camelbak

Good evening!

Will definitely let you know what we decide...gonna have to try to find some good city maps of Maize (if I could just get the spelling right!?!) and check out the train situation again....gonna have to be brave on this one! har har

Have a wonderful trip!

lmlweb

Yay SIL!!! You're going to have a great time in that 9 hours, no matter what. Glad you're going to wing it. I winged it in Amsterdam during my layover a few years ago and didn't know a single word of Dutch. No matter! Medieval Mainze sounds lovely - you must take photos.. with *my* camera, natch!!!

lmlweb

Oh, for your information, did you know Mainz is the home of the Gutenburg? The very beginning of mass printing that you now like to read vocariouosly.

Some tourist info at this site:

http://www.mainz.de/WGAPublisher/onl...5nkgnz.en.html

fritzrl

FWIW - I'll submit a 2nd vote for a few hours in Wiesbaden. Easy to get to via S-Bahn from FRA. Lots of English speakers. Charming little city with some excellent restaurants and a traditional German hot-spring spa.

You could definitely do worse on a brief layover.

Fritzrl

camelbak

Thank you all for your suggestions! It is great to hear other people's experiences and I just have a blast reading all the posts on this website. I will definitely be reviewing everyone's suggestions.

Re: visiting Weisbaden...Hot springs! Maybe that is JUST what we need after a long flight, though I think we might be reluctant to go back to the airport.

camelbak

ttt

111op

I'm surprised no one suggested a Rhine cruise. In the past when this question came up I'm sure that people have suggested it.

I can't give you the specifics, but I flew into Frankfurt and took the train to Ruedesheim and stayed there for a day or two. But there should be easy train connections for the Rhine area from the airport. You should have enough time for a short cruise and even see a town or two before heading back to the airport.

L84SKY

camelbak, I wanted to clarify that Wiesbaden isn't a "hot springs" it's a bath. I tend to think of hot springs as natural places. This isn't but it's very relaxing, huge swimming pool and hot hot saunas and steam rooms. One big AHHHHH, as far as I'm concerned. The bad in Bad Homberg looks nice on the internet, I haven't been there, but it looks to be only 20 min from FRA.

Whatever you do, your trip must be coming right up. Have a great time!

blackduff

L84SKY
I think that you're not correct. Look across the hotels and check out the big park with this sulfur hot spring bubbling all day and night.

Maybe there are some places with electrical heated water but most pools have the water and the heat comes direct from the bottom of the earth.

It's best both of us check this out a little more. Either way, this is a great city for a short stop.

Blackduff

blackduff

Here's a little snippet from Frommers.


<i>Wiesbaden: One of Germany's oldest cities, Wiesbaden attracted Roman legions to its hot springs, and lures today's fashionable traveler as well. It's not as chic as Baden-Baden, but Wiesbaden has one of Germany's most elegant casinos and concert halls, along with two gourmet restaurants. In summer, the beer garden at the Kurhaus is one of the liveliest along the Rhine.</i>

This is what I thought.

Blackduff

camelbak

Thanks for your suggestions! We are, in fact, flying out of YVR on September 19th...arriving 11 a.m. local time in Frankfurt. Our flight to Florence is at around 9:30 p.m. or something like that.

I kinda want to get on to a train, and get to a town to visit (why I am liking Mainz right now) without having to change trains..connect...etc.

I have to admit to being a little freaked about hoping a train into Frankfurt, and then another train to a town...what if I forget how to get back? What if I don't make the right train? What if I end up in Berlin by mistake? har har

I am also a little freaked about trains in general...didn't take a one while I was in Italy last time..so I have zero experience with train travel in Europe.

Why I am worried about Germany, when I am so not worried about Italy, is COMPLETELY beyond me.

So you can get to Weisbaden via the S-Bahn..do I have to go in to Frankfurt and then transfer to another train?

I will check out the train site, but..any suggestions from ever helpful Fodorite's would be super appreciated.

L84SKY

Blackduff, When I posted the answer to camelbak's original question about where to go in Frankfurt, I was thinking of a particular bath we went to Wiesbaden. You may be right but it never occurred to me to ask about the plumbing of the facility. This is the address and it doesn't say where the heat comes from. http://english.wiesbaden.de/index.php Since we are are planning another trip to Germany and thermalbads will be a part of it, it would be interesting to find out. Albeit, my German language ability is limited.

The only hot springs I've ever been to were natural places.

L84SKY

camelbak, Whatever you decide to do, Germany is great and the trains are easy to do. I found that most of the people working in transportation were very helpful.

There is a spa town closer than Weisbaden, it's Bad Homburg and it's about 20 min. away. Here is the address: www.badhomburg.de if you follow the &quot;wellness&quot;, link it will show you a list of thermabads. I haven't been to Bad Homburg, yet. Planning a trip in Oct. If you go, come back and tell us what you thought.
Where ever you go, Germany is a treat. And take a train!

mari5

You truly won't have a LOT of time...as it will be NOON after customs , baggage (unless yours is checked through to Florence)~~~and you'll probably want to be back to the airport by 7:00 or so.
We quickly drove through Wiesbaden(on the way from the Rhine to the airport) but I understand from a travel show that is it lovely...has a nice square for walking around and a good taste of a nice German town, good restaurants etc. I know an international airline captain who said he and his crew always stayed at a Crown Plaza in Weisbaden so I know it is not but 30 min or less to the airport.
Mainz of course would be another good alternative.
COuld you take a TAXI to either of these cities?....(or the train is fun also!)
HAve you taken into consideration some jet lag after flying all night from Vancouver?...walking in the &quot;sunshine' is a good remedy. YOu may not feel real peppy...then again you MIGHT! Everyone is different.
Sounds like a GREAT trip.
I think with the way things are in the past weeks, it makes good sense to fly through Frankfurt, or even Paris for a connection,,,,,instead of London.
Mid Sept will be great....well , it's almost HERE. I notice your original question was dated middle of JULY!
Will you let us know how your layover in FRankfurt went?????
ANd ALSO your Italian trip.

amaclise

Yes Camelbak, if you con't come back on after all this and tell us what you did - well it just won't be right!

I still vote for Mainz!

camelbak

Thank you, thank you, for all your responses!

I have taken jetlag in to account, and know I will be quite tired when we arrive in Frankfurt, but also know (from this site, and from my experience last year when I was in Florence), that the best thing to do is drop the luggage and head back outside and check everything out.

I have to admit that the first day of Florence last year was pretty much a blur b/c of the jetlag, and I know the same will apply this time...but I can't stand the idea of sitting around the airport for 10 hours!

So..I went on to the Die Bahn site, and found the connections to and from Mainz Sud station...the itinerary says that it is a regionalbaf train...so I obviously go to the regionalbaf platform right? I will be taking the printout with me to hand to whoever I can buy tickets off of (apparently it is like 3 Euro?!?).

Maybe I will check out Weisbaden too...the times of the trains, etc...

I will definitely write back and let you know how the layover went! In the meantime I have also started up a webblog for the trip (angela.lmlweb.com)

I will be updating it, and hopefully logging a Fodors log every day.

10 more days and I will be in Frankfurt!!! Weather is supposed to be lovely, and Italy is looking positively summery!

Thank you everyone!!

camelbak

Amazing what you can accomplish in about an hour on the internet!!

I checked out the train schedule to Weisbaden, and it seems to be about $25 Euro per person? That seems extreme for such a close train ride from Frankfurt airport..maybe I am doing something wrong?

On the other hand, Mainz is just as far, and is way cheaper to get to.

I found the schedule to Mainz, found a city map, checked out the tourist information site (they have city tours too!) and the map shows me where the tourist info places are located.

Question - I DO want to get off at Mainz Sud right? I remember reading that it is closer to the &quot;old&quot; part of town, so easier to get to. On the little city map it appears to be closer, but just wanted to double-check with you Fodorites.

Would it be better to go to the main station to start (more tourist info there, etc.), and maybe leave from the Sud station? I presume I can buy a return ticket at the train station at the airport?

I am feeling MUCH better about this...thanks to all of your comments and suggestions...I love this website, everyone is so friendly and helpful. I only hope that I will be able to respond to questions when I return..to help some other lost traveller feel more confident.

altamiro

&gt;I checked out the train schedule to Weisbaden, and it seems to be about $25 Euro per person? That seems extreme for such a close train ride from Frankfurt airport..maybe I am doing something wrong?

Sorry, but it does sound strange. How did you look for it? I'm just curious what gives such a ridiculous price. For 25 Euro you would come quite far.

&gt;On the other hand, Mainz is just as far, and is way cheaper to get to.

It costs exactly the same to get from FFM airport to Mainz and to Wiesbaden. have a look at www.rmv.de - the transit site of the Greater Frankfurt area. All tickets are zone to zone, not station to station, meaning that all local transport is included.

Mainz S&uuml;d is not much closer from the old town in my experience. However, the station is small, badly signed and a bit neglected. The main station has recently rebuilt and functions as a gate to the city, with most bus and tram lines stopping in front of it. The time saving isn't very large and you will get a better impression of the city by arriving at the main station.

In Wiesbaden the station is quite far away from the city center. There are numerous city bus lines from the station to the city (about 7-8 min), almost all bus departures from the station go through the town. The buses are also covered by your ticket in both Mainz and Wiesbaden.

camelbak

Thanks! As for the price of tickets...I heard somewhere...read somewhere?..that tickets to Mainz were very inexpensive. Maybe I wasn't getting the right Weisbaden...so maybe that was the problem with the price.

Thanks for the info re: main station in Mainz and the Sud station. Will go to the main station...I see that there is an Info desk right there that will be helpful when we arrive.

Looking forward to it!