gamescom 2010

Return flights from European cities and trains to Cologne now available from 69 euros at www.gamescom-cologne.com/travelservice/

The games are now entering the second round. From 18 to 22 August 2010, Koelnmesse will open its doors to gamescom, the largest event and recreation highlight for interactive games and entertainment. Anyone wishing to experience this top event live, with all its novelties and highlights, should start planning their journey and stay right now. The service portal at www.gamescom-cologne.com/travelservice/ has a range of travel and accommodation offers for early bookers, which can save time and money with a few clicks of the mouse. Flights and train tickets from European cities are available there for as little as 69 euros.

Trade show visitors and games fans can choose their own way of getting to Cologne from anywhere in the world, be it by plane, train or car. The range of more than 40 services offered by Koelnmesse makes it easy to book travel arrangements and accommodation in one of its 75 partner hotels or in any number of apartments and private rooms. Approximately 80,000 hotel beds are available in the city and surrounding area. The gamescomCamp will also be available once again. Time and money can be saved if flights and hotels rooms are booked early, and the travel and accommodation services can be booked easily and immediately with a click of the mouse:

Offers and tickets for scheduled and charter flights

Hotel rooms, apartments and private rooms

Complete travel packages (incl. hotel, flight and car rental)

Special offers for train users

Car-sharing pools

Public transport

International connections to Cologne are perfect for people coming by plane. Cologne/Bonn Airport directly links the international gaming community in 45 countries with Cologne and the trade show grounds. The more than 50 airlines currently operating from the airport offer flights to around 180 destinations, from New York to Taipei. Low-cost carriers fly 100 routes alone. The low-cost carrier germanwings, the airline partner of Koelnmesse that flies to destinations throughout Europe at reduced rates, is based at Cologne/Bonn, in addition to other low cost airlines. With almost ten million passengers, the airport is one of the international transport hubs and is only 15 minutes from the trade show grounds by metro. Together with the nearby airports at Amsterdam, Düsseldorf and Frankfurt, gamescom has perfect links to international transport hubs all over the world.

Return flights from London to Cologne (from 17.8. to 21.8. including taxes and charges) currently cost around 65 euros, and a low-cost flight from Paris costs around 60 euros (to Düsseldorf, same flight dates). It therefore makes sense to book early. Those who prefer a touch of exclusivity and who like to turn heads can book their very own personal flight to the gamescom in August with "Air-partner". The Koelnmesse partner is accepting all kinds of charter flight orders, including helicopters, private jets and even wide-bodied aircraft. With Air-partner, the sky's the limit! It can also easily transport trade stands and equipment upon request.

Coming by train from anywhere within Germany costs as little as 109 euros (2nd class)/169 euros (1st class) for a round-trip. The special offer can be used on all DB trains, including ICE (connections and sales while stocks last). Prices for return tickets from Amsterdam, Brussels, Copenhagen, Vienna and Zurich cost between 69 and 129 euros. You can book your tickets directly via the gamescom service portal or by calling the "Deutsche Bahn" event hotline on 01805 311153 (from within Germany), and don't forget to tell the operator you are visiting gamescom. gamescom participants can also use their admission tickets to travel free of charge within the networks of the local transport operators VRS and VRR.

Press tips

You can find further information on gamescom - the trade fair and event highlight for the international interactive entertainment industry - at www.gamescom-cologne.com . The latest news is also available as an RSS feed in the press area.