Transfer time - Frankfurt Airport to Train
 

I will be flying from JFK-LHR-FRA, and then need to catch a train to Munich. How much time should I allow for getting out of the airport in Frankfurt? Hopefully I will only have hand luggage. I don't know if I will have to clear immigration/customs in Frankfurt (I am a US citizen) or just in London.

You will only clear security in LHR if you are on a single ticket and transfering

You will have to clear immigration at FRA as the flight from the UK (LHR) is coming from an extra-schengen airport

Time to get from plane to train is very variable at FRA

The transfer from Terminal 2 (where BA arrives) to the long distance station (or Fernbahnhof) is a right royal pain-in-the-arse and a reason why I do not like FRA. There are two ways of getting from T2 to the station: shuttle bus or transit.

The airport authorities heavily steer you to the shuttle bus - it is pretty well sign-posted after passing customs and the bus stop is right outside the door, but the wait can be in the order of 10 minutes and you need to make sure you get on the station bus, not the Terminal 1 bus. Once on the bus, it's about a 10 minute journey and you're dropped right at the station entrance. The bus, by the way, is not well endowed with luggage space. I'd say allow half an hour.

I would not recommend the transit route since apart from the fairly poor sign-posting, you do need to go up at least three escalators to reach it at T2 then down another two at T1, across the cab rank up another escalator then along the walkway from T1 to the station. A total faff and I estimate when I last tried it that it took me half an hour from platform to T2 security.

So customs to station, allow half an hour and choose the lesser of two evils, the shuttle bus. Viel Spass in Muenchen!

(As an aside, I first arrived at FRA on BA as a student in 1993... in those days it was T1 and the Inter City trains left from the regional station downstairs - it was blissfully easy in comparison. The situation has defined been enhanced since then...)

Immigration and customs in FRA T2 tend to be fairly quick, with some early morning exceptions if you arrive at the same time as Ukraine International or Aeroflot, which can delay immigration.

There is no train station in T2. You would take a inter-terminal train over to T1 where you can take a train from the main train station (Fernbahnhof) or the regional train station (Regionalbahnhof). The regional trains connect you to Frankfurt's main train station (Hauptbahnhof), from where you'll likely have more and better connections to Munich. Alternatively you can take a taxi from T2 to Hauptbahnhof (ca 15 mins and €25-30).

Another alternative would be to take a Lufthansa flight from T1 to Munich.

Or, more easily fly LH so that you arrive in the same terminal as the railway station! But clearly not an option here.

It's worth mentioning that the Regionalbahnhof is currently closed (until 14 December) and so you have to go to the (less convenient) Fernbahnhof for the regional trains. As I mentioned, the inter-terminal transit really is not a convenient option for getting to the Fernbahnhof, in my experience.

You would be wasting time going into town from the airport. There's a direct ICE connection from the airport at least once an hour.

This. It runs basically every 60 minutes (on the :36) with some extra ones sprinkled in.. Most do it in 3.30 hours, some a bit slower.

That's absolutely correct. The fast ICE trains Cologne-Frankfurt-Nuremberg-Munich practically all pass through the long distance station at the airport.

I have always preferred the skyline train from T2 to T1 because of the apron views, but that's maybe not relevant for you :) Once you arrive at T1 I would say you need approx 10min to the long distance train station. On that note, I would recommend to always have a reservation for the ICE trains as especially the 1st class tends to be full.

Not sure if you ever used a German high speed train, they are actually quite comfortable but tend to have some quality issues like non-working coffee machines etc. I still find it a good experience compared to many other countries, but Germans love to complain about Deutsche Bahn (IMHO on a high level). Using LH to Munich is actually not much faster (given how far outside MUC is and given that the tube takes 50min to central Munich).

As mentioned there is no need to go via Frankfurt main station.

The ICE trains only depart from Fernbahnhof, Regionalbahnhof is only for local trains. However, the S-Bahn train (regional trains) now also run via Fernbahnhof as there is construction work until December 14, which also affects long distance trains. But the homepage of Deutsche Bahn is in so far up to date in regard to the current timetable.

Said that, I would at least consider 30 minutes from passing immigration to arriving on the "Fernbahnhof" (long distance trains). Use the SkyLine (if running). It is signposted and departs on the upper level (level 4) of terminal 2. As seen here , the access is pretty much in the center of the terminal 2. Yo will arrive in terminal 1 in the main terminal as well (close to access to the B gates). You need to follow the signs to Fernbahnhof, which is one level up and then walk via connecting covere pedestrian bridge to the Fernbahnhof.

You can also follow the signs to Sheraton / Marriott (if you access the hotel from the right, you need to pass the lobby) and Hilton / Hilton Garden Inn (sitting atop the station,).



If you are traveling very light, you can walk from terminal 2 to terminal 1 in 15 minutes.

3 weeks ago I took the shuttle bus from the Fernbahnhof to T2 and it took 40+ minutes! We had to wait > 10 mins for the bus. The driver then took a 10+ mins break. And then we got caught in traffic.

So based on this and previous experience, despite the hassle of the escalators IMHO using the Skyline it is still the better option.

I gave myself 2 hours, that should be enough, maybe give me time to pick up a snack along the way. I'm picking up ICE right from the airport.

I just went to look at my ticket on,ine and it i showing that train as being cancelled. I got no other notification. HOw is this handled - do you automatically get rebooked? Do I have to rebook myself?

So it could be that the train shows as cancelled and is effectively cancelled stricto sensu but that a service with the same number at the same time will run using a replacement frame. This is one peculiarity of DB: if a the train goes tech before departure, they put a replacement train at the same time and with the same number, will notify you the train is "cancelled" but will not tell you about the replacement one in the app. The information board will show the train as running properly. So check the TV. Utterly bizarre, this has happen to me several times. In that case just go on the new train, take your assigned seat if any and show your old ticket at control.

Another scenario is that it is truly cancel, information board shows as cancel. If you have a Flexipreis ticket, then you can take any other train (you lose your seat reservation if any). If you do not have a Flexipreis, you need to buy a new ticket for a running train, go to DB Reisecenter and ask for a delay form, fill it to get refunded the ticket of your cancelled train.

I just did JFK-LHR-FRA last Wednesday night / Thursday. Immigration into FRA around 11:30am was quick (helps that I was in the 2nd row of Club Europe on BA so #3 off the plane, plus many passengers were EU citizens so went to a separate queue). You will need to go through immigration as a US citizen. There was no one else in line or in the baggage claim area that I could see, perhaps there were not many flights arriving into T2 at that time.

Once out of immigration and customs, I took the aforementioned shuttle bus. Not knowing there was a direct bus to the Fernbahnhof, I took the bus to T1. Up an escalator then a long walkway to the Fernbahnhof. Probably about 30mins all in from exiting the plane to arriving at the train station.