Changes

=== All directions ===North ([[Kassel]], [[Hannover]]), West ([[Wiesbaden]], [[Mainz]]) and South ([[Karlsruhe]], [[Strasbourg]], [[File:theodorheussalleefrankfurt.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Traffic-eye-view of the hitchhiking spot on Theodor-Heuss-Allee.Basel]]) {{Autobahn|5}} ===Perhaps the best spot for getting rides out of Frankfurt in every direction is on the B8, on the start of the "Theodor-Heuss-Allee " near the centre of the city.

Underneath the “Messeturm” skyscraper is a roundabout connecting "Theodor-Heuss-Allee", "Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage " and "Senkenberganlage". Take the underground (U-Bahn underground ) line U4, or tram (Straßenbahn tram ) lines 16 or 17, and get off at the stop “Festhalle/Messe”. The roundabout should be easily visible.

The spot is a bus stop on the "Theodor-Heuss-Allee (see image)", about 20 metres after the roundabout. "Theodor-Heuss-Allee " is the main road ''without'' a Straßenbahn tram line following along it. It is the road in the direction A86/A3 (among others), and the bus stop is under a tall hotel.

If you prefer not to take public transport, then from the “Hauptbahnhof” central train station (Hauptbahnhof), walk north for approximately 15 minutes. Look for the dark red Messeturm skyscraper (nickname “The Pencil”, which gives a clue to it's appearance) and walk towards it along the main road. From there, look for the roundabout.

* :'''Update''' (April 2012): They are building close to this spot, so many cars/trucks park on the right lane or on the sidewalk. '''I wouldn't recommend to try to hitchhike here'''.* :Still going on - I always left from this spot, but now I gave up after several hours of waiting and trying points around that area! --[[User:Globestoppeuse|Globestoppeuse]] 03:02, 21 May 2012 (CEST)

'''1st 2nd option:''' Take tram No. 17 from Frankfurt DB main train station until the last stop "Am Rebstockbad"([Map http://g.co/maps/6h9fe]. This takes you about 10 minutes. From the final stop "Am Rebstockbad" you can already see the motorway (A648) which interchanges some 700 meter westward on the [[A5 (Germany)|Autobahn A5 ]] (north/soutward). When you arrive at the (eastbound) ''Esso '' gas station on the side that leads into Frankfurt - walk westward along the Autobahn and cross at a road bridge 200-300 meters away. Cars that refuel at the opposite (westbound) ''Esso '' gas station will in almost every case travel either northward ([[Kassel]], [[Hannover]]) or southward ([[Darmstadt]], [[Basel]]) on the [[A5 (Germany)|Autobahn A5]].

NOTE: User trt tried here in July 2011, and found almost every car was heading westWest, not North onto the [[A5(Germany)|A5]]. Not an ideal place to hitch North from (But apparently great to hitch west).

=== North ([[Kassel]], [[Hannover]], [[Gießen]], [[Marburg]]) {{Autobahn|5}} ===The "Friedberger Landstrasse" (Friedberger Street) is often used to leave the city towards the [[Autobahn A5 (Germany)|Autobahn A5]] (North). From the "Konstablerwache" (city centre), walk (2 km) or take the tram 18 / bus 30 till the stop "Münzenberger Str.". Hitchhike on this road just before the entrance of the supermarket ''Lidl'' ([http://www.g.co/maps/pymu4 Map]). You definitely need a sign with "A5" on it because many cars go to other (uninteressant) directions.It is a perfect spot to get a ride to the [[Autobahn A5 (Germany)|A5]] (for instance to the rest area "Wetterau"). '''2nd option([[Rest area]] Gräfenhausen - in the south of Frankfurt)''' : Take suburban train (S-Bahn) S3 (indicating: [[Darmstadt]]) to the stop "Erzhausen", leave the station and walk through the town Erzhausen on "Bahnstraße" and "Hauptstraße" westward until you can hear the [[A5 (Germany)|Autobahn A5]]. To reach Then, cross the fields till you arrive at the [http://www.serways.de/standorte/standorte/Gr%C3%A4fenhausen%20Ost Rastanlage Gräfenhausen Ost] (northward, direction [[Kassel]] and [[Hannover]]) on A5 cross the fields lefthand before you reach the Autobahn. Check with GOOGLE-maps before you leave, the way is simple to find but not marked. To reach [Map http://mapsg.rast.deco/tank-und-rast/standortemaps/Gr%C3%A4fenhausen%20West Rastanlage Gräfenhausen West] (southward, direction [[Karlsruhe]] and [[Basel]wjg7k]) stay on "Hauptstraße", cross the Autobahn via the bridge, walk lefthand through the forest on "Erzhäuser Weg" until the relais. It takes 50 minutes from the city center of Frankfurt until "Rastanlage Gräfenhausen". There is plenty of long distance traffic 24 hours a day at this spot, a restaurant as well as a small supermarket!

'''3rd option:''' Go by subway (U-Bahn) line 6 to the last stop "Heerstraße", continue walking the path along the rail-track on the left side northward. Walk over the fields until the Autobahn and cross via the underpass. You´ll see a small steep footpath on the right. Go there and you are on the new gas-station [[rest area]] "Taunusblick" on the A 5[[A5 (Germany)|A5]]. The whole journey takes not more than 25/30 minutes from the city center(10 minutes walking only). Attention: There is no exit or entrance for cars going north on A5/E451. ! You can only use "Rastanlage the rest area ''Taunusblick" '' to travel South! '''2nd option ([[Rest area]] Gräfenhausen - in the south!of Frankfurt)''': Take suburban train (S-Bahn) S3 (indicating: [[Darmstadt]]) to the stop ''Erzhausen'', leave the station and walk through the town ''Erzhausen'' on "Bahnstraße" and "Hauptstraße". Cross the Autobahn via the bridge, walk lefthand through the forest on ''Erzhäuser Weg'' until the relais [[Map http://g.co/maps/4hgfc]. Hitchhike on the [http://maps.rast.de/tank-und-rast/standorte/Gr%C3%A4fenhausen%20West Rastanlage Gräfenhausen West].

'''4th option''' Take subway (U-Bahn) line 1, 2 or 3 from the DB main train station to the final stop "Südbahnhof" (there are also many other ways to reach Südbahnhof = just pick one of them!) Take bus number 30 or 36 from the station to the stop “Sachsenhausen - Hainer Weg”. Bundesstraße 3 ("Babenhäuser Landstraße") is right at the busstop, there is a restarea which you can reach by crossing the road. This is a hitchhiking spot ''par excellence'' - lots of cars passing it all the time and it is easy to pull off there. Attention: Think twice if someone offers you a ride to the petrol station nearby, by taking it you will lose this spot and might end up waiting for hours.

NOTE: i I was at this spot in July 2010 and im not sure how great it is, one of the workers on the ground behind actually drove us to to the Service station further down the autobahn (which was excellent), because he said he saw a couple wait a whole day for no lifts the week before.

'''5th option''' To leave Frankfurt in the direction of Cologne [[Köln]] or Ruhrgebiet westward - as well as [[Würzburg]], [[Passau]], [[Vienna ]] or [[Munich ]] (via [[Würzburg]]) eastward , you should consider hitchhiking from "Rastanlage Weiskirchen". From Frankfurt DB main train station , you should take suburban train (S-Bahn) S1 (indicating: "Rödermark Ober-Roden") to the stop "Weiskirchen". Wander through the town on "Bahnhofstraße", "Schillerstraße" and "Pommernstraße", later through the cropfields first in east- then in northward direction until you can see the Autobahn. There is two sides of "Rastanlage Weiskirchen", north and south. A roadbridge over A3/E42 (east of the station) connects both sides. From Frankfurt you can reach this place in around 60 minutes.