Travel Information – Cologne

Travelling by plane

From Köln-Bonn Airport  you can take off to 130 destinations around the world. The airport has developed into the largest hub for low-cost charter flights in continental Europe. You can reach Cologne quickly and easily by plane from all major European cities. Around 60 airlines connect the airport with destinations in 39 countries. Köln-Bonn Airport lies about 17 km south-east of the city and has a superb connection to the city centre — it is only a 14-minute journey to the cathedral. ICEs, regional trains and trams all travel to the airport's train station, which is only a short distance away from the airport it-self.
It is also possible to travel by train from Cologne to the region's other major airports in under an hour: Düsseldorf Airport in 40 minutes (55 km) and the Rhein-Main Airport in Frankfurt in 55 minutes. From the Cologne Exhibition Centre in Cologne-Deutz, you can travel directly and easily to the Köln-Bonn, Düsseldorf and Frankfurt airports.

 

Cologne/Bonn airport

Travelling by car

As the approach roads reach Cologne, ten motorways run into one orbital motorway which runs around the city. All parts of the city can be accessed quickly via several exits. Cologne city centre was recently designated a "green zone", meaning it meets legal guidelines for fine dust regulation.

A1, A3, A4, A57, A59, A555, A559

Travelling by train

The city can also be accessed by the second-most important means of transport — the train. Cologne has long been one of the most important railway junctions in Europe. Over 1300 passenger trains pass through Cologne main train station every day. The international high-speed connections are an important driving force for the station. These connections include trains to and from London, Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels. The high-speed line to Frankfurt, the second city centre ICE terminal at the Köln-Deutz station and the Airport station, which opened in 2004, have all consolidated Cologne's importance further as a central hub for ex-press rail traffic.

 

Deutsche Bahn

Public transport

Over 250 million passengers a year appreciate the solid tram, bus and subway network that covers Cologne. Ticket machines can be found in most stations in the city centre, on the platforms and on the trains themselves. Low-priced day and group tickets make public transport an appealing way to travel. On the trains, passengers receive constant information about the destinations and stations.

 

KVB