We'll be catching a Thursday midday, Iberia air flight with check-in at Terminal 2. We'll be arriving the airport via rail. About how long should I allow from the time we step off the train til we're standing at the Iberia air counter?
Looks like this involves getting (and finding) the Sky Line train from Terminal 1. I'm thinking 30 minutes (??) providing we don't wander too much looking for it and the Iberia counter after we get off. Also it looks like the Sky Line is pre-security - yes?
I haven't taken the SkyLine from T1 to T2 since 2000, but I don't remember it taking 30 minutes. You have to go up about 2 floors on escalators from the ground floor of T1 to the Skyline. It's only a few minutes trip on the SkyLine from the top of T1 to T2, but then there are escalators back down to the check-in area of T2.
There are luggage carts scattered around the terminals. You can use one up to the Skyline but you can't take it on the train. Leave it by the SkyLine in T1. When you get to T2 there will probably be carts at the station left by people going the other way.
There are also buses from the access road outside of Terminal 1 to Terminal 2. They take 5 to 6 minutes. It's not a dedicated shuttle for the airport, but regional buses to the airport that stop at both terminals before going on, so the times between buses are somewhat irregular. Usually there are 6 bus per hour, or one every 10 minutes, but the time between can be as little as 6 minutes to a much as 15 minutes (at 20 min after the hour).
If you are coming by train into the long distance train station, then the shuttle that runs just between terminal 1 and 2 may be your best bet. Contrary to what Lee wrote, these are not city buses but buses that only run between these 2 terminals and no where else. Otherwise you would have to pay to ride them.
If you take the sky train, the walk there from the long distance terminal takes about 10 min. and there is a train every 3 min. The ride itself takes about 2 min. There are a number of escalators going up and down and up again, so be prepared. I wouldn't bother with a cart as they are such a pain on the escalators.
Just follow the signs to terminal 2. It is easy.
Jo, I suggest you go to the Bahn schedule website and put in "Flughafen Terminal 1, Frankfurt am Main" to "Flughafen Terminal 2, Frankfurt am Main" and find the buses for that route. Then click on "details" and click on the actual bus to find its route. Everything I see is either Bus 61, which starts at Terminal 1 and ends at Südbahnhof, Bus 62, which starts at Terminal 1 and goes to Alt-Schwanheim, or Bus-AIR, which makes a round trip from Darmstadt.
As for why they don't charge, you'll have to take that up with German Rail or RMV, but the fact that Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 is just a part of larger schedules explains why they are scheduled, and why the schedules are so irregular.
It is a longer walk from the Fernbahnhof to Terminal 1 than from the Regional Bahnhof to Terminal 1, but it's about the same whether you take the bus or the SkyLine.
It does not surprise me that 2 folks as knowledgeable as Lee & Jo are at odds. Every time that I have flown into Frankfurt, something significant has change - not for the better. The last time the Sky Train was out of service. I stopped at the information desk and was told that there was no problem as I could just catch shuttle bus to the Regional Train Station. Big problem as the bus was packed. I acted like Donald Trump at a photo shoot and pushed my way to the front dragging my embarrassed wife. We got on with the help of folks pushing from behind. Luckily we got off okay as there were several folks exiting. I never assume anything at the Frankfurt Airport.
Like I said, there is a dedicated shuttle going between terminals. Has nothing to do with DB.
I am at the airport about 5 days a week as part of my job, which is why I know it rather well.
Please don't worry about that Skyline train. There is a much more comfortable way to getting to Terminal 2 from the long-distance train station (as they call it). From the train follow signes to terminal 2. You will be taken down a long escalator in a glass construction. At ground level you will see a bus stop to your right and either the yellow bus is already in it or it will arrive any minute.
Take that yellow shuttle bus, it's free and it'll take you to T2 in 8 minutes - without you having to haul your luggage up and down escalators and waiting for elevators as you would have to if you took the Skyline train. The shuttle bus leaves every 15 minutes and, again, takes about 8 minutes to T2.
Lee, the shuttle buses are not listed on the Bahn website, as they are just a local service provided by the airport. I second the votes for the bus over the Sky Line train when coming from the train station, especially if you have luggage (though you get some views over the airport from the train, if you are into that).
My last time using FRA was May/June of 2016, never had a problem flying in and out of Frankfurt, except for an arrival one hour late from SFO in 2015...no big deal for me. Of course, the difference is that I don't connect at FRA. I take whichever S-Bahn, usually, to Frankfurt Hbf. FRA is a better, more elaborate airport than what it used to be.
Please don't worry about that Skyline train. There is a much more
comfortable way to getting to Terminal 2 from the long-distance train
station (as they call it). From the train follow signes to terminal 2
I guess I should have specified - I'm pretty sure we'll be arriving at the Regional Bahnhof (Mainz). I'm all in favor of the bus as opposed to wandering through the terminal finding the appropriate escalators. Still follow the signs to Terminal 2? Just don't want to set off on a walking route by doing so.
If you are arriving at the Regional train station you can take your choice between the shuttle bus and the Sky line. You will have to go upstairs to the street level near arrivals B-1 to the bus stops. The bus may take longer as it doesn't come as often, but you will have fewer escalators. If you don't have a lot of luggage, go with the Sky line, as I know I can be in terminal 2, within 10 min. of getting off the S-bahn in the Regional station.
