Transportation to Limburg in Germany

By Train or Car to Great Hotels and Restaurants in the Lahn Cathedral Town

Fast trains and autobahns make Limburg an der Lahn with its Romanesque cathedral, magnificent medieval old town, and cheap hotels an interesting day trip or overnight stop from Cologne or Frankfurt Airport.

Half-Timbered Buildings in Old Town Limburg

Fast transportation links (autobahns and ICE trains) make Limburg an der Lahn an easy day trip from Frankfurt am Main or Cologne. The main sights are the colorful Romanesque St George’s cathedral and one of the best-preserved medieval town centers in Germany. Cheap hotels and numerous restaurants make Limburg an der Lahn also a great overnight stop for travelers traveling via Frankfurt International Airport (FRA). Suntransfers gives online quotations for private airport transfers without first requiring personal details or flight numbers.

Trains to Limburg from Cologne, Frankfurt, and Frankfurt International Airport

Rail passengers to Limburg has a choice between the fast ICE trains and the much cheaper local trains. From Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, the local trains are more sensible but from Frankfurt Airport and Cologne (Köln) the faster ICE trains are usually worth the extra expense. Reservations are almost never required on German trains.

By ICE (Inter-City Express) Train to Limburg Süd

Limburg can be reached in 20 minutes from Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) or 40 minutes from Cologne (Köln) on an Inter-City-Express (ICE) train. Do note that ICE trains stop at Limburg-Süd station, which is a 5-minute bus ride from the old town. Double check schedules – not all ICE trains running from Frankfurt to Cologne (Köln) stop at Limburg and waiting times for the bus can easily add an additional half an hour or more to the travel time. Taxis do the 5-minute run to Limburg old town for around €10 – if no taxis are waiting at Limburg-Süd, dial the Taxi Zentrale 06431-3000.

Bus LM Line 5 connects Limburg Süd ICE station with ZOB Süd, the central bus station at the regular Limburg (Lahn) train station at the edge of the historic old town.

By Local Train to Limburg (Lahn)

Local trains are cheaper than ICE trains and have the advantage of stopping at Limburg (Lahn) station, right next to the old town. From Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, frequent local trains take around an hour and are much cheaper than the ICE.

From Frankfurt International Airport (FRA), local trains via Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof or Wiesbaden require 90 minutes to two hours traveling time in each direction to reach Limburg (Lahn).

See German Railways timetables: from Frankfurt Airport to Limburg or Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof to Limburg

Driving to Limburg an der Lahn by Car

Limburg an der Lahn is an easy 40-minute drive from Frankfurt am Main or Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) along the autobahn A3 in the direction of Cologne (Köln). Parking garages are available at the edge of the old town.

  • A great excursion from Limburg for drivers or cyclists is to the Romanesque basilica in nearby Dietkirchen. From Limburg’s old town, cross the Alte Lahnbrücke (Old Lahn Bridge), with great views of the Limburg Cathedral, and continue around 5 km (3 miles) to Dietkirchen. The Church of St Lubentius is an impressive Romanesque basilica that looks almost fortress-like as it towers over the Lahn Valley from a rocky hill. Most of the church is from the 12th century but the Michael’s Chapel dates from around 1000.

Suntransfers gives online quotations for private airport transfers without first requiring personal details or flight numbers.

Restaurants and Hotels in Limburg an der Lahn

Limburg’s old town is mostly half-timbered buildings. However, Limburg is still very much a living city and these lovely historic buildings are filled with shops and interesting cafés and restaurants. Anything from a slice of pizza to a full gourmet meal is available. A few interesting options include:

  • At the edge of the old town on the banks of the Lahn River next to the Alte Lahnbrücke is the small Hotel Nassauer Hof, Brückengasse 1, tel 06431-9960, with pleasant, modernly furnished rooms. The Twins restaurant serves local cuisine with a light, modern touch – open for dinner and Sunday lunch only.
  • For gourmet food, head to the Romantik Hotel Ralph Zimmermann, Blumenröder Straße 1, tel 06431-4611, near the station at the edge of the old town. Rooms are comfortable and individually furnished with elegant, English-style furniture.
  • The best food in Limburg is arguably found a bit outside the tourist area at Himmel und Erde, Joseph-Heppel-Strasse 1a, tel 06431-584-7208, in a 19th-century chapel.

Top sights in Limburg makes this Lahn Valley town an interesting day trip from Frankfurt or Cologne, or a great stop when traveling between these two cities. The St George’s Cathedral is visible from both the autobahn and ICE railway line.

Passengers with long stopovers at Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) can also visit Limburg on an excursion or even sleepover at prices that may well undercut hotels in Frankfurt, Wiesbaden, and Mainz without being much further away from the airport.

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About the author:

Henk Bekker

Henk Bekker is a freelance travel writer with over 20 years of experience writing online. He is particularly interested in history, art, and culture. He has lived most of his adult life in Germany, Switzerland, and Denmark. In addition to European-Traveler.com, he also owns a travel website on the Lake Geneva region of Switzerland and maintains statistical websites on car sales and classic car auction prices. Henk holds an MBA from Edinburgh Business School and an MSc in Development Finance from the University of London.