How to travel from Cologne to Zurich

Sun, Feb 01
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Travel by train, bus, flight with
Deutsche Bahn
Eurowings
BlaBlaCar
FlixBus
ÖBB | Euro City (EC)
1,000+ more
Deutsche Bahn
Eurowings
BlaBlaCar
FlixBus
ÖBB | Euro City (EC)
1,000+ more
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Travel Information

Compare train, bus, and flight for Cologne to Zurich

Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Cologne to Zurich among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the bus with prices starting from €24. For those with little time consider booking a flight which can get you there in 1h 19m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the train is your best bet as it emits only 0.1 - 0.4kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of €24, and a flight costs an average of €80.

Distance: 256 miles (413 km)

Compare train with

Most popular
Train
Flight
Bus

€137

Average price

€188

Average price

€55

Average price

Cheapest

7h 7m

Average total duration

6h 37m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

4h 19m

Average total duration

Fastest

1h 19m

Onboard

+

3h 0m

Additional time*

10h 3m

Average total duration

9h 33m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

0.1 - 0.4kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

1.2 - 2.5kg

CO2 emissions

0.4 - 1.0kg

CO2 emissions

Deutsche Bahn

Most popular train company

Eurowings

Most popular airline

BlaBlaCar

Most popular bus company

Direct Options

Direct Options

Direct Options

Additional time: Average total travel duration to departure point, security checks and transfers.

Travel options
from Cologne to Zurich

How to get from Cologne to Zurich by train, bus or flight.

Our recommendation

bus

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

FlixBusFlixBus · FlixBus
11:30PM16h00
Köln, Kennedystraße (Bonn Flughafen)
03:30PMKloten, Zürich Flughafen (Bahnhof)
$501One-way
1 transfer

Cheapest

FlixBusFlixBus · FlixBus
11:30PM16h00
Köln, Kennedystraße (Bonn Flughafen)
03:30PMKloten, Zürich Flughafen (Bahnhof)
$501One-way
1 transfer

Fastest

Eurowings EW768
06:30PM1h00
Cologne Bonn Airport
07:30PMZurich Airport
$2521One-way
0 transfers

Other options

Deutsche BahnICE 511 · ICE 275
05:48AM5h12
Cologne Hbf
11:00AMZurich HB
$1141One-way
1 transfer
Deutsche BahnICE 929 · ICE 1015 · ECE 9 · IR 2347
05:53PM7h13
Cologne Hbf
01:06AMZurich HB
$911One-way
4 transfers
Deutsche BahnICE 205 · ICE 77 · 17151+SBBS6
08:54PM10h06
Cologne Hbf
07:00AMZurich HB
$861One-way
4 transfers
FlixBusFlixBus · FlixBus
02:20AM18h30
Köln, Kennedystraße (Bonn Flughafen)
08:50PMKloten, Zürich Flughafen (Bahnhof)
$521One-way
1 transfer
Eurowings EW8051 · EW8764
08:45AM4h50
Cologne Bonn Airport
01:35PMZurich Airport
$2841One-way
1 transfer
Eurowings EW2 · EW8764
07:00AM6h35
Cologne Bonn Airport
01:35PMZurich Airport
$2841One-way
1 transfer
Eurowings EW762
06:45AM1h00
Cologne Bonn Airport
07:45AMZurich Airport
$3791One-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

Compare train, bus, 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.

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How to get from Cologne to Zürich

The Best Way According to our Users

Whether it is for business or leisure, in order to travel from Cologne to Zürich, 76,19% 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 Zürich 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 Zürich. 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

FAQs: Travel from Cologne to Zurich

Travel to Zurich 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 Zurich.

FAQs
There are 3 options to travel between Cologne and Zurich including taking a train, bus, and flight.
The cheapest way to travel from Cologne to Zurich is a bus with an average price of $31 (€24).

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

A bus is $47 (€38) less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Cologne to Zurich costing on average $78 (€62).

A bus is $70 (€56) less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Cologne to Zurich costing on average $101 (€80).

The fastest way to travel from Cologne to Zurich is by flight with an average journey time of 1h 0m.

Other travel options to Zurich take longer:

Train takes on average 4h 50m.

Bus takes on average 10h 15m.

The distance from Cologne to Zurich is approximately 256 miles (413 km).
The average frequency per day from Cologne to Zurich is:
  • Around 11 trains per day.
  • Around 7 flights per day.
  • Around 3 buses per day.

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

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Cologne to Zurich:
  • Flights mostly depart from Cologne Bonn Airport and arrive in Zurich Airport.
  • Trains mostly depart from Cologne Hbf and arrive in Zurich HB.
  • Buses mostly depart from Köln, Kennedystraße (Bonn Flughafen) and arrive in Zürich, Sihlquai Bus Terminal (Carparkplatz Sihlquai).
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Cologne to Zurich, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with BlaBlaCar, FlixBus, BlaBlaCar Bus to go to Zurich by bus.
  • Travel with Eurowings , Smartwings, TUIfly, Lufthansa, LAER to go to Zurich by flight.
  • Travel with Deutsche Bahn, ÖBB | Euro City (EC), ÖBB | ICE, ÖBB Nightjet, ÖBB | InterCity to go to Zurich by train.
Yes, there are direct services available from Cologne to Zurich with the following travel companies:
  • 1 direct buses per day with BlaBlaCar.
  • 3 direct flights per day with Eurowings , Smartwings.
  • 0 direct trains per day with ÖBB Nightjet.
Omio customers who travel from Cologne to Zurich often also extend their vacation to go to Paris, Milan, Munich, Vienna, Lucerne. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between Zurich and these popular destinations at a great price.
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