I'll be leaving for Namibia on June 12th via Tampa-Atlanta-Frankfurt-Windhoek. I went ahead and reserved a day room at the Sheraton close to the Frankfurt Airport.

My question is how many hours prior to my flight to Windhoek should I plan on showing up to the gate?

As I recall, I arrived 2 hours prior to the flight and stood in line for a ridiculously long time. I'm sure some arrive late, stand in line a short while and we all leave together on the same flight.

Although lots of travelers to Windhoek do get a day room, I would recommend against it.

First of all, your flight to FRA will be overnight and arrive in the morning, Germany (and Namibia) time. Take your favorite sleep aide shortly after departing the U.S. and get as much sleep as possible on the trans-Atlantic flight.

When you land in FRA keep active. Check your carry-ons at the check stand and take the train downtown (cheap and easy); shop, see the sights, eat some of the great German sausage, etc. You'll have plenty of time to get back to the airport to make your plane (and being in line an hour ahead of plane time is plenty.) Keeping active will help you transition to the time change. Besides, you'll be "wired" so rest in a day room won't come easy -- and rest at that point may do you more harm than good. Believe me, when you get on that plane late that night for the 10-hour flight to WDH you want to be dead tired and fall quickly and mercifully into the arms of sleep!

When you arrive in the morning in WDH you will already be accustomed to the time change and ready for a hearty breakfast. Even after the three-hour ride to our hunting destination we felt great and even hunted a couple of hours that afternoon, killing a warthog. If we had shacked up in a day room back in FRA we would have still been trying to catch up to the six or seven hour time differential.

Take the money you would have wasted on the day room and shoot an extra springbock with it.

Thanks for the info guys.

Stoncreek, that sounds like a perfect plan. I'm going to follow your advice and cancel the room.

John

Wow! I didn't dream I could be so persuasive. But I am sincere about my advice.

Unless things have changed in the last couple of years, the check stand to temporarily store your hand luggage is near the surface exit of the Frankfurt airport. Checking a bag for a few hours only costs a few Euros. The train terminal is immediately downstairs from the surface exit. I think that about the fifth train stop lets you out in the midst of downtown, near the stock exchange and some other institutions. We were there on a Saturday and the whole area was set up for a beer festival, but even if it's a weekday you'll find a number of shops, restaurants, and beer halls within walking distance of the train stop.

There is no red tape to go through in leaving or returning to the airport. Since the flight for WDH doesn't leave til around 10PM you'll have more than enough time to do all of downtown you want. People who are more familiar than I with Frankfurt might make some more specific suggestions, but I think that enjoying your layover out and about the town beats spending a restless half-day of bright sunlight spent in an overpriced hotel room trying to turn the clock back to Eastern Standard Time.

Good luck on your trip, and by the way, where in Namibia are you hunting?

I'll be doing the same trip July 31st.

Stonecreek, you say there is no red tape. . .Do you have to take your bags through customs to check them in or is there a luggage check station on the secure side? My wife and I will each have a backpack and everything else will be checked luggage. Is buying the Frankfurt city card a good idea? Thanks

Stonecreek,

I'll be in Omaruru hunting with Nick Nolte Safaris. First trip to Africa and I'm coming out of my skin for the 12th to get here.

Stonecreek is spot on! You might need to get a room for your X2 to get cleaned up but we (all guys) didn't. I'd find out about showers in one of the "sky clubs".

We caught a taxi to the zoo, ate on the little square outside the zoo, then back to the airport. We only had nylon briefcases for carryons so we just carried them w/us.

When we got back to the airport we found our gate and just hung back and waited. There was a large missionary group that started to gather and their luggage did not carry through. We got in line to be sure to not have to wait to see where they were going.

quote:

Originally posted by vlwtx348:
I'll be doing the same trip July 31st.

Stonecreek, you say there is no red tape. . .Do you have to take your bags through customs to check them in or is there a luggage check station on the secure side? My wife and I will each have a backpack and everything else will be checked luggage. Is buying the Frankfurt city card a good idea? Thanks

As I recall, there was no customs involvement for bags that do not leave the airport. The baggage check station is outside the secure area so you'll go back through screening prior to boarding, but you you have to do that regardless since you leave the secure area in order to go from the set of gates where you arrive to the set where you depart.

I'm not familiar with the "City Card" for Frankfurt. If that relates to mass transit then it wouldn't have been worth it for us since we just rode the train once each way between airport and downtown -- and that cost was very nominal. As RVL did, I suppose you could take a taxi if you were more comfortable with that mode of transportation.

John Oliva: If you think you're coming out of your skin now, just wait until you board the plane for home, at which time you'll be in deep thought over just how to find the time and money to do it again, and soon!

The Frankfurt card gives you free travel on the public transportation systems and discounts on a lot of things like museums, tours, and restaurants. I think it cost 9 euros a person.