There are 8 ways to get from Cologne to Heidelberg by train, bus, car, plane, tram, or rideshare
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 Mannheim, Hauptbahnhof
best- Take the train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Mannheim, Hauptbahnhoftrain 47 / ...
1h 45m€46–181Rideshare
cheapest- Take the rideshare from Cologne to Heidelberg250.4 km
2h 45m€10–19Bus
- Take the bus from Köln to Frankfurt, Hauptbahnhof FOBbus Ivano-Frankivsk
- Take the bus from Frankfurt central train station to Heidelberg Pre Waypointbus FlixBus 108 / ...
4h 30m€31–38Drive 250.4 km
- Drive from Cologne to Heidelbergcar 250.4 km
2h 13m€36–52Fly, train
- Fly from Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS) to Frankfurt (FRA)plane DUS - FRA
- Take the train from Frankfurt to Mannheim, Hauptbahnhoftrain
3h 54m€115–248Train
- Take the train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Heidelberg, Hauptbahnhoftrain 62 / ...
2h 6m€45–190Train, tram
- Take the train from Köln Hbf to Mannheim, Hauptbahnhoftrain 43 / ...
- Take the tram from Mannheim Hbf to Heidelberg, Seegartentram Rnv 5
2h 30m€32–176Train via Mainz
- Take the train from Köln West Bf to Mainz, Hauptbahnhoftrain Rb26
- Take the train from Mainz, Hauptbahnhof to Ludwigshafen, Mittetrain S5 / ...
5h 1m€51–81
Cologne to Heidelberg by train
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Cologne to Heidelberg is to rideshare which costs €10 - €19 and takes 2h 45m.
The fastest way to get from Cologne to Heidelberg is to train via Mannheim, Hauptbahnhof which takes 1h 45m and costs €45 - €190.
No, there is no direct bus from Cologne to Heidelberg. However, there are services departing from Köln and arriving at Heidelberg Pre Waypoint via Frankfurt central train station. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 4h 30m.
Yes, there is a direct train departing from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf and arriving at Heidelberg, Hauptbahnhof. Services depart four times a day, and operate every day. The journey takes approximately 2h 6m.
The distance between Cologne and Heidelberg is 256 km. The road distance is 250.4 km.
The best way to get from Cologne to Heidelberg without a car is to train via Mannheim, Hauptbahnhof which takes 1h 45m and costs €45 - €190.
It takes approximately 1h 45m to get from Cologne to Heidelberg, including transfers.
Cologne to Heidelberg bus services, operated by GrandBus, depart from Köln station.
Cologne to Heidelberg train services, operated by Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), depart from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf station.
The best way to get from Cologne to Heidelberg is to train via Mannheim, Hauptbahnhof which takes 1h 45m and costs €45 - €190. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs €30 - €40 and takes 4h 30m.
What companies run services between Cologne, Germany and Heidelberg, Germany?
Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC) operates a train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Mannheim, Hauptbahnhof hourly. Tickets cost €40–170 and the journey takes 1h 23m. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Köln to Heidelberg Pre Waypoint via Frankfurt central train station in around 4h 30m.
- Website
- lufthansa.com
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 50 min
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €27–220
- Phone
- +49 30 2970
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Mannheim, Hauptbahnhof
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 23m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €40–170
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Frankfurt to Mannheim, Hauptbahnhof
- Ave. Duration
- 35 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €12–55
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Heidelberg, Hauptbahnhof
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 6m
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- €45–190
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Köln Hbf to Mannheim, Hauptbahnhof
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 32m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €40–170
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
- Phone
- +38 098-888-11-08
- [email protected]
- Website
- Grand Bus
Bus from Köln to Frankfurt, Hauptbahnhof FOB
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 3m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- €23–26
- Website
- Grand Bus
- Phone
- +3 318 576 2228
- Website
- BlaBlaCar
Rideshare from Cologne to Heidelberg
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 45m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- €10–19
- Schedules at
- BlaBlaCar
Want to know more about travelling around Germany
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More Questions & Answers
Cologne to Heidelberg bus services, operated by GrandBus, arrive at Frankfurt, Hauptbahnhof FOB station.
Cologne to Heidelberg train services, operated by Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), arrive at Mannheim, Hauptbahnhof station.
Yes, the driving distance between Cologne to Heidelberg is 250 km. It takes approximately 2h 13m to drive from Cologne to Heidelberg.
Book your Cologne to Heidelberg train tickets online with Omio.
Book your Cologne to Heidelberg bus tickets online with Omio.
There are 1257+ hotels available in Heidelberg.
Check out Blablacar's carpooling service for rideshare options between Cologne and Heidelberg. A great option if you don't have a driver's licence or want to avoid public transport.





