Commerzbank Arena (aka Waldstadion) and a view of Frankfurt. (Neil Tingle/Icon SM, AP Photo/Michael Probst)

If you prefer modern to ancient, architectural cutting edge to the rustic, then Frankfurt has to be the place for you.

Not for nothing is this city known as the most American of all in Germany. With countless skyscrapers jostling for space in the Westend business district, it could easily be mistaken for Manhattan, Chicago or Los Angeles.

Berlin may be Germany's official capital but in terms of high finance it's Frankfurt that serves as the driving force of the country's economy, home to the nation's most important stock exchange, the German central bank (Bundesbank), a number of influential trade fairs and a host of immense corporate headquarters.

Inevitably, all this emphasis on high finance means that Frankfurt can be hard on the wallet. Indeed, in a recent worldwide cost-of-living survey it was ranked in 12th position, the highest of any German city, but that is not to say that all restaurants, bars and hotels only cater for the expense-account brigade.

Affordable hotels can be found around the main railway station on the western side of the city or close to the university in the Westend. The Hotel Pension Backer on Mendelssohnstrasse (Tel: 747992) offers basic but clean rooms around the corner from the U Bahn Westend station, as does the Glockshuber (Tel: 742628) near the railway station. Another option for the bargain accommodation seeker is the youth hostel, Haus der Jugend (Tel: 6100150) on Deutschherrnufer in the district of Sachsenhausen on the south bank of the River Main. Campingplatz Heddernheim is a well-equipped campsite in the northern suburb of Heddernheim.

Similarly, eating out need not put your finances into meltdown. Head for Leipzigerstrasse in the arty Bockenheim district to the west of town (take U Bahn line 6 or 7 to Leipzigerstrasse), where there are several good value Italian, Greek, Mexican and Thai eateries. The railway station area is worth scouring for Italian, Middle Eastern and Asian restaurants. The Indian Curry House on Weserstrasse is a particularly good for those who need a fix of Madras and pilau rice.

Check out the laid-back cobbled streets of the suburb of Sachsenhausen. Besides being packed with bars, takeaways and restaurants, it's also famous for its apple wine taverns. Brought to your table in blue-grey stone Bembel jugs, the wine should not be regarded as weak cider; the 'Rauscher' variety is especially potent.

To accompany the 'Ebbelwoi' (Frankfurt dialect for apple wine), the taverns offer a wide range of local food specialities, including 'Rippchen mit Kraut' (smoked pork chop with pickled cabbage), the quaintly-named 'Handkas mit Musik' (a round cheese served with vinaigrette and onions) and Frankfurt Green Sauce, a concoction made of parsley, chives and yoghurt/mayonnaise and served with boiled potatoes and ox meat. The best taverns are Wagner and Zum Gemalten Haus on Schweizer Strasse.

Should you want to splurge on a number of courses in the city centre, French restaurants such as Aubergine on Alte Gasse and Avocado (Hochstrasse) may fit the bill. The Kleinmarkthalle is an excellent, covered provisions market located on the swanky shopping street Ziel. Hot Italian, Turkish and Chinese food is available as well. Meanwhile, central department stores Hertie and Kaufhof have supermarkets in the basement.

Despite its reputation as a business-fixated locale, Frankfurt does, however, know how to let its hair down. Both Sachsenhausen and Bockenheim have a surfeit of lively bars where drinks will not break the bank, while the city centre is not without its vibrant watering holes, such as the futuristic, bustling Studio Bar on Katharinenpforte, Luna Bar (Stiftstrasse) and a pair of jumping sports bars: Champions Bar at the Marriott Hotel on Hamburger Allee and Yours Sportsbar on Berger Strasse. Frankfurt also teems with Irish bars and in the Westend is a good old English pub, the Fox and Hound on Niedenau. The city's foremost nightclub is King Kamehameha (Hanauer Landstrasse).

Tourist attractions include the Romerberg, the city's old central square; the nearby Cathedral (Dom); the Goethehaus, where the great German novelist and philosopher Johannn Wolfgang von Goethe was born (Grosse Hirschgraben); the restored Old Opera House (Opernplatz), the Museum of Modern Art (Domstrasse) and the city zoo in the north-east of town (take U Bahn line 6 to Zoo station). Another priority should be the Main Tower on Neue Mainzer Strasse, the HQ of the state bank complete with a viewing platform for sensational views of the city.

Frankfurt's World Cup stage, the 43,000 Commerzbank Arena (also known as Waldstadion), is equally pleasing on the eye -- a superb two-tier oval with retractable roof, which cost some £88 million and took three years to construct. The stadium is found to the south of the city and is easily reached by S Bahn in just six minutes. Take either the S7 in the direction of Riedstadt-Goddelau or the S8 or 9 (terminus Wiesbaden Hauptbahnhof), embarking at the Frankfurt Stadion stop.

Frankfurt Airport, the largest in Germany and one of Europe's busiest, is to the south-west of the city centre. S Bahn line 8 connects the airport and the main railway station in 15 minutes (a single ticket costs approximately £2.20). A taxi into town would set you back around £18. The main railway and bus stations are side by side in the west of the city.

Whether you use Frankfurt's U or S Bahn, tram or buses, the same ticket is valid. Short trip tickets cost £1.10 and a day ticket is £3.30. A good alternative might be to buy a 24 or 48 hour Frankfurt card which includes free public transport, and up to 50 per cent reduction at museums, galleries and the zoo. It costs £5.35 or £6.90.

Frankfurt: Plan Trip | Hotel | Flight