Munich Questions

Even if limited mobility is an issue, parking is so scarce in Munich's center that a car would likely make things more complicated Most of the sites of interest to tourists sit within a relatively compact area anyway. It wouldn't make any sense for your dad to drop off your mom and pick her up while zig-zagging from one parking garage to the next all day. Navigating the winding one-way streets of Munich can an adventure in and of itself... and I have found a GPS of little use there because inevitably, road construction will alter the flow of traffic, rendering the directions given by the GPS useless. Munich is a very bicycle and pedestrian friendly city, so it might make more sense to look into renting a wheel chair.

Erin, I have given this some thought, since, like your mother, I too need spots to rest when I'm sightseeing. I've been to Munich and in my opinion, it would be best if they stayed right in town, near the Marienplatz and Viktualienmarkt. There's a lot to see right there and instead of spending money on a rental car, they could use taxis for short trips around town. This would certainly eliminate the parking problem. The subway is right there on Marienplatz (directly from the airport) and the Hauptbahnhof (railway station, as you know) is not far. For the out-of-town trip they could do a day tour with a tour company if they want. For a place to stay, check out Pension Lindner, not far from the Viktualienmarkt. It had good reviews on this forum and I checked it on Tripadvisor. It was so well reviewed, that I plan to use it next spring. The last time, I stayed in the Hotel Antares. It was clean, had an elevator and a good breakfast buffet and a small restaurant for dinner at night. It was also inexpensive. I found it on hotel.de. The location was great, too, Amalienstrasse, a couple of blocks from the museums and in walking distance (even for me) of Marienplatz and subway stations. There are numerous restaurants and churches to sit down for a spell. They could take the airport bus in (it stops behind the Hauptbahnhof) and a cab to their hotel, if they didn't want to brave the subway. It's not that expensive (around 10 Euro/person) and a cab to the center is probably not a lot more. Saves a lot of wear and tear and worry after a long flight. Good luck, as I said, in my opinion staying in the center of town without a car is the way to go and in the long run probably no more expensive, even taking cabs, than renting a car with all the attending worries.

Munich may not be the best place to visit if your Mother has limited mobility and they want to rent a car. Taxis are a good idea but touring small towns where a car is an asset is another possibility. There are many attractive small towns to visit in Germany. If Munich it is and your parents want a car, they could stay in a place like Freising, using regional trains to get into town. We liked the Hotel zur Gred but there was no elevator: http://www.hotelzurgred.de/

Erin, You don't say where in Germany you are. Given that your mother is not very mobile and that you're worried that Munich may be a little overwhelming for them, perhaps it may make sense for them to stay with you or near you and day trip to some sights worth visiting. If you tell us where you're living, we may be able to suggest day trips that would fit the bill.

I am in Ansbach and they are staying a couple days with me as well. We were planning on going to Nuremburg while they were here with me. I know they wanted to also be in Munich for a couple days as well and talked about possible day trips. They were thinking they might go to Salzburg one day while they were that far South. Thanks for all the help so far. I'll have to start highlighting what they want to see in Munich so I can figure out where the best place to stay will be!

I think Anna had some great suggestions. Stay in the centre of town near Marienplatz, within the ring road, and definitely get a wheel chair. There is a great pedestrian precinct, Frauen Church etc. Even if you are mobile and young, Munich is not the place to try and drive and park a car. I would even suggest that to get out of town they do organized coach tours (all the RS disciples will scream) but you need to be practical and realistic. That apart Munich is a great City and the compact centre is very visitor friendly

I think they'd be much better off without a car. As RS says in his books, a car is an expensive headache in cities in Europe. Stay right in the city center by Marienplatz, giving them all the pedestrian zones around it, parks and museums, and easy access to the subway system. They can get everywhere else they want by public transit in the city, and by train for the day trip. There are discount train tickets for off-peak hour travel that are very cheap and would allow them to go anywhere in the region (even to Salzburg if they wanted!). Perhaps someone more familiar with rail tickets can give you the details, although I'd bet they're in the RS book as well.

Erin, I've read the posts but I don't see WHY your parents want/need a car...what am I missing? They shouldn't have a car, and not just because you're father is scary LOL and your mother needs to rest. No one would need a car for a few daytrips from Munich (including the daytrips so far mentioned). The faster trains b/n Ansbach and Munich actually transfer in Nuernberg, but I believe that they will be visiting you at the end of their trip? Otherwise, you could help them around that first time at that station. Some of those transfers are longer than others; choose carefully. You can purchase inexpensive advance purchase tickets for them if they can commit to a time for travel... It's ALWAYS stressful getting visitors ;-) Have a wonderful visit!!!

Erin, Could you clarify a couple of points. Are your parents considering a rental car primarily due to your Mother's mobility issues? How much walking is your Mother capable of? Would it be a problem for her to travel via train (which of course would involve some walking)? As in most cities, Munich traffic seems to vary somewhat. During business hours it's fairly steady, but during the evenings somewhat quieter. If your Dad has driven in larger cities, he should be able to manage (especially with a GPS). I'd suggest having a look at Hotel Uhland. It's located in a quiet residential area, has an Elevator, wonderful staff and awesome breakfasts. They also offer free parking in the back of the Hotel. Under the circumstances, I'd leave the car parked at the Hotel and just use Taxi's or Trams for sightseeing trips to Marienplatz and other locations around the city. The Hotel has information on their website with detailed driving directions to get to the Hotel from various roads that lead to Munich. Cheers!