MichaelCharlie

I have about a 6 hour layover at FRA en route to VCE in early May (Sunday arrival). Is there any way to amuse myself (or more importantly, my travel partner) for that time? We're flying US Air. We don't have club access. He was wondering if it's possible to catch a cab or something to just get out of the airport and do a little sightseeing. We probably won't have much for carryon so schlepping luggage around won't be much of a problem.

djm3

If you are go through customs to the "european" side of airport then consider taking the short train ride to Mainz and spending a couple of hours walking around the old part of the city. Going the other direction to downtown Frankfurt train station puts you in a seedy not so interesting district. FRA is a reasonably big airport with lots of shops but six hours is a long time.

747LWW

djm3 made an interesting suggestion. One excellent resource is the FRA site, www.frankfurt-airport.com for general info which will give you an overview of the Regional vs the Long Distance train systems that are both conveniently accessible from Terminal 1. Also, bus system is located in Terminal 1 as well although I personally prefer the trains. By the way, you can count on the trains being "on-time" there vs USA.

Have fun--------

mijugo

The city of mainz is indeed very nice for a short visit, as downtown Frankfurt is IMHO not that kind of a highlight (although - if you have nice spring weather an open-air coffee at the main river can be nice too).

You may also consider a short train-trip to Heidelberg (50min per way ==> http://www.bahn.de) or, if you´re a travel-junkie, take the highspeed-train ICE to Cologne (55 min. per way), visit the world-famous cathedral nearby CGN central-station, enjoy a Kölsch and go back.

wsflyer

How much time should be allowed for a train reservation to Cologne? For example, if scheduled to arrive in FRA at 7:00 am and departing 9 hrs later on a connection, it looks like my options for ICE to Cologne would be 8:25, 8:32, and 9:09 on a weekday. Which would you recommend?

I will be travelling with my family, so a reservation would save us a good deal of money; otherwise, I would just buy a ticket at the station.

Also, do you have any recommendations about where to store carry-on luggage during this quick trip to Cologne? Thanks.

etch5895

Store your bags at the airport. There will be a storage facility somewhere. Check the Fraport website.

I did the Cologne to FRA ICE-3 run last year and it takes 40-45 minutes. There isn't much pretty scenery but it doesn't really matter because that train is a-bookin! You will probably hit speeds of 280-300 kph on some of the segments of track. Be advised, however, this is NOT an inexpensive ticket. I think IIRC my one-way, single person ticket last year was 60 euros. If you wanted instead to take a slower, cheaper, more scenic train ride, try this: Take the train to Mainz and then go up to Bingen & Koblenz. You will get the nice Rhine Valley tour and have a little time in Koblenz. Koblenz is where the two big wine rivers merge (Mosel and Rhine), and is a pretty town with nice shopping opportunities. Plan on 2-3 hours each way, however.

wsflyer

Etch,

Thanks for your reply. My wording may not have been clear, but my main question was how much time should I allow between my plane's scheduled arrival at FRA at 0700 and the ICE train's departure?

Your advice is great, but I'm more interested in getting to Cologne quickly to see the cathedral. (I know the surrounding areas are worthy of a more lengthy visit, but I can only do so much in a few hours. )

By the way, if you order train tickets in advance, you can get a discount for more than one person. For four people (two adults, two kids), the FRA--Cologne ICE roundtrip is available for 126 euro. These savings require a non-refundable ticket, so I am wondering what is the best time to schedule the train. Thanks again.

etch5895

If you are buying non-refundable tickets, you might want to play it safe and go with the 9:09 departure. Immigration through FRA is usually quick and painless, but it would not hurt you to pad your time a little. That way, if your flight is a little late, you won't be doing the OJ Simpson dash through the airport with your family in tow. Long holding patterns at FRA are not unheard of. The train station you will want (the Fernbahnhof-or long distance train station) is about a 5-10 minute walk from the arrivals halls, depending on which terminal you land at. It is very well marked.

If you are early, there are numerous small grocery stores or coffee shops where you can get a quick bite or a drink.

I fully understand why you would want to make a quick trip in Cologne to see the Dom. Your train will slow down crossing the Rhein bridge past Koeln-Deutz bahnhof and you will see the cathedral in all its glory as you come into the station. The view is nothing short of spectacular, and you will remember it for the rest of your life. Enjoy the Koelsch beer, too. It is served up in .2 liter glasses, and it is a perfect refreshment.

wsflyer

You've been a great help. Thanks, I'll go with the 9:09.

(And I have done an OJ dash through FRA before. Way back when I was single and in college--no fun, but I did make my connection!)

bdesmond

I'm much in the same boat as the OP, I have about 6.5hrs in FRA coming in from IAD on UA and then leaving on Aegean airlines on a Thursday evening.

How reliable are the ICE trains? I like the idea of taking the train out to CGN for a few hours and back as a good use of the time.

Can anyone advise about how much time to expect in FRA immigration/customs around noon on a Thursday (I have 17A on a 777 so towards the front), and then clearing security/checking in/etc to a FRA-ATH LH codeshare around 4-5PM (departing 6PM)?

edit - wrong days of the week

tonto_b

Hi,
I have a choice between a 1hr05mins lay over or a 7hr05mins in FRA en route from DUB to SIN next April. We're flying in C so will have lounge access, but 7 hours is a long time even with free booze and gummi bears. I think 1 hour is too short for my comfort. If it was a business trip I wouldn't mind, but it's my holidays and I like to eliminate as much as potential stress as possible. The later departure from DUB leaves at 18.05 so plenty of time for air traffic backlogs to develop. I think it's a no-brainer to choose the earlier departure? I've never left an airport during a layover before. I assume I can just walk out and back in again with my boarding pass for the next leg?

Thanks

tom tulpe

Not quite, but nearly .
Since neither DUB not SIN are in the Schengen area, you'll have to clear immigration (twice - leaving the non-schengen airside and going back there), and you'll obviously have to re-clear security on your way back in. It follows from there that you require a passport that allows you to enter Germany without a visa (or a valid Schengen visa).
Otherwise no problem, assuming you're on LH/*Alliance and your luggage has been checked through to SIN.

tonto_b

Thanks Tom Tulpe for the speedy response.
By the way, DUB (Dublin, Ireland) is in Schengen (I know we rejected the Lisbon Treaty in Ireland but I didn't realise we'd been booted out just yet ;-) )

I think I'll go for the longer lay over so. If we can go out and enjoy Mainz for a couple of hours then it's a no brainer as opposed to the hassle of a tight connection. I think I prefer boredom to stress!

NewbieRunner

If you have an EU passport immigration will just wave you through on the way out. On your return to the airport there should be a fast track security channel for C and F pax. Since your SIN flight will almost certainly leave from a C gate you can go through separate security checks for C gates (no experience but I assume there is a fast track channel) which shouldn't be too busy.

szg

Terminal A,B and C has a fast track security lane, which you can use, when you fly business and first. Also FTLs, SENs and HONs can use it. And *G members too.