The airport also has its own long-distance railway station, so you can take an ICE straight on to Cologne, Heidelberg and the rest of Germany without going into the city first. Here you’ll find all the options with prices, journey times and station names: S-Bahn, regional and long-distance trains, the Deutschlandticket, buses, taxis, transfers and hire cars. I also explain the difference between Terminal 1 and the new Terminal 3, and why you should steer clear of Frankfurt-Hahn if you can.

Quick overview

• S-Bahn S8 and S9: €6.90 (around £6), about 12 minutes to Hauptbahnhof and 16 minutes to Hauptwache, departing roughly every 10 minutes from Regionalbahnhof beneath Terminal 1.
• Day ticket including the airport: €13.50 (around £11), valid all day on the S-Bahn, U-Bahn, trams and buses in Frankfurt, including the journey from the airport.
• Long-distance trains from Fernbahnhof: ICE to Cologne in about 50 minutes and to Heidelberg in 50 to 90 minutes, ICE to Hauptbahnhof in 10 to 15 minutes with a DB ticket.
• Bus 61: to Südbahnhof in Sachsenhausen in around half an hour with a standard RMV ticket.
• Taxi: about €35 to €45 (around £30 to £40) to the centre on the meter, 20 to 25 minutes without traffic.
• Private transfer: from about €26 (around £22) per person, must be booked at least 10 hours in advance.
• Hire car: the rental companies are in Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. Good for the Rhine Valley and Heidelberg, unnecessary in the city itself.

Terminal 1, Terminal 3 and the Sky Line train

The most important thing to know about Frankfurt Airport is that all rail services depart from Terminal 1. This is where Lufthansa and most of its Star Alliance partners are based, and the terminal is divided into areas A, B, C and Z. The old Terminal 2 is closed for a major redevelopment that will take many years, and the airlines that used it have moved to the new Terminal 3 in the southern part of the airport. Many other foreign airlines have also moved there, so always check your boarding pass or with your airline which terminal you’ll arrive at and fly home from.

Terminal 3 is about 5.6 kilometres from Terminal 1, so you can’t walk between them. Instead, the driverless Sky Line train runs between the terminals in about 8 minutes. The train is free and runs every 2 to 3 minutes from early morning until late evening, and at night a shuttle bus runs between the terminals instead. If you land at Terminal 3, follow the signs to the Sky Line, take the train to Terminal 1 and carry on from there to the S-Bahn or the long-distance trains. Allow an extra 15 to 20 minutes from Terminal 3 before you’re sitting on a train into the city. Everything about the new terminal and its connections is available from Frankfurt Airport.

In Terminal 1, Regionalbahnhof with the S-Bahn and regional trains is in the basement beneath the terminal, and you can reach it from areas A, B and C by following the signs with a green S and a train. The long-distance station, Fernbahnhof, lies beneath the large glass building The Squaire right next to the terminal, a 5 to 10-minute walk from Terminal 1 along a covered walkway. The taxi ranks are just outside the arrivals halls at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, and buses stop in front of both terminals on the arrivals level.

1. S-Bahn S8 and S9 to Hauptbahnhof and Hauptwache

The S-Bahn is the easiest and cheapest way into Frankfurt. Lines S8 and S9 both run from the Regionalbahnhof beneath Terminal 1 towards Frankfurt and on to Offenbach and Hanau, so you can simply take the first train that comes in showing Frankfurt, Offenbach or Hanau on the display. Along the way, the train stops at Gateway Gardens, Stadion and Niederrad before reaching Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof after around 12 minutes, where the S-Bahn stops in the underground part of the station. From there, the train continues beneath the centre to Taunusanlage, Hauptwache and Konstablerwache.

Between them, the two lines run roughly every 10 minutes during the day, so you rarely have to wait long on the platform. They operate from early in the morning until late at night, though services are less frequent in the late evening and overnight, and during engineering works replacement buses may run for a while instead. If you land after midnight, check the actual departures in RMV’s RMVgo app before heading down to the platform. Watch the direction: trains towards Wiesbaden and Mainz go the opposite way, away from Frankfurt.

Fares and tickets

The airport has its own fare zone, and a single ticket between the airport and Frankfurt costs 6.90 euros (around £5.80) for adults and 4.10 euros (around £3.45) for children aged 6 to 14, while children under 6 travel free. The ticket is valid all the way to your stop in the city, even if you change to the U-Bahn or a tram along the way. Fares are listed by RMV, which runs the public transport. You buy your ticket from the machines at the entrance to the platforms, which accept cards, or in the RMVgo app. The ticket is only valid for a journey starting straight away, so you can’t buy your return trip in advance.

The biggest pitfall is buying an ordinary single ticket for the city at 3.80 euros (around £3.20). It isn’t valid to or from the airport, and there are ticket inspections on the S-Bahn. If you’ll be getting around a lot on the same day, a Frankfurt day ticket including the airport, at 13.50 euros (around £11.30) for adults and 8 euros (around £6.70) for children, is often the best deal. It’s valid on all the city’s S-Bahn, U-Bahn, trams and buses until 5am the next morning, and if you’re travelling in a group, there’s also a group day ticket for up to five people, which quickly pays for itself. The Frankfurt Card also covers the journey to and from the airport.

Is the Deutschlandticket valid from the airport?

Yes. The Deutschlandticket is valid on the S8 and S9 from the airport and on all regional trains, S-Bahn, U-Bahn, trams and buses throughout Germany, but not on ICE, IC and EC trains. The ticket is a digital monthly subscription that you buy in the DB Navigator app or on the Deutsche Bahn website. It’s valid for a whole calendar month, even if you buy it mid-month, and the subscription renews automatically unless you cancel it by the 10th of the month. The price is 60 to 70 euros (around £50 to £60) a month and is usually adjusted at the turn of the year, so check the current price with Deutsche Bahn.

For a weekend in Frankfurt it isn’t worth it, as two airport tickets and a couple of day tickets cost less. But if you’re travelling around Germany for a week or more by regional train, for example to Mainz, the Rhine Valley and Heidelberg, it’s a really good deal. Remember to cancel it straight away if you only need it for one month.

Where should you get off?

Hauptbahnhof: The stop for you if you’re continuing by train or staying in the Bahnhofsviertel just east of the station. The district has plenty of reasonably priced hotels and the city’s best places to eat, but the streets north of Kaiserstraße around Taunusstraße and Niddastraße have a visible drug scene, so bear that in mind if you’ll be walking back late on your own. 25hours Hotel The Trip is a few minutes’ walk from the station, and you can see prices for 25hours Hotel The Trip here. If you’re heading to the trade fair, take the U4 one stop from Hauptbahnhof to Festhalle/Messe.

Taunusanlage: The stop in the middle of the banking district among the skyscrapers, a couple of minutes’ walk from the Alte Oper and the Main Tower. Get off here if you’re staying near Opernplatz or in the southern part of Westend.

Hauptwache: The city centre and the stop most tourists need. You come up by the Zeil shopping street, and from here it’s around a 5 to 10-minute walk to Römerberg and the Old Town. Motel One Frankfurt-Römer is close to Römerberg, and you can see prices for Motel One Frankfurt-Römer here. If you’re unsure which area suits you best, read my guide to where to stay in Frankfurt, where I go through six areas and hotels in several price ranges.

Konstablerwache: The stop at the eastern end of the Zeil, where you change to the U4 towards Bornheim and Merianplatz or to the S-Bahn lines running to Lokalbahnhof in Sachsenhausen. If you’re staying in the apple wine district south of the river, though, bus 61 from the airport may be easier, as you can read further down.

2. Regional and long-distance trains from the Fernbahnhof

Frankfurt Airport is one of the best-connected airports in Europe because it has two railway stations. Regional trains stop alongside the S-Bahn at the Regionalbahnhof beneath Terminal 1, while ICE and IC trains depart from the Fernbahnhof in The Squaire, the glass building next door. This means you can land and be sitting on a high-speed train to Cologne or Munich shortly afterwards, without having to go into Frankfurt first. You’ll find an overview of both stations on the airport’s page about trains.

Regional trains to Mainz, Wiesbaden and the Rhine Valley

From the Regionalbahnhof, the RE2 and RE3 regional trains run to Mainz and on to Koblenz and Saarbrücken, while the RE59 runs to Frankfurt Süd, Hanau and Aschaffenburg. The S8 also runs in the other direction to Mainz in about 25 minutes and on to Wiesbaden. The regional trains are a good choice if you’re heading to Mainz or the Rhine Valley with its castles and wine towns, and both RMV tickets and the Deutschlandticket are valid on them. None of the regional trains run underneath the city centre, so the S-Bahn is still the best option for getting into town.

ICE to Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof

Some ICE trains run from the Fernbahnhof to Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof in 10 to 15 minutes, but this only saves you a few minutes compared with the S-Bahn. RMV tickets and the Deutschlandticket aren’t valid on ICE trains, so you’ll need a DB long-distance ticket. It only makes sense if you already have an onward train ticket from Hauptbahnhof, or if the S-Bahn is affected by engineering works.

Onwards to Cologne, Heidelberg and the rest of Germany

ICE trains to Cologne take the high-speed line and get there in about 50 minutes, with direct departures roughly twice an hour for most of the day. Saver fares start at under 30 euros (around £25) if you book well ahead, but the full fare is much higher. If you’re staying in the cathedral city, I’ve put together a guide to where to stay in Cologne. There are only a few direct trains to Heidelberg, so most people change in Mannheim, and the journey usually takes 50 to 90 minutes. You’ll find tickets and timetables in the DB Navigator app, and there are also direct ICE trains from the Fernbahnhof to Stuttgart, Nuremberg and Munich, among others. If you’re travelling around several cities, my guide to where to stay in Germany can help you plan your route.

If you’re flying with Lufthansa, you can often add the train to your plane ticket as Lufthansa Express Rail, so the train journey to Cologne or Stuttgart, for example, becomes part of your trip. If there are several of you heading to Heidelberg with lots of luggage, a private transfer is also an option, and you can check the price of a transfer to Heidelberg here. It costs from around 207 euros (around £175) for up to three people, so it’s only worth the money for a group.

3. Buses from Frankfurt Airport

For the city centre itself, the bus isn’t a good choice, as the S-Bahn is both faster and more frequent. There is one exception, though: bus 61 runs from Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 to Südbahnhof in Sachsenhausen, and the journey takes around half an hour. You can check departures in RMVgo. If you’re staying in Sachsenhausen, you avoid changing at Konstablerwache and get off right in the middle of the district with its apple wine taverns. From Terminal 3, the X77 express bus also runs to Südbahnhof roughly every half hour, and more often to the Gateway Gardens S-Bahn station. Both buses accept standard RMV tickets, and you can see the new bus routes at Terminal 3 on the website of Frankfurt’s transport company traffiQ.

Long-distance coaches such as FlixBus leave from the coach terminal by car park P36 at Terminal 1, about a 5-minute walk from the terminal. If you land at Terminal 3, take the Sky Line to Terminal 1 first. The coaches are cheap but take longer than the train, so they’re mainly for you if you’re on a tight budget or heading to a town without a direct train.

4. Taxis from Frankfurt Airport

The taxi ranks are just outside the arrivals halls at Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, and there are almost always cars waiting. Taxis charge the city’s fixed tariff, with a starting fare of 4 euros (around £3.35) and 2.40 euros (around £2) per kilometre. If you book in advance by phone or app, you can agree a fixed price within the limits set by the city. The rules are listed by IHK Frankfurt, and the tariff is adjusted regularly, so treat the amounts as approximate.

In practice, a trip to Hauptbahnhof or Hauptwache costs around 35 to 45 euros (around £30 to £40), and the journey takes 20 to 25 minutes without traffic. At rush hour, the motorways around the airport can be heavily congested, which makes the trip longer and more expensive. Most taxis take cards, but ask before you get in. Uber and the taxi app FreeNow also operate in Frankfurt, and prices are usually similar to a taxi.

Here’s my honest verdict: for one or two people, a taxi is expensive compared with the S-Bahn, which is faster than a car at rush hour. It makes sense if there are three or four of you with suitcases, if you’re going to an address far from an S-Bahn station, or if you land late and can’t be bothered waiting for a night train.

5. Private transfer

A private transfer is a pre-booked car with a driver who waits for you in the arrivals hall and takes you straight to your hotel. The price is fixed before you leave home, so you don’t have to keep an eye on the meter, which is handy if you’re travelling with children and car seats, have lots of luggage or land in the middle of the night. On GetYourGuide, prices start from around 26 euros (around £22) per person to the city centre.

Book a private transfer from Frankfurt Airport here.

The transfer must be booked at least 10 hours in advance. Enter your flight number when booking so the driver can keep track of any delays, and check which terminal you’re landing at, as Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 are a long way apart and the driver needs to know where to meet you.

6. Car hire from Frankfurt Airport

At Terminal 1, the Car Rental Center is in area A, one floor above the Regionalbahnhof, and at Terminal 3 the car hire desks are on the arrivals level. All the major hire companies are represented, and you can compare prices for car hire on Booking.com. The airport sits right next to the Frankfurter Kreuz motorway interchange, where the A3 and A5 meet, so you’re quickly on your way, and it’s only about 20 minutes to the city centre without traffic.

A car is excellent if you want to see the Rhine Valley with its castles and the Lorelei, the Rheingau wine region, Heidelberg or the Taunus mountains, as you can stop wherever you like. If you’d like to see what else there is to do in and around the city, I’ve put it all together in my guide to the sights in Frankfurt. Within Frankfurt itself, though, a car is more of a hindrance than a help. The city has a low emission zone where cars need the green emissions sticker, which hire cars almost always have, and parking in the centre is expensive. My recommendation is therefore to stay in the city without a car and only pick one up at the airport on the day you head out into the countryside.

Frankfurt-Hahn: the airport that isn’t in Frankfurt

If you spot a cheap ticket to “Frankfurt-Hahn”, read the small print. Hahn is a former military airfield in the Hunsrück hills, around 115 kilometres west of Frankfurt, and it has nothing to do with Frankfurt Airport. Airlines including Ryanair and Wizz Air fly from there, and there is no rail connection. The flibco bus runs between Hahn and Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof in about 1 hour and 45 minutes to just over 2 hours depending on traffic, and tickets cost from around 19 euros (around £16) when you buy online.

Once you add the bus journey and ticket to the cost of your flight, the saving has often disappeared, and a taxi from there costs a small fortune. Hahn makes most sense if you’re heading to the Moselle or the Hunsrück anyway, where a hire car from Hahn is handy.

Getting back to the airport

From the city centre, take the S8 or S9 towards Wiesbaden from Hauptwache, Taunusanlage or Hauptbahnhof and get off at Flughafen Regionalbahnhof. At Hauptbahnhof, S-Bahn trains to the airport leave from platforms 103 and 104 in the underground part of the station, and Deutsche Bahn’s station page shows you the way. Remember to buy the airport ticket for 6.90 euros rather than a standard city ticket. Allow 12 to 16 minutes on the train, and if you’re flying from Terminal 3, add 15 to 20 minutes for the Sky Line and the walk.

If your flight leaves before 7am, check the first departures in RMVgo the evening before, or book a taxi at a fixed price. The alternative is to spend your last night at the airport. Sheraton Frankfurt Airport is directly connected to Terminal 1, and you can see prices for Sheraton Frankfurt Airport here. A cheaper option is Hampton by Hilton Frankfurt Airport in Gateway Gardens, a single S-Bahn stop from the terminal, and you can see prices for Hampton by Hilton in Gateway Gardens here.

If you’re returning a hire car, follow the signs for the terminal you’re flying from, as Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 each have their own drop-off area, and fill up the tank beforehand. Frankfurt is a big airport with long walking distances and sometimes long queues at security, so get there at least 2 hours before departure. If you’re flying on from another German airport later in your trip, I also have guides to getting from Munich Airport to the city centre and from Berlin Airport to the city centre.

Frankfurt Airport to the city centre: which option should you choose?

Here’s my recommendation based on where you’re staying and how you’re travelling:

Old Town, Zeil and Hauptwache: Take the S8 or S9 to Hauptwache for 6.90 euros (around £6). You’ll be there in about 16 minutes and can walk to most hotels from there.

Bahnhofsviertel and the trade fair: The S-Bahn to Hauptbahnhof in 12 minutes, then the U4 one stop further if you’re going to Festhalle/Messe.

Sachsenhausen: Bus 61 direct to Südbahnhof, or the S-Bahn to Konstablerwache and another S-Bahn on to Lokalbahnhof.

Travelling straight on: Head to the Fernbahnhof and take an ICE direct to Cologne, Mannheim or Munich. Book your ticket in advance, as the cheapest seats go quickly.

3 to 4 people with lots of luggage: A taxi for around 35 to 45 euros (around £30 to £40) takes you to the door and doesn’t cost much more than four airport tickets.

If you land late: The S-Bahn runs well into the night, but less frequently. Check the next departure in RMVgo, or otherwise take a taxi from the rank.

Road trip: Pick up your hire car at the airport if you’re driving straight out into the countryside, and do without it while you’re in Frankfurt.

Practical tips for getting from Frankfurt Airport

Buy the right ticket. A 3.80-euro city ticket isn’t valid for the airport. Select the airport as your start or destination in the machine or the app, and you’ll get the 6.90-euro ticket or the day ticket that includes the airport.

Check your terminal before you land and before you fly home. Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 are several kilometres apart, and all trains leave from Terminal 1. If you’re travelling to or from Terminal 3, factor in the Sky Line and extra time.

Watch the direction on the platform. The S8 and S9 towards Frankfurt, Offenbach and Hanau go into the city, while trains towards Wiesbaden and Mainz go the opposite way. On the way back, it’s the other way round.

Book long-distance trains early. ICE tickets to Cologne, Heidelberg and Munich quickly get more expensive close to departure. Leave at least an hour and a half between landing and your train, so a delay or a long walk from Terminal 3 doesn’t cost you your ticket.

Avoid Hahn unless you have a good reason. A cheap ticket to Frankfurt-Hahn soon becomes expensive once you add two hours on a bus and the bus fare, so always compare it with a ticket to the real Frankfurt Airport.

The post Frankfurt Airport to the City Centre – Transport Guide appeared first on Destination Well Known.

That’s why choosing your base is the most important decision when you plan your trip. Here are my picks for eleven places to stay in Germany, from city breaks to beach holidays and mountain trips, with three good hotels in different price ranges in each place.

Where to Stay in Germany: The Best Areas

• Berlin - best city for first-time visitors, history and big-city life
• Hamburg - best city for the harbour, musicals and an easy weekend break
• Rügen and the Baltic Coast - best area for a beach holiday and long sandy beaches
• Dresden - best city for baroque architecture, art and trips into the Elbe Valley
• Cologne and the Rhine - best city for the cathedral, traditional beer halls and cruises on the Rhine
• Frankfurt - best city for a short city break and as a starting point for a tour
• Heidelberg - best city for romance, castle ruins and student life
• Freiburg and the Black Forest - best area for nature, hiking and wine
• Nuremberg - best city for the Christmas market, the castle and the Romantische Straße
• Munich - best city for beer halls, culture and day trips to the Alps
• The Bavarian Alps - best area for mountain hikes and fairytale castles

The list runs from north to south: first the big cities in the north and east, then the Rhine and south-west Germany, and finally Bavaria and the mountains. For each place you get a map, the nearest airport and three hotels: the luxury option first, then a mid-range one and finally a cheaper alternative. Train and transfer times are estimates unless I mention the source, so always check the timetable before you book.

Your first decision is whether you want a single base or to travel around. For a long weekend, one city is enough, and Berlin, Hamburg and Munich are the obvious choices. If you have a week or more, you can combine two or three places on the same rail line, such as Cologne, Frankfurt and Heidelberg along the Rhine, or Nuremberg, Munich and the Alps in Bavaria. I wouldn’t try to fit all eleven places into one trip. It takes around four hours on the fastest ICE trains between Berlin and Munich, and the Baltic coast and the Alps are at opposite ends of the country.

The train is the easiest way to get around between the cities. The long-distance ICE and IC trains run between all the major cities, and tickets are usually cheapest when you book well in advance. If you’re staying in one area for a long time, take a look at the Deutschland-Ticket from Deutsche Bahn. It’s a monthly subscription valid on regional trains, S-Bahn, buses and trams across the whole country, but not on ICE, IC and EC trains.

A car makes the most sense on the Baltic coast, in the Black Forest, in the Alps and along the Romantische Straße, where many of the small towns are some distance from the railway. If you’re not driving your own car, you can hire a car in Germany here. Bear in mind that many cities have low-emission zones where you need a green emissions sticker on your windscreen, and that parking in city centres is expensive and a hassle. So I’d leave the car at the hotel and walk or use public transport to get around the cities.

There are more German destinations on the site than there’s room for here. The Harz Mountains between Hamburg and Berlin don’t have their own section, but I’ve written a full guide on where to stay in the Harz Mountains, covering five towns in the mountains.

1. Berlin - best city for first-timers, history and big-city life

• Distance to the centre: The map shows Alexanderplatz in the Mitte district. Two of the hotels are at Alexanderplatz, and the third is by the Brandenburg Gate, about three kilometres to the west.
• Transport: U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams and buses. Mitte, Kreuzberg and Prenzlauer Berg are well connected by public transport.
• Time from the airport: From Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), the FEX airport express takes 23 minutes to Hauptbahnhof. By S-Bahn, the journey to Alexanderplatz takes about 45 minutes.
• Price level: € to €€€€. Berlin is usually cheaper to stay in than the other big Western European capitals, especially outside the major trade fairs and concert weekends.
• Safety: A mostly safe big city. Watch out for pickpockets around Alexanderplatz and on crowded trains, and stay out of the parks at night.

Berlin is the obvious place to start if it’s your first trip to Germany. The city has it all: the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag building, the museums on Museum Island and the remains of the Wall, but also nightlife and a food scene that no other German city can match. Give it at least three nights. Berlin is spread over a large area, and the famous sights are dotted across several different districts.

I’ve picked three hotels in Mitte because from here you can walk to most of the classic sights. If you’d rather stay among the cafés of Prenzlauer Berg or in more alternative Kreuzberg, I’ve written a whole guide to where to stay in Berlin, covering five areas. For what to see while you’re there, read my guide to the top sights in Berlin.

See hotels in Berlin here.

Its long history is the biggest reason to visit Berlin. You can walk along the old route of the Wall at Bernauer Straße, see the East Side Gallery by the Spree and stand on Potsdamer Platz, which was no man’s land for decades. My guide to the Berlin Wall shows where you can still see it. If you’re heading further out into the city, read up on public transport in Berlin before you buy tickets. The city is divided into zones A, B and C, and the airport is in zone C.

BER airport lies south of the city. The FEX airport express runs directly to Hauptbahnhof, stopping at Südkreuz and Potsdamer Platz, and all the options are in my guide to getting from Berlin Airport to the city. From Hauptbahnhof, trains run on to Hamburg in just under two hours and to Dresden in about two hours, so Berlin makes a good starting point for a tour of Germany. Potsdam, with its palaces and parks, is so close that you can take the S-Bahn out there on a day trip.

Hotels in Berlin

Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin - legendary five-star hotel by the Brandenburg Gate

Hotel Adlon Kempinski sits on Unter den Linden right by Pariser Platz, so you can see the Brandenburg Gate from the front door. It’s a five-star hotel with several restaurants, a bar, a spa and an indoor pool.

The smallest double rooms are 40 square metres, so you get plenty of space. This hotel is for you if you want to stay in the very heart of historic Berlin with all the service you’d expect. The price is high, and breakfast costs extra. One guest also mentions that the carpets in their room were stained, so it isn’t perfect everywhere.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Everything was excellent, especially the breakfast.”

See photos and book Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin here.

Park Inn by Radisson Berlin Alexanderplatz - four-star high-rise hotel with city views

Park Inn by Radisson is right on Alexanderplatz in the tall hotel next to the station. It has a restaurant, bar, gym and spa, and the upper floors have views over Berlin and the TV Tower.

The smallest rooms are 19 square metres. It’s my pick if you want to stay centrally with trains, the U-Bahn and trams right outside the door. It’s a big hotel with lots of guests, so expect a busy lobby. Breakfast costs extra, and one guest would have liked more variety at the buffet.

One guest highlights the rooms on Booking.com: “Lovely hotel rooms that were spacious and comfortable.”

See photos and book Park Inn by Radisson Berlin Alexanderplatz here.

Motel One Berlin-Alexanderplatz - simple design hotel a few minutes’ walk from Alexanderplatz

Motel One Berlin-Alexanderplatz is on Grunerstraße, about 300 metres from Alexanderplatz and close to Museum Island. The hotel has a bar and a 24-hour reception, but no restaurant.

The double rooms are 16 square metres, and guests say plainly that they’re small. In return, you get a clean, modern room within walking distance of most of Mitte. Breakfast costs extra. It suits you if you’re out all day and want to stick to a budget.

One guest on Booking.com puts it simply: “Fantastic location, 10/10!!!”

See photos and book Motel One Berlin-Alexanderplatz here.

2. Hamburg - best city for the harbour, musicals and an easy weekend break

• Distance to the centre: The map shows Jungfernstieg by the Binnenalster lake. One hotel is by the lake, one is in HafenCity near the Elbphilharmonie and one is by St. Michaelis church. None of them is more than about two kilometres from the others.
• Transport: U-Bahn, S-Bahn, buses and harbour ferries. The ferries are part of the public transport network and a cheap way to see the harbour from the water.
• Time from the airport: The S-Bahn S1 runs from Hamburg Airport to Hauptbahnhof in around 25 minutes with no changes.
• Price level: €€ to €€€€. Prices rise sharply during major trade fairs, concerts and the harbour festival.
• Safety: A safe city. The Reeperbahn in St. Pauli is a party street and gets noisy and full of drunk people late in the evening, but it isn’t dangerous.

Hamburg is a major German city that works perfectly for a long weekend. It’s a port city full of canals, bridges and big red-brick warehouses. Musicals, the Sunday fish market and evenings in St. Pauli are a big part of the reason to come here.

I’ve picked hotels in the central part of the city around the Binnenalster and the harbour, where you can walk to most things. Hamburg has seven boroughs, and if you’d rather stay in charming Altona or one of the city’s other districts, you can read my guide to where to stay in Hamburg. In it, I go through all seven.

See hotels in Hamburg here.

The Speicherstadt warehouse district and the new HafenCity district sit side by side on the harbour, and this is also where you’ll find the Elbphilharmonie concert hall. From the Plaza viewing platform, which according to the concert hall is 37 metres above the ground, you can walk all the way around the building and look out over the harbour. You need a ticket for the Plaza, and you can book it in advance. You’ll find more ideas in the guide to things to see in Hamburg.

The airport is north of the city, and the S-Bahn runs from there to Hauptbahnhof with no changes. All the options are in my guide to getting from Hamburg Airport to the city centre. Many visitors arrive by car or by train, though. If you’re driving, choose a hotel with parking, as street parking in the centre is expensive. The train to Berlin takes just under two hours, so the two cities are easy to combine.

Hotels in Hamburg

Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten - classic five-star hotel on the Binnenalster

Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten is on Neuer Jungfernstieg on the shore of the Binnenalster, around a kilometre from the Elbphilharmonie. It’s a five-star hotel with restaurants, a bar, a spa, a gym and a terrace facing the lake.

The smallest double rooms are 25 square metres, and some of them have lake views. The hotel is for you if you want to stay somewhere stylish and central, with the shops on Jungfernstieg and Neuer Wall just around the corner. It’s one of Hamburg’s most expensive hotels, and breakfast costs extra.

An enthusiastic guest writes on Booking.com: “Everything was perfect. Service, facilities, food, the room, the bed, the bathroom, the location, etc.”

See photos and book Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten here.

25hours Hotel Hamburg HafenCity - informal design hotel with a harbour theme in HafenCity

25hours Hotel Hamburg HafenCity is on Überseeallee in the new district by the harbour, less than a kilometre from the Elbphilharmonie. The hotel has a restaurant, a bar, a sauna and a gym, and the décor is inspired by life at sea.

The atmosphere is relaxed, and the hotel suits you if you want a modern stay close to the harbour and Speicherstadt. Read the room type carefully: the smallest rooms are 20 square metres and have bunk beds, and one guest felt they were too small for two friends with room for their clothes. Breakfast costs extra.

One guest highlights the atmosphere on Booking.com: “Relaxed, welcoming atmosphere and good music in the communal areas.”

See photos and book 25hours Hotel Hamburg HafenCity here.

Motel One Hamburg am Michel - simple hotel by St. Michaelis church

Motel One Hamburg am Michel is on Ludwig-Erhard-Straße close to St. Michaelis church, which locals call the Michel. The Elbphilharmonie is around one and a half kilometres away, and Landungsbrücken on the harbour is close by. There’s a bar and parking, but no restaurant.

The double rooms are 16 square metres, and breakfast costs extra. This is my suggestion if you want to stay centrally between the harbour and St. Pauli without paying for luxury. Hamburg is an expensive city, though, and one guest felt the room was very basic for the price.

One guest writes about the location on Booking.com: “It was close to where I wanted to be, all the sights.”

See photos and book Motel One Hamburg am Michel here.

3. Rügen and the Baltic Coast - best area for a beach holiday and long sandy beaches

• Distance to the centre: The map shows the Seebrücke pier in Binz on Rügen. All three hotels are in Binz, no more than about a kilometre from the pier and a few minutes’ walk from the beach.
• Transport: A car is easiest if you want to explore the island. Binz has its own railway station, with trains running there via Stralsund on the mainland.
• Time from the airport: There’s no major airport nearby. If you fly into Berlin, allow three to four hours by train or car to Binz. That’s an estimate.
• Price level: €€ to €€€. Peak season is July and August, when the best beachfront hotels get booked up early. The seaside resorts charge a small tourist tax per night.
• Safety: A very safe area. Outside peak season, the beach promenade is quiet in the evenings.

The Baltic coast is Germany’s classic seaside holiday destination, with long sandy beaches, wicker beach chairs and white 19th-century seaside hotels. Rügen is Germany’s largest island and the obvious choice if you’re wondering where to stay in Germany for a bit of everything: beaches, chalk cliffs, forest and small harbour towns. The seaside resort of Binz is the island’s largest and the most practical base, with a long beach promenade and a pier right in the middle of town.

Binz is known for its white villas in the so-called resort architecture style, with balconies and wooden fretwork. From town you can walk or cycle along the beach, and it’s a short drive to the chalk cliffs of Jasmund National Park in the north-east of the island. Just north of Binz lies Prora, the enormous holiday complex the Nazis began building in the 1930s. Part of it now houses a documentation centre.

See hotels in Binz here.

Rügen is easiest to reach by car. The ferry between Gedser and Rostock takes just under two hours, and from there it’s about a two-hour drive to Binz. That’s an estimate, and traffic over the bridge to Rügen can be heavy during the summer holidays. If you don’t have your own car with you, you can hire a car for the Baltic coast here, so you can drive around the island yourself.

Rügen isn’t the only option on the Baltic. Warnemünde near Rostock is a charming seaside resort with a wide sandy beach, and it’s good for a short stay if you arrive by ferry. The island of Usedom further east has three seaside resorts linked by a long promenade. If you want to combine beach and city, add a few nights in Hamburg or Berlin before or after. For a week’s classic beach holiday with children, though, I’d choose Binz.

Hotels in Binz

Grand Hotel Binz - five-star seaside hotel with a pool right by the beach

Grand Hotel Binz is on the beach promenade in the southern part of town, about 500 metres from the Seebrücke. It’s a five-star hotel with a restaurant, bar, indoor pool, sauna and spa, and the beach is just across the promenade.

The rooms are spacious, and the smallest double rooms with a balcony or terrace are 36 square metres. Breakfast is included. The hotel suits you if you want a beach holiday with a pool and spa for when the Baltic weather doesn’t play ball. One guest felt the hotel was a little worn in places.

On the location, one guest writes on Booking.com: “The location couldn’t be better.”

See photos and book Grand Hotel Binz here.

Arkona Strandhotel - four-star hotel with a pool on the beach promenade

Arkona Strandhotel is on the beach promenade in the northern part of Binz, just under a kilometre from the Seebrücke and two minutes’ walk from the beach. The hotel has a restaurant, bar, indoor pool, sauna and playroom.

The smallest double rooms are 25 square metres with views over the town, so if you want to see the sea, choose a room type with a sea view. Breakfast is included. It’s my pick for families who want to stay by the beach and have a pool. One guest wasn’t happy with where the bed was positioned in the room.

One guest writes simply on Booking.com: “The hotel is truly excellent.”

See photos and book Arkona Strandhotel here.

Hotel Meersinn - modern hotel with a pool two streets from the promenade

Hotel Meersinn is on Schillerstraße in the middle of Binz, about five minutes’ walk from the beach and a few hundred metres from the Seebrücke. The hotel has a restaurant, indoor pool and spa.

The rooms are at least 30 square metres, and breakfast is included. As the hotel isn’t directly on the promenade, it’s usually cheaper than the other two. If you’re coming by car, check the parking: one guest found the public parking nearby expensive.

One guest highlights the location on Booking.com: “Perfect location very close to the beach promenade.”

See photos and book Hotel Meersinn here.

4. Dresden - best city for baroque, art and day trips in the Elbe Valley

• Distance to the centre: The map shows the Frauenkirche on Neumarkt square. All three hotels are in the Old Town, no more than about 800 metres from the church.
• Getting around: You can explore the Old Town on foot. Trams cross the Elbe to the Neustadt district and run to the Hauptbahnhof.
• Time from the airport: S-Bahn line S2 runs from Dresden Airport to the Hauptbahnhof in around 20 to 25 minutes. That’s an estimate. Many people fly into Berlin instead and take the train from there, which takes about two hours.
• Price level: € to €€€€. Dresden is usually cheaper than Berlin and Munich, except during the Christmas season.
• Safety: A safe city. In the evening, most of the action is in Neustadt on the other side of the river.

Dresden is the city for you if you love baroque architecture, art and classical music. The Old Town along the Elbe is packed with palaces, churches and museums, and the view over the river from the Brühlsche Terrasse is one of the finest in Germany. The city was almost wiped out by the air raids of 1945, and much of what you see today has been rebuilt. That history is a big part of the place, and you feel it everywhere.

The clearest example is the Frauenkirche with its great dome. According to the church itself, it was destroyed at the end of the Second World War, and the current building has risen from the ruins. Today you can climb up into the dome and look out over the city. Close by you’ll find the Zwinger palace with its painting collections, the Semperoper opera house and the Royal Palace with the Grünes Gewölbe treasury.

See hotels in Dresden here.

I’ve chosen three hotels in the Old Town, because from here you can walk to all the main sights. If you’d rather stay among bars and cafés, take a look at Neustadt on the northern side of the Elbe. The district is younger and more alternative, and it’s less than half an hour’s walk to the Frauenkirche. Two nights is enough for most people, three if you want to fit in a day trip.

The obvious day trip is to Saxon Switzerland (Sächsische Schweiz), an area of sandstone cliffs along the Elbe south-east of the city. The S-Bahn runs out there, and from Kurort Rathen you can walk up to the Bastei viewpoint. Dresden is also easy to combine with Berlin, and Prague in the Czech Republic is just over the border by train. In December the city holds the Striezelmarkt Christmas market, one of the oldest in Germany, so book your hotel early.

Hotels in Dresden

Hotel Taschenbergpalais Kempinski - five-star hotel in a baroque palace by the Zwinger

Hotel Taschenbergpalais Kempinski is set in a rebuilt baroque palace in the Old Town, about 400 metres from the Zwinger and 500 metres from the Frauenkirche. The hotel has a restaurant, bar, spa and indoor pool.

The smallest rooms are 35 square metres, so there’s plenty of space. It’s Dresden’s best-known luxury hotel, and you’re right between the palace, the opera house and the other palaces. Breakfast costs extra. One guest felt the bar lacked atmosphere and was disappointed with the wine list.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “It’s a magnificent hotel.”

See photos and book Hotel Taschenbergpalais Kempinski here.

HYPERION Hotel Dresden Am Schloss - large hotel with a spa between the palace and the Frauenkirche

HYPERION Hotel Dresden Am Schloss is on Schloßstraße, about 200 metres from the Zwinger and 500 metres from the Frauenkirche. The hotel has a restaurant, bar, spa and gym.

The smallest rooms are 20 square metres. This is my pick if you want to stay just as centrally as at the Kempinski without paying luxury prices. Breakfast costs extra. One guest mentions that the corridors are worn and could do with a refresh.

An enthusiastic guest writes on Booking.com: “Absolutely fantastic! One of our favourite hotels ever!”

See photos and book HYPERION Hotel Dresden Am Schloss here.

Motel One Dresden am Zwinger - simple hotel with a roof terrace right by the Zwinger

Motel One Dresden am Zwinger is on Postplatz, about 100 metres from the Zwinger and 800 metres from the Frauenkirche. The hotel has a bar and a terrace, but no restaurant.

The double rooms are 16 square metres, and breakfast costs extra. It suits you if you want a central base for less money and plan to spend your days out in the city. The rooms are small, but one guest still found them comfortable.

One guest highlights the location on Booking.com: “The hotel’s location is fantastic.”

See photos and book Motel One Dresden am Zwinger here.

5. Cologne and the Rhine - best city for the cathedral, beer halls and Rhine cruises

• Distance to the centre: The map shows Cologne Cathedral. Two of the hotels are right by the cathedral, and the third is on Neumarkt square, about a kilometre away.
• Transport: Hauptbahnhof is right next to the cathedral, and the U-Bahn and trams cover the rest of the city.
• Time from the airport: From Cologne Bonn Airport, the S-Bahn S19 runs to Hauptbahnhof in about 15 minutes.
• Price level: €€ to €€€€. Prices rise sharply during major trade fairs and the carnival in February or March.
• Safety: A safe city. The area around Hauptbahnhof is busy around the clock, so keep an eye on your bag.

Cologne is all about the cathedral, the Rhine and the laid-back atmosphere of its beer halls, where the local Kölsch beer is served in small glasses until you put a beer mat on top. The cathedral is the first thing you see when you step out of the station, and it’s one of the most famous buildings in Europe. Climb the roughly 500 steps up the south tower and you’ll get a view over the whole city and the river.

I’ve picked three hotels close to the cathedral and the Old Town, because that’s the practical choice if you’re arriving by train. The city has plenty of other good neighbourhoods, though, such as Belgisches Viertel with its cafés and shops, and Südstadt by the Rhine. I cover those in my guide to where to stay in Cologne, where you can choose between six areas.

See hotels in Cologne here.

Cologne is also the northern gateway to the most famous stretch of the Rhine. Between Bingen and Rüdesheim in the south and Koblenz in the north, the river flows through a 65-kilometre valley on the UNESCO World Heritage List, where around 40 castles and fortresses sit on the slopes. The train from Cologne to Koblenz takes about an hour, and from there you can take one of the river boats up the Rhine and the train back. That’s an estimate, and the boats mostly run in summer.

If you want to stay in the Rhine Valley itself, the small wine towns such as Bacharach and St. Goar are charming, but there isn’t much to do in the evenings outside the season. So I’d use Cologne as a base and do the valley as a day trip. From Cologne, the fastest ICE trains also reach Frankfurt in about an hour, so the two cities are easy to combine.

Hotels in Cologne

Excelsior Hotel Ernst am Dom - five-star classic directly opposite the cathedral

Excelsior Hotel Ernst is on Domplatz, directly opposite Cologne Cathedral and about 300 metres from Hauptbahnhof. It’s a five-star hotel with several restaurants, a bar, a spa and a gym.

The smallest double rooms are 30 square metres, and some rooms look straight out at the cathedral. The hotel is for you if you want classic luxury in the city’s best location. Breakfast costs extra. One guest felt the room didn’t live up to the standard of a hotel in that class.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “An excellent location with skilled staff.”

See photos and book Excelsior Hotel Ernst am Dom here.

Hotel Mondial am Dom Cologne MGallery - four-star hotel between the cathedral and the Rhine

Hotel Mondial am Dom is on Kurt-Hackenberg-Platz, about 150 metres from the cathedral and 300 metres from Hauptbahnhof. The hotel has a restaurant, a bar and a gym, and from some rooms you can see the cathedral.

The smallest rooms are only 16 square metres, and one guest says plainly that the room was very small. Go for a larger category if there are two of you with suitcases. Breakfast costs extra. This is my pick if you want to stay just as close to the cathedral as at the Excelsior for a lower price.

One guest writes briefly on Booking.com: “An absolutely superb hotel.”

See photos and book Hotel Mondial am Dom Cologne MGallery here.

Motel One Köln-Neumarkt - simple hotel with a terrace near the shopping streets

Motel One Köln-Neumarkt is on Cäcilienstraße by Neumarkt square, about a kilometre from the cathedral and close to the shopping streets Schildergasse and Hohe Straße. The hotel has a bar and a terrace.

The double rooms are 16 square metres, and breakfast costs extra. It suits you if you want to stay centrally and for less than near the cathedral. Neumarkt is a hub for trams and the U-Bahn, so getting around is easy. One guest mentions that the room is very small.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The location is super!”

See photos and book Motel One Köln-Neumarkt here.

6. Frankfurt - best city for a short city break and to start your tour

• Distance to the centre: The map shows Römerberg in the Old Town. Two of the hotels are no more than about a kilometre away, and the third is in the Gallus district just under two kilometres to the west.
• Transport: U-Bahn, S-Bahn and trams. The centre is small enough for you to walk most places.
• Time from the airport: From Frankfurt Airport, the S-Bahn S8 and S9 run to Hauptbahnhof in about 12 minutes.
• Price level: €€ to €€€€. Prices can multiply during the big trade fairs, so check the trade fair calendar before you book.
• Safety: A mostly safe city. The Bahnhofsviertel around Hauptbahnhof has a visible drug scene, and I wouldn’t wander around there late in the evening.

Frankfurt is Germany’s financial centre, with skyscrapers along the River Main, but it’s also a city with a rebuilt Old Town, museums and traditional cider taverns. Many travellers only ever pass through the airport, which is the country’s largest, and that’s a shame. The city is great for a long weekend and a practical starting point for a tour, because trains run directly from the airport to the rest of the country.

I’ve chosen hotels in the centre and close to the trade fair grounds, where most travellers stay. If you’d rather stay in charming Sachsenhausen south of the river or in Bornheim, you can read my guide to where to stay in Frankfurt, where I go through six areas. What to see is covered in the guide to things to do in Frankfurt.

See hotels in Frankfurt here.

Römerberg, with the Römer town hall and the reconstructed half-timbered houses, is the heart of the Old Town. From here you can walk across the Eiserner Steg footbridge to the Museumsufer row of museums and on to Sachsenhausen, where the local cider, Apfelwein, is served in mugs in the taverns. Two nights is enough for most people, and a third gives you time for a day trip.

Frankfurt is a good base for day trips. The train to Rüdesheim at the southern end of the Rhine Valley takes about an hour, and Heidelberg is just as close. By ICE you’re in Cologne in about an hour. If you have a whole week, you can start here and carry on south to Heidelberg and the Black Forest or east to Nuremberg and Munich. Many trains towards Bavaria run via Nuremberg, so the two cities go well together.

Hotels in Frankfurt

Steigenberger Icon Frankfurter Hof - historic five-star hotel in the centre

Steigenberger Icon Frankfurter Hof is on Kaiserplatz right in the centre, about a kilometre from both Römerberg and Hauptbahnhof. It’s a five-star hotel from the 19th century with restaurants, a bar, a spa and a gym.

The smallest double rooms are 25 square metres. It’s the city’s classic grand hotel and a good choice if you want to stay somewhere elegant within walking distance of the Old Town, the opera house and the Zeil shopping street. Breakfast costs extra, and one guest had poor wifi in their room on the first day.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Beautiful hotel, large room, skilled staff. The best location in Frankfurt.”

See photos and book Steigenberger Icon Frankfurter Hof here.

NH Collection Frankfurt Spin Tower - modern high-rise hotel close to the trade fair

NH Collection Frankfurt Spin Tower is in a new high-rise in the Gallus district, about 800 metres from Hauptbahnhof and close to the trade fair grounds. The hotel has a restaurant, a bar, a sauna and a gym.

The smallest rooms are 21 square metres, and breakfast is included in some of the rates. It’s my pick if you’re going to a trade fair or want to stay somewhere modern close to the station. It’s just under two kilometres to the Old Town, so expect to take the tram or walk. One guest found the walls thin.

One guest praises the breakfast on Booking.com: “Superb hotel! The breakfast is absolutely top-notch with a large selection.”

See photos and book NH Collection Frankfurt Spin Tower here.

Motel One Frankfurt-Römer - simple hotel a few minutes from Römerberg

Motel One Frankfurt-Römer is on Berliner Straße, a couple of hundred metres from Römerberg and the cathedral. The hotel has a bar and a 24-hour reception, but no restaurant.

The double rooms are 16 square metres, and breakfast costs extra. It suits you if you want to stay in the Old Town and spend your money on cider and museums rather than the hotel. One guest found the air in the room warm and dry.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “We liked most things. The lobby, the staff, the breakfast, no frills.”

See photos and book Motel One Frankfurt-Römer here.

7. Heidelberg - best city for romance, castle ruins and student life

• Distance to the centre: The map shows the old bridge, Alte Brücke, over the Neckar. One hotel is by the bridge, one is at the western end of the Old Town and one is by the Hauptbahnhof, about three kilometres away.
• Transport: You can get around the Old Town on foot. Trams and buses link the Old Town with the Hauptbahnhof, and a funicular runs up to the castle.
• Time from the airport: Heidelberg has no airport. From Frankfurt Airport it takes about an hour by train or car. That’s an estimate.
• Price level: €€ to €€€€. Hotels in the Old Town are the most expensive, and hotels by the station are usually the cheapest.
• Safety: A very safe city. In the evening the Old Town’s pubs are full of students, but the atmosphere is relaxed.

Heidelberg is the romantic side of Germany: a red sandstone castle ruin on the hillside, an old stone bridge over the River Neckar and an Old Town full of student pubs. The city has Germany’s oldest university, and all the students keep the streets lively all year round. Heidelberg is small, and many people visit on a day trip from Frankfurt, but I would stay a night or two. In the evening, once the coaches have left, the city is far more charming.

The castle is Heidelberg’s landmark, and you can walk up the paths or take the funicular from Kornmarkt. Inside the castle courtyard is the Fasskeller with the huge wine barrel, which Heidelberg Castle describes as a barrel holding 220,000 litres of wine. On the other side of the river, the Philosophenweg path climbs the hill and offers one of the finest views over the city and the castle.

See hotels in Heidelberg here.

Stay in the Old Town if you can. The main street, Hauptstraße, is a long pedestrianised street running through the whole Old Town, and from here you can walk to everything you’ve come to see. The Hauptbahnhof is about three kilometres from the Alte Brücke in the modern part of the city. It’s handy if you’re only here for one night on your way somewhere else, but in the evening you’ll need to take the bus or tram into the pubs.

Heidelberg fits nicely into a route along the Rhine between Frankfurt and the Black Forest. By train it’s about an hour to Frankfurt and about two hours to Freiburg, and the city is also a natural starting point if you want to drive east along the Castle Road, Burgenstraße, which runs through the Neckar Valley. If you’re coming by car, choose a hotel with parking, as spaces are scarce in the Old Town.

Hotels in Heidelberg

Hotel Europäischer Hof Heidelberg - five-star family-owned hotel with a rooftop pool

Hotel Europäischer Hof is on Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage at the western end of the Old Town, close to Bismarckplatz and about one and a half kilometres from both the Alte Brücke and the Hauptbahnhof. It’s a five-star hotel with a restaurant, bar, spa and a heated rooftop pool.

The smallest rooms are 30 square metres, and breakfast is included in the price. It’s Heidelberg’s finest hotel and my choice for a romantic trip where you want to treat yourselves. You can walk to most of the Old Town, but it’s a fair walk to the castle. One guest felt the air conditioning was turned up too high.

One guest writes briefly on Booking.com: “Everything is perfect here.”

See photos and book Hotel Europäischer Hof Heidelberg here.

City Partner Hotel Holländer Hof - three-star riverside hotel right by the Alte Brücke

City Partner Hotel Holländer Hof is on Neckarstaden by the river, about 100 metres from the Alte Brücke. Some of the rooms look out over the Neckar, and from here it’s a short walk to both the pubs and the funicular up to the castle.

Rooms are at least 17 square metres, and breakfast is included in the price. It’s my suggestion if you want to stay in the heart of romantic Heidelberg without paying five-star prices. The Hauptbahnhof is just over two and a half kilometres away, so take a bus or taxi with your luggage. One guest felt the breakfast choice was limited.

One guest writes about the location on Booking.com: “The hotel’s location couldn’t be better.”

See photos and book City Partner Hotel Holländer Hof here.

ibis Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof - simple hotel right by the station

ibis Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof is on Willy-Brandt-Platz right next to the station and just under three kilometres from the Alte Brücke. There’s a 24-hour reception and a small bar.

The rooms are small, the smallest being 12 square metres, and one guest mentions that the bathroom is very small. Breakfast costs extra. The hotel is usually the cheapest of the three and suits you if you’re arriving late by train or leaving early. To get to the Old Town, take the bus or tram from the station.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The location close to the main station was convenient for us.”

See photos and book ibis Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof here.

8. Freiburg and the Black Forest - best area for nature, hiking and wine

• Distance to the centre: The map shows Freiburger Münster in the middle of the Old Town. Two of the hotels are no more than about 500 metres from the cathedral, and the third is north of the centre, about one and a half kilometres from Hauptbahnhof.
• Transport: Trams in Freiburg, plus regional trains and buses out into the Black Forest. A car is the easiest way to reach the small villages.
• Time from the airport: The nearest airport is EuroAirport near Basel, and the bus from there to Freiburg takes about an hour. That’s an estimate. From Frankfurt Airport it’s about two hours by train.
• Price level: €€ to €€€€. Freiburg is an expensive university city, while the guesthouses in the Black Forest villages are usually cheaper.
• Safety: A very safe city. In the Black Forest, the main things to watch out for are the narrow, winding roads and the mountain weather.

The Black Forest is all forest, mountains, waterfalls and little villages with farmhouses and cuckoo clocks in the south-western corner of Germany. Freiburg is the largest city in the southern Black Forest and the base I would choose if you’re wondering where to stay in Germany for nature. You get a charming Old Town with little streams running through the streets, a huge cathedral and plenty of restaurants, and the forest and mountains begin just outside the city.

In the middle of the Old Town stands the Freiburger Münster cathedral with its tall red sandstone tower. A market is held on the square around it every day except Sunday. Just outside the city, the Schauinslandbahn cable car runs up Schauinsland mountain, where you get views over the forest. Freiburg lies in the heart of the Baden wine region, so have a glass of the local wine when you eat out.

See hotels in Freiburg here.

From Freiburg, the regional train runs through the Höllental valley up to Lake Titisee in under an hour, and further on is Feldberg, the highest mountain in the Black Forest. If you stay with a host that’s part of the scheme, you get the KONUS guest card. According to the Black Forest tourist board, it gives you free travel on regional trains and buses throughout the Black Forest, but not on ICE and IC trains or mountain railways. Ask your hotel whether it takes part.

If you want to see the small villages, the Triberg waterfalls and the spa town of Baden-Baden in the northern part of the forest, a car is the easiest option. The Black Forest is also close to both France and Switzerland. Strasbourg makes an obvious side trip, and here you can read where to stay in Strasbourg. If you carry on south, you can read my guide to where to stay in Switzerland.

Hotels in Freiburg

Colombi Hotel - five-star hotel with a pool and fine dining by the Old Town

Colombi Hotel is on Rotteckring on the edge of the Old Town, about 500 metres from the cathedral and 550 metres from Hauptbahnhof. It’s a five-star hotel with a restaurant, bar, spa, gym and indoor pool.

The smallest rooms are 30 square metres. This is Freiburg’s classic luxury hotel and a good choice if you want to combine the city with fine dinners and a spa day after your hike. Prices are high, and breakfast costs extra.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “A lovely hotel in Freiburg’s Old Town.”

See photos and book Colombi Hotel here.

Boutiquehotel Oberkirch im Zentrum - traditional hotel with a restaurant right opposite the cathedral

Boutiquehotel Oberkirch is on Münsterplatz, directly opposite the cathedral and just under a kilometre from Hauptbahnhof. The hotel has its own restaurant serving regional dishes.

The rooms are small, the smallest being 15 square metres, and the décor is old-fashioned. Breakfast is included. This is my pick if you want to stay with views of the cathedral and the market in the middle of the Old Town. One guest feels the furniture and room are so old-fashioned that they’re not entirely comfortable.

One guest describes the atmosphere like this on Booking.com: “The hotel takes you back in time.”

See photos and book Boutiquehotel Oberkirch im Zentrum here.

Premier Inn Freiburg City Nord - modern budget hotel north of the centre

Premier Inn Freiburg City Nord is on Zita-Kaiser-Straße north of the centre, about one and a half kilometres from Hauptbahnhof and two and a half kilometres from the cathedral. The hotel has a restaurant and a 24-hour reception.

The rooms are 17 square metres, and breakfast costs extra. It suits you if you’re arriving by car or don’t mind taking the tram into the Old Town. One guest feels the location could be more central.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “I can’t recommend it enough.”

See photos and book Premier Inn Freiburg City Nord here.

9. Nuremberg - best city for the Christmas market, the castle and the Romantic Road

• Distance to the centre: The map shows Hauptmarkt in the middle of the Old Town. Two of the hotels are by the Hauptbahnhof on the southern edge of the Old Town, and the third is at Plärrer just outside the city walls.
• Getting around: You can explore the Old Town inside the city walls on foot. The U-Bahn and trams run to the rest of the city.
• Time from the airport: From Nuremberg Airport, U-Bahn line U2 takes you to the Hauptbahnhof in about 12 minutes with no changes.
• Price level: € to €€€. Prices rise sharply during the Christmas market and the big trade fairs.
• Safety: A safe city. The area around the Hauptbahnhof is busy, but the Old Town is quiet in the evening.

Nuremberg is the medieval city of Franconia, with its imperial castle on the rock, city walls and half-timbered houses. The city was badly hit during the war, but the Old Town has been rebuilt, and from the castle you can look out over the rooftops. Nuremberg is also where you get closest to the history of the Nazi era in southern Germany, at the Nazi Party Rally Grounds and the courtroom of the Nuremberg Trials.

The city is probably best known for its Christkindlesmarkt Christmas market on Hauptmarkt, which according to the Christmas market’s own website takes place in the heart of the city on the historic market square. It opens at the end of November and closes on Christmas Eve, and during that period you need to book your hotel very early. If you’d like to see the city’s neighbourhoods, I’ve written a guide on where to stay in Nuremberg, with six areas to choose from.

See hotels in Nuremberg here.

Nuremberg is also a good base for the Romantic Road. According to Romantische Straße, the route runs from Würzburg to Füssen near the Alps and is 460 kilometres long. The best-known town on the route is Rothenburg ob der Tauber, with its town wall and half-timbered houses. By regional train with a couple of changes, the journey takes about an hour and a half, and it’s a little quicker by car. Bamberg, with its Old Town on the River Regnitz, is another good day trip, less than an hour away by train.

If you stay in Rothenburg, you can experience the town in the evening once the day-trippers have gone home. Even so, I would use Nuremberg as a base if you’re not driving, as there are far more restaurants and train connections here. The fastest ICE trains reach Munich in just over an hour, so Nuremberg fits in nicely on the way towards Bavaria and the Alps.

Hotels in Nuremberg

Le Méridien Grand Hotel Nürnberg - historic grand hotel opposite the main station

Le Méridien Grand Hotel is on Bahnhofstraße directly opposite the Hauptbahnhof, about 800 metres from Hauptmarkt. It’s a large, classic hotel with a restaurant, bar, sauna and gym.

The hotel suits you if you want a classic stay and a short walk to the train. The rooms vary a lot in size, so choose one of the larger categories if there are two of you. Breakfast costs extra. One guest found the restaurant empty on a Saturday evening with a limited menu, so you may prefer to eat out in the Old Town.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Beautiful hotel, friendly staff and a good location.”

See photos and book Le Méridien Grand Hotel Nürnberg here.

Hotel Drei Raben - quirky design hotel with themed rooms in the Old Town

Hotel Drei Raben is on Königstraße inside the city walls, about 450 metres from the Hauptbahnhof and 600 metres from Hauptmarkt. The hotel has a bar and a breakfast lounge, and the rooms are decorated with themes from the city’s history and legends.

The smallest rooms are 15 square metres, and breakfast is included in the price. This is my pick if you want somewhere personal and different, right on the pedestrian street between the station and Hauptmarkt. The price can vary a lot, so compare it with the other two before you book.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Lovely staff who were very helpful, in a quirky but very comfortable hotel with a fantastic location.”

See photos and book Hotel Drei Raben here.

Motel One Nürnberg-Plärrer - simple hotel by the U-Bahn just outside the city walls

Motel One Nürnberg-Plärrer is on Steinbühler Straße just outside the city walls, about a kilometre from the Hauptbahnhof and a kilometre and a half from Hauptmarkt. The hotel has a bar and terrace, and Plärrer U-Bahn station is close by.

The double rooms are 16 square metres, and breakfast costs extra. It’s usually the cheapest of the three and suits you if you want to save money and don’t mind a short walk into the Old Town. One guest felt the location outside the historic centre wasn’t ideal.

One guest writes after their stay on Booking.com: “Clean room, excellent shower, lovely staff, big breakfast buffet.”

See photos and book Motel One Nürnberg-Plärrer here.

10. Munich - best city for beer halls, culture and day trips to the Alps

• Distance to the centre: The map shows Marienplatz. Two of the hotels are in the Old Town, less than ten minutes’ walk from the square, and the third is in Haidhausen on the other side of the River Isar.
• Transport: U-Bahn, S-Bahn and trams. All the S-Bahn lines run through the centre via Marienplatz and Hauptbahnhof.
• Time from the airport: The S-Bahn S8 runs from Munich Airport to Marienplatz in 36 minutes. The S1 is a little slower.
• Price level: €€ to €€€€. Munich is one of Germany’s most expensive cities, and prices shoot up during Oktoberfest and major trade fairs.
• Safety: A very safe city. During Oktoberfest there are lots of drunk people in the streets and on the trains in the evening.

Munich is the capital of Bavaria and the city of beer halls, beer gardens and Oktoberfest, but it also has major art museums, palaces and one of Europe’s largest parks, the Englischer Garten. The city is wealthy, clean and well organised, and it’s the natural base if you want to combine city life with day trips to the Alps. Give it three nights or more if you want to fit in some day trips.

I’ve chosen hotels in and just outside the Old Town, so you can walk to Marienplatz, the Viktualienmarkt and the Hofbräuhaus. If you’d rather stay in the student district of Maxvorstadt or in Schwabing near the park, you can read my guide on where to stay in Munich. What to see is covered in the guide to things to do in Munich.

See hotels in Munich here.

The airport is about 30 kilometres north-east of the city, and all the options for getting into the centre are in the guide to getting from Munich Airport. Oktoberfest runs from late September to early October. If you want to go, book your hotel many months in advance, and if you don’t, travel outside the festival weeks, as prices are much lower then.

From Munich, the train to Garmisch-Partenkirchen by the Zugspitze takes about an hour and a half, and Füssen, near Neuschwanstein Castle, is a little further away. You can reach Salzburg in Austria in about an hour and a half by train, and here you can read where to stay in Salzburg. Innsbruck is just on the other side of the Alps, and my guide on where to stay in Innsbruck will help if you want to carry on there.

Hotels in Munich

Hotel Bayerischer Hof - legendary five-star with a rooftop pool

Hotel Bayerischer Hof is on Promenadeplatz in the Old Town, about five minutes’ walk from Marienplatz. It’s a five-star hotel with several restaurants and bars, a spa and a rooftop pool with views over the city’s towers.

The smallest rooms are 30 square metres. It’s Munich’s best-known luxury hotel, and you’re right in the middle of the city with everything within walking distance. Breakfast costs extra and is pricey, and one guest actually felt it was the hotel’s only weak point.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Simply the best hotel in Munich!”

See photos and book Hotel Bayerischer Hof here.

Hotel MIO by AMANO - modern design hotel with a roof terrace near Sendlinger Tor

Hotel MIO by AMANO is on Sendlinger Straße in the Old Town, about six minutes’ walk from Marienplatz. The hotel has a bar and a roof terrace, but no restaurant.

The rooms are small, and the smallest are only 12 square metres, so choose a larger category if there are two of you with suitcases. Breakfast costs extra. This is my pick if you want to stay somewhere modern in the heart of the Old Town for less than the classic hotels.

One guest writes briefly on Booking.com: “Excellent hotel in the centre of Munich.”

See photos and book Hotel MIO by AMANO here.

Motel One München-Deutsches Museum - simple hotel in Haidhausen near the S-Bahn

Motel One München-Deutsches Museum is on Rablstraße in the Haidhausen district, close to Rosenheimer Platz S-Bahn station. From here it’s only a couple of minutes on the S-Bahn to Marienplatz, and the Deutsches Museum is just across the Isar.

The double rooms are 16 square metres, and breakfast costs extra. It suits you if you want to save on your hotel in an expensive city and don’t mind taking the S-Bahn or walking across the river into the centre. Guests find the rooms small.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Good value for money, clean hotel for a weekend in Munich.”

See photos and book Motel One München-Deutsches Museum here.

11. The Bavarian Alps - best area for mountain hikes and fairytale castles

• Distance to the centre: The map shows the station in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Two of the hotels are no more than about 1.2 kilometres from the station, and the third is on the western edge of town, about 2.7 kilometres away.
• Transport: Regional trains from Munich, a cog railway and cable cars up into the mountains, and local buses to Lake Eibsee and the Partnachklamm gorge.
• Time from the airport: The nearest major airport is Munich. From there, allow about two hours by train or car to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. This is an estimate.
• Price level: €€ to €€€€. Prices are highest in summer and during the ski season, and many hotels have free parking.
• Safety: A very safe area. In the mountains, respect the weather, wear proper footwear and check whether the trails are open.

The Bavarian Alps are Germany’s mountain country, with green valleys, lakes and villages full of painted houses. Garmisch-Partenkirchen is the most practical base, because the train runs direct from Munich and the town sits at the foot of the Zugspitze. According to the city of Munich, the regional train takes about an hour and a half, and at 2,962 metres the Zugspitze is Germany’s highest mountain. You can read about both on the City of Munich website.

To get up the Zugspitze, you can take the cog railway from Garmisch-Partenkirchen via Eibsee to the Zugspitzplatt and then the final short cable car to the summit. On the way down, you can take the big cable car straight to Eibsee. The mountain railway company itself reckons on three to four hours for the full round trip, so set off early before the clouds roll in. The Partnachklamm gorge by the ski stadium is a shorter outing and one of the most beautiful in the area.

See hotels in Garmisch-Partenkirchen here.

Neuschwanstein Castle is near Füssen further west, about an hour’s drive from Garmisch-Partenkirchen. This is an estimate. According to the official ticket centre in Hohenschwangau, the castle can only be seen on a guided tour at a fixed time, and you should buy your ticket online well in advance. If you turn up without one, the day’s tickets may be sold out. The Rococo palace of Linderhof and the village of Oberammergau are on the way, so with a car you can fit it all into one day.

If you’d rather stay by a lake, Berchtesgaden by the Königssee is a good alternative in the eastern part of the Alps, close to Salzburg. A car is a big advantage in the Alps, because many of the best viewpoints, lakes and castles are some distance from the railway stations. Garmisch-Partenkirchen is, however, one of the few mountain towns where you’ll manage perfectly well without one.

Hotels in Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Werdenfelserei - modern timber hotel with a rooftop pool and mountain views

Werdenfelserei is on Alleestraße, about 1.2 kilometres from the station. The hotel is built from wood and has a restaurant, bar, spa and a heated rooftop infinity pool with views of the mountains. Parking is free.

The smallest rooms are 28 square metres, and breakfast is included. It’s my first choice if you want to treat yourself after a day in the mountains, and it’s the most expensive of the three. One guest would have liked a bit more variety at the breakfast buffet.

One guest highlights the views on Booking.com: “Design, location, the view from the terrace, the view from the room over the mountains.”

See photos and book Werdenfelserei here.

Hotel Rheinischer Hof - four-star hotel with pool and spa on the edge of town

Hotel Rheinischer Hof is on Zugspitzstraße in the western part of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, about 2.7 kilometres from the station on the road towards Grainau and Eibsee. The hotel has a spa, an indoor pool and free parking.

The smallest rooms are 21 square metres, and breakfast is included. It suits you well if you’re arriving by car and want a quiet stay with the mountains right outside your window. Some of the rooms are in the building opposite the main hotel, so read the room description before you book.

One guest writes about the views on Booking.com: “The views in every direction are simply breathtaking.”

See photos and book Hotel Rheinischer Hof here.

Atlas Grand Hotel - historic hotel on the old high street in Partenkirchen

Atlas Grand Hotel is on Ludwigstraße with its painted houses in Partenkirchen, less than a kilometre from the station. The hotel has a restaurant, bar, sauna and garden.

The smallest rooms are 18 square metres, and breakfast costs extra. The hotel is usually cheaper than the other two and suits you if you want a central base with restaurants right on your doorstep. If you’re arriving by car, bear in mind that one guest felt the parking was a long way from the hotel.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Our stay at this hotel exceeded all our expectations.”

See photos and book Atlas Grand Hotel here.

Where not to stay in Germany?

I wouldn’t book a hotel in a big city without checking the trade fair calendar first. In Frankfurt, Cologne, Munich, Hamburg and Nuremberg, prices can multiply during major trade fairs, and the same goes for Munich during Oktoberfest. If you can shift your trip by a week, you’ll often save a lot of money.

In Frankfurt, I wouldn’t stay in the Bahnhofsviertel to save money if you’re travelling with children or coming back late. In Berlin, I’d avoid cheap hotels far out in the eastern suburbs, because you pay back the difference in time on the S-Bahn every day. And I wouldn’t choose an airport hotel unless you have an early departure. Trains into the centre are fast everywhere.

I also wouldn’t try to cover the whole country in one trip. With a week, you can combine two or three places, such as Hamburg and Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt and Heidelberg, or Munich and the Alps. If you have two weeks, you can plan a route from Berlin via Dresden and Nuremberg to Munich and finish with a few nights in the mountains.

If I had to pick one base for a first trip, it would be Berlin. If you’re travelling with children and want a beach, it’s Binz on Rügen, and if you want nature and mountains, it’s Garmisch-Partenkirchen or Freiburg and the Black Forest. For Christmas markets, Nuremberg and Dresden are my favourites, and if you want a romantic trip, head to Heidelberg.

Book your hotels well in advance if you’re travelling in the summer holidays, in December or during major events. That way you’ll have the widest choice, and you can pick the location rather than taking whatever is left.

The post Where to Stay in Germany? The 11 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

So where should you stay in Nuremberg? It depends on whether you’re coming for the Christmas market, a trade fair or a weekend in the Old Town. Here are my six picks for areas, with three hotels in each.

Where to Stay in Nuremberg: The Best Areas

• Sebald & Kaiserburg (Old Town) - best area for first-time visitors
• Lorenz (Old Town) - best area for shopping and museums
• The area around Hauptbahnhof - best area for trains and budget stays
• Wöhrd & Prinzregentenufer - best area for peace and quiet by the river
• Gostenhof & St. Johannis - best area for a local feel
• Messe & Dutzendteich - best area for trade fair visitors and history

Below, I go through the areas one by one with a map, transport, price level and three hotels in each. The prices come from a search for a weekend in November for two people, and they rise sharply in December, when the Christmas market draws visitors from all over the world. Advent weekends often sell out in the Old Town well in advance, and the same happens during the big trade fairs, so book early if you’re travelling at those times.

1. Sebald & Kaiserburg (Old Town) - best area for first-time visitors 🏰

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You’ll be staying in the northern half of the Old Town. From Hauptmarkt, it’s a ten-minute walk up to the castle and around 15 minutes down to Hauptbahnhof.
• 🚇 Transport: Much of the Old Town is car-free, and you’ll walk most places. The nearest U-Bahn station is Lorenzkirche on the U1, just south of the Pegnitz, and buses run around the city wall.
• ✈️ Time from Nuremberg Airport: Around 20 to 25 minutes on the U2 to Hauptbahnhof and the U1 one stop on to Lorenzkirche, from where it’s a five-minute walk to Hauptmarkt. A single ticket costs around €3.90 (about £3.25).
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £85 to £155 per night when I searched for a weekend in November.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe, and there are people out on the streets until late. Watch out for pickpockets on Hauptmarkt in December, when it gets packed between the stalls.

Sebald is the northern half of Nuremberg’s Old Town, and this is where you’ll find the city’s most famous sights. In the middle of the district lies Hauptmarkt with the golden Schöner Brunnen fountain and the Frauenkirche, where the figures on the old clock go round every day at noon. From here, the streets climb uphill towards the Kaiserburg, the large imperial castle on the sandstone rock above the city, and a combined ticket for the castle with the Sinwellturm and the deep well costs €10 (around £8.50).

Just below the castle is Albrecht Dürer’s House on Tiergärtnertorplatz, and down by the river you’ll find Weißgerbergasse with some of the city’s finest half-timbered houses, plus the Weinstadel by the Henkersteg. Beneath the streets lie old beer cellars carved into the rock, and you can join a guided tour of the Kunstbunker from around €12 (about £10), where the city’s art treasures were hidden during the Second World War.

See hotels in Sebald here.

I’d stay here if it’s your first trip to Nuremberg, or if you’re coming for the Christmas market. The Christkindlesmarkt fills Hauptmarkt from the Friday before the first Sunday of Advent until Christmas Eve, with around 180 wooden stalls under red and white fabric awnings, and every year the market is opened by the Christkind, who reads a prologue from the balcony of the Frauenkirche.

The downside is the price. Sebald is the most expensive area in the city, and in December prices at the hotels around Hauptmarkt shoot up. The streets up towards the castle are steep and cobbled, and several of the small hotels in old buildings have no lift, so check before you go if you’re bringing a heavy suitcase. The restaurants right around Hauptmarkt also rely mostly on tourists, so walk a few streets away when you want to eat.

Hotels in Sebald & Kaiserburg

Karl August - design hotel with a pool a few minutes from Hauptmarkt

Karl August is on Augustinerhof between Hauptmarkt and the Pegnitz and is the most expensive of my picks in the Old Town. There’s an indoor pool, a sauna, a gym and a restaurant, and rooms range from 19 square metres for a double to 25 for a superior. There’s no tea or coffee in the rooms, and some guests find it a hassle having to go outside to get to breakfast.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Everything is fantastic! The room, the service, the staff, the food and the location.”

See photos and book Karl August here.

Sorat Hotel Saxx Nürnberg - hotel right on Hauptmarkt

Sorat Hotel Saxx is at Hauptmarkt 17, so you’ll be staying right by the Schöner Brunnen, the Frauenkirche and the Christmas market stalls. Rooms are 15 to 20 square metres, there’s a bar and a breakfast buffet, and the hotel has over 2,000 reviews on Booking.com. The biggest complaint is about the pillows, which several guests find far too thin.

From one review: “A really lovely, clean hotel in the perfect location right on the square.”

See photos and book Sorat Hotel Saxx here.

Hotel Hauser Boutique - small hotel with character on Unschlittplatz

Hotel Hauser is in an old building on Unschlittplatz in the western part of Sebald, a few minutes from the Henkersteg and around a ten-minute walk from the castle. The rooms are small, from 12 to 18 square metres, and it was the cheapest of the three when I searched. No breakfast is served, and the top-floor rooms are seven flights of stairs up with no lift, so travel light.

One guest highlights: “The hotel is in a beautiful old building, and my room was full of character.”

See photos and book Hotel Hauser Boutique here.

2. Lorenz (Old Town) - best area for shopping and museums 🛍️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re staying in the southern half of the Old Town. From Lorenzkirche it’s a five-minute walk across the Pegnitz to Hauptmarkt and under ten minutes to Hauptbahnhof.
• 🚇 Transport: The U1 stops at Lorenzkirche and Weißer Turm, and the U2 and U3 stop at Opernhaus on the edge of the area.
• ✈️ Time from Nuremberg Airport: Around 15 minutes on the U2 to Hauptbahnhof, then the U1 one stop on to Lorenzkirche. If you’re staying in the western part, you can also take the U2 straight to Opernhaus.
• 💰 Price level: € to €€€€. The three hotels below cost around £60 to £180 a night when I searched for a weekend in November.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and busy during the day. In the evening the shopping streets go quiet, but there are still people around Königstraße and the squares.

Lorenz is the southern half of the Old Town, and the area takes its name from Lorenzkirche, the twin-towered Gothic church that rises above Lorenzer Platz. From here, Königstraße runs down towards Hauptbahnhof, and together with Breite Gasse and Karolinenstraße it’s the city’s main shopping street, lined with department stores, chain shops and cafés. By Weißer Turm stands the large bronze fountain Ehekarussell, and down by the Pegnitz, Heilig-Geist-Spital sits on arches spanning the river.

This is also the area for museums. Germanisches Nationalmuseum is Germany’s largest museum of cultural history, with everything from medieval weapons to paintings by Dürer, and in front of the museum is Straße der Menschenrechte, a row of pillars each inscribed with an article from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. If you want the stories behind the city, you can join a guided walking tour of the Old Town from around 16 euros (around £13).

See hotels in Lorenz here.

I’d stay here if you want to shop, if you love museums, or if you want to stay in the Old Town without paying Sebald prices. The area has more hotels across all price ranges than the northern half, and both the station and Hauptmarkt are within walking distance, so you won’t need public transport during the day. If it rains, the museums and department stores are right on your doorstep, so you can easily spend a whole day indoors.

The downside is that Lorenz was badly hit during the war, so much of the area was rebuilt in the 1950s and 1960s. As a result, Königstraße and Breite Gasse look like many other German pedestrian streets, and you have to cross the river to Sebald for the narrow lanes and half-timbered houses. On Saturdays the shopping streets are packed to bursting.

Hotels in Lorenz

Hotel Drei Raben - four-star design hotel on Königstraße

Hotel Drei Raben is at Königstraße 63, opposite Neues Museum, so you’re just a few minutes’ walk from both Hauptbahnhof and Lorenzkirche. The double rooms are around 20 square metres and the junior suites 35, and there’s a bar with wine tastings and a breakfast buffet that guests rave about. There’s no spa or pool, and several guests complain that the wifi is poor.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Fantastic location and extremely helpful staff.”

See photos and book Hotel Drei Raben here.

Steichele Hotel & Weinrestaurant - family-run hotel with a Franconian wine restaurant

Steichele is on Knorrstraße in the western part of Lorenz, a few minutes’ walk from Weißer Turm and Jakobsplatz. The hotel has a wine restaurant serving traditional Franconian food, and the rooms are 14 to 18 square metres. Some guests say that if you come down late for breakfast, the choice can be rather limited.

From one review: “Lovely, friendly staff. Very helpful.”

See photos and book Steichele here.

N9 Hotel Nürnberg-City - cheap, clean hotel inside the city walls

N9 Hotel is on Färberstraße in the south-western part of Lorenz, around eight minutes’ walk from Hauptbahnhof. The double rooms are about 20 square metres, and there are also rooms for three and four people, making it a good choice for families. It was the cheapest of the three when I searched, but there’s no air conditioning and breakfast costs extra.

One guest highlights: “The hotel is very clean and perfectly located.”

See photos and book N9 Hotel here.

3. Around the Hauptbahnhof - best area for trains and budget 🚆

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Just outside the city walls. Through Königstor, it’s a ten-minute walk to Lorenzkirche and about 15 minutes to Hauptmarkt.
• 🚆 Transport: All long-distance trains, regional trains and S-Bahn services leave from the Hauptbahnhof, and all three U-Bahn lines, U1, U2 and U3, meet here.
• ✈️ Time from Nuremberg Airport: About 12 minutes on the U2 straight to the Hauptbahnhof with no changes. Trains run every 10 to 14 minutes.
• 💰 Price level: € to €€€. The three hotels below cost around £55 to £85 a night when I searched for a weekend in November.
• 👮 Safety: There are no problems during the day. In the evening, people hang around in and near the station and in the underpasses beneath Königstor, so stick to the well-lit streets on your way back.

The area around the Hauptbahnhof isn’t a neighbourhood you travel to Nuremberg to experience, but it’s the most practical place to stay. The hotels are on Bahnhofstraße, Bahnhofsplatz and in the streets east of the station, and from the front door you’re only a few minutes from both the trains and the city walls. Directly opposite the station stands the round Königstor tower, and behind it lies Handwerkerhof, a small medieval-style courtyard with workshops, shops and bratwurst stalls.

This is also where you’ll find most of the city’s chain hotels, so prices are lower than inside the Old Town, and there are more rooms available when the Christmas market or a big trade fair fills the city. The Opernhaus with the Staatstheater is a five-minute walk to the west, and if you want to get into the Old Town quickly, just head up Königstraße.

See hotels near the Hauptbahnhof here.

I’d stay here if you’re travelling by train, if you’re only in the city for one night, or if you want to keep your budget down. By ICE you’re in Munich in just over an hour, and if you want to combine the two cities, take a look at my suggestions for where to stay in Munich. Many people also fly into Munich and take the train up here, in which case my guide from Munich Airport to the city centre will help you on your way. Berlin is about three hours away by ICE, and I’ve also put together a guide to where to stay in Berlin.

The downside is that the area around the station is busy with traffic and a bit dull in the evening, and homeless people and people who’ve had too much to drink hang around in and near the station. South of the tracks begins Südstadt, an entirely ordinary residential area with no sights, so choose a hotel on the north side of the station.

Hotels near the Hauptbahnhof

Le Méridien Grand Hotel Nürnberg - classic grand hotel right opposite the station

Le Méridien Grand Hotel is at Bahnhofstraße 1, directly opposite the Hauptbahnhof, and is the city’s most classic hotel, with a restaurant, bar, sauna and gym. The price was surprisingly low when I searched, but its Booking.com score is the lowest of the three, and the cheapest double rooms are only 14 square metres. Some guests also mention that even in the large junior suites the bathroom is rather small.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The staff are excellent, everything is spotless, and the breakfast is excellent.”

See photos and book Le Méridien Grand Hotel here.

NH Collection Nürnberg City - modern four-star hotel with a sauna

NH Collection is at Bahnhofstraße 17, a two-minute walk from the station. The rooms are around 24 square metres, there’s a sauna, steam room and gym, and its Booking.com score is the highest of the three. Breakfast costs about €20 (around £17) extra per person, and some guests find the mattresses too firm.

From one review: “The staff and the room are wonderful. We really enjoyed our stay.”

See photos and book NH Collection Nürnberg City here.

Premier Inn Nürnberg City Centre - budget chain hotel five minutes from the trains

Premier Inn is at Bahnhofstraße 14, about a five-minute walk from the Hauptbahnhof, and follows the British chain’s tried-and-tested formula of simple rooms, a bar and a breakfast buffet where you can also get a full English. It was the cheapest hotel in this entire guide when I searched. The twin rooms are around 18 square metres, and several guests feel the rooms could be bigger.

One guest highlights: “We would definitely stay at this hotel again, it had everything we needed.”

See photos and book Premier Inn here.

4. Wöhrd & Prinzregentenufer - best area for peace and quiet by the river 🌳

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Just east of the city walls. From Prinzregentenufer it’s about a 15-minute walk along the river to Hauptmarkt and ten minutes to Hauptbahnhof.
• 🚇 Transport: The U2 stops at Wöhrder Wiese and Rathenauplatz, and from Wöhrder Wiese it’s one stop to Hauptbahnhof.
• ✈️ Time from Nuremberg Airport: About ten minutes on the U2 direct to Wöhrder Wiese, which is the stop before Hauptbahnhof.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€. The three hotels below cost around £60 to £110 a night when I searched for a weekend in November.
• 👮 Safety: A quiet, safe residential area. The parks along the river are dark in the evening, so stick to the streets if you’re heading back late.

East of the Old Town, the Pegnitz flows out through a green ribbon of parks, and this is where you’ll find Wöhrd and Prinzregentenufer. Prinzregentenufer is the street running along the north bank of the river just outside the city walls, and across the water lies Wöhrder Wiese, a long stretch of lawn where locals barbecue, play ball and sunbathe in summer. Further east, the river widens into Wöhrder See, a dammed lake with footpaths, cycle paths and a small sandy beach.

Wöhrd itself is an old suburb that was destroyed during the war and rebuilt as a quiet residential neighbourhood. There aren’t many sights here, but you’re close to everything and have the path along the Pegnitz right on your doorstep, which you can follow on foot or by bike all the way out of the city to the east. It’s also a great spot for a morning run before the city wakes up.

See hotels in Wöhrd here.

I’d stay here if you want peace and quiet at night but still want to be able to walk to the Old Town, and if you’re travelling with children who need space to run around. It’s also one of the best areas if you’re arriving by air, as the U2 runs directly from the airport to Wöhrder Wiese, and it’s just one more stop to the station when you head off on a day trip.

The downside is that there are few restaurants and bars in the area, so in the evening you’ll walk into the Old Town to eat. There aren’t many hotels either, which is why my cheapest suggestion is in Marienvorstadt, between the station and the river.

Hotels in Wöhrd & Prinzregentenufer

Hotel Prinzregent - quiet hotel with large rooms by the river

Hotel Prinzregent is at Prinzregentenufer 11, overlooking the Pegnitz, about a 15-minute walk from Hauptmarkt. The rooms are spacious, from 22 square metres for a standard double to 35 for a deluxe, and you can borrow bikes for free. It’s a three-star hotel with no restaurant, spa or pool, so you’re paying for the location, the rooms and the breakfast.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Excellent breakfast, lovely view, large rooms and wonderful staff.”

See photos and book Hotel Prinzregent here.

Novina Hotel Wöhrdersee Nürnberg City - large four-star hotel close to Wöhrder Wiese

Novina Hotel is on Dürrenhofstraße on the southern edge of Wöhrd, about a ten-minute walk from Hauptbahnhof. The rooms are around 20 square metres, there’s a restaurant and a small gym, and the hotel has almost 9,500 reviews on Booking.com. Several guests find the décor old-fashioned and dull.

From one review: “The room was nice and clean, and breakfast was good with plenty of choice.”

See photos and book Novina Hotel Wöhrdersee here.

B&B Hotel Nürnberg-Hbf - simple budget hotel between the station and the river

B&B Hotel is on Marienstraße in Marienvorstadt, about 500 metres from Hauptbahnhof and a few minutes’ walk from Prinzregentenufer. The rooms are simple and measure 16 to 19 square metres, and the breakfast buffet costs extra. It was the cheapest of the three when I searched, but some guests still feel the price is high for a budget hotel without a restaurant.

One guest highlights: “The staff were really friendly! The room was very clean and tidy!”

See photos and book B&B Hotel Nürnberg-Hbf here.

5. Gostenhof & St. Johannis - best area for a local vibe ☕

• 📍 Distance to the centre: West of the city wall. From Plärrer it’s about a ten-minute walk to Lorenz, and from St. Johannis it’s about 15 minutes to the castle.
• 🚇 Transport: The U1 stops at Gostenhof and Bärenschanze, the U2 and U3 at Plärrer, and trams run from Plärrer up through St. Johannis.
• ✈️ Time from Nuremberg Airport: About 15 minutes on the U2 straight to Plärrer with no changes.
• 💰 Price level: € to €€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £60 to £125 a night when I searched for a weekend in November.
• 👮 Safety: Generally safe. Around Plärrer, which is a major transport hub, people hang about in the evenings, but inside the neighbourhoods it’s quiet.

Gostenhof, which locals call GoHo, is an old working-class district west of the city wall, and this is where you get closest to the Nuremberg that locals actually live in. The streets are full of little coffee bars, Turkish bakeries, wine bars, galleries and street art, and the area has a mix of students, creatives and families who have lived here for generations. Walk along Fürther Straße to the Justizpalast, where the major war crimes trials were held in Courtroom 600 (Saal 600) after the Second World War. The courthouse sits by the Bärenschanze U-Bahn station.

On the other side of the Pegnitz lies St. Johannis, a quieter and more affluent district. Here you’ll find the Johannisfriedhof, one of Germany’s most beautiful old cemeteries and the burial place of Albrecht Dürer, and tucked away behind the houses on Johannisstraße are the Hesperidengärten, small Baroque gardens from the days when the city’s wealthy merchants had summer houses out here.

See hotels in Gostenhof here.

I’d stay here if you’ve been to Nuremberg before, if you’re staying for several days, or if you’d rather have breakfast at a local bakery than in a hotel restaurant. If you want to see Courtroom 600, it’s just around the corner, and on the U1 you’re at the Lorenzkirche in a few minutes anyway. Food and drink prices are lower than in the Old Town, and you’ll be sitting alongside locals rather than other tourists.

The downside is the hotels. Both districts are residential with few hotels, and many people opt for an apartment instead. Gostenhof is also a little rough around the edges, and some of the streets around Plärrer are busy and grey, so it’s not the place if you’re dreaming of half-timbered houses outside your window.

Hotels in Gostenhof & St. Johannis

TIPTOP Hotel Burgschmiet Garni - quiet hotel by the city wall below the castle

TIPTOP Hotel Burgschmiet is on Burgschmietstraße on the eastern edge of St. Johannis, just outside the city wall and a few minutes’ walk from the Tiergärtnertor and the castle. The rooms are spacious, from 20 square metres for a single to 25 for a double, and guests give the breakfast top marks. There’s no restaurant, and a few guests miss having a kettle in the room.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Excellent breakfast included, the best we had at any hotel on our latest trip around Germany.”

See photos and book TIPTOP Hotel Burgschmiet here.

BillHills Boutique & Design Aparthotel - studios with kitchenettes in St. Johannis

BillHills is on Sandrartstraße in the heart of St. Johannis and has 28-square-metre studios and suites of up to 50 square metres, all with kitchenettes, plus a garden. It’s a good choice for families or couples staying several days who want to cook for themselves. Some guests have found it hard to get help from the staff when problems came up.

From one review: “I was very happy with my stay. It was truly exceptional for the price.”

See photos and book BillHills Aparthotel here.

Living Hotel Nürnberg - apartment hotel in the middle of Gostenhof

Living Hotel is on Obere Kanalstraße in Gostenhof, a couple of minutes’ walk from Plärrer and the Gostenhof U-Bahn station. Rooms are 21 to 32 square metres with kitchenettes, and breakfast costs about €15 (around £13) extra per person. It was the cheapest of the three when I searched, but some guests find the room furnishings a bit too basic.

One guest highlights: “An absolutely wonderful hotel! The location is good, and the staff are so friendly and helpful!”

See photos and book Living Hotel Nürnberg here.

6. Messe & Dutzendteich - best area for trade fair visitors and history 💼

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Around four to six kilometres south-east of the Old Town, so you’ll need public transport or a taxi to get into town.
• 🚇 Transport: The U1 runs from Hauptbahnhof to Messe station in around nine minutes, and trams and the S-Bahn S2 run to Dutzendteich and the Dokumentationszentrum.
• ✈️ Time from Nuremberg Airport: Around 25 to 30 minutes on the U2 to Hauptbahnhof, then the U1 on to Messe.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost around £70 to £100 a night when I searched for a weekend in November with no trade fair on.
• 👮 Safety: Safe, but the area is spread out, with wide roads and large parks that are deserted in the evening.

South-east of the centre lies NürnbergMesse, one of Europe’s major exhibition centres, where trade fairs such as BIOFACH, embedded world, IWA OutdoorClassics and the Spielwarenmesse toy fair draw tens of thousands of visitors to the city. When a big fair is on, hotel prices rise across the whole of Nuremberg, and the hotels near the exhibition centre sell out first, so check the trade fair calendar before you book, wherever in the city you plan to stay.

Between the exhibition centre and the city lie the lakes at Dutzendteich and the former Reichsparteitagsgelände, the Nazi Party Rally Grounds where the Nazis held their party rallies. The vast, unfinished Kongresshalle and the Zeppelintribüne are still standing, and the north wing of the Kongresshalle houses the Dokumentationszentrum Reichsparteitagsgelände, which tells the story of the rallies. Admission costs €7.50 (around £6) including a media guide, and if you’d like a guide to show you round the whole site, you can join a guided walk around the Reichsparteitagsgelände from around €13 (around £11).

See hotels near Messe Nürnberg here.

I’d stay here if you’re attending a trade fair, arriving by car, or if the history of the Third Reich is the main reason for your trip. Several of the hotels have free or cheap parking, and if you want to explore Franconian Switzerland or Rothenburg ob der Tauber on your own, you can find hire cars on Booking.com. If you’re also heading to a trade fair in Frankfurt, I’ve put together a guide to where to stay in Frankfurt.

The downside is that you’re a long way from the Old Town and the restaurants, and in the evening the area is mostly roads, car parks and dark parks. If you’re coming on holiday rather than for a trade fair, it’s rarely worth the hassle, as the Dokumentationszentrum is easy to reach by tram from the centre.

Hotels near Messe & Dutzendteich

Ramada Nürnberg Parkhotel - four-star hotel with an indoor pool

The Ramada Parkhotel is on Münchener Straße at the northern end of the area, by Luitpoldhain park, and it’s the only one of my suggestions out here with an indoor pool, sauna and restaurant. The deluxe rooms measure 22 square metres, and parking costs around €17 (around £14) a day. One guest did find, however, that the restaurant was closed and the bar only had a dull sandwich to offer.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “One of the best hotels I’ve ever stayed in for the price.”

See photos and book Ramada Nürnberg Parkhotel here.

Novotel Nürnberg am Messezentrum - trade fair hotel a ten-minute walk from the halls

The Novotel is on Münchener Straße, around a ten-minute walk from the exhibition centre. The rooms measure 22 square metres and sleep up to four people, and there’s a restaurant serving Franconian and international food, plus a heated outdoor pool in summer. Parking costs around €11 (around £9) a night, and several guests have struggled to find a space.

From one review: “Breakfast was excellent. The room was clean. The staff were helpful.”

See photos and book Novotel am Messezentrum here.

Creativ Park Hotel - budget hotel with free parking

Creativ Park Hotel is on Regensburger Straße east of Dutzendteich, around an eight-minute drive from the exhibition centre. The rooms are simple and measure 14 to 18 square metres, parking is free, and it was the cheapest of the three when I searched. Without a car the location is less practical, and one guest missed having USB sockets in the room.

One guest highlights: “The hotel was clean and fresh. I’ve travelled a lot, and this ranks high on the list when it comes to cleanliness.”

See photos and book Creativ Park Hotel here.

Where not to stay in Nuremberg?

Don’t stay in Südstadt, south of the station, just to save a few pounds. The neighbourhood around Aufseßplatz and Gibitzenhof is a dense residential area with traffic and few restaurants, and you’ll have to go through the station every time you want to get into the Old Town anyway. Langwasser, further south-east, is a suburb of large housing blocks that only makes sense if you’re attending a trade fair. The hotels at the airport are only worth considering if you have a very early flight, as the U2 gets you into town in a quarter of an hour. And don’t move out to the suburbs in December hoping for cheap rooms, because they fill up during the Christmas market too, and you’ll spend your evenings on the train instead of on Hauptmarkt.

If it’s your first trip to Nuremberg, I’d stay in Sebald near Hauptmarkt or in Lorenz, where you can walk everywhere. If you’re travelling by train or on a tight budget, the hotels by Hauptbahnhof are the most practical, and if you want peace and green spaces, choose Wöhrd and Prinzregentenufer. If you’ve been here before, Gostenhof and St. Johannis give you local Nuremberg, and if you’re attending a trade fair, stay near Messe and Dutzendteich.

Wherever you stay, try the little Nürnberger Rostbratwürste, served three in a bun, and take a bag of Lebkuchen home with you. If you’re staying a few more days in Bavaria, you can read my pick of the best things to do in Munich, just over an hour away by train.

The post Where to Stay in Nuremberg? The 6 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

Here are the 18 sights in Frankfurt I would prioritise, from Römerberg and Main Tower to Städel, Palmengarten and day trips to Saalburg and the Rhine Valley. Prices are given in euros, with approximate amounts in pounds. Many museums are closed on Mondays, so plan them for the other days. At the bottom, I’ve gathered practical tips on tickets and transport.

1. Römerberg and Neue Altstadt

Römerberg is Frankfurt’s old square and the place to start. The Römer, the three gabled houses with stepped gables, has been the city’s town hall since 1405, and opposite stands the row of half-timbered houses rebuilt in the 1980s after the bombing of the Second World War. In the middle of the square is the Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen with its statue of Justitia, and in the corner sits the little Alte Nikolaikirche. Behind the square lies the Neue Altstadt, also known as DomRömer, where 35 houses were completed in 2018, 15 of them faithful copies of the houses that stood here before the war.

It’s free to wander around, and the area is open around the clock. The Kaisersaal on the first floor of the Römer, where the emperors held their coronation banquets, can often be visited for a small entrance fee when the hall isn’t being used for events. U-Bahn lines U4 and U5 stop at Dom/Römer right by the square.

Walk along the Krönungsweg, the coronation route, from Römerberg to the cathedral and look up at Haus zur Goldenen Waage with its carved beams. If you’d like to stay with the Old Town on your doorstep, I’ve rounded up the best areas and hotels in my guide to where to stay in Frankfurt.

Book an English-language walking tour of the Old Town here.

2. Kaiserdom St. Bartholomäus and Domturm

Kaiserdom St. Bartholomäus isn’t a bishop’s seat, but it’s still one of the most important churches in German history. The kings of the Holy Roman Empire were elected here from 1356, and from 1562 they were crowned here too. The red sandstone tower is almost 95 metres tall, and inside you can see the election chapel where the prince-electors met, along with the Gothic altars that survived both the fire of 1867 and the wartime bombing.

Entry to the cathedral is free. To reach the viewing platform in the tower, you climb 328 steps to a height of 66 metres, and a ticket costs around 3 euros (around £2.50). The tower may close in bad weather and has shorter opening hours in winter. The Dommuseum next door is closed on Mondays and at times between exhibitions. It’s a one-minute walk from Dom/Römer.

Choose the tower over Main Tower if you want the Old Town up close with the skyscrapers in the background. If you’d like to sleep beneath the cathedral tower, Hotel Spenerhaus sits on a quiet side street a couple of minutes from the church.

3. Paulskirche

Paulskirche lies a couple of hundred metres from Römerberg and is the building Germans call the cradle of democracy. In 1848 and 1849, the first freely elected German National Assembly met here to draw up a constitution for a united Germany. The attempt failed, but many of its ideas later found their way into the Basic Law. The church burned during the war and was the first major building in the city to be rebuilt, so that it would be ready for the centenary in 1948.

Inside, the space is bright and simple, with the round hall where the German Peace Prize is awarded every year during the book fair. Paulskirche is open daily from 10am to 5pm with a free exhibition about the National Assembly, but it closes when events are taking place. U4 and U5 stop at Dom/Römer, and it’s a five-minute walk from Hauptwache.

Take a look round the exhibition in the corridor below the hall before you head upstairs. If you want to see where Germany’s parliament sits today, I’ve put together the best things to do in Berlin, including the Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate.

4. Kleinmarkthalle

Kleinmarkthalle is Frankfurt’s covered food market, set in a long 1950s hall between the Zeil and Römerberg. This is where locals buy fruit, cheese, bread and fish, and where you’ll find the city’s specialities all in one place. Pick up the herbs for Grüne Soße, the green sauce made with seven herbs that Frankfurters eat with boiled potatoes and eggs, and join the queue at the sausage stalls, where Frankfurter Rindswurst and hot fleischwurst are served with mustard and bread.

It’s free to browse. The hall is open from morning until 6pm on weekdays and until the afternoon on Saturdays, and it’s closed on Sundays. It’s a five-minute walk from Hauptwache and slightly further from Dom/Römer.

Head up to the gallery at one end of the hall, where the wine bar serves a glass of Rheingau wine with a view over the stalls. Come on a weekday morning, as at Saturday lunchtime it’s hard to squeeze between the stalls.

5. Main Tower

Main Tower is the only one of Frankfurt’s skyscrapers with a public viewing platform, which makes it the place to get the classic shot of the skyline. From the open-air platform at around 200 metres, you look down on the Commerzbank Tower, the European Central Bank, the Main and the whole Old Town, and on a clear day you can see as far as the Taunus mountains to the north-west.

A ticket costs 9 euros (around £7.50), while the reduced price is 6 euros (around £5). The platform opens from 10am until the evening, staying open longest on Fridays and Saturdays and in summer, and the last ascent is 45 minutes before closing. It may close in strong winds and thunderstorms. There’s airport-style security at the entrance. Willy-Brandt-Platz U-Bahn station and Taunusanlage S-Bahn station are both just a few minutes away.

Arrive half an hour before sunset and stay until the lights come on in the skyscrapers. If the clouds are low, wait for another day, as you won’t see a thing.

6. Eiserner Steg and the Main riverbank

Eiserner Steg is the old iron footbridge over the Main, dating from 1869, and it links Römerberg with Sachsenhausen. Halfway across, you have the cathedral and the Old Town on one side and the skyscrapers in the background, and the railings are covered in padlocks left by couples. Wide promenades and lawns run along both banks, where locals jog, cycle and eat packed lunches when the sun is out.

It’s free and open around the clock. Sightseeing boats depart from the quay right by the bridge on the north bank, and every year on the last weekend of August, the Museumsuferfest fills both banks with stalls, music and fireworks. From Dom/Römer, it’s a five-minute walk down to the river.

Cross the bridge in the late afternoon and carry on west along Schaumainkai on the south bank. This is where you get the best view of the skyline, and it takes you straight to the museums on the Museumsufer.

Book a sightseeing cruise on the Main with views of the skyline here.

7. Städel Museum

The Städel is Frankfurt’s largest art museum and one of the best in Germany. The banker Johann Friedrich Städel bequeathed his collection to the city in 1815, and today the museum spans 700 years of art, from Botticelli, Dürer and Rembrandt to Monet, Picasso and contemporary works. The most famous painting is Tischbein’s portrait of Goethe reclining in the Italian countryside, and Vermeer’s The Geographer hangs here too. The contemporary collection lies beneath the garden behind the museum, where round skylights poke up through the grass.

A ticket costs 19 euros (around £16), but on Tuesdays from 3 pm to 6 pm it’s 10 euros (around £8), and children under 12 get in free. The museum is closed on Mondays and open until 9 pm on Thursdays. It’s on Schaumainkai, and the nearest stop is Schweizer Platz U-Bahn station, but from the Hauptbahnhof it’s a ten-minute walk across the Holbeinsteg footbridge.

Allow at least three hours, and start with the Old Masters on the top floor. If you’re short on time, come on a Tuesday afternoon, when tickets are cheapest.

8. Museumsufer: Liebieghaus and the Film Museum

Museumsufer is the name for the row of museums along the Main, most of them on the south bank, in old villas and new buildings side by side. Two of them are worth prioritising after the Städel. Liebieghaus is housed in an 1890s villa and displays 5,000 years of sculpture, from ancient Egypt and classical Greece to the Middle Ages and Neoclassicism, and its garden café is one of the most charming in the city. The Deutsches Filmmuseum traces the history of film from the earliest optical toys to modern special effects, and at weekends you can try your hand at film tricks in the open film studio.

Liebieghaus costs 12 euros (around £10) and is closed on Mondays, and both museums may close for periods between exhibitions. The MuseumsuferTicket costs 21 euros (around £18) and gives you entry to 39 museums on two consecutive days. Schweizer Platz and the Otto-Hahn-Platz tram stop are the closest.

If you’re visiting more than two museums, buy the MuseumsuferTicket, as the Städel and Liebieghaus alone will cover its cost.

9. Goethe House and the Romantik-Museum

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was born in 1749 in the yellow townhouse on Großer Hirschgraben, and he lived here until he moved to Weimar as a young man. The house was destroyed by bombs in 1944, but the furniture, paintings and books had been taken to safety, so today you walk through four floors furnished as they were when the family lived here, including the kitchen, the music room and the room where Goethe wrote The Sorrows of Young Werther. Next door is the Deutsches Romantik-Museum, which opened in 2021 and is dedicated to the poets, painters and composers of the Romantic era.

A combined ticket for both museums costs 12 euros (around £10), and on the first Thursday of the month from 6 pm to 9 pm it’s just 1 euro (around 85p). You buy tickets at the desk, and there’s no need to book a time slot. The museums are open from 10 am to 6 pm, and until 9 pm on Thursdays. It’s a five-minute walk from Hauptwache and Willy-Brandt-Platz.

Start in the Goethe-Haus and continue to the Romantik-Museum, where the blue staircase running through the building is one of the most striking spaces in the city.

10. Zeil, Hauptwache and MyZeil

The Zeil is Frankfurt’s main shopping street, a wide pedestrianised avenue running from Hauptwache to Konstablerwache, lined with department stores and chain shops. Hauptwache is the small Baroque building from 1730 that was once the city’s guardhouse and is now a café in the middle of the traffic, and next to it stands the Katharinenkirche, where Goethe was baptised. Halfway along the Zeil is the MyZeil shopping centre, whose glass roof plunges down through the building like a funnel, and inside a very long escalator carries you up through the floors.

It’s free, and the shops are open Monday to Saturday and closed on Sundays. Hauptwache and Konstablerwache are hubs for both the S-Bahn and the U-Bahn, so you can get here from anywhere in the city and directly from the airport. On Thursdays and Saturdays, there’s a farmers’ market at Konstablerwache.

Take the escalator all the way up in MyZeil and head out onto the top-floor terrace, where you can look out over the rooftops for free. If you’d like to stay with the Zeil right on your doorstep, JW Marriott Hotel Frankfurt is in the tower next to MyZeil and has an indoor pool, but it’s also one of the city’s most expensive hotels.

11. Alte Oper and Fressgass

The Alte Oper stands at the end of Opernplatz and is one of Frankfurt’s most beautiful buildings. The opera house opened in 1880, was bombed in 1944 and stood as a ruin for decades before the people of Frankfurt had it rebuilt, and in 1981 it reopened as a concert hall. Above the entrance is the inscription Dem Wahren Schönen Guten, to the true, the beautiful and the good. From the square, Große Bockenheimer Straße runs east, but everyone calls it Fressgass, the “guzzling street”, because it’s packed with delis, wine bars and restaurants with tables out on the pavement.

It’s free to see the square and the building from outside, while concert tickets are sold by the Alte Oper. The U6 and U7 stop at Alte Oper right in front. Continue from Fressgass to Börsenplatz, where a bronze bull and bear stand outside the German stock exchange.

Come in the late afternoon, when office workers fill Fressgass for an after-work drink. If you’d like to stay in the elegant part of the centre, Kimpton Main Frankfurt is a five-minute walk from the Alte Oper and has a guest score of 9.0 on Booking.com.

12. Sachsenhausen and the apple wine taverns

Sachsenhausen is the district on the south bank of the Main, and it’s where you should have dinner at least one evening. Frankfurt’s national drink is Apfelwein, which locals call Ebbelwoi or Äppler. It’s a dry, tart apple wine served in a grey stoneware jug called a Bembel and drunk from a ribbed glass known as a Geripptes. In the old taverns you sit at long wooden tables with strangers and eat Handkäs mit Musik, a tangy cheese with onions, Grüne Soße or schnitzel. A green wreath above the door means the tavern makes its own apple wine.

A glass of apple wine typically costs around 3 euros (about £2.50). The area around Klappergasse and Paradiesgasse in Alt-Sachsenhausen is the most touristy, while the well-known taverns on Schweizer Straße and in the side streets are more local. It’s a ten-minute walk from the Eiserner Steg, and the S-Bahn station Lokalbahnhof is right in the middle of the neighbourhood.

Order a Sauergespritztes, apple wine topped up with sparkling water, if you find the pure apple wine too sour. And don’t wait for the waiter to find you an empty table: just sit down wherever there’s room.

Book a guided apple wine tour with tastings here.

13. Ebbelwei-Express

The Ebbelwei-Express is an old, brightly painted tram that runs a circular route through the city centre and Sachsenhausen with apple wine on board. The ride takes about an hour and passes the Zoo, Römer and Paulskirche, Hauptbahnhof, Messe and Sachsenhausen, while cheerful songs play over the speakers and the conductor hands out pretzels. It’s a slightly silly experience, but it’s fun, and you get to see a lot of the city’s neighbourhoods in a short time.

A ticket costs 8 euros (around £7) and 3.50 euros (around £3) for children, and the price includes a bottle of apple wine, apple juice or water and a bag of pretzels. You buy your ticket from the conductor and can board at any stop along the route. The tram runs on weekend and public holiday afternoons, so check the timetable on the website.

Get on at one of the first stops on the route, such as the Zoo, as you’re more likely to get a seat. Try to come in the early afternoon, as the last ride is often full.

14. Palmengarten

The Palmengarten is Frankfurt’s botanical garden and has been in Westend since 1871. It covers around 20 hectares, with a rose garden, ponds with rowing boats, perennial beds and a long row of glasshouses where you move from rainforest and orchids to desert plants and cacti. The large Palmenhaus from 1869 is the heart of the garden, and the Tropicarium, with rainforest and desert under one roof, is perfect on a cold or wet day. Right next door is Grüneburgpark, where you can carry on walking for free.

Admission costs 9 euros (around £7.50), and children and young people get in free. The garden opens at 9am every day and closes at 7pm from March to October and at 4pm from November to February, while the glasshouses stay open for an hour after ticket sales close. The main entrance is on Siesmayerstraße, and the U-Bahn stations Westend and Bockenheimer Warte are less than ten minutes’ walk away.

Combine the Palmengarten with the Senckenberg Naturmuseum, which is a ten-minute walk away. In winter, the glasshouses are the best escape from the cold in the whole city.

15. Senckenberg Naturmuseum

The Senckenberg Naturmuseum is one of the largest natural history museums in Europe, and it’s the place to take the kids. The dinosaur hall on the ground floor has a Tyrannosaurus rex, a long Diplodocus and a rare Edmontosaurus with its skin impression preserved, and the other halls are filled with whales, elephants and hundreds of stuffed animals. The museum also has a large collection of fossils from the Messel Pit south of Frankfurt, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, including early horses the size of a dog.

Tickets cost 12 euros (around £10) for adults and 6 euros (around £5) for children and young people aged 6 to 17, while children under 6 get in free. The museum is open every day from 9am to 5pm on weekdays and until 6pm at weekends, and on Wednesdays it stays open until 8pm. The U-Bahn station Bockenheimer Warte is right next to the museum on Senckenberganlage.

Come on a Wednesday late in the afternoon, when the school groups have gone home and the dinosaur hall is almost empty.

16. Höchst

Höchst was an independent town until it became part of Frankfurt in 1928, and you can still feel it. Its small Old Town came through the war more or less intact, so the half-timbered houses here, lining narrow streets down to the Main, are not replicas. The Justinuskirche was built in the 9th century and is Frankfurt’s oldest building, and above the riverbank stands Höchster Schloss with its square tower, along with the baroque Bolongaropalast. Höchst is also known for its porcelain factory, which has been making porcelain since 1746.

Walking around the Old Town and Schlossplatz is free, while the church has limited opening hours, especially in the winter months. S-Bahn lines S1 and S2 run from Hauptbahnhof to Frankfurt-Höchst in about ten minutes, and from the station it’s a five-minute walk down to the Old Town.

Höchst is the right choice if you’ve seen the centre and want to see a Frankfurt that few tourists get to. Head down to the riverbank by the castle and take the little ferry across the Main, if it’s running, for the view back towards the castle and the church.

17. Bad Homburg and Römerkastell Saalburg

Bad Homburg lies at the foot of the Taunus mountains north of Frankfurt and was a spa resort for Europe’s upper classes in the 19th century. In the Kurpark you can see two Thai temple pavilions, a Russian church and the old spa baths, and the white palace was the summer residence of the German emperors. A few kilometres further up in the forest is Römerkastell Saalburg, a Roman fort on the Limes frontier wall, which Emperor Wilhelm II had rebuilt around 1900. The Limes is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and at Saalburg you walk through the gate, between the barracks and into the commander’s house.

Admission to Saalburg costs 7 euros (around £6) for adults, and city bus 5 runs from the square in front of Bad Homburg station, but only four times a day. The fort is closed on Mondays and open from 10am to 6pm from March to October and until 4pm in winter. S-Bahn S5 runs from the centre to Bad Homburg in about 20 minutes.

Check the bus timetable before you set off, or take a taxi for the last stretch. Have lunch in the Roman tavern at Saalburg, and round off the day in the Kurpark on your way back.

18. Day Trip to Rüdesheim and the Rhine Valley

Rüdesheim am Rhein sits where the Rhine turns into the narrow valley between the vine-covered hills, and the town is the gateway to the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In Drosselgasse the wine taverns stand side by side, and from the town a cable car glides over the vineyards up to the Niederwalddenkmal, the huge Germania monument overlooking the river. From here, boats continue down the Rhine past castles and wine villages towards the Loreley, and if you’d like to carry on all the way to Cologne, you can see where to stay in Cologne.

The cable car costs €7.50 (around £6) one way and €12 (around £10) return and runs from spring until early November. The regional train from Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof gets you there in about an hour and a quarter, and if you’d rather drive along the river yourself, you can hire a car in Frankfurt.

Take the cable car up and walk back down through the vineyards, and come on a weekday, because Drosselgasse gets packed at weekends in summer.

Book a guided day trip from Frankfurt to the Rhine Valley with a boat trip and wine tasting here.

Practical Travel Tips for Frankfurt

The U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams and buses all come under RMV and use the same tickets. A single ticket in Frankfurt costs €3.80 (around £3.20) and a day ticket €7.75 (around £6.50), and you can buy them from the machines at the stations or in the RMV app. The day ticket pays for itself if you’re making more than two journeys, and from the airport the S8 and S9 take you to Hauptbahnhof and Hauptwache in about 15 minutes. The Frankfurt Card gives you free public transport and discounts at many museums, but the MuseumsuferTicket is usually the better buy if you’re mainly visiting museums.

Check the trade fair calendar before you book, as hotel prices shoot up during the big trade fairs. The Christmas market on Römerberg from late November is one of the best times to visit, and in summer the banks of the Main and the courtyards of the apple wine taverns are at their best. If you’d like the full range of accommodation, you can see all hotels in Frankfurt on Booking.com, and in my guide you can read which areas of Frankfurt I recommend.

If you have an extra day, Heidelberg with its castle and old bridge is about an hour away by train, and there are also guided tours out there.

Book a guided day trip from Frankfurt to Heidelberg here.

If you’re heading further south, the ICE train to Munich takes about three and a half hours. I’ve put together the best things to do in Munich, and in another guide you can see where to stay in Munich.

The post Things to Do in Frankfurt: 18 Experiences Between the Skyscrapers and the Apple Wine Taverns appeared first on Destination Well Known.

So where should you stay in Frankfurt? It depends a lot on whether you’re coming for a holiday, a trade fair or just passing through by train. Here are my six suggested areas and three hotels in each.

Where to Stay in Frankfurt: The Best Areas

• Altstadt (Old Town) - best area for first-time visitors
• Innenstadt & Zeil - best area for shopping and a central base
• Sachsenhausen - best area for apple wine and museums
• Bahnhofsviertel - best area for trains and nightlife
• Westend & Messe - best area for trade fair visitors
• Nordend & Bornheim - best area for a local feel

Below, I go through the areas one by one with a map, transport, price level and three hotels in each. The prices come from a search for a November weekend for two people, and they rise sharply when there’s a major trade fair in town. During the biggest fairs, a night can easily cost double, and the central hotels sell out well in advance, so check the trade fair calendar before you book.

1. Altstadt (Old Town) - best area for first-time visitors 🏛️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re right in the historic core. From Römerberg, it’s a five-minute walk to Hauptwache and Zeil and two minutes down to the Main.
• 🚇 Transport: U-Bahn U4 and U5 from Dom/Römer, and S-Bahn from Hauptwache and Konstablerwache, both a couple of minutes’ walk away.
• ✈️ Time from Frankfurt Airport: About 15 minutes on the S-Bahn S8 or S9 to Hauptwache, then a five-minute walk. A single ticket from the airport into the city costs about €6.90 (around £5.80).
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £90 to £215 per night when I searched for a November weekend.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and busy until late. Watch out for pickpockets on Römerberg, especially during the Christmas market, when it’s packed.

Altstadt is Frankfurt’s Old Town, and this is where you’ll find the half-timbered houses that grace the postcards. Most of it was bombed to pieces in the Second World War, but on Römerberg stands the Römer, the city hall since the 15th century, and just behind the square lies the Dom-Römer quarter with narrow lanes and houses rebuilt from old drawings. The new Old Town between the Römer and the cathedral was completed in 2018, so although it all looks old, much of it is actually new.

The Imperial Cathedral of St Bartholomew rises above the rooftops with its 95-metre tower, and this is where the Holy Roman Emperors were crowned from 1562 to 1792, as you can read more about on the cathedral’s own website. A few minutes away is the Paulskirche, where Germany’s first democratically elected parliament met in 1848, and from Römerberg you can walk straight down to the Eiserner Steg, the old footbridge over the Main with views of the skyline.

See hotels in Altstadt here.

I’d stay here if it’s your first trip to Frankfurt, if you’re coming for the Christmas market on Römerberg, or if you only have a couple of days and want to walk everywhere. The Christmas market is one of the oldest in Germany and fills the square and the streets down towards the river from late November until just before Christmas.

The downside is that there are few hotels in the Old Town itself, and they’re expensive for what you get. It also gets quiet in the evening once the day-trippers have gone, and the restaurants around Römerberg mostly cater to tourists. You’re better off crossing the river to Sachsenhausen when it’s time to eat.

Hotels in Altstadt

Steigenberger Icon Frankfurter Hof - the city’s classic grand hotel on Kaiserplatz

The Frankfurter Hof has stood on Kaiserplatz since 1876 and is Frankfurt’s best-known five-star hotel, with a spa, sauna, hammam and several restaurants. It sits on the edge of the Old Town, so it’s under ten minutes’ walk to Römerberg and the same down to the Main. Some rooms are showing their age, and a few guests have heard traffic from the street, so ask for a quiet room when you book.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Everything went perfectly. The hotel is beautiful, and the rooms are well equipped and clean.”

See photos and book Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof here.

Hotel Schopenhauer Hof - modern four-star hotel by the Main

Hotel Schopenhauer Hof is on Schöne Aussicht, the street along the Main at the eastern end of the Old Town, where the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer spent his final years. The rooms are modern and around 22 square metres, there’s a bar and terrace, and it’s a five to ten-minute walk to Römerberg and the Eiserner Steg. There’s no spa, and some guests miss free water in the room.

From a review: “Fantastic location. Clean, modern, larger and comfortable room.”

See photos and book Hotel Schopenhauer Hof here.

Motel One Frankfurt-Römer - budget design hotel three minutes from Römerberg

Motel One Frankfurt-Römer is on Berliner Straße between Römerberg and Zeil and follows the chain’s familiar formula of small, well-designed rooms of around 16 square metres, good beds and a lounge bar on the ground floor. It was the cheapest of the three when I searched, and the hotel has over 8,000 reviews on Booking.com. Berliner Straße is a wide, busy road, and some guests have struggled to get breakfast on busy days.

One guest highlights: “Very modern hotel, the staff were very friendly, and the room was perfect for me.”

See photos and book Motel One Frankfurt-Römer here.

2. Innenstadt & Zeil - best area for shopping and a central base 🛍️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re right in the centre. From Hauptwache it’s a five-minute walk to Römerberg and ten minutes to the River Main.
• 🚆 Transport: Hauptwache and Konstablerwache are the city’s big underground hubs, where almost every S-Bahn line and many U-Bahn lines stop.
• ✈️ Time from Frankfurt Airport: Around 15 minutes on the S8 or S9 straight to Hauptwache or Konstablerwache, with no changes.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £75 to £160 per night when I searched for a weekend in November.
• 👮 Safety: Busy and safe during the day. People hang around Konstablerwache in the evening, so stick to well-lit streets if you’re out late.

Innenstadt is Frankfurt’s shopping centre, and its main street is the Zeil, a wide pedestrian street running from Hauptwache to Konstablerwache, lined with department stores and chain shops. Halfway along sits the MyZeil shopping centre with its huge glass roof that funnels down through the building, and at Hauptwache stands the small baroque guardhouse that gave the square its name. West of Hauptwache, Fressgass, as Große Bockenheimer Straße is known, leads past restaurants and wine bars towards the Alte Oper.

Just south of the Zeil is the Kleinmarkthalle, the city’s covered food market, where you can buy sausages, cheese and green sauce and enjoy a glass of wine between the stalls, and Goethe’s birthplace is a few minutes’ walk from Hauptwache. If you want to see the skyline from above, the lift in the Main Tower takes you up to an open-air platform 200 metres up. A ticket costs 9 euros (around £7.50), and the platform stays open into the evening.

See hotels in Innenstadt here.

I’d stay here if you want to go shopping, if you’re going to a concert at the Alte Oper, or if you simply want the most practical base in the city. From Hauptwache you can reach almost everything on a single train, including the airport, and you can walk to the Old Town, the museums by the river and the banking district.

The downside is that the Zeil is a fairly ordinary shopping street that looks like many others in Germany, and it gets empty and a bit dreary once the shops close. In the evening, Konstablerwache at the eastern end attracts both homeless people and people who’ve had too much to drink, so choose a hotel at the western end or on a side street if that bothers you.

Hotels in Innenstadt & Zeil

The Westin Grand Frankfurt - five-star hotel with a pool close to the Zeil

The Westin Grand is on Konrad-Adenauer-Straße, a few minutes’ walk from Konstablerwache and the eastern end of the Zeil. There’s an indoor pool, a spa, a gym and several restaurants, and guests particularly praise the beds. The hotel is large and built for business travellers and groups, and some guests find the breakfast in the lounge confusingly organised.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The location, the service, the breakfast and especially the beds were fantastic.”

See photos and book The Westin Grand here.

Moxy Frankfurt City Center - lively design hotel right behind MyZeil

Moxy is on Thurn-und-Taxis-Platz right behind MyZeil, a two-minute walk from Hauptwache. It’s Marriott’s playful chain for younger travellers, with a bar in reception, rooms of around 17 square metres and family rooms of 27. There’s no spa or restaurant, and a few guests miss some very basic things in the room.

From one review: “Everything was perfect, the beds are so comfortable, and the breakfast was good.”

See photos and book Moxy Frankfurt City Center here.

Hotel Zeil - simple budget hotel right on the pedestrian street

Hotel Zeil is at Zeil 12, at the eastern end of the pedestrian street near Konstablerwache. It’s a simple three-star hotel with soundproofed rooms from 12 square metres for singles and 20 for doubles, and the breakfast buffet costs around 12 euros (around £10) extra per person. It was the cheapest of the three when I searched, but the décor is old-fashioned, so it’s not the place if you’re after design.

One guest highlights: “The hotel staff were super nice.”

See photos and book Hotel Zeil here.

3. Sachsenhausen - best area for apple wine and museums 🍏

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Just across the river. From Alt-Sachsenhausen it’s about a 15-minute walk over the Eiserner Steg to Römerberg.
• 🚇 Transport: U-Bahn U1, U2, U3 and U8 from Schweizer Platz and Südbahnhof, plus S-Bahn from Lokalbahnhof and Südbahnhof.
• ✈️ Time from Frankfurt Airport: Around 30 minutes on the S8 or S9 to Konstablerwache and another S-Bahn on to Lokalbahnhof, or around 20 minutes by taxi.
• 💰 Price level: € to €€€. The three hotels below cost from around £55 to £120 a night when I searched for a weekend in November.
• 👮 Safety: Safe. Alt-Sachsenhausen gets noisy at weekends when the bars fill up, but it’s more lively than dangerous.

Sachsenhausen sits on the south bank of the Main, and this is where you need to go if you want to taste Frankfurt’s very own drink. Apple wine, or Ebbelwoi as it’s called in the Hessian dialect, is poured from grey stoneware jugs called Bembel and drunk from ribbed glasses, and many of the classic apple wine taverns are on Schweizer Straße and in the streets around Textorstraße. Order Handkäs mit Musik, a tangy cheese with onions and vinegar, or a Frankfurter Rippchen to go with it, and you’ve tried it all.

Along the river is the Museumsufer, where the museums stand side by side on Schaumainkai. The largest is the Städel, with European art from the Middle Ages to the present day, and a ticket costs 19 euros (around £16) for adults, while children under 12 get in free. The museum is closed on Mondays. In summer, people lounge on the grass by the river, and in the evening you get the city’s best view of the skyline from the Sachsenhausen side.

See hotels in Sachsenhausen here.

I’d stay here if you’re a couple or a group of friends looking for cosy evenings, and if you’re into art. If you want the stories behind it all, you can take a guided apple wine tour with tastings from around 37 euros (around £31), and on set days the Ebbelwei-Express, an old painted tram, runs around the city with apple wine on board. The ride costs 8 euros (around £7) including a bottle of apple wine, apple juice or water and pretzels, so check the timetable before you head down to the stop.

The downside is that Alt-Sachsenhausen, around Große and Kleine Rittergasse, is now more bars and shot bars than cosy taverns, and on Saturdays it can be loud and full of stag and hen parties. If you stay around Schweizer Straße and the Museumsufer, you get the best of Sachsenhausen without the noise. The area has no proper luxury hotels either, so my most expensive suggestion below is an aparthotel.

Hotels in Sachsenhausen

Star Apart Hotel Sachsenhausen - spacious rooms close to the Museumsufer

Star Apart Hotel is on Gartenstraße, a street running parallel to Schaumainkai, so the Städel and the other museums are a few minutes’ walk away and Schweizer Straße is just around the corner. The rooms are spacious, there’s a sauna and a gym, and breakfast includes both hot dishes and fresh fruit. The hotel faces a busy road, and several guests have heard street noise at night.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Pleasant hotel.”

See photos and book Star Apart Hotel here.

Maingau Hotel - classic mid-range hotel on the edge of Alt-Sachsenhausen

Maingau Hotel is on Schifferstraße between Schweizer Straße and Alt-Sachsenhausen, about a ten-minute walk from the Eiserner Steg. It’s a three-star hotel with a breakfast buffet and family rooms, and the rooms range from 12 to 28 square metres, so check the size before you book. Several guests say the walls are thin, so bring earplugs.

From a review: “Fantastic location, fantastically friendly hotel, fantastic room.”

See photos and book Maingau Hotel here.

Hotel Primus Frankfurt Sachsenhausen - budget hotel right in the apple wine quarter

Hotel Primus is on Große Rittergasse in the middle of Alt-Sachsenhausen, so you have bars and apple wine taverns right outside the door and it’s a 15-minute walk to Römerberg. The rooms are small, 12 to 16 square metres, and simple, but the price was the lowest in this entire guide when I searched. Noise from the bars can be heard at night at weekends, and its Booking.com score is the lowest of my three suggestions in Sachsenhausen.

One guest highlights: “Really good value for money, a clean hotel in a fantastically central location.”

See photos and book Hotel Primus here.

4. Bahnhofsviertel - best area for trains and nightlife 🚆

• 📍 Distance to the centre: About 1.5 kilometres west of Römerberg. From Hauptbahnhof it’s a 20-minute walk to Hauptwache and the Old Town.
• 🚆 Transport: All long-distance trains, S-Bahn trains and several U-Bahn lines leave from Hauptbahnhof, and the U4 and U5 run from there to Dom/Römer in just a few minutes.
• ✈️ Time from Frankfurt Airport: About 12 minutes on the S8 or S9 to Hauptbahnhof, and the RE2, RE3 and RE59 regional trains also run into the city from the airport’s regional station.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £65 to £155 a night when I searched for a weekend in November.
• 👮 Safety: The city’s most talked-about neighbourhood. There’s an open drug scene around Taunusstraße, Niddastraße and Elbestraße, and it can feel unsafe at night. Stick to Kaiserstraße and Münchener Straße, where there are plenty of people about.

Bahnhofsviertel is the neighbourhood between Hauptbahnhof and the banks’ skyscrapers, and it’s Frankfurt’s grittiest district. The streets are lined with handsome Gründerzeit buildings from around 1900, but also with sex shops, amusement arcades and nightclubs, and in some side streets you’ll see open drug use in the middle of the day. You need to know this before you book, because there are lots of cheap hotels by the station, and the photos on booking sites rarely show the street outside.

At the same time, it’s one of the city’s best neighbourhoods for eating and going out. On Münchener Straße, Vietnamese, Turkish and Indian restaurants sit side by side, with cocktail bars, coffee bars and design hotels in between, so the atmosphere changes from street to street. In the evening, this is where lots of young Frankfurters go out, and several of the popular bars are just a few minutes’ walk from the hotels below.

See hotels in Bahnhofsviertel here.

I’d stay here if you’re travelling by train, if you’re only staying a single night, or if you want the city’s best nightlife right on your doorstep. The S-Bahn runs to the airport in about 12 minutes with departures roughly every 10 minutes. If you’re travelling by rail through northern Germany, the journey often goes via Hamburg, and if you want to break it with a night there, I’ve put together my suggestions on where to stay in Hamburg. If you’re heading further south, Munich is just over three hours away by ICE, and my guide to where to stay in Munich can help you there.

The downside is the drug scene. It’s most visible in the northern part of the neighbourhood around Taunusstraße, Niddastraße and Elbestraße, and although there are lots of police on the streets, many people won’t walk there alone late at night. Choose a hotel close to Hauptbahnhof or south of Kaiserstraße towards the Main, and stick to the main streets when you head back.

Hotels in Bahnhofsviertel

Roomers Frankfurt Central - dark, exclusive design hotel with a rooftop spa

Roomers is on Gutleutstraße, a few minutes’ walk south of Hauptbahnhof in the quieter part of the neighbourhood towards the Main. It’s a five-star design hotel with dark, elegant interiors, a bar, a restaurant and a spa with a sauna and steam room on the top floor. Food and drink at the hotel are expensive, and the dark style isn’t for everyone, although most guests get used to it.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The whole family loved our stay here.”

See photos and book Roomers here.

25hours Hotel The Trip - travel-themed hotel with a bar close to the station

25hours Hotel The Trip is on Niddastraße, a few minutes’ walk from Hauptbahnhof. The hotel is decorated with adventurous travel themes, there’s a sauna, a restaurant and a bar, and the rooms range from small to very large. It’s in the northern part of the neighbourhood, where the drug scene is most visible, and some guests feel the furnishings are starting to look worn.

From one review: “I loved this hotel. I stay here every year, and I love the location and how convenient it is.”

See photos and book 25hours Hotel The Trip here.

The Frankfurt - practical hotel right opposite Hauptbahnhof

The Frankfurt is at Am Hauptbahnhof 2, so you step out of the hotel door and you’re standing in front of the station. It’s a simple four-star hotel with a bar and rooms of 16 to 22 square metres, and it was the cheapest of the three when I searched. The breakfast has a limited selection, and from the rooms facing the square you can hear the traffic.

One of the guests highlights: “I had a lovely stay without any problems at all.”

See photos and book The Frankfurt here.

5. Westend & Messe - best area for trade fair visitors 💼

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Around 2 to 3 kilometres west of Römerberg. From Alte Oper at the eastern end of Westend, it’s a 15-minute walk to the Old Town.
• 🚇 Transport: The U4 from Festhalle/Messe, the S-Bahn from Messe station and the U6 and U7 from Westend and Bockenheimer Warte, while trams 16 and 17 run past the trade fair grounds.
• ✈️ Time from Frankfurt Airport: Around 25 minutes on the S8 or S9 to Hauptbahnhof and then the U4 one stop on to Festhalle/Messe, or around 20 minutes by taxi.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost around £75 to £160 a night when I searched for a weekend in November.
• 👮 Safety: One of the city’s safest and most affluent neighbourhoods, and the streets are quiet in the evening.

Westend is Frankfurt’s upmarket residential district, with wide tree-lined avenues, villas and Gründerzeit houses, and it stretches from Alte Oper out towards the Palmengarten and the trade fair grounds. Bankers and diplomats live here, and during the day the area buzzes with students around the university campus by Grüneburgpark. The Palmengarten is the city’s large botanical garden, with glasshouses full of palms and tropical plants, and admission is 9 to 10 euros (around £8), while children and young people under 18 get in free.

To the south, Westend meets Messe Frankfurt, one of the world’s largest trade fair grounds, with the Messeturm and the huge Hammering Man sculpture by the entrance. When a major fair such as the Book Fair, Ambiente or Light + Building is on, there are tens of thousands of extra visitors in town, and hotel prices shoot up across Frankfurt, especially here. So check the trade fair calendar before you book, wherever in the city you plan to stay.

See hotels in Westend and near the trade fair here.

I’d stay here if you’re attending a trade fair, travelling on business, or want peace and quiet and green spaces within walking distance. It’s also a good choice for families, as the Palmengarten and the Senckenberg Natural History Museum, with its huge dinosaur skeletons, are right on your doorstep. If you want to explore the Taunus or the Rheingau wine region on your own, you can find hire cars on Booking.com and be out of the city in half an hour.

The downside is that Westend is quiet in the evening, and bars and restaurants are few and far between compared with the other areas. Around the trade fair it’s mostly offices and wide roads, so if you want some atmosphere, you’ll need to take the U-Bahn into the centre or head over to Leipziger Straße in neighbouring Bockenheim.

Hotels in Westend & Messe

Taj Hessischer Hof Frankfurt - five-star classic right opposite the trade fair

Taj Hessischer Hof sits on Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage directly opposite the trade fair grounds and is one of Frankfurt’s classic grand hotels, now run by the Indian Taj chain. There’s a spa, a gourmet breakfast and large rooms and suites, and guests give the service top marks. A few guests have had problems with the air conditioning in their rooms, and during the major fairs the price is a completely different story from what I found.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The best hotel experience and the best hospitality I have ever had at a hotel.”

See photos and book Taj Hessischer Hof here.

Hotel Palmenhof - stylish hotel in the heart of Westend near the Palmengarten

Hotel Palmenhof is on Bockenheimer Landstraße in the middle of Westend, a few minutes’ walk from the Palmengarten and Westend U-Bahn station. There’s a generous breakfast buffet, spacious rooms and staff that guests praise again and again. Some of the furnishings are old-fashioned, and you can hear the traffic from the street-facing rooms.

From one review: “What a lovely hotel with incredibly polite and helpful staff.”

See photos and book Hotel Palmenhof here.

Premier Inn Frankfurt Westend - budget chain hotel by the trade fair grounds

Premier Inn Frankfurt Westend is on Hamburger Allee on the western edge of Westend, a couple of minutes’ walk from the trade fair grounds. It’s the British chain’s familiar formula, with comfy beds, air conditioning, a restaurant and an underground car park, and it was the cheapest of the three when I searched. Rooms aren’t cleaned daily as standard, so ask at reception if you’d like fresh towels.

One guest highlights: “Everything about this hotel was absolutely exceptional.”

See photos and book Premier Inn Frankfurt Westend here.

6. Nordend & Bornheim - best area for a local feel ☕

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Around 2 kilometres north-east of Römerberg. From Merianplatz it’s a 15-minute walk to Konstablerwache and the Zeil.
• 🚇 Transport: The U4 runs beneath Berger Straße from Bornheim Mitte, Höhenstraße and Merianplatz to Konstablerwache and Dom/Römer, and several tram lines run through Nordend.
• ✈️ Time from Frankfurt Airport: Around 30 minutes on the S8 or S9 to Konstablerwache, then the U4 on to Merianplatz or Bornheim Mitte.
• 💰 Price level: € to €€. The three hotels below cost roughly £60 to £100 a night when I searched for a weekend in November.
• 👮 Safety: A quiet, safe residential area with plenty of life on the streets in the evening around Berger Straße and Friedberger Platz.

Nordend and Bornheim are the neighbourhoods north-east of the centre where lots of young families and creative locals live, and this is where you’ll see the city without the skyscrapers and suits. Nordend is built around Gründerzeit houses with balconies, tree-lined streets and little squares such as Friedberger Platz, where the Friday market is known for turning into one big open-air party once people finish work.

Berger Straße is the backbone of it all, a long street of cafés, bookshops, wine bars and small shops that starts at Merianplatz and carries on up through Bornheim. Bornheim is nicknamed das lustige Dorf, the merry village, and in the upper part around Bornheim Mitte and the little clock tower, the Uhrtürmchen, you’ll find some of the city’s cosiest apple wine taverns, where you sit side by side with locals rather than tourists.

See hotels in Nordend and Bornheim here.

I’d stay here if you’ve been to Frankfurt before, if you’re staying for several days, or if you’d rather have breakfast at a local bakery than in a hotel restaurant. Günthersburgpark and Bethmannpark, with its Chinese garden, give you some breathing space, and on the U4 you’re still at Konstablerwache in a few minutes. The area is also a good choice if you’re travelling with children, as there are playgrounds in the parks, wide pavements and plenty of restaurants used to families.

The downside is the hotels. Nordend and Bornheim are residential areas with few hotels, so the three suggestions below are on the edges of the area, and many people opt for an apartment instead. You’ll also need to take the U-Bahn or allow for a decent walk every time you want to get to the Old Town or the museums by the river.

Hotels in Nordend & Bornheim

Hotel Alexander am Zoo - four-star hotel with a sauna near the Zoo

Hotel Alexander am Zoo is on Waldschmidtstraße in Ostend, just south of Bornheim and a few minutes’ walk from Frankfurt Zoo and the Zoo U-Bahn station. It’s a four-star hotel with a sauna, steam room, breakfast buffet and 24-hour reception, and it’s about a ten-minute walk up to Berger Straße. Several guests complain that the Wi-Fi is unreliable.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Excellent hotel.”

See photos and book Hotel Alexander am Zoo here.

Turm Hotel - small, quiet hotel by the Eschenheimer Turm

Turm Hotel is on Eschersheimer Landstraße at the south-western end of Nordend, a few minutes’ walk from the medieval Eschenheimer Turm tower and the Eschenheimer Tor U-Bahn station. The rooms are spacious and quiet, but breakfast costs extra, and apart from a bar there aren’t many facilities. From here it’s about a ten-minute walk to Hauptwache and 20 minutes to Berger Straße.

From one review: “Small, quiet hotel with a lovely spacious room.”

See photos and book Turm Hotel here.

City Hotel Mercator - simple budget hotel close to Merianplatz

City Hotel Mercator is on Mercatorstraße, a quiet side street a few minutes’ walk from Merianplatz and the lower end of Berger Straße. It’s a simple three-star hotel with large rooms and breakfast, and it was the cheapest of the three when I searched. Its Booking.com score is one of the lowest in this guide, and parking spaces are limited, so it’s best to come without a car.

One guest highlights: “It’s a simple, good hotel with no nasty surprises.”

See photos and book City Hotel Mercator here.

Where not to stay in Frankfurt?

Don’t stay at the cheapest hotels in the northern part of the Bahnhofsviertel around Taunusstraße and Niddastraße if you feel uneasy walking home alone at night. Gallus, west of the station, is a mixed area of offices, traffic and housing blocks, apart from the new Europaviertel, and Niederrad, south of the river, is an office district that’s completely dead in the evening. The airport hotels only make sense if you have an early flight, and Offenbach, east of Frankfurt, is a separate town with cheaper hotels, but you rarely save enough to make up for the extra travel. And don’t move far out just to save money during a big trade fair, because the suburban hotels will be full too, and you’ll spend your time on the train every day.

If it’s your first trip to Frankfurt, I’d stay in the Altstadt or Innenstadt, where you can walk to everything. If you’re a couple looking for cosy evenings, choose Sachsenhausen, and if you’re travelling by train or want to go out in the evening, the Bahnhofsviertel is the most practical, as long as you know what you’re getting into. If you’re going to a trade fair, stay in Westend, and if you’ve been here before, Nordend and Bornheim give you the local side of Frankfurt.

A single ticket in the city costs 3.80 euros (around £3.20) and a day ticket 7.75 euros (around £6.50), so buy the day ticket if you’ll be taking the U-Bahn and tram several times. Frankfurt is also a good base for day trips, and the Rhine Valley, with its castles and vineyards, is about an hour’s drive away. If you don’t want to drive yourself, you can take a guided day trip to the Rhine Valley with a boat cruise for around 149 euros (around £125). On the ICE you’re in Cologne in just over an hour, and if you take the train along the Rhine past the Loreley instead, the journey takes a couple of hours longer, but the views are worth every minute. If you want to combine the two cities, you can read my guide to where to stay in Cologne.

The post Where to Stay in Frankfurt? The 6 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

Even so, where you stay makes a big difference. Some neighbourhoods are packed with tourists and stag and hen parties, others are quiet and local, and in Deutz you get the best view in the city. Here are my six picks for areas, with three hotels in each.

The Best Areas to Stay in Cologne

• Altstadt-Nord - best area for first-time visitors
• Belgisches Viertel & Friesenviertel - best area for couples, cafés and nightlife
• Ehrenfeld - best area for young and creative travellers
• Südstadt - best area for a cosy, local atmosphere
• Deutz - best area for families and views of the cathedral
• Agnesviertel & Eigelstein - best area for peace and quiet close to the Hauptbahnhof

Below, I go through the areas one at a time with a map, transport, price level and three hotels in each. The prices come from a search for a weekend in May for two people, so expect them to vary with the season, with the big trade fairs and especially with Karneval.

1. Altstadt-Nord - best area for first-time visitors ⛪

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re right in the centre. From the Hauptbahnhof it’s a two-minute walk to the cathedral and ten minutes down to Alter Markt and the Rhine.
• 🚆 Transport: All trains, S-Bahn services and most U-Bahn lines meet at Hauptbahnhof and Dom/Hauptbahnhof. From here you can do the rest on foot.
• ✈️ Time from Cologne Bonn Airport: Around 15 minutes on the S-Bahn S19, which runs every 20 minutes directly to the Hauptbahnhof. A ticket costs €4 (around £3.35).
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £125 to £380 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and busy until late. Watch out for pickpockets on the Domplatte and in Hohe Straße, and avoid Breslauer Platz behind the Hauptbahnhof late in the evening.

Altstadt-Nord is the part of the Old Town north of Heumarkt, and it’s where Cologne begins for most visitors. You step out of the Hauptbahnhof and the cathedral is right in front of you. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996, and its towers are 157 metres tall. A visit costs €12 (around £10) for tourists, while children aged 13 and under and people coming to pray get in free. The tower costs an extra €8 (around £6.70), and it’s 533 steps to the top with no lift.

Right next door is Museum Ludwig, home to one of the world’s largest Picasso collections. A ticket costs €15.40 (around £13), children and young people under 18 get in free, and the museum is closed on Mondays. Behind the cathedral, the Old Town winds down towards the Rhine with Alter Markt, Heumarkt and Fischmarkt, where the narrow, colourful houses stand in front of the Groß St. Martin church. The brewhouses Früh, Peters and Sion are just a few minutes away, and if you want the stories behind them, you can join a guided brewhouse tour with three glasses of Kölsch for around €28 (about £23).

See hotels in Altstadt-Nord here.

I’d stay here if it’s your first trip to Cologne, if you’re coming for the Christmas markets, or if you’re travelling by train. The Christmas market in front of the cathedral is the best known of them all. From the airport, the S19 takes around 14 minutes, and if you’re arriving by train from elsewhere in Europe, the station is right on your doorstep. If you’re breaking the journey with a night in Hamburg, my guide to where to stay in Hamburg can help you.

The downside is that Altstadt-Nord is expensive and crowded from morning to night. In the evenings, stag and hen parties take over Alter Markt and Heumarkt, so pick a hotel on a side street if you want an early night, and steer clear of the cheapest hotels around Breslauer Platz behind the Hauptbahnhof.

Hotels in Altstadt-Nord

Excelsior Hotel Ernst am Dom - grand hotel with cathedral views

Excelsior Hotel Ernst has stood on Domplatz since 1863 and is Cologne’s classic five-star hotel, with a spa, steam room, restaurant and service that guests rate very highly. Many rooms look straight across at the cathedral’s façade, and it’s a two-minute walk to the train. Some guests feel that parts of the décor could do with updating, though, and the price is the highest in this whole guide.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The location is absolutely perfect.”

See photos and book Excelsior Hotel Ernst here.

Eden Hotel Früh am Dom - sleep above the city’s best-known brewhouse

The hotel is on Sporergasse just behind the cathedral and belongs to the Früh am Dom brewhouse, so you have Kölsch and Himmel un Ääd on the ground floor. The rooms are simple and smart, there are family rooms, and from some of them you can look straight up at the cathedral’s towers. It’s a three-star hotel with four-star prices in high season, and a few guests complain that the pillows are too soft.

From one review: “The location was fantastic, and the view of the cathedral was superb.”

See photos and book Eden Hotel Früh am Dom here.

Hotel Sandmanns am Dom - small, quiet, adults-only hotel

Hotel Sandmanns is on An den Dominikanern, a quiet street a five-minute walk from both the cathedral and the Hauptbahnhof. It’s a small, adults-only hotel with soundproofed rooms and the option of contactless check-in, and it was the cheapest of my three suggestions here when I searched. There’s no lift, so if you’re travelling with a heavy suitcase or have trouble walking, ask for a room on a lower floor.

One guest highlights: “Really good location and a lovely quiet hotel.”

See photos and book Hotel Sandmanns am Dom here.

2. Belgisches Viertel & Friesenviertel - best area for couples, cafés and nightlife 🍸

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Around 1.5 kilometres west of the cathedral. From Brüsseler Platz it’s a 20-minute walk to the cathedral and 10 minutes to Neumarkt.
• 🚇 Transport: U-Bahn from Friesenplatz (including line 5 to Dom/Hauptbahnhof) and from Rudolfplatz (line 1 to Neumarkt and Heumarkt). You can get to most places on foot.
• ✈️ Time from Köln/Bonn Airport: Around 30 minutes on the S19 to Hauptbahnhof, then the U-Bahn or a taxi onwards.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€. The three hotels below cost around £110 to £190 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and lively. Along Hohenzollernring and in Zülpicher Viertel it gets loud at weekends, so stay on a side street if you want to sleep.

The Belgisches Viertel (Belgian Quarter) gets its name from its streets, which are named after Belgian cities: Brüsseler Straße, Antwerpener Straße and Lütticher Straße. The district was built around 1900, and many of the ornate façades are still standing. At its heart is Brüsseler Platz with the church of St. Michael, where half of Cologne sits on the steps and kerbs with a bottle of Kölsch in summer. Around the square you’ll find small shops selling clothes, records and design, coffee bars and restaurants whose cuisine changes from one street to the next.

Friesenviertel lies just to the north-east, between Friesenplatz and Hohenzollernring, and is more of a nightlife area than a residential one. On Friesenstraße you’ll find Päffgen, where Kölsch is brewed on site and carried out in wreath-shaped trays, and round the corner are the Ringe, with clubs and cocktail bars. The atmosphere reminds me of a smaller version of Berlin’s Prenzlauer Berg, and if you like that kind of neighbourhood, I’ve also written about where to stay in Berlin.

See hotels in Belgisches Viertel and Friesenviertel here.

If you’re wondering where to stay in Cologne as a couple or a group of friends who want good cafés by day and bars by night without staying in the middle of the tourist crowds, this is the area I’d choose. Stadtgarten, with its beer garden and jazz club, and Mediapark are also within walking distance, and Rudolfplatz is one of the places where the Christmas markets open at the end of November.

The downside is the noise. At times Brüsseler Platz gets so packed in the evenings that the neighbours have been complaining for years, and Zülpicher Viertel, south of Rudolfplatz, is Cologne’s student quarter, where the partying goes on late into the night, especially during Karneval. Choose a hotel with soundproofed windows or on a side street such as Lütticher Straße.

Hotels in Belgisches Viertel & Friesenviertel

Lindner Hotel Cologne City Plaza - large four-star hotel with the city’s best breakfast buffet

Lindner Hotel Cologne City Plaza is on Magnusstraße in Friesenviertel, a five-minute walk from both Friesenplatz and Brüsseler Platz. It’s a large four-star hotel with a sauna, gym, restaurant and a breakfast buffet that guests praise again and again. A few mention that the curtains are too narrow to block out the light completely, so bring an eye mask.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The breakfast was excellent: every option you could imagine.”

See photos and book Lindner Hotel Cologne City Plaza here.

Ruby Ella Hotel Cologne - small, stylish rooms and a bar on Hohenzollernring

Ruby Ella is on Hohenzollernring, with the Belgisches Viertel right behind the hotel and Friesenplatz round the corner. The concept is small, thoughtfully designed rooms with good beds and soundproofed windows, plus a ground-floor bar with live music on some evenings, but no restaurant. Several guests miss having a fridge and coffee in the room.

From a review: “The staff were fantastic.”

See photos and book Ruby Ella Hotel Cologne here.

Chelsea Hotel - art hotel in the heart of the Belgisches Viertel

Chelsea Hotel on Jülicher Straße is the neighbourhood’s art hotel. Over the years, artists have paid for their stays with works that now hang everywhere, and the steel-and-glass rooftop extension is a landmark in its own right. The rooms are simple, there’s a café, bar and terrace, and you’re right by Brüsseler Platz at the lowest price of my three suggestions. Some guests say the towels could be softer.

One guest highlights: “The friendliest staff ever.”

See photos and book Chelsea Hotel here.

3. Ehrenfeld - best area for young and creative travellers 🎨

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Around 3 to 4 kilometres west of the cathedral. It’s too far to walk every day, but the U-Bahn runs frequently.
• 🚇 Transport: U-Bahn lines 3 and 4 run under Venloer Straße to Friesenplatz and Neumarkt, and the S-Bahn gets you from Köln-Ehrenfeld to Hauptbahnhof in under 10 minutes.
• ✈️ Time from Cologne Bonn Airport: Around 25 minutes on the S19, which runs directly from the airport via Hauptbahnhof to Köln-Ehrenfeld.
• 💰 Price level: €€. The three hotels below cost around £120 to £140 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• 👮 Safety: A typical city neighbourhood. Venloer Straße is buzzing until late, and the side streets are quiet. Watch out for the fast-moving cyclists.

Ehrenfeld was once Cologne’s working-class and factory district, and you can still see it in the Heliosturm, the little lighthouse in the middle of the city that an electrical factory built as an advertisement in the 1880s. Today it’s the city’s creative quarter, with street art on the gable walls and under the railway arches by Bahnhof Ehrenfeld, record shops, vintage stores, music venues such as Live Music Hall and plenty of cheap places to eat serving food from all over the world along Venloer Straße.

The neighbourhood is big, so get your bearings from Venloer Straße, which runs through it all like a backbone, and from the side street Körnerstraße, home to the best cafés and small shops. In the evening, the draw is the bars around Venloer Straße and Körnerstraße and the music venues by the station, and you can easily have a great night out without crossing Innere Kanalstraße towards the centre.

See hotels in Ehrenfeld here.

I’d stay here if you’re young or young at heart and would rather have a neighbourhood where people actually live than a view of the cathedral. In return, you get the city’s best choice of cheap food, from Turkish grill bars to Vietnamese noodle soup kitchens, and bars where you stand shoulder to shoulder with the locals. The choice of hotels is thin, though: Ehrenfeld mostly has aparthotels and a few smaller hotels, which is one of the reasons prices aren’t lower than in the centre, even though you’re staying further out.

The downside is the distance. You’ll need the U-Bahn or S-Bahn every time you want to head in to the cathedral, and late at night the trains run less often. Street art and industrial charm aren’t everyone’s cup of tea either, and parts of the neighbourhood towards Ehrenfeldgürtel and Innere Kanalstraße are mostly traffic and concrete.

Hotels in Ehrenfeld

Hotel Imperial - classic four-star hotel with its own car park

Hotel Imperial is on Barthelstraße at the eastern end of Ehrenfeld, a few minutes’ walk from Venloer Straße and ten minutes from Hans-Böckler-Platz/Bahnhof West. It’s a four-star hotel with a bar, terrace, air conditioning and its own car park, and it’s the most classic of my three picks out here. Some guests feel it’s a long way to the centre, but the U-Bahn and S-Bahn at Bahnhof West sort that out in a few minutes.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel is so warm, clean and cosy.”

See photos and book Hotel Imperial here.

STAYERY Cologne Ehrenfeld - aparthotel with kitchens right next to Live Music Hall

STAYERY is an aparthotel on Vogelsanger Straße with kitchenettes in the rooms, a laundry, a shared lounge and 24-hour self check-in. You’re right next to Live Music Hall and in the middle of Ehrenfeld’s nightlife, and its Booking.com score is the highest in this entire guide. The downside is that noise from the club next door can be heard in some rooms at weekends.

From a review: “Love how easy the self check-in is, and the location was perfect for live music clubs, food and drinks.”

See photos and book STAYERY Cologne Ehrenfeld here.

Numa Cologne Ehrenfeld - digital budget hotel right on Venloer Straße

Numa Cologne Ehrenfeld is right on Venloer Straße, a couple of minutes’ walk from Piusstraße U-Bahn station. It’s digital all the way: you check in on your phone, there’s no reception, but there’s a small gym, a laundry and simple, soundproofed rooms. The price was the lowest of the three when I searched, but several guests say the rooms look better in the photos than in real life.

One guest highlights: “The location of the place was really good.”

See photos and book Numa Cologne Ehrenfeld here.

4. Südstadt - best area for a cosy, local atmosphere 🍺

• 📍 Distance to the centre: About 2 kilometres south of the cathedral. From Chlodwigplatz it’s a 25-minute walk to the cathedral and 10 minutes to Rheinauhafen.
• 🚋 Transport: Lines 15 and 16 from Chlodwigplatz and Severinstraße, and line 16 runs directly to Neumarkt and Dom/Hauptbahnhof.
• ✈️ Time from Cologne Bonn Airport: About 35 to 40 minutes on the S19 to Hauptbahnhof and then line 16, or 20 to 25 minutes by taxi.
• 💰 Price level: €€. The three hotels below were around £110 to £140 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• 👮 Safety: One of the city’s safest neighbourhoods, with life on the streets until late. Chlodwigplatz is a busy transport hub, so watch out for trams and bikes.

Südstadt is the neighbourhood locals have in mind when they say Veedel, meaning a proper local quarter. It starts at Severinstorburg, the medieval city gate on Chlodwigplatz, and stretches up Severinstraße towards the Old Town and out towards the Rhine and the Volksgarten park. There are bakeries, brewpubs such as Früh em Veedel, small wine bars and Italian restaurants, and you quickly notice that people greet each other in the street.

Down by the Rhine lies Rheinauhafen, the old harbour, which has been redeveloped with the three Kranhäuser, office and residential buildings shaped like harbour cranes, and a long promenade where you can go for a run or an evening stroll. This is also where you’ll find the Schokoladenmuseum, with Lindt as its partner, and entry costs €17.50 (around £15) on weekdays and €19 (around £16) at weekends. The Christmas market on the harbour in front of the museum is one of the cosiest in the city, and Südstadt holds its own little Veedelsadvent on Chlodwigplatz.

See hotels in Südstadt here.

I’d stay here if you’ve been to Cologne before, or if you’d simply rather spend your evenings in a local pub than on Heumarkt. Südstadt is also a good choice during Carnival, because the neighbourhood has its own parades and parties, but you can retreat to quieter streets when you’ve had enough.

The downside is that you’ll need to take the tram or walk for half an hour every time you want to get to the cathedral, and the choice of hotels is limited. Most are at the northern end towards Severinstraße and Rheinauhafen, so if you want to stay right down by Chlodwigplatz, you’ll need to look at apartments.

Hotels in Südstadt

Novotel Köln City - the most comfort, with a garden near Rheinauhafen

Novotel Köln City is on Bayenstraße between Severinstraße and Rheinauhafen, a five-minute walk from the Schokoladenmuseum. It’s a large four-star hotel with a sauna, gym, garden, restaurant and family rooms, and breakfast is served until late. The underground car park is handy if you’re arriving by car, but spaces can fill up on busy days.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The breakfast was fantastic, and it was available until 12 noon.”

See photos and book Novotel Köln City here.

Hopper Hotel St. Josef - design hotel in a former convent

Hopper Hotel St. Josef is housed in a former convent on Dreikönigenstraße, a quiet side street close to Severinstraße. The hotel is decorated with art and designer furniture, and there’s a sauna, a small gym, a bar and a courtyard garden where you can sit in summer. Some of the rooms in the old building are small, so ask for one of the larger ones if there are two of you.

From one review: “Beautifully decorated hotel in a quiet residential area.”

See photos and book Hopper Hotel St. Josef here.

Mercure Hotel Severinshof Köln City - reliable chain hotel on Severinstraße

Mercure Hotel Severinshof is on Severinstraße, where Südstadt meets the Old Town, and it’s a ten-minute walk to Heumarkt and the same to Chlodwigplatz. It’s a reliable chain hotel with a sauna, gym, restaurant and underground car park, and it was the cheapest of the three when I searched. Several guests say the rooms are a little worn in places, though.

One guest highlights: “The hotel is good. The room was clean, and the staff were friendly.”

See photos and book Mercure Hotel Severinshof here.

5. Deutz - best area for families and views of the Cathedral 🌉

• 📍 Distance to the centre: About 1 kilometre. Crossing the Hohenzollernbrücke, it’s a 15-minute walk from the Rheinboulevard to the Cathedral.
• 🚆 Transport: S-Bahn and regional trains from Köln Messe/Deutz to the Hauptbahnhof in just a few minutes, and lines 1 and 9 across the Deutzer Brücke to Heumarkt and Neumarkt.
• ✈️ Time from Cologne Bonn Airport: About 12 minutes on the S19 direct to Köln Messe/Deutz, which is the stop just before the Hauptbahnhof.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £105 to £235 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and quiet, but the streets around the Messe are deserted in the evening when there’s no trade fair or concert on. Stick to the well-lit streets leading down to the Rhine.

Deutz sits on the other side of the Rhine, and this is where you get the postcard view of Cologne that everyone knows: the Cathedral, Great St. Martin and the Hohenzollernbrücke reflected in the river. The Rheinboulevard is the wide flight of steps along the water where half the city sits with a Kölsch as the sun sets behind the Cathedral, and from the viewing platform at the top of the KölnTriangle you can see it all from above. The Hohenzollernbrücke, with its thousands of love locks, takes you straight across to the Hauptbahnhof in about a quarter of an hour.

Deutz is also Cologne’s trade fair and events district, home to the Koelnmesse and the Lanxess Arena, and a little further north lies the Rheinpark, where the Kölner Seilbahn cable car glides over the Rhine to the Zoo and Flora on the opposite bank. A single ride costs €5.50 (around £4.60) and a return €9.50 (around £8), and it runs in the summer season and on some Advent weekends, so check the dates before you promise the kids anything.

See hotels in Deutz here.

I’d choose Deutz if you’re travelling as a family, if you’re going to a concert at the Lanxess Arena or a trade fair, or if you want the view without paying Old Town prices for it. There’s space, underground car parks and new hotels with pools, and it’s the easiest place in the city to have a car. If you fancy a day out in the Rhine Valley or the Eifel, this is also the most sensible place to pick up hire cars from Booking.com.

The downside is the atmosphere. Deutz isn’t an area you’d stroll around in the evening just for the fun of it, as the streets between the Messe and the station are wide and dull, and there are few restaurants compared with the other side of the river. Check the trade fair calendar before you book too: during the big fairs such as gamescom and Anuga, prices shoot up and many hotels sell out well in advance.

Hotels in Deutz

Hyatt Regency Köln - five-star hotel with a pool and the best view of the Cathedral

Hyatt Regency Köln is on Kennedy-Ufer right by the Hohenzollernbrücke, and the view of the Cathedral from the river-facing rooms is the reason to stay here. There’s an indoor pool, spa, gym, restaurant and a bar with a terrace overlooking the Rhine, and it’s a 15-minute walk across the bridge to the Old Town. Breakfast is pricey, around €40 (around £35) per person, so consider having it at a café in the Old Town instead.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The room was really good, beautiful and clean, and the bed was comfortable.”

See photos and book Hyatt Regency Köln here.

Adina Apartment Hotel Cologne - apartments with kitchens and an indoor pool

Adina Apartment Hotel is on Hans-Imhoff-Straße just behind the Lanxess Arena and Köln Messe/Deutz. The apartments have kitchens, and the larger types have a separate bedroom, plus there’s an indoor pool, sauna, gym and restaurant, which makes it my top pick for families in Cologne. The underground car park is handy but expensive, so check the price before you book if you’re driving.

From a review: “The staff are so friendly and welcoming.”

See photos and book Adina Apartment Hotel Cologne here.

Motel One Köln-Messe - budget design hotel three minutes from the train

Motel One Köln-Messe is next door to the Adina and follows the chain’s usual formula: small, well-designed rooms with good beds, a stylish lounge bar and low prices. From the hotel door, it’s a three-minute walk to Köln Messe/Deutz and 15 minutes to the Rheinboulevard. The rooms really are small, so if there are two of you with large suitcases, it’ll be a squeeze.

One guest highlights: “Fantastic location, very clean hotel and friendly, helpful staff.”

See photos and book Motel One Köln-Messe here.

6. Agnesviertel & Eigelstein - best area for peace and quiet near the Hauptbahnhof 🏡

• 📍 Distance to the centre: About 1.5 kilometres north of the cathedral. From the Agneskirche it’s a 15 to 20-minute walk to the Hauptbahnhof, and from Eigelstein just 5 to 10.
• 🚇 Transport: U-Bahn from Ebertplatz, where lines 16 and 18, among others, stop at Dom/Hauptbahnhof after two stops, and from Reichenspergerplatz.
• ✈️ Time from Cologne Bonn Airport: About 30 minutes on the S19 to the Hauptbahnhof, then on foot or two stops on the U-Bahn.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £105 to £155 a night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• 👮 Safety: Agnesviertel is quiet and well kept. Ebertplatz and a few corners of Eigelstein have had problems with cannabis dealing, and the square isn’t somewhere to hang around late at night, but walking through is no problem.

Agnesviertel is the attractive, quiet neighbourhood just north of the Ring, built around the Agneskirche, a neo-Gothic church from the late 19th century and one of the largest in the city. The streets are wide and lined with Gründerzeit houses with stucco and bay windows, and along Neusser Straße you’ll find bakeries, bookshops, wine merchants and cafés with a mostly local clientele. Fort X with its rose garden and the green belt along Theodor-Heuss-Ring give you breathing space you won’t get in the Old Town.

To the south, the neighbourhood merges into Eigelstein, the old approach road with the Eigelsteintorburg city gate at the end. The street has a completely different character: Turkish restaurants and bakeries on Weidengasse, the Em Kölsche Boor brewhouse, small bars and a couple of the city’s best design hotels. From here it’s just a five to ten-minute walk to the Hauptbahnhof and the cathedral, so you get peace and quiet without sacrificing location.

See hotels in Agnesviertel and around Eigelstein here.

I’d stay here if you want to sleep well, wake up in a neighbourhood with proper bakeries and still be able to walk to the cathedral and the train. It’s a good choice for slightly older travellers and for anyone arriving by train who wants to avoid the hotels right next to the Hauptbahnhof. Agnesviertel is also an obvious place to stay during the Christmas markets, because you’re close by without being in the middle of the crowds.

The downside is Ebertplatz, the large sunken square between Agnesviertel and Eigelstein, which for many years has been the city’s most controversial spot because of cannabis dealing. The city has smartened it up with lights, art and fountains, and during the day there’s no problem, but late at night most people go around it. There are also few hotels, so book well ahead.

Hotels in Agnesviertel & Eigelstein

Hotel Santo - four-star design hotel on a side street off Eigelstein

Hotel Santo is on Dagobertstraße, a side street off Eigelstein, a five-minute walk from the Hauptbahnhof. It’s a four-star design hotel with a bar, air conditioning, an underground car park and rooms that are larger than at most hotels near the station. Some guests find the beds too firm, so ask at reception if you’d like a softer mattress topper.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Everything about the hotel was clean, comfortable and efficient.”

See photos and book Hotel Santo here.

Hotel Viktoria - Gründerzeit villa on the edge of Agnesviertel

Hotel Viktoria occupies a Gründerzeit villa on Worringer Straße facing Theodor-Heuss-Ring, right where Agnesviertel begins. There’s a 24-hour reception, room service and breakfast in a lounge with stucco and tall windows, and the U-Bahn at Ebertplatz is a few minutes’ walk away. The rooms vary in size, and the smallest are exactly that: small.

From a review: “Clean, well located, friendly and quick staff.”

See photos and book Hotel Viktoria here.

URBAN LOFT Cologne - modern loft hotel right on Eigelstein

URBAN LOFT Cologne is right on Eigelstein in a newer building with a café, bar, roof terrace and gym. The rooms have a loft feel with raw walls and large windows, and the price was the lowest of the three when I searched, even though its rating is the highest. Parking in the basement costs extra, and the street can be lively at night, so ask for a room away from the street.

One guest highlights: “The staff were so friendly and accommodating.”

See photos and book URBAN LOFT Cologne here.

Where not to stay in Cologne?

Kalk and most of Mülheim on the other side of the Rhine are large, mixed neighbourhoods with cheap hotels, but they’re a long way from everything you’ve come for, and the area around Kalker Hauptstraße and Wiener Platz in particular isn’t the Cologne you’ve been dreaming of. Chorweiler in the far north is a suburb of tower blocks and not relevant for tourists at all. Also avoid the cheapest hotels behind the Hauptbahnhof on Breslauer Platz, where the atmosphere turns grim after dark, and don’t stay at the airport unless you have a 6am flight.

And then there’s Carnival. From Weiberfastnacht to Ash Wednesday, a week in February or March, the city is sold out and far more expensive than usual, and Zülpicher Viertel and the Old Town become one big round-the-clock party. If you love that, book six months ahead. If you don’t, pick another week.

If it’s your first trip to Cologne, I’d stay in Altstadt-Nord and spend the money on a hotel with a view of the cathedral, or in Agnesviertel if you want peace and quiet and can still walk everywhere. If you’re a couple who want to go out in the evening, choose the Belgian Quarter, and if you’re travelling with children, Deutz gives you the most space for your money. Südstadt is for those who want the local feel, and Ehrenfeld for those who’d rather not see a tourist at all.

Buy a 24-hour ticket for €9.60 (around £8) or a KölnCard from €9 (around £7.50) with free transport and museum discounts if you want to hop on and off the U-Bahn, as a single ticket costs €4 (around £3.35). And if you have more days, Cologne is a great base for travelling on: by train you’re in Brussels in about two hours and Amsterdam in about three, and I have guides to where to stay in Brussels and where to stay in Amsterdam.

The post Where to Stay in Cologne? The 6 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

The towns are spread across the region, and each one suits its own kind of holiday. The base you choose decides how much time you’ll spend in the car. Here are my five best towns to stay in the Harz, with hotels in several price ranges.

The Best Towns in the Harz Mountains

• Wernigerode - best town for first-time visitors and the trip up the Brocken
• Quedlinburg - best town for timber-framed houses and history
• Goslar - best town for culture and excursions in the western Harz
• Thale - best town for hiking in the Bodetal
• Braunlage - best town for winter holidays and active families

Below, I’ll take you through the towns one by one, with a map, practical facts and three hotels in each, from the most expensive to the cheapest, so you can see what suits your trip.

1. Wernigerode - best town for first-time visitors and the trip up the Brocken

• Distance from the centre: You’ll be staying in the town itself. From the town hall on the Marktplatz, it’s just under 800 metres to both the castle and the railway station.
• Transport: Regional trains run to Wernigerode Hauptbahnhof, and the steam trains towards the Brocken leave from the HSB station right next door.
• Time from the airport: Hannover Airport is around 100 km away as the crow flies. Allow around an hour and a half by car.
• Price range: €€ to €€€. This is where you’ll find the biggest choice of hotels in the Harz, but weekends in high season book up quickly.
• Safety: A safe town. Mainly keep an eye out in the crowds around the Marktplatz and on the platform when the steam train is about to leave.

Wernigerode is my first choice if it’s your first trip to the Harz. The town has a colourful Marktplatz with a timber-framed town hall, a castle on the hill above the houses and a station where the narrow-gauge steam trains begin their journey towards the mountains.

The steam train is the reason many people choose Wernigerode in particular. Harzer Schmalspurbahnen runs steam locomotives up the Brockenbahn to Brockenbahnhof at 1,125 metres, and the station in Wernigerode is right next to the main railway station. On the way, the train runs through Nationalpark Harz. So you can get up, walk down to the train and be at the top of the Harz without touching the car.

See hotels in Wernigerode here.

Schloss Wernigerode is the town’s other big attraction. According to the castle’s own website, you’ll pass through almost 40 rooms on two routes, and it takes around 20 minutes to walk up from the Altstadt/Schloss car park. If you’re staying by the Marktplatz, the castle is just as close as the station.

I’d stay inside the town walls or close to them. That way, you can walk to restaurants in the evening and catch the train in the morning without thinking about parking. Hotels further up the valley towards Hasserode are often cheaper, but then the car or the bus becomes part of every day.

The downside is that Wernigerode is popular. During the day, coach groups and day-trippers fill the streets, and in the busiest periods the best hotels are sold out long in advance. Book early if you want to stay in the middle of town. On the other hand, it gets much quieter once the last coaches have left, and then you’ll have the lit-up streets and the Marktplatz almost to yourself in the evening.

Places to Stay in Wernigerode

A-ROSA Gothisches Haus - spa hotel right on the Marktplatz

A-ROSA Gothisches Haus is my pick if you want a great location and a good spa in one. The hotel is on the Marktplatz right by the town hall and has a spa area with a sauna, a steam room and a hot tub, plus a gym, a restaurant and a bar.

The standard rooms are 18 to 20 m², so it’s not the place if you want a big room. Guests also mention that the furniture feels a little worn in places and that there’s no kettle in the rooms.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The staff are fantastic. The breakfast is plentiful and delicious!”

See photos and book A-ROSA Gothisches Haus here.

Boutiquehotel Schloßpalais - indoor pool and views towards the castle

Schloßpalais is just under 300 metres from the Marktplatz, so both the town and the road up to the castle are close at hand. The hotel has a heated indoor pool, a sauna and a steam room, and some rooms have a balcony or a view towards Schloss Wernigerode.

I’d choose it for a couple who’d like to go for a swim after a day in the mountains. There’s parking on site, but don’t expect coffee and tea in the room.

Here’s what one guest highlights on Booking.com: “Beautifully maintained place, cosy rooms, delicious breakfast.”

See photos and book Boutiquehotel Schloßpalais here.

Hotel Alte Brennerei - good-value hotel with a restaurant near the station

Alte Brennerei is my budget choice in Wernigerode. The hotel is on Breite Straße in the Old Town, just under 400 metres from the station where the steam train leaves and around 650 metres from the Marktplatz. The restaurant specialises in schnitzel and regional dishes, and there’s a beer garden in summer.

The single rooms are small, and parking is limited and has to be reserved, so let the hotel know if you’re coming by car.

One guest says on Booking.com: “Excellent breakfast, very good selection.”

See photos and book Hotel Alte Brennerei here.

2. Quedlinburg - best town for timber-framed houses and history

• Distance from the centre: You’ll be staying right in the middle of town. From the Marktplatz, it’s less than 500 metres up to the Stiftskirche on the castle hill.
• Transport: Trains run to Quedlinburg station, just under a kilometre from the Marktplatz. Thale and the Bodetal are around 9 km away.
• Time from the airport: Leipzig/Halle Airport is the nearest. Allow one to one and a half hours by car.
• Price range: €€ to €€€. Lots of small hotels and holiday apartments in old houses.
• Safety: Quiet and safe. The uneven cobblestones are the biggest danger, so wear good shoes, especially when it rains.

Quedlinburg is the town I’d choose if you’re mainly coming to see timber-framed houses. The streets are narrow, the houses crooked and colourful, and it’s a town you’ll get the most out of by wandering around without a plan, both early in the morning and after dark.

The town is on the UNESCO World Heritage List as Collegiate Church, Castle and Old Town of Quedlinburg. UNESCO highlights the large number of high-quality timber-framed houses and calls the Stiftskirche St. Servatius one of the masterpieces of Romanesque architecture. The church stands on the castle hill just above the Old Town.

See hotels in Quedlinburg here.

Once the day-trippers have gone, Quedlinburg gets very quiet. That’s exactly why I’d spend the night here rather than visit the town on a short excursion from somewhere else in the Harz. In the evening, you’ll have the Marktplatz and the surrounding streets almost to yourself, and many hotels are in houses that are part of the experience in themselves.

On the other hand, it’s a less good choice if you want to do a lot of hiking. The town is on the edge of the Harz, so you’ll need a car or a bus to get out to the mountains, and the Bodetal by Thale is the nearest big nature area. If you’re coming from Berlin, Quedlinburg is also one of the towns in the Harz you’ll reach fastest.

Many older houses have steep stairs and no lift. If you have heavy luggage or bad knees, check where the room is before booking, and don’t hesitate to ask the hotel directly. If your trip continues to the German capital, you can read my guide to where to stay in Berlin.

Places to Stay in Quedlinburg

Schlosshotel zum Markgrafen - castle hotel with towers near the Marktplatz

Zum Markgrafen is my luxury choice in Quedlinburg. The hotel is in a building with towers around 250 metres from the Marktplatz and has a sauna, a gym and parking for guests. The rooms are individually decorated, and some have a whirlpool bath.

There’s no lift, and many rooms are on the top floors. The standard room is only 15 m², so I’d choose a deluxe room or a junior suite.

One guest describes their room on Booking.com: “Our room was large and charmingly decorated.”

See photos and book Schlosshotel zum Markgrafen here.

Hotel Zum Bär - family-run hotel right on the Marktplatz

Zum Bär is right on the Marktplatz in two timber-framed houses, and the restaurant serves traditional German food. There’s a breakfast buffet, and you can leave the car in the hotel’s car park just behind the building.

I’d choose it if you want to open the window and look out over the square. The price of that location is that there can be noise from the square, and some rooms are in another building where you’ll have to carry your suitcase up the stairs.

One guest praises the location on Booking.com: “The hotel is perfectly located in the middle of town.”

See photos and book Hotel Zum Bär here.

Apartments anno 1560 - apartments with a kitchen in an old house

Anno 1560 is my budget pick, and it’s apartments rather than a classic hotel. The house is around 100 metres from the Marktplatz, and the apartments have a kitchen with a fridge, a hob and a kettle. There’s private parking on site.

Breakfast isn’t served, but there are cafés and bakeries within walking distance. It suits a couple or a family who’d like to do a bit of cooking themselves.

On Booking.com, one guest writes: “The location was perfect. We parked the car in the private car park and walked everywhere.”

See photos and book Apartments anno 1560 here.

3. Goslar - best town for culture and excursions in the western Harz

• Distance from the centre: You’ll be staying in the largest town in the area. The Kaiserpfalz is around 400 metres from the Marktplatz, and the Rammelsberg mining museum is just under 2 km away.
• Transport: The railway station is around 700 metres from the Marktplatz, and the Old Town is easiest to get around on foot.
• Time from the airport: Hannover Airport is the nearest. Allow around an hour by car.
• Price range: €€ to €€€. Hotels in the Old Town are rarely cheap, but holiday apartments can bring the price down.
• Safety: Safe and fairly quiet in the evening. The cobblestones in the Old Town can be slippery when it rains, so bring shoes with a good grip.

Goslar is my choice if you want a bigger town with restaurants and culture while staying close to the western part of the mountains. The town lies at the foot of the Harz on the side facing Hannover, and it has a Marktplatz where one historic building follows another.

Goslar is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Mines of Rammelsberg, Historic Town of Goslar and Upper Harz Water Management System. UNESCO describes the historic centre as well preserved, with around 1,500 timber-framed houses, and writes that the town was one of the seats of the Holy Roman Empire. The Kaiserpfalz, the great imperial palace, is a few minutes’ walk from the Marktplatz.

See hotels in Goslar here.

The other big draw is Rammelsberg, just south of the town. The mine is now a museum and visitor mine, and you can join guided tours both above and below ground. I’d book the tour in advance, especially if you have a particular tour in mind.

Because Goslar is bigger than the other towns on the list, there’s more going on in the evening and more restaurants to choose from. That makes it a good town for a longer stay, where you drive out on day trips and come back to a proper town in the evening.

The downside is the distance to the eastern part of the Harz. Quedlinburg and Thale are a good hour’s drive away, so if you’re mostly after timber-framed houses and gorges, Wernigerode is better placed. If you’re coming from the north, you can combine Goslar with a few days in northern Germany, and my guide to where to stay in Hamburg can help.

Places to Stay in Goslar

AKZENT Hotel Villa Saxer - four-star villa hotel with a garden and balconies

Villa Saxer is my luxury choice in Goslar. The hotel is around 500 metres from the Marktplatz and has a garden, a terrace, a bar and a sauna. Several rooms have a balcony, and the largest room type has a kitchenette and space for four.

There’s no restaurant for dinner, so you’ll have to go down into town to eat. The driveway to the car park is narrow, and the sauna costs extra.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The room was beautiful, the bed comfortable, and there was plenty of space and a lovely view from the balcony.”

See photos and book AKZENT Hotel Villa Saxer here.

Romantik Hotel Alte Münze - historic hotel around 100 metres from the Marktplatz

Alte Münze is in a historic building around 100 metres from the Marktplatz, so the square, the restaurants and the Kaiserpfalz are all within a few minutes’ walk. The hotel has a restaurant serving German and local food and a large breakfast buffet.

The hotel is spread over three buildings, and only some rooms can be reached by lift. Double rooms start at 18 m², so choose a superior or deluxe room if you want more space.

One guest sums it up like this on Booking.com: “What can I say, from start to finish this hotel delivers.”

See photos and book Romantik Hotel Alte Münze here.

Zauberhaftes Altstadt-Apartment - ground-floor apartment with free parking

The cheapest option in Goslar is an apartment rather than a hotel. Zauberhaftes Altstadt-Apartment measures 52 m², with a bedroom, a living room and a kitchenette, and it’s on the ground floor around 500 metres from the Marktplatz and just over 300 metres from the station. There’s free private parking, which has to be reserved.

The kitchen is simply equipped, so plan to eat out. Check-in isn’t until 5 pm.

Here’s what one guest highlights on Booking.com: “The apartment was clean and well kept.”

See photos and book Zauberhaftes Altstadt-Apartment here.

4. Thale - best town for hiking in the Bodetal

• Distance from the centre: Thale is a small town. From the station, it’s just under 600 metres to the cable car and the entrance to the Bodetal.
• Transport: Direct trains run from Magdeburg to Thale, and the cable car up to the Hexentanzplatz starts close to the station.
• Time from the airport: Leipzig/Halle Airport is the nearest. Thale’s tourist office gives the distance from Leipzig as around 120 km, so allow around an hour and a half by car.
• Price range: € to €€. Often cheaper than in Wernigerode and Quedlinburg.
• Safety: The town is quiet. The paths in the gorge are steep and can be slippery, so wear proper shoes and stay on the marked routes.

Thale is my choice if hiking is the most important part of your trip. The town lies exactly where the River Bode comes out of a deep gorge, and you can walk straight from your hotel into the Bodetal without moving the car.

Above the town, the two viewpoints Hexentanzplatz and Rosstrappe sit on opposite sides of the gorge. You can take the cable car up to the Hexentanzplatz from the valley floor around 600 metres from the station, look out over the valley and walk back down through the forest. It’s one of the best day trips in the Harz, and here you have it right outside your door.

See hotels in Thale here.

Thale is also easy to reach without a car. According to the Bodetal’s own page on getting there, there’s a direct train connection from Magdeburg, with trains running around once an hour. Quedlinburg is only around 9 km away, so you can stay in Thale and head over there for an afternoon.

The town itself isn’t the prettiest in the Harz. It’s more practical than picturesque, and there aren’t many restaurants. On the other hand, you’ll often get more hotel for your money than in Wernigerode and Quedlinburg, and after a long day in the gorge, that’s a good trade. If you want to eat somewhere specific in the evening, book a table, because the choice is limited.

I’d stay close to the station and the cable car. That way, you can walk to the train, the gorge and the Bodetal Therme, the town’s big pool and spa complex, and leave the car where it is. Hotels up by the Hexentanzplatz have great views, but it’s very quiet up there in the evening.

Places to Stay in Thale

Hotelpark Bodetal - hotel and holiday apartments with a pool near the gorge

Hotelpark Bodetal is my top pick in Thale and the most expensive of the three. The complex is around 400 metres from the cable car and 300 metres from the station and has an outdoor pool, a restaurant, a playground and rooms with balconies. There are also apartments of 60 to 68 m² with space for four to six people.

According to the hotel’s information, access to the Bodetal Therme, around 200 metres away, is included, and the number of visits depends on the length of your stay, so check the conditions when you book. It’s especially good for families.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel is in a very nice and quiet part of Thale.”

See photos and book Hotelpark Bodetal here.

Mythenresort Heimdall - four-star hotel right by the station

Heimdall is around 150 metres from Thale station, so it’s my suggestion if you’re arriving by train. The hotel has a sauna, a bar and a breakfast buffet, and several rooms have a balcony with views towards the mountains.

Guests mention that the evening menu is limited and that there can be a little noise from the surroundings. On a hiking holiday where you’re out all day, that matters less.

One guest describes their stay on Booking.com: “The room was clean, and the bed was really comfortable.”

See photos and book Mythenresort Heimdall here.

Hotel & Gasthaus Forelle - simple inn with a good restaurant

Forelle is the cheapest of my three picks in Thale. The inn is in the northern part of town, around 1.3 km from the station, and has a restaurant serving German food, free parking and both double rooms and apartments for four people.

It’s not the place for a quiet night. Guests mention noise from the street and older mattresses, so ask for a room away from the road. The restaurant is small, so book a table for dinner.

One guest praises the food on Booking.com: “Good restaurant!”

See photos and book Hotel & Gasthaus Forelle here.

5. Braunlage - best town for winter holidays and active families

• Distance from the centre: Braunlage is a small town. From the tourist information office, it’s around 450 metres to the Wurmberg cable car.
• Transport: Braunlage isn’t on the railway, so a car is the easiest option. Locally, you can walk or take the bus.
• Time from the airport: Hannover Airport is the nearest. Allow one and a half to two hours by car.
• Price range: € to €€€. Lots of small guesthouses and holiday apartments, plus a few larger spa hotels.
• Safety: A safe town. In winter, the roads up into the mountains can be icy, so drive with winter tyres and check the weather before you set off.

Braunlage is my suggestion for a winter holiday in the Harz or for a family who’d rather be active than look at timber-framed houses. The town sits high in the mountains on the southern side of the Brocken, and here nature, not the historic streets, is the main attraction.

In the middle of it all is the Wurmberg, which you can see from most of the town. Wurmberg-Seilbahn calls it the highest mountain in Lower Saxony, and at 2,800 metres, its cable car is the longest in northern Germany. In winter, there’s skiing and sledging, and in summer you can ride down the mountain on scooters and karts or try the bike park.

See hotels in Braunlage here.

The Brocken is around 8 km north of the town as the crow flies. According to Nationalpark Harz, the summit is 1,141 metres high, and the national park stretches across both Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. If you want to take the steam train up, you’ll first need to get over to the Brockenbahn, in Wernigerode for example.

The town is practical with children. The distances between hotel, mountain and supermarket are short, many places to stay have apartments or family rooms, and there’s enough to do on the mountain for several days. On the other hand, Braunlage is fairly quiet in the evening, and the restaurants are more cosy than exciting.

Without a car, Braunlage gets awkward. The buses run to the larger towns, but expect longer journey times. If you want to ski and see the towns, I’d split the trip between Braunlage and Wernigerode. In summer, Braunlage is also a good base if you’re mainly going to hike and cycle in the high part of the Harz and don’t need much going on in the evening.

Places to Stay in Braunlage

The Hearts Hotel - boutique hotel with outdoor saunas

The Hearts is my luxury choice in Braunlage and best suits couples who want to relax between outings. The hotel has a spa area with one indoor and two outdoor saunas, a gym and a restaurant, and the breakfast buffet has vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes.

The hotel is around 600 metres from the Wurmberg cable car. Guests mention that some rooms are smaller than expected and that the hotel relies heavily on self-service.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The place was fantastic: clean, spacious and well kept.”

See photos and book The Hearts Hotel here.

EchtZeit Hotelquartier - studios and apartments in the middle of town

EchtZeit is centrally located around 400 metres from the Wurmberg cable car, and every unit has a kitchenette with a fridge. There are studios for two, plus apartments and a house with its own sauna for families. The hotel has a ski room and an honesty bar where you help yourself to drinks and pay later.

Parking costs extra, and guests mention that it can get busy in high season. I’d choose it for a family on a skiing holiday.

One guest sums up their stay on Booking.com: “The hotel was perfect. If I had to describe it in one word, it’d be relaxed.”

See photos and book EchtZeit Hotelquartier here.

Ulrichshof - small guesthouse in a quiet neighbourhood

Ulrichshof is my budget choice. The guesthouse is just under 400 metres from the Wurmberg cable car and has double rooms with private bathrooms, a TV and a kettle, plus a breakfast buffet and free parking.

It’s a simple guesthouse, and guests miss eggs at breakfast. For an active holiday where you mostly use the room for sleeping, it’s a good choice.

One guest writes about their stay on Booking.com: “Clean, cosy and very quiet! Very friendly and helpful staff!”

See photos and book Ulrichshof here.

Where should you avoid staying in the Harz Mountains?

I wouldn’t stay at a cheap hotel far out in the countryside if you don’t have a car. The buses in the Harz do run, but departures aren’t frequent, and every excursion turns into a long affair. Choose a town with a railway station instead, such as Wernigerode, Goslar, Quedlinburg or Thale.

I also wouldn’t pick one base and expect to cover the whole region on day trips. It’s a good hour’s drive from Goslar to Thale, and the roads through the mountains are slow. If you have more than four or five days, it’s worth splitting your stay between two towns, for example Goslar in the west and Quedlinburg in the east. That way, you’ll avoid the long drives back and forth.

If I had to choose one town for a first trip, it’d be Wernigerode, for the steam train, the castle and the wide choice of hotels. Quedlinburg is the choice if timber-framed houses and quiet evenings on the square matter most, and Goslar suits you if you want a slightly bigger town with museums and restaurants.

Thale is best for hiking, and Braunlage is the place for winter holidays and active days with children. According to the Harz tourist board, paying the local visitor tax in one of the participating towns gets you a HATIX card with free bus travel in the area, so ask your hotel when you check in.

If your trip continues to a big city afterwards, I’ve also written about things to do in Berlin and the best areas to stay in Hamburg.

The post Where to Stay in the Harz Mountains? The 5 Best Towns & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

You’ve got three real options: the FEX airport train to Hauptbahnhof, the S-Bahn lines S9 and S85, which run straight to Alexanderplatz, Friedrichshain and Prenzlauer Berg, or a taxi. Which one suits you best depends on where you’re staying and when you land. Here you’ll find the fares, the ticket rules, where to get off and what to do at night. For the rough conversions I’ve used about £0.84 and $1.13 per euro.

If you’d rather drive yourself from the airport, you can compare prices on rental cars at Booking.com.

At a glance

• FEX (the airport train): €5 (about £4.20/$5.60) with an ABC ticket, 23 minutes to Hauptbahnhof, runs every 15 to 20 minutes from around 04:00 to 01:00 and about once an hour for the rest of the night.
• S-Bahn S9: €5 (about £4.20/$5.60), around 45 minutes to Alexanderplatz, runs every 20 minutes and all night on Fridays and Saturdays.
• S-Bahn S85: €5 (about £4.20/$5.60), direct to Ostkreuz and Prenzlauer Berg, runs every 20 minutes from morning to evening.
• Express buses X7 and X71: €5 (about £4.20/$5.60), to Rudow U-Bahn station, where you change to the U7 towards Neukölln and Kreuzberg, at least every 10 minutes during the day.
• Night buses: €5 (about £4.20/$5.60), the N60 to Alexanderplatz and the N7X to Zoologischer Garten, for when the trains are infrequent.
• Taxi: Expect €60 to €70 (about £51 to £59, or $68 to $79) to the centre, 35 to 45 minutes depending on traffic.

Finding your transport at the airport

BER has two terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, which are a few minutes’ walk apart. If you land at Terminal 2, follow the signs from arrivals level E0 over to Terminal 1, because everything you need is there. The airport’s railway station, Flughafen BER, lies directly beneath Terminal 1 on level U2, and the FEX, the regional trains and the S-Bahn all leave from here.

Buy your ticket before you go down to the platform, as you can’t buy one on the S-Bahn or the regional trains. According to S-Bahn Berlin, there are ticket machines in Terminal 1 on level E0 close to the baggage reclaim belts, and there are ticket counters on level E0 and on level U1. You can find out more on S-Bahn Berlin’s page about the airport.

The buses stop in front of Terminal 1 on arrivals level E0, where the X7 and X71 express buses leave from stops A6 and A7. Taxis wait at the two ranks north and south of the entrance in front of Terminal 1 on level E0. You can see all the lines and stops on the airport’s public transport page.

1. FEX to Hauptbahnhof, Potsdamer Platz and Südkreuz

The airport train is called the FEX (Flughafen-Express), and it’s the fastest way into the centre. It runs directly between the airport and Berlin Hauptbahnhof with only two stops on the way: Südkreuz after 14 minutes and Potsdamer Platz after 19 minutes. The journey to Hauptbahnhof takes 23 minutes. The train takes the direct line through the southern part of the city and leaves from the station right below the terminal.

From around 04:00 until around 01:00 there’s an FEX train every 15 to 20 minutes, and for the rest of the night it runs about once an hour. At night the train takes a different route through the city, so you can also ride it to Alexanderplatz and Zoologischer Garten. From morning to evening, the RE20 regional train also runs the same way between Hauptbahnhof, Potsdamer Platz, Südkreuz and the airport, and according to the airport, the FEX and the RE20 together run up to five times an hour. You’ll find the timetable and the stops at DB Regio, which runs the FEX.

The FEX suits you if you’re staying in Mitte, near Hauptbahnhof, at Potsdamer Platz or in the western part of the city, where you change to the S-Bahn or U-Bahn at Hauptbahnhof. The catch is that the train doesn’t go to Alexanderplatz during the day. If that’s where you’re heading, the S9 is often just as easy, because you won’t have to change.

Fares and tickets

The airport is in fare zone C, so you need a ticket for the Berlin ABC zones. A single ticket costs €5 (about £4.20/$5.60), and children aged 6 to 14 pay €3.50 (about £3/$3.90). Children under 6 travel free. The ticket is valid for 120 minutes in one direction, and you can change along the way to the S-Bahn, U-Bahn, trams and buses. You can’t use it for a return journey. The fares and rules are listed by BVG.

The standard AB ticket costs €4 (about £3.40/$4.50), but it isn’t valid to the airport. If you already have an AB ticket, such as a day ticket, you buy a zone C extension ticket, which costs €2.40 (about £2/$2.70). If there are several of you, or you’ll be travelling a lot on the same day, a 24-hour ABC ticket for €12.90 (about £11/$14.50) is often the best buy. It’s valid for one adult and up to three children aged 6 to 14, according to BVG’s page about the 24-hour ticket. A four-trip ticket for the ABC zones costs €16.80 (about £14/$19).

If you’ll be using public transport for several days, take a look at the Berlin WelcomeCard for the ABC zones, which covers the trip to and from the airport. The 48-hour card costs €34.50 (about £29/$39) and gives you discounts on sights, and up to three children aged 6 to 14 travel free with it, according to BVG. Only buy the ABC version, because the AB card doesn’t cover the airport.

You can buy the Berlin WelcomeCard for the ABC zones in advance here, so it’s ready when you land.

Paying, the app and validating your ticket

The ticket machines take cash, girocard and credit cards, and you can pay contactless, according to BVG’s page about its ticket machines. If you buy a paper ticket, you have to validate it before you board. The validators are at the stations, on the trams and on the buses, and a ticket that hasn’t been validated isn’t valid.

The easiest option is to buy your ticket in BVG’s Ticket App, where you can pay by credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay. You can also buy tickets in the VBB and S-Bahn Berlin apps. If you’d like to know more about tickets for the rest of your stay, read my guide to public transport in Berlin.

Where to get off

Berlin Hauptbahnhof: The last stop and the city’s biggest railway station, where you can change to the S-Bahn and U-Bahn. Get off here if you’re staying near the station, in the government quarter or in the western part of Mitte. From here, the S-Bahn continues towards Friedrichstraße and Alexanderplatz.

Potsdamer Platz: The stop between Mitte, Tiergarten and Kreuzberg, where you can change to the north-south S-Bahn. It’s the right stop if your hotel is at Potsdamer Platz or around Leipziger Platz.

Südkreuz: The first station in the city, where you can change to the Ringbahn and to long-distance trains. It’s a good place to change if you’re heading to Schöneberg or anywhere on the Ringbahn.

If you’d like to choose your neighbourhood based on the connections, see my guide to where to stay in Berlin, where I go through the best areas and their hotels.

2. S-Bahn S9 and S85 to Alexanderplatz, Friedrichshain and Prenzlauer Berg

The S-Bahn is the other big option, and it’s often the best one if you’re staying in the eastern part of Mitte, in Friedrichshain or in Prenzlauer Berg. Two lines run directly from the station beneath Terminal 1: the S9 and the S85. Both first run through Schönefeld, Adlershof and Schöneweide to Treptower Park, and from there they split.

The S9 continues via Warschauer Straße, Ostbahnhof, Jannowitzbrücke and Alexanderplatz to Hackescher Markt, Friedrichstraße, Hauptbahnhof, Zoologischer Garten and Charlottenburg. According to the timetable, it takes about 35 minutes to Warschauer Straße, 45 minutes to Alexanderplatz, 50 minutes to Hauptbahnhof and just under an hour to Zoologischer Garten. The S85 runs via Ostkreuz and Frankfurter Allee instead, up through Prenzlauer Berg with stops at Greifswalder Straße, Prenzlauer Allee and Schönhauser Allee.

Both lines run every 20 minutes, so there’s an S-Bahn train from the airport about every 10 minutes. The S9 runs towards the centre until around 02:00, and on Friday and Saturday nights it runs all night every half hour, according to S-Bahn Berlin’s page about the S9. The S85 runs until around 23:30 and not at night, and late in the evening and at weekends it terminates at Pankow, as you can see on the page about the S85.

The S-Bahn is slower than the FEX, but you often won’t have to change, and that counts when you’ve got suitcases with you. The catch is that the journey to Mitte takes twice as long as on the FEX, so if you’re going to Hauptbahnhof, the airport train is clearly faster.

Fares and tickets

You use exactly the same ticket as on the FEX: an ABC single ticket for €5 (about £4.20/$5.60), €3.50 (about £3/$3.90) for children aged 6 to 14, or a 24-hour ABC ticket for €12.90 (about £11/$14.50). The ticket is also valid when you change from the S-Bahn to the U-Bahn, a tram or a bus within the 120 minutes. Remember to validate your paper ticket at the station before you board.

Where to get off the S-Bahn

Warschauer Straße: The stop for Friedrichshain and the nightlife around RAW-Gelände, and you can change to the U-Bahn here. The Berlin Wall at the East Side Gallery is a few minutes’ walk away, and you can read more in my guide to the Berlin Wall.

Alexanderplatz: The big interchange in the eastern part of Mitte by the TV Tower, where you can change to the U-Bahn. There are lots of hotels here, and from Hackescher Markt, the next stop, you walk straight into streets full of cafés and courtyards. You can see hotels in Mitte here.

Friedrichstraße: The stop for the western part of Mitte around Unter den Linden, and you can change to the U-Bahn here.

Zoologischer Garten and Savignyplatz: The stops for City West and Charlottenburg with the Kurfürstendamm. It’s a long ride on the S9, but you won’t have to change.

Greifswalder Straße, Prenzlauer Allee and Schönhauser Allee: The S85 stops in Prenzlauer Berg, where you’ll be staying on quiet streets with cafés and old apartment buildings. You can see hotels in Prenzlauer Berg here.

3. Express buses X7 and X71 to the U-Bahn

BVG’s X7 and X71 express buses run from stops A6 and A7 in front of Terminal 1 to Rudow U-Bahn station, and the X71 continues to Alt-Mariendorf on the U6 line. The buses run at least every 10 minutes during the day and are a particularly good choice if you’re staying in Neukölln or Kreuzberg.

At Rudow you change to the U7, which runs through Neukölln to Hermannplatz and on to Südstern, Gneisenaustraße and Mehringdamm in Kreuzberg, as you can see on BVG’s page about the U7. It takes longer than the train, but it’s the most direct route to the southern districts. You use the same ABC ticket for €5 (about £4.20/$5.60), and it covers both the bus and the U-Bahn. You can also buy your bus ticket from the driver.

4. Night buses and trains at night

Berlin is easy to reach at night. The FEX runs almost around the clock, according to VBB. At night there’s about one train an hour, and it runs via Alexanderplatz and Zoologischer Garten. On Friday and Saturday nights the S9 also runs every half hour. For the rest of the night, the night buses leave from stops A4 and A6-7 on arrivals level E0 in front of Terminal 1.

The N60 runs every half hour to Alexanderplatz, the N7X runs every quarter of an hour to Zoologischer Garten, but only on weeknights, and the N7 runs every half hour to Rudow U-Bahn station, from where it continues along the whole U7 line on weeknights. The night buses need the same ABC ticket for €5 (about £4.20/$5.60) as the train. You’ll find the lines and stops on the airport’s public transport page, which I link to in the section on finding your transport.

5. Taxis

Taxis wait at the ranks north and south of the entrance in front of Terminal 1 on arrivals level E0, even if you’ve landed at Terminal 2. Only get into a car that’s marked as a taxi, at the official ranks. Unless you’ve agreed otherwise, the driver has to take the shortest and therefore cheapest route, according to the airport’s page about taxis.

S-Bahn Berlin says you should expect to pay €60 to €70 (about £51 to £59, or $68 to $79) to the centre, and that the journey takes 35 to 45 minutes depending on traffic. For one or two people the train is therefore far cheaper, but if there are four of you with lots of luggage, or you land late, a taxi can be worth the money.

Private transfer

If you’d like your transport sorted before you land, you can book a private transfer from BER to your hotel here. The price is agreed in advance, and the driver picks you up at the airport.

You can also book a pickup with Welcome Pickups here, where the price is likewise agreed before you land.

Onward travel around Germany straight from the airport

If you’re not heading into Berlin, you can often travel on directly from the airport. The Intercity trains between Dresden and Rostock stop at BER, and they run via Südkreuz and Hauptbahnhof. The RE20 regional train runs from the airport to Lübbenau in the Spreewald, and the BER2 express bus runs from stop A2 to Potsdam Hauptbahnhof in just under an hour. The BER2 costs a supplement of €6 (about £5.10/$6.80) on top of the standard ticket, and you pay the supplement on the bus. These connections are also listed on the airport’s public transport page, and you can find and compare train tickets on Omio.

Getting back to the airport

To get to the airport, take the FEX from Hauptbahnhof, Potsdamer Platz or Südkreuz, and from Hauptbahnhof you’ll be there in 23 minutes. From Alexanderplatz, Friedrichshain and Prenzlauer Berg, the S9 and S85 are the easiest. You’ll need an ABC ticket again, because the ticket from your arrival can’t be used for a return journey.

If you’ve got a very early flight, the FEX is the safe option, because it runs about once an hour all night, and the N60 and N7X night buses also run towards the airport. The airport doesn’t give a fixed number of hours, but it asks you to check the times with your airline and to allow time for security and the walk to the gate, which normally closes 30 minutes before departure. Also check whether you’re flying from Terminal 1 or Terminal 2. You reach check-in and security for Terminal 2 through Terminal 1, and there’s no drop-off area in front of Terminal 2.

If you’re getting a lift or a taxi, you’ll be dropped off on departures level E1 in front of Terminal 1, and the first 10 minutes in the short-stay car park are free, according to the airport’s FAQ.

Which option should you choose?

Here’s what I’d recommend, depending on where you’re staying:

Mitte: Take the FEX to Hauptbahnhof if your hotel is in the western part of Mitte, and the S9 straight to Alexanderplatz, Hackescher Markt or Friedrichstraße if it’s in the eastern part.

Prenzlauer Berg: Take the S85 straight to Greifswalder Straße, Prenzlauer Allee or Schönhauser Allee. If the S85 isn’t running, take the S9 to Alexanderplatz and the U-Bahn or a tram from there.

Friedrichshain: Take the S9 to Warschauer Straße or Ostbahnhof, or the S85 to Ostkreuz and Frankfurter Allee.

Kreuzberg: Take the X7 to Rudow and the U7 to Mehringdamm or Gneisenaustraße. If you’re heading to the northern part by the Spree, the S9 to Warschauer Straße is often easier.

Charlottenburg: Take the S9 straight to Zoologischer Garten, Savignyplatz or Charlottenburg, or the FEX to Hauptbahnhof and the S-Bahn on towards the west if you’d like to save time.

If you land at night: Take the FEX, which runs about once an hour, or the N60 night bus to Alexanderplatz. On Friday and Saturday nights the S9 runs too.

If there are three or four of you: Buy a 24-hour ABC ticket if you’re one adult with children, or take a taxi if you’re four adults with lots of luggage.

If you’re staying several days: Buy the Berlin WelcomeCard for the ABC zones, and the trip to and from the airport and all your transport in the city are covered.

Practical tips for getting from Berlin Brandenburg Airport to the city centre

Always buy an ABC ticket. The airport is in zone C, and a standard AB ticket isn’t valid for the journey. If you already have an AB ticket, the zone C extension ticket is enough.

Validate your paper ticket. A ticket from the machine has to be validated at the station before you board. If you buy it in the app, you skip both the machine and validating a paper ticket.

Buy your ticket before you go down to the platform. You can’t buy a ticket on the S-Bahn or the regional trains, so use the machines in Terminal 1 or the app.

Only take a taxi from the ranks. The airport warns against cars that aren’t marked as taxis, so use the ranks in front of Terminal 1.

Choose your hotel with the connection in mind. If you’re staying in Mitte, the FEX runs to Hauptbahnhof and the S9 to Alexanderplatz, and you can see hotels in Mitte here. In Friedrichshain, the S9 runs straight to Warschauer Straße and Ostbahnhof, and you can see hotels in Friedrichshain here. If you’d like to stay in Prenzlauer Berg, the S85 runs straight to the neighbourhood, and you can see hotels in Prenzlauer Berg here.

If you’re not sure which neighbourhood suits you, read my guide to where to stay in Berlin, and find inspiration in my guide to things to do in Berlin.

The post Berlin Brandenburg Airport to the City Centre - Transport Guide appeared first on Destination Well Known.

Here are my picks for the 18 best things to see and do in Munich, with prices, opening hours and tips on what to book before you go. Prices are in euros. Several of the art museums only cost €1 on Sundays, and quite a few museums are closed on Mondays, so read the sections before you plan your days. The last three sections are about day trips out of the city.

1. Marienplatz and Neues Rathaus

Marienplatz is Munich’s central square and the natural place to start. The whole north side is taken up by the neo-Gothic town hall, Neues Rathaus, which was built in three stages from 1867 to 1905. Its tower holds the city’s famous Glockenspiel, which plays every day at 11am and noon and, from March to October, at 5pm as well. At the top, you’ll see a knights’ tournament from Duke Wilhelm V’s wedding in 1568, which the Bavarian knight naturally wins, and below it the coopers dance the old Schäfflertanz.

You can take a lift up the 85-metre tower. Tickets cost from €7, and the tower is open every day from 10am to 8pm, with the last trip up at 7.40pm. Visits are split into 20-minute time slots, and you buy your ticket online or at the tourist information office in the town hall. The tower is closed on a number of public holidays.

The square is packed at 11am and noon. My tip is to watch the Glockenspiel at 5pm in the summer half of the year and then take the lift up. Marienplatz has its own U-Bahn and S-Bahn station. You can read how to get here from the airport in my guide to getting from Munich Airport to the city centre.

Book a guided walking tour of Munich’s Old Town.

2. Frauenkirche

The Frauenkirche, with its two towers and green onion domes, is Munich’s landmark. The foundation stone was laid in 1468, and the brick church itself was finished after just 20 years, while the domes were added around 1525. The towers are just under 99 metres high, and no building in the Old Town is taller.

In the entrance hall, you can see the Teufelstritt, a footprint in the floor. According to legend, the devil made a bet with the master builder that the church had no visible windows. From that exact spot, the pillars hide all the windows, so the devil stamped on the floor in triumph. When he took one more step, he saw the windows and realised he’d been tricked.

The church is open every day from 8am to 8pm, and entry is free, but you can’t walk around during services. The south tower is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm and on Sundays and public holidays from 11.30am to 5pm, with the last ascent at 4.30pm. It costs €7.50 for adults and €5.50 for children aged 7 to 16. First you climb about 90 steps up a spiral staircase, and then you take the lift to the viewing platform. The church is a two-minute walk from Marienplatz.

3. Residenz

The Residenz was the palace of the Bavarian dukes and kings, and the complex takes up a whole block between Marienplatz and Odeonsplatz. In the Residenzmuseum, you walk through room after room, including King Ludwig I’s apartments and the Herkulessaal, which is still used for concerts. The treasury, the Schatzkammer, holds the crown and regalia of the Bavarian kings, and the small red and gold rococo theatre, the Cuvilliés-Theater, is still in use.

The Residenzmuseum and the treasury each cost €10, and a combined ticket for both costs €15. With the Cuvilliés-Theater added, it costs €20. Under-18s get in for free. The museum and the treasury are open every day from 9am to 6pm from late March to late October and from 10am to 5pm the rest of the year, and last entry is an hour before closing. The Residenz is closed on 1 January, Shrove Tuesday and 24, 25 and 31 December.

The main entrance is on Max-Joseph-Platz. Behind the palace lies the palace garden, the Hofgarten, with the round Diana Temple, and it’s free. My tip is to get the combined ticket and save the garden for afterwards.

Book a guided tour of the Residenz and the Hofgarten.

4. Englischer Garten and the Eisbach Wave

The Englischer Garten was laid out from 1789 as a park for the people of the city. It covers 375 hectares, which is bigger than Central Park in New York, and it stretches five and a half kilometres north from the edge of the Old Town.

On the southern edge of the park on Prinzregentenstraße, right by the Haus der Kunst, you’ll find the Eisbach wave. It’s a standing wave in a small river, where surfers ride their boards on the same spot almost all year round, and you can watch from the bridge. According to the city’s website, surfing is only allowed with a special safety leash and not after 10pm, and swimming in the Eisbach is forbidden.

Further into the park stands the Chinese Tower (Chinesischer Turm), with a beer garden of around 7,000 seats, one of the largest in Bavaria. On a small hill sits the Greek-style temple Monopteros, which was built in 1836 and 1837, and from there you can see the Frauenkirche, the Theatinerkirche and the town hall. Barbecues, fires and swimming aren’t allowed in the park. You can reach the southern end on bus 100 to Nationalmuseum/Haus der Kunst or on the U3 and U6 to Universität. My tip is to start at the Eisbach, walk up to the Monopteros and finish in the beer garden at the Chinese Tower. If you’d like to stay close to the park, you can see hotels in Schwabing here.

5. Viktualienmarkt

Viktualienmarkt has been in its current spot since 1807 and is Munich’s big food market, just a few steps from Marienplatz. There are more than 100 traders spread over just over 18,500 square metres, selling fruit, vegetables, cheese, sausages, fish and flowers, and there are stalls with food you can eat on the spot. In the middle of the market stands the blue and white maypole, and between the stalls you’ll find the market’s own beer garden.

The market is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm and on Saturdays from 8am to 3pm, but each stall sets its own opening hours, and many close earlier. There’s no market on Sundays. If you’d like to stay in the Old Town (Altstadt) close to the market and Marienplatz, Altstadt-Lehel is the first area in my guide to where to stay in Munich, and you can see hotels in Altstadt here.

Come for lunch on a weekday, buy a few different things from the stalls and find a seat in the beer garden. I think it’s one of the best places in the centre for a cheap lunch, and you can easily do it on your own. If you’d like to taste your way around with a local guide who tells you about the Bavarian specialities along the way, there are guided food tours of the market.

Book a guided food tour of Viktualienmarkt.

6. Hofbräuhaus am Platzl

The Hofbräuhaus is probably Munich’s best-known beer hall. The brewery was founded in 1589 by Duke Wilhelm V, King Ludwig I opened the Hofbräuhaus to the public in 1828, and the beer hall you sit in today is the result of a major rebuild from 1896 to 1897.

Inside the large vaulted hall, you sit at long wooden tables, the beer comes in big mugs, and the kitchen serves Bavarian food. There’s also a beer garden in the courtyard. The Hofbräuhaus is at Platzl 9 and is open every day from 11am to midnight. The kitchen closes at 10pm, and last orders at the bar are at 11.30pm. If there are fewer than four of you, you don’t need to book. You just sit down wherever there’s a free seat, and it’s completely normal to share a table with strangers.

I’ll be honest. The Hofbräuhaus is touristy, noisy and not the cheapest place to eat in Munich, but I still think it’s part of a first visit. Come early in the afternoon if you want to be sure of a table, and move on to one of the other beer halls afterwards.

Book a guided tour of Munich’s beer halls and breweries.

7. Schloss Nymphenburg

Work on Nymphenburg began in 1664 as a summer residence for Elector Ferdinand Maria after the birth of the heir to the throne, Max Emanuel, and the palace and park were later extended to the size they are today. King Ludwig II, who built Neuschwanstein, was born in the palace in 1845.

Besides the palace itself, you can see the Marstallmuseum with the royal carriages and Nymphenburg porcelain, as well as the small park palaces of Amalienburg, Badenburg, Pagodenburg and Magdalenenklause out in the park. The palace costs €10, and the Marstallmuseum costs €8. The combined ticket for everything costs €20 from 1 April to 15 October and €16 in winter, when the park palaces are closed. Under-18s go free.

The palace and the Marstallmuseum are open every day from 9am to 6pm from April to mid-October and from 10am to 4pm the rest of the year. The park opens at 6am and closes between 6pm and 9.30pm, depending on the season. Take the U-Bahn to Rotkreuzplatz and the tram from there to the Schloss Nymphenburg stop. My tip is to come in the summer half of the year, so you can see the park palaces too.

8. Deutsches Museum

The Deutsches Museum stands on an island in the River Isar and is a huge museum of science and technology. The exhibitions cover around 20,000 square metres spread over 19 permanent exhibitions, and the building itself stands on more than 1,500 piles in the riverbed.

The museum is being renovated in stages, so some sections may be closed when you visit. It’s open every day from 9am to 5pm, with last entry at 4.30pm, and it’s closed on 1 January, Good Friday, 1 May, 1 November and 24, 25 and 31 December. A ticket costs €16 for adults and €9 for children aged 6 to 17 and students. The family ticket for two adults and their children costs €33, and children up to the age of five go free.

Take the S-Bahn or tram 16 to Isartor, and it’s a short walk to the museum. My tip is to choose two or three sections in advance, because you won’t manage everything in one day, and it’s a particularly good choice on a rainy day.

9. Alte Pinakothek and Kunstareal

In the Maxvorstadt district lies the Kunstareal, where several of Munich’s big art museums stand side by side. For most people, the most important one is the Alte Pinakothek, with European paintings by the Old Masters. Among the works on display are Dürer’s self-portrait from 1500, Rubens’ Great Last Judgement, Raphael’s Canigiani Holy Family, Leonardo da Vinci’s Madonna of the Carnation and a self-portrait by Rembrandt from 1629.

The Alte Pinakothek is open from 10am to 6pm, until 8pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and it’s closed on Mondays. A ticket costs €9, but only €1 on Sundays. The Pinakothek der Moderne, with art and design from the 20th and 21st centuries, costs €10 and Museum Brandhorst €7, and they also cost €1 on Sundays. A day ticket for €12 is valid at the Alte Pinakothek, the Pinakothek der Moderne, Museum Brandhorst and the Sammlung Schack. The Neue Pinakothek is closed for a long renovation, so check the museums’ website before you count on seeing it.

Trams 27 and 28 run to the Pinakotheken stop, and so does bus 100. My tip is to plan your visit for a Sunday. Maxvorstadt is also a good area to stay in, and you can see hotels in Maxvorstadt here.

10. BMW Welt and BMW Museum

North of the centre, by the Olympiapark, is BMW’s headquarters, and here you can see both BMW Welt and the BMW Museum. BMW Welt is the car brand’s large showroom building with the latest models, and entry is free. It’s open Monday to Saturday from 7.30am to midnight and on Sundays and public holidays from 9am to midnight, but it’s closed on a few days a year, including around Christmas and New Year.

Opposite BMW Welt is the BMW Museum, where you’ll see cars and motorbikes from the brand’s entire history. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm, with last entry at 5.30pm, and it’s closed on Mondays. A ticket costs €17, or €9 reduced, and a family ticket for two adults and up to three children under 18 costs €38.

Take the U3 to Olympiazentrum. My tip is to start at BMW Welt, which is free, and only pay for the museum if you really love cars. Afterwards, walk over to the Olympiapark, and you’ll have a good half day in the northern part of the city.

11. Olympiapark

The Olympiapark was built for the 1972 Summer Olympics, and the large tent-like roof over the stadium and the halls is still one of Munich’s best-known sights. The roof covers more than 75,000 square metres and is held up by 58 steel masts. Around the lake, the Olympiasee, there are paths and green lawns where you can wander in peace and quiet.

You get the best view from the Olympiaberg, a hill built from the rubble of the buildings in Munich that were destroyed during the Second World War. It’s about 56 metres high, and from the top you can see out over the city’s rooftops and the stadium and, on clear days, all the way to the Alps.

Be aware that both the Olympiaturm and the Olympiastadion are closed for a long renovation, so check the park’s own website before you count on going up the tower or into the stadium. If you still want to get up high, the park’s Skylift tour takes you round with a guide and 70 metres up in the air. It costs €28 and lasts 90 to 120 minutes. Take the U3 or U8 to Olympiazentrum, and walk up the Olympiaberg at sunset.

12. Allianz Arena and FC Bayern Museum

The Allianz Arena in the north of Munich is the home ground of FC Bayern Munich. Even if you don’t have a ticket for a match, you can see the stadium on an Arena Tour and visit the FC Bayern Museum, which tells the story of the club.

The museum alone costs €12, and the museum with the Arena Tour costs €25 for adults and €11 for children aged 6 to 13. A family ticket costs €59. On non-match days, it’s open every day from 10am to 6pm, with last entry at 5.15pm, and the tour with the museum takes about two and a half hours. Only a ticket bought online in advance guarantees you a place on the Arena Tour, because on many days you can’t buy one at the entrance. Special opening hours apply on match days.

Take the U6 towards Garching-Forschungszentrum to Fröttmaning. The journey from Marienplatz takes about 16 minutes, and from there it’s a 15 to 20-minute walk to the stadium. Check the fixture list before you book.

Book a ticket for the FC Bayern Museum and Arena View with an audio guide.

13. Alter Peter

St Peter’s Church is Munich’s oldest parish church, and its history goes back to the 12th century. Locals call its tower Alter Peter, or Old Peter. During the Second World War, the church was almost completely destroyed, and only a stump of the tower was left standing, so the rebuilding went on right up until 2000.

You climb around 300 steps up to the viewing platform at a height of 56 metres. The tower costs €5 for adults and €2 for schoolchildren aged 6 to 18, and the church itself is free. From April to October, it’s open every day from 9am to 7.30pm, with last entry at 7pm. From November to March, the tower closes at 6.30pm on weekdays. It’s closed on Good Friday, Shrove Tuesday, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

The church is right by Marienplatz. I think the view from here is better than from the town hall tower, because you can see both the town hall and the Frauenkirche’s two towers. Come early in the day or late in the afternoon, when the queue at the ticket office is shorter.

14. Asamkirche

The Asamkirche, officially called St. Johann Nepomuk, is a small baroque church squeezed in between the houses on Sendlinger Straße, and it’s easy to walk past. The brothers Cosmas Damian and Egid Quirin Asam built it from 1733 to 1746 as their private church next to their own house, but neither of them lived to see it finished.

The interior is only 22 by 8 metres, but it’s decorated from floor to ceiling. The high altar has four twisted columns, a nod to Bernini’s baldachin in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and the crucifix hangs lower than usual, directly opposite the pulpit.

The church is open from April to October every day from 9am to 7pm, though not until 1pm on Fridays. From November to March, it closes an hour earlier. Entry is free, but the church welcomes a donation towards its upkeep. You can’t walk around during Mass, and it’s a place where people speak quietly. The church is at Sendlinger Straße 32, a short walk from Marienplatz. My tip is to look in on your way between Marienplatz and Sendlinger Tor, because a visit only takes about a quarter of an hour.

15. Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site

The Nazis opened the concentration camp in Dachau, north-west of Munich, on 22 March 1933 on the site of a former gunpowder and munitions factory. More than 200,000 prisoners from over 40 countries were held in Dachau and the camp’s subcamps, and at least 41,500 people died here before American soldiers liberated the camp on 29 April 1945. The memorial site, with a documentary exhibition, opened in 1965.

It’s a harrowing experience, but it’s also one of the most important places to visit if you want to understand the history. The exhibitions and grounds are open every day from 9am to 5pm, the area around the former crematorium closes at 4.30pm, and the site is only closed on 24 December. Entry is free, and you don’t need to book.

Take the S2 towards Dachau/Petershausen to Dachau station, which takes around 25 minutes from Hauptbahnhof, and from there bus 726 towards Saubachsiedlung to the KZ-Gedenkstätte stop. The memorial site recommends a day ticket that covers both the train and the bus. Set aside at least half a day, and consider going with a guide who can put the place in context.

Book a guided tour of the Dachau Memorial Site from Munich.

16. Day Trip to Neuschwanstein

Neuschwanstein is the fairy-tale castle that King Ludwig II started building in 1868 in the mountains near Füssen, and it was never completely finished. Together with Linderhof, the king’s house on the Schachen and Herrenchiemsee, it was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2025.

You can only see the castle on a guided tour of about 30 minutes at a fixed time, and if you’re late, you can’t join it. A ticket costs €21, plus a €2.50 booking fee if you buy online. Under-18s go free but also need a ticket. The ticket centre in Hohenschwangau only sells tickets for the same day, and they often sell out early, so book online well in advance. The castle is open every day from 9am to 6pm from late March to mid-October and from 10am to 4pm the rest of the year, and it’s closed on 1 January and 24, 25 and 31 December. Backpacks and pushchairs aren’t allowed inside.

The journey by train and bus from Munich takes about two hours each way, so it’s a long day. An organised day trip with a ticket for the castle is the easiest option, and the most popular one combines Neuschwanstein with Linderhof.

Book a day trip to Neuschwanstein and Linderhof from Munich.

17. Day Trip to the Zugspitze

The Zugspitze is Germany’s highest mountain and sits on the border with Austria near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, south-west of Munich. From the summit, you can see out over the Alps in every direction, and there are restaurants and viewing platforms at the top.

You can go up on the cogwheel railway from Grainau and the glacier cable car, or on the Seilbahn Zugspitze cable car, and the classic round trip combines them, so you go up one way and down another. The round trip costs €78 for adults, €62.50 for young people aged 16 to 18 and €39 for children aged 6 to 15, and children under 6 travel free with a parent. In the winter season, the ticket is cheaper if you buy it online.

It’s an expensive excursion, and it only makes sense in good weather, because in the clouds you won’t see anything from the top. My tip is to keep an eye on the weather forecast and only decide on the day once you’re in Munich. Even in summer, it’s cold up there, so bring an extra jumper. If you don’t want to drive yourself, you can go on an organised tour with transport from Munich and a stop in Garmisch.

Book a day trip to the Zugspitze and Garmisch from Munich.

18. Day Trip to Salzburg

Salzburg lies just across the border in Austria and is the obvious day trip if you’d also like to see another city. For several hundred years, Salzburg was an ecclesiastical state ruled by prince-archbishops, and Italian architects gave the city its baroque character. The historic centre has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 1996, and the city is also known as Mozart’s birthplace.

The big sights are the Hohensalzburg Fortress high above the city, Mozart’s birthplace on Getreidegasse and the Mirabell Gardens. Everything is so close together that you can see it all in a day, and the city’s tourist office has a good overview of the ten most popular places.

The train from Munich Hauptbahnhof takes about an hour and a half each way. Austria also uses the euro, but remember your passport or ID card when you cross the border. A guided day trip by train is an easy option if you’d like the city’s history without having to plan the route yourself. If you’d like to see more of Austria, I’ve also written about the best things to do in Vienna.

Book a guided day trip by train to Salzburg from Munich.

Practical Travel Tips for Munich

You can easily explore the Old Town on foot, and for the rest of the city you use the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams and buses on the same tickets. A single ticket in zone M costs €4.20, and a day ticket for zone M costs just over €10, so the day ticket already pays for itself on your third journey.

From the airport, the S1 and S8 S-Bahn trains run to the centre, and between them there’s a train every ten minutes. The journey to Hauptbahnhof takes about 40 minutes.

Plan the museums around the days of the week. The Pinakothek museums and the BMW Museum are closed on Mondays, while the Deutsches Museum, the Residenz and Nymphenburg are open every day of the week. On Sundays, the Alte Pinakothek, the Pinakothek der Moderne and Museum Brandhorst only cost €1, but on the other hand there’s no market at Viktualienmarkt. Neuschwanstein and the Arena Tour at the Allianz Arena should be booked online well in advance.

If you’d like to see the full range, you can see all hotels in Munich on Booking.com. If Berlin is also on your list, take a look at my picks of the best things to do in Berlin.

The post 18 Best Things to Do in Munich: Sights, Prices & Tips appeared first on Destination Well Known.

Facts about the Tower

Let’s get started with some quick facts:

The Berlin TV Tower – in German, the Berliner Fernsehturm – was constructed between 1965 and 1969 and officially opened on the 3rd of October, 1969.

Despite its origins in the GDR (German Democratic Republic – East Germany), the Tower has been a signature symbol of Berlin, and indeed Germany as a whole, carrying great symbolic value for the city and the country.

Originally standing 365 metres tall, the Tower was fitted with a new antenna in the 1990s, increasing its height to an impressive 368 metres. This makes the TV Tower the fourth tallest freestanding building in Europe.

Halfway up the Tower, 203 metres above the ground, you’ll find a viewing platform offering vistas spanning over 40 km. There’s also a sought-after revolving restaurant in the Tower.

Check out this video where I’m showing some of the best things to do in Berlin:

Tickets

The TV Tower welcomes over 1.2 million visitors annually, so booking your tickets in advance is a good way to avoid long queues and waiting times.

A standard ticket from GetYourGuide starts from €24.50 per person and offers two main benefits:

• You can skip the queue with Fast Track
• Free cancellation 
• Get your ticket for the TV Tower here

The tickets from the official website start from €25.50, so it’s a no-brainer, in my opinion.

Tickets with restaurant options

As I mentioned, there’s a restaurant at the top of the TV Tower, and plenty of different ticket options exist.

It’s important to note that you must book ahead if you want to eat in the restaurant.

Here are the different options if you want to visit the Berlin TV Tower restaurant:

1. Ticket with Window Seat Table Reservation: This option includes an entrance ticket and a window seat reservation at the restaurant (though food isn’t included). The cost is €27.50. You can purchase this here.
   
2. Ticket with Inner Circle Table Reservation: This package provides you with an entrance ticket and a reservation for a table in the Inner Circle of the restaurant (again, food isn’t included). It’s priced at €24.50. Buy it here.
   
3. Ticket with Lunch/Afternoon Tea: Here, for €35.50, you get an entrance ticket, a window seat reservation, and a lovely lunch or afternoon tea (featuring a sandwich, a chocolate muffin, and your choice of coffee or tea). Grab this deal here.
   
4. Ticket with 3-Course Dinner: Lastly, for €110, you’re treated to an entrance ticket, a window seat reservation, and a 3-course dinner (comprising a welcome drink, starter, main course, dessert, two glasses of wine, unlimited mineral water, and a hot drink after the meal). Purchase this luxurious package here.

Where is the TV Tower in Berlin?

The TV Tower is near Alexanderplatz in Mitte, Berlin, formerly part of East Berlin. 

Though the TV Tower was constructed by the GDR during the Cold War, when East and West Berlin were separated by the Berlin Wall, the impressive structure has maintained its conservation status. 

Today, it’s a hallmark of both Berlin and Germany as a whole, recognised globally.

The address you’ll need to reach the TV Tower is:

Panoramastrasse 1A, 10178 Berlin, Germany.

With both S-Bahn and bus lines in the immediate vicinity, it’s easy to reach the Tower, whether travelling by car or public transport.

For more information, see my guide to public transport in Berlin – you can even take the train straight from Berlin Brandenburg Airport to Alexanderplatz.

Should you stay near the TV Tower?

In my comprehensive guide on where to stay in Berlin, I mention several good hotels close to the TV Tower.

One of these excellent hotels is the H4 Hotel Berlin Alexanderplatz.

I stayed here on a recent trip, and it’s a brilliant option if you’re looking for a 4-star hotel close to Alexanderplatz and the TV Tower.

Opening Hours

During the high season, from March to September, the Tower is open from 09:00 – 22:00. During the low season, from October to February, it opens at 10:00.

Once you’ve gained access to the Tower, you can stay as long as you like. 

Check the opening hours on the official website.

How high is the TV Tower in Berlin?

The TV Tower in Berlin stands today at 368 metres high. Until the 90s, only 365 metres and the last 3 metres were added when a new antenna was installed. 

The viewing platform and the restaurant are at a height of 203 metres, which offers a phenomenal view of all of Berlin.

The Tower has two lifts that whisk you to the viewing platform in 34 seconds. This equates to a speed of about 6 metres per second.

The view from a height of 203 metres allows you to see as far as 42 km away in clear weather. Dining in a restaurant with such a view is exceptional.

What was the Tower used for before?

The Tower was specifically built as a TV tower to provide East Berlin with a TV signal.

It was a striking structure in its time, and in 1969, when it was completed, it was the third tallest freestanding structure in the world, after the Television Tower in Moscow and the Empire State Building in New York.

In 1979, the TV Tower – more commonly referred to as the Television Tower at the time – was designated a listed building by the GDR. 

Even after Berlin’s reunification, the Tower maintained its preservation status.

The Tower still functions as an actual television tower, although it’s also used as a tourist attraction. Approximately 60 TV and radio channels are broadcast from the Tower.

If you’re planning a trip in Berlin, I’ve also written some guides on the subject that you might find helpful.

Check out all my travel guides to Berlin here.

Frequently Asked Questions:

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