Those who travel between North America and Europe regularly already know that Frankfurt Airport (FRA) is one of the primary hubs connecting the two continents.
The home base of both flag carrier Lufthansa and German leisure airline Condor Airlines, Frankfurt Airport saw just over 63 million travelers pass through it in 2025. It operates approximately 1,400 flights to 311 cities on a typical day and, given that many of the routes to particular cities or countries only run once per day, those connecting through a transatlantic flight are often left with particularly long layovers of five, 10 or in some cases even 20 hours.
While the 11 million international travelers who came to Frankfurt itself last year mean that only a fraction of those coming through the airport make it out to the city, its smaller size and short distance from the airport provide the perfect opportunity to come out on those longer layovers or even make it an overnight destination to go on to one’s travels a little more refreshed.
How long does it take to get to Frankfurt (and what to do in the city)
The central Hauptbahnhof is just 20 minutes away by ride-share or the S8 and S9 train lines running from the airport every 15 minutes. The city itself is known for many things: the birthplace of romantic poet Goethe, total post-World War II reconstruction and its current status as the European finance center with headquarters of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the European Central Bank.
Aside from the renowned historical, nature and art museums that line the riverbanks of the Main River, a particularly quirky stop on a day trip to the old town could be the Struwwelpeter-Museum telling the story of the story of the 1845 children’s book created by local Frankfurt psychiatrist Heinrich Hoffman.
The grim fates of beloved child characters who play with matches or refuse to trim their nails may seem too macabre in the modern age but the museum offers a delightful window into what has become some of the most beloved figures in German children’s literature (while most of the exhibition is in German, English narrated translations are available through a follow-along app version).
Related: The world’s best destination for opera is not where you think
Food is reason enough to turn circumstances into a day trip and, in Frankfurt, one of the most famous dishes is the herbaceous Frankfurter Grüne Soße green sauce that is traditionally served with potatoes and hard-boiled eggs. Other traditional dishes like Handkäse with Music (a hard cheese served with a vinegar-based dressing and chopped raw onions) and Frankfurter sausages eaten with plenty of Apfelwein can be found in one of dozens of traditional pubs and beerhouses in the Sachsenhausen or Bornheim districts.
The Kleinmarkthalle food hall is a particularly fun way to while away a few hours wandering through aisles selling everything from fruits or traditional cheese and sausages to the newly TikTok-viral Inari-San booth selling Japanese tofu pouches.
Those looking for a panoramic snack can find the Meral Imbiss Dönerboot (Kebab Boat) sitting on the southern shore of the Main in a converted river boat while, on the fine dining front, there are classics like the L’Arôme and Carmelo Greco as well as the newly-opened The Dune Restaurant at The Florentin hotel.
Althoff Collection
Where to stay for a luxurious Frankfurt getaway or recharge layover
For those who want to turn the layover into a particularly upscale break, The Florentin in the Sachsenhausen district in between the airport and the city center is one of the newest additions to the city’s luxury hotel scene after Althoff Hotels took over the site of of what during different eras was both Villa Spayer and Villa Kennedy.
The mansion designed in a combination of Gothic and Renaissance styles was built for prominent banking scion Eduard Beit von Speyer and his family in 1907.
More Travel News:
- Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
- What you can expect at Disneyland’s new ‘World of Frozen’
- Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
- U.S. government issues strange warning on Ireland travel
The castle-like stone and stucco grounds were revamped with a modern interior design made to evoke the feel of Japanese wellness built around a lush garden courtyard. The true star of the grounds, however, is the newly-built 10,000-square-meter spa space including a hammam and two dry saunas at different temperatures, five treatments rooms for procedures developed in partnership with skincare star Dr. Barbara Sturm and a 15-meter pool overlooking another lush terrace.
The reflective turquoise coloring and lighting meant to mimic the waves of the Main are a loving nod to Frankfurt’s past and present in an urban escape that, for those who can delay their flight a little longer, is certainly worth the splurge and overnight stay.
Related: An unexpected corner of northern England is getting a new luxury hotel
