Hello,

As Miss Treegarden and I loved our trip to Frankfurt Book Fair last year, I have to go there again this year. I’m taking a lovely friend and, as a special guest, Nana from Nana – What Else?. We’ll be there Friday late afternoon ’til Sunday noon.

In two weeks, Frankfurt Book Fair will open its doors and there are still way too many points on my to-do list. I still don’t have a new digital voice recorder for my interview(s). I cannot say if it’s interview or interviews because I still don’t know if it’s going to be more than one :D. But I’m really looking forward to this one! And I finally know what to wear. That’s another huge plus. I’m also not sure if my friend will get a ticket for the fair on Friday but I’m working on it. I really hope she’ll get one so we can attend the Virenschleuder Preisverleihung on the fairgrounds together. All this sounds chaotic but at least I know what I’m dealing with this year. This time last year I had no clue what Frankfurt Book Fair would be like and so I thought I’d share some hopefully helpful tips with you.

The Beginner’s Guide to Frankfurt Book Fair

What to wear

• Comfortable shoes: comfy shoes are probably the most important thing on the list. Don’t wear your favorite shoes if you can’t walk miles and miles in them. The fairgrounds are huge. They are actually twice the size of the old town I live in and that doesn’t count the multiple levels of the halls.
• Layered look: I can’t predict the weather but I can tell you that fall will have arrived in Germany. 😉 It might be rainy and cold outdoors, but the halls will be heated and full of people, so no matter if you’ll go with a business look, or a more down-to-Earth casual-visitor look, you should think about dressing in layers. Jackets, blazers, bolero jackets, cardigans, etc. will do the trick.

Things you might need

• A small bottle of water: food and drinks are awfully expensive on the fairgrounds, so I prefer to bring something.
• Granola bars: they are small & fill you up until lunch or dinnertime.
• A small notebook & a pen: to note down great books and contact details of people you meet.
• Business cards: if you have some, bring them 🙂 .
• A camera or a camera phone: you’ll see awesome stuff!
• Lip balm: beware of dry air 😉 .
• A comfy shoulder bag or a rucksack: Last year, I took a tiny shoulder bag for the things I needed close at hand and a rucksack for the water, granola bars and everything I picked up along the way on my day at the fair. A good decision.

You can save money by eating at the mall right next to the fairgrounds. Just exit through the East Entrance in Hall 3 or the City Entrance in Hall 1. The mall is a one-minute walk from Hall 3.

Bloggers, journalists, everyone else who wants one: You don’t have to bring one of those plastic badge holders because you can pick one up for free at every entrance.

So I hope this was helpful or informative for some of you! I hope you’ll have a great time experiencing Frankfurt Book Fair. If you want to meet, my calendar still has open spots. Just drop me a line 🙂

If you have any tips, please share them with us in the comment section! Thank you 🙂

¹ http://buchmesse.de/en/