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Park in Munich, or take train from airport?

We'll be spending our last vacation day in Munich, and want to do one of the third reich walking tours, eat at the hofbrauhaus, and enjoy the ambiance before we returning to the airport Hilton for the night.

Should we first turn in our car at the airport and train into Munich, or drive (and park) into Munich for the day? What's easier?
Thanks!

Julia

Posted by
19636 posts

Turn in the car. Munich is not car friendly, either for traffic or parking, and you can get an MVV group day pass that will include both the trains to and from Munich and all public transport within Munich. Cost is 23.90 EUR to cover both of you, and 3 more friends if you have them along.

Posted by
3387 posts

I've taken a car into Munich....don't do it!

Posted by
3049 posts

Don't drive to Munich. Get rid of the car.

Also don't eat at the Hofbrauhaus. The food is mediocre and overpriced. Enjoy a beer there (also mediocre and overpriced but people should do it anyway) but you're far better off eating at a decent restaurant like Andescher Am Dom in the city center, or if you're willing to go back towards the train station, locals go to Augustiner Braustuben, at the actual Augustiner brewery. Both are delicious and the latter has a real, not touristy, beer hall atmosphere. Make reservations.

Posted by
7209 posts

OMG - avoid the Hofbrauhaus. It's a total tourist trap. Yes, go see it and walk around inside and in the gift shop you if want. But the staff can be absolutely rude, the crowds and noise unbearable, and service can be non-existent (yes, sometimes they just flat our refuse to serve).

You want a nice meal then choose one of the many many nice places. If you want a specific tip then go here: http://www.zumaltenmarkt.de/en/

Posted by
19052 posts

Over the years I've spent several weeks, cumulatively, in Munich, and never driven. Public transportation is great there; I've always been able to go anywhere I wanted to go, quickly and economically.

As for the Hofbräuhaus, I'm not going to diss it. I've been there close to a half dozen times in the last 15 years and always enjoyed it. As long as you are not expecting gourmet food, it's good enough, and the atmosphere is great, very traditional, Oktoberfest like entertainment. For years I belonged to a German club in Denver, run by real Germans, mostly Bavarians, and their parties were a microcosm of the Hofbräu.

Over-priced? Well, this is Munich. I don't think I have ever had an inexpensive meal in Munich, at least in the center. When they are busy, service can be a little slow, but I've never found it to be rude. However, it is noisy.

Posted by
32512 posts

I've never had bad service there, but it is a different sort of place, not good for shrinking violets.

While not world stopping food it isn't bad, and the place - for me - is a bit of fun.

Posted by
3049 posts

I just see no reason to waste a perfectly good meal opportunity on substandard food, but that's the kind of traveler I am - good food is an essential component. I recognize that it's important to see the Hofbrauhaus which is why I suggested they have a beer there but eat elsewhere. And Lee there are plenty of good food deals to be had in Munich, including in the center.

Posted by
2 posts

Sarah, Please mention some of the restaurants, please.
Bennie

Posted by
19052 posts

In 2013, I ate at Zum Franziskaner at the Oper in Munich. It was definitely more expensive (by a lot) than at the Hofbräuhaus, and probably somewhat better, but not so traditional and not worth the extra cost.

Sometimes, it depends on what you order. In 1987 I had dinner at Zum Augustiner, on Neuhauserstr. At the insistence of our "guide" we had Scheinehaxe. I don't know what it cost, but I did not like it at all.

Four years ago, I ate at an Italian restaurant in downtown Munich. It's hard to compare Italian food to traditional German food, but I thought the Italian food was overpriced.

A couple of times I've eaten in the Ratskeller. I thought the food was good. It was more expensive than the Hofbräuhaus, but worth it.

The best food I ever had in Munich in 1987, at a restaurant across from the Rathaus in Marienplatz. It was very good, but the place is no longer there.

Most of the time, I've stayed in a town in the suburbs of Munich. We ate at local restaurants. The food there was traditional and better than almost anything I have ever had in downtown Munich.

Posted by
32171 posts

I agree with the others, turn in the car at the airport as you don't want to drive in Munich. Regarding the Hofbrauhaus, I'd suggest at least having a beer there on the main floor, as it's quite a lively and fun place. Be sure to have a look at the unusual "appliance" in the men's washroom. The food in the dining rooms upstairs isn't too bad, but with only one night I'd suggest another restaurant. I've dined at this restaurant a number of times over the years, and never had a bad meal there. They have two locations in Munich and one is close to the Hofbrauhaus - http://www.opatija-restaurant.com/index_e.shtml (I usually order something "Italian").

Have you got information on the Third Reich waking tours? I took this tour and quite enjoyed it - http://www.radiustours.com/en/english-tours/3rd-reich.html#frameId=iframe&height=369

Posted by
28 posts

As a slight tangent to the recommendations to get rid of the rental car, we will be driving into Munich on a Thursday night and so we have to keep it overnight because the rental car place will be closed. The next day we are planning on going to Dachau. Is the driving in Munich so bad that we should return the car before going to Dachau, or should we go ahead and drive to Dachau and then return the car afterward? Thanks!

Posted by
19052 posts

From where are you starting on your drive to Munich. Do they have a place there to return the rental car? Then use public transportation to get to Munich.

You can get all the way to Dachau and back from anywhere in the inner zone of Munich using a Gruppen Tageskarte Munich XXL for 15,90€, and parking at the Memorial is 3€ per car. If you plan on doing any traveling in the inner zone of Munich after turning in the car, a Gruppen Tageskarte for just the inner zone is 12,60€. Ditch the car early and use public transportation to Munich. Save a lot of hassle, the cost of gas, and the cost of a day's rental.

Posted by
28 posts

We'll be coming from Linderhof Castle so it'd be easier to return our car in Munich than take public transportation from Oberramegau. The rental time can go until the late afternoon on Friday (we are picking it up late in the day a week earlier), so it will not cost an extra day on the rental. It's really just a matter of whether driving to Dachau from Munich is easier than taking public transportation, or is it so much of a hassle that it's better to take public transportation? Thanks!

Posted by
19052 posts

We'll be coming from Linderhof Castle so it'd be easier to return our
car in Munich than take public transportation from Oberramergau.

Can you return the car in Oberammergau? Or Garmisch-Partenkirchen?

Taking public transportation from Oberammergau is not difficult. Since returning the car in Munich means keeping it an extra day, seems to me that you are looking for excuses.

I've been to Dachau, but I always used public transportation. It was very easy.

Posted by
106 posts

We enjoyed eating dinner at the Hofbrauhaus. We ate upstairs; it was less crowded / noisy.

Posted by
2308 posts

We enjoyed eating dinner at the Hofbrauhaus. We ate upstairs; it was less crowded / noisy.

Yes, that's an entirely different world from the vulgar "Schwemme" donwstairs. But then you have to compare other traditional beer halls like Augustiner Bräustüberl (not: Augustiner Keller) Hackerhaus, Spatenhaus, Weisses Bräuhaus. And in my view the Hofbräuhaus cannot compete with those.