We will be landing in Dusseldorf next weekend at 625pm. We are headed to Prague on the overnight train that leaves Dusseldorf Hbf at 11:53pm. Wondering if we should stay in the airport until 1130 and catch our train at Hbf with no significant layover at Hbf or could we venture into Dusseldorf on an earlier train and stash our luggage at the station? Possible? We'd like to do that and kill our layover with dinner or something. Anything near Dusseldorf train station to keep us occupied for a few hours without having to drag our luggage around. We're traveling 1st class so it looks like there is a lounge we could use at Dusseldorf Hbf but might like to also venture out a bit. Any of your ideas would be very helpful. Thanks!

No idea whether you can store you luggage at the train station. The station itself is huge and I'd imagine there will be some luggage lockers or a left luggage counter. Hopefully, other fodorites will chime in to let you know about left luggage at the station.

With five hours, I'd explore some of the city's sights. station. Stroll on Konigsallee, the Rheinuferpromenade or Alstadt. Drink Altbier and grab a snack or meal before travelling to Prague.

Have wonderful Japanese dinner on Immermannstraße. Dusseldorf has one of the largest Japanese communities on the continent and so a plethora of very good, very authentic Japanese restaurants. No all you can eat sushi places, but places for very good, very relaxed dinner before you set off. No sense really in rushing through Dusseldorf. It's not that special.

http://www.thatgaybackpacker.com/imm...in-dusseldorf/

<i>Dusseldorf 5hr Evening Layover
Posted by: PinotNoir on Aug 19, 16 at 10:30pm
We will be landing in Dusseldorf next weekend at 625pm. </i>

If "weekend" means Saturday and you like a lively evening, there is hardly a better place in Europe than the Altstadt of D&uuml;sseldorf. It is about a half hour walk from the station. There are plenty of places for traditional German pork and kraut and brew. Try one of the Hausbrauerei for a feel of real Germany and Germans.

There are a lot of luggage lockers in the station. I used one a few years ago. Then I walked to the Altstadt for a stroll and goulash dinner at a Croatian restaurant, and hopped the U-Bahn to get back to the station and catch my train to Frankfurt.

For an overnight train I suggest that you get to the station about a half hour early. Boarding an overnight train is a bit involved compared to a regular train. Typically the conductors set up a desk on the platform to verify tickets and reservations and passports. There can be a line. The conductor may hold your paperwork and passport until arrival in Prague. For an illustrated introduction to NachtZug travel see http://www.enjoy-europe.com/hte/chap17/rail3.htm. When you arrive in D&uuml;sseldorf visit the service desk and ask for details for your train. They'll print it out. It can save you some last minute anxiety.

Take a taxi or the S-Bahn to the train station. It should take 15 minutes. Then store your luggage in the lockers in the train station.

Then walk westwards through Friedrich-Ebert-Straße which becomes Steinstraße until you reach the Königsallee. This is the main shopping street, very elegant. Stroll a bit left and right.

Then walk further westwards through Steinstraße which becomes Benrather Straße. This walk will lead you through the historic Old Town. On your left you will see the Maxkirche, where Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (wedding march) was organist. Eventually you will reach the Rhine.

Walk the boardwalk to the right along the small historic harbour until you reach the Burgplatz (a square with a round tower). Then walk eastwards through the Altstadt back to the train station.

On this way, you will pass at least 100 eating venues of all kind and all style.

For a traditional German meal, the microbreweries Uerige and Zum Schlüssel are good addresses. Even if you do not want to eat there, go into the Uerige, look at the brewery equipment inside and soak up the atmosphere.

Alternatively, you can grab something from a street stand or sit down in a formal restaurant. You will be overwhelmed by the options.

There is a lounge for first class travellers withing the main station, but it closes at 20:00. There are fast food options inside the train station.

Thanks for all of the great ideas everyone! I have found that I could have a slight problem that I should be able to quickly resolve but would like some verification here.

I've noticed that the 1st class night train Prague tickets that I purchased online at DB have us leaving the airport station at 23:31 with a destination of DUISBURG Hbf instead of Dusseldorf Hbf as that was likely the "fastest" connection. I looked online to see about changing my ticket but didn't find much.

I phoned the DB English helpline to sort it out (we're still in California)but I gave up after 30+ minutes on hold. Because my ticket shows us joining the CNL 40447 night train at Duisburg at 11:53, do you think that I will have any problem changing it to joining CNL 40447 Dusseldorf at 11:37? I plan to try and calling DB again but anyone with experience have any input? Thanks!

<i>PinotNoir on Aug 20, 16 at 2:33pm
Thanks for all of the great ideas everyone! I have found that I could have a slight problem that I should be able to quickly resolve but would like some verification here. </i>

Looks like you are in a pretzel. The Bahn.de site can do that.

It is now Saturday midnight in Germany. The skeleton crew, if any, is on deck. Try at midnight your time. That will be 09h00 Sunday over there. Somebody should be on duty. If not, then call at midnight Sunday.

It is a risk to try anything with their web site, other than clicking options. Your preferred option is not an option, as you note.

If you do not get this "slight problem" worked out on the phone then you can go directly to the Bahn service desk at D&uuml;sseldorf Flughafen when you arrive and lay out your request. They will probably accommodate you. Tell them that you were confused by their website. Don't say that you made a mistake. They would be shocked to hear that because Germans never admit a mistake.

The last option is to take a regional train from Hbf to Flughafen and catch your reserved train, making the transfer in Duisburg. To the airport is only 6m on the tracks but it may take away a half hour of your D&uuml;sseldorf time.

By the way I give a hearty ditto to
<i>traveller1959 on Aug 20, 16 at 9:29am
go into the Uerige, look at the brewery equipment inside and soak up the atmosphere.</i>
It is a shame that the Dr. Jazz has closed. That place was great in its day.

the vest-pocket-sized Altstadt is a veritable Latin Quarter of food and outdoor and indoor pubs and eateries of all kinds -pizza is especially popular -not gourmet but I loved the Pizza there with tuna fish on it- went thru Dusseldorf for years with tour groups and most loved the ambiance of the Altstadt- right near the river and a short walk from Dusseldorf Hbf.

spaarne on Aug 20, 16 at 2:18pm
you can go directly to the Bahn service desk at Düsseldorf Flughafen when you arrive and lay out your request. They will probably accommodate you. Tell them that you were confused by their website. Don't say that you made a mistake. They would be shocked to hear that because Germans never admit a mistake.

Ha ha! I love your advice and will try it all. Yes, the website is a bit of a challenge. Thank you very much.

Very easy. The CNL40447 leaves Düsseldorf at 23:37 and continues via Duisburg to Prague. You can enter the train in Düsseldorf, but you may have to pay a small supplement of 5 Euros or so for the small distance between Düsseldorf and Duisburg. But most times, the conductors will do not bother with it. BTW, the train ride between Düsseldorf and Duisburg takes just 12 minutes.

The airport is located between the cities Düsseldorf and Duisburg, so your booking made sense. However, I would NOT recommend spending the evening in Duisburg - it is a industrial city, there is nothing around the main train station and, frankly said, you will not feel very comfortable in Duisburg train station ust before midnight.

Düsseldorf is completely different - very lively, full of tourists, even late at night.

So, enjoy the evening in Düsseldorf's Old Town and at the riverfront and board the train in Düsseldorf.

BTW, the CNL40447 arrives at 23:35 in Düsseldorf on track 17, so it is pointless to be much earlier on the platform. Since you have only two minutes to board the train, check on the platform where your waggon will be positioned. There are boards on the platform which show the positions of the waggons of all trains. On the platforms there are blue cubes with letters A-G to facilitate orientation.