The Christmas markets in Aachen and Cologne are very popular with British visitors as it is easy to travel from London, most of England, and the UK to these German cities by car, train, coach, or group bus tours.
Aachen and Cologne (Köln) are the closest major German cities to the United Kingdom. Both cities have great Christmas markets and are within easy reach of Britain for travelers by Flixbus coaches, Eurostar trains, or by car using ferries. Trains are usually the easiest way to travel from London to Aachen and Cologne while Flixbus coaches are cheap (but slow). Most ferries cross the English Channel near Dover and Calais but for travelers from further north in England and Scotland, better options are available from Harwich, Hull, and Newcastle to Belgium and Holland.
Driving from the UK to Aachen and Cologne in Germany
Useful ferry routes for travel from the UK to Christmas markets in Germany include:
- Calais to Dover – P&O
- Dover to Dunkirk – DFDS
- Hull to Zeebrügge – P&O
- Hull to Rotterdam – P&O
- Harwich to Hook of Holland – Stena
- Newcastle to Amsterdam (IJmuiden) – DFDS
Driving times from major ferry port towns to Germany are around:
- Calais – 350 km / 3h20 to Aachen and 410 km / 4h00 to Cologne (Köln)
- Dunkirk – 320 km / 3h00 to Aachen and 380 km / 3h40 to Cologne (Köln)
- Hook of Holland – 250 km / 2h30 to Aachen and 280 km / 3h00 to Cologne (Köln)
- Rotterdam – 220 km / 2h20 to Aachen and 260 km / 2h45 to Cologne (Köln)
- Ijmuiden (Amsterdam) – 250 km / 2h30 to Aachen and 300 km / 3h00 to Cologne (Köln)
- Zeebrugge – 240 km / 2h30 to Aachen and 300 km / 3h00 to Cologne (Köln)
Most of the driving will be on dual carriageway highways, which present little difficulty for British right-hand drive vehicles.
→ See also: Driving from the UK to German Christmas Markets for more details.
Travel on Flixbus Coaches from the UK to Aachen and Cologne
Flixbus buses are available daily from London to Frankfurt am Main via Aachen and Cologne (Köln). Buses travel overnight and usually use P&O ferries to cross the English Channel from Dover to Calais but sometimes further daytime coaches requiring a bus change in Brussels are also available. (Avoid connections in Paris, if traveling to Aachen or Cologne as it adds hours to the journey.)
Traveling times from London Victoria Coach station are around 12 hours to Aachen and an hour more to Cologne (Köln).
Buses may not be the fastest or most comfortable way to travel but it is low stress and an environmentally friendly way to travel. Special deals are often available with last-minute travel much cheaper than flying or trains.
→ See Travel by Bus from London UK to Germany for more details on Flixbus bus services between Britain and Germany.
Travel by Eurostar and Thalys / ICE Trains from London (UK) to Aachen and Cologne
Aachen and Cologne are easy train rides from Brussels with excellent connecting services to Eurostar trains. From Brussels, TGV Thalys trains and German Railways Inter-City-Express (ICE) trains provide the fastest connections to Aachen and Cologne.
Traveling times from London can be less than four hours to Aachen but more likely 4:30 to five hours. Traveling to Cologne is just over an hour longer. Deutsche Bahn (German Railways) has an excellent online timetable for all German public transportation and most railway and major bus services in Europe. Trainline is also useful for comparing both train and bus fares.
→ See also Travel by Train from London and the UK to German Christmas Markets.
For More on Travel from the UK to German Christmas Markets:
- Visit the Christmas Market (Weihnachtsmarkt) in Aachen
- Travel to Christmas Markets in Cologne (Köln)
- Christmas Day and New Year’s Cruises on the Rhine River from Cologne
- Driving from the UK to German Christmas Markets
- Cheap Flixbus Coaches from London to Germany
- Best Trains from London (UK) to German Christmas Markets
- Guide to the Best Christmas Markets in Germany
