Crazy prices and low availability in Munich last weekend in May

Munich is overrated anyway, IMHO. Have you already traveled to other places in Bavaria? How about Nuremberg, Regensburg, Bamberg?

From MUC airport, it is not necessary to even set foot in Munich proper if you are headed to these places. The regional train from the airport to Regensburg (90 minutes from MUC) is direct and continues on to Nuremberg (just 60 minutes beyond Regensburg.)

Both towns are walkable - and the rail stations are near enough to the town centers that taxis or buses are unnecessary if you are staying in town and exploring. Regensburg's old-town zone is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Nuremberg is a terrific city too - nice old-town zone, many museums, brew pubs, and its own castle as well. Bamberg is just 40 train minutes from Nuremberg and also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

It will take you longer to reach Salzburg by train from these places, but that's still totally doable.

You should have no trouble finding good places to stay under $200/night in these towns.

Lots of conferences going on in Munich at the end of May: https://www.allconferencealert.com/munich/may-2025

I agree that Munich is overrated and I'd stay somewhere more charming nearby like Regensburg.

Ditto on skipping Munich - I think it is overrated, too. Move on...

No really good reason to stay close to Munich, or within Germany, but I like the town of Starnberg at the northern tip of the lake of the same name, located about 45 mins south of Munich. A car would be very handy down there for looking around, and a visit to Andechs monastery and brewery is always fun, not too far away. And Neuschwanstein Castle is not too far away. You would need a car to really enjoy the area, but Starnberg is connected to Munich by commuter rail if you wanted to spend a day in Munich.

If it were me, I would move over to near where your tour starts, but I am not super familiar with the area. Someone will offer you suggestions for Austria.

I don't know why everyone says Munich is overrated-it's actually my favorite German city. However they do have a lot of conferences as a big business centre.

You might want to take a look at either Freising, Germany or if you want to look farther out try Nuremberg.

I don't know why everyone says Munich is overrated-it's actually my favorite German city.

Answer: Berlin...

May not help you but we once stayed here for a couple of nights, waiting for our alps rental to open up:

https://www.alte-post-holzkirchen.de/

The rustic room was large and spotless, and the shower water pressure was great. Very good breakfast.
Holzkirchen itself is not anyplace to write home about but only a 30 minute ride into the centre.

What tourists tend to forget, if they ever knew, is that Munich is a working city. Tourism is a small part of the economy. Most tourists never get far out of the Altstadt, but the city is much more than that. So yes, they have conferences and trade shows, and that impacts the hotel prices. It's like trying to book a room in Las Vegas when they have a trade show, or any other major city.

Don't stay in Munich unless you absolutely have to see something there. You're going to Salzburg, so head in that direction. Go to Chiemsee and stay on the lake for a couple days. It will be beautiful in May!

Nations League match on June 4 leads likely to fans who arrive and stay in Munich some days earlier.

I had a similar challenge due to Oktoberfest one year. Stayed at Hotel Gastoff Maisberger on the S1 line and loved it.

If Munich is too crowded and too expensive, then I'd really consider smaller cities like Augsburg. Small, charming, interesting, and beautiful.

Two trade fairs will take place at the beginning of June. And Süddeutsche Zeitung reports "A soccer week of superlatives will take place in Munich at the end of May beginning of June."

May 31 - Champions League Final - There's still a chance for FC Bayern Munich to reach the final (Finale Dahoam)
June 4 - Nations League Semifinal Germany vs Portugal
There will be fan festivals and events all week and all about soccer

There you go: Champions League Final right in the middle of your dates. This is a massive football game and huge deal. The Champions League is a pan European competition and the most prestigious trophy in European club football. You can’t be considered a truly great team without winning it.

The correct answer is that Thursday, May 29 is Ascension Day, a public Catholic holiday in Bavaria. Everyone and their mother is taking advantage of the four day weekend. No school no work. The German have a phrase for mid-week holidays that turn into long weekends - fenstertage (window days), a beloved tradition.

Emiliy, in normal times, I would immediately agree with you. This time, however, it's soccer that's paralyzing Munich. Two big games with plenty of opportunities to watch the games in various public spaces. Then all the events surrounding them attract a lot of fans to Munich. And not just the ones who go to the stadium.

I hope everyone who comes here just to enjoy Munich has thought about it. Not only have the hotel prices gone up because of this, but it's also getting really crowded in the city center. I've already experienced a Champions League final in Munich and know what I'm talking about. The public holiday on Thursday and the option to take Friday off makes the soccer spectacle even more attractive for fans to come and combine sightseeing with their beloved soccer.

I was in Munich last June when the Olympic soccer games where being played there. I thought I'd gone to Scotland in the Marinplatz. Wall to wall people in tartan. Very quiet once you got away from that, but we'd only gone for the day because of the lodging costs. It was much cheaper to stay down around Garmisch.

@KGC

It was the 24 European Soccer Championship opening match Germany vs. Scotland you are referring to.
I was downtown that day, and it was simply fantastic to see these cheerful, friendly, and peaceful Scottish fans. I also always loved their dialect. I actually sat for a while by the Stachus fountain to watch the spectacle and, above all, to listen to the Scots speak.

Same thing happed to me some years ago, Munich hosts some huge businesses conventions at this time of year. Nuremberg was similarly affected. There’s not much you can do other than find an alternative and deal. Some good suggestions have been offered here. The bright side is that these nearby cities provide frequent and reasonably fast train service to Munich. The schedule will run both early and late. Use that commute to prepare and have a snack. In a way I agree with others, in that Munich itself may not be the most characteristic place to stay. It will just be a sightseeing obstacle.

Munich is far and away my favorite German city so far, but it's always more expensive than the others, and it's usually quite busy. Expecting otherwise will lead to disappointment.