Munich: airport to ZOB Hackerbrücke

Depends on if your flight really arrives at 5:30 and how quickly you get to the airport S-Bahn station. You'll have to go through immigration, but that usually doesn't take that long, and there might be some wait for you luggage, but I can't imagine those taking 45 min. Both times I arrived in MUC, we were through immigration and in the luggage claim room before the luggage arrived. Of course, I have only a carryon, so I got Euro from the ATM in the room and was out the door before luggage arrived. Once you are on the train, the S1 takes 45 min, the S8 43 min, so it doesn't matter which S-Bahn, just take the one leaving next. See my webpage on getting into Munich from the airport. From the station layout for Hackerbruecke, it looks like the ZOB is just north of the tracks. You get to it by going up steps to the bridge and across at least one track, then turn right into the bus Bahnhof. That should not take more than a few minutes. According to the MVV scheduler, an S1 leaves the airport station at 6:11 and gets to Hackbruecke at 6:56. That would be your last chance to make the bus. An S8 leaves at 6:04 and gets to H'bruecke at 6:47. That would certainly be more desirable. I don't know if you will want to take the time to use the ATM. It might be desirable to have some Euro on hand just in case you are rushed. I'm told that there are ticket automats in the station that take mag strip credit cards, but I've always use cash, so I can't confirm it.

Thanks. Would a train at 7:30 from the Hbf be a better idea? Or should I take the 8:30?

Arl, Your question was about getting to the bus terminal before 0700. How would a 0730 or 0830 train help with that goal?

Sorry for being unclear. I arrive in Munich at 5:30am. In order to get to my final destination, I can take a bus from ZOB Hackerbrucke at 7:00am OR I can take a train from the Hbf at either 7:30 or 8:30. Will I be reasonably safe with a 7:30 departure or should I go for the 8:30?

As I said in the beginning, it all depends on your flight coming in on time and your getting to the S-Bahn station expeditiously. Due to the distance from the Hbf (tief) S-Bahn station to the regular train tracks, it would be take longer to get to a train leaving from the Hbf than to get to the ZOB, but only by 5 or 10 min, not by 30. So if you don't care if by train or bus, you have a better chance of making the train. Why are you being so secretive about you final destination? I'm pretty familiar with the rail system around Munich and how to find schedules. I might be able to find a better way for you to go. Most of the trains coming out of the Hbf to the west stop at Pasing. It might be better to take the S-Bahn to Pasing (must change at Laim) and catch the train there.

Sorry. I didn't think the destination mattered. I'm headed for Vienna.

That looks like you want the 7:27 RailJet to Budapest. Unfortunately that is about the only express train to Salzburg that doesn't stop at Ostbahnhof, which would have been more convenient from the airport by the S8. There is an S8 leaving the airport at 6:24, arriving at Hbf tief at 7:05. That gives almost an hour to get to the S-Bahn station and 22 min to get to your train at the Hbf. I think that is doable, but the next S-bahn gets to tief at 7:17, that's cutting it really close.

Perhaps you could take it as it comes. The S-Bahns don't offer reservations, and the Railjets don't require them. Hope for the earlier and be prepared to take the later. The worst that will happen is you may have to have a pretzel and/or coffee in Munich Hbf while waiting for the later train.

Be prepared is the key phrase here. He needs to know what to do depending on what time. For instance, if he is early enough he needs to go to the Hbf and catch the RJ. However, the next later connection is a Regional Express (RE) out of the Hbf, to Salzburg. It stops at Ostbahnhof. He can probably catch a later S8 and meet the RE at the Ostbahnhof. After that, the "8:30 train" he mentions appears to be an RE at 8:24 to Plattling, where he would catch an RJ via Passau. For that train, he could take a bus from the airport to Freising Bhf and catch the RE long after it leaves the Hbf. That would save him the long trip into and out of Munich. He just need to know his options.