Home / Frankfurt /Frankfurt Airport / S8 to Mainz Hbf vs S9 or S8 to Wiesbaden Hbf

FRA → Frankfurt · head to head

S8 to Mainz HbforS9 or S8 to Wiesbaden Hbf?

The short answer

For one traveler they cost the same. That does not change up to 8 travelers.

The S8 to Mainz Hbf is quicker: 29 min against 33 min. The S9 or S8 to Wiesbaden Hbf varies between 33 and 43 minutes.

S8 to Mainz Hbf: Runs all night. S9 or S8 to Wiesbaden Hbf: Runs all night.

Priced against each other

Whole-party totals · adult fares
What each costs for the whole party, in EUR. The cheaper of the two is marked on every row.
TravelersS8 to Mainz HbfS9 or S8 to Wiesbaden HbfDifference
1€6.90€6.90same
2€13.80€13.80same
3€20.70€20.70same
4€22.50€22.50same
5€22.50€22.50same
6€29.40€29.40same
7€36.30€36.30same
8€43.20€43.20same

Side by side

Where each one leaves you
regional · S-Bahn Rhein-Main, RMV tariffS8 to Mainz Hbf
From
Regionalbahnhof, Terminal 1 level 0, platforms Regio 1 to 3 — the S8 westbound, towards Mainz and Wiesbaden
To
Mainz Römisches Theater in 23 minutes, Mainz Hauptbahnhof in 29, Mainz Nord in 33; the train goes on to Wiesbaden Hauptbahnhof in 43
Luggage
Racks by the doors; a commuter train, full at rush hour.
Runs
All night
Journey
29 min

Take the S8, not the S9. Both leave the same platforms westbound, but the S9 turns off after Mainz-Bischofsheim to "Mainz-Kastel" — a district of Wiesbaden on the far bank of the Rhine, by RMV's own tariff plan — and never reaches Mainz Hauptbahnhof.

Four or more of you: buy the Gruppentageskarte at price level 4, EUR 22.50 for up to five, against EUR 6.90 each. Three pay EUR 20.70 in singles and lose EUR 1.80 by taking it — unless they are coming back the same day.

Every one of the 141 westbound S8 departures in RMV's 2026 timetable takes 29 minutes to Mainz Hauptbahnhof, at :00 and :30 past the hour, day and night.

On Sunday-to-Thursday nights, service to Mainz thins: the 02:00 and 03:00 trains end at Kelsterbach and the 04:00 slot is an S9 to Wiesbaden, so departures are hourly between 01:30 and 04:30 (01:30, 02:30, 03:30, 04:30). Friday, Saturday and pre-holiday nights keep the half-hourly S8 service. Night departures may be replaced by buses.

Until 19 September 2026, the S8 is replaced by buses between Mainz-Bischofsheim and Rüsselsheim from Friday 11 September 21:00 to Monday 14 September 05:00, with further night closures (21:00–05:00) until 25 September. Nothing has been published for after 25 September.

Going back, a Mainz city ticket (EUR 3.90, the Wiesbaden/Mainz level) is not valid to the airport; you need Preisstufe 4 again.

S8 to Mainz Hbf: price for every party size →

Check RMV fares with VGF
regional · S-Bahn Rhein-Main, RMV tariffS9 or S8 to Wiesbaden Hbf
From
Regionalbahnhof, Terminal 1 level 0, platforms Regio 1 to 3 — either line westbound
To
Wiesbaden Hauptbahnhof: 33 minutes on the S9 via Mainz-Kastel, 43 on the S8 via Mainz Hauptbahnhof; both call at Wiesbaden Ost five minutes before
Luggage
Racks by the doors; a commuter train, full at rush hour.
Runs
All night
Journey
33–43 min

Take whichever comes first. The S9 is ten minutes quicker (33 against 43) and together they run every 15 minutes by day; the ticket is the same and so is the platform.

Four or more of you: the Gruppentageskarte at price level 4 is EUR 22.50 for up to five against EUR 6.90 each. Three are EUR 1.80 better off on singles for a one-way trip.

At night the S9 stops and the S8 carries on. The last S9 to Wiesbaden is 00:15 (Sunday–Thursday) or 00:45 (Friday, Saturday, pre-holiday); then the S8 via Mainz runs at :00 and :30 (43 minutes), thinning to hourly between 01:30 and 04:30 on weekday nights, with the S9 back at 04:00. Night departures may be replaced by buses.

Until 19 September 2026, the S9 is suspended between Kelsterbach and Wiesbaden Hbf (from 11 July), replaced by the S9X bus; the S8 runs with its own replacement buses in stretches, and is itself replaced between Mainz-Bischofsheim and Rüsselsheim from Friday 11 September 21:00 to Monday 14 September 05:00. More night closures follow to 25 September, with nothing published for after that.

Mainz-Kastel, Mainz-Kostheim and Mainz-Amöneburg are Wiesbaden districts despite the name, by RMV's own tariff plan; the S9 serves Kastel, 25 minutes out, on the way.

S9 or S8 to Wiesbaden Hbf: price for every party size →

Check RMV fares with VGF

This compares two of 5 options. See all of them ranked for your party size →

The other comparisons at Frankfurt Airport