From Frankfurt Airport (FRA) to the city center you have three real choices: the S-Bahn from the regional station under Terminal 1 for €6.90 per adult, a taxi from the rank outside arrivals, or a private driver who meets you inside the terminal. The road distance to the banking district is about 20 km (13 mi), roughly 24 minutes on a clear road, and a fixed Elly8.net transfer costs from US$130 in a business sedan to US$340 in an Executive Sprinter, per vehicle.
The train is genuinely good, and for one person with a carry-on it is the obvious answer. The car earns its price when you land tired after an overnight flight, travel as a family or a team, carry real luggage, or arrive at the new Terminal 3. This guide goes through each piece of the arrival so you can decide before you board in New York, Chicago or Toronto.
Is the train or a private driver better from Frankfurt Airport?
For one traveller with light bags arriving at Terminal 1 and staying near a station, the S-Bahn is cheaper and simple at €6.90. A private driver is better for families, groups, heavy luggage, Terminal 3 arrivals, early-morning landings and hotels away from the rail lines, at a fixed fare from US$130 per vehicle.
The deciding factors are not speed alone. They are how many people are travelling, how much they carry, which terminal they land in, and where the hotel is. A couple with two suitcases staying at a hotel beside the Hauptbahnhof will be fine on the train. Four colleagues with roller bags heading to a Westend hotel for a 10:00 meeting are better off in a car that is already waiting.
See Frankfurt prices and reserve
Which terminal you will arrive in
FRA now runs two passenger terminals. According to the airport's Terminal 3 page, Terminal 3 has begun operations with gates G, H and J, it can handle around 19 million passengers a year, and all airlines that used to fly from Terminal 2 are now in Terminal 3. Terminal 1, with its areas A, B and C, carries on alongside it. Your airline decides which one you land in, so check it before you travel.
The free SkyLine train connects the two. The airport says it runs every 2 to 3 minutes from 4:00 to 23:00, with a shuttle bus outside those hours. That matters for the rail option, because the train stations are at Terminal 1.
The S-Bahn: how it works and what it costs
The airport's rail guide explains that the regional station is on the lowest level of Terminal 1, reachable from areas A, B and C by following the signs for trains. S-Bahn lines S8 and S9, plus regional trains RB58, RE59, RE2 and RE3, connect it with Frankfurt, Offenbach, Hanau, Mainz and Wiesbaden. From Terminal 3 you first ride the SkyLine to Terminal 1, which the airport puts at about 10 to 15 minutes.
Fares come from the RMV, the regional transport association. A single between the city area and the airport costs €6.90 for an adult and €4.10 for a child. An ordinary city single at €3.80 is not valid to the airport, which is a separate fare zone, so buy the right ticket. If you will use transport the same day, the RMV day ticket including the airport costs €13.50.
The ride itself is short, and the S-Bahn runs into central Frankfurt via the Hauptbahnhof. If your hotel is a few minutes' walk from one of those stops, the train is hard to beat. Long-distance ICE and IC trains use a separate station, about five minutes' walk from Terminal 1.
Taxis and app rides at FRA
According to the airport's page on taxis, Uber and car sharing, taxis are available around the clock at all three terminals and at the long-distance station, and the trip between Frankfurt and the airport takes 20 to 30 minutes depending on traffic. Taxis run on the meter, so the price is known at the end, not the start. Our Frankfurt taxi guide explains the rules German taxis work under.
App rides use designated areas rather than the arrivals curb. The airport lists pickup and drop-off for Uber at Terminal 1 in short-term car park P31 on the departures level; at Terminal 3, pickup is in the charter bus lane P62 and drop-off on the departures level at P63. Prices in the app vary with demand, so we do not quote one.
Side by side: the four ways into town
| Option | Price | What the trip involves | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| S-Bahn S8 or S9 | €6.90 per adult, €4.10 per child | Walk to the station under Terminal 1; SkyLine first from Terminal 3 | Solo travellers, light bags, hotels near a station |
| Taxi | Metered | Rank outside arrivals; 20 to 30 min to the city per the airport | Short notice, one or two travellers |
| App ride | Varies with demand | Walk to P31 (Terminal 1) or P62 (Terminal 3) | App users with light luggage |
| Elly8.net business sedan | US$130 fixed, per vehicle | Met inside arrivals with a name board, about 24 min clear road | Executives, couples with cases, fixed budgets |
| Elly8.net Business SUV | US$170 fixed, per vehicle | Six seats, six bags | Families and small teams |
| Elly8.net Executive Sprinter | US$340 fixed, per vehicle | Twelve seats, twelve bags | Delegations, wedding parties, ski groups |
Some simple arithmetic, for comparison only: four adults on the S-Bahn pay 4 x €6.90, which is €27.60, against US$170 for a Business SUV for the whole group. The train is clearly cheaper in money. What the car buys is the walk, the stairs and the platform with four cases, done for you.
Where the routed distances go
The fixed Elly8.net fare covers central Frankfurt addresses from the banking district to the old town, the Westend and the Messe. For planning, here are routed estimates from the airport on a clear road, from the public OSRM routing engine: the Hauptbahnhof about 19.0 km (11.8 mi) and 24 minutes, Messe Frankfurt about 18.4 km (11.5 mi) and 24 minutes, the Römerberg about 16.7 km (10.4 mi) and 25 minutes. Mainz is about 30.7 km (19.1 mi) and 35 minutes, and Wiesbaden about 29.4 km (18.3 mi) and 31 minutes; quote those on the web booker. Rush hour on the A5 and A3 and fair days add time, and the fixed fare does not change with the traffic.
From the gate to the car: what the first hour looks like
A typical transatlantic arrival goes like this. You leave the aircraft, walk to passport control, queue with the other non-EU passport holders, then wait at the belt for checked bags. Only then do you reach the public arrivals area. On a busy morning that sequence takes time, and it is the same whichever way you continue into town.
With the train, the next steps are finding the signs for the regional station, buying the right RMV ticket at a machine or in the RMVgo app, carrying bags down to the platform and, if you landed at Terminal 3, riding the SkyLine first. None of it is difficult. It is simply more steps after a night on a plane, with cases, sometimes with children.
With a pre-booked car, the next step is a name board. The chauffeur already knows the flight landed late or early, walks you to the vehicle and loads the bags. Tell us in advance about golf bags, a stroller or extra cases and the desk assigns a vehicle that fits; the fleet page shows seats and luggage by class.
Going on by train or plane the same day
FRA is also a rail hub. The long-distance station serves ICE and IC trains across Germany and into neighbouring countries, and the airport notes that Lufthansa Express Rail lets some travellers combine train and flight on one ticket, with luggage dropped in the Terminal 1 check-in hall. If you are connecting straight from your flight to a train, you may not need a car at all. If you are spending a night in the city first and travelling on in the morning, book the hotel-to-station leg as a train station transfer and the car can also handle the bags at the platform end.
When the train is the right call
Say it plainly: for a solo traveller with a backpack or a carry-on, landing in Terminal 1 in the middle of the day and staying near the Hauptbahnhof or another S-Bahn stop, the train is quick, frequent and inexpensive. Business travellers on a tight per diem who know the city will often take it, and nobody should be talked out of it.
When a private driver is worth it
The overnight arrival. Overnight flights from North America often land in the morning. After passport control and the baggage hall, you walk out to a chauffeur holding your name, who has tracked your flight and adjusted to the actual landing. Waiting after a tracked landing is complimentary, so a slow immigration queue costs nothing extra. See meet and greet.
Terminal 3. Arriving at the new terminal means a SkyLine ride before the train. The car is met at Terminal 3 instead, which is directly connected to the A5 motorway.
Families. Child and booster seats are available on request; give the children's ages when you book and the partner fits them before pickup. A Business SUV takes a stroller and cases without a second car.
Teams and fair delegations. A Sprinter seats twelve with twelve bags, which is one vehicle and one invoice instead of three taxis. For fair days at the Messe, hourly cars from US$85 an hour in a business sedan, 3-hour minimum, keep a team moving. See conference transportation.
Hotels off the rail lines. Hilltop or suburban hotels and offices in Eschborn or the Taunus are easier door to door.
Fixed budgets in dollars. The fare is set when you book, charged in US$ and includes the chauffeur, taxes, standard gratuity and meet and greet. Tolls, parking and waiting beyond the included time are billed at cost.
Departing FRA: the same fare in reverse
Airport fares are the same fixed price in either direction, so the banking district to FRA also costs from US$130 in a business sedan to US$340 in an Executive Sprinter. Give us your airline and flight when you book: the two terminals are not a short walk apart, and the chauffeur drops you at the right one. Taxi drivers are asked the same question; the airport advises telling the driver your airline so you are taken as close as possible to check-in. A round trip booked together costs from US$250 in a business sedan, US$325 in a Business SUV and US$650 in a Sprinter.
Booking a Frankfurt Airport transfer
Rides in Frankfurt are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk. Partner vehicles are four model years old or newer.
- Pickup and drop-off. Enter FRA with your flight number and your hotel or address.
- Vehicle. Choose a business sedan, Business SUV, First Class Sedan (US$230), First Class SUV (US$210) or Executive Sprinter, and add child seats.
- Reserve. Press Reserve now and pay by card in US$, or use the web booker for Mainz, Wiesbaden or anywhere off the price list. Confirmation arrives by email.
Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup; 10% applies at 72 hours or less, 50% at 48 hours or less, and 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show. Refunds go to the original card; see the cancellation policy.
The full price list, including the Rhine Valley day and hourly rates, is in the Frankfurt fares panel, and the Frankfurt airport transfer page covers the Messe and the banking district. For a fair comparison of options, read chauffeur vs taxi and chauffeur vs airport shuttle, or see how airport transfers work across our cities. Heading out of town the next day? Our guide to Frankfurt to Heidelberg by private car covers the route. Elly8.net books the car only; BookingWorldwide.net is our travel partner for flights and hotels. Elly8.net is a member of LimousineWorldwide.Directory, LimousineAssociation.International, HotelsWorldwide.Directory and VacationsWorldwide.Directory. Connecting on to Switzerland or Bavaria, the same desk books our Zurich car service and Munich chauffeur.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the train from Frankfurt Airport to the city center?
The RMV single between the city area and the airport costs €6.90 for an adult and €4.10 for a child. A regular city ticket at €3.80 is not valid to the airport. The RMV day ticket including the airport costs €13.50. Trains leave from the regional station under Terminal 1.
How long is the drive from Frankfurt Airport to downtown?
About 20 km (13 mi) to the banking district, roughly 24 minutes on a clear road. The airport itself puts the trip at 20 to 30 minutes depending on traffic. Rush hour and fair days can stretch it; a pre-booked Elly8.net fare stays fixed.
How much is a private driver from Frankfurt Airport to the city?
A fixed Elly8.net transfer to the banking district costs from US$130 in a business sedan, US$170 in a Business SUV, US$210 in a First Class SUV, US$230 in a First Class Sedan and US$340 in an Executive Sprinter, per vehicle, including the chauffeur, taxes, standard gratuity and meet and greet.
I land at Terminal 3. Can I still take the train?
Yes. Ride the free SkyLine to Terminal 1, which the airport puts at about 10 to 15 minutes, then take the S-Bahn from the regional station. A pre-booked chauffeur meets you at Terminal 3 instead, so there is no transfer between terminals.
Where do app rides pick up at Frankfurt Airport?
The airport lists Uber pickup at Terminal 1 in short-term car park P31 on the departures level, and at Terminal 3 in the charter bus lane P62. Prices in the app vary with demand. A pre-booked chauffeur meets you inside the arrivals hall with a name board.
What happens if my flight is delayed?
Give us your flight number when you book. The chauffeur tracks the flight and adjusts to the actual landing, and waiting after a tracked landing is complimentary. If you miss a connection, message the 24/7 desk with the new flight and the pickup moves.
