Will be driving in from Amsterdam on a fall Saturday morning and wondering if anyone can suggest an easy place to park close to the Cologne Cathedral.

Thanks in advance...bdj

You will need an environment sticker (umwelt-plakette) to be allowed to drive in Cologne city centre.
You may be able to park by the Messe and take the train/bus in from there, but it will be expensive. No sticker risks a €40 fine. And if you are in a hire car it probably won't have one. Make sure you have winter tyres on too.

You can read about the zones and stickers here:
http://tinyurl.com/2ukgmbk and here; http://tinyurl.com/3xll3fq.

Taking the train is a really relaxed way to go from Amsterdam to Cologne. No changes, and you step out of the station and see the Dom. Not expensive either, if you buy in advance.

Thanks for the heads-up on the sticker for ordering one appears doable, while embarking on this vacation without a car is not.

Are winter tires necessary for October?

Given the sticker and tires are accounted for, what are parking options close to the Cologne Cathedral?

Thanks in advance...bdj

By the Messe you don't need the sticker.
I don't know about parking in the centre, sorry.

I went by train and my husband parked at the Messe when he went.

oh just found this; www.nicecity.de/english/carandparking.htm

Hth.

We parked across the big train bridge from the Dom. There is plenty of safe on-street parking on the other side. Pay at the meter machine and walk across the bridge. It was easy.

There are some parking opportunities around the cathedral, one of them basically below it. Take a look at the link

http://www.bahnhof.de/site/bahnhoefe...en/parken.html