Frankfurt am Main, affectionately nicknamed "Mainhattan" due to its skyscrapers, is Germany’s fifth-largest city and the financial center of the European Union. Thanks to its international airport, the third largest in Europe, many travelers have landed here at least once.
Those who decide to explore Frankfurt beyond its airport won’t be disappointed. Whether it’s the towering modern buildings or the historic city center rebuilt after the war, the city has a unique charm. To help you navigate it, we’ve put together 5 essential tips to ensure a smooth experience.
1) You can’t rely solely on Google Maps
This is the most important—and probably the most surprising—tip. In Frankfurt, Google Maps does not show the routes and schedules for buses, subways, and trams, only for S-Bahn lines. This means that anyone using the app in the city will see completely inaccurate routes and travel times.
The issue is that Maps does not use information from RMV, the local transportation company. Since S-Bahn lines are controlled by Deutsche Bahn, a federal company that already shares data with Google, the app only provides those routes.
As this issue is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon, there are two viable alternatives: downloading the Deutsche Bahn app or the RMV app. The DB app has a simpler and faster interface and works throughout Germany, while the RMV app has a more accurate map for locating stations.
2) One of the airports is NOT in Frankfurt
Travelers in Europe often take advantage of low-cost airlines like Ryanair and Wizz Air. However, if you're flying to Frankfurt, be careful not to end up at Frankfurt-Hahn (HHN), or your cheap ticket could turn into an expensive trip.
Despite its name, this airport is actually in the town of Hahn, more than 100 km from Frankfurt. Because it’s a low-cost airport, some cheaper flights land there. The worst part is that on flight search websites like Google Flights, Frankfurt-Hahn often appears as an option for Frankfurt.
To avoid surprises, always check that you’re booking a flight to Frankfurt International Airport (FRA), which is only 14 minutes from the city center by S-Bahn.
3) Credit cards are not always welcome
Frankfurt may be the capital of European banking, but it still struggles with a common issue across Germany: paying by credit card can be difficult. It might seem surreal in today’s world—especially in the EU’s leading economy—but many establishments accept only cash (or Girocard, the German debit card).
This is more of a cultural issue than a technological one. Although things have improved compared to five years ago, Germans still prefer cash for financial control and privacy. This mindset is believed to stem from past periods of hyperinflation in the country. Privacy is also highly valued in Germany, as evidenced by the Data Protection Law passed in 2018.
4) Frankfurt is small, but its metropolitan area is huge
Mainhattan may seem enormous with its economic importance and towering skyscrapers, but the city itself is not very big. In fact, only about 750,000 people live in an area of 250 km². However, its metropolitan area is the third largest in Germany, with 5.6 million inhabitants.
This region, known as Frankfurt/Rhine-Main, includes amazing destinations like the university city of Mainz and Hanau. Hanau is the birthplace of the Brothers Grimm and the starting point of the German Fairy Tale Route, which stretches all the way to Bremen.
Mainz is just 33 minutes from Frankfurt by RE4 train, while the trip to Hanau takes only 17 minutes on the RE50. A one-way ticket costs €8.70
Other great day trips from Frankfurt include Darmstadt (19 min) and Wiesbaden (35 min).
5) The train fare to the airport is different from the rest of the city
As mentioned earlier, Frankfurt is not very large, and its main airport is close to the city center. However, its fare zone (5090) is different from the rest of the city (5000).
For travelers staying within Frankfurt, only these two fare zones matter. Within the city (zone 5000), a single ticket costs €2.75, while a day pass (valid until 5 AM the next day) costs €5.35. To the airport (zone 5090), a single ticket costs €5, and a day pass is €9.75.
Filipe Mendonça
Filipe has a degree in Advertising, works as a software developer in Germany, and is the creator of O Guia Nativo. The idea for a website offering non-touristic tips came about in 2014 but only became a reality in 2019.
