Travel Recommendations

Air Travel

For our international participants flying in, there are several ways to travel to Aachen, Germany.

Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) to Aachen via Train

For long distance travel one of the most convenient airports is the Frankfurt International Airport (FRA). A long distance train station is attached to FRA. Upon exiting from the customs declaration area, there are signs to the train station and train ticket machines. The ticket machines accept credit cards, bank cards with the maestro symbol, and Euro currency (cash). We recommend taking either a direct train from Frankfurt(M) Flughafen to Aachen HBF or a train from Frankfurt(M) Flughafen to Köln (Cologne), then from Köln to Aachen main station (Hauptbahnhof). The typical price varies from about 55 - 75 Euros, one-way, depending on the connection. Trains run regularly from 6 am till 11 pm. Depending on the train connection, the trip will take between 1.5 and 2.5 hours.

Cologne-Bonn Airport (CGN) to Aachen via Train

European travelers can use Cologne-Bonn Airport (CGN) to reach Aachen. Upon exiting from the customs declaration area, there are signs to the train station and train tickets machines. The ticket machines accept credit cards, bank cards with the maestro symbol, and Euro currency (cash). We recommend to take a train from Köln/Bonn Flughafen to Köln (Cologne) HBF then from Köln HBF (Hautpbahnhof, i.e., main station) to Aachen HBF. The typical price is 16 - 25 Euros, one-way. Trains run regularly from 6 am till 11 pm. Depending on the connection, the trip will take between 1.5 and 2 hours.

Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS) to Aachen via Train

European and international participants can use Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS) to reach Aachen. Upon exiting from the customs declaration area, there are signs guiding you to train ticket machines as well as the the train station. Follow the signs to the long-distance Deutsche Bahn train station, not the "S-Bahn Station"! The machines accept credit cards, bank cards with the maestro symbol, and Euro currency (cash). It is recommended that one takes a direct train (e.g., "NRW-Express RE1 (RRX)") from Düsseldorf Flughafen to Aachen HBF. The typical price is 25 - 30 Euros, one-way. Trains run regularly from 6 am till 11 pm. The trip will take about 1.5 hours.

Train Travel within Europe

For travel from neighboring countries and within Germany it may be more practical (and climate-friendly!) to travel to Aachen by train. For details please check with your local train provider or the visit the Deutsche Bahn website (www.bahn.de ).