Day trips from Dusseldorf

Cologne is very nice and convenient. Aachen is close by. Rhine gorge is 3 hours away, as is the Mosel valley, vinyards, Burg Elz. Travel on a Nordrhein Westfalen ticket or a QDL ticket for unlimited travel week days after 9 am on regional and local transport for 1 to 5 people. Amsterdam is 2 1/4 hours away on the ICE trains.

Depends what you're interested in. If you're at all into technological/industrial heritage, all of the Ruhr region is in easy day-trip distance.

Aachen, Maastricht perhaps. If the weather cooperates, maybe the Eifel National Park. The nearby town of Stolberg is kind of interesting, because it's historic core looks very different from the typical older German style. It doesn't take long to see, however. I've also heard that Monschau is worth a visit, but I haven't seen it yet. If you head south along the Rhine, definately stop by Bonn. I also think that the twin town of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler is often unfortunately overlooked. Half the town (the Bad Neuenahr part) is a stylish spa resort, the Ahrweiler section is a well-preserved historic walled town. The entire community sits in a valley surrounded by terraced vineyards. While in Düsseldorf, takes some time to stroll around the Oberkassel district across the river. I don't think there are any real "sites" of interest, but it's a very posh neighborhood.

Rose, As Philip stated, it will depend on what your likes are. I chose to stay in Cologne when i was in that area several weeks ago and i enjoyed my stay. I chose and planned to go on my first "day trip" to Remagan. you know the movie..."The bridge at Remagan"? since i was in the neighborhood, i figured it would be a nice day trip and a chance to play with the German train system. There is a nice peace/museum there now and the sleepy town of Remagan was really nice. I learned what an "Amerikaner" was. THere is the Cologne Cathredal. Sort of hard to miss. THere is also the Roman/Germanic museum next door too. again, it will depends on what floats your boat. happy trails.

Thanks for all the ideas! How will the weather be this time of year? I am told it will be cold and rainy!

November is not the nicest month weatherwise. Cold and rainy and foggy is a good description. I would also suggest the Mining Museum in Bochum as a very worthwhile day trip destination if you are at all interested in the industrial history of the region. You even get to go underground. http://www.bergbaumuseum.de/web/info-international

Rose, when it comes to the weather,.....prepare for the worse and hope for the best. on my recent trip, it rained on me 3 times out of a month. most of it was a light sprinkle as far as Oregonians are concerned. Bastogne was where it "rained" and i had the opportunity to test and wear my new travel jacket. Other than that, it was warm enough for me to go around in long sleeve shirts everywhere even with the sprinkles. I did get alot of stares due to my lack of coat/jacket when everyone else was bundled up. depending on where you live, your mileage may vary. happy trails.

Definitely off the beaten path - and easier with a car - try Altenberg. There is a huge cathedral/monastery complex there with an interesting audio tour, several restaurants, crafts workshops etc. A fair bit of it is outside, so pick a decent weather day. It's rarely crowded but very interesting. The region around ther is called the Bergisches Land, and laugh it is hilly (bergisch) it actually refers to the family name of the nobles who owned most of it for centuries. Very pretty region with interesting small German towns. It's closer to Cologne than to so you could do the Cologne visit the same day. But nothing is too far. Bonn is also a pretty town overlooked by most tourists, an easy rail trip from Düsseldorf or Cologne.

Rose, I fogot to add about Cologne Cathredal. If you decide to go to the Cathredal, the main church was open, but they were closing the towers every so often. So you just had to go and see that day if they were going to be open. at least thats what happend to me when i was there the middle of Sept 2013. They were doing some renovation work on the exterior. Happy trails.

Thank you all- great info! Any suggestions for using your iPhone 5 or iPad while in Germany ? I have heard the best solution for the phone is to buy a SIM card there and use an unlocked phone! Do you agree? Also, What apps do you find beneficial? Thanks!
Rose

weather app. use the same one as for home. change the location, location services will do that for you. music app. use the same app as at home. stau app if you are driving. If so, please ask. dbahn app to plan train travel in Germany. hotel app if you need to find hotels, either by brand or aggregator like Trip Advisor, booking.com, etc. alarm or white noise app camera apps skype and facetime social media if you are so inclined - same as at home entertainment apps ... and of course, Candy Crush Saga.

"How will the weather be this time of year?" Think "gray". But likely warmer than Minnesota at the same time of year.

Our daughter lives in nearby Nuess. Consider a trip to the Skihall, a huge indoor ski hall, as good as the one in Dubai. Are you interested in WWII history? A trip into Belgium can be interesting.....IF you have GPS.