Getting around Munich via Public Transport and other Munich, Germany Transportation Tips

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Subway/Metro
Getting TO/AROUND: Munich has one of the best and easiest-to-use public transport systems in Europe. While you can buy single tickets and "stripe tickets" (see the MVV website), the best deal for most tourists is to purchase a day card. When you're ready to first use your card, validate it ("entwerten") in one of the machines in the stations before you board a U or S-Bahn (Machines are onboard buses and trams). Then you're done! Just keep the ticket on you, and you're free to ride the public transport system for the rest of the day (prices as of 1 July 2008):

Single Tageskarte Innenraum: Good for 1 person, covers downtown and most of the parts of Munich you're interested in (the "white zone" on transit maps).
EUR 5.

Partner Tageskarte Innenraum: Same as the single, only valid for 2-5 people.
EUR 9.

Single Tageskarte Munich XXL: Covers the "white" and "green" zones. Covers some areas outside of Munich, such as Dachau.
EUR 6.70.

Partner Tageskarte Munich XXL: Same as single... you get the idea.
EUR 11.80.

Single Tageskarte Aussenraum: Covers everything EXCEPT the inner (white) zone.
EUR 5.

Partner Tageskarte Aussenraum: EUR 9.

Single Tageskarte Gesamtnetz: Covers the entire MVV transport system, including the airport. EUR 10.

Partner Tageskarte Gesamtnetz: EUR 18.

3-Day Ticket Inner District: Valid for 3 days within the white zone. If you want to travel outside the white zone, you can either purchase a ticket that covers the journey outside of the white zone, OR purchase an Aussenraum day ticket (innenraum + aussenraum = entire network). A single 3-day ticket costs EUR 12.30, while a partner 3-day ticket costs EUR 21.

Day tickets can be purchased at one of the many ticket machines, or in person at a ticket office. 3-day tickets must be purchased at a ticket office.

One final note: your ticket isn't always checked. But it isn't worth the risk: checks are frequent, and it's a EUR 40 fine for a first offense.

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Phone: +49 (0)89 / 210 33 - 0
Website: http://www.mvv-muenchen.de/en/home/
Other Contact: info(at)mvv-muenchen(dot)de

'Mode': TO
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: Munich's Franz Josef Strauss Airport (Airport Code: MUC) is located about 35 km (20 miles) to the north of Munich. In addition to being a hub airport for Lufthansa, the airport is used by many international carriers and budget airlines. Air Canada flies directly to Munich, as do the US carriers United, Delta, and US Airways.

If you're staying in Munich and want to rent a car, keep in mind traffic is quite bad. Even if you're planning a car tour of Europe starting with one or more overnights in Munich, you might want to wait to rent the car until your Munich stay is over. Similarly, if you plan to spend your final evening in Munich before flying home, consider turning in the rental car on arrival in Munich and using public transport to get to the airport.

The Lufthansa Airport Bus is a possibility, costing EUR 10 1-way and EUR 16 round-trip. The buses depart about every 20 minutes, and take 50 minutes to get to the Hauptbahnhof.

My recommendation to get downtown, however, is to take the S-Bahn. The S-1 and S-8 depart alternately about every 10 minutes. Travel time downtown is 40-50 minutes, depending on where you're going.

Costs: Railpasses (e.g. Eurail, Selectpass, German Rail Pass) are valid on the S-Bahn only (i.e. not the U-Bahn, trams, or buses), but require use of a travel day on a flexi pass -- a bad value unless you're taking a train well outside of Munich the day you arrive. A 1-way ticket costs EUR 9.20 with cash (a bit less with "non-cash" options -- see the website for details), but for just a bit more (EUR 10), you can buy a "Single Tageskarte Gesamtnetz," which covers the trip plus all of Munich's S-Bahns, U-Bahns, trams, and buses for the rest of the day. An even better deal for 2-5 travelers is the "Partner Tageskarte Gesamtnetz," which costs EUR 18, less than two 1-way tickets alone, and covers the transit system for the whole day for up to 5 people traveling together. You can purchase tickets at the DB ticket booths or at the easy-to-use ticket machines (the ones at the airport even take credit cards!). Remember to validate your ticket in the machines marked "E" before you board.

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Phone: +49-(0)89-975-00
Website: http://www.mvv-muenchen.de/en/index.html
Other Contact: http://www.munich-airport.de/EN/

'Mode': TO
Category: Train
Getting TO/AROUND: Munich's Hauptbahnhof, or main train station, is quite an amazing transportation hub. You can think of it as 4 stations in one: The main tracks for the longer trains (tracks 11-26); two "mini-stations" on either side servicing local trains, private trains (e.g., BOB and ALEX), and some S-Bahns (tracks 5-10 and tracks 27-36); and the underground station ("Hauptbahnhof Tief," Tracks 1-2) for the S-Bahn (S-1 through S-8). You can also get to the Hauptbahnhof by U-Bahn (U-1, U-2, U-4, and U-5), the Lufthansa Airport Bus, and several trams.

From here, you can get trains to just about anywhere in Europe. Among the destinations reachable via night train: Amsterdam, Berlin, Budapest, Copenhagen, Florence, Hamburg, Milan, Naples, Paris, Rome, Venice, and Zagreb.

The train station itself has an impressive number of services, to include food stands, a grocery store, a Starbucks, not one but two Burger Kings, luggage lockers, a EURAIDE office, and a full-service travel center ("Reisezentrum" -- go here to validate your railpass).

The best bet for most local travelers is to use one of the many ticket machines. You can get tickets to most local destinations at one of these, which will save you time waiting in line at a ticket counter. Many machines take major credit cards. Arriving travelers can also buy MVV (local transportation) tickets and day-tickets here, but if a machine is too intimidating, never fear: turn left (with your back to the tracks) and proceed down the escalator. Here, you will find several ticket counters where you can buy any MVV ticket you might need (to include 3-day tickets).

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Phone: +49 (0) 89-130810555
Website: http://www.mein-bahnhof.de/muenchen-hauptbahnhof.html (German)

'Mode': TO
Category: Train
Getting TO/AROUND: The Bayerische Oberlandbahn, or BOB, is a private train service run by Veolia Transport. Departing approximately hourly, BOB trains originate at the Munich Hauptbahnhof and continue to the Tegernsee, Lenggries, and Bayerischzell. (NOTE: outbound trains will split into three parts, one going to each destination. Be sure to get the car going where you want to go!)

If you get on at the Munich Hauptbahnhof, you must go to tracks 27-36 on the Arnulfstrasse side of the station, about 200 meters down Platform 26. This is probably not the most convenient entry point unless you're right at the Hauptbahnhof. Note that the BOB trains also stop at Donnersbergerbrücke (connections to all S-Bahns except S-20), Harras (connections to S-7, S-27, and U-6), Siemenswerke (weekdays) or Solln (weekends) (connections to S-7, S-20, and S-27), and Holzkirchen (connections to S-5).

If you have a MVV day card for the entire network (gesamtnetz), it is valid on the segment from Munich to Holzkirchen, meaning you only need a ticket beyond there (i.e., Holzkirchen to your destination). You can purchase tickets at a BOB ticket counter, or at "BOB" ticket machines at the stations. Note machines are touch-screen and in German only. If you purchase a ticket from a machine, be sure to stamp the ticket in one of the machines marked "E" before you board. Note you must stamp a round-trip ticket a second time before boarding your returning train.

Passes and Special Tickets: Both the Schönes Wochenende Ticket and Bayern-Ticket are valid for the entire route. You can also purchase a special "BOB/MVV Ticket" valid on both BOB and the entire MVV network for up to 5 people from 9AM until closing (EUR 19, or EUR 13 for a "single" ticket). BOB also offers a "Weekend Ticket," valid on the entire BOB train network for up to 5 people (EUR 22).

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Phone: +49 (0)8024 997171
Website: http://www.bayerische-oberlandbahn.de

'Mode': TO
Category: Train
Getting TO/AROUND: On the west side of Munich is the railway station known as Pasing. Most (but not all) trains arriving from Augsburg, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Weilheim, Kochel, and Buchloe stop here. You can get to Pasing using the S-Bahn lines S-4, S-5, S-6, S-8, or S-20, as well as Tram #19 and various buses. If you plan to stay in the western part of Munich, or one of the western suburbs serviced by the S-Bahn, you can save time by connecting at Pasing instead of the Hauptbahnhof. Conversely, it can make sense to pick up your outbound train at Pasing. Be sure to re-confirm your desired train does indeed stop at Pasing.

The station itself, while not as vast as the Hauptbahnhof, has a number of services, including food stands, a small grocery store, and an information counter. There are also a few vending machines on the train platforms for those in a hurry.

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Website: http://www.bahn.de

'Mode': TO
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: If you need to, you can store luggage at the airport. Cost is between EUR 1.50 and EUR 5 (depending on size) for the first 3 hours, between EUR 3 and EUR 8 per piece for up to 24 hours, then between EUR 2 and EUR 6.50 for each 24-hour period thereafter.

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Website: http://www.munich-airport.de/en/consumer/aufenthalt_trans/servicecenter/gepaeck/index.jsp

'Mode': TO
Category: Train
Getting TO/AROUND: Munich's east train station, or Ostbahnhof, is a stopping point for many regional and inter-city trains headed south and east. Most (but not all) trains headed towards Salzburg, Vienna, and Innsbruck stop here. Connections are also possible with some EuroCity trains headed for Italy and the Balkans. In addition, CityNightLine overnight trains towards Berlin and Hamburg originate at the Ostbahnhof, as do various "auto trains." The train station is reachable by several buses, all S-Bahns except S-20 and S-27, and the U-5.

For those who are arriving at Munich Airport and heading south or east of Munich, the Ostbahnhof can be a handy connecting point. Take the S-8 from the airport to Ostbahnhof and change to your connecting train. If you're going directly to Salzburg, for example, you can save a lot of money by using a Bayern Ticket, which will get up to 5 people all the way to Salzburg for EUR 27 (not valid on IR, IC, EC, or ICE trains; not valid before 9AM weekdays).

While the station itself is not as vast as the Hauptbahnhof, you will still find food stands, shops, kiosks, coin-operated luggage lockers, and toilets.

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Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/München_Ost_station