Getting Around

Overview

You'll get footsore pretty fast in Frankfurt, but luckily the public transport system is excellent and integrates the city's bus, tram, S-Bahn and U-Bahn lines. It's expensive but effective, and you can buy hourly or daily tickets at almost any stop (as long as you can decipher the ticketing machines' enigmatic instructions). The underground S-Bahn and U-Bahn train lines are convenient and run more frequently than buses. Trams run on major routes and offer above-ground views. Cycling isn't a bad way of getting around, and most streets have designated bike lanes. The maze of one-way streets in the centre of the city makes driving a somewhat frustrating experience, so you're better off parking as close as you can get and hoofing it or hailing an expensive but easy-to-find taxi.

Bicycle

The city is good for cyclists, with designated bike lanes on most streets. Bikes are treated by the law as cars, so watch out for red lights. You can rent bikes from the Hauptbahnhof (tel: 2653 4834) or Radschlag (tel: 452 064; Hallgartenstrasse 56, Bornheim); Deutsche Bah's remote operated Call-a-Bike scheme (tel: 07000-522 5522; www.callabike.de) costs 0.06 a minute.

Underground rail

Frankfurt's excellent – if expensive – transport network (RMV) integrates all bus, tram, S-Bahn and U-Bahn lines.

Road

Traffic flows smoothly in central Frankfurt, but the one-way system makes it extremely frustrating to get to where you want to go. Throughout the centre you'll see signs giving directions and the number of places left in nearby car parks.