Frankfurt

In Germany tourists must carry their passports with them all the time as the German police have the right to see identification.

History

Frankfurt or Frankfurt am Main is well known to most international travelers as a city of trade fairs and as a city one transits.

Frankfurt is one of the larger cities in Germany and is located on a ford or furt on the river Main. The city sprawls out on both the banks of the Main. On the south, is the Frankfurter Stadtwald, the largest forest inside city limits in Germany.

The city is a financial centre and plays host to the European Central Bank, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the Frankfurt Trade Fair.

Frankfurt is also one of the busiest airports in the world and the hub of Lufthansa. The city also appears on the list of Alpha World Cites. For history buffs, it would be interesting to note that Frankfurt was the former headquarters of the American Occupation Forces.

What to see

Frankfurt has a number of churches which are of historical importance such as St Katherine‘s, which is the largest Lutheran church in Germany. The other churches of interest are St Paul’s Church and St Bartholomew’s Cathedral. The Old Opera House and the Frankfurt Opera House are worth a visit. Frankfurt also has a large number of museums; most of them are on the south bank of the Main River. Frankfurt with its share of bars, night clubs, music clubs, theater and opera provide a lot of choice when it comes to night life.

Weather

Frankfurt enjoys moderate weather right through the year but it does rain sometimes. Summers are pleasant with brief hot spells. Winters are not extremely cold. Remember that this is a city of trade fairs, so when the fairs are on, accommodation could get expensive.

Where to stay

Most hotels in Frankfurt are booked through the year and are quite expensive. Watch out for the discounts on the weekends. Hotels add a huge surcharge during the trade fairs – there are 30 major fairs which happen right round the year. Most of the big hotels are near the train station, the central business district or the fair ground. You could also check out the pensions and the smaller hotels.

What to shop and Where to shop

If you like shopping, you must visit the Zeil, which is half a mile to the east of the main station; this is also one of the most happening places in Frankfurt. And don’t miss the Christmas market, if you are visiting in December. However, it would be advisable to keep out the red light area which is to the south west of the station. Don’t forget to pick up some fine porcelain for which Frankfurt is famous. You can buy handmade porcelain articles straight from the workshop

What to eat

You can’t visit Frankfurt without tasting the Frankfurter sausage (also known as the hot dog) and the Frankfurter Rindswurst which is a beef sausage. Don’t forget to down the Frankfurter with Apfelwein (apple wine). Other Frankfurt specialties are Handkas mit Musik and Rippchen mit Kraut.

There are a mind boggling number of restaurants to visit depending on your taste and how much you want to spend.

What to wear

Though the weather is moderate, you should pack your light woolens. Don’t wear white gym shoes as they stand out. Many restaurants and music clubs have dress restrictions.

Transport

Air: Frankfurt has two airports. Flughafen Frankfurt Main gets flights from most major US and European cities. The other airport Frankfurt-Hahn handles the no-frills carriers which operate to secondary airports in Europe.

Transfers: Transfer from Flughafen Frankfurt Main is quite easy. This airport has its own rail connections – the Inter City Express and the Inter City and you can hop off at the main station (Hauptbahnhof) or in the city center (Hauptwache). There is a train every 15 minutes and it will take you about 15 minutes to reach the city center. If you have hired a car, just look for the sign “Stadmitte” which means downtown.

Bus: There are regular bus services from the airport to the city. The public transportation system has the subways, the suburban trains, Strassenbahn and the buses. Your ticket would be valid for one hour and can get on to any one of the systems. The tickets can be bought from vending machines at the respective stations.

Money changing

The legislation on cash controls states that a person entering or leaving the EU will have to declare cash if they are carrying 10,000 Euros or more. This includes checks, traveler’s checks and money orders.

There are a number of money changers both on the air side and land side in Frankfurt airport. There are ATMs all over Frankfurt but make sure your bank is in the know, before you travel overseas. You might be charged for cash withdrawals. So it is better you exchange your money before arrival. A word of warning, please exchange currency only at banks or authorized Bureaux de Change as many unwary people have been arrested for the possession of counterfeit currency.

Pharmacies and hospitals

There are pharmacies in Frankfurt Airport. If you’re a tourist in Germany, most hospitals and doctors will have to be paid in cash for their services. In most cases, credit cards are not accepted. You should make sure that you carry only the medicine that you will use, along with the prescription.

Tourist office contact

You can write to Tourismus and Congress GmbH Frankfurt – Main for your queries. The office is at Romerberg 27 and works 9.30 am to 5.30 pm. There are also information offices at the airport and railway station.

Visa

You will need a Schengen visa to enter Germany. US citizens can enter Germany for business or tourism purposes for 90 days without a visa. Please contact the German Embassy for further details.

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