Munich International Airport is the most sensible arrival point for air passengers to Bavaria's capital city.
It's the second busiest airport in Germany and a major international hub for flights to and from Europe and beyond.
It's not too far from central Munich, about 38 kilometres northeast of the city, and you have various modes of transport to choose from to get into Munich itself.
Munich International Airport
The airport has two passenger terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. The two are connected by a central area holding shops, restaurants and the S Bahn railway station. The two terminals and the central area - the Z-Bereich - form an 'H' shape.
Terminal 1 is home to airlines like Lufthansa and its Star Alliance partners, while Terminal 2 is where you'll find airlines like Air France, Delta, and Emirates.
And in this article, we'll give you some useful tips on accommodation near the airport and transport to Munich city centre.
You might want to stay near the airport if your flight times are very early or too late. Or you just might want to avoid the hassle of traffic or parking in the city centre.
Luckily, there are plenty of hotels near the airport that suit different budgets and preferences. Some of them offer free shuttle buses to and from the airport terminals, while others can be reached on public transport.
There is actually one hotel which is in the airport complex itself:
Otherwise most of what are called the 'airport hotels' are actually in the nearby hamlet of Hallbergmoos, on the southern perimeter of the airport.
There are a couple of other options for those arriving or departing through Munich Airport, especially if you have a spare day at the end of your break or coach tour.
Freising is a nearby historic town, with a cathedral and what is claimed to be the oldest working brewery in the world. It's an interesting place to spend an afternoon and evening before a flight out early the next morning.
The S1 regional rail service from Munich Hauptbahnhof either goes to Freising or to the airport. If you are wanting to go to Freising from Munich Airport, you can get an S Bahn service towards the city centre and change trains for Freising in Neufahrn. There is also a regular airport bus service from Freising railway station to Munich Airport.
Alternatively, you can stay in Neufahrn itself. We used the pleasant Hotel Maisberger on our last trip as it is literally just a few steps from the S Bahn rail connection to Munich International Airport, Freising and Munich city centre.
You can choose between a train, shuttle bus and taxi to get to the city centre from the airport:
The S Bahn lines S1 and S8 connect the airport with the main train station (Munich Hauptbahnhof) and other central stations in about 40 minutes. The trains run every 10 minutes during peak hours and every 20 minutes otherwise.
Single tickets are reasonably priced but an arriving passenger can also buy a day pass which can be used on all forms of public transportation in Munich (buses and underground railway services).
The Lufthansa Express shuttle bus runs every 15 minutes between the airport and the main train station. It also stops at Schwabing near the Nordfriedhof.
The long-distance bus operator Flixbus has a service which serves the airport a few times a day. It does stop at Munich Central Bus Station, although tickets are not sold for this short length of journey. Tickets are only available for onward journeys past Munich (to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, for example).
A taxi ride from the airport to the city centre takes between 35 and 60 minutes in normal traffic. The fare is around 70 euros.
Website: www.munich-airport.com