How to travel from London to Cologne, Germany

The distance between London and Cologne is around 577km (359 miles) and the quickest way to get there is to take the train which takes around 3h 50m.

3 routes found

We've found 3 different ways to get from London to Cologne by train, bus, car and ferry. The recommended routes, which include information on duration, ticket price, and level of difficulty, can be found below.

👋 Also check out CologneLondon if you're planning a return trip.

🚀 Fastest
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train
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Train

Take the train to Brussel-Zuid / Bruxelles-Midi and then to Koeln Hbf.

  • Duration3h 50m
  • Departsevery 20 mins
  • Typical cost
    €430($430)
Operated by

Multiple train operators

💰 Cheapest
2
bus
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bus
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Bus

Take the bus to Antwerp and then to Leverkusen.

  • Duration10h 20m
  • Departs4 times a week
  • Typical cost
    €70($70)
Operated by

Multiple bus operators

3
car
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ferry
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car
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Car and Ferry

Drive to Dover then take a ferry to Dunkirk then drive to Cologne.

  • Duration7h 15m
  • Departsevery 2 hours
  • Typical cost
    €1,565($1,570)
Operated by

Multiple operators

Frequently asked questionsabout travel between London and Cologne

There are several options for getting from London to Cologne by train, bus, car and ferry. The cheapest option is to take the bus which costs around €70 ($70) and will take around 10h 20m. If you need to get there more quickly, you can take the train and arrive in approximately 3h 50m, though it is a bit more costly at approximately €430 ($430).

The distance between London and Cologne is around 577km (359 miles). In a direct line (as the crow flies), the distance is 497km (309 miles)

It takes around 3h 50m to get from London and Cologne by train.

The quickest way to get from London to Cologne is to take the train which takes around 3h 50m and will set you back approx €430 ($430).

The cheapest way to travel between London and Cologne is to take the bus which will typically cost around €70 ($70) for a standard one-way ticket.

Train travel

Yes there is a train service that runs between London and Cologne. It typically takes around 3h 50m and departs every 20 mins.

There are no direct train services that runs from London to Cologne. However, you can instead can take several connecting trains with a changeover in Brussel-Zuid / Bruxelles-Midi. These services run every 20 mins and will take a minimum of 3h 50m.

Eurostar, Deutsche Bahn and Thalys run train services between London and Cologne. Trains depart every 20 mins and will take around 3h 50m, however, this may vary depending on the particular service and whether it runs express or stops all stations.

Bus travel

Yes there is a bus that runs regularly from London and Cologne. It typically takes around 10h 20m and departs 4 times a week.

There are no direct bus services that runs from London to Cologne. However, you can instead can take several connecting buses with changeovers in Antwerp, Antwerpen Centraal Station perron 10 and Leverkusen. These services run 4 times a week and will take a minimum of 10h 20m.

Autokar Polska, FlixBus and FlixBus-de run regular bus services between London and Cologne. Buses run 4 times a week and take around 10h 20m on average but will vary depending on you book with.

Flights and Airlines

It doesn't look like you can fly directly from London to Cologne. We recommend that you take the train to Brussel-Zuid / Bruxelles-Midi and then to Koeln Hbf. instead which will take 3h 50m.

The closest major airport to Cologne is Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) (CGN) which is approximately 13km (8 miles) from Cologne. Düsseldorf Airport (DUS) (DUS) and Dortmund Airport (DTM) (DTM) are also nearby and might be a better alternative airport depending on where you are flying from.

Drive yourself

No, its not really possible or feasible to drive from London to Cologne. We recommend that you take the train to Brussel-Zuid / Bruxelles-Midi and then to Koeln Hbf. instead which will take 3h 50m.

If you don't have a car, the easiest way to get from London to Cologne is to take the train which takes, on average, 3h 50m and will usually cost around €430 ($430).

How do I get from London to Cologne

Compare travel optionsbetween London and Cologne

Transport options from London to Cologne
Transport optionDurationCostFrequencyDistance
Train
3h 50m
€430($430)
every 20 mins591km (367 miles)
Bus
10h 20m
€70($70)
4 times a week626km (389 miles)
Car and Ferry
7h 15m
€1,565($1,570)
every 2 hours577km (359 miles)

Top Carriersoperating between London and Cologne

Train operators

Ferry operators

Bus companies

Airports near Cologne

The following major airports near Cologne offer regular flights to various popular destinations within Germany and internationally.

CGN
Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN)
International Airport
Distance
13km (8 miles) from Cologne
DUS
Düsseldorf Airport (DUS)
International Airport
Distance
40km (25 miles) from Cologne
DTM
Dortmund Airport (DTM)
International Airport
Distance
79km (49 miles) from Cologne