I am flying to FRA ($409all-in) and using some expiring IC BOGO certs. Was going to stayin FRA but noticed that it's only an hour on ICE from FRA airport to Cologne, which also has a well-reviewed IC.
Background: I am somebody who is not really into the "quaint" existing-for-tourists-only "old towns" in Europe. For example, I wasn't that interested in Tallinn but loved Riga. If those make any sense. I loved Manchester too! And not many tourists go there, though it's improving--I think I prefer to kinda blend in, hang at a coffee shop, eat a nice meal or two, go out to a gay bar and/or sauna, and do a few tourist-type things.
Questions:
Are the IC Frankfurt and Cologne reasonably equal in location? They are both reviewed reasonably well on TA and here on FT.
Are they near enough to the gay areas?
Is Cologne just a cute little tourist trap, or a real city with real people?
Which gay scene is better? I'd assume FRA since it's double the size of Cologne, but you never know.
Thanks in advance for any advice!