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Essen: Travel guide, prices and free housing · 2026

Essen is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany.

Essen · CC BY-SA 4.0

Now in the cityEssen+14°CCloudy · sunrise 07:11 AMupdated 07:10 AM
EntryPick a passportThe answer depends on the passport.
Exchange rate€0.87per 1 $EUR — the local currencyas of Sep 16, 2026
Worth a day trip

Getting there and staying

Flight, airport, hosts and rent

No free-housing hosts here yet — the nearest city with them:

Hamburg1,663 hosts · 3 hr 35 min
2 sources · As of September 18, 2026
Source: TravelHub · OurAirports (public domain)

Visa and practicalities

Choose a passport

Set your passport — processing time, fee and documents differ between passports.

Safety and health

Official travel advice and the medical minimum

Safety · official adviceour data as of Sep 15, 2026
UK Foreign Office (FCDO)No restrictionsNo travel restrictions in force.
Full text

Updated information on European Entry-Exit System (EES) (‘Entry requirements’ page).

US State DepartmentLevel 2Watch your surroundings and belongings more closely than usual.
  • terrorism
Full text

Reissued after periodic review with updates to Advisory Summary. Exercise increased caution in Germany due to terrorism . Advisory Summary: Terrorist groups and lone actors remain a constant threat in Germany and Europe, attacking people in public locations with knives, small arms, rudimentary explosive devices, and vehicles.

Source: UK FCDO Foreign Travel Advice · US Department of State Travel Advisory

Getting here

Airports, distances and public transport

Getting hereOurAirports (public domain)
Düsseldorf Airport DUS25 km from the centre
Dortmund Airport DTM42 km from the centre
Weeze (Niederrhein) Airport NRN63 km from the centre

People who have been here

Exchange!22posts about Essen
iec ㅤiec · Read
How to improve your English level

Essential Resources to Improve Language Skills

iec ㅤiec · Read
How to find housing on your own

Essential Resources for Finding Housing in the US

22posts by participants about Essen — from housing and visas to weekend routes.Read all

Stay longer on a programme

Work and Travel, internships, au pair and volunteering in Germany: visa, invitation and on-site support are handled by CMO International Programmes.

3programmes in the country
3kinds of programmes
Working with childrenupdated Jun 10, 2026
Au Pair in Germany
Seasonyear-roundLanguageGerman · B2Paybackpartially
in summer · long-term
workandtravel.com
Internshipupdated Jun 10, 2026
Internship in Germany
Seasonyear-roundLanguageGerman · B2Paybackpartially
students · for students
workandtravel.com
Workupdated Dec 23, 2025
Working Holiday in Germany
Seasonsummer, year-roundLanguageEnglish, German · B2Paybackpartially
students · for students
workandtravel.com

Similar nearby

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Frequent questions about Essen

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