There are 12 ways to get from Cologne to Bulgaria 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 Cologne Bonn Airport to Sofia Airport
best- Fly from Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Sofia Airport (SOF)plane CGN - SOF
5h 29m$68–308Train, bus via Bratislava
- Take the train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to München Hbftrain 41 / ...
- Take the train from Muenchen Hbf Gl.5-10 to Salzburg Hbftrain Re / ...
- Take the train from Salzburg Hbf to Bratislava Hlavna Stanicatrain Rjx
- Take the bus from Bratislava to Sofia Central Bus Stationbus
24h 55m$200–408Drive 1,862.1 km
- Drive from Cologne to Sofiacar 1,862.1 km
16h 37m$386–557Fly Cologne Bonn Airport to Burgas Airport
- Fly from Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Burgas Airport (BOJ)plane CGN - BOJ
5h 23m$104–320Train to Frankfurt, fly to Sofia Airport
- Take the train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurttrain
- Fly from Frankfurt (FRA) to Sofia Airport (SOF)plane FRA - SOF
5h 59m$132–350Fly Cologne Bonn Airport to Varna Airport
- Fly from Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Varna Airport (VAR)plane CGN - VAR
5h 56m$247–407Train to Dortmund Airport, fly to Sofia Airport
- Take the train from Koeln Hbf to Holzwickedetrain
- Fly from Dortmund Airport (DTM) to Sofia Airport (SOF)plane DTM - SOF
6h 59mTrain, bus
- Take the train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to München Hbftrain 41 / ...
- Take the train from Muenchen Hbf Gl.5-10 to Salzburg Hbftrain Re / ...
- Take the bus from Salzburg to Sofia Knyaginya Maria Luiza Stationbus
26h 11m$221–379Bus
- Take the bus from Cologne to Kumanovobus
- Take the bus from Kumanovo to Sofiabus
27h 17m$101–170Train, bus #2
- Take the train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurttrain 41 / ...
- Take the bus from Frankfurt Central Train Station to Sofia Serdica Bus Stopbus
32h 35m$144–234Bus via Niš
- Take the bus from Köln Hbf to Niš, Autobuska Stanicabus
- Take the bus from Niš, Autobuska Stanica to Sofiya, Avtogara Serdikabus
33h 37m$165–200Drive, car train
- Drive from Cologne to Fuldacar
- Take the cartrain from Fulda to Villach Hbf ARZcartrain
- Drive from Villach Hbf ARZ to Sofiacar
20h 55m$340–462
Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Sofia Airport (SOF) flights
Comparing Your Travel Options
The cheapest way to get from Cologne to Bulgaria is to fly which costs $65 - $310 and takes 5h 29m.
The fastest way to get from Cologne to Bulgaria is to fly which takes 5h 23m and costs $100 - $320.
No, there is no direct bus from Cologne to Bulgaria. However, there are services departing from Cologne and arriving at Sofia via Kumanovo. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 27h 17m.
The distance between Cologne and Bulgaria is 1564 km. The road distance is 1862.1 km.
The best way to get from Cologne to Bulgaria without a car is to train and bus via Bratislava which takes 24h 55m and costs $200 - $410.
It takes approximately 5h 29m to get from Cologne to Bulgaria, including transfers.
Cologne to Bulgaria bus services, operated by Nasir Tours, depart from Cologne station.
The best way to get from Cologne to Bulgaria is to fly which takes 5h 29m and costs $65 - $310. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs $100 - $170 and takes 27h 17m.
Cologne to Bulgaria bus services, operated by Nasir Tours, arrive at Kumanovo station.
Bulgaria is 1h ahead of Cologne. It is currently 10:32 AM in Cologne and 11:32 AM in Bulgaria.
What companies run services between Cologne, Germany and Bulgaria?
Ryanair, Eurowings, and three other airlines fly from Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Sofia Airport (SOF) 4 times a day. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Cologne to Sofia via Kumanovo in around 27h 17m.
- Website
- lufthansa.com
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Sofia Airport via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 12m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $70–360
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Burgas Airport via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 20m
- When
- Wednesday
- Estimated price
- $110–320
Flights from Frankfurt to Sofia Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 15m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $65–340
Flights from Frankfurt to Sofia Airport via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 55m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $65–340
- Website
- austrian.com
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Sofia Airport via Vienna
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 17m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $85–370
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Burgas Airport via Vienna
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 5m
- When
- Thursday
- Estimated price
- $120–550
Flights from Frankfurt to Sofia Airport via Vienna
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 41m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $80–350
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Varna Airport via Vienna
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 35m
- When
- Monday to Friday
- Estimated price
- $190–220
- Website
- ryanair.com
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Sofia Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 25m
- When
- Monday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $35–260
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Sofia Airport via Vienna
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 50m
- When
- Sunday
- Estimated price
- $35–260
- Website
- lufthansa-city.com
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Sofia Airport via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 10m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $70–360
Flights from Frankfurt to Sofia Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 15m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $65–340
- Website
- eurowings.com
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Burgas Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 40m
- When
- Monday
- Estimated price
- $85–290
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Varna Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 35m
- When
- Wednesday
- Estimated price
- $50–180
- Website
- corendonairlines.com
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Burgas Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 45m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $110–380
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Varna Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 3h
- When
- Sunday
- Estimated price
- $184–187
- Website
- air.bg
Flights from Frankfurt to Sofia Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 20m
- When
- Monday and Wednesday
- Estimated price
- $110–280
Flights from Frankfurt to Sofia Airport via Belgrade
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 40m
- When
- Monday to Saturday
- Estimated price
- $120–230
- Website
- airserbia.com
Flights from Frankfurt to Sofia Airport via Belgrade
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 40m
- When
- Monday to Saturday
- Estimated price
- $120–230
- Website
- wizzair.com
Flights from Dortmund Airport to Sofia Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 30m
- When
- Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $45–430
- Phone
- +49 30 2970
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to München Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 27m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $100–210
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Muenchen Hbf Gl.5-10 to Salzburg Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 45m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $27–55
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 54 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- $30–60
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to München Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 27m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $100–210
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Muenchen Hbf Gl.5-10 to Salzburg Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 45m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $27–55
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 6m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $30–65
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
- Phone
- +31 30 751 5155
- Website
- Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS)
Train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to München Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 11m
- Frequency
- Every 3 hours
- Estimated price
- $70–130
- Website
- Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS)
Train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 2m
- Frequency
- Every 2 hours
- Estimated price
- $21–40
- Website
- Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS)
Train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to München Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 11m
- Frequency
- Every 3 hours
- Estimated price
- $70–130
- Website
- Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS)
- Phone
- +49 30 200 73-0
- kommunikation@transdev.de
- Website
- Transdev GmbH
Train from Muenchen Hbf Gl.5-10 to Salzburg Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 51m
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- $30–45
- Schedules at
- Transdev GmbH
Train from Muenchen Hbf Gl.5-10 to Salzburg Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 51m
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- $30–45
- Schedules at
- Transdev GmbH
- Phone
- +43 1 89900
- service@westbahn.at
- Website
- Westbahn
Train from Muenchen Hbf Gl.5-10 to Salzburg Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 51m
- Frequency
- Every 3 hours
- Estimated price
- $30–55
- Website
- Westbahn
Train from Muenchen Hbf Gl.5-10 to Salzburg Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 51m
- Frequency
- Every 3 hours
- Estimated price
- $30–55
- Website
- Westbahn
- Phone
- +49 221 13 999 444
- Website
- National Express
Train from Koeln Hbf to Holzwickede
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 17m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Schedules at
- National Express
- Phone
- +49 (0) 221 800 20 820
- info@urlaubs-express.de
- Website
- Urlaubs-Express (UEX)
Car train from Fulda to Villach Hbf ARZ
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 46m
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- $110–130
- Website
- Urlaubs-Express (UEX)
- Phone
- +359 88 949 0000
- office@union-ivkoni.com
- Website
- Union Ivkoni
Bus from Bratislava to Sofia Central Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 12h 58m
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- $40–60
- Website
- Union Ivkoni
- Phone
- 00359 2 971 11 11
- tickets@airkona.com
- Website
- Air Kona
Bus from Salzburg to Sofia Knyaginya Maria Luiza Station
- Ave. Duration
- 18h 30m
- Frequency
- Twice a week
- Estimated price
- $122
- Website
- Air Kona
- 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
- hakkomerc@gmail.com
- 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
- booking_matpu@abv.bg
- Website
- matpu.com
Bus from Kumanovo to Sofia
- Ave. Duration
- 4h
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $25–35
- Schedules at
- matpu.com
Bus from Niš, Autobuska Stanica to Sofiya, Avtogara Serdika
- Ave. Duration
- 4h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $22–29
- Schedules at
- matpu.com
- Phone
- +359 0885700870
- support@citylines.eu
- Website
- Citylines
Bus from Kumanovo to Sofia
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 30m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $12–35
- 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 47 231 192
- info@transkop.mk
- Website
- transkop.mk
Bus from Kumanovo to Sofia
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 30m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $18–35
- Schedules at
- transkop.mk
- Phone
- +359 2 812 0 812
- operations@eurolines.bg
- 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
- +381 800 334 334
- iuc@lasta.rs
- Website
- lasta.rs
Bus from Köln Hbf to Niš, Autobuska Stanica
- Phone
- +381 18 255 177
- Website
- Niš-ekspres
Bus from Niš, Autobuska Stanica to Sofiya, Avtogara Serdika
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 10m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $17–25
- Website
- Niš-ekspres
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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Booking & Getting There
Yes, the driving distance between Cologne to Bulgaria is 1862 km. It takes approximately 16h 37m to drive from Cologne to Bulgaria.
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