Layover: Frankfurt

Frankfurt might not top most lists of European vacation spots, but this vibrant German city deserves some love. Often seen only as an international gateway, Frankfurt offers plenty to enjoy whether you’re here for a quick layover or a few days of exploration.

My first visit was during Frankfurt Pride (Christopher Street Day) in 2018, and it turned into an unforgettable gay weekend in Frankfurt before continuing on to Berlin. I returned again in 2025 after celebrating Oktoberfest in Munich (check out my Munich travel tips too) and was reminded how welcoming, vibrant, and fun Frankfurt can be for queer visitors.

Getting There

Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) is Germany’s busiest hub—and the 8th busiest in the world for international passenger traffic. As such, it offers nonstop flights from major airlines’ hubs, as well as on Lufthansa, Condor, and other airlines from all over the U.S. and much of the world. It’s also an easy flight from within Europe if your preferred carrier has a hub elsewhere.

Unfortunately, the convenient direct flights are in juxtaposition with the complexity of navigating the airport once you’re there. I’m convinced the airport was designed by a sadist, including all the remote stands which take a multitude of busses to get all the passengers from the terminal to the distant tarmac. Give yourself extra time to navigate transfers or departures here.

On the plus side, transit to and from Frankfurt airport is frequent, easy, and fast—one of the closest airports I can think of to get to downtown. Not only does the city’s transit system serve the airport frequently, but Germany’s Deutsche Bahn (DB) railway station stops here too—in fact, Lufthansa sells connecting plane-to-train itineraries with the DB rail portion code-sharing a Lufthansa flight number. Fast Inter-City Express (ICE) trains connect Frankfurt efficiently with the rest of Germany and most of Europe.

Side note for planespotters: given Frankfurt’s traffic volume, Lufthansa’s fleet of wildly diverse (and old) planes, and that it’s busiest in Europe for cargo traffic, this is a great spot for plane-watching! There aren’t many (or any) other spots where you’re as likely to see a A340 or B747 (Lufthansa plans to retire those in 2026-2027, but they’re still the largest operator of the 747-8i, which will continue to fly for years). Pretty much anything else in the sky lands here too!

Know Before You Go

In addition to the information and advice found in other city guides and tour books, I found a few things worth emphasizing:

• Beginning in 2026, visitors from the U.S. and other countries will need a European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) approval prior to arrival in—or transit through Germany (plus Norway, Cyprus and other Schengen Zone countries). Follow the link above for more detailed info and note that you’ll need the ETIAS even if you don’t step foot outside the airport.
• Most bars and restaurants accept credit cards, but there exceptions (and times where cash is preferred). ATMs are readily available nearly everywhere, including at the airport (so you don’t have to change currency beforehand). Some will also offer to do the conversion for you; generally the exchange rate from your home bank will be better than at the machine.
• Afpelwein is a specialty of this region and is similar to, but not the same as, hard apple cider. Some folks love it; I was not one of them. Considering its significance in the area, I think it’s worth a try. You can decide from there if it’s something you fancy or not.

• Many of Frankfurt’s gay bars still allow smoking inside (and plenty of folks smoke on the streets too). Bring some extra changes of clothes if you don’t want to smell it on you in the morning, and maybe a resealable plastic bag to isolate things in your suitcase if you’re starting in Frankfurt.

LGBTQ Safety

Frankfurt is considered very LGBTQ friendly and safe, and this certainly felt true during Pride in 2018 and when we returned in September 2025. Although Germany was one of the more recent European countries to formally recognize gay marriage, its cities have long held progressive attitudes and strong formal LGBTQ protections now exist nationally. Germany is also home to Europe’s largest LGBTQ population.

Frankfurt’s “Bermuda Triangle” is the city’s more predominantly queer neighborhood where you’ll find many of the city’s gay bars and where you’re most likely to see pride flags year-round.

Speaking of Pride flags: Germany celebrates Pride under the name “Christopher Street Day,” with Frankfurt’s being a big celebration typically held in July.

All of the things above being said, as with anywhere, it’s still smart to stay aware of your surroundings—especially if it’s late at night, or if you’re outside of the more central neighborhoods. Of note, one person told us Frankfurt has issues with more aggressive/unsavory drug use around the Hauptbahnhof that one should be alert for, although it wasn’t something we noticed.

Sightseeing Highlights + Food and Drink

While Frankfurt may not have the tourist punch of Munich, Berlin, or other German cities, there’s actually a lot to see and do here. Panoramic views? Check. Farmers markets and food halls? Check. Quant old town? Check that too.

Since we were only here for a short stay and most of our eating happened at the farmers’ market, I’ve lumped sightseeing and eating together (which is kind of how I tend to do it in reality anyhow). With that said, here are a few of my favorites, especially if you’re only here for a short stay:

• The plaza at Konstablerwache hosts a Thursday and Saturday Farmer’s Market, which is great! Besides fresh veggies and other food, there are multiple stands with made-on-the-spot food, such as bratwurst (freshest bun I’ve ever had), curry wurst, pizza, pastries, and more. As well, beer and wine vendors are here to help wash it all down. I’m unclear if the market is year-round or not, but given the number of non-produce vendors, I’m assuming it goes most of the year if not all. On non-market days, the plaza sometimes hosts other events, such as the post-Pride festival.
• Just a few blocks away is the Kleinmarkthalle, a food hall with take away windows, vendors of all sorts, and a public restroom, should you be in need. The weekend we were there last, the plaza behind the hall had a lively pop-up event with beer, wine, and cocktails where we met some new friends. Food halls are kind of my jam, so this is definitely recommended! 😉
• Frankfurt’s “New” Old Town, the Don Römer quarter, is the historic center of the city. It was fully restored by 2018 (!) after being massively destroyed in WWII (no rush there…). It was the first place I ate a frankfurter in Frankfurt back in 2018 and is generally bustling with activity and great photo ops.
• The Eiserner Steg, or Iron Footbridge, is a pedestrian bridge over the Main river with great views of the city and a plethora of padlocks attached supposedly by romantic couples as a memento. It’s a great way to get some different perspectives on the city, and the plaza at the end of the bridge has plenty of restaurants to stop for a rest break.
• The Zeil is Frankfurt’s pedestrian mall and shopping center. In addition the MyZeil mall (the sculptural glass wall is worth checking out inside and out), it’s great people watching, has a handful of restaurants such as Nazar (good food and service and great people watching while you eat), and generally a worthwhile stroll through Frankfurt
• Frankfurt has lots of rooftop views. While I haven’t caught many of them (I just realized while writing this that there are so many options for rooftop bars!), the Main Tower is one I have enjoyed, and the view from the 57th floor is pretty sweet.

Nightlife

While my favorite bar from our 2018 trip is now closed (thanks for the memories, Stall), there are still a number of fun spots, most of which are in close proximity to one another in the Bermuda Triangle area.

• Zum Schwejk is a quintessential neighborhood bar with fun folks, music, and decor. Oh, and it’s cash only. You’ll get a ticket when you enter on which your drinks will be tallied and you pay when you exit. I like the system, but plan accordingly.
• Pink is also good fun. We stopped in for a few drinks and enjoyed the music, even though it wasn’t too busy when we were there. It’s worth a stop if you’re bar hopping.
• Tangerine, because apparently Frankfurt likes bars named after colors, was fun too. It also wasn’t super busy when we were there, but the atmosphere was warm and homey. Also worth a stop.
• We checked out Comeback Bar and Lounge on Saturday night and it got pretty busy. Despite a not-too-busy dance floor, the music was good and the crowd was friendly and fun.

There are some other bars and weekly events, though we didn’t explore further on our most recent trip. Some are closer to the Bermuda Triangle area, others are a metro ride away.

All in all, I found Frankfurt’s nightlife to be generally unpretentious and fun, despite the smoke. And given how easy it is to get into town from the airport, there’s little excuse not to partake if you’re here for a minute or longer.

Lodging

As the financial capital of Germany, Frankfurt has a wide range of hotels, including a variety of spots by most of the U.S. chains, in case using or redeeming points is important to you.

For our 2025 visit, we stayed at the Moxy Frankfurt City Center which is right downtown and an easy walk to the pedestrian mall and bars. It comprises the back half of the building also occupied by the Residence Inn, which could also be a good option if you wanted a little more space. On our 2018 trip, we stayed at the Moxy Frankfurt East, which is a bit of a walk from most of the sights and bars listed above, but is right on a tram line for easy access. Both Moxy hotels are good options, though I’d probably gravitate to the more central one unless the price was significantly different.

There’s also a conveniently located Motel One in Frankfurt’s city center. I really liked their Munich property, and would certainly consider the Frankfurt-Römer hotel too, depending on price and availability. Other locations didn’t appear to be as convenient, however.