By Air

Several airlines fly direct from the UK to Cologne, which is served by Köln-Bonn International Airport, midway between Cologne and Bonn, and Düsseldorf International Airport. Arriving at Köln-Bonn makes for a better choice, as it’s approximately 17km south of central Cologne, compared to Düsseldorf International that’s 55km to the north of Cologne.

By Rail

Cologne is served primarily by its major central train station, Köln Hauptbahnhof. There’s no direct rail link between the UK and Cologne, but high-speed Eurostar trains link London with Brussels in 2 hours 20 minutes. From Brussels, high-speed Thalys and German Inter-City Express (ICE) trains run to the Hauptbahnhof, in about the same time.

By Bus

If you don’t mind the long, scenic route, Eurolines, the overseas wing of National Express, runs daily coach services run from London Victoria to Cologne in a direct city-to-city journey that takes 12 to 13 hours. The trip is bearable, as Eurolines use modern coaches with comfortable reclining seats, large picture windows, washroom facilities and adequate room to stretch the legs for the duration of the haul

By Car

Cologne is linked to the rest of Germany by the autobahn network, and is a 400km, three-hour drive from the UK via Calais. Cologne is a major autobahn hub encircled by the immense Kölner Ring, with entrances from the A1, A3, A4, A57, A555 and A559 from all over Germany. The city’s connected north and south by the A3 autobahn and east and west by the A4.

Cologne Cathedral (Klner Dom), City towers, Cologne zoo (Zoologischer Garten Kln), St Gereon's Church, Rhine cable car (Klner Seibahn)

Cologne Cathedral (Klner Dom)

Cologne’s Dom gothic cathedral took more than 600 years to build, and is protected by UNESCO as a world heritage site. Just outside the central train station, the most-visited building in Germany is the first sight you’ll notice when walking out from the main exit. If you’re up to it, take the 509 stairs to the observation platform atop the cathedral to get a panoramic view of the city.

City towers

Just three of the previous twelve towers of Cologne’s last city wall, from the Middle Ages, have been preserved. The Eigelstein Tower, in north Altstadt, has a small statue of a farmer standing in a corner of the tower armed with a sword as a reminder of the beginning point for agriculture. At Rudolfplatz is the Hahnen Tower, through which the French revolution troops marched into the city in 1794. The Severins Tower stands at Chlodwigplatz in the Severins Quarter over the old Roman street towards Bonn in the south.

Cologne zoo (Zoologischer Garten Kln)

In the Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer district is the 19.5-hectare Cologne zoo, which houses amongst 7,000 animals and includes an aquarium-cum-reptile house-cum-insectarium that which can be visited separately. Across from the zoo are botanical gardens.

St Gereon's Church

To the northwest of the Arsenal in Cologne is St Gereon's, the city's most unusual Romanesque church, with a long choir (11th C.) built on to a ten-sided domed structure dating from Roman times (enlarged in 1227).

Rhine cable car (Klner Seibahn)

From the zoo, take a ride on Germany’s famous aerial chairlift on a kilometre-long ride east over the river to the Rheinpark for an excellent and unequaled bird’s eye view of the Altstadt and the rest of the city. The cable car was opened in 1957 for the German National Garden Show at the time.

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July - August -> 24(°C) - Summer
January - February -> 1(°C) - Winter

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