What is the distance between Cologne and Hamburg?

About 222 miles (358 km) separate Cologne and Hamburg.

What are the departure and arrival stations when taking the bus from Cologne to Hamburg?

If you're headed to Hamburg from Cologne, chances are that your bus will leave from Cologne/Bonn Airport and arrive at Hamburg Airport. These are the main departure and arrival locations on this route, but you could find others that could be a better fit for your travel plans.

What are the best sights and things to do in Hamburg?

Once in Hamburg, you can start exploring the city and discover its surroundings. The top sights and things to do are Hagenbeck – the wild side of Hamburg, Hamburg’s Sightseeing Tours, Cap San Diego, Fish Market and Lake Alster.

Bus Cologne to Hamburg from $12 | Refundable Tickets

Next departures

Next departures for Cologne to Hamburg on November 18
Operated by	Vehicle type	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended	Price and booking link
		9:45pm	Flughafen Köln/Bonn Airport (CGN)	16h 35m	2:20pm	HAM Airport	Cheapest
		10:10pm	Heinrich-von-Stephan-Straße	16h 10m	2:20pm	HAM Airport	Fastest

Next departures for Cologne to Hamburg on November 19
Operated by	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
	9:45pm	Flughafen Köln/Bonn Airport (CGN)	9h 50m	7:35am	Hamburg Central Bus Station (ZOB)	Cheapest
Flixtrain + Flixbus	8:16am	Hbf	7h 14m	3:30pm	Hamburg Central Bus Station (ZOB)	Fastest
	10:10pm	Heinrich-von-Stephan-Straße	9h 25m	7:35am	Hamburg Central Bus Station (ZOB)	No tags
	9:45pm	Flughafen Köln/Bonn Airport (CGN)	16h 35m	2:20pm	HAM Airport	No tags
	10:10pm	Heinrich-von-Stephan-Straße	16h 10m	2:20pm	HAM Airport	No tags

Next departures for Cologne to Hamburg on November 20
Operated by	Vehicle type	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended	Price and booking link
Flixtrain + Flixbus		4:16pm	Hbf	7h 39m	11:55pm	HAM Airport	CheapestFastest

Next departures for Cologne to Hamburg on November 21
Operated by	Vehicle type	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended	Price and booking link
Flixtrain + Flixbus		4:16pm	Hbf	7h 39m	11:55pm	HAM Airport	CheapestFastest

Next departures for Cologne to Hamburg on November 22
Operated by	Vehicle type	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended	Price and booking link
		4:05am	Flughafen Köln/Bonn Airport (CGN)	6h 40m	10:45am	Hamburg Central Bus Station (ZOB)	CheapestFastest
Flixtrain + Flixbus		4:16pm	Hbf	7h 39m	11:55pm	HAM Airport	No tags

Next departures for Cologne to Hamburg on November 23
Operated by	Vehicle type	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended	Price and booking link
		4:05am	Flughafen Köln/Bonn Airport (CGN)	6h 40m	10:45am	Hamburg Central Bus Station (ZOB)	CheapestFastest
Flixtrain + Flixbus		4:16pm	Hbf	7h 39m	11:55pm	HAM Airport	No tags

Next departures for Cologne to Hamburg on November 24
Operated by	Vehicle type	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended	Price and booking link
		4:05am	Flughafen Köln/Bonn Airport (CGN)	6h 40m	10:45am	Hamburg Central Bus Station (ZOB)	CheapestFastest
Flixtrain + Flixbus		4:01pm	Hbf	7h 54m	11:55pm	HAM Airport	No tags

Last refresh of the prices: Yesterday at 5:19 PM CET.

Compare 3 ways to go from Cologne to Hamburg

We recommend carpooling

Among the sustainable travel choices, the carpool stands out as the good way to reach Hamburg. The journey takes about 4 hours 20 minutes and with fares starting at just $20, it presents an excellent value for a comfortable ride.

10carpool per day

4h 20mAverage Duration

222 milesDistance

15kgCO₂ emissions

	Average Price	Average Duration	CO₂ emissions
Bus	Average Price$16 - $155	Average Duration7h 20m	CO₂ emissions 9kg CO₂e
Train	Average Price$12 - $268	Average Duration4h 13m	CO₂ emissions 9kg CO₂e
Carpool	Average Price$20 - $51	Average Duration4h 20m	CO₂ emissions 15kg CO₂e

Compare bus companies

FlixBus

3.5/511,358 reviews

Staff4.1

Timeliness3.9

Cleanliness4.1

Wifi2.7

Flixbus is a European bus operator that offers intercity and bus travel in over 38 countries. Known for their easy-to-spot lime green buses and for offering affordable transportation between cities in Europe and the Americas, Flixbus is a good option for those looking for an affordable, reliable bus company. In their buses, you'll find free WiFi, bathrooms, and power outlets. You can also pay extra to choose your seat and get extra legroom, or even buy a snack or drink onboard directly from the driver. You can reschedule your ticket for a small fee, which varies from $1 to $5, depending on how close you are to the departure date.

DE bus companies: FlixBus, BlaBlaCar Bus, ALSA, Greyhound, Intercape, Trenitalia, Sindbad

Where are the popular stops in Cologne and Hamburg?

Stops in Cologne

A - Cologne/Bonn Airport

B - Hbf

C - Gummersbacher Str.

D - Riehl Zoo

E - Leverkusen Mitte

F - Rhein Energie Stadion

Stops in Hamburg

A - Hamburg Airport

B - Hamburg Central Bus Station (ZOB)

C - Harburg

D - Hamburg Altona

E - Volksparkstadion

F - Steinwerder

Frequently asked questions about traveling from Cologne to Hamburg by bus

What is the distance between Cologne and Hamburg?
What are the departure and arrival stations when taking the bus from Cologne to Hamburg?
What are the best sights and things to do in Hamburg?

Find cheapest prices for buses

Price is for a one-way ticket for one passenger and based on past searches.

Best price found

11/16

$43

11/17

No data

Today

$26

11/19

$33

11/20

$14

11/21

$14

11/22

$22

11/23

$28

The cheapest trip from Cologne to Hamburg was searched and found on Nov 20, 2025 with a price of $14

To save money and be sure you have the best seat, it's a good idea to buy your bus tickets from Cologne to Hamburg, as early as possible.

You can expect to pay from $14 to $87 for a bus ticket from Cologne to Hamburg based on the last 2 days. You can expect to find the cheapest price for the trip at $14 which is on 2025-11-20.

What's the cheapest way to go from Cologne to Hamburg?

The bus is the cheapest travel choice for this destination

Vehicle Type	Travel Time	Avg Price	Daily Departures
Vehicle TypeBus	Travel Time7h 20m	Avg Price$28	Daily Departures5
Vehicle TypeTrain	Travel Time4h 13m	Avg Price$61	Daily Departures31
Vehicle TypeCarpool	Travel Time4h 20m	Avg Price$35	Daily Departures10