Frankfurt With Kids

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Heading to Frankfurt with toddlers or kids? Read on for the best Frankfurt 3 day itinerary! Frankfurt was part of our European summer trip, the third city we visited on our trip. Frankfurt is a bustling city, known for its financial district but there are lots of quiet neighborhoods and lots of activities for families traveling with kids.

Things to note:
-Germany uses the Euro as their currency. Unlike our previous 2 destinations (Poland and Sweden), many places did not accept credit cards which was surprising for such a big city. Make sure to take ample cash out of the ATM before arriving! I can’t believe how much cash we went through, it’s honestly shocking that so many places don’t accept cc here!
-English was widely spoken everywhere, as many of the locals were not of German heritage.
-Trains are a cheap and easy way to get around the city but Uber does exist here and is fairly cheap for short rides.
-Most of the streets are stroller friendly, with the exception of a few cobblestone pedestrian areas.

WHERE TO STAY IN FRANKFURT WITH KIDS

Wondering where to stay in Frankfurt? We wanted to be near a train and close to all the action, so we chose a hotel right in the middle of the city. We stayed at the Moxy Frankfurt City Center, a Marriott hotel and loved it! Moxy is one of Milana’s favorite Marriott brands, it’s newer but it’s certainly not for everyone as it’s a no frills hotel. Check in is at the bar, where you get a welcome drink and their lobbies are always decked out in fashionable decor, with lots of games and seating that encourages you to mingle. This hotel won’t work if you have a large family, but for just me and Milana, it was perfect!

THINGS TO DO IN FRANKFURT WITH KIDS

With just 3 days in Frankfurt, we had to be selective as to what we do since we couldn’t see it all. One of the things I definitely wanted to see is their Old Town. Frankfurt recently reconstructed their Old Town and it’s now open to visitors. It looks awesome though it’s really a tiny part of the square, unlike Kraków or other European cities. Still, it’s worth seeing! If you’re here around Christmas, they have a Christmas market right in the square.

A fun, hands-on place to visit with kids is the Experiminta Science Center. This multi level facility is great for older kids (5 and up I’d say) with lots of hands on experiments they can perform. Milana loved exploring all the different rooms and seeing how things work.

Right in the middle of the bustling city is the Frankfurt Zoo. It’s small so if you have more time, visit the much bigger Opel Zoo a short drive from the city. There’s a large playground in the middle of the zoo, perfect for a little break from walking.

Right next to the Old Town area is the Junges Museum. There is a section in here for kids (kids under 18 are free to enter the museum), though I’d say it’s geared for kids 8 and up as the topics are a bit heavy for younger ones who may not understand it well. Kids walk from one interactive exhibit to another, learning about German history via a tablet.

Walking by the river is also fun, though probably only in the warmer months!

Near our hotel, was a nice pedestrian area so we walked around every evening. On Friday, they had a Thai Festival as well as a market, so it was nice to explore.

We also visited Günthersburgpark but honestly it was nothing special. The playground was old, run down and full of graffiti and the park while having nice walking trails, not really worth the visit. I would skip this.

WHERE TO EAT IN FRANKFURT WITH KIDS

With just 3 days in Frankfurt, we had to be selective as to where we ate. Here are some great places to eat with kids in Frankfurt.

Klosterhof was the first restaurant we walked over to and we loved it! If you are coming in the evening, make a reservation as every table had already been reserved. We came earlier so it wasn’t difficult to get a table. In the summer, the garden is open outside with plenty of seating. The food here is traditional German food and we loved it! It’s actually very similar to what my Polish mom cooks. Milana had the schnitzel and I had the beef roulade, which had pickles, onions and bacon inside. My mom makes both of these as they are a big part of Polish culture as well and I have to say that while these were good, mama makes it much better!

Another place we went to was Atschel, known for its apfelwein or apple wine. I had to try it and wasn’t a fan, it’s not quite wine but not quite cider, not really sure what it’s supposed to taste like but it’s not like what I imagined. It’s only 2Euros a glass, so give it a try! The food here was really good and again, make a reservation or there’s a good chance you won’t be seated. See that bread and cheese? That’s Handkäse, Frankfurt’s famous cheese. My mom used to make this back in Poland when we were growing up and I loved it! We got more at the supermarket by our hotel later that day because it was so good. They have a version with vinegar and spices, but I like it plain, just how I remember from my childhood. Milana had the frankfurters here and I had the schnitzel, with the famous Frankfurt green sauce (made out of several green herbs). The sauce is amazing, make sure to try it.

In the same area as Atschel, is Dauth-Schneider restaurant, another popular place. Again, it’s typical German food and after this one, we pretty much had our fill of German food. I don’t think we have eaten as much sauerkraut in a year than we have in our time in Frankfurt! Milana had the kid’s plate here, I love that they don’t do kid meals (like chicken nuggets at an Italian restaurant in the US) but instead kids choose anything from the menu for half off. She chose the schnitzel, mashed potatoes and vegetables. I had the frankfurters and tried their Hungarian goulash, both were great.

After all this German food, Milana begged for something different for dinner so I looked for an Italian restaurant. I found Quattro, which had great reviews and was tucked away in a little side street away from the main tourist drag. It was a great find and the food was really good. We shared a salad and Milana had the linguine bolognese and I had the mozzarella stuffed gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce. Definitely recommend this place, especially if you want something other than German food!

3 days was more than enough time to explore Frankfurt. We had lots of fun but I’ll be honest and say it’s not even close to being our favorite European city. If you have the opportunity to explore during a long layover, do it! The train from the airport takes you to the city center in around 20 minutes making it an easy layover city.