Hi, my husband and I are flying in to Frankfurt in June on a red-eye and spending the day/night before leaving early the next morning to fly to Split, Croatia. On the tail end, we will be flying from Dubrovnik and again arriving early in Frankfurt to spend the day/night before leaving the next morning to fly back to the States. My question is, what part of Frankfurt would you recommend staying in that wouldn't be too far from the airport (and easy to get to/from in the early hours) but still has interesting things to do? We love exploring old cities (don't care so much for the big modern buildings), but also love hiking and being out in nature. I was thinking Altstadt for one of the days. Perhaps Bahnhofsviertel? (Is that safe in the early hours?) Would love any advice; thanks!

How early are your morning flights (to Split, to US)? The S Bahn (and Regio trains) run every couple of mintues between the Airport and the Frankfurt Main train station, and the journey takes about 15 minutes. I'm someone who gets anxious about missing flights (esp early morning ones) so I prefer staying at the airport the night before. There is a Hilton and a Hilton Garden Inn right at the Airport which connects directly to the terminals as well as the train station. Another benefit of staying at the airport is when you arrive from your flight, you can drop off your luggage at the hotel (even if your room isn't ready yet) and head into the city right away without dragging your luggage with you.

The immediate area by the Main Train Station isn't the nicest area. I wont' say it's unsafe, but when we were there last year, we saw lots of people just milling around / loitering.

I think it all depends on your budget, your age, how much luggage will you have etc. If you are young and traveling light, then it's probably not a big deal staying in the city (ie, taking your luggage on the S Bahn and then to your hotel, and getting up early the next day to return to the airport).

Also, if you're not interested in modern buildings but prefer old city center, there isn't much of that to offer in Frankfurt. I would consider spending one of your 2 days in Mainz instead. If you stay at the airport, just leave your luggage at the hotel, then take the train to Mainz for the day, and head back to the airport in the evening. Mainz is only a 25-min train ride from the airport and the train (S bahn) runs several times an hour.

Please not Bahnhofsviertel. The station and immediate surrounds is unpleasant. In the 90s it was a drugs hotspot and unsafe and they have cleaned it up a lot but it suffers from the same story as many major railway stations. If you want to stay in Frankfurt itself then the Adina Frankfurt Neue Oper is in an OK location (just), or better, somewhere in the Innenstadt. Most of the tourism centres on this area (Römer, food hall, old churches, Eschenheimer Tor, Zeil shopping street), or you could look at Sachsenhausen across the river, where there is a riverbank of world-class museums and a district with applewine pubs and gorgeous 19th century architecture. That is actually pretty nice, and safe.

Alternatively you could do as yk suggests and stay at the airport. I have stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn but there is a Hilton just next door. They are in the Squaire, which is adjacent to the airport, and the connecting bridge is completely under cover so you just wheel your bags from the airport into the hotel and there is also access to the long distance trains in the basement of the Squaire. Very convenient. BTW the rooms in the Garden Inn can be a bit small but I operate on the principle that you are only sleeping there, it's not for recreation!

Lavandula

I like yk‘s suggestion to overnight at an airport hotel. Less stress



If you have not been to Frankfurt before, I suggest visiting on one of your available days. Visit Römerberg Square, see the bear and bull outside the stock exchange, maybe the money museum or one of the many outstanding museums on museum row. Finish the day with a traditional meal in a Sachenhusen apfelwoi tavern.



On your other available day, consider a visit to Mainz, Wiesbaden, or one of the smaller wine villages along the Rhine like Rüdesheim or Eltville. Stay for dinner and take the S Bahn back to your airport hotel.

Our flights leave around 10am....I think that is an excellent idea to just stay at the airport and also store our luggage there. Thanks!

Ok, thanks-- you all have convinced me to stay at one of the Hilton airport hotels! I appreciate the input on what to do in Frankfurt.

I agree.
We have never been to Frankfurt so appreciate the suggestions.
I think one of the days, as you suggest, we will go to one of those cute towns. Do we need to buy tickets for the S Bahn in advance?

No, the S-Bahn is mass transit. You want the train station below the airport (Terminal 1) which is for local trains (Regionalbahnhof), not the Fernbahnhof (long-distance trains) which is under the Squaire (where your accommodation will be). The ticket machines will say RMV (Rhein-Main Verkehrsbund). I second Eltville / Rüdesheim. Lots for tourists to do in Rüdesheim including hopping aboard a Rhine cruise, wine tasting, the Asbach Uralt brandy factory (which I think is actually Assmannshausen and not Rüdesheim), the Drosselgasse with cute shops, and a cable car ride up the hill to see the views. It's on the same side of the river as Wiesbaden so if you have a bit of time left over you could stop there also, but you will need to catch a bus into town from the station - it's quite a walk.

Lavandula