borivlikar1

I looked into bahn.de and it gives various options for frankfurt airport train station and also the same case for Basel train station. Any one know how to look for and book the cheapest train fare between frankfurt airport to basel train station?

Thanks.

DalaiLlama

It's quite simple - there is a huge train station right underneath the Frankfurt (Main) airport, all concourses lead to the central complex where signs direct you to the trains.

In that big station you have local trains leaving from some platforms, and long-distance trains from others. The long-distance section is called Fernbahnhof, abbr. Fernbf.

Many trains first go into the city of Frankfurt (Main - Main is the river, there is another Frankfurt on another river, the Oder). When consulting the timetables at www.bahn.de or - since you're headed for Switzerland - at www.rail.ch - take note if your train goes on or if you have to switch trains in Frankfurt, orpossibly in either Mannheim or in Mainz.

Some trains go all the way to Basel.

The city of Basel sits on the Swiss-French-German borders, and each country has its own staion there. If you want to go into Basel proper, in Switzerland, look for the station called Basel SBB.

(The last stop before Basel SBB is often Basel-Badischer Bahnhof - that's the last German station before crossing into Switzerland, so don't get off if that's where the train stops, it will carry on into Basel SBB).

Booking the cheapest fare would mean looking at them all on www.bahn.de and checking the box for local or regional trains (as opposed to the fast long-distance trains). That will mean more switches, and a much slower trip, but doing that can save you pretty pennies.

Other than that I'm not aware of ane "specials" on that route - maybe someone else does?

borivlikar1

Dalaillama,

I have some specific q's.... the 3 options i came connect either thru karlsruhe or mannheim etc. but the platforms are different at the connecting stations and plus the time between connections is just 10-12 minutes.

is it going to be fine with a kid, not knowing to read the signs and luggage? Do you have any tips suggestions?

thanks.

haxter1

The connection at Mannheim is very easy The other train leaves from the track directly opposite from your first train. If I were you I would try to take one of the trains that go direct from the airport to Basel.

DalaiLlama

Signage is good, ten minutes to switch trains is about seven minutes more than you need, but if you have a more direct train leaving within, say, a half hour, sure, wait and take the direct one. Otherwise, don't worry, the connection times are built into the timetables so everybody can make them - older folks, families - everybody.

borivlikar1

When I did the search on Hahn.de it did not sow any trains non stop to Basel. Always shows connections.... Maybe I am searching wrong. I type in Frankfurt airport to Basel sbb. Should I do it as Basel sbb bahnhof? For nonstop/ direct?

Thanks

haxter1

Are you landing at Frakfurt Main (FRA) or Frankfurt Hahn?

DalaiLlama

You started the thread by referring to Frankfurt airport train station. Hahn is not the Frankfurt airport that has a train station, nor is it the Frankfurt airport (FRA) one assumes when nothing more is specified.

If you fly into Hahn, the former military airport now serving as an outlying secondary airport for budget airlines, then that's an entirely different story (it's a l-o-o-n-g way from Frankfurt..._).

Follow the directions for ground transportation on the Hahn airport website www.hahn-airport.de by clicking on their link "Getting There" - you'll notice that there is no Train option listed.

You have lots of targets that can be reached by bus, among many others FRA (the "real" Frankfurt airport), so you could still do what we described earlier when we assumed you were flying into FRA airport.

The FRA airport is on the way from Hahn to central Frankfurt (the city) where one of the bus lines ends at the central Frankfurt train station called Frankfurt (M) Hauptbahnhof (Hbf for short).

So now you go to www.bahn.de and input Frankfurt (M) Hbf and Basel SBB and see what comes up. Or - if you choose to take the bus from Hahn to Karslruhe, input Karlsruhe as your departure point into www.bahn.de.

Or chose to take the bus to Mainz and start your train trip there.

Or - good for additional sightseeing of a worthwhile target - take the bus from Hahn to Heidelberg, leave your bags at the train station and take the tram up the hill to Bismarckplatz and wander about this charming old town. Then catch a later train to Basel.

haxter1

There is also a bus from Hahn to Mannheim.

borivlikar1

dalaillama and haxter....

I am landing at FRA which is the big frankfurt AM Main airport i believe. wasnt even aware there were other airports.

When i do bahn.de, i can actually type frankfurt airport and it pulls it up as an option. anf then i check destination as basel. That's when it pulls up the 1 change connection.

I am assuming that Frankfurt M HBF will have nonstop options to basel. But what about getting to HBF from the airport train station? Is it going to be fine on a weekday with a child and luggage especially considering we are landing at FRA at about 7-7.30 am after traveling pretty much the whole day in the US the day before? Just letting you folks know so that you can cover my bases on everything.

I dont mind going from HBF if there is a cheap convenient option to get to it. Thanks folks....you have saved me from booking the tix and then regreting it.

Also there are savings fares and then standard fares which are 30% more. What happens if i book a savings fare...and miss that particular train...is the ticket still valid for the next train...or i have to buy a new ticket all over again?

DalaiLlama

You sure threw us a curve with your mention of Hahn. Where did this come from?

If I understand you right, you are now looking at the option of first taking a local train from the station underneath the FRA airport into the central Frankfurt (M) train station, then boarding a direct train for Basel SBB that requires no change en route.

These local trains from FRA airport into Frankfurt (Main) Hbf leave all the time and take only 11 minutes, they leave from what is called the Regionalbahnhof (as opposed to the Fernbahnhof I mentioned earlier). Look them up on www.bahn.de of course. No need to reserve.

There are indeed savings to be had from Frankfurt (M) Hbf to Basel SBB. Not knowing your date I input a random date of Oct. 12 and I see a train you are bound to make (unless your flight from the US comes in unusually late) - the 10:05 that gets into Basel SBB at 12:55. It costs 39Euros discounted ("Sparangebot") as opposed to 75Euros.

You might make the 08:50 train, also a direct one, but it doesn't take much to mess up your timing on arrival - and it will be rush hour in the train stations, so play it safe and book the 10:05. On arrival in the Frankfurt (M) Hbf station you will appreciate having the time to go for refreshments etc.

Children of age 6 or less travel free.

I don't know what the situation is re. refunds etc. if you can't make a certain train for which you bought a discount fare.

quokka

>I don't know what the situation is re. refunds etc. if you can't make a certain train for which you bought a discount fare.
Very easy - if you miss the train there is no refund. You have to buy a new ticket. Full fare, of course.

Taking the connection straight from Frankfurt airport with one change in Mannheim is SO MUCH easier with luggage than going into Frankfurt by S-Bahn first. In Mannheim you change on the same platform from one side to the other. However, the S-Bahn stops in the basement of Frankfurt central station, so the change means quite a walk and stairs/escalator/lift from the basement to ground level and to the right one of the 24 platforms where your train departs.

DalaiLlama

I agree that OP should take one of the fast connections I mentioned in my first post - but I wonder if OP has some business in Frankfurt (City) she wants to attend?

If not, as quokka sez, don't go into Frankfurt on the local train, take a fast train right from the airport's Fernbahnhof. Especially at your time of arrival - commuter hell.