My boyfriend and I are traveling to Cologne on Feb. 9th, flying out on Feb. 13th...that gives us 4 full days to explore. We will be staying in Cologne on the 12th, but would like to go somewhere else the other days. By reading the other posts, it looks like taking the train is the best bet. We have no problem traveling a few hours in order to get to our destination.
Any suggestions you may have would be greatly appreciated. We are interested in beautiful towns or cities that have that charming flair. Big cities are great, but truthfully we love to relax on a vacation and perhaps the smaller towns would be best...even though I hear Brussels is great!
Also, where should we stay in those towns? As you may be able to tell, I am a little overwhelmed and would love to hear of your favorites!
By the way, my boyfriend is a chef so we would love to hear about the local favorites for eating.
Thank you in advance and happy New Year!
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Trier is about 2 and a half to 3 hours from Cologne by train near the boarder with Luxemburg. It is a lovely small city with quite a large student population and you can maybe do a bus trip to the Moselle from it. If you are interested in wine this is an excellent area thou obviously February is not the best time for wine tasting!! Google %26quot;Moselle%26quot; %26quot;Trier%26quot; and %26quot;German trains%26quot; to find out more. Not all at once of course!
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%26gt; . We have no problem traveling a few hours in order to get to our destination.
This will however eat up a big share of the 4 days you have.
Personally I would suggest to stay 4 days in Cologne with day trips to nearby Düsseldorf and Bonn (approx. 30 min each).
http://www.koeln.de/en/index.html
www.koeln.nicecity.de/english/index.htm
www.duesseldorf-tourismus.de/default_en.php
http://www.bonn-region.de/index.php?id=1%26amp;L=2
For cute small towns head towards the Middle Rhine
http://www.welterbe-mittelrheintal.de/
or Mosel valley, e.g. Bernkastel-Kues
bernkastel.de/e/…index.htm
This can be combined with a visit of Trier, which is also in the Mosel valley.
http://www.trier.de
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I agree with another reply you received that staying in Cologne for the four days isn%26#39;t a bad idea, with day trips to explore the region. You are going to be in town just before the Carnival begins (the German Mardi Gras) so maybe you%26#39;ll see some of the preparations. The cathedral of course is spectacular and the art gallery beside the main train station is also a must. As for nearby places to visit, Bonn is pleasant, if a little sleepy, and across the river is the hilly Siebengebirge area which is excellent for hiking. You can also do a Rhine boat tour. I recommend heading south from Cologne towards Koblenz and going through the steep-walled canyons and past the Lorelei. The train to Aachen is easy and this ancient city has lots to offer when it comes to history (although like all German cities, most of the really old buildings were flattened during WW II). Don%26#39;t forget to order the local beer, known as Kölsch, and served in cylindrical glasses. Light and tasty, really a treat. Then you can compare that with the local Düsseldorf beer, called Alt. Düsseldorf is just 20 minutes away by train and a walk down the main shopping street, the Königsallee, is usually good if you%26#39;re into high-end window shopping. Anyway, just a few ideas. Enjoy!!
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Living in Germany as an English Ex Pat I can give you a few suggestions:
Day 1: Exploring Cologne
Day 2: 30 min train ride to Dusseldorf (get a tram to the main part of the city as it%26#39;s quite a walk from the station)
Alternatively you can goto the Rhine in Cologne by the Imhoff-Stollwerck Chocolate Museum (also worth a visit) There you will find a ferry that goes from Cologne to Dusseldorf.
I recommend the Holiday Inn hotel on Konigsallee,Graf-Adolf-Platz it%26#39;s right in the middle of everything. Though a little prices the breakfast buffet is fantastic and the hotel is great.
Day 3: Visit Oberhausen, Centro
I am not sure how to get here from Dusseldorf but this place is well woth a visit. It%26#39;s a huge shopping centre inside and outside alongside a beautiful lake are many resturants, bars, and even a Irish pub. I go there nearly every weekend a great place to shop and relax.
I have never stopped in Oberhausen but I would stop in the Tryp Centro Oberhausen which is right next to the shopping centre. Some parts of Oberhausen can be a little dodgy which is why I recommend this hotel.
Day 4: Train to Amsterdam
Your right on the border of Holland so you might as well visit. I have not had the chance to go yet so cant recommend any hotels.
Other Places:
Dinslaken - Very small city nice for a few hours
Dortmund - Big shopping street nice for few hours
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Hi, I%26#39;ve read some of the suggestions for your 4 days in Cologne and I%26#39;m surprised that there is no mention of a trip to Aachen. This is the seat of Charlemagne%26#39;s empire and he%26#39;s buried there. Its a %26#39;straight shot%26#39; from Cologne and would probably take less than 2 hours by car. I%26#39;m sure trains go there, but I don%26#39;t know which one, etc. If you rent a car, an alternate is to drive down the Rhine to Rudesheim. Stop along the western side of the Rhine in the villages for lots of charm. Try St Goar, Boppard, Oberwessel and my favorite Bacharach. This is only 1 or 2 hours south from Cologne. If you try the riesling wines, ask for %26#39;troken%26#39; which is dry and the way most Germans woukld drink it. Cross the Rhine on one of the ferrys along the way and end your trip in Rudesheim. Walk down Drosselgasse for lots of umpah music and wine. Have a good time!
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Thank you all for your help. Your suggestions are great...we are so looking forward to our trip.
Happy New Year to all!
Best,
Tara
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