Getting around Frankfurt

Public transport

Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund - RMV (tel: +49 69 2424 8024; www.rmv.de) runs public transport within Frankfurt.

The city has underground (U-Bahn), tram (S-bahn) and bus lines, including a weekend night bus service. These are supplemented by a network of city trains (S-Bahn) operated by Deutsche Bahn (tel: +49 180 699 6633; www.bahn.de).

The Frankfurt Card, available from tourist information offices, gives unlimited use of public transport, including access to the airport. One- and two-day cards are available for individuals and groups. The card also includes discounted admission to numerous attractions.

Otherwise, you can buy single tickets, day passes or weekly passes. Smartcards, called eTicket RheinMain, are gradually replacing paper tickets.

Taxis

Taxis are usually beige Mercedes and they can safely be hailed on the street. A tip of 5 to 10% is normally expected, or you can round up the fare. You can also book taxis via Main Taxi Frankfurt (tel: +49 69 73 30 30). Most accept major credit cards.

The pedal-powered Velotaxis (tel: +49 69 71 58 88 55) also operate between Opera Square and the Main Embankment and offer an up-close view of the city.

Driving

Driving in the centre of Frankfurt can be stressful, as it requires a good knowledge of the one-way system. It can be heavily congested, especially during rush hours, when it can be even more confusing. Furthermore, German drivers are not known for their patience. The Strassenverkehrsamt, Gutleutstraße 191 (tel: +49 69 2124 4734; www.frankfurt.de), provides up-to-date information. Street parking is scarce, metered and pricey. There are numerous covered car parks. Some hotels offer on-site parking.

Car hire

Drivers generally must be at least 21 years old (in some cases 19 years old) and have held a full driving licence for at least half a year (an International Driving Permit is only accepted in combination with a national licence and it only needed if the national licence is not in Roman script). Some car hire companies have special offers for young drivers.

Providers include Avis (tel: +49 69 2799 7010; www.avis.de), Budget (tel: +49 69 7104 45596; www.budget.de) and Sixt (tel: +49 180 625 2525; www.sixt.de).

Bicycle hire

You can hire bicycles from Call A Bike (tel: +49 69 4272 7722; www.callabike-interaktiv.de/de). You can either book by phone and receive an electronic code which unlocks a bike from one of the depots situated at major crossroads throughout the city. Or, a dedicated Call A Bike iPhone and Android app lets you see where bikes are available and arrange hire via your smartphone without needing to make a call.