I'm going on a trip to Prague this summer from the US. I've been
thinking of getting a sleeper train from Frankfurt to Prague, mostly
because transportation from the Prague airport is awful, and I think it
might be a cool adventure for the kids, and maybe I might get a few
hours of sleep. Also, the trains pull into Prague at 8AM, which is a
good schedule...

How difficult is it to get from the Frankfurt Airport to the main train
station? Is this something you would attempt after flying in from the
US West Coast? I'm going to have a couple of small kids with me...

Any info, especially pointers to maps of Frankfurt showing the
transportation system, would be welcome...

Captain Dondo <[email protected]> wrote in news:116dbtak40r8n05
@corp.supernews.com:



    >
    > How difficult is it to get from the Frankfurt Airport to the main train
    > station? Is this something you would attempt after flying in from the
    > US West Coast? I'm going to have a couple of small kids with me...
    >
    > Any info, especially pointers to maps of Frankfurt showing the
    > transportation system, would be welcome...
    >

You will arrive drained and sleep deprived. the best thing you can do is
catch up on rest, not embark on an odyssey. Fly to Prague arrange for
transportation to your hotel and enjoy. Or go to Frankfurt spend a day and
night then embark the next day.

But it is your vacation

there is a train station just under Frankfurt airport..

you do not need to get out of the airport. just go to the lowest floor
"Captain Dondo" <[email protected]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email protected]...
    > I'm going on a trip to Prague this summer from the US. I've been thinking
    > of getting a sleeper train from Frankfurt to Prague, mostly because
    > transportation from the Prague airport is awful, and I think it might be a
    > cool adventure for the kids, and maybe I might get a few hours of sleep.
    > Also, the trains pull into Prague at 8AM, which is a good schedule...
    > How difficult is it to get from the Frankfurt Airport to the main train
    > station? Is this something you would attempt after flying in from the US
    > West Coast? I'm going to have a couple of small kids with me...
    > Any info, especially pointers to maps of Frankfurt showing the
    > transportation system, would be welcome...

"tile" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > there is a train station just under Frankfurt airport..
    > you do not need to get out of the airport. just go to the lowest floor
    > "Captain Dondo" <[email protected]> ha scritto nel messaggio
    > news:[email protected]...

To clarify that there are actually two stations at Frankfurt Airport
(Flughafen), the one under the airport is for local trains serving Frankfurt
area and the city itself. The long distance station which has trains
travelling all over Germany and adjacent countries is alongside the airport
and is known as the Fernbahnhof. There are clearly marked pedestrian routes
to the station, but it's a walk of around 10 minutes or so from the
arrivals/departure areas of the airport.

Regards

David Bennetts

David Bennetts wrote:

    > To clarify that there are actually two stations at Frankfurt Airport
    > (Flughafen), the one under the airport is for local trains serving Frankfurt
    > area and the city itself. The long distance station which has trains
    > travelling all over Germany and adjacent countries is alongside the airport
    > and is known as the Fernbahnhof. There are clearly marked pedestrian routes
    > to the station, but it's a walk of around 10 minutes or so from the
    > arrivals/departure areas of the airport.
    >

That sounds good. Any way I can find out if the sleeper trains depart
from Fernbahnhof? Any local travel agents that can work with someone in
the US? I know I can get tickets through Travelocity, but I really
would like to get some local information....

Thanks.

On Wed, 20 Apr 2005 12:38:14 -0700, Captain Dondo
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >I'm going on a trip to Prague this summer from the US. I've been
    >thinking of getting a sleeper train from Frankfurt to Prague, mostly
    >because transportation from the Prague airport is awful,

When I went to Prague a couple of years ago it was a case of walk out
of airport, get on bus, get off bus at metro station, get on metro
into city centre. The bus was busy, so might not have been ideal with
heavy baggage, but probably no worse than lugging stuff around
stations.

Coming back, I got an overnight train from Prague to Frankfurt (then
trains to Cologne, Brussels and home to London, though obviously no
"normal" person would do that when they could fly in a few hours!).

Realistically, flying must be the "sensible" option. I would have
thought even a taxi from Prague airport would be easier and cheaper
than a long train journey?

Frankfurt airport has its own station.
--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

In message <[email protected]>, Arthur Figgis
<postmaster@[127.0.0.1]> writes
    >On Wed, 20 Apr 2005 12:38:14 -0700, Captain Dondo
    ><[email protected]> wrote:
    >>I'm going on a trip to Prague this summer from the US. I've been
    >>thinking of getting a sleeper train from Frankfurt to Prague, mostly
    >>because transportation from the Prague airport is awful,
    >When I went to Prague a couple of years ago it was a case of walk out
    >of airport, get on bus, get off bus at metro station, get on metro
    >into city centre. The bus was busy, so might not have been ideal with
    >heavy baggage, but probably no worse than lugging stuff around
    >stations.
    >Coming back, I got an overnight train from Prague to Frankfurt (then
    >trains to Cologne, Brussels and home to London, though obviously no
    >"normal" person would do that when they could fly in a few hours!).

Hey, I've done that about five times (and on to Crewe), and in both
directions, though in those days you'd catch the Amsterdam - Prague
train in Cologne. What are you implying?!!?

--
Arwel Parry
http://www.cartref.demon.co.uk/

Hatunen wrote:

    > Use http://bahn.hafas.de, and switch to English.

Cool, thanks.

    >
    > There is a single night train from Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof at
    > 23:38 (might change on the summer scheds).

OK, now to find out how far from the Airport to the Hauptbahnhof... I'm
getting closer....

    > How well a night train
    > serves you will be a function of how well you can sleep in
    > strange places that rock and roll all night.

Having spent 22 years in the military, I can pretty much sleep anywhere,
any time... :-)

The real question is will my kids let me sleep... ;-)

On Wed, 20 Apr 2005 15:12:45 -0700, Captain Dondo
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >David Bennetts wrote:
    >> To clarify that there are actually two stations at Frankfurt Airport
    >> (Flughafen), the one under the airport is for local trains serving Frankfurt
    >> area and the city itself. The long distance station which has trains
    >> travelling all over Germany and adjacent countries is alongside the airport
    >> and is known as the Fernbahnhof. There are clearly marked pedestrian routes
    >> to the station, but it's a walk of around 10 minutes or so from the
    >> arrivals/departure areas of the airport.
    >>
    >That sounds good. Any way I can find out if the sleeper trains depart
    >from Fernbahnhof? Any local travel agents that can work with someone in
    >the US? I know I can get tickets through Travelocity, but I really
    >would like to get some local information....

Use http://bahn.hafas.de, and switch to English.

There is a single night train from Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof at
23:38 (might change on the summer scheds). How well a night train
serves you will be a function of how well you can sleep in
strange places that rock and roll all night.


************* DAVE HATUNEN ([email protected]) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

"Captain Dondo" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Hatunen wrote:
    >> Use http://bahn.hafas.de, and switch to English.
    > Cool, thanks.
    >> There is a single night train from Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof at
    >> 23:38 (might change on the summer scheds).
    > OK, now to find out how far from the Airport to the Hauptbahnhof... I'm
    > getting closer....
Use the website Dave suggested. Your journey starts at FRA. Put a tick next
to the train you select, and hit the select details button. You'll see the
night train starts from Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, and you need to use the
Regionalbahn S9 from the Airport's Regionalbahnhof, a 12 minute journey to
get to the Hauptbahnhof.

Regards

David Bennetts

David Bennetts schrieb:

    > >> There is a single night train from Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof at
    > >> 23:38 (might change on the summer scheds).
    > >
    > > OK, now to find out how far from the Airport to the Hauptbahnhof... I'm
    > > getting closer....
    > >
    > Use the website Dave suggested. Your journey starts at FRA. Put a tick next
    > to the train you select, and hit the select details button. You'll see the
    > night train starts from Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, and you need to use the
    > Regionalbahn S9 from the Airport's Regionalbahnhof, a 12 minute journey to
    > get to the Hauptbahnhof.

And use earlier trains to the Hauptbahnhof.

Regards, ULF

Captain Dondo schrieb:


    > OK, now to find out how far from the Airport to the Hauptbahnhof... I'm
    > getting closer....

If the whole thing is supposed to make some sense, then as an adventure
for the kids.

So you may not travel by S-Bahn or RE, as people might normally do for
such short a hop, but by ICE, and not any ICE, but those coming from
Cologne via the high speed line. Important: These depart from FRA
Fernbahnhof, not Regionalbahnhof. Important again: You have to buy a
through ticket, from FRA Fernbahnhof to Prague, or get ripped off for the
short distance.

The ICE 3 have just a glass wall between engineer and the passenger
compartment at the front,
http://www.ice-fanpage.de/bilgal_ice...h01_bild06.htm

and for kids, running into a main stations with more than a dozen tracks
out of all directions, while looking out at the front, is certainly
something.

If you hold 2nd class tickets, you'll need another check at
http://db-fernverkehr.de for trains, which have 2nd in front. (It's
called "Wagenreihungen", organized by train number, and graphical, so you
can look up trains in the timetable, which gives you the number, then
look at the train arrangement,)
Yes, a little complicated, but while DB offers a good timetable program,
"Wagenreihungen" is a private railfan effort.

I'm quite sure, that at least the trains Münster - Frankfurt Hbf travel
in the right arrangement. IF things get too complicated: Looking out at
the rear isn't that bad either.



    > Having spent 22 years in the military, I can pretty much sleep anywhere,
    > any time... :-)

Then you shouldn't get lost or panic easily, at least people hope so.
On the platform, you find a "Wagenstandsanzeiger", which shows,
graphically, the position of the cars in respect to big A-B-C-etc markers
on the platform. Position yourself for the front door, send the kids
into the front compartment, and take care of the rest in a relaxed
fashion. There is no other door - they can't escape. ;-)

The front compartment is often fully reserved, but it is a common
understanding among passengers, that kids have a special right to be at
that glass wall.


If you travel with half of your household, I recommend against it, BTW.

And of course, my suggestion is complete nonsense by "normal" standards.
Flying into Prague directly is the better thing to do. But I notice that
I still remember elements of long distance railroad travel at age 5,
while I remember almost nothing else happening at that age. If you are
relaxed about orientation abroad, make it an adventure for the kids.


Want some orientation? Go to http://stadtplandienst.de, that's the best
online city map of Germany. Typing "Frankfurt (Main)" should offer the
city center with the "Hauptbahnhof". Increase the map size to maximum,
and "walk" along the clearly marked railroad tracks to the southwest,
leaving the city. You should pass a station "Frankfurt Sportfeld". A
little more to the southwest, you'll see the arrangement of tracks and
stations at the airport.
At least for me, such a view helps in knowing what I'm doing.

On the website of DB, there should be pdf station interior plans of both
"Flughafen Fernbahnhof" and "Hauptbahnhof" somewhere.


    > The real question is will my kids let me sleep... ;-)

Don't worry: A flight, an unusual train journey, Frankfurt Hbf (which is
a classic terminus full of life and different trains), add this up, and I
say you'll have a good night.


Hans-Joachim



--
Lesetip des Monats:

http://www.enormity.de/Hack.htm

Captain Dondo schrieb:


    > I'm going on a trip to Prague this summer from the US.

I forgot the obvious, sorry:
"Online timetable" doesn't remotely resemble Amtrak's approach. You go to
the website of Deutsche Bahn, select the timetable, give start and
destination, and you will expect, that the computer gladly offers the
fitting connections from some bus station in a remote Swiss village to
Prague.

As well, you can type in "Frankfurt Flughafen Fern" to "Frankfurt HBf",
or "Frankfurt Flughafen Regio" to "Frankfurt Hbf", and get the list of
all trains.

h.

Hans-Joachim Zierke schrieb:

    > If the whole thing is supposed to make some sense, then as an adventure
    > for the kids.
    >
    > So you may not travel by S-Bahn or RE, as people might normally do for
    > such short a hop, but by ICE, and not any ICE, but those coming from
    > Cologne via the high speed line. Important: These depart from FRA
    > Fernbahnhof, not Regionalbahnhof. Important again: You have to buy a
    > through ticket, from FRA Fernbahnhof to Prague, or get ripped off for the
    > short distance.

With a through ticket, the ICE add-on is 0,90 EUR full fare. Be sure to
buy *one* ticket for the whole family *at the counter*, as children
should be free on the German part this way.

Regards, ULF

Captain Dondo schrieb:

    > How difficult is it to get from the Frankfurt Airport to the main train
    > station? Is this something you would attempt after flying in from the
    > US West Coast? I'm going to have a couple of small kids with me...

Not very difficult if you are able to find from the terminal to the
airport train station. Take the S8/S9 from Frankfurt Flughafen
Regionalbahnhof, that takes 11 minutes and goes every 15 minutes during
the day.

Watch out: Frankfurt (Main) Airport has two stations. Local trains go
from the "Regionalbahnhof", which should be indicated by the green "S"
symbol. Intercity trains go from the "Fernbahnhof".

You should also be able to travel on a ticket directly from Frankfurt
Flughafen to Praha hl.n.

Have a good trip!

--
tobias benjamin köhler ____________________________________ [email protected]
._______..__________.._______.._________. <>_<> <>_<>
    | |_| || |_| |_| || |_| || |_| |_| | .---|'"`|---. .---|'"`|---.
"-o---o-""-oo----oo-""-o---o-""-oo---oo-""o"O-OO-OO-O"o""o"O-OO-OO-O"o"_