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Major city · 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.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
EUR
Best months
May–Sep, Dec (Christmas market)
avoid Jan–Feb (grey and wet)
Airports
CGN · FRA · DUS
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Central Europe ↗Six of the nine countries here — Austria, Switzerland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia — charge a time-based motorway vignette, mostly digital and linked to the number plate; buy it before the first motorway past the border, because cameras, not toll booths, do the checking.
  • Central Europe ↗Temporary police checks at internal Schengen borders are common in this region in 2026 (Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovenia among others — check): keep your passport on you on every cross-border train, bus and road even though there is no fixed control post.
  • Germany ↗Germany is in the EU and the Schengen area: check entry rules, the EU Entry/Exit System and any travel authorisation requirement for your passport on official sources.
  • Germany ↗Nazi symbols and gestures are criminal offences, including as jokes or souvenirs.
  • Germany ↗Many city centres are low-emission zones: a car needs the right sticker (Umweltplakette) to enter.

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.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Bonn, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee€2.50–4 (≈ US$3–5)
  • Beer0.3 l in a Brauhaus€3–4.50 (≈ US$4–6)
  • Taxi, about 5 km5 km taxicheck€15–20 (≈ US$18–25)
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entry (Beethoven-Haus, Kunstmuseum)check€8–14 (≈ US$10–17)
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per person€28 (≈ US$35)
  • Mid-range bedHotel double room, a night, per room€120 (≈ US$140)
  • High-end bedHotel double room, a night, per room€240 (≈ US$300)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget €60 (≈ US$70) · Mid €110 (≈ US$130) · High €200 (≈ US$250)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Beethoven's birthplaceFormer West German capitalMuseum MileBonner MünsterRhine promenade
Airports
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)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Bonn: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

6°C

0°C

13 rd

Feb

7°C

0°C

12 rd

Mar

11°C

2°C

12 rd

Apr

16°C

5°C

11 rd

May

19°C

9°C

13 rd

Jun

23°C

12°C

13 rd

Jul

24°C

14°C

14 rd

Aug

24°C

13°C

14 rd

Sep

20°C

10°C

12 rd

Oct

15°C

7°C

13 rd

Nov

10°C

4°C

14 rd

Dec

6°C

2°C

14 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting 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 & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Cologne

go

Door to door: About 45 min

RE or S-Bahn from Bonn Hbf, about 25–30 min

Cathedral, Kölsch taverns and the old town; easy half day or full day.

Siegburg

go

Door to door: About 40 min

Tram 66 from the centre to Siegburg/Bonn, about 25 min

ICE station for onward trips; small old town worth an hour.

Königswinter

go

Door to door: About 40 min

Tram 66 toward Bad Honnef, get off at Königswinter

Drachenfels and the Rhine; go on a clear day.

Bad Honnef

caution

Door to door: About 50 min

Tram 66 to Bad Honnef

Quiet river town; combine with Königswinter rather than a separate trip.

Leverkusen

skip

Door to door: About 50 min

RE or S-Bahn from Bonn Hbf toward Cologne, get off at Leverkusen Mitte, about 30–40 min

Industrial; only for football or the Bayer sites.

Brühl

go

Door to door: About 40 min

RE to Brühl, about 20 min, then a short walk

Augustusburg and Falkenlust palaces; a half day.

Sankt Augustin

skip

Door to door: About 45 min

Tram 66 or S-Bahn toward Siegburg, about 30 min

Suburban; no reason to go unless you have a specific stop.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

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.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
€60–95 (≈ US$70–120) excl. bed
Mid
€95–160 (≈ US$120–190) excl. bed
High
€160 (≈ US$190)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Hotel double room1 × 1 night × €120€120
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × €110€220
SB60 bus CGN airport to Bonn Hbf, one way2 × €4 · check€8
24-hour Stadtbahn pass, one day2 × €9 · check€18
eSIM, about a week of data2 × €15€30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge€40
Trip total≈ €218 per person per day, bed included€436≈ US$550

2026 estimate in euro; flights and rail passes excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee€2.50–4 (≈ US$3–5)
Beer, 0.3 l in a Brauhaus€3–4.50 (≈ US$4–6)
Main dish in a Brauhaus€12–20 (≈ US$14–25)
Single Stadtbahn ticketcheck€3.80 (≈ US$5)
Museum entry (Beethoven-Haus, Kunstmuseum)check€8–14 (≈ US$10–17)
5 km taxicheck€15–20 (≈ US$18–25)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

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.
  • 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.

Emergency numbers

Fire and ambulance
112
Police
110

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

BonnBonn

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Zu dieser Adresse, bitteTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Fire and ambulance112
  • Police110

Embassy

The US consulate general is in Düsseldorf; embassies are in Berlin. Check your country's mission before travelling.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • CGN airport → Bonn Hbf, SB60 bus: about €4 (≈ US$5), about 30 min (check)
  • Bonn Hbf → Cologne Hbf, RE: about €10–14 (≈ US$12–17), 25–30 min (check)
  • Single Stadtbahn ticket: €3.80 (≈ US$5) (check)

Say or show

  • Hallo — Hello (hallo)
  • Danke — Thank you (danke)
  • Bitte — Please (bitte)
  • Sprechen Sie Englisch? — Do you speak English? (shprekhen zee eng-lish)
  • Wie viel kostet das? — How much is it? (vee feel kos-tet das)
  • Wo ist der Bahnhof? — Where is the station? (vo ist dair bahn-hof)

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Bonn. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Sep, Dec (Christmas market) · avoid Jan–Feb (grey and wet) · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 7 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for CGN: SB60 and RB26/RB27 timings field-checked, taxi fallback, late-arrival rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Markt and Münster, Beethoven and the university, Museum Mile, Südstadt.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Münster, Beethoven-Haus, Kunstmuseum, Haus der Geschichte) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Rhine day-trip fixtures for Königswinter, Brühl and Cologne so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Germany

Sources