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Frankfurt am Main
Frankfurt am Main
Location
Country	Germany
Latitude	50° 07' N
Longitude	8° 41' E
Time Zone	GMT/UTC +1 (Central European Time)
Statistics
Population	661,000 (2006)
Area	249 km² (approximate)
Currency	Euro (EUR)
Electricity	220V
Language	German

Contents 1 Frankfurt Layover 2 City Overview 3 The Airport 4 Layover Hotels 5 Getting Around 6 Things to See 7 Shopping 8 Where to Eat 9 Clubs, Bars, Nightlife 10 Safety Advisories 11 External Links

[edit] Frankfurt Layover

[edit] City Overview

Frankfurt on Google Maps

Frankfurt was originally established as a Roman fortress in the first century. It became one of the most important cities in Europe in the 9th century and acted as the crowning place of the German kings. The city has maintained its status as an important centre for trade ever since. Today Frankfurt is one of the leading cities for the finance industry and home to several large companies as well as national and international administrative bodies.

Although the city itself is rather small, it's location in a highly suburbanized setting results in a large downtown area with a cosmopolitan touch.

Among English speakers the city is commonly known simply as "Frankfurt", though Germans occasionally call it by its full name when it is necessary to distinguish it from the other (significantly smaller) Frankfurt in the German state of Brandenburg, known as Frankfurt (Oder). It was once called Frankfort-on-the-Main in English, a translation of Frankfurt am Main.

[edit] The Airport

• Frankfurt International Airport (IATA: FRA, ICAO: EDDF)
• Frankfurt-Hahn Airport (IATA: HHN, ICAO: EDFH)

[edit] Layover Hotels

[edit] Getting Around

Public Transport in Frankfurt is provided by a network of S-Bahn-lines (suburban railways) and the U-Bahn (subway). The primary hubs are the central railway station and the station "Hauptwache". There is an extensive tram and bus service throughout the cities. Trains, trams and buses usually run late into the evening, with night buses taking over through the night.

Taxis are usually quite expensive but readily available around the clock. You can either hire one at the designated taxi stands at key locations (public transportation stops, tourist attractions) or call one of the many taxi operators.

[edit] Things to See

• Römer: The Römer is a central square in front of the city hall in the old part of Frankfurt. After extensive bombing in WW2 it has been restored to its former state and is a very popular place among locals.
• Museumsufer: A number of museums stretch along the southern bank of the river Main.
• Apfelweinviertel (Ebbelwoiviertel): This part of the southern borough of Sachsenhausen boasts a large number of traditional pubs and restaurants.
• Paulskirche: A former cathedral that showcased the founding of the first democratic nation on Germany's soil.

[edit] Shopping

Frankfurt's main shopping street is the Zeil which stretches from the central railway station eastwards, north of the old town. This street features all large department stores, several small malls and quite a number of tiny shops, along with the usual downtown eateries. Several other shopping streets can be found in other parts of the city.

[edit] Where to Eat

• If staying at the Maritim start walking toward the train station. About half the way there on the right is a great Chinese place with a good, cheap buffet. I think it's about 5 euros for all the food you can keep down. The next door down is a Thai place, but the Chinese buffet is far superior. Also, if you're coffee junkie like me you'll be happy to know there is a Starbucks just inside the main front door of the train station. Home sweet home!

• Ok, when you're downtown, there is a place that the locals call "Fressgass", the correct name is "Kalbächer Gasse". For our fellow Americans: Think open-air eatery. It's a street between the old opera house (alte Oper) and the Hauptwache. During the day, you'll find all types of places there. Also make sure you check out the side streets (Kaiserhofstraße, kleine Hochstraße). Most of the restaurants there will also be open at night but watch out, prices may vary greatly depending on the place. See this link: http://maps.google.com/?ll=50.114493,8.674285&spn=0.002556,0.005423&t=h&om=1

• "Zum Wagner" is a typical german restaurant with large dishes and a great atmosphrere. For those who'd like to experience authentic german food it's the place to be. Located in Sachsenhausen (south of the river), near U-Bahn station "Schweizer Platz". Unfortunately, credit cards are not accepted.

• Quite unusual and creative food can be found at "Gargantua". Combining german and mediterranean food the experience can be described as unique. Rather on the costly side, though. It's located in the Westend area, between U-Bahn stations "Alte Oper" (Opera house) and "Westend" in a side street called Liebigstr. Reservations recommended, call 069-721997

• "Baseler Eck", right next to the central train station (Baseler Platz, S- and U-Bahn station Hauptbahnhof, then follow the major road to the right until you see the bridge). German food. Quite popular with crews as there are nice discounts. Phone: +49-69-252-439

• Although it doesn't look like it, probably the best pizza in town can be found at "Pizza Petro" in Sachsenhausen. It's basically a takeaway-only pizza shop with very reasonable prices and great pizza. Located in the Paradiesgasse (south of the Ebbelwoiviertel) sandwiched between some other nice takeaways.

• The eastern end of the Zeil (main shopping street) has a limited number of nice restaurants. This is one of the few places to find turkish food beyond Kebap and fantastic Vietnamese dishes.

[edit] Clubs, Bars, Nightlife

• Across the street from the Maritim at the Marriott there is a pretty good sports bar that will stay open late when NFL games are on. A lot of airline crews hang there. If you cross the street from the Maritim, take a left at the Marriott and go about three blocks there is a little mom and pop place called Fido's that's excellent. You can't miss it as it is adorned with a giant neon dog!
• Although it's frequented by tourists rather than local folks, the Ebbelwoiviertel is a nice place to spend an evening. Several traditional bars, clubs playing salsa or house, karaoke clubs and much more. Sachsenhausen (simply take bus line 36 which runs through virtually every street in the city centre towards Sachsenhausen and get out the second stop after crossing the river).
• There are quite a few Irish pubs around, the best of which are McGowan's (eastern end of the Zeil, nice staff, rather calm, great cider) and Yours near the stock exchange (to the north of Hauptwache station), which boasts a romping karaoke crowd.
• Silbergold club (Heiligkreuzgasse, north-east of Konstabler Wache station) is a small and dark house club with a very nice crowd. It's best after 3am.
• Cocoon Club in Fechenheim is a fine venue playing house and electro. Rather upmarket, the door policy is strict, but the crowds are nice and the club looks superb. Tram lines 11 and 12 towards Fechenheim, exit at Dieselstr and walk into the street to your right.
• Batschkapp club is arguably the oldest alternative club around, and it draws a mixed crowd. Unfortunately it's quite a bit out-of-town, so you'll have to take S-Bahn line 6 northbound to Eschersheim station (15 mins from Hauptbahnhof).
• On top of the Zeilgalerie (a small shopping center on the Zeil) is a very nice roof garden bar with a good array of beer and cocktails.
• King Kamehameha club is a very upmarket house club located near the Ostbahnhof (S and U Bahn station). Be prepared to spend quite a fortune (after dressing up properly, of course) for a great night out.
• In summer you can have a nice time visiting one of the fine cafes on the south bank of the river (around the Eiserner Steg, just head towards the river from Römer, the bridge will be right ahead).

Note: Smoking in bars and clubs is illegal now (although there are some venues which do not comply). Violating this rule can result in high fines for both the patrons and the landlord. Most venues do not have a separate smokers' room, so you might have to go outside to smoke.

[edit] Safety Advisories

Frankfurt is, compared to other German cities, quite crime-ridden. The downtown area as well as the airport is heavily policed, but pickpockets and other criminals are still active. Try to stay away from red-light districts and boroughs with large foreign communities as these tend to be the most dangerous parts of the city.

[edit] External Links

Frankfurt Tourism Website (various languages)