Getting Around Frankfurt

Frankfurt is a major transportation hub for Germany and Europe. Its airport is the second-largest in Europe, and its main train station is one of the largest and busiest on the Continent. Driving in and around Frankfurt is fairly easy, but if you're going to stay exclusively in Frankfurt, public transportation will be more than adequate.

Air
Frankfurt International Airport (FRA), 6 miles south of the city, is made up of two terminals connected by a Sky Line monorail. There's a wide range of services in both terminals. Frankfurt airport (tel 0 69/69 00) is one of the world's busiest, and is a major point of entry into Germany from abroad. There are regular rail departures from the airport Bahnhof which will enable you to reach most of Germany's cities fairly easily. Trains leave approximately once every ten minutes for Frankfurt's Hauptbahnhof (journey time 11min) from where there are even more comprehensive services covering Germany and beyond.

Connecting Transportation
Unless you have a lot of luggage, the S-Bahn can transport you from the airport to the city center. The station is directly below Terminal 1, and the ride to the Hauptbahnhof takes about 11 minutes.

Taxis
Taxis and rental cars are available at both terminals. Large hotels near the airport and others on the outskirts of Frankfurt offer courtesy shuttles to and from the airport. Downtown hotels do not have courtesy vans. Rental car companies have offices at both terminals.

Bus
Most major European cities are linked to Frankfurt by bus. The station is on the south side of the Hauptbahnhof. Deutsche Touring GmbH operates long-haul bus routes under the names Eurolines and Europabus. Its sales office is also on the south side of the Hauptbahnhof, at Mannheimer Strasse 4. 069-230-735.

Car
Frankfurt sits at the intersection of several major autobahns. Excellent signage makes access into and out of the city fairly simple. To get into downtown Frankfurt, follow signs to Frankfurt-Stadtmitte. (If you follow signs to the Messe from the Frankfurt-West Autobahn intersection, you'll be led to a giant parking lot served by free shuttle buses during major fairs.) Parking downtown is usually expensive and difficult, so it's best to use the public transit system. Driving in town can also be complicated by the predominance of one-way streets. The speed limit in the city is 50 kph (about 30 mph). On unmarked highways it's 100 kph (just over 60 mph), and on the autobahn there is no limit unless otherwise indicated. Keep in mind that using a hand-held phone while driving is illegal.

Public Transportation
Public transportation is efficient and generally safe, and it's the best way to get around. The network extends to most points in the city and suburbs and to several outlying areas, including Wiesbaden, Mainz, Darmstadt, Hanau, Friedberg and the Taunus Mountains.

Tickets and Validation - You have to purchase tickets and validate them before boarding all forms of transportation. Single, one-way tickets are available, with free transfers between buses and trains. However, we recommend purchasing a special network pass: either the tageskarte, which is valid the entire day of purchase or the Frankfurt Card, which is good for one day or two days with a 50% discount at several museums and attractions. The city's Verkehrs Insel (transportation island), located at the Hauptwache across from Kaufhof department store, offers exhaustive information about public transportation in the area.

U-Bahn and S-Bahn - Large blue U signs mark the U-Bahn (subway) stations, while large green S signs mark S-Bahn (commuter rail) stations. Trains and tracks are labeled with the final destination of the train and sometimes with major transfer stations. Hours of service vary from route to route--trains stop running at about midnight or 1 am and resume around 4 am.

Buses and Streetcars - Yellow and green signs with the letter H mark bus and streetcar stops. Buses and streetcars run frequently in downtown locations, and schedules are posted at every stop. In some popular late-night districts, special bus routes run until the wee hours. These routes are noted with a dark sign with moon and stars. You can buy your ticket from the driver or from a machine at certain stops.

Taxi
Two phone lines are staffed 24 hours a day for taxi pickups: 250-001 and 230-001. There are also taxi stands scattered around town.

Train
The Hauptbahnhof has frequent connections to nearly every major German city and many European cities. Trains are run by Deutsche Bahn (phone 01805-996-633). Note that both the train station at the airport, called Frankfurt (Flughafen), and the Hauptbahnhof in the city, called Frankfurt (Main), connect to the national and international rail network.