Does anyone have any suggestions of good, inexpensive places to stay before a flight out? Our flight leaves around 10:00, so I am ok with leaving early from an outlying area (for example Mainz) and taking the train in to the airport. There are 6 of us (2 adults, 4 children) so costs add up quickly!
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19232 posts
The place I always suggest for people leaving FRA in the morning is Mainz. There are three hotels, Schottenhof, Königshof, and Hammer, across the Bahnhofplatz from the Hbf and it is about a half hour to FRA in the morning. Of the three, I would suggest Königshof, www.hotel-koenigshof-mainz.de. However, I don't know about rooms for six people.
If you go to their website, www.st-goar.de, you might be able to find a Ferienwohnung (vacation apartment) in St. Goar for 6 people. I don't know if you can find one of these for only one night, however. There is a train leaving St. Goar at 6:20, changing at the next stop, Oberwesel at 6:25, and arriving FRA at 7:35, and another leaving St. Goar at 6:43 and arriving FRA at 8:07. The DB fare is €14,60 for adults, children under 15 are free.
The other place I would suggest is Bacharach, www.bacharach.de. You could leave for the airport about 10 minutes later, but the local RMV fare is €9,70 for adults, €5,80 for children 6 through 14, so the rail cost is a couple of Euro more.
Posted by
Tualatin, OR, USA
123 posts
I have the same need and am concerned about the train travel times. If you need to be at the airport 3 hours early for a flight home, that means we need to be at FRA by 7 am. That means a VERY early train ride if it takes over an hour from Mainz. Lee, what other hotel (other than Ibis) would you suggest that would be closer to FRA? I'd love to stay in a typical "German" hotel, rather than a bland chain. Thanks for any insights you might have.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19232 posts
Deborah, the Hauptbahnhof in Mainz is less than a HALF hour from the airport. There is an S-bahn that leaves the Mainz Hbf at 6:32 and gets to the Regionalbahnhof at 6:59. The walk from Königshof to the Hbf is only about 50 yds, a few minutes.
The S-bahn comes into the Regionalbahbhof, which is in the basement of the building across the access road from Terminal 1, and there is a passageway under the road. If you are flying a Star Alliance airline, you just come up a couple of escalators, and you are at checkin. I really question the need for three hours ahead. I usually get there about 2-1/2 hours ahead of flight time and end up having to wait after clearing security.
If you want to be a little closer, you can stay at the Best Western in Rüsselsheim, but the station is only a little closer to FRA and the walk to the station is longer. However, they may have a shuttle.
Posted by
OP
Tacoma, WA, USA
671 posts
I was told by Lufthansa that I needed to be there only 2 to 2 1/2 hours before the flight. I already do that for domestic in the U.S.
My other option is staying the night in Cologne (if the relatives I have there offer to let us stay the night) and taking a really early ICE to Frankfurt.
Mainz is a great town. I lived there for six years as a child but haven't been back in 16.
Posted by
Tualatin, OR, USA
123 posts
Lee, thanks for your detailed response. I've never been to Germany and am only stopping there on my way back to the States from Spain. I'll be flying Lufthansa. I looked at the three hotels you mentioned and they look great! I wish we had more time to explore Mainz, but it wil be a quick trip. The reason I said I needed to arrive 3 hours before the flight is due to an earlier post stating that the security lines were so long (two to fly to the States, including a pat-down search) that they suggested 3 hours to be on the safe side. Thanks again for your help.