Essential tips on how to get to the center of Munich from Franz Josef Strauss Airport (MUC) and Memminger Airport (Allgäu Airport). Underground connections, shuttles, trains, buses, taxis, where to rent bicycles in Munich and how much the CityTour Card costs.
How to get to Munich: connections with Franz Josef Strauss and Memmingen airports
Home of the Oktoberfest , Munich is one of the most visited cities in Germany , with thousands of tourists flocking here every year. The capital of Bavaria, located in southern Germany, is served by two airports, one international (MUC) and one for low-cost flights ( Memmingen ).
Munich Franz Josef Strauss International Airport (MUC): transport and connections to central Munich
Located just 30 kilometers from central Munich, Franz Josef Strauss Airport is Germany's second largest airport in terms of size and passenger volumes (about 35 million passengers pass through it each year), and is has often been recognized worldwide for the excellent quality of its services.
The airport has two terminals connected by a shopping center (MAC), with shops, restaurants and relaxation areas. If you come here during the winter you will find a wonderful Christmas market set up in the large central area. Munich Airport is well connected to the city center by underground, train, shuttle and taxi.
Munich: air connections
Munich Airport is served by numerous airlines, among which Lufthansa , Air Dolomiti and Air Berlin have their headquarters here.
Connections with other European cities are also made by low cost airlines such as Easyjet .
How to get from the airport to the center of Munich by subway
The fastest way to get from Munich Airport to the city center is by underground . The airport is in fact connected to the city via the S1 and S8 lines (S-Bahn elevated underground line), which depart from the two terminals and lead to Munich central station . The metro runs 24/7 and runs from the airport approximately every 15 to 20 minutes (the journey to the city center takes 45 minutes).
The ticket costs around 8-10 euros: to save money, we advise you to buy a day ticket to move around the center of Munich, or multiple tickets, which can be used by up to five people, allowing you to save money.
Here you will find all ticket prices for the Munich underground .
An alternative is to buy the CityTour Card of Munich (which can be purchased directly at the airport: consult the prices ), with which you can travel for free for the next 24 or 72 hours on all public transport in the city.
Bus and shuttle connections from the airport to central Munich
The airport is connected to the center of Munich by many bus lines, which can be picked up at the bus station, located near the two terminals.
The 5A bus takes you directly to the city centre, while the 635 MVV line takes you to the Freising train station (in about 20 minutes), from which regional trains leave for Munich and other German cities.
Lufthansa Shuttle
A valid alternative to the subway is the Lufthansa Shuttle , a convenient shuttle service organized by the airline of the same name, which leaves from the arrivals terminal and takes you directly to Munich Central Station. The shuttle service is active from 5.15 to 22.30, with a frequency of one departure every 20 minutes and a journey time of 40 minutes. The ticket costs €10.50 for adults (€17 for a return ticket) and €5.50 for children (€11 for a return ticket). The Lufthansa Shuttle also stops at Munich North Station ( Schwabing ).
Rail connections between Munich airport and city centre
The airport is connected to central Munich via the S-Bahn (elevated line) which leads to the central train station Munich Hauptbahnhof . From here all trains depart and arrive from the major cities of Germany and to neighboring countries, such as Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Slovenia.
Getting from the airport to Munich by taxi
The price for a taxi ride from Munich airport to the city center is around 50 euros. It certainly remains the most expensive means of getting around Munich.
Some useful numbers for calling a taxi in Munich :
Taxi-Service-Point der IsarFunk Taxizentrale am Flughafen München Terminal 2 : +49 (0)89 975 – 8 50 50;
IsarFunk Taxizentrale : +49 (0)89 45 05 40;
Taxi Central Freising : +49 (0)8161 36 66.
How to get to Munich by car from Franz Josef Strauss Airport (MUC)
To get to the city center from Munich airport, you need to take the A92 motorway, which connects the A9 with the Munich ring road (the A99). It is possible to rent a car directly in front of the arrivals terminal.
Connections between Memmingen Airport (FMM) and central Munich
Munich's second airport is Memmingen , about 100 kilometers away and also known as Allgäu Airport .
The airport is served by numerous low cost airlines, including Ryanair, Air Berlin and Wizz Air.
How to get to central Munich by train from Menningen Airport
Memmingen train station is located approximately 4 kilometers from the airport. From there it is possible to take a train to the center of Munich or to other German cities.
Bus connections between Memmingen Airport and Munich
From the Memmingen airport you can take the bus line 810/811 ( Brandner Bus : Krumbach-Memmingen-Babenhausen) or the urban line 2 ( Angele ), which lead directly to the central bus station, just over 4 kilometres. From here you can easily reach all cities in Bavaria.
Allgau Airport Express Bus
The quickest way to reach the center of Munich from Memmingen Airport is the fast shuttle "Allgäu Airport Express" , which takes you directly to the central station. Departures coincide with airline flights (Ryanair and Wizzair) and the service is active every day. The journey time is approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes, without intermediate stops, and a one-way ticket costs 15 euros (8 euros for children under 12).
The Allgäu Airport Express fast shuttles also connect Memmingen Airport with the cities of Munich, Ulm, Zurich and Kleinwalsertal ( View rates ).
Getting to Munich by car: road connections from Memmingen airport
The airport is connected to Munich via the A96 motorway (München-Lindau), which allows you to reach the Bavarian capital comfortably in just over an hour by car. There are several car rental companies inside the terminal.
Getting to Munich by taxi from Memmingen Airport
Taxis from and to Memmingen airport in Munich are very expensive compared to other alternatives.
In any case, we offer some useful numbers for booking a taxi:
Taxi Schraut : +49 (0) 8331 23 23
Taxi Orange : +49 (0) 8331 99 62 876
Taxi Maier : +49 (0) 8331 4444
Diddelcar : +49 (0) 8331 99 11 66
Getting around in Munich
The subway is certainly the fastest and most comfortable way to visit and move around the city. With the same tickets you can use public transport such as trams and buses, which also allow you to move around Munich and reach, for example, Lake Starnberg, the Dachau concentration camp or the Bavaria Film studios.
where to buy metro tickets and how much they cost
To move around Munich you have different types of tickets and passes available, which differ in the number of days of validity and in the number of zones in which you can move.
We have already mentioned the City Tour Card , which allows you to move freely using the city's public transport and to get discounts in museums, tourist attractions and restaurants in the city. The ticket is valid for a single person ( Single ) or for a group of up to five people ( Gruppen ).
Various types of tickets are available for public transport:
Single Tageskarte : ticket valid for one person and for the whole day, during which you can enjoy unlimited rides on trams, buses and the underground. Rates vary according to the ring bands into which the area of the city and its surroundings is divided. A day ticket for the urban area costs €6.40 ( Innenraum , rings 1-4), while for the outer rings the price is €8.60 ( München XXL , rings 1-8) up to €12.40 for all areas.
If you only want to see the main monuments, the ticket for the urban area ( Innenraum ) is sufficient, while if you intend to visit the surroundings of the city as well, you must buy the ticket for the XXL or the Gesamtnetz .
If you are staying in Munich for a weekend, you should buy the ticket valid for 3 days, called "3 Tage Innenraum" : the cost is 16.00 euros and is valid only for the urban area.
Gruppen Tageskarte : ticket valid for a group of up to 5 adults (2 children aged 6 to 14 can be considered as 1 adult). A ticket for the urban area costs 12.20 Euros (28.80 Euros for a 3-day ticket).
Kinder Tageskarte : single day ticket for children aged 6 to 14. The ticket costs 3 euros and is valid for all areas. Children under 6 travel for free.
If you are staying in Munich for more than 3 days, a valid alternative is the IsarCard , a very convenient valid for one person only, valid for a week ( “Wochenkarte” ), a month ( “Monatskarte” ) or a year ( “ Jahreskarte” ) and with rates that vary according to the ring-zones.
When buying an IsarCard you will have to specify the period (week or month) in which you want to use it (the week or month of validity will then be printed on the back of the card).
It is possible to buy tickets and season tickets for public transport at vending machines in underground stations or in front of tram and bus stops, or also at stationery shops and newsagents (called "Kiosks" ) with the initials MVV or MVG exposed to the outside.
Where to rent a bike in Munich
Munich has a dense network of cycle paths present in almost all corners of the city and it is really pleasant to cycle around here. Where there are no cycle lanes, keep in mind that as a rule the part of the sidewalk facing the houses is reserved for pedestrians.
You can rent a bicycle from Radius Tours , located in front of platform n°32 of the central station (Hauptbahnhof). Renting a bike for a day costs 14.50 euros.