Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof

Frankfurt am Main Hauptbahnhof (usually abbreviated to Hbf = main station in German) is a impressive terminus at the centre of the busy city of Frankfurt, a beautiful station dating from 1888, although the halls either side of the main hall were added in 1924.  It's central position in Germany makes it a transport hub, and you'll often find yourself changing trains here, for example when travelling between Amsterdam & Switzerland, Brussels & Vienna or Copenhagen & Munich.  Sometimes the booking system will suggest a change at Frankfurt Flughafen station (Flughafen = airport) just outside Frankfurt instead.

small bullet point  Advice on changing trains at Frankfurt

small bullet point  Somewhere to eat & drink between trains

small bullet point  Luggage lockers

small bullet point  Ticket sales & information desk

small bullet point  First class lounge

small bullet point  Hotels near the station

small bullet point  Frankfurt Flughafen (airport) station

 

On other pages

small bullet point  Trains from Frankfurt to other European cities

small bullet point  Trains from other European cities to Frankfurt

small bullet point  General information for European train travel

small bullet point  How to buy European train tickets online

Frankfurt (Main) Hbf main entrance

Frankfurt (Main) Hbf facade & main entrance, dating from 1888.  Immediately inside the entrance is the main station hall.  Immediately beyond the main hall are the concourse and platforms.

Which platform for your train?

The main station hall, inside the main entrance.  Taken facing the station exit, with my back towards the trains.

L = Entrance to left luggage office & lockers.  U = Uddin's bar, good for a beer.  S = Starbucks.

T = Doors into the main DB ticket office, marked Reisezentrum.  DB = Doors to the stairs up to the DB Lounge.

The main station concourse, looking across the width of the station, with the platforms lined up on the right.

The arrow indicates the main station information desk, opposite platforms 12 & 13.  You pass either side of this desk into the main hall towards the station exit.  There's a smaller desk near platform 4.

In the foreground you can see stairs & escalators to the underground S-Bahn (suburban) platforms, marked with a S in a green circle.  Most visitors are unlikely to need the S-Bahn platforms.

Frankfurt (Main) Hbf information desk

Information desk, opposite platforms 12 & 13.  If you have an enquiry or a problem with connections, ask here.  Either side of this desk (under the Commerzbank signs) is the way into the station hall and from there out into the street.

Concourse & platforms...  This is a view of platforms 6, 7, 8 & 9 taken from the DB Lounge on the first floor.  You can see that there are no barriers or ticket gates, there is free & easy level access between concourse and all platforms.

Frankfurt (Main) Hbf trainshed

Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, end of the train  shed.  Taken from platform 24.

Something to eat or drink

Luggage lockers

Buying tickets & information desk

 

Entrance to DB travel centre (Reisezentrum) in the main hall.

 

Inside the Reisezentrum.  Taken from the stairs up to the DB first class lounge, which is located on the floor above.

DB first class lounge

The DB Lounge.

Hotels near Frankfurt (Main Hbf)

Stay overnight in Frankfurt.  Hotels next to the station with good or great reviews include the Flemings Express Hotel & Hotel Hamburger Hof, both of which I have stayed at and can recommend, I'd go with Flemings Express on balance, for carpeted rooms and a good breakfast buffet.  Both hotels are just across the road from the station's northern (platform 24) side exit.  You could also try The Frankfurt and the inexpensive Hotel Topas.

Flemings Hotel Frankfurt   Flemings Hotel Frankfurt

Hamburger Hof (left) & Flemings Express (right).

 

A spacious standard room at the Flemings Express Hotel.

Frankfurt Flughafen

Frankfurt Flughafen platforms

Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof platforms 4 & 5 (left) and 6 & 7 (right).  Taken from the escalators up to the station hall.  The station is modern, built at the southern end of the Frankfurt-Cologne high-speed line and opened in 1999.

Frankfurt Flughafen station hall

Frankfurt Flughafen station hall, directly above one end of the platforms.  Here you'll find a ticket office, ticket machines, shopping centre and access to the airport terminals.  There's a separate station for regional trains nearby, these are cheaper than using long-distance trains if all you need is transport between the airport and Frankfurt city centre.


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