P_M

We will be driving to Munich to Fussen. I realize the airport is north of the city so the train station would be a shorter distance but how bad is the traffic in Munich? I don't mind driving a longer distance if it would be less frustrating. I will be using google maps for directions but I really hate heavy traffic in unfamiliar territory.

Thanks.

P_M

In case it matters, we will be picking up the car on a Wednesday morning, probably around 9am.

Macross

Personally I would pick up at the airport unless you want to see Munich.

1 h 48 min (158 km)
via A96 and B17
1 h 41 min without traffic
Munich International Airport
Nordallee 25, 85356 München, Germany

Take St2584 to A92 in Freising
4 min (5.7 km)

Follow A92, A99 and A96 to B17 in Landsberg am Lech. Take exit 24-Landsberg a.Lech-West from A96
49 min (85.3 km)

Follow B17 to B16 in Füssen
56 min (66.6 km)
Füssen

P_M

Thanks Macross, especially for the directions. I forgot to mention that we will be staying in Munich a few days before we drive to Fussen, that's the only reason I was considering the train station. If the airport will be easier driving then that's the way I want to go.

Travelforbeer

Hi P_M- since the public transport is v3ery good in Munich, I would not pick up the car until ready to leave Munich. Save rental costs and car parking costs. And from my experience, you will have a much wider selection of cars available at the airport compared to the train station.

Have a great trip!!!

P_M

Hello travelforbeer. Your advice not to drive around Munich is excellent but I can see once again that my original post is terribly inadequate so I will start over.

We are flying into Munich on a Sunday morning. We will spend 3 days there, then pick up a car and drive to Fussen the following Wednesday around 9am. We will be staying near the east train station in Munich. In looking at rental car info I can see that we could pick up a car either at the airport or the central train station. While the central station is probably closer to our hotel and a little closer to Fussen, I'm concerned about driving in Munich traffic. So I'm asking how bad is the traffic in Munich if I have to drive from the central train station. Will it be easier if we get the car at the airport instead?

Thanks again for your replies and I apologize for not giving enough info in my original post. I have slapped myself on the wrist.

joannyc

Solo, female traveler here. I picked up my car a couple of streets behind the train station at Europcar (rented through Kemwel). Was upgraded to a Mercedes C330 at no charge from a compact or economy (had rented a VW Polo size car). Drove back to my hotel a few blocks on the other side of the train station to pick up my luggage. Then drove out of town with no issues.

Travelforbeer, I think the OP is planning on renting upon departure from Munich.

Travelforbeer

Hi again P_M,
I found it challenging to drive from Munich Ost (Marriott Courtyard) to the main train station when I returned a car several years ago. Roads were in a state of repair and street names change quasi-randomly. And the street in front of the Hertz facility is one-way. So I circled the Hbf several times before figuring it out. After that episode I decided to always use the airport for car rental pickup and return as I never stay in the central part of Munich.

Now if you are driving directly from the main train station to Fussen WITHOUT returning to your hotel near the Ost Station it is pretty easy to get out of downtown Munich heading west. Go west on the main street on the north side of the Hbf (Amulfstrasse) or the main street on the south side (Bayerstrasse which changes to LandsburgerStrasse) and after about 1 Km turn south on B2 which is Donnersbergerbruche. About 2 Km later you will run into A96 which goes west to Landsberg am Lech. There turn south off of A96 at the Landsberg am Lech West exit onto B17 which takes you to Fussen.

I would personally catch the Sbahn to the airport at the Ost Bhf and pick up the car at the airport. Then take the easy drive on the autobahn around the north side of Munich to A96 west. And if I had to return to the hotel after picking up the car, it would be much easier (for me) to drive from the airport to the hotel (compared with driving from the Hbf) then back to A99 and north around Munich.

At any rate, have a great trip!!!

Cowboy1968

Easiest would be to rent from Avis or Sixt (and possibly others) which have pick-up locations at Munich East Station.

joannyc

I also stayed at the Marriott Courtyard which is the hotel that I returned to in order to retrieve my luggage. I really don't understand why Travelforbeer would have a difficult time getting back there from the train station. I was able to easily drive there and park within a couple of spots of the hotel's front door to get my luggage.

In my mind, the time and effort to and possibly from the airport is just a waste of time and effort. But, if picking up the car at the airport, I certainly would not go back into Munich to retrieve my luggage. A complete waste of time.

Travelforbeer

Joann- your description fits the Courtyard close to the main train station on Schwanthaler Strasse. The Courtyard I referenced is 4 blocks from the Ost train station on Orleans Strasse. I was driving to the Hbf sans GPS and with a hotel map of Munich . Never again...

Cowboy 1968 has a good suggestion. I tried something similar to that several years ago and arrived at a Hertz location that pled "nix verstehen English" and tried to pawn a mini-Fiat off on me as a midsize. I wound up picking up a car at the airport the next morning before driving to Bad Cannstatt...

P_M

This has been most informative and I thank everyone. We will spend our last night at an airport hotel and return the car at the airport so the only question is where to pick up. It sounds like it's easier to drive out of Munich than to drive in. If we decide to go from the airport we will take our luggage and head out from there.

I'm still undecided but I now have a lot more information. You all are great.

Macross

We took the train to Garmisch and picked our car up there. Wonder if you could do the same in Fussen? You don't need it in Munich at all.

tom_mn

"Easiest would be to rent from Avis or Sixt (and possibly others) which have pick-up locations at Munich East Station."

Right or just outside it. Sixt has a location on Orleans a short walk from the Marriott.

Mimar

We rented our car at the Hauptbahnhof and found it easy to drive out of Munich. No need to go back to the airport. But we took our luggage with us in a taxi to pick up the car. So no need either to go back to the hotel.

Cowboy1968

Munich is not Metropolis.
It's a rather small big city with a semi-freeway orbital (Federal Hwy B2R - the "Inner Ring") which can be reached both from Munich Central or Munich East in 2-5 minutes drive time on regular city streets.
The Inner Ring Road may be crowded during rush hours, but it takes no fighter pilot skills to drive to A96 to Lindau for Neuschwanstein.

Nevertheless, it would be easiest to train to Füssen, pick up car there, and eventually drop off at MUC Airport. No one way fees (at least not with major rental companies).

IF you need/want to PICK-UP at MUC Airport, you definetely should take your luggage with you. It would be nuts to take the S-Bahn for 30kms in the wrong direction to the Airport. And then drive back into Munich via the notoriously jammed A9 motorway to the hotel.
If you consider the airport Pick-up, you may also want to take into consideration that many flights both from North America as well as from Asia arrive in the morning hours. So you can hit a "rush hour" at the rental car desk and have to wait longer to actually get to your car than you expect.

joannyc

Travelforbeer - you are correct. I was at the Courtyard City Center near the main train station. Sorry for confusion!

Kay2

I was at MUC yesterday and Cowboy's observation is correct. While there was no line at Europcar counter, the other side where Avis/Hertz etc. located had long line at 9:30 when I arrived at the airport and even longer line when I passed by at 10:30am. Not sure if it was one company that was backed up or all of them.

Mimar

If you need an automatic transmission car, it would be harder to find at Fussen. Remember they may promise you an automatic transmission but it may not be available when you come to pick it up. Not necessarily to cheat you but because of the vagaries of the car rental business model.

For an automatic, best bet is the Munich airport, next best bet the main train station.

P_M

Thanks Mimar, but I'm one of those weirdos who prefers a standard shift. I've only owned stick shift vehicles ever since I was 18, which was a very long time ago. My DH thinks I'm nuts for preferring a stick but I feel like I have more control over the car with a stick. Since I will be doing all of the driving, I will have the deciding vote on the type of car.

Kay2, thanks for the recent info, I will check Europcar.