Train stations in Frankfurt

Use Frankfurt (Main) Hbf for most city journeys, but choose the airport station named on your ticket when flying through Frankfurt Airport.

Choose the exact Frankfurt station before paying

Frankfurt has several stations. Frankfurt Airport has separate long-distance and regional stations too. Open the journey details and read the full name at both ends before buying. Treating Frankfurt city, Frankfurt Airport and Frankfurt-Hahn as interchangeable can ruin the connection before it starts.

For a city-centre trip, begin with Frankfurt (Main) Hbf. At the airport, choose Frankfurt(M) Flughafen Fernbf for an ICE or IC journey and Frankfurt(M) Flughafen Regionalbf for S-Bahn or regional travel. Check the same name on the ticket, not only the shortened result shown at the start of a search.

Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof is the city default

Choose Frankfurt (Main) Hbf unless the exact train and final address make another stop more useful. Long-distance and regional trains use the main station, while the S-Bahn and U-Bahn platforms sit below the surface concourse. Its 25 surface tracks occupy five train sheds, so a change can involve more walking than the platform numbers suggest.

For a surface-platform change, walk to the concourse at the end of the tracks before following signs to the next platform. Check whether the second train uses the surface station or an underground platform before accepting a tight connection. There are several exits as well. Choose the one nearest the final city leg.

Hauptbahnhof is not beside Römerberg. Trams 11 and 14 take about five minutes from the station forecourt to Römer/Paulskirche. Walking can suit light luggage, but the tram is usually easier with bags. Check the final stop near the accommodation before booking the long-distance train.

Frankfurt Airport has two rail stations

Use Frankfurt(M) Flughafen Fernbf when the itinerary includes an ICE or IC at the airport. A signposted walking route connects the long-distance station with Terminal 1. Allow about five minutes for the walk. Follow the long-distance train signs, not the green S-Bahn symbol.

Use Frankfurt(M) Flughafen Regionalbf for S-Bahn, RE and RB services. It is below Terminal 1 in Area B, Level 0, and is served by S8 and S9 as well as regional trains. Waiting underground at the Regionalbahnhof for an ICE booked from the Fernbahnhof is an easy way to miss it.

Check the flight terminal as well as the rail station. Terminal 1 has direct access to both stations, while another terminal adds an airport transfer. Allow for that transfer, the walk to the platform and airport formalities before choosing a train soon after landing.

Airline rail products use different rules

Lufthansa Express Rail and Rail&Fly are different products. Express Rail is booked with the flight, includes a reserved seat and is valid only on the train shown on the boarding pass. At Frankfurt, it uses the long-distance station. Passengers carry their own bags on the train before using the AIRail Terminal.

Rail&Fly is retrieved separately after the flight booking. It is flexible on the selected route and travel day and can include ICE, IC and EC trains, but it does not make any train on any day valid. Read the rail ticket for the route, date and class before leaving home. Leave enough recovery time when the train and flight are not protected as one connection.

The Regionalbahnhof is the normal airport-to-city choice

Take the S8 or S9 between Frankfurt Airport Regionalbahnhof and Frankfurt (Main) Hbf for the normal city transfer. The journey is about 15 minutes. At Hauptbahnhof, the airport S-Bahn uses the underground platforms, so follow the green S symbol rather than the surface-track numbers.

The airport is a separate RMV fare zone. An adult single ticket between Frankfurt city and the airport costs €6.90, while a standard Frankfurt city single does not cover the airport. Buy for the exact origin and destination. First check whether a through long-distance ticket already includes the local leg. Confirm the fare shown before paying.

The Deutschlandticket costs €63 per month and is sold as a personal subscription. It covers participating buses, trams, U-Bahn, S-Bahn and regional trains in second class, including the normal local airport trip. It is generally not valid on ICE, IC, EC, ECE or FlixTrain. Check the selected train category rather than relying on the route alone. Confirm the current monthly price and subscription conditions before signing up.

Frankfurt Süd and Höchst are address-specific choices

Use Frankfurt (Main) Süd only when the exact train calls there and the stop improves the onward journey. It can suit an address in Sachsenhausen and connects with S-Bahn, U-Bahn, tram and bus services, but it is not a substitute for Hauptbahnhof on every route. Check the stop list before paying.

Frankfurt-Höchst is a western suburban station with S-Bahn and regional services. Choose it for an address in Höchst or for a useful regional connection, but note that the station is not staffed for personal assistance. For a general central Frankfurt visit, keep Hauptbahnhof as the default and compare the complete local journey.

Frankfurt-Hahn requires a separate bus plan

Treat Frankfurt-Hahn Airport as a separate destination from Frankfurt Airport. Buses connect Hahn with Frankfurt via Frankfurt Airport, so plan a bus journey rather than using the rail stations at FRA. The shared city name is misleading here.

Check the airport code before arranging the train. FRA is Frankfurt Airport with the Fernbahnhof and Regionalbahnhof. HHN is Hahn Airport. Confirm the current bus departure point, timetable and connection margin, especially for an early flight or late arrival.

Direct trains cover major German and international corridors

Use Frankfurt Hbf as the starting comparison for most long-distance journeys. Direct ICE services run on corridors to Cologne, Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Stuttgart. Some departures also call at Frankfurt Airport or Frankfurt Süd, so compare the station as well as the journey time.

International direct trains include ICE or TGV services to Paris, ICE services to Brussels and Amsterdam, and trains towards Basel and Zurich. Frankfurt to Paris takes about 3 hours 40 minutes on a direct ICE or TGV, while Frankfurt to Amsterdam is about four hours on a direct ICE. Check the departure station and reservation rule for the chosen train.

Night trains can use a different Frankfurt stop. The Vienna to Amsterdam Nightjet calls at Frankfurt (Main) Süd and Frankfurt Airport rather than Frankfurt (Main) Hbf. Confirm the station and accommodation on the reservation because a seat, couchette and sleeper are different products.

German tickets trade price for flexibility

Choose a saver fare when the date and long-distance train are firm. DB Super Sparpreis and Sparpreis tickets are tied to the booked ICE, IC or EC train, while Flexpreis lets you use another long-distance train on the chosen route and day. The cheapest ticket is poor value if a flight or meeting makes that fixed train unrealistic.

Super Sparpreis is normally excluded from cancellation, apart from DB's short instant-cancellation window for eligible digital bookings. Sparpreis can be cancelled until the day before validity for a €10 fee, with the refund issued as a voucher. Flexpreis can be cancelled free until the day before validity, then for a €30 fee from the first day of validity. Read the conditions at checkout because international and promotional products can differ.

Reservations depend on the train and country

A seat reservation is optional on most domestic ICE, IC and EC journeys. A standalone reservation costs €5.50 in second class and €6.90 in first class. A reservation is included when buying a first-class Flexpreis for a specified long-distance connection. Confirm the current charge when adding the reservation to your booking.

Cross-border rules can be stricter. Reservations are compulsory on high-speed ICE and TGV services between Germany and France and are included with the relevant ticket. Reservations are also compulsory on certain international trains to Italy and Poland and on some seasonal services to France. Check the exact train rather than carrying the domestic rule across the border.

Interrail and Eurail passes can cover travel on participating DB services, but compulsory reservations and supplements remain separate. For France-bound ICE or TGV services, a normal domestic seat reservation is not enough. Book the pass-holder product for the exact train and keep it with the activated pass.

The final leg and accessible route belong in the plan

Plan from the Frankfurt arrival station to the hotel, event, onward train or flight. Hauptbahnhof has S-Bahn, U-Bahn and tram connections, while the airport and suburban stations create different final legs. A slightly faster train is not useful if it produces a longer transfer across the city.

Check engineering work, the live platform and the last useful local connection before travel. Frankfurt Hbf has lifts, lockers, Wi-Fi and toilets, but a lift outage can change the step-free route. DB's Mobility Service Centre can arrange boarding, changing and alighting assistance, including at Frankfurt Süd. Request help in advance and confirm the exact platform route before relying on a short connection.