Frankfurt Layover

A regular poster, Jo from Frankfurt, knows all about what to do in a layover at Frankfurt. I would expect her to post here. Perhaps she will send you a private message to fill you in further. What she doesn't know about looking around Frankfurt doesn't want knowing. When are you traveling?

The Frankfurt Hbf is about about a 15 min train (S-Bahn) ride from the airport (the trains run every 15 min). The S-Bahn leaves from the Regional Bahnhof, which is under the building across the access road from Terminal 1. You can get to it using escalators just inside the outside wall of Terminal 1. With carryon luggage but still having to check in, I usually arrive at FRA about 2-2½ hours ahead of flight time, so depending on how fast you get through passport control, you should be able to spend an hour or two in town. Someone else (Jo) can better tell you, but I think the S-Bahn stop named "Hauptwache" (2nd stop after the Hbf) might be the most interesting one to go to. Coming back, many S-Bahn go through Hauptwache but only S8 & S9 go back to the airport.

If you land in terminal 1, just follow the people picking up their luggage and walk out those doors making your way to Arrivals, B-1. Luggage storage is there. Then take the escalator which is also by B-1, downstairs to the Regional Train station. Get a ticket from the machines. You will need small bills. No credit cards. The machines are touch screen, switch to English and are very user friendly. Get a group ticket if there is more than 1 of you. Walk to Track 1, and get on any train coming past. The train takes 11 min. or 3 stops to the main train station - Hauptbahnhof. You can get off here if you want to see the 123 year old station. If you do, walk out the front doors and head straight down the street. This is the Kaiser str. Very pretty turn of the century buildings along this street. Tues. and Thur. there is a small market along here. When you get to the park, look to your right and you will see the big blue Euro symbol. This park surrounds the whole inner city and follows where the city wall used to be. Continue walking straight down the street until you reach the shopping zone, called the Zeil. There is an old building here called the Hauptwache, if you look down the street to your left, you will see a guard tower built in 1425, and the church is the Katharina church. Walk to the Esprit store and turn right. Walk down this pedestrian passage to the Römer. This is the old town square as well as the city hall, built in 1333. The church in front of you is the Alte Nikolai, built in 1290. Has gorgeous windows. You can continue through this square to the river. Go up on the bridge for the best views. Come back down off the bridge Now you can choose to go right and see the cathedral, the Kaiserdom, or go to the left to see the Joerg Ratgeb wall paintings in the Karmeliter Cloister. Painted in the early 1500's, these are a real gem. (to be continued)

The Karmeliter Cloister is connected to the Archeology museum, and both are sort of behind the interesting church located right on the river, with the 2 funny looking towers. This is St. Leonhards, the oldest church in the city center, built in 1219. (presently closed for restoration and archeological digs) Nice bathrooms in the cloister. The cathedral is where the Holy Roman Emperors were elected beginning with Fredrick Barbarossa in 1152, and then continually after 1356. All the coronations also took place here after 1562. Thus, it gets its' nickname, the Kaiserdom. The ruins in front are a combination of Roman, medieval basements, and palace ruins from 850. After the Kaiserdom, walk down the street where the trams are running, past the Museum of Modern Art, til you get to the big intersection and the Judengasse Museum. The Jewish Holocaust Memorial Wall is located off to the side. Over 12,000 names of Frankfurts' Jewish citizens are on this wall, all in alphebetical order. Anne Frank, her sister Margot and their mother Edith are also on this wall, as Anne and Margot were born here. If it is a weekday or Sat. you can go through the Klein Markt Halle, which is located on the street that runs right out of the Kaiserdom. On Thur. and Sat. there is a huge produce market at the Konstablerwache. From here you can catch your train back to the airport. S-8 or S-9. Look for the trains that say airport and have a little airplane on them. Just ask people. If your flight is inter-Europe, plan on being back at the airport about 1.5 hours before your next flight. Average time for emerging into the airport after landing is 30 min. Fortunately, flights from N. America tend to land early, sometimes up to an hour early, but don't count on it of course. Luggage storage is 4 euro per bag. Deutsche Bank ATM's are everywhere at the airport. Your group ticket for the train is valid all day. No need to validate it, just keep it.

Wow, this was way more than I expected -- thank you so much! We are flying in on a Friday and headed to Stockholm. We will only have hand bags, so luggage won't be an issue, and I'm thrilled to know we could possibly spend 3 or so hours wandering around. Thanks for all of the very specific directions and suggestions -- this is so wonderful.