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Voykit pocket guide · Germany
Munich
München
Give Munich 3 nights: one for the Altstadt and museums, one for a castle or Alps day trip, one for beer gardens and the Isar. Book beds 6–8 weeks ahead.
Munich is Bavaria's capital and Germany's third-largest city, 1.6 million people on the Isar with the Alps an hour south. Most first trips use it as a base: the old town and art museums fill two days, and Neuschwanstein, the Zugspitze or Salzburg fill more. It is Germany's most expensive city for beds, so where you sleep decides your budget.
- Country
- Germany
- Local name
- München
- Best months
- May–Oct; late Sep for Oktoberfest
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (grey, few snow days), Oktoberfest weekends if you dislike crowds and peak prices
- Stay
- 3–4 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Card acceptance has improved but some bakeries, bars and small restaurants are still cash only.
- Daily spend
- Budget €70–110 excl. bed · Mid €120–190 excl. bed · High €220+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telekom, Vodafone and O2 are the networks; Aldi Talk, Lidl Connect and congstar resell them cheaply in supermarkets and electronics shops.
- Emergency
- Fire and ambulance 112 · Police 110
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; UK and US devices need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Round up or add 5–10%; say the total you want to pay as you hand over money or card.; Bar and café: Round up to the nearest euro.; Taxi: Round up by €1–2.; Hotel housekeeping: €1–2 a night, optional.; Free walking tour: €10–15 per person.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Restaurants usually sell bottled water; fizzy (mit Kohlensäure) is the default, ask for 'still' or 'ohne'.
- Toilets
- Station toilets cost €0.50–1.50 (Rail&Fresh WC); restaurant toilets are for customers; the 'WC' at motorway rest stops takes coins and gives a voucher.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or a beer-garden Mass | €3–5 / €12–15 |
| Bavarian main (sausages, roast pork, schnitzel) | €12–22 |
| Museum entry (Pinakotheken, Deutsches Museum) | €7–15 |
| MVV single ride, inner area | €3.90 (check) |
| 5 km taxi3.1 mi taxi | €18–24 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €15–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MUC · Munich Airport
- S1 or S8 S-Bahn to the centre, 40–50 min; runs all night at reduced frequency
- FMM · Memmingen ("Munich West")
- 110 km west; Ryanair and Wizz use it. Bus or train onward, 1.5–2 h68 mi west; Ryanair and Wizz use it. Bus or train onward, 1.5–2 h
Typical fares
- MUC → Hauptbahnhof, S-Bahn
- about €13, 40–50 min (check)
- Taxi MUC → Hauptbahnhof
- fixed fare, about €100 (check)
- MVV day ticket, inner area
- about €9 (check)
Get around
U-Bahn, S-Bahn, tram and bus share one fare system (MVV). Buy a single, a day ticket or a weekly IsarCard at machines or in the MVV app; validate paper tickets before boarding. The centre is walkable, and a bike or the Isar paths beat the tram in summer.
See and do
Known for
- Marienplatz and the Glockenspiel
- Oktoberfest
- Deutsches Museum
- BMW Welt and the Olympiapark
- English Garden beer gardens
- Neuschwanstein day trips
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Neuschwanstein and Füssen | Train to Füssen (about 2 h), then bus 73/78 to Hohenschwangau | 3–3.5 h |
| Zugspitze | Train to Garmisch-Partenkirchen (1 h 20 min), then the cogwheel train or cable car | 2.5–3 h |
| Salzburg | Railjet or EC direct from Hauptbahnhof | 1.5–2 h |
| Dachau Memorial | S2 to Dachau, then bus 726 | About 1 h |
| Andechs Abbey | S8 to Herrsching, then bus 951 | About 1.5 h |
| Freising | S1 from the airport line, or train from Hauptbahnhof | About 45 min |
Sleep
- Altstadt
- Marienplatz on foot; the most expensive beds and the noisiest weekends.
- Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt
- Around Hauptbahnhof and the Oktoberfest grounds; best value for rail arrivals and nightlife.
- Maxvorstadt
- Quiet, studenty, walkable to the Pinakotheken; good mid-range doubles.
- Haidhausen
- East of the Isar, French quarter cafés and the Ostbahnhof; 10 min by S-Bahn to the centre.
- Northern Munich (Schwabing)
- English Garden and Olympiapark on the doorstep; 15–20 min by U-Bahn to Marienplatz.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Good day | Grüß Gottgruess gott |
| Thank you | Dankedahn-kuh |
| The bill, please | Die Rechnung, bittedee rekh-noong, bit-tuh |
| One beer, please | Ein Bier, bitteine beer, bit-tuh |
| Can I pay by card? | Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?kahn ikh mit kar-tuh tsah-len |
| Where is the toilet? | Wo ist die Toilette?voh ist dee toy-let-tuh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Firm handshake with eye contact; 'Guten Tag' or 'Hallo'; avoid: Hugs with people you have just met
- Names: Herr / Frau plus surname until invited to use first names; avoid: Using 'du' with officials or older strangers
- Punctuality: Arrive on time for tours, dinners and appointments; avoid: Being more than 5–10 minutes late without a message
- Queues and rules: Follow signs, wait at red lights, sort rubbish; avoid: Walking in cycle lanes
- Conversation: Direct and factual; people say what they mean; avoid: Taking directness as rudeness, or joking about the Nazi era
- Home visit: Bring flowers (odd number, not red roses) or wine; shoes off if the hosts do; avoid: Arriving early
- Paying: Say the total including tip as you pay; avoid: Leaving coins on the table and walking off
Scams and watch-outs
- Beds are scarce and pricey: book 6–8 weeks ahead, months ahead for Oktoberfest.
- Oktoberfest tents fill by early afternoon on weekends; no reservation means queueing at opening.
- Neuschwanstein sells dated tickets and closes some rooms for work: check the official site before you go.
- Pickpockets work Hauptbahnhof, Marienplatz and full trams; keep bags zipped in front.
- Cash still rules in small bakeries and beer gardens: carry €20–50.
Munich is one of Europe's safer big cities; the real risks are pickpockets at Hauptbahnhof and Marienplatz, tram and bike traffic, and summer heat in the U-Bahn.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Munich yet. Suggested stay: 3–4 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Marienplatz and the Glockenspiel
- Oktoberfest
- Deutsches Museum
- BMW Welt and the Olympiapark
- English Garden beer gardens
- Neuschwanstein day trips
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Munich official tourism: www.munich.travel/en
- City of Munich: stadt.muenchen.de/rathaus.html
- Munich Airport: www.munich-airport.de/
- MVV — Munich transport network: www.mvv-muenchen.de/en/
- Wikivoyage: Munich, revision 5309803 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5309803
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
MunichMünchen
Zu dieser Adresse, bitte
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
The US has a consulate-general in Munich; the UK, Canada, Australia and Ireland handle most cases through their embassies in Berlin (check).
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/munich). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.