Early train from Bacharach to FRA

Posted by Jen (Land of 10,000 lakes) on 03/30/14 08:41 PM

We will be staying in Bacharach the night before our 09:40 flight (on a Tuesday) out of Frankfurt airport back to the states. I have been looking at the train tickets for the Tuesday before, since our day is not open for booking yet. Should I buy tickets early & get locked in to a specific train, or just buy them that morning? It's a fairly short journey (1.25 hours, approximately), but savings fares are coming up at 49 euro (for the 5 of us), and standard fares of between 68-88 euros for the 05:28, 06:22, 06:54 trains. What I am wondering, is why the difference in the standard fares? The trains are the same # of transfers (1) and same duration. Will/could buying tickets at the station be even more $?

Or should we just stay in Frankfurt near the airport the night before & save a day of train fare (since we will be using a Lander ticket the day before anyway)?

Posted by Ms. Jo

Frankfurt, Germany

03/30/14 08:48 PM

8938 posts

I would stay in the city of Frankfurt and not at the airport the evening before your flight. Allows you to not be as rushed getting to the airport before your flight, you can have breakfast and the airport is only 11 min. away from the city. Unless you are at the Sheraton or Hilton at the airport, any other hotel means waiting on a shuttle. Group ticket for 5 people is 15 euro.

Besides, it gives you the chance to see one of the very historic cities of Germany. Strolling along the Main on a summer evening is a treat, and all the cafes are lively and fun.

Posted by Lee

Lakewood, Colorado

03/31/14 01:42 AM

19092 posts

First, you are probably looking for fares in all the wrong places. The fastest route from Bacharach to FRA is by regional train. The airport is in the Frankfurt metro district, RMV, www.rmv.de. Bacharach is in an adjacent district, the RNN, but in a part of the distict that shares its fares with the RMV. Because ticket are sold by a Verkehrsverbund, the Bahn doesn't sell them. Tickets purchased from the RMV are 11,20 per adult. That should be the price from the ticket automat in the Bacharach Bhf.

The 5:28 connection goes directly to FRA with a change in Bingen Hbf. It gets to FRA Regbhf at 6:34.

The 6:22 connection has a change in Oberwesel, back one station, outside the RNN, and gets to FRA Regional bhf at 7:34. Because it goes outside the shared region to Oberwesel, then from Oberwesel to Frankfurt Regbhf, the Bahn shows fares and sells tickets (17,20€/person).

If you want to be closer the last night, don't stay at the airport ($$$) or in Frankfurt (backtracking). Stay part way to FRA in Mainz. I stayed here in 2004 and liked it. Good price, great breakfast. Right across the plaza from Mainz Hbf and a short S-Bahn trip to the airport.

Posted by stephen

Greeley, co, usa

03/31/14 03:18 PM

2394 posts

We have stayed in Bacharach the night before leaving via Frankfurt on our last two trips. No problem with the train except for getting up early