bharrison

Hello,

I'm planning a trip to Munich in May and right now I'm attempting to plan how I want to do the city. The first thing I need to figure out though, is how to get around the city. I've found that they have the Schnellbatnnetz train system, but I'm having trouble finding information about it specifically. If anyone could answer a few questions, I would be much appreciated.

For reference, this is the map I found which I presume is a recent, up-to-date one:

http://www.wmi.badw.de/contact/files/MVV-Netz.pdf

1) I notice that they have an S Bahn and a U Bahn, but I cannot determine the difference between the two, if any.

2) How does one go about purchasing tickets for this system? Can you get them at the stations themselves? Can you pre-load a card? Do they have turnstiles that you use your tickets at to get into the station or does a conductor check them on the train?

3) How much in general would it take to a single ride? Do you pay per ride or by distance traveled?

4) If I missed it, is there a better way to get around the city?

I would be grateful for any help explaining this system.

Thanks

mokka4

see if this site doesn't help until others chime in...

http://www.muenchen.de/int/en/traffi...transport.html

clausar

This is the website of the MVV, the association of public transport authorities of Munich

http://www.mvv-muenchen.de/en/homepage/index.html

There you will find maps and also information on tickets and prices.

PalenQ

1) I notice that they have an S Bahn and a U Bahn, but I cannot determine the difference between the two, if any.>

for you absolutely no difference unless you have a railpass valid in Germany then it would be valid on the S-Bahn, run by the German Railways or at least honoring their tickets or passes.

U-Bahns in my understanding are run by the regional local authority.

At places in the city center both S- and U-Bahns run over the same tracks using the same stations.

U-Bahn would be an underground in city centres - S-Bahns are often at ground level but in city centres also on same underground tracks.

Most cities have day passes or longer that may be useful if you are traveling a lot - unlikely for the average tourist - the tourist centrum of Munich is rather compact.

There are also Trams and buses that go everywhere.

flpab

U is underground and S is surface. We did bayern pass if we were going out of the city but for in the city we just would buy tickets from the machine.

flpab

This is a great example. By the way, see this if you like cars, great tour: TAKING THE BUS, TRAIN OR SHUTTLE TO BMW WELT.
HOW TO GET TO BMW WELT AND THE BMW MUSEUM BY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.

If you arrive in Munich by plane, from the airport, take the S-Bahn (urban train). At Marienplatz take the U3 (underground) to Olympiazentrum.

Coming from the main train station, likewise take the S-Bahn (urban train) and change at Marienplatz to the U3 (underground), direction Olympia-Einkaufszentrum, to Olympia-Zentrum. From there it is only a few more steps to the BMW Welt.

After your visit to the BMW Welt use public transport to do some sightseeing in and around Munich. The MVV network will take you to all the best sightseeing spots in the city.

Aramis

Technically S-Bahn stand for "Stadtschnellbahn" or "city rapid railway" and does not mean "surface", which is not a German word.

U-Bahn stands for "Untergrundbahn" or "underground railway".

Native German speakers please correct the literal translation as required

U-bahn lines can travel on the surface and S-bahn lines can travel underground but it might be easiest to think of the U-bah as the subway/metro/underground (most of which do run on the surface to some degree in whatever city they may be, and the S-Bahn is like a commuter rail system that is highly integrated with the underground system so that many of the lines run underground just like the U-Bah lines for long distances.

As Pal says, for the purposes of knowing which one to take and if there is a practical difference a tourist needs to manage, it is not an issue. Pick the line running wherever it is you want to go, whether it be U-Bahn or S-Bahn

asps

S-Bahn is a suburban system, linking very distant outskirts (as far as Freising or Wolfrathausen) and run by the national railway operator. Its lines are designed so that almost all of them run in a tunnel section under the city center linking the main railway station (Hauptbahnhof) to the East railway station (Ostbahhof). Actually most of the S-lines run along a (longer) common line from Pasing to Ostbahnhof - on this section there is a train every couple of minutes or so - and then they expand, fan-like, at the two extremities of the common section; and on the suburban sections there is a train every 20 or 30 minutes. The U-bahn is a standard underground system, that may occasionally run on surface in periferic areas and almost completely within the city borders.

asps

I would add that standing at Ostbahnhof looking at trains leaving and coming to/from different destinations, some of them reversing direction there, and perfectly timed to enter/exit the tunnel at very close times, is a good example of the German way of organizing things

flpab

bharrison, please ignore my post, I was just trying to make it simple to understand so that you can actually get around. I do love the BMW welt tour and is worth an email to them to secure a time and date.