Saying “Cologne Airport”, we make a mistake. After all, this harbor also serves those passengers who fly to the former capital of Germany - the city of Bonn. This is a fairly old hub, famous for its history of the first ballooning experiences. Its official name is Cologne-Bonn Konrad Adenauer International Airport. And he was located exactly between these two cities. If we draw a line from Cologne to Bonn on the map, the airport will be east of this line. In Germany (for reasons of residents' comfort), many air harbors are closed at night, because all flights operate in the daytime. But Cologne-Bonn Airport is one of the few working around the clock. In terms of passenger traffic, it is the sixth in Germany. And in freight transportation, it ranks second in the country. In this article we will talk about how to get from the center of Cologne to the airport, how to come from it to Bonn. We will describe the air harbor terminals and their services.
History
At the beginning of the century, a military training base was organized on the territory of the Vaner-Heide Nature Park in the southeast of Cologne. The first flights were made before the First World War. In the thirty-ninth year, a modest site was converted into a full-fledged military airfield. Luftwaffe attack aircraft flew from here to the Western Front. After the end of World War II, the British took control of the airfield. They reconstructed some objects, expanded the territory. In the fifty-first year, it was decided to convert the air base into a civilian airport. Especially for this, an almost two-kilometer strip with asphalt pavement was built. In the sixties, Cologne Airport acquired two more runways and a terminal building. The first heavy aircraft Boeing 747, performing a transatlantic flight from New York, the air harbor took in the seventieth year.
Modern airport life
Passengers are served by three terminals: two for regular ones and one for private flights and VIP trips. A feature of the airport in Cologne and Bonn is that it accepts low cost. Usually in large cities there is a separate hub serving low-cost airlines. But Cologne Airport accepts Jemanings and Tuiflay, Wizzair and Easy Jet aircraft. Such a low pricing policy in the service has allowed to attract many other carrier companies to the harbor. Reviews say that both terminals are next to each other. T1 occupies the building of the seventies. Directly below it is a train station. The second terminal is located in a modern building, which was made in the same architectural style. From far away, the airport resembles a white ocean liner. In 2004, he acquired the Intercity Express express train station, which connects Cologne to Frankfurt. She, according to reviews, is located at the underground level T1. Every year, the air harbor receives about ten million passengers.
Scoreboard of airport Cologne - Bonn
Understanding the two terminals, tourists console, will not be difficult. Before entering each one it is written which companies are served here. Passengers of the Lufthansa and its "daughters" Jemanings are waiting for the first terminal. Check-in for the Austrian Airlines and Euroving flights is also there. In the first terminal, passengers are arriving from St. Petersburg and the capital Vnukovo. The new building is being served by the rest of the shipping company. There are a lot of them, in addition, in summer, charter flights join them, taking tourists to the shores of the Red Sea, to the resorts of Turkey and the islands of Greece.
Services
At both terminals of Cologne-Bonn Airport there are restaurants, bars and cafes, boutiques and shops, a first-aid post, bank branches, cash dispensers, and a post office. It has an air harbor with its conference room and business center. The airport buildings are located horseshoe, inside which is a huge parking lot. A transfer at Cologne Airport will be more than enjoyable. Indeed, in the transit zone of the terminals, time flies unnoticed. There is Wi-Fi, duty-free shops. Reviews say that there you can buy good quality alcohol and perfume. Upon departure, you can apply for a VAT refund at both terminals. In T1, the Tax Free counter is located at the customs office next to the inspection area. You can only get there by boarding pass for terminal No. 1. In the second building, the tax-free bureau is located immediately behind the registration desks in Hall D. But if you have a flight at night, you cannot get a VAT refund. The bureau is open from five in the morning until nine in the evening. For VAT refunds in cash, regardless of the amount of tax, a fee of three euros is charged.
Cologne Airport: how to get to the city center
How to overcome these fifteen kilometers? A taxi ride (parking of this vehicle is located at the departure area T1 and arrival hall T2) will cost you twenty-seven euros. The fastest way to get to Cologne is by train. Its station is located under the first terminal. Trains leave every five to ten minutes. In Cologne's main station, you will be in less than a quarter of an hour. If you are not interested in Hofbahnhof, take the commuter train to the city. In both terminals, look for the sign labeled S-Bahn. They will lead you to the station of these trains. You need number thirteen. Ticket price - two euros and sixty cents. To the main railway station, which is located in the very center of the city, next to Cologne Cathedral, you can also be taken by the special Express Airport Bus No. 161 or 670 bus. It costs two euros and twenty cents.
How to get to Bonn
Cologne Airport is seventeen kilometers from this city, but the highway winds, and therefore a taxi ride will cost forty euros. The SB60 bus goes to Bonn's main station. The ticket price in it is six and a half euros. Riding the regional train RE 11389 will not take you to the center of Bonn. You will only get to Boyle Station on the east bank of the Rhine. Then you will need to transfer to tram number 62. The total travel time is about forty-five minutes. If you accidentally got on the wrong transport and stopped in Cologne - it does not matter. Reviews say that trams run between the two cities (numbers sixteen and eighteen). The ticket must be bought in the appropriate area and composted in the car.