Help navigating Frankfurt airport

[Pearl64]

We are on(well, we hope) a Delta flight from Atlanta to Frankfurt on a Monday morning. We are then taking the train to Nuremberg. Can someone detail this process ? From what I have gleaned from the airport website we need to go from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1. Where do we go through immigration and customs? Terminal 2? Pick up luggage with the hope it is there? Do we walk from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1? I read there is a bus or a Skyline. I also read it takes 30 minutes. Is that accurate? I appreciate any help as we will be trying to maneuver this after an all night flight.  We have our flexible train tickets already.

 

Thank you.

[em-sk]

1 hour ago, Pearl64 said:

We are on(well, we hope) a Delta flight from Atlanta to Frankfurt on a Monday morning. We are then taking the train to Nuremberg. Can someone detail this process ? From what I have gleaned from the airport website we need to go from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1. Where do we go through immigration and customs? Terminal 2? Pick up luggage with the hope it is there? Do we walk from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1? I read there is a bus or a Skyline. I also read it takes 30 minutes. Is that accurate? I appreciate any help as we will be trying to maneuver this after an all night flight.  We have our flexible train tickets already.

 

Thank you.

 

Lufthansa is having labour issues and Frankfurt is the main hub.

 

i think you go through passport control, then claim bags, then customs.  Exit follow signs to the train station.  There are walkways from both terminals to the stations.

Edited July 29, 2022 by em-sk
reread question.

[CruiserBruce]

It will be well signed, in English. 

 

Where you arrive will depend on how busy it is...either a gate or a hard stand and bus to the terminal. In either case it is well signed. 

[Globaliser]

7 hours ago, Pearl64 said:

Do we walk from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1? I read there is a bus or a Skyline. I also read it takes 30 minutes. Is that accurate?

 

The mainline railway station is to the north of Terminal 1, which is why you have to transfer from T2 to T1. The airport website says that the shuttle bus is the most convenient way to get from T2 to the railway station, which I suspect is probably because the drop-off at T1 is on the north side of the terminal. The shuttle train runs into the main part of T1 and (IIRC) is elevated, so that using that involves going up, taking the shuttle, going down, and then walking a (slightly) longer distance to the station. But from a very distant memory of using T2, my guess is that the shuttle would run more frequently than the bus (which the airport says is every 10-15 minutes).

 

Although I haven't done this specific transfer from T2, the walk from the main part of T1 to the railway station is about ¼ mile and with luggage would probably be more than 5 minutes' walk. 30 minutes overall to transfer from T2 (exit from customs) to the railway station would sound about right.

 

I wouldn't try to walk it, myself, especially with luggage. It would be almost a mile.

 

But Frankfurt is a reasonably good place for an inter-modal transfer like this. A couple of years ago, I flew from London to Frankfurt, stayed overnight at an airport hotel and then went on to Munich by train the next morning. The Frankfurt bit was dead easy; and for what I was doing, it was a much better and much more pleasant solution than flying to Munich either in one flight or two.

 

If you don't read German already, one thing that might be worth brushing up on is what the signs will say above each seat on the train to indicate whether it's been reserved or is available to you to use, if you're travelling on flexible tickets and don't have a reservation on a specific train. I can't remember, but I have a suspicion that they may only be in German - perhaps something like "reserviert" and "frei".

[CruiserBruce]

By the way, when you exit the plane, both at a stand, or at a gate, you will be channeled through Passport Check, and then bag claim, through Customs,  which is the Red/Green system, meaning if you have something to declare you go Red line, if not, Green door. You almost can't make a wrong turn.

[Pearl64]

Thanks to all of you who responded, especially the German phrasing. It sounds as though the bus is the way to go. My husband will be glad not to walk the distance. This will be an experience but should be better than sitting in Schiphol for 11 hours which was our original ticket.

 

i am always so appreciative for you regulars who take the time to respond to all my questions.

[Zach1213]

5 hours ago, Globaliser said:

But Frankfurt is a reasonably good place for an inter-modal transfer like this.

 

Oh it's great. I travel to Bremen a couple times each year and my usual route, rather than flying in to Bremen, is to get in to Frankfurt and then take the train. It adds a little time (not much) but gives me the ability to just zone out, watch the countryside go by, have some coffee (or other beverages if it's later), watch a movie/read a book. The little bit of added time (which isn't much when you factor in transferring planes, security, etc) is well worth it.