7 best day trips from Cologne

Day trips compared

The day trips

25 km · About 20–30 minutes by train

1.Bonn

The former West German capital has Beethoven's birthplace, the Museum Mile with the House of History of the Federal Republic, a Romanesque minster and a pleasant Rhine promenade.

Getting there

Regional train or Stadtbahn line 16/18

Best for

Culture, Quiet stays

15 km · About 15–20 minutes by train

2.Brühl palaces

Augustusburg Palace and the Falkenlust hunting lodge are UNESCO-listed Rococo palaces with a grand staircase by Balthasar Neumann and formal Baroque gardens, opposite Brühl station.

Getting there

Regional train to Brühl

Best for

Culture, Couples

70 km · About 35–55 minutes by train

3.Aachen

Charlemagne's capital has a cathedral built around his octagonal Palatine Chapel, the first German site on the UNESCO World Heritage list, plus thermal springs and Printen gingerbread.

Getting there

ICE or regional train

Best for

Culture, First-timers

40 km · About 25 minutes by train

4.Düsseldorf

Cologne's rival on the Rhine has the Altstadt's brewpubs serving darker Altbier, the Königsallee shopping boulevard and the MedienHafen's Gehry buildings.

Getting there

Regional train or S-Bahn

Best for

Shopping, Nightlife, Food lovers

40 km · About 1 hour by train or tram

5.Königswinter and the Drachenfels

A rack railway, one of the oldest in Germany, climbs the Drachenfels in the Siebengebirge hills to a castle ruin with views up and down the Rhine; the neo-Gothic Drachenburg Castle sits halfway up.

Getting there

Train to Königswinter, or Rhine boat in summer

Best for

Couples, Families

90 km · About 1 hour by train

6.Koblenz

Where the Moselle meets the Rhine at the Deutsches Eck, a cable car crosses the river to the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress; Koblenz is also the gateway to the castles of the Rhine Gorge.

Getting there

Intercity or regional train along the Rhine

Best for

Culture, Couples

20 km · About 40 minutes by train and shuttle bus

7.Phantasialand

One of Germany's best-known theme parks, with themed areas and roller coasters; it is a full day out with children or teenagers.

Getting there

Train to Brühl, then bus

Best for

Families

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• S-Bahn and regional trains from Köln Hauptbahnhof reach the airport, Bonn, Düsseldorf, Brühl and Aachen frequently.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask