There are 9 ways to get from Essen to Zurich by train, bus, car, plane, or train (Eurostar)
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 Basel
best- Take the train from Essen Hbf to Basel SBBtrain 43
- Take the train from Basel SBB to Zürich HBtrain Ir36 / ...
6h 12mCHF 122–296Bus
cheapest- Take the bus from Düsseldorf central bus station to Zurich Bus Stationbus FlixBus N177 / ...
11h 45mCHF 37–74Drive 591.8 km
- Drive from Essen to Zurichcar 591.8 km
5h 53mCHF 96–138Train to Düsseldorf International Airport, fly to Zurich Airport
- Take the train from Essen Hbf to Duesseldorf Flughafentrain
- Fly from Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS) to Zurich Airport (ZRH)plane DUS - ZRH
4h 10mCHF 72–210Train
- Take the train from Essen Hbf to Köln Hbftrain 43 / ...
- Take the train from Köln Hbf to Zürich HBtrain Nightjet
10hCHF 73–186Train, bus
- Take the train from Essen Hbf to Leverkusen Mittetrain Re
- Take the bus from Leverkusen to Zurich Bus Stationbus FlixBus N11
12h 15mCHF 49–85Train to Frankfurt, fly to Zurich Airport
- Take the train from Essen Hbf to Frankfurttrain
- Fly from Frankfurt (FRA) to Zurich Airport (ZRH)plane FRA - ZRH
4h 9mCHF 115–253Train to Cologne Bonn Airport, fly to Zurich Airport
- Take the train from Essen Hbf to Köln Messe/Deutz Bftrain
- Fly from Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Zurich Airport (ZRH)plane CGN - ZRH
4h 42mCHF 79–228Train to Frankfurt, fly to Basel, train
- Take the train from Essen Hbf to Frankfurttrain
- Fly from Frankfurt (FRA) to Basel (BSL)plane FRA - BSL
- Take the train from Basel SBB to Zürich HBtrain
5h 28mCHF 182–471
Essen to Zurich by train
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Essen to Zurich is to bus which costs SFr 35 - SFr 75 and takes 11h 45m.
The fastest way to get from Essen to Zurich is to train and fly which takes 4h 9m and costs SFr 110 - SFr 260.
No, there is no direct bus from Essen station to Zurich station. However, there are services departing from Essen central train station and arriving at Zurich Bus Station via Düsseldorf central bus station. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 11h 45m.
No, there is no direct train from Essen to Zurich. However, there are services departing from Essen Hbf and arriving at Zürich HB via Basel SBB. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 6h 12m.
The distance between Essen and Zurich is 664 km. The road distance is 591.8 km.
The best way to get from Essen to Zurich without a car is to train via Basel which takes 6h 12m and costs SFr 120 - SFr 300.
It takes approximately 6h 12m to get from Essen to Zurich, including transfers.
Essen to Zurich bus services, operated by FlixBus, depart from Düsseldorf central bus station.
Essen to Zurich train services, operated by Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), depart from Essen Hbf station.
The best way to get from Essen to Zurich is to train via Basel which takes 6h 12m and costs SFr 120 - SFr 300. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs SFr 35 - SFr 75 and takes 11h 45m.
What companies run services between Essen, Germany and Zurich, Switzerland?
You can take a train from Essen Hbf to Zürich HB via Basel SBB in around 6h 12m. Alternatively, FlixBus operates a bus from Düsseldorf central bus station to Zurich Bus Station twice daily. Tickets cost CHF 35–70 and the journey takes 10h 5m. GrandBus also services this route once daily.
- Website
- lufthansa.com
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Zurich Airport via Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 54m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- CHF 65–350
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Zurich Airport via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 3h
- When
- Monday to Saturday
- Estimated price
- CHF 40–320
Flights from Frankfurt to Zurich Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 56 min
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- CHF 65–280
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Zurich Airport via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 3h
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- CHF 40–310
Flights from Frankfurt to Basel
- Ave. Duration
- 57 min
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- CHF 60–490
Flights from Frankfurt to Basel via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 50m
- When
- Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- CHF 60–490
- Website
- swiss.com
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Zurich Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 10m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- CHF 55–160
Flights from Frankfurt to Zurich Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 56 min
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- CHF 65–280
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Zurich Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- CHF 55–170
Flights from Frankfurt to Basel
- Ave. Duration
- 59 min
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- CHF 60–490
- Website
- airdolomiti.it
Flights from Frankfurt to Zurich Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 55 min
- When
- Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- CHF 85–230
Flights from Frankfurt to Basel
- Ave. Duration
- 55 min
- When
- Saturday and Sunday
- Estimated price
- CHF 95–250
- Website
- eurowings.com
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Zurich Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 6m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- CHF 55–160
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Zurich Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- CHF 55–170
- Website
- condor.com
Flights from Frankfurt to Zurich Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 50 min
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- CHF 70–140
- Phone
- +49 30 311 682904
- Website
- bahn.de
Train from Essen Hbf to Basel SBB
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 48m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- CHF 90–220
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Essen Hbf to Duesseldorf Flughafen
- Ave. Duration
- 21 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- CHF 5–13
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Essen Hbf to Köln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 48 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- CHF 13–35
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Essen Hbf to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 46m
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- CHF 40–95
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Essen Hbf to Köln Messe/Deutz Bf
- Ave. Duration
- 49 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- CHF 13–30
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
- Phone
- +41 848 446 688
- Website
- sbb.ch
Train from Basel SBB to Zürich HB
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 13m
- Frequency
- Every 20 minutes
- Estimated price
- CHF 28–85
- Website
- https://www.sbb.ch/en
- Phone
- 0221 13 999 444
- Website
- nationalexpress.de
Train from Essen Hbf to Duesseldorf Flughafen
- Ave. Duration
- 24 min
- Frequency
- Every 20 minutes
- Schedules at
- nationalexpress.de
Train from Essen Hbf to Leverkusen Mitte
- Ave. Duration
- 45 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Schedules at
- nationalexpress.de
Train from Essen Hbf to Köln Messe/Deutz Bf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 20m
- Frequency
- 4 times a week
- Schedules at
- nationalexpress.de
- Phone
- +49 30 2970
- Website
- bahn.de
Train from Essen Hbf to Duesseldorf Flughafen
- Ave. Duration
- 35 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- CHF 6–10
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Essen Hbf to Köln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 35m
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- CHF 16–24
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Essen Hbf to Leverkusen Mitte
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 15m
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- CHF 13–20
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
- Phone
- 0180 6 9 27 37 27
- info@eurobahn.de
- Website
- eurobahn.de
Train from Essen Hbf to Duesseldorf Flughafen
- Ave. Duration
- 28 min
- Frequency
- 5 times a week
- Estimated price
- CHF 9–13
- Website
- https://www.eurobahn.de/en/
- Phone
- +44 343 218 6186
- Website
- eurostar.com
Train from Essen Hbf to Duesseldorf Flughafen
- Ave. Duration
- 30 min
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- CHF 9–16
- Website
- https://www.eurostar.com/rw-en
Train from Essen Hbf to Köln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 53 min
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- CHF 21–40
- Website
- https://www.eurostar.com/rw-en
- Phone
- +49 9126 301 90 70
- fahrgaeste@train-rental.com
- Website
- train-rental.com
Train from Essen Hbf to Köln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 1m
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Schedules at
- train-rental.com
Train from Essen Hbf to Leverkusen Mitte
- Ave. Duration
- 44 min
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Schedules at
- train-rental.com
- Phone
- +31 30 751 5155
- Website
- ns.nl
Train from Köln Hbf to Zürich HB
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 12m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- CHF 60–150
- Website
- https://www.ns.nl/en
Rome2Rio's guide to FlixBus
Contact Details
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- service@flixbus.com
- Website
- flixbus.fr
Bus from Düsseldorf central bus station to Zurich Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 5m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- CHF 35–70
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
Bus from Leverkusen to Zurich Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 30m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- CHF 35–65
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
- Phone
- +38 098-888-11-08
- igoruzhanskyi@grandbus.com.ua
- Website
- grandbus.com.ua
Bus from Düsseldorf central bus station to Zurich Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 15m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Website
- https://www.grandbus.com.ua/en
Want to know more about travelling around Switzerland
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
Heading to Europe? Read this before you buy a Eurail Pass
Read the travel guide
Want to know more about Flixbus?
Read the travel guide
5 delightfully under-the-radar French towns you need to visit
Read the travel guide
More Questions & Answers
Essen to Zurich bus services, operated by FlixBus, arrive at Zurich Bus Station.
Essen to Zurich train services, operated by Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), arrive at Basel SBB station.
Yes, the driving distance between Essen to Zurich is 592 km. It takes approximately 5h 53m to drive from Essen to Zurich.
Book your Essen to Zurich train tickets online with Omio.
Book your Essen to Zurich bus tickets online with Omio and FlixBus.
There are 1101+ hotels available in Zurich.





































