Frankfurt Airport is the largest airport in the Republic of Germany. It ranks second in Europe in terms of cargo transportation and third in the number of passengers carried. The area of \u200b\u200bthe airport in Frankfurt is 2 160 hectares, so getting lost in the vast expanses of the airport terminal is very simple. The number of its employees is also amazing. Today, more than 80.5 thousand people work there.
This terminal is international. It is at this airport that many flights are operated. Passenger traffic is equal to 50 million people a year. The terminal cooperates with more than 100 air carriers that operate flights in 300 directions. The airport has 4 runways and 2 stations.
On the territory of the airport there are 3 terminals:
- Terminal "1".
- Terminal "2".
- A terminal designed to serve VIP persons.
If a person makes a transfer in Frankfurt, then it is worth remembering that the first 2 terminals are served by different airlines.
Terminal “1” works exclusively with such airlines as:
- Lufthansa.
- Star Alliance.
- Aeroflot.
- Swiss
- Brussels Airlines.
- Austrian Airlines.
Terminal 2 works with all other airlines, the largest of which are Oneworld and SkyTeam.
Since the terminal occupies a considerable area, for the convenience of movement on it, there are free trains that connect between the terminals.
Between the terminal “1” and “2” there is a monorail called Sky Line. It connects sectors both inside the terminal and between them.
Train connections are established between airport sectors such as:
- “A” - terminal 1.
- “B” - terminal 1.
- “C” - terminal 1.
- "Z" - terminal 1.
- “D” - terminal 2.
- “E” - terminal 2.
Moving from one terminal to another takes no more than 2 minutes.
You can find the monorail on the territory of the terminal using special blue signs. Stops are located at level 04 - this is a transit zone.
Trains run at intervals of 2 to 4 minutes.
You can also move from one terminal to another by bus. It leaves from stations located in two places:
- In front of the terminal "1".
- Behind the terminal "1".
The bus runs at intervals of 10 - 12 minutes.
Transfer
If you plan a transplant in Frankfurt, then it is worth remembering the basic rules so as not to get lost in the territory of this huge airport terminal:
The flight is marked with a license plate. The hall is a sector that is designated in the alphanumeric sense. The first digit is the terminal number, the second letter means the sector.
- If a person already has a boarding pass for a connecting flight, then he needs to double-check all the data in it.
- In the absence of a boarding pass, the passenger needs to ask for help from the staff who accept the information desk. You can get a ticket at the check-in counters of the airline that the flight is flying.
Information desks work round the clock in both terminals. But there is also the opportunity to use the touch screen.
The Deutsche Lufthansa and Star Alliance airline check-in desks are located in Terminal 1, Sector A. The placement of other registration counters is indicated on the information board.
- Citizens of countries outside the EU passport control pass at the desks indicated by the blue tables “Non - EU Nationals”.
For transfers, baggage usually does not need to be re-checked. The company operating the flight will take care of transporting things on the next flight.
If there is a transfer between flights within the Schengen zone, then the passenger can simply go through the corridor that connects sectors “A” and “B”.
Emergency registration
For a short period of time between flights, a person can use the emergency registration service called SCSC. 
The essence of the service is to meet the traveler at the airport and accompany him to the SCSC center, where the passenger passes an accelerated check-in for his connecting flight. Also in passport mode, passport and customs control takes place. After registration is completed, the traveler is taken by bus to the sector, from where his next flight departs. This service is paid. Its price is 99 euros. It is worth noting that the order of this service is carried out in advance.
Transit
When transit in Frankfurt, consider one feature: there should be one transit. Otherwise, a transplant in Frankfurt is required.
Example No. 1: flight Moscow - Frankfurt - Washington. In this case, a transit visa is not needed, since there is only one transit country - Germany.
Example No. 2: flight Moscow - Frankfurt - Rome - Washington. In this case, a transit visa to Germany will be required, as there are 2 transit countries, and only one is permitted.
The second important nuance is that you can be in the transit zone without a transit visa only for 24 hours.
And also it is worth considering that all of the above rules apply only if one ticket is issued. If, for example, a person has issued two travel documents: Moscow - Frankfurt and Frankfurt - Washington, then he needs a transit visa because he will leave the transit zone at the airport to check in for the next flight. In this case, the traveler will have to pick up his luggage and fix it again.
Signposts at the airport
When transferring, it is advisable not to go beyond the transit zone of the airport. Otherwise, a person will have to pass passport and customs control again. In order not to accidentally leave the transit zone, you should follow the signs “Anschlussflüge (Connecting flights)!”
When I first got here, I immediately realized that the story about the airport draws to a separate detailed blog post. At that time, I flew from Prague to Moscow with a transfer in Frankfurt (Lufthansa flew) so that I had enough time to get around almost the entire airport, take a picture of all the most important and useful things and even exchange a few words with the staff. So, I will try to state very briefly and succinctly about everything that is important to know during transit.
Frankfurt am Main Tickets
Anyone who has ever wondered “how to find cheap flights?” Most likely already knows about the coexistence of aggregators such as Aviasales, Skyscanner, etc. Today this is the most optimal way to search and buy tickets on the Internet, which I have already verified repeatedly. For example, Aviasales has such a useful thing as a monthly price comparison table where you can see when it’s cheaper to fly and when it’s more expensive. You click on a month and the search engine already shows prices for specific dates. The purchase itself takes place directly on the seller’s website (it can be either an airline or an agency). It is very convenient, and most importantly, safe.
Frankfurt International Airport is one of the largest air marinas in Europe in general and Germany in particular. Huge airport! Or it’s even more correct to call it a city. In support of its scale, Frankfurt Airport accepts flights from more than 100 airlines from more than 300 cities in the world. I can say that despite its size, it has excellent navigation and, as a result, simple and convenient transit. Perhaps that is why the quality of its service has been awarded several international and national prizes!
There are places for smoking on the street near the airport terminals, in the cleared area (after security control, but before passport control) and already directly in the airport transit zone. At the same time, I noticed an interesting pattern - the closer to the boarding gate, the more comfortable the smoking area.
Opposite the exit from the arrivals area of \u200b\u200bterminal 1
After security control, but still before passport control in Terminal 1
In the transit zone of terminal 1
Where to apply for Tax Free?
The issue of VAT refunds (aka Tax Free) is one of the most urgent for many of our fellow citizens, because I will analyze it here in as much detail as possible.
Tax Free General Information
To begin with, all goods sold in Europe are subject to value added tax. The amount of tax depends on the country and type of goods. As a non-resident of Germany or any other EU country, you have the opportunity to receive a refund of this tax when leaving the EU.
To receive a cash refund at the airport, you must present the goods themselves, your passport, checks and filled in Tax Free forms (issued in the store when you purchase the goods and are completely filled in with Latin letters by the store staff). Remember that items must be new (with store tags) and packaged so that you can show them.
If your purchases are packed in baggage for registration, then indicate to the employee at the registration that you need to receive confirmation of customs about export (stamp). Then they will hang a tag on the luggage and return it to you for presentation at customs. After checking the purchased items and receiving confirmation of the export, baggage must be checked in at the customs desk (it will not be necessary to move it somewhere else). It will be automatically loaded on the plane. And you are either in the departure zone, or on the way to the boarding gate, you can get the amount of VAT at one of the relevant racks.
If the purchased goods are in hand luggage, then after passing the pre-flight and passport control, you need to contact the customs point. There you will receive a confirmation of the export of goods, on the basis of which you will be paid the amount of VAT at one of the relevant desks.
It is also important to remember that there are different return systems. The most popular in Europe are Global Blue and Premier Tax Free. Few people even think that these companies are nothing more than intermediaries between you and the state (after all, VAT is returned to you from the budget) - for which they take their considerable fees. In theory, VAT can be obtained in full in person, but this is already a more complex process and not everyone will want to do it. Thus, it is necessary to approach precisely those return counters from which you hold checks. By the way, in all stores where they issue Tax Free, the logo of the system with which this particular store works should hang.
Keep in mind that when receiving a VAT refund in cash at the airport, you will pay a service charge + most likely some money will be given to you in coins, which in Russia will be almost impossible to exchange for rubles. For this reason, I always make a return to the card, which I pay for my purchases in the store. To do this, you need to fill out the return form yourself and drop the set of documents in the mailbox. Believe me, this is simple and not dangerous. The Global Blue mailbox is located next to the return desks in the departure zone of terminal 1, sector B. The advantage of this method is that you will not have to stand in lines and worry about the time. And if you specify the corn card data, then you will also save on conversion (they will be returned exactly at the Central Bank rate).
Tax Free at Departure Area
There are customs points and VAT refund desks in both terminals. I took off from the first terminal, so then I will show you step by step how it looks in terminal 1.
Customs post. Departure area of \u200b\u200bterminal 1 between sectors A and B - here after baggage check-in
Next to the customs office of the Global Blue return counter - here after the customs point
The same mailbox that I wrote about above
Details of what you need to fill out before you drop the envelope with the Tax Free form
If there will be the same long queue as in the photo, and there is not enough time before departure, it is better to put a stamp at the customs, hand over the baggage, and then go to the pre-flight inspection and passport control. After passing all the checks you will find yourself in a transit zone. There, too, there is customs and a VAT refund counter. But, unlike the departure halls, there are no queues очеред If purchases are in hand luggage, then even better. You get the stamp and return already in the transit zone without queues and waiting.
Customs point in the transit zone
The most popular return systems have their own sites where you can check the latest information directly on your system. Global Blue and Premier Tax-free sites in Russian, but Tax-free Germany no longer.
It often happens that you need to fly with a transfer in Frankfurt. The most popular question is whether a transit visa is needed. So, if you fly with the same airline, for example, Moscow-Frankfurt-São Paulo, while the transfer in Frankfurt is no more than 24 hours, then no visa is required. And it doesn’t matter which terminal you fly to / fly to - 1 or 2 (the transit zone is combined and moving from one terminal to another is not a problem). Remember only that it will be impossible to exit the transit zone. Another thing is when you have tickets of different airlines on hand - this raises the issue of baggage overload from flight to flight. Let me give you an example: you fly on a flight Moscow-Frankfurt a / k Aeroflot and Frankfurt Rio de Janeiro a / k TAM Airlines. In this case, I would apply for a Schengen visa. Indeed, even if you call Aeroflot in Moscow and they confirm that they will take care of transferring baggage from one flight to another without your participation, then it’s far from the fact that TAM Airlines will do the same on its way back 🙂
When changing, follow signs for Anschlussfluge
Frankfurt hotels and airport on a map
If the connections are too long and there is a valid Schengen, then it makes sense to stay at the hotel. On the map you can immediately figure out how far this or that hotel is from the airport, plus there is a useful slider in the lower right corner of the "price range". You put a filter at a price and see what is nearby. Plus, Hotellook (and this is its map) compares offers on different reservation systems (Booking, Ostrovok, etc.). As a result, booking is more profitable - Hotellook will show a site where the price is the best.
The airport in the German city of Frankfurt is also called the Rhine-Main Airport (Frankfurt Airport in English). It is the oldest airport in Europe and one of its largest airports.
Just the facts. One of the three largest European airports, Frankfurt Airport serves more than 58 million passengers annually, 154 thousand people every day, the German airline Lufthansa and four other major German air carriers are based on its territory. In total, he opens an air gate to 108 airlines from around the world.
general information
- The IATA code is FRA.
- The ICAO code is EDDF.
Airport address: 60547 Frankfurt am Main, Germany, the airport is located from the city of Frankfurt, 12 km to the southeast.
The official website of the airport is www.frankfurt-airport.com in English.
Airport Inquiry Service: +49 69 69 00.
Hours - around the clock.
Briefly about the story
Today, Frankfurt Airport is the main transfer point in Europe, which allows you to get to any city on the European continent in a couple of hours.
The history of the main airport of Europe began in 1936 with the opening of the port. However, the company Südwestdeutschen Luftverkehrs AG, which with a new name operates the airport to this day, was born much earlier, in 1924. The main development of the airport in its modern form has been received since 1972, when the first terminal was rebuilt, an underground road with a railway station was commissioned. The opening of the second terminal and the elevated railway station, and in 1999 the ICE railway station, allowed the airport to become a multi-transport hub, to which a bus station was later added.
In 2001, the old company was renamed Fraport AG. In 2007, she began yet another large-scale construction, this time the Squaire High Speed \u200b\u200bRail AIRail Center. The last terminal is being built in 2013.
Scheme and location of airport zones
The modern airport of Frankfurt is a well-organized and structured space that combines relatively small territories with well-built infrastructure with German pedantry. The airport meets planes with three runways: two of which are concrete, one is asphalt, but is in perfect condition. Five passenger lounges, three terminals, including one small VIP lounge.
An automatic luggage line was installed at the airport for the first time in the world. Luggage storage facilities are available around the clock.
Everything seems to be provided for passengers here:
- russian-speaking tourists pass through the Russified Pavilion,
- the main terminals are connected by a free bus line that will deliver you in a matter of minutes, as well as the SkyLine train, whose stations are located in the terminals on the fourth floor. There is also a flyover for moving around the transit zone.
check-in
The airport is literally “crammed” with simple and accessible digital and letter designations of zones and information boards. The latter inform, including the numbers of reception desks. It is recommended to produce it 2 hours before departure, and it ends 40 minutes before the flight. Baggage during a transit flight is transported here automatically, and registration requires the presentation of a passport, ticket and visa.
Information boards at Frankfurt Airport are available in eight languages, including Russian.
Below is a link to the online scoreboard, which contains official and current information about the departure and arrival of the flight, its status - https://www.frankfurt-airport.com/de/reisen/am-flughafen.html#fluege.
From Russia to Frankfurt Airport can be reached by Lufthansa from Domodedovo, Aeroflot from Sheremetyevo. Rossiya Airlines organizes flights from Pulkovo to St. Petersburg.
For the convenience of passengers, there is a special escort service for escort to the place of registration, for baggage check-in, customs clearance, taxi calls and more. The price of such comfort for 2 people is 30-60 euros.
Infrastructure
On the territory of the two main terminals there are currency exchange points and representative offices of four banks, where information on changes in the exchange rate is constantly updated.
The airport of the German city of Frankfurt is a small town with its own infrastructure. To pleasantly and usefully spend the waiting time for passengers, there is a network of shower rooms, a hairdresser, dry cleaning, a pharmacy, grooming salons and even a bar with oxygen cocktails. Plus, necessary and pleasant little things about free charging of phones and other devices from Oracle stations.
In the area accessible to all, there is a shopping center with shops of famous world brands, as well as about three hundred small shops, bars, restaurants and cafes. A mother and baby room with changing tables is open at the airport.
Passengers who have passed security control points can visit the so-called “market” in the first terminal, which includes a network of boutiques, duty-free shops, restaurants and cafes.
For the entertainment of passengers in the second terminal of the airport, an open observation deck is equipped. Ascent to the site is carried out by an escalator. A visit to the site is paid, if you have a Frankfurt card or a student card, you will get a discount. In the interest of passenger safety, when entering the site, hand luggage is inspected and a metal detector is checked.
In addition, Frankfurt Airport (Fra) provides its passengers with many non-standard offers, including:
- Faster screening at special racks - for those who are limited in time;
- Ordering goods at airport duty-free shops with home delivery. Assistance of the consultant to Russian-speaking passengers, as well as passengers from China and Japan, in the purchase of goods, registration of VAT refunds, and, if necessary, when passing goods through the security desk;
- Special parking spaces for women in three parking lots providing the simplest, safest and shortest exit routes;
- Special conditions for passengers with disabilities: special check-in counters, telephones, special toilets, etc .;
- Frankfurt Airport and Lufthansa Airlines have recently introduced Family Check-In Areas check-in desks for passengers with children under 12 years old;
- Particularly equipped recreation areas in the waiting rooms;
- Cafe with a special children's menu;
- Prayer rooms for representatives of three faiths;
- Organization of the “Spirit of Aviation” wedding ceremony in a special area of \u200b\u200bthe airport;
- Excursions at the airport for 45 minutes at a price of 8 euros or an hour and a half for 15 euros;
- Hotel for pets;
- Playrooms for babies and free strollers for hire at the terminal, in the transit zone;
- Online services: expedited check-in, baggage check-in via self-service machines and the possibility of automatic border control.
Parking
The airport’s own parking is designed for 14 thousand places and suggests the possibility of choosing tariffs from 35 to 459 euros, depending on the class of service.
Communication services
Everything here is of first-class quality, including the Internet. Wi-Fi is available for passengers around the clock, always open and without passwords, including in the departure area. To ensure that communication is always available there, more than 300 access points work. You need to connect using the German Telecommunications HotSpot.
Hotels
The airport has its own hotels in its territory:
- InterCityHotel,
- Sheraton
- Steigenberger Airport.
A huge number of hotels are in close proximity to the terminals. Typically, hotels themselves provide transportation of their guests to the airport, however, there are many other ways to get there.
Transport connection
A little over 10 kilometers separate the Frankfurt Airport (FRA) from its center. Well-developed transport infrastructure allows you to get to the city center on different types of transport:
- Suburban trains - two railways near the airport terminal offer tickets at the box office, as well as at vending machines. Ticket price - 4.65 euros. An electric train leaves from the first terminal, which takes passengers to the main station of the city in 12 minutes. Do not forget to validate your ticket before the trip;
- Intercity trains - in addition to the train, you can leave the station on high-speed trains, which also come here, and you can also go to major cities in Germany by regular trains that go through this station in Frankfurt;
- Buses - the bus network covers the entire territory of the city, this is the cheapest form of transport. The cost of the trip is 4.35 euros;
- Taxi services - Frankfurt Airport is located next to the A3 and A5 motorways, so you can get to the city in 20 minutes, and in the center of Frankfurt in 40 minutes. Transport companies have their own parking near both terminals, a twenty-minute trip to the city will cost the traveler 25 euros;
- Car rental - available at the entrance.
Approximately 40 euros will cost a taxi ride to the central part of Frankfurt. In addition, you can order a transfer to the airport and back - it costs 54 euros in an economy class car and 72 euros for ordering a minivan for 7 seats. Ordering an individual transfer is beneficial for transporting large luggage or a group of passengers.
Frankfurt Airport amazes guests, visiting it becomes an event in itself. And if not, we advise you to visit here in September or August, when the Jazz Festival or the Yabloko holiday is held here. In spring, guests are invited to the traditional Spring Festival, and in July - a celebration of ice cream and strawberries. However, at other times, the most unexpected events and concert programs are not uncommon here.
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