There are 12 ways to get from Cologne to Leipzig by train, bus, rideshare, plane, or car
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 Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurttrain 41 / ...
- Take the train from Frankfurt to Leipzig Hbftrain 50 / ...
4h 55m€50–155Rideshare
cheapest- Take the rideshare from Cologne to Leipzig461.9 km
5h 4m€15–30Bus
- Take the bus from Köln-Ehrenfeld Gleis to Magdeburgbus Mykolayiv
- Take the bus from Magdeburg central bus station to Leipzig central train stationbus N367 / ...
7h 33mTrain to Düsseldorf International Airport, fly to Leipzig-Halle Airport
- Take the train from Köln Hbf to D-Flughafen Bftrain
- Fly from Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS) to Leipzig-Halle Airport (LEJ)plane DUS - LEJ
4h 55m€176–400Train
- Take the train from Köln Hbf to Leipzig Hbftrain 51 / ...
6h€50–140Train via Kassel
- Take the train from Koeln Hbf to Kamentrain Re
- Take the train from Kamen to Kassel-Wilhelmshoehetrain Re
- Take the train from Kassel-Wilhelmshoehe to Halle(Saale)Hbftrain Re
9h 1m€93–167Drive 461.7 km
- Drive from Cologne to Leipzigcar 461.7 km
4h 41m€66–95Train to Frankfurt, fly to Leipzig-Halle Airport
- Take the train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurttrain
- Fly from Frankfurt (FRA) to Leipzig-Halle Airport (LEJ)plane FRA - LEJ
3h 26m€107–231Train to Düsseldorf International Airport, fly to Dresden Airport, train
- Take the train from Köln Hbf to D-Flughafen Bftrain
- Fly from Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS) to Dresden Airport (DRS)plane DUS - DRS
- Take the train from Dresden Bahnhof Neustadt to Leipzig Hbftrain
4h 38m€93–409Fly Cologne Bonn Airport to Berlin Brandenburg Airport, train
- Fly from Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)plane CGN - BER
- Take the train from S Südkreuz Bhf to Leipzig Hbftrain
4h 28m€75–304Train to Düsseldorf International Airport, fly to Berlin Brandenburg Airport, train
- Take the train from Köln Hbf to D-Flughafen Bftrain
- Fly from Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS) to Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)plane DUS - BER
- Take the train from S Südkreuz Bhf to Leipzig Hbftrain
4h 53m€90–362Train to Frankfurt, fly to Dresden Airport, train
- Take the train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurttrain
- Fly from Frankfurt (FRA) to Dresden Airport (DRS)plane FRA - DRS
- Take the train from Dresden Bahnhof Neustadt to Leipzig Hbftrain
4h 49m€169–390
Cologne to Leipzig by train
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Cologne to Leipzig is to rideshare which costs €15 - €30 and takes 5h 4m.
The fastest way to get from Cologne to Leipzig is to train and fly which takes 3h 26m and costs €100 - €240.
No, there is no direct bus from Cologne to Leipzig station. However, there are services departing from Köln-Ehrenfeld Gleis and arriving at Leipzig central train station via Magdeburg central bus station. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 7h 33m.
Yes, there is a direct train departing from Köln Hbf and arriving at Leipzig Hbf. Services depart once daily, and operate every day. The journey takes approximately 6h.
The distance between Cologne and Leipzig is 550 km. The road distance is 461.7 km.
The best way to get from Cologne to Leipzig without a car is to train via Frankfurt am Main which takes 4h 55m and costs €45 - €160.
It takes approximately 4h 55m to get from Cologne to Leipzig, including transfers.
Cologne to Leipzig bus services, operated by OrionBus, depart from Köln-Ehrenfeld Gleis station.
Cologne to Leipzig train services, operated by Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), depart from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf station.
The best way to get from Cologne to Leipzig is to train via Frankfurt am Main which takes 4h 55m and costs €45 - €160. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs and takes 7h 33m.
What companies run services between Cologne, Germany and Leipzig, Germany?
You can take a train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Leipzig Hbf via Frankfurt in around 4h 55m. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Köln-Ehrenfeld Gleis to Leipzig central train station via Magdeburg and Magdeburg central bus station in around 7h 33m.
- Website
- eurowings.com
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Dresden Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 10m
- When
- Monday to Friday
- Estimated price
- €50–270
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Berlin Brandenburg Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 10m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- €55–190
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Berlin Brandenburg Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 10m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- €55–210
- Website
- lufthansa.com
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Leipzig-Halle Airport via Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 43m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €200–310
Flights from Frankfurt to Leipzig-Halle Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €80–140
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Dresden Airport via Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 10m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €120–360
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Dresden Airport via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 5m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- €85–550
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Berlin Brandenburg Airport via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 2m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €75–310
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Berlin Brandenburg Airport via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 20m
- When
- Tuesday to Thursday
- Estimated price
- €55–210
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Berlin Brandenburg Airport via Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 20m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €110–420
Flights from Frankfurt to Dresden Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €130–270
- Website
- klm.com
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Berlin Brandenburg Airport via Amsterdam Schiphol
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 11m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €45–280
- Website
- austrian.com
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Leipzig-Halle Airport via Vienna
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 5m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- €100–400
- Phone
- +49 30 311 682904
- Website
- bahn.de
Train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 6m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €21–70
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Frankfurt to Leipzig Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 12m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €28–85
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Köln Hbf to D-Flughafen Bf
- Ave. Duration
- 30 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €7–23
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Köln Hbf to Leipzig Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 6h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- €50–140
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Dresden Bahnhof Neustadt to Leipzig Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 2m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €13–40
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from S Südkreuz Bhf to Leipzig Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 11m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €23–60
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
- Phone
- +44 343 218 6186
- Website
- eurostar.com
Train from Köln Hbf to D-Flughafen Bf
- Ave. Duration
- 35 min
- Frequency
- Twice a week
- Estimated price
- €25–60
- Website
- https://www.eurostar.com/rw-en
- Standard
- €25–40
- Comfort
- €27–40
- Premium
- €40–60
- Phone
- 0221 13 999 444
- Website
- nationalexpress.de
Train from Koeln Hbf to Kamen
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 56m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €24–35
- Schedules at
- nationalexpress.de
Train from Kamen to Kassel-Wilhelmshoehe
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 9m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €30–50
- Schedules at
- nationalexpress.de
- Phone
- +49 30 21300130
- info@abellio-mitteldeutschland.de
- Website
- abellio.de
Train from Kassel-Wilhelmshoehe to Halle(Saale)Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 52m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €30–45
- Schedules at
- abellio.de
- Phone
- 0800 2235546
- Website
- abellio.de
Train from Kassel-Wilhelmshoehe to Halle(Saale)Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 52m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €45–70
- Schedules at
- abellio.de
- Phone
- +49 30 2970
- Website
- bahn.de
Train from Dresden Bahnhof Neustadt to Leipzig Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 30m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €19–27
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
- Phone
- +43 5 1717
- Website
- oebb.at
Train from Dresden Bahnhof Neustadt to Leipzig Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 9m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- €28–40
- Website
- https://www.oebb.at/en/reiseplanung-services/im-zug/unsere-zuege/eurocity-intercity
- Website
- https://shop.oebbtickets.at/en/ticket
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- info@flixbus.de
- Website
- flixtrain.de
Train from S Südkreuz Bhf to Leipzig Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 8m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- €4–15
- Website
- https://www.flixtrain.com/
- Phone
- +38 (050) 010-01-04
- orionbilet@gmail.com
- Website
- orionbus.net
Bus from Köln-Ehrenfeld Gleis to Magdeburg
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 37m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Website
- https://orionbus.net/en
Rome2Rio's guide to FlixBus
Contact Details
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- service@flixbus.com
- Website
- flixbus.fr
Bus from Magdeburg central bus station to Leipzig central train station
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 45m
- Frequency
- 5 times a day
- Estimated price
- €8–13
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
- Phone
- +3 318 576 2228
- Website
- blablacar.com
Rideshare from Cologne to Leipzig
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 4m
- Frequency
- 5 times a day
- Estimated price
- €15–30
- Schedules at
- blablacar.com
Want to know more about travelling around Germany
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More Questions & Answers
Cologne to Leipzig bus services, operated by OrionBus, arrive at Magdeburg station.
Cologne to Leipzig train services, operated by Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), arrive at Frankfurt station.
Yes, the driving distance between Cologne to Leipzig is 462 km. It takes approximately 4h 41m to drive from Cologne to Leipzig.
Book your Cologne to Leipzig train tickets online with Omio.
There are 1404+ hotels available in Leipzig.
Check out Blablacar's carpooling service for rideshare options between Cologne and Leipzig. A great option if you don't have a driver's licence or want to avoid public transport.



































