There are 9 ways to get from Leipzig 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 via Frankfurt am Main
best- Take the train from Leipzig Hbf to Erfurt Hbftrain 28 / ...
- Take the train from Erfurt Hbf to Frankfurttrain 12 / ...
- Take the train from Frankfurt to Köln Messe/Deutz Bftrain 41 / ...
4h 49m€90–213Rideshare
cheapest- Take the rideshare from Leipzig to Cologne472.5 km
5h 58m€22–26Bus
- Take the bus from Leipzig central train station to Leverkusenbus 264 / ...
8h 22m€40–65Drive 472 km
- Drive from Leipzig to Colognecar 472 km
4h 29m€70–101Fly Leipzig-Halle Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport
- Fly from Leipzig-Halle Airport (LEJ) to Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS)plane LEJ - DUS
5h 27m€128–366Train
- Take the train from Leipzig Hbf to Köln Hbftrain 51 / ...
5h 41m€100–230Train to Berlin Brandenburg Airport, fly to Cologne Bonn Airport
- Take the train from Leipzig Hbf to S Südkreuz Bhftrain
- Fly from Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) to Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN)plane BER - CGN
4h 10m€103–310Fly Leipzig-Halle Airport to Frankfurt, train
- Fly from Leipzig-Halle Airport (LEJ) to Frankfurt (FRA)plane LEJ - FRA
- Take the train from Frankfurt to Köln Messe/Deutz Bftrain
4h 3m€126–249Train to Berlin Brandenburg Airport, fly to Düsseldorf International Airport
- Take the train from Leipzig Hbf to S Südkreuz Bhftrain
- Fly from Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) to Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS)plane BER - DUS
4h 41m€116–360
Leipzig to Cologne by train
Comparing Your Travel Options
The cheapest way to get from Leipzig to Cologne is to rideshare which costs €22 - €26 and takes 5h 58m.
The fastest way to get from Leipzig to Cologne is to fly and train which takes 4h 3m and costs €120 - €250.
No, there is no direct bus from Leipzig station to Cologne. However, there are services departing from Leipzig central train station and arriving at Köln Heumarkt via Wiesdorf Leverkusen Mitte Bf. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 8h 22m.
Yes, there is a direct train departing from Leipzig Hbf and arriving at Köln Hbf. Services depart every four hours, and operate every day. The journey takes approximately 5h 41m.
The distance between Leipzig and Cologne is 550 km. The road distance is 472 km.
The best way to get from Leipzig to Cologne without a car is to train via Frankfurt am Main which takes 4h 49m and costs €90 - €220.
It takes approximately 4h 49m to get from Leipzig to Cologne, including transfers.
Leipzig to Cologne bus services, operated by FlixBus, depart from Leipzig central train station.
Leipzig to Cologne train services, operated by Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), depart from Leipzig Hbf station.
The best way to get from Leipzig to Cologne is to train via Frankfurt am Main which takes 4h 49m and costs €90 - €220. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs €40 - €65 and takes 8h 22m, you could also fly, which costs €120 - €370 and takes 5h 27m.
What companies run services between Leipzig, Germany and Cologne, Germany?
You can take a train from Leipzig Hbf to Köln Messe/Deutz Bf via Erfurt Hbf and Frankfurt in around 4h 49m. Alternatively, FlixBus operates a bus from Leipzig central train station to Leverkusen once daily. Tickets cost €40–65 and the journey takes 7h 20m.
- Website
- eurowings.com
Flights from Leipzig-Halle Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport via Palma Mallorca
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 10m
- When
- Wednesday
- Estimated price
- €130–300
Flights from Berlin Brandenburg Airport to Cologne Bonn Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €75–210
Flights from Berlin Brandenburg Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- €75–240
- Website
- lufthansa.com
Flights from Leipzig-Halle Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport via Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 25m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €120–460
Flights from Leipzig-Halle Airport to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 1h
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €45–330
Flights from Berlin Brandenburg Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport via Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 1m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €90–330
- Website
- austrian.com
Flights from Leipzig-Halle Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport via Vienna
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 50m
- When
- Monday and Tuesday
- Estimated price
- €120–550
- Website
- condor.com
Flights from Leipzig-Halle Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport via Palma Mallorca
- Ave. Duration
- 6h
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- €170–750
- Website
- lufthansa-city.com
Flights from Leipzig-Halle Airport to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 1h
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- €45–330
- Phone
- +49 30 2970
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Leipzig Hbf to Erfurt Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 38 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €20–45
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Erfurt Hbf to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 15m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €40–100
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Frankfurt to Köln Messe/Deutz Bf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 6m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €30–70
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Leipzig Hbf to Köln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 41m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- €100–230
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Leipzig Hbf to S Südkreuz Bhf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 10m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €28–65
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Frankfurt to Köln Messe/Deutz Bf
- Ave. Duration
- 52 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €28–65
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Leipzig Hbf to S Südkreuz Bhf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 10m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €28–65
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
- Phone
- +43 (0) 5 1717
- Website
- ÖBB EuroCity
Train from Leipzig Hbf to Erfurt Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 31m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- €27–31
- Website
- ÖBB EuroCity
- Website
- ÖBB EuroCity
- Website
- LEO Express
Train from Leipzig Hbf to Erfurt Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 27m
- Frequency
- 5 times a week
- Schedules at
- LEO Express
Rome2Rio's guide to FlixBus
Contact DetailsContact Details
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- [email protected]
- Website
- Flixbus
Bus from Leipzig central train station to Leverkusen
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 20m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- €40–65
- Website
- Flixbus
- Phone
- +3 318 576 2228
- Website
- BlaBlaCar
Rideshare from Leipzig to Cologne
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 58m
- Frequency
- 5 times a day
- Estimated price
- €22–26
- 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.
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Booking & Getting There
Leipzig to Cologne bus services, operated by FlixBus, arrive at Leverkusen station.
Leipzig to Cologne train services, operated by Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), arrive at Erfurt Hbf station.
Yes, the driving distance between Leipzig to Cologne is 472 km. It takes approximately 4h 29m to drive from Leipzig to Cologne.
Book your Leipzig to Cologne train tickets online with Omio.
Book your Leipzig to Cologne bus tickets online with Omio.
There are 1846+ hotels available in Cologne.
Check out Blablacar's carpooling service for rideshare options between Leipzig and Cologne. A great option if you don't have a driver's licence or want to avoid public transport.














