Germany - Long weekend in Frankfurt

Hello. I'll be spending a long weekend in Frankurt for the 1st time next month. I am staying at the Frankfurt Hilton which appears to be walking distance from many sights to see. Can anyone recommend what are the must see's? I'll be there all day Sunday and Monday 2/5 and 2/6. Can someone recommend a great local place to get some sausage and beer? Two of my favorites :)

I'm just getting away myself for a long weekend and want to see as much as I can. How much FRA-Hilton taxi wise? Best to just go to an atm at FRA and get my euros there?

Thanks in advance!

Plane spotting at FRA, which includes a restaurant where you can get both beer and sausages? No?

Just get your euro from the ATM.

The Hilton is probably near public transport, so I'd go for a day transit card instead of the taxi route.

An enjoyable restaurant within walking distance of the main train station: http://www.chicago-meatpackers.de/index.html
(PS- don't let the 'American' motif scare you off...it is a nice place to go and chill with a beer)

The Römerburg also has some good restaurants and a little piece of 'Germany'. You can get a Hessen day pass for the trains for a reasonable rate via the Deutsche Bahn website and get out and see some pretty towns in the region.

All of this said, Frankfurt wouldn't be my first choice to experience Germany.

Hi,

We did a long weekend in FRA at the Hilton in Oct of 2010.

Took the train right from the airport to the hotel, had to transfer trains a couple of times, but easy to do.

Hotel is walking distance from the Zeil, nice for shopping, strolling to the Romer Dom, which the weekend we were there had a festival, so live bands, tent selling beer, sausage, pretzels, ect.... Most of the food is good in Germany, it is fairly hard to find "bad" sausage or beer. :D

Not the typical "Germany" experience, but a fun leisurely city weekend.

I would stick to public transport, it is good in FRA, although taxi's are easy. Lots of great museums, Church's, ect... but you really need to be outside the city, and go into the country for the total Germany experience.

Enjoy!

Just saw you are Diamond with HH, exec lounge is nice, with great afternoon tea (pastry and cakes, ect...), along with the full breakfast.

Hotel is very modern business hotel, but they are very nice and treat Diamonds well. If you have specific needs, email the hotel ahead of time.

Hello. I'll be spending a long weekend in Frankurt for the 1st time next month. I am staying at the Frankfurt Hilton which appears to be walking distance from many sights to see. Can anyone recommend what are the must see's? I'll be there all day Sunday and Monday 2/5 and 2/6. Can someone recommend a great local place to get some sausage and beer? Two of my favorites :)

I'm just getting away myself for a long weekend and want to see as much as I can. How much FRA-Hilton taxi wise? Best to just go to an atm at FRA and get my euros there?

Thanks in advance!

You might consider a walking tour. I was just there a month ago and took a fantastic walking tour. Arrived early in the morning, jet-lagged, knew the best thing for me to do was stay up and awake, not take a nap. Did a quick drop-off/change at the hotel and went on the walking tour and was in great shape afterwards. I particularly like walking tours in this situation - I'm too jet-lagged to want to think, read guidebooks and follow maps (I get lost easily). I'm quite content to be led around and 'fed' information while I get a handle on the city layout and sights I want to explore further on my own (when I'm more awake).

I rarely/never eat red meat or 'processed' meats in the US and generally go 'semi-veg' when I travel, but the food in Germany blew me away. I ate brats, drank beer, and could survive quite happily on soups and sandwiches (the breads are fantastic!).

Great advice everyone, thanks. To be honest FRA wasn't my first choice. TXL was, then MUC. However, the only flights I could find with SWU availability was FRA (SWU's expire 2/28/12).

To the poster who recommended a walking tour...great idea. I too was thinking what am I going to do when I get to the hotel this answered my question. I will keep going...good tip!

I'd like to find restaurants within walking distance that aren't overly expensive (relative speaking of course) where I can throw back liters of lager and have sausage, schnitzel, and other traditional German fare.

Great advice everyone, thanks. To be honest FRA wasn't my first choice. TXL was, then MUC. However, the only flights I could find with SWU availability was FRA (SWU's expire 2/28/12).

To the poster who recommended a walking tour...great idea. I too was thinking what am I going to do when I get to the hotel this answered my question. I will keep going...good tip!

I'd like to find restaurants within walking distance that aren't overly expensive (relative speaking of course) where I can throw back liters of lager and have sausage, schnitzel, and other traditional German fare.

Can't help you with restaurants because we ate from the Christmas markets while we were there, but here's a link to the walking tour we took:

http://frankfurt-on-foot-cityguide.blogspot.com/

There were 5 of us the day we went, so it was easy to hear the guide. (We took the one where you just show up at 10:30).

Frankfurt walking tour. I took this one last summer. It was great!
http://frankfurt-on-foot-cityguide.blogspot.com/2009/04/our-walking-tour.html
See my comment there posted on 8/27/11.

Frankfurt is a good museum city. My favorite is the modern museum (there are multiple, dispersed buildings -- I guess most people just go to the main one). There are also several important Jewish museums and historical sites.

Mainz and Wiesbaden are within one hour by s-bahn; both worth a visit.

Mainz and Wiesbaden are within one hour by s-bahn; both worth a visit.

2nd this. A bit more of the "real" Germany experience. Frankfurt is much more an international city. And it is a cheap S bahn ride out to those cities. Nice way to spend a few hours.

FRA's actually a great spot, IMHO, for a long weekend. I did it a couple of years ago, in late Feb.

In addition to the Mainz/Koblenz side-trip noted in an earlier post, you could do a couple of stops on the way up or back...Bachrach is great, and Rudisheim is interesting, very touristy, but likely not that time of year.

Some other interesting day trips, at least for me, have been to Miltenberg am Main. you can get there by train. Beautiful little river/castle town, nice old town area, castle up the hill with beautiful views, etc. Another, albeit longer trip would be south to Heidelberg, possibly with a quick stop or two along the Bergstrasse wine area. some very nice old towns, castles, wine, etc. Heidelberg is easily accessible by train.

Good luck...prost!!!

The Römerburg also has some good restaurants and a little piece of 'Germany'.
As a Frankfurt native I wouldn't recommend any restaurant on the Römerberg, as all restaurants there are

a) too tourist-oriented
b) too expensive
c) not of good quality

Hello. I'll be spending a long weekend in Frankurt for the 1st time next month. I am staying at the Frankfurt Hilton which appears to be walking distance from many sights to see. Can anyone recommend what are the must see's? I'll be there all day Sunday and Monday 2/5 and 2/6. Can someone recommend a great local place to get some sausage and beer? Two of my favorites :)

I'm just getting away myself for a long weekend and want to see as much as I can. How much FRA-Hilton taxi wise? Best to just go to an atm at FRA and get my euros there?
A Taxi to the city center of Frankfurt should cost about 30 Euros. But you can take the public transport from Frankfurt airport to Hauptwache for just 3.90 Euros. The Hilton is approx. 400-500 meters away from this station.

As for things to do:

Try to take a look at the reconstructed parts of the Frankfurt oldtown around Römerberg and visit the cathedral, which is right next to the Römerberg. For 2-3 Euros you can also climb the Cathedral tower (approx. 350 stair steps), which gives you a nice view over Frankfurt.
Frankfurt has a lot of nice really nice museums. If you're into art, try the Staedel museum, for modern art try the Museum for Modern Art or the Schirn Museum. If you want to know more about Frankfurt's history, the Historical museum is great as is the Senckenberg museum if you're interested in nature studies and nature history
If you're in Frankfurt, you should really try out the typical local cuisine. Of the more popular and touristy places I would recommend the 'Wagners' on Schweizer Straße. For a less touristy experience try Schuchs restaurant in the Praunheim district (you will need a taxi to get there).
For shopping, the Zeil shopping street is just a few metres away from the Hilton, but try the shops at Berger Straße for a selection of smaller and nicer shops.

If you need more information, just ask.

A Taxi to the city center of Frankfurt should cost about 30 Euros. But you can take the public transport from Frankfurt airport to Hauptwache for just 3.90 Euros. The Hilton is approx. 400-500 meters away from this station.

As for things to do:

Try to take a look at the reconstructed parts of the Frankfurt oldtown around Römerberg and visit the cathedral, which is right next to the Römerberg. For 2-3 Euros you can also climb the Cathedral tower (approx. 350 stair steps), which gives you a nice view over Frankfurt.
Frankfurt has a lot of nice really nice museums. If you're into art, try the Staedel museum, for modern art try the Museum for Modern Art or the Schirn Museum. If you want to know more about Frankfurt's history, the Historical museum is great as is the Senckenberg museum if you're interested in nature studies and nature history
If you're in Frankfurt, you should really try out the typical local cuisine. Of the more popular and touristy places I would recommend the 'Wagners' on Schweizer Straße. For a less touristy experience try Schuchs restaurant in the Praunheim district (you will need a taxi to get there).
For shopping, the Zeil shopping street is just a few metres away from the Hilton, but try the shops at Berger Straße for a selection of smaller and nicer shops.

If you need more information, just ask.

Great info, thank you. Are there any good war museums in Frankfurt? Sort of like the Imperial War Museum in London?

Also, sorry if this sounds silly but will most people understand English? I speak zero German and don't want to look like an idiot yankee tourist :D

Also, sorry if this sounds silly but will most people understand English? I speak zero German and don't want to look like an idiot yankee tourist :D

Most do, and most will default to English if they see you struggling. However, learning even a few basic phrases will be very beneficial to your experience and the people you interact with will appreciate your efforts. If you speak absolutely no German (not even a Guten Tag or a Danke), you will come off as a clueless yankee or brit tourist.

Great info, thank you. Are there any good war museums in Frankfurt? Sort of like the Imperial War Museum in London?

Also, sorry if this sounds silly but will most people understand English? I speak zero German and don't want to look like an idiot yankee tourist :D
Sorry, but no good war museums exist in Frankfurt. The Historical museum has a lot of material on the effects of the war (e.g. the complete destruction of the Frankfurt oldtown from the bombings in 1944), but that's it. Also please note, that due to alteration and construction measures the museum is closed at the moment. I don't know whether it will reopen in time for your visit.

As for the language: Most Germans, especially the younger population (below the age of 50) speaks good or at least understandable English. However as etch 5895 pointed out, at being able to say "thank you" or "please" in German goes a long way with most Germans.

Sorry, but no good war museums exist in Frankfurt. The Historical museum has a lot of material on the effects of the war (e.g. the complete destruction of the Frankfurt oldtown from the bombings in 1944), but that's it. Also please note, that due to alteration and construction measures the museum is closed at the moment. I don't know whether it will reopen in time for your visit.

As for the language: Most Germans, especially the younger population (below the age of 50) speaks good or at least understandable English. However as etch 5895 pointed out, at being able to say "thank you" or "please" in German goes a long way with most Germans.

Yes I can definitely get by with basic phrases thank god. The Historical Museum looks like a good bet. Is it far from the Hilton?

Thanks

If you're flexible on what to do from FRA, I'd probably skip Frankfurt all together and go to Mainz instead, if you want something close...or Cologne if you don't mind a trainride to get there.

I did a mileage run to FRA a couple of years ago (PHX-SFO-FRA return for $340 all-in), and stayed in Mainz. It was very very very easy to get from FRA to Mainz (one train, no changes), then you could either walk or take a tram to the Mainz Hilton in town (there's also another Mainz Hilton along the river...info about both is in the HHonors forum). There was a group of us who did the mileage run, and a local Flyertalker met us and showed us around town. Then for dinner we all went to a local brewpub, ate and imbibed very well ^ (I think I bribed him by bringing a bag of Almond M&M's, which weren't available in Germany at the time)

If you opt for Cologne, I think it is about a 2 hour trainride from FRA, and there's a Hilton there also. The cathedral there is amazing, as is most of the old town.

I also agree on getting money. There's ATM's at FRA, just go to one and get 100E or so and you'll be fine.

Yes I can definitely get by with basic phrases thank god. The Historical Museum looks like a good bet. Is it far from the Hilton?
The Historical museum is right on the Roemerberg. The cathedral and the Paulskirche are also just a few meters away, so you can visit all of them in one go. But I would ask the Hilton Concierge to check whether the museum has reopened or not.

I'd like to find restaurants within walking distance that aren't overly expensive (relative speaking of course) where I can throw back liters of lager and have sausage, schnitzel, and other traditional German fare.

I like Klosterhof (http://www.klosterhof-frankfurt.de/Main1.htm), just off the main drag between Romer and Willy Brandt Platz. There's another little stub on the main drag, Steinerneshaus, just past Romer in the other direction, across the street from Starbucks. It's not quite as good, but I've found it convenient to get a reasonably priced and tasty traditional meal in late afternoon before an evening at the theater. (Klosterhof doesn't open till 5 on weekends)

Go to Berlin or Cologne. If would cost almost nothing to fly to either and they are both vastly more interesting with more things to do and see.

I like Klosterhof (http://www.klosterhof-frankfurt.de/Main1.htm), just off the main drag between Romer and Willy Brandt Platz. There's another little stub on the main drag, Steinerneshaus, just past Romer in the other direction, across the street from Starbucks. It's not quite as good, but I've found it convenient to get a reasonably priced and tasty traditional meal in late afternoon before an evening at the theater. (Klosterhof doesn't open till 5 on weekends)

Klosterhof looks like what I was looking for. Thanks!

Don't let anybody tell you that Frankfurt is boring and that there is nothing to see/do and that you need to go somewhere else. While there are lots of worthwhile sidetrips, you can easily keep busy in Frankfurt, especially just for a long weekend.

For restaurants, you could also try Fichtekränzi (http://www.fichtekraenzi.de/), Zum Storch (http://www.zumstorch.de/home.htm) or Malepartus (http://www.malepartus-frankfurt.de/) (my favorite for German cuisine in Frankfurt). Or Best Worscht in Town (http://www.snack-point.com/) for currywurst.
Malepartus and BWiT is also close to Berger Straße which is nice for a bit of relaxed shopping away from the big department stores. And great ice cream at Dulce.

The botanical garden Palmengarten is always good for a visit. And easy to combine with the dinosaurs at Senckenberg Museum.

Close to the Dom and the museum of modern art is Bitter & Zart, an old-fashioned chocolate and sweets shop. Even if you're not into chocolate, it's a cool shop to look at. On Fridays, you can get the most amazing macaroons.

If you are into art, definitely go visit the Städel or maybe the Schirn. The Liebighaus is also great. And there is an amazing Tut Ankh Amun (http://www.tut-ausstellung.com/en/frankfurt/the-great-tutanchamun-must-see-exhibition.html) exhibition at the moment.

And for the traditional FRA Stammtisch cocktail, stop by Biancalani bar and order a Rasberry mojito.

Thanks again all for the tips. I'm excited about leaving tomorrow. My flights are phx-ewr-fra on CO (in biz first thank you SWU ^).

I booked marked the walking tour. I see the high is supposed to be in the low 20's F this weekend though! I'm bringing a scarf, hat, and gloves with a warm jacket (hard to find here in phx).

There are some good pubs and restaurants across the river in Sachsenhausen near the Lokalbahnhof S-Bahn station. In fact, the buildings in the side alleys have a nice Old World architecture. That area is quite packed on weekend nights. And you can walk to it from the Konstablerwache area.