How far is Essen from Cologne?

Essen and Cologne are 57 km (36 miles) apart.

What are the departure and arrival locations for buses traveling from Essen to Cologne?

Buses departing from Essen Hauptbahnhof Freiheit in Essen will take you to Cologne/Bonn Airport in Cologne.

Bus Essen to Cologne from $7 | Refundable Tickets

Next bus departures

Next departures for Essen to Cologne on November 24
Vehicle type	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
Bus	9:55am	Essen	1h 45m	11:40am	Cologne/Bonn Airport	Cheapest
Bus	10:15pm	Essen Hauptbahnhof Freiheit	1h 40m	11:55pm	Flughafen Köln/Bonn Airport (CGN)	Fastest
Bus	9:00pm	Essen	1h 45m	10:45pm	Cologne/Bonn Airport	No tags
Bus	6:10am	Essen Hauptbahnhof Freiheit	1h 55m	8:05am	Flughafen Köln/Bonn Airport (CGN)	No tags
Bus	6:15am	Essen Hauptbahnhof Freiheit	1h 45m	8:00am	Flughafen Köln/Bonn Airport (CGN)	No tags

Next departures for Essen to Cologne on November 25
Operated by	Vehicle type	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended	Price and booking link
	Bus	9:00pm	Essen	1h 45m	10:45pm	Cologne/Bonn Airport	CheapestFastest

Last refresh of the prices: Today at 7:29 AM CET.

Compare 3 ways to go from Essen to Cologne

We recommend carpooling

Among the sustainable travel choices, the carpool stands out as a good way to reach Cologne. The journey takes about 50 minutes, and with fares starting at just $6, it presents an excellent value for a comfortable ride.

3carpool per day

50mAverage Duration

59 kmDistance

2kgCO₂ emissions

	Average Price	Average Duration	CO₂ emissions
Bus	Average Price$8 - $20	Average Duration1h 45m	CO₂ emissions 2kg CO₂e
Train	Average Price$13 - $66	Average Duration57m	CO₂ emissions 1kg CO₂e
Carpool	Average Price$6 - $18	Average Duration50m	CO₂ emissions 2kg CO₂e

Where are the popular stops in Essen and Cologne?

Stops in Essen

A
Essen Hauptbahnhof Freiheit
Freiheit 5A, 45127 Essen, Germany
Visit page
B
HBF
Am Hauptbahnhof 27, 45127 Essen, Germany
Visit page
C
Essen Hbf
Freiheit 4, 45127 Essen, Germany
Visit page
D
Essen Bushaltestelle
Essen, Germany
E
Hachestraße
Hachestraße 63, 45127 Essen, Germany

Stops in Cologne

A
Cologne/Bonn Airport
Visit page
B
Hbf
Bahnsteig Gleis 2 + 3, 50667 Köln, Germany
Visit page
C
Gummersbacher Str.
Gummersbacher Str. 31, 50679 Köln, Germany
Visit page
D
Riehl Zoo
Riehler Str. 168, 50735 Köln, Germany
E
Leverkusen Mitte
Heinrich-von-Stephan-Straße, 51373 Leverkusen
F
Rhein Energie Stadion
Cologne,, Germany

Compare bus companies

FlixBus

3.5/511,408 reviews

Staff4.2

Timeliness3.9

Cleanliness4.1

Wifi2.7

Based on 11408 reviews, the company was rated 3.5 stars on Busbud. Travellers were especially satisfied with the ticket access and the staff but often complained with the WiFi. FlixBus ticket prices on this trip start at $12

Flixbus Essen Cologne recent customer reviews

My flight was @ 14:20 and I saw 10: 50 to cologne airport, but after buying it I changed to 22:50. I wasted my money yesterday, I never use flix bus yesterday anymore

Ehichioya Austine E.

June 25, 2025

BlaBlaCar Bus

3.5/511,148 reviews

Staff4.4

Timeliness3.6

Cleanliness4.3

Wifi2.6

DE Bus Companies: FlixBus, BlaBlaCar Bus, ALSA, Greyhound, Intercape, Trenitalia, Sindbad

Frequently asked questions about travelling from Essen to Cologne by bus

How far is Essen from Cologne?
Essen and Cologne are 57 km (36 miles) apart.
What are the departure and arrival locations for buses traveling from Essen to Cologne?
Buses departing from Essen Hauptbahnhof Freiheit in Essen will take you to Cologne/Bonn Airport in Cologne.

Find cheapest prices for buses

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

Best price found

11-21

$9

11-22

$7

Today

$7

11-24

$7

11-25

$7

11-26

$7

11-27

$7

11-28

$7

The cheapest trip from Essen to Cologne was searched and found on Nov 22, 2025 with a price of $7

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

You can expect to pay from $7 to $12 for a bus ticket from Essen to Cologne based on the last 2 days. You can expect to find the cheapest price for the trip at $7 which is on 2025-11-24.