Munich, Germany

Families
Fun, festivals, and just a short distance from the castles of Bavaria.

Munich’s transportation system is much like Frankfurt’s, consisting of subway, suburban railway, streetcars, and buses.

Transfers
Transfers between the airport and hotel are not included with your vacation package.

Public Transportation
Buses, trams, S-Bahn (suburban railway) and U-Bahn (subway) lines make up Munich’s efficient, yet somewhat expensive public transportation system. For instructions in English on how the systems works, pick up a copy of "Rendezvous mit München," available at most tourist offices. Multiple-use tickets are available in many configurations, depending on the needs of the traveler.

Car Rental
If you plan to travel outside Munich, a rental car is recommended. An experience unto itself is traveling on the German Autobahn.

Taxi
Taxis are abundant and an easy way to get around town. These cream-colored autos can be called or hailed from the street.

Bicycle
Specially designated bike trails are intertwined throughout the city. Pick up a free map showing all bike trails at any city tourist office.

For a real taste of Munich’s cuisine, authentic beer and wine restaurants are the way to go. Generous portions, elegant atmosphere, and reasonable prices will grace your table. Along with traditional German fare, many international, French, Italian, and other restaurants can be found throughout the city. Try these for your night on the town:

• Buon Gusto
  Italian cuisine will please your palate at Buon Gusto. An open kitchen is at the center of this bistro.
• Hundskugel
  Munich’s oldest tavern, dating from 1440, is also one of the city’s smallest. You’ll be getting cozy with new friends when you squeeze together to make room for other diners.
• Hunsinger’s Pacific
  Eclectic and reasonably priced cuisine from one of Germany’s top restaurateurs and borrowing from the Pacific, Australia, and the Americas.
• Paulaner am Nockherberg
  Owned by the Paulaner brewery, this old favorite was recently rebuilt after a devastating fire. Authentic Bavarian fare, Paulaner beer (of course), and a huge beer garden.
• Spatenhaus
  International cuisine is featured alongside traditional Bavarian favorites at Spatenhaus. The wood-paneled dining room has wonderful views of the opera house and the royal palace.
• Weisses Bräuhaus
  Close to Munich’s famous food market, this crowded German classic serves up wheat beer, hearty food, and excellent and good-humored service.

Festivals and celebrations are often at the center of Munich nightlife. Beer halls are a raucous time, and some bars and nightclubs are open until 6am.

Jazz clubs are replacing some of the oompah-pa sounds and Munich is full of theaters and variety-show venues for a night on the town.

Along Fussgangerzone, a one-mile pedestrian zone including Neuhauserstrasse and Kaufingerstrasse, there is an immense central shopping area. Most major department stores can be found here. Upscale shops, equaling that of any in Europe, are along Maximilianstrasse, Residenzstrasse, and Theatinerstrasse. For offbeat items, try the Schwabing area.

Munich’s Christmas market is a shopping event, full of original and beautiful handcrafted items from the area’s talented artists. The Viktualienmarkt is south of the Marienplatz and sells everything from cheese and sausages to flowers and wine. It’s the perfect place to grab the makings of an unbelievable picnic.

Munich is a fun-loving city and probably best known for its festivals. The biggest of all, Oktoberfest, takes place from late September to early October and draws in millions of visitors. Earlier in the year there is Fasching, culminating on Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras. In March, the beer halls begin their season of merry-making throughout the city.

Strong Beer Season
April. Especially strong beer is served for about three weeks in early April at various beer halls and cellars.

Fasching
February or March, depending on when Lent and Easter fall. Munich’s carnival season is highlighted by parades, fairs, and masked balls.

The Town’s Foundation Festival
June. Munich celebrates its birthday with a festival between Marienplatz and Odeonsplatz.

Munich Opera Festival
July. Celebrating 350-plus years of opera in Munich.

Munich Film Festival
July. International films include viewings for German and European world premieres.

Oktoberfest
Late September – early October. The favorite festival of many, Oktoberfest features oompah-pa bands, numerous beer tents and gardens, and more beer than you can shake a stick at.

Christmas Market
Late November – December. An enormous Christmas tree stands in the center of the pre-Christmas action on the Marienplatz.

Oktoberfest
If you are planning to attend, make sure you plan ahead. Accommodations should be booked by April, and if you are going with a group, also reserve benches at one of the 14 tents. The best time to arrive at the tents is around lunchtime; by 4 pm it’s packed.

Beer Facts
German beer is excellent and comes in varying alcohol contents. Munich Helles is 3.7% alcohol by volume, Pilsner is around 5%, and Doppelbock is a whopping 7%. Servings come in various sizes, too — a Mass contains an enormous 1 liter (almost 2 pints!) of beer, while the standard serving, a Halbe, is half that.

Cheap Eats
Walking down Heiliggeiststrasse will bring you to the large Viktualienmarkt, the city’s open-air food market and a great place to have a stand-up lunch at any of the many food stalls.

Timing
If setting out for the day, be sure to arrange your schedule to be in the city’s central square, the Marienplatz, in time for the 11am performance of the glockenspiel in the tower of the neo-Gothic New Town Hall. An important time to not be somewhere is between noon and 2pm in the pedestrian zone, as that is when workers on their lunch break head for the department stores.

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