Essen to Bielefeld

Compare trains, buses, flights and ferries from Essen to Bielefeld. From €10.07, fastest 1h 46m, with the total price and every fee shown up front.

Traveling from Essen to Bielefeld costs €10.07 at the cheapest and takes 1h 46m door to door at the fastest, across 2 modes and 12 operators. The route covers 141 km. Cheapest is by Coach, fastest is by Train.

Checked September 10, 2026Priced for September 28, 2026One passenger, all fees included

At a glance

Distance
141 km
Fastest
1h 46m
Average
2h 19m
Services per day
36
Cheapest
€10.07
CO2 per passenger
4.2 kg
Door to door

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 September 28, 2026.

Door to door means the whole journey, including reaching the terminal and leaving it at the far end. Fares are the cheapest sold on each mode.
ModeDoor to doorMovingAt the endsFromCO2Per day
Train1h 46m1h 2m44m€19.044.7 kg18
Coach2h 40m1h 56m44m€10.083.8 kg18
  • 1h 46mFastest, by Train
  • €10.08Cheapest, by Coach
  • 3.8 kgLowest CO2, by Coach
  • 141 kmDistance traveled
Real services

The cheapest and the fastest on September 28, 2026

Two journeys we can sell today, with the service number each operator files them under.

Cheapest€10.07
  1. FlixBus FB893906:502h 5m08:55Essen FreiheitZOB

Door to door 2h 49mCO2 3.8 kgChanges 0Changeable for a fee

Fastest€20.69
  1. DB Fernverkehr DB432811:271h 2m12:29Essen HauptbahnhofBielefeld Hbf

Door to door 1h 46mCO2 4.7 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 modeled until our booking connectors are live.

No live timetable for this trip yet.

Live from the operators' own published timetables, through the open transit feeds they publish. Times and services are real. Fares are modeled until our booking connectors are live.

Prices over the next three weeks

Live from our own engine, refreshed on every request. The cheapest days for each way of traveling are marked.

Cheapest fare by mode and day for Essen to Bielefeld
Cheapest fare by mode and day for Essen to BielefeldFriSep 11SatSep 12SunSep 13MonSep 14TueSep 15WedSep 16ThuSep 17FriSep 18SatSep 19SunSep 20MonSep 21TueSep 22WedSep 23ThuSep 24
Coach€16.13€17.23€13.93€11.73€11.73€12.28€13.38€12.28€12.28€11.18€10.63€10.08€10.63€11.18
Train€35.54€36.09€28.39€25.09€23.44€25.09€25.64€23.44€25.64€22.89€20.14€19.04€20.69€22.89

Cheapest day: 2026-09-28 · €10.07

That is the traveling done. What happens after you walk out into Bielefeld is not something we sell.

A hotel room

Looking for somewhere to stay in Bielefeld?

The search opens on Bielefeld with your nights already filled in, so it is one step to a real price.

Partner links. We do not sell accommodation. We earn a commission when a booking completes, and it never changes what you pay.

Booking window

When to book Essen to Bielefeld

The same search run across the whole booking window, so the shape of the curve is visible rather than described.

  1. €10.0790 days
  2. €10.0760 days
  3. €10.0745 days
  4. €10.0730 days
  5. €10.6321 days
  6. €11.1814 days
  7. €13.387 days
  8. €13.933 days
  9. €16.131 days
Cheapest lead time
Fares bottom out around 90 days ahead, at €10.07.
How much it moves
The gap between the cheapest and most expensive lead time is 60 percent. The most expensive point is €16.13, 1 days out.
What that means
Today sits inside the cheap window, which closes about 90 days before departure. Waiting from here has usually cost money on this corridor rather than saved it.
€16.13€10.071371421304560

Book now Fares on this route are lowest around 30 days ahead. You are inside that window.

Day of the week

Which departure day costs least

Median cheapest fare for each weekday, taken across the next three weeks of real prices.

  1. €11.18Sun
  2. €10.63Mon
  3. €10.08Tue
  4. €10.63Wed
  5. €11.18Thu
  6. €12.28Fri
  7. €12.28Sat
Across the year

How the fare moves month by month

The same journey priced on the fifteenth of each of the next six months.

  1. €11.73Sep
  2. €10.07Oct
  3. €10.07Nov
  4. €10.07Dec
  5. €10.07Jan
  6. €10.07Feb

The route

EssenEssenBielefeldBielefeld
The journey

What the journey actually looks like

Direct or connecting, how far the route really runs, and what happens when a connection is missed.

How far it really runs
The route covers 141 km against 123 km in a straight line, a detour of 15 percent. Track and road geometry account for the difference.
First and last departure
The first service of the day leaves Essen at 06:09 and the last at 17:35, across 18 departures. The return direction keeps its own timetable, so the times back are not these times reversed.
Terminals

Where you leave from and where you arrive

The stations, airports and ports each mode on this corridor actually uses.

Essen

Rail
  • Essen Hauptbahnhof
  • Essen Hbf
  • Essen-Steele Süd
Bus
  • Essen Freiheit
  • Essen Hbf
Ferry
  • Fahrgastschiffanleger Nordsternpark
  • Fahrgastschiffanleger Zweigertbrücke

Bielefeld

Rail
  • Bielefeld Hbf
  • Bielefeld-Senne station
  • Bielefeld Central Station
Bus
  • ZOB
  • Milse
Carriers

Who runs this route

Speed, flexibility and what is on board. Nothing here is a rating, because we have not earned one.

Every operator we sell on this corridor. Speed is the carrier's own typical cruising speed, not the average over this route.
OperatorFromFastestTypical speedFlexibilityOn board
BlaBlaCar€10.072h 39m72 km/hChangeablePower outlets, Restrooms, Wi-Fi
bodo Verkehrsverbund€10.072h 39m72 km/hChangeablePower outlets, Restrooms, Wi-Fi
DB Fernverkehr€17.941h 46m140 km/hRefundablePower outlets, Wi-Fi
European Sleeper€17.941h 46m140 km/hRefundablePower outlets, Sleeper berths, Wi-Fi
FlixBus€10.072h 39m72 km/hChangeablePower outlets, Restrooms, Wi-Fi
FlixTrain€18.491h 46m140 km/hRefundablePower outlets, Wi-Fi
Nmbs/sncb€16.841h 46m140 km/hRefundablePower outlets, Wi-Fi
NVBW€10.072h 39m72 km/hChangeablePower outlets, Restrooms, Wi-Fi
SBB€17.391h 46m140 km/hRefundablePower outlets, Wi-Fi
SNCF€19.041h 46m140 km/hRefundablePower outlets, Wi-Fi
Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr€10.072h 39m72 km/hChangeablePower outlets, Restrooms, Wi-Fi
VPE€10.082h 39m72 km/hChangeablePower outlets, Restrooms, Wi-Fi
The price

What the fare is made of

Every part of the total, so the number at checkout is the number here.

The cheapest Coach fare we sell on 2026-09-28, broken into its parts. Nothing is added after this.
PartAmountShare
Operator fare€5.9959%
Taxes€0.606%
Supplier fees€1.4915%
Our service fee€1.9920%
Total you pay€10.07100%

A day in Bielefeld hauling a suitcase is a shorter day than it needs to be. We do not store bags.

Left luggage lockers

Somewhere to drop the bags in Bielefeld?

Stores, cafes and hotels that take luggage, with the hours on the map so you know what is still open when you come back.

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 Essen to Bielefeld

The questions people actually ask about this trip, 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 Essen to Bielefeld?

The fastest journey from Essen to Bielefeld takes 1h 46m door to door, of which 1h 2m is spent moving, on the Train. Most services take around 2h 19m, 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 Essen to Bielefeld?

The cheapest fare from Essen to Bielefeld is €10.07, checked on September 28, 2026. A typical fare across the next three weeks is €19.59. 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 Essen to Bielefeld?

The cheapest way from Essen to Bielefeld is by Coach, at €10.08 for one passenger on September 28, 2026. That journey takes 2h 40m 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 Essen to Bielefeld?

The fastest way from Essen to Bielefeld is by Train, at 1h 46m door to door. Only 1h 2m 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 €19.04.

When should I book Essen to Bielefeld?

Fares from Essen to Bielefeld bottom out around 90 days before departure, at €10.07. Across the whole booking window the gap between the cheapest and the most expensive lead time is 60 percent, measured on September 28, 2026. Booking inside the last week has consistently cost more on this corridor.

Which day of the week is cheapest for Essen to Bielefeld?

Tuesday is the cheapest day to depart from Essen to Bielefeld, at €10.08. That is the median of 21 priced departure days across the next three weeks, checked on September 28, 2026. Shifting a departure by one day is usually worth more than shifting the booking by one week.

Which month is cheapest for Essen to Bielefeld?

October is the cheapest of the next 6 months to travel from Essen to Bielefeld, at €10.07 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 service from Essen to Bielefeld?

12 operators sell services from Essen to Bielefeld across 2 modes: BlaBlaCar, bodo Verkehrsverbund, DB Fernverkehr, European Sleeper, FlixBus, FlixTrain. 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 Essen to Bielefeld?

Every service we sell from Essen to Bielefeld is direct, with around 36 departures a day and a fastest journey of 1h 46m door to door. No connection is needed, so there is no missed connection risk to plan around on this corridor.

How much CO2 does the journey from Essen to Bielefeld produce?

Traveling from Essen to Bielefeld by Coach produces about 3.8 kg of CO2 per passenger, the lowest of any mode on this corridor. The same journey by Train produces about 4.7 kg, roughly 1 times as much for one passenger.

Which station or terminal do services from Essen to Bielefeld use?

Services from Essen to Bielefeld by Train leave from Essen Hauptbahnhof and arrive at Bielefeld Hbf. 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 Essen to Bielefeld?

12 of the 12 operators we sell from Essen to Bielefeld 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

Derived from service area No carrier record names this exact pair. The operators listed publish a service area covering both places at a distance their mode plausibly carries people, which is evidence that the corridor is served and not evidence of a specific service. Pages state which, because presenting the two as the same thing would be dishonest.

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 modeled 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 Essen to Bielefeld on September 10, 2026: 141 km of route against 123 km in a straight line, 36 services a day, 12 operators, a cheapest fare of €10.07, and 1h 46m door to door on the fastest mode. The return direction is computed separately and its numbers are not these numbers.

Our job ends at the platform. What fills the days in Bielefeld afterward does not belong to us.

A guided tour group

Anything to book in Bielefeld before you go?

Timed entry, guided walks and half-day trips out of Bielefeld, with free cancellation on most of it.

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 Bielefeld

Leaving Bielefeld

  • 83Places you can leave for
  • 2Countries
  • 16Operators

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