Cologne as a Base: 5 Days on a Budget
Five days: Cologne, three close trips and Aachen
Five days adds Aachen, Charlemagne’s UNESCO cathedral, on top of the close trio of Brühl, Bonn and Düsseldorf. It nests from the 4-day version by adding this one day, and into the 6 and 7-day plans by layering on the Rhine and the Ruhr. For a Cologne-only 5 days, the in-city itinerary covers the museums and neighbourhoods instead.
Book these before you go:
- Cologne hotel near the Hauptbahnhof , the departure point for all four day trips.
- Compare Brühl and Augustusburg Palace tours for a guided option.
- Compare Bonn day trips from Cologne if you’d rather skip the transfer.
- Book Aachen’s guided throne-room tour ahead; weekend slots sell out.
| Day | Focus | Distance / train time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Cologne: arrival and logistics | base | KVB day ticket EUR 8.40 |
| Day 2 | Brühl: Augustusburg Palace | ~15-20 min S-Bahn/RE | EUR 9.50 palace entry |
| Day 3 | Bonn: Beethoven-Haus | ~20-26 min RE | roughly EUR 8-9 train, EUR 10 museum |
| Day 4 | Düsseldorf: Altstadt and MedienHafen | ~20-25 min ICE/RE | roughly EUR 8-9 by RE |
| Day 5 | Aachen: cathedral and throne room | 33-36 min ICE / 60-70 min RE | free cathedral, EUR 7 guided tour |
Day 1: Cologne, arrival and logistics
Land at Cologne Bonn Airport and take the S19 into Köln Hauptbahnhof, about 15 minutes, EUR 3.50 single or EUR 8.40 for a day ticket. Base yourself near the station, since all four day trips this week leave from the same platform. The in-city guide covers the Dom tower and the brauhaus circuit for any spare Cologne evenings.
Day 2: Brühl, Augustusburg Palace
Brühl is 15-20 minutes out. Augustusburg Palace, UNESCO-listed since 1984, runs guided-tour-only: EUR 9.50 adult, EUR 8 reduced, EUR 15 combined with Falkenlust. Check current tour times before you go; it closes December through February.
Day 3: Bonn, Beethoven-Haus and the old capital
Bonn is 20-26 minutes away, roughly EUR 8-9 one-way. Beethoven-Haus charges EUR 10 adult, EUR 6 reduced, free under 19. Budget transit time to the Museumsmeile; it’s a bus or tram ride, not a walk, from the Hauptbahnhof.
Day 4: Düsseldorf, the Altbier rival
Düsseldorf is 20-25 minutes away, fastest by ICE at about 21 minutes. Kölsch versus Altbier is the whole joke; order carefully. Walk Düsseldorf’s own Altstadt and the MedienHafen redevelopment, a 15-20 minute walk or tram from the Hauptbahnhof.
Day 5: Aachen, Charlemagne’s UNESCO cathedral
Aachen is 33-36 minutes by ICE or 60-70 minutes on the slower regional RE1 or RE9. Aachen Cathedral , one of the first 12 UNESCO World Heritage Sites (1978), holds Charlemagne’s throne and shrine. The cathedral is free; the throne room and imperial chapel are guided-tour-only through the Cathedral Treasury , EUR 7 adult, EUR 5 reduced. Weekend slots sell out, so book ahead.
Is the ICE to Aachen worth the extra cost over the regional train?
If you’re not carrying a Deutschland-Ticket, yes: the ICE cuts the trip to 33-36 minutes against 60-70 on the RE1 or RE9, and on a single day trip that extra hour matters more than the fare difference. If you already hold the monthly ticket, the slower regional train is free to ride and the time cost is the only trade-off.
Does a 5-day trip make the Deutschland-Ticket worth buying?
Close to it: four regional-covered trips (Brühl, Bonn, Düsseldorf, and Aachen if you take the RE) run roughly EUR 34-36 in single fares, against 63 EUR for the month. It still favors buying single tickets at this length, but the 6-day and 7-day versions of this itinerary tip the balance the other way.
Book Aachen’s throne-room slot before you fix the rest of the week; it’s the one booking on this list with a real chance of selling out.