How to Get from Munich Airport to the City Centre (2026 Guide)
18 June 2026
Disclaimer: All prices, schedules and service details in this article reflect information available in June 2026. Transport fares and timetables change regularly — always verify the latest information on the official websites of each provider before you travel. The author and Faretus accept no liability for any inaccuracies, changes, or decisions made based on this content.
Munich Airport (MUC) sits about 28 kilometres northeast of the city centre in the Erding district — which makes it one of the furthest airports from a city centre in this guide series. That distance matters. The S-Bahn takes 40 minutes rather than the 13 minutes you get in Copenhagen or the 16 minutes from Vienna. A taxi from MUC costs €70–90, not the flat €36 you pay from Paris Orly. And there is no dedicated airport express equivalent to Vienna's CAT.
What Munich does have is an S-Bahn connection that runs every ten minutes, a Lufthansa Express Bus that anyone can use regardless of airline, and a well-organised taxi and ride-hailing scene. None of the options are bad. But the distance means the cost and time floor is higher than most other cities in this series, and the calculation for groups shifts toward road-based options faster than it does elsewhere.
One thing worth knowing immediately: the S-Bahn station at the airport is located underground, between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. If you land at Terminal 2 (Lufthansa and Star Alliance), it is a short walk. If you land at Terminal 1, follow the signs to the underground S-Bahn level — there are escalators within the terminal and in the open-air space between terminals.
There are five realistic options for the journey. All of them are below.
The quick comparison
| Option | Price (one-way) | Time to centre | Frequency | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S-Bahn S1 / S8 | ~€13 / €16.30 | 40–45 min | Every 10 min (combined) | Most travellers |
| Lufthansa Express Bus | €13 (at door) / €12 online | 45 min | Every 20 min | Heavy luggage, direct to Hauptbahnhof |
| Uber / FREE NOW | €60–85 | 35–50 min | On demand | App users, off-peak hours |
| Licensed taxi | €70–90 | 35–50 min | On demand | Groups, night arrivals |
| Private transfer | from €65 | 35–45 min | Pre-booked | Families, business travel |
Option 1 — S-Bahn S1 and S8: the standard answer for most people
Two S-Bahn lines connect Munich Airport to the city centre, running alternately every ten minutes: the S1 via the west of Munich, and the S8 via the east. Both connect to Munich Hauptbahnhof (Central Station). The combined effect is a train roughly every ten minutes from the airport throughout the day — more frequent than most European airport rail connections.
The S8 runs a nonstop 24/7 service: from around 01:00 to 04:00 every 40 minutes, otherwise every 20 minutes. The S1 runs every 20 minutes daily from around 03:00 to midnight. The journey to Hauptbahnhof takes approximately 40–45 minutes on either line. The S8 is marginally faster on some departures due to its routing via Ostbahnhof, but the difference rarely exceeds a few minutes — take whichever arrives first at the platform.
Pricing depends on how many zones you cross. Munich Airport is in MVV tariff zone 5. To travel from the airport to the city centre, you buy a ticket for zone M–5. A single adult ticket for this journey costs approximately €13–16.30 depending on the ticket type and how you buy it. The MVV machines at the airport station offer an English interface and accept card payment. Validate your ticket before boarding — Munich uses an honour-based system with no ticket barriers, but plainclothes inspectors work all lines including the airport route, and fines are significant.
Day ticket tip: An MVV day ticket for zone M–5 costs €9.70 for adults and allows unlimited travel within those zones for a full calendar day until 6am the following morning. If you plan to use public transport in the city during your visit, buying the M–5 day ticket at the airport rather than a single ticket often works out cheaper over the course of a day. Group day tickets covering up to five people are also available and represent outstanding value for families or small groups.
From 2026, children aged 6 to 14 travel free of charge on MVV services when accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket. Under-6s have always travelled free.
The honest take: The S-Bahn is the right answer for most solo travellers and pairs. It is reliable, runs constantly, and costs a fraction of a taxi. The main practical challenge is the luggage logistics — there is space overhead for smaller suitcases but no large racks for bigger bags, and the train fills up during morning and evening peak hours. If you are travelling with checked-luggage-sized bags on a busy Friday evening, the Lufthansa Express Bus deserves serious consideration.
Option 2 — Lufthansa Express Bus: the luggage-friendly direct option
Despite the name, the Lufthansa Express Bus is open to all passengers regardless of which airline they fly with — it is a public bus service that happens to be operated by Lufthansa. It runs nonstop between the airport and Munich Hauptbahnhof, with an intermediate stop at Munich North / Schwabing (Nordfriedhof). The journey from the airport to Hauptbahnhof takes approximately 45 minutes.
Buses depart every 20 minutes, from around 05:15 to 19:55 from Hauptbahnhof (and corresponding times from the airport). The stop at Munich Hauptbahnhof is on Arnulfstraße, north of the main station entrance. The adult one-way fare is €13 at the door or €12 when bought online in advance. Children aged 6–14 pay €7. Families of up to two adults and three children (aged 6–14) travel at a special family rate. Baggage allowance is generous: two checked pieces and one carry-on per person are included free of charge; additional or oversized items carry a €7 surcharge.
The buses are full-size coaches with reclining seats, generous luggage space in the hold, and Wi-Fi on board. If you have two suitcases, a backpack and a tired travelling companion, the coach is meaningfully more comfortable than standing in a packed S-Bahn carriage.
The honest take: The price of the Lufthansa Express Bus is almost identical to the S-Bahn, but the experience is different. The bus is slower in heavy traffic and doesn't run after about 20:00, which limits its usefulness for evening arrivals. But the luggage capacity and comfort level make it the right choice for travellers who want to arrive at Hauptbahnhof without the acrobatics of boarding a commuter train with large bags.
Option 3 — Uber and FREE NOW: flexible but expensive at this distance
Both Uber and FREE NOW (the rebranded mytaxi) operate at MUC, with designated pickup zones signposted on the arrivals level at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Pricing is dynamic. During normal off-peak hours, an UberX to central Munich typically costs €60–75. During peak periods — particularly Friday evenings, trade fair weeks (Messe München draws some of Europe's largest exhibitions), and Oktoberfest — surge pricing can push the same journey to €85–100 or more.
FREE NOW offers a useful alternative: it books both ride-hail drivers and licensed taxis, and the licensed taxi option gives you a fixed, non-surge fare (see Option 4) with the convenience of an app booking.
The honest take: At 28 kilometres from the city, the MUC–Munich run is simply expensive by car regardless of which platform you use. For a solo traveller, paying €65–75 for Uber when the S-Bahn does the same journey for €13–16 is a significant premium. For two people, the per-head cost begins to narrow — €35 each is still three times the S-Bahn but within the range of a reasonable convenience charge. Check the app immediately after clearing customs; if surge pricing is not active and the quote is under €65, it is a defensible choice for a pair with luggage. Above that, take the S-Bahn or the bus.
Option 4 — Licensed taxi: metered, no flat-rate zone
Munich taxis are metered with no fixed flat-rate for airport journeys (unlike Paris, where the Seine-bank tariffs are set by decree). Expect a Munich Airport taxi fare of €70–90 to the city centre depending on traffic, time of day, and your exact address. Late-night surcharges and weekend trips trend higher. The taxi ranks are outside the arrivals exits at both terminals, clearly signposted. All licensed Munich taxis accept card payment.
Because there is no flat rate, the fare depends genuinely on conditions. A midday run with clear motorway traffic might land at €65; a Friday evening with construction on the A9 can reach €95. If you want to avoid that uncertainty, use FREE NOW to get a fixed price from a licensed taxi driver before you commit.
The honest take: For three or four people sharing, a €80 taxi divided by the group is €20–27 per head. At that point it is only marginally more expensive than individual S-Bahn tickets while delivering everyone door-to-door. That arithmetic shifts the calculus clearly toward a taxi for groups of three or more — something that is less true at airports where the train is faster and cheaper. At this distance and price level, a taxi for groups makes genuine sense.
Option 5 — Private transfer: the right choice for late arrivals and families
Pre-booked private transfers are worth considering at MUC more than at most airports in this series, for one specific reason: the S-Bahn S1 and S8 operate from around 04:00 until 01:00, leaving a gap in the early hours of the morning. Late-arriving passengers — those landing after midnight who clear customs at 01:00 or later — miss the last train and face a taxi as their only real option. A private transfer booked in advance removes the stress of that scenario entirely: fixed price, driver at arrivals, no queuing at a taxi rank after midnight.
A pre-booked private transfer locks in a fixed price from around €65 and includes real-time flight monitoring. Larger vehicles for families or groups run higher. Several operators serve MUC, and the airport's distance from the city makes pre-booking particularly worthwhile — you are committing to a 30–40 minute road journey either way; knowing the price and having someone waiting is worth the marginal premium.
The honest take: For a solo traveller arriving at a normal hour, the S-Bahn is the answer. For a family of four arriving at 23:30 with four suitcases, a private transfer at €80 divided by four is €20 per person — almost exactly the cost of individual S-Bahn tickets while eliminating every logistical difficulty.
Which option is right for you?
- Solo, manageable luggage, daytime or evening arrival → S-Bahn S1 or S8. Take whichever train arrives first. €13–16, 40 minutes, done.
- Solo or pair, large luggage, Hauptbahnhof destination → Lufthansa Express Bus. Nearly the same price as the S-Bahn, significantly more comfortable with big bags.
- Staying multiple days → Buy the MVV M–5 day ticket at the airport. It pays for itself within the first day of city travel.
- Two people → S-Bahn is still the most sensible choice. If Uber quotes under €65 and luggage is heavy, splitting it makes sense.
- Three or four people → Taxi or private transfer. Per-head the cost gap over the S-Bahn narrows enough that door-to-door service is worth the difference.
- Family with children → Private transfer or taxi. Children 6–14 travel free on MVV from 2026, which makes the S-Bahn more affordable for families — but managing large luggage across a 40-minute commuter train journey with children is an exercise in patience. A private transfer at €80 divided by four is often the practical choice.
- Arriving after midnight → Pre-booked private transfer or taxi. The S-Bahn gap between 01:00 and 04:00 means there is no public transport option during those hours.
- During Oktoberfest (late September – early October) → Build in extra time for everything. Taxi and Uber surge pricing during Oktoberfest is severe; the S-Bahn is busy but runs normally. Pre-book transfers in advance if you need one.
A note on the distance
Munich Airport is far from Munich. That is not a complaint — MUC is consistently rated one of the world's best airports, and the distance is partly what gives it the space to be so good. But it is the reason why every option in this guide costs more and takes longer than comparable connections at Zurich, Copenhagen or Vienna. If you are doing the maths for your trip, start from that baseline: you are looking at 40 minutes minimum by any mode of transport, and €13+ regardless of what you choose.
The S-Bahn is still excellent value by European airport standards. And if you found a cheap flight in, that saving more than covers the train ticket.
If you haven't found that flight yet, the Faretus deals page is the right place to start.
All information in this article is based on publicly available data from official transport providers as of June 2026. Prices, schedules and service arrangements may change without notice. Always verify directly with the relevant provider — MVV (mvv-muenchen.de), S-Bahn München (s-bahn-muenchen.de), Lufthansa Express Bus (airportbus-muenchen.de) — before travelling. The author and Faretus bear no responsibility for any decisions made based on the content of this article.