Munich

[stuartmoss]

Any tips or advice about getting around? I've got 4 days there in July and want to make the most of it.

Thanks in advance.

 

[flymo]

The only time I was in Munich was in 1997 or 1998 when I was there for about 3 weeks on a training course. Anyway I found that a day ticket was the best value and gave unlimited travel on all the S-Bahn, U-Bahn and bus services in the Munich area - at least at weekends when I was free. I did a couple of the S-Bahn trains to see some of the countryside and a few of the U-Bahns as well. I was staying in Unterföhring on the S8 line and have fond memories of getting any train out of Central Munich to Ostbanhof which is above ground and waiting there for a good while to see some of the DB heavy rail stuff. I think the day ticket was priced about DM13 for the day but as the Mark is no longer a currency that is pretty useless info really.. The current price for a 1 day ticket ranges from 5.40 € to 10.80 € depending on the area of coverage. If there is more than one of you then a partner ticket is also available for up to 5 people travelling together.

Details of the tickets are here

From experience I'm sure you will love Munich, it is a wonderful city, but I guess things may have changed a bit in the years since I was there. Hope not though.

 

[gordonthemoron]

If you're going to Dachau, the regional train from the Hauptbahnhof is quicker than the s-bahn and the same ticket is valid. The same is true for any outer stations where both s-bahn & regional trains stop, i.e. Freising, Tutzing, Grafing.

With regards to Dachau, there's more to it than the concentration camp, the altstadt is very nice (at the top of the hill) and there's also a nice irish pub there (the muddy boot).

Aside from the MVV tickets for the Munich area (see flymo's link), you can also get a Bayern Ticket (€21 for one, €29 for up to 5) which allows unlimited travel on regional trains, most buses, trams, u-bahns and s-bahns throughout Bavaria. You can also use the BOB-MVV day ticket (€15/€23) which covers the centre of Munich & the Bayerische Oberlandbahn which goes down to the alps.

 

[The passenger]

Any tips or advice about getting around? I've got 4 days there in July and want to make the most of it.

Thanks in advance.

Hello there,

I was just popping in and saw, that someone travels to Bavaria. What a good idea.

Munich is one of the most important railway centres in Germany. A visit to the Hauptbahnhof (central station) is always reliable, because you can see departing and arriving trains nearly every minute. No problem to see all train categories including all sorts of long distance trains including nearly all classes of ICE Highspeed trains. As Munich is also a major station for trains to and from Austria, Switzlerland, Italy and former Yugoslavia, it's nothing extraordinary to see trains hauled by Austrian locos (ÖBB 1x16 'Taurus', one train in the afternoon with Diesel-loco ÖBB 2016) and DB locos with austrian, swiss, slovenian and croatien coaches. There are also regular services to Budapest, operated by brand new Austrian 'Railjet' Highspeed trains (push-pull trainsets hauled by ÖBB class 1116 locos).

Munich hosts also some private railways like the Bayerische Oberlandbahn (BOB), which has mainly the unique Integral DMU's in service and Arriva Länderexpress (ALEX), which operates loco hauled services to Oberstorf (diesel - one of the most southern train stations in Germany) and Hof (elcetric up to Regensburg and diesel onwards - very far in the North of Bavaria - next to Saxonia, Thuringia and the border to Czech Republic).

One of the best points for railspotting is platform 11 at Heimeranplatz station. This platform is served by the on only from Monday to Friday once-hourly operated S-Bahnline S20, so there won't be too much 'disturbing' trains at this platform. At Heimeranplatz station you can see all trains to southerneastern Bavaria (mostly regional trains) and all international trains to destinations south of Germany (see countries in the first part except for Switzerland), but - except for one service - no ICE-trains. There'll be also many freight trains, operated by DB Schenker and several private companies. Heimeranplatz ist served by S-Bahnlines S7, S20, S27 and U-Bahnlines U4, U5. Platform 11 at Heimeranplatz station is one of the major meeting points to railfans for watching trains and taking pictures of trains. Don't hesitate to talk to them for further advises, but no guarentee, that they can talk English.

Getting around by public transport in Munich is very easy. The best deal is the offered Single-Tageskarte for one passenger or Partner-Tageskarte for up to 5 passengers. If you want to ride within the city boundaries of Munich (so called Innenraum), you can choose the same named Tageskarte day ticket. München XXL covers the Innenraum and the next suburban zone and Gesamtnetz is a day rover for the whole network in and around Munich. The public transport in and around Munich is covered by MVV (Münchener Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund -Munich public transport and tariff union). All MVV tickets are valid in the fare zone network for S-Bahn (suburban trains), regional trains (categories RB, RE from DB Regio and privately operated BOB and ALX-trains), U-Bahn (underground), trams and busses. For learning more about MVV, please click to the MVV-website => http://www.mvv-muenchen.de/en/home/index.html (English) or in detail for day tickets => http://www.mvv-muenchen.de/en/home/tickets/ticketoffers/daytickets/singledayticket/index.html#id_15 .

The very best deal for a day out in the 'outskirts' of Munich is the 'Bayern-Ticket'. It's valid for one person ('Bayern-Ticket Single') or up to five persons ('Bayern-Ticket'), costs 21 € resp. 29 € and is good for journeys in all regional trains (DB and privately operated), nearly all other public transports all over Bavaria and also on regional trains as mentioned to Kufstein, Salzburg and Reutte in Austria. Please note: from Monday to Friday it's good for all journeys starting from 9.00 h. On Weekends and public Holidays (similar to Bank Holidays in the UK) there are no time restrictions. One of the most interesting trains by using the 'Bayern Ticket' is the two-hourly highspeed regional service from Munich to Nürnberg v.v., which uses DB class 101 locos and former IC-rolling stock. These trains are also using from Ingolstadt to Nürnberg the most modern highspeed line in Germany. Also very interesting are the trains from Munich to Salzburg, Mittenwald, Oberstorf and Lindau and - with changing trains - to Berchtesgaden and Kufstein. All of this routes are facing the Alps and passing one of the most rural and scenic parts of Bavaria and Germany. For some more informations check out this URL => http://www.bahn.de/i/view/GBR/en/prices/germany/laender-ticket.shtml .

Don't forget to visit the tram network, on which some of the last dinosaurs from the late 1960's class P trams are still in operation mainly on line 20/21. All other trains are low-floor articulated trams from the 1990's. The modern U-Bahn network is the most reliable mode of public transport in Munich and was built from the late 1960's up to actually 2010.

If you have more questions, please feel free to ask on the board.

Have fun in Munich and best regards
The passenger (from Bavaria)

 

[gordonthemoron]

what the passenger said, however with the following corrections:

it's Gesamtnetz, not Gesamtraum

Alex trains to Oberstdorf and EC trains to Zürich do not go through Heimeranplatz

 

[stuartmoss]

Thanks everyone, for our very detailed responses. I very much appreciate you all taking the time to do that for me. I'm REALLY looking forward to this trip : )

 

[dk1]

Thats all very helpful for me too guys as heading to Munich in May.

Does anybody know if an FIP supplement is payable on OBB Railjet services between here & Satzburg?

 

[Railjet]

Thats all very helpful for me too guys as heading to Munich in May.

Does anybody know if an FIP supplement is payable on OBB Railjet services between here & Satzburg?

I don't know what an FIP is but I presume it's associated with priv travel for railway employees.

Railjet services are classified as EC trains, if that helps.

 

[dk1]

I don't know what an FIP is but I presume it's associated with priv travel for railway employees.

Railjet services are classified as EC trains, if that helps.

In that case there probably isnt one. Many thanks.