Use of Public Transportantion - An Overview

Public Transport - Tickets, Fares and Network

Tickets can be purchased from vending machines in the train stations, or from the drivers of buses. A single trip ticket is valid for three hours and only one-way. Tickets are validated by inserting them into the blue stamp machines in train stations, buses and trams. Many kinds of ticket are available, but these are our suggestions (the same ticket is valid for trains, buses and trams). For more information on the kinds of ticket that are available, please consult:

https://www.mvv-muenchen.de/en/tickets-and-fares/tickets-daytickets/index.html

A brief overview as advance information follows here:

  • The M-Zone encompasses the entire city of Munich and in part extends beyond it
  • The Zones 1 - 6 comprise the interconnected districts belonging to the MVV area
  • Munich Airport is located in Zone 5
  • Garching Forschungszentrum (U-bahn U6) - metro station closest to ESO - is located in Zone 2
  • Garching (U-bahn U6) is located in Zone 1
  • On the network plans, each stop is also marked with the corresponding zone

Streifenkarte (stripe ticket): a convenient and cheap way is to buy a Streifenkarte (10 stripes, 14 Euro) instead of a single trip ticket, and to cancel the appropriate number of stripes depending on the route. For up to two U- or S-Bahn stations you should cancel one stripe (for example from Garching to Garching-Forschungszentrum). The public transportation area is divided in seven concentric tariff zones with Zone M (Munich city) in the center being the main one. Every two stripes allow a basic fare for travel in Zone M or in one or two zones outside Zone M. For each additional zone outside Zone M one additional stripe - https://www.mvv-muenchen.de/en/tickets-and-fares/tickets-daytickets/stripe-ticket/index.html

Tageskarte (day ticket): valid for the whole day. For the desired day ticket, the corresponding area of validity must be selected on the basis of the desired relations, e.g. Zone M for journeys in the city of Munich or Zone M - 5 for journeys from the airport to the city of Munich and for journeys in the city of Munich - https://www.mvv-muenchen.de/en/tickets-and-fares/tickets-daytickets/single-day-ticket/index.html

Partnerstageskarte (daily ticket for a group of up to 5 people): The Group Day Ticket is valid for as many trips as you like for up to five adults, whereby any two children between 6 and 14 years of age count as one adult. The Group Day Ticket can be used by the group within the selected area of validity for as many trips as you like on one day - https://www.mvv-muenchen.de/en/tickets-and-fares/tickets-daytickets/group-day-ticket/index.html

If you want to find more information on the right fare for your specific journey within Munich and the surrounding area please consult:

http://www.mvv-muenchen.de/en/tickets-fares/tariff-structure/index.html

Network Map: https://www.mvv-muenchen.de/fileadmin/mediapool/07-Ueber_den_MVV/Tarifstrukturreform/2020_layout_S_U_R_T_X.pdf

Journey Planner: https://efa.mvv-muenchen.de/index.html#trip@enquiry

Important Connections in Munch - Garching area

From-To
Distance
Means of transport
Approximate cost
Munich Airport - Garching - Munich Airport 20 km S-Bahn S1 + Bus 690 with change in Neufahrn (40-50 min)
S-Bahn S8 + Bus 230 with change in Ismaning (40-50 min)

Single ticket - 8.30 EUR
Taxi ~ 37-45 EUR

Munich Airport - Ismaning - Munich Airport

 20.5 km S-Bahn S8 (15 min)

Single ticket - 8.30 EUR
Taxi ~ 37-45 EUR
Munich Airport - Munich City - Munich Airport 34 km S-Bahn S8 or S1, airport bus (40-50 min)

Single ticket - 11.50 EUR
Taxi ~ 40-60 EUR

Garching - Munich City - Garching

 15 km U-Bahn U6 (29 min)

Single ticket - 5 EUR
Taxi ~ 37-45 EUR
Ismaning - Garching - Ismaning 7 km Bus 230 (20 min)

Single ticket - 3.30 EUR
Taxi ~ 20-25 EUR
Garching - ESO - Garching 2 km U-Bahn U6 to Garching Forschungszentrum (5 min) plus then a 5 min walk to ESO

Single ticket - 1.70 EUR
Taxi ~10 EUR

- Airport to Garching via Neufahrn with S1 and bus 690:  Note that the 690 bus goes from Neufahrn directly to the campus and terminates at U-Bahn station Garching-Forschungszentrum, without passing through Garching. If you wish to go directly to your hotel, you would then have to take the U-Bahn for one stop, from Forschungszentrum to Garching. Or - better - go via Ismaning with S8 and bus 230 which does pass through Garching.

- Bus 230: no service on Sat/Sun*.  Bus 690: limited service on Sat., no service on Sun.

  (* The MVV provides a taxi service on the 230 route evenings and weekends, but one has to phone in advance to request it, and speak in German.)

MVG wheel / MVG eRad - Rental bike system MVG Rad with electric extension MVG eRad

To complement the public transport network system there is a bike rental system that can be used throughout Munich:

https://www.mvg.de/services/mobile-services/mvg-rad.html

Quick links