msakas

I want to book my train ticket onward from FRA. Arriving AA 070 @ 0830. How much time should I allow to get from terminal 2, through immigration customs and find my way to the train.... There are many trains... But don't really want to hang around the flughafen... Quick coffee and on my way.. 10:30 train long enough?

bruce80

Well, it‘s really difficult to tell how much time you‘ll actually need, as that will depend on several factors that cannot be predicted too well. Of course, you should always factor in possible delays (particularly after long-haul flights), how much time it will take to go through immigration and how long the baggage reclaim will take. The entire process might be as short as 30 minutes, or as long as one and a half hour (though unlikely).

Once you are landside at Terminal 2, you will have to walk towards the people mover (or, alternatively, the bus, which stops nearer to the railway station but doesn‘t run as frequently as the APM), take the short (<5min) ride, walk across check-in hall B, up an escalator and then the approx. 300-400m walk across the walkway above the highway to the station. If you‘re really quick, you can do all the walking (including the APM ride) in about 15 minutes, but be warned that there‘s really a lot of walking necessary in order to get to the station.

Depending on where you need to go by train, my advice would be to book a flex fare ticket (as opposed to „Sparpreis“) which is significantly more expensive, but will allow you to take any train that goes directly to your final destination. For example, trains to the direction of Cologne will depart roughly every 20 minutes, trains in direction Mannheim-Stuttgart/Karlsruhe will depart, depending on the hour, once or twice hourly. I would say that this is probably your safest choice.

However, if your flight will be on time and everything else works out well, I would say thar 2 hours is enough to make the connection.

bruce80

Note to moderator: Not sure whether this thread wouldn‘t actually be better of in the European Rail Travel forum.

seawolf

If everything ran like clockwork, you can get from T2 gate to train platform in 30-45 minutes. I wouldn't recommend it but 30 minutes is how long it took me back in November and I budgeted 2 hours so I hung out at the Luxx Lounge in T1.

SunshineStay

I would budget 1.5 hours to be on the safe side.
However, please note that if you book regular flex fare with Deutsche Bahn, you can take any train you want that goes in your direction. For example trains to Munich, Stuttgart or Duesseldorf stop by the "Fernbahnhof" at least on an hourly schedule. So if you miss one, you can just take the next one. Of course then your seat reservation will be gone, but you could just buy seat reservations for two subsequent trains for 5.50€ each in 2nd class or transfer your seat reservation to a later train if you book a 1st class ticket.

FLYGVA

Note from moderator: Please us the RBP button the next time.

We consider this post to be better placed at the Germany forum, as it does not so much involve rail travel, but how long one needs within FRA to pass immigration and to arrive at the Frankfurt AIrport Railway Station (aka Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof)

FLYGVA
co-moderator Germany Forum

TheMadBrewer

I always buy a Flex ticket when arriving at FRA. I have been as much as 12 hours late and 1.5 hours early (super tailwind). The flight that was really early I had a Sparpreis ticket for a flight 90 minutes after landing, so I was looking at hanging around for 3 hours. About an hour after landing, my scheduled train posted a delay so I was able to change to the next train without charge.

If I have checked luggage I take the bus to T1 as it leaves right outside baggage claim. If I have only carry on I usually take the Skyline over to T1 -- as others have said it is more walking but generally quicker. Since the Skyline is both landslide and airside you can clear passport control in T1 (or at least you used to be able to)

Concerto

Well I’ve gone and booked a Sparpreis for next week, against my better judgement, but at €19 (€14 with the BahnCard 25) it was hard to resist. The train leaves 2 and a half hours after the plane lands at Terminal 2, so I sure hope there won’t be any weather problems or other delays. Once I arrived at T1 with Lufthansa, delayed, it took me exactly 1;hour from aircraft door to the Fernbahnhof, including waiting to collect baggage. That was a serious scrape, that one, because I only just made the train.

Concerto

Worked like a dream, ended up with loads of time before the train. Because many of the trains north were late, I ended up getting my Sparpreis changed and being able to travel on an earlier train.

KayVeeBee

One thing you can do if you are booking early, and very cheap sparpreise are still available is to book several. Book one for the train you are expecting to get, and one for the train after that...

Concerto

That’s a good idea and wonderfully simple, didn’t think of it!

IMH

Anyone considering booking "several" tickets should also consider Rail&Fly (if they're coming in on a DB partner airline).

The current price for 2nd class is 34 EUR one way. This ticket gives you great flexibility -- if you miss the train you're aiming for, take a later one (and take a different route to your final destination if that works better). There's no scope for getting the price down with a BahnCard, but it's still a good option in many cases.