Pfaffenseifen can easily be reached by public transport as well as by car.
By train
From the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as the northern part of Germany, the easiest way to get to Pfaffenseifen by train is via Cologne (ICE) and AU (regional train or S-train). From southern countries you can get on this same train at Siegburg/Bonn. From Au(Sieg) you can arrange to be picked up or take the regional bahn (Vectus) on to Breitscheidt, from where it’s a 20 minutes walk (up hill) to Pfaffenseifen.
By airplane
The closest airport is Bonn/Cologne, from where you can take the S-train to Siegburg/Bonn and from there continue to Au(Sieg) and Breitscheidt. Flying to Frankfurt is an option too, as you can take the ICE from there to Siegburg/Bonn and then on to Au(Sieg).
From Cologne to Au(Sieg) and Breitscheidt
From Cologne take the regional train (Rhein Sieg Express, RSX) or the S-train (S-12) to Au(sieg), in respectively 52 min. or 1:08 hrs. At Au station take the local train (Vectus) to Altenkirchen and get off at the third station, Breitscheidt, which will be reached in about 8 minutes. From Breitscheidt station a sometimes steep uphill walk brings you to Pfaffenseifen in about 25 minutes, so if you are bringing lots of luggage it might be more practical to have a pickup arranged.
Walking route from station Breidscheidt
From Breitscheidt station walk alongside the railroad track to the small settlement of Unterschützen, where you cross the railroad track and thereafter follow the road uphill to the right. A few minutes later you’ll reach a t-junction, where you should turn left and follow the steep road uphill into the woods. Follow this road into the woods and further uphill until it passes by the house Pfaffenseifen.
By car
By car from Utrecht / Amsterdam the easiest route is the A12/A3 via Arnhem and Cologne to Bonn/Siegburg and then exit 32 in the direction of Altenkirchen. From Eindhoven and Venlo the route via Aachen brings you in 2.5 hours to Pfaffenseifen, from Maastricht it is only a two hours drive.
From Antwerpen / Brussels the A13/E314 (via Genk en Aachen) brings you to Pfaffenseifen in about three hours.
From the settlement of Weißenbrüchen a 1.6 km long dead end road (the Talstrasse) leading to Pfaffenseifen has been marked by a big yellow sign. This road is passable, but speeding is strongly discouraged because of the many blind corners and potholes. Turn the windows open and enjoy the peace and the smell of nature that you may already experience here.
An ideal last road to drive slowly, so you can leave the hustle and bustle of city life behind you!
Take car with route planners:
Depending on the settings of your device, your planner might send you just the shortest path, which is often not the most convenient and certainly not the fastest route. The fastest practical route is via Altenkirchen to Weißenbrüchen. With good weather you can take a shortcut (which usually isn’t faster) at Birnbach, in winter this route is very poorly accessible and therefore strongly discouraged. If your route planner sends you into the woods (literally!) then do not follow these instructions; There is a tarmac road to the house, the forest road that some route planners direct you to (see picture) is certainly not suitable for Road Traffic.
By bike
As the region is very suitable for biking, it is possible to come to Pfaffenseifen all the way by bike. From Heerlen it is only 120 km, from Utrecht 290 and from Amsterdam 325 km, for example. The nicest cycling route through the Netherlands can be planned using the route planner of teh ‘Fietsersbond’, in Germany you’ll travle most through Nordrhein Westfalen and therefore can plan your route best using the communal Route Planner of NRW.