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. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything Aachen has to offer.

Where to Eat in Aachen

Mitte is the neighborhood with the most restaurants in Aachen. These include popular favorites 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 March
Estimated hotel price
$81
1 night at 3-star hotel
Aachen in March
Estimated hotel price
$81
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 $18 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Berlin, expect to pay about $23 for a 4h 19m trip. Located 5 km from the city center, Aachen Eilendorf is the busiest station in Aachen. Another popular train station is Aachen Hauptbahnhof, located 1.1 km from the center.

Car

Another option to get to Aachen is to pick up a car rental from Frankfurt am Main, which is about 198 km from Aachen. You’ll find branches of Ok Mobility and Europcar, 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 $13. From Brussels, the ticket costs about $24 for a journey of 257 km. The most popular bus station is Aachen, located 1.0 km from downtown Aachen. Aachen Wilmersdorfer Str. is also a commonly used station, and is 4 km from the city center.

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 $18 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Berlin, expect to pay about $23 for a 4h 19m trip. Located 5 km from the city center, Aachen Eilendorf is the busiest station in Aachen. Another popular train station is Aachen Hauptbahnhof, located 1.1 km from the center.

Car

Another option to get to Aachen is to pick up a car rental from Frankfurt am Main, which is about 198 km from Aachen. You’ll find branches of Ok Mobility and Europcar, 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 $13. From Brussels, the ticket costs about $24 for a journey of 257 km. The most popular bus station is Aachen, located 1.0 km from downtown Aachen. Aachen Wilmersdorfer Str. is also a commonly used station, and is 4 km from the city center.

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

Average rates range from around $82 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $176 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 vacation rental options in Aachen, with prices from $18 to $171 per night. Mitte is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Aachen are about 29% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Where to stay in popular areas of Aachen

Most booked hotels in Aachen

Art Hotel Superior
4 stars
Excellent (8.3, 3513 reviews)
$85+
Novotel Aachen City
4 stars
Excellent (8.1, 3064 reviews)
$90+
Leonardo Hotel Aachen
4 stars
Good (7.9, 4046 reviews)
$86+
Art Hotel Aachen
3 stars
Good (7.8, 5140 reviews)
$73+
B&B Hotel Aachen-Würselen
2 stars
Good (7.5, 1643 reviews)
$65+
Hotel h4 easy
3 stars
Good (7.4, 132 reviews)
$43+

Renting a car in Aachen

Renting a car in Aachen costs $55 per day, on average, or $165 if you want to rent if for 3 days.

You’re likely to save money by renting your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 15% more expensive than at Duesseldorf Intl.

Expect to pay $7.50 per gallon in Aachen (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $89.94 and $119.92. The most frequently booked car type in Aachen is Full-size (Ford Transit or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Opel Astra or similar) are, on average, 70% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Renting a car in Aachen costs $55 per day, on average, or $165 if you want to rent if for 3 days.

You’re likely to save money by renting your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 15% more expensive than at Duesseldorf Intl.

Expect to pay $7.50 per gallon in Aachen (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $89.94 and $119.92. The most frequently booked car type in Aachen is Full-size (Ford Transit or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Opel Astra or similar) are, on average, 70% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.