Today we will talk about how to get from Cologne to Berlin by land and air. The German capital is known for many attractions: the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, the ruins of the Berlin Wall and others. The city is famous for its art galleries. There are also more modern sights in Berlin, for example, the gold-colored Philharmonic.
Possible ways
The distance from Cologne to Berlin is 576.3 km along the A2 route, 626.5 km - A44 and A2, 659.7 km - A4 and A9. Moving along the highway, you will spend 6 to 7 hours on the way. Given the German gas prices, car travel is expensive. However, many planes fly between these two cities, trains run and regular buses run, so every tourist can choose a vehicle according to their budget.
| Way | Cost, EUR | Travel time |
|---|---|---|
| Train | from 60 | 4 h 30 min |
| Bus | from 20 | from 8 hours |
| Automobile | from 6 hours | |
| ● own | 60–90 (gasoline) | |
| ● rented | from 35 (day) | |
| Airplane | from 9 | 1 h 10 min |
By train
Railways in Germany are the most popular mode of transportation. Many different trains leave from the Cologne railway station in the direction of Berlin throughout the day. The message is direct, so the journey will not be tedious and too long.
You can get to the capital of Germany by this type of transport in 4.5 hours. High-speed trains of the ICE category run between Cologne and Berlin, which reach speeds of more than 300 km per hour.
The cost of a travel document ranges from 90 to 140 euros.
In Germany, there is a special Länder Ticket that is valid within one federal state and part of the adjoining one.
This travel document is subject to the following rules:
- a group of 5 people can travel on one ticket (no more), the composition of the group should not change;
- an unlimited number of their children under the age of 14 can travel with two adults (you must have a supporting document with you);
- the ticket is valid only for regional RB, RE, IRE, S-bahn trains and other public transport in this land;
- on weekdays, the ticket is valid from 9 am to 3 am the next day;
- on weekends - from 12 am to 3 am the next day;
- in the travel document, you must enter your last name in a special field (you must have an identity document with you);
- you do not need to compost land tickets;
- at the railway ticket office, such a ticket costs 2 euros more than in a special ticket machine.
It should be noted that discounts on sightseeing of some attractions are also provided with a land ticket.
The train schedule can be viewed on the official website of the German Railways, as well as at the train station.
Travel documents can be bought using an Internet resource, from vending machines at each station, and at the station ticket office.
Cologne's main railway station is located at Trankgasse 11. The station includes stops: Hbf, Breslauer Platz, Bussteig 3-4.
You can get to the train station by all types of public transport: tram, metro (S-bahn S6, S11, S12, S13), by bus and by taxi.
By bus
You can use buses. Direct and connecting flights to Berlin from Cologne are operated by Eurolines and FlixBus. On this type of public transport, you will spend at least 8 hours on the road.
If Eurolines offers only one direct flight Cologne-Berlin, then there are many FlixBus flights in this direction: both direct and with transfers in different German cities.
Eurolines travel documents can be purchased on the official website of the company. You can also purchase a ticket in office-shops, in this case it is possible to pay in cash. The seat is not indicated in the travel document. Passengers take seats on the bus on a first come, first served basis. You cannot buy a ticket directly from the driver.
For children under 11 years old, 50% of the cost of a regular ticket is paid. The price of travel for young people (15-26 years old) and for people over 60 has been reduced by 10%.
The company will charge a non-refundable booking fee (included in the ticket price). A travel ticket that was purchased online must be printed out (you must also have an identity document with you). The bus leaves for Cologne from the airport.
Green FlixBus buses in Cologne and Berlin depart and arrive at different stops, you can see the detailed timetable on the carrier's website.
In Cologne, these can be metro stations: Leverkusen, Airport, Refrath.
In Berlin, the points of arrival / departure are as follows: Berlin central bus station, Alexanderplatz, Südkreuz, SXF, Alt-Tegel, Zoo.
The buses of this carrier are quite comfortable, but the main difference between FlixBus is reasonable ticket prices. In our direction, the cost of a travel document starts from 10 euros.
Buses are not the most popular form of long-distance transport. Still, it is much more convenient to travel by train, especially when it comes to a long trip. The downside of this method is the fact that you have to spend more time on the road, plus the opportunity to save money.
For this reason, buses in Germany are chosen by those who do not want to spend a lot of money on a ticket.
By car
Germany has very high quality motorways. On the highways, opposite lanes are separated, which reduces the likelihood of accidents. Drivers strictly adhere to the rules of the road, all the necessary signs are installed on the roads, so motorists can safely go from Cologne to Berlin on their own by car.
There is no need to pay tolls on German roads. Only two tunnels and ecological zones are paid.
Travel on these sections costs from 5 to 15 euros. To cross such a territory, you need to issue a special sticker.
If you rent a car, the rental companies will take care of this marking.
Own or rented
You will cover the distance of 576 km without a single stop in just 6 hours. On such a short route, it is not necessary to make technical stops, and refueling is unlikely to be required.
Your car's tank will need to be filled for 60-90 euros, because you will need at least 46 liters of fuel. Prepare the sticker in advance, which we talked about above.
Tourists and those who do not have their own car can easily rent a car. The most convenient way to do this is through the website.
There are many car rental companies on the Internet. Rental conditions depend on the rules of each specific organization. You can find the best option on the rentalcars.com service.
The general requirements include the fact that the driver must be at least 21 years old; in addition, the renter must have at least 1 year of driving experience.
In the catalog, cars are divided into classes; the most popular cars are middle class, such a car will cost from 35 euros per day.
Transfer taxi
You can go from Cologne to Berlin by taxi, which can be ordered on the gettransfer service. You call the meeting point and final destination to the dispatcher right away, the cost of such a trip will be fixed. You will pay as much as the dispatcher told you, even if you have to go on a different route (for example, due to traffic jams).
If you intend to call a taxi by phone, you must be fluent in conversational German.
The dispatcher is not required to understand English and speak this language (as well as any other than German).
Each driver has a license that allows him to serve passengers in a specific area, so don't be surprised if you can't find the right car right away.
Not all taxis in Germany have child seats available, so if a child is traveling with you, notify the dispatcher.
A fellow traveler
Taxi, rented and own car are expensive but convenient modes of transportation. You can go to the capital of Germany by car for less money if you become someone's companion.
You can find a suitable driver on the BlaBlaCar service. To do this, just register on the site.
Traveling in this way allows you to practically not spend money on travel. The fellow traveler compensates the driver only partially for the cost of gasoline spent on the road. However, this option is only suitable for single travelers with minimal luggage.
By plane
The fastest way to get to Berlin is by plane from Cologne. A lot of flights of various international airlines fly between these two cities. By air, you will spend only 1 hour and 10 minutes on the road.
The route is served by several companies - Ryanair, Eurowings, Air Berlin. If you find a suitable flight, it can be cheaper to travel by plane than to travel by train.
If in Berlin planes can land at different airports, then in Cologne they take off from only one air station: Konrad Adenauer International Airport is located 15 km from Cologne.
There is a train station on the lower tier of the terminal, so the easiest way to get from Cologne to the airport is by train or commuter train. The road along the railway line takes no more than 30 minutes (it all depends on where you are getting from in the city).
In Berlin, planes from Cologne most often arrive at Tegel Airport, but some also land in Schönefeld.
It is best to purchase air tickets on the official websites of carriers, but you can buy a travel document at the airport ticket offices.
The most expensive airline is Air Berlin. Tickets in this direction will cost you from 37 to 87 euros.
The cheapest flight is operated by low-cost airline Ryanair. It is often possible to purchase a travel document for only 9 euros.
Summarize
You can get from Cologne to the German capital both by land and by air. The fastest ground transportation is the high speed train. However, its speed does not match the speed of an airplane, for which cheap tickets can be easily found in 2021.
Travelers who do not like to be dependent on timetables travel to Berlin by car. German tracks are notable for their quality and safety, so the only drawback of this method is the financial costs.
You can save a lot on travel by taking the bus.
The best option is to fly on a low-cost airline.
