Its central European location makes Cologne perfect as both a rail and air hub. The main north-south and west-east train lines run through Cologne making it a convenient stop on a rail journey through Europe. Cologne also provides a hub for flights within Germany, Europe and some more far-flung locations. Most transcontinental flights, however, tend to depart from Düsseldorf or Frankfurt. No need to worry though, because these airports have a rail link to the Cologne-Bonn airport.
Cologne airport is the home of Eurowings and several other no-frills airlines also operate out of Cologne. It’s possible to fly to every country in Europe from Cologne but not all year round. Many charter flights only leave Cologne for the popular tourist destinations of the Mediterranean during the holiday season. .
Getting to and from the airport
Public transport
Getting to and from the airport and Cologne city centre by public transport is simple and fast. From the airport to the main station in Cologne there is a regional express (RE) train service (direction Mönchengladbach or Düsseldorf) or the metropolitan light railway “S-bahn” (S13 and S19). All trains arrive and leave from the airport railway station (Bahnhof).
A one-way ticket to Cologne main station (Hauptbahnhof – Hbf) from the airport is fare zone 1b so costs around €3.00 (fare zone1b) for the regional train or S-Bahn.
The ICE (high-speed train) passes through the airport station en route to Cologne or in the opposite direction to Frankfurt, but the ticket price to Cologne is more expensive than for the regional or "S" trains.
Please note, tickets cannot be bought or validated (date stamped) on the train. You must buy your ticket before getting on the train. There are ticket machines on the mezzanine floor above the airport railway station platform, just follow the "train" signs to the station. These machine issued tickets are usually already validated. However, If you've bought a ticket from a machine in advance and need to validate it, look for a small-ish orange box found just before the stairs or escalator to the platform at a German railway station and insert the ticket to validate it. If you have pre-printed a paper ticket, the conductor will validate it.
Taxis
There is a taxi rank outside each terminal. For a taxi fare to Cologne city centre expect to pay a minimum of €35 and more depending on where you are going.
Car sharing and rentals
if you are a member of the SHARENOW or UFODRIVE car sharing or rental programme, you can take a car to or from the airport. The major car hire firms are also at the airport.
Cologne main station never seems to sleep as it has constant traffic. It is located directly next to the cathedral as a former Kaiser (so I’m told) wanted to have a view of the cathedral when arriving by train from across the Rhine. This means that while the visitor exits the station to a stunning view of the cathedral, any increase in the number of station platforms to accommodate the high volume of railway traffic and visitors is severely hindered. Nevertheless, building work is supposedly going ahead to add two new platforms.
The station accommodates ICE and IC trains, the Thalys and the Eurostar trains, which provide connections to all the major German cities plus Amsterdam, Brussels, London, Paris, Prague, Vienna, Warsaw and Zurich. Regional trains and the S-Bahn cover the regional rail network.
There are two underground stations, one at each end of the railway station, providing access to the Cologne city tram network.
To avoid congestion, especially during the building works, some of the long-distance trains are now operating exclusively from Deutz train station.
Deutz station is on the opposite side of the Rhine, across the Hohenzollern Bridge – the railway and footbridge across the Rhine – and is particularly useful for trade fair visitors. Regular rail traffic across the bridge means there are frequent local trains or S-Bahns you can hop on to get across to the main station and vice versa. If you choose to walk across, allow at least 10-15 minutes - you'll also see that it is a favourite bridge for attaching lovers' locks to. There is no direct tram or underground line between the main station and Deutz station.
Cologne main station has cafés, restaurants, shops, post office, cloakroom and left luggage facilities. However, like any main public area, it has its share of problems and you are warned to keep an eye on your belongings and be wary of pickpockets operating in and around the station.
The coach station has been relocated to the airport due to the platform expansion works at the main station.
Coaches usually drop off passengers near the cathedral if you are on a day trip. However, if your long-distance coach takes you to the airport, to get to the city centre, follow the instructions for travel to/from the airport.
Cologne is easy to reach by car but like any big city it has its fair share of traffic jams on the surrounding motorways and within the city limits too.
When coming by car, it would be advisable to seek accommodation with parking facilities. There are multi-storey car parks and street parking is available but expensive. Street parking may be restricted to residents only “Einwohner” and within the city centre and adjacent neighbourhoods you will have to pay and display.
Please note that you need an “emission sticker” in your car if you are driving into the Cologne environmental zone, which is basically everywhere within the motorway ring around Cologne. You can obtain an emission sticker online from the City of Cologne. Alternatively, you can obtain one from a garage in Germany that carries out technical and roadworthiness tests (TÜV). In either case you’ll need your vehicle documents. Some petrol stations provide emission stickers at the weekend if you search for "Feinstaubplakette auch am Wochenende" on the Stadt-koeln.de website.
If you’re simply planning to drive to Cologne for the day, it might be worth parking in one of the Park & Ride car parks on the outskirts of the city. These are next to a tram line into the city and some car parks are free-of-charge. On the west side of the city there is one in Hürth on the Luxemburgerstrasse (line 18), one at the RheinEnergie Stadion on the Aachenerstrasse (line 1) and one in Marsdorf (line 7).