Hey there, fellow travelers! Today, we visit Frankfurt, Germany! There are lots of fun things to do in Frankfurt and we love coming here as a family. It’s an interesting mix of modern and historic Germany. As you know, here at Wolters World, we like to prepare travelers with the good, and the bad, of visiting a new travel destination. So these are the five things you’ll love, and the five things you’ll hate when you visit Frankfurt.
Hate #1: Hotels in Frankfurt Germany
It is expensive to stay in Frankfurt. Frankfurt is a financial center, so hotels in Frankfurt Germany are not cheap. Between business travelers and government travelers, Frankfurt hotels are able to get away with charging more. The best thing you can do is to reserve your Frankfurt hotel far in advance and continue to look for deals in the months leading up to your trip or look for an apartment rental rather than a hotel.
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Hate #2: Frankfurt’s Size
Frankfurt is an international financial hub, so it’s often lumped in with other major international cities, like London, Paris or Tokyo. So you may be expecting this huge metropolis, but Frankfurt isn’t actually that big. The city itself only has less than a million people. This is only a “hate” if you are expecting a major cosmopolitan city, but it makes Frankfurt quite manageable for getting around.
Hate #3: No Fairytale German Town
What most people picture when they think of Germany – half-timbered houses, lederhosen, and giant beers – is actually Bavarian Germany. Frankfurt is nothing like that. Nearly all of Frankfurt was destroyed in the war, so it’s all been rebuilt in relatively recent history. While there are some historic buildings in Frankfurt, the city is mostly modern skyscrapers. This can be a let-down if you are expecting the Bavarian ambiance.
Hate #4: Train Station Neighborhood
Chances are, you will arrive in Frankfurt to the Hauptbahnhof and once you exit the station, you are in the shadiest neighborhood in Frankfurt. From porn shops to beggars and street scammers, your first impression of Frankfurt will not be great. All of Frankfurt isn’t like this, but the area around the train station is not someplace you want to hang around. Keep this in mind when browsing hotels in Frankfurt Germany as well.
Hate #5: Jet Lag & Frankfurt Airports
If you fly into Frankfurt from overseas, you’re going to have jet lag. Frankfurt is a major airline hub, so people are arriving from every continent and nearly everyone will have jet lag upon arrival. It’s a shame because recovering from jet lag can really cut into the time you have to enjoy Frankfurt. Also, note which airport you are flying into; commuter flights come into Frankfurt Hahn, which is very far outside of the city. So you might save money on a cheap flight to Frankfurt only to spend more money just getting from the airport to Frankfurt.
Love #1: Modern City
While it’s not quaint Bavarian architecture, Frankfurt has really great modern architecture and lots of skyscrapers. Some of these skyscrapers have observation decks where you can get really great views of Frankfurt. Skyscrapers in Europe are kind of an anomaly when you’ve been traveling through some of the older cities, so modern Frankfurt is a nice change of pace in the middle of Germany.
Love #2: Frankfurt Transportation Connections
You can get almost anywhere from Frankfurt. Frankfurt is a major hub for the United States military, and there are flights to just about anywhere in the world from Frankfurt. You can also get around Europe easily by train or bus, and there are budget flights all over Europe. So, it can be easy to find a good deal on a flight to Frankfurt and then take advantage of connections to get to other destinations. Or, you can use Frankfurt as a hub and take many fun day trips around the region.
Love #3: Frankfurt Sachsenhausen
Sachsenhausen Frankfurt is a hip neighborhood on the other side of the river and it’s one of the historic areas of Frankfurt. Narrow, cobblestone streets are lined with apple-wine pubs, nightclubs, and German restaurants. One of my favorite things to do in Frankfurt is to visit the Sachsenhausen for apple wine and sausages. Apple wine is a regional specialty of Frankfurt and sausage is a very German food that you should try at least once when you visit.
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Love #4: Frankfurt Museums
Although Frankfurt is a relatively small city, there are a surprising number of world-class museums in Frankfurt. Along the river, they have the “Museum Embankment” where you’ll find all kinds of great museums. There’s a great film museum, Germany’s largest natural history museum and many more. You can easily spend a couple of days exploring the amazing museums in Frankfurt.
Love #5: Frankfurt’s Romerberg Area
While I do love the modern aspect of Frankfurt’s skyscrapers, I do love to visit the Romerberg area, which is the rebuilt section of Frankfurt’s Old Town. It’s like a little German village set amidst a very modern city. The main square is surrounded by sidewalk cafes and shops, with the requisite cathedral tower looming over the square.
Frankfurt is a really nice place and I’ve enjoyed visiting Frankfurt several times over the years. The “hates” are really just a few things to keep a head’s up on rather than a reason not to visit Frankfurt. Want more travel tips for Germany? Check out these other blog posts: