4.9
4.6
Travel Information
Compare train, bus, and flight for Salzburg to Cologne
Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Salzburg to Cologne among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price, take the bus, with an average ticket price of €49 For those with little time, consider booking a flight, which has an average total journey time of 5h 13m. If you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint, the train is your best option, with estimated CO2 emissions of 0.2 - 0.5kg. Average ticket prices depend on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of €49, while a flight costs an average of €460.
Distance: 349 miles (562 km)
Compare train with
Most popular Train | Bus | Flight | Driving |
|---|---|---|---|
€100 Average price | €49 Average price Cheapest | €460 Average price | €45 Average price (fuel + tolls) |
7h 20m Average total duration 6h 50m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 11h 34m Average total duration 11h 4m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 5h 13m Average total duration Fastest 3h 13m Onboard + 2h 0m Additional time* | 6h 52m Average total duration (door-to-door) |
0.2 - 0.5kg CO2 emissions Lowest | 0.6 - 1.4kg CO2 emissions | 1.7 - 3.4kg CO2 emissions | - CO2 emissions |
 Most popular train company |  Most popular bus company |  Most popular airline | Your own car or car rental |
Direct Options | Direct Options | Direct Options | Direct Options |
Additional time: Average total travel duration to departure point, security checks and transfers.
Compare ways to travel from Salzburg to Cologne
Compare the available ways to get from Salzburg to Cologne, with the key details around price, speed, convenience, and direct service.
This is compared to other travel options from Salzburg to Cologne:
A bus is €52 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Salzburg to Cologne costing on average €100.
A bus is €412 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Salzburg to Cologne costing on average €460.
Other travel options to Cologne take longer:
Train takes on average 7h 20m.
Bus takes on average 11h 34m.
You'll arrive about 2m sooner (6h 50m by train vs 6h 52m by car). Tickets start at around €100 compared to roughly €45 in fuel and tolls — so you're paying a bit more, but getting hours of your day back, a city-centre arrival, and the freedom to work or relax instead of drive.
Driving makes more sense if you're travelling as a group (where fuel costs split several ways), want to stop along the way, or need a car once you arrive.
Travel optionsfrom Salzburg to Cologne
How to get from Salzburg to Cologne by train, bus or flight.
Our recommendation
The best way to travel from Salzburg to Cologne is by taking a bus because it’s the best combination of price and speed.
- FlixBus11:20 PM10h40Salzburg, P+R Süd10:00 AMKöln, Köln Bonn Flughafen (Terminal 2)€561One-way0 transfers
Cheapest
- FlixBus11:20 PM10h40Salzburg, P+R Süd10:00 AMKöln, Köln Bonn Flughafen (Terminal 2)€561One-way0 transfers
Fastest
EW43384:25 PM1h10Salzburg Airport5:35 PMDusseldorf Airport€8611One-way0 transfers
Other options
- ICE 118 · ICE 2612:00 PM8h06Salzburg Hbf8:06 PMCologne Hbf€691One-way1 transfer
- ICE 118 · ICE 22412:00 PM6h43Salzburg Hbf6:43 PMCologne Hbf€751One-way1 transfer
- ICE 11812:00 PM6h52Salzburg Hbf6:52 PMCologne Messe/Deutz€751One-way0 transfers
- FlixBus · FlixBus2:00 PM14h40Salzburg, P+R Süd4:40 AMKöln, Köln Bonn Flughafen (Terminal 2)€631One-way1 transfer
- FlixBus · FlixBus5:35 PM12h15Salzburg, P+R Süd5:50 AMKöln, Köln Bonn Flughafen (Terminal 2)€641One-way1 transfer
- FlixBus · FlixBus12:10 PM14h45Salzburg, P+R Süd2:55 AMKöln, Köln Bonn Flughafen (Terminal 2)€641One-way1 transfer
RJX19977+
RJ 30113+EW7572:07 PM7h38Salzburg Hbf9:45 PMCologne Bonn Airport€4081One-way2 transfers- RJX 161+RJ 30551+EW75712:07 PM9h38Salzburg Hbf9:45 PMCologne Bonn Airport€4081One-way2 transfers
- RJX19983+EW75711:07 AM10h38Salzburg Hbf9:45 PMCologne Bonn Airport€4081One-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 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.
Oct 26
Oct 27
Oct 28
Oct 29
Oct 30
Oct 31
Nov 01
Nov 02
Nov 03
Nov 04
Nov 05
Nov 06
Nov 07
Nov 08
More than 1,000 travel companies trust us to sell their tickets all in one place.
FAQs: Travel from Salzburg to Cologne
Travel to Cologne 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 Salzburg to Cologne.
This is compared to other travel options from Salzburg to Cologne:
A bus is €52 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Salzburg to Cologne costing on average €100.
A bus is €412 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Salzburg to Cologne costing on average €460.
Other travel options to Cologne take longer:
Train takes on average 7h 20m.
Bus takes on average 11h 34m.
- Around 8 buses per day.
- Around 5 trains per day.
- Around 3 flights per day.
However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Salzburg and Cologne as scheduled services by train, bus, and flight can vary by season or day of the week.
- Flights mostly depart from Salzburg Airport and arrive in Cologne Bonn Airport.
- Trains mostly depart from Salzburg Hbf and arrive in Cologne Hbf.
- Buses mostly depart from Salzburg, P+R Süd and arrive in Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen).
- Travel with Eurowings, Lufthansa Cityline, Lufthansa, Air Baltic, Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa City Airlines to go to Cologne by flight.
- Travel with Deutsche Bahn, ÖBB | Nightjet, ÖBB | ICE to go to Cologne by train.
- Travel with FlixBus, Union Ivkoni International, BlaBlaCar Bus to go to Cologne by bus.
- 0 direct trains per day with ÖBB | Nightjet.
- 1 direct buses per day with FlixBus, Union Ivkoni International.
Travelling from Salzburg to Cologne: 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.
