Train ride from Munich to Frankfurt, Germany

Direct ICE trains make the run between Munich and Frankfurt in 3hr14min. If you book well in advance (up to 92 days allowed) on the German Rail site, you can get a Sparpreis fare as low as €49.00 for two people traveling together. The standard 2nd class fare for two people is €190.00.

How long it takes depends kinda on how much you want to spend, and if you want to commit to a specific train. The fastest trains, the ICEs make the direct trip in just over 3 hours. Full fare is €95/p. If you book well in advance (tickets go on sale 92 days before the travel date), you can get Savings Fare tickets for as low as €49 for two people. Those tickets are train specific and only partially refundable before the travel date, non-refundable afterwards. You can find those tickets on the German Rail (Bahn) website. Other slightly slower express trains (IC/EC) make the trip in 4 hours for €76/p. There are also Savings Fare tickets for these trains, but they don't usually sell out as quickly, so you should be able to find lower fares. If you really don't care how long it takes, you can use regional trains. These trains make the trip in 5½-6 hours with more changes of trains. On weekend days, you can use a Schönes-Wochenende (Happy Weekend) Ticket for €40 for both of you (up to 5 people, total). That allows you unlimited, hop on/off use of regional trains all day long. That's the price from a ticket automat or online; it's €2 more from a counter with human assistance. On work days, there is the QdL Ticket, €48 for the two of you. Same conditions as the Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket except you can't use it before 9 AM.

What is the difference between trains...I do not understand ICE Train ride.

ICE trains are the fast trains, with few stops. Thus, the tickets cost more unless you can book far enough ahead to get the cheap fares. The routes are sometimes not as scenic either, with lots of tunnels. They have dining cars, comfortable seating and nicer bathrooms than some of the other rolling stock in Germany. Regional trains are slower, make lots of stops and aren't nearly as nice inside as the ICE trains. IC or Inter-City trains are somewhere in between. There are many train companies, but if you book a ticket with Deutsche Bahn, you can ride those trains, as they all have partnerships with them. Around the Frankfurt area, for example, there is the VIA train company. Beautiful, nice new trains and they run routes, like up and down the Rhine, from either Frankfurt or Mainz, depending on which side of the river you want to be on. For your trip from Munich to Frankfurt, take the ICE if you can commit to the correct time. Since the Sheraton Congress is at the airport, see if you can find a train that will be stopping there. Use Fernbahnhof or Long Distance train station as your end destination. The Sheraton is right there. EDIT: I gave you directions to the Airport Sheraton and not the Sheraton in Niederad. Sorry about that. You will need to take an S-bahn 2 stops to this hotel from the airport. Get yourself a group day ticket and then you can ride the #12 strassenbahn that stops in front of the hotel, directly to the Römer, Cathedral, etc.

This is a picture of one of the early ICEs that I took it in the Stuttgart Bahnhof in 2000. They are nearly as fast as the French TGV.

The Sheraton Congress Hotel is a pure business-only hotel in one of the most boring and remote parts of town. So don't expect to actually be in Frankfurt, don't expect to be near any of our 1,000+ years old sights and don't expect any restaurants or bars to be nearby. Food in the American Sports Bar section of your hotel is pricey but ok though. About a 10 minutes walk from your hotel is the S-Bahn station Niederrad from where it's a 10 minutes train ride to Hauptbahnhof (Central Train Station) but also a 10 minutes train ride to the airport. Some trains from Munich to Frankfurt only stop at the airport, others only at Hauptbahnhof and some stop at both. Personally if I was you I'd take a train to Frankfurt airport and a taxi to the hotel from there. Taxi ride from the airport to your hotel ist much shorter and cheaper than from Hauptbahnhof.

Once we get to the Sheraton Congress where we are scheduled to meet wtih our group tour at 6 pm, would you know if that hotel offers and tours to see some of the old town if Frankfurt? We will arrive at about 1:04pm on Sept. 16 which is on a Sunday. Could you check this our for me? Thanks loads!

Their contact information is on this page . Why don't you call them or send an email and ask? I'm sure they will speak English.