FRANKFURT-AM-MAIN: FIRST IMPRESSIONS - Things to do in this European financial hub.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 มิ.ย. 2024
- This was my first time to Frankfurt, technically Frankfurt am Main. It is home to Europe's third largest financial hub, but it also has it's attractions. My first impression wasn't a great one. It's a fine city to explore, but it was missing that 'special something' which other German cities have.
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*** TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:18 River Rhine
00:01:45 Frankfurt Airport S-Bahn experience
00:03:50 City Centre attractions
00:06:38 Eintracht Frankfurt
00:07:06 Kleinmarkthalle
00:07:59 Main Tower observation deck
00:09:44 First Impressions
Regarding the poor signage for public transport:
There are actually signs at the airport: you have to follow signs for "Bahnhöfe / Railway stations", and then "Regionalbahnhof / Regional trains". They don't have the S-Bahn logo on them, though, so if you were looking out for that, you may have missed the signs.
At the Hauptbahnhof, I'm pretty sure that once you go down the stairs to the intermediate level for the S-Bahn platforms, there are signs there with an airplane symbol and the word "Airport" directing you to the correct platform. The platform indicators do show if a train goes to the airport, but when I was last there it said something like "Flugh Regionalbhf" which isn't much help if you can't read German. However, I know that the software for those things has recently been given an overhaul, so maybe it's better now. Departure boards on the intermediate level, IIRC, do show the more helpful symbol.
However, at the moment the subterreanean levels at the Hbf are, you'll have noticed, being extensively renovated and rebuilt, so it's very chaotic down there. Thnings should improve next year, I understand.
(I have a video on my own channel about how to get from the airport to the city: it's called "How to get from Frankfurt Airport to the city" if you're curious.)
The "Disneyland" old quarter: Yes, a lot of it was rebuilt very recently and is only a few years old, so it does still look brand spanking new and therefore artificial. Much of the space was occupied by a concrete monstrosity -- the "Technical City Hall", the HQ for the part of the city administration dealing with city planning and infrastructure -- which was mercifully demolished. Hidden away under some of those buildings are the remains of the ancient royal palace where the mediaeval history of Frankfurt began, which are open to the public on certain days of the week.
I agree with him, I was there in August and the signage was a complete and utter joke. I'll be honest, I expected better of a country known for it's efficiency. Will it stop me returning to Germany? Absolutely not!
Only ever transited through the airport, cheers for the look around! Always love going to the highest point as well :)
@SteveMarsh I hate Frankfurt, nothing nice about it at all. My daughter worked there for about a year.
As someone living in Frankfurt, it's interesting to see it from a tourist's point of view. While it might not be a tourist hotspot, it's a great city to live in.
I like your no nonsense honest appraisals of places with a little history thrown in👍
From what you described getting dizzy looking up it sounds like you might have BPPV, which is a form of vertigo. It's caused by loose particles in your inner ear canals. It's usually easily treated by doing a repositioning exercise called the epley manoeuvre. Worth getting it looked at. Like your vids by the way 👍
I hate all heights- can you recommend any cures?
I wish I could help you with your fear of heights my friend but BPPV is actually a medical problem with dizziness and nothing to do with it. The legendary French Spiderman Alan Robert actually suffers from BPPV. He's definitely not scared of heights!
Love the funky music Scott .. great work 🕺✅
Growing up about two hours from FFM, we used to travel to Frankfurt to visit the zoo, the Senckenberg museum and the old city center. It is not a touristy place, but it is nice to visit for day trips or a weekend. Definitely better off going to Berlin or Munich.
Found exactly the same problem getting the S-bahn to the airport, just wasn't at all obvious - had to download a map to see what routes went there and then once in any of the central stations, it wasn't very obvious what platforms or trains you needed - the same platform hosted numerous different trains. Even Googling for advice didn't come up with much that was useful!
Also found the area around the Hauptbahnhof and to the north to be a wee bit hairy, and I consider myself fairly streetwise!
Some of the areas south of the river had a bit more charm than the main city centre - streets like Schweizer Strasse had character.
Thanks for the video. I have travelled to Frankfurt many times for the bi-annual motor show. The trick with the airport is to study the website before you get there. I found it very informative telling you how to get to the S-Bahn and even showing you which ticket machines to use. Agreed the city lacks character but I love the trams. The river unlike the Thames in London is a major shipping thoroughfare. You showed one of the vast boats on the video. Some I have seen carry a car on the back so that the ships officer can get home at the end of the journey.
They don’t use the car to get home🤣
Visited Frankfurt many many years ago...yes a great many, visiting friends of an Aunt (too long a story to explain) they lived over the shop as it were, although as the shop was a large furniture store the 2 apartments above were what even now you'd call posh. They admitted Frankfurt wasn't a tourist place, and had no pretentions of becoming one. As we're from Birmingham we knew exactly what they meant, people can come and visit but it's business first. They had a solution though...not far out of the City a family Garden with a small sumer house type thing and a pool...very different from being in town
I'm Scottish but was a professional musician in a nightclub band based near Frankfurt in the 80's and travelled round most of Germany and central Europe and my memories of the city are very good although I was away a lot.
A friend of mine from Saxony said to give Frankfurt a miss as "you will be bored". Berlin, Munich, Berteschgarten, Dresden, Koblenz & Trier are great places to explore and have things to do.
I was there as a youngster for the World Cup in 1974 🏴
I have always thought of going back one day as I had such a great time
Thanks for the brief visit
By the way P.T & Everything. I like your videos and personality. Thanks for doing them. I'm going to look niw and see if you've done one on Nuremberg. We went there nine years ago for two days and really liked it.
Sadly I share your opinion on Frankfurt, I just didn't find much to keep me occupied after a few hours. I sort of felt the same about Düsseldorf too. On the other hand, I do love Munich. But my absolute favourite big city in Germany has to be Berlin! I love the character, atmosphere and history of the place, a fascinating city.
Worked in Frakfurt back in the early 90s and yes, it was a bit soul-less - but I had some good times. A few vignettes: on my first arrival, walking from the HbF to my hotel I passed a Beate Uhse Sex shop and was kinda surprised to see an elderly couple, easily mid 70s, browsing the costumes, whips and assorted videos in the shop window......more in hope than expectation, I assume. Another time I took the S-Bahn out to see Eintracht play Sy.Pauli and got mixed up with a carriage full of Hamburg hoolies, all swastikas and suntans, corralled by armed police and slavering dobermans, singing "You'll never walk alone" - the ultra's theme tune apparently. 2-2 draw, Eintracht recovering from 0-2 at half time with a fine brace from Jay-Jay Okocha (magnificent footballer). Finally, on another trip, catching the S-bahn out to Bad Homburg on a sunny July Saturday. In one of the suburbs where there were neat bungalows, very propserous looking, people gardening, mowing lawns, sprinkling lawns. All naked. I love the place.
Fun to watch this video since I just had a conversation about how depending on where you spend your days you could get an entirely different opinion of the city. You really went only to the places that were build for tourists to visit during layovers and for that part of the city I would agree on the 6/10. If you asked a local they could have easily guided you to the actual old town that feels like a set for a movie set in medieval times (10/10), the beautiful greenbelt (that is still in the city yet you can walk in forests for days 9/10 plus take the train for 10mins and you are in the middle of the mountains with stunning waterfalls), the posh shopping streets for the super rich(5/10), the beautiful canal with its yachts(7/10) or - the part that people who live there try to avoid like the plague - the most filthy part of germany that even the police gave up on where people all over the country travel to to buy illegal drugs.(-10/10 seriously...super dangerous area)
As a born Frankfurterin, I totally agree.
The video showed a lot of Römer, Samstagsberg and the 'Neue Altstadt' - but missed 'Haus Wertheim', the only surviving building of the old town.
Frankfurt isn't too fancy, but there are a lot of pretty places. Hidden.
I like the descriptions and the ratings - 10/10 for the dangerous area is perfect. You've restored my faith in Frankfurt. The resident can't be wrong I always say not unless he's biased.
I'm glad someone agrees with me about the poor signage. Spent way longer at the Airport than I would have liked trying to get into town - the hangover didn't help...but still. Compared to Amsterdam Schipol, I could make that journey into town blind drunk.
Your assessment of Frankfurt kind of reminds me of San Jose or Zurich: enough good stuff to visit for a day or two, but their focus as a center of business precludes sticking around for much more than that.
Great video thanks. Used to go there a lot at night but didn’t recognise any of the new areas or buildings. Squadron Leader Flatten-Them (Rtr) KGV DCS.
🤣🤣
Think I served with you. Flt Leut Karl Pet Bombr.
Interesting to hear your thoughts. I flew there as a child in 1959 in a DC3!
Thank you Scott this video was very interesting I’m the same with heights I go all wobbly 😀
I totally agree on Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof and the airport train. Had exactly the same issue 5 years ago. It took me ages to work out the platform was underground. Signs are lacking: it’s as if they assume you’re a local and just know. My least favorite Germany city.
But don't you have a mouth to ask? Where is the problem?
I visited Frankfurt in December 2019 en route to the USA. I liked it for the Christmas markets (massive) and gluhwein. I didn't have the hauptbahn issue as I stayed at an airport hotel, and zipped in by train when I wanted to see the city.
Recently returned from the Christmas markets in FaM and I quite like the city, it was free from litter, clean and I felt safe there..... unlike most of the UK cities. FaM also has good quality individual shops, no streets awash with charity / pop up premises, again typical of the UK.
Finding a real German in Frankfurt is like winning the lottery! There is little German there these days
I enjoyed Frankfurt. Apfelwein, football and sausages galore, I plan to go back.
Sausages Galore: isn’t that a Frankfurt Gay Nightclub?
I was once there and had the very same feeling as you have.
Frankfurt has some of the best museums on the planet. Up to you to know what you are looking at
One fact not mentioned was how close FRA is to Frankfurt city centre. From the top of the Main Tower the airport is easily visible. Yes the number of S-Bahn lines is confusing so it's best to do some homework (as to which line/lines serve FRA) in advance. Also have some change for the ticket machines. Mind you I haven't visited FRA for 15 years so ticket machines might accept credit cards or be contactless today.
Can't go wrong with the Clockwork Orange!
Hoechst is a good place to visit, it has a wonderful Town Square strewn with restaurant tables. Its a short train ride from Frankfurt. Its A really authentic German experience in the shadow of the factory that produces Zyklon b which thsse days is used to kill turkeys.
I've only been there once and that was for a business meeting - fly in, go to meeting, fly back - didn't see much of it.
I don't know where you were, but the Frankfurt Airport is packed with signs with a train sign, really everywhere. The only thing which might be confusing is the fact that there are two train stations. In the main train stations, there are huge panels "trains to the airport", I'm not totally sure, but I think on nearly any quai.
I highly recommend Hamburg and Marschlande (Hamburg-Bergedorf). For your next trip (But flying into Hamburg Airport is an experience to say the least)...
Ryanair fly into Hamburg from the UK, I did that trip a few years ago for £30 return. Not sure I'd call that expensive
@@aston-s I meant the Hamburg Airport experience… not necessarily the price…
@@itmkoeln I could swear that said expensive earlier - ignore me
I recently spent a handful of months traveling around Europe. Out of all major cities I was the most disappointed with frankfurt. Couldn't agree more with what you had to say about FRA. The airport is disorganized and not a great place to transit through. Several occasions I've had to wait longer for my bag to come out from under the plane than the flight took itself!
Being from Munich, I like Frankfurt's cuisine and the dialect.
Yeah Frankfurt is a great city to live in but definitely lacks behind other big cities when it comes to visiting and exploring. Oh btw you called the river rhine in the chapters ;)
My exact same experience. It's a bit like visiting Sheffield or something. Like not much to see there, just a working city
FRA is awesome. I go nearly every year.
Next time you go to Frankfurt have a meal at Die Frau Rauscher. Great food for reasonable prices and the typical german atmosphere. Whenever we visit Frankfurt we always have a meal there. At the airport I enter through the Sheraton front desk, straight via the concourse into the Departure Hall. Ample directions available including the train to Hauptbahnhof. Frankfurt Flughafen logic, show departing passengers where to find the train.🤷♀️
By the way, when are you visiting Amsterdam?
It is a cosmopolitan city. I used to visit for the nightlife when I stayed briefly down the road in Darmstadt. There are some good clubx in the city if you know where to go
interesting thoughts. I'm a massive fan of Frankfurt - it is much under-rated (as is the whole state of Hesse). The neighbourhoods closest to the centre are the most eclectic and interesting. Lovely parks and more museums than virtually any other German city. Public transport is a million times better, and two million fold less expensive than in London. The U-bahn is great and inexpensive.
We call this city Junkfurt or Crackfurt for a reason.
I try to avoid FRA airport. The signage is confusing and it's just so big. The only time I had a bag delayed (for 3 days) was on Lufthansa from FRA to Lisbon. I had just seen a documentary about how efficient the aiport was and how they keep track of your bags. Hah! I went into the city once, but it didn't seem to have much heart.
Looks good for maybe a day or two but that's about it probably. Munich looks better. Looking at doing Munich for a few days then take the train from there to Frankfurt to stay overnight then a train over to Brussels the next day. Its supposed to be our plan for a beer holiday
Well I think it could be included on a trip round Germany with something like a Eurail ticket.
But as far as going there ONLY, I don't think it's a major pull, especially with so many other nice places in Germany (or Europe).
When it comes to heights I'm exatly the same fine looking down but looking up get very dizzy and that sickly feeling in the stomach
I was interested to read what Andrew Hatcher said about the possible causes of yput dizziness. I had a bad case of this three years ago. I wake up one morning and i seemed ti me the room practically upside down. I didnt know what the hell was wrong, whether it was do do with my heart or what. I just felt very ill. Anyway my wife and daughter got an ambulance out and I was in hospital for a day or so getting tested. They seemed to think it was something called Labryntitus or Labryntica ? Which is related to Vertigo.
I dont take any medication for it.
If I look up at the roof gutters or something like that it comes on me again. When I get up out of bed now I'm careful to do it gradually and sit on the edge of the bed for a minute before getting dressed.
I suppose a lot of people would think that something like that was all in your head, but its an actual condition.
Perhaps I've got what Andrew mentioned myself ?
Thanks to Andrew for mentioning that.
What was the damage in the hairy lemon Scott john😊
:) Amusing to hear a tourist talk about Frankfurt. The airport is mostly served by S Bahns from underneath the stations or ICEs from the top. You need to figure out East or West and then look for the airport sign on the departure board when the S Bahn comes in. Look for other people with luggage. Its not a bad city but not much for tourists- the locals are actually quite chilled. I tend to associate it with business more than leisure though there is/used to be an alternative scene. That rathausplatz is a nothing burger. I saw your eneded it at Palmengarten? That area is nice and quiet but yes its not the most soulful of places but it isnt that bad. 6 -7 /10 is probably fair.
Did you see the armed guard at the McDonalds in the Hbf?
It is a big city that could be interchanged for any other big city
Of all the Big Cites Frankfurt is probably the worst...
Lived in Cologne for 28 years and now for a year in Hamburg...
@@itmkoeln when put in contrast you really can't compare Frankfurt to the likes of Berlin, Hamburg and others. Most cities have something unique to them. Frankfurt just feels like a American city dumped on German soil
Dr Samuel Johnson had it right " Worth seeing but not worth going to see. " Although he was talking about the Giants Causeway...well it was the 1600s...before Ryanair so Frankfurt was off the table!!!
Ive been to Frankfurt twice, I went for the Football. But yes I agree from a tourist point of view there isn’t much there
Hi Scott. New subscriber. I love visiting Germany. Have to admit. Frankfurt is not one of better cities. You should visit Nuremberg. Beautiful palace. Lots of WW2 stuff there too. Also not far from Bavaria the eagles nest in Berchtesgaden. Amazing views. High up
I went here many years ago and got hopelessly lost. I was driving a coach at the time. I never returned.
be careful with that dizziness Scott, if it only happens when you look up its fairly mild, but that is a definite sign of either labyrinthitis, or a much worse BPPV (positional vertigo). i suffer that and it is a real bastard to live with, you can have a specialist Audiologist or doctor look into it for you, but do not ignore it. my balance went tits up for weeks - months, and i still get episodes whenever it chooses, not a lot can be done i was told they can preform this movement thing with your head, but only twice because it can make things a much worse. get it checked out. Frankfurt looks like it is a developing business city with the mix of scrappers and post WW2 building trying to look much older. did they rebuild or get the fairy liquid out.
Adler comes from Frankfurt. I have an Imperial Adler typewriter from 1974.
how can that be a train without wagons its a light engine movement scott
Thank you! That was needed, I'm not nuts, commuting here *is* somewhat... okay... extremely annoying!🤣
The fact that the commuter system is such an insane mess and the bigger stations are RPG-Dungeon like structures with ever deeper levels.. you expect a boss monster down there... I only occasionally realize the ludicrousness when I experience something better of the kind some-place else, I'm just used to the abysmal organization by now after ~20 years of commuting to various areas of studies and later work in and around the city... it's very comprehensive... but if you are not used to everything and *know what's where* you are, pardon me, completely screwed🤣.
Don't misunderstand me, I love the old Free and Imperial city and it's history and my personal knowledge of a couple of nice corners, but it's... *not* a city that's friendly to anyone not knowing where to go and it doesn't tell you *anything* .
Best regards
Raoul G. Kunz
Yeah, Frankfurt is not really made for tourists.
If you are interested in really pretty cities and ever have the chance to get to Schwäbisch Hall, please do go! I don't know all cities in Germany but Schwäbisch Hall is the prettiest city I've ever visited. And if you can make it to one of their markets (e.g. Jakobimarkt 22 + 23 July, or the Haller Herbst 30 Sep + 1 Oct), even the better! 😃
Frankfurt, reminds me of Käsekuchen 😋
Been to Frankfurt a few times, usually for football trips. The stadium is worth a visit, it’s only about 3 stops from the airport. Also visited Mainz, Offenbach, Darmstadt, Wiesbaden in that area. Agree it’s nowhere near as nice as places such as Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart, Hamburg.
You didn't go to the Money museum (free to enter, open Monday -friday)
If Frankfurt is the NYC of Europe, what is the LA, Miami and other comparable cities ?
And you missed the Goethe museum.
Major transportation hub, so chances are that you‘re coming across Frankfurt on your trip to Germany. Nothing too spectacular, but good for a day or two and a decent place to live with a quite international and open-minded atmosphere. If you‘re expecting German stereotypes you‘ll be disappointed though.
Frankfurt Airport is massive. I arrived from Abu Dhabi on Etihad (business class) and it took ages to find the business class lounge before flying on to Edinburgh (well signposted though)
I've heard of those hotels 🤣🤣🤣 fnurrrrrr!
Cut Frankfurt some slack here, many capital cities get a bit boring after you look at the most obvious spots (i.e. the National Mall and White House at Washington, D.C). Sure it may not have as much to see and do as smaller German cities like Berlin or Munich, it still has its charm if you know where to look and you look off the beaten path. That being said, there's only one reason you should be in Germany in October - Oktoberfest!
You probably mean Hamburg and Munich are much BIGGER cities than Frankfurt! The beauty of Frankfurt is that it is so small, everywhere accessible by bicycle across the city in 15 minutes and unlike the centre some of its suburbs are full of character. Also, some of the surrounding towns and villages are really quite charming - eg Kronberg up in the Taunus Hills, 25 minutes away on the S4
Berlin is like 4 times as big as Frankfurt
Frankfurt isn't the capital either Berlin is
Plus even among Germans Frankfurt has a very bad reputations
Agree. I live in Darmstadt which is nearby and it's just as bad.
You should get to the other Frankfurt, Frankfurt an die Oder.an die Oder is east of Berlin and was in Prussia, Germany, the DDR/GDR aka East Germany and Germany again.I had an American friend who went there by accident thinking Frankfurt am Main would make a nice short day trip from Berlin and was unable to see the resemblance to Manhattan because he was in the wrong Frankfurt!
little do we really understand the gravity of the holocaust until we see epitaph's like that wall, Brookwood cemetery i found that the same, i had no words i was numb.
Funny, as a Frankfurter, i dont know how to use the public transport. And i dont like it. Usually i have to ask foreigners about how to pay.. Once i need to go to the airport, they have been on strike, without signs. As i want to go back from airport late at night, i learned no train is going anymore. And in one case everything seems to be alright, train was coming, but i need to pay. I looked desperately for a ticket machine. They told me, the machine is in another level....Today, i go by motorbike to the airport, also in freezing wintertimes. As i completely dislike traffics on rails of all sorts, you should notice the roadsigns in Germany, Without a Garmin i would be doomed. I dont know what jerk is texting the roadsigns, but to me its useless. May be its an defense measure to slow down invasions. Same is true for the street traffic. The planner want to make it as difficult as possible to get to your destination instead of enabling a smooth flow for the traffic. Meanwhile you have some big bicycle lanes (wide enough for tanks), ending in nothing, with rarely bicycles on it. On the other hand a single lane for cars with never ending traffic jam. But using a bicycle you can ignore every rule, including traffic lights. On the other hand, people overthrow at the rails in the street on a daily basis. Especially when wet.
I felt the same, when I went.
Why bother with the football shop. It's just overpriced tat.
Sometimes our expectations are too high, London didn’t impress me much as I thought it would
London is good city but overrated at the same time. Same as Frankfurt
Found Munich exactly the same. German efficiency does not exist in terms of effectively navigating around. Munich airport was a disaster to find check in desks in. The railway ticket machines didn't use contactless as purchase, resulting in a super slow experience. Decent public transport system, but suffers for lack of organisation.
I once said to a German friend ‘if your airports and their lack of organisation is an example, no wonder you lost the war’
And it’s true; for a country with a reputation of being efficient; and to be honest many things are; their airports generally are a mess and disorganized. Frankfurt, The old Berlin, Munich and Stuttgart all were all over the place.
Boy, you haven't been to Berlin airport yet...
But generally, most users of public transport use apps nowadays which help you navigating better than any "foolproof" signage ever could.
Google Maps is pretty good at that but usually, the local carriers have their own apps and it's always a good travel preparation to download them before leaving home and to check if you can use them for buying tickets rather than relying on some rancid ticket vending machine in the no-mans land between arrivals and the trains.
And Frankfurt airport is a hot mess. So badly planned and unwelcoming. The only worst airport I’ve come across was the old Tegel in Berlin. Now that was a sht fest.
It came across on the video too, it didn't seem to have anything authentic and it was souless.
Not to worry, Germany is going DOWN very soon...so don't bother worrying about it! BTW I'm a German Canadian.
Frankfurt is good for business, but it definitely is one of the least pretty cities in Germany - I am sorry to say, and I grew up in Germany.
Frankfurt is nothing special in my opinion, and most people I know agree. It's just that some foreign tourists expect something completely different. Frankfurt is also the city with the most crime in Germany.
It feels to American to me
Agree, Frankfurt is a bit of a lost cause, just like Bonn. Neither anywhere near as good as Berlin
Berlin and Frankfurt feel to me just equally bad... Never liked any of these cities...
@@itmkoeln both shitholes
@@itmkoeln They are very different indeed. You still may hate them both - but anyone knowing them a little usually works out a preferences for one of them.
@@itmkoeln Berlin is nothing alike to Frankfurt. Comparing them is quite disrespectful
@@tvr286 yeah right. What would you know about it
ICE goes from the train station to the airport. You catch the S Bahn at Konstablerwache on the lowest level.
Yes, ICEs go there but you're not allowed to use them on a local ticket.
I was some 40+ years ago in Frankfurt and, like you, was not impressed. The area opposite the Hauptbahnhof was not just dirty but it was also the red-light-district.