FRANKFURT - GETTING AROUND
After you arrive in the Altstadt, you can easily get everywhere, including the Museumsufer on the opposite bank of the river, on foot. The pedestrian parks, slender bridges and river make an ideal location for walking and getting your geographical bearings.
By Public TransportationA network of modern U-Bahn (subways), S-Bahn (streetcars), and buses, administered by the RMV (Rhein-Main Verkehrsverbund; www.vgf-ffm.de), links Frankfurt. All forms of public transportation can be used interchangeably at a single price based on fare zones. Tickets are good for 1 hour on routes going in the same direction. Zone 50 encompasses most of Frankfurt, excluding the airport. Purchase your tickets at ticket counters or from the coin-operated machines (accept euro coins and bills up to €10 or €20) found in U-Bahn stations and next to tram and bus stops. The ticket machines have user friendly screens in English to guide you through the process.
A one-way single ticket (Einzelfahrkarte) within the city center costs around €2.80 for adults (for children aged six to 14 years €1.60). For trips of less than 1.2 miles/2km, buy a Kurzstrecke (short-distance journey) ticket (about €1.75). A Tageskarte (day ticket) good for unlimited travel until 3:30am the next day inside Frankfurt`s central zone, costs about €7; and for €8.85 it will include the airport. A Gruppentageskarte (all-day collective ticket), for up to five people, is about €10.50 (€15.80 including the airport) - a great deal! A Wochenkarte (weekly pass, valid for any seven consecutive days), sold at the airport`s DB ticket office and available from some ticket machines, costs about €24.70 (including the airport) and is also great value.
For connections to the suburbs use the S-Bahn. The metro stations are signed with a white capital `U` on a blue background. To go to the suburbs or airport use the S-Bahn, signed with a white `S` on green background. All S-Bahn lines and the U-Bahn lines U6 and U7 come together in the City tunnel in central Frankfurt (beside line S7, which ends at Central Station).
The S-Bahn is notorious for its delays. If you need to get somewhere on time, allow for some buffer time. In the morning rush-hour, delays of 15 minutes are common. If you are catching a plane or have another similar time-critical appointment, allow an extra 30 minutes to be on the safe side. Other services (subway, tram and bus) are usually more punctual.
Nachtbus lines, whose numbers begin with `n`, leave from Konstablerwache half-hourly (hourly for some suburban destinations) from 1:30am to 4am daily. For destinations outside of the city, the Nachtbus service runs only on Friday and Saturday nights and holiday eves. Tickets cost the same as for daytime transport, or you can use an all-day ticket or weekly pass.
Inspectors frequently check to make sure passengers have valid tickets. The fine for travelling without a ticket is €60.
Note: This information and prices are accurate when this was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
There`s no need for a car in central Frankfurt since the city`s public transportation network is so efficient and affordable. If you must have a car in Frankfurt beware of the many one-way streets and make sure to come armed with a good navigation system, which will save you a lot of time and frustration. Throughout the center you`ll see signs indicating the way to the nearest Parkhaus (parking garage) and the number of spaces left. Your best option for parking is to use one of these parking garages and then either walking or taking public transportation. Parking charges are around €1 per hour or €8 for the whole day.
City center street parking is generally limited to one hour. In many areas, parking on one side of the street is reserved for Bewohner (local residents) whose cars have a special sticker. Signs list the hours during which restrictions apply. The wording to be aware of is `Parkausweis Nr.X` (where X is a number). If you park in these spaces you risk a fine.
Also remember that Germany has strict DUI (driving under the influence of alcohol) driving laws, only allowing 0.5 milligrams of alcohol per milliliter of blood. That is just about one beer or glass of wine. And although there are Autobahns without speed limits, when there are speed limits, these are enforced rigorously. Radar traps are frequent.
Frankfurt is bike-friendly, featuring an expansive network of bike lanes. While there are various rental-bike companies in Frankfurt, they are relatively rare and situated in inconvenient areas of the city for travelers.
Deutsche Bahn (shared bicycle program) is a convenient source of rental bikes. Look out for their rental bikes, marked in the colors red and white and the letters `DB.` The costs are about €0.80 a minute and up to about €15 for 24 hours. These bikes are available from April to December and can be found pretty much anywhere in the city - especially at street corners, which are the major pick-up and drop-off points. You can rent these bikes 24/7 just using your cell-phone and your credit card. For instructions on how to use this service, call the number on the bike or go to their website.
You can get a cab at one of the city`s clearly designated taxi stands, or by hailing one on the street (the car`s roof light will be illuminated if it`s available). Taxis charge by the trip and by the number of passengers, without extra surcharges for luggage. The initial charge is around €2.75 (€3.25 at night); each kilometer costs about €1.65 (€1.75 at night).