4.9
4.6
Travel Information
Compare bus, train, and flight for Cologne to Bologna
Omio recommends booking the flight as it is the most popular option from Cologne to Bologna among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price, take the bus, with an average ticket price of $113 For those with little time, consider booking a flight, which has an average total journey time of 4h 21m. Average ticket prices depend on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of $113, while a flight costs an average of $493.
Distance: 489 miles (787 km)
Compare flight with
Most popular Flight | Train | Bus | Driving |
|---|---|---|---|
$493 Average price | $166 Average price | $113 Average price Cheapest | $87 Average price (fuel + tolls) |
4h 21m Average total duration Fastest 2h 21m Onboard + 2h 0m Additional time* | 11h 41m Average total duration 11h 11m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 17h 19m Average total duration 16h 49m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 11h 3m Average total duration (door-to-door) |
 Most popular airline |  Most popular train company |  Most popular bus company | Your own car or car rental |
Direct Options | Direct Options | Direct Options | Direct Options |
This is compared to other travel options from Cologne to Bologna:
A bus is $54 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Cologne to Bologna costing on average $166.
A bus is $381 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Cologne to Bologna costing on average $493.
Other travel options to Bologna take longer:
Train takes on average 11h 41m.
Bus takes on average 17h 19m.
You'll arrive about 8h 42m sooner (2h 21m by flight vs 11h 3m by car). Tickets start at around $493 compared to roughly $87 in fuel and tolls — a bit more, but you get time back and avoid a long drive.
Driving makes more sense if you're travelling as a group, want flexibility on timing, or plan to stop en route.
Travel optionsfrom Cologne to Bologna
How to get from Cologne to Bologna by train, bus or flight.
Our recommendation
The best way to travel from Cologne to Bologna is by taking a bus because it’s the best combination of price and speed.
- FlixBus · FlixBus6:35 PM17h30Köln, Köln Bonn Flughafen (Terminal 2)12:05 PMBologna, Autostazione (Piazza XX Settembre)$1111One-way1 transfer
Cheapest
- FlixBus · FlixBus6:35 PM17h30Köln, Köln Bonn Flughafen (Terminal 2)12:05 PMBologna, Autostazione (Piazza XX Settembre)$1111One-way1 transfer
Fastest
FR 16027:15 PM1h35Cologne Bonn Airport8:50 PMBologna Airport$2141One-way0 transfers
Other options
- ICE 521 · RJ 834:28 AM11h40Cologne Hbf4:08 PMBologna Centrale$3071One-way1 transfer
- ICE 513 · RJ 877:54 AM12h22Cologne Hbf8:16 PMBologna Centrale$6001One-way1 transfer
- FlixBus · FlixBus1:35 PM17h10Köln, Köln Bonn Flughafen (Terminal 2)6:45 AMBologna, Autostazione (Piazza XX Settembre)$1151One-way1 transfer
FlixTrain+FlixBus · FlixBus4:14 PM23h16Cologne Hbf3:30 PMBologna, Autostazione (Piazza XX Settembre)$1171One-way2 transfers- FlixBus · FlixBus11:35 AM16h50Köln, Köln Bonn Flughafen (Terminal 2)4:25 AMBologna, Autostazione (Piazza XX Settembre)$1211One-way1 transfer
LH1985+
LH94867:35 PM3h05Cologne Bonn Airport10:40 PMBologna Airport$4231One-way1 transfer- LH1983+LH94866:25 PM4h15Cologne Bonn Airport10:40 PMBologna Airport$4231One-way1 transfer
- LH1977+LH94841:05 PM3h25Cologne Bonn Airport4:30 PMBologna Airport$5001One-way1 transfer
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.
Oct 16
Oct 17
Oct 18
Oct 19
Oct 20
Oct 21
Oct 22
Oct 23
Oct 24
Oct 25
Oct 26
Oct 27
Oct 28
Oct 29
More than 1,000 travel companies trust us to sell their tickets all in one place.
FAQs: Travel from Cologne to Bologna
Travel to Bologna 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 Bologna.
This is compared to other travel options from Cologne to Bologna:
A bus is $54 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Cologne to Bologna costing on average $166.
A bus is $381 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Cologne to Bologna costing on average $493.
Other travel options to Bologna take longer:
Train takes on average 11h 41m.
Bus takes on average 17h 19m.
- Around 10 flights per day.
- Around 7 buses per day.
- Around 1 trains per day.
However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Cologne and Bologna as scheduled services by bus, train, and flight can vary by season or day of the week.
- Flights mostly depart from Cologne Bonn Airport and arrive in Bologna Airport.
- Trains mostly depart from Cologne Hbf and arrive in Bologna Centrale.
- Buses mostly depart from Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen) and arrive in Bologna, Autostazione (Piazza XX Settembre).
- Travel with Deutsche Bahn to go to Bologna by train.
- Travel with FlixBus, Infobus, BlaBlaCar Bus, OneBus to go to Bologna by bus.
- Travel with Malta Air, Eurowings, Smartwings, Ryanair, Air Dolomiti, Lufthansa, Air Baltic, Swiss, Lufthansa City Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Helvetic Airways, ITA, British Airways to go to Bologna by flight.
- 1 direct buses per day with FlixBus, Infobus, OneBus.
- 1 direct flights per day with Malta Air, Smartwings, Ryanair.
Travelling from Cologne to Bologna: related information
Here are some other resources that might have the information you need
Travel to popular destinations by train, bus or flight
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.
