Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) is a massive hub spread across 2 massive, convoluted terminals. If you’re flying transiting FRA on a 4-7 hour layover, you might be wondering: what even is there to do in Frankfurt Airport?
As an international airline pilot, Frankfurt has (surprisingly!) become one of my favorite layovers, and an airport I find myself transiting quite often – even on my days off exploring the world.
Frankfurt International Airport itself, though confusing, features plenty of lounges, restaurants, and shopping options to keep you entertained. And once you get the hang of the airport, it actually starts to make sense (in a complex, German kind of way of course).
Whether you’d like to stay inside the terminal or venture outside and get some fresh air, you’ll find great options for any length of layover. FRA Airport is very well connected to the surrounding area by public transportation while also offering walking paths to a forested park straight out the airport if you’re short on time.
Awesome.
In This Guide:
- Top 10 things to do inside Frankfurt International Airport (FRA)
- Awesome places you can visit outside Frankfurt (FRA) on a short layover
- How long it takes to get from FRA airport to downtown Frankfurt (hint: it’s one minute)
- Need a nap? Here are Frankfurt FRA day rooms you can book
- A beautiful walking distance park for fresh air on a short FRA layover
- Just how long it takes to get through security at FRA Airport
My other Ultimate Airport Layover Guides: ATL | JFK | SEA | SFO | LAS | ATH | CDG | LHR | and more!
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The Top 10 Things You Can Do Inside Frankfurt International Airport on a Layover
Frankfurt International Airport is, well, huge. There’s a lot to do inside the airport, including what can only be described as a mini shopping mall inside and a massive, award-winning shopping mall on-top of the airport’s train station. Bring your grocery list.
There are numerous lounges, including 4 accessible for free if you are a Priority Pass member. Last time I passed through, I was extremely thankful for the showers at the Priority Lounge in Terminal 2. I needed it.
You’ll be happy to find a rooftop sky deck, lots of art, and even a the famous Fraport Visitor Center!
Top 10 Things to Do Inside FRA Airport on a Layover
1. Visit an Airport Lounge
2. Go Shopping in the Large Shopping Plaza
3. Go for a walk and stretch your legs
4. Freshen up with a shower!
5. Nap in a private, quite NapCab inside the terminal
6. Get some fresh air and a tan at the FRA rooftop “Visitor’s Terrace” deck
7. Try your flying skills out with an awesome full-size flight simulator
8. Find your inner peace in a quiet room
9. Let your inside yogi shine in a Yoga room
10. Massage your layover stress away – complimentary with PriorityPass!
1. Visit an Airport Lounge
After a long flight, it makes a lot of sense to head to a lounge. Decent food, refreshments, and showers will absolve many of your cravings. And having a place to relax is good for your health, of course.
There are number of free lounges included with a priority pass membership. These include:
- LuxxLounge (T1)
- Air France Lounge (T2)
- Priority Lounge (T2)
- PrimeClass Lounge (T2)
Right now, PriorityPass is offering affordable yearly memberships. In just a couple lounge visits, you are already ahead vs. paying for one-time access.
You can also pay (usually around 50-60€) for a day pass to enter all of these except the Air France lounge. Though I had to pay extra to shower, I find the Priority Lounge my favorite in T2.
There are many other lounges for those flying first or business class, mainly Lufthansa lounges. Other business class lounges include:
- Air Canada
- Air France/KLM
- Emirates
- Japan Airlines
- Lufthansa (7 lounges)
- Plaza Premier (can pay to enter or use your AmEx Platinum)
2. Go Shopping
Though there is a little bit of shopping to be done inside the airside/secure area at FRA, you’ll find that better and more expansive shopping can be done outside security.
Inside the airside portion of the terminals (especially Terminal 1), there’s something like 22,500 square meters of restaurants, grocery stores, and a few boutique stores. But this doesn’t compare to what’s available in the public area of the airport.
Shopping Avenue and Shopping Boulevard, two of the much larger, publicly accessible marketplaces, are located in Terminal 1 at departures level (downstairs). At the public/land-side departures area of Terminal 2, there’s a Shopping Plaza and a Visitors’ Terrace. Simply head up the escalators from departures/check-in towards massive windows with restaurants and you’re there.
Overall, these in-airport marketplaces offer a decent place to pass time without exiting the airport.
There’s also the Squaire, a large, award-winning, beautiful shopping complex on top of the airport’s train station. It’s considered a ‘global landmark’ and a ‘city of its own’ (by its very own management team, naturally).
I agree that the building itself is beautiful. But it only has a handful of restaurants and shops on offer. Still, The Squaire can be a fun place to visit on a layover, and it houses the Hilton Garden Inn if you care for a nap!
3. Go for a walk and stretch your legs
As a massive hub, FRA is naturally a huge airport and perfect for getting those steps in.
My favorite aspect of walking around FRA is witnessing the magic of jumbo 747s and A380s taking off and landing at any moment. Terminal 1 is particularly large and offers ample walking room, however Terminal 2 is set up in
Outside of security, you can actually walk rather easily between Terminals 2 and 3 – inside or out. There is a tunnel filled with restaurants and stores that connects the two.
4. Freshen up with a shower!
One of my favorite travel hacks, particularly when flying long haul, is to find the nearest in-airport shower and freshen up. Sometimes, those are in a lounge. But other times, airports are well-equipped and offer pay-per-use showers. At Frankfurt International Airport, you’re in luck!
Located on level 3, in the transit/airside area B of Terminal 1, the showers cost only 6€ for 30 minutes of use.
5. Grab a nap at a NapCab, my new favorite way to sleep at Frankfurt Airport
When I last transited Frankfurt Airport from the US to India (and got the chance to fly on Lufthansa’s brilliant 747-400 in business class), I was in a desperate need of sleep. Naturally, this was the perfect opportunity to test out Frankfurt Airport’s brand new NapCab system.
I actually found it very impressive, clean, and comfortable. I would highly recommend it, even for an overnight stay. The NapCabs are located near the publicly available 6 Euro showers (near the Air Canada Lounge), so you can have an almost hotel-like stay inside the terminal!
At the time, it cost 37€ for a two hour nap, but I anticipate these prices will go up.
6. Get some fresh air and a tan at the rooftop deck
If you’re lucky enough to be leaving out of Terminal 2, follow signs to an epic rooftop deck (named the Visitor’s Terrace) for expansive views over FRA airport and some (probably) much needed fresh air.
Honestly, I prefer the Visitor’s Terrace over staying in a lounge. There’s a lovely McCafe that serves everything from Lattes to croissants (much nicer than in the US).
Best part, visiting is free! Great views included.
7. Try your flying skills out with an awesome full-size flight simulator
Want to keep busy on your layover at FRA? Check out the Flight Simulator at the AiRail checkin area next to the Fraport AG counter. It’s a full size Boeing 737 cockpit.
Visit “The Evolution of Flight” Exhibit on level 4 (near the SkyLine station) of Terminal 2 with gigantic rotating models of pterosaurs, and learn about how flying today is similar to the flight of dinosaurs in the distant past.
8. Find your inner peace in a quiet room
As I made my way out Frankfurt Airport after a long transatlantic flight and a hectic day, I was relieved to see a sign for a “Quiet Room”.
When I arrived, I was surprised – though the terminal was busy, it seemed nobody knew about the quiet room sitting right next to them. Embedded inside the Prayer Area at Frankfurt International Airport, this Quiet Room is a quite lovely area to get some peace of mind on your next layover.
And luckily for you, there are several located around the airport. The one I found was at Terminal 2 E arrivals, outside security but there’s an even better one at Terminal 1, Level 3, near gate Z11 inside security.
9. Let your inside yogi shine in a complimentary Yoga room
Want to take that whole inner peace thing a step further? Frankfurt International airport offers 2 Yoga rooms, 1 in each terminal, both offering everything from yoga mats to instructional videos – all for free.
Locations:
Terminal 1: between Gates C14 & C16 (inside security)
Terminal 2: after border control around Gate D1
10. Massage your stress away
Need to massage your layover troubles away? You’re in luck – Be Relax Spa offers two locations at FRA in Terminal 1, near Gates 23 and 56.
As a PriorityPass member, you’ll have complimentary access to a 15-minute massage plus O2, a 30-minute massage, Polish Change plus Hand Massage, or a Be Feet on lounger for 10-minutes plus O2.
11. Bonus for Families: Visit the Fraport Visitor’s Center & Interactive Exhibits
Looking for augmented reality, fun games, and over 100 years of airport history in one place?
Head to the Fraport Visitor’s Center, located next to gate C1 in Terminal 1.
You can even park an A380 or take your luggage onto the plane. Plus, there’s a children’s station for the kinder too! This is definitely a fun family activity.
How to leave Frankfurt International Airport and explore on a short layover (<5 hours transiting)
Last time I was connecting at FRA, I only had about a 4 hour layover. Though I contemplating kicking it in and just staying in a Priority Pass lounge for free, the nice weather was calling my name. After a long transatlantic flight, it feels phenomenal to get outside.
Luckily, I didn’t have any checked baggage. But even if I did, getting through customs was super efficient (thanks Germany!) and I’m sure I wouldn’t have waited long for my bags.
In my experience, security at FRA takes a long time (outbound). They are meticulous - especially when it comes to liquids and the sort. Plan extra time to go through security - 3 hours or more.
I looked for a nearby park to get some fresh air and sunlight. I needed somewhere close enough I could walk to, but with some sort of transportation available back in case I needed to get back in a pinch.
Much to my chagrin, I quickly found one: Gateway Gardens. And even better, it was relatively easy to get there.
Skip ahead: This is how long it will take you to get through security at FRA (Frankfurt)
An awesome place to relax outside JUST outside FRA Airport
As close at Gateway Gardens is to Frankfurt International Airport, it’s such an epic place to relax. Wide park benches, large green yards, and cool shade from tall pine trees make the air smell so tangibly fresh.
There is a small cafe with coffees and snacks across the street, but they only take Euros. However, the park is surrounded by hotels, most of which have some sort of onsite restaurant if you’re hungry.
And in any case, the lower level of FRA airport is most basically described as a very long mall with takeaway food, dine in restaurants, grocery stores, and even pharmacies. You could grab something on the way out or back in.
How to walk to Gateway Gardens from FRA
I let Google Maps take me to this haven of a park, and it was super easy from Terminal 2. And if you’re lucky enough to be connecting from Terminal 3, it’s an easy 10 minute walk (or short bus ride) from Terminal 3 to 2.
Taking public transportation to Gateway Gardens
Another option is to catch a hotel shuttle to the Hampton Inn located right next to Gateway Gardens. There is a shuttle that runs to/from the Hampton Inn, though there is a nominal charge each way.
It is also possible to take the train here for about 2€ each way.
Catching a nap at a day room at FRA
You may also find yourself just plane exhausted, especially after a long overnight flight.
So why not treat yourself to a nice nap in a cozy bed in a comfortable hotel room? Plus a nice shower to top it all off.
Many hotels around FRA airport offer day rooms starting as low as 50€, such as:
You can find those special rates on dayuse.com.
How You Can Explore Downtown Frankfurt and the Surrounding Area on a 5-7+ hour layover at Frankfurt International Airport
German engineering and ingenuity mean that Frankfurt International Airport, as the massive hub it deserves to be, is extremely well connected to its surrounding cities and towns.
In fact, it’ll take you ONE whole minute to get to downtown Frankfurt. One! Hopefully that gives you a bit of confidence to head out and make use of your layover in this impressively cute region of Germany. If you’re brave, you could even explore downtown on a layover shorter than 5 hours.
But if the big city isn’t your idea of fun, you’ll be relieved to know there are a few extremely cute smaller towns laying just around the corner.
Normally in my layover guides (such as Athens, Greece (ATH) and Atlanta Airport (ATL), I also suggest renting a car. For a layover in Frankfurt, it’s not necessary.
Taking a one minute (!) train ride to downtown Frankfurt
Frankly (pun intended), downtown Frankfurt is nice – but it’s not the cutest place to visit. However, for those into shopping, there’s an incredible array of high end fashion and boutique stores to devour.
There’s a lovely river walk lined with bars, restaurants, riverbank relaxation parks, museums, and bike paths.
You can also find a decently cute Old Town Frankfurt (Römerberg) with old, colorful buildings and restaurants offering huge patios and excellent German beer.
Some of my favorite restaurants and cafes in downtown Frankfurt include:
- We Love Cupcakes, obviously for the cupcakes (and also excellent companion coffee)
- Azalye Cafe, for its delicious and healthy food
- Freigut Frankfurt | Summer Lounge for its riverfront location and awesome cocktails, totally chill vibes
- Seven Swans for high end vegan delights
- Nihonryori KEN 日本料理 謙 Japanisches Kaiseki-Restaurant for ridiculously good sushi
There are also interesting museums, like that of World Cultures, the Goethe Haus, and the Frankfurt Archaeological Museum.
Rent a car and explore the German countryside
There’s no better way to enjoy the local scenery – hills, medieval villages, riverfront towns – than by renting a car and getting out there.
I find Hertz is the quickest option – particularly as a Gold member; you can walk right out and pick up your car without waiting in line!
Exploring the much cuter towns of Mainz and Wiesbaden
Just up the river in the opposite direction of downtown Frankfurt are two more local and authentic towns of Mainz and Wiesbaden.
Both of these towns are a little more charming, quaint, and welcoming than downtown Frankfurt. The shopping, however, isn’t as expansive.
Mainz is especially known for its old town (altstadt), with half-timbered houses and intricate medieval market squares. Marktbrunnen, in the center, offers a gorgeous red Renaissance fountain.
Nearby, a distinctive deep red sandstone octagonal tower tops the Romanesque Mainz Cathedral. And for those seeking a bit of history, the Gutenberg Museum honors the inventor of the printing press, and even houses 2 of his original bibles.
In Wiesbaden, there’s a pretty cool mountain cable car (Nerobergbahn), but you’ll need a little extra time as Wiesbaden is farther from FRA and the cable car could have lines. Otherwise, the town has cathedrals, palaces, abbeys, and even an amusement park to visit.
How much time do I need to get through security at Frankfurt International (FRA)?
Consider reading: 10 Ultimate Tricks Airline Pilots Use to Pass Customs – FAST
A very important aspect to mention is making sure that, if you are exiting the secure area, you should make sure to have extra time to head through security.
As you may have heard in the news, Europe is still facing staffing shortages due to Covid-19. Germany is particularly hard hit, and since Frankfurt is the busiest airport in the country, you should plan to arrive:
- 3 hours early if you are checking in a bag or unable to obtain a digital boarding pass
- 2-2.5 hours early if you can check in online and obtain a boarding pass, don’t need to check in any bags, and head straight through security
- 1.5-2 hours early for Schengen flights assuming you’re checked in online and don’t need to check in any bags or obtain a boarding pass
Generally, passport control is quick – especially for those with EU passports. However, enhanced digital screening is quickly growing and allowing more nationalities to skip the long lines. This means even American passport holders can rejoice in sharing the “fast lane”, so to speak.
Connecting from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 in Frankfurt
As I frequently transit between the Terminal 1 & 2 at Frankfurt Flughafen and find every website terribly difficult to understand (just like the very German airport layout), I’ll list the ways in a way that actually makes sense:
- Walking between the terminals at Frankfurt. This requires exiting through baggage claim, walking about 10-15 minutes on pathways, sidewalks, and the side of a road outside.
- Taking the Skyline. You can enter the Skyline train stations from either inside or outside the secure zone of the terminals. Taking the Skyline is the quickest way to transit between terminals at FRA (5-10 minutes total)
- Exiting through baggage claim, and taking a bus/shuttle to the next terminal. This often takes the longest since you have to wait for the bus, and it can get quite full. I prefer walking.
The secret to finding the hidden Skyline Station at Frankfurt’s Terminal 1 A and transiting to Terminal 2 (and vice versa) in minutes
To get to the Skyline Station from inside the A gates at Terminal 1 in Frankfurt, follow signs for D/E (the signs will say A, D/E, Z). D/E is Terminal 2.
The A Skyline station is accessed via a secret/non-marked door next to gate A16, right of the gate area. It opens as you approach. You are exiting the secure zone, so do not proceed if you must pick up checked baggage. Go up an elevator or stairs, take the train (arrives every 2-3 minutes). It stops 3 times (including airside-only C gates) and takes about 8 minutes to D/E (Terminal 2). It drops you off at the upper level of the checkin area, so you still have to clear immigrations and then once at the gate, pass security.
For the other stations, there are several variations depending on if you’re coming from or going to a Schengen or non-Schengen destination, and which Skyline station you use (inside/outside the secure zone).
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