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I'm travelling to Thailand on the 12th January (in a few days). I'll have a connecting flight at Frankfurt and I'll stay there for eight hours. I was planning on going out to the city to visit a couple of places and to eat as well. But, looking at the weather I saw that it will be 3° Celsius, pretty cold, and since I'm going to the Thai beaches I'm not bringing any cold weather clothing.

Is there any kind of 'rent clothing' service in Frankfurt airport or is there anything I can do using regular clothing to keep warm?

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    Are you able to get a packable down jacket? Mine weighs about 8 ounces/.23 kilograms, and fits into a very small pouch/pocket.
    – Giorgio
    Jan 4, 2017 at 1:43
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    It is a long shot indeed.. But it is better than spending half a day on the airport.. Thanks for your input :)
    – Bartho Bernsmann
    Jan 4, 2017 at 1:53
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    I can meet you at the airport next week and give you some warm winter clothing that will make you sweat at -10 C.
    – Count Iblis
    Jan 4, 2017 at 7:15
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    Jeans are actually very bad, especially if wet or if the wind blows and generally bulky and heavy. Any other type of trousers, if necessary with leggings under them are likely to be more efficient to keep warm.
    – Relaxed
    Jan 4, 2017 at 13:40
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    @BarthoBernsmann just a thought, you DO have a visa to leave the airport, right? I assume that would be necessary.
    – npst
    Jan 5, 2017 at 11:45

8 Answers 8

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You can "simulate" renting some warm clothing in Frankfurt.

There is an Oxfam shop in Sachsenhausen, about a 20 - 25 minute walk or about EUR 12 for a taxi from the central train station.

Oxfam is a charity that sells used clothing (among other things) for a very cheap price. Assuming that warmth takes priority over fashion and you are flexible on size, you should be able to pick up a serviceable and warm coat (or jacket or jumper or fleece) for about EUR 8 - 12. With taxi that's a total outlay of EUR 20 - 24.

Because it's a charity shop you have the option of returning your purchase as a charitable contribution before you leave town. This would have the net effect of renting a coat (or jacket or jumper or fleece or etc) for about EUR 20 - 24 (assuming your first leg was by taxi). This is probably better than a real-life rental arrangement.

Frankfurt is very cosmopolitan and I would expect the staff to speak English as do most of the shop staff in Frankfurt.

From the shop to your destination at Roemerplatz, it's another short walk over the "Eiserner Steg" (pedestrian bridge) and you accrue the benefits of experiencing the unique architecture and ambience of Sachsenhausen. Legend has it that the pedestrian bridge is situated near the site where Charlemagne discovered a safe (and eponymous) ford across the Main River and is a popular tourist destination in its own right.

Alternatively, you can take the U-Bahn to these locales and enjoy a commensurate reduction in travel time.

To get a feel for what to expect walking through Sachsenhausen, you can do an image search on the term "mainufer frankfurt winter".

You can get more information about Oxfam from their Wiki Article.

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    This is a great out of the box thinking tip!
    – JoErNanO ♦
    Jan 4, 2017 at 5:04
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    20-25 minute walk without appropriate clothing??
    – user4188
    Jan 4, 2017 at 6:17
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    @chx Frankfurt has very mild winters: It's currently about 5C... I'm not sure when Google's "mainufer frankfurt winter" photos were taken because they seem as natural to me as snow in London (i.e. not at all). Most healthy people should be able to handle 5C for 25 minutes even with just a light jacket.
    – errantlinguist
    Jan 4, 2017 at 10:17
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    Guys, this is so person dependent. It's 3C here in Budapest and I am geared from head to toe (thick woolen socks, corduroy pants, a faux fur collar equipped heavy down jacket, Thinsulate cap) and still I am not happy to be outside.
    – user4188
    Jan 4, 2017 at 17:12
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    5C and a fast walk on a still, dry day varies from short sleeves to hat/goves/scarf depending on who you ask. I suspect that the OP falls into the latter gourp given that they're asking the question. Even with a change (at Willy-Brandt-Platz?) I'd suggest the joining the U-Bahn straight away (but then a day ticket for public transport is how I like to explore a city). Is this worth adding as an option for that leg of the journey? (+1btw)
    – Chris H - UK
    Jan 5, 2017 at 11:24
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Buy / Bring a couple of long sleeve t-shirts, they won't take up too much room in your luggage. Then layer up with them under your leather jacket before you go out.

You could also use a lightweight sweater under your leather jacket.

The key is to create layers of air inside the jacket to provide insulation and retain the heat your body gives off. The leather itself will be a good outer layer.

When you are walking, you body gives off even more heat from the exercise and the multiple layers will trap that heat and keep your chest warm.

It is also a good idea to bring a hat or buy a stocking cap when you get there. Your body's priority is to keep your chest and head warm, even at the expense of your fingers and toes. So keep these two warm and then any excess heat will flow to your fingers and feet.

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  • laundry is cheap in thailand but not free, minimum 100 bath per shirt in hotel areas, 4 shirts to clean, 10+ Euros. the leather jacket was an option that he could buy, another expense, not something he has. add a lightweight sweater;;;and throw it away or carry in for a whole trip...buy a hat or cap, then throw it away....your "solution" would cost him a lot more than buying winter gear at the airport and throuwing it away.
    – Reed -SE is a Fish on Dry Land
    Jan 4, 2017 at 15:41
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    "100 bath per shirt" is a total ripoff in Thailand.
    – George Y.
    Jan 4, 2017 at 22:07
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    @Reed - In the comments he indicated that perhaps he already has a leather jacket, hence my mention of using it. A light sweater is a common item in many people's closest, so perhaps he may have one (i never said buy one). A stocking cap is dirt cheap, far cheaper than buying a jacket, but even a baseball cap adds warmth by insulating the head a bit. And if you are paying 100 baht (not bath) per t-shirt to have laundry done in Thailand, then you need to leave your hotel and look around, as laundry runs 30 to 40 baht per kilo (washed, dried and ironed).
    – user13044
    Jan 5, 2017 at 1:38
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    @Reed - If you been here 10 times and haven't found a laundry lady near your favorite hotels, then you really need to get out and explore the neighborhood. Ladies offering laundry services are as common as 7-11s, especially in areas with tourists & hotels (even near the fancy hotels).
    – user13044
    Jan 6, 2017 at 1:32
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    @Reed I'll have to agree with the other people here. Don't get ripped off by using the laundry service in your hotel (the price sounds about right even for 4-5* ones in my experience). If you're in Bangkok you should have no problem finding a laundry shop in walking distance of your hotel and you'll pay anywhere from 40 to 80 baht per kg. Hell I bring my laundry to one of those places a day before leaving because it's so cheap and much nicer than doing it myself at home (I'm lazy admittedly).
    – Voo
    Jan 7, 2017 at 12:36
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I am not aware of any "rental service" for simple warm clothes and it's difficult to see how that would work since buying them outright isn't very expensive. If you are not keen on spending time to track down a second-hand clothing shop, here a couple of other ideas:

  • Get a fleece jacket and wear it together with a long-sleeve t-shirt or two (as suggested by Tom). If you are also taking a sweater, jacket or rain coat of any kind, wear that too, layers add warmth and work much better together even if they are not extremely warm on their own. A t-shirt, fleece and light polyester rain jacket is already plenty.

    If you don't go for a name brand, a fleece jacket or sweater can be quite cheap, to the point of being competitive with any other solution even if you have to discard it after one day (which might not be necessary if you choose lighter ones you can bring back with you). As an example, Decathlon sells some starting at €5 or so, with warmer models costing between €15 and €35. If you really don't want to carry it with you, at this price point you can probably afford to donate it as suggested by Gayot.

  • Get a premium wool (merinos, cashmere) top or down jacket. Those are (much) more expensive and I probably wouldn't want to get rid of them immediately but many are designed to be both warm and very light for people who have to carry them in a backpack while trekking (down is compressible). For the same insulation, those are going to be even lighter than fleece or regular wool. If you choose something more expensive and absolutely do not want to take it with you to Thailand and back, you could also mail it back to your home address, as suggested in meisenmann's answer.

In both cases, it's not too difficult to be comfortable at temperatures around 0ºC without losing much space in your luggage or carrying heavy clothes. What you will miss compared to a thick parka or anorak is protection from the elements. If it rains or snows heavily or the wind is blowing, the solutions I mentioned might not be enough (although most down jackets and some fleece will offer some protection against moderate wind or rain). Public transportation can also become unreliable so if the weather is that bad, I would stay put in the airport.

Also: Keep moving briskly, cover your hands and head and pack warm socks. There is nothing worse than standing in the cold with your extremities unprotected. Warm socks or gloves don't take up too much space and will make things much easier.

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Make like you are in the army:

  • Pantyhose go under your pants for leg warmth. Cheap, lightweight, small and warm.
  • A long sleeve flannel shirt plus a sweater and an undershirt will keep you pretty warm. Very little space and warm.
  • Have something to cover your head and ears. I tend to use those bands that go around your head that just cover your ears. Even better would be a balaclava which can be used to completely cover your head, your face, or just your ears. If you get too hot it will fit in a pocket.
  • Consider a small pair of gloves for your hands.
  • For rain, bring a small poncho. This could also help for wind.

The balaclava, poncho, and pantyhose are lightweight and take up very little space. The latter two are so cheap they could be discarded after use (dollar store items). You will have a t-shirt anyway.

The big questions are the long sleeve shirt and sweater. You will probably be wearing at least one of those anyway (airplanes tend to be on the cold side), and you live with the inconvenience of carrying the other so you are free to walk around the city of Frankfort without having to shop for warm clothing?

Also instead of the sweater you could use one of those long sleeve rash guards that are used to protect one from the sun for layering. Its advisable to bring at least one when visiting sunny climates anyway.

As others have said you could discard or donate them after your walk about.

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If you return via frankfurt too, bringing warm clothes with you could be an option.

Also in thailand, there are aircon restaurants and areas where warm clothes can come inhandy, also you need some rain clothes it is SEA after all even when it is not the mousoon it can rain. Also you can need something, like a fleece or "polar" jacket, in bus or train rides to sit on or use as a pillow.

try to find something light that can be at the botom of your bag when not needed. i would recomand a fleece jacket plus a lightweitgh rain cover like a K-way. in germany use both, the fleece will keep you warm and the rain cover will insulate you and stop the wind and potential rain.

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    i just though of a funny proposition, free and temporary warmth....cover yourself with an isulating layer, something like bear fat, whale blubber. walk around germany in your underwear mocking the freezing citizens, back at the airport, rince as much as you can in the toilets, and get on the plane.(+) fat jar is all you need to carry, and discard when empty, not extra expensse, just hunting the bear, seal, whale, or some fat Brazilena, if you return the same way, find something like crocodile fat, or elephant fat, for the way back. (-) you may not be allowed to board the plane.
    – Reed -SE is a Fish on Dry Land
    Jan 5, 2017 at 16:34
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Don't be under illusion that 2°C to -3°C is mild winter, especially for a Brazilian. Frankfurt can get really windy and it rains all the time.

If you want to do it really cheap, take a S-bahn from Airport to Hauptwache (City center). For cheapest jackets/ jumpers (5-15 €) you can go to Primark. Its 2 minutes walk from Hauptwache train station.

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    @pnuts I work at the Airport and I am not aware of such shops. I wont waste my time looking for that either. You can directly take S-bahn from airport without even stepping outside. Only time you will be exposed to the elements is during a 2 min walk from train station to supermarket.
    – Knu8
    Jan 5, 2017 at 14:17
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If you don't mind walking around with a label dangling off you you can just go to a shop and buy a nice, warm jacket. Make sure not to get it dirty and keep the receipt then return it at the end of the day.

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  • European stores are not as easyly acceptiong of returns as US stores, even more so at airports where they are undoubtly used to thi s"trick"
    – Reed -SE is a Fish on Dry Land
    Jan 4, 2017 at 15:43
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    @Reed from my perspective in the UK nearly all high street chains will give you 28 days to return the item, I'd expect it to be similar in Germany. I would agree about airports though, it would be worth travelling into the centre of the city first before finding a suitable shop.
    – benh
    Jan 4, 2017 at 15:48
  • ok my bad, but when i lived in the US, there was this "culture" of buying, wearing and returning, and the store staff was used to it. In Europe my experience/impression was that it is not as automatic or easy, can be declined and you can need to justify why and get rather pointed looks from the clercs. though the only thin g i ever returned in the UK was a book that was mis-advertized , that was easy
    – Reed -SE is a Fish on Dry Land
    Jan 4, 2017 at 15:57
  • Normally store staff don't care too much, I for instance have bought bow ties for occasional black tie events them returned them a week or so later, it is worth just making them look like they haven't been worn too much as well.
    – benh
    Jan 4, 2017 at 16:10
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    Maybe some store staff does not mind, but I am pretty sure it is not allowed. I returned a jumper where there was a whole seam that had not been stitched right, after an hour of wearing, and was told off by the store staff, for returning worn items.
    – Willeke ♦
    Jan 4, 2017 at 17:45
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You could bring your warm clothes with you and send them back via mail/package to your home/friends/family when you're leaving. That'd be the cheapes thing you can do depending where you live.

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  • Moreover, sending a package back to Brazil will cost much more than buying a new jacket in C&A, H&M or Primark.
    – Knu8
    Jan 5, 2017 at 13:55

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