There are 7 ways to get from Hamburg to Cologne 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 Hamburg Hbf to Köln Hbftrain 43 / ...
4h 3m€30–330Rideshare
cheapest- Take the rideshare from Hamburg to Cologne417.4 km
4h 23m€16–28Bus, train
- Take the bus from Hamburg to Dortmund central bus stationbus Ivano-Frankivsk
- Take the train from Dortmund Hbf to Koeln Messe/Deutztrain Re
5h 51mDrive 417.9 km
- Drive from Hamburg to Colognecar 417.9 km
3h 34m€60–86Fly to Düsseldorf International Airport, train
- Fly from Hamburg Airport (HAM) to Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS)plane HAM - DUS
- Take the train from Düsseldorf Hbf to Köln Hbftrain
3h 18m€84–247Bus
- Take the bus from Hamburg, Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof to Leverkusenbus N1360a
7h 46m€30–55Fly to Frankfurt, train
- Fly from Hamburg Airport (HAM) to Frankfurt (FRA)plane HAM - FRA
- Take the train from Frankfurt to Köln Messe/Deutz Bftrain
3h 42m€108–313
Hamburg to Cologne by train
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Hamburg to Cologne is to rideshare which costs €16 - €28 and takes 4h 23m.
The fastest way to get from Hamburg to Cologne is to fly and train which takes 3h 18m and costs €80 - €250.
No, there is no direct bus from Hamburg to Cologne. However, there are services departing from Hamburg, Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof and arriving at Köln Heumarkt via Wiesdorf Leverkusen Mitte Bf. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 7h 46m.
Yes, there is a direct train departing from Hamburg Hbf and arriving at Köln Hbf. Services depart hourly, and operate every day. The journey takes approximately 4h 3m.
The distance between Hamburg and Cologne is 436 km. The road distance is 417.9 km.
The best way to get from Hamburg to Cologne without a car is to train which takes 4h 3m and costs €30 - €330.
The train from Hamburg Hbf to Köln Hbf takes 4h 3m including transfers and departs hourly.
Hamburg to Cologne bus services, operated by FlixBus, depart from Hamburg, Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof station.
Hamburg to Cologne train services, operated by Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), depart from Hamburg Hbf station.
The best way to get from Hamburg to Cologne is to train which takes 4h 3m and costs €30 - €330. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs €30 - €55 and takes 7h 46m.
What companies run services between Hamburg, Germany and Cologne, Germany?
Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC) operates a train from Hamburg Hbf to Köln Hbf hourly. Tickets cost €75–330 and the journey takes 4h 3m. Two other operators also service this route. Alternatively, FlixBus operates a bus from Hamburg, Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof to Leverkusen once daily. Tickets cost €30–55 and the journey takes 6h 45m.
- Website
- lufthansa.com
Flights from Hamburg Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 55 min
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Wednesday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- €75–200
Flights from Hamburg Airport to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 10m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €35–260
- Phone
- +49 30 2970
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Hamburg Hbf to Köln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 3m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €75–330
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Düsseldorf Hbf to Köln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 24 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €7–30
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Frankfurt to Köln Messe/Deutz Bf
- Ave. Duration
- 48 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €30–130
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
- Phone
- +38 098-888-11-08
- [email protected]
- Website
- Grand Bus
Bus from Hamburg to Dortmund central bus station
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 49m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- €36–39
- Website
- Grand Bus
- Phone
- +3 318 576 2228
- Website
- BlaBlaCar
Rideshare from Hamburg to Cologne
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 23m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €16–28
- 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
Train travel in France: A guide to SNCF
Read the travel guide
Want to know more about Flixbus?
Read the travel guide
More Questions & Answers
Hamburg to Cologne bus services, operated by FlixBus, arrive at Leverkusen station.
Hamburg to Cologne train services, operated by Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), arrive at Köln Hbf station.
Yes, the driving distance between Hamburg to Cologne is 418 km. It takes approximately 3h 34m to drive from Hamburg to Cologne.
Book your Hamburg to Cologne train tickets online with Omio and FlixBus.
Book your Hamburg to Cologne bus tickets online with Omio.
There are 1820+ hotels available in Cologne.
Check out Blablacar's carpooling service for rideshare options between Hamburg and Cologne. A great option if you don't have a driver's licence or want to avoid public transport.





