How to travel from Cologne to Hamburg

Wed, Jan 21
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Travel Information

Compare train, bus, and flight for Cologne to Hamburg

Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Cologne to Hamburg among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the bus with prices starting from €21. For those with little time consider booking a flight which can get you there in 1h 31m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the train is your best bet as it emits only 0.1 - 0.3kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of €21, and a flight costs an average of €190.

Distance: 360 km

Compare train with

Most popular
Train
Bus
Flight

€58

Average price

€31

Average price

Cheapest

€617

Average price

4h 41m

Average total duration

4h 11m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

5h 57m

Average total duration

5h 27m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

4h 31m

Average total duration

Fastest

1h 31m

Onboard

+

3h 0m

Additional time*

0.1 - 0.3kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

0.4 - 0.9kg

CO2 emissions

1.1 - 2.2kg

CO2 emissions

Deutsche Bahn

Most popular train company

BlaBlaCar

Most popular bus company

Eurowings

Most popular airline

Direct Options

Direct Options

Direct Options

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

Travel options
from Cologne to Hamburg

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

Our recommendation

train

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

Deutsche BahnICE 618
06:23AM4h04
Cologne Hbf
10:27AMHamburg Hbf
231One-way
0 transfers

Cheapest

FlixBusFlixBus
11:15PM7h25
Köln, Kennedystraße (Bonn Flughafen)
06:40AMHamburg, Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof
231One-way
0 transfers

Fastest

Eurowings LH5348 · LH5376
07:05AM3h30
Cologne Bonn Airport
10:35AMHamburg Airport
8751One-way
1 transfer

Other options

Deutsche BahnICE 208
05:11AM4h04
Cologne Hbf
09:15AMHamburg Hbf
231One-way
0 transfers
FlixTrainFlixTrain+FlixBusFlixBus
08:14AM7h16
Cologne Hbf
03:30PMHamburg, Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof
271One-way
1 transfer
Deutsche BahnICE 206
07:11AM4h04
Cologne Hbf
11:15AMHamburg Hbf
421One-way
0 transfers
Lufthansa City AirlinesLH4105+LufthansaLH2062
09:10AM3h40
Cologne Bonn Airport
12:50PMHamburg Airport
4821One-way
1 transfer
Lufthansa City AirlinesLH4051+LufthansaLH2072
01:20PM4h00
Cologne Bonn Airport
05:20PMHamburg Airport
8151One-way
1 transfer

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

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FAQs: Travel from Cologne to Hamburg

Travel to Hamburg 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 Hamburg.

FAQs

There are 3 ways to get from Cologne to Hamburg: train, coach or flight.

The cheapest way to go to Hamburg from Cologne is by taking a coach, which costs on average €15.

This is compared to other ways of getting from Cologne to Hamburg:

Taking a coach costs €75 less than taking a flight, which costs on average €90 for the same trip.

Taking a coach costs €1 less than taking a train, which average ticket prices of €16.

The quickest way to travel between Cologne and Hamburg is by flight, which takes on average 1 h   compared to other travel options that take longer:

Getting to Hamburg by coach takes 6 h 30 min on average.

Train takes on average 3 h 36 min.

Hamburg is approximately 360 km away from Cologne.

The average frequency per day from Cologne to Hamburg is:

  • Around 4 coaches per day.
  • 7 flights per day.
  • 9 trains per day.

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

These are the most popular departure and arrival points for travellers from Cologne to Hamburg:

  • Flights from Cologne to Hamburg most often leave from Cologne Bonn Airport and arrive in Hamburg Airport.
  • Trains mostly leave from Cologne Hbf and tend to arrive in Hamburg Hbf.

The following travel companies offer services from Cologne to Hamburg:

  • Travel with FlixBus or Wupsi for coaches to Hamburg. If you’re looking for a good deal on tickets, check for FlixBus Cologne to Hamburg tickets on Omio for €15.
  • Eurowings, Lufthansa or TUIfly can take you to Hamburg by plane. If searching for a good deal on flights, you can find tickets for Eurowings from Cologne to Hamburg for €90.
  • Travel with Deutsche Bahn or FlixTrain to go to Hamburg by train. For a good deal on tickets, you can find FlixTrain Cologne to Hamburg tickets on Omio for €16.

Yes, there are direct routes from Cologne to Hamburg with the following travel companies:

  • You can find 4 direct coaches per day to Hamburg with.
  • You can find 1 direct flight per day to Hamburg with Eurowings.
  • You can find 7 direct trains per day to take to Hamburg with Deutsche Bahn or FlixTrain.

Direct services to Hamburg 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 journey.

Many of our customers who book a trip from Cologne to Hamburg often extend their holiday and travel to other popular destinations like Berlin, Copenhagen, Paris, Amsterdam or Stockholm. If you’re thinking of adding another destination to your Cologne and Hamburg itinerary, let Omio find you the best connections between Hamburg and any of these top destinations today!
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