There are 5 ways to get from Cologne to Karlsruhe by train, bus, car, plane, 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
best- Take the train from Köln Hbf to Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhoftrain 43 / ...
2h 5m€30–110Rideshare
cheapest- Take the rideshare from Cologne to Karlsruhe299.5 km
3h 12m€10–23Bus
- Take the bus from Köln to Frankfurt, Hauptbahnhof FOBbus Ivano-Frankivsk
- Take the bus from Frankfurt central train station to Karlsruhe central train stationbus FlixBus 108 / ...
5h 1m€35–54Drive 299.6 km
- Drive from Cologne to Karlsruhecar 299.6 km
2h 34m€44–63Fly, train
- Fly from Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Stuttgart Airport (STR)plane CGN - STR
- Take the train from Hauptbahnhof to Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhoftrain
6h€133–338
Cologne to Karlsruhe by train
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Cologne to Karlsruhe is to rideshare which costs €10 - €23 and takes 3h 12m.
The fastest way to get from Cologne to Karlsruhe is to train which takes 2h 5m and costs €30 - €110.
No, there is no direct bus from Cologne to Karlsruhe station. However, there are services departing from Köln and arriving at Karlsruhe central train station via Frankfurt central train station. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 5h 1m.
Yes, there is a direct train departing from Köln Hbf and arriving at Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof. Services depart hourly, and operate every day. The journey takes approximately 2h 5m.
The distance between Cologne and Karlsruhe is 300 km. The road distance is 299.6 km.
The best way to get from Cologne to Karlsruhe without a car is to train which takes 2h 5m and costs €30 - €110.
The train from Köln Hbf to Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof takes 2h 5m including transfers and departs hourly.
Cologne to Karlsruhe bus services, operated by GrandBus, depart from Köln station.
Cologne to Karlsruhe train services, operated by Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), depart from Köln Hbf station.
The best way to get from Cologne to Karlsruhe is to train which takes 2h 5m and costs €30 - €110. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs €35 - €55 and takes 5h 1m.
What companies run services between Cologne, Germany and Karlsruhe, Germany?
Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC) operates a train from Köln Hbf to Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof hourly. Tickets cost €55–110 and the journey takes 2h 5m. Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) also services this route once daily. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Köln to Karlsruhe central train station via Frankfurt central train station in around 5h 1m.
- Website
- eurowings.com
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Stuttgart Airport via Berlin Brandenburg
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 58m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Thursday
- Estimated price
- €140–300
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Stuttgart Airport via Vienna
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 57m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Tuesday
- Estimated price
- €140–300
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Stuttgart Airport via Milan Malpensa
- Ave. Duration
- 7h
- When
- Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- €140–300
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Stuttgart Airport via Venice
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 10m
- When
- Monday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- €140–300
- Phone
- +49 30 2970
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Köln Hbf to Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 5m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €55–110
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Hauptbahnhof to Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof
- Ave. Duration
- 54 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €15–29
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
#/media/File:ICE_4_Berlin_Hauptbahnhof_(3).jpg "ICE 4 Berlin Hauptbahnhof")
- 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 Karlsruhe
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 12m
- Frequency
- Every 2 hours
- Estimated price
- €10–23
- Schedules at
- BlaBlaCar
Want to know more about travelling around Germany
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
Heading to Europe? Read this before you buy a Eurail Pass
Read the travel guide
Want to know more about Flixbus?
Read the travel guide
More Questions & Answers
Cologne to Karlsruhe bus services, operated by GrandBus, arrive at Frankfurt, Hauptbahnhof FOB station.
Cologne to Karlsruhe train services, operated by Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), arrive at Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof station.
Yes, the driving distance between Cologne to Karlsruhe is 300 km. It takes approximately 2h 34m to drive from Cologne to Karlsruhe.
Book your Cologne to Karlsruhe train tickets online with Omio.
Book your Cologne to Karlsruhe bus tickets online with Omio.
There are 896+ hotels available in Karlsruhe.
Check out Blablacar's carpooling service for rideshare options between Cologne and Karlsruhe. A great option if you don't have a driver's licence or want to avoid public transport.