Arrival & Mobility

All paths lead to Cologne

Cologne Bonn Airport is connected to more than 130 domestic and international destinations and is one of the most important airports in Germany. From here, you can reach the center of Cologne in just a few minutes.

A more environmentally friendly way is to take the train. Excellent high-speed connections take you quickly and in an environmentally friendly manner to the cathedral city in the heart of Europe.

By car, you can reach Cologne via numerous European highways, and if you like, you can park your car in one of the park-and-ride lots and switch to public transportation.

By train By public transport By car By coach By plane

Arrival by train

Just turn off the stress

You can reach Cologne quickly, comfortably and in an environmentally friendly manner from major German and European cities: More than 1,300 passenger trains connect Cologne with Germany and abroad every day. The train takes you relaxed to your destination. Without traffic jams and hectic.

Relaxation from the first minute.

Cologne main station

Bahn, One-Line ©Viktor Warnke, KölnTourismus GmbH — © Viktor Warnke, KölnTourismus GmbH

Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN)

Cologne Bonn Airport is well connected to the transportation network. Centrally located between Terminals 1 and 2 is the underground train station Köln/Bonn Airport. You can also reach the terminals directly via the nearby A59 freeway.

Info about Cologne Bonn Airpor

Public transport

You can travel comfortably and quickly throughout Cologne on the well-developed public transport network. More than 850,000 people travel through Cologne every day on the buses and trains of the Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe (KVB). The staff in the KVB's own Customer Centres & Sales Offices offer you competent and friendly advice. Local stations often have a connection to tram stops. Real-time information boards show the respective departure times.

Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe Cologne cable car

Arrival by car

Germans drive on the right side of the road. Drivers and passengers must wear seatbelts. Compulsory for children are special car seats and appropriate restraints. It is prohibited to use a hand-held mobile phone or similar device when driving.

A network of ten star-shaped motorway axes from all directions leads into a motorway ring that encircles the city – A 1, A 3, A 4, A 57, A 59, A 555, A 559. In addition, Cologne is connected to several major “Bundesstraße” B roads.

We recommend using one of the Park & Ride facilities to avoid traffic jams.

Traffic calendar Cologne Low Emission Zone

Arrival by coach

Bus stop and parking spaces

The previous bus stop for tourist coaches on Komödienstraße has been moved to the nearby Gereonstraße.
Tourist coaches will no longer be permitted to stop on Komödienstraße.

On special occasions, such as during the Cologne Carnival or for the duration of the Cologne Christmas markets, alternative concepts apply. These will be listed here on our website as well as on the website „Parking coaches in Cologne" of the City of Cologne (available in four languages). Please inform yourself in time.

Bus stop Gereonstraße

Parking facilities for coaches

Special occasions

Breslauer Platz

Kölner Umweltzone

Advent season 2024

Alternative traffic concept for touring coaches

In 2021, the city of Cologne introduced a new concept for touring coaches during the Advent season.

For the period from November 28 to December 23, 2024, special regulations apply to the arrival and parking of coaches and the onward travel of coach passengers to the city centre:

Arrival in Cologne: Arrival at the Koelnmesse car park P22 in Cologne-Deutz
Parking: A paid parking space must be booked (online in advance or upon entry to the car park P22). As the parking spaces are limited, it is highly recommended to book in advance.
Free shuttle bus service for coach passengers: A free shuttle bus service will take all coach passengers from the car park P22 to a stop at Heumarkt in central Cologne and from the same stop back to the car park P22.
The shuttle bus will operate continuously from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. There is no fixed schedule; one trip takes about 5–10 minutes, depending on traffic.
Please allow sufficient time to return to the car park P22.

We wish you a good trip and a pleasant stay in Cologne!

Information for coach drivers

Cologne Low Emission Zone

Only vehicles bearing a green environmental sticker (Emission Group 4) can enter the Cologne Low Emission Zone. The driving ban applies not only to automobiles lacking a sticker but also to vehicles bearing only a red or yellow environmental sticker. Under certain conditions, the City of Cologne can, upon request, make exceptions for vehicles lacking stickers or bearing only red ones. In addition, cars and trucks bearing yellow stickers can continue to enter the Low Emission Zone if the vehicles in question were registered in the name of their current owners before 1 January 2008 and they demonstrably cannot be retrofitted to make them eligible for the green environmental sticker. Additional requirements do not have to be met, and no special exceptions have to be granted.

Alternatively, you can park your car at one of the P+R parking lots in Cologne and comfortably travel downtown on a bus, train or tram.

Info on the fine dust sticker All information

Baum, One-Line ©Viktor Warnke, KölnTourismus GmbH — © Viktor Warnke, KölnTourismus GmbH

Guest survey

Together with DeinNRW and other regions and cities in North Rhine-Westphalia, we are conducting an extensive holiday visitor survey. The aim is to gain valuable insights into the experiences and impressions of visitors and to continuously optimise our tourist offers.

Are you currently spending your holiday in Cologne or have you been on holiday in Cologne in the last six months? Then you are invited to tell us about your holiday. As a thank you for your participation, you can win great prizes.

To the guest survey

Just one click to the city vacation

Accommodation options for every taste

KölnCard

The official tourist ticket

Would you like to discover Cologne inexpensively and easily? Then we recommend the KölnCard. The tourist ticket offers you free travel on all public transport and great discounts on art, culture and gastronomy.

Inform now