Frankfurt layover

Is it 3.5 hours between flights or is that the amount of time available for sight-seeing. If that is just between flights, you don't really have much time for anything but perhaps some shopping and some lunch at the airport. Go visit the Squaire, which is the newest facility and really cool-looking. It looks like a giant silver ship has pulled up to the airport. If you have that 3.5 hours available just for sightseeing, then you can easily hop a train into the city as the trains only take about 11-15 min. depending on where you get off of the train. There is plenty to see here, so if you tell us your interests, we can make suggestions.

It also depends at what time of day your layover is. Many American flights arrive in the early morning. If your layover is from 6 am to 10 am I would skip the outing. If your 3.5 hour window starts after 9 am it might be worthwhile.

So provided once you are in the basement of Terminal 1 you still have at least 2 1/2 hours left then take the S-Bahn eastbound (it says towards Frankfurt or city center or so) to Hauptwache (NOT to Hauptbahnhof. Two more stations from there.). Alight and walk towards the big "Esprit" store. Right across from it is the entrance to modern architecture all-glass shopping mall. You can go in at the end of your tour. In front of the Esprit building turn right into the smaller side street (towards the Burger King). To your left you have a medieval convent that's still active as such. You can go in and enjoy a minute of silence in the middle of the city center. When you exit the convent and go back into that street you're now facing a nice little square. If you exit it thru its smalles opening (South East side) you're in front of the Kleinmarkthalle (Grocery Market Hall). Discuss with Jo whether you should go in. If you don't chose that exit and continue walking down the street you came from you'll soon pass St. Paul's church and once you cross yet another street you're on Römerberg, the city's main sqaure and one of the main sights. Look around, then continue walking down "your" street for yet another 3 minutes and you're down by the river's embankment and can enjoy a great view of the city )from the middle of the bridge e.g.). The train ride is about 30 mins one-way, that walk might be 10mins plus the time you take out for exploring the sights. Walk back the same way and that's the shortest possible mini-tour of Frankfurt.

And please allow enough time to get back to the airport, get through security and to your gate in time for boarding.