4.9
4.6
Travel Information
Compare train, bus, and flight for Ulm to Essen
Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Ulm to Essen among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price, take the bus, with an average ticket price of €63 For those with little time, consider booking a flight, which has an average total journey time of 4h 2m. If you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint, the train is your best option, with estimated CO2 emissions of 0.1 - 0.4kg. Average ticket prices depend on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of €63, while a flight costs an average of €403.
Distance: 249 miles (401 km)
Compare train with
Most popular Train | Bus | Flight | Driving |
|---|---|---|---|
€127 Average price | €63 Average price Cheapest | €403 Average price | €76 Average price (fuel + tolls) |
4h 58m Average total duration 4h 28m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 12h 17m Average total duration 11h 47m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 4h 2m Average total duration Fastest 2h 2m Onboard + 2h 0m Additional time* | 5h 52m Average total duration (door-to-door) |
0.1 - 0.4kg CO2 emissions Lowest | 0.4 - 1.0kg CO2 emissions | 1.2 - 2.4kg 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 Ulm to Essen
Compare the available ways to get from Ulm to Essen, with the key details around price, speed, convenience, and direct service.
This is compared to other travel options from Ulm to Essen:
A bus is €65 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Ulm to Essen costing on average €127.
A bus is €340 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Ulm to Essen costing on average €403.
Other travel options to Essen take longer:
Train takes on average 4h 58m.
Bus takes on average 12h 17m.
You'll arrive about 1h 24m sooner (4h 28m by train vs 5h 52m by car). Tickets start at around €127 compared to roughly €76 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 Ulm to Essen
How to get from Ulm to Essen by train, bus or flight.
Our recommendation
The best way to travel from Ulm to Essen is by taking a bus because it’s the best combination of price and speed.
- FlixBus · FlixBus
7:40 AM 10h10 Ulm, Eberhard-Finckh-Straße / Ludwig-Beck-Straße 5:50 PM Essen, Freiheit (Hauptbahnhof) €36 1 One-way 1 transfer
Cheapest
- FlixBus · FlixBus
7:40 AM 10h10 Ulm, Eberhard-Finckh-Straße / Ludwig-Beck-Straße 5:50 PM Essen, Freiheit (Hauptbahnhof) €36 1 One-way 1 transfer
Fastest
EW90818:20 AM 1h10 Munich Airport 9:30 AM Dusseldorf Airport €197 1 One-way 0 transfers
Other options
- ICE 612 · IC 2047 · ICE 200
8:47 AM 5h11 Ulm Hbf 1:58 PM Essen Hbf €74 1 One-way 2 transfers - ICE 610 · IC 2045 · ICE 108
10:47 AM 5h11 Ulm Hbf 3:58 PM Essen Hbf €82 1 One-way 2 transfers - ICE 692 · ICE 202
7:59 AM 3h59 Ulm Hbf 11:58 AM Essen Hbf €90 1 One-way 1 transfer
- FlixBus · FlixBus
10:30 AM 11h20 Ulm, Eberhard-Finckh-Straße / Ludwig-Beck-Straße 9:50 PM Essen, Freiheit (Hauptbahnhof) €36 1 One-way 1 transfer - FlixBus · FlixBus
11:25 PM 11h25 Ulm, Eberhard-Finckh-Straße / Ludwig-Beck-Straße 10:50 AM Essen, Freiheit (Hauptbahnhof) €36 1 One-way 1 transfer - FlixBus · FlixBus
11:20 AM 12h20 Ulm, Eberhard-Finckh-Straße / Ludwig-Beck-Straße 11:40 PM Essen, Freiheit (Hauptbahnhof) €38 1 One-way 1 transfer
- EW7173 · EW9035
2:45 PM 4h15 Munich Airport 7:00 PM Dusseldorf Airport €208 1 One-way 1 transfer - EW7173 · EW9037
2:45 PM 5h25 Munich Airport 8:10 PM Dusseldorf Airport €208 1 One-way 1 transfer - EW85
8:40 PM 1h10 Munich Airport 9:50 PM Cologne Bonn Airport €213 1 One-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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FAQs: Travel from Ulm to Essen
Travel to Essen 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 Ulm to Essen.
This is compared to other travel options from Ulm to Essen:
A bus is €65 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Ulm to Essen costing on average €127.
A bus is €340 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Ulm to Essen costing on average €403.
Other travel options to Essen take longer:
Train takes on average 4h 58m.
Bus takes on average 12h 17m.
- Around 30 flights per day.
- Around 6 trains per day.
- Around 6 buses per day.
However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Ulm and Essen as scheduled services by train, bus, and flight can vary by season or day of the week.
- Flights mostly depart from Munich Airport and arrive in Dusseldorf Airport.
- Trains mostly depart from Ulm Hbf and arrive in Essen Hbf.
- Buses mostly depart from Ulm, Eberhard-Finckh-Straße / Ludwig-Beck-Straße and arrive in Essen, Freiheit (Hauptbahnhof).
- Travel with FlixBus, BlaBlaCar Bus to go to Essen by bus.
- Travel with Deutsche Bahn to go to Essen by train.
- Travel with Lufthansa, Eurowings, Condor Flugdienst, Lufthansa City Airlines, British Airways, Lot Polish Airlines, Lufthansa Cityline, CitizenPlane, Air Baltic, GetJet Airlines to go to Essen by flight.
- 1 direct buses per day with FlixBus.
- 1 direct trains per day with Deutsche Bahn.
- 12 direct flights per day with Lufthansa, Eurowings, Lufthansa City Airlines, Lufthansa Cityline, CitizenPlane, Air Baltic.
Travelling from Ulm to Essen: related information
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