There are 5 ways to get from Essen to Cologne by bus, train (Eurostar), car, taxi, 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.
Bus
best- Take the bus from Südviertel, Essen to Köln-Ehrenfeld GleisMykolayiv
45 minRideshare
cheapest- Take the rideshare from Essen to Cologne69.2 km
1h 6m€3–7Train
- Take the train from Essen Hbf to Köln Hbf43 / ...
48 min€15–70Drive 69.5 km
- Drive from Essen to Cologne69.5 km
43 min€10–15Taxi
- Take the taxi from Essen to Cologne69.5 km
43 min€170–210
Essen to Cologne by train
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Essen to Cologne is to rideshare which costs €3 - €7 and takes 1h 6m.
The fastest way to get from Essen to Cologne is to drive which takes 43 min and costs €9 - €15.
Yes, there is a direct bus departing from Südviertel, Essen and arriving at Köln-Ehrenfeld Gleis. Services depart once daily, and operate every day. The journey takes approximately 45 min.
Yes, there is a direct train departing from Essen Hbf and arriving at Köln Hbf. Services depart every 20 minutes, and operate every day. The journey takes approximately 48 min.
The distance between Essen and Cologne is 84 km. The road distance is 69.5 km.
The best way to get from Essen to Cologne without a car is to bus which takes 45 min and costs .
The bus from Südviertel, Essen to Köln-Ehrenfeld Gleis takes 45 min including transfers and departs once daily.
Essen to Cologne bus services, operated by OrionBus, depart from Südviertel, Essen station.
Essen to Cologne train services, operated by Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), depart from Essen Hbf station.
The best way to get from Essen to Cologne is to bus which takes 45 min and costs . Alternatively, you can train, which costs €15 - €70 and takes 48 min.
What companies run services between Essen, Germany and Cologne, Germany?
OrionBus operates a bus from Südviertel, Essen to Köln-Ehrenfeld Gleis once daily, and the journey takes 45 min. Alternatively, Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC) operates a train from Essen Hbf to Köln Hbf every 30 minutes. Tickets cost €18–30 and the journey takes 48 min. Four other operators also service this route.
- Phone
- +49 30 311 682904
- Website
- bahn.de
Train from Essen Hbf to Köln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 48 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- €18–30
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
- Phone
- 0221 13 999 444
- Website
- nationalexpress.de
Train from Essen Hbf to Köln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 10m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €15–22
- Schedules at
- nationalexpress.de
- Phone
- +49 30 2970
- Website
- bahn.de
Train from Essen Hbf to Köln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 35m
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- €15–22
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
- Phone
- +44 343 218 6186
- Website
- eurostar.com
Train from Essen Hbf to Köln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 53 min
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- €30–70
- Website
- https://www.eurostar.com/rw-en
- Standard
- €30–45
- Comfort
- €35–50
- Premium
- €50–70
- Phone
- +49 9126 301 90 70
- fahrgaeste@train-rental.com
- Website
- train-rental.com
Train from Essen Hbf to Köln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 9m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Schedules at
- train-rental.com
- Phone
- +38 (050) 010-01-04
- orionbilet@gmail.com
- Website
- orionbus.net
Bus from Südviertel, Essen to Köln-Ehrenfeld Gleis
- Ave. Duration
- 45 min
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Website
- https://orionbus.net/en
- Phone
- +3 318 576 2228
- Website
- blablacar.com
Rideshare from Essen to Cologne
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 6m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €3–7
- Schedules at
- blablacar.com
- Ave. Duration
- 43 min
- Estimated price
- €170–210
Trans-Port-Essen
- Phone
- +49 201 706090
- Website
- trans-port-essen.de
Taxi Steele e.V.
- Phone
- +49 201 54954
- Website
- taxi-steele.de
Taxi Harris
- Phone
- +49 160 7668813
- Website
- taxiharris.de
Taxi Essen e.G.
- Phone
- +49 201 777 777
- Website
- taxiessen.de
Want to know more about travelling around Germany
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More Questions & Answers
Essen to Cologne bus services, operated by OrionBus, arrive at Köln-Ehrenfeld Gleis station.
Essen to Cologne train services, operated by Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), arrive at Köln Hbf station.
Yes, the driving distance between Essen to Cologne is 69 km. It takes approximately 43 min to drive from Essen to Cologne.
Book your Essen to Cologne train tickets online with Omio.
There are 1751+ hotels available in Cologne.
Check out Blablacar's carpooling service for rideshare options between Essen and Cologne. A great option if you don't have a driver's licence or want to avoid public transport.



















