Cheapest€22.73
- BlaBlaCar BB298706:146h 46m13:00Koln Breslauer PlatzDresden Bayrische Strasse
Door to door 7h 30mCO2 12.8 kgChanges 0Changeable for a fee
Travelling from Cologne to Dresden costs €22.73 at the cheapest and takes 3h 59m door to door at the fastest, across 3 modes and 8 operators. The route covers 476 km. Cheapest is by Coach, fastest is by Train.
At a glance
- Distance
- 476 km
- Fastest
- 3h 59m
- Average
- 5h 54m
- Services per day
- 24
- Cheapest
- €22.73
- CO2 per passenger
- 23.3 kg
Every way to make this journey
Journey times below are door to door, so they include getting to the terminal and away from it at the other end. Fares are the cheapest we currently sell on 29 September 2026.
| Mode | Door to door | Moving | At the ends | From | CO2 | Per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Train | 3h 59m | 3h 15m | 44m | €59.19 | 15.7 kg | 10 |
| Flight | 4h 12m | 1h 2m | 3h 10m | €55.01 | 120.3 kg | 2 |
| Coach | 6h 59m | 6h 15m | 44m | €26.58 | 12.8 kg | 12 |
- 3h 59mFastest, by Train
- €26.58Cheapest, by Coach
- 12.8 kgLowest CO2, by Coach
- 476 kmDistance travelled
The cheapest and the fastest on 29 September 2026
Two journeys we can sell today, with the service number each operator files them under.
Fastest€58.09
- European Sleeper ES416612:033h 15m15:18Koln HauptbahnhofDresden Hauptbahnhof
Door to door 3h 59mCO2 15.7 kgChanges 0Refundable
Today's real departures
Live from the operators' own published timetables, through the open transit feeds they publish. Times and services are real. Fares are modelled until our booking connectors are live.
| Operator | Service | Departs | Arrives | Takes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB Fernverkehr AG3 changes | ICE 13 | 08:29 | 14:39 | 6h 23m |
| DB Fernverkehr AG1 changes | ICE 557 | 08:44 | 15:00 | 6h 38m |
| DB Fernverkehr AGdirect | IC 2049 | 09:12 | 16:28 | 7h 37m |
| DB Fernverkehr AG1 changes | ICE 517 | 09:55 | 15:38 | 5h 58m |
| FlixTrain-de1 changes | FLX30 | 10:14 | 18:31 | 8h 35m |
| DB Fernverkehr AG2 changes | ICE 627 | 10:45 | 16:28 | 6h 4m |
Prices over the next three weeks
Live from our own engine, refreshed on every request. The cheapest days for each way of travelling are marked.
| Cheapest fare by mode and day for Cologne to Dresden | Fri11 Sept | Sat12 Sept | Sun13 Sept | Mon14 Sept | Tue15 Sept | Wed16 Sept | Thu17 Sept | Fri18 Sept | Sat19 Sept | Sun20 Sept | Mon21 Sept | Tue22 Sept | Wed23 Sept | Thu24 Sept |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coach | €53.53 | €54.63 | €44.18 | €32.63 | €31.53 | €33.73 | €43.08 | €31.53 | €32.08 | €30.43 | €26.58 | €26.58 | €27.68 | €33.73 |
| Flight | €128.76 | €112.24 | €106.34 | €69.76 | €81.56 | €73.89 | €86.28 | €78.61 | €66.81 | €81.56 | €57.96 | €55.01 | €73.89 | €79.79 |
| Train | €133.99 | €130.14 | €111.44 | €76.79 | €74.04 | €80.09 | €101.54 | €74.04 | €80.64 | €70.19 | €66.34 | €59.19 | €75.14 | €83.94 |
Cheapest day: 2026-09-29 · €22.73
Dresden sits on the water, which usually settles which side of town you want to wake up on. Rooms are not ours to sell.
Where to sleep in Dresden
Filter by neighbourhood and by price per night, and the map tells you what is a walk and what is a taxi.
Search Dresden on Booking.comOr compare on Expedia
Partner links. We do not sell accommodation. We earn a commission when a booking completes, and it never changes what you pay.
When to book Cologne to Dresden
The same search run across the whole booking window, so the shape of the curve is visible rather than described.
- €22.7390 days
- €17.7860 days
- €21.0845 days
- €24.9330 days
- €27.6821 days
- €33.7314 days
- €43.087 days
- €44.183 days
- €53.531 days
- Cheapest lead time
- Fares bottom out around 60 days ahead, at €17.78.
- How much it moves
- The gap between the cheapest and dearest lead time is 201 percent. The dearest point is €53.53, 1 days out.
- What that means
- Today sits inside the cheap window, which closes about 60 days before departure. Waiting from here has usually cost money on this corridor rather than saved it.
Book now Fares on this route are lowest around 60 days ahead. You are inside that window.
Which departure day costs least
Median cheapest fare for each weekday, taken across the next three weeks of real prices.
- €30.43Sun
- €26.58Mon
- €26.58Tue
- €27.68Wed
- €33.73Thu
- €31.53Fri
- €32.08Sat
How the fare moves month by month
The same journey priced on the fifteenth of each of the next six months.
- €31.53Sept
- €23.28Oct
- €22.73Nov
- €21.08Dec
- €21.63Jan
- €18.33Feb
The route
What the journey actually looks like
Direct or connecting, how far the route really runs, and what happens when a connection is missed.
- Direct or connecting
- 96% of the services we sell on this corridor run through without a change. The remaining 4% involve one connection.
- How far it really runs
- The route covers 476 km against 475 km in a straight line, a detour of 0 percent. Track and road geometry account for the difference.
- Where the change is
- Connections are made at Erfurt. The gap between arriving and leaving is 70 minutes, of which about 5 is walking.
- If the connection is missed
- The tightest connection we sell here has a 14 percent chance of not being made on the timetable alone. Both legs are sold on one booking, so a missed connection is ours to fix and you are rebooked at no charge.
- First and last departure
- The first service of the day leaves Cologne at 06:15 and the last at 17:29, across 10 departures. The return direction keeps its own timetable, so the times back are not these times reversed.
Where you leave from and where you arrive
The stations, airports and ports each mode on this corridor actually uses.
Köln
Rail
- Koln Hauptbahnhof
- Köln Hbf
- Köln-Lövenich
Coach
- Koln Breslauer Platz
- Wahn S-Bahn
Air
- CGN
Ferry
- Weiß - Zündorf
- Zündorf - Weiß
Dresden
Rail
- Dresden Hauptbahnhof
- Dresden Hbf
- Dresden-Neustadt Gbf
Coach
- Dresden Bayrische Strasse
- Radeberg, Bahnhof
Air
- DRS
Ferry
- Niederpoyritz
- Fähre Johannstadt-Neustadt
Landing at DRS after the trains have stopped is the case this solves. We do not run cars.
A car waiting when you land in Dresden
A price agreed before you fly, a driver at arrivals, and a car big enough for the bags.
Book a transfer from DRS with Welcome PickupsOr check Daytrip
Partner links. We do not operate transfers. We earn a commission on a booking, and the fare is the same as going direct.
Who runs this route
Speed, flexibility and what is on board. Nothing here is a rating, because we have not earned one.
| Operator | From | Fastest | Typical speed | Flexibility | On board |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 BlaBlaCar | €22.73 | 6h 57m | 72 km/h | Changeable | Power sockets, Toilets, Wi-Fi |
 bodo Verkehrsverbund | €24.38 | 6h 57m | 72 km/h | Changeable | Power sockets, Toilets, Wi-Fi |
 DB Fernverkehr | €50.39 | 3h 59m | 140 km/h | Refundable | Power sockets, Wi-Fi |
 European Sleeper | €52.59 | 3h 59m | 140 km/h | Refundable | Power sockets, Sleeper berths, Wi-Fi |
 Eurowings | €46.16 | 4h 12m | 740 km/h | Fixed fare | Not published |
 FlixBus | €24.93 | 6h 59m | 72 km/h | Changeable | Power sockets, Toilets, Wi-Fi |
 Nmbs/sncb | €53.69 | 3h 59m | 140 km/h | Refundable | Power sockets, Wi-Fi |
 NVBW | €23.83 | 6h 59m | 72 km/h | Changeable | Power sockets, Toilets, Wi-Fi |
What the fare is made of
Every part of the total, so the number at checkout is the number here.
| Part | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Operator fare | €17.50 | 77% |
| Taxes | €1.75 | 8% |
| Supplier fees | €1.49 | 7% |
| Our service fee | €1.99 | 9% |
| Total you pay | €22.73 | 100% |
We cannot promise Dresden Hauptbahnhof still has a left luggage office, because plenty of stations closed theirs.
Where to leave your bags in Dresden
Most of the points near Dresden Hauptbahnhof open before the first train and shut after the last one.
Check Dresden on StasherOr try Bounce
Partner links. We do not run these networks. We earn a commission on a booking, and the price is the same as going direct.
Questions about Cologne to Dresden
The questions people actually ask about this journey, answered from the same prices and times the page above is built on rather than written once and left to go stale.
How long does it take to get from Cologne to Dresden?
The fastest journey from Cologne to Dresden takes 3h 59m door to door, of which 3h 15m is spent moving, on the Train. Most services take around 5h 54m, because that average includes slower stopping services and journeys with a connection. Times include reaching the terminal and leaving it at the far end.
How much does it cost to travel from Cologne to Dresden?
The cheapest fare from Cologne to Dresden is €22.73, checked on 29 September 2026. A typical fare across the next three weeks is €56.83. Both figures are the total for one passenger, including taxes, supplier fees and our service fee, so nothing is added at checkout.
What is the cheapest way to get from Cologne to Dresden?
The cheapest way from Cologne to Dresden is by Coach, at €26.58 for one passenger on 29 September 2026. That journey takes 6h 59m door to door. Cheaper is rarely faster on this corridor, and the comparison table on this page shows what each mode costs against what it saves.
What is the fastest way to get from Cologne to Dresden?
The fastest way from Cologne to Dresden is by Train, at 3h 59m door to door. Only 3h 15m of that is spent moving; the remaining 44m is reaching the terminal and leaving it at the far end. The cheapest fare on that mode is €59.19.
When should I book Cologne to Dresden?
Fares from Cologne to Dresden bottom out around 60 days before departure, at €17.78. Across the whole booking window the gap between the cheapest and the dearest lead time is 201 percent, measured on 29 September 2026. Booking inside the last week has consistently cost more on this corridor.
Which day of the week is cheapest for Cologne to Dresden?
Monday is the cheapest day to depart from Cologne to Dresden, at €26.58. That is the median of 21 priced departure days across the next three weeks, checked on 29 September 2026. Shifting a departure by one day is usually worth more than shifting the booking by one week.
Which month is cheapest for Cologne to Dresden?
February is the cheapest of the next 6 months to travel from Cologne to Dresden, at €18.33 for one passenger. Each month is priced on its fifteenth, so the comparison is like for like rather than a mix of weekends and midweek departures.
Who runs services from Cologne to Dresden?
8 operators sell services from Cologne to Dresden across 3 modes: BlaBlaCar, bodo Verkehrsverbund, DB Fernverkehr, European Sleeper, Eurowings, FlixBus. Journey times, fares and fare conditions differ between them, and the operator table on this page compares all of them on speed, flexibility and what is provided on board.
Is there a direct service from Cologne to Dresden?
96 percent of the services we sell from Cologne to Dresden are direct. The rest connect at Erfurt, with about 70 minutes between the two services. Both legs are sold on one booking, so a missed connection is rebooked at no charge.
How much CO2 does the journey from Cologne to Dresden produce?
Travelling from Cologne to Dresden by Coach produces about 12.8 kg of CO2 per passenger, the lowest of any mode on this corridor. The same journey by Flight produces about 120.3 kg, roughly 9 times as much for one passenger.
Which station or terminal do services from Cologne to Dresden use?
Services from Cologne to Dresden by Train leave from Koln Hauptbahnhof and arrive at Dresden Hauptbahnhof. Allow about 44m in total for reaching the departure terminal and leaving the arrival one, which is already included in every door to door time on this page.
Can I change or refund a ticket from Cologne to Dresden?
7 of the 8 operators we sell from Cologne to Dresden allow a change or a refund. A change on a changeable fare costs €5.00. The operator table on this page names which is which, and the condition is shown again before you pay.
Where these numbers come from
Observed service A carrier record shows this named operator serving this named pair, and we carry that through unchanged.
Schedules, seat counts and fares are generated by our own model until the supplier contracts are signed. Places, coordinates, operators, which operator serves which pair, and every distance are real. We would rather say that on every page than let a modelled number pass for a filed one.
Defined in full at Door to door, Fares, The booking window, Carbon, Distances
- On this page
- Every figure above was computed for Cologne to Dresden on 10 September 2026: 476 km of route against 475 km in a straight line, 24 services a day, 8 operators, a cheapest fare of €22.73, and 3h 59m door to door on the fastest mode. The return direction is computed separately and its numbers are not these numbers.
Our job ends on the platform. What fills the days in Dresden afterwards does not belong to us.
Things to do in Dresden
Timed entry, guided walks and half-day trips out of Dresden, with free cancellation on most of it.
See Dresden on GetYourGuideOr browse Viator
Partner links. We do not sell tours or tickets. We earn a commission on a booking, and it never changes the price.
Other ways to make this journey
Arriving in Dresden
Leaving Dresden
- 133Places you can leave for
- 20Countries
- 34Operators
Plan a trip from here
Ask Ori for the same corridor under a different constraint, or for a longer trip that starts on it.