You get from Munich Airport to the city centre by S-Bahn, by airport bus, by taxi from the ranks outside both terminals, or by a car booked in advance. The S-Bahn lines S1 and S8 leave every 20 minutes and take about 45 minutes to the main station, according to the airport, and taxis wait at ranks outside both terminals. A pre-booked Elly8.net car to the Altstadt costs from US$200 in a business sedan to US$520 in an Executive Sprinter, fixed per vehicle.
What makes Munich different from most European airports is distance. MUC is about 38 km (24 mi) from the old town by road on our routing, roughly 34 minutes on a clear road. That is long enough for the train ride to feel long after an overnight flight, and long enough for a metered taxi fare to add up. This guide explains when a taxi from the rank is perfectly fine and when it pays to book.
How do I get from Munich Airport to the city centre?
Take the S1 or S8 S-Bahn, every 20 minutes and about 45 minutes to the main station, or the airport bus to the Hauptbahnhof. Taxis wait at ranks outside Terminals 1 and 2. A fixed Elly8.net car to the Altstadt costs from US$200 per vehicle, with meet and greet inside arrivals.
The S-Bahn station sits below the Munich Airport Center between the terminals. Munich Airport's FAQ confirms the S1 and S8 frequency and the roughly 45-minute journey to the main station, and says the Lufthansa airport bus also leaves every 20 minutes for the Hauptbahnhof, with tickets sold by the driver.
The S-Bahn: the right answer for a solo traveller
For one traveller with a carry-on, staying near the Hauptbahnhof, Marienplatz or another stop on the central S-Bahn line, the train is the sensible choice and the one we would recommend.
The ticket to know is MVV's Airport-City-Day-Ticket. MVV describes it as a day ticket covering travel to and from the airport and within the Munich city area, zone M to 5, valid until 6 am the following day. It comes as a single version, for one adult and up to three children aged 6 to 14, and as a group version for two to five people. MVV's ticket and price guide lists it from €17.50. You can buy it at the machines at the airport or in the MVV app.
The limits are the obvious ones. Forty-five minutes on a train after a transatlantic night, then a change or a walk with suitcases through the pedestrian old town, is a long arrival with children or heavy bags. And if your hotel is in Bogenhausen, Schwabing or near the Messe, the S-Bahn is only part of the journey.
Taxis at MUC: where they are and how fares work
According to Munich Airport's taxi page, taxi ranks are in the departure and arrival areas of both terminals. The listed locations are on level 00 of Terminal 1 at areas B, C and D, and on level 00 at the north forecourt of Terminal 2, with a taxi service point on level 03 in Terminal 2.
Fares are metered. In Germany, the state government sets taxi fares by ordinance under section 51 of the Passenger Transport Act, with base, distance and time prices, and the same section allows fixed prices or a price corridor for trips booked in advance. So the meter follows an official tariff, but on a route this long you will only know the total at the end, and a slow A9 or Mittlerer Ring adds to it.
We do not quote a taxi total, because the meter decides it. What we can say is that over 38 km the metered fare is substantial, which is why the gap between a taxi and a fixed-price car is narrower at MUC than at an airport closer to town.
| Option | Price | Time to the centre | Luggage | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S-Bahn S1 or S8 | Airport-City-Day-Ticket from €17.50 (MVV) | About 45 min to the main station, every 20 min | You carry it | Solo travellers near a central stop |
| Lufthansa airport bus | Ticket from the driver | To the Hauptbahnhof, every 20 min | You load it | Travellers going to the station area |
| Taxi from the rank | Metered, official tariff | Same roads as any car | Standard taxi boot | Couples, daytime, no booking |
| Elly8.net Business Sedan | US$200 fixed, per vehicle | Door to door, about 34 min clear road | 3 passengers, 2 bags | Executives, fixed budgets |
| Elly8.net Business SUV | US$260 fixed, per vehicle | Door to door | 6 passengers, 6 bags | Families with transatlantic luggage |
| Elly8.net Executive Sprinter | US$520 fixed, per vehicle | Door to door | 12 passengers, 12 bags | Groups, delegations, Oktoberfest parties |
When a taxi is fine
A taxi from the rank is a sound, honest choice in more situations than people expect:
- One to three people with ordinary luggage. A standard taxi takes it, and there is no booking to manage.
- A daytime arrival with no deadline. If it does not matter whether you reach the hotel at 11:15 or 11:45, the meter's uncertainty matters less.
- A last-minute change of plan. Your flight was rerouted, you landed at a different time, or you decided on the plane to go straight to a friend's apartment. The rank is always there.
- A hotel near the airport. For a short hop to an airport hotel or a meeting in Freising or the airport business park, a taxi is the obvious tool.
When to pre-book a chauffeur
A pre-booked car is worth the planning when one of these applies.
You are four or more, or carrying a lot. A Business SUV at US$260 takes six passengers and six bags; an Executive Sprinter at US$520 takes twelve and twelve. As arithmetic for comparison only, a Sprinter fare divided by ten travellers is US$52 each, in one vehicle with every case.
You need a child seat waiting. Give the children's ages at booking and the seats are fitted before the chauffeur leaves for the airport.
You land early, late or into a busy hall. Flights from North America arrive at Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 depending on the airline; Terminal 1's new non-Schengen pier for long-haul traffic went into regular operation on 21 April 2026, according to Munich Airport. The chauffeur checks your terminal from the flight number, tracks the landing and waits in arrivals with a name board after passport control and baggage. Waiting after a tracked landing is complimentary.
You have a meeting or an event the same day. The Messe in Riem is about 10 km (6 mi) east of the Altstadt on our routing, roughly 14 minutes on a clear road, but fair mornings are slow. A fixed pickup time and a chauffeur's number take the guesswork out. See conference and trade show transportation.
Your budget must be known in advance. The fare is agreed before you fly and does not change with traffic. It includes the chauffeur, vehicle, taxes, standard gratuity and meet and greet; tolls and parking are billed at cost.
You are not going into Munich at all. Many travellers land at MUC and head straight for the Alps, Salzburg or a lake hotel. A taxi can do it on the meter; a car booked in the web booker does it at a fixed price. See city to city car service.
Three arrivals, three answers
A consultant from Chicago, one roller bag, hotel at Marienplatz, landing at 9 am. The S-Bahn. Marienplatz is on the central trunk line, the Airport-City-Day-Ticket covers the rest of the day in the city, and there is nothing a car would add except a name board.
A couple from Toronto, two large cases, a hotel in Lehel, landing mid-afternoon. The taxi rank is a perfectly good answer. If they would rather know the total before they fly, or would like to be met in the hall rather than queue, a Business Sedan at US$200 does it; the sedan takes three passengers and two bags, so for more luggage than that, choose the Business SUV at US$260.
A family of five from Dallas, five cases, a stroller and a booster seat, landing at 7:30 am before a week in the Alps. Book the car, and skip Munich entirely if the hotel is in the mountains. A Business SUV takes six passengers and six bags, the booster is fitted before pickup, and the web booker prices the drive straight to the resort as a fixed fare. The alternative is a 45-minute train, a change at the main station with every bag, and a regional train into the mountains.
The pattern holds for most arrivals: the train for the light solo traveller, the rank for an unhurried couple, and a pre-booked car once people, bags, seats or a deadline enter the picture.
The fixed fares, both ways
Elly8.net transfers between MUC and the Altstadt cost US$200 in a Business Sedan, US$260 in a Business SUV, US$320 in a First Class SUV, US$350 in a First Class Sedan and US$520 in an Executive Sprinter. The same fare applies from the city back to the airport. A round trip costs US$380, US$495, US$610, US$665 or US$990 respectively.
Rides in Munich are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk. Partner vehicles are four model years old or newer, seven for Rolls-Royce, Maybach and Bentley. See airport transfers, meet and greet and the full price list on the Munich car service page.
Departures: plan for the distance
Going back to MUC, the distance works against last-minute plans. A taxi called from a hotel in the old town at rush hour may take a while to arrive and then sit in traffic on the A9; the S-Bahn runs every 20 minutes and takes about 45 minutes before you reach the terminal. The desk plans a pre-booked pickup backwards from your flight time and sets you down at the right terminal for your airline. For an early departure after a long Oktoberfest night, that is one less thing to think about.
Oktoberfest, fairs and peak weeks
During Oktoberfest and the big fairs at Messe München, hotels fill across the region and demand for cars runs high at the airport too. If your trip falls in one of those weeks, book the airport transfer when you book the flight. The Oktoberfest site lists the dates for the next festival, and for getting around the city during it, our guide to Uber, taxis and private cars in Munich covers the festival-night logistics.
Beyond the airport
Once you are in Munich, the same desk runs day trips. Our guides to Munich to Neuschwanstein by private car or train and Munich day trips with a driver cover the castle, Salzburg, the lakes and the Alps. The fixed-price service continues in Zurich, Frankfurt and Prague.
How to book
- Pickup and drop-off. Enter MUC with your flight number and the hotel or address.
- Vehicle. Choose by passengers and bags; the fleet page lists each class.
- Reserve. Press Reserve now and pay by card in US$, or use the web booker for any other address. Confirmation arrives by email.
Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup; 10% at 72 hours or less; 50% at 48 hours or less; 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show. Refunds go to the original card.
Elly8.net books the car only; BookingWorldwide.net is our travel partner for flights and hotels. Elly8.net is a member of LimousineWorldwide.Directory, LimousineAssociation.International, HotelsWorldwide.Directory and VacationsWorldwide.Directory.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the S-Bahn take from Munich Airport to the city?
According to Munich Airport, S1 and S8 trains leave every 20 minutes and take about 45 minutes to the main station. The S-Bahn station is below the Munich Airport Center between the two terminals. MVV's Airport-City-Day-Ticket covers the trip and the city area for the day.
Where are the taxi ranks at Munich Airport?
The airport lists taxi ranks in the departure and arrival areas of both terminals, on level 00 of Terminal 1 at areas B, C and D and at the north forecourt of Terminal 2, with a taxi service point on level 03 of Terminal 2. Fares are metered.
How much is a private car from MUC to the Altstadt?
A fixed Elly8.net transfer costs from US$200 in a Business Sedan, US$260 in a Business SUV, US$320 in a First Class SUV, US$350 in a First Class Sedan and US$520 in an Executive Sprinter, per vehicle, including chauffeur, taxes, standard gratuity and meet and greet.
Is a taxi or a booked car better from Munich Airport?
A taxi suits one to three people with ordinary bags, a daytime arrival and no deadline. A booked car suits families, groups, early or late landings, child seats and fixed budgets, and it meets you inside arrivals with a name board.
Where does the chauffeur meet me at MUC?
In the arrivals area of your terminal, holding a name board, after you clear passport control and collect your bags. Flights from North America use Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 depending on the airline; the chauffeur checks from your flight number and tracks the landing.
What is the cancellation policy?
Free cancellation more than 72 hours before pickup. At 72 hours or less a 10% fee applies, 50% at 48 hours or less, and 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show. Refunds return to the original card.
