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 BURGERHEART AACHEN (Kapuzinergraben 12). If you’re looking for affordable options, UPTOWN SKY LOUNGE & RESTAURANT im Innside Aachen (Sandkaulstraße 20) and Aposto Aachen (Kapuzinergraben 19) are great picks.

When to visit Aachen

Aachen in October
Estimated hotel price
£49
1 night at 3-star hotel
Aachen in October
Estimated hotel price
£49
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

FlixTrain is the most popular train carrier serving Aachen, followed by Deutsche Bahn. The train journey from Aachen to Hamburg takes 3h 29m and costs around £14 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Berlin, expect to pay about £18 for a 4h 19m 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 Alamo and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, among others, in Frankfurt am Main.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Aachen, including FlixBus, Regiojet and BlaBlaBus. From Eindhoven, the bus ride to Aachen takes 217 km and will cost you around £10. From Brussels, the ticket costs about £19 for a journey of 257 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

FlixTrain is the most popular train carrier serving Aachen, followed by Deutsche Bahn. The train journey from Aachen to Hamburg takes 3h 29m and costs around £14 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Berlin, expect to pay about £18 for a 4h 19m 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 Alamo and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, among others, in Frankfurt am Main.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Aachen, including FlixBus, Regiojet and BlaBlaBus. From Eindhoven, the bus ride to Aachen takes 217 km and will cost you around £10. From Brussels, the ticket costs about £19 for a journey of 257 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 (4,614 reviews)
KLM
Good (848 reviews)
SWISS
Good (927 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,451 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,599 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (2,282 reviews)
Air France
Good (973 reviews)
Iberia
Good (1,549 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (476 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,930 reviews)
Emirates
Good (2,125 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,478 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (5,729 reviews)
Finnair
Good (878 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (832 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,160 reviews)
LOT
Good (682 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (911 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (832 reviews)
Ethiopian Air
Good (396 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 £66 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to £127 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 £14 to £137 per night. Mitte is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Aachen are about 28% 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)
£68+
Parkhotel Quellenhof Aachen
5 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
£137+
Novotel Aachen City
4 stars
Excellent (8.1, Excellent reviews)
£72+
Leonardo Hotel Aachen
4 stars
Good (7.9, Good reviews)
£69+
B&B Hotel Aachen-Würselen
2 stars
Good (7.5, Good reviews)
£52+

Hiring a car in Aachen

Expect to pay £1.59 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 £19.02 and £25.36. 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 Compact car hire (Volkswagen Golf or similar) is, on average, 52% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Expect to pay £1.59 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 £19.02 and £25.36. 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 Compact car hire (Volkswagen Golf or similar) is, on average, 52% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.