on a tuesday in september we will be landing in munich at 4pm. by the time we get luggage and rental car probably 5pm. on "google maps" it looks like we go through munich. is this correct? are we looking at big city rush-hour delays? is there any way to circumvent the city?

Pretty easy:

A92 from airport to A99 (direction Stuttgart)
A99 western orbital to A96 (direction Lindau)
A96 direction München to exit 38 München-Laim (Garmisch is already signposted from that exit on)
Follow Fürstenrieder Str. (4 lane thoroughfare) to A95 to Garmisch.

That will take you around the notoriously jammed middle ring road B2R (a wannabee freeway).

Hi,

You don't go "through" Munich, but around it. You never enter/drive in Munich itself. It also takes about 20 to 30 minutes just to reach the "ring road/highway" around Munich from the airport, as the airport is about 20 miles north/east of Munich. Best course of action is to be patient if you "hit" traffic backups and know that you will get to Mittenwald. By the way, Mittenwald and the area is absolutely gorgeous!

Paul

Not true.

Almost any GPS or routing software will take you via the middle ring road B2R around the city center but still thru Munich. This ring road needs to be avoided during rush hour!

The motorway orbital A99 is the only freeway that actually goes around Munich, but lacks the connection with the A95 motorway to Garmisch.

Maybe I don't remember the exact roads, but we've driven from Mittenwald to the airport area (Erding and Hallbergmoos) and never driven "through" Munich itself.

thank you, all! living in some big cities here in the states i know that the main freeways get clogged big-time during rush hour. therefore, i think that cowboy is giving some great advise here...... jack

I'm driving Mittlerer Ring every weekday. It's NEVER a problem in the evening rush hour form Olympic Center westbound and through the Laim tunnel/ Fürstenrieder to the Garmisch autobahn.
The problem is Luise Kisselbach, and eastbound from Olympic Center s well as sometimes north on Dachauer, don't go there-
At the end of A96 in Laim turnig right can take some time..

There will! be a traffic jam at the end of the autobahn toward Garmisch, that may take longer than expected. If you don't mind driving a winding road, leave the autobahn at Kochel and drive the Kesselberg road. There won'T be any jams there.

Hi bodhijack --

You can always take the train!! No problems with rush hour or traffic jams! Just take the S-bahn from the airport to the train station, and connect with a train there.

s

logos must be the only living soul in Munich not stuck in the traffic jam on the middle ring road during the evening rush. Or your "evening" is at 3pm LOL.
Pure and utter nonsense. I live close to that "wannabee freeway", and it's jammed almost all day due to the incapacity of the Munich city planners to build a decent freeway within 30 years.
Once you get close to where the Garmisch autobahn starts, it's stop and go for 2 kms.
Everybody whose brain hasn't turned into Leberkäs dough avoids the middle ring road. OTOH, Bavarians are usually a bit slow, so driving at 5mph may feel fast to them

There is NO traffic jam in the afternoon west of the OEZ area. exactly as I write. You've never been there if you havn't noticed that. You can go 60-70kmh there. Rarely (one every 2 weks) you have to wait a few min before the Laim tunnel.
If you go south via Donnersbergerbrücke or east to the Nürnberg autobahn that's your problem. You need to learn something about driving in Munich, when and where and you won't have tjose problems anymore. OTOH, seeing those prussians standing there and waiting can be fun too.

OPS, looks like the "secret" is out. Anyway next time try Nymphenburg (Schloss) /Laim / Fürstenrieder instead of Luise Kiesselbach or Donnersberger. It works in the morning as well.

LOL, my bad. Did not read correctly that you sneak thru the Laim tunnel.
Unfortunately, that route is not signposted for Garmisch, but Prussians and American tourists are sent straight into the Western middle ring road / Donnersbergerbrücke parking lot. Pesty Bavarians, as usual ;-)

Who says we'd have to make it easy for you and put signs there. ;-)

I always thought Bavarians were helpful fun-loving people, whether they can build a decent freeway or not. You guys are spoiling my image.