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Getting around Frankfurt

Public transport: 

Public transport within Frankfurt is run by the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund - RMV (tel: 01805 768 4636; www.rmv.de).

The city has seven underground (U-Bahn), nine tram (S-bahn) and over 40 bus lines, including a weekend night bus service. These are supplemented by a network of city trains (S-Bahn) operated by Deutsche Bahn (tel: 11861, in Germany only or 0180 599 6633; www.bahn.de). The Frankfurt Card, available from tourist information offices, gives unlimited use of public transport, including access to the airport. One and two-day cards are available.

Taxis: 

Taxis are usually beige Mercedes and they can safely be hailed on the street. A tip of 5 to 10% or rounding up of the fare is normally expected. Taxis can be hailed on the street, or booked via Taxi Frankfurt (tel: (069) 230 001).

Driving: 

Driving in the centre of Frankfurt can be stressful, as it requires a good knowledge of the one way system. It can be heavily congested, especially during rush hours, when it can be even more confusing. Furthermore, German drivers are not known for their patience. The Strassenverkehrsamt, Mainzer Landstrasse 323 (tel: (069) 2124 4734; www.svb.frankfurt.de), provides up-to-date information.

Street parking is scarce, metered and pricey. There are numerous covered car parks. Some hotels offer on-site parking.

Car hire: 

Drivers generally must be at least 19 years old and have held a full driving licence for at least one year (an International Driving Permit is needed if the national licence is not in roman script). Providers include Avis (tel: (069) 730 111; www.avis.de), Budget (tel: (069) 9073 6970; www.budget.de), Hertz (tel: (069) 230 484; www.hertz.de) and Sixt (tel: 01805 252 525; www.e-sixt.de).

Bicycle hire: 

Bicycles can be hired from Call A Bike (tel: 0700 0522 5522; www.callabike.de). Customers telephone, give their credit card details and receive an electronic code which unlocks a bike from one of the depots situated at major crossroads throughout the city.

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