Aachen travel guide

Aachen Tourism | Aachen Guide

You're Going to Love Aachen

With a population of 265,208, Aachen is a must-see destination in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. Aachen deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

Where to Eat in Aachen

Mitte is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Aachen. These include popular favourites such as Pippin - die kleine Gastronomie (Hubertusstr. 43), Lammerskötter (Kapellenstraße 2) and Aposto Aachen (Kapuzinergraben 19). If you’re looking for affordable options, BURGERHEART AACHEN (Kapuzinergraben 12) and UPTOWN SKY LOUNGE & RESTAURANT im Innside Aachen (Sandkaulstraße 20) are great picks.

When to visit Aachen

Aachen in October
Estimated hotel price
£48
1 night at 3-star hotel
Aachen in October
Estimated hotel price
£48
1 night at 3-star hotel

How to Get to Aachen

Plane

Although Aachen doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Düsseldorf Airport (DUS), which is located 74 km from Aachen.

Train

Deutsche Bahn is the most popular train carrier serving Aachen, followed by Eurostar. The train journey from Aachen to Cologne takes 0h 21m and costs around £6 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Frankfurt am Main, expect to pay about £30 for a 1h 41m trip. Located 5 km from the city centre, Aachen Eilendorf is the busiest station in Aachen. Another popular train station is Aachen Hauptbahnhof, located 1.1 km from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Aachen is to pick up a car hire from Frankfurt am Main, which is about 198 km from Aachen. You’ll find branches of Wheego and Alamo, among others, in Frankfurt am Main.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Aachen, including FlixBus, BlaBlaBus and Regiojet. From Cologne, the bus ride to Aachen takes 80 km and will cost you around £7. From Brussels, the ticket costs about £35 for a journey of 266 km. The most popular bus station is Aachen, located 1.0 km from the city centre of Aachen. Aachen Wilmersdorfer Str. is also a commonly used station, and is 4 km from the city centre.

Plane

Although Aachen doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Düsseldorf Airport (DUS), which is located 74 km from Aachen.

Train

Deutsche Bahn is the most popular train carrier serving Aachen, followed by Eurostar. The train journey from Aachen to Cologne takes 0h 21m and costs around £6 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Frankfurt am Main, expect to pay about £30 for a 1h 41m trip. Located 5 km from the city centre, Aachen Eilendorf is the busiest station in Aachen. Another popular train station is Aachen Hauptbahnhof, located 1.1 km from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Aachen is to pick up a car hire from Frankfurt am Main, which is about 198 km from Aachen. You’ll find branches of Wheego and Alamo, among others, in Frankfurt am Main.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Aachen, including FlixBus, BlaBlaBus and Regiojet. From Cologne, the bus ride to Aachen takes 80 km and will cost you around £7. From Brussels, the ticket costs about £35 for a journey of 266 km. The most popular bus station is Aachen, located 1.0 km from the city centre of Aachen. Aachen Wilmersdorfer Str. is also a commonly used station, and is 4 km from the city centre.

Airports near Aachen

Airlines serving Aachen

Lufthansa
Good (4,698 reviews)
KLM
Good (846 reviews)
SWISS
Good (955 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,594 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (2,260 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,587 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (490 reviews)
Iberia
Good (1,600 reviews)
Air France
Good (980 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (2,110 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,432 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,966 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (5,964 reviews)
Finnair
Good (856 reviews)
LOT
Good (677 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (820 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (927 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,166 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (834 reviews)
Ethiopian Air
Good (405 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Aachen

From 5-star hotels such as the Parkhotel Quellenhof Aachen to great affordable options like the Hotel 3 Könige, Aachen offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around £67 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to £111 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include B&b Hotel Aachen City-Ost and B&B Hotel Aachen-Hbf. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Aachen, with prices from £15 to £111 per night. Mitte is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Aachen are about 30% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Where to stay in popular areas of Aachen

Most booked hotels in Aachen

Hotel Landhaus
2 stars
Excellent (8.5, Excellent reviews)
£63+
Art Hotel Superior
4 stars
Excellent (8.3, Excellent reviews)
£69+
Novotel Aachen City
4 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
£74+
Parkhotel Quellenhof Aachen
5 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
£102+
Leonardo Hotel Aachen
4 stars
Good (7.9, Good reviews)
£69+
B&B Hotel Aachen-Würselen
2 stars
Good (7.5, Good reviews)
£53+

Hiring a car in Aachen

Hiring a car in Aachen costs £29 per day, on average, or £57 if you want to hire it for 2 days.

It’s generally cheaper to hire your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 21% cheaper than airport locations in Aachen.

Expect to pay £1.54 per litre in Aachen (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between £18.46 and £24.61. The most frequently booked car type in Aachen is Standard (Volkswagen Tiguan or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Mini car hire (Hyundai i10 or similar) is, on average, 56% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Hiring a car in Aachen costs £29 per day, on average, or £57 if you want to hire it for 2 days.

It’s generally cheaper to hire your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 21% cheaper than airport locations in Aachen.

Expect to pay £1.54 per litre in Aachen (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between £18.46 and £24.61. The most frequently booked car type in Aachen is Standard (Volkswagen Tiguan or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Mini car hire (Hyundai i10 or similar) is, on average, 56% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.