There are 10 ways to get from Reading to Essen by train (Eurostar), bus, car, car train, train, plane, or car ferry
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 Reading to London Paddingtontrain
- Take the train from London St Pancras Intl to Brussel-Zuid / Bruxelles-Miditrain Eil
- Take the train from Brussel-Zuid / Bruxelles-Midi to Essen Hbftrain
7h 45m€158–437Bus
cheapest- Take the bus from Mereoak Lane - Park & Ride to London Victoriabus
- Take the bus from London Victoria to Düsseldorf central bus stationbus
- Take the bus from Düsseldorf central bus station to Essen central train stationbus 084 / ...
17h 12m€55–188Drive, Eurotunnel
- Drive from Reading to Folkestonecar
- Take the car train from Folkestone to Calais-Fréthuncartrain
- Drive from Calais-Fréthun to Essencar
6h 32mTrain to London Heathrow Airport, fly to Düsseldorf International Airport
- Take the train from Reading to Hayes And Harlington Stationtrain
- Fly from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS)plane LHR - DUS
4h 51m€92–295Bus via Antwerp
- Take the bus from London Victoria to Antwerp Rooseveltplaatsbus N814
- Take the bus from Antwerp Rooseveltplaats to Essen central train stationbus 380
17h 47m€64–195Drive, car ferry
- Drive from Reading to Port of Dovercar
- Take the car ferry from Port of Dover to Calaiscarferry
- Drive from Calais to Essencar
7h 41m€128–183Train to Birmingham Airport, fly to Düsseldorf International Airport
- Take the train from Reading to Birmingham Internationaltrain
- Fly from Birmingham Airport (BHX) to Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS)plane BHX - DUS
5h 22m€97–355Train to London Heathrow Airport, fly to Cologne Bonn Airport, train
- Take the train from Reading to Hayes And Harlington Stationtrain
- Fly from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN)plane LHR - CGN
- Take the train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Essen Hbftrain
6h 7m€114–352Train to London Gatwick Airport, fly to Düsseldorf International Airport
- Take the train from Reading to Gatwick Airporttrain
- Fly from London Gatwick Airport (LGW) to Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS)plane LGW - DUS
5h 35m€85–289Train to London Stansted Airport, fly to Cologne Bonn Airport, train
- Take the train from Reading to London Paddingtontrain
- Fly from London Stansted Airport (STN) to Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN)plane STN - CGN
- Take the train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Essen Hbftrain
7h 3m€121–322
Reading to Essen by train and subway
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Reading to Essen is to bus which costs €55 - €190 and takes 17h 12m.
The fastest way to get from Reading to Essen is to train and fly which takes 4h 51m and costs €90 - €300.
No, there is no direct bus from Reading to Essen station. However, there are services departing from Market Place and arriving at Essen central train station via Mereoak Lane - Park & Ride, London Victoria and Düsseldorf central bus station. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 17h 12m.
No, there is no direct train from Reading to Essen. However, there are services departing from Reading and arriving at Essen Hbf via Paddington, London St Pancras Intl and Brussel-Zuid / Bruxelles-Midi. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 7h 45m.
The distance between Reading and Essen is 735 km.
The best way to get from Reading to Essen without a car is to train which takes 7h 45m and costs €150 - €440.
It takes approximately 7h 45m to get from Reading to Essen, including transfers.
Reading to Essen bus services, operated by FlixBus, depart from Mereoak Lane - Park & Ride station.
Reading to Essen train services, operated by Great Western Railway (GWR), depart from Reading station.
The best way to get from Reading to Essen is to train which takes 7h 45m and costs €150 - €440. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs €55 - €190 and takes 17h 12m.
What companies run services between Reading, England and Essen, Germany?
You can take a train from Reading to Essen Hbf via London Paddington, Paddington, King's Cross St. Pancras station, London St Pancras Intl, and Brussel-Zuid / Bruxelles-Midi in around 7h 45m. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Market Place to Essen central train station via Mereoak Lane - Park & Ride, London Victoria, and Düsseldorf central bus station in around 17h 12m.
- Website
- eurowings.com
Flights from London Heathrow Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 25m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €60–180
Flights from Birmingham Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 15m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- €60–200
Flights from London Heathrow Airport to Cologne Bonn Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 25m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €70–250
- Website
- ryanair.com
Flights from London Stansted Airport to Cologne Bonn Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 20m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- €40–150
- Website
- britishairways.com
Flights from London Heathrow Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 25m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €60–160
Flights from London Heathrow Airport to Cologne Bonn Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 25m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €60–220
- Website
- lufthansa.com
Flights from London Heathrow Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 25m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €60–180
Flights from London Heathrow Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport via Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 25m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- €120–400
Flights from Birmingham Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport via Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 15m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- €110–360
- Website
- klm.com
Flights from London Heathrow Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport via Amsterdam Schiphol
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 11m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €45–290
Flights from Birmingham Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport via Amsterdam Schiphol
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 27m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €40–270
- Website
- ryanair.com
Flights from London Stansted Airport to Cologne Bonn Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 20m
- When
- Friday and Sunday
- Estimated price
- €26–160
- Website
- easyjet.com
Flights from London Gatwick Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 30m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- €45–190
- Phone
- +44 3457 000 125
- gwr.feedback@gwr.com
- Website
- gwr.com
Train from Reading to London Paddington
- Ave. Duration
- 39 min
- Frequency
- Every 10 minutes
- Estimated price
- €35–45
- Website
- https://www.gwr.com/
Train from Reading to Hayes And Harlington Station
- Ave. Duration
- 28 min
- Frequency
- 5 times a day
- Estimated price
- €16–25
- Website
- https://www.gwr.com/
Train from Reading to Gatwick Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 31m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €30–45
- Website
- https://www.gwr.com/
- Phone
- 0343 222 1234
- Website
- tfl.gov.uk
Train from Reading to London Paddington
- Ave. Duration
- 49 min
- Frequency
- 5 times a day
- Estimated price
- €35–45
- Website
- https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/elizabeth-line/
Train from Reading to Hayes And Harlington Station
- Ave. Duration
- 36 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- €16–25
- Website
- https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/elizabeth-line/
- Phone
- +44 343 218 6186
- Website
- eurostar.com
Train from London St Pancras Intl to Brussel-Zuid / Bruxelles-Midi
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 4m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- €65–270
- Website
- https://www.eurostar.com/rw-en
Train from Brussel-Zuid / Bruxelles-Midi to Essen Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 50m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- €55–120
- Website
- https://www.eurostar.com/rw-en
- Phone
- +44 (0) 8443 35 35 35
- Website
- leshuttle.com
Car train from Folkestone to Calais-Fréthun
- Ave. Duration
- 35 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Website
- https://www.leshuttle.com/uk-en
Train from Reading to Birmingham International
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 24m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €21–100
- Website
- https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/
- Phone
- +49 30 311 682904
- Website
- bahn.de
Train from Köln Messe/Deutz Bf to Essen Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 50 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €13–55
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- service@flixbus.com
- Website
- flixbus.fr
Bus from Mereoak Lane - Park & Ride to London Victoria
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 25m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €10–17
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
Bus from London Victoria to Düsseldorf central bus station
- Ave. Duration
- 12h 40m
- Frequency
- Every 2 hours
- Estimated price
- €40–160
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
Bus from Düsseldorf central bus station to Essen central train station
- Ave. Duration
- 55 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €6–9
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
Bus from London Victoria to Antwerp Rooseveltplaats
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 45m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- €30–110
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
Bus from Antwerp Rooseveltplaats to Essen central train station
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 5m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- €20–65
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
- Phone
- 01204 327509
- info@atlantictravel.co.uk
- Website
- atlantictravel.co.uk
Bus from Mereoak Lane - Park & Ride to London Victoria
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 35m
- Frequency
- 5 times a day
- Website
- Atlantic Travel GB Ltd
Bus from London Victoria to Düsseldorf central bus station
- Ave. Duration
- 12h 30m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Website
- Atlantic Travel GB Ltd
Bus from London Victoria to Antwerp Rooseveltplaats
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 45m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Website
- Atlantic Travel GB Ltd
- Phone
- +3-389-268-0068
- Website
- blablacar.co.uk
Bus from Düsseldorf central bus station to Essen central train station
- Ave. Duration
- 45 min
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- €3–4
- Website
- https://www.blablacar.co.uk/bus
- Phone
- +353 818 300 400
- info@irishferries.com
- Website
- irishferries.com
Car ferry from Port of Dover to Calais
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 30m
- Frequency
- Every 3 hours
- Estimated price
- €35–45
- Website
- https://www.irishferries.com/uk-en/Travel-to-Ireland
- Car
- €75–190
- On Foot
- €35–45
Want to know more about travelling around Germany
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More Questions & Answers
Reading to Essen bus services, operated by FlixBus, arrive at London Victoria station.
Essen is 1h ahead of Reading. It is currently 12:04 PM in Reading and 1:04 PM in Essen.
Reading to Essen train services, operated by Great Western Railway (GWR), arrive at London Paddington station.
Book your Reading to Essen train tickets online with Omio.
There are 2348+ hotels available in Essen.









































