How to travel from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main

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Travel Information to Frankfurt am Main from Cologne

Distance152 km
Available travel modesCoach or train
Ticket price range€13 - €9
Cheapest modeCoach • €9 • 2 h
Fastest modeTrain • €13 • 49 min
Popular travel companiesFlixBus or Deutsche Bahn

Take a coach or train to travel 152 km to Frankfurt am Main from Cologne. The most popular travel providers which serve this route are FlixBus or Deutsche Bahn among others. Travellers can even take a direct coach or train from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main.

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.

FlixBusFlixBus
10:35AM2h10
Köln, Kennedystraße (Bonn Flughafen)
12:45PMFrankfurt, Stuttgarter Straße (Fermomnibusbahnhof)
121One-way
0 transfers

Cheapest

Regiojet(Amsterdam -> Prague)
07:40PM2h50
Köln, Köln Bonn Flughafen (Terminal 2)
10:30PMFrankfurt, Stuttgarter Straße (Fermomnibusbahnhof)
91One-way
0 transfers

Fastest

Deutsche BahnICE 121
09:28AM0h49
Cologne Hbf
10:17AMFrankfurt Airport long-distance station
601One-way
0 transfers

Other options

Deutsche BahnICE 915
09:10AM0h56
Cologne Messe/Deutz
10:06AMFrankfurt Airport long-distance station
601One-way
0 transfers
Deutsche BahnICE 121
09:28AM1h03
Cologne Hbf
10:31AMFrankfurt (Main) Hbf
601One-way
0 transfers
Deutsche BahnICE 621
09:44AM1h04
Cologne Messe/Deutz
10:48AMFrankfurt (Main) Hbf
601One-way
0 transfers
FlixBusFlixBus
10:40AM2h50
Köln, Kennedystraße (Bonn Flughafen)
01:30PMFrankfurt am Main, Flughafen Frankfurt (Terminal 1 - Busparkplatz P36)
161One-way
0 transfers
FlixBusFlixBus
08:10AM2h45
Köln, Kennedystraße (Bonn Flughafen)
10:55AMFrankfurt, Stuttgarter Straße (Fermomnibusbahnhof)
131One-way
0 transfers
FlixBusFlixBus
02:15PM2h15
Köln, Kennedystraße (Bonn Flughafen)
04:30PMFrankfurt, Stuttgarter Straße (Fermomnibusbahnhof)
121One-way
0 transfers

Find all the dates and times for this journey by train, bus, flight, and ferry .

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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.

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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.

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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 coach or train.

The cheapest way to get from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main is by taking a coach with average ticket prices of €9 compared to other travel options to Frankfurt am Main:

Taking a coach costs less than taking a flight, which costs on average for the same trip.

Taking a coach costs €4 less than taking a train, which average ticket prices of €13.

The fastest way from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main is by train with an average journey time of 49 min.

There are alternative travel options to Frankfurt am Main that take longer:

Getting to Frankfurt am Main by coach takes 2 h on average.

You should expect to travel around 152 km from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main.

The average frequency per day from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main is:

  • 25 coaches per day.
  • 5 flights per day.
  • Around 18 trains per day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your trip from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main as scheduled services by coach or train can vary by season or day of the week.

These are the most popular departure and arrival points when travelling from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main:

  • Most travellers who book a train ticket from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main depart from Cologne Hbf to Frankfurt am Main Flughafen.

The following travel companies offer services from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main:

  • Travel with FlixBus to go to Frankfurt am Main by coach. For a good deal on tickets, you can find FlixBus Cologne to Frankfurt am Main tickets on Omio for €13.
  • Deutsche Bahn, ÖBB Nightjet or NS Domestic can take you to Frankfurt am Main by train. If searching for a good deal on trains, you can find tickets for Deutsche Bahn from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main for €13.

Yes, there are direct routes from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main with the following travel companies:

  • You can find 24 direct coaches per day to take to Frankfurt am Main with FlixBus.
  • You'll find 15 direct trains a day to Frankfurt am Main with Deutsche Bahn, ÖBB Nightjet or NS Domestic.

Direct services to Frankfurt am Main 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 trip.

Your journey from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main doesn't have to end in Frankfurt am Main. Many of our customers like to extend their holidays to explore other popular destinations like Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam or Munich. If you’d like to add Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam or Munich to your Cologne to Frankfurt am Main trip, check Omio for the best and cheapest ways to travel to any of these top destinations from Frankfurt am Main today!

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