Hi everyone,
My husband and I are coming off a river cruise on a Sunday around 11am during the 3rd week of September (might be beginning of Oktoberfest), we have to get up our 3:30pm flight from Munich airport. We mistakenly had booked a very tight connection time. Yikes! What’s the best way to ensure we catch the flight on time? Thanks for any feedback. We have never been to Passau or Munich.
Unfortunately, there is no way to reach the check-in deadline in time using public transportation (the next available connection is Passau dep. 12:00 p.m., arriving at MUC at 2:41 p.m.; travel time is longer as usual due to repairs on the Regensburg-Passau route). Even with a private transfer (about 2 hours, ca. €250), it could be risky. If you don’t want to take that risk, it might be best to disembark at the second-to-last port. If that’s Linz, you’ll have good train connections to Munich.
if you pre-book a fast transfer car you might make the flight. But how reliable is the 11:00 ? if that is scheduled arrival it won't be the time you get off, if that's just an estimate of when people will leave after breakfast and goodbyes , but the ship docked earlier, you could probably leave earlier. The airport is a long way out of the city and on the Passau side so road closures in the centre will have no bearing on this.
Your cruise is not docked in Passau for the last day and night? Your cruise doesn't include any time in Passau?
When I did a river cruise in 2024 that ended in Passau, we docked there the morning of our last day and then overnight. People were leaving the ship for Munich as early as 4:00 am.
If your cruise is not doing that, then you will be cutting it way too close to make to Munich for a 3:30 flight.
We hired a car service to pick us up at the port and take us to a hotel in Munich. We weren't at one of the ports in the center of Passau (river levels were rising due to rain so they had us move to a port further out) and our driver was delayed half an hour trying to find where we were.
If you really are sailing to Passau the morning of disembarkation, you don't have enough time for any delays. You should either disembark at the previous port (which I would not want to do, you don't want to miss the last evening) or change your flight out of Munich.
you don't want to miss the last evening
If the last night is really in Linz, they could still stay on board overnight and take the 7:45 a.m. train to Munich the next morning (arriving at MUC at 11:35 a.m.).
Thank you everyone for your helpful feedback. I think we are cruising into Passau they say around 11am. So sounds like better to rebook my flight to the 6:15pm flight to reduce the stress of getting to Munich airport in time. Might work out to be cheaper to pay the change fee and take the regional train than to pay for private transfer which might not make it in time. Thanks again everyone!
Does anyone have any recommendations for a reliable and reasonable private transfer company for our Passau port to Munich airport transfer to get an estimate in case we don’t want to take the regional train?
Just so you know, in September you will have to take a train replacement bus from Passau to Plattling, then the regional train to Landshut, then the regional train to Munich airport. You need to get the noon bus at Passau, to get you to Munich airport by 2:41 pm.
@tbugem, your ship may have a shuttle taking passengers to the Munich airport.
my cruise was on Viking and they provided a shuttle; if you booked your air through them the shuttle was included though I think you could pay to ride the shuttle if you just needed a ride.
In fall 2024 we paid 225 euros for 4 people to be driven from Passau to central Munich via a private company; unfortunately I don't remember the name.
you should send a message or chat with customer service of your cruise line to see what options for post- cruise transportation they offer.
