train passes

The Eurail Pass does not cover urban transport. The Swiss Travel Pass (consecutive days) does for cities in Switzerland.

German Länder tickets (one day passes valid for one German Land or state) do cover urban transport (U-Bahn/métro, trams and buses) plus most German rural buses, country-wide and multi-country passes do not.

All German cities have one day passes valid on all means of transport. These are usually sold from ticket machines and are good value. But you do need to read the rules before buying one, each city has subtly different rules.

Thank you! We will check into the Koln in-city train passes. I think it is the KBV system.

Try KVB (Köln Verkehrs-Betriebe), http://www.kvb-koeln.de/german/home/index.html. There's a British flag to change it to English, if you need it.

The German Rail Pass covers S-Bahn trains within a city (some limitations in Berlin) on the same days that you have for train travel (e.g., the whole duration of a consecutive-day pass), but does not cover U-Bahn, city bus, or tram.

Intercity Hotels in some cities provide you with a transportation pass for your stay, included in your room cost. Can be a really good deal, especially with their lower weekend rates.