blwjth0410

Hello. I am flying into Frankfurt, Germany and have a 6 hour layover. I arrive @ 7:30am and depart at 1:25pm. I have never been to Frankfurt before. What is there to do? I would like to see some sites. Are there any private tours I can take that are only like an hour to two hours? I'm worried if I venture out in the city for too long I might not make it back on time to catch my next flight. How many hours do I need to be back at the airport before my flight departs in order to get through security, etc... Is there anything with-in walking distance of the airport? Or do I have to catch a cab or a train to go anywhere? Is it safe for me to see the city by myself? Can anyone recommend a tour guide? I also only speak English. Is it going to be hard for me to navigate my way around the airport or the city? Or will I be able to read the signs and ask for help? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

sparkchaser

Your plane arrives at 7:30. You'll probably clear immigration & customs by 8:30.

Your flight departs at 1:25 so you should get back to the airport around 11:30. Do you catch your connecting flight in terminal 1 or terminal 2? If it's terminal 2 then there is a bus you need to catch that takes you there. The singage for this is clear.

You now have three hours at most.

You can hop on the S Bahn and be at the Frankfurk main station in 11 minutes. You can wander around for 2-1/2 hours before heading back to the train station.

The city is perfectly fine to see by yourself. You must be American.

Signage in the airport is in German and English. There are help desks in the airport. Getting around the airport is very easy.

The airport is large and has numerous shops and restaurants. there are even hotels in the airport. There is plenty to do without leaving the airport.

I fly into Frankfurt all the time and if I have a long layover, I just wander around the airport and do some shopping (window or otherwise), grab a bite to eat, and chill out in the lounge.

You're going to be tired from not sleeping on the plane. I think spending money on a guide would be an immense waste of money.

PalenQ

For a more mangeable fine city also a short S-Bahn or train ride from the airport is nearby Mainz, on the Rhine and full of museums and old churches - so rather than touching not even the tip of the iceberg in huge Frankfurt, which is basically a very modern city called Manhattan on the Main because of its, for Europe, unique cluster of sky scrapers in this city that in many ways is not the financial and banking capital of Europe, rivaling at least London for that honor.

PalenQ

And Weisbaden is another city a short train ride from the airport - even more manageable than Mainz - and a lovely city known for its thermal establishments I believe - anyway I recall a campus like setting where those things are.

Either Mainz or Weisbaden or other nearby smaller towns will fulfill you romantic dreams of what European towns are like whereas you'd need days to find something romantic about Frankfurt - not that there isn't bu this is a huge huge town that without a clue of where to go you could see it like Stevie Wonder did New York City - as in a song he says" New York just like I've always imagined it".

Mainhattengirl

With only a 6 hour layover, you effectively only have about 2-3 hours available for sightseeing. If you go to Frankfurt, this only takes 11-13 min. and you arrive in the city center. If you go to Mainz or Weisbaden, this train takes about 30 min. then you have at least a 10-15 min. walk to get into the city center. With such a short layover, I think I would stick with Frankfurt.

Mainz and Wiesbaden both have populations of over 250,000, so they aren't quaint little villages. Frankfurt only has 700,000. Berlin has over 4 million, just to compare.

blwjth0410

Thank you all very much for all the responses. I'm very excited about my travels and seeing new places, even if it is only for a few hours. I think I will stay in Frankfurt since I do only have a couple hours to walk around and sight see. If I had someone to walk around with who knew where they were going it would be different, so better stay closer to airport just in case. I wish I had more time to walk around and see more cities in and small towns. Maybe one day I'll get to come back and visit for a longer period of time.

baladeuse

Just in case you haven't seen this:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-frankfurt.cfm

PalenQ

In Frankfurt I'd first go to the Romerplatz - the old town square and one part of this thoroughly modern city that hints at old-world romance - it is a short enough walk from the main (Hauptbahnhof) train station - from the airport take a S-bahn or local train from the Regionalbahnhof (not the Fernbahnhof or long-distance train station in the airport) to Frankfur-Main Hbf - get a city map from the tourist info desk at the airport before setting off - and then head over to the main pedestrian shopping area - the heart of modern Frankfurt and then take the S-Bahn back from there to the airport.

blwjth0410

I did see Mainhattengirl's blog post. It is very informative Thank you. Thank you PalenQ for the information I will make sure to do that and definitely get a map first. Maybe they can highlight the places I need to go.

Rudolfk

There's a two dollar eBook entitled "Long Layover Guide to Frankfurt and the Frankfurt Airport" which tells you how to do a tour on your own, how to get around the airport, etc. This will give you very detailed info.

Otherwise, as a Frankfurt resident, I think the other posts here are helpful.

Rubicund

Except that the OP's post is two and a half years ago.

Rudolfk

That's true. But the post is still online. And the information in the other posts is still valid.