Your stay — Holiday Inn Express
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Faith & Dietary Nearby
- Church: St. Antonius (403 m · ~5 min walk)
- Mosque: Yunus Emre Moschee (1.1 km · ~14 min walk)
- Hindu temple: Sanatan Hari Om Mandir (1.1 km · ~14 min walk)
- Church: Bruder Klaus (1.2 km · ~16 min walk)
Local Lifestyle & Recreation
Galerie Wiener Platz — 2.0 km · ~24 min walk
Böcking-Park — 851 m · ~11 min walk
Keupstrasse ist Überall — 1.3 km · ~17 min walk
Schauspiel Köln im Depot 1 und 2 — 1.5 km · ~19 min walk
5-Minute Radius Essentials
Nearest — 832 m · ~10 min walk
Böcking-Apotheke — 736 m · ~9 min walk
REWE To Go — 147 m · ~2 min walk
Köln-Stammheim — 2.1 km · ~26 min walk
Money & Currency
Get a travel card →Euro, EUR
Use ATMs for the best rates; avoid exchange bureaux at Köln Hauptbahnhof and Flughafen Köln/Bonn for poor rates and high fees.
Visa/Mastercard accepted in most shops, restaurants, and bakeries; contactless and mobile pay widely used; some small kiosks may ask for cash.
Round up to the nearest euro in cafes and bars; 5-10% in restaurants for good service; tip taxi drivers and hotel staff a euro or two.
Eat, Shop & Travel on a Budget
Cheap car hire →Filterkaffee at a bakery or cafe, about €2.50–3.00.
Currywurst mit Pommes or a Döner, about €5–7.
A main from a local Gaststätte or Italian, about €10–15.
Neumarkt and Rudolfplatz areas have clusters of cheap food trucks and takeaway stands; try the weekly market nearby.
Aldi, Lidl, Netto — all present within walking distance.
C&A and Primark on Schildergasse for budget new clothes; Second-hand shops like Humana along Hohenzollernring.
A single trip on KVB tram/bus is €3.10; an all-day ticket is €8.60 (Köln zone). From the airport, the S13/S19 train to Köln Hbf costs €3.10 and is far cheaper than a taxi.
Bring a refillable water bottle to fill at public fountains; buy a KölnCard for 24h for free transport and discounts; eat at bakeries for cheap breakfast.
Good to know — Köln
Type C/F · 230V
safe
$1 ≈ €0.87 · EUR
Emergency Contacts
KölnFor non-urgent police matters in Köln, dial 0221 2290. For medical advice outside emergencies, call 116117. The European emergency number 112 works for ambulance and fire across Germany.
💡 Save these numbers in your phone. In life-threatening emergencies, call immediately.
Where to Eat
Book a table →💡 Booking tip: For popular restaurants in Köln, book at least a week ahead — especially for weekend evenings and during festival season.
Your arrival at Holiday Inn Express
🕒 Check-in is from . Arriving earlier? Most hotels store luggage free — just ask at reception.
🧭 First things nearby: cash · Nearest — 832 m · ~10 min walk — pharmacy · Böcking-Apotheke — 736 m · ~9 min walk
🚐 Pre-book an airport transfer →Getting Around
Find train tickets →Cologne/Bonn Airport (CGN) – Hauptbahnhof (Hbf) → Köln Hauptbahnhof + Tram 5
💡 From Hbf, take tram 5 (direction Butzweilerhof) 2 stops to 'Ebertplatz' – hotel is a 2-min walk north. Single ticket covers both legs.
Neumarkt (lines 1, 3, 4, 7, 9) → Hotel Chelsea (stop: 'Ebertplatz' – tram 5 only)
💡 Buy a 24-hour 'KölnTicket' (8.30 €) if you’ll use trams all day – covers all zones within city limits. Hotel is 2 min north of Ebertplatz stop.
Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) → Köln Hbf (main train station)
💡 Buy a Kurzstrecke ticket if only going to the city centre (zone 1b).
Köln Hbf (Breslauer Platz stop) → Severinstraße (direct stop at hotel)
💡 This bus runs along the Ring — quicker than tram if traffic is light but avoid peak hours.
Köln Hbf (Breslauer Platz/Hauptbahnhof stop) → Severinstraße (stop on Severinstraße, 5 min walk to hotel)
💡 Tickets are validated on platform — stamp before boarding. Day pass saves money if taking multiple trips.
Cologne/Bonn Airport (CGN) – Arrivals → Hotel Chelsea, Jülicher Straße 1–7
💡 Fixed fare to city centre? Ask driver for 'Festpreis Köln Innenstadt' – usually 30–35 €. No extra charge for luggage.
Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) → Accent Severin Hotel, Severinstraße 199
💡 Use the mytaxi app for a fixed quote. Avoid unofficial drivers in arrivals hall.
Cologne/Bonn Airport (CGN) Terminal 1 → Hotel Chelsea (direct stop: 'Neumarkt')
💡 Buy ticket at KVB machine before boarding – cash or card. Neumarkt stop is a 5-min walk east to Hotel Chelsea along Ehrenstraße.
Breslauer Platz/Heumarkt (Köln Hbf area) → Hotel Mado (stop: Breslauer Platz/Hbf)
💡 Hotel Mado is steps from Breslauer Platz tram stop. Buy a 24-hour ticket (€7.50) if planning more than 3 trips that day.
Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) → Köln Messe/Deutz or Köln Hauptbahnhof
💡 Buy a ticket from the machine at platform 1 before boarding. Validate it with the blue stamp. Change to tram line 3 or 4 at Heumarkt for Hotel Mado (stop: Breslauer Platz/Hbf).
Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) → Hotel Mado, Köln
💡 Taxis queue outside arrivals; avoid unofficial drivers. For a fixed price, pre-book via Taxi Köln app.
Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) → Köln Breslauer Platz/Hbf
💡 This bus runs direct to the station, then it's a 5-minute walk to Hotel Mado. Less frequent on Sundays.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is check-in at Holiday Inn Express?
Check-in at Holiday Inn Express is from null. Check-out is by null.
Where can I eat cheaply near Holiday Inn Express?
Currywurst mit Pommes or a Döner, about €5–7.
What is the cheapest way to get around from Holiday Inn Express?
A single trip on KVB tram/bus is €3.10; an all-day ticket is €8.60 (Köln zone). From the airport, the S13/S19 train to Köln Hbf costs €3.10 and is far cheaper than a taxi.
Top Attractions in Köln
💡 Free entry on first Thursday of each month. Check the Roman harbour remains outside the museum—they're always accessible.
💡 Free entry is limited to certain days—check the museum website for current free days (often first Thursday). Otherwise €9. Allow 1 hour.
💡 Look for the tiny figures hidden in the details. Best visited late evening when the square is quiet and lit.
💡 Hit the free Thursday evening slot – it's less crowded than Sunday and you can see the Pop Art collection properly. Check for temporary exhibitions that may have a fee.
💡 Free entry for under-18s. Free on first Thursday of the month after 5pm. Otherwise, €9 standard (or ask about the KölnTicket which covers multiple museums).
💡 Go on a Saturday morning when the farmers' market is busiest – you can sample fresh produce for free. The Rathaus tower tour costs a few euros but the courtyard is free.
💡 The best free view of the cathedral is from the Deutzer Brücke footpath just before the park. Bring a blanket and buy a beer from a kiosk; locals gather here on sunny evenings.
💡 Go early at 8am to avoid crowds. The treasury (paid) has medieval relics worth seeing if you have time.