Getting around Cologne

In Cologne you ride from the airport to the station, ride again across the Rhine, and walk everything in between. The S-Bahn reaches the main station from the airport in 14 minutes, the cathedral stands right outside it, and trams only start to matter once you cross the river or leave the Altstadt.

From the airport to the main station

Cologne/Bonn airport has its own ICE station, but most visitors take the S19 and are at the main station in 14 minutes. The regional trains RE 6 and RB 27 cover the same stretch in about 12 minutes. A single ticket inside the city zone costs €4.00, and it covers the whole trip.

Leave the station by the exit to the Domplatte and the cathedral is right in front of you. The Altstadt starts a short walk beyond it, so a hotel in the old town often needs no further transport at all.

Which ticket

Since 1 June 2026 the Rheinlandtarif has replaced the old VRS and AVV fares, and it has three levels: 1 for the city, 2 for the surroundings and 3 for the whole Rhineland. Level 1b covers Cologne, along with Bonn and Aachen. A single ticket is valid for 90 minutes from purchase, and children under six travel free. For several rides in a day, take the 24-hour ticket; a version for five people costs €19.20. The Deutschlandticket also works on Cologne trams, the S-Bahn and regional trains: €63.

The centre rewards walking. From the cathedral through the Altstadt to Heumarkt you need no ticket at all, and the trams belong to the longer hops. Underneath the centre they run through a tunnel built between 1968 and 1970, and the KVB operates 12 lines in total.

Neumarkt is the knot, with seven lines meeting there, and the Roman-Germanic Museum in the Belgian House is close by. The main station has lines 5, 16 and 18, Heumarkt only the 5, and Ehrenfeld station is served by 3, 4 and 13, which is the stop for anyone leaving the centre for that district.

Across the Rhine

The Hohenzollern Bridge carries both pedestrians and trains, so the first way to the far bank is on foot. Deutz station across the water is served by lines 1, 3, 4, 7 and 9, which brings the trams back into the picture.

The cable car crosses the Rhine between the zoo and Rheinpark, and the ride gives a view of the city from above the water. One way costs €5.50, return €9.50. The cars run daily from 10 to 18, with the last entry at 17.45, from spring until early November, and after that only on Saturdays and Sundays in Advent.

At night

At night, on Saturdays and Sundays and before public holidays, most lines run every 30 minutes, though line 1 keeps a 15-minute interval between Junkersdorf and Brück. A brewhouse in the Altstadt needs no transport at all, and during carnival the KVB adds evening and night runs. Work out the last ride back before the second beer, not after it.

FoodThe brewhouses the walk ends in are on the food page, with what to order at each.What to eat in Cologne →

When to goTrams run differently in carnival week, and the page on when to go sorts the year by month.The best time to visit Cologne →

Where to stayWhich area to sleep in, measured against the lines and stations, is on the where-to-stay page.Where to stay in Cologne →

Day tripsTrains to Bonn, Düsseldorf, Aachen and Brühl, and the Deutschlandticket beyond the city, are on the day trips page.Day trips from Cologne →