Munich for first timers

I suggest you consult the German Rail website. There are fields for start and end. For start keep it as "Station/Stop" and use "Muenchen Flughafen Terminal". For destination, change it to "address" and put in the address of your hotel. Put in the date (European format) and the time in 24 hr format. Click "Search". It should give you some options, and if you click on the '>' symbol to the left of each connection, it will tell you if there is a bus or if you need to walk from there. If there is no bus, I don't know if there might be a taxi, but if you get off the S-Bahn from the airport at Ostbahnhof, there surely will be, and it will be close.

I doubt if a taxi will take an American credit card, but since I use nothing but cash in Germany I wouldn't know. There are ATMs at the airport, usually in the baggage claim room. Get $500 worth of Euro; you'll be set.

You can get from anywhere in Munich to Salzburg by regional train (2 hrs) for €28 (for 2-5 people, €20 for one) using a Bayern-Ticket. There are slightly faster (½ hr) connections using express trains, but you will pay a lot more.

Half a mile is perhaps a 10 min. walk at most. I doubt if you will find a taxi that will want to take you that short of a distance.

Yes, many taxis do take credit cards these days to accomodate international travelers. Sometimes you just have to ask before you get in or when you are ordering a taxi, ask then.

Lorie,

Lee has provided excellent information (as usual), but I have a few comments to add.

I'm not too familiar with the area that your B&B is located. I'd probably take the S-1 or S-8 trains from the airport to Munich Hbf, and then take a Taxi to your B&B. There are usually Taxis waiting at the side entrance (facing the tracks, it's on your left)

I'd suggest writing the address of your B&B on a small slip of paper and show that to the Taxi Driver (try to copy the address exactly as shown on the B&B website, using German words of possible). Using cash would probably be a better option for the Taxi. One other point to mention is that in my experience the Taxi Drivers in Munich have varying degrees of English language skills (hence the reason for having the address written).

If you have any more Conventions in Munich in future, you might suggest to your company that they book rooms in the Sofitel Munich, as it's right across the parking lot from Munich Hbf. The food and service in the dining room at the back are awesome!

When you arrive in Salzburg, I'd suggest taking a Taxi to the main part of town. It is walkable but a Taxi is a much better method.

Happy travels!

I second Jo -- it is only a 10-minute walk. Unless you have a huge suitcase with no wheels, walking would probably be easier and cheaper than trying to pay a cabbie with a credit card.

The station map of Michaelibad does not show a taxi stand, but the map of Ostbahnhof does. Ostbahnhof is also on the S1 and S8 lines in from the airport and closer to Michaelibad than is the Hbf.

There are several bus lines running from the Michaelibad U-Bahn station, but without knowing where your hotel is, I can't say if the bus would connect.

There is also a bus system. Ask the place you are staying for the best way to get there using public transport, they'll be able to direct you.

For your trip to Salzburg. If a return ticket is more than 28 Euros, I would get a Laender pass or Schoenes Wochende pass. Land (with an umlaut over the a) means state/province. Each "state" has a cheap day pass that's starts after the morning rush and lasts all day and can be used for up to five passengers. The Schoenes Wochende (translates to Beautiful Weekend) is good for a weekend day but otherwise essentially the same. Salzburg is considered the last stop on the German line so you don't need any other ticket. I think the price for each is 28 Euros this year. (Lee is the real expert).

A Bayern-Ticket (which is the Länder ticket for Bavaria) is €28 for up to 5 people (€20 for single) and is valid for regional trains in Bavaria as well as to a few border stations (Salzburg Hbf, Kufstein Bhf, and Ulm Hbf) outside of Bavaria, as well as for all transport of the MVV (Munich metro). It's valid after midnight on weekend days and after 9 AM workdays.

The advantage of the Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket (€37) is that it is valid in all Länder in German for an entire weekend day, but for travel just in Bavaria and to Salzburg, the Bayern-Ticket will do the same thing for less.