How to get from Cologne to Berlin by train, bus or flight.
The best way to travel from Cologne to Berlin is by taking a train because it’s the best combination of price and speed.
Find all the dates and times for this journey by train, bus, flight, and ferry .
296 miles (478 km) | |
Bus, flight or train | |
$57 - $233 | |
Bus • $57 (€49) • 9 h 40 min | |
Flight • $233 (€200) • 1 h 10 min | |
FlixBus, Eurowings or FlixTrain |
Take a bus, flight or train to travel 296 miles (478 km) to Berlin from Cologne. If speed is a priority, then a flight is the best option with an average duration of 1 h 10 min; whereas, if saving money is more important, then a bus is the best option with prices starting as low as $57 (€49). The most popular travel companies which serve this trip are FlixBus, Eurowings or FlixTrain among others. Travelers can even take a direct bus, flight or train 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 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.
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.
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.
You can travel by train, bus or flight for as low as $23 (€20). When you search for schedules and tickets, Omio will show you the best journey.
Deutsche Bahn (DB) is the main provider of travel services in Germany, making on average 40,000 journeys per day. A special feature of Deutsche Bahn is its wide range of ticket types, savings offers including Super Saver, Saver, and Flexible fares and discount cards like the Bahncard 25, 50 and 100, which you can also use for your travel from Cologne to Berlin. DB uses different types of travel such as the ICE (Intercity Express), IC (Intercity), EC (Eurocity), IRE (Interregio-Express), RE (Regional Express) and RB (Regionalbahn) on its routes, which differ in terms of comfort and the time required to travel. For example, while bathrooms are standard amenities, services like an onboard restaurant or free WiFi are only available on certain travel.
FlixBus is one of Europe's leading low-cost travel companies, founded in Germany and offering long-distance travel services in Europe and the U. S. FlixBus also operates overnight travel on select routes throughout Europe. Standard amenities on FlixBus include free Wi-Fi, power outlets to charge your phone, tablet or laptop during long travel journeys, extra legroom, luggage space and toilets. You can even purchase snacks and drinks onboard. FlixBus offers only the Standard ticket for all its routes, which allows you to bring one carry-on luggage and one checked bag per person. Additional fees apply for extra luggage and specific seat reservations, such as if you want to book an Extra Seat, Table Seat or the Panorama Seat.
EasyJet is a British multinational low-cost airline headquartered at London Luton Airport (LTN). It’s the largest UK-based carrier based on the number of passengers carried. EasyJet flies to over 150 destinations across Europe and North Africa, making it a popular budget airline for travelers. To keep fares as low as possible, easyJet tickets are non-refundable and no complimentary snacks are provided onboard. All fare types include allowance of one small personal bag, while additional fees apply for carry-on luggage and checked luggage.
There are 3 options to travel to Berlin from Cologne including taking a bus, flight or train.
The cheapest way to get from Cologne to Berlin is by taking a bus with average ticket prices of $57 (€49) compared to other travel options to Berlin:
Taking a bus costs $176 (€151) less than taking a flight, which costs on average $233 (€200) for the same trip.
Taking a bus costs $12 (€10) less than taking a train, which costs on average $69 (€59) for the same trip.
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:
Bus takes 9 h 40 min on average.
Train takes on average 7 h 28 min.
Berlin is approximately 296 miles (478 km) away from Cologne.
The average frequency per day from Cologne to Berlin is:
However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your journey from Cologne to Berlin as scheduled services by bus, flight or train can vary by season or day of the week.
These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Cologne to Berlin:
Omio works with many trusted partners that can help you travel the best way from Cologne to Berlin:
Yes, there are direct services available from Cologne to Berlin with the following travel companies:
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 from Cologne to Berlin.
Here are some other resources that might have the information you need