Frankfurt layover
 

We will have two 6 hr. layovers in Frankfurt next yr. for each the arrival time is around 0700. How easy is it to get out into the city to spend some time and what are good sights to see? Thanks, Larry

I just did this a couple of weeks ago. It's very easy to get into the city as the train station is located within the airport and is very easy to find. As I was heading on to Berlin (and having visited Frankfurt on numerous occasions for business) I opted to get a day room at the Sheraton Frankfurt Airport Hotel and Towers. I rested, napped, ate, relaxed and then showered and got ready for my flight on to Berlin. That worked for me.

Cool. Do you remember the station in Frankfurt you got off at? We are trying to coordinate meeting someone there. Is there a nice shopping area you could reccomend? Thanks, Larry

I completely "second" the suggestion to get a day room at the Sheraton Frankfurt. The rates are usually about 50% off the per night rates and a day room is such a help when traveling with a long layover. It is nice to get away from all of the noise and hustle of the airport, nap, have a good meal before getting on the plane, not having to use a public restroom, watch the news, read a book, check e-mail or do some work. It is truly an oasis, especially now that air travel is so tiring and stressful.

Personally, I get a day room or get a Priority Pass for the airline lounges specifically for those situations. Frankfurt is a really nice place to visit and I recommend taking the time to enjoy it and not be thinking about time and getting back to catch your flight, etc. etc.

Best Regards,
Julia

OK Julia. Got an email site for this purpose? Sounds like a good idea.

Gettting between the airport and downtown is quite easy. There is a train station in the airport (Terminal 1; "Regionalbahnhof") where you catch the S-Bahn ("commuter rail"; line S-8 or S-9) train for the ~15 min ride to the main station (Hauptbahnhof). From there, you can hop a U-Bahn (subway/metro; line U-4 or U-5) to either the Römerplatz (main restored historic square) or stay on the S-Bahn to Hauptwache, the center of the main shopping district. I would guess a trip to Römerplatz should be ~1 hour from deplaning (incl immigration, etc). (I once made it to the train station in 35 minutes from _touchdown_, but was coming from the UK.) Getting back to the airport is just the reverse.

As for stuff to do, the aforementioned Römerplatz is nice to see, as well as a walk down to the Main River and across the footbridge (right near the Roemerplatz). There are several museums across the river including art, sculpture, film, architecture, and design. The main shopping drag is the Ziel, which includes the big department stores. There's a nice market at Konstablerwache (one end of the Ziel), at least on Sat morning. There is a Tourist Info office at the main station.

Enjoy your trip,
Paul

I also meant to mention that you can find a map of the Frankfurt transit system at http://www.rmv.de/coremedia/generato...eneNetzplaene/
(The one on the right is the local transit.)

Jacket: I mentioned that I reserved a day room instead of travelling in to Frankfurt. What you think about it, with only 6 hours, you really don't have a whole lot of time to get your luggage, lug it on the train, lug it around Frankfurt, lug it back on the train and make your flight. I would do the day room instead and save visiting Frankfurt for when you have more time. How do you reserve a day room? Well, let's see, if you're interested in the Frankfurt Airport Sheraton, simply go to sheraton.com and reserve!

That should be "When you think about it..." not "What you...". apologies for typo.

Thanks for all the replies. All good info. Cheers, Larry

Hi,

MichelleNYC is right and I agree with her that stowing the luggage, getting down to the sights in 6 hours would be stressful. I'd get in touch with the Sheraton Frankfurt directly and reserve a room. Sometimes the hotel has these dayroom programs, but the toll-free central reservations people don't know about the program. Get in touch with the hotel directly - a lot of airport hotels (Hyatt Orlando Airport is an example) have these programs.

Also, if you're interested in the Priority Pass for the airline lounges, they have a website at PriorityPass.com . I travel a lot on business and really appreciate the chance to get away from the busy airport scene.

Best,
Julia

the luggage will most likely be forwarded to connecting flight, so that is no problem. more difficult is to know when you REALLY are going to get in.. and to be meeting up with someone when you are not SURE if your arrival is punctual.
maybe you could all meet at the sheraton itself.
nice place to wait for anyone.

also has a small indoor pool.

OTOH, spending two hours in the city would be nice also if weather is not bad, and getting back to airport is SO easy.

Many times, if you are flying on a different carrier from your original flight, you might not be able to check your luggage through. This is what happened to me when I was flying to Berlin. Original flight was Continental to Frankfurt and then domestic carrier to Berlin. I had an 8 hour layover and by the time we finally reached the gate, I retrieved my luggage and made my way to the hotel (which is actually connected to the airport) it worked out that I really only had about 5.5 hours which did not include the time I needed to allocate for check-in to my flight for Berlin (1.5 hours) which only left me with 4 hours. I can't tell you how useful it was to have that power nap and then a relaxing lunch and cappucino. I arrived in Berlin fully rested and ready to go. If you are interested in the day room option, you can find ALL information on the Sheraton's website.

The luggage will be forwarded so that should not be a problem. I assume getting out of the airport from an immigration POV should not be a problem with a US passport. Thanks again for all the help. :-)