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Car rental locations Munich and Berlin

Posted by (Colorado) on

I'm seeking advice on where to pickoff/drop off a rental car for a road trip from Munich to Berlin.

Pick up: We're staying in Munich for a few nights, very near the central train station. At the end of that stay, on a Sunday in June, I want to pick up a car and head towards the Fussen area. Would you pick up at the central train station (closest to us) or taxi to a rental car location further out? How far out would I need to go to avoid the worst Munich traffic? Using Sixt locations to plan, there is a Giesing location that looks promising. Would this or another location provide easier exit from Munich, or not really?

Drop off: Six days later, I had planned to return the car to the Berlin Airport and catch a flight, not spending any time in Berlin. We added 2 nights in central Berlin at the end of the road trip. I could return the car to the airport and take the train to our downtown hotel. Or, since we're staying in or near Leipzig before Berlin, return the car at the Leipzig train station. Google says the train from Leipzig to Berlin is faster than driving, and we don't have any "must see" sites on this segment if we were to drive. Is there anything else to consider re: train vs car between Leipzig and Berlin? Maybe potential train delays. Either way, I know there is a charge for a one way rental

Thanks!

Posted by
269 posts

In which direction are you leaving Munich? What will be your first stop?
Renting a car in Giesing only makes sense if you are heading south.

If you rent the car at the central station, most rental companies use this parking garage to hand over the vehicle.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/BPzVrBSwa3aupvN1A

It's a narrow old parking garage, but it's not that hard to navigate to 2R Mittlerer Ring.
Just follow Marsstraße to the west until it joins Arnulfstraße. Then follow the intersection to 2R. Turn left for routes to the south (A95) and west (A96) or right towards the A8 or A9.
The ring road 2R (called Mittlerer Ring) is the most important traffic axis in Munich. At peak times it is very busy and prone to traffic jams.

If you are heading north (A9, A92, A93), Munich Airport would be a good option for picking up the car.

Posted by
12 posts

Thank you both for the helpful info

We are going south out of Munich, with our first stop in Fussen. It's not a long drive and we're flexible on timing to avoid the worst traffic. Maybe a Sunday wouldn't be too bad anyway?

The Berlin-Charlottenburg station looks like a great solution for drop-off. It's not that there's nothing of interest to us between Leipzig and Berlin. But we might be ready for a break from sightseeing and no top priorities that would "require" us to drive vs. train. And we plan to attend a concert that first night in Berlin, so might just want to get there and relax a bit rather than linger on the road. But using the Charlottenburg station would keep us the most flexible.

I will definitely get an IDP and watch my speed. My now 15 year old still talks about the speeding tickets I got in France 3 years ago. I need to redeem myself.

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