Europe > Germany > Düsseldorf (DUS)
The Car or no Car advice for Düsseldorf can be broken down into three similar questions - do you need a car in Düsseldorf ; is it worth it (based on costs), and ultimately - should you rent one? (a balance of the two).🚆 🚌⛴️ Do we need to rent a car in Düsseldorf ?
These scores are based on the quality of public transport and other travel options. If these are good enough to see the main points of interest, then you don’t need to rent a car.
💰💶💳 Is it worth hiring a car in Düsseldorf?
These scores reflect the practical factors that affect whether renting a car is convenient, good value, and stress-free.Düsseldorf without a car 🚶♂️🚋
Düsseldorf works brilliantly as a no-car city break. The city centre, Altstadt, Königsallee, and the Rhine promenade are all easy to explore on foot. In addition, the local public transport network is excellent. Trams, U-Bahn services, buses, and S-Bahn trains cover the city thoroughly and run frequently.
Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof is one of Germany’s most important rail hubs. From here, you can reach Cologne in under 30 minutes, Essen and the Ruhr cities even faster, and Frankfurt in around an hour by high-speed train 🚄. This makes Düsseldorf an ideal base for rail-based day trips, including Cologne Cathedral, Bonn, Aachen, or even Amsterdam.
The airport is also very well integrated into the rail system. SkyTrain links the terminal to regional and long-distance trains, so arriving and leaving without a car is straightforward.
Day trips by train 🌍
One of Düsseldorf’s biggest strengths is its location. You can easily visit Cologne, Wuppertal (for the suspended monorail), Dortmund, or the wider Ruhrgebiet entirely by train. Even Belgium and the Netherlands are within easy reach, making rail travel the natural choice.
When renting a car becomes useful 🚗
A rental car starts to make sense if you want to explore rural areas or travel at your own pace. The Lower Rhine countryside, wine regions along the Moselle, or more remote parts of North Rhine-Westphalia are easier by car. A car is also useful if you plan to combine Düsseldorf with smaller towns not well served by rail.
Car rental availability is excellent, especially at the airport, and prices are often competitive. However, city-centre driving offers little advantage for visitors.
Conclusion: should you rent a car in Düsseldorf?
For city breaks and regional travel, public transport and trains are clearly superior. A car only becomes worthwhile for countryside exploration or flexible road trips beyond the rail network 🚆➡️🚙.
