Gateways to Europe: How to take a train from Frankfurt Airport

Frankfurt (Main) may not be Germany's largest city, but thanks to it's location close to the center of continental Europe, it's a hub for both global air travel and the European rail network.

It's a city that connects flights to/from destinations including Cape Town, Chicago, Delhi, Duibai, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Mumbai, New York, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, Toronto and Washington D.C...

with rail links to cities

.... such as Amsterdam*, Basel*, Berlin*, Bern, Bruxelles*, Cologne*, Dresden*, Graz*, Hamburg*, Interlaken, Linz* Lyon, Milan, Munich*, Nuremberg*, Paris, Salzburg*, Strasbourg, Stuttgart*, Vienna* and Zurich*.

*= these destinations have trains from and to the station at Frankfurt Airport which is on the high-speed rail network - it is named the Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof,

Beginning and Finishing a European tour in Frankfurt

This second-to-none connectivity between plane and train, is why Frankfurt is often the start and and finish location of many of Conductor Sam's suggested around Europe rail itineraries.

Particularly if you'll be travelling from outside Europe to then make the most of the European rail network.

Where to stay between flight and rail journey

Frankfurt is a city dominated by business, and yes it has a beautifully restored old town area, but it's fair to say that the city won't likely be near the top of many must-visit lists, when planning a tour of Europe by train.

There is the option of taking a flight with a morning or afternoon arrival, followed by an immediate transfer into a high speed ICE train - so that by the end of day one you can be checking into a hotel in Amsterdam, Basel, Hamburg, Salzburg or Zurich.

However a three hour plus rail journey directly after a trans-continental flight can be a tiring beginning to a holiday, particularly as you will also be likely managing jetlag.

Also the room rates in and around Frankfurt (Main) tend to be comparatively reasonable, particularly on Friday to Sunday nights, when the business travellers won't be in town.

Hence the four easier suggestions are:

1. Checking in to an airport hotel; Which can be a good idea your if your explorations will have the option of taking a long-distance ICE train from or to the Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof station at the airport.
2. Checking into a hotel in the neighborhood occupied by the main city centre station.
3. Making use of a city centre hotel, with local rail links both with the airport and the main city centre station.
4. Spending the night in an alternative location within 90 mins by train.

Staying in an airport hotel

This won't be the most exciting beginning or end to your European trip, but it can be the most practical.
Particularly if you want to follow an itinerary on which the next stop is Amsterdam, Basel, Freiburg. Hamburg, or other locations with direct trains from the airport - such as Bruxelles, Linz, Munich and Wien / Vienna.

The ICE trains on to these locations and more, are within easy reach of a Sheraton, a Marriot and a Hilton - The latter is located above the station at the airport used by the high speed trains, so it enables an exceptionally easy getaway on the second day of travels

The airport hotels also work if your second day of travels involves taking a train from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf - which will be required if you first stopover is in Lyon, Paris or Strasbourg. 
Plus making a connection at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf also gives more options for travelling on to Switzerland.

There is a second station at the airport used by the regional (RE) and local (S-Trains) - it is named the Regionalbahnhof.
The RE trains on routes RE2 and RE3 link the airport to the part of  Frankfurt (Main) Hbf used by the long-distance trains.

Or you can take one of the 2 to 4 ICE trains per hour which link the airport to Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, in order to make a next day onward connection - This a good option if you stay at The Hilton.

Making the transfer in Frankfurt (Main) Hbf will then be comparatively straightforward - the trains on lines / routes RE 2 and RE 3, plus all of the ICE trains use the part of the station linked to the main concourse.
So all that's required is walking between trains on the one level.

If you will want to head into Frankfurt city centre for the afternoon or evening, you can take the S-Trains to the station named Hauptwache.
From here it's a 5 - 10 min walk into the Aldstadt area.  
Don't use an Interrail pass for this short trip.

Staying in a hotel by Frankfurt (Main) Hbf

Heading on to the area around the main city centre station to spend the first night of a trip, can be a good idea if you'll then be taking a morning train on to the likes of Berlin, Bern, Chur, Interlaken, Lyon, Lugano, Milan, Strasbourg, Paris and Zurich.

There is no hiding that the area in front of the station is best avoided, but the streets on either side of the station are comparatively quiet - not least because the street to the north of the station, PoststraBe, is also the location of a police station.

I have had a recent, very comfortable, trouble-free stay with my 82 yr old mother at the Hamburger Hof hotel and have also had a very pleasant stay at The Cloud One Frankfurt Metroplitan.
The key positives of staying on PoststraBe, or a hotel to the south of the station on Mannheim Str, - which is where the Intercity hotel is located, is that the transfer between accommodation and train will be a flat walk, which takes only a few minutes.

To access the hotels in this area from the airport involves a journey of less than 15 mins on a train from the Regionalbahnhof - which is the station closest to the routes from the airport terminals.
From here you can take regional trains on lines RE2 and RE3 heading to a final destination of Frankfurt (Main) Hbf,  or the more frequent S-Bahn local trains on lines S8 and S9, which will typically have a final destination of Hanau.

If you take the S-Bahn trains on arrival at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf you will have to ascend up to the main concourse in order to exit the station, but lifts / elevators are available.
PoststraBe is on the side of the station with the higher platform / track numbers, Mannheim Str. is beside platform 1.

If you'll want to then spend an evening in central Frankfurt, the best option is to head back into the main station, so that you can take a two stop hop on the S-Bahn train to the station named Hauptwache.
From here it's a 5 - 10 min walk into the Aldstadt area.  

Staying in a city centre hotel

The station named Taunusanlage serves the commercial heart of Frankfurt (Main) and within a 3 min walk of it is the Kimpton Main hotel and the Ruby Louise hotel.

By the station named Hauptwache there is a JW Marriot hotel - and by the station named Konstablerwache you'll find a Westin Grand hotel.

To access these hotels you can take the S-Bhan lines S8 or S9 trains from the Regionalbahnhof station at the airport - it's easily accessible from the terminals; and you'll be taking a train that will most likely be heading to Hanau.

For your onward departure, you can take the S-Bahn trains in the opposite direction back to the main station, Frankfurt (Main) Hbf.

Youi can use the lift / elevator to access the main concourse, which is where you can access trains that will be typically heading to destinations including Amsterdam, Basel, Berlin, Bern, Bruxelles, Cologne, Dresden, Graz, Hamburg, Interlaken, Linz,  Lyon, Milan, Munich, Nuremberg,  Paris, Salzburg, Strasbourg, Stuttgart,  Vienna and Zurich.

Staying in an alternative location to Frankfurt

The attractive city of Mainz is only 25 mins from Frankfurt Airport by train - From the Regionalbahnhof station take the S8 trains heading to Wiesbaden, or a RE2 or RE3 train; There is typically a total of three trains in every hour.

Take care to leave the train at the central station, Mainz Hbf, as the trains will make multiple calls in the city.

The forecourt in front of the station is the location of three hotels with high guest ratings - the Konigshof hotel and the Hotel Hammer and the AC Hotel which is managed by Marriot.

Plus within thin a three minute walk of the main station in Mainz there is an Intercity hotel, a hotel managed by Hyatt, and a Mercure hotel.

The next morning the options for continuing the trip will be:

(1) Taking a train on a 40 min ride to Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to connect into trains on to Amsterdam, Basel, Berlin, Bern, Bruxelles, Cologne, Dresden, Graz, Hamburg, Interlaken, Linz, Lyon, Milan, Munich, Nuremberg, Paris, Salzburg, Strasbourg, Stuttgart, Vienna and Zurich.
Making the connection at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf will typically be easier than making a transfer between trains at Frankfurt Flughafen.

(2) There are usually direct morning departures by ICE train from Mainz to Dresden, Hamburg, Leipzig, Linz, Nuremberg, Stuttgart and Wien / Vienna

(3) Taking a train from Mainz to Mannheim to connect into trains on to Basel, Bern, Graz, Interlaken, Lyon, Milan, Munich, Paris, Salzburg, Strasbourg or Zurich.

(4) Taking a train from Mainz to Koln Hbf on the very scenic journey through the Middle Rhine Gorge.
Step-free connections will typically be available in Koln Hbf with trains on to Amsterdam, Antwerp, Berlin, Bruxelles and Hamburg.

A day trip from Frankfurt

Taking a day trip by train from Frankfurt can be an easy beginning to your tour of Europe by train.
If you're considering trading up the number of travel days, because you'll want to take day trips by train from other locations on an itinerary, then a trip from Frankfurt is likely to be worthwhile.

There are direct trains from both Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof and Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to three of Germany's most popular tourist destinations - Baden-Baden and Heidelberg* and Wurzburg.
*= connect at Heidelberg Hbf for a local train on to Heidelberg-Altstadt station.

Take an incredible journey by train

Though what can be too good to miss is that within a 45 min journey by train from Frankfurt Flughafen you can be experiencing one of the spectacular routes taken by European express trains.

Between Bingen and Koblenz the railway follows the River Rhine through the Middle Rhine Gorge providing more than 40 mins of spectacular views.

Trains on line RE2 head to Koblenz every other from both the Regionalbahnhof at the airport and Frankfurt (Main) Hbf

There also usually ICE trains which take this route and depart every other hour from  both Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof and Frankfurt (Main) Hbf on this wonderful journey, but they continue on on beyond Koblenz to Bonn and Köln / Cologne.
These RE and ICE trains also call in Mainz.

Therefore an easy trip is head to Köln / Cologne for the day, the city's incredible cathedral is beside Köln hbf.

If you want to use a travel day of an Interrail pass, you can either return to the airport station, or Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, on an ICE train which will take the faster high speed route - Or return through Bonn and Koblenz.

Or you can ask Sam how to return on the rail route on the opposite, east bank of the River Rhine.

Taking a Rhine Cruise

Seeing The Rhine from the train window can be wonderful, but you can also take a cruise on it on a day trip.
The boat operator K + D offers both scheduled services and an historic boat cruise which travel through the Rhine Gorge.

Its boats use piers in Bingen and Boppard and St Goar which are within a 5 to 15 min walk of rail stations.

Trains on line RE2 usually go direct to Boppard every other from both the Regionalbahnhof at the airport and Frankfurt (Main) Hbf.   
The station in St Goar and the station in Bingen with easiest access to the pier, Bingen (Rhein) Stadt, can be accessed by making straightforward connections