Travel Information
Cologne is easily accessible via international air travel and by train.
VIA AIRPORTS
Cologne is very well connected via three international airports in the region: Cologne/Bonn, Frankfurt am Main, and Düsseldorf.
Cologne/Bonn Airport (CGN) is a hub for numerous low-cost carriers. There are connections every 10 to 20 minutes between the airport and the Cologne Central Station (Köln Hauptbahnhof), take line S13 (towards Köln Hansaring) or RE8 (towards Mönchengladbach). Travel time is 15 minutes and a ticket costs €2.80. A taxi also takes 15 minutes and costs around €27.
From Frankfurt am Main Airport (FRA) you can connect via intercity express (ICE) services to Cologne. The travel time between Frankfurt airport and Cologne is around an hour. Tickets cost €71 but savings can be made if you book online through DB Bahn where you can print out your ticket in advance (alternative language versions of their website are available from the drop down menu at the top of their home page). There is also a (much) slower but cheaper IC train route you can take. Taking a taxi is not recommended.
From Düsseldorf Airport (DUS) take the "SkyTrain" to the airport's train station where every half-hour regional trains connect the airport to Cologne's Central Station. Catch either RE1 ("NRW-Express" towards Aachen) or 5 ("Rhein-Express" towards Koblenz). Trains usually depart from platform (Gleis) 4. Travel time is around 40 minutes and a ticket costs €11,30. Taking a taxi may cost between €80 to €100.
VIA HIGH SPEED TRAIN
High-speed trains link Cologne to many German and European cities. Thalys trains connect the city directly to Brussels (1:47) and Paris (3:14); ICE offers through trains from Amsterdam (2:38) and Berlin (between 4:30 and 5 hours). London is around 4:30, changing in Brussels via Eurostar.
VIA INTERCITY BUS
Connections are especially good between eastern European cities and Cologne. The bus station is located at the Cologne/Bonn Airport. There are connections every 10 to 20 minutes between the airport and the Cologne Central Station (Köln Hauptbahnhof), take line S13 (towards Köln Hansaring) or RE8 (towards Mönchengladbach). Travel time is 15 minutes and a ticket costs €2.80. The closest station to the symposium venue is Hansaring (line S13).
BY CAR
Maternushaus can also be reached via Autobahn A57. Take the exit for "Zentrum/Innenstadt", and then follow the parking signs to “Dom/Rhein”. After Mediapark (open area with a pond on the left hand side), follow the street signs directing you to the parking at Maternushaus.
If you use a navigation system please put in the address "Auf dem Hunnenrücken". Click here for more information about parking at Maternushaus (only available in German).
Public transport in Cologne
Maternushaus is located within a 10 minute walk from Cologne Central Station (Köln Hauptbahnhof). Take the exit from the Cathedral side and go right to the taxi stop point. Walk along "Dompropst-Ketzer-Straße". Take right after the fourth crossing, and then follow the street signs directing you to "Maternushaus Kongress".
Nearest stations: Appellhofplatz and Cologne Central Station (Hbf Köln / Köln Hauptbahnhof).
Cologne has a good bus and tram network. Tickets are sold on a regional zonal tariff basis. The city of Cologne, Cologne/Bonn Airport, Cologne Central Station, and Maternushaus are all located in zone 1b. Tickets in zone 1b cost €2.70. However, if your journey is less than four stops you can buy a cheaper KurzstreckenTicket (Short Trip Ticket) for €1.90.
Tickets are available for one person or for groups of up to five, and for one or four journeys. Other tickets (week, month) are available for longer periods, but run from Monday to Sunday or the first to last day of the month - not when you first use the ticket. With the WelcomeCard tourists can use public transport for 24 hours.
Ticket vending machines are available on buses, underground and tram trains, and at most stops. However, be aware these machines often only accept coins or an EC card. Tickets bought here are automatically validated. If you purchase your ticket at a sales outlet, please validate it as soon as you enter the vehicle by using the red validating machine.
More on visiting Cologne on the Cologne Tourist Board.