Frankfurt Airport
Reddit take
AI summary of the Reddit excerpts below — not a quote
Frankfurt Airport (FRA) receives mixed to negative feedback from travelers, primarily due to its massive size and the resulting difficulty in making tight connections. While some users praise German efficiency at passport control, many others report 'nightmare' scenarios involving long walks, slow shuttle buses, and intrusive security screenings that make even two-hour layovers feel insufficient.
Pros
- Efficient passport control for some travelers, with wait times occasionally under 15 minutes
- New automated Exit-Entry system machines are being implemented to speed up processing
- Quick transfers are possible within Terminal 1 if moving directly to customs
Cons
- Extremely long walking distances and taxiing times between gates
- Unpredictable security and customs queues that can cause missed connections
- Reports of overly aggressive or intrusive security personnel
- Shuttle buses from planes to the terminal can be slow and lead to lost items
Caveats
- Conflicting reports exist regarding whether US passport holders can successfully use the new automated entry machines
- A two-hour layover is frequently cited as being potentially too short for a stress-free transfer
- Transit experiences vary significantly depending on whether you stay within Terminal 1 or must change buildings
Best for
- Travelers with layovers of 3 hours or more
- Passengers staying within a single terminal
- Those who are physically mobile and able to walk long distances quickly
Avoid if
- You have a connection time under 90 minutes
- You have limited mobility or difficulty with long treks between gates
- You prefer a small, easily navigable airport layout
This summary uses balanced time weighting with about a 18-month half-life. The evidence is based on a small set of 10 recent mentions from r/travel, which may not capture all terminal-specific nuances.
Sentiment
3 positive (30%) · 1 mixed (10%) · 6 negative (60%)
Trust + time weighted score: -23% · raw score -30%
What redditors said (10 of 10)
FRA has just started using the new EU Exit-Entry system machines, and it's kind of a mess. You probably won't be able to use them with a US passport. The passport-only line was ok (20 minutes?) when I went through in December, but took a good 45 minutes in January (and I'm sure it took others longer, because there was a lot of confusion and I saw US passport holders wait in the 20 minute line for the machines, only to realize they couldn't use them and have to start over...)
I just used the new systems with my US passport a few hours ago and it was extremely quick and easy. Less than 60 seconds and I was on my way to customs.
If you are staying in terminal 1 you have nothing to worry about. I was concerned as well after reading all of the horror stories about FRA but it was a piece of cake. Just try to get to customs as quickly as you can because the line builds up there. We could have easily made it from our landing gate at Z23 to our next connecting gate A11 in under 20 minutes, including going through customs.
With taxiing, deboarding, and a trek across Frankfurt airport, it's simply not possible to make that time
Frankfurt is notorious for such small transits. Try and tell the air hostes too as see if you can be first off the plane, but there will likely be others with similar short transit times
this is poor planning overall.
I lost my phone on February 21 while transiting through Frankfurt Airport, right after landing. Once I got on the shuttle bus from the plane, I realized almost immediately that it was missing.
i just landed in Frankfurt yesterday and it was a nightmare, and as you guessed, missed our connecting flight, by A LOT. we originally had a choice between 1h layover for a 2h layover, because in Portugal, we made a 45min layover easily with plenty of time left over. but here even 2h was not enough.
both times i was through passport control in less than 15 minutes. the Germans are very efficient
Hated it so much, especially with the eager security agents. Got a nice foot massage when they insisted on checking between my toes.
Compare
Frankfurt Airport vs Virgin AtlanticFrankfurt Airport vs All Nippon AirwaysFrankfurt Airport vs Changi Airport