Frankfurt is continental Europes most important financial centre and is home to numerous banks and investment companies. There’s a good chance that arriving there you’ll be on business and a hire car from the airport is the best way to ensure you get to your destination on time.
Once business is done, you can take in a concert at the beautiful old opera house or an opera at the new opera house! There are also regular festivals and celebrations across the city including the Museumsuferfest, a three day festival of art, culture and history centred around the museum district.
Frankfurt Airport Mini Guide
The Airport
Frankfurt Airport is the busiest in Germany serving 53 million passengers last year. Arriving at the airport there is a wide range of parking options within the 4,500 spaces including long term holiday spots, short term and disabled. The airport is only 8 miles from the centre of the city and is accessible by the S8 and S9 S-Bahn routes directly to the terminal stations.
Getting There
Over 100 airlines fly into and out of Frankfurt with the airport being the base for Lufthansa and a prime destination for Condor Flugdreist. The airport almost exclusively accepts international and domestic scheduled flights with only some low cost airlines as the majority fly into Frankfurt Hahn.
Getting to Your Destination
There are two S-Bahn routes that operate from the airport station; routes S8 and S9. These take you into the centre of Frankfurt in under 20 minutes. From the central station, local and regional trains are available as well as long distance high speed trains to Cologne, Holland and Belgium.
There are number of local buses that take you to various destinations in the city and the surrounding towns and villages. For an up to date schedule and routes, ask at the airport information desk. Shuttle buses connect with the major city hotels and there are free telephones next to the shuttle stop to enable you to contact them regarding accommodation. Taxis are efficient and convenient at the airport and can take you into the city for a fixed fare. If you are collecting a hire car, Terminal 1 desks are found in the A and B sections on level 1 whilst in Terminal 2 they are located in D section on level 2.
Be aware that as the airport is incredibly busy, pre-booking is essential and it’s a good idea to send a party member through to queue for service to avoid a lengthy wait. Leaving the airport, the access road links directly onto the junction of the A3 and A5 motorways and from here it’s only 15 minutes into the city centre.
Public Information
There’s an airport information desk in the arrivals and departures public areas of both terminals offering general advice on airport facilities and details of onward transportation.
Facilities
There are branches of Reisebank and Santander in both terminals together with offices of two currency exchange companies. DeutschePost offers postal and internet services from their outlets in both terminals.
Shopping at Frankfurt is out of this world with over sixty shops ranging from high end fashion to books, beauty and fine foods. If you've broken your glasses or need some medication for a headache there is an opticians and a pharmacy. There’s also a duty free shop selling alcohol, tobacco products, perfumery and gifts.
Eating at Frankfurt comes from a range of over 50 establishments including twenty top restaurants serving award winning a la carte meals. If your tastes are simpler there are also take away restaurants, cafes, snack and sandwich shops and bars.
Frankfurt has its own facilities to help those who need first aid. The medical rooms can be found in both terminals just after arrivals.
Wi-Fi is available across the airport and is provided by T-Mobile. There is a charge for usage which can be quite high.
Special Assistance
Frankfurt Airport has all the facilities expected to assist passengers with reduced mobility. There’s a tactile pathway to the important parts of the airport, assistance call points dotted around the airport and Braille keyboards for the partially sighted. There are ramps and elevators together with buggy transport to the gates.
The airport asks for 48 hours’ notice to be able to help fully. General assistance is always available for disabled travellers but it is recommended that you inform your airline before travelling so that necessary steps can be taken to assist you. The airport conforms to EU law on disability provision.
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