There are 7 ways to get from Rotterdam to Cologne by train (Eurostar), bus, rideshare, train, plane, or car
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 Brussels
best- Take the train from Rotterdam Centraal to Brussel-Zuid / Bruxelles-MidiThalys
- Take the train from Bruxelles Midi to Köln Hbf79
3h 48m€72–197Rideshare
cheapest- Take the rideshare from Rotterdam to Cologne245.8 km
3h 15m€15Bus
- Take the bus from Rotterdam Central Station to Düsseldorf central bus station007 / ...
3h 58m€17–98Train, fly
- Take the train from Rotterdam Centraal to Schiphol Airport
- Fly from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) to Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS)AMS - DUS
- Take the train from Duesseldorf Flughafen to Koeln Hbf
3h 6m€122–350Train
- Take the train from Rotterdam Centraal to Utrecht CentraalIntercity
- Take the train from Utrecht Centraal to Köln HbfIce / ...
3h 50m€41–149Train #2
- Take the train from Rotterdam Blaak to VenloIntercity
- Take the train from Venlo to Neuss HbfSneltrein RE13 / ...
5h 4m€57–177Drive 243.2 km
- Drive from Rotterdam to Cologne243.2 km
2h 42m€43–63
Rotterdam to Cologne by train
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Rotterdam to Cologne is to rideshare which costs €15 and takes 3h 15m.
The fastest way to get from Rotterdam to Cologne is to drive which takes 2h 42m and costs €40 - €65.
No, there is no direct train from Rotterdam to Cologne. However, there are services departing from Rotterdam Centraal and arriving at Köln Hbf via Bruxelles Midi. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 3h 48m.
The distance between Rotterdam and Cologne is 357 km. The road distance is 243.2 km.
The best way to get from Rotterdam to Cologne without a car is to train via Brussels which takes 3h 48m and costs €70 - €200.
It takes approximately 3h 48m to get from Rotterdam to Cologne, including transfers.
Rotterdam to Cologne train services, operated by Eurostar, depart from Rotterdam Centraal station.
The best way to get from Rotterdam to Cologne is to train via Brussels which takes 3h 48m and costs €70 - €200. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs €17 - €100 and takes 3h 58m.
Rotterdam to Cologne train services, operated by Eurostar, arrive at Brussel-Zuid / Bruxelles-Midi station.
Yes, the driving distance between Rotterdam to Cologne is 243 km. It takes approximately 2h 42m to drive from Rotterdam to Cologne.
What companies run services between Rotterdam, Netherlands and Cologne, Germany?
You can take a train from Rotterdam Centraal to Köln Hbf via Brussels-Midi and Bruxelles Midi in around 3h 48m. Alternatively, FlixBus operates a bus from Rotterdam Central Station to Düsseldorf central bus station 3 times a day. Tickets cost €14–45 and the journey takes 3h 5m. Two other operators also service this route.
Transport is disrupted due to the Russia-Ukraine war. Read more
- Website
- klm.com
Flights from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to Düsseldorf International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 46 min
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €35–280
- Phone
- +44 343 218 6186
- Website
- eurostar.com
Train from Rotterdam Centraal to Brussel-Zuid / Bruxelles-Midi
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 8m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €40–90
- Website
- https://www.eurostar.com/rw-en
- Standard
- €40–60
- Comfort
- €45–65
- Premium
- €65–90
Train from Bruxelles Midi to Köln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 50m
- Frequency
- 5 times a day
- Estimated price
- €35–110
- Website
- https://www.eurostar.com/rw-en
Train from Duesseldorf Flughafen to Koeln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 36 min
- Frequency
- Twice a week
- Estimated price
- €25–60
- Website
- https://www.eurostar.com/rw-en
- Standard
- €25–40
- Comfort
- €27–40
- Premium
- €40–60
- Phone
- +49 30 311 682904
- Website
- bahn.de
Train from Bruxelles Midi to Köln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 50m
- Frequency
- Every 3 hours
- Estimated price
- €30–70
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Duesseldorf Flughafen to Koeln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 33 min
- Frequency
- Every 2 hours
- Estimated price
- €13–26
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
- Phone
- +31 30 751 5155
- Website
- ns.nl
Train from Rotterdam Centraal to Schiphol Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 26 min
- Frequency
- Every 15 minutes
- Estimated price
- €10–28
- Website
- https://www.ns.nl/en
- 2nd Class
- €10–15
- 1st Class
- €16–28
Train from Rotterdam Centraal to Utrecht Centraal
- Ave. Duration
- 37 min
- Frequency
- Every 15 minutes
- Estimated price
- €10–29
- Website
- https://www.ns.nl/en
- 2nd Class
- €10–16
- 1st Class
- €17–29
Train from Utrecht Centraal to Köln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 13m
- Frequency
- Every 3 hours
- Estimated price
- €30–120
- Website
- https://www.ns.nl/en
- 2nd Class
- €30–55
- 1st Class
- €70–120
Train from Rotterdam Blaak to Venlo
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 13m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €35–130
- Website
- https://www.ns.nl/en
- 2nd Class
- €35–60
- 1st Class
- €75–130
- Phone
- 0221 13 999 444
- Website
- nationalexpress.de
Train from Duesseldorf Flughafen to Koeln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 40 min
- Frequency
- Every 20 minutes
- Estimated price
- €10–15
- Schedules at
- nationalexpress.de
- Phone
- 0180 6 9 27 37 27
- info@eurobahn.de
- Website
- eurobahn.de
Train from Venlo to Neuss Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 51 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €11–16
- Website
- https://www.eurobahn.de/en/
- Phone
- +31 85 004 3110
- Website
- traincharter.eu
Train from Venlo to Neuss Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 51 min
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Website
- https://traincharter.eu/
- Website
- traincharter.eu
Train from Venlo to Neuss Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 51 min
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Schedules at
- traincharter.eu
Rome2Rio's guide to FlixBus
Contact Details
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- service@flixbus.com
- Website
- flixbus.fr
Bus from Rotterdam Central Station to Düsseldorf central bus station
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 5m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- €14–45
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
- Phone
- +420 222 222 221
- info@regiojet.cz
- Website
- regiojet.com
Bus from Rotterdam Central Station to Düsseldorf central bus station
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 35m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- €15–16
- Website
- https://regiojet.com/
- Phone
- 07001 8282
- booking@union-ivkoni.com
- Website
- union-ivkoni.com
Bus from Rotterdam Central Station to Düsseldorf central bus station
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 30m
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- €9–14
- Website
- https://union-ivkoni.com/en
- Phone
- +3 318 576 2228
- Website
- blablacar.com
Rideshare from Rotterdam to Cologne
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 15m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- €15
- Schedules at
- blablacar.com
Want to know more about travelling around Germany
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More Questions & Answers
There are 1745+ hotels available in Cologne.
Check out Blablacar's carpooling service for rideshare options between Rotterdam and Cologne. A great option if you don't have a driver's licence or want to avoid public transport.































