How to travel from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main

Sun, Nov 01
+ Add return
Travel by train, bus with
Deutsche Bahn
FlixBus
Eurowings
BlaBlaCar Bus
Hessische Landesbahn
1,000+ more
Deutsche Bahn
FlixBus
Eurowings
BlaBlaCar Bus
Hessische Landesbahn
1,000+ more
QR-Code
Scan to get our free app
Use our app to get live travel updates and book mobile tickets for trains, buses, flights, and ferries.
App Store
rate4.9
42K ratings
Google Play
rate4.6
136K reviews

Travel Information

Compare train and bus for Cologne to Frankfurt am Main

Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price, take the bus, with an average ticket price of €16 For those with little time, consider booking a train, which has an average total journey time of 1h 44m. If you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint, the train is your best option, with estimated CO2 emissions of 0.0 - 0.1kg. Average ticket prices depend on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of €16, while a flight costs an average of €589.

Distance: 153 km

Compare train with

Most popular
Train
Bus
Flight
Driving

€40

Average price

€16

Average price

Cheapest

€589

Average price

€28

Average price

(fuel + tolls)

1h 44m

Average total duration

Fastest

1h 14m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

3h 15m

Average total duration

2h 45m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

4h 5m

Average total duration

2h 5m

Onboard

+

2h 0m

Additional time*

2h 9m

Average total duration

(door-to-door)

0.0 - 0.1kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

0.2 - 0.4kg

CO2 emissions

-

CO2 emissions

-

CO2 emissions

Deutsche Bahn

Most popular train company

FlixBus

Most popular bus company

Eurowings

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 Cologne to Frankfurt am Main

Compare the available ways to get from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main, with the key details around price, speed, convenience, and direct service.

The cheapest way to travel from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main is a bus with an average price of €16.

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

A bus is €25 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main costing on average €40.

A bus is €574 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main costing on average €589.

The fastest way to travel from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main is by train with an average journey time of 1h 44m.

Other travel options to Frankfurt am Main take longer:

Bus takes on average 3h 15m.

Flight takes on average 4h 5m.

It's helpful to compare your options as there are 2 ways to travel between Cologne and Frankfurt am Main including taking a train and bus.

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.

  • RegioJet a.s.(Amsterdam -> Prague)
    0 transfers

Cheapest

  • RegioJet a.s.(Amsterdam -> Prague)
    0 transfers

Fastest

  • Deutsche BahnICE 1013
    0 transfers

Other options

  • Deutsche BahnICE 921
    0 transfers
  • Deutsche BahnIC 60403
    0 transfers
  • Deutsche BahnICE 921 · 4251
    1 transfer
  • FlixBusFlixBus
    0 transfers
  • FlixBusFlixBus
    0 transfers
  • FlixBusFlixBus
    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 and bus 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.

Train
Bus

How to Travel from Cologne to Frankfurt?

There are two direct methods of transport when travelling between the German cities of Cologne and Frankfurt: train and bus. Train journeys take from just over one hour to 2.5 hours, while bus routes range from a little more than two hours to around 3.5 hours. As this is a popular route, there are multiple departures of both trains and buses every day of the week.

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

Travelling from Cologne to Frankfurt by bus is considerably cheaper than making the journey by train. Flixbus operates between a dozen and nearly two dozen departures, seven days a week with overall journey times of between two and 3.5 hours. All routes are direct. Departures start in the early hours of the morning and continue at regular intervals until late at night. Coaches leave from the Flughafen Transfer Point on Frankfurterstrasse in Cologne and arrive at the bus station adjacent to Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof.

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

Deutsche Bahn (DB) operates a regular schedule of train departures to Frankfurt from Cologne. With direct or connecting routes taking between one and 2.5 hours, this is the fastest way of travelling between the two cities. Departures start in the early hours of the morning, and then there are up to five departures an hour until late at night. Where connections are required, they are made at Koblenz, Mainz, or Frankfurt Flughafen (Airport). A similar timetable operates seven days a week. Departures are mainly from Cologne Hauptbahnhof with a few trains leaving from Cologne Messe/Deutz. Journeys terminate at Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof.

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

Planning your next journey is easy when you use Omio to compare transport methods, providers, prices, and timetables.

Travel from Cologne to Frankfurt by Train

Deutsche Bahn (DB) trains depart Cologne for Frankfurt regularly throughout the day on a schedule that operates seven days a week. Departures start in the early hours, and there are then up to five departures an hour until the last train leaves late at night. The overall journey time is between one and 2.5 hours with some routes being direct and others requiring a connection at Frankfurt Flughafen, Mainz, or Koblenz. Departures are from either Cologne Hauptbahnhof or Cologne Messe/Deutz Station with trains arriving into Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof. This is one of the busiest stations in Germany and is located in the city centre within walking distance of shops and attractions. It is part of an extensive transport network of taxis, U and S-Bahn trains (local metro), and local buses.

Travel from Cologne to Frankfurt by Bus

The route from Cologne to Frankfurt by coach is operated by Flixbus. Its weekly schedule has between a dozen and almost two dozen departures a day. These are all direct and start in the early hours of the morning, continuing until late at night. The journey time is between two and 3.5 hours. Coaches leave from Frankfurterstrasse in Cologne where there is a coach transfer point and arrive at Frankfurt's international bus terminal. This is part of its main train station. The station can be found in the heart of the city and is connected to local buses and U and S-Bahn services as well as having a taxi bank.

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 Frankfurt am Main

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 between Cologne and Frankfurt am Main including taking a train and bus.
The cheapest way to travel from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main is a bus with an average price of €16.

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

A bus is €25 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main costing on average €40.

A bus is €574 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main costing on average €589.

The fastest way to travel from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main is by train with an average journey time of 1h 44m.

Other travel options to Frankfurt am Main take longer:

Bus takes on average 3h 15m.

Flight takes on average 4h 5m.

The Cologne to Frankfurt am Main distance is approximately 153 km.
The average frequency per day from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main is:
  • Around 64 trains per day.
  • Around 26 buses per day.
  • Around 1 flights per day.

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

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main:
  • Flights mostly depart from Cologne Bonn Airport and arrive in Frankfurt am Main Airport.
  • Trains mostly depart from Cologne Hbf and arrive in Frankfurt (Main) Hbf.
  • Buses mostly depart from Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen) and arrive in Frankfurt, Stuttgarter Straße (Fermomnibusbahnhof).
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with Eurowings, Lufthansa, Air Baltic to go to Frankfurt am Main by flight.
  • Travel with FlixBus, BlaBlaCar Bus to go to Frankfurt am Main by bus.
  • Travel with Deutsche Bahn, VIAS Rail GmbH, Hessische Landesbahn to go to Frankfurt am Main by train.
Yes, there are direct services available from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main with the following travel companies:
  • 25 direct buses per day with FlixBus.
  • 53 direct trains per day with Deutsche Bahn.
Omio customers who travel from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main often also extend their vacation to go to Paris, London, Berlin, Barcelona, Amsterdam. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between Frankfurt am Main and these popular destinations at a great price.
HomeTravel EuropeTravel to Frankfurt am MainHow to travel from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main

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.

ios-badge
android-badge
Hand With Phone