We couldn't find a guide book either! We were there a few weeks ago for 2 nights. Have you booked a hotel yet?

Main bars I'd say are around Friesenplatz/Rudofplatz area, where the Crowne Plaza is, so that's an excellent location, and not expensive for a crowne plaza either.

trams/metro ('all in one' goes over and underground on the same line), are useful and stop at key places.

Food and drink a bit cheaper than at home.

Just come back from a 3 night break.Stayed just round the corner from the Crowne Plaza in an old converted monastery called the hopper et cetera(reasonably priced and very nice too)...There are loads of bars,cafes and restaurants around Rudolphplatz and in all directions.....German,Turkish,Japanese,Italian,French,mexican where all within a 15 minute walk from our hotel..On top of all this,you have got the old town with its bars and restaurants(15 minute walk also)..We even found a Latin American bar/restaurant whose owner was dead friendly and from Peru(wanted to talk footy with me so spent a good hour there having a laugh)....Hope you find some of this helpful and post back if you want to know anything else......

I took a guide book with me(Rough guide to Germany)but in the hotel,picked up a local City guide that i found much better (as it didnt have to be lugged around like a big fat book)They have a web address where you can have a look...It`s http://www.insomnia.de (it also has an english section)....Magnifique...Le dieu!!!!!!!!!!

I liked the Rudolfplatz area, sounds like you stayed at a good spot. We stayed up in Muelheim, which was 15 mins or so on the tram, but we got a fab deal, a holiday inn express, £30 including breakfast!

Where do you mean by the old town?? I'm thinking that might be near the Dom, and Hohe strasse?

You are spot on Leslie......The surrounding area of the Dom leading down to the Rhine...The bars and restaurants around here were very lively(and typically German-Brauhausens)...We ate around this area during the day(and drunk the local Kolsch),but at night mainly stayed around the Rudolphplatz area where there were so many nice restaurants and good bars that were just as good(and not so touristy)...........
I really enjoyed Cologne and as it was my first time in Germany,couldnt get over how polite and friendly the german people were....I can`t wait to go back in the future,and i`m going to go to Berlin and Munich some time aswell......We flew from Liverpool and paid £110 return for 2,and the hopper hotel was £150 for 2...B&B.......Highly recommended

Although we quite liked it, we have no plans to go back. Would make me try somewhere else in Germany though. Quite fancy Berlin also, and I hear Lubeck is nice (and has a Ryanair airport right there too). Supposedly a mediaeval (sp?) town.

Could anyone tell me how far it is in a taxi from the airport to city centre and approx cost. Thinking of booking a long weekend in Dec for Christmas markets.

Hi
Koln/Bonn airport is 8 miles SE of the city, and a taxi costs between €15 to €20.

Jump the train from below the airport they are real quick and cheap. the main station is in the centre of cologne.

I went last christmas for the markets but i stayed with my sister in law just outside cologne. But it is excellent and the markets are very nice. There are a few of them, but they all sell the same things. Beware it is very cold but drinking hot gluevine (spelt wrong) is very warming on a cold day. there is also a medieval evening market, which does spit roasted pig. In the old part of the city there are some great little bars and restaurants. Although there is loads of different types of food on offer in the markets. Cologne is a pretty city and the cathederal is beautiful. A walk up to the top is great but it is very steep and tiring. But the views were excellent.
http://www.airberlin.com usually have some great flights out at reasonable prices.
Oh and i would advise to take some thermals, i did and was sure glad i did.
Can't advise you on accommodation cause we stayed with family but anything else you need to know feel free to pm me.

Forget a taxi, there's regular trains into the Hauptbahnhof, it takes about 10 minutes.

For flights, I flew Germanwings to Birmingham a few weeks back for 50Euros return.

Köln is a great city, plenty to see and do

Would love to hear recommendations as we are going to Christmas markets.

I replied to this message yesterday and its now disappeared.................
Jade,if you haven`t read my reply,send me a message and i`ll re-write it for you....ciao

Hi Dean ...it seems that Jade posted in City Breaks as well as in this forum, and your reply to her is in the other thread in the City Breaks forum:

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=383420

David

Cheers for that Dave....Thought i was starting to go into the realms of paranoia for a minute.....

did you find anyware, we have stayed twice in Koeln, but we prefer to stay outside and travel into Koeln, the last place we stayed would be too remote. Although if we were going again we would look for a hotel around Porz, it has excellant rail connections to the airport, Koeln and Sieberg then onto Bonn which is also worth a visit.
But if you are staying a few days for the markets you probably want to be central, have you tried this site for recommendations.

http://tripadvisor.wcco.com/Hotels-g187371-oa20-Cologne_North_Rhine_Westphalia-Hotels.html

PaulN

Too late for July but might help someone else.
if you like CD's DVD's a must is Saturn on the Hansaring, 4 to 5 floors packed to the gills, behind it is their electrical store if you need bits and pieces.
http://www.saturn.de

good place to chill out away from the tourists
Osho's Place.
Venloer Strasse 5-7 (Ring)
0221 5740745
Hours: Open every day breakfast from 8.00
Salad Bar 11 am to 10:30 pm
Lunch 12 noon to 3:30 pm
Dinner 6 pm to 10:30 pm
Vegetarian International Self-service Buffet. Salad Bar.
Other Info: Cafeteria Style and Bar. Price: $.

http://www.oshos-place.de/main.html

some good cafes shops around Chlodwigplatz

if you are feeling athletic you can hire cycles from the booth at the base of Deutzer Brucke, nice man if it is the same one lends you maps and wet weather gear also speaks english, we did need it.
any way this might be to long for some but we managed it okay i would suggest setting off mid morning as you want to reach halfway by dinnerish. follow the Rhein past the chocolate factory then keep to the Rhein all the way to Rodenkirchen still keep to the Rhein although you cut inland alittle in places, you are heading for Wies where you cross the Rhein a small pedestrian ferry, at the other side you find some lakes and Zundorf in the am markt area water side of zundorf lots of places to sit out and eat and drink stay a while but don't forget you have to get back you can retrace your steps or go back down this side of the Rhein and cross over the Deutzer Brucke to get back to start.

We had an excellent meal at a restaurant in Rodenkirchen i think it was on the Hauptstrasse just as you enter Rodenkirchen, we got the tram to the Marienburg stop and walked from there, the restraunt overlooks the Rhein and has an open front so you can sit out and eat and watch the river passing by.

Do not overlook the departments stores like Karstadt and galeria-kaufhof
http://www.galeria-kaufhof.de/sales/aktionen/catdetail.asp
http://www.karstadt.de/
if you need food and drink whilst shopping, they offer excellent value food, wine and beer on tap.

best of luck with your stay.

Hi there, we are off to cologne in December and were after any information and recommendations that you might have. We would appreciate info on anything from sight seeing to restaurants.

One main thing we really want to know is about is a temporary ice rink that is meant to be put up in 'Heumarkt'. I cant seem to find much information on it but i did see something about it somewhere.

Thanks for your help.

Hi

According to THIS WEBSITE there will be a temporary ice rink.

Pippy

I stayed with my sister in law last year she lives in essen in Germany. And 1 day we visited the christmas markets at cologne. it was wonderful. We got the train into Cologne, and got of at the side of the cathederal, this is awesome, you must go in and see it.

For 2 euros you can walk to the top, but it is a long haul, and the steps are not that wide. So if you don't think you can do it don't try it.

Right outside the cathederal we saw our 1st christmas market and i loved it. We had gluevine (spelt wrong) but hey who cares, we paid 2 euros and kept the glasses. We had hot chestnuts lovely.

We then did a bit of shopping around cologne, some lovely clothes shops.

As the day wore on we walked to another market, there are 7 in cologne. But once you have seen 1 you have seen them all, except for the medieval 1 which is worth seeing at night.

We got the underground about 7.00pm into the old town. We got of and walked towards the Rhine and there is the medieval market, this is the only 1 you have to pay for it was 1 euro entry.

But great there were medieval shows and spit roast, lovelly on a kebab stick at night. Also gluevine, which is a must at this time of night.

Then it was back down the rhine into the old town, where there are loads of little bars, and they are great. but the size of the beers are tiny a thrid of the size of ours. Give me a pint anyday.

Then there right in the middle of the old town was the ice rink. It was great, if we had not been going out round cologne for a drink that night i would have had a go. but i didn't want wet knees. Been a long time since i ice-skated.

But on the Sunday we visited Bochum and they had a smaller rink there and i had a go, it was great. And then i did get wet knees.

The food on offer at these markets is excellent. There is so much choice. My favourite was the strawberries covered in white chocolate.

I'm looking to go again to my sister inlaws around 2nd dec, but the flights are to expensive. But i will keep looking.

A must for you to take is thermal underware as it is very cold, and i mean cold. And a hat is a must as your ears can get cold.

Enjoy yourself and i will try and ask my sister inlaw for information as to how to get to the medieval market and the old town where the ice rink is.