There are 8 ways to get from Cologne to Palermo by plane, train, bus, train (Trenitalia), car, or car ferry
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Fly from Cologne Bonn Airport
best- Fly from Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Palermo Airport (PMO)plane CGN - PMO
5h 36m€71–337Train, bus
- Take the train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurttrain 41 / ...
- Take the bus from Mühlheim am Main to Salernobus
- Take the train from Salerno to Palermo Centraletrain Ic
26h 7m€230–381Train
- Take the train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurttrain 41 / ...
- Take the train from Frankfurt to Chiassotrain Ec
- Take the train from Chiasso to Milano Centraletrain S11
- Take the train from Milano Centrale to Roma Terminitrain
- Take the train from Roma Termini to Palermo Centraletrain Ic
26h 12m€435–772Drive, car ferry
- Drive from Cologne to Port of Genoacar
- Take the carferry from Port of Genoa to Port of Palermocarferry
29h 50m€256–375Train to Düsseldorf International Airport, fly
- Take the train from Koeln Hbf to Duesseldorf Flughafentrain
- Fly from Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS) to Palermo Airport (PMO)plane DUS - PMO
6h 30m€99–319Train to Frankfurt, fly
- Take the train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurttrain
- Fly from Frankfurt (FRA) to Palermo Airport (PMO)plane FRA - PMO
6h 16m€101–288Train to Dortmund Airport, fly
- Take the train from Koeln Hbf to Holzwickedetrain
- Fly from Dortmund Airport (DTM) to Palermo Airport (PMO)plane DTM - PMO
7h 16mBus
- Take the bus from Cologne to Palermo Piazza Cairolibus
38h 14m€300–410
Cologne to Palermo by train
Comparing Your Travel Options
The cheapest way to get from Cologne to Palermo is to fly which costs €70 - €340 and takes 5h 36m.
The fastest way to get from Cologne to Palermo is to fly which takes 5h 36m and costs €70 - €340.
Yes, there is a direct bus departing from Cologne and arriving at Palermo Piazza Cairoli. Services depart once a week, and operate Wednesday and Saturday. The journey takes approximately 38h 14m.
No, there is no direct train from Cologne to Palermo. However, there are services departing from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf and arriving at Palermo Centrale via Frankfurt, Chiasso, Milano Centrale and Roma Termini. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 26h 12m.
The distance between Cologne and Palermo is 1534 km.
The best way to get from Cologne to Palermo without a car is to train and bus which takes 26h 7m and costs €230 - €390.
It takes approximately 5h 36m to get from Cologne to Palermo, including transfers.
Cologne to Palermo bus services, operated by Onebus, depart from Cologne station.
Cologne to Palermo train services, operated by Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), depart from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf station.
The best way to get from Cologne to Palermo is to fly which takes 5h 36m and costs €70 - €340. Alternatively, you can train, which costs €430 - €800 and takes 26h 12m, you could also bus, which costs €300 - €410 and takes 38h 14m.
What companies run services between Cologne, Germany and Palermo, Italy?
Ryanair, Eurowings, and two other airlines fly from Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Palermo Airport (PMO) twice daily. Alternatively, you can take a train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Palermo Centrale via Frankfurt, Chiasso, Milano Centrale, and Roma Termini in around 26h 12m.
- Website
- swiss.com
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Palermo Airport via Zurich
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 10m
- When
- Monday
- Estimated price
- €70–280
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Palermo Airport via Zurich
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 20m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- €70–290
Flights from Frankfurt to Palermo Airport via Zurich
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 35m
- When
- Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- €65–270
- Website
- ryanair.com
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Palermo Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 25m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- €45–180
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Palermo Airport via Milan Bergamo
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 7m
- When
- Tuesday and Monday
- Estimated price
- €45–180
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Palermo Airport via Bologna
- Ave. Duration
- 5h
- When
- Friday
- Estimated price
- €45–180
- Website
- eurowings.com
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Palermo Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 20m
- When
- Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- €120–310
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Palermo Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 30m
- When
- Sunday
- Estimated price
- €160–350
- Website
- lufthansa.com
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Palermo Airport via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 55m
- When
- Monday to Wednesday
- Estimated price
- €85–310
Flights from Frankfurt to Palermo Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 20m
- When
- Thursday to Sunday
- Estimated price
- €80–290
- Website
- ita-airways.com
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Palermo Airport via Milan Linate
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 52m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- €75–250
- Website
- flyulendo.com
Flights from Dortmund Airport to Palermo Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 35m
- When
- Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- €55–210
Flights from Dortmund Airport to Palermo Airport via Rome
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 30m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- €55–210
- Phone
- +49 30 2970
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 6m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €30–70
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 6m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €30–70
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Koeln Hbf to Duesseldorf Flughafen
- Ave. Duration
- 30 min
- Frequency
- Every 3 hours
- Estimated price
- €9–21
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 54 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- €29–65
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
- Phone
- +39 06 68475475
- Website
- Trenitalia Intercity
Train from Salerno to Palermo Centrale
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 32m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- €65–120
- Website
- Trenitalia Intercity
Train from Roma Termini to Palermo Centrale
- Ave. Duration
- 11h 32m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- €90–170
- Website
- Trenitalia Intercity
Train from Frankfurt to Chiasso
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 49m
- Frequency
- 6 times a week
- Estimated price
- €230–380
- Website
- Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS)
Train from Chiasso to Milano Centrale
- Ave. Duration
- 46 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €19–35
- Website
- Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS)
- Phone
- +39 06 8937 1892
- Website
- Italo Treno
Train from Milano Centrale to Roma Termini
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 5m
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- €65–120
- Website
- Italo Treno
- Phone
- +49 221 13 999 444
- Website
- National Express
Train from Koeln Hbf to Duesseldorf Flughafen
- Ave. Duration
- 50 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Schedules at
- National Express
Train from Koeln Hbf to Holzwickede
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 17m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Schedules at
- National Express
- Phone
- +49 9126 301 90 70
- [email protected]
- Website
- TRI Train Rental GmbH
Train from Koeln Hbf to Duesseldorf Flughafen
- Ave. Duration
- 54 min
- Frequency
- 5 times a week
- Schedules at
- TRI Train Rental GmbH
- Phone
- +31 30 751 5155
- Website
- Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS)
Train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 3m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- €18–35
- Website
- Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS)
- Phone
- +39 0362 185 0590
- [email protected]
- Website
- Onebus
Bus from Mühlheim am Main to Salerno
- Ave. Duration
- 13h 10m
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- €130–180
- Website
- Onebus
Bus from Cologne to Palermo Piazza Cairoli
- Ave. Duration
- 38h 14m
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- €300–410
- Website
- Onebus
- Phone
- +39 010 209 4591
- [email protected]
- Website
- Grandi Navi Veloci
Car ferry from Port of Genoa to Port of Palermo
- Ave. Duration
- 20h 45m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- €100–150
- Website
- Grandi Navi Veloci
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Booking & Getting There
Cologne to Palermo bus services, operated by Onebus, arrive at Palermo Piazza Cairoli station.
Cologne to Palermo train services, operated by Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), arrive at Frankfurt station.
Book your Cologne to Palermo train tickets online with Omio.
Book your Cologne to Palermo bus tickets online with Omio.
There are 6141+ hotels available in Palermo.

































