Analise

I'm arriving at DUS around 7:30 on a Friday morning in July. I'm meeting friends for the weekend at Hagen between 4 and 5pm. Thus I have this free time. Now I've never seen Düsseldorf so I'm wondering if this would be a nice way to spend this free time. I've been to Köln and loved it. I love seeing cathedrals and older parts of a city. I also like sitting in cafés and enjoying a little bit of people watching.

I took a train to Brussels from Frankfurt about 18 months ago and I remember passing through Aachen. That city looked just like a postcard. Would I be better off taking the train to Aachen to spend the time there and then taking the train over to Hagen?

A few years back as I was fortunate enough to take the slow train to Hagen from FRA as it meandered along the Rhine. I was awed by that ride. But I feel that going south to those cities will have me spending too much time on the train.

So.....should I spend time in Düsseldorf? Go to Aachen? Any other ideas? Thanks.

Would I be able to leave my luggage in a locker at any of the train stations?

bruce80

Aachen could be a bit too far away (by train) to really enjoy your stay. You might be able to catch the 8:22 RE 4 train to Aachen from Düsseldorf Central Station (but that would mean you'd really have to hurry to get there, you should catch a train at DUS around 8 o'clock) you won't be there until 9:45 (but expect not to reach that train which would mean you'd only be there at 10:09 (RE 1 at 8:32 from the DUS long distance train station) or even 10:45 (RE 4 at 9:22 from Central). You'd probably have to leave Aachen between 1pm and 2pm to get to Hagen before 4pm (the ICE service from Cologne to Hagen is currently not in operation, so you'll probably have to stick to a regional train) and I doubt that you'd enjoy a three-hour visit to Aachen.

I'd recommend visiting Cologne instead, or you might stay in Düsseldorf - but that's entirely up to you.

And regarding your questions on luggage lockers: Should you indeed be visiting Aachen, there are lockers in a small room on the left at the end of the subway leading from the platforms to the exit, in Cologne, you'll find automated locker machines in front of the ticket office. Be warned that they are quite expensive (4 EUR for 24 hours) especially when you only want to use them for a few hours (you'll have to pay for the entire day).

And another hint for Aachen: When you take the train from Düsseldorf to Aachen, the bus service in Aachen is included for a trip from the station. If you want to see the cathedral (which is an UNESCO heritage if I'm not entirely wrong), you may walk (about 15 minutes) or take any of the buses leaving from the opposite side of the station square (except for lines 3 and 13) and get off at "Alter Posthof" which is the second stop after Central Station.

Analise

The length of time on the train may put Aachen out of consideration. Thanks for the info about the bus being included in the train fare. When I saw it on the train, I was awed....gotta think about that. How long does it typically take to go through immigration? I will have a carry-on so I won't be checking anything.

I've been to Köln so I'm thinking about seeing another part of the area. That's why I thought about Düsseldorf itself.

bruce80

I have never arrived in DUS from an international flight, so I cannot say anything about immigration. The train ride to Düsseldorf central station will take about 20 to 30 minutes (transfer time to the long distance train station and waiting times included), taking the S Bahn from the terminal station will take about the same amount of time - if you stay in Düsseldorf, you'll have plenty of time for sightseeing.

Analise

I'm not staying in Düsseldorf; I have about a 1/2 of a day of free time to myself and I'm trying to plan what to do. I am meeting friends in Hagen midafternoon.

jneugeba

I enjoyed the day I spend wandering around Düsseldorf. The river is very pretty with lots of shops, restaurants, etc. along it. Having just gotten off a flight I would keep everything simple and just stay there. You will enjoy seeing the fashion capital of Germany and comparing it to NYC!

Analise

You know something, jneugeba, that works! Done, you convinced me.

Do you know if I can store my luggage at a locker at the Dusseldorf bahnhof? I'm not returning to DUS so I'm assuming that there is some type of locker or luggage storage area? If so, would you know what the term for it is in German?

MSPeconomist

I agree with the advice to stay in Dusseldorf and spend some time walking around in a leisurely way. The river/canal is nice, there are lots of interesting clothes stores, and a pleasant historic quarter. Being the fashion capital, it's a good place for people watching, espcially from a sidewalk cafe on a nice day. I don't remember any major museums and churches, but there surely are some smaller historic churches in the older areas of town. Relax and enjoy!

bruce80

You can. You'll find the lockers in several places - they are clearly marked by a locker sign, but if you have to ask someone, ask for a "Schliessfach" (or simply for the luggage lockers, they'll probably understand what you want). A wide variety of differently sized lockers can be found in the subway underneath patform 4/5 - you'll also find the locker attendants ("Schliessfachaufsicht") there (next to the lounge entrance).

Analise

Smaller historic churches? Great. It all sounds nice.

Thank you. I have a few 1€ and 2€ coins.

falconea

The Altstadt (old city) is lovely with some very nice churches and also the "Schlossturm", which has lovely views from the top. Nearby is St Lambertus, which is a lovely church.

The Königsallee is where all the fashion shops are, and the canal down the centre is very pretty.

If you wanted to see something different Schloss Benrath is a pretty pink summer palace. Alternatively, the Neanderthal Museum is also nearby - the Düsseldorf area has been use by humans for a very, very long time!

Audrey

Analise

Are the Alstadt and Königsallee walking distance from Düsseldorf's main railroad station?

falconea

Not really. The area around the main station is not a particularly nice area - it's all ugly 1950s reconstruction. It's about a 20 minutes walk from there to the Altstadt.

Tahe the U-Bahn from the main station to Heinrich-Heine-Allee and that will get you to the right area.

Audrey

Analise

Thanks.

Analise

I arrived in DUS in the rain so because of the weather, my friend picked me up directly at the airport. So I never got a chance to walk around Düsseldorf. Next time. Talk about a bummer.

For a 9:15am return flight, what time should one arrive at DUS? Out of curiousity, if one were making a 9:45am int'l flight from FRA, what time should one get there?