Frankfurt Airport

Frankfurt is a large hub facility, but it's modern, super efficient and very easy to navigate. You may wish to refer to Rick's Germany 2009 guidebook - see Frankfurt. Also, check out the airport homepage at: http://www.airportcity-frankfurt.com/cms/default/rubrik/9/9682.htm

From the homepage, click on "assistance" found in the left-hand navigation menu. You'll find some information regarding help for disabled passengers. Your airline can also answer questions for you.

I don't think Frankfort is any worse than other major hub and probably somewhat better than Heathrow. It is big, can be very crowd, and you can have some long walks but the signage is good and with a little patience you will get there. It is has been a while since we were in Charles d G but my memory is that Frankfurt has a better layout. I would opt for Frankfurt.

I have always found Frankfurt airport to be pretty efficient, even before I learned how to speak German. Take a look at this website which has been done by a friend of mine who goes all around the world in his wheelchair. He has a section just about Frankfurt and includes the airport and trains, etc.

http://www.wheeladventure.com/

Are you arriving or changing planes?

Everytime but the last time I have flown into Frankfurt, the plane has docked at the concourse and at the concourse end of the jetway we have had to go down a flight of steps to passport control. I would imagine that the airlines have a way around this for handicapped passengers. The last time I arrived, we deplaned on the tarmac and were bused to the concourse and entered at the passport control level, but we had to deplane via a long stairway that was brought to the plane. Again, I'm sure the airlines allow for handicapped passengers. Your husband will not be the first one to have needed assistance.

My biggest concern would be if you were coming in on a U.S. airline that used Terminal 2 and changing to, say, Lufthansa, which uses Terminal 1. The easiest connection between the terminals is the Skyline, which has stations on top of the terminals. There are stairs and escalators to and from the stations. I would guess that you husband could use the escalators, but I would imagine there are also elevators. I have just never looked for one.

I was just there last week and there is an elevator as well as the walkway for departing the aircraft. Then those in wheelchairs are taken down another elevator to passport control, while all others walk down stairs. As I sat waiting for our flight, I watched this happen several times. Personally, I really liked the Frankfurt airport. It's huge, but very easy to get around and many nice places to sit and watch the planes take off and land.

Frankfurt is long and streched so not good for walking, but at the same time it is flat and quite modern so if you can get a wheelchair or even better be driven around in a service car it's very easy.

CDG instead is older and full of stairs and tricky spots. The most recent terminals 2F and 2G are very new, but even then if you need to get a train or a shuttle it can become messy.

I vote for Frankfurt.