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 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 March
Estimated hotel price
$84
1 night at 3-star hotel
Aachen in March
Estimated hotel price
$84
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 46 miles from Aachen.

Train

FlixTrain is the most popular train carrier serving Aachen, followed by Deutsche Bahn. The train journey from Aachen to Cologne takes 0h 21m and costs around $7 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Dortmund, expect to pay about $12 for a 0h 51m trip. Located 3 miles from the city center, Aachen Eilendorf is the busiest station in Aachen. Another popular train station is Aachen Hauptbahnhof, located 0.7 miles from the center.

Car

Another option to get to Aachen is to pick up a car rental from Frankfurt am Main, which is about 123 miles from Aachen. You’ll find branches of Europcar and Ok Mobility, among others, in Frankfurt am Main.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Aachen, including FlixBus, Regiojet and BlaBlaBus. From Cologne, the bus ride to Aachen takes 22 miles and will cost you around $6. From Eindhoven, the ticket costs about $22 for a journey of 110 miles. The most popular bus station is Aachen, located 0.6 miles from downtown Aachen. Aachen Wilmersdorfer Str. is also a commonly used station, and is 2 miles from the city center.

Plane

Although Aachen doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Düsseldorf Airport (DUS), which is located 46 miles from Aachen.

Train

FlixTrain is the most popular train carrier serving Aachen, followed by Deutsche Bahn. The train journey from Aachen to Cologne takes 0h 21m and costs around $7 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Dortmund, expect to pay about $12 for a 0h 51m trip. Located 3 miles from the city center, Aachen Eilendorf is the busiest station in Aachen. Another popular train station is Aachen Hauptbahnhof, located 0.7 miles from the center.

Car

Another option to get to Aachen is to pick up a car rental from Frankfurt am Main, which is about 123 miles from Aachen. You’ll find branches of Europcar and Ok Mobility, among others, in Frankfurt am Main.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Aachen, including FlixBus, Regiojet and BlaBlaBus. From Cologne, the bus ride to Aachen takes 22 miles and will cost you around $6. From Eindhoven, the ticket costs about $22 for a journey of 110 miles. The most popular bus station is Aachen, located 0.6 miles from downtown Aachen. Aachen Wilmersdorfer Str. is also a commonly used station, and is 2 miles from the city center.

Airports near Aachen

Airlines serving Aachen

Lufthansa
Good (4,671 reviews)
KLM
Good (858 reviews)
SWISS
Good (929 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,498 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,609 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (2,301 reviews)
Air France
Good (979 reviews)
Iberia
Good (1,561 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (477 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,940 reviews)
Emirates
Good (2,128 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,481 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (5,800 reviews)
Finnair
Good (879 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,166 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (831 reviews)
LOT
Good (684 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (917 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (832 reviews)
Ethiopian Air
Good (400 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Aachen

Average rates range from around $83 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $178 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 $19 to $175 per night. Mitte is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Aachen are about 39% 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, 3547 reviews)
$85+
Novotel Aachen City
4 stars
Excellent (8.2, 3107 reviews)
$92+
Parkhotel Quellenhof Aachen
5 stars
Excellent (8.2, 2700 reviews)
$175+
Leonardo Hotel Aachen
4 stars
Good (7.9, 4074 reviews)
$89+
B&B Hotel Aachen-Würselen
2 stars
Good (7.5, 1655 reviews)
$66+
Hotel h4 easy
3 stars
Good (7.4, 134 reviews)
$64+

Renting a car in Aachen

Renting a car in Aachen costs $54 per day, on average, or $162 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, 25% more expensive than at Duesseldorf Intl.

Expect to pay $7.46 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 $89.49 and $119.32. The most frequently booked car type in Aachen is Compact (Class Compact Wagon or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Standard rental cars (Class Commercial Truck or similar) are, on average, 4% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Renting a car in Aachen costs $54 per day, on average, or $162 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, 25% more expensive than at Duesseldorf Intl.

Expect to pay $7.46 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 $89.49 and $119.32. The most frequently booked car type in Aachen is Compact (Class Compact Wagon or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Standard rental cars (Class Commercial Truck or similar) are, on average, 4% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.