Offenbach Travel Guide

The local Transit Authority in Offenbach/M is called the RMV, which stands for Rhein-Main-Verkehrsbund or the Rhine-Main Transit Authority. Basically it covers the following areas: Most westward point Mainz; most eastward point Fulda, most southern point Darmstadt; most northern point Wetzler.
Click here, if you would like to see an exact map of the region.

The big advantage of this transit authority, is that you can change from buses to trams to regional trains as much as you have to, to get to your destination, without having to buy extra tickets. Nearly all of the ticket vending machines are computer-run and have an English mask. You ticket is valid when you receive it, so buy it just before you want to board the train. They are not punched in the train.
Special Deals
Hessenticket - for 25 Euro, you + 4 friends can have unlimited use the whole network from Mon-Fri, between 9 - 3 a.m. The ticket is not only valid for the RMV network but state-wide too.
Day Ticket (Tageskarte) - the price varies depending on how many zones you want to cross (destination code you punch into the vending machine). A day card for Frankfurt which includes the airport only costs 6.10 Euro. The ticket is valid for one calendar day.
Week Ticket (Wochenkarte) - the price also varies depending on the zones travelled. A week tickect for Frankfurt/Offenbach (7 days) only costs 10.70 Euro.
Are you a student? Then you can get a week ticket for 8.50 Euro with your valid student ID.
Children Discounts - Children under 14 years of age pay half-price.
Group Day Ticket (Groupentageskarte) - For the City of Frankfurt, only 10.80 Euro for you and up to 4 of your family or friends. Valid for one calendar day.

Gold Pfeil is internationally famous for it's purses, wallets, bags and suitcases. It is practically the only surviving leather factory in Offenbach, which was once the European center for leather goods. Normally, Gold Pfeil can rank their goods along with Gucci, Lacoste, and Etiene Aigner with quality and fame, but the best kept open secret in Offenbach, is that you can buy direct from the factory.

What to buy: Purses and wallets are especially worthwhile.

Favorite thing: Saturday is Fresh Market Day, and Flea Market Day. The market is the meeting place and shopping place on Saturday. Even if you are going to eat your meals in a hotel, this is still worth it to go here, because you get to see Germany how it lives. And who can resist buying a pound of cherries fresh from Turkey, Italy or Germany, from the friendly young man, harking his wares.

There are 3 fine cost shops (specialty food stores) that sell fine liquors, chocolate in every imaginable form, special coffees and teas and mediterranean food stuffs that you usually cannot purchase in Germany, which all make really nice gifts for your friends and family at home. They are so service oriented, that they can even help you send your gift directly from the store to your home.

Even if you don't want to buy food here, you can relax in one of the numerous cafés here that line the square and watch the world go by, or read the sunday paper in your language from the Newspaper Kiosk on the corner and leisurely eat your breakfast. Because the cafés are crowded between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. you can always meet someone new, because typically if space is available at your table, someone will ask to sit with you.

Fondest memory: Buying an rather large etching at the flea market in Offenbach. The flea market is along the Main bank (left bank) every Saturday morning from the beginning of April until the end of September. When the weather is nice, it's full.

Anyway, the etching was an angel decending to a child on a balcony from the end of the 19th century. The etching had a lot of water damage, but it somehow made the picture more interesting. I was able to dicker the person selling it for 50 DM! Then I had it appraised, and found out it was worth well over 3000 DM!

This kind of treasure hunt can only happen if Offenbach. Although Frankfurt also has a flea market on Saturday, they mostly sell new brand new products. In Offenbach, they still sell garage sale items, antiques, old books, long-play records, and sometimes antiques and pieces of furniture. My tip is bring money, and search for nothing. I never found what I was looking for there, but I always found a nice surprise!