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Voykit pocket guide · Germany
Bonn
Give Bonn one full day: Beethoven's birth house, the Münster and the Museum Mile. Add a second night only if you want the Rhine or Cologne as day trips.
Bonn was West Germany's capital from 1949 to 1990 and still holds federal offices, but it reads as a relaxed, low-rise student city of about 330,000 on the Rhine, 28 km south of Cologne. Its sights cluster in a walkable centre plus a museum strip along the river, so a single day covers the core and a second night buys you the Rhine valley or Cologne.
- Country
- Germany
- Best months
- May–Sep, Dec (Christmas market)
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (grey and wet)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Card acceptance has improved but some bakeries, bars and small restaurants are still cash only.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–95 excl. bed · Mid €95–160 excl. bed · High €160+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telekom, Vodafone and O2 are the networks; Aldi Talk, Lidl Connect and congstar resell them cheaply in supermarkets and electronics shops.
- Emergency
- Fire and ambulance 112 · Police 110
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; UK and US devices need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Round up or add 5–10%; say the total you want to pay as you hand over money or card.; Bar and café: Round up to the nearest euro.; Taxi: Round up by €1–2.; Hotel housekeeping: €1–2 a night, optional.; Free walking tour: €10–15 per person.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Restaurants usually sell bottled water; fizzy (mit Kohlensäure) is the default, ask for 'still' or 'ohne'.
- Toilets
- Station toilets cost €0.50–1.50 (Rail&Fresh WC); restaurant toilets are for customers; the 'WC' at motorway rest stops takes coins and gives a voucher.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €2.50–4 |
| Beer, 0.3 l in a Brauhaus | €3–4.50 |
| Main dish in a Brauhaus | €12–20 |
| Single Stadtbahn ticket | €3.80 |
| Museum entry (Beethoven-Haus, Kunstmuseum) | €8–14 |
| 5 km taxi3.1 mi taxi | €15–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CGN · Cologne Bonn Airport
- SB60 bus to Bonn Hbf every 30 min; RB26/RB27 trains also serve the airport station
- FRA · Frankfurt Airport
- ICE to Siegburg/Bonn, then tram 66 to the centre, about 25 min
- DUS · Düsseldorf Airport
- Rail via Cologne or Düsseldorf Hbf; check connections
Typical fares
- CGN airport → Bonn Hbf, SB60 bus
- about €4, about 30 min (check)
- Bonn Hbf → Cologne Hbf, RE
- about €10–14, 25–30 min (check)
- Single Stadtbahn ticket
- €3.80 (check)
Get around
The centre is small enough to walk: Münster to the university is about 10 minutes. Stadtbahn, tram and bus run on one ticket (single about €3.80, 24-hour pass available) and cover the Museum Mile and Beuel. Rental bikes sit at Bonn Hbf platform 1 and at the Radstation behind the station; app bikes and e-scooters cover short hops.
See and do
Known for
- Beethoven's birthplace
- Former West German capital
- Museum Mile
- Bonner Münster
- Rhine promenade
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Cologne | RE or S-Bahn from Bonn Hbf, about 25–30 min | About 45 min |
| Siegburg | Tram 66 from the centre to Siegburg/Bonn, about 25 min | About 40 min |
| Königswinter | Tram 66 toward Bad Honnef, get off at Königswinter | About 40 min |
| Bad Honnef | Tram 66 to Bad Honnef | About 50 min |
| Leverkusen | RE or S-Bahn from Bonn Hbf toward Cologne, get off at Leverkusen Mitte, about 30–40 min | About 50 min |
| Brühl | RE to Brühl, about 20 min, then a short walk | About 40 min |
Sleep
- Altstadt and Zentrum
- Münster, Markt and Beethoven's birth house on foot; Bonn Hbf for trains and the SB60 airport bus.
- Südstadt
- Late 19th and early 20th-century streets south of the centre; quieter, 10–15 min walk to the museums.
- Beuel (right bank)
- Cheaper beds across the Rhine; Bonn-Beuel station for RB27 and regional trains.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hallohallo |
| Thank you | Dankedanke |
| Please | Bittebitte |
| Do you speak English? | Sprechen Sie Englisch?shprekhen zee eng-lish |
| How much is it? | Wie viel kostet das?vee feel kos-tet das |
| Where is the station? | Wo ist der Bahnhof?vo ist dair bahn-hof |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Firm handshake with eye contact; 'Guten Tag' or 'Hallo'; avoid: Hugs with people you have just met
- Names: Herr / Frau plus surname until invited to use first names; avoid: Using 'du' with officials or older strangers
- Punctuality: Arrive on time for tours, dinners and appointments; avoid: Being more than 5–10 minutes late without a message
- Queues and rules: Follow signs, wait at red lights, sort rubbish; avoid: Walking in cycle lanes
- Conversation: Direct and factual; people say what they mean; avoid: Taking directness as rudeness, or joking about the Nazi era
- Home visit: Bring flowers (odd number, not red roses) or wine; shoes off if the hosts do; avoid: Arriving early
- Paying: Say the total including tip as you pay; avoid: Leaving coins on the table and walking off
Scams and watch-outs
- Single tram tickets are priced per zone: buy before boarding, inspectors do fine.
- The Old Town Hall is not open to visitors; view it from the Markt.
- Deutsche Welle tours need booking well ahead and a group of 6–20.
- Poppelsdorfer Schloss botanical gardens close on Saturdays and Sundays in the palace area; greenhouses shut 30 min earlier.
Bonn is a low-crime city by German standards; the real risks are pickpockets around Bonn Hbf and the Markt, bicycles on shared paths, and tram fare checks. Standard 112/110 numbers apply.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Bonn yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Beethoven's birthplace
- Former West German capital
- Museum Mile
- Bonner Münster
- Rhine promenade
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Bonn official city website: www.bonn.de/
- Bonn Information (tourist office): www.bonn.de/microsite/en/highlights/tourist-information/tourist-information.php
- Cologne Bonn Airport: www.cologne-bonn-airport.com/en/
- Stadtwerke Bonn (SWB) transport: www.swb-busundbahn.de/en/english/
- Wikivoyage: Bonn, revision 5303191 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5303191
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/bonn). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.