Munich train connections

Book only the ticket Munich - Zurich. You can still buy the S-Bahn ticket on the day of travel if you need it. You save nothing if you book it in advance.

A Full Fare ticket is the same price, 95,00€, whether it's from the Munich Hbf or Moosach to Zürich. So if you advance purchase a Full Fare ticket, you'd be saving the cost of a Moosach to Hbf MVV ticket, 3,90€. If you purchased a Full Fare ticket from Moosach and then decided to stay one station farther out, in Oberschließheim, the cost of a FF Bahn ticket is 7,-€ more, so you would probably be fined if you got caught.

If you book a Sparpreis (Savings Fare) ticket, the ticket from Moosach to Zürich is 3,90€ more than the ticket from Munich Hbf. 3,90€ is the price of an MVV ticket from Moosach to the Hbf, so you're not saving anything. However, if you later decided to stay in town, within walking distance of the Hbf, you'd have wasted 3,90€.

There was a page (pages) available on the old Bahn website that showed all of the stops included in the City Tickets, but I can no longer find it. However, the fares for Moosach to Zürich say that a City Ticket is included, while the fares from Oberschließheim to Züruch do not. Moosach is in the central (M) fare for Munich (actually, it's a border station, in both zones M and 1). Oberschließheim is outside the M zone. I think that only zone M stations are included in the City Ticket for Munich.

With the last timetable change, Deutsche Bahn has drastically deteriorated the conditions for the so-called CityTicket. It is now only included in the expensive Flex fare ticket, but has to be paid for separately with Sparpreis tickets. Now, if someone writes, as the OP does, that he got two tickets, that is a clear indication that he is using a saver fare ticket for the Munich-Zurich connection. It's much easier to get the S-Bahn ticket from the automat on the spot or book it via the app. This is inter alia because DB, as has been widely criticized in recent weeks, charges the normal fare and not a reduced one, as is usual within a transport association. Another of several attempts by DB to take an unfair advantage of its customers.

that is a clear indication that he is using a saver fare ticket for the Munich-Zurich connection

Yes buying a saver ticket. How far in advance should I buy these? I understand if they sell out they sell out.

It is now only included in the expensive Flex fare ticket, but has to be paid for separately with Sparpreis tickets.

Yes this is what I found as well, it adds the 3,90 euro on top.

Thanks all, it does make sense to just buy that leg on the day at the ticket machine.

it does make sense to just buy that leg on the day at the ticket machine.

Unless you are buying a more expensive, Full Fare ticket, particularly if you know where you are going to stay.

But, is he using a Full Fare ticket or one of the Saver Fare tickets? It does matter.

Does it matter where I board and which train i board?

If you board in Moosach or any other stations on the S-Bahn line between Freising (but not including) and the Hbf, you can only board an S-Bahn (S1 only between Freising and Laim), no regional trains.

If you buy a ticket with "city ticket" add on than travel from anywhere in Munich to Hbf on any public transport is included.

This add-on no longer exists in its former format. It is now only included at no extra cost in the Flex fare; with Saver fares, you buy an additional local transport ticket to or from a specific (!) station in the urban area at the DB standard fare, which may be higher than the fare of the transport association. there is no sensible reason to buy it in advance.

(cf., e.g., here (in German))

If you buy a ticket with "city ticket" add on than [then?] travel from
anywhere in Munich to Hbf on any public transport is included.

Define "anywhere in Munich". I see the city ticket included with any full fare ticket for a connection that starts within the central, "M" zone of Munich but not for connections that start in zone 1 and above. That is, the city ticket is only for connections starting in the central zone, not for anywhere in the Munich metro area.

It would appear that the benefit of the city ticket is convenience, not price.

M is Munich.
Zone 1 and above are no longer Munich.

Inclusion of the city ticket does seem to coincide with the station being within, or considered a border station of, the MVV M zone, but inclusion does not necessarily indicate that they are within the city limits of Munich. There are a few MVV S-Bahn stations (example Ottobrunn) that are actually located outside of the Munich boundaries, but are shown as zone M "border, i.e., M-1, stations".

But no, I have not found any purely M zone stations that are not within the Munich borders nor purely zone 1 stations that are no outside the Munich borders.

you buy an additional local transport ticket to or from a specific (!) station in the urban area at the DB standard fare

Ok so say i brought a ticket from a specific station and not a city ticket, I won’t be able to ride from any other station besides the ones it passes through on the way to the destination right?

A -> X-> B -> C -> destination

So say my ticket started from X, I can get on at X,B and C but not at A even though it’s on the same line right?

A -> X-> B -> C -> destination

So say my ticket started from X, I can get on at X,B and C but not at
A even though it’s on the same line right?

If A, X, B, and C are all in the central, M, zone, a ticket for A->X->B->C will cost 3,90€ same as a ticket for X->B->C, but if you advance purchase your ticket from X to C, you wouldn't be able to use it for A to X. That's why SLA is telling you to wait to get your ticket until you know exactly what you need.

Ah okay, thanks for clarifying.