PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

By train, metro, and tram

The best way to travel around Munich - without using your own feet - is the public transportation system consisting of suburban trains (S-Bahn), underground trains (U-Bahn), streetcars (Tram), and buses. There is only one ticket system, called MVV, which means you can use all modes of transportation with the same ticket. You can get individual, group, daily, weekly and monthly tickets. The underground stations, i.e. U-Bahn, are marked with a white capital "U" on blue quadratic ground. The suburban train stations, i.e. S-Bahn, are marked with a white "S" on green circular ground. All S-Bahn lines traverse the city in a single tunnel (Stammstrecke) between stations Donnersbergerbrücke and Ostbahnhof.

The Munich MVV website includes maps of the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, Tram and bus network, maps of the park & ride car parks, pricing information as well as timetables and a journey planner. The official MVV network map is available at most stations and absolutely indispensable.

Single trips in a single zone such as the city center cost €2.60, but the four-zone journey from the airport is a whopping €10.40. Thus, if you arrive at the airport and intend to explore Munich by the public transport system, the best option is to buy a €11.20 Gesamtnetz (whole network) day ticket. If you are not traveling alone, then you can purchase a Partner(group) day ticket for €20.40, allowing up to 5 adults to travel together on all lines of the MVV system.

A day ticket is worth buying if you plan to take more than two trips on the same day. It is available for single persons and groups for up to 5 people and is valid until 06:00 the next morning. The day ticket is available for four areas:

If you are staying longer than 3 days in Munich, a good option is to buy a weekly IsarCard ticket. The first day of validity can now be chosen freely (before 15 Dec 2013, the weekly ticket was always valid from Monday to Monday). The price of the weekly ticket depends on the number of rings you want to travel during the week (starting from the center of the city). Almost all U-Bahn stations are within the rings 1-4.

For only a few journeys on different days the stripe ticket (Streifenkarte), with 10 strips, is a better value than buying lots of individual tickets. The cost is €12.50, and may be purchased at dispensing machines at every station. You need to use two strips for each colored zone on the map. If you are making several trips a day, the day ticket is a better option. Children and people under the age of 21 only have to use half the number of stripes.

If you plan to explore Munich and see all the sights and tourist attractions, buy the Munich CityTourCard. It is a ticket valid for all public transportation services in Munich and a discount card for many tourist attractions like museums, sights, shopping, and gastronomy. It is available in six versions (single and group tickets) and with validity for one or three days:

A leaflet with information about the discount offers of the partners and a map of the city center and a plan of the public transportation network are included. The ticket is available at ticket vending machines at all S-Bahn, U-Bahn, Tram and bus stations. Furthermore it can be purchased at the MVG customer center as well as in selected hotels and online.

All tickets, except for weekly tickets must be stamped to be valid; without a stamp the ticket is invalid and you can be fined €40. Stamping machines (Entwerter) - a blue machine with a black "E" on yellow ground - are found at every entrance to the S-Bahn or U-Bahn platforms, and inside buses and trams. In most other German cities, passengers can validate tickets on the train; however, this is not the case in Munich, so be sure to validate your ticket before entering any U-Bahn or S-Bahn platform.

Public transportation operates with limited service from 02:00 to 05:00. The U-Bahn does not operate at all during this time, and trams and some buses operate only in one hour intervals from Sunday to Thursday and on 30 min intervals on the weekend. On Friday, Saturday and nights before public holidays, there is a single S-Bahn on each line between 02:30 and 03:00. So if you're staying out late, try to get the schedule of the so called Nachttram (night tram) in advance or do not leave the place before 05:00 unless you want to take a taxi.

If you plan to explore Munich and Bavaria via regional trains, consider getting a Bayern Ticket , which is good on all regional trains within Bavaria, all Munich MVV transportation, and trains to Salzburg for €22 a day (plus €4 for each additional person for up to 5 people in total). The Bayern Ticket is good on any weekday after 09:00 and on any weekend day (all day). There is also a Bayern Ticket Nacht for night trips, valid from 18:00 to 06:00, for a discounted price.
If you travel on a weekend, exploring Munich and taking a regional Deutsche Bahn trains to another city anywhere in Germany on the same day, consider getting a Deutsche BahnSchönes Wochenende Ticket. This ticket covers all DB regional train travels and all Munich S-Bahn travels for up to five people for a single weekend day for €40.

Schönes-Wochenende-Tickets and Bayern-Tickets are only valid on the red regional trains, but not on white Intercity Express (ICE) and white Intercity/Eurocity trains (IC/EC). Additionally, both tickets are valid on trains run by the BOB (Bayerische Oberlandbahn) and ALEX (Arriva-Länderbahn-Express).

By taxi

Like almost everywhere in Germany, Munich taxis can easily be recognized by their beige colour and the yellow-black taxi sign on the roof. Taxis can be found at taxi stands throughout the city, at train stations, and at the airport. It is also possible to stop a taxi (if it is not occupied) or to call one of the many taxi companies in Munich. The basic fare is €3.30 with additional €1.70/km for up to 5 km, €1.50/km for kilometers 5 to 10, and €1.30 for every kilometer more than 10. Waiting time per hour is €24 and there are additional charges for pets (€0.60 per animal) and luggage (€0.60 per piece).

AIRPORT TRANSPORTATION

By train

The journey costs €10.40 for a single ticket, €11.70 for a day pass (valid until 6AM the following day), or, for an MVV Partner Ticket, €21.30, valid for up to five adults or ten children. Trains run every 5-20 min and take about 40 min to reach the central station. Like many European cities, the train system runs on an honor system, with a €40 fine if you are caught without a validated ticket. A slightly cheaper option is to buy a Tageskarte Außenraum (daypass for the city's outskirts; single: €6.00, partner: €11.20) and then an additional single ticket (€2.60 per person) for the trip into the inner city. If traveling from the airport, the latter ticket only has to be validated in Feldmoching station, which means that you can only travel using the S1 train. You'll have to exit (or change for the subway train) in Feldmoching. If traveling from downtown to the airport, you can just validate both tickets and the restriction does not apply anymore.

By bus and taxi

Lufthansa also runs an Airport Bus to and from Munich Central Station that is comparably priced. Taxis to the center will cost about €50 and take around 40 minutes.