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Doing business
You can expect efficiency, straight-talking and concentration from your German colleagues, but when work is done there’s fun to be had. The only no-no’s are anything you wouldn’t do anywhere else: rudeness, lack of punctuality and ignorance of the subject at hand.

Cool hotel
If you’re visiting during one of Frankfurt’s enormous trade fairs you’ll struggle for a room. Book well in advance and expect to have to stay for multiple nights. If there’s nothing going on at the Messe Frankfurt exhibition halls you might get in to the new Radisson SAS (www.frankfurt.radissonsas.com), notable for its futuristic ferris wheel-like design. Prices vary hugely depending on what’s in town – expect to pay anything from £150 upwards.

Hip restaurant
Culinary guru Martin Göschel concocts delicious Italian and French-inspired cuisine in what many consider to be the best eating address in town – Tiger-Restaurant is located at Heiligkreuzgasse 69. Take the address with you as spelling it may be a problem after a few foaming steins!

Happening bar
The 1960s-inspired Studio Bar, Katharinenpforte 6, (www.studiobar.de) has decorative shots of glam pop and enough mirrors and plush sofas to have hedonists screaming with delight. Great drinks are served over two levels plus there's an outdoor terrace.

Must-see sights
For spectacular views head up the Main Tower (www.maintower.helaba.de), which at 200m tall offers Frankfurt’s highest public viewing platform. Look out for the financial district’s towers; the Römerberg, a remake of the old city centre out to the south-east; and Sachsenhausen across the river, a good place for a bar crawl.

Getting downtown
Frankfurt Main Airport is as well-connected as you’d expect Europe’s best-organised and third busiest air hub to be. To get into town, jump on the S-Bahn shuttle for £3, or grab a taxi for £20-25. Journey time is 15 minutes by train; by road it shouldn’t be more than 30 minutes.

The details
Dig out those euro notes and coins you’ve got scattered about your home – Frankfurt is an expensive city, on a par with London. You won’t have any problems at immigration, but there can be big queues at peak hours.

Getting there
The city has two airports – Frankfurt International, eight miles from the city centre, and Frankfurt Hahn, some 70 miles from the city, which is served by Ryanair. Flights are available to Frankfurt International from departure points across the UK. The new TGV Est line brings Frankfurt within four hours of Paris, meaning the train is a serious alternative to flying if you’re travelling from the south-east of the UK.

The carbon cost
A return flight from London Heathrow to Frankfurt will cover 1,306km and emit 0.2 tonnes of CO2. Offset this with The CarbonNeutral Company starting from £1.50.

cultural TIP
“Frankfurt's people are very professonal and their preferred business style is structured, analytic and quality-oriented”
Farnham Castle – an operator of intercultural briefings and language training

INSIDER’S TIP
“One of Frankfurt's best kept secrets for business lunches or dinners is Restaurant Weidemann in Kelsterbacher Strasse (www.weidemann.vegapohl.com). The menu features high quality Mediterr-anean cuisine not found anywhere else in
the city”
Franziskus Bumm, FCm Travel Solutions Germany

Compiled by Tom Hall on behalf of Lonely Planet. www.lonelyplanet.com

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