Destination Guides > Germany > North Rhine-Westphalia

North Rhine-Westphalia
(Nordrhein-Westfalen)

Aachen

Located near the Belgian and Dutch borders, this prosperous city has a rich history dating from the eighth century when Charlemagne made Aachen the capital of his empire. Aachen (Aix La Chapelle in French) boasts a number of important sights including a fascinating newspaper museum, a 14th century town hall and the famous cathedral which is Charlemagne's final resting place.

Practical Information

Aachen Tourist Information Centre

Atrium Eliserbrunnen, Friedrich-Willhelm-platz, Aachen

Tel (0241) 180 29 60

Website www.aachen-tourist.de

Local Transport

Aachen is a small city with a compact central area which can be explored easily on foot. Otherwise you can use the local bus network which also covers adjoining suburbs across the border in the Netherlands.

Coming & Going

The Haupbahnhof is located about a kilometre south-east of the main square. There are frequent trains to Cologne and Maastricht, although you may need to change trains in Cologne for more frequent departures to other German and European destinations.

Aachen-Merzbrück Airport (website www.flugplatz-aachen.de) is only 10km from the city centre, although Maastricht-Aachen Airport (website www.maa.nl), across the border in the Netherlands is the main airport serving the city. Other nearby airports include Liège (website www.liegeairport.com), Monchengladbach, Cologne/Bonn (website www.koeln-bonn-airport.de) and Düsseldorf (website www.duesseldorf-international.de). The Airport-Aixpress bus departs from Aachen bus station/Peterskischhof for Cologne/Bonn Airport (4 departures each weekday, €17) and Düsseldorf Airport (every 90 minutes, €17).

Accommodation

Jugendherberge Aachen

Maria-Theresia-Allee 260, 52074 Aachen

Tel (0241) 711010

Bonn

Ludwig van Beethoven's birthplace and the former German capital has a wealth of world-class museums, a thriving university and a beautiful old town. Although this small city makes a good day-trip from Cologne, it's attractions and historical importance justify a longer stay.

Practical Information

Bonn Tourist Information Centre

Münsterstraße 20, Bonn

Tel (0228) 77 34 66

Website www.bonn-region.de/ns/default_en.php

Local Transport

Bonn's public transport network is made up of buses, trams and the U-Bahn which are operated by Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg (website www.vrsinfo.de/eng/index.php). This system is integrated with the transport system in neighbouring Cologne. A single trip costs €2. A 24-hour ticket costs €5.50 and a weekly pass is €15.80.

Coming & Going

The Hauptbahnhof is located right in the heart of the city, just a short walk from Münsterplatz. There are frequent trains to most European destinations with Cologne just half an hour away.

Bonn is served by Cologne/Bonn Airport (website www.koeln-bonn-airport.de). Bus 670 runs between the bus station and Cologne/Bonn Airport every half hour or so.

Accommodation

Jugendherberge Bonn

Haager Weg 42, 53127 Bonn - Venusberg

Bus 621

Tel (0228) 289970

Sights

If you're planning on visiting a lot of museums, you can buy a Bonn Regio WelcomeCard (€9 for 24 hours, €14 for 48 hours, €19 for 72 hours), which gives you free or reduced admission to museums and tourist attractions.

Cologne (Köln)

Cologne (Köln) is one of the most attractive cities in Germany and its location on the Rhine just a few hours from the Dutch, Belgian and French borders means that this city is many peoples' introduction to Germany. The city has a wealth of interesting sights including a bunch of museums, some Roman ruins and the spectacular cathedral. Cologne's convenient location makes day trips to both Bonn and Dusseldorf a possibility.

Practical Information

Cologne Tourist Information Centre

Unter Fettenhennen 19, Cologne

Tel (0221) 221 33 45

Website www.stadt-koeln.de/en/koelntourismus/

American Express

Burgmauer 14, Cologne

Website www.americanexpress.com

Local Transport

Cologne's public transport network is made up of buses, trams and an S-Bahn and U-Bahn train system operated by Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg (website www.vrsinfo.de/eng/index.php). This system is integrated with the transport system in neighbouring Bonn. A single trip costs €2. A 24-hour ticket costs €5.50 and a weekly pass is €15.80.

Coming & Going

Hauptbahnhof is the central station. There are frequent trains to most European destinations with both Bonn and Dusseldorf just half an hour away.

Follow the signs for the Breslauer Platz exit from the central station for Eurolines buses.

Cologne is served by Cologne/Bonn Airport with some flights using Monchengladbach airport near Düsseldorf. Bus 170 runs between the bus station and Cologne/Bonn Airport every 20 minutes.

Accommodation

Hostel "Am Rheinauhafen" und Station Bar

Rheingasse 34-36, Cologne (Köln)

Tel (0221) 230247

Jugendherberge Köln-Deutz

Siegestraße 5a, 50679 Cologne (Köln)

U-Bahn Deutzer Freiheit S-Bahn Köln-Deutz

Tel (0221) 814711

Jugendherberge Köln-Riehl

An der Schanz 14, 50735 Köln - Riehl

U-Bahn Boltensternstraße

Tel (0221) 767081

Meininger City Hostel

Engelbertstraße 33-35, Cologne (Köln)

Tram 12

Tel (0221) 924090

Station Backpackers' Hostel

Marzellenstraße 44-56, 50668 Cologne (Köln)

U-Bahn Dom/Hauptbahnhof Train/S-Bahn Köln Hauptbahnhof

Tel (0221) 91 25 301

Düsseldorf

This modern industrial city is Germany's fashion capital with swanky boutiques lining the exclusive Königsallee. More importantly the Altstadt is home to more than 500 bars where you can let your hair down and join the locals as they party into the night.

Practical Information

Düsseldorf Tourist Information Centre

Berliner Allee 33, Düsseldorf

Tel (0211) 17 20 20

Website www.duesseldorf-tourismus.de

American Express

Neusserstraße 111, Düsseldorf

Tel (0211) 90 13 50

Website www.americanexpress.com

Local Transport

Rheinbahn (website www.rheinbahn.de) operates Düsseldorf's public transport system which is comprised of trams, buses and both an S-Bahn and U-Bahn urban rail system. The transit network is divided into zones. A single trip is €2, while a four-trip ticket is €6.70. The TagesTicket is the best value deal, this daily travel pass costs €7 and allows unlimited travel for up to five people. You must validate your ticket before commencing your journey.

Coming & Going

The Hauptbahnhof is in the centre of town about a kilometre from the Aldstadt. There are direct trains to Amsterdam, Aachen, Cologne, Hamburg, Munich and most cities in the Rhein-Ruhr region.

Düsseldorf is served by both Düsseldorf International Airport and Monchengladbach Airport. Düsseldorf International is the larger of the two and handles the majority of flights. Smaller regional airlines use Monchengladbach airport. S-Bahn lines S7 and S21 are the quickest way into town from Düsseldorf International Airport. S-Bahn trains from Haupbahnhof run about every 20 minutes. If you're flying from Monchengladbach, you'll need to take a train from the Haupbahnhof to Monchengladbach and get a connecting bus from there.

Accommodation

Backpackers Düsseldorf

Fürstenwall 180, 40215 Düsseldorf

Bus 725

Tel (0211) 30 20 848

Jugendherberge Düsseldorf

Düsseldorfer Straße 1, 40545 Düsseldorf

Bus 835, 836 U-Bahn Luegplatz

Tel (0211) 557310

Sights

If you're planning on visiting a lot of museums, you can buy a Düsseldorf WelcomeCard (€9 for 24 hours, €14 for 48 hours, €19 for 72 hours), which gives you free or reduced admission to museums and tourist attractions.