6.5 hours in FRA - Mainz worth is?
 

We have a 6.5 hour layover in FRA and have been thinking about going to Mainz. With the S-Bahn out of service from the airport it looks like the trip would be about an hour, so we would probably think about hiring a taxi for the trip (seems like that would be shorter) but would only have probably 3 hours to walk around Mainz before getting back to FRA for our Trans-Atlantic flight home.

Is it worth it?

>we would probably think about hiring a taxi for the trip

It´s about 40 km one way. Is it worth it to spend 50-70 Euro each way on a taxi?
Maybe it is better to see Frankfurt instead? It´s not that bad :-)

What would be the "logistics" to leaving the airport and visiting Frankfurt? I'm really up for anything that doesn't make me sit at the airport for 7 hours!!

Mainz is nice but i feel there are much nicer places in the area to spend a few hours - Speyer for one with its great cathedral or Frankfurt.

Mainz never impressed me that much though is a typically fine German town.

>What would be the "logistics" to leaving the airport and visiting Frankfurt?

Taking the train to Frankfurt main station from the long-distance train plattforms in the airport (there is a S-bahn shuttle every 30 min in addition to the normal ICE´s and IC´s) and a walk (or 2 stops by S-Bahn to Hauptwache station) into the city center.

Speyer is an excellent place to visit but too far from Frankfurt for such a short time.

Yes Speyer is farther than i remembered.

There are some wonderful museums in Frankfurt on the main street...sorry, it's been some years since I was there, but Google "Museums in Frankfurt" and you'll find addresses. Well worth going to, if you enjoy all kinds of art.

So would I take one of the IC or ICE trains or would I have to take the S-Bahn shuttle? How much would that cost? I'm searching online and I can't seem to find any good information so any website you have that might provide me with everything I need to know about Frankfurt trains - that would be lovely!!

The S-Bahn (also the S-Bahn shuttle) is part of the RMV, the public transport system of Frankfurt and the entire Rhine-Main region.

One way to Central Station Frankfurt is Eur 3.55 (incl. transfers to subways, buses etc) from the airport, a day pass that covers all of Frankfurt plus the S-Bahn ride from and to the airport is Eur 8.40.

The day pass may be a good idea, as you only have to buy tickets once, and then go as you please.

The long-distance trains (ICE, IC) are NOT part of the public transport, so you would have to get a regular train ticket (and pay extra again in Frankfurt to use subways etc).

RMV's website is available also in English:
http://www.rmv.de/coremedia/generato...__ART__en.html

I'm also thinking of a long layover next spring just to see a museum in Frankfurt.

What's the time involved by either taxi, the S-Bahn or ICE trains into the center?

Lindsaybeth - Mainz is a good plan for just a short visit. It's 20 min or so on the S-Bahn each way, about 3.50 euros, to the Mainz Roemisches Theater station - closest one to the old town (an ancient Roman theater is being unearthed on the grounds of this station -= check the rear platform.) You can walk from there along the pre-war Augustinerstrasse through Mainz' oldest buildings to the DOM, the Marktplatz, and the pedestrian zone shopping area. You'll find a good number of outdoor cafes north of the Dom. IF you walk south from the MRT station, then right under the train overpass, you're at the entrance to Mainz' pretty Stadtpark. There's usually a small beer garden there in front of the Hotel Favorite.

The Gutenberg Museum and the Chagall windows in the Stephanskirche are other sightseeing options.

>What's the time involved by either taxi, the S-Bahn or ICE trains into the center?

Next spring the S-Bahn will be running normally again. No need for ICE/IC trains on such a short distance. 4-6 S-Bahn trains per hour from the local train station (Regionalbahnhof) into the city. S-Bahn needs 15 min to the main station, or about 18-20 min into the one of the city center stations. Taxi will probably need more time and cost FAR more.

>It's 20 min or so on the S-Bahn each way

Not between 9.7 and 29.7 - during these 20 days the regional station will be closed and the S-Bahn connection between Mainz and the airport will be pretty much disrupted (replacement buses and all that hassle)

Can I get the time involved with these routes? Since time is more critical then money with only a few hours... I will be there on the 30.7. I'm disappointed that I'm missing the s-bahn connection to Mainz by 1 day. I had this final day of my trip planned out for the last 6 months and now I feel like I'm so confused I'm half tempted to stay at the airport.

> I'm disappointed that I'm missing the s-bahn connection to Mainz by 1 day

The only thing you miss by 1 day are construction works.
The S-Bahn connection to Mainz is scheduled to run as usual from 30.7. onwards.

Thank you for the info.

So it's supposed to be back running on the 30th? Everything I've read has stated it will be out THROUGH the 30th. That will make my life so much easier!!

The brochure I had in the hads yesterday (by DB) said 9.7-29.7

AAAHHH! I finally see the 2:00AM on the 30th. Somehow I've missed that for the last month! Thanks for your help with this though :)

ttt