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Frankfurt

  • 02-08-2017 11:01am
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 5,065 ✭✭✭


    Looking to go for 3 nights in November - there will be 5 of us. I usually use Booking.com for accommodation. Any other sites (AirBNB) to check for an apartment.


    Would like to be central to restaurants/bars etc


    Thanks


Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,489 ✭✭✭Yamanoto


    What is it that's drawn you towards Frankfurt as a destination?


  • Registered Users Posts: 21,401 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    Yamanoto wrote: »
    What is it that's drawn you towards Frankfurt as a destination?
    Exactly. If you were going there anyway for another reason, say business, that's one thing but it's hardly a destination most would choose in Germany as a city break.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,379 ✭✭✭VG31


    Why Frankfurt? I've travelled fairly extensively around Germany and there are an abundance of beautiful places to visit. Frankfurt is ok but considering what else Germany has to offer I don't know why you'd pick Frankfurt. Other big cities such as Munich, Hamburg, Cologne, Dresden and Nuremberg are much better than Frankfurt.

    You could consider staying in a smaller city near Frankfurt; Heidelberg is definitely worth seeing. Mainz and Mannheim are also good options.

    There is also the Middle Rhine Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are lots of pretty towns to stay in along the Rhine and there are regular river cruises.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,477 ✭✭✭Oops69


    VG31 wrote: »
    Why Frankfurt? I've travelled fairly extensively around Germany and there are an abundance of beautiful places to visit. Frankfurt is ok but considering what else Germany has to offer I don't know why you'd pick Frankfurt. Other big cities such as Munich, Hamburg, Cologne, Dresden and Nuremberg are much better than Frankfurt.

    You could consider staying in a smaller city near Frankfurt; Heidelberg is definitely worth seeing. Mainz and Mannheim would also be cities near to Frankfurt which are considerably nicer.

    There is also the Middle Rhine Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are lots of pretty towns to stay in along the Rhine and there are regular river cruises.
    maybe op has done research and wants something differnt from postcard pretty tourist traps .


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,379 ✭✭✭VG31


    Oops69 wrote: »
    maybe op has done research and wants something differnt from postcard pretty tourist traps .

    I have travelled off the usual tourist trail in Germany but there is a big difference between avoiding tourist traps and visiting a place which frankly doesn't have much to offer. There are a lot of good museums in Frankfurt however.

    Maybe the OP has done their research well and has a particular reason why they selected Frankfurt, which is fine. What I am saying is I wouldn't pick it because it's a big city and easy to get to.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 31,746 ✭✭✭✭gmisk


    The indoor market is terrific with lots of wine bars at top part and great views down. Also wine tents in main square on certain days. There are a couple or very decent mueseums would recommend staedal also some good restaurants the Italian LA scuderia is very tasty! Found it a very decent place for a long weekend


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,065 ✭✭✭stargazer 68


    Thanks folks. Have looked at other places and between flight prices and accommodation frankfurt seems to be the best deal. Ww have done Skyscanner to 'everywhere' and it seems to be the cheaper flights apart from the UK.

    Will take another look later


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,065 ✭✭✭otnomart


    I second recommendations for Heidelberg, you can go there as an easy day trip, about 1 hour by train from Frankfurt.


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,797 ✭✭✭munchkin_utd


    are you sure youre going to Frankfurt airport, and not Hahn which is on the Luxembourg border.
    If going to Hahn, which I'd nearly guess you are, then aside from the nearly 2hour bus to Frankfurt city, you can also go direct to Mainz and Heidelburg.
    Mainz is good as its the beginning of the Rhine valley which is fairly picturesque


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,065 ✭✭✭stargazer 68


    are you sure youre going to Frankfurt airport, and not Hahn which is on the Luxembourg border.
    If going to Hahn, which I'd nearly guess you are, then aside from the nearly 2hour bus to Frankfurt city, you can also go direct to Mainz and Heidelburg.
    Mainz is good as its the beginning of the Rhine valley which is fairly picturesque



    No its definitely Frankfurt with Aer Lingus
    Currently looking at Copenhagen flights too - 40 euro!


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 993 ✭✭✭737max


    Apart from the Museums I can't recommend Frankfurt and if I were interested in museums I'd go to Karlsruhe instead.
    What you do is you get off the plane in terminal 2, get the elevated internal train in Frankfurt Airport Terminal 2 to Terminal 1. Walk a few hundred metres to the train station on site and take the ICE train to Mannheim then change Heidelberg HBF. There are a number of hotels near Heidelberg HBf which can be bought from an automated ticket machine on the platform.
    If there are five of you I'd probably recommend hiring a car from Frankfurt Airport instead via arguscarhire or similar with the main car hire companies being just on the left hand side as you enter the arrivals hall after you get off the plane and the hire cars parked directly beneath the airport in the multi-storey basement.

    If you are a certain type of tourist the only attraction I could think that would be of interest in Frankfurt is the red light area otherwise I'm struggling to see why you'd want to go there.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,379 ✭✭✭VG31


    737max wrote: »
    Apart from the Museums I can't recommend Frankfurt and if I were interested in museums I'd go to Karlsruhe instead.
    What you do is you get off the plane in terminal 2, get the elevated internal train in Frankfurt Airport Terminal 2 to Terminal 1. Walk a few hundred metres to the train station on site and take the ICE train to Mannheim then change Heidelberg HBF. There are a number of hotels near Heidelberg HBf which can be bought from an automated ticket machine on the platform.
    If there are five of you I'd probably recommend hiring a car from Frankfurt Airport instead via arguscarhire or similar with the main car hire companies being just on the left hand side as you enter the arrivals hall after you get off the plane and the hire cars parked directly beneath the airport in the multi-storey basement.

    If you are a certain type of tourist the only attraction I could think that would be of interest in Frankfurt is the red light area otherwise I'm struggling to see why you'd want to go there.

    Germany's train system is excellent. You can get to Heidelberg by ICE train in 50 mins as described above. If you take the ICE I recommend booking it in advance as it's much cheaper. Otherwise you can take regional trains which take 1 hour and 40 minutes. A day ticket costs €76 for 5 people.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 993 ✭✭✭737max


    VG31 wrote: »
    Germany's train system is excellent. You can get to Heidelberg by ICE train in 50 mins as described above. If you take the ICE I recommend booking it in advance as it's much cheaper. Otherwise you can take regional trains which take 1 hour and 40 minutes. A day ticket costs €76 for 5 people.

    I've never got ICE in less than 1h20m with change at Mannheim HBF.
    Hire car allows trips Speyer, Sinsheim, Odenwald, Karlsruhe and around HD itself.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,379 ✭✭✭VG31


    737max wrote: »
    I've never got ICE in less than 1h20m with change at Mannheim HBF.
    Hire car allows trips Speyer, Sinsheim, Odenwald, Karlsruhe and around HD itself.

    You can do it in 50-55 mins: https://s2.postimg.org/8i5aguf6f/Screenshot_2017-08-03-10-42-13.png


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 993 ✭✭✭737max


    VG31 wrote: »

    In a perfect world. Didn't work for me last time I did the trip. I took me more like 1h 40 last time. Note the change required from platform 2 to 9 in Mannheim HBF. If ICE train is late you miss the connection. My last few trips with DB haven't been punctual.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,489 ✭✭✭Yamanoto


    I asked about Frankfurt initially OP, as I get there three to four times a year & it's one of the few places where my heart sinks, when I find out I'm going to have to be there more than one day. It just lacks the vitality you'd expect from a city of that size in the heart of Europe.

    There's a glut of inexpensive November departures to great cities showing on the Ryanair site in November, using their 'fare finder'. Hotel rates should be dropping off in a number of places by that time too.

    Berlin
    Seville
    Barcelona
    Rome
    Many Eastern European destinations incl. Budapest, Bucharest & Sofia
    Bologna
    Valencia


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,065 ✭✭✭stargazer 68


    Thanks for the info folks. Currently looking at Copenhagen - some of the Xmas markets will be open at the time too which is good.


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,797 ✭✭✭munchkin_utd


    737max wrote: »
    <snip>

    If you are a certain type of tourist the only attraction I could think that would be of interest in Frankfurt is the red light area otherwise I'm struggling to see why you'd want to go there.
    you're bring very hard on Frankfurt.

    I've been there heaps of times and always have a grand time. I never stay near the station, rather over by the Messe (trade fair centre) which is dirt cheap outside the trade fair times, and I'd stick mainly to areas away from the station i.e. Westend, Botanic Gardens, Opera house, round by city centre and the Römer (main square)
    For pints , sachsenhausen has had better days (jesus it was mental when the US soldiers were in town) but its a quaint area and still worth a visit to see the old houses. The museum district south of the river has something for everyone.
    You can take an applewine tram tour, go for a wee spin down the Main river, go up a skyscraper, go to the botanic gardens, hire a bike and take a spin down the river, visit the open air market, no lack of things to be at.
    Even with kids theres the natural historic museum (dinosaurs!) , crazy indoor play area downtown in the Zeil shopping centre, and some sort of small kids museum by the Hauptwache which is basically a free play area. The city council playgrounds are also grand

    And yes, there's nicer cities in Germany, but the city aside from directly around the station is actually pretty much ok.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 993 ✭✭✭737max


    Dovies wrote: »
    Thanks for the info folks. Currently looking at Copenhagen - some of the Xmas markets will be open at the time too which is good.
    Heidelberg Weihnachtmarkts(for there are several) open on 27th November and are about as good as they come in Germany.


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,797 ✭✭✭munchkin_utd


    Dovies wrote: »
    Thanks for the info folks. Currently looking at Copenhagen - some of the Xmas markets will be open at the time too which is good.
    Going to copenhagen in order to have a cheap weekend? Probably the first person in history to come up with that idea!

    Have you priced in accommodation and general food and drink, because when you're on the ground Copenhagen is far from cheap.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 11,220 ✭✭✭✭Lex Luthor


    Heidelberg will be great that time of year with the Christmas market, its one of the best but I would say 1 day there is enough


  • Registered Users Posts: 31,746 ✭✭✭✭gmisk


    Going to copenhagen in order to have a cheap weekend? Probably the first person in history to come up with that idea!

    Have you priced in accommodation and general food and drink, because when you're on the ground Copenhagen is far from cheap.
    I was in Copenhagen one long weekend...would totally agree it is pretty expensive (maybe not oslo levels but close). Also didn't find a huge amount to do....its says a lot when the train to Malmo is one of the best things to do...


  • Registered Users Posts: 20 Licherandkebab


    Frankfurt is a great city. The skyline is amazing - kind of like a mini Manhatton. It also has the best Irish pub I've ever been to. I'd suggest anywhere in the Sachsenhausen area as that's where all the nightlife is but the public transport system is so good that everywhere is nearby.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,065 ✭✭✭stargazer 68


    Thanks folks - going to cologne now! Finicky lot - lol. Flights booked - just looking at apartments at the moment


  • Registered Users Posts: 532 ✭✭✭Mr rebel


    Good choice, Cologne is party central and very friendly.


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