Customs in Munich

When arriving from USA, do we need to go thru customs??

Of course

If so how long does it take?

Assuming that you have nothing to declare, and are not selected for a random inspection, a couple of seconds.

Also,, does anyone have reasonable private service to get from airport
to our hotel in munich city centre?

The S-Bahn is a great way to get from the airport to central Munich. Quick, cheap and frequent.

When you get to Munich, you will go through both immigration and customs. How long immigration (passport control) takes varies. Customs ( for your stuff) is usually just a walk through.

Customs will take seconds as previously described. Immigration (Passport Control) is something else altogether different. It could take a few minutes or a hour, depending on day, time of day, how many other international flights have just landed, and how many immigration officers are present.

MUC is roughly 40 km from Munich Altstadt, taking about half an hour, off peak by car. A taxi would likely cost around €100. The majority of people would take an S Bahn train into the city, then a taxi to their hotel.

Thank you!

Thank you all for your help.

If we take train…. Do we need correct currency?
Being seniors, we thought private driver might be easier.

No, if you take a train, you will need a ticket from a ticket machine that takes credit cards or a ticket window.

if you take a train, you will need a ticket from a ticket machine that
takes credit cards or a ticket window.

Or download the train app—DB—and purchase your tickets that way. Super quick and easy. No worries about waiting in line or wondering if the ticket machine will accept your credit card.

https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/db-navigator-app

Being seniors, we thought private driver might be easier.

Have you been to Germany or Europe before? German cities in general have excellent public transportation and taking a taxi will not be easier. The train is very easy, follow the S-Bahn signs, buy your tickets from a ticket machine and board the next train. You don't mention where your hotel is, but it's not impossible that the train will take you closer to the hotel than a taxi can. There are a couple of S-Bahn stations under the old city centre, an area that is mostly off limits to cars.

The train is also a lot cheaper. €13.70 for a single ticket, compared to around €100 for a taxi. If you are still unsure, have a look at this short film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ER5DbnFgRUk

If you want to use the S-Bahn to get into Munich and “preview” the experience, there is a YouTuber called Wanderer Bell who did a 15 minute video starting when he deplanes at MUC, and walks through the process of getting the S-Bahn. If the link below doesn’t work search YouTube for Wanderer Bell, the video is called “Germany - Munich International Airport”.

https://youtu.be/7kydooBRzPw?si=bC4K_ULdfeOhfumg

WOW!!
Thank you soo much!
Just watched video.. very helpful!!!!

Interesting video. A bit surprised a travel “expert” would pass so many clearly labeled exit signs in his search for an exit, but it does show the effect a long flight can have on a person. Even as jet-lagged as this individual was, he managed to find the train and get to Munich without difficulty.

In that video, he says the credit card needs a PIN to complete the train ticket purchase. Has anyone here run into that? I have PINs for cash advance on my credit cards. Will that work?

Do you have a contactless card? He was a bit confused at the machine and did not try to use the extremely obvious contactless card pay point. I don’t think you will need a pin.

Thanks Carol. Yes, all my cards are contactless.

I did watch the video Kirstin linked, and he makes a mistake in the end. He says that you should take the S8 to get to central Munich. That is partly true, but you can also take the S1. Both lines go to central Munich, but take slightly different routes.

Yes, the S8 is a bit faster, but the difference is so small that it really doesn't matter. Just take the first train.

If you're looking for a private driver, I use Shuttlepool. They have multiple drivers and their rates are reasonable https://www.shuttlepool.com/?lang=en