sep 09
Tue
Sep 10
Wed
Sep 11
Thu
Sep 12
Fri
Sep 13
Sat
Sep 14
Sun
Sep 15
Mon
Sep 16
Tue
Sep 17
Wed
Sep 18
Thu
Sep 19
Fri
Sep 20
Sat
Sep 21
Sun
Sep 22
Mon
Sep 23
Tue
Sep 24
Wed
Sep 25
Thu
Sep 26
Fri
Sep 27
Sat
Sep 28
Sun
Sep 29

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.

More than 1,000 travel companies trust us to sell their tickets all in one place.

Trenitalia
Easyjet
Deutsche Bahn
SNCF

All travel companies: Airlines, Train and Bus from Cologne to Berlin

EasyJet, BlaBlaCar Bus and Deutsche Bahn will get you between Cologne and Berlin at great prices. With over 1000 travel companies on Omio, you can find the best travel times, prices and tickets for your trip.

Deutsche Bahn is a German train company that operates trains throughout the country including trains from Cologne to Berlin. It offers a wide range of services, including high-speed InterCity Express (ICE) trains, regional trains, and night trains. ICE trains are the fastest and most comfortable way to travel, with speeds of up to 300 km/h. Regional trains are slower but offer more frequent stops and are ideal for shorter trips. Night trains are a great way to save time and money, with comfortable sleeping compartments and couchettes. Deutsche Bahn offers a variety of ticket types, including single tickets, day tickets, and group tickets. Onboard facilities include free Wi-Fi, power outlets, and a variety of food and beverage options. The most popular routes for Deutsche Bahn are between major cities such as Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, and Frankfurt. Other popular routes include Cologne to Stuttgart, Berlin to Dresden, and Hamburg to Cologne.

    FlixBus is one of the most popular low-cost travel companies in Europe. Founded in Germany, FlixBus has expanded its services throughout Europe and even to the United States, giving travelers in both continents the option to take a long-distance travel at an affordable price. FlixBus also operates overnight travel on select routes throughout Europe. FlixBus offers only the Standard ticket for all its routes, which allows you to bring one carry-on bag and one checked bag per person. Additional fees apply for bringing extra luggage and making specific seat reservations, such as if you want to book an Extra Seat, Table Seat or the Panorama Seat. Standard amenities onboard include free Wi-Fi, power outlets to charge your phone, tablet or laptop during long travel journeys, extra legroom, luggage space and toilets.

      Eurowings is Germany's leading low-cost airline and offers a choice of Smart, Best and BIZclass fares for your next travel between Cologne and Berlin.

        FAQs: Travel from Cologne to Berlin

        FAQs: 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

        There are 3 travel options from Cologne to Berlin: train, bus or flight.

        The cheapest way to travel between Cologne and Berlin is a train with an average price of $23 (€20).

        This is compared to other travel options from Cologne to Berlin:

        A train is $7 (€6) less than a bus with an average ticket price of $30 (€26) from Cologne to Berlin.

        A train is $69 (€60) less than a flight for this trip with tickets for a flight from Cologne to Berlin costing on average $92 (€80).

        The fastest way to get to Berlin from Cologne is by flight with an average travel time of 1 h 10 min.

        Other travel options to Berlin take longer:

        Getting to Berlin by bus takes 8 h 55 min on average.

        Train takes on average 4 h 17 min.

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

        The average frequency per day from Cologne to Berlin is:

        • 2 trains a day.

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

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

        • Buses mostly leave from Cologne, Siegburger Street (Access Tankstelle) and tend to arrive in Berlin, Zentralen Omnibusbahnhof.
        • Flights mostly leave from Cologne Bonn Airport and tend to arrive in Berlin Brandenburg Airport.
        • Trains from Cologne to Berlin most often leave from Cologne Hbf and arrive in Berlin Hbf.

        The following travel companies offer services from Cologne to Berlin:

        • Travel with BlaBlaCar, FlixBus, BlaBlaCar Bus or Infobus to go to Berlin by bus. For a good deal on tickets, you can find FlixBus Cologne to Berlin tickets on Omio for $28 (€24).
        • Eurowings, easyJet, TUIfly, Smartwings, Lufthansa Cityline (2), airmax, Eurowings Europe, Air Baltic, PGA-Portugalia Airlines, CityJet or Lufthansa can get you to Berlin by plane. You can find a good deal for plane tickets with Eurowings from Cologne to Berlin for $104 (€90) on Omio.
        • Deutsche Bahn or FlixTrain can get you to Berlin by train. You can find a good deal for train tickets with FlixTrain from Cologne to Berlin for $23 (€20) on Omio.

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

        • 2 direct trains per day with Deutsche Bahn or FlixTrain.

        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.

        Looking to extend your trip from Cologne to Berlin? Many Omio customers who go from Cologne to Berlin usually extend their vacation to explore other popular destinations like Prague, Paris, Amsterdam, Munich or Dresden. If you're looking to explore Prague, Paris, Amsterdam, Munich or Dresden from Berlin, let Omio find you the best connections available at an affordable price.
        HomeTravelTravel to GermanyTravel to BerlinHow to travel from Cologne to Berlin

        The Omio App Makes Travel Planning Easy

        We’ll get you where you want to go. From live train updates to mobile tickets, our innovative app is the ideal way to plan and keep track of your travel.

        ios-badge
        android-badge
        Hand With Phone
        More routes, destinations and providers
        Currency
        Language

        Useful links