Located at the crossroads of Europe, Frankfurt's privileged geographical position on the continent has historically made it a centre for trade and business. It's nowadays widely regarded as Germany's financial centre and is home to both the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the European Central Bank.
There's far more to Frankfurt than just banks, however, and the skyscrapers that dominate the skyline tell only half the story of a city fiercely proud of its rich history. German Emperors were once elected and crowned at the Frankfurt Cathedral, and the house where Goethe was born still stands, welcoming visitors to discover the work and times of one of Frankfurt's greatest sons.
Visitors are met with a modern, vibrant city that embraces its past while looking confidently towards the future. In olden days, trade fairs were held in the famous Römer, where visitors can still see the halls where gold and silversmiths sold their wares centuries ago. Nowadays, Messe Frankfurt hosts international trade fairs, congresses and other events throughout the year, including the popular Frankfurt Book Fair and, until recently, the International Motor Show Germany.
Booking a car hire in Frankfurt gives you the opportunity not just to explore this extraordinary city at your leisure, but also to set off on a German adventure and see even more of this amazing country. Why not head south and discover the many stops of the popular Romantic Road, or take some time to hit the highlights of our German Wine Road Trip?
At Auto Europe, we strive to help you find the perfect car for your trip, whether that means a small vehicle perfect for a city getaway, a family car with plenty of room, or something with a little more style for a special occasion. In order to add flexibility to your planning, we also give you the option to drop off your vehicle at a different location from where you picked it up. That means that you could easily rent a car in Frankfurt and later drop off the vehicle in Dusseldorf or Stuttgart, for instance. Check out our great deals online or call us on +44 123 322 5114 and our agents will be happy to assist you with your booking.
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Not only does Auto Europe bring you the best car rental deals in Frankfurt in terms of price and quality of service, we also try to ensure you have all the flexibility possible when it comes to picking up the vehicle in the location you find most convenient. To that end, we've partnered with car rental suppliers with offices across the city, from the airports and central railway station to several other downtown offices.
When searching for cars in our booking engine, you can toggle the map display to show exactly where those offices are located. For added convenience, you can also use the filters to select (or exclude) specific suppliers.
Frankfurt is served by two airports. Frankfurt am Main Airport (FRA) is the busiest airport in Germany in terms of passenger traffic, and one of the busiest in Europe. It's the main hub for Lufthansa, the German flag carrier, as well as for Condor. The airport is located about 10 miles from Frankfurt city centre, or about 20 minutes depending on traffic. Just hop on the A5 and you will arrive at your destination in no time. The car rental desks are located at the Car Rental Centre in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. In Terminal 1, you'll find the Car Rental Centre on Level 0 of Concourse A, and in Terminal 2 on Level 2 of Concourse D.
Frankfurt-Hahn Airport, located 75 miles from Frankfurt, is popular with low-cost carriers, such as Ryanair and Wizzair. The journey by car from the airport to Frankfurt takes about an hour and a half, with the most direct route taking drivers along the B50 and A60 motorways. The car rental desks are located on the ground floor of the terminal, close to the entrance.
Frankfurt am Main Airport (FRA)
Website: frankfurt-airport.com
Address: 60547 Frankfurt, Germany
Telephone: +49 180 6 3724636
Frankfurt-Hahn Airport (HHN)
Website: hahn-airport.de
Address: 55483 Lautzenhausen, Germany
Telephone: +49 6543 509113
Regarded by the Deutsche Bahn as the most important station in Germany, Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, or Frankfurt Central Station, is a major transportation hub, offering connections for both short and long-distance travel, including to international destinations, such as Vienna, Paris, Amsterdam, Zurich and Rome.
The car rental desks are located in the station, close to the Deutsche Bahn ticket office.
Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (Central Station)
Website: bahnhof.de
Address: Am Hauptbahnhof, 60329 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Telephone: +49 69 2651055
In order to bring you the best car hire deals in Frankfurt, Auto Europe works with major local and international car hire suppliers, from household names such as Avis and Hertz, to companies with a strong presence in Germany, such as Buchbinder and Sixt. This allows us to offer you not just a vast range of vehicles at the best possible prices, but also ensures you always get the best quality of service.
If you'd like to know more about the companies we work with or the services we offer, do not hesitate to contact us by phone or email, and our experienced car hire agents will be happy to address any questions or doubts you may have.
For your convenience, we've gathered the answers to some of our most commonly asked questions about renting a car in Frankfurt. If, after going through them, you still have doubts or we haven't addressed a specific topic on which you'd like more information, do not hesitate to contact us and one of our agents will be happy to help.
Yes. Not only will you need a credit card to pay for the booking online, you will also need to present a valid credit card in the name of the main driver to pick up the vehicle. Please note that it's not necessary to use the same card to pick up the car that you've used to pay for the booking. The important thing is that the card a) be in the name of the main driver, and b) have enough credit to cover the deposit amount.
Let's look at that in some more detail.
It's possible to have more than one driver added to a rental contract, but for the purposes of credit card requirements, the credit card must be in the name of the main driver as stated in the voucher (which is to say, the person under whose name the booking was made).
When it comes to the deposit, it's important to be aware of the deposit amount required by the supplier. This amount will vary not only depending on the car rental company, but also on the car category. You can check the deposit amount for individual offers in our booking engine under "Info Icon."
The deposit amount is blocked (not charged) in the credit card of the main driver for the duration of the rental period. As long as the vehicle is returned in the same condition, the deposit amount is then released by the car rental supplier.
Please note most car hire suppliers do not accept debit cards or cash deposits as an alternative.
In the absence of a valid credit card in which to block the deposit amount, some car rental suppliers may require the payment of additional insurance to release the vehicle. Please note, however, that this is not always the case and that some car rental suppliers may simply refuse to allow the rental to proceed. As such, it's important to be aware of the credit card requirements when booking your car. As mentioned above, this information can be found on the "Info Icon" of individual offers in our booking engine prior to booking. After you've booked your car rental in Frankfurt, you can also find this information in your voucher.
When looking for the best car rental deals in Frankfurt on the Auto Europe website, you should know that the basic package for all our vehicles already includes all the necessary insurance for them to circulate in Germany. That means that all the vehicles we have available are covered by theft protection, third-party liability and Collision Damage Waiver (CDW).
It's important to be aware that CDW and theft protection have an excess. The excess is the amount for which the driver is responsible in case of theft or accidental damage to the vehicle. That means that the driver pays for damages up to the full excess amount and that the insurance pays for the rest.
Additionally, you should also be aware that some elements of the vehicle (namely glass, tyres, engine, underside, keys, etc) are excluded from the insurance coverage.
Should you wish to protect yourself further, Auto Europe gives you the option to add "Full Damage & Theft Protection" to your booking. This special package, bookable online, is designed to cover both the excess amount and the elements excluded from the regular insurance, helping you to travel without a care in the world.
When you pick up your car hire in Frankfurt you may be offered additional insurance at the counter. Being aware of what insurance your vehicle already includes will help you avoid acquiring services that may turn out to be redundant in terms of coverage.
Please be aware that any insurance offered locally is entirely optional and clients are under no obligation to take it. Having said that, in situations where clients do not possess a valid credit card to pick up the vehicle, some car hire suppliers may require the payment of additional insurance to release the car. This, however, is an extraordinary circumstance. Please make sure you always check the credit card requirements to pick up your car.
Drivers younger than 26 years old may also be required to pay an additional fee when picking up the car. Please note that this is not a form of insurance, but rather a Young Driver Surcharge. You can check the age requirements for individual vehicles in our booking engine under "Info Icon" prior to booking, or on your voucher after you've booked.
As with any major city, you should expect heavy traffic when driving your Frankfurt car hire during rush hour. Traffic flow can also be adversely affected by inclement weather (particularly snow) and during major events, such as the Frankfurt Book Fair, held in October every year.
Thanks to its privileged location in the heart of Europe, Frankfurt is a major transportation hub and enjoys good connections to other main German (and indeed European) cities thanks to a modern and extensive highway network.
While there are generally no speed limits on German Autobahns, there's an advisory speed limit of 81 mph (130km) and driving above that limit increases liability in case of accident. Additionally, some stretches of the Autobahn do have speed limits either permanently or temporarily (due to weather, for instance), so make sure you look for any available signage. For more information about driving in Germany, take a look at our driving information guide.
While driving in the city proper, you should know that Frankfurt has a low-emission zone (Umweltzone), where only cars with the appropriate environmental sticker can circulate. For more information on that subject, see the question about the emissions sticker below.
Street parking in Frankfurt is generally difficult to find and almost universally paid. In downtown Frankfurt particularly, the fees can become very expensive very quickly. Areas popular with tourists, such as Sachsenhausen, can also prove problematic when it comes to parking, especially on Saturdays. It's also important to be aware that parking in some areas is reserved for residents, so make sure you always check the available signs.
In areas where paid parking is available, you may need a parking disk with a time dial that must be displayed on your dashboard. This disc is normally provided by the car hire supplier with the vehicle. If not, you can pick one up at tobacco shops, police stations or in most gas stations.
Besides street parking, there are many parking lots and garages throughout the city, including the popular Park+Ride lots. These provide a safer, more affordable alternative to street parking.
By law, most German cities have an Umweltzone, or low-emissions zone, where only cars equipped with the correct sticker can circulate. Frankfurt's Umweltzone is delimited by the A5 to the west, the A3 to the south, and the A661 to the north. In order to drive within the boundaries of the zone, cars require the appropriate green sticker. (The only exception is vehicles driving to the Frankfurt Fair & Exhibition Centre, which are allowed to drive to the west and north gates even without a sticker.)
The emissions sticker is provided by the car rental supplier. Make sure you look for it in the windshield of your vehicle and, if you have any questions, ask the car rental attendant when picking up the car.
German law mandates the use of winter tyres under icy conditions, and popular German wisdom dictates that winter tyres should be used "von O bis O" ("von Oktober bis Ostern", or "from October till Easter"). The suppliers we work with in Frankfurt provide their cars with winter tyres from 1st November until 31st March, and the cost is included in the basic rate of the vehicle. Outside of this time period, winter tyres may be requested for an additional fee (or are sometimes available for free as part of special promotional deals).
Additionally, snow chains may be required in mountainous areas if there are signs to that effect or if directed by police. If you plan to drive to the mountains in winter, we strongly advise you to add snow chains to your booking. You can request them when picking up the car even if you didn't previously add them to your rental. However, due to limited availability during periods of high demand, we recommend requesting them at the time of booking.
You can! Auto Europe works with some of the best motorhome suppliers in Germany, allowing us to provide our clients with a wide range of motorhomes at the most competitive prices. Take a look at our great choice of motorhomes in Frankfurt and start planning your trip!
Best known as Germany's financial centre, Frankfurt may, at first glance, lack the bohemian chic appeal of Berlin or the romantic, picturesque charm of Munich, but appearances can be deceiving. The high-rise buildings of the banking quarter dominate the skyline of the city, giving it a modern, vibrant look, and visitors are in for a treat when it comes to attractions. Visit Goethe-Haus, take a stroll through the financial district or go shopping in the popular Zeil! And if you're visiting around Christmas, don't miss the chance to check out the Christmas markets!
Booking a car rental in Frankfurt gives you the perfect opportunity to travel a little farther and explore Hesse and central Germany at your leisure. Here are some of our suggestions for great day trips from Frankfurt.
Heidelberg
Located just 55 miles south of Frankfurt, Heidelberg is a romantic, picture-perfect town that escaped the Second World War largely unscathed and retains much of its medieval and Renaissance character. The ruins of Heidelberg Castle have been drawing visitors to the area since the early 19th century, and are nowadays one of the town's main attractions. Mark Twain said of the castle that "a ruin must be rightly situated, to be effective. This one could not have been better placed." Surrounded by woods, it stands 650 feet above the old town, commanding stunning views of the region.
There are several garages in Heidelberg where you can park your car, including around Bismarckplatz and close to Neuenheimer Neckarseite. If you're headed for the castle, you're better off parking at one of the car parks in the Old Town.
Rothenburg
The journey to Rothenburg may take twice as long as the journey to Heilderbeg, but every single one of the 112 miles that separate it from Frankfurt is worth it. (And who'd pass on the chance to enjoy a road trip on a German Autobahn?)
Once the capital of Bavaria, Rothenburg is a charming medieval town located on the banks of the River Tauber. It's widely regarded as the highlight of the Romantic Road through southern Germany, and visitors flock to it every year to admire the medieval buildings, the old battlements and the inimitable charm of a town that looks plucked straight out of a fairy tale.
Mainz
Located an easy 45-mile trip away from Frankfurt, Mainz is possibly best known as the birthplace of Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press. The famous Gutenberg Bible, one of the first books ever printed, was produced in the city, and visitors should make time to stop by the Gutenberg Museum, whose collection includes an original Gutenberg Bible.
While Mainz suffered heavy damage during the war, many landmarks remain untouched. Among them are the 13th-century Iron Tower and the 15th-century Wood Tower, both of which formed part of the city's defence in medieval times, and the stunning Marktbrunnen, which is one of the largest Renaissance fountains in all of Germany.
But perhaps the chief reason why anyone goes to Mainz is to visit the impressive Mainzer Cathedral. Founded in 975 AD, the Cathedral is over a thousand years old. Not only is the building an impressive feat of architecture and engineering, with new additions to the original building having been made over the centuries in the architectural style of the day, it also houses almost a millennium's worth of artwork and is the final resting place of many of the Electoral-prince-archbishops, who once upon a time used to elect the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.
Baden Baden
A scenic drive south along the Rhine will take you all the way down to the Black Forest and to Baden Baden. The town has been a popular destination since the time of the Romans, thanks largely to its therapeutic waters. Even nowadays, the city boasts a large number of public baths, perfect for a relaxing day spent pampering yourself. Sports enthusiasts may also take the opportunity to enjoy some golfing or tennis, whereas the nearby countryside is perfect for some hiking.
Baden Baden is located about 108 miles south of Frankfurt, with the A5 Autobahn offering the most direct route.
Visitors to Frankfurt will be spoilt for choice when it comes to local attractions and unmissable cultural events. In order to help you plan your trip, here are some of our suggestions for things to see in Frankfurt.