There are 10 ways to get from Dresden to Cologne by plane, train, bus, car, or rideshare
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Fly Dresden Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport, train
best- Fly from Dresden Airport (DRS) to Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS)plane DRS - DUS
- Take the train from Duesseldorf Hbf to Koeln Hbftrain
3h 42m€87–374Bus
cheapest- Take the bus from Dresden central station to Bensberg Busbahnhofbus N20
8h 29m€22–55Train via Frankfurt am Main
- Take the train from Dresden Hauptbahnhof to Frankfurttrain 50
- Take the train from Frankfurt to Köln Messe/Deutz Bftrain 41 / ...
6h 15m€51–169Drive 569.7 km
- Drive from Dresden to Colognecar 569.7 km
4h 51m€81–117Fly Dresden Airport to Cologne Bonn Airport
- Fly from Dresden Airport (DRS) to Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN)plane DRS - CGN
4h 55m€171–410Train to Berlin Brandenburg Airport, fly to Cologne Bonn Airport
- Take the train from Dresden Hauptbahnhof to Flughafen BERtrain
- Fly from Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) to Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN)plane BER - CGN
4h 7m€82–276Fly Dresden Airport to Frankfurt, train
- Fly from Dresden Airport (DRS) to Frankfurt (FRA)plane DRS - FRA
- Take the train from Frankfurt to Köln Messe/Deutz Bftrain
3h 52m€157–350Train to Berlin Brandenburg Airport, fly to Düsseldorf International Airport, train
- Take the train from Dresden Hauptbahnhof to Flughafen BERtrain
- Fly from Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) to Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS)plane BER - DUS
- Take the train from Duesseldorf Hbf to Koeln Hbftrain
4h 54m€103–340Train
- Take the train from Dresden Bahnhof Neustadt to Köln Hbftrain 51 / ...
6h 58m€45–110Rideshare
- Take the rideshare from Dresden to Cologne569.8 km
6h 57m€29
Dresden to Cologne by train
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Dresden to Cologne is to rideshare which costs €29 and takes 6h 57m.
The fastest way to get from Dresden to Cologne is to fly and train which takes 3h 42m and costs €85 - €380.
No, there is no direct bus from Dresden station to Cologne. However, there are services departing from Dresden central station and arriving at Köln Breslauer Platz/Hbf via Bergisch Gladbach Bensberg. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 8h 29m.
Yes, there is a direct train departing from Dresden Bahnhof Neustadt and arriving at Köln Hbf. Services depart once daily, and operate every day. The journey takes approximately 6h 58m.
The distance between Dresden and Cologne is 558 km. The road distance is 569.7 km.
The best way to get from Dresden to Cologne without a car is to train via Frankfurt am Main which takes 6h 15m and costs €50 - €170.
It takes approximately 3h 42m to get from Dresden to Cologne, including transfers.
Dresden to Cologne bus services, operated by FlixBus, depart from Dresden central station.
Dresden to Cologne train services, operated by Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), depart from Dresden Hauptbahnhof station.
The best way to get from Dresden to Cologne is to train via Frankfurt am Main which takes 6h 15m and costs €50 - €170. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs €22 - €55 and takes 8h 29m, you could also fly, which costs €170 - €410 and takes 4h 55m.
What companies run services between Dresden, Germany and Cologne, Germany?
You can take a train from Dresden Hauptbahnhof to Köln Messe/Deutz Bf via Frankfurt in around 6h 15m. Alternatively, FlixBus operates a bus from Dresden central station to Bensberg Busbahnhof once daily. Tickets cost €22–55 and the journey takes 7h 25m.
- Website
- eurowings.com
Flights from Dresden Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 10m
- When
- Monday to Friday
- Estimated price
- €50–270
Flights from Berlin Brandenburg Airport to Cologne Bonn Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- €55–190
Flights from Berlin Brandenburg Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- €55–210
- Website
- lufthansa.com
Flights from Dresden Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport via Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 50m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €120–360
Flights from Dresden Airport to Cologne Bonn Airport via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 11m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- €110–550
Flights from Dresden Airport to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €130–270
Flights from Dresden Airport to Frankfurt via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 50m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- €130–270
Flights from Berlin Brandenburg Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport via Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 3h
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €110–420
- Phone
- 0221 13 999 444
- Website
- nationalexpress.de
Train from Duesseldorf Hbf to Koeln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 37 min
- Frequency
- Every 20 minutes
- Estimated price
- €10–15
- Schedules at
- nationalexpress.de
- Phone
- +31 30 751 5155
- Website
- ns.nl
Train from Duesseldorf Hbf to Koeln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 23 min
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- €9–25
- Website
- https://www.ns.nl/en
- 2nd Class
- €9–14
- 1st Class
- €14–25
- Phone
- +44 343 218 6186
- Website
- eurostar.com
Train from Duesseldorf Hbf to Koeln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 26 min
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- €25–55
- Website
- https://www.eurostar.com/rw-en
- Standard
- €25–35
- Comfort
- €26–40
- Premium
- €40–55
- Phone
- +49 30 311 682904
- Website
- bahn.de
Train from Dresden Hauptbahnhof to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 26m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- €30–95
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Frankfurt to Köln Messe/Deutz Bf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 6m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €21–75
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Dresden Hauptbahnhof to Flughafen BER
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 31m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- €18–60
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Dresden Bahnhof Neustadt to Köln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 58m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- €45–110
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Rome2Rio's guide to FlixBus
Contact Details
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- service@flixbus.com
- Website
- flixbus.fr
Bus from Dresden central station to Bensberg Busbahnhof
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 25m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- €22–55
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
- Phone
- +3 318 576 2228
- Website
- blablacar.com
Rideshare from Dresden to Cologne
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 57m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- €29
- Schedules at
- blablacar.com
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.
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More Questions & Answers
Dresden to Cologne bus services, operated by FlixBus, arrive at Bensberg Busbahnhof station.
Dresden to Cologne train services, operated by Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), arrive at Frankfurt station.
Yes, the driving distance between Dresden to Cologne is 570 km. It takes approximately 4h 51m to drive from Dresden to Cologne.
Book your Dresden to Cologne train tickets online with Omio.
There are 1773+ hotels available in Cologne.
Check out Blablacar's carpooling service for rideshare options between Dresden and Cologne. A great option if you don't have a driver's licence or want to avoid public transport.

























