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National
Transport
Air |
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This
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last updated July 8, 2022 |
Germany
is such a
compact country that, unless you're going from Munich to Hamburg,
taking the train will in most cases be the more convenient and
(in my opinion) enjoyable mode of transport. However, the increase in
low-cost carriers over the past couple of decades has increased
domestic
air
travel, and, of course, many people arrive in Germany by air. Below you
will find a guide to what you need to know to navigate Germany's
airports.
On this page:
SIDEBAR:
Overcoming jet lag
Airports
There
are 35 or
so commercial passenger airports (Flughafen) in
Germany, with
Frankfurt and Munich being by far the two biggest. Altogether, about 227
million passengers were facilitated by German airports in 2019,
with about 117
million of those in Frankfurt and Munich alone.
Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Stuttgart, and
Köln/Bonn also each had over 10 million
passengers. Frankfurt,
as the main hub for Lufthansa, is Germany's busiest airport and one of
the "big four" European airports (the others being London Heathrow,
Paris Charles de Gaulle, and Amsterdam Schiphol.) In 2019, it served
over 70 million passengers and has the most direct routes in the world. Munich,
which is Lufthansa's second hub, is Germany's second busiest airport,
serving nearly 48 million passengers in 2019, which was
almost twice as many as then-third place Düsseldorf. Berlin's
new,
walnut-paneled Willy Brandt Airport opened on October 31,
2020.
Built to consolidate the city's two remaining outdated Cold
War-era airports Tegel
and Schönefeld, it was originally
scheduled to open
in 2011, but a
series of construction problems, mismanagement, and
corruption delayed the opening repeatedly. The
project was sadly nothing short of a national
embarassment for a country known for its efficiency, engineering, and Ordnung. Reviews of
the airport after a year of operation have been mixed, but more recent
reports seem to indicate that it has worked out the initial teething
issues. In 2021, it served just shy of 10 million passengers, becoming Germany's third busiest airport.

Munich
airport
(Photo by FMG)
Most
airports
in
Germany are operated by government-franchised private companies. The
company that operates Frankfurt airport also operates several other
airports around the world.
German
airports are generally clean and efficient albeit somewhat stark, and
feature the
typical duty-free shops, restaurants,
bars, car rental agencies, conference centers, banks, and other
services one would expect to find in modern western airports.
Frankfurt and Munich airports even boast such services
as supermarkets, medical
clinics, dentists, and casinos.
Arriving
Arriving in Germany is fairly simple and
straightforward. If
you arrive on an international flight and are not transiting to another
international, you will be directed from the
arrival gate first to passport control (Passkontrolle).
If
you are from the US or other non-European nation, use the "Non-EU
National" line. The immigration officer may or may not ask you
questions; either is normal. When questions are asked, they're usually
regarding the purpose of your visit and if you have a return flight.
After
having your passport stamped, you will
then
proceed to baggage claim if you are at your destination airport. Once
you
collect your bags, you
proceed
through the customs area (Zoll). In Germany, this is
generally a non-event. If you
have something to
declare, or if you aren't sure, use the lane with the red sign (see the
German customs website
for information on permitted imports.) Otherwise, proceed
through the lane with the green sign where you will then alight in the
landside area of the terminal. If you are meeting someone,
this
is likely where they will be waiting for you.
If
you are the
one meeting someone who is flying in, remember that the airside section
of German airports is highly secure and only ticketed passengers and
airport workers are allowed in the gate areas and concourses, so you
will have to meet your party in the landside area of the
airport. To do so, check the arrivals board (marked Ankunft)
when you
get to the airport to determine which arrivals exit your party will be
using, then wait near there for them. Alternatively, you can plan to
have your party
meet
you at an officially designated meeting point (Treffpunkt)
found
in most airports.

Berlin
airport gate waiting area
Departing
While arriving is pretty easy, flying out of a German airport
is
much more elaborate. First, you should plan on arriving at
least
two hours before your flight.
When
you arrive
at the airport for an outbound flight, you will first need to check the
flight information displays (marked Abflug) for two
pieces of
information: the check-in counter (Schalter) numbers
and the
gate number (Flugsteig) for your flight, as well as
the current
status of the flight. Gate numbers sometimes are not assigned until an
hour or so before the flight; if so, the display will indicate when the
gate number will be assigned.
In
Germany,
ticketing and check-in counters are numbered. The numbers are
usually located above the counter. You must use one of the
counters noted on the flight information display for your flight and
can only do so when check-in for your flight is open.
Usually, several counters handle check-in for all flights for an
airline, but sometimes specific flights must check-in at a specific
counter.
Once
you find
your counter, you will begin the security screening and check-in
process. Security
is very
tight, especially for international flights, and you will have to go
through several layers of security checking. Be prepared to
play
"20 questions" with several airline and airport security
personnel. You will be asked repeatedly about your luggage
and
travel plans. Unfortunately, sometimes the questioning takes
on
the rather no-nonsense tone of an interrogation, but just answer their
questions accurately and politely and you'll soon be on your
way. Don't worry if
you don't speak German-- you can ask to be questioned in another
language.
After
checking-in, proceed
toward
the designated concourse or entry area for your gate. Just as in the
US, you
will
then encounter the next hurdle: the security checkpoint (Sicherheitskontrolle).
Only ticketed passengers are allowed past the security checkpoint, so
you will be asked to show or scan your boarding pass. Then, go
through
the familiar metal detector or body scanner and baggage x-ray
area. If you are on an
international flight, you will be required to show your passport
to an immigration officer at some point after security, so be sure to
keep it handy.
From
here, you can now proceed to
your
gate. Unlike US airports where all the gates are located on one level,
German airports often have gates on multiple levels, so you may have to
go up or down stairs, escalators, or elevators to reach your gate. This
stacking of gates is done to allow for faster turnarounds, to
provide space for both bus and jet bridge gates (Germany uses a lot of
bus gates), and/or to separate Schengen and non-Schengen passengers.
Flights
to the US usually have a second security screening, either at the gate
or en-route to the gate. Sometimes this is a full screening, sometimes
just another passport check and question and answer session. Most
German airports with US flights now have a section dedicated for those
flights with a security checkpoint to enter it. However, in some cases,
a US-bound flight may instead just have an enclosed secure gate waiting
area (Warteraum).
In
those cases, once you are in the waiting area, you typically
cannot leave, so be sure to take care of any last-minute shopping or
"bio"
needs (you know what I mean) before you enter the waiting
area, although these gates will usually have their own restroom
facilities.
From
the waiting area, you will either board the plane
directly via a jet bridge or
board a bus that will transport you to the plane located further out on
the tarmac.

Boarding
gate at Munich airport
Ground transportation
Besides rental cars, there are usually a plethora of public
transportation options to get from the airport to the central city or
beyond. Listed below are the major German commercial
passenger
airports with connection information to the central railway station (Hauptbahnhof,
"Hbf"), city center, or other important destinations as
indicated. Most airports have will have additional public
transportation options to other locales; check the airport's website or
inquire at the information desk at the airport. Some airports also have
mainline rail services.
The
major international airports are
highlighted. Because Frankfurt's
airport is by far the busiest in Germany, I have included a special
write-up
on it below the other listings. Be sure to see my pages about
renting a car,
urban
public transport, taxis,
and rail transport
for further details of using
those transportation options.
All
information was correct as of October 2020 and is subject to change
without notice. Departure intervals shown are typical weekday daytime
schedules and may vary during the day and on weekends. Check the
websites of the individual airports
(links at the bottom of this page) before your flight for up-to-date
information.
City/Airport |
Location/
Approx Travel Time |
Transport
options |
Berlin
(BER)
Brandenburg Willy Brandt
|
20
km SE
1 hour |
Note:
Options in italics
serve both Terminal 1-2 and Terminal 5 stations; others serve only
Terminal 1-2 station
 |
-
Airport
Express (FEX) to Ostkreuz,
Gesundbrunnen, and
Berlin Hbf every 30 min.
- Regional trains RE7 and RB14 to Berlin Hbf and the other
major
central Berlin stations, or RB22 to Potsdam every hour
- S-Bahn S9 to Berlin
Hbf, Spandau, and other central Berlin stations, or S45 to
southeastern
Berlin and Südkreuz every
20 min. |
 |
Bus
X7,
X71, or 171 to Rudow every 5 min., then U-Bahn U7 to central Berlin |
 |
Mainline
services from Terminal 1-2 station |
 |
24-hour
service to Berlin, approx. €40 |
|
Bremen
(BRE)
Neuenland
|
3
km S
20 min. |
 |
Tram 6
to Hbf every 10 min. |
 |
24-hour
service, approx. €10 |
|
Dresden
(DRS)
Klotsche
|
9
km N
20 min. |
 |
S-Bahn
S2 to Hbf and Neustadt every 30 min |
 |
Bus 77
to Infineon Nord or Bus 80 to Käthe-Kollwitz-Platz every 20 min., then
Tram 7 to Hbf |
 |
24-hour
service, approx. €18 |
|
Düsseldorf
(DUS)
Lohausen
|
8
km N
20 min. |
 |
- S-Bahn
S11 to Hbf every 20-30 min. from station under terminal
- S-Bahn S1 to Hbf and to Duisburg, Essen, and Dortmund every 20 min.
from airport station (reached via Sky Train) |
 |
Mainline
services from airport station (reached via
Sky Train) |
 |
24-hour
service to Düsseldorf (approx. €20), Essen (approx.
€48), Duisburg (approx. €43), and other area towns |
|
Frankfurt
(FRA)
Rhein-Main
|
See
special section below |
Hamburg (HAM)
Fuhlsbüttel
|
9
km N
25 min. |
 |
S-Bahn
S1 to Hbf every 10 min.; change at Ohlsdorf for U-bahn U1 to other
central Hamburg stations |
 |
Bus 34
to Hbf and other central Hamburg locations every 30 min. |
 |
24-hour
service, approx. €20 (agree on price in advance) |
|
Hannover
(HAJ)
Langenhagen
|
11
km N
20 min. |
 |
S-Bahn
S5 to Hannover Hbf every 30 min. |
 |
Bus 470
to Langenhagen every
hour |
 |
24-hour
service, approx. €20 |
|
Köln/Bonn
(CGN)
Konrad Adenauer
|
14
km SE of Cologne
25 min. |
 |
S-Bahn
S13 or S19 to Köln Hbf every 15 min. |
 |
Mainline
services from airport station |
 |
Bus SB
60 to Bonn Hbf
every 30 min. |
 |
24-hour
service to Köln (approx. €25), Bonn (approx. €40) and
other area towns |
|
Leipzig/Halle
(LEJ)
|
12
km NW of Leipzig
30 min. |
 |
S-Bahn
S5 or S5X to Leipzig Hbf or Halle Hbf every 30
min. |
 |
Mainline
services from airport station |
 |
24-hour
service to Leipzig and Halle, approx. €35 |
|
München (MUC)
Franz Joseph Strauss
|
28
km NE
45 min. |
 |
S-Bahn
S1 or S8 to Hbf every 10 min. |
 |
- Mainline
regional services to and from Regensburg and Landshut from airport station - Other regional mainline connections from nearby Freising station via express
train ÜFEX every hour or Bus 635 every 20 min. |
 |
Lufthansa
Express Bus to Schwabing and Hbf every 15 min. |
 |
Flixbus
long-distance bus services |
 |
24-hour
service, approx. €50 |
|
Nürnberg
(NUE)
Albrecht Dürer |
5 km
N
15 min. |
 |
U-Bahn
U2 to Nürnberg Hbf every 10 min. |
 |
Bus 33
to Fürth Hbf |
 |
24-hour
service, approx. €20 |
|
Saarbrücken
(SCN)
Ensheim
|
16
km E
20 min. |
 |
Bus R10
to Hbf every hour |
 |
24-hour
service, approx. €20 |
|
Stuttgart (STR)
Echterdingen
|
14
km S
30 min. |
 |
S-Bahn
S2 or S3 to Hbf every 15 min. |
 |
Long-distance
bus services |
 |
24-hour
service, approx. €30 |
|
Frankfurt
International (Rhein-Main) Airport

Frankfurt
airport Terminal 1
(Photo by Fraport AG)
Serving
over 70
million passengers in 2019, Frankfurt Rhein-Main Airport (FRA), also
known as Frankfurt International Airport, is Germany's busiest
airport and 14th busiest worldwide. For a
long time Europe's second busiest, it has slipped to fourth in
Europe behind London
Heathrow, Paris CDG, and Amsterdam Schiphol. In addition to
being the world hub for Lufthansa,
Rhein-Main is served by 97 other airlines with about 700 daily
departures to 306 destinations in 98 countries-- the most
international destinations of any airport. Transfers account
for
over half of the passenger count, making FRA one of the world's most
important international air hubs.
Given
these
superlatives, it should be no surprise that the gargantuan facility is
currently operating near capacity. A new runway that opened
in
2011
and an expansion of concourse A completed in 2012
have helped alleviate congestion and provided room for the
airport's continued growth. Construction is also
underway for a
future third terminal to be located on the southern side of the airport
on the former US Air Force base; it is expected to open in
2022. Additionally, FRA was the first
commercial
airport in the world to be certified for the monster Airbus A380
superjumbo jet; the aforementioned concourse A expansion as well as
the recently-upgraded concourse D both have gates designed to
facilitate the A380.
Beware
that there
is a second "Frankfurt" airport, the much smaller Frankfurt-Hahn, which
is used exclusively by discount airlines. Calling it Frankfurt-Hahn
is a cruel trick, however, as it is laughably located 105 km (65 miles)
west of
Frankfurt and is actually closer to Luxembourg and Bonn than
to downtown
Frankfurt.
Orientation
and navigation
Located just 9 km (6 miles) southwest of downtown
Frankfurt (about
15
minutes by rail, a little longer by car), the airport is a monolith
comprised of two terminals and a small city of support
facilities. A third terminal is under construction across the airfield
from the existing terminals. It is scheduled to open in 2026.
Terminal
1, which opened in 1972 and got much-needed expansions in the
late
'90s, 2008, and again around 2012, is the larger of the two terminals
with 103 gates crammed into three multi-level
concourses labeled
A/Z, B, and C. There are five levels:
- Level
0 is the
underground regional rail station and shopping arcade
- Level
1 is the
arrivals/baggage claim level
- Level
2 is the check-in and main
departures level
- Level
3 is an additional international departures
gate level in concourse A (gates there are designated as "Z"
instead of "A") and the arrivals immigration area in
concourse B
- Level
4 is the level for the inter-terminal Sky Line
train stations
The
airy Terminal 2, which opened in
1994,
has 42 gates in two concourses labeled D and E on three levels, labeled
to correspond to the levels in Terminal 1:
- Level
2 is the arrivals, check-in, and European departures level
- Level
3 is the international departures gate level
- Level
4 is the Sky
Line train station

Gate
waiting area at Frankfurt Airport
Gates,
arrival
areas and check-in counters carry the concourse letter followed by the
number (i.e. Gate C5, Counter A202, etc.) The letter is
usually
dropped from the numbers on signs at the check-in counters, but not at
the gates. When looking for your gate, follow the signs for
the
lettered concourse first, then look for signs for the gate number once
you reach that concourse. On some signs (but not all), the
concourse letters for Terminal 1 are in orange while those in Terminal
2 are in light blue.
The
non-European international gates on the upper level of
concourse A were relabeled as "Z" in late 2011. This
was done
ostensibly to create logical numbering capacity for the concourse A
addition that opened in 2012.
The
terminals are
divided into the public landside area and the secure airside
area. To enter the secure area, you must have a valid
boarding
card and pass through the security screening. The airside
area of
the airport is further divided into two control zones: the "Schengen
zone" for domestic German and most European flights, and the "transit
zone" for international flights. (The Schengen Agreement
allows
for travel between most European countries without passport
controls.) To move between these zones, you must go through
a passport checkpoint. Unfortunately, having these
different zones does confuse things a bit. Most of level 2 of
concourse 1/A, the front half of concourse 1/B, the far end of
concourse 1/C,
and level 2 of Terminal 2 are in the Schengen zone; the remainder of
the airport is in the international transit zone. For the
most
part, the airport is arranged so that you only have to pass
through passport control if you are crossing between
zones;
if you
are connecting from one international flight to another, you should not
have to pass through any immigration checkpoints. However, be
aware that
there are additional security checkpoints within the secure zone,
and flights to some countries (including the US) may require an
additional security screening even if you are just
connecting, so be prepared to go through an
unexpected security check.

Frankfurt
airport overview map
(Full-size map available from Frankfurt Airport's website; see links
section below.)
Signage
is fairly
good and is in both German and English along with spiffy international
pictograms; blue signs for the concourses, gates, and other
destinations, gray signs for services. But because there are
so
many possible destinations and routes to get there, you have to keep a
sharp eye out and know what
you're looking for or you may miss that sign.
Here's what someone said on a travel forum that captures the
sentiment:
"Just
follow the
signs. Don't think. Don't apply logic. Just follow the sign. You
will get to your destination. You might have to go through
security
2-3 times, customs, passport control, tunnels, escalators, elevators,
stairs and you feel that you have just walked to your final
destination. But under no circumstances try to make sense of
it. You will only get lost." |

Signage at Frankfurt Airport
Being
such a
large and complex airport, distances can be long-- really long in some
cases--
especially if you have to change terminals or concourses. If
your
gate is at the end of the 1/A or 1/Z concourses, or if you use the
long-distance rail station (or both of the
above), get ready for a long hike, even with the moving
walkways. A walk from the far end of concourse 1/A to the
opposite end of concourse 2/E is a distance of 2.6 km or 1.6
miles!
There
are a
number of options to get between the terminals. The fastest
method is the Sky Line train, which whisks you between the terminals in
about 2 minutes; stations are located in concourses 1/AZ, 1/B and
Terminal 2. There is also a free shuttle bus which takes
about 5
minutes; catch it in front of the terminals. Of course, you
can
also walk. There are several walkways and passages
that
will get you between the concourses, including a tunnel between
concourses 1/AZ and 1/B (use the elevators near gates A15 and B19.)
There
are several information counters around the terminals to help you with
employees dressed in red uniforms. As
in most
places, the competence and disposition of the staff can vary widely,
but most of the time you'll find helpful and informative workers (if
not overly friendly) who speak English and other languages.
If you encounter
someone
unusually surly or obviously lacking the information you need, just go
find someone else. Keep in mind that German service workers
inherently dispense with pleasantries-- Germans typically regard overt
cheerfulness as fake or feigned. The biggest complaints about
rudeness seem to be about the security personnel, so just be
cooperative and impassive and you'll be on your way.
Because
of
terminal capacity issues, many short and medium haul flights use remote
parking spots away from the terminal and passengers are bused between
the plane and terminal. In fact, about half of the airport's
gates are these so-called "stand" gates.
One
of the quirks
about this airport is that there seems to be passageways, gates, and
service facilities tucked into obscure nooks and crannies everywhere,
so much so that it really can feel like a disorganized labyrinth. This
is especially true in Terminal 1 which has been expanded
and reorganized several
times over the years. Many
gates
require you to go up or down a dedicated escalator or staircase, the
entrances to the tunnel between concourses 1/A and 1/B are surprisingly
inconspicuous, and some restroom entrances look more like
closets. Again, carefully watch for and
follow
the relevant signs.

Unusually
quiet concourse A at Frankfurt Airport
Passenger
services
If Tom Hanks' character in the movie The Terminal
could
choose an airport to be stuck at, this would be a good
choice. This self-contained city has large shopping and eating areas
and plenty
of additional services. Indeed, FRA is arguably one of the
best
airports anywhere in this regards-- it's practically a shopping mall
that happens to have an airport attached. There are a
multitude
of stores (over 200 of them) carrying books, perfume, jewelry, clothes,
leather goods, electronics, toys, souvenirs, liquor, candy, convenience
items-- even erotica. In December, you'll also find a
traditional-style German Christmas market on the mezzanine in Terminal
1. Even more good news for shoppers-- the law requires
businesses
to maintain typical street prices in their airport outlets.
If
you're hungry
or thirsty before or after that long flight, you'll find over 70
restaurants, cafes, and bars catering to every taste: fast-food
(including the
ubiquitous McDonald's and Starbucks), traditional German food
(including a beer
garden), pizza and pasta, ice cream, sandwiches, Asian cuisines, sushi
and even
hoity-toity French fare. There are also several bakeries and
even
two supermarkets for the do-it-yourself types.
If
you have
medical needs, there are several pharmacies, a medical clinic, optician
and even a dentist. Other services to be found are hair
dressers
and barbers, a tailor and dry cleaner, a conference and business
center, and a kennel if your dog needs some time to relax. To
pass the
time, you'll
find
a visitor's terrace overlooking the airfield in Terminal 2, nine
children's
play areas, chapels and prayer rooms, and art . (The
casino closed in
2014.) And, of course, you'll find banks and currency
exchanges,
post offices, insurance agents, and car rental and travel
agencies as well as 26 airline lounges.
One
service that
may be
particularly useful to passengers after a long flight are the shower
facilities located in each terminal. For €6 or $8, you get a
clean, private shower stall with soap and towels. There are
five
of these facilities: four in Terminal 1 including two in concourse 1/B
(one inside the
transit area on level 3, and one in the landside shopping area,
departures
level, in the WCs to the right as you approach the security checkpoint)
and two in the transit areas of concourse 1/A (near gate A50)
and Z
(near gate Z50); and one in Terminal 2,
concourse D (level 3 near the security checkpoint.)
There
is now a small hotel located inside the transit zone of the airport
near gate Z25 in Terminal 1. The hotel has 59 small rooms (about 100
sq. ft. each) that can be booked for a stay of 3 to 24 hours. As it is
in the transit zone, guests do not have to clear passport control to
reach it. However, guests must be traveling from or to a non-Schengen
destination to access it.
Elsewhere
on the airport grounds are a couple of other
hotels, gas stations, and train stations. Tired
of lugging
all that luggage around? There are lots of free baggage
carts which can be rented for €1, but note that the fee must
be
paid with a credit or debit card. Unfortunately, in most
cases,
they can no longer be
taken on
the escalators or moving walkways nor on the Sky Line. For
long
layovers, there are baggage storage offices in each
terminal.
Throughout
the
airport, you'll now find electronic kiosks with airport
information. If they're on the fritz, or you'd just rather
talk
to a human, there are several information centers in each
terminal staffed by red-uniformed employees.
Looking
for a
place to relax or snooze between flights? Besides the transit hotel
mentioned earlier, there are several
"leisure zones" scattered around equipped with reclining
chairs. One of the best is in concourse 1/B,
level 3 along the walkway to concourse 1/C. Of course,
if
you have a bag with you, be sure you secure it to your person in some
way before you doze-off so it will still be there when you wake. If
yoga is your preferred form of relaxation, there are two
yoga
rooms as well, one in concourse 1/C and the other in concourse 2/D.
Finally,
if your electronic device needs a charge, there are dozens of charging
stations throughout both terminals.

Lounge
at Frankfurt Airport
All
that said,
the airport does have some pitfalls. A common
complaint is about small and sometimes not-so-clean WCs,
although in my experiences I've never actually witnessed
this. Also, many of the shops and services are located in the big
shopping
arcade in the landside area of the Terminal 1, so transit passengers
have to clear passport control to use them, then go back through
security and passport control to catch their connecting
flight. There are virtually no services in concourse 1/C.
While
most of the
terminal areas have now been designated as non-smoking, the smoke from
the smoking lounges (and there are a lot of them) can sometimes waft
considerably further afield.
Given
the age and
extent of the facilities, there are always renovations going on
somewhere in the terminals. It seems like they just keep
rotating
the construction work through each of the concourses every few
years. Even with the constant work, a few areas of the
airport
are still rather dated and depressingly dingy, although that's gotten
better in recent years. And more than once I've been in areas
where the heating system has been working too well.
Finally,
if for
some reason you have an aversion to shiny stainless steel, stay out of
this airport-- it's everywhere.
Arriving
When you arrive, you will be discharged into appropriate
control
zone (transit or Schengen.) For transit passengers, see the
"Connecting flights" section below. For those arriving in the
Schengen zone, you simply claim your bags (if any) and leave the
airport. Passengers arriving in the transit zone will first
have
to pass through the passport control area where you simply present your
passport for inspection and the obligatory stamp (which the Germans, of
course, take to a whole other level.) The officer may or may not ask
you questions about your visit; either is normal. If asked, just answer
honestly. Note that there are
different lanes for EU and non-EU nationals, so be sure you get in the
right line. Depending on when you arrive, there might be a
considerable wait to get through passport control. In some cases, it
might be faster to use one of the passport
checkpoints located in another concourse. If you are trying
to
catch a connecting flight and must go through passport control, most of
the checkpoints now offer a "Fast Lane" for passengers on upcoming
flights; the flights for which passengers can take advantage of this
shortcut are listed on a display above the lane.
After
clearing passport control, you can
proceed to baggage
claim. From the baggage claim area, you then
must pass through
a customs checkpoint, which is far less of an impediment than passport
control. If you
have nothing to
declare (see the
German customs website
for information on permitted imports), just
proceed through the "green" line and you won't even
have to say anything to the inspector unless you are stopped
for a random check. (Don't ask me why the
sign
for green line is actually shaped like a stop-sign.) If you
do have something to declare, use the "red" lane.
After
clearing customs, you will alight rather unceremoniously
in the main
landside zone of the terminal. If you are meeting someone,
they
should be waiting here. Otherwise, follow the signs to head
to
public transport (see below), taxis, or the car rental desks.
Ground transportation
options
There are numerous local, regional, domestic and international rail
connections to and from the airport's two (yes, two)
railway
stations. From the regional station (Regionalbahnhof)
beneath Terminal 1, S-Bahn S8 or S9 goes to downtown Frankfurt in less
than 15 minutes, as well as to Mainz and Wiesbaden. The
sparkling
long-distance rail station (Fernbahnhof), connected
to Terminal
1 by an agonizingly long skybridge over the adjacent Autobahn, serves
mainline GermanRail trains to many domestic and international
destinations. If you arrive at Terminal 1, follow the signs
to
the appropriate station. If you arrive at Terminal 2, take
the
direct shuttle bus to the stations or take the Sky Line train to
Terminal 1 and follow the signs from there.
GermanRail
has
two
ticketing and information centers (Reisezentrum),
one at the
long-distance station and the other just above the regional station in
the underground shopping area (Level 0) near the center of concourse B.
In
additional to
rail service, there is also regional bus service to several area towns
including Darmstadt and Rüsselsheim. There is also direct
bus service to Strasbourg, Mannheim, Heidelberg, and Talheim. Most
buses leave from the bus station at Terminal 1. From
Terminal 2, take the Sky Line train to Terminal 1 and go down to the
arrivals level. From Terminal 1, the bus station is located
directly outside of the terminal.
All
of the major
rental car agencies have counters in both terminals. Taxis
can
also be hired from either terminal. There is 24-hour taxi
service
to Frankfurt, Wiesbaden and Mainz. A taxi ride to downtown
Frankfurt will take 20-40 minutes depending on traffic and should cost
about €20.

Frankfurt
airport Terminal 1 departure hall
(Photo by Fraport AG)
Departing
You should plan on arriving at least two hours before your
scheduled departure. If you arrive by car or train, follow
the
signs for departing flights. If you must return your rental
car,
follow the signs for rental car returns. If you arrive by
rail at
the long-distance station, check to see if your airline has a counter
there. If so, you can check-in there and then proceed
directly to
security and on to your departure gate. Otherwise, once in
the
terminal, check the large flight display boards for information on the
check-in counter and gate for your flight. Then proceed to
the
appropriate counter to get a boarding pass and check any
bags. From there, you will be directed to the security checkpoint for
your
departure hall. Proceed through the security and passport
checkpoints and then follow the signs to your gate. Be aware
that
passengers headed for the US, UK, and Middle East face more intense
screening nowadays, so be prepared to put-up with a bit more hassle
than you may otherwise be expecting.
Connecting
flights
If you are passing through Frankfurt to and from non-Schengen
countries, your transfer will take place entirely within the transit
zone, which in most cases means you will not need to pass through a
passport checkpoint (although not always.) You may or may not also have
to pass through a security screening depending on your origin and/or
destination, and there are occasionally random security checkpoints in
the terminals.
If
your connecting flight leaves from a different
terminal than the one you arrive in, the Sky Line train will allow you
to make the transfer while remaining in the transit zone.
Transfers
between
non-Schengen and Schengen countries (including Germany) will require
you to go through passport control. Unlike
many international airports with a single immigration area, you will
find passport checkpoints in each of the concourses. However, you
shouldn't need to seek one out-- just follow the signs to the gate for
your connecting flight and you will pass through a checkpoint somewhere
along the way.
If
you
are connecting to
another flight with a short connection time (typically less than 45
minutes), you should be able to use the "Fast Lane" service at
the
passport control stations; eligible flights
are
shown on a display above the "Fast Lane" counter.
After
clearing
passport control, you
can then
proceed to the gate for your connecting flight. Be sure to
check
the flight
information displays for the latest gate number as flights are
sometimes
moved to other gates due to late or early arrivals. If
your connecting flight is in the other terminal, use the Sky Line
train. A tunnel allows you to transfer within the Schengen
zones
of concourses 1/A and 1/B so that you do not need to leave the secure
area; use the elevators near gates A15 and
B19. There is also a passageway inside the
secure zone from
concourse 1/B to concourse 1/C on level 3.
If
you need a
boarding pass or additional assistance, check-in at your airline's
transfer counter first thing after arriving.
Lufthansa
advertises a guaranteed connection time of 45 minutes at FRA. However,
based on experience, an hour
is probably more realistic if you're staying within the transit or
Schengen zones and 75 minutes if you have to cross between
them. Flights from North America to FRA often arrive early, but don't
count
on it as any time savings gained from that strong tailwind are
frequently lost due to congestion in Frankfurt's approach and landing
slots.
If
you have a
long layover (more than a couple of hours), you might consider visiting
the spectator's terrace on top of Terminal 2 where for €3 you
can watch the airfield activity, or the free art galleries in each
terminal. Note that these may require leaving the airside of
the
airport. Long layovers are also conducive to taking a quick
sightseeing trip into Frankfurt-- the S-Bahn train will get you
downtown in
less than 15 minutes. (See information under "Arriving"
above.) There is also a small transit hotel near gate Z25 where you can
get some rest between flights.
For
more
information about Frankfurt Airport, see their official website:
http://www.frankfurt-airport.com/

Frankfurt
airport Terminal 2 departure hall
(Photo by Fraport AG)
Airlines
The
major
domestic airline in Germany is Lufthansa. Its main hub is at Frankfurt, with Munich serving as its secondary hub. Germany,
and Europe in general, have seen the rise of a number of discount
carriers in recent years. In Germany, those include
Condor, LTU, Hapag-Lloyd, Aero-Lloyd, Eurowings, and Deutsche BA, a
subsidiary of British Air. German airlines transport 50
million
passengers a year.
About 90 other international airlines have
regularly scheduled flights to Germany, including all of the major US
carriers. From Germany, connections are available to over 300
destinations in 90 countries worldwide.

Lufthansa
jet
(Photo by Lufthansa)
Other
sites of interest
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