There are 12 ways to get from Cologne to Leipzig by train, bus, night train, rideshare, car, or plane
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 Airport (FRA)
best- Take the train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurt43 / ...
- Take the train from Frankfurt to Leipzig Hbf13 / ...
5h 3m€62–207Rideshare
cheapest- Take the rideshare from Cologne to Leipzig461.9 km
5h 4m€14–30Bus
- Take the bus from Leverkusen to Leipzig central train station264 / ...
9h 5m€23–40Night train
- Take the night train from Koeln Hbf to Halle(Saale)HbfNj
9h 53m€61–277Train
- Take the train from Köln Hbf to Leipzig Hbf55 / ...
6h 11m€50–140Drive 461.7 km
- Drive from Cologne to Leipzig461.7 km
4h 39m€66–95Train to Düsseldorf International Airport, fly to Leipzig-Halle Airport
- Take the train from Koeln Hbf to Duesseldorf Flughafen
- Fly from Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS) to Leipzig-Halle Airport (LEJ)DUS - LEJ
5h 18m€136–320Train to Frankfurt, fly to Leipzig-Halle Airport
- Take the train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurt
- Fly from Frankfurt (FRA) to Leipzig-Halle Airport (LEJ)FRA - LEJ
3h 46m€114–268Train to Düsseldorf International Airport, fly to Dresden Airport, train
- Take the train from Koeln Hbf to Duesseldorf Flughafen
- Fly from Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS) to Dresden Airport (DRS)DUS - DRS
- Take the train from Dresden Hauptbahnhof to Leipzig Hbf
5h 6m€104–409Train to Frankfurt, fly to Dresden Airport, train
- Take the train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurt
- Fly from Frankfurt (FRA) to Dresden Airport (DRS)FRA - DRS
- Take the train from Dresden Hauptbahnhof to Leipzig Hbf
5h 14m€182–407Fly Cologne Bonn Airport to Berlin Brandenburg Airport, train
- Fly from Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)CGN - BER
- Take the train from Berlin Südkreuz to Leipzig Central Station
5h 34m€67–250Train to Düsseldorf International Airport, fly to Berlin Brandenburg Airport, train
- Take the train from Koeln Hbf to Duesseldorf Flughafen
- Fly from Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS) to Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)DUS - BER
- Take the train from Berlin Südkreuz to Leipzig Central Station
6h 5m€82–299
Cologne to Leipzig by train
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Cologne to Leipzig is to rideshare which costs €14 - €30 and takes 5h 4m.
The fastest way to get from Cologne to Leipzig is to train and fly which takes 3h 46m and costs €110 - €270.
No, there is no direct bus from Cologne to Leipzig station. However, there are services departing from Köln Heumarkt and arriving at Leipzig central train station via Leverkusen. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 9h 5m.
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 11m.
The distance between Cologne and Leipzig is 546 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 Airport (FRA) which takes 5h 3m and costs €60 - €210.
It takes approximately 5h 3m to get from Cologne to Leipzig, including transfers.
Cologne to Leipzig bus services, operated by FlixBus, depart from Leverkusen 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 Airport (FRA) which takes 5h 3m and costs €60 - €210. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs €23 - €40 and takes 9h 5m.
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 5h 3m. Alternatively, FlixBus operates a bus from Leverkusen to Leipzig central train station once daily. Tickets cost €23–40 and the journey takes 7h 30m.
- Website
- eurowings.com
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Dresden Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 10m
- When
- Monday to Friday
- Estimated price
- €55–250
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Berlin Brandenburg Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 10m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €50–200
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Berlin Brandenburg Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 10m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- €55–190
- Website
- lufthansa.com
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Leipzig-Halle Airport via Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 37m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €200–280
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Leipzig-Halle Airport via Hamburg, Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 50m
- When
- Monday and Thursday
- Estimated price
- €200–280
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Leipzig-Halle Airport via Munich, Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 15m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €200–280
Flights from Frankfurt to Leipzig-Halle Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €80–170
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Dresden Airport via Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 10m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €110–370
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Dresden Airport via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 5m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- €70–430
Flights from Frankfurt to Dresden Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €120–290
Flights from Frankfurt to Dresden Airport via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 47m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €120–290
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 Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 20m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €110–270
- Website
- klm.com
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Berlin Brandenburg Airport via Amsterdam Schiphol
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 7m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €45–280
- Website
- austrian.com
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Leipzig-Halle Airport via Vienna
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 25m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- €95–350
- Phone
- +49 30 311 682904
- Website
- bahn.de
Train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 59 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €28–85
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Frankfurt to Leipzig Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 7m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €35–120
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Köln Hbf to Leipzig Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 11m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- €50–140
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Koeln Hbf to Duesseldorf Flughafen
- Ave. Duration
- 31 min
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- €7–24
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Dresden Hauptbahnhof to Leipzig Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 12m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €18–40
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
- Phone
- +31 30 751 5155
- Website
- ns.nl
Train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 59 min
- Frequency
- 5 times a day
- Estimated price
- €27–90
- Website
- https://www.ns.nl/en
- 2nd Class
- €27–40
- 1st Class
- €50–90
- Phone
- +43 51717
- Website
- nightjet.com
Night train from Koeln Hbf to Halle(Saale)Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 3m
- Frequency
- 4 times a week
- Estimated price
- €50–265
- Website
- https://www.nightjet.com/en/#/home
- Sleeper Carriage
- €259–265
- Couchette Carriage
- €140–160
- Seating Carriage
- €50–65
- Phone
- 0221 13 999 444
- Website
- nationalexpress.de
Train from Koeln Hbf to Duesseldorf Flughafen
- Ave. Duration
- 38 min
- Frequency
- Every 20 minutes
- Estimated price
- €10–15
- Schedules at
- nationalexpress.de
- Phone
- +44 343 218 6186
- Website
- eurostar.com
Train from Koeln Hbf to Duesseldorf Flughafen
- Ave. Duration
- 32 min
- Frequency
- 3 times a week
- Estimated price
- €25–60
- Website
- https://www.eurostar.com/rw-en
- Standard
- €25–35
- Comfort
- €27–40
- Premium
- €40–60
- Phone
- +49 30 2970
- Website
- bahn.de
Train from Dresden Hauptbahnhof to Leipzig Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 35m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €19–28
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- info@flixbus.de
- Website
- flixtrain.de
Train from Berlin Südkreuz to Leipzig Central Station
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 9m
- Frequency
- 5 times a week
- Estimated price
- €4–13
- Website
- https://www.flixtrain.com/
Rome2Rio's guide to FlixBus
Contact Details
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- service@flixbus.com
- Website
- flixbus.fr
Bus from Leverkusen to Leipzig central train station
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 30m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- €23–40
- 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
- €14–30
- 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 FlixBus, arrive at Leipzig central train 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 39m to drive from Cologne to Leipzig.
Book your Cologne to Leipzig train tickets online with Omio.
There are 1453+ 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.



































