I've been looking and looking for air tickets to Europe this summer and was willing to fly into anywhere just to get there and then make my connections to Eastern Europe via the budget airlines.
Finally found some tickets into Dusseldorf. But in order to make our other connections work it looks at though we will probably have to spend a night on both ends of the flight in this area of Germany. That's ok because we have some time flexibility and would be happy seeing something new.
(I'm trying to get this all in order because I have 12 more hours to cancel my DUS flight and start all over again looking for fares).

I've been reading old posts about these cities & getting mixed messages about where to go and what to do. Here's our set up. Arriving we will get into DUS from the US in the early morning & then fly out again the next am. So, we basically have 24 hours. On the other end we could have 1 or 2 whole days to explore the area if we want. We are a middle-aged couple travelling with our 20 something daughter and son-in-law. We're all experienced European travellers who've visited a variety of locales. Gardens in summer and strolling along riverside areas are nice as are interesting old areas. We probably might be interested in a Rhine cruise. A good museum on a rainy day would be fine. What would you suggest? Our main concern is that we need to be within easy reach of the Dusseldorf airport via train. Thanks for the ideas. By, the way, cheap accomodations suggestions would also be appreciated.

We just did this on the 15th of March.
I chose to stay at the Marriott (via Priceline) because they have a pool and sauna. After a long flight I think it's a good way to relax before retiring. It was a 20 Euro taxi ride from the airport but I'm sure it could be done on public transpo. The city center was a little ride from the Marriott Am Seestern, about 8 min.
In Cologne we stayed at the Europa CM City Class. Don't! On tripadvisor it looked okay but in reality it was a nice hotel... 40 years ago. Keep looking.

L84SKY--

What did you think of the 2 cities? Or, didn't you really have time to see either. Do you remember about how much you paid for the Marriott? And, how long did it take to get to the airport from the hotel? I am assuming I would be better off spending the nights in Dusseldorf than Cologne.

Be aware that you can travel from Cologne to the DUS airport station by rail in 28 minutes.

Think about heading straight for Cologne and taking a short trip up the Rhine the next day.

We have stayed at the Park Plaza (now Best Western) which is north of Wiener Platz, 15 minutes from the Hbf. Magnificent, and well under 100&euro; <i>including breakfast</i>.

K-D.com will take you from Cologne at 9:30 (lots of earlier and later departures from Bonn) upriver to Koenigswinter. Ride the railway to the top, see all the kitsch. Boat back at 17:40 (also more to Bonn).

julies,
Dusseldorf was a pretty little city. We went mainly to go to the K21 (modern art) museum. Even though I e-mailed this museum to make sure they would be open, they were closed for a redo.
The Dom in Cologne was interesting but I loved the Ludwig Museum. We spent 5 hours in there, thank goodness they have a nice cafe inside the museum for some refreshment.(okay, beer)
My opinion of the cities is really based on their modern art collection.
I don't remember where we ate but the food was great and the people were wonderful.
And Intrepid is correct. The commute between the two cities is quick and convienent.
Have fun!

D&uuml;sseldorf has a lot of business hotels like Hilton, Marriott or Nikko. If you want something special, I recommend the Orangerie which is located right in the Altstadt (old town).
http://www.hotel-orangerie-mcs.de/index_e.html
D&uuml;sseldorf is the state capital and on the banks of the Rhine. In summer, it is a special atmosphere to stroll along the river bank. Lots of people, lots of fun. The Altstadt in Germany's largest bar and restaurant district. Explore it a night!
There are several outstanding museums of modern art in D&uuml;sseldorf (K20 for 20th century art and K21 for 21th century art). The K&ouml;nigsallee is arguably Germany's most elegant shopping mall.
An exotic touch is made by the 6,000 Japanese inhabitants of D&uuml;sseldorf; there is a Japanese center and quite a few truly authentic Japenese restaurants. If you want to enjoy traditional German fare: there are several breweries serving local beer (called &quot;Altbier&quot and Sauerbraten which is D&uuml;sseldorf's speciality.
In the surroundings, the Neanderthal museum (about 10 miles form D&uuml;sseldorf) is a &quot;must&quot;. Not only home of 16 bones of the Neanderthal man but one of the world's most sophosticated museums. Actually, it is a museum of the history of mankind. They give you headset with stories and explanations in English. Around the museum, there is a hiking trail through a picturesque landscape with a farm where ice-age animals live.
K&ouml;ln (Cologne) is also a must-see. The gothic cathedral (with the remains of the three magi) is probably the most magnificent gothic cathedral on earth. Furthermore, there are 12 (!) romanesque churches in town and the remnants of a Roman palace in the cellar of the medieval city hall. Many things to explore.
I never understand why the Americans visit only the Southern part of Germany (probably because the troops are there). You are lucky to see more the country.

Here some useful websites:
http://www.duesseldorf.de/en/index.shtml
http://www.neanderthal.de/
http://www.koeln.de/int/en.html

Thanks so much for the advice. Now actually I am considering staying in Cologne instead of Dusseldorf. It is my understanding that I can get a train from the hauptbahnhof in Cologne that will take me directly to the Dusseldorf airport in less than an hour. Anyone with thoughts on this idea? I think that perhaps Cologne may have more things that would interest us. I know it will take longer to get to the airport in the morning from Cologne, but I think the trade-off of being in a city that is of more interest to us may be worth the time to get to the airport. Of course, I suppose we could also stay in Dusseldorf and just go to Cologne for the day and take the train back to Dusseldorf to go to bed.

Thanks for the lodging suggestions. Frankly, with just an overnigher, in lodging I am much more interested in finding something that is accessible to transportation than something atmospheric.

We flew in and out of Dusseldorf a couple of years ago. On our way home we stayed at the Hilton, I believe, because they had free transportation to the airport. The meal we had there the night before our flight was the most expensive meal of our trip and it was NOT anything special. Maybe because it was because we were leaving, but I did not enjoy Dusseldorf at all.

I loved Koln and the cathedral there is beautiful! You should not miss it. If I had it to do over again, we would have stayed in Koln and taken the train in the next morning.

PS: We spent 3 days on the Rhine and loved it. We stayed in an apartment across from the river in Koblenz. You may want to check to see if you will be there during the Rhine in Flames. We missed it, but I understand that it is quite a spectacle.