There are 7 ways to get from Cologne to Besançon by train (TGV), bus, car, train, or plane
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Train via Karlsruhe
best- Take the train from Köln Hbf to Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhoftrain 43 / ...
- Take the train from Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof to Strasbourg Bahnhoftrain 83 / ...
- Take the train from Strasbourg to Besancon-Franche Comte Tgvtrain Tgv
7h 4m€112–380Drive 504.1 km
cheapest- Drive from Cologne to Besançoncar 504.1 km
5h 47m€79–114Bus
- Take the bus from Köln to Basel, Bahnhofbus Ivano-Frankivsk
- Take the bus from Basel SBB to Besançonbus FlixBus N199
9h 43mTrain to Frankfurt, fly to Basel, train
- Take the train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurttrain
- Fly from Frankfurt (FRA) to Basel (BSL)plane FRA - BSL
- Take the train from Mulhouse Ville to Besancon-Franche Comte Tgvtrain
6h 13m€166–462Train, bus
- Take the train from Köln Hbf to Freiburg Hauptbahnhoftrain 43N
- Take the bus from Freiburg to Besançonbus FlixBus N1720 / ...
9h 48m€117–172Train
- Take the train from Köln Süd Bf to Trier, Hauptbahnhoftrain
- Take the train from Trier, Hauptbahnhof to Perltrain
- Take the train from Thionville to Besancon-Franche Comte Tgvtrain Tgv
10h 37m€142–238Fly Cologne Bonn Airport to Zurich Airport, train
- Fly from Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Zurich Airport (ZRH)plane CGN - ZRH
- Take the train from Zürich HB to Mulhousetrain
- Take the train from Mulhouse Ville to Besancon-Franche Comte Tgvtrain
7h 51m€144–404
Cologne to Besançon by train
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Cologne to Besançon is to drive which costs €75 - €120 and takes 5h 47m.
The fastest way to get from Cologne to Besançon is to drive which takes 5h 47m and costs €75 - €120.
No, there is no direct bus from Cologne to Besançon. However, there are services departing from Köln and arriving at Besançon via Basel SBB. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 9h 43m.
No, there is no direct train from Cologne to Besançon. However, there are services departing from Köln Hbf and arriving at Besancon Viotte via Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof, Strasbourg and Besancon-Franche Comte Tgv. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 7h 4m.
The distance between Cologne and Besançon is 630 km. The road distance is 504.1 km.
The best way to get from Cologne to Besançon without a car is to train via Karlsruhe which takes 7h 4m and costs €110 - €380.
It takes approximately 7h 4m to get from Cologne to Besançon, including transfers.
Cologne to Besançon bus services, operated by GrandBus, depart from Köln station.
Cologne to Besançon train services, operated by Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), depart from Köln Hbf station.
The best way to get from Cologne to Besançon is to train via Karlsruhe which takes 7h 4m and costs €110 - €380. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs and takes 9h 43m.
What companies run services between Cologne, Germany and Besançon, France?
You can take a train from Köln Hbf to Besancon Viotte via Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof, Strasbourg Bahnhof, Strasbourg, and Besancon-Franche Comte Tgv in around 7h 4m. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Köln to Besançon via Basel, Bahnhof and Basel SBB in around 9h 43m.
- Website
- lufthansa.com
Flights from Frankfurt to Basel
- Ave. Duration
- 58 min
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €95–390
Flights from Frankfurt to Basel via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 40m
- When
- Monday, Friday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- €45–290
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Zurich Airport via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 3m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- €45–340
- Website
- eurowings.com
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Zurich Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €75–180
- Website
- airdolomiti.it
Flights from Frankfurt to Basel
- Ave. Duration
- 55 min
- When
- Monday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- €100–390
- Phone
- +49 30 2970
- Website
- bahn.de
Train from Köln Hbf to Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 5m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €55–230
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof to Strasbourg Bahnhof
- Ave. Duration
- 46 min
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- €15–65
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 54 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €30–130
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
- Phone
- +33 1 84 94 36 35
- Website
- sncf-connect.com
Train from Strasbourg to Besancon-Franche Comte Tgv
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 36m
- Frequency
- Every 3 hours
- Estimated price
- €45–80
- Website
- https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en
Train from Mulhouse Ville to Besancon-Franche Comte Tgv
- Ave. Duration
- 45 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €26–45
- Website
- https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en
Train from Thionville to Besancon-Franche Comte Tgv
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 58m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- €85–140
- Website
- https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en
Train from Mulhouse Ville to Besancon-Franche Comte Tgv
- Ave. Duration
- 45 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €26–45
- Website
- https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en
Rome2Rio's guide to Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français (SNCF)
Contact DetailsContact Details
- Phone
- +33 1 84 94 36 35
- Website
- track.effiliation.com
Train from Strasbourg to Besancon-Franche Comte Tgv
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 40m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- €40–80
- Website
- https://track.effiliation.com/servlet/effi.redir?id_compteur=23007591&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sncf-connect.com%2Fen-en%2F
Train from Mulhouse Ville to Besancon-Franche Comte Tgv
- Ave. Duration
- 46 min
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- €21–45
- Website
- https://track.effiliation.com/servlet/effi.redir?id_compteur=23007591&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sncf-connect.com%2Fen-en%2F
Train from Mulhouse Ville to Besancon-Franche Comte Tgv
- Ave. Duration
- 46 min
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- €21–45
- Website
- https://track.effiliation.com/servlet/effi.redir?id_compteur=23007591&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sncf-connect.com%2Fen-en%2F
- Phone
- +43 5 1717
- Website
- konzern.oebb.at
Train from Köln Hbf to Freiburg Hauptbahnhof
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 33m
- Frequency
- Twice a week
- Estimated price
- €100–150
- Website
- https://konzern.oebb.at/en/
- Phone
- +49 30 2970
- Website
- bahn.de
Train from Köln Süd Bf to Trier, Hauptbahnhof
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 58m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €35–70
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Trier, Hauptbahnhof to Perl
- Ave. Duration
- 52 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €11–19
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
- Phone
- +41 848 446 688
- Website
- sbb.ch
Train from Zürich HB to Mulhouse
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 19m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- €40–140
- Website
- https://www.sbb.ch/en
- Phone
- +38 098-888-11-08
- [email protected]
- Website
- grandbus.com.ua
Bus from Köln to Basel, Bahnhof
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 53m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Website
- https://www.grandbus.com.ua/en
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- [email protected]
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.fr
Bus from Basel SBB to Besançon
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 50m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- €14–24
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
Bus from Freiburg to Besançon
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 15m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- €16–27
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
Want to know more about travelling around France
Rome2Rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Filled with useful and timely travel information, the guides answer all the hard questions - such as 'How do I buy a ticket?', 'Should I book online before I travel? ', 'How much should I expect to pay?', 'Do the trains and buses have Wifi?' - to help you get the most out of your next trip.
Related travel guides
5 delightfully under-the-radar French towns you need to visit
Read the travel guide
Heading to Europe? Read this before you buy a Eurail Pass
Read the travel guide
Train travel in France: A guide to SNCF
Read the travel guide
More Questions & Answers
Cologne to Besançon bus services, operated by GrandBus, arrive at Basel, Bahnhof station.
Cologne to Besançon train services, operated by Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), arrive at Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof station.
Yes, the driving distance between Cologne to Besançon is 504 km. It takes approximately 5h 47m to drive from Cologne to Besançon.
Book your Cologne to Besançon train tickets online with Omio.
Book your Cologne to Besançon bus tickets online with Omio.
There are 527+ hotels available in Besançon.




























