When we embarked on the long journey from the midwest to SE Asia, our flight plans included an 11 hour layover in Frankfurt, Germany. This was perfect timing, as it allowed us to explore the Christmas markets!
We arrived in Frankfurt 9:35 AM (11hr/20min connection) and our flight to Bangkok didn’t leave until 8:55 PM that night. Upon arriving in Frankfurt we were able to visit the Lufthansa lounge to change and freshen up. We then ventured out and found one of the luggage storage centers at the Frankfurt airport to check our carry-on bags for the day.
There are 3 luggage storage places at the Frankfurt Airport:
The baggage storage locations are as follows:
- Terminal 1
Area B, Level 1 (Arrival)
Opening hours: daily, 24 hours
Phone: +49 69 690 70786
E-mail: [email protected] - Terminal 1
Area B – C, Level 2 (Departure)
Opening hours: daily from 8:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Phone: +49 69 690 73277
E-mail: [email protected] - Terminal 2
Area D, Level 2 (Arrival)
Opening hours: daily from 8:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Phone: +49 69 690 7286
E-mail: [email protected]
The fees to store your luggage are below:
After storing our luggage we made our way to the train to head to the Frankfurt city center.
Train to Frankfurt
The S9 s-bahn and S8 s-bahn lines offer direct connections to the central (Frankfurt (Main) Konstablerwache) station in Frankfurt. The trains are available every 5 to 10 minutes from the airport and the trips last 15 minutes at most. Regular one way tickets from the airport cost 4.65€.
The train station connecting Frankfurt airport to the city is located on level zero of Terminal 1. Clear signs throughout the airport can help travelers locate the train station.
For breakfast, we followed other blogger’s advice and checked out Cafe Metropol
Address: Cafe Metropol, Weckmarkt 13–15, Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany, +49 069-288–287
After breakfast we did some wandering and visited the famous Christmas markets.
Frankfurt Christmas Market –
Located at Römerberg, St Paul’s Square, Mainkai (Main Quay), Hauptwache and Friedrich-Stoltze-Square. Hours are 10:00am – 9:00pm
Here is some information on the markets
For anyone planning on visiting a Christmas market in Germany, I highly recommend these top 5 experiences!
#1 Sip Warm Gluhwein
#2 Shop for a Christmas Ornament Souvenir
#3 Try Some Raclette Cheese
#4 Sample Local Bratwursts and Sausages
#5 Experience Local German Beers
We had plenty of time to walk around and enjoy the day, although we did have a pretty long layover. There was time to spare, so you could still make this side trip happen on an 8 hour layover with the right planning!
We considered an overnight stopover on our way to Asia. In that case there are a few tours we considered:
Layover Private Tour with a Local
I find the best way to get a feel for a city and see as much as possible is to do a tour. This one is perfect for even a short layover – a one hour walking tour with a local!
