How to travel from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main

Thu, Feb 20
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Travel Information from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main

distanceDistance94 miles (152 km)
modeAvailable travel modesBus or train
priceTicket price range$14 - $10
cheapestCheapest modeBus • $10 (€9) • 2 h
fastestFastest modeTrain • $14 (€13) • 49 min
carriersPopular travel companiesFlixBus or Deutsche Bahn

Travel 94 miles (152 km) by bus or train to Frankfurt am Main from Cologne. The most popular travel companies which serve this trip are FlixBus or Deutsche Bahn among others. Travelers can even take a direct bus or train from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main.

Travel options
from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main

How to get from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main by train, bus or flight.

Our recommendation
bus

The best way to travel from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main is by taking a bus because it’s the best combination of price and speed.

FlixBus
10:35AM2h10
Köln, Flughafen
12:45PMFrankfurt am Main
$151One-way
0 transfers
Cheapest
STUDENT AGENCY k.s.
07:40PM2h50
Cologne
10:30PMFrankfurt am Main
$101One-way
0 transfers
Fastest
Deutsche Bahn
11:44AM0h49
Cologne Messe/Deutz
12:33PMFrankfurt Airport long-distance station
$511One-way
0 transfers
Other options
Deutsche Bahn
11:25AM2h13
Cologne Messe/Deutz
01:38PMFrankfurt Airport long-distance station
$331One-way
0 transfers
Deutsche Bahn
11:25AM2h34
Cologne Messe/Deutz
01:59PMFrankfurt (Main) Hbf
$331One-way
0 transfers
Deutsche Bahn
07:52AM2h21
Cologne Messe/Deutz
10:13AMFrankfurt (Main) Hbf
$361One-way
0 transfers
FlixBus
08:35AM2h25
Köln, Flughafen
11:00AMFrankfurt am Main
$161One-way
0 transfers
FlixBus
10:40AM2h50
Köln, Flughafen
01:30PMFrankfurt, Flughafen Terminal 2
$141One-way
0 transfers
FlixBus
08:35AM2h00
Köln, Flughafen
10:35AMFrankfurt, Flughafen Terminal 2
$161One-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

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How to Travel from Cologne to Frankfurt?

Trains and buses are the most popular means of transportation between Cologne and Frankfurt. A number of service providers operate daily connections between the two cities, and it takes an average of 1 hour 30 minutes to cover the journey by train, or 3 hours by a direct bus.

What is the Cheapest Way To Get from Cologne to Frankfurt?

The cheapest way to travel from Cologne to Frankfurt is by bus. Several operators such as Karat-S, FlixBus and Blablacar offer coach services along this route, with most running direct connections between the two destinations. Out of the 20 connections made daily, 16 are provided by FlixBus, 3 by Blablacar and 1 by Karat-S. It takes about three hours to cover the journey. The three main departure points for buses leaving Cologne for Frankfurt are Cologne Central Bus Station, Cologne Bonn Airport and Breslauer Platz. Most bus connections arriving in Frankfurt arrive into the Frankfurt Central Station.

What is the Fastest Way to Travel from Cologne to Frankfurt?

A train ride provides the quickest option to travel from Cologne to Frankfurt, with the journey lasting an average of 1 hour 30 minutes, although some trips take less time, about one hour. Deutsche Bahn (DB) is the main train operator along this route. Cologne Central Station is the main departure point for trains leaving Cologne, and Frankfurt Central Station is the main arrival station. On average, 33 trains leave Cologne for Frankfurt every day, with a departure scheduled once every 35 minutes.

Find and Book with Omio the Best Tickets from Cologne to Frankfurt

Whether you want to travel from Cologne to Frankfurt via train or bus, the Omio website and app help you to compare and choose the best routes, departure times, and ticket prices for your travel preferences.

Travel from Cologne to Frankfurt by Train

It will take you approximately 1 hour 30 minutes to travel from Cologne to Frankfurt by train. Deutsche Bahn offers all the services on this route, most of which are direct trips. On average, there are 33 trains that travel the Cologne to Frankfurt route daily, with at least one transfer connection per day, mostly via Mainz or Frankfurt Airport. The main departure point for trains leaving Cologne for Frankfurt is Cologne Central Station, while Frankfurt Central Station is the arrival Station. From there, you can easily access the city center via taxi.  

Travel from Cologne to Frankfurt by Bus

Coach providers like FlixBus, Blablacar and Karat-S offer reliable transport services between Cologne and Frankfurt, a journey that lasts three hours. There is an average of 20 direct connections per day between the two cities. FlixBus is the most popular service provider, making at least 16 trips daily. Blablacar makes three trips per day, while Karat-S offers at least one trip per day. The main departure point in Cologne is the Cologne Central Bus Station, with Frankfurt Central Station as the arrival point. Passengers can access the city center via taxi or a 20 minute walk on foot.

How to get from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main

The Best Way According to our Users

Whether it is for business or leisure, in order to travel from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main, 84,73% 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 Frankfurt am Main 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 Frankfurt am Main. 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: Train and Bus from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main

You can travel by train or bus for as low as $10 (€9). When you search for schedules and tickets, Omio will show you the best route.

Deutsche Bahn (DB) is Germany’s main provider of travel services and makes on average about 40,000 domestic and international journeys per day. Deutsche Bahn’s fleet of travel includes the high-speed ICE (Intercity Express) as well as the IC (Intercity), EC (Eurocity), IRE (Interregio-Express), RE (Regional Express) and RB (Regionalbahn), which differ in terms of comfort and the time needed to travel. For example, while toilets are standard amenities, services like onboard restaurants or free WiFi are only available on certain train types and routes. Deutsche Bahn is well-known for its wide range of fares like Super Saver, Saver, and Flexible and discount cards like the Bahncard 25, 50 and 100, which you can also use for your Cologne to Frankfurt am Main travel.

Deutsche Bahn from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main travel information:

  • Average Duration: 1 h 3 min
  • Cheapest Price: $20
  • Deutsche Bahn frequency: 25 a day

BlaBlaCar Bus (formerly known as Ouibus or iDBUS), a subsidiary of the popular French carpooling company, BlaBlaCar, is a travel company operating long-distance services in 10 countries in Europe. Founded in France, BlaBlaCar Bus provides connections to over 300 destinations. Standard amenities on the travel include air conditioning, toilets, USB and power outlets for charging phones, tablets and laptops during long travel journeys, extra legroom and adjustable seats. On select routes there is also free Wi-Fi available. BlaBlaCar Bus offers only the Standard ticket for all its routes, which allows you to bring one carry-on bag and up to two checked bags per person.

FAQs: Travel from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main

FAQs: Travel to Frankfurt am Main 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 Frankfurt am Main.
FAQs

There are 2 options to travel from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main including taking a bus or train.

The cheapest way to travel to Frankfurt am Main from Cologne is a bus with an average price of $10 (€9).

This is compared to other travel options from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main:

A bus is () less than a flight for this journey with tickets for a flight from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main costing on average ().

A bus is $5 (€4) less than a train with an average ticket price of $14 (€13) from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main.

The fastest way from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main is by train with an average journey time of 49 min.

There are alternative travel options to Frankfurt am Main that take longer:

Bus takes 2 h on average.

You should expect to travel around 94 miles (152 km) between Cologne and Frankfurt am Main.

The average frequency per day from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main is:

  • Around 25 buses per day.
  • Around 5 flights per day.
  • Around 18 trains per day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your trip to Frankfurt am Main from Cologne as scheduled services by bus or train can vary by season or day of the week.

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main:

  • Trains from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main most often leave from Cologne Hbf and arrive in Frankfurt am Main Flughafen.

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

  • You can take a bus from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main with FlixBus. Cheap tickets can be found for $15 (€13) with FlixBus from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main.
  • You can take a train from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main with Deutsche Bahn, ÖBB Nightjet or NS Domestic. Cheap tickets can be found for $14 (€13) with Deutsche Bahn from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main.

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

  • Direct bus available with FlixBus 24 direct buses per day.
  • Direct trains with Deutsche Bahn, ÖBB Nightjet or NS Domestic with 15 direct trains per day.

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

Your trip from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main doesn't have to end in Frankfurt am Main. Many of our customers like to extend their vacation to explore other popular destinations like Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam or Munich. If you’d like to add Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam or Munich to your Cologne to Frankfurt am Main tour, check Omio for the best and cheapest ways to travel to any of these top destinations from Frankfurt am Main today!
HomeTravelTravel to GermanyTravel to Frankfurt am MainHow to travel from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main

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