My teenage son will be travelling alone to Germany to visit friends. He will arrive in Frankfurt and needs to get to Friedrichshafen. Any suggestions regarding air versus train? Is the train station easy to find in the Frankfurt airport? thanks
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
The train station(s, there are two, actually), are easy to find, particularly if you come in on Lufthansa on one of the star alliance airlines that use Termninal 1. You can see more about getting around at FRA here. I would check connecting flights, since he will already be at the airport, but getting to Friedrichshafen by rail will not be difficult. Look up train schedules on the German Rail (Bahn) website. It looks like the fastest way (3½ hr) is by Intercity Express (ICE) to Ulm, either direct or with one stop in Mannheim, then by Interregional Express (IRE) to Friedrichshafen.
Posted by
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
To tell you the truth: When I go to Friedrichshafen (we've got family there - and it's a lovely place) I always fly. The train ride seems to take forever and especially the last two hours on the non-high-speed trains are rather uncomfortable and packed. The approach into Friedrichshafen airport is one of the most scenic in Europe (probabably second only to Innsbruck). If possible your son should sit on the right hand side at a window. In 90% of all approaches he'll then be able to enjoy a spectacular view of the Alps behind the lake. Only in 10% of all cases the wind comes from the opposite direction and the plane has got the land the other way around. But then there is no spectacular view on neither side of the plane...
Posted by
Stuttgart, Germany
3050 posts
The trip can be done in 3 hours 30 minutes, which means for me it wouldn't make sense to fly. An advance purchase train ticket ticket would surely be cheaper than airfare as well. There is a train station AT the Frankfurt airport, so that's not a problem at all.