caitroselin

We are staying at Pension Westfalia, south of the Hauptbahnhof, the night before our 7 am flight out of Munich.

We'll be catching a very early train out to the airport. I'm tempted to just walk, as it's pretty close, but how safe is that? I'm 25 and my boyfriend is 27. We will be together and carrying small carry-on bags, but no major luggage.

I can feel my mother's disapproval as I'm writing this, so I guess I'll also ask: how much of a hassle would it be to get a cab at 4 am?

scatcat

I have never been out that late (or early) in Munich, so I don't know about people being on the streets. But I would think you two would be safe walking. I have an idea of the location of your hotel. I believe the laundry that I use is on Paul Hayse Strasse which is right at your location. I've walked that street many times at night with laundry and no problems at all.

logos999

Getting a cab is no problem at all, get one. There are to many crazy people around.

artstuff

We stayed at the Pension Westfalia on our trip to Germany in October and very much enjoyed our accomodations.

We paid €10,00 for a taxi to (& from) the Hauptbahnhof, which included the fare and the tip.

Peter is the proprietor of the Pension Westfalia, and he'll take very good care of you. Just ask him to call the taxi service and arrange to have a car pick you up at your desired time.

I'm not your mother, but I'll pass on my disapproval, in her absense, of you walking at that time in the morning. Please spend the €10,00.

By the way, the ride from the Hauptbahnhof to the Munich Flughafen is about 40-45 minutes. Be sure to factor in your travel time to the airport.

Robyn >-

Cowboy1968

The walk from Mozartstrasse where your Pension is to the station will be utterly uneventful at 4am.
It's 2 blocks of residential neighborhood from your pension, 2 blocks along the downtown university hospital campus, and 2 blocks of what Munich thinks of as a red light district but where also many hotels are located.
Mother would be disappointed for making a big fuss.

The only reason why I would also opt for a cab would be that the distance is a bit beyond my favorite walking distance when I also have to haul luggage, it is a boring walk, and the taxi fare is low.

logos999

Quite obviously you've never been mugged in Munich. Does change a few things.

ira

Hi C,

What time will your airline office open at MUC.

There might be no need to arrive before 06:00.

walkinaround

>>>>>>
Does change a few things.
>>>>>>

no more smug lectures to the 'ignorant' americans on how much safer munich is??? say it isn't so.

Cowboy1968

logos, I've lived 10 years in Berlin, so I judge things from a different perspective.
Since in any town someone got mugged at some time somewhere, this would mean that no one could walk on the streets anywhere in the early morning.

DAX

If I have a 7am flight, I would stay at one of the airport hotel. Kempinksi hotel at the airport often charges only 99 euro per night. If you're not flying to the states, you can even check in the night before (with some airlines like Lufthansa).

logos999

No, Munich isn't that much safer than NYC. Never said that anyway. Giuliani did a good job! Statistically Munich is safer than Berlin, that's all. I've been around for to long, for not knowing where to go and what to do at what time in downtown and suburban Munich. Anyway, it is getting worse! I'm sure, you Berliners have noticed that too.

dfr4848

Follow up on ira's point. 2 yrs ago we had an early flight and got to MUC at 5:30 am and had to wait until the counters opened at 6. Flight was on LH.

Cowboy1968

This is getting absurd. If you keep calling a city with 1.2 million inhabitants "not safe" until there is not one single case of homocide, robbery, or assault then Munich will be indeed be a very unsafe place forever where everyone should be home by 10 and not leave the house before 7.

By the way, last fatal shooting in my neighborhood was 2 weeks ago, when a guy shot dead a women he wanted as his wife and seriously injuring her daughter -- at 8 am in the morning, in the street, while mom and daughter were on their way to school.

logos999

I'm home right now. Not calling the city anything. You've got to take risks, but you don't need to to be "stupid" asking for it. Seen a colleage been handicapped for life. Seen to many idiots around already in the last 40+ years. 10€ are a good investment. Keep you eyes open!

Cowboy1968

Just take a look at the statistics:

New York City (after all the impressive improvements re. fighting crime) had a homicide rate of 7.3 in 2006.
Same year, Munich's rate was 1.1 (crime rate per 100K inhabitant), with 13 cases of homicides for the whole year - in a city of 1.2 million.
I think no one in the US will mistake it as giving NYC a bad rap when you say that Munich IS much safer, even much safer than NYC.

Besides, I also recommended to take the taxi. I just would not like to leave the impression for visitors from abroad that they have to endure a fearful walk through some hellhole if they have to walk back to their hotel late at night.

logos999

Right, except for Hasenbergl and maybe to a lesser extent Neuperlach there really aren't any "hellholes".

caitroselin

Thanks for all the responses, especially on the question of when the airline counter opens. I'll check into that.

I will say that I've been to Europe several times and never feared for my personal safety. But after a trip to Costa Rica where a thief walked off my tour group's chartered bus with my backpack (walking past myself, the driver, tour guide, faculty and 30 other students on board), I think I'm very aware of my surroundings when I travel now.

I will cab it, as it seems Peter is an accomodating host, and it won't be a hassle or expensive.