The S-Bahn metro and urban railway, which operates like a conventional underground within the city centre, is the main element of public transport in Frankfurt.

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U-Bahn and S-Bahn lines

To get around Frankfurt, you can use the classic underground (U-Bahn) and the city rail (S-Bahn).

The U-Bahn only runs within Frankfurt and very close to the city, while the S-Bahn lines run far into the surrounding cities.

In the centre of Frankfurt, most S-Bahn lines connect on a single underground line, creating a very frequent underground connection under the centre (from east to west) that functions de facto as a metro.

• U1, U2, U3, U8 - these lines run together in a north-south direction from the Südbahnhof under the city centre, splitting into individual branches at the northern edge of Frankfurt
  • in the common section they have an interval of 2-4 minutes
• U4, U5 - lines run together between the Hauptbahnhof under the city centre (Römerberg) to Konstablerwache, where they split. Line U4 continues east towards Enkheim and line U5 continues north towards Preungesheim
  • in the common section they have an interval of 3-6 minutes
• U6, U7 - the lines run together under the whole centre in a west-east direction and can be used, for example, to get to Frankfurt Zoo.
  • In the common section they have an interval of 2-4 minutes
• S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S8, S9 - the lines run underground between Frankfurt Central Station under the whole centre (Hauptwache and Konstablerwache).
  • In the common section they have an interval of 1-4 minutes

The following S-Bahn lines are also useful for tourists:

• S8, S9 - connecting Frankfurt city centre with FRA airport
• S1 - runs from Frankfurt to Wiesbaden
• S8 - runs from Frankfurt to Mainz

A detailed listing of stations, lines and timetables can be found on the rmv.de website.

Underground map

You can download a complete up-to-date map of Vienna's public transport system to your mobile phone from the official website of the transport company wienerlinien.at.

Metro and S-Bahn tickets

• 1 ride around Frankfurt - 3,80 eur
• 1 ride from Frankfurt Airport - 6,60 eur
• All day for 1 calendar day around Frankfurt - 7,40 eur
• All-day for 1 calendar day for Frankfurt zone + airport - 12,90 eur
• All-day group for up to 5 people for 1 calendar day around Frankfurt - 14,10 eur
• Full day group for up to 5 people for 1 calendar day for Frankfurt + Airport zone - 21,40 eur

All tickets can also be used on trams, buses and trains within Frankfurt.

Other ticket types such as weekly or monthly tickets and detailed information can be found on the official website rmv.de/c/en/tickets.

Where to buy a ticket?

There are several ways to buy tickets.

• at a ticket machine (they are located in all metro and train stations, at most tram stops and at major bus stops
  • you can pay with cash or card
  • the ticket becomes valid as soon as it is printed
• via the RMVGo mobile app (available at: Google Play / App Store)
  • you must first register and create an account (takes about 5-7 minutes)
  • the ticket becomes valid at the moment of purchase
• Contactless payments with your own credit card are not yet available in Frankfurt

How to use the ticket?

There are no turnstiles or validators when entering the station.

In Frankfurt, the ticket is valid when you print it out from the ticket machine or buy it via the mobile app.

So you can't, for example, buy tickets in advance to stock up. The ticket is always valid immediately after purchase.

Tickets are only checked randomly by ticket inspectors.

Does the Frankfurt Underground run 24/7?

All metro lines run at intervals of 2-6 minutes on weekdays and 5-10 minutes on weekends.

The metro runs from 5:00 am until about 11:50 pm, when the last trains leave the terminals.