Getting here & around

Travel info

9-Euro-ticket

The German government has decided to offer a monthly ticket for public transport for 9 EUR per calendar month for the months of June, July & August. This will likely be the cheapest way to not only get to/from the airport, but also to get around Mainz if you're not walking. Details on the ticket, which will be available for purchase through the usual outlets (online/DB app, ticket machines, travel centres at stations), can be found here.

A series of screenshots to help you with purchasing the ticket can be found here.

PLEASE NOTE: if you arrive on July 31, do NOT buy a 9-EUR-ticket for July, as it will only be valid on July 31!

To/from Frankfurt Airport (FRA)

Frankfurt Airport is located approximately 30 kms from Mainz and can be reached easily by local train. Since Frankfurt is located within the “RMV Tarifverbund”, trains are frequent and cheap (ca. 5 € one way; also see info on 9-Euro-ticket above). Tickets can be bought from the ticket vending machines inside the train station at the airport.

PLEASE NOTE: Local trains (S-Bahn, Regionalzug) leave from Regionalbahnhof (Tracks 1, 2 and 3) – do NOT go to Fernbahnhof (Tracks 4 and up), which is for long-distance trains. Regionalbahnhof is located underneath the airport, whereas Fernbahnhof is on ground level. A map of the airport stations is available here.

Depending on where your hotel is, different stations may be convenient for disembarking:

  1. Mainz Römisches Theater (Roman Theatre): walking distance to conference venue ca. 650-750 m / 10 minutes; this is the first station you reach when arriving from FRA airport
  2. Mainz HBF (Hauptbahnhof): close to several hotels but NOT the conference venue (walking distance: ca. 1.4km / 20 minutes); this is the station immediately after “Römisches Theater”

The following trains serve both stations:

  • S 8 direction Wiesbaden HBF (from FRA) / Offenbach Ost (to FRA)
    travel time: ca. 30 minutes; every 30 minutes / 24/7
  • different regional trains (“RE” / Regionalexpress) throughout the day
    travel time: 20-30 minutes depending on # of stops

You can check departure times and platform information here: https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de (select “English” at the top right to see the English version). Make sure to un-tick the “show fastest connection” option towards the bottom since it will include IC/ICE trains which cost much more and will only stop at Mainz HBF.

Also note: If you have booked a hotel in Mainz that requires a tram/bus ride from the (main) train station, be sure to choose the station nearest to your hotel as the final destination of the ticket you purchase at the airport. Mainz is part of a "Verkehrsverbund", so the ticket is valid on both the train and city transport if you choose the correct stop. You can find the stop nearest to your hotel by performing a search on the RMV page.

To/from other cities by train

Check https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de (select “English” at the top right to see the English version) for convenient connections to Mainz Hauptbahnhof/HBF. Select the “Save fare finder” for cheap tickets (but note: you will have to take the very train you booked, called “Zugbindung” in German).

From Mainz Hauptbahnhof to the conference venue

PLEASE NOTE: the main station has to exits: the main exit towards the city centre is located next to platform 1; the “West” exit is at the opposite end (convenient for some hotels). Address of the venue: Erbacher Hof, Grebenstraße 24, 55116 Mainz.

  • walking: 1.4kms / ca. 20 minutes
  • bus: several buses go from Mainz HBF towards “Höfchen/Listmannplatz” (e.g. # 55/56, 60/61) – check with the driver whether they stop there; you can buy your ticket on the bus; walking distance from there to the venue: 400 m / 5 minutes; another alternative is the stop “Fischtor” (# 60/61, 90): ca. 250 m / 3 minutes walking distance
  • taxi: taxis are available at both exits of the station but tend to be more plentiful at the main exit (turn left after leaving the building); note: cars need to go around the city centre’s pedestrian zone to reach the venue, so the trip is disproportionately expensive