Depending on the limits of how long you consider a "day" trip: Aachen is quite nice, site of Charlemagne's cathedral and a nice old town. It's about 3.5 hours by train and 2:15 by car (according to viamichelin). Another idea (though I know absolutely nothing about it) would be Bonn, just south of Cologne.

Enjoy your trip,
Paul

I'll second the trip to Aachen. If you have the time, you might also want to spend some time in Maastricht, which is close to both the borders of Germany and Belgium. I thought this city had a lot of charm and history. It is also close to several American cemetaries from WWII.

Monschau is a nice little town to visit. You could combine that with Aachen. Here's a snippit I cut & pasted from a Christmas market web site.

"Nestling in a valley amongst the Eifel Hills, Monschau really is one of Europe's best kept secrets. Located just a few kilometers over the Belgian border, Monschau offers visitors a wealth of things to see and do, Quaint shops, romantic old streets, half timbered buildings, a wonderful selection of restaurants & cafes, a historic mustard mill, various museums and the old friary to mention just a few."

We were there during the Christmas time.

I did this trip recently. I purchased the train ticket online at

www.bahn.de (site is in German)

and they mailed the paper ticket to me back in the USA. Trains
leave at least a dozen times a day. The ride takes between
2.5 and 4 hours depending on what train you take, so
pick carefully and start your day early.

The ride was pretty. The trains are clean and comfortable.

As for what you do there, I can't be of much help.
I went to visit family in Krefeld.

Have you considered going to Bruges? It's the Venice of Belguim.

I believe you would travel from Central Station Amsterdam to Antwerpen
and then change trains to Bruges.

Thanks for the responses so far. Is Dusseldorf an interesting city?

Thanks.

Ross.

Hi!
I'm not sure how to answer your question. Is Duesseldorf an interesting city to visit??

Duesseldorf has a couple of good art museums, a nice promenade along the Rhine, pretty Altstadt (old part of town) with heaps of bars (probably more interesting in the evening and on weekends). I It's good for upscale shopping, all the really fancy and expensive stuff. There are now some intersting examples of modern architecture, too and I personally liked their Aquazoo (all kinds of fish, reptiles with lots of natural history, too).

You probably already have come across the city's own homepage already? Even though it's not all that great.
http://www.duesseldorf.de/eng/index.shtml

Having said all that, I'd think you might like Aachen better

Dusseldorf is ok, though I'd second the vote for Maastricht.

We weren't that impressed by Monschau. It's a common day trip for Belgians and struck us as the "New Hope" of Germany (if you know New Hope outside Philadelphia, you'll know what I mean). Also, it's rather difficult to reach by mass transit.
Closer to Dusseldorf and easily accessed by mass transit is the medieval walled town of Hattingen. Picturesque and full of cafes, restaurants, shops. We especially enjoyed having hot chocolate in a candlelit 15th century home converted into a cafe. Muenster is also an interesting, attractive city, but to do it in a day, you'd need a car.
From Amsterdam, most destinations in Germany seem to be more than a day trip, though.

I'm going to Germany in a few weeks, flying in to Düsseldorf. My boyfriend lives in Münster and swears it's just beautiful, so, based on his opinion (and the videotape tour he brought me last year) I'll second the vote for Münster It's just northeast of the Düsseldorf-Essen-Bochum-etc conglomeration.

We're also looking to wander into the Netherlands just over the border. I'd also welcome any just-over-the-border suggestions for a daytrip.


Debbie

Hi
I've never been to Dusseldorf so I can't repond to there. I have been to Maastricht for a couple of days several years ago and thought it was great. There's a university there and a lively outdoor cafe area. Old city also. May I also suggest Trier in Germany. An ancient Roman city with a Roman arch and an old Catedral. Very nice, pleasant city. Enjoy.
alan