Frankfurt Hahn - Frankfurt Where? (Frankfurt International Airport (FRA))

Member Name: jdidlock

Product:	Frankfurt International Airport (FRA)
Date:	10/06/01 (5667 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: None that I know

Disadvantages: Too remote, poor but improving transport links

This airfield would be better named "Somewhere very remote in Germany" 'cos Frankfurt it ain't!

Fortunately, on a recent trip using Ryan to Hahn I was in a group and we were met by a coach, so for us it was not important, but I felt for the anxious lady I sat with on the flight which was already an hour late and who was on her way to Regensburg where her daughter was in hospital having undergone back surgery following a car accident. Poor lass had no idea that she faced a 2 hour coach journey to Frankfurt rail station, she thought there was a high speed rail link. Goodness knows what time she got to see her daughter - next day probably.

Frankly, I am outraged by this farcical situation. At first I blamed Ryanair marketing-speak but to my surprise, the airport itself sports this name. It is an old Luftwaffe field and the wartime installations are still present. It is 80 miles from Frankfurt and Bonn (93), Luxemburg (71), Wiesbaden (55), Mainz (52), Ludwigshaven (80) and Mannheim (82) are either nearer or a similar distance away. Sounds OK and it would be if there were any transport links, but apart from the buses laid on by Ryan (and which travel to and from Franfurt via the main airport), I could find no evidence of any links to anywhere other than Frankfurt. (NB see note added at the end, things are improving) Unless you hire a car, are met or get a taxi at goodness knows what exhorbitant price such is the remoteness of the place. In fact I didn't see any taxis, but they must surely be avilable from the local villages of Hahn or Büchenbeuren. This means that if you are using public transport, you can't get anywhere within dragging all the way to Frankfurt first. Had we not had the convenience of our own coach, it would have taken about 4 hours to get to Speyer, our final destination.

The fare for the Frankfurt coach is 20DM one way, 30DM return which is not too bad I suppose, but it is the sheer cheek o
f saying you are at Frankfurt when you face a 2 hour journey (once on the coach) that angers me. People pointed out that Gatwick, Stansted and Luton are all described as "London" Airports - yes, and I think that is outrageous too but none of those is 80 miles from London and have half decent links to the capital!

Facilities are at a minimum. There is a snack bar but no restaurant and a minute and poorly stocked shop for those wanting to get rid of the last of their D Marks but apart from the bit where you finally wait for the flight, nowhere to sit.

If I want to fly to this part of Germany again, I'll use Buzz to the proper Frankfurt Airport (or Fraport as it is now to be known) unless I'm being met. Mind you, some of Ryan's bargains are hard to ignore.

PS- NEW INFORMATION just released (July 2002)

New bus shuttle to Heidelberg

A bus-shuttle which operates three times a day between Frankfurt-Hahn airport and Heidelberg via Worms, Frankenthal, Ludwigshafen and Mannheim starts at the 15th of July.

Timetable at: www.hahn-express.de

This is an important improvement, let's hope it is the first of many more.

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