How to travel from Munich to Cologne

Fri, May 15
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Deutsche Bahn
FlixBus
Eurowings
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Lufthansa
1,000+ more
Deutsche Bahn
FlixBus
Eurowings
BlaBlaCar
Lufthansa
1,000+ more
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Travel Information

Compare train, bus, and flight for Munich to Cologne

Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Munich to Cologne among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the bus with prices starting from €25. For those with little time consider booking a flight which can get you there in 1h 7m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the train is your best bet as it emits only 0.1 - 0.4kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of €25, and a flight costs an average of €105.

Distance: 456 km

Compare train with

Most popular
Train
Bus
Flight

€84

Average price

€42

Average price

Cheapest

€249

Average price

5h 28m

Average total duration

4h 58m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

10h 43m

Average total duration

10h 13m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

4h 7m

Average total duration

Fastest

1h 7m

Onboard

+

3h 0m

Additional time*

0.1 - 0.4kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

0.5 - 1.1kg

CO2 emissions

1.4 - 2.7kg

CO2 emissions

Deutsche Bahn

Most popular train company

FlixBus

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 Munich to Cologne

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

Our recommendation

train

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

  • Deutsche BahnICE 990 · IC 60402
    8:45 PM9h12
    Munich Hbf
    5:57 AMCologne Hbf
    361One-way
    1 transfer

Cheapest

  • Deutsche BahnICE 990 · IC 60402
    8:45 PM9h12
    Munich Hbf
    5:57 AMCologne Hbf
    361One-way
    1 transfer

Fastest

  • Lufthansa City AirlinesLH4104
    6:35 AM1h10
    Munich Airport
    7:45 AMCologne Bonn Airport
    1451One-way
    0 transfers

Other options

  • Deutsche BahnICE 510
    7:28 PM4h51
    Munich Hbf
    12:19 AMCologne Hbf
    561One-way
    0 transfers
  • Deutsche BahnICE 782 · ICE 1220
    6:11 PM5h55
    Munich Hbf
    12:06 AMCologne Hbf
    661One-way
    1 transfer
  • Deutsche BahnICE 912 · ICE 24
    4:20 PM5h45
    Munich Hbf
    10:05 PMCologne Hbf
    761One-way
    1 transfer
  • FlixBusFlixBus
    10:05 PM7h45
    München, Fröttmaning P+R Parkplatz
    5:50 AMKöln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen)
    421One-way
    0 transfers
  • FlixBusFlixBus
    2:00 AM8h00
    Munich, Central Bus Station (ZOB)
    10:00 AMKöln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen)
    421One-way
    0 transfers
  • FlixBusFlixBus
    9:40 PM8h10
    Munich, Central Bus Station (ZOB)
    5:50 AMKöln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen)
    421One-way
    0 transfers
  • LufthansaLH1984
    6:20 PM1h10
    Munich Airport
    7:30 PMCologne Bonn Airport
    1451One-way
    0 transfers
  • Lufthansa City AirlinesLH4050
    11:15 AM1h10
    Munich Airport
    12:25 PMCologne Bonn Airport
    1451One-way
    0 transfers
  • EurowingsEW85
    7:05 PM1h10
    Munich Airport
    8:15 PMCologne Bonn Airport
    1601One-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

Compare train, bus, and flight 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.

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FAQs: Travel from Munich to Cologne

Travel to Cologne 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 Munich to Cologne.

FAQs
There are 3 options to travel between Munich and Cologne including taking a train, bus, and flight.
The cheapest way to travel from Munich to Cologne is a bus with an average price of €42.

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

A bus is €42 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Munich to Cologne costing on average €84.

A bus is €207 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Munich to Cologne costing on average €249.

The fastest way to travel from Munich to Cologne is by flight with an average journey time of 1h 7m.

Other travel options to Cologne take longer:

Train takes on average 4h 58m.

Bus takes on average 10h 13m.

The Munich to Cologne distance is approximately 456 km.
The average frequency per day from Munich to Cologne is:
  • Around 17 trains per day.
  • Around 12 buses per day.
  • Around 6 flights per day.

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

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Munich to Cologne:
  • Flights mostly depart from Munich Airport and arrive in Cologne Bonn Airport.
  • Trains mostly depart from Munich Hbf and arrive in Cologne Hbf.
  • Buses mostly depart from Munich, Central Bus Station (ZOB) and arrive in Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen).
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Munich to Cologne, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with Eurowings, Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cityline, Lufthansa City Airlines, Smartwings, Air Baltic, Cityjet, Tuifly to go to Cologne by flight.
  • Travel with FlixBus, BlaBlaCar, BlaBlaCar Bus to go to Cologne by bus.
  • Travel with Deutsche Bahn, TGV, Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), SNCB to go to Cologne by train.
Yes, there are direct services available from Munich to Cologne with the following travel companies:
  • 6 direct flights per day with Eurowings, Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cityline, Lufthansa City Airlines, Smartwings, Air Baltic.
  • 9 direct buses per day with FlixBus, BlaBlaCar.
  • 10 direct trains per day with Deutsche Bahn, Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), SNCB.
Omio customers who travel from Munich to Cologne often also extend their vacation to go to Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, London. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between Cologne and these popular destinations at a great price.
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