Need to blow some time near Munich train station

There's plenty of shops and restaurants to look at. At that time, why not have a hearty Bavarian breakfast? The train station is about a 20 min walk to the city center.

The area immediately around the Haupbahnhoff actually isn't Munich's finest, but just walk along the main pedestrian drag (Kaufingerstrasse) to the Marienplatz and you'll find plenty of interesting shops and restaurants.

The Munich airport is way out in the boonies, so the train takes a while. It will take you to the Bahnhof (great sausage sandwiches just outside the main door, to the right as you come outside about half the price as inside the station). I can't remember the name of the shop, but it is about three doors down from the main entrance and has lots of yellow. It's right next door to the helpful TI (for a map and other info.)

There is a baggage check on the right hand side before you go out the door, so you might consider stashing your gear, if you still have time to cruise.

Hop the handy U-Bahn or bus number to Marienplaz, visit the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus). You probably miss the 11am show at the Glockenspiel, but it's still worth gawking at the square. For a few euro you can take the elevator up to the top of the Rathaus and get a nice view of Munich.

Then drop down to the Viktualienmarkt, one of the best markets anywhere. Then just hop the U-Bahn back to the station.

Chris gives a really good description of the Marienplaz area (spelling?). Recommend you go into the big church near there, I think it is the Frauenkirche, and look for the display of photos showing what the area looked like after the 1945 bombing raids reduced much of the area to rubble. It's amazing how they were able to re-build it to look like it did before the war, including aging the exteriors so that you really think you are looking at buildings that are hundreds of years old instead of 50 years old. The same could be said of many German cities and the French cities that were heavily bombed, such as Bayeux and Caen, just to name a couple. Frankfurt voted to rebuild modern but many cities voted to rebuild replica-style.

If you come out of the staion on Bayerstrasse and go down Paul-Hayes there are some small cafes. From what I remember. 18 months ago my husband and I stayed down that way and walked to and from the station many times.

But what I would really do is get on the U-bahn and take it to Marienplatz and get some thing there.

Munich was my favorite place in Germany.

Thanks everybody! I should have clarified, we'll be back in Munich a couple of weeks later to do all the Munich-y things, so none of that will be missed. I was just trying to think what we should do with just a little bit of time on the way through at the beginning of the trip. I think a hearty Bavarian breakfast sounds great!

There is more than one "Bahnhof" (train station) in Munich. The one from which your train leaves is the Hauptbahnhof (main train station).

There are two types of commuter trains running under the ground in downtown Munich. The small U-Bahn don't go directly from the Hauptbahnhof to Marienplatz. However, all lines of the larger S-Bahn run through one main trunk line through downtown Munich from the Hauptbahnhof to Ostbahnhof (East Train Station) via Marienplatz. Follow the green S-in-a-circle signs to the S-Bahn station under the street on the north side of the Hauptbahnhof. Any S-Bahn going east will take you to Marienplatz (2nd stop after leaving the Hauptbahnhof). A one way ticket will cost €2,20 per person; a round trip costs €4,40.

There are lockers in the Hauptbahnhof where you can check your bags so you don't have to carry them around.

But, why are you leaving Munich so soon after arriving? That is the bad planning.

If you don't mind carrying your backbacks, just get off at Marienplatz (all S-Bahn from the airport go also to Marienplatz). When you are through there, get back on the S-Bahn to the Hauptbahnhof.

If you come in from the airport on the S-8 directly to Marienplatz, then go later to the Hauptbahnhof, an €8,80 single trip ticket per person will cover your entire trip. However, if you anticipate some back and forth travel, you can just buy one Gesamtnetz Partner Tageskarte, which covers up to 5 people for all the transit in Munich for a day. At €18 that would be less expensive than individual tickets. Careful: there are two S-Bahn platforms, on different levels, at Marienplatz. From one platform, all trains go TO the Hauptbahnhof; from the other they go away from the Hauptbahnhof.

If you have the day ticket, and you don't want to carry your backpacks, you can stop first at the Hauptbahnhof and check them in lockers, then proceed to Marienplatz.