Cologne > Cologne Experience

Advantages: Milka...Lindt...chocolate in general
Disadvantages: cable car shut in winter

We went to Cologne this December so I could practice my German, we could go to the Christmas markets and we could take some much needed time off work. Actually, scrap that. Those were the reasons we went to Germany. The single reason we went to Cologne in particular was the flight schedules - Tui now fly there from Manchester, and our flights cost less than £70 return including taxes and the credit card fee (alarmingly charged per passenger, not ...
...has a chocolate museum like Cologne does. On the banks of the Rhine, and a mere 10 minutes walk from our hotel, this was my mecca, and we spent a morning of our trip there. I've been to many a chocolate museum - Hershey in Pennsylvania, Cadbury's World in Tasmania (nothing as normal as Bournville for me) - but this was something else. Firstly, they give you chocolates as you pay to go in (currently €6.50/adult). This I liked. Then, once you've navigated ... Read review

Advantages: nice people, beautiful city
Disadvantages: can't think of any

...most of my life near cologne and worked in this city, but I still like to tell you about it. If you plan a trip to Cologne, go for it! It's perfect for a short trip over the weekend because you can cheap flights with Easyjet or Hapagh Lloyd from East Midlands, Manchester, Coventry (from £30) and I'm sure there are good connections from London as well. The best place to stay is in a hotel near the main train station. It might be a bit loud at night, ...
...capital of Germany before Berlin). Cologne is famous for it Cathedral, which is just next to the main train station. It is beautiful and if you make the effort to go upstairs (there must be millions of stairs!), you'll have a stunning view over Cologne. It is great for shopping as well. You have all shops on one long street (Schildergasse/ Hohe Strasse) and compared to england prices you can make some good deals. For people, who just want to have ... Read review

Advantages: Great to visit at Christmas, Lots to do
Disadvantages: Gets very cold in autumn/winter so take warm clothing

...arriving in a city like Cologne or Koln, as it is referred to in German, and visiting their Christmas Markets. They have about eight markets in operation between the end of November up until Christmas day. They are an absolute delight and a must for anyone visiting Cologne, all brimming full of continental delights from hand crafted Christmas decorations and toys to enticing chocolate truffles. There are a number of stalls selling Gluwein, which ...
...dim. Eating out in Cologne can be very expensive, bearing in mind that it is a major city; you should expect to pay accordingly. Myself and my wife had lunch close to the Cathedral and paid out about £30 for soup and a main course. Don’t let this put you off however; there are plenty of fast food restaurants in the area if you are visiting with a family. Another cheaper alternative is the numerous “Crepe” stalls that are located around the city, ... Read review

Advantages: Beautiful city, great shopping
Disadvantages: Having to come home again :-(

Others have mentioned the tourist side of Cologne. And it is great, especially the Xmas markets. But don't miss a boat trip on the Rhein. The boats come in all shapes and sizes, including one that looks like the Starship Enterprise! But it is also great for shopping. Most items in Ikea are 30% less than the UK (but check first, as a few products are a bit more). Saturn has ovens and ceramic hobs for £250 which cost around £800 for a similar standard ...
...to be "The world's largest CD outlet". And indeed it is massive with great prices. Current chart CDs are around £8-9 and you can listen to almost every CD in the store using their headphones with barcode readers!!! And the food is wonderful. Whenever I visit Cologne, my problem is I never have enough time to visit all the restaurants I want to. A Turkish snack bar on the Gurtel where you can eat a 3 course meal for £2, Jonny Turista for wonderful ... Read review

Advantages: many shops, antique buildings
Disadvantages: ----

I flew to Cologne the last weekend. I arrived at Cologne Airport and got a bus to the city of Cologne. It's worth seeing!!! There are many shops, you can buy CDs, clothes, everything. And it's very chaep, too. Much cheaper than the shops in London. Then I went to Cologne's chocolade museum. You can learn about chocolade production and you can taste many kinds of chocolade - very delicious. After that I went to the Roman museum. You can see very ...
...you are in Cologne first visit the Roman museum. It's superb. The next day i went to a musical. Sorry, but I have forgotten its name. It's was cool, too. At night I flew home. What a cool weekend!!! I don't know anything about the nightlife. I just filled in something. ... Read review