Making the Frankfurt Connection in Time

It's easy... follow the signs. If we try to explain exactly where to go, you'll get even more confused, because at Frankfurt, there's a whole lot of going up and down stairs and making turns. If you had to memorize it or follow written directions, you would go insane. But you don't have to do that. Just look for the prominent pictogram signs and follow them.

I've never transfered through Frankfurt, so I'm not sure where the ATMs are within the secured area, but if you leave it, they're immediately outside. There's at least one for every exit point.

The longest I've ever waited at immigration is maybe 15 minutes. For some weird reason, it usually takes longer to go through emmigration control than immigration.

The terminals all have food carts every 100 meters or so where they sell pretzels, bread and sausages. Pick one up on your way to the gate.

Thank you for your kind words

Since 2000, I've flown into FRA six times. Except for the last time, immigration has been right under the gate and all other routes were closed off. I just followed the herd to it. The last trip, we came into the new A/Z concourse and the entire floor where we came in was "outside Schengen". When we got to the root of the concourse, we went through immigration to get out.

I'm sure the flight attendants will tell you how to get to your next gate. If you are flying Lufthansa (or one of their partners) all the way, you'll undoubtedly stay in Terminal 1, but there are four concourses. If you change concourses, you will have to pass through security again, but when you exit the concourse, there should be a bank ATM right there. I'm not sure about ATMs inside a concourse; I've never needed one, but I think I did see one, once. If you can't find one, you can always wait until you get to Italy.

In 2002, going through outgoing emigration, not immigration, we made a change from Concourse A to B in less than an hour (it was just after 911, and we had to go through security three times!).

I have connected at FRA a few times, arriving in the morning for my connections - I'll be doing it again this April. The queue for the arrivals passport control can be long in the morning - two hours will get you enough time to do that.

I would not count on an ATM being available, nor would I exit the concourses just to find one. I always arrive in Europe with a bit of euros in my pocket, taking the urgency of finding an ATM immediately out of an already tiring/stressful enough travel experience - especially if your first flight is running a little late.

Change a bit of dollars into euros at LAX before departure or get them from another currency exchange service near where you live. It's worth the piece of mind... and the ability to buy a pretzel ;-)

Lee and Diane - thank you. On our first RS trip to Paris 2 years ago we changed planes in Amsterdam. We quickly found the ATM but did not realize that Passport Control was required before our next flight. Also a bit of an adventure in CDG with a one hundred Euro note trying to purchase train tickets. Lessons learned :-)

As far as having euro when you arrive, "assume you will return" and bring a few hundred with you when you come back to the US to have with you when you start your next trip. If you don't have euro when you leave, currency exchange at the airport is probably the worst possible place to get it. I was at Sky Harbor last summer and saw the exchange rate at the Travelex booth. I immediately checked it with Oanda.com and Travelex's rate was 11% over the Interbank rate. You can get euro for 5% over from Wells Fargo. With big US banks, you get euro from ATMs in Europe for about 4% over; with smaller banks and credit unions, it's maybe 2% over.

Rarely do I get 100€ notes at ATMs. Usually, the first 100€ is in 5s, 10s, and 20s, and the rest is in 50s.

Hi Lee,

I agree that the airport currency exchange rates are atrocious; but for the sake of convenience, time-savings, and gas-savings, it's not so bad for $50-100's worth...

I tend to order my euros from my bank, or get them exchanged at our local casino (sometimes the best rate)... if I need a larger hunk of cash on departure (i.e. like for paying cash in full for accommodation on arrival).

Do not use the airport currency exchanges in Frankfurt, they are the biggest rip-off around. The difference is about 20 cents on the dollar. There are Deutsche Bank ATM's all over the airport, but I would go through passport control first and make your way to your next gate. Lufthansa uses terminal 1, but who are you flying with to Venice?

Here is the airport map:
http://www.frankfurt-airport.com/content/frankfurt_airport/en/directions/airport_maps1/terminal_1_2.html

Hi Jo. We will be flying Lufthansa to Venice as well. My understanding is that Venice departure is also Terminal 1 but quite a distance at one of the smaller gates.

Watch the arrival and departure boards for a few days for Frankfurt. Just checking and the LA flight at 11 is arriving 15 min. early at B-1. All the LH flights to Venice are departing from A. These 2 gates are rather close to each other, not far away.

The gates line up in order in terminal 1, with Z being first, then A-1, A-2, B-1, B-2, C-1. If you had to go from Z to C, then yes, that would be a really long walk. B-1 to A, not so much.