Deutsche Bank Park away guide

Fly into Frankfurt Airport (FRA), which has direct flights from both Manchester and London and sits on the same S-Bahn line as the ground. Take the S8 or S9 to Frankfurt Stadion, then walk 10 to 15 minutes. Away fans are in the eastern Ostkurve, blocks 18 to 21, with a typical allocation of around 2,500 (Eintracht Frankfurt, Football Ground Guide).

Fast facts

Getting there from the UK

Frankfurt is a major aviation hub, so the direct flight into Frankfurt Airport (FRA) is the easy option, and FRA sits on the same S-Bahn line as the stadium. The real fork is cost: pay for the direct into FRA, or take Ryanair into Frankfurt-Hahn (HHN), a small airport about 120 km west, and coach into the city. Costs below are estimates and move with dates and demand.

Getting there from the airport, centre and station

The quickest route to the ground is the S-Bahn to Frankfurt Stadion, the stadium's own station, served by lines S7, S8 and S9. From Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, the main station, the journey takes roughly six minutes (Eintracht Frankfurt).

The airport's Flughafen Regionalbahnhof is on the S8 and S9 line, a short hop from Stadion, and the same lines also run into the city centre in around 11 to 15 minutes for about 4.95 euros (Eintracht Frankfurt, Frankfurt Airport).

For a tram, line 21 runs from in front of the Hauptbahnhof to the Stadion stop, with extra trams every three minutes on matchdays. Bus line 61 also serves the Stadion stop (Eintracht Frankfurt, Wikipedia).

Walking to the ground and the free-travel ticket

From the Stadion stop it is a 10-to-15-minute walk to the stadium (Eintracht Frankfurt).

Your Eintracht Frankfurt match ticket doubles as a travel pass and can be used on local buses and trains to and from the game (Eintracht Frankfurt).

The stadium sits in the Frankfurt City Forest, so there is little around it. The Football Ground Guide suggests doing your pre-match in the city centre and taking public transport out to the ground (Football Ground Guide).

Where to stay

Base yourself in the city centre or across the river in Sachsenhausen. Both put you a short S-Bahn or tram ride from the ground and on top of the bars and restaurants. The immediate area around the Hauptbahnhof, the Bahnhofsviertel, is central and cheap for hotels but has a rough, red-light edge at night, so pick your street with care (visitfrankfurt).

Inside the stadium and the away end

Away fans are in the eastern part of the stadium, the Ostkurve, in two seating blocks (19 and 21) and two standing blocks (18 and 20). Entry is via sections 18 to 21 in the lower tier and 17 to 21 in the upper tier (Eintracht Frankfurt, Football Ground Guide). A typical away allocation is around 2,500 (Football Ground Guide).

The away section has safe-standing rails throughout, which encourages visiting fans to stand and helps the atmosphere. The West Stand, blocks 35 to 51, is home-only, so do not wear away colours there, as security can remove you (Eintracht Frankfurt, Football Ground Guide).

Kiosks take cash, card and contactless, and the local speciality apple wine, Aeppelwoi, is sold inside the ground (Eintracht Frankfurt).

Video cameras, backpacks and large bags are prohibited, and there is no drop-off for banned items, so leave them at your accommodation. Small cameras, power banks, e-cigarettes and belt or hip bags are generally allowed. Flags and banners need advance approval via your club's fan liaison officers (Eintracht Frankfurt).

Where to drink

A pint runs to around 5 euros in a normal pub, while a glass of apple wine is cheaper at roughly 2.70 euros and is what the city drinks (Expatistan). The apple wine quarter is in Sachsenhausen, south of the river, and it is the best pre-match area for atmosphere.

• Fichtekränzi, Wallstraße 5, Sachsenhausen. One of the oldest cider taverns in the city, home cooking and long shared benches, cheap and cheerful (visitfrankfurt).
• Adolf Wagner (Zum Gemalten Haus), Schweizer Straße 67, Sachsenhausen. Iconic painted-facade apple wine house, busy and traditional.
• Zur Germania, Textorstraße 16, Sachsenhausen. Classic tavern on a run of three apfelwein houses, good value and lively.
• Kanonesteppel, Textorstraße 20, Sachsenhausen. Next door to Germania, more of the same in the best possible way.
• O'Dwyer's Irish Bar, city centre. Away-friendly, shows the football, familiar pints (Football Ground Guide).
• Fox and Hound / Four Corners, city centre. Sports bars used by visiting fans (Football Ground Guide).

Avoid drinking late in the Bahnhofsviertel, the streets immediately around the main station, which has an open drug and red-light scene. It is walkable by day but not where you want a big night (visitfrankfurt).

Where to eat

The local plate is heavy and cheap: Grüne Soße (a cold herb sauce of seven herbs, usually with boiled eggs and potatoes), Handkäs mit Musik (a sour-milk cheese in an onion, oil and vinegar marinade), Rippchen mit Kraut (cured pork with sauerkraut) and Frankfurter Schnitzel served with Grüne Soße (t-online).

• Kleinmarkthalle, city-centre market hall. Stand-up stalls for a quick Handkäs, sausages and bread, ideal before a game (t-online).
• Zum Gemalten Haus (Adolf Wagner), Schweizer Straße 67, Sachsenhausen. Rippchen and Frankfurter Schnitzel in a proper tavern (t-online).
• Bornheimer Ratskeller, Bornheim. Michelin-listed for Handkäs mit Musik, a sit-down option (t-online).
• Fichtekränzi, Wallstraße 5, Sachsenhausen. Tavern food alongside the apple wine, good for a group (visitfrankfurt).
• Frankfurter Würstchen from any stall, the thin smoked sausage the city is named for, a cheap on-the-go bite.

What to do

• Römerberg and the Römer, the old town square and the gabled city hall, the postcard shot of Frankfurt (visitfrankfurt).
• Main Tower, the only skyscraper in the banking district with a public observation deck, best views in the city (visitfrankfurt).
• Städel Museum, the city's finest art collection, on the museum embankment (visitfrankfurt).
• Museumsufer, the riverside strip of museums including the German Film Museum, good for a slow afternoon (visitfrankfurt).
• Sachsenhausen old town, the cobbled apple wine quarter, worth a wander even sober.
• Kaiserdom (Frankfurt Cathedral) and the Eiserner Steg footbridge across the Main, both a short walk from the Römer.
• Palmengarten, the botanical gardens, if you have a spare half-day and decent weather.

Common questions

How do I get from Frankfurt Airport to the stadium?

The airport has its own S-Bahn station, Flughafen Regionalbahnhof, on the S8 and S9 lines. Both run directly to Frankfurt Stadion, the stadium stop, so you can go from plane to ground without changing in the city. From the Stadion stop it is a 10-to-15-minute walk to the turnstiles (Eintracht Frankfurt).

Which airport do I fly to for Eintracht Frankfurt, and is there a direct flight?

Frankfurt Airport (FRA). Frankfurt is a major hub, so there is no hub-and-train detour to worry about: both Manchester and London fly direct, with Lufthansa and others running frequent services, roughly 1h30 from London and 1h45 from Manchester (FlightsFrom). The airport is on the same S-Bahn line as the ground.

Where do away fans sit at Deutsche Bank Park?

In the eastern end, the Ostkurve, blocks 18 to 21: seating in blocks 19 and 21 and standing in blocks 18 and 20. Entry is via sections 18 to 21 in the lower tier and 17 to 21 in the upper tier. The section has safe-standing rails throughout (Eintracht Frankfurt, Football Ground Guide).

What is the away allocation?

A typical away allocation is around 2,500 in the Ostkurve, though the exact figure varies by fixture and competition. The stadium holds 59,500 for league matches, around 20,000 of that standing (Football Ground Guide, Wikipedia).

What time should I arrive?

Give yourself plenty of time. The ground is out in the City Forest with little around it, so most fans drink in the centre or Sachsenhausen and travel out together. Aim to leave the centre 60 to 90 minutes before kick-off, allowing for a six-minute S-Bahn ride and the 10-to-15-minute walk, plus queues at the turnstiles (Eintracht Frankfurt).

Can you drink beer inside the ground?

Yes. Kiosks inside the stadium serve beer and the local apple wine, Aeppelwoi, and take cash, card and contactless (Eintracht Frankfurt). This is normal German-league practice, unlike England where alcohol is banned within sight of the pitch.

How much is a beer in Frankfurt?

Reckon on around 5 euros for a half-litre in a normal bar, a little less at kiosks and a little more in tourist spots (Expatistan). The cheaper and more local choice is apple wine, at roughly 2.70 euros a glass, usually poured from a stoneware Bembel jug.

Is Frankfurt safe for away fans?

Yes, broadly. Frankfurt is a normal big European city and the tourist areas are fine day and night. The one patch to be wary of is the Bahnhofsviertel, the streets right around the main station, which has an open drug and red-light scene. It is walkable by day but not where you want to be drunk late at night (visitfrankfurt).

Which areas are away-friendly for a drink?

Sachsenhausen, across the river, is the apple wine quarter and the best pre-match area, full of traditional taverns like Fichtekränzi and Adolf Wagner. In the centre, O'Dwyer's, the Fox and Hound and Four Corners are the sports bars used by visiting fans (visitfrankfurt, Football Ground Guide).

Does the match ticket include free transport?

Yes. Your Eintracht Frankfurt match ticket doubles as a travel pass and can be used on local buses and trains to and from the game across the RMV network, which covers the S-Bahn, trams and buses you need to reach the ground (Eintracht Frankfurt).

How far is the stadium from the city centre?

Not far. The S-Bahn from Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof to Frankfurt Stadion takes roughly six minutes, and tram 21 covers the same route with extra services on matchdays. Add the 10-to-15-minute walk from the Stadion stop and you are at the turnstiles inside half an hour (Eintracht Frankfurt).

Where should I stay?

The city centre or Sachsenhausen are the two best bets, both a short hop from the ground and surrounded by bars and food. The Bahnhofsviertel by the main station is cheap and central but has a rough night-time edge, so choose the street carefully if you book there (visitfrankfurt).

Where do away fans park if driving?

Use the Waldparkplatz car park, around 6 euros, as Gleisdreieck is reserved for home fans. A green environmental sticker is required to enter Frankfurt's Environmental Zone by car (Eintracht Frankfurt, Eintracht Frankfurt directions).