Getting Here & Around

Getting Here & Around

By Air

Munich's International Airport is 28 km (17 mi) northeast of the city center and has excellent air service from all corners of the world.

An excellent train service links the airport with downtown. The S-1 and S-8 lines operate from a terminal directly beneath the airport's arrival and departure halls. Trains leave every 10 minutes, and the journey takes around 40 minutes. The easiest way is to buy a "Tageskarte" (day card) for EUR 10, which allows you to travel anywhere on the system for the rest of the day till 6 AM the next morning. The bus service is slower than the S-bahn link and more expensive (EUR 9 one-way, EUR 14.50 round-trip). A taxi from the airport costs around EUR 50. During rush hours (7 AM-10 AM and 4 PM-7 PM), allow up to an hour of driving time. If you're driving from the airport to the city yourself, take route A-9 and follow the signs for münchen stadtmitte (downtown). If you're driving from the city center, head north through Schwabing, join the A-9 autobahn at the Frankfurter Ring intersection, and follow the signs for the airport (flughafen).

By Bus

Touring Eurolines buses arrive at and depart from Arnulfstrasse, north of the main train station in the adjoining Starnberger Bahnhof. Check their excellent Web site for trips to Neuschwanstein and the Romantic Road.

By Car

From the north (Nürnberg or Frankfurt), leave the autobahn at the Schwabing exit. From Stuttgart and the west, the autobahn ends at Obermenzing, Munich's most westerly suburb. The autobahns from Salzburg and the east, Garmisch and the south, and Lindau and the southwest all join the Mittlerer Ring (city beltway). When leaving any autobahn, follow the signs reading stadtmitte for downtown Munich.

By Public Transit

Munich has an efficient and well-integrated public-transportation system, consisting of the U-bahn (subway), the S-bahn (suburban railway), the Strassenbahn (streetcars), and buses. Marienplatz forms the heart of the U-bahn and S-bahn network, which operates from around 5 AM to 1 AM. The main service counter under the Marienplatz sells tickets and gives out information, also in English.

A basic Einzelfahrkarte (one-way ticket) costs EUR 1.10 for a journey of up to four stops, EUR 2.20 for a longer ride in the inner zone. If you're taking a number of trips around the city, save money by buying a Mehrfahrtenkarte, or multiple 10-strip ticket for EUR 10.50. On a journey of up to four stops validate one ticket, for the inner zone, two. If you plan to do several trips during one day, buy a "Tageskarte" (day card) for EUR 10, which allows you to travel anywhere until 6 AM the next morning. For a family of up to five (two adults and three children under 15) the "Tageskarte" costs EUR 18. A three-day card costs EUR 12.30 for a single and EUR 21 for the partner version. All tickets must be validated at a time stamping machine at the station or on buses and trams. Spot checks for validated tickets are common, and you'll be fined EUR 40 if you're caught without a valid ticket. All tickets are sold at the blue dispensers at U- and S-bahn stations and at some bus and streetcar stops. Bus drivers have only single tickets (the most expensive kind).

Holders of a EurailPass, a Youth Pass, or an Inter-Rail card can travel free on all suburban railway trains (S-bahn). Be forwarned: if caught on anything but the S-bahn without a normal public transport ticket, you will be fined EUR 40, with no exceptions.

By Taxi

Munich's cream-color taxis are numerous. Hail them in the street or phone for one (there's an extra charge of EUR 1 if you call). Rates start at EUR 2.90. Expect to pay EUR 8-EUR 10 for a short trip within the city. There's a EUR 0.50 charge for each piece of luggage.

By Train

All long-distance rail services arrive at and depart from the Hauptbahnhof; trains to and from some destinations in Bavaria use the adjoining Starnberger Bahnhof, which is under the same roof. The high-speed InterCity Express (ICE) trains connect Munich, Augsburg, Frankfurt, and Hamburg on one line, Munich, Nürnberg, Würzburg, and Hamburg on another. Regensburg can be reached from Munich on Regio trains. You can purchase tickets by credit card at vending machines. For travel information at the main train station, go to the DB counter at the center of the main departures hall. With more complex questions, go to the EurAide office, which serves English-speaking train travelers.