Munich Transportation

From: Munich Travel Guide

Hauptbahnhof

ABOVE: A conventional train and a high-speed ICE train in the Hauptbahnhof.

Arriving in Munich

Munich Airport Munich International Airport (MUC) is Germany's second-largest airport in terms of traffic, with more than 100 airlines carrying an estimated 34 million passengers between Munich and 244 cities on four continents. It's less hectic than Frankfurt (Germany's other major international gateway), and the Munich Airport Center shopping mall has a full range of services, including a ticket office of the German Federal Railways.

S-Bahn train From the airport, S-Bahn lines 1 and 8 (see below) run to the city center, with stops that will put you within easy walking distance of most hotels.

Another option is the Lufthansa Airport Bus, which runs very 20 minutes and stops at the Nordfriedhof on its way to the Hauptbahnhof (Munich's main railway station). Allow 40 minutes for the train journey or 45 minutes for the bus.

Deutsche Bahn, a.k.a. German Federal Railways, has two major stations in Munich: the Hauptbahnhof on the western edge of the city center, and the smaller Ostbahnhof to the east of downtown. The two stations are connected by S-Bahn, which runs directly through the city center with stops near the major tourist attractions, department stores, and hotels.

If you're arriving by car, you'll find directions to the city center (and to the Oktoberfest grounds) on the Munich Tourist Office's "Getting Here" page.

Local transportation

Marienplatz U-Bahn and S-Bahn station Munich and its suburbs have two rapid-transit systems: the S-Bahn, which runs to the airport and suburbs, and the U-Bahn, which is comparable to the London Underground or the Paris Métro. You can use the same tickets on both systems within the central fare zone; if you go outside the center (for example, to Dachau), you'll need to pay a higher fare.

Tram sign Munich also has trams and buses. For the most part, though, you should be able to get around on foot, with an occasional S-Bahn or U-Bahn trip to outlying attractions like the Allianz Arena, the BMW Museum, or the Olympic Park.

For English-language information on the city's transit system, visit the MVV Web site, which has timetables, maps, and ticket prices. You might want to consider a City Tour Card, which allows unlimited transit use for one or three days, on days when you expect to use public transportation for more than one or two trips.

Also see our article, How to Ride the U-Bahn and S-Bahn in Munich.

Next page: Munich tourist information

Munich travel guide:
Introduction	Restaurants
History, Munich today	Beer in Munich
Sightseeing	Shopping
Museums	Transportation
Music, festivals, entertainment	Tourist information
Hotels, hostels	More Munich links

Munich planning tools:
Munich map	Munich weather forecast
How to ride the U-Bahn and S-Bahn in Munich

Munich hotel and vacation rentals directory:
Introduction	Airport hotels	5-star hotels
4-star hotels	3-star hotels	2-star, budget
Hostels, camping	Apts, rentals

Search for more information on our site:

Custom Search

Munich home page