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
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
Deutsche Bahn is the most popular train carrier serving Aachen, followed by Eurostar. The train journey from Aachen to Hamburg takes 3h 27m and costs around $23 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Berlin, expect to pay about $17 for a 4h 25m 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 Brussels, the bus ride to Aachen takes 160 miles and will cost you around $35. From Frankfurt am Main, the ticket costs about $30 for a journey of 170 miles. The most popular bus station is Aachen Wilmersdorfer Str., located 2 miles from downtown Aachen. Aachen Lichtenbusch Süd is also a commonly used station, and is 4 miles from the city center.
Airlines serving Aachen
Where to stay in Aachen
Average rates range from around $88 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $157 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 $23 to $140 per night. Mitte is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation 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
Renting a car in Aachen
Renting a car in Aachen costs $54 per day, on average, or $161 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, 19% more expensive than at Duesseldorf Intl.
Expect to pay $7.27 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 $87.22 and $116.29. The most frequently booked car type in Aachen is Compact (Seat Arona or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Mini rental cars (Fiat 500 or similar) are, on average, 70% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.