Hello, will be traveling in December and have a long layover in Frankfurt (9hours)
I am looking for ideas or suggestions as to what to do with the long 9 hours we have.
are there attractions, restaurants, shops etc near the airport? how difficult would it be to leave the airport, go in to Frankfurt and come back in time for our next flight?
Thank you!
Posted by
Paradise
6642 posts
It's about 20-25 minutes from FRA to Mainz by direct S-Bahn train (€4.55) from FRA's Reginalbahnhof station. Mainz is easy to negotiate on foot in a small amount of time; it has a nice vibe and lots to see. The Mainz Römisches Theater station (closer to FRA than the main station) is a good place to get off if you want to enjoy a few hours in the old town and pedestrians-only zone. The station offers frequent service to FRA (3-4 trains per hour.)
Augustinerstrasse (main artery through the old town) - http://www.master.economics.uni-mainz.de/augustinerstrasse-abends.jpg
Augustinerstrasse near Market Square: http://familyadventureproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/IMG_4192.jpg
Market Square - http://georg-dahlhoff.de/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/201104020978.jpg
Kirschgarten square in old town - https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8517/8466997951_748e0b61f0_b.jpg
St. Martin's Romanesque Cathedral near Market Square: http://www.reiseziele-deutschland.net/enlargeit/img/mainzer-dom.jpg
The Gutenberg Museum - https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Zum_R%C3%B6mischen_Kaiser_Mainz.jpg
Things to do in Mainz - http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g187393-Activities-Mainz_Rhineland_Palatinate.html
Map with pedestrian zone in pink (DB in red in lower right corner is the MRT train station) - http://www.zappgames.com/Stadtplan_CMYK.jpg
(While at the station, have a look from the rear station platform at the Roman Theater excavation just behind it.)
Do make sure you allow PLENTY of time back at FRA prior to your flight out.
Posted by
Green Bay
20096 posts
Central Frankfurt has a lot to offer as well. 5 trains every hour and it takes 11 to 14 minutes to Hauptbahnhof. A day ticket costs 8.85 euro.
Posted by
5 posts
Three ladies are traveling together in March 2016. We will arrive in Frankfurt around 2:30 in the afternoon after all night travel from Texas USA. We have reserved a Layover Tour of Frankfurt with a Frankfort On Foot tour guide. http://www.frankfurtonfoot.com/layover-tours After the tour, we will retrieve our luggage from storage and travel approximately 30 minutes to Mainz for our first overnight stay.
We haven't yet experienced this tour, but the reviews we've found and the information available on the site give us confidence that we will enjoy a 'quick' and focused Frankfurt sightseeing experience. Safe journeys!
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15584 posts
December = Christmas markets. What time do you arrive and what time do you leave? Markets seem to get started around noon and close down around 9 p.m.
Mainz has a lovely Christmas market as well as worthy sights. If you go, consider St. Stephan's Church (Stephanskirche) for the Chagall windows and the Gothic cloister (rebuilt after WWII). There's also the Sanctuary of Isis and Mater Magna (great Mother) under the Römerpassage shopping mall in the center of town (ancient Roman ruins discovered when they excavated to build the mall).
Frankfurt also has great sights and an extensive Christmas market.