Frankfurt by public transport · Frankfurt by public transport
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Frankfurt by public transport
Frankfurt by public transport
The best way to travel around Frankfurt is the Underground, tram and bus. 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 two U-Bahn lines come together in a tunnel (Citytunnel) in central Frankfurt (beside line S7, which ends at Central Station).
You can get single, all-day and weekly tickets. You can get individual tickets, or tickets for a group of up to five people travelling together.
You must use a ticket machine to purchase a ticket before boarding. Ticket machines can be a little confusing if you do not know how to use them, but they can be switched to operate in English. You have to press Einzelfahrt Frankfurt for a single trip in the city and Tageskarte Frankfurt for a day ticket in the city. If you want to ride to airport, you have to press Einzelfahrt Frankfurt Flughafen or Tageskarte Frankfurt Flughafen. If your destination is outside Frankfurt, you have to look up your destination on the list provided at the machine, enter this number with the numeric keypad, then press the button for the type of ticket you want (Einzelfahrt - single trip; Tageskarte - day ticket). Also, every station has some stations listed as "short distance" destinations (Kurzstrecke, code "97"); tickets to those are cheaper. If you have the opportunity, ask a bystander to explain the vending machines to you the first time you want to buy a ticket. Unlike in other German cities, tickets purchased are valid immediately. You cannot purchase tickets in advance, to be validated just before travel.
Fares are based on the zones you travel through . Central Frankfurt is all contained with a single zone (zone 50) so tickets (except short trip tickets) are all the one fare. A one-day adult ticket in this central zone costs €6.20 and a single costs €2.40. The airport is in a separate zone. A one-day adult ticket in the central zone and the airport is €9.50 and a single €3.90. Group day-tickets are less than the cost of two adult day-tickets, so are more or less obligatory if you are travelling together and purchasing a day-ticket. Children discounts are available to kids 14 and under.
If you are visiting attractions and museums then consider buying a Frankfurt Card . It allows unlimited travel on Frankfurt's public transport system (city zone and airport) and discounts in many museums. The Frankfurt Card is available as a one day and two day ticket, and for a single person or a group of up to five (1 person 1 day, €8.90; group 1 day, €18). These tickets are not sold at the vending machines. You can buy the Frankfurt Card at the airport (arrival gate B, terminal 1), at travel agencies, railway stations, at the tourist information desk at Hauptbahnhof, at the tourist information desk at Römer, or in advance online. A one-day one-person Frankfurt card including airport transportation is cheaper than the equivalent public transport ticket that includes the airport.
The RMV site has basic information and timetable information available in English and other languages.
The S-Bahn, run by the German train company, 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 10-15 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.
Fines of €40 apply for riding without a valid ticket.
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Frankfurt Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.