Are these two train stations the same place but with different names? Is muenchen hbf train station the same as Munich Main Railway Station - Bahnhofplatz 2
Posted by
the Netherlands
2487 posts
Yes. Hauptbahnhof, abbreviated to »Hbf«, means main station.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
"Munich Main Railway Station" is a literal translation into English of "München Hauptbahnhof" which is the official name.
That is the name you will see on station departure boards when you are heading there. Photo here: http://www.bahnbilder.de/1024/hier-zugzielanzeiger-des-ice-787-677286.jpg
and the name on the station when you get there. Photo here: http://www.fotocommunity.de/photo/muenchen-hbf-juergen-kaufering/9297206
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19276 posts
You might also see Munich spelled München. That is really the correct spelling, but German allows ue for ü when you can't make the umlaut.
Posted by
Seattle
4637 posts
Lee's comment is very important because in Germany when you arrive to Munich Main Train Station you will see MUENCHEN (but with umlaut instead of e) HAUPTBAHNHOF. Once I went by train from Berlin to Brno. When train stopped in Prague Main Train Station some desperate American girl was asking if anybody speaks English. I volunteered and she was asking me when will be Prague. I said: "This is Prague and you have to get off quickly because train won't wait." She was a little disoriented because she saw a sign PRAHA HLAVNI NADRAZI. It is important to know the name of your town in local language: for example: Vienna = Wien, Florence = Firenze, Venice = Venezzia, Rome = Roma, Naples = Napoli, etc.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
When you are travelling you absolutely need to know the real place names.
If you are doing school geography, or listening to the news, "Munich", Vienna", Prague" etc. are OK. But if you travel to these places you must know the real names (München. Wien, Praha), that is all that will be on signs (road signs and station signs).
I would never call it "Munich Main Railway Station", because there is no station called that, it is "München Hbf".
"Bahnhofplatz 2" = 2 Station square. Most German stations are on Bahnhofplatz (or Bahnhofstrasse). Most stations you don't need to know the street address, the station is better known than the street.