There are 14 ways to get from Cologne to Bulgaria by plane, bus, train, car, shuttle, 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$65–239Bus
- Take the bus from Cologne to Kumanovobus
- Take the bus from Kumanovo to Sofiabus
27h 17m$106–129Train
- Take the train from Köln Hbf to München Hbftrain Ice
- Take the train from Muenchen Hbf Gl.5-10 to Wien Westbahnhoftrain 961 / ...
- Take the train from Wien Westbahnhof to Bucuresti Nordtrain 347
- Take the train from Bucuresti Nord to Sofiatrain 461
39h 26m$503–889Drive 1,859.1 km
- Drive from Cologne to Sofiacar 1,859.1 km
16h 33m$307–443Train to Frankfurt, fly to Sofia Airport
- Take the train from Koeln Hbf to Frankfurt(M) Flughafen Fernbftrain
- Fly from Frankfurt (FRA) to Sofia Airport (SOF)plane FRA - SOF
5h 55m$112–317Fly Cologne Bonn Airport to Bucharest Otopeni, shuttle
- Fly from Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Bucharest Otopeni (OTP)plane CGN - OTP
- Take a shuttle bus from Bucharest Otopeni Airport to Ruse
6h 49m$184–521Train 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 55mTrain to Eindhoven Airport, fly to Sofia Airport
- Take the train from Köln Hbf to Eindhoventrain
- Fly from Eindhoven Airport (EIN) to Sofia Airport (SOF)plane EIN - SOF
7h 53m$66–266Train to Frankfurt, fly to Bucharest Otopeni, shuttle
- Take the train from Koeln Hbf to Frankfurt(M) Flughafen Fernbftrain
- Fly from Frankfurt (FRA) to Bucharest Otopeni (OTP)plane FRA - OTP
- Take a shuttle bus from Bucharest Otopeni Airport to Ruse
7h 15m$226–616Train to Dortmund Airport, fly to Varna Airport
- Take the train from Koeln Hbf to Holzwickedetrain
- Fly from Dortmund Airport (DTM) to Varna Airport (VAR)plane DTM - VAR
7h 26mTrain, bus via Würzburg
- Take the train from Koeln Hbf to Frankfurt(Main)Hbftrain Ice
- Take the bus from Frankfurt central train station to Würzburg Main Stationbus N84 / ...
- Take the bus from Wurzburg Bismarckstrasse Bus Stop to Sofia Serdica Bus Stationbus
27h 23m$128–230Train, bus
- Take the train from Koeln Hbf to Frankfurt(Main)Hbftrain Ice
- Take the bus from Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt central to Sofia Serdica Bus Stationbus Citylines 64 / ...
31h 7m$124–263Bus via Niš
- Take the bus from Köln Hbf to Niš, Autobuska Stanicabus
- Take the bus from Niš, Autobuska Stanica to Sofiya, Avtogara Serdikabus
33h 17m$171–390Drive, car train
- Drive from Cologne to Düsseldorf Hbfcar
- Take the car train from Düsseldorf Hbf to Villach Hbfcartrain
- Drive from Villach Hbf to Sofiacar
15h 53m$317–1,490
Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Sofia Airport (SOF) flights
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Cologne to Bulgaria is to train and fly which costs $65 - $270 and takes 7h 53m.
The fastest way to get from Cologne to Bulgaria is to fly which takes 5h 29m and costs $60 - $240.
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.
No, there is no direct train from Cologne to Bulgaria. However, there are services departing from Köln Hbf and arriving at Serdika via Muenchen Hbf Gl.5-10, Wien Westbahnhof, Bucuresti Nord and Central Station. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 39h 26m.
The distance between Cologne and Bulgaria is 1564 km. The road distance is 1859.1 km.
The best way to get from Cologne to Bulgaria without a car is to bus which takes 27h 17m and costs $100 - $130.
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.
Cologne to Bulgaria train services, operated by Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), depart from Köln Hbf station.
The best way to get from Cologne to Bulgaria is to fly which takes 5h 29m and costs $60 - $240. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs $100 - $130 and takes 27h 17m, you could also train, which costs $500 - $900 and takes 39h 26m.
What companies run services between Cologne, Germany and Bulgaria?
Ryanair, Eurowings, and two other airlines fly from Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Sofia Airport (SOF) every 4 hours. 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 22m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $100–420
Flights from Frankfurt to Sofia Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 10m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $75–270
Flights from Frankfurt to Sofia Airport via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 6m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $75–270
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Bucharest Otopeni via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 42m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $75–410
Flights from Frankfurt to Bucharest Otopeni
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 20m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $70–380
Flights from Frankfurt to Bucharest Otopeni via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 4h
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $120–350
- Website
- austrian.com
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Sofia Airport via Vienna
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 36m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $95–390
Flights from Frankfurt to Sofia Airport via Vienna
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 6m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $90–370
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Bucharest Otopeni via Vienna
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 53m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $95–380
Flights from Frankfurt to Bucharest Otopeni via Vienna
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 16m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $90–360
- Website
- wizzair.com
Flights from Dortmund Airport to Sofia Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 30m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $30–340
Flights from Dortmund Airport to Sofia Airport via Budapest
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 55m
- When
- Monday
- Estimated price
- $30–340
Flights from Eindhoven Airport to Sofia Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 40m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $40–150
Flights from Eindhoven Airport to Sofia Airport via Budapest
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 55m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- $40–150
Flights from Dortmund Airport to Varna Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 45m
- When
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $80–320
Flights from Dortmund Airport to Varna Airport via Budapest
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 10m
- When
- Monday
- Estimated price
- $80–320
- Website
- ryanair.com
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Sofia Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 25m
- When
- Friday and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $50–220
Flights from Eindhoven Airport to Sofia Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 35m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $60–270
- Website
- tarom.ro
Flights from Frankfurt to Bucharest Otopeni
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 25m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $50–210
- Website
- air.bg
Flights from Frankfurt to Sofia Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 20m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- $100–170
- Website
- flyulendo.com
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Bucharest Otopeni
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 35m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $45–180
- Website
- hisky.aero
Flights from Frankfurt to Bucharest Otopeni
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 20m
- When
- Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $85–210
- Website
- lufthansa-city.com
Flights from Frankfurt to Bucharest Otopeni
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 20m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $70–380
- Phone
- +31 30 751 5155
- Website
- ns.nl
Train from Köln Hbf to München Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 12m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $70–180
- Website
- https://www.ns.nl/en
Train from Koeln Hbf to Frankfurt(M) Flughafen Fernbf
- Ave. Duration
- 55 min
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- $21–55
- Website
- https://www.ns.nl/en
Train from Köln Hbf to Eindhoven
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 59m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $17–45
- Website
- https://www.ns.nl/en
Train from Koeln Hbf to Frankfurt(Main)Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 9m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- $22–55
- Website
- https://www.ns.nl/en
- Phone
- +43 1 89900
- meinenachricht@westbahn.at
- Website
- westbahn.at
Train from Muenchen Hbf Gl.5-10 to Wien Westbahnhof
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 4m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- $100–170
- Website
- https://westbahn.at/en/
Train from Wien Westbahnhof to Bucuresti Nord
- Ave. Duration
- 18h 8m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $280–490
- Website
- https://www.oebb.at/en/
- Phone
- 0219521
- petitii@cfrcalatori.ro
- Website
- cfrcalatori.ro
Train from Bucuresti Nord to Sofia
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 55m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $48–52
- Website
- https://www.cfrcalatori.ro/en/
- Phone
- +49 30 311 682904
- Website
- bahn.de
Train from Koeln Hbf to Frankfurt(M) Flughafen Fernbf
- Ave. Duration
- 55 min
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- $35–90
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Koeln Hbf to Frankfurt(Main)Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 9m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- $40–95
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
- Phone
- 0221 13 999 444
- Website
- nationalexpress.de
Train from Koeln Hbf to Holzwickede
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 16m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Schedules at
- nationalexpress.de
- Phone
- +49 (0) 221 800 20 820
- info@urlaubs-express.de
- Website
- urlaubs-express.de
Car train from Düsseldorf Hbf to Villach Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 53m
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- $120–1,200
- Website
- https://urlaubs-express.de/?lang=en
- Car Single Bed
- $320–650
- Car Compartment
- $600–1,200
- Phone
- +389 42 218 007
- Website
- nasirtours.mk
Bus from Cologne to Kumanovo
- Ave. Duration
- 22h 17m
- Frequency
- Twice a week
- Estimated price
- $94
- Website
- https://www.nasirtours.mk/en/destinations
- Phone
- +389 75 209 209
- hakkomerc@gmail.com
- Website
- hakbus.org
Bus from Cologne to Kumanovo
- Ave. Duration
- 24h 37m
- Frequency
- Twice a week
- Website
- https://www.hakbus.org/
- Phone
- 02 952 50 04
- matpu96@abv.bg
- Website
- matpu.com
Bus from Kumanovo to Sofia
- Ave. Duration
- 4h
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $26–35
- 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
- +389 47 231 192
- info@transkop.mk
- Website
- transkop.mk
Bus from Kumanovo to Sofia
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 30m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $18–30
- Schedules at
- transkop.mk
- Phone
- +359 0885700870
- support@citylines.eu
- Website
- citylines.eu
Bus from Kumanovo to Sofia
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 30m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $12–35
- Website
- https://citylines.eu/
Bus from Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt central to Sofia Serdica Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 28h 45m
- Frequency
- 3 times a week
- Estimated price
- $120–170
- Website
- https://citylines.eu/
- Phone
- +359 89 345 5533
- info@atlastaxi.eu
- Website
- atlastaxi.eu
Shuttle from Bucharest Otopeni Airport to Ruse
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 30m
- Frequency
- On demand
- Estimated price
- $120–290
- Website
- https://atlastaxi.eu/
Rome2Rio's guide to FlixBus
Contact Details
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- service@flixbus.com
- Website
- flixbus.fr
Bus from Frankfurt central train station to Würzburg Main Station
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 31m
- Frequency
- Every 2 hours
- Estimated price
- $9–17
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
- Phone
- +359-887-208-506
- racic_bg@yahoo.com
- Website
- racicbg.com
Bus from Wurzburg Bismarckstrasse Bus Stop to Sofia Serdica Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 22h 30m
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- $95–120
- Website
- https://www.racicbg.com/bg/
Bus from Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt central to Sofia Serdica Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 24h 30m
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- $100–140
- Website
- https://www.racicbg.com/bg/
- 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
- nis-ekspres.rs
Bus from Niš, Autobuska Stanica to Sofiya, Avtogara Serdika
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 40m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $15–23
- Schedules at
- nis-ekspres.rs
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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More Questions & Answers
Cologne to Bulgaria bus services, operated by Nasir Tours, arrive at Kumanovo station.
Bulgaria is 1h ahead of Cologne. It is currently 3:46 AM in Cologne and 4:46 AM in Bulgaria.
Cologne to Bulgaria train services, operated by Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), arrive at München Hbf station.
Yes, the driving distance between Cologne to Bulgaria is 1859 km. It takes approximately 16h 33m to drive from Cologne to Bulgaria.
There are 2173+ hotels available in Bulgaria.


































































