Frankfurt on a layover or in one day: S-Bahn from the airport, Römerberg, the cathedral and the Main

On a layover or a single day, focus on the old town

Frankfurt sits on the River Main and is a transport hub with Germany's largest passenger airport, so many travellers pass through on a layover or a short stop.

The good news is that the sights are close together. The rebuilt Römerberg and New Old Town, the cathedral where emperors were crowned and St Paul's Church are all within walking distance, and a footbridge links them to Sachsenhausen across the Main.

Whether you can leave the airport during a layover, and what the entry requirements are (visas, ETIAS and so on), are for official information to answer; check before you travel. The guide suggests 1 to 2 nights; below is a one-day walking route from it.

• Airport → S8 or S9 into the city
• Römerberg and the Römer (Kaisersaal) → New Old Town
• Kaiserdom (cathedral) tower → St Paul's Church
• Kleinmarkthalle (closed Sundays and public holidays)
• Cross the Eiserner Steg for dinner in Sachsenhausen

• Frankfurt travel guide →
• Choosing your first European city →

Airport to city: S-Bahn S8 and S9, and the fare-zone warning

According to the airport, the Regional Train Station is below Terminal 1 (Level 0); follow the 'Train stations S T' signs. If you land at Terminal 3, the SkyLine train takes about 10-15 minutes to Terminal 1.

Be careful when buying a ticket. The airport is RMV fare zone 5090 and the city is zone 5000, so city-only single and day tickets are not valid to the airport. A city-airport single is EUR 6.90 and a day ticket EUR 13.50. The Frankfurt Card (EUR 13 for 1 day) also covers the airport.

The guide does not state how long the S-Bahn takes to the city. Check official information for train times.

There are other options. Bus 61 (towards Südbahnhof) stops on the arrivals level at Terminals 1 and 3, and taxis wait around the clock at all three terminals and the long-distance train station. A taxi takes about 20-30 minutes from the city, depending on traffic.

• S8/S9: below Terminal 1, Level 0, 'Train stations S T' signs
• City-airport ticket: single EUR 6.90, day ticket EUR 13.50
• City-only (5000) tickets are not valid to the airport (5090)
• S-Bahn travel time: check official info
• Bus 61: arrivals level at Terminals 1 and 3; check RMV fares officially
• Taxi: 24 hours, about 20-30 min from the city

• Airport to city: train, bus or taxi? →

Römerberg and the New Old Town

Start on the Römerberg square. The Römer has been the city hall since 1405 and is still the mayor's seat. Its Kaisersaal (Imperial Hall) shows portraits of 52 kings and emperors of the Holy Roman Empire and is free to visit when not in use, though it may close at short notice for events.

Most of the half-timbered houses on the square are reconstructions or new buildings after the 1944 air raids. Tourist offices are at Römerberg 27 and Markt 10 in the New Old Town.

Walk toward the cathedral into the New Old Town, completed in 2018, where 15 of its 35 buildings are faithful reconstructions. The Archaeological Garden shows traces of a Roman settlement and a Carolingian imperial palace, and the Coronation Route of kings and emperors runs through the quarter.

• Römer: city hall since 1405; Kaisersaal free when not in use
• New Old Town: completed 2018, 15 of 35 buildings reconstructed
• Archaeological Garden and the Coronation Route
• The free Stoltze Museum

The cathedral tower and St Paul's Church

Royal elections were held at the Kaiserdom (St Bartholomew's Cathedral) from 1356, and ten emperors were crowned here between 1562 and 1792. The roughly 95-metre west tower is climbed via 328 steps and looks over the old town and the Römerberg. Check opening hours and tower access officially.

Nearby St Paul's Church, consecrated in 1833, hosted Germany's first National Assembly in 1848, which passed the first basic rights in Germany. Check opening hours officially.

For lunch, try the Kleinmarkthalle, an indoor market near the Zeil with over 60 traders. It is open Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sat 8 a.m.-4 p.m., closed on Sundays and public holidays.

• Kaiserdom west tower: about 95 m, 328 steps
• Tower access and hours: check official info
• St Paul's Church: Germany's first National Assembly in 1848
• Kleinmarkthalle: Mon-Fri 8-18, Sat 8-16, closed Sundays and holidays

Across the Main: Eiserner Steg and Sachsenhausen

Cross the Eiserner Steg, an iron footbridge over 100 years old, to Sachsenhausen on the south bank of the Main. Museums line the Schaumainkai embankment, the Museumsufer.

With time to spare, stop at the Städel Museum. It opens Tue, Wed, Fri-Sun 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Thu 10 a.m.-9 p.m., and is closed on Mondays. Adults pay EUR 19, or EUR 10 on Tuesdays from 3 p.m.

Have dinner in Sachsenhausen, which the tourist board calls the hotspot of apple-wine culture. Pour the slightly tart apple wine from a stoneware Bembel jug, with green sauce made from seven herbs or Frankfurter sausages on the side.

• Eiserner Steg: iron footbridge over 100 years old
• Städel Museum: closed Mondays; adults EUR 19 (EUR 10 Tuesdays from 3 p.m.)
• Sachsenhausen: apple wine, green sauce, Frankfurter sausages

Checklist before heading back to the airport

Buy tickets at station machines, in the official RMVgo app or from the bus driver. Single tickets are for immediate travel only: they cannot be bought in advance and are not valid for return trips or breaks in the journey. A city day ticket costs EUR 7.75 (valid until 5 a.m. the next day), but remember it does not cover the airport.

The Frankfurt Card gives unlimited S-Bahn, U-Bahn, tram and bus travel in the city including the airport, plus up to 50% off at museums and more. It cannot be refunded or changed.

Flight availability and schedules between Incheon and Frankfurt can change, so check with the airline. The Christmas market runs from 23 November to 22 December 2026, from the Römerberg to the Hauptwache.

• Airport ticket: city-airport ticket or Frankfurt Card
• Single tickets are for immediate travel; no returns or breaks
• Entry requirements (visas, ETIAS and so on): check official info
• Flight availability: check with the airline

• Full Frankfurt travel guide →
• Paris in 5 days for first-timers →

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