Cologne gets around on the KVB — one network of Stadtbahn (a light-rail/U-Bahn hybrid) lines and buses, covered by one fare system that now stretches from Cologne to Bonn and Aachen. There are no ticket gates anywhere: you’re trusted to already have a valid ticket when you board, and inspectors check at random.
The basics
The backbone is the Stadtbahn: trains that run underground through the city center like a subway, then surface onto street-level or dedicated tracks further out, reaching well beyond the city limits — a couple of lines even cross the Rhine and continue all the way to Bonn. Around that, KVB runs a dense bus network filling in the gaps the rail lines don’t reach.
Regional and S-Bahn trains — run by DB Regio, not KVB — connect Cologne to the airport, Bonn, and towns across the region on the same fare system. All of it, KVB and DB Regio alike, is unified under one regional tariff: the Rheinlandtarif, which replaced the old separate Cologne/Bonn (VRS) and Aachen (AVV) fare systems on June 1, 2026.
There are no turnstiles. You tap or stamp your own ticket, and keep it on you — it’s an honor system, not a free-for-all.
How to pay
You’ve got a few ways to get a ticket:
- A KVB ticket machine, at stops and on board most vehicles. Right now machines only sell tickets for the short-distance fare and zone 1b (Cologne) — for other zones, use the app or a staffed counter, since KVB is still rolling the full Rheinlandtarif lineup out to its machines.
- The KVB app, which sells every zone and ticket type, or the VRS eezy.nrw app for pay-per-kilometer fares.
- A staffed ticket counter (KVB Kundencenter) for any ticket type, including ones that need separate validation.
One quirk worth knowing: a ticket bought from a vending machine is already validated and ready to ride — but a ticket bought in advance at a sales counter is not, and needs stamping in one of the separate validator machines before you travel. If in doubt, look for the print on the ticket telling you which kind you have.
Fares
A single ticket is priced by zone, with zone 1b covering any ride within Cologne itself:
| Price | |
|---|---|
| Short-distance (up to 4 stops) | €2.90 |
| Single ticket, Cologne (zone 1b) | €4.00 |
| Single ticket, child (6–14) | €1.80 |
| 24-hour ticket, 1 person (zone 1b) | €9.60 |
| 24-hour ticket, up to 5 people (zone 1b) | €19.20 |
| Monthly pass (zone 1b) | €100.00 |
| Deutschlandticket (nationwide, monthly) | €63.00 |
| Kids under 6, leashed dogs, uniformed police | Free |
A zone 1b single ticket is good for 90 minutes from validation, with transfers allowed in one direction — no loops or round trips.
If you’d rather not think about zones at all, eezy.nrw bills you by distance instead: a €1.66 base charge plus €0.27 per kilometer, automatically capped so a single ride never costs more than the matching zone’s single ticket, a day never costs more than €27.80, and a calendar month never costs more than the €63 Deutschlandticket. If you’re staying several days and riding often, the Deutschlandticket itself is usually the better deal — it’s valid on local and regional transport nationwide, not just in Cologne.
Getting from the airport
Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) has its own train station right next to both terminals, served around the clock.
- Line: the S19 S-Bahn, direct to Cologne Hauptbahnhof.
- Time: about 14 minutes.
- How often: every 20 minutes.
- Cost: the airport sits inside Cologne’s city fare zone, so it’s a normal zone 1b single ticket — €4.00 — the same price as any ride within the city.
Regional RE/RB trains and local buses also call at the airport, and if you’re headed to Bonn instead, the airport points you to an express bus straight to Bonn Hauptbahnhof rather than a train.
Apps to download
- KVB App — the official app for buying Rheinlandtarif tickets, planning trips, and checking real-time arrivals.
- VRS eezy.nrw — for the check-in/check-out, pay-by-distance fare with a best-price guarantee.
- Google Maps — solid for simple trip planning with live KVB and regional-rail data built in.
When it runs
KVB’s Stadtbahn and bus lines run the regular daytime schedule throughout the week. On top of that, KVB has operated a dedicated night transport network (Nachtverkehr) since December 2022, so you’re not stuck once the daytime lines wind down — check the KVB app for which night routes serve your stop, since coverage and timing vary by line.
Accessibility
KVB’s high-floor Stadtbahn lines — 3, 4, 5, 13, 16, 17, and 18 — offer level, step-free boarding straight from platform to train. Because elevators do occasionally go out of service, KVB publishes a live elevator-outage tracker so you can check a station before you rely on it, alongside a dedicated barrier-free route map (“Touren ohne Treppen”) and a mobility-management team offering travel consultations and hands-on training.
Etiquette & local quirks
- Carry a valid ticket every time — stamped if it needs stamping, already-validated if it came from a machine. Spot checks happen on buses, trams, and trains alike.
- Bringing a bike costs a flat 24-hour ticket (€4.50) covering the whole Rheinland network, rather than a per-ride fare.
- Lines 3, 4, 5, 13, 16, 17, and 18 are the ones to pick if you need level boarding — the rest of the network may involve steps.
Good to know
- The Rheinlandtarif is new. It replaced Cologne and Bonn’s old VRS fare system (and Aachen’s AVV) on June 1, 2026, so you may still see outdated fares quoted online — the prices above are current.
- Vending machines are mid-rollout. As of now they only sell short-distance and zone 1b (Cologne) tickets; buy other zones in the KVB app or at a counter.
- If you’re going to ride a lot over several days, the Deutschlandticket is usually simpler and cheaper than stacking up single or day tickets, and it works on regional trains well beyond Cologne too.