My husband and I are flying back to the states tomorrow from the Munich Airport. The reviews I’ve read about processing through the airport are very discouraging. I would appreciate any thoughts, experiences, education. . . Thank you!
Posted by
Berlin
2887 posts
Airport Munich had between 2.5 and 3.3 million passengers per month (!) in the last 12 months.
The number of bad reviews is very little compared to that. Be aware that reviews are often written only after a very bad experience which is btw not always caused by the airport.
To get more reliable information do not forget to visit the website of Munich airport.
More negative stories will not make you better prepared or more confident.
So, focus on the positive that everything will happen as you need it.
Posted by
Chicago
609 posts
At some level, every travel experience is a crapshoot. Even the best airport can
be brought to its knees by weather, strikes, malfunctions, etc.
Control what you can control and go from there. Munich Airport is, overall, very,
very efficient and well laid-out. Be thankful you chose Munich and not London,
CDG, or Frankfurt to fly home through.
If you transit through Germany often, you might consider getting to the airport
early tomorrow and registering with the Bundespolizei (I believe their office is in
the plaza between T1 and T2) for the EasyPass service. It's similar to Global Entry
and allows you (within a few minutes after registering, so even tomorrow) to use
the E-gates to get through immigration. And it's free. The passport line is the only
place I've ever encountered any delay at Munich Airport, and this removes it.
Posted by
OP
12 posts
Thank you for the helpful thoughts and suggestions! I LOVE this travel forum. . .
Posted by
Munich
214 posts
For your preparation, the following web site shows the current waiting time at Security Control and Passport Control. You need to select if you depart from Terminal 1 or Terminal 2. Looks pretty smooth right now.
https://www.munich-airport.com/security-screening-and-passport-control-3949908
Please consider that school vacation in Bavaria started a week ago.
I would still expect the airport to be very busy tomorrow.
Posted by
Winter Park, Florida
264 posts
My wife and I flew in and out of Munich 3 times in May, one international arrival from USA and one departure and one arrival within SZ. The Munich airport was pleasant and efficient, far better than our one arrival and departure from Frankfurt. Good luck.
Posted by
Western Canada
3408 posts
I came through their en route to Canada from Sicily this past April.
I have been through there a few times, and found it clean, bright and easy to navigate.
This time, however: I didn’t do my usual “check every single board you pass for gate info”, and went to the gate that was shown on the first board I passed.
Of course it was the wrong one as it then changed and I had to hustle to get to the right one.
Lining up there was a gong show, people everywhere obstructing the flow-through, no cordoned off lines for the different fare classes.
Then we all realised that our boarding passes apparently had to get stamped at another unmarked desk at the back of the queue….no idea why!
More chaos, than a rush to board.
So……look at every electronic board as you go through the airport, and leave plenty of time for random unusual stamping of boarding passes.
Not sure if it was because the flight was Canada-bound, or?.?