Train advice Boppard to Frankfurt

You are going to Frankfurt Airport, so that is what you input as your destination.

would that be Flugh or Flughhafen?

Frankfurt(M)Flughafen is the generic destination. There are actually 2 airport stations.

That's an IC train at 5:44. You will get a schedule that says "Frankfurt(M) Flughafen Fernbf" because the system is smart enough to send your high-speed/long-distance IC train to the long-distance station (Fernbahnhof.)

Not sure I'm understanding you.

Frankfurt(M)Flughafen is Frankfurt Airport - just enter this as your destination when you do your search.

When the itineraries/schedules pop up, the system will assign you to arrive at one of two stations - either the Regional train station (Regionalbahnhof) or the long-distance train station (Fernbahnhof) depending on which type of train is used for that time slot. The 5:44 IC train from Boppard will be dropping you at the Fernbahnhof - your schedule will show the station as "Frankfurt(M) Flughafen Fernbf."

Just trying to help you understand the station names since you asked... It doesn't matter all that much actually once you're there... you get on in Boppard and you get off at wherever your train stops and follow the signs to your terminal.

The Fernbahnhof station should look something like this: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Flughafen-Fernbahnsteig_Fahrstuhl-Frankfurt_am_Main.JPG

If you ride a regional train from Boppard instead, you will end up at the Regionalbahnhof, which looks more like an underground subway station: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankfurt_(Main)_Flughafen_Regionalbahnhof#/media/File:Frankfurter_(Main)_Flughafen_Regionalbahnhof-_auf_Bahnsteig_zu_Gleis_2-_Richtung_Mainz_18.10.2009.jpg

If you just type in "Frankfurt Airport" as a destination on the DB site, the "ignorance algorithm" will suggest "FRA Frankfurt Airport". That is it.

This will get you to the airport with plenty of time

Boppard Hbf 05:44 1:02 0 IC 19,00 EUR   23,50 EUR

Frankfurt(M) Flughafen Fernbf 06:46

Christi... thanks!! Is this something I can get 90 days out? Or do I just buy when I'm at the station before I board?

And... "ignorance algorithm"..... lol

Judy that is available for purchase now.

Sweet! I will buy as soon as I am home from work.

country code should be 01. Give it a try.

Got it. Thank you! Now for my next question... I just bought, and printed my ticket. It has my name only. Nowhere was there an option to add a passenger's name. I did select 2 passengers, and that 19 euro ticket became 38 euro, BUT: Is this ok for 2 people? I don't want any nasty surprises when we go to board.

Yes, the ticket is nominal to the purchaser. Just indicate to the conductor your traveling companion.

At the bottom of the ticket should be your name. Looking at my tickets from 2 years ago, it had my name and last 4-digits of the credit card I used to buy the ticket. At least then, you had to bring that credit card, even it had expired or was concelled as proof that you are the person who bought the ticket. I have heard that they no longer do that. Note the English language info on page 2 of the ticket. Front of the ticket top will say Klasse: (1 or 2), Erw: 2, Erw is abbreviation for "Erwachsene", adult passenger.

OK. Good. whew. Lol. It concerned me cause it had my name only and I didn't see an option to add a second person's name anywhere. So you're saying that I can just show the conductor the ticket with my name, and indicate that my husband here, is on the ticket with me.

I did not click to 'reserve a seat' for an additional cost but I'm thinking at that time of day, how full can this train be? I know I have reserved a specific train car on a specific date and time, but once we're on that train, can we sit where we choose?

That is correct, although you might be sitting in a seat reserved by someone else further down the line. I don't think IC trains have electronic seat reservation indicators. The train is kind of a night train, without sleeping accommodations. It started at Hamburg at 10:30 pm the night before. After Boppard it makes only 2 more stops before the airport at Bingen and Mainz.

Interesting. So even though it says 0 stops, or transfers for us, it still stops to pick up and drop off other passengers? No matter how many times it stops and starts again. we'll be staying put until Frankfurt airport. Is that correct?

Yes, that is true of all trains, they may be direct (no changes) but they almost always stop along the way to pick up and discharge passengers. The only exceptions might be some exclusive local airport trains, and of course, the case when you are getting off at the very next stop. Your train, as you might have figured out, continues on to Frankfurt Hbf, but just before then it stops at Frankfurt Airport. So you don't have to go all the way into Frankfurt, then turn around a come back to the airport.

On the DB website where it lists your train, click on "Show Details", then click on "Show intermediate stops" and you will see them. Click on the train number and you get the full schedule of the train with all the stops and times.

I don't think IC trains have electronic seat reservation indicators.

They do, and a lot of seats will be reserved for commuters going from Mainz to the airport. Still, on a sunday morning the train won't be full.

"ignorance algorithm"

I think I'm the one who coined that phrase. It accepts a lot of inexact locations and alternative spellings. It's relatively new. It used to be that if you put in "Fussen" instead of "Füssen" you got a lot of Fussen Strasse bus stops. However, it isn't so good with correctly spelled locations that aren't what you want - like Rothenberg when you want Rothenburg.

I have almost the same travel plans. Leave St. Goar by train on a Friday at 6:45, arrive at Frankfurt airport at 8:05am for 11:20 am flight. I was planning on just getting the tickets that morning since you don't reserve seats. Will the train be busier on Friday morning, OP was traveling on Sunday. Should I get tickets now, like OP did?

The route you are taking is a Regional Express and does not have reserved seats. If there are no seats, you stand until a seat opens up. Buying now gives no advantage over someone buying a ticket on their smart phone as the train pulls into the station. Price is always the same, so no reason to buy in advance.

If there are no seats, you stand until a seat opens up

That train originates from Koblenz and barely will be full when arriving in St Goar. It will fill up at Mainz.