MIAT's only direct route to Europe — leave Ulaanbaatar in the morning and land by lunchtime in the skyscraper city on the Main. Half-timbered houses on the Römerberg, Goethe's birthplace, the Main Tower viewing platform, the Städel on the Museum Embankment, the dinosaurs of the Senckenberg Museum and apple-wine taverns in Sachsenhausen. Day trips reach Heidelberg Castle (~1 h) and the UNESCO Rhine Valley — Rüdesheim, the Loreley and its castles. The easiest stopover city for Mongolians heading on to the rest of Europe. Mongolian citizens need a Schengen visa.
🛂 Visa: Visa required · 90 days✈ Flight: 9.2h · direct☀ Best months: May, June, July, August
#direct flight#stopover#Rhine#castles#museums#Schengen visa
The historic heart: the 15th-century Römer town hall, half-timbered houses and the rebuilt New Old Town (DomRömer). Holy Roman emperors were crowned in nearby St Bartholomew's Cathedral; climb 328 steps to the 66 m platform for views of the Main and the skyscrapers. The Christmas market fills the square in November–December.
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goStart the Schengen visa early; book hotels early for big trade fairs and Christmas.+
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Schengen visa: German Embassy, VFS Global
Mongolian citizens need a Schengen short-stay (C) visa. Fill in the form online in VIDEX, book a VFS Global appointment and go in person to the embassy premises to give fingerprints. Fee €90 (ages 6–11 €45, under 6 free) plus a 100,000₮ VFS service fee. Apply between 6 months and 4 weeks before travel; processing takes at least 15 days. If you only pass through Frankfurt and spend most of the trip in another country such as France or Italy, apply to that country's embassy.
Tip: Buy the ticket after the visa is issued, or attach a refundable booking.
Medical insurance valid in all Schengen states with cover of at least €30,000 is mandatory. Attach a return ticket, hotel bookings, bank statements and an employment letter. Your passport must be valid for more than 3 months after you leave. The EES system records fingerprints and face at the border; ETIAS does not apply to visa holders.
Frankfurt is a trade-fair city: during the Book Fair (7–11 October 2026), the IAA and other big fairs hotel prices multiply. The Römerberg Christmas market runs from 23 November to 22 December 2026. Avoid these dates or book months ahead.
🛬Landing and getting to the cityFrankfurt is your first Schengen stop, so passport control happens here. MIAT may use the new Terminal 3 — check your ticket; from Terminal 3 the free Sky Line train takes you to Terminal 1, where the S-Bahn and ICE stations are.+
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S8/S9 S-Bahn to the city
From the regional station (Regionalbahnhof) under Terminal 1, the S8 and S9 reach the Hauptbahnhof in ~15 minutes and continue to Hauptwache and Konstablerwache. The airport is a separate fare zone, so a single ticket is €6.90 (children €4.10); the ordinary €3.80 city ticket is not valid. For several rides in a day, a day ticket including the airport is €13.50. With a Deutschlandticket you pay nothing extra.
Tip: At the machine search for 'Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof' — the airport fare is calculated automatically.
From the airport's long-distance station (Fernbahnhof, AIRail Terminal), ICE trains run directly to Cologne, Munich, Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels and more without going into the city. Book in DB Navigator or on bahn.de in advance for cheap 'Sparpreis' fares. Border control and baggage take time, so pick a train 2–3 hours after landing.
If your phone supports eSIM, buy and install a travel eSIM from Airalo, Holafly or similar before you leave: unlike a German SIM it needs no passport verification and works as soon as you land in Frankfurt. A Europe-wide plan also works in your next Schengen country.
Tip: The airport, the Hauptbahnhof and most cafés have free Wi-Fi.
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German prepaid SIM
German law requires Telekom, Vodafone and O2 prepaid SIMs to be verified with your passport — in store or by video ident in the app. Worth it for a long stay or if you need a German number; for a short trip an eSIM is enough.
🚇Getting around the city and the regionS-Bahn, U-Bahn, trams and buses all share one RMV ticket. There are no gates but frequent inspections — no ticket means a fine.+
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RMV tickets
Within Frankfurt a single ticket is €3.80, a day ticket €7.75 and a group day ticket for up to 5 people €14.80. City tickets are not valid to the airport. Buy at machines or in the RMVgo app; app tickets are valid at once.
The RB10 reaches Rüdesheim in ~73 min; Rüdesheim is in Hesse, so the Hessenticket (€43.50, up to 5 people, one day) is the best deal. Heidelberg is in Baden-Württemberg, where the Hessenticket is not valid — from ~50 min by ICE, or slower but cheaper by regional train. Fairy-tale Rothenburg ob der Tauber is further away, so give it a full day or an overnight stay.
A monthly ticket for unlimited local transport and regional trains across Germany for €63 (since January 2026), also valid on the airport S-Bahn and to the Rhine Valley and Heidelberg. It is a subscription, so remember to cancel before the end of the month; not valid on ICE trains.
💳Money and taxes+
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Card or cash
Most shops and restaurants take cards, but cash comes in handy in apple-wine taverns, market stalls and at the Christmas market. Withdraw euros from bank ATMs (Sparkasse, Frankfurter Sparkasse); tourist ATMs charge high fees.
Tip: If the ATM offers to charge you in tögrög, say no — choose euros.
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VAT refund (Tax Free)
Non-EU visitors who spend more than €50.01 on one receipt in one shop can reclaim the 19% VAT. Ask the shop for a Tax Free form, get it stamped by customs at the airport where you leave the EU, then collect the refund. Flying home with MIAT, you get the stamp at FRA.
🍜FoodFrankfurt food is simple and known for sour apple wine and green sauce; as an international city it also has plenty of Asian food.+
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What to eat
Grüne Soße (cold seven-herb green sauce with boiled eggs and potatoes), Frankfurter Würstchen (thin smoked sausages), Rippchen mit Kraut (pork ribs with sauerkraut), Handkäs mit Musik (cheese with onions) and Frankfurter Kranz cake. With children, schnitzel and chips are everywhere.
Tip: The Kleinmarkthalle is the best place for a quick, cheap lunch.
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Apple-wine taverns
In Sachsenhausen's taverns 'Ebbelwoi' is poured from a 'Bembel' jug into a ribbed 'Geripptes' glass, and you share long tables with strangers. It tastes sour, so try it first mixed with water or lemonade — 'Sauergespritzt' or 'Süßgespritzt'. Apple juice for children.
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Christmas market
The Christmas market on the Römerberg and Paulsplatz runs from 23 November to 22 December 2026: Glühwein, roasted almonds, Bethmännchen biscuits, crafts and rides for children. Crowds are big, so mind your pockets.
The Bahnhofsviertel in front of the Hauptbahnhof has an open drug scene and can feel unsafe at night — don't book a hotel there just because it is cheap, and with children avoid Kaiserstraße and Taunusstraße. Pickpockets work the airport, Hauptbahnhof, the Zeil and the Christmas market — carry your bag in front.
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Hospitals and the Mongolian Embassy
Frankfurt University Hospital has an emergency department; the airport has a medical centre. A pharmacy is an 'Apotheke'; a duty pharmacy is open at night. If you lose your passport, report it to the police and contact the Embassy of Mongolia in Berlin.
Shops close on Sundays (those at the airport and Hauptbahnhof stay open) and apartments stay quiet. Sort your rubbish and return deposit (Pfand) bottles to the supermarket machine. Don't cross on a red light or walk in cycle lanes.
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In taverns and restaurants
Sharing long tables with strangers is normal — ask 'Ist hier frei?'. In restaurants you pay at the table and say the total including the tip. Showing Nazi symbols or salutes, even as a joke, is a crime in Germany.
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Everyday contact
Greet with 'Guten Tag' and say 'Tschüss' when leaving; say hello when entering a shop. Germans are direct and punctual — don't take it as rudeness, and don't be late for appointments.
📱Useful apps+
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Transport
RMVgo — Frankfurt and Hesse routes, phone tickets and the Hessenticket. DB Navigator — ICE trains, Heidelberg, other European cities and delay information. The Frankfurt Airport app — terminal and gate information.
For city events, the Christmas market and the Frankfurt Card, use visitfrankfurt.travel. Google Translate's camera mode translates German menus and signs on the spot.
The S8/S9 from the Hauptbahnhof to the airport takes ~15 minutes on a €6.90 airport ticket. Be at the airport 3 hours before the MIAT flight; FRA is huge and moving between terminals takes time. Allow time for the EES exit check and the customs stamp for your VAT refund. Coming by train from another city, add an hour of buffer for delays.
Leave the Schengen area no later than the date on your visa — EES records your exit day automatically, and an overstay will hurt your next application. Carry Tax Free goods unopened in your hand luggage and show them to customs before check-in.
AI answer: double-check anything beyond our researched facts with an official source.
City€9; ages 6–12 €2; family (2+3) €20Summer Sun–Thu 10:00–21:00, Fri–Sat 10:00–23:00; winter Sun–Thu 10:00–19:00, Fri–Sat 10:00–21:00 (last lift 45 min before closing)
The only skyscraper roof in Germany open to the public: from 200 m you see the bank towers of 'Mainhattan', the river and the Taunus hills. Bags are screened as at an airport. It closes in strong wind or bad weather.
Culture€19 (Tuesdays from 15:00 €10); family €30; free under 12Tue, Wed, Fri–Sun 10:00–18:00, Thu 10:00–21:00; closed Mon
700 years of European painting on the south bank of the Main: Dürer, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Monet, Picasso. More than ten museums line the bank — film, architecture, communication. A flea market runs on the embankment on Saturdays; the Museum Embankment Festival is in August.
FoodFree entry (a glass of apple wine 'Ebbelwoi' ~€3)Most taverns in the evening, some from midday
The old quarter on the south bank: cobbled lanes and taverns with long wooden tables. Drink sour apple wine from a grey-blue stoneware 'Bembel' jug and eat 'Grüne Soße' (seven-herb green sauce) and 'Handkäs mit Musik' cheese. Apple juice and schnitzel for children.
Culture€12; family €18; under 6 freeMon–Wed, Fri–Sun 10:00–18:00, Thu 10:00–21:00
The house where Germany's great poet Goethe was born and grew up: 18th-century furniture, his writing desk and puppet theatre. One ticket with the German Romantic Museum next door. Destroyed in the war and rebuilt exactly as it was.
FoodFree entryMon–Fri 8:00–18:00, Sat 8:00–16:00; closed Sun
The city's food hall with more than 60 stalls: Frankfurter sausages, cheese, fruit, green-sauce herbs and food from many countries. The wine terrace upstairs is a local favourite. Good for a quick, cheap lunch.
Kids€12; ages 6–17 €6; family (2+3) €30Mon–Fri 9:00–17:00 (Wed to 20:00), Sat–Sun 9:00–18:00
One of Germany's largest natural history museums: Tyrannosaurus and Diplodocus skeletons, 'Ida' the fossil primate from the Messel Pit, whales and minerals. Frankfurt's top rainy-day choice for families; walk from Bockenheimer Warte U4 station.
Kids€13; ages 6–17 €6; family €30; under 6 freeWinter (from 25 Oct) daily 9:00–17:00; summer 9:00–19:00
Germany's second-oldest zoo (1858): gorillas and orangutans in Borgori Forest, the nocturnal Grzimek House, lions and seals. Take the U6/U7 to Zoo station from the centre. Allow half a day.
Nature€9; free under 18Ticket office Mar–Oct 9:00–19:00, Nov–Feb 9:00–16:00; closed 24 and 31 Dec
An 1871 botanical garden: a great glass palm house, a cactus desert, rose gardens, a boating lake and a playground. The glasshouses stay warm in winter. The Grüneburgpark lies next door.
Relax50 min €16; ages 6–14 €10; family €39Daily from spring to autumn, from the Eiserner Steg
Boats leave from under the Eiserner Steg footbridge and pass the skyscrapers, the Museum Embankment and the European Central Bank tower. Choose 50 or 100 minutes; a calm option for a tired day with children. In summer Primus-Linie also sails to Rüdesheim.
CultureCastle ticket (with the Bergbahn funicular) €11; children €5.50Castle daily 9:00–18:00; from ~50 min by ICE from Frankfurt
The red sandstone castle ruin above the Neckar, the symbol of German Romanticism. Inside is a 220,000-litre giant barrel and the Pharmacy Museum. Below lies Germany's oldest university town: the Old Bridge, the Hauptstraße and the Philosophers' Walk. Easy by train from Frankfurt.
NatureKD boat Rüdesheim–St. Goarshausen €28, return €31Boats 4 Apr–18 Oct (2026); ~73 min from Frankfurt on the RB10 train
A UNESCO World Heritage landscape: vineyards and more than 40 castles on the most beautiful stretch of the Rhine. Stroll Rüdesheim's Drosselgasse, ride the cable car to the Niederwald Monument and take a boat to the Loreley rock. Rüdesheim is in Hesse, so a Hessenticket covers up to 5 people for a day.
A night or two in Frankfurt on the way to another European city lets you rest after the flight and see the town. The airport is close to the centre, so drop your bags at the hotel and spend half a day around the Römerberg and the riverbank. Days in Germany count towards the stay on your visa.
Tip: Do the same on the way back — stay the night before in Frankfurt and catch the MIAT flight relaxed.
