This is our first trip to Europe. We're flying Lufthansa with a connection in Frankfurt. Will we be able to find our way to our second flight without knowing any German? Find the restrooms? Will we need Euros to buy bottled water, coffee? If so, are ATM's labeled "ATM", or something else?

Sorry to sound so ignorant - we're just inexperienced and only beginning to think of things we'll need to know.

Thanks for any assistance!

Lizanne-
The Frankfurt airport is not too difficult to navigate. If you are flying from the U.S. to Frankfurt and then transfering for a local flight (on to Paris or another European city), chances are that you will have to change terminals and take a bus ride from one terminal to the other. This is not too bad. Just follow the signs and don't be concerned when they lead you outside to the bus. Also, if you have never traveled to Europe, most times the planes do not arrive at a gate. They stay out on the runway and you are loaded into "people movers" that drive to the terminal. You should laways have some curency with you before leaving the U.S. so you don't have to search out an ATM immediately. So, I would bring some euros for the shops. I am failry confident that the ATM machines are clearly makred as ATM.
Hope this helps.

Lizanne, Don't worry, the signs are very easy to understand. Remember, people from different countries speaking different languages all pass through the airport, so it has to be simple enough to use and it is. You will find everything you need and the information desk usually has a staff that speaks English. Any American carrier will have some english-speaking staff, also.

Whether it's an 'ATM' 'Autokasse', etc., you will be able to pick them out easily. They will dispense Euros. You can then purchase what you need to.

Have a good trip.

I had to change terminals in Frankfurt travelling with a child - it was 5 years ago. Somehow I remember their signs were in English, I don't speak a word of German. And it was easy to navigate, and if in doubt just show your ticket to any employee and they will point out in the right direction.

It is an easy airport to navigate, but in my experince there last summer the people are not very friendly. Do your best to get in and out, folks in the airport will not be in a hurry to lend you a hand.

Hi Lizanne:

In March we flew Lufthansa from Toronto to Budapest via Frankfurt, with like a 62 minute gap between flights so we were also worried about finding our way around. It took less than 5 minutes to find our next gate, no problem getting coffee (as it was an overnight flight into Frankfurt) ...

I had Euros with me & waited until I got to the Airport in Budapest before going to the ATM (VISA's ATM Locator on their web site shows shows 8 at the Frankfurt airport & its map was accurate enough for me in Budapest & Nairobi) ...

Hope this helps,

Z

Dear Lizanne:

Last October we flew SFO, changing in Frankfurt to Venice. Very easy as stated above. Also, there is usually an airline magazine in the pocket in front of you on the plane showing the layout of the major hubs Lufthansa flies into. This can give you a general idea of where you have to go. Don't stress out just ask for help if you need to. Have fun on your trip!!

lizanne - please relax! You will find FRA much easier to navigate than most American airports. They deal with thousands of non-german speaking passengers each day and there are easily recognizable signs everywhere. ATMs look the same as they do in the US, except that they can give directions for use in multiple languages. If still concerned, the German word for ATM is "Geldautomat" and - yes, you will need Euros. To further assuage your fears you might want to check the FRA website at "frankfurt-airport.de" The map will show you the location of gates, restrooms, ATMs, etc. You might want to find out your arriving and departing terminal to further reduce any concerns. Using the "Skytrain" is the easiest connection between the 2 terminals. Despite its size it is easy to navigate and I found the staff more personable and helpful than at CDG, JFK, and LHR. Just relax and enjoy your trip- there is no need for concern.

Thank you to everyone for your kind responses. Our flights arrive and depart at Terminal 1, so that's a relief, and an hour and 45 minutes going over, and an hour and 55 minutes coming back should give us plenty of time for our connections.