| Tips for getting around Aachen posted by real travelers and Aachen locals. Aachen Map |
 | Aachen Transportation | Tips 1 - 10 of 20 |  |
Photos:
1. Aachen Main Station (Hauptbahnhof)
2. Tracks in the Main Station
3. Statues of wild horses in front of the station
I arrived in Aachen on a Regional Express train from Mönchengladbach (north of Aachen) and left a couple days later on a Regional Express going east to Cologne.
Both of these Regional Express lines run all day on an hourly schedule, with local trains running in between.
I have also been through Aachen a few times on the high-speed Thalys trains which run six times a day between Cologne and Paris by way of Brussels, all stopping in Aachen. These Thalys trains are a joint service of the Belgian, French, Dutch and German railways. They look like French TGV trains, which essentially is what they are.
GPS 50°46'5.27" North; 6° 5'27.76" East Leave a Comment
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 Bicycle station by Nemorino
On June 27, 2008, a small bicycle station was opened at the main railroad station in Aachen. It has safe, dry parking spaces for 158 bicycles -- not a lot compared to the 3300 spaces at the bicycle station in Münster or the 1001 spaces in Freiburg im Breisgau, but a step in the right direction.
Aside from parking, they also do small repairs and have bicycles for rent. I rented one here for a day for five Euros, and was very satisfied with it. All I had to do was show my passport and leave them a 50 Euro deposit, which I got back when I returned the bike.
Like most bicycle stations in Germany, this one provides employment opportunities for people who were previously unemployed.
Since Aachen is very close to the Netherlands and to the French-speaking part of Belgium, the word bike on the front of the station is written not only in German and English, but also in Dutch (fiets) and in French (vélo).
GPS 50°46'5.42" North; 6° 5'21.26" East Leave a Comment
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 A number 12 bus in Aachen,
Theaterplatz by Nemorino
Aachen does not have any tram lines, but they do have an extensive system of bus lines with frequent service.
As in most parts of Germany, it is possible to use the same ticket on the bus and on local trains in the region.
For a typical single bus trip within the city of Aachen you could expect to pay EUR 2.30, but your ticket would also be valid for the neighboring towns of Vaals (Netherlands) and Kelmis (Belgium).
You can buy your ticket from the bus driver or from ticket machines at some of the larger bus stops. Leave a Comment
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 Signs for pedestrians by Nemorino
The city of Aachen has set up ample orientation signs not only for motorists and cyclists, but also for pedestrians, as in this photo which I took near the main railroad station.
The strange-looking metal structure on the right is a new weather tower which is supposed to light up in different colors depending on the weather forecast is.
GPS 50°46'7.29" North; 6° 5'26.04" East Leave a Comment Theme: Other
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Although Aachen is not one of Germany's outstanding bicycle cities, they do have 290 kilometers of signposted bicycle routes, and the city has started various projects to encourage people to cycle to work, school or university.
Aachen also has an active chapter of the General German Bicycle Club (ADFC) which lobbies for a better cycling infrastructure.
In 2009 the ADFC Aachen started publishing an attractive new magazine called Luftpumpe (Air pump), the first cycling publication for Aachen and vicinity. Leave a Comment
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 by BillNJ
I took the bus once -- to Carolus Thermen Bad Aachen. I purchased my ticket at the bushof (bus station) on Peterstrasse. There, I purchased a round trip ticket to Carolus Thermen Bad Aachen which has its own stop.
From what I could tell, the bus network was a good way to get around the city. For more information and routes, I would check out the website link included with this tip.
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 by BillNJ
From Maastricht (NL), I took a train to the Aachen Hbf. with one stop in Heerlen (NL). The trip lasts about an hour. After arriving at Aachen, I first attempted to walk to my hotel. Even with a map that I printed from the internet, it was a little confusing because some streets have different names in different places. After losing my way a couple of times, I decided to flag down a taxi which I took to my hotel for a small fee.
When I left Aachen, I walked from my hotel to the Aachen Hbf. Now that I was more familiar with the city, it was a simple and pleasant walk of about 15 minutes. There are sidewalks for the entire way - on which I wheeled my luggage. After arriving at the station, I purchased a ticket for a regional train that traveled directly to the Cologne Hbf. The duration of the trip was 36 minutes. Theme: Train
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 Ten instead of one by Nemorino
Here's an example of how the City of Aachen has made a tenfold improvement in the use of public space at very little cost.
They have taken what used to be a parking space for one car and made it into a parking facility for ten bicycles, by installing five frames that bikes can be locked to. Leave a Comment Theme: Bicycle
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 by SjalenLeave a Comment Theme: Bus
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The main train station (Hauptbahnhof) is in the center of the city, however it does require a little bit of a walk to get to the main sites. It is possible to take the taxi, but we did fine with just walking through the interesting streets of Aachen. Train service is direct from Koln (Cologne), although we came from Welkenraedt in Belgium. Aachen is a border city, therefore it is easy to get to the Netherlands and Belgium from there. Leave a Comment Theme: Train
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Buchel 32 Buchkremerstrasse, Aachen - Novotel Aachen City
Peterstrasse 66, Aachen - Hotel Hesse
Friedlandstrasse 20, Aachen - Art Hotel Aachen
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Adele Weidtman Strasse 87-93, Aachen - Ibis Aachen Marschiertor
Friedland Strasse 6-8, Aachen - Hotel Restaurant Hallnberg
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Napoleonsberg 132, Aachen - Sofitel Aachen Quellenhof
Monheimsallee 52, Aachen - Art Hotel Superior
Am Branderhof 101, Aachen - Hotel-Restaurant zur Heide Aachen
Raafstr 76-80, Aachen - Mercure Hotel Aachen Am Graben
Peterstrasse 1, Aachen
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