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After traveling over 10 hours on a nonstop flight from Los Angeles, I was ready to stretch my legs in Frankfurt. I exited the aircraft and made my way into the terminal. I was shocked to find that that Frankfurt airport felt like a ghost town. Considering this city is a big travel hub, I wasn’t expecting that, but it sure made it a breeze to go through border control. There was literally no line. Hallelujah!
Frankfurt’s airport is also super convenient for getting into the city since they have a train station connected to it. I was able to easily buy myself a seat on the train going to the main Frankfurt station (Frankfurt Main Hbf). Though the train was slightly behind and a bit costly (17 euros, really?), it was also very convenient if you’re tired from a long day of traveling. As I exited the train at Frankfurt Main Hbf, I was greeted by a sea of people. I walked out of the station and didn’t have the “wow” moment you sometimes get after arriving in Europe. Truth be told, the area felt super sketchy (and I live in LA, so that's saying something). The good news, though, is that there are a lot of people walking around and once you move further into the city it gets a bit better. My hotel, Hotel Dusseldorf Hof, was about a 10-minute walk from the train station. Unfortunately, you also have to pay a city fee, which was about 4 euros. The rooms in this hotel are hilariously tiny. The bed pretty much takes up the whole room. I'm kind of curious how the cleaning staff is even able to change the sheets. After relaxing a bit and getting a second wind, I made my way over to Römerberg. This is definitely one of the cuter areas of Frankfurt and is close by the river. Römerberg has a great center square surrounded by more of that traditional German architecture and outdoor restaurants. As I sat down for a celebratory beer, I suddenly remembered the reason why I couldn’t actually live in Europe: the cigarette smoke. When one person stopped, another lit up, and the smoke always seems to make it in my direction. In America, we may have insane hormones and unhealthy ingredients in our food, but I’d love to know the lung cancer rates across Europe. Day Two My only full day in Frankfurt began with a morning coffee. I then had to kill some time before Frankfurt’s Jewish Museum opened at 10:00 a.m. My ticket to the museum was just 12 euros, and while the security people were a bit standoffish, the gentleman who sold me my ticket was very kind and helpful. Frankfurt’s Jewish Museum was honestly my favorite part of the city. Considering Germany’s dark past, it’s really great to see the efforts they’ve made in generations since. The museum also has a cafe inside of it where you can get food. I ordered a plant-based “beef” carpaccio that came with challah bread. It was pretty good, though the bread was my favorite. After the museum, it was time to make my way to the river boat cruise. The great thing about Frankfurt is that it’s really walkable, as are many other major European cities. I had prebooked my ticket ahead of time and was able to pull it up on my phone. The boat itself is huge and can fit a lot of people. They have indoor and outdoor areas for viewing. This was a cool way to see the city via the river. The beginning of it certainly shows the prettier side of Frankfurt, but the further downriver you went, the uglier it got since it was just industrial buildings and trash (literally!). We even encountered what appeared to be a massive fire without a huge cloud of black smoke. Between that and the chain smokers, I may need to get my lungs checked. It was during the cruise that I started to get seriously tired, but I still wanted to explore a bit more before turning in for a nap. I wandered over to the Kleinmarkthalle Market, which is also adjacent to a major shopping district here in Frankfurt. Chaotic would be an understatement. There were so many people it made Times Square feel like a walk in the park. In this case, I recommend going to this area on a weekday so it's hopefully less crowded. After my much-needed nap, I wandered over to a local gelato shop, Eis Fontanella, for a cone of their mint-chocolate gelato. Honestly, it was probably one of the best gelatos I’ve ever had. Reflecting on my time in Frankfurt, I would definitely recommend only taking a day or even just half a day here. Although it’s a major hub, I wasn’t terribly impressed, and there were definitely some sketchy areas near the main station that made me feel uncomfortable. For this year’s Europe trip, I managed to find another non-stop flight from LA. Last year, it was to Barcelona, but this year, the destination was Frankfurt, Germany. And the airline? Lufthansa.
This German airline has been around since the 50s and is a well-known commodity. If you’ve never flown them before, you might be wondering if they’re any good. And if you’re American, you may wonder how this international airline stacks up against U.S. ones. Lufthansa Check-In Process Check-in with Lufthansa was super convenient. I was able to check in online and obtain my boarding pass through email and the airline’s official app. For the passport part, I simply had to manually put in that info. This saved me plenty of at LAX airport too. All I had to do at that point was go through security. Once I got to my gate, an airline rep just had to verify that I physically had the passport. Are Lufthansa Flights On-Time? This one’s kind of hard to nail down since probably every airline has delays at some point. In my case, my flight's take off time was delayed 50 minutes, but since I didn’t have any layovers it wasn’t an issue for me. I imagine if you had a tighter layover, it could impact things though. Lufthansa In-Flight Experience Since I was going on an 11-hour flight and have a bladder the size of an acorn, I prebooked my seat. I was in economy but selected an aisle seat on the left side of the aircraft. This plane was huge. It was columns of two, four, and two seats. While the lady next to me wasn’t pleased with the seat space, I was pretty used to it since I often fly economy or basic economy to save money. What most impressed me, however, was the two meals we got on the flight. I’ve been so used to not getting a meal on flights (or at the most some peanuts and ginger ale), that the idea of a meal, let alone two, on a long-haul flight felt like a luxury. I was actually able to select ahead of time if I wanted a special meal. I ordered the vegan option. Both the dinner and breakfast were good, though I liked the breakfast one slightly more. Also, did I mention I got free wine too? As far as turbulence, we had a little in the beginning, but most of the flight was smooth sailing. All-in-all, I would recommend Lufthansa. Puerto Vallarta is hands-down one of my favorite places on Earth, and it's also one of the top destinations in Mexico to visit. Puerto Vallarta has everything: beaches (both secluded and busy), a great jungle for hiking, nearby small towns to explore, beautiful resorts, boutique hotels and Airbnb's, exciting nightlife, delicious food, and wonderful culture. Not only have I visited Puerto Vallarta regularly since I was a kid, I’ve also had the wonderful opportunity live and work there during college, and I've continued to visit regularly since then -- most recently spending my honeymoon in Puerto Vallarta. PV's definitely a slice of home for me. It just so happens that Puerto Vallarta is also a very beautiful, Instagram-worthy travel destination. Here are the top places to take pictures in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Mismaloya Beach This beach spot is located on the south end of the city - just a short bus ride and you’re there. Mismaloya is far less busy than the beach areas downtown, so if you're looking to avoid the tourist crowds, this is a great place to go. What makes Mismaloya so Instagram-worthy though is how it is enveloped by the jungle and mountains that surround it. I'd also argue that the water there is bluer too. Colomitos Beach This is another great beach that also happens to be a hidden gem in Puerto Vallarta. To get to this secluded beach spot, you have to take a bus to Boca de Tomatlan, which is a little further south than Mismaloya. From Boca, you can hike through the jungle until you reach the beach. It’ll be easy to spot since it’s the first beach you’ll get to. However, there are now water taxis that go to Colomitos, so if you're not keen on a jungle hike, you can also get there by boat. While the actual beach at Colomitos is relatively small, the scenery is unbelievable and you’re surrounded just nature. There's one small restaurant/bar there, so they may have limited options, but this way you can enjoy a cerveza and snack while you relax by the water. Old Town Old Town Puerto Vallarta – also known as the Romantic Zone – has more of an authentic charm to it. Photo ideas include a shot of the ocean looking down one of the neighborhood’s cobblestone streets or taking in the view from an Airbnb up in the hills to get a shot of Puerto Vallarta’s gorgeous skyline and bay. I also recommend staying in Old Town if you get the chance. While this part of Puerto Vallarta won't have the big luxury resorts, they have fantastic boutique hotels and Airbnb options. It's also easy access to amazing local restaurants. Sayulita This town north of Puerto Vallarta has gotten very popular over the years. What was once an off-the-beaten path, quiet surfer town has transformed into a hipster destination perfect for more adventurous travelers who want a more low-key experience outside of the city that still has a decent social scene. Sayulita has been built up nicely, though, and still has a surf culture to it. Parts of the town center are also decorated with Papel Picado, which is a type of colorful Mexican folk art and shows up beautifully in photos. |
About the author
Jill Zwarensteyn is a writer and comedian who has been featured on Amazon, truTV, The New York Times, Matador Network, BUST Magazine, Sleep Advisor, Tiplr, ARTRPRNR Magazine, YourTango, Thought Catalog, GoMad Nomad, Mashable, The Daily Mail UK, the Cannes Film Festival, LaughFest, Women's Lifestyle Magazine, and the Funny Women Festival LA. Archives
December 2024
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