Where to Stay in Germany: Düsseldorf, Cologne, Berlin and Munich

Main Station Area and the Altstadt

Visit Düsseldorf sorts the city's hotels under two headings: the Altstadt and the area around the trade fair grounds (Messe). We went for a third option and stayed by the main station (Hauptbahnhof), the handiest base if you leave for another city by train every morning.

Little Tokyo also lies between the Hauptbahnhof and the centre, along Immermannstraße. For evenings at Düsseldorf's Christmas markets with a walk home afterwards, the Altstadt works best, though its narrow lanes stay crowded until late. The city's sights and markets are in our things to do in Düsseldorf guide .

• Düsseldorf, the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, sits on the Rhine
• About 12 minutes from the airport to the main station on the S11 (Visit Düsseldorf)
• 691 properties in Düsseldorf on Booking

Best for: Touring Cologne and the Ruhr cities by train

Getting there: About 30 minutes to Cologne by train; about 12 minutes from the airport to the main station on the S11

the City of the Giant Christmas Tree

The centre is compact: walk out of the Hbf and the shopping streets are right ahead of you. According to the city's own site, St. Petri church on Westenhellweg, the main shopping street, is about a 4 minute walk from the station. We came to Dortmund for the day by train from Düsseldorf in November 2025 and did not stay overnight.

If watching the tree glow after dark and strolling back to your room matters to you, choose a hotel between the Hbf and Westenhellweg. The market area is busy at night, so ask for a quiet room. Sights and market dates are in our things to do in Dortmund guide .

• In the east of the Ruhr, a city of football and industry
• The Christmas tree on Hansaplatz is 45 metres tall; the 2026 market runs 19 November to 30 December (dortmund.de)
• 276 properties on Booking

Best for: Staying close to the giant tree at the Christmas market

Getting there: 45 minutes from Düsseldorf on the fastest train

Zollverein and the Heart of the Ruhr

We came to Essen by train from Düsseldorf in November 2025 as well and went back in the evening. If you stay in the city, the triangle formed by the Hbf, Kennedyplatz and the cathedral keeps both the market and the tram within walking distance.

Kennedyplatz gets loud on Christmas market evenings, so ask for a room at the back. Rüttenscheid, which Visit Essen highlights for its cafés and restaurants, is a separate option; we did not explore it. The things to do in Essen guide  covers Zollverein and the rest of the city.

• Zollverein, once a working colliery, is on UNESCO's World Heritage list; tram 107 runs there from the Hbf (zollverein.de)
• The international Christmas market is on Kennedyplatz, 13 November to 23 December 2026 (Visit Essen)
• 266 properties on Booking

Best for: Zollverein by day and the Christmas market in the evening

Getting there: 22 minutes from Düsseldorf on the fastest train

Altstadt, Neustadt or the Main Station

We came to Dresden from Prague for the day by FlixBus; the ride took about 2 hours, we walked around for 5 to 6 hours and returned to Prague in the evening.

As we did not spend a night here, we name no hotels and describe three areas instead. Altstadt: the Frauenkirche, the Zwinger and the Striezelmarkt are all within walking distance; the most sought-after side in the Christmas weeks. Neustadt: the north bank of the Elbe; the city's tourism site describes the Äußere Neustadt as a lively district known for the courtyards of the Kunsthofpassage. Main station area: our bus from Prague stopped at the station and the walk to the old town took us 7 to 10 minutes; a good fit if you move on by train the next day. Route and market are in our things to do in Dresden guide .

• The capital of Saxony, on the Elbe, close to the Czech border
• The Striezelmarkt is on the Altmarkt, 25 November to 24 December 2026 (striezelmarkt.dresden.de)
• 2 hours 13 minutes from Prague on the fastest railjet, with up to five direct trains a day (Deutsche Bahn, October 2026)

Best for: The Striezelmarkt and the old town on the Elbe

Getting there: 2 hours 13 minutes from Prague on the fastest train; our FlixBus took about 2 hours

the Black Forest and the Basel Side

Freiburg was a stop on our Basel route. Sitting far from the Ruhr cities, it calls for a trip of its own, not a day out from Düsseldorf. The Münster stands at the heart of the old town, its tower 116 metres high.

On Booking the old town counts as a separate district, and the whole of Freiburg showed 267 properties. For walks into the Black Forest, a room in the old town or near the main station keeps the trains close.

• In the south-west of Germany, close to the Swiss and French borders
• The main station is on the western edge of the old town, a short walk from Münsterplatz (Visit Freiburg)
• 39 minutes from Basel SBB on the fastest train (Deutsche Bahn, October 2026)

Best for: Combining the Black Forest with Basel

Getting there: 39 minutes from Basel SBB on the fastest train

Districts (We Have Not Been)

Berlin, Germany hotels get more searches than any other city on this page, which is why this card is here. We have not been to Berlin and recommend no hotels. The district names come from visitBerlin, the city's official tourism site; Booking splits the city into 40 neighbourhoods.

Looking for a hostel or a cheap room? Use Booking's property type filter. Whichever district you choose, check how far the hotel is from a U-Bahn or S-Bahn stop.

• The capital; 2,246 properties on Booking
• Districts visitBerlin presents to visitors on separate pages: Mitte, Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf
• About 23 minutes from BER Airport to Hauptbahnhof on the FEX, every 15 minutes (visitBerlin)

Best for: Seeing the capital; we have not been

Getting there: From BER airport, about 23 minutes to Hauptbahnhof on the FEX

Districts (We Have Not Been)

Munich, Germany hotels are heavily searched too. We did not get to Munich on this trip either, so we name no hotels. muenchen.travel presents Ludwigsvorstadt as the area around the main station and Maxvorstadt as the district where the museums cluster; if you are coming and going by train, a hotel near the station is practical.

Salzburg is 1 hour 43 minutes away on the fastest train (Deutsche Bahn, October 2026); for that side, see our where to stay in Salzburg guide .

• The capital of Bavaria; 922 properties on Booking
• Districts the city's tourism site highlights: Altstadt-Lehel, Ludwigsvorstadt, Maxvorstadt, Schwabing
• About 40 to 45 minutes from the airport to the main station on the S1 and S8 (muenchen.de)

Best for: Fitting Bavaria and Salzburg into one trip; we have not been

Getting there: 1 hour 43 minutes to Salzburg on the fastest train