Local transport in Munich
To and from airport
Munich airport is about 36kms away from Munich Central railway station. The best and cheapest option is to take S-Bahn(S1 and S8 that take 2 different routes but travels the distance in around 40 minutes). There is also Lufthansa Express Bus that takes about 45 minutes to Central Railway Station, with one stop at Schwabing/Nordfriedhof.
The cost is about €10 per adult. When I landed in Munich, I had not done much homework on how to get to my hotel in Schwabing and therefore took the taxi. It was a mercedez and hence very comfortable but I ended up paying €80 for a 30 km trip! As per taxi fare calculator, Munich taxis charge a baseline fare of €5.50 and per km fare of €2.30. So much of the information on internet is outdated, that suggested a taxi fare from airport to city centre(plus 6 kms from where I alighted) of around €60.
Uber is also available and I used it once to get to the Central Railway station. Paid €36 for a 8 kms ride, much more than regular taxi fare!
The S-Bahn stops at Munich Airport Centre(MAC) which is conveniently located in between Terminals 1 and 2. One exit from MAC leads to taxi stand and the other leads to bus stops.
Local public transport in Munich
Munich has extensive public transport network comprising U-Bahn (Underground metro), S-Bahn(Suburban), Buses and Trams. Timings, including night services, can be checked online at MVV homepage. Tickets are valid across all the stated modes of transport.
The zonal classifications can be a bit confusing but important matter to note is that all the places of tourist attraction (listed in this post) are in Zone M except Allianz Arena which is zone 1. Munich Airport is in zone 5. Fares vary depending upon the number of zones being traveled.
Group ticket is very economical
For multiple trips in a day, the best option is Group Day ticket for 2 or more adults and is valid for upto 5 adults. Costs €17.00(Single Day ticket is € 8.80). If touching airport, consider buying Airport plus Group Day ticket.
If traveling no more than 4 stops, a short trip ticket can also be purchased. It costs less than € 1.90 per trip.
Stripe ticket needs validation
I also used the stripe ticket, an alternative to Day ticket. Costs marginally less than Group Day ticket. For €16.30, I got 20 stripes which is equal to 10 tickets effectively as 2 stripes have to be validated for each journey within Zone M. Or 1 for Short trip(upto 4 stops). No validity period. Useful if doing no more than 10 journeys in Zone M during the stay in Munich. But the stripes have to be validated before each journey.
Hop-on hop-off buses are available for tourists but it is not necessary as public transport effectively covers all places of tourist attraction.
For more information, including validation and rates for children, check this link.
For regional travel, buy Bayern ticket
For day trips within Bavaria and to Salzburg, best to buy Bayern ticket. It allows unlimited travel on regional trains and local public transport in Bavaria. In Munich, I could use Bayern ticket to travel to and from Central railway station. It costs €27.00 plus €9.00 for each additional adult upto five adults. Even for a couple, I found the total price to be much cheaper than regular fares.
Bayern ticket is valid for a day. On weekdays, the validity starts at 9am and on weekends and public holidays, it is midnight.
ID proof required
When Bayern ticket is purchased via vending machines, the names of passengers has to be hand written on the ticket. The ticket checker may seek ID proof but I was not asked even once. But still, better to carry original passport.
Ticket can be purchased even on the day of travel as seats are generally available and seat reservation is not really required. This may not be true for peak seasons. One can buy tickets from the vending machines at the stations or online. I used both the options but once, while purchasing it online on Deutsche Bahn, the ticket reached my mail box after the departure of the train! I had no choice but to buy the tickets again from the vending machine to board the train. Another online option that I have used is Trainline.
I am sure this is one of those rare events but in any case, good to buy well ahead of time if using the online option. There is no need to print the ticket. But ensure mobile phones never run out of charge while traveling.
From Salzburg and even a commute to airport, I found Munich East station to be more convenient than the Central Railway Station.
