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Good afternoon all.
We are thinking about organising a family (of 4) trip later this year, possibly mid October or around the Christmas holidays, to Bonn and wondered if anyone had recommendations for accommodation? We are not specifically tied to Bonn so any of the nearby Cities would also be fine.
Many thanks.
Why on earth Bonn? even in Germany its rep is boring.
It’s kind of joined to Cologne though. Which is slightly more interesting but very small.
There are so many more interesting cities you could consider in Germany?
My wife (rather than the kids!) has always wanted to pay a visit to the Haribo store located next to the factory. Happy to be based elsewhere as long as Bonn is still reachable in around a few hours. Only been to Germany once along time ago so really have no experience to fall back on.
Why on earth Bonn? even in Germany its rep is boring.
It’s kind of joined to Cologne though. Which is slightly more interesting but very small.
There are so many more interesting cities you could consider in Germany?
If you are going to Bonn and enjoy trains/scenery/walking I would highly recommend taking the train down the Romantic Rhine from Cologne/Bonn to Koblenz and Mainz. Its one of the most spectacular journeys you will get outside of the Alps. You can also take the boat. I stayed in Cologne this summer for the Euros, it was OK and you could walk up the Dom (Cathedral) which was impressive. I preferred Duesseldorf – we stayed in a nice little boutique called the Fritz but they don’t have family rooms. Wiesbaden is also worth considering – little spa town.
I would also recommend going down the Rhine, stopping off at Xmas markets in small towns if going in December.
Based on a few years ago, but Bonn is the only place in Germany I’ve visited that I have NO desire to return to. Large issues with homelessness and drug abuse. Discarded syringes a common sight. A Beethoven statue and the Haribo shop, I can’t think of anything else it offers. Anywhere would be nicer than Bonn.
Please do not go to Bonn. It makes Leverkusen look fun and interesting (which it is not). If your family really want to visit the Haribo store, stay in Koln and train down. Though Koln is small it is perfectly lovely for 2 days.
Many thanks all – resounding opinion seems to be to stay clear of Bonn 🙂 Will ensure we are in and out as quickly as possible!
I stayed there for work at the Hilton and it was fine. A really good breakfast spread.
As for the city, it was entirely cash-based which I found highly inconvenient. On day 1 I had to get back into the taxi that took me to my destination to get the driver to take me to a bank to withdraw cash to pay him.
The Hilton Bonn was frequently a lot cheaper than the Hilton Cologne which was the only reason I stayed there, but it has left the chain.
I enjoyed walking around the outskirts of Bonn but as mentioned there isn’t much to do as such. As for Leverkusen I don’t know why any tourist would even go there barring a specific event
I still remember the first time I flew to Düsseldorf to see a German friend who lived near Bonn. Went to Dusseldorf old town, then we went to Cologne and I said I’d like to go to Bonn. She asked me why I wanted to go there and said no one ever goes there unless they have too! By all means go to the Haribo shop but then get out as soon as you can. Either get the train or a boat south of Cologne and visit some of the small villages like Rudesheim or Boppard. I also liked Mainz and Koblenz which is at the confluence of the Rhein and Mosel, with a huge statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I on his horse and a rather nice old town.
We have stayed in Köln many times, but the best stay was at the Marriott. A short walk from the Hauptbahnhof, the concierge Ernesto was the nicest we have had. He was very happy to recommend lots of places in Bonn, but when we asked about Dusseldorf recommendations he looked at us like we were mad!
The Hilton Köln is also nice, we’ve been there a few times when breaking a long rail journey into Europe.We also love German outlet stores (Bahlsen in lots of cities, Ritter Sport in Berlin) and we went to the Haribo Warehouse in Bad Godesberg. It’s really easy to get to from Köln, we actually walked from Bonn Hbf past the embassies and the excellent museum “House of the History of the Federal Republic of Germany”. But you can just get a local train to Bonn Wurzerstrasse and it’s 5 minutes walk. Take an empty suitcase!
Since you’re now in Bonn, you can use Bad Godesberg as the gateway to the beautiful countryside south of Bonn. Visit the Redoute Hall, the Draitschbrunnen fountain, and Godesburg Castle. Cross the river to Konigswinter, from where you can take the rack-and-pinion railway to Drachenfels mountain. An intermediate stop is at Schloss Drachenburg. Also you could take a boat trip from Bonn past Konigswinter to Linz. If you’d been in Bonn in March/April, you could also have seen their gorgeous cherry blossom quarter in the Altstadt.
Many thanks all, very helpful.
the excellent museum “House of the History of the Federal Republic of Germany”
I was going to say, this is unmissable if you’re in Bonn and you’re interested in European post war history, which I am. Architecture fans will also find plenty to occupy them in the government quarter, you can visit the former Chancellor’s residence which is surprisingly humble while also being quite beautiful. Bonn may be suffering from ‘big city decay’ that is visible elsewhere in Germany (and wider Europe for that matter, very much including the UK), but that’s not to say it isn’t worth a visit if you’re nearby. It was after all the capital of the FRG (aka BRD) and the ghosts of the past still linger.
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