A Budget travel guide to Frankfurt
Located in the German state of Hessen, Frankfurt is probably best known for its huge airport, which is the fourth largest international airport in Europe and the thirteenth busiest in the world. Frankfurt is also Germany’s most important financial center and home to many major European commercial banks, like Deutsche Bank, and two of the world’s largest central banks, Bundesbank and the European Central Bank.
The only city in Germany to have an American-style skyline, Frankfurt boasts Germany’s fifteen tallest skyscrapers. But don’t be fooled. Frankfurt is more than a mere stopover or a banker’s paradise. The city is well worth a visit on its own.
Budget travel guide to Frankfurt
To help you discover Frankfurt’s hidden highlights, we’ve gathered this budget guide together with travel tips as well as clever ways to save.
Getting there
By Plane
Because of its immense size, you can often find nicely priced international and domestic tickets to Frankfurt Airport. Search for flights to Frankfurt for the latest deals.
Once there, you can easily take the train or bus into the city center. Hop on the Bus 58, 61, 62, 72, or 77 and buy your ticket directly from the bus driver. Tickets cost €4.35 and the trip takes about 30 minutes. If you’d prefer to take the train, catch the S8 or S9. The train costs a little more (€4.65) and takes ten minutes longer than the bus. Purchase your ticket from a ticket machine and make sure to stamp it before boarding, otherwise, you’re risking a €50 fine if you’re caught by a ticket controller.
By Train
You can also easily reach Frankfurt by train from anywhere in Germany or Europe. The largest train station is Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof (Main Train Station), which is located near the city center. If you choose this option, make sure you book a ticket to Frankfurt (Main) or Frankfurt am Main. This is the city’s official name and means “Frankfurt on the Main River,” which is an important distinction because Germany also has a city called Frankfurt Oder (Frankfurt on the Oder River) located in the former East.
By Bus
Taking the bus to Frankfurt is usually the cheaper but much slower option — bus travel can take as much as twice as long compared to the train. If you’re not in a rush, check out prices with economy bus companies like Flixbus or Eurolines.
Tips on how to save on travel:
Train and bus tickets are more expensive the closer you book to your travel date, so make sure you buy the tickets as far in advance as possible. Airfare is most expensive during the summer holidays, so try to travel offseason if you can.
Getting around town
With buses, trains, and trams to choose from, Frankfurt has an extensive public transportation system. Local transportation is run by Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV), which also offers service to nearby cities, like Wiesbaden, Duisburg, and Darmstadt. For travel within Frankfurt, press the red button marked “Stadtgebiet Frankfurt” (city area Frankfurt) on the ticket machines. Single fare tickets (Einzelfahrt) within Frankfurt cost €2.75 for adults and €1.55 for children. If you plan on using public transportation several times, then you may want to opt for a day ticket (Tageskarte), which costs €5.35 for adults, €3 for children, or €11.30 for a group of up to 5 people. Prices for outer lying areas and cities vary depending on the zone.
Another option is exploring Frankfurt by bike. Both Deutsche Bahn and companies like Next Bike offer bike rentals at a low fee all over the city. Simply download the app or find a bike at one of the docking stations, and you’ll be biking down the city streets before you know it.
Of course, the cheapest transportation is your own two feet. Luckily, Frankfurt is a relatively small city, so unless you plan to explore outside the city center or want to rest a little, you can easily walk just about anywhere you want to go.
For something different from the typical business hotel, stay at Hotel am Berg.
Budget hotels in Frankfurt
Frankfurt’s focus on business and banking is both a blessing and a curse when trying to find a place to stay. There are plenty of hotel rooms in Frankfurt thanks to all of the people traveling for work, but the majority of them are corporate-style accommodations with either a high price tag or little character. Read through our Frankfurt neighborhood guide to find out which location is best for you.
At EuroCheapo, we try to find locally owned places that keep prices in check. For plush rooms next to the train station, Hotel Europa Style is a good choice for budget travelers. For something with a little more charm, check into Hotel am Berg where each room has its own eccentric style and a private bathroom. If you want to tap into the young energy of Frankfurt, Five Elements Hostel is a good place to start with private rooms starting under $100. Browse through our catalog of affordable hotels in Frankfurt.
More Frankfurt hotel advice:
• Frankfurt hotels with rooms under $100 per night
• Search hostels with dorms and private rooms in Frankfurt
• Best hotel values in Frankfurt
Tip: Also check the calendar before you book because if you decide to visit during one of the huge trade shows (like the Frankfurt Book Fair), prices will be through the roof.
Free and cheap things to do in Frankfurt
Like many German cities, Frankfurt was largely destroyed in the Second World War. However, Frankfurt’s Altstadt (old town) has since been lovingly restored. Take a stroll around Römerberg Platz (Römerberg Square) where you’ll see both the Rathaus (city hall) and many Medieval style buildings. Across the Main River, you’ll find Sachsenhausen, a great district with lots of shops and restaurants as well as Frankfurt’s claim to fame, Äppelwoi Kneipen (traditional cider taverns).
Römerberg Platz makes a fun place to explore in Frankfurt. Photo: Dan
Churches
Frankfurt has several beautiful churches, like the Cathedral of Saint Bartholomew (Domplatz 1), which boasts a gruesome relic: pieces of St. Bartholomew’s skull. On Römerberg Platz, you’ll also find the Alte Nikolaikirche, a late Gothic era Protestant church. St. Paul’s Church (Paulskirche) on Paulsplatz was a protestant church that played a significant role in German history. In 1848, the National Assembly met here and where they worked on and drafted a united Germany’s first constitution. Church services are no longer held at St. Paul’s. Instead, the building is used as a venue for various events, the most famous being the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, which is awarded annually at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
Museums
And don’t forget about Frankfurt’s most famous son, the eighteenth German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The house where he was born is now a museum dedicated to his life and work. The Frankfurter Goethe-Museum is located at Großer Hirschgraben 23-25. The museum is open Monday through Friday from 10 am to noon and 1 pm to 4 pm. Admission price: adults, €7, students, €3, children 6 and under free.
If you’re a museum person, then head over to the Museumsufer (Museum Riverbank) on Schaumainkai. The Museumsufer is home to fourteen museums, including the impressive Städel Museum, one of Germany’s most important art museums, with works by the likes of Botticelli, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Monet, Picasso, and Gerhard Richter. Additional museums in the area include the Deutsches Filmmuseum (German Film Museum), the Museum der Weltkunde (Ethnological Museum), and the Historisches Museum (Frankfurt History Museum). Even if you’re not a culture hound, the Schaumainkai is still worth a stroll. If you’re in town on a Saturday, be sure to come by the street and check out Frankfurt’s largest flea market.
Christmas Market
If you enjoy the holiday markets in Europe, Frankfurt has one of the best. The Frankfurt Christmas Market has a long history dating all the way back to 1393!
Eating and drinking on a budget
When in Frankfurt, a meal in an inexpensive Äppelwoi Kneipe is simply a must. Unique to Frankfurt, these cider taverns serve up your average German pub fare, heavy on the meat and potatoes, with several Hessen specialties, like Handkäse, a type of soft cheese often served with onions and cumin, Äpfelwein (alcoholic cider), and Frankfurt’s beloved Grüne Soße (green sauce), a creamy sauce made with seven different herbs. The cider is a little sour side, but you can also order is süß gespritzt (sweetened with a little orange Fanta) or opt for one of the many beers the taverns have on tap if cider isn’t really your thing.
We picked a few of our favorite Äppelwoi Kneipen:
Gaststätte Atschel
Wallstraße 7
Äpfelwein Wagner
Schweizerstrasse 71
Äpfelwein Dax
Willemerstraße 11
Another Frankfurt institution is the Frankfurt Kleinmarkthalle. This popular market hall first opened its doors in the late 19th century and is a great place for a cheap lunch or tasty snack. The Kleinmarkthalle is located at Hasengasse 5-7 and is open Monday through Friday from 8 am to 6 pm and Saturdays from 8 am to 4 pm. Closed on Sundays and holidays.
If you’re more in the mood for pizza, check out Pizzeria 7 Bello (Niddastraße 82).
Gute Stute (Kölner Straße 42) is a funky dive bar a little off the beaten path. The name translates as the “good mare,” and the bar comes complete with a life-size stuffed horse and wagon wheel décor.
You can also hop into a Lidl or Aldi discount supermarket for snacks and picnic food.
Tip: Try to avoid the bars and restaurants located directly on Römerplatz or other places in the old town because they’re likely to be touristy and pricier than locations in regular neighborhoods.
The Frankfurt Book Fair draws thousands of people from around the world. Photo: actua
Additional ways to save
Held in the fall, the Frankfurt Book Fair is the largest trade fair for books in the world. Prices for hotels go up in price and fill up quickly, so try to avoid the city at this time unless you are specifically interested in visiting the fair.
If you plan to use public transportation a fair amount and visit a lot of museums on your trip, you may want to consider picking up the Frankfurt Card. This card gets you free public transportation, including to and from the airport, and up to 50% discount on many museums in the city as well as several other perks. You can purchase either an individual 1-day ticket (€10.50) or a 2-day ticket (€15.50) or a group ticket for up to five people (1-day ticket, €22; 2-day ticket €32).
More tips for Germany:
• 50 Ways to save on your trip to Germany
• A 10-Day itinerary through Germany on a budget
About the author
