There are 11 ways to get from Cologne to Munich by train, bus, night train, car, car train, rideshare, 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
best- Take the train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to München Hbftrain 41 / ...
4h 27m€35–210Rideshare
cheapest- Take the rideshare from Cologne to Munich552.6 km
6h€22–40Bus via Wiesdorf Leverkusen Mitte Bf
- Take the bus from Leverkusen to Munich central bus stationbus N28
9h 6m€45–75Night train
- Take the nighttrain from Koeln Hbf to Muenchen Ostnighttrain Nj
7h 52m€35–110Drive 552.9 km
- Drive from Cologne to Munichcar 552.9 km
5h 14m€81–117Drive, car train
- Drive from Cologne to Fuldacar
- Take the cartrain from Fulda to München Ostcartrain
7h 21m€130–161Train, bus
- Take the train from Koeln Hbf to Frankfurt(Main)Hbftrain Ice
- Take the bus from Frankfurt Central Train Station to München Hbfbus
9h 35m€50–114Bus
- Take the bus from Köln to München, ZOBbus Ivano-Frankivsk
11h 25m€85–95Fly from Cologne Bonn Airport
- Fly from Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Munich International Airport (MUC)plane CGN - MUC
3h€78–220Line 41 train to Düsseldorf International Airport, fly
- Take the train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Düsseldorf Hbftrain
- Fly from Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS) to Munich International Airport (MUC)plane DUS - MUC
3h 37m€85–229Train to Frankfurt, fly
- Take the train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Frankfurttrain
- Fly from Frankfurt (FRA) to Munich International Airport (MUC)plane FRA - MUC
3h 30m€103–274
Cologne to Munich by train
Comparing Your Travel Options
The cheapest way to get from Cologne to Munich is to rideshare which costs €22 - €40 and takes 6h.
The fastest way to get from Cologne to Munich is to fly which takes 3h and costs €75 - €220.
Yes, there is a direct bus departing from Köln and arriving at München, ZOB. Services depart once daily, and operate every day. The journey takes approximately 11h 25m.
Yes, there is a direct train departing from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf and arriving at München Hbf. Services depart hourly, and operate every day. The journey takes approximately 4h 27m.
The distance between Cologne and Munich is 572 km. The road distance is 552.9 km.
The best way to get from Cologne to Munich without a car is to train which takes 4h 27m and costs €35 - €210.
The train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to München Hbf takes 4h 27m including transfers and departs hourly.
Cologne to Munich bus services, operated by FlixBus, depart from Leverkusen station.
Cologne to Munich train services, operated by Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), depart from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf station.
The best way to get from Cologne to Munich is to train which takes 4h 27m and costs €35 - €210. Alternatively, you can bus via Wiesdorf Leverkusen Mitte Bf, which costs €45 - €75 and takes 9h 6m, you could also fly, which costs €75 - €220 and takes 3h.
What companies run services between Cologne, Germany and Munich, Germany?
Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC) operates a train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to München Hbf hourly. Tickets cost €100–210 and the journey takes 4h 27m. Three other operators also service this route. Alternatively, FlixBus operates a bus from Leverkusen to Munich central bus station once daily. Tickets cost €45–75 and the journey takes 7h 30m.
- Website
- lufthansa.com
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Munich International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €40–280
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Munich International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 10m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €45–290
Flights from Frankfurt to Munich International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 55 min
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €80–240
- 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 Koeln Hbf to Frankfurt(Main)Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 9m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €30–65
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC)
Train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Düsseldorf Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 19 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- €7–14
- 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)
Rome2Rio's guide to FlixBus
Contact DetailsContact Details
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- service@flixbus.com
- Website
- Flixbus
Bus from Leverkusen to Munich central bus station
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 30m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- €45–75
- Website
- Flixbus
- Phone
- +3 318 576 2228
- Website
- BlaBlaCar
Rideshare from Cologne to Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 6h
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €22–40
- 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.
Related travel guides
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Read the travel guide
Booking & Getting There
Cologne to Munich bus services, operated by FlixBus, arrive at Munich central bus station.
Cologne to Munich train services, operated by Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), arrive at München Hbf station.
Yes, the driving distance between Cologne to Munich is 553 km. It takes approximately 5h 14m to drive from Cologne to Munich.
Book your Cologne to Munich train tickets online with Omio.
Book your Cologne to Munich bus tickets online with Omio.
There are 1474+ hotels available in Munich.
Check out Blablacar's carpooling service for rideshare options between Cologne and Munich. A great option if you don't have a driver's licence or want to avoid public transport.








