Dusseldorf / Cologne / Frankfurt

[Doktor]

This weekend am going for a weekend in Dusseldorf.

Wanted to hear a good advice about the trains to go forth and back from Dusseldorf (Hptbhf) to Cologne (Messe) and back.

The VRR and VRS sites are so confusing to me.

Thanks

[kato]

Options for that connection:

• commuter train (S; €10.00 one-way*) - 48 minutes ; S6, departing every 20 minutes from Düsseldorf, platform 11/12 (edit: weekend - every 30 minutes)
• regional fast train (RE; €10.00 one-way) - 27 minutes ; RE5/7, departing once or twice per hour from Düsseldorf, platform 15/16
• high-speed train (ICE; €16.50 one-way) - 21 minutes ; usually once per hour, platform 15/16

*iirc that's tariff zone 5.

[Doktor]

Next time I'll PM you, as I expected your response to be first. Thanks!

BTW, are the tickets cheaper online or they are same price?

[dave lukins]

Have a great time there Dok. Been to all cities mentioned and Cologne was my favorite. Loved the Dom and the Museum and of course the all important Bratwurst

[Doktor]

Have a great time there Dok. Been to all cities mentioned and Cologne was my favorite. Loved the Dom and the Museum and of course the all important Bratwurst

Thanks Dave.

Been there but always with car. Believe it or not I am going to a food fair

[kato]

BTW, are the tickets cheaper online or they are same price?

Same price for that short distance.

[Doktor]

Thanks again.

[kato]

If you want to travel around e.g. Düsseldorf or otherwise afterwards too the cheapest option is probably a state-wide day ticket btw. "SchönerTagTicket Single", 26 Euro (online or at ticket machines; at DB counter 28 Euro). Not valid in IC/ICE but in everything else.

[Builder 2010]

I lived in Düsseldorf with my wife from Jan 1999 until March 2002 as I worked as the chief learning officer for the Henkel Gruppe. We went to Koln many times and especially liked to have apple strudel with vanilla sauce (Apfel Strudel mit Sahne Sauce) at Cafe Richard which is on the plaza directly across from the Dom. It's the best anywhere.

When in D'dorf, you must go to Heinemann's. There are several in the Centrum and they have the best cake and coffee you could ever imagine.

There were many wonderful resturants we used to frequent. Our favorites were Italian and Casa Luigi, Balsamico, Ponte Vechio were just a few (they're still there according to Google Earth). They in the Alt Stadt. D'dorf is a great city that's overshadowed by other German towns, but it is a nice place to shop, visit and eat.

Here was our home on 33 Marconistrasse in a neighborhood called Holthausen where the Henkel Corporate Headquarters is.



It was big by German standards being 200 m2. It also had its own basement with a washer and dryer. I had a separate room in the basement where I built my first O'gauge train layout. I did this AFTER getting permission from Henkel that they'd move it back to the USA when my assignment ended. They did.

[Doktor]

Back home.

Haven't been to Germany in a couple of years and the experience (as usual) was merely positive.

Several things that I noticed:

I feel stupid for asking about German trains. I forgot how easy it was to get around when I was a kid, why would it be harder now? All you need to know where you want to go and to READ! The directions are everywhere. The trains were boringly on time, every time.

While I was waiting for the tram in Dusseldorf the guys in charge for maintenance were replacing the signs with the name of the spot. They replaced perfect aluminium boards with another perfect aluminium boards. The font was the same, the boards remained white, but they replaced them. Oh and it was during the weekend and it was raining. Thought Germans were set to saving. The guys were whistling some song while working.

Ze Germans were all VERY polite and helpful. One would think they would be nervous with all the crisis talk and declining employment etc etc, but no, they decided to be polite and happy. A woman working in the sportsware store (Cologne) was even mumbling some song. The girl on the floor above was more then happy to give me 10 pairs of tracking shoes for testing just to get 1 pair with me. She was smiling as far as we could see her.

The wursts were worse then the last time I was around, but imho, that's all due to the EU directives for safer food.

There were less black/turkish/asiatic people then during my last visit.

If you are in Dusseldorf and want to go on a shopping spree, forget about KÖ and take a train to Cologne. Head to the cathedral and check the stores around.

I have noticed a lot of disabled people, don't know the cause, but felt sad.

The guy singing near the fair's train stration had more money in metal coins gathered (guesstimate ~60 EUR) then I had papers in my wallet (card excluded).

Managed to spot 3 cops on the main railway station in Dusseldorf and 5 more in front of the city hall, yet felt secure.

The fair had a lot more visitors then 2 years ago. A lot more Greek exhibitors.

The Frankfurt airport seemed a lot bigger then the last time (6 years ago), maybe because I had more time to walk around.

After I left the luggage the guy on the check-in was whistling some song, too.

What's with Germans and being happy? I thought that's reserved for Italians

[kato]

One would think they would be nervous with all the crisis talk and declining employment etc etc, but no, they decided to be polite and happy.

What declining employment? Germany is on a roll there over the past two years, unemployment figures have been dropping constantly. Düsseldorf was at 7.8% in September, down from 8.3% a year earlier. For the country as a whole it's down from 7.2% a year ago (and 8.0% two years ago) to 6.6% now. Pretty much the best figure we've had in the last 10 years.

There were less black/turkish/asiatic people then during my last visit.

Immigration to Düsseldorf from Japan and China has been declining over the past 5 years. More Indians though. And the turkish population is basically declining throughout Germany. There are more Turks leaving than immigrating. Natural population increase is barely able to counter it.

I have noticed a lot of disabled people, don't know the cause, but felt sad.

Beggars or otherwise?

[Doktor]

What declining employment? Germany is on a roll there over the past two years, unemployment figures have been dropping constantly. Düsseldorf was at 7.8% in September, down from 8.3% a year earlier. For the country as a whole it's down from 7.2% a year ago (and 8.0% two years ago) to 6.6% now. Pretty much the best figure we've had in the last 10 years.

Didn't know that

Immigration to Düsseldorf from Japan and China has been declining over the past 5 years. More Indians though. And the turkish population is basically declining throughout Germany. There are more Turks leaving than immigrating. Natural population increase is barely able to counter it.

Damn I thought it is something wrong with me not spotting them

Beggars or otherwise?

Otherwise. Now that you have mentioned it not much beggars on spot. 2 on KÖ and 1 in the old city. In cologne only the guy with the guitar near the fair, dunno for Frankfurt as I droppet directly to the airport.