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Voykit pocket guide · Germany
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main
Give Frankfurt 2 nights: one for the Museumsufer and Römerberg, one for Sachsenhausen cider taverns; add a third only for a Rhine or Heidelberg day trip.
Frankfurt is Germany's finance and transport hub: a skyscraper skyline over a rebuilt old town, the Main river museums, and Germany's busiest airport 20 minutes out. Most travellers pass through; two nights covers the centre and Sachsenhausen without rushing, and the Rhine-Main region opens up as day trips. Trade-fair weeks double hotel prices, so check the fair calendar before booking.
- Country
- Germany
- Local name
- Frankfurt am Main
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Trade-fair weeks (Book Fair mid-Oct); Jan–Feb for cold and rain
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Card acceptance has improved but some bakeries, bars and small restaurants are still cash only.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €110–170 excl. bed · High €200+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telekom, Vodafone and O2 are the networks; Aldi Talk, Lidl Connect and congstar resell them cheaply in supermarkets and electronics shops.
- Emergency
- Fire and ambulance 112 · Police 110
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; UK and US devices need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Round up or add 5–10%; say the total you want to pay as you hand over money or card.; Bar and café: Round up to the nearest euro.; Taxi: Round up by €1–2.; Hotel housekeeping: €1–2 a night, optional.; Free walking tour: €10–15 per person.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Restaurants usually sell bottled water; fizzy (mit Kohlensäure) is the default, ask for 'still' or 'ohne'.
- Toilets
- Station toilets cost €0.50–1.50 (Rail&Fresh WC); restaurant toilets are for customers; the 'WC' at motorway rest stops takes coins and gives a voucher.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €3–5 |
| Apfelwein (cider) in a Sachsenhausen tavern | €3–5 per glass |
| Schnitzel or sausage plate | €12–20 |
| Museum entry (Städel, Schirn) | €10–18 |
| Main Tower observation deck | €9–12 |
| S-Bahn or U-Bahn single trip, central zone | €3.80 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €15–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- FRA · Frankfurt Airport
- S-Bahn S8/S9 to Hauptbahnhof, about 20 min; regional station under Terminal 1
- HHN · Frankfurt-Hahn
- About 125 km away and roughly 90 min by road; not a Frankfurt airport in practiceAbout 78 mi away and roughly 90 min by road; not a Frankfurt airport in practice
Typical fares
- FRA airport → Hauptbahnhof, S-Bahn
- about €6.60, about 20 min (check)
- Taxi Hauptbahnhof → Römerberg
- €15–20 (check)
- ICE Frankfurt → Cologne
- about €30–80, 1 h 5 min (check)
Get around
RMV U-Bahn, tram and bus cover the centre; S-Bahn lines reach the airport, Mainz, Wiesbaden and Darmstadt. Buy a ticket before boarding from a machine. Central Frankfurt is one fare zone: single trip about €3.80, day ticket about €7.75 (2026 estimate). S-Bahn runs are often 5–15 min late in the morning peak.
See and do
Known for
- European Central Bank and the skyline
- Römerberg and the rebuilt Altstadt
- Museumsufer on the Main
- Sachsenhausen cider taverns
- Frankfurt Book Fair
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Heidelberg | ICE or IC from Hauptbahnhof, about 1 h | About 1.5 h |
| Wiesbaden | S-Bahn S1/S8/S9 from the centre, about 40 min | About 1 h |
| Mainz | S-Bahn S8 from Hauptbahnhof, about 40 min | About 1 h |
| Rhine Gorge (Rüdesheim) | RE or VIAS to Rüdesheim, about 1 h 15 min, then boat or cable car | 1.5–2 h |
| Bad Homburg | S-Bahn S5 from Hauptbahnhof, about 30 min | About 45 min |
| Offenbach | S-Bahn S1/S2/S8/S9, about 15 min | About 30 min |
Sleep
- Bahnhofsviertel
- Most hotels, walk to the station; the red-light district is here, so pick a street above it.
- Innenstadt and Altstadt
- Walk to Römerberg, the Main and the U-Bahn; quietest for a short stay.
- Sachsenhausen (Süd)
- South bank, Museumsufer and cider taverns; 10 min by S-Bahn from the centre.
- Westend and Nordend
- Residential, cafés and parks; 15–20 min by U-Bahn to the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Entschuldigungent-SHOOL-dee-goong |
| Thank you | DankeDAN-keh |
| This one, please | Das hier, bittedas heer, BIT-teh |
| How much is it? | Wie viel kostet das?vee feel KOS-tet das |
| Can I pay by card? | Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?kan ikh mit KAR-teh TSAH-len |
| Where is the toilet? | Wo ist die Toilette?voh ist dee toy-LET-teh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Firm handshake with eye contact; 'Guten Tag' or 'Hallo'; avoid: Hugs with people you have just met
- Names: Herr / Frau plus surname until invited to use first names; avoid: Using 'du' with officials or older strangers
- Punctuality: Arrive on time for tours, dinners and appointments; avoid: Being more than 5–10 minutes late without a message
- Queues and rules: Follow signs, wait at red lights, sort rubbish; avoid: Walking in cycle lanes
- Conversation: Direct and factual; people say what they mean; avoid: Taking directness as rudeness, or joking about the Nazi era
- Home visit: Bring flowers (odd number, not red roses) or wine; shoes off if the hosts do; avoid: Arriving early
- Paying: Say the total including tip as you pay; avoid: Leaving coins on the table and walking off
Scams and watch-outs
- Trade fairs (Book Fair mid-October, spring shows) fill hotels and raise rates: book early or shift dates.
- S-Bahn delays of 5–15 min are common at peak; allow 30 min extra before a flight.
- Buy your ticket before boarding: inspectors fine on the spot.
- Bahnhofsviertel has a red-light district and open drug use on some streets; it is not dangerous but not for families at night.
Frankfurt is a safe big city by day and on the main transport lines. Watch bags at Hauptbahnhof and on the S-Bahn, avoid the Bahnhofsviertel red-light streets late at night, and expect pickpockets at the Book Fair and Christmas market crowds.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Frankfurt yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- European Central Bank and the skyline
- Römerberg and the rebuilt Altstadt
- Museumsufer on the Main
- Sachsenhausen cider taverns
- Frankfurt Book Fair
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Frankfurt official tourism: www.visitfrankfurt.travel/en/
- Frankfurt Airport: www.frankfurt-airport.com/en
- RMV transport network: www.rmv.de/c/en/homepage
- Wikivoyage: Frankfurt, revision 5330242 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5330242
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
FrankfurtFrankfurt am Main
Zu dieser Adresse, bitte
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
The US consulate is in Frankfurt (check the address); most other countries: embassies in Berlin.
Tipping: round up or add 5–10%, said to the server as you pay.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/frankfurt). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.