Travel Information
Compare train, bus, and flight for Zurich to Cologne
Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Zurich to Cologne among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price, take the bus, with an average ticket price of €57 For those with little time, consider booking a flight, which has an average total journey time of 4h 17m. If you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint, the train is your best option, with estimated CO2 emissions of 0.1 - 0.4kg. Average ticket prices depend on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of €57, while a flight costs an average of €380.
Distance: 413 km
Compare train with
Most popular Train | Flight | Bus | Driving |
|---|---|---|---|
€127 Average price | €380 Average price | €57 Average price Cheapest | €143 Average price (fuel + tolls) |
6h 6m Average total duration 5h 36m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 4h 17m Average total duration Fastest 2h 17m Onboard + 2h 0m Additional time* | 12h 38m Average total duration 12h 8m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 5h 32m Average total duration (door-to-door) |
0.1 - 0.4kg CO2 emissions Lowest | 1.2 - 2.5kg CO2 emissions | 0.4 - 1.0kg CO2 emissions | - CO2 emissions |
![]() Most popular train company | ![]() Most popular airline | ![]() Most popular bus company | 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 Zurich to Cologne
Compare the available ways to get from Zurich to Cologne, with the key details around price, speed, convenience, and direct service.
This is compared to other travel options from Zurich to Cologne:
A bus is €70 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Zurich to Cologne costing on average €127.
A bus is €323 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Zurich to Cologne costing on average €380.
Other travel options to Cologne take longer:
Train takes on average 6h 6m.
Bus takes on average 12h 38m.
Travel optionsfrom Zurich to Cologne
How to get from Zurich to Cologne by train, bus or flight.
Our recommendation
The best way to travel from Zurich to Cologne is by taking a bus because it’s the best combination of price and speed.
FlixBus · FlixBus6:20 PM 11h40 Kloten, Zürich Flughafen (Bahnhof) 6:00 AM Köln, Köln Bonn Flughafen (Terminal 2) €39 1 One-way 1 transfer
Cheapest
FlixBus · FlixBus6:20 PM 11h40 Kloten, Zürich Flughafen (Bahnhof) 6:00 AM Köln, Köln Bonn Flughafen (Terminal 2) €39 1 One-way 1 transfer
Fastest
EW7638:35 AM 1h05 Zurich Airport 9:40 AM Cologne Bonn Airport €165 1 One-way 0 transfers
Other options
IC 604029:59 PM 7h45 Zurich HB 5:44 AM Cologne Hbf €45 1 One-way 0 transfers
ICE 272 · ICE 9206:59 PM 7h06 Zurich HB 2:05 AM Cologne Hbf €56 1 One-way 1 transfer
IC 578 · ICE 2 · ICE 910 · ICE 225:34 PM 6h32 Zurich HB 12:06 AM Cologne Hbf €74 1 One-way 3 transfers
FlixBus · FlixBus11:05 AM 16h30 Kloten, Zürich Flughafen (Bahnhof) 3:35 AM Köln, Köln Bonn Flughafen (Terminal 2) €44 1 One-way 1 transfer
EW8761 · EW80549:05 AM 6h25 Zurich Airport 3:30 PM Cologne Bonn Airport €155 1 One-way 1 transfer
EW7678:10 PM 1h05 Zurich Airport 9:15 PM Cologne Bonn Airport €185 1 One-way 0 transfers
EW8765 · EW72:20 PM 3h35 Zurich Airport 5:55 PM Cologne Bonn Airport €295 1 One-way 1 transfer
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.
More than 1,000 travel companies trust us to sell their tickets all in one place.
FAQs: Travel from Zurich 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 Zurich to Cologne.

This is compared to other travel options from Zurich to Cologne:
A bus is €70 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Zurich to Cologne costing on average €127.
A bus is €323 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Zurich to Cologne costing on average €380.
Other travel options to Cologne take longer:
Train takes on average 6h 6m.
Bus takes on average 12h 38m.
- Around 28 trains per day.
- Around 8 flights per day.
- Around 4 buses per day.
However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Zurich and Cologne as scheduled services by train, bus, and flight can vary by season or day of the week.
- Flights mostly depart from Zurich Airport and arrive in Cologne Bonn Airport.
- Trains mostly depart from Zurich HB and arrive in Cologne Hbf.
- Buses mostly depart from Zürich, Sihlquai Bus Terminal (Carparkplatz Sihlquai) and arrive in Köln, Kennedystraße (Köln Bonn Flughafen).
- Travel with FlixBus, BlaBlaCar Bus to go to Cologne by bus.
- Travel with Deutsche Bahn, ÖBB | ICE, ÖBB | InterCity, SNCF | TGV Lyria, ÖBB | Euro City (EC), ÖBB | Nightjet, Eurostar, Sylter Verkehrsgesellschaft to go to Cologne by train.
- Travel with Eurowings, Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cityline, Lot Polish Airlines, Lufthansa City Airlines, Air Baltic, British Airways, Smartwings, Swiss, CitizenPlane, Austrian Airlines, BA Cityflyer, Air Dolomiti to go to Cologne by flight.
- 1 direct buses per day with FlixBus.
- 3 direct trains per day with Deutsche Bahn, ÖBB | InterCity, ÖBB | Nightjet.
- 4 direct flights per day with Eurowings, Smartwings, CitizenPlane.
Travelling from Zurich to Cologne: related information
Here are some other resources that might have the information you need
