Why not take a tour of the Rhine Valley castles?

After customs, go to the Regionalbahnhof station at the airport, get a ticket to Mainz (3.90€) and hop on a train (maybe the 22:37; you'll arrive in Mainz 21 min's later.) Sleep at the Königshof across from the station or at one of several other hotels. In the a.m., rise early and board a train to St. Goar to tour the Rhine Valley (the 7:51 pulls into St. Goar at 8:37 after a change of train in Oberwesel.) The train will hug the river the entire way between Bingen and St. Goar, the most scenic part, passing more than a dozen medieval castles and castle ruins. Walk up to Rheinfels Castle - it opens at 9:00, the museum at 10:00. Have a quick bite at the terrace-restaurant at the Schloss Rheinfels hotel, the "Burgschänke "Der Landgraf", next to the castle.

http://www.schloss-rheinfels.de/kulinarik/burgschaenken-restaurant-der-landgraf/ (click on photo.)

Return to the station for the 11:20 train south, change in Oberwesel again, and arrive back at FRA at 12:34.

You could stay in Mainz overnight (trains go direct from the airport and take around half an hour; there are decent hotels right by the station if you look at www.hotels.de ; nice wine tasting opportunities in the Altstadt ) and the next day either just see the Altstadt in Mainz, or get ambitious and leave the bags at the hotel, and then take a train up the Rhein. Mainz to Rüdesheim is under an hour each way, or you could go up to Bacharach in as little as 37 minutes.

Thanks for the replies! Appreciated, I've got some direction to start researching.

You'll only have a few hours on the Sunday morning, really, won't you.

Frankfurt has some worth in its own right - we recently spent two days there before flying back to Australia. On the morning of the last day, we walked through the city and its pedestrian shopping street, the "Zeil", to the zoo and spent an enjoyable few hours there. It's not a big zoo, but was very pleasant with some interesting animals, gardens in autumn array and small children being pulled around in trolleys.

The riverside walk along both sides of the Main is lovely, with pollarded tree and views over the city. Across the river is the Sachsenhausen area, with lots of cafes in the quaint back street and museums along the river. You could get a taxi there for a late supper, perhaps, and a look around.

I would choose a hotel near the railway station, have a good sleep and walk into the city on the Sunday morning, coming back along the river. Look at a map - it's easily doable. There's a lovely city square, the Roemer, and from there, not far to the Zeil.

The area around the railway station is a bit sleazy, but I didn't feel unsafe, and the convenience made up for it. We stayed at the Ambassador, (now becoming part of the Accor chain)in a bright cheery room, and a good breakfast included, nothing fancy but OK for a night or two, and only a block from the railway station, though getting across the road is a bit tricky. It's in Mosel Str.

In June, you will have daylight hours until quite late, almost 23:00. I am sure there will be some kind of fest going on in Frankfurt in June, there always is. If not, a stroll along the Fressgasse near the Alte Oper is nice in the evenings. That and walking along the river can be really beautiful at dusk and at night, with all the lights, and people sitting out on the riverbanks.

There are a ton of hotels to choose from, though the Mosel str. wouldn't be my top choice. In June, you might want one with A/C, so perhaps the Ibis City Center, or the Adina, though it depends on your budget. I don't think I would stay out at the airport. Unless you are at the Sheraton, it takes longer to get to your hotel than it would to take the S-bahn into the city. The main train station is only 11 min. away and a train comes by every 15 min.

For things you could see on a Sat. night or early Sun. morning:

* The Kaiserdom - this is the Imperial church where the German emperors were elected and crowned (get there early to hear the organ for services.)

* The Jewish Holocaust Memorial Wall with the names of over 12,000 Frankfurt Jewish citizens who died during the Holocaust. This wall surrounds the large, medieval Jewish cemetery.

* Alte Oper, built in 1881

* Eschenheimer Turm, original guard tower built in 1425

* The Römerberg, has the cityhall - Römer, the book-burning memorial, Alte Nikolai - built in 1290 (listen to the 47 bell carillon at 09:05)



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A few months ago I would probably have encouraged you to go to a small village along the Rhine, but after my recent trip and having stayed my last night in Frankfurt before flying home, I think the last suggestion is the best. I love the small Rhine villages, but was pleasantly surprised at how nice Frankfurt was. I stayed in a hotel right across from the train station and walked down to the Main River. It was really nice, felt safe (I was traveling alone) and very enjoyable. It is often preferable to travel less and enjoy the place you are even more. I think trying to go out some village on the Rhine (as much as I just love them) after arriving at 9:30 p.m. and going through customs, getting luggage, finding a train, getting to the next village, checking into a hotel, just to get up the next morning to try to do some sightseeing for a couple of hours before heading back to the airport in time for your flight, just wouldn't be worth it IMHO. Relax and enjoy Frankfurt.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I was starting to wonder what to do since so many sights focus on every city other than Frankfurt. I think the best bet for us is staying in the city as I might be a bit leary leaving town with a 2pm flight. I'm leaning towards a hotel in the Romerberg area and wander out on foot a bit depending on time, possibly the Holocaust memorial as well.