We are staying in Mittenwald on a Saturday night and plan to drive to Munich International airport the next morning for a 12:20 pm (13.20) flight. Will we have a problem getting there 2-3 hours before our international flight leaves? What time should we leave Mittenwald to get to Munich airport on time? My husband has never driven in Europe except for this trip. Is it necessary to cut our stay in Mittenwald to stay closer to Munich airport on the night before our flight? I really don't want to do this if not necessary. And should Sunday morning be considerably traffic free? Would staying in either Garmisch or Fussen the night before flight help us get to Munch airport faster than staying in Mittenwald?
Posted by
NYC area
2982 posts
Hi,
We’ve stayed a couple of times even further away, in Hall in Tirol by Innsbruck, for Friday afternoon flights, at 3:20pm, from Munich back to NJ.
Leave by 7am. to get to the airport by 10. You need to be at the airport 2 to 3 hours in advance of your flight.
Not sure if it’s worth leaving that early. Maybe stay closer to the airport, say Erding, and relax more. Erding is a charming old town 20 minutes from the airport.
Posted by
San Francisco area
1888 posts
Unless I have it wrong,
12:20 PM is 12:20 when using the 24 hour clock
1:20 PM would be 13:20
20 minutes past midnight would be 00:20
Not trying to be a jerk, just don’t want you to think you have an extra hour.
Posted by
Knoxville, TN, USA
7209 posts
Staying anywhere other than my departure city on the night before departure is too much for my nerves...especially if you're driving.
Posted by
Southeast US
4046 posts
I drove from Berchtesgaden to the Munich airport on a Sunday morning. I left around 5:00 am for an 11:30 flight (a little bit over 2 hour drive). Traffic was light initially but picked up near Munich (though still not "heavy"). We ended up at the airport counter about 3.5 hours ahead of the flight by the time we dropped our car at the car rental facility and walked to the check in counter. I think if you stay in Mittenwald the night before your flight, you want to give yourself plenty of time to get to the airport -- definitely DO NOT plan to get there 2 hours before your flight. Highway construction, traffic jams, missing the entry to the car rental facility, long lines at the airline check-in counter, long lines at passport control/security can all kill you in terms of making your flight.
I would approach it as...
12:20 Departure
9:20 Arrive at airline counter
8:50 Arrive at rental car facility
7:10 Depart Mittenwald (1:40 minute driving time per Google Maps)
Then I personally would throw in another hour to allow for the unexpected. So, I would leave around 6 am. I will readily admit, though, that I'm pretty cautious.
Posted by
San Diego, CA, USA
321 posts
Staying in Garmisch will save you about 1/ hour drive time. I have heard that the "Google drive time" is usually pretty optimistic. I don't think 1 hour and 40 minutes is a good estimate from Mittenwald to MUC. I would personally add another hour to allow time to pay the speeding ticket you may get if trying to match the 1:40 drive time. Don't forget the time to stop and top the gas tank off before returning the rental car. And staying in Erding as suggested above would be even better IMO.
Have a great trip!!!