There are 11 ways to get from Cologne to Sofia by plane, train, bus, car, or car train
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, train
best- Fly from Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Sofia Airport (SOF)plane CGN - SOF
- Take the train from Iskarsko Shose to Kostenetstrain
6h 46m$70–325Bus
- Take the bus from Cologne to Kumanovobus
- Take the bus from Kumanovo to Kyustendilbus
- Take the bus from Kjustendil to Samokovbus
28h 47m$108–161Drive 1,921.4 km
- Drive from Cologne to Samokovcar 1,921.4 km
17h 41m$317–458Train to Düsseldorf International Airport, fly, train
- Take the train from Koeln Hbf to Duesseldorf Flughafentrain
- Fly from Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS) to Sofia Airport (SOF)plane DUS - SOF
- Take the train from Iskarsko Shose to Kostenetstrain
8h 55m$100–350Train to Frankfurt, fly, train
- Take the train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurttrain
- Fly from Frankfurt (FRA) to Sofia Airport (SOF)plane FRA - SOF
- Take the train from Iskarsko Shose to Kostenetstrain
7h 11m$133–363Train to Dortmund Airport, fly, train
- Take the train from Koeln Hbf to Holzwickedetrain
- Fly from Dortmund Airport (DTM) to Sofia Airport (SOF)plane DTM - SOF
- Take the train from Iskarsko Shose to Kostenetstrain
8h 16mTrain, train to Eindhoven Airport, fly
- Take the train from Neuss Hbf to Venlotrain
- Take the train from Venlo to Eindhoven Centraaltrain
- Fly from Eindhoven Airport (EIN) to Sofia Airport (SOF)plane EIN - SOF
- Take the train from Iskarsko Shose to Kostenetstrain
10h$72–401Train, bus via Linz
- Take the train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Ulm Hauptbahnhoftrain 47 / ...
- Take the train from Ulm Hauptbahnhof to Linz Hauptbahnhoftrain Drf
- Take the bus from Linz to Sofia Knyaginya Maria Luiza Stationbus
- Take the train from Sofia to Kostenetstrain Ic / ...
- Take the bus from Kostenets to Samokovbus
29h 56m$273–456Train, bus
- Take the train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurttrain 41 / ...
- Take the bus from Frankfurt Central Train Station to Sofia Serdica Bus Stopbus
- Take the train from Sofia to Kostenetstrain Ic / ...
- Take the bus from Kostenets to Samokovbus
36h 24m$147–249Bus via Bonn
- Take the bus from Bonn to Kumanovobus
- Take the bus from Kumanovo to Kyustendilbus
- Take the bus from Kjustendil to Samokovbus
36h 51mDrive, car train
- Drive from Cologne to Fuldacar
- Take the cartrain from Fulda to Villach Hbfcartrain
- Drive from Villach Hbf to Samokovcar
22h 21m$350–487
Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Sofia Airport (SOF) flights
Comparing Your Travel Options
The cheapest way to get from Cologne to Sofia is to bus which costs $100 - $170 and takes 28h 47m.
The fastest way to get from Cologne to Sofia is to fly and train which takes 6h 46m and costs $65 - $330.
No, there is no direct bus from Cologne to Sofia. However, there are services departing from Cologne and arriving at Samokov via Kumanovo and Kjustendil. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 28h 47m.
The distance between Cologne and Sofia is 1617 km. The road distance is 1921.4 km.
The best way to get from Cologne to Sofia without a car is to bus which takes 28h 47m and costs $100 - $170.
It takes approximately 6h 46m to get from Cologne to Sofia, including transfers.
Cologne to Sofia bus services, operated by Nasir Tours, depart from Cologne station.
Cologne to Sofia bus services, operated by Nasir Tours, arrive at Kumanovo station.
Sofia is 1h ahead of Cologne. It is currently 5:56 AM in Cologne and 6:56 AM in Sofia.
Yes, the driving distance between Cologne to Sofia is 1921 km. It takes approximately 17h 41m to drive from Cologne to Sofia.
What companies run services between Cologne, Germany and Sofia, Bulgaria?
You can take a bus from Cologne to Samokov via Kumanovo, Kyustendil, and Kjustendil in around 28h 47m.
- Website
- lufthansa.com
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Sofia Airport via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 8m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $75–370
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Sofia Airport via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 11m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $75–390
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Sofia Airport via Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 45m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $110–380
Flights from Frankfurt to Sofia Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 11m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $65–350
Flights from Frankfurt to Sofia Airport via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 4h
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $85–260
- Website
- ryanair.com
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Sofia Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 25m
- When
- Monday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $35–310
Flights from Eindhoven Airport to Sofia Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 35m
- When
- Sunday, Saturday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- $55–350
Flights from Eindhoven Airport to Sofia Airport via Vienna
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 20m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $55–350
Flights from Eindhoven Airport to Sofia Airport via Milan Bergamo
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 55m
- When
- Sunday
- Estimated price
- $55–350
- Website
- austrian.com
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Sofia Airport via Vienna
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 27m
- When
- Monday to Friday
- Estimated price
- $90–380
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Sofia Airport via Vienna
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 45m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $95–390
Flights from Frankfurt to Sofia Airport via Vienna
- Ave. Duration
- 4h
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $85–350
- Website
- air.bg
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Sofia Airport via Belgrade
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 17m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $90–260
Flights from Frankfurt to Sofia Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 20m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- $100–290
Flights from Frankfurt to Sofia Airport via Belgrade
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 40m
- When
- Monday to Saturday
- Estimated price
- $110–230
- Website
- lufthansa-city.com
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Sofia Airport via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 10m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $75–370
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Sofia Airport via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 50m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $75–390
Flights from Frankfurt to Sofia Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 15m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $65–350
- Website
- airserbia.com
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Sofia Airport via Belgrade
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 17m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $90–260
Flights from Frankfurt to Sofia Airport via Belgrade
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 40m
- When
- Monday to Saturday
- Estimated price
- $110–230
- Website
- wizzair.com
Flights from Dortmund Airport to Sofia Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 30m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $45–430
Flights from Eindhoven Airport to Sofia Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 40m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $40–330
Flights from Eindhoven Airport to Sofia Airport via Budapest
- Ave. Duration
- 5h
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $40–330
- Phone
- +359 2 931 11 11
- [email protected]
- Website
- Bulgarian Railways (BDZh)
Train from Iskarsko Shose to Kostenets
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 15m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $1–3
- Website
- Bulgarian Railways (BDZh)
- 2nd Class
- $1–2
- 1st Class
- $2–3
Train from Iskarsko Shose to Kostenets
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 15m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $1–3
- Website
- Bulgarian Railways (BDZh)
- 2nd Class
- $1–2
- 1st Class
- $2–3
Train from Iskarsko Shose to Kostenets
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 15m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $1–3
- Website
- Bulgarian Railways (BDZh)
- 2nd Class
- $1–2
- 1st Class
- $2–3
Train from Iskarsko Shose to Kostenets
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 15m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $1–3
- Website
- Bulgarian Railways (BDZh)
- 2nd Class
- $1–2
- 1st Class
- $2–3
Train from Iskarsko Shose to Kostenets
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 15m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $1–3
- Website
- Bulgarian Railways (BDZh)
- 2nd Class
- $1–2
- 1st Class
- $2–3
Train from Sofia to Kostenets
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 32m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $1–3
- Website
- Bulgarian Railways (BDZh)
- 2nd Class
- $1–3
- 1st Class
- $2–3
Train from Sofia to Kostenets
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 32m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $1–3
- Website
- Bulgarian Railways (BDZh)
- 2nd Class
- $1–3
- 1st Class
- $2–3
- 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 30 2970
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Koeln Hbf to Duesseldorf Flughafen
- Ave. Duration
- 30 min
- Frequency
- Every 3 hours
- Estimated price
- $10–23
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 54 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- $30–70
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Ulm Hauptbahnhof
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 5m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $85–180
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 6m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $35–75
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
- 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
- $20–40
- Website
- Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS)
Train from Venlo to Eindhoven Centraal
- Ave. Duration
- 38 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- $6–13
- Website
- Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS)
Train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Ulm Hauptbahnhof
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 56m
- Frequency
- 5 times a day
- Estimated price
- $50–110
- Website
- Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS)
- Phone
- 0180 6 9 27 37 27
- [email protected]
- Website
- Eurobahn
Train from Neuss Hbf to Venlo
- Ave. Duration
- 55 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $13–18
- Website
- Eurobahn
- Phone
- +43 1 89900
- [email protected]
- Website
- Westbahn
Train from Ulm Hauptbahnhof to Linz Hauptbahnhof
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 19m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $95–150
- Website
- Westbahn
- Phone
- +49 (0) 221 800 20 820
- [email protected]
- Website
- Urlaubs-Express (UEX)
Car train from Fulda to Villach Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 1m
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- $110–130
- Website
- Urlaubs-Express (UEX)
- Phone
- +389 42 218 007
- Website
- Nasir Tours
Bus from Cologne to Kumanovo
- Ave. Duration
- 22h 17m
- Frequency
- Twice a week
- Estimated price
- $90
- Website
- Nasir Tours
- Phone
- +389 75 209 209
- [email protected]
- Website
- Hak Bus
Bus from Cologne to Kumanovo
- Ave. Duration
- 24h 37m
- Frequency
- Twice a week
- Estimated price
- $135
- Website
- Hak Bus
- Phone
- +359 2 981 58 56
- [email protected]
- Website
- matpu.com
Bus from Kumanovo to Kyustendil
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 30m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $16–21
- Schedules at
- matpu.com
Bus from Kumanovo to Kyustendil
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 30m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $16–21
- Schedules at
- matpu.com
- Phone
- 0722 60019
- [email protected]
- Website
- Tourist Information Centre - Samokov
Bus from Kjustendil to Samokov
- Ave. Duration
- 2h
- Frequency
- Twice a week
- Estimated price
- $3–5
- Website
- Tourist Information Centre - Samokov
Bus from Kostenets to Samokov
- Ave. Duration
- 1h
- Frequency
- Every 3 hours
- Estimated price
- $1–3
- Website
- Tourist Information Centre - Samokov
Bus from Kostenets to Samokov
- Ave. Duration
- 1h
- Frequency
- Every 3 hours
- Estimated price
- $1–3
- Website
- Tourist Information Centre - Samokov
Bus from Kjustendil to Samokov
- Ave. Duration
- 2h
- Frequency
- Twice a week
- Estimated price
- $3–5
- Website
- Tourist Information Centre - Samokov
- Phone
- 00359 2 971 11 11
- [email protected]
- Website
- Air Kona
Bus from Linz to Sofia Knyaginya Maria Luiza Station
- Ave. Duration
- 16h 30m
- Frequency
- Twice a week
- Estimated price
- $122
- Website
- Air Kona
- Phone
- +359 2 812 0 812
- [email protected]
- Website
- karat-s.com
Bus from Frankfurt Central Train Station to Sofia Serdica Bus Stop
- Ave. Duration
- 30h 22m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $110–170
- Schedules at
- karat-s.com
- Phone
- +359 0885700870
- [email protected]
- Website
- Citylines
Bus from Frankfurt Central Train Station to Sofia Serdica Bus Stop
- Ave. Duration
- 28h 45m
- Frequency
- 3 times a week
- Estimated price
- $110–160
- Website
- Citylines
- Phone
- +389 44 338 003
- [email protected]
Bus from Bonn to Kumanovo
- Ave. Duration
- 28h 30m
- Frequency
- Twice a week
- Schedules at
- Bashkim Tours
Want to know more about travelling around Bulgaria
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.
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