U and S Bahn - Munich

Reviewed by: Calla Rating:

The public transport system in Munich is quick and reliable in the Bavarian region and will have you zooming around in no time!

S-Bahn
Use this to traverse Munich’s east-west axis and get into the outer districts.
S-Bahn means Schnellbahn (fast train) and lines are marked with an “S” (for example, S2).  The main axis runs from Pasing in the west, through the Hauptbahnhof (Main Train Station) and Marienplatz to Munich-Ost in the east. All S-Bahn lines come together in a tunnel in central Munich.

U-Bahn
These cover more specific locations within the city off the S-Bahn axis. U-Bahn means underground train and they’re marked with a “U” (for example U6).

Tickets for getting around Munich on public transport can be bought from machines at all train and tram stops.  Some hotels sell them too.  There are two types of machines, one in which speaks English (look for the black flag button), and the other is a touch screen, which you can easily convert into English.

The Munich MVV website has maps of the U-Bahn and the S-Bahn network that shows the zones and rings, and maps of the Park&Ride car parks attached to U-bahn stations (under the Pläne menu), as well as timetables. The official urban rail network map is indispensable.

One dog travels free of charge if you have a valid ticket.  A children’s ticket is required for each additional dog.   Small dogs in a basket or a bag generally travel free of charge.

All tickets, except for the weekly tickets must be stamped to be valid; without a stamp the ticket is invalid and you can be fined €40 if you don't have a valid ticket.  Stamping machines (Entwerter) are found at the entrance to the S-Bahn or U-Bahn platforms, and on the buses and trams.  In most other German cities, passengers can validate tickets on the train; however, this is not the case in Munich, so be sure you validate your tickets before boarding any U-Bahn or S-Bahn train.

To and from the airport
Two S-Bahn lines run from Munich’s Franz-Joseph-Strauss Airport to the city, the S1 and the S8. The journey takes about 40 minutes.  Trains leave to and from below the Hauptbahnhof every 10 minutes from 3.30am and end about 12.30am the next morning.

Night services
Regular U-Bahn, S-Bahn and tram services run until about 2am, when the night buses and trams take over. They’re marked with an “N” (for example, N26) and times are given at tram and bus stops.

Tageskarte (day ticket)

These let you make as many trips as you want until 6am the next day.

Tageskarte Innenraum costs €5.40, XXL costs €7.30.

A three-day variety is available for the Innenraum and costs €13.30.
The Gesamtnetz (Entire Network) ticket costs €19.60 covers the airport. It’s the best ticket to get if you’re travelling solo and you’re in Munich for a few days.

Partnerticket (group ticket)
Don’t let the name confuse you, it’s valid for up to five people and works the same as the Tageskarte. It costs €9.80 for the Innenraum and €12.80 for XXL. So just get the XXL!

A three-day version is available for the Innenraum only and costs €22.80. It’s the best way to go if you’re in Munich with some friends for a few days. But unfortunately, it doesn't cover the airport or any outer districts so you'll need an extra ticket to cover that.

Kurzstrecke (Short Distance)
Not going far? This ticket is for you. Covers one trip up to two stops with the S-Bahn and then to more with the U-Bahn or vice-versa. Costs €1.20.

Got kids?
Kids travelling with adults are often covered by sharing their parents’ Partnerticket. If you’re one adult travelling with a kid get the Tageskarte and a separate Kinder Tageskarte for kids aged six to 14. Kids under six years old travel free.

Moving around Bavaria
Buying tickets to cover the state of Bavaria is straightforward.  The Bayern Ticket (Bavaria Ticket) is great for day-trips and you can buy it from ticket machines at train stations.  For €29, up to five people can take any regular (not the express IC or ICE) trains anywhere in Bavaria and to Salzburg in Austria.

If you’re travelling alone, the Bayern-Ticket-Single is €20. Buying either Bayern Ticket over the counter at a train station costs €2 more.

The ticket is valid from 9am on weekdays (but 3am on weekends) and until 3am the next day. To find out about train times and connections or to get additional information, visit the Deutsche Bahn (German Rail) website.

Munich City Tour Card
This is basically a Day Ticket valid for all public transport services in Munich and a discount card for many tourist attractions like museums, sightseeing, shopping or gastronomy. It is available in six versions (single and group tickets) and with validity for one or three days.  This is highly recommended if you are going to be hard-core sightseeing over a short period of time!!!

Category: Transportation

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