I will be doing some business in Cologne on the 4-6th hopefully with extra time on my hands. I will have some free time prior to that (3 full days). I will be traveling with my 15 year old . Looking to make some great memories. We love art and both of us are athletic.
We can rest up when we get home. It will be our fist time to Europe.
Looking for places to stay,activities and advice. Moderate + price.

Thanks

chrisvjf,
will you be restricted to cologne or is travelling to other cities in germany an option?

if so, i may be of further assistance- so feel free to post!
toodle- loo
hsv

sorry for probably not reading your post thoroughly enough- coming to think of it it seems that you'll be coming in on Jun 30 and have some time to spare before and that you are free to travel.
as you state that you can rest when coming home, the happy news is that in comparison to america distances in germany are rather short and cologne, though in the west, has a pretty central location. so the rest of germany is available to you within 5- 7 hours by car max.!
a city i find very interesting is the capital berlin. there are some good museums on the so called "Museumsinsel", which you might enjoy. potsdam as a close suburb with its castles is fascinating, too.
deals on room rates should be available at most chain hotels as summer is usually a low season for hotels in the city (this goes for practically every german city).
consult fodors for hotels in the eastern part of berlin ("Mitte&quot as this is the livlier area to be in the evenings.
also advisable (though i may be accused of being biased) is hamburg. germany's second largest city in the north is about 4 hours away by car. the city is pretty green with a big lake right in the city center which makes for a good running route, if you want to exercise. the port is a major attraction and there are sightseeing boats leaving from "Landungsbrücken" all day.
Art exhibitions can be found in "Kunsthalle" which has a conventional section and a modern one in a separate building, both right next to the central station.
lodging options in the moderate price section would include hotel "hafen hamburg" right atop "Landungsbrücken", the main dock alongside the port and close to the famous red- light- district called reeperbahn (which is quite lively at nights with a mixture of sex shows -we are talking about a port city here, after all- and culture spots like theaters and bars.
you might also consider staying in hotel "vorbach" close to the alster lakes (see above) in one of the inner city's nicest living areas. it consists of three old buildings but well maintained- ambiance should be nice and a double will set you back around € 100,-.
again you might also try the big chain's homepages for summer deals.
if you are not travelling by car check
www.bahn.de for train connections!
enjoy
hsv

Thanks hsv, is there an english site for www.bahn.de ? I think I will fly into Berlin and work my way to Cologne.

For English on bahn.de, click on "Int. Guests" at the top.