There are 8 ways to get from Zurich to Cologne by train (Trenitalia), bus, night train, car, plane, or train
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 Zürich HB to Basel SBBIce / ...
- Take the train from Basel SBB to Mannheim, Hauptbahnhof20 / ...
- Take the train from Mannheim, Hauptbahnhof to Köln Hbf43 / ...
5h 49m€60–272Bus
cheapest- Take the bus from Zurich Bus Station to LeverkusenN11
10h 58m€30–55Night train
- Take the night train from Zürich HB to Bonn-BeuelNj
8h 24m€177–318Drive 533.9 km
- Drive from Zurich to Cologne533.9 km
5h 21m€93–135Night train via Offenburg
- Take the night train from Zuerich Hb to OffenburgNj
- Take the night train from Offenburg to Koeln HbfNj
9h 20m€72–520Fly to Cologne Bonn Airport
- Fly from Zurich Airport (ZRH) to Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN)ZRH - CGN
3h 42m€81–220Fly to Frankfurt, train
- Fly from Zurich Airport (ZRH) to Frankfurt (FRA)ZRH - FRA
- Take the train from Frankfurt to Köln Messe/Deutz Bf
3h 24m€113–268Fly to Düsseldorf International Airport, train
- Fly from Zurich Airport (ZRH) to Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS)ZRH - DUS
- Take the train from Duesseldorf Flughafen to Koeln Hbf
4h 28m€84–261
Zurich to Cologne by train
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Zurich to Cologne is to bus which costs €30 - €55 and takes 10h 58m.
The fastest way to get from Zurich to Cologne is to fly and train which takes 3h 24m and costs €110 - €270.
No, there is no direct bus from Zurich station to Cologne. However, there are services departing from Zurich Bus Station and arriving at Köln Heumarkt via Wiesdorf Leverkusen Mitte Bf. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 10h 58m.
No, there is no direct train from Zurich to Cologne. However, there are services departing from Zürich HB and arriving at Köln Hbf via Basel SBB and Mannheim, Hauptbahnhof. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 5h 49m.
The distance between Zurich and Cologne is 581 km. The road distance is 533.9 km.
The best way to get from Zurich to Cologne without a car is to train which takes 5h 49m and costs €55 - €280.
It takes approximately 5h 49m to get from Zurich to Cologne, including transfers.
Zurich to Cologne bus services, operated by FlixBus, depart from Zurich Bus Station.
Zurich to Cologne train services, operated by SBB GmbH, depart from Zürich HB station.
The best way to get from Zurich to Cologne is to train which takes 5h 49m and costs €55 - €280. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs €30 - €55 and takes 10h 58m, you could also fly, which costs €80 - €220 and takes 3h 42m.
What companies run services between Zurich, Switzerland and Cologne, Germany?
You can take a train from Zürich HB to Köln Hbf via Basel SBB and Mannheim, Hauptbahnhof in around 5h 49m. Alternatively, FlixBus operates a bus from Zurich Bus Station to Leverkusen once daily. Tickets cost €30–55 and the journey takes 9h 55m.
Transport is disrupted due to the Russia-Ukraine war. Read more
- Website
- swiss.com
Flights from Zurich Airport to Cologne Bonn Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €65–190
Flights from Zurich Airport to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €75–400
Flights from Zurich Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 15m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €60–190
- Website
- lufthansa.com
Flights from Zurich Airport to Cologne Bonn Airport via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 5m
- When
- Sunday
- Estimated price
- €85–330
Flights from Zurich Airport to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €75–400
Flights from Zurich Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 7m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- €45–310
Flights from Zurich Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport via Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 10m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €75–340
- Website
- eurowings.com
Flights from Zurich Airport to Cologne Bonn Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €65–190
Flights from Zurich Airport to Düsseldorf International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 15m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €60–170
- Website
- condor.com
Flights from Zurich Airport to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 55 min
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €80–170
- Website
- airdolomiti.it
Flights from Zurich Airport to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €85–300
- Phone
- +49 (0) 7531 915109
- info@sbb-deutschland.de
- Website
- sbb-deutschland.de
Train from Zürich HB to Basel SBB
- Ave. Duration
- 53 min
- Frequency
- Every 2 hours
- Estimated price
- €8–11
- Schedules at
- sbb-deutschland.de
- Phone
- +49 30 311 682904
- Website
- bahn.de
Train from Zürich HB to Basel SBB
- Ave. Duration
- 54 min
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- €28–32
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Basel SBB to Mannheim, Hauptbahnhof
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 14m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €30–65
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Mannheim, Hauptbahnhof to Köln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 32m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €25–85
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Frankfurt to Köln Messe/Deutz Bf
- Ave. Duration
- 48 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €26–75
- 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
- +39 06 68475475
- ufficiogruppi@trenitalia.it
- Website
- trenitalia.com
Train from Basel SBB to Mannheim, Hauptbahnhof
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 20m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- €55–110
- Website
- https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html
- 1st Class
- €75–110
- 2nd Class
- €55–80
- Phone
- +31 30 751 5155
- Website
- ns.nl
Train from Mannheim, Hauptbahnhof to Köln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 36m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- €35–130
- Website
- https://www.ns.nl/en
- 2nd Class
- €35–55
- 1st Class
- €75–130
Train from Frankfurt to Köln Messe/Deutz Bf
- Ave. Duration
- 54 min
- Frequency
- 5 times a week
- Estimated price
- €27–90
- Website
- https://www.ns.nl/en
- 2nd Class
- €27–40
- 1st Class
- €50–90
- Phone
- +32 70 79 79 79
- Website
- belgiantrain.be
Train from Mannheim, Hauptbahnhof to Köln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 20m
- Frequency
- 3 times a week
- Estimated price
- €21–30
- Website
- https://www.belgiantrain.be/en
- 2nd Class
- €21–30
- 1st Class
- €30–50
- Phone
- +41 848 446 688
- Website
- sbb.ch
Night train from Zürich HB to Bonn-Beuel
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 30m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- €170–300
- Website
- https://www.sbb.ch/en
- Phone
- +43 51717
- Website
- nightjet.com
Night train from Zuerich Hb to Offenburg
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 32m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- €30–260
- Website
- https://www.nightjet.com/en/#/home
- Sleeper Carriage
- €256–260
- Couchette Carriage
- €120–150
- Seating Carriage
- €30–40
Night train from Offenburg to Koeln Hbf
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 48m
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- €40–260
- Website
- https://www.nightjet.com/en/#/home
- Sleeper Carriage
- €259–260
- Couchette Carriage
- €130–160
- Seating Carriage
- €40–50
- 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
- +44 343 218 6186
- Website
- eurostar.com
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
Rome2Rio's guide to FlixBus
Contact Details
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- service@flixbus.com
- Website
- flixbus.fr
Bus from Zurich Bus Station to Leverkusen
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 55m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- €30–55
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
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More Questions & Answers
Zurich to Cologne bus services, operated by FlixBus, arrive at Leverkusen station.
Zurich to Cologne train services, operated by SBB GmbH, arrive at Basel SBB station.
Yes, the driving distance between Zurich to Cologne is 534 km. It takes approximately 5h 21m to drive from Zurich to Cologne.
Book your Zurich to Cologne train tickets online with Omio.
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