How to travel from Cologne to Hamburg

There are 3 ways to get from Cologne to Hamburg: train, bus or flight.

The cheapest way to get from Cologne to Hamburg is by taking a bus with average ticket prices of $17 (€15) compared to other travel options to Hamburg:

A bus is $83 (€75) less than a flight with an average ticket price of $100 (€90) from Cologne to Hamburg.

A bus is $1 (€1) less than a train for this journey with tickets for a train from Cologne to Hamburg costing on average $18 (€16).

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

Bus takes 6 h 30 min on average.

Getting to Hamburg by train takes 3 h 36 min on average.

The distance is approximately 223 miles (360 km) from Cologne to Hamburg.

The average frequency per day from Cologne to Hamburg is:

• 4 buses a day.
• Around 7 flights per day.
• 9 trains a day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your trip between Cologne and Hamburg 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 Hamburg:

• Flights from Cologne to Hamburg most often leave from Cologne Bonn Airport and arrive in Hamburg Airport.
• Trains mostly leave from Cologne Hbf and tend to arrive in Hamburg Hbf.

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

• You can travel to Hamburg from Cologne by bus with FlixBus or Wupsi. You can find cheap tickets on Omio for $17 (€15) with FlixBus from Cologne to Hamburg.
• You can travel to Hamburg from Cologne by flight with Eurowings, Lufthansa or TUIfly. You can find cheap tickets on Omio for $100 (€90) with Eurowings from Cologne to Hamburg.
• You can travel from Cologne to Hamburg by train with Deutsche Bahn or FlixTrain. You can find cheap tickets on Omio for $18 (€16) with FlixTrain from Cologne to Hamburg.

Yes, there are direct routes from Cologne to Hamburg with the following travel companies:

• You can check for a direct bus to Hamburg with with 4 direct buses per day.
• You can find 1 direct flight per day to take to Hamburg with Eurowings.
• You'll find 7 direct trains a day to Hamburg with Deutsche Bahn or FlixTrain.

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