Travel by train in Frankfurt

In general there is no need to "check in" to European trains like an aeroplane and you can usually board right up until the departure time. (The exception is Eurostar trains through the Channel Tunnel which have airport-style security and a 30 minute check-in deadline.) If you have never previously travelled by train, I would aim to arrive at the station 20-30 minutes beforehand to make sure you can find what platform you leave from and your carriage.

Thank you so much. We have to return our rental car that morning and then get to the train. It's good to know that we do not have to be there 3 hours ahead of time. Thanks again.

Tracie, are you returning your rental car at the train station? In that case the car park is on the South side (Mannheimer St. side) of the station. From there it's a short walk to the South entrance of the station. The walk to any of the platforms with luggage is 10 minutes - actually a bit less. Inside the train station there is a Burger King, a Mc Donald's, a Starbucks and plenty of local food chains - all of which serve breakfast in one way or another. If you're holding a first class ticket you've even got access to the 1st class loung where they serve free snacks and beverages. What you should know is that Frankfurt central train station is the main hub of DB German Rail. It's a terminal station, so trains have to revert out of it. That makes getting from platform to platform extremely easy and comfortable (no escalators, no stairs necessary - unless you want to get down to the underground). For comfort of their 1st class passengers all trains roll in with 1st class wagons in the front and 2nd class thereafter. So the walk from the cross-platform where all the restaurants are etc. to the last wagon of an ICE train can be up to 400 yards. Also note: You'll probably have to return your rental car refilled. However, there is no gas station near the train station. The closest - yet not cheapest one is the Shell station just south of the river. So using Google maps make sure you find a gas station on the way from your accommodation to the train station.

We re returning the car at Rhein-Main International Airport. I think that our tickets are 2nd class. Up at the top under KI/CI is the number 2. I am not really sure how we are going to get from the airport to the train station. I believe that they are close to each other. Thanks for the input. It is greatly appreciated.

Check with the German Rail (Bahn) website. If you are returning a car at FRA, there is no need to go into Frankfurt Hbf. There are ICE connections from the Fernbahnhof (long distance train station) at the airport to Paris. But I guess you already have your tickets. See if there is an ICE from the Fernbahnhof to Frankfurt Hbf. It will come in at the ground level. A little less expensive would be the S-Bahn from the Regionalbahnhof at the airport to the Hbf, but most of them stop several stories underneath the ground level. You might also find a few regional trains from the Regionalbahnhof to the Hbf. They'll come in to the ground level tracks.

Would it be easier to take a taxi?

The S-Bahn cost 4,25€ (about $5.50) per adult and takes 11 minutes from FRA to Frankfurt Hbf (tief). Even with coming up from the "tief" station to the main tracks, I don't think a taxi can beat that.

a) Does your Paris train leave from Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (Hbf) = Central Train Station or do you have a train booked from Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof (the bullet train station at the airport)? b) What's your car rental company. You can almost always drop off your car at the Central Train Station instead of the airport and safe the €50 taxi ride.

We leave from HBF. There are 4 of us traveling. I guess I can ask the rental car company.