Airport guide

Getting to and from Düsseldorf Airport by car

The airport sits 8–10 km north of the city centre, between the A44 and the B8. These are the routes our team uses – and the traffic traps to avoid.

Updated By the DUS Car Hire editorial team How we research

The short answer

To reach central Düsseldorf from the airport, take the B8 (Danziger Straße) south: about 10 km and 20–25 minutes. For the Messe, it is only 4 km. Heading to the Ruhr, Cologne or the Netherlands, join the A44 directly at the airport junction. Going back, follow “Flughafen” and then “Abflug” or “Mietwagenrückgabe”.

Airport → city centre

The quickest route is the B8 (Danziger Straße) heading south, past the Messe and the Nordpark. After Kennedydamm you reach the Hofgarten, the Kö and the Altstadt. Allow 20–25 minutes, or 35–40 minutes at rush hour.

Tip: navigate straight to a multi-storey car park (e.g. Kö-Galerie, Kö-Bogen or Rheinufer) rather than to an Altstadt address – many streets there are pedestrianised.

Airport → Messe Düsseldorf

The fairground is only about 4 km away. On fair days a traffic guidance system routes you to the Messe car parks (including outer lots with shuttles). A rental car is ideal for trade visitors with meetings in Ratingen, Neuss or the Ruhr.

Motorway connections

Ruhr (Essen, Bochum)A44 → A52 towards Essen
Duisburg, OberhausenA44 → A3 / A59
Cologne, BonnA44 → A3 or A57
Mönchengladbach, NetherlandsA44 towards Krefeld → A57/A61
Wuppertal, SauerlandA44 → A3 → A46

Traffic hotspots

  • Breitscheid junction (A3/A52) and Kaiserberg junction jam on weekday mornings and evenings.
  • A3 between Düsseldorf and Cologne – frequent roadworks and accidents.
  • B8 on fair days – especially when fairs open and close.
  • Friday afternoons towards the Netherlands and the Sauerland.

Driving back to the airport

Follow the “Flughafen” signs. For a rental return, then follow “Abflug” and “Mietwagenrückgabe” (sat-nav: Kieshecker Weg 260). If you are dropping someone off, use Kiss & Fly on the departures level. Details: returning a rental car at DUS.

Alternatives to driving

The S11 suburban train runs from the terminal to the main station, and ICE and regional trains leave from the long-distance station (reached by SkyTrain). Taxis wait outside arrivals. For trips into the region, meetings in several places or family travel, a rental car is usually more flexible and often cheaper.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

8 answers

About 20–25 minutes for roughly 10 km via the B8, and up to 40 minutes at rush hour.

No. German motorways and federal roads are toll-free for cars.

Take the A44 east towards Ratingen and join the A3 at the Breitscheid junction, or use the A52 towards Essen. The drive takes about 10 minutes without traffic.

Weekday rush hours around 7–9 am and 4–7 pm, plus Friday afternoons and holiday departure days. The Rhine bridges and the A3 are the usual bottlenecks.

Yes. S-Bahn trains run from the terminal station to the main station in about 12 minutes, and regional and ICE trains stop at the long-distance station, reached by SkyTrain.

Use Flughafenstraße 105, 40474 Düsseldorf for the terminal. For the rental car return, follow “Abflug” and then the “Mietwagenrückgabe” signs.

The airport and the A44 are outside the Umweltzone, but the city centre is inside. Rental cars registered in Germany already have the green sticker.

Yes, at the departures kerb for a short stop. Waiting is not allowed – use the short-term car park if you are picking someone up.

Still have a question? Contact our support team.

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