With the centre of Oberursel closed to traffic during the Hessentag, probably one of the easiest ways to get to and from the events is going to be by train, and since Oberursel has two lines running through it, this is probably going to be the most convenient as well.
Coming from Frankfurt you have the choice of taking the U-Bahn or the S-Bahn. This choice is more than likely going to depend on where you live, so if you live anywhere on the line between the Südbahnhof and Niederursel, then you need take the U3. There will be extra trains running between Heddernheim and Oberursel’s main station (Bahnhof).
If you live in the new Riedberg part of Frankfurt, take the U8 or U9 to Niederursel and change there to the U3. If you are coming from Nordweststadt or Ginnheim, take the U9 and again, change at Niederursel to the U3.
From the east end of Frankfurt, it is probably best to try and find a connection to Hauptwache and join the U3 from there. In the west end, the S-Bahn may be a better choice.
The line S5 runs under the main station (Hauptbahnhof) and around the western side of the city. This is also the line to use if you are coming from places like Kronberg, Eschborn and Bad Soden after changing at Rödelheim.
If you are coming from further afield, eg. from Mainz, Wiesbaden or Darmstadt, then you changing at the Hauptbahnhof is probably going to be easiest.
I have even heard of visitors coming from afar away as the Netherlands, so if you really do travel that far (presumably with an ICE train), then you will almost certainly end up in the Hauptbahnhof on the ground floor. From here, take the escalators downstairs to the S-Bahn platforms and follow the signs for the S5 to Friedrichsdorf.
Looking at the other direction, visitors from Bad Homburg and Friedrichsdorf will no doubt use the S5 and from further away such as Brandoberndorf, Grävenwiesbach, Usingen and Neu-Anspach can take the Taunusbahn to Oberursel, although I do not know how late into the evening this will be running.
Tickets
Whilst coming by train my be a good option, buying a ticket to go home again from the Hessentag may not be. Not all ticket machines in Oberursel take notes, so small change may be required. With so many visitors queuing up, I suggest that you buy a Tageskarte so as not to have to worry about buying a ticket for the return journey. It also has the advantage of being able to use the U-Bahn without Oberursel to get around.
Which station for which event?
Most of the Hessentag events take place between the U-Bahn stations “Bommersheim” and “Lahnstraße”. The nearest stations to the main sites are:
- Bommersheim: Hessentagsarena, Open-Air arena
- Oberursel Bahnhof: HR, Hessentagsstrasse, Taunus Stage, Big Wheel
- Stadtmitte: Landesausstellung (similar to a County show), Sportgelände (Sports field)
- Altstadt: Musikhaus Taunus Stage, Thomas Cook Stage, International area, Youth Culture
- Lahnstraße: Zeltpalast (Big top), Hessen Palace, Scout Camp
- Hohemark (end of the line): Hohemark Clinic, Health park
Note that the stops Stadtmitte, Altstadt, Lahnstraße and Hohemark are not served by the additional trains starting at Heddernheim. (For those who have not been to Oberursel for some time, Altstadt used to be called Portstraße, and Stadtmitte used to be Liebfrauenstraße).
Disabled access
Over the past few years, all of the U-Bahn stations within Oberursel have been modernised or completely re-built to improve disabled access. Once Lahnstraße and Rosengärtchen are finished in the next couple of weeks, platform access to the trains will be at the same level as the train floor and ramps rather than or in addition to steps at the end of the platforms. Work on the new lift for the S-Bahn platform is still progressing.
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