How to travel from Cologne to Hamburg

Sat, Mar 07
+ Add return
Travel by bus, train, flight with
Deutsche Bahn
BlaBlaCar
Eurowings
FlixTrain
FlixBus
1,000+ more
Deutsche Bahn
BlaBlaCar
Eurowings
FlixTrain
FlixBus
1,000+ more
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Travel Information

Compare bus, train, 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 €13. For those with little time consider booking a flight which can get you there in 1h 32m. 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 €13, and a flight costs an average of €311.

Distance: 360 km

Compare train with

Most popular
Train
Bus
Flight

€45

Average price

€32

Average price

Cheapest

€602

Average price

4h 40m

Average total duration

4h 10m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

6h 26m

Average total duration

5h 56m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

4h 32m

Average total duration

Fastest

1h 32m

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
06:11AM4h04
Cologne Hbf
10:15AMHamburg Hbf
321One-way
0 transfers

Cheapest

Deutsche BahnICE 618
06:11AM4h04
Cologne Hbf
10:15AMHamburg Hbf
321One-way
0 transfers

Fastest

Deutsche BahnICE 1020
12:08PM3h32
Cologne Hbf
03:40PMHamburg Harburg
921One-way
0 transfers

Other options

Deutsche BahnICE 208
05:11AM4h04
Cologne Hbf
09:15AMHamburg Hbf
321One-way
0 transfers
Deutsche BahnICE 1028
03:54AM4h24
Cologne Hbf
08:18AMHamburg Hbf
321One-way
0 transfers
Deutsche BahnICE 616
08:11AM4h04
Cologne Hbf
12:15PMHamburg Hbf
651One-way
0 transfers
FlixBusFlixBus
04:05AM6h40
Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen)
10:45AMHamburg, Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof
411One-way
0 transfers
FlixBusFlixBus
11:35PM7h05
Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen)
06:40AMHamburg, Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof
411One-way
0 transfers
LufthansaLH1973 · LH2062
09:10AM3h40
Cologne Bonn Airport
12:50PMHamburg 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 options to travel between Cologne and Hamburg including taking a bus, train, and flight.
The cheapest way to travel from Cologne to Hamburg is a bus with an average price of €13.

This is compared to other travel options from Cologne to Hamburg:

A bus is €5 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Cologne to Hamburg costing on average €18.

A bus is €298 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Cologne to Hamburg costing on average €311.

The fastest way to travel from Cologne to Hamburg is by flight with an average journey time of 3h 5m.

Other travel options to Hamburg take longer:

Train takes on average 3h 56m.

Bus takes on average 6h 30m.

The Cologne to Hamburg distance is approximately 360 km.
The average frequency per day from Cologne to Hamburg is:
  • Around 14 trains per day.
  • Around 5 buses per day.
  • Around 4 flights per day.

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

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Cologne to Hamburg:
  • Flights mostly depart from Cologne Bonn Airport and arrive in Hamburg Airport.
  • Trains mostly depart from Cologne Hbf and arrive in Hamburg Hbf.
  • Buses mostly depart from Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen) and arrive in Hamburg, Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Cologne to Hamburg, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with Eurowings , Lufthansa, TUIfly to go to Hamburg by flight.
  • Travel with Deutsche Bahn, FlixTrain to go to Hamburg by train.
  • Travel with BlaBlaCar, FlixBus, Wupsi to go to Hamburg by bus.
Yes, there are direct services available from Cologne to Hamburg with the following travel companies:
  • 0 direct flights per day with Eurowings .
  • 11 direct trains per day with Deutsche Bahn, FlixTrain.
  • 4 direct buses per day with BlaBlaCar, FlixBus.
Omio customers who travel from Cologne to Hamburg often also extend their vacation to go to Berlin, Copenhagen, Paris, Amsterdam, Stockholm. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between Hamburg and these popular destinations at a great price.
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