You can easily reach some beautiful places in the Munich area by bus and train. We have picked a nice destination for each zone of the Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (Munich Travel and Transport Services, MVG) – from the Allianz Arena (football stadium) to Kufstein!
The Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG) and Deutsche Bahn connect Munich with the surrounding area. With these fast connections, the most popular destinations such as Starnberger See (lake), the university town of Freising, or Kloster Andechs (monastery) are easy to reach, even without a car. The MVG network map is divided into different zones: the city centre is in Zone M, then Zone 1 begins and this number increases the further out of Munich you go. We have collected some great excursion ideas for each zone. The starting point is always Marienplatz (main square)!
In Zone M, you find all of Munich's main sights – Marienplatz, Olympiapark (Olympic Park), the Englischer Garten, Schloss Nymphenburg (palace) and the Kunstareal (Art Quarter). Even the Allianz Arena (football stadium) can be reached with a Zone M ticket. Simply take the U6 subway in the direction of the Garching-Forschungszentrum (research centre) and you will be in Fröttmaning within 15 minutes. If you are visiting the Allianz Arena for a football match, you should definitely use public transport, because parking spaces on site are limited. But even on non-match days, the Allianz Arena offers an exciting programme with its FC Bayern Museum and arena tours.
Also within easy reach: Messe München (Munich trade fair centre), Grünwald municipality, Perlacher Forst (forest area)
The KZ-Gedenkstätte Dachau (Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site) is located about 20 kilometres northwest of Munich. The concentration camp was one of the first in Germany. Since 1965, information about the National Socialist era has been provided here in the form of exhibitions, tours and lectures. If you would like to visit one of the changing exhibitions or take part in a guided tour of the grounds, you can reach the memorial site quickly and easily by public transport. Take the S2 suburban train in the direction of Petershausen and get off at Dachau station in about 25 minutes. From here, a bus will take you to the memorial site in just a few minutes.
Also within easy reach: Schloss Schleissheim (palace), Wildpark Poing (wildlife park), Schäftlarn (municipality and monastery)
The Starnberger See (lake) is one of the most popular destinations in the Munich region. You can reach Starnberg in just 30 minutes by taking the S6 suburban train in the direction of Tutzing: Here, you can stroll along the shore, swim and eat ice cream, or embark on a boat trip to Tutzing, Bernried or Possenhofen. There are also many opportunities for hiking and cycling enthusiasts. Good to know: Some regional trains to the communities of Kochel, Garmisch, Murnau or Weilheim also stop in Starnberg and you can conveniently use your MVG (Munich Travel & Transport Services) ticket. The trains start at the central station and only take 20 minutes to reach Bavaria's second largest lake!
Also within easy reach: The municipalities of Aying, Wörthsee (Steinebach), Fürstenfeldbruck
It seems that all roads lead to Kloster Andechs (monastery). In fact, there are many ways to reach the popular pilgrimage destination with its beautiful beer garden and the Bräustüberl (traditional Bavarian restaurant). If you want to follow the pilgrimage tradition to the “holy mountain”, you can take the S8 suburban train and reach Herrsching within 50 minutes – from there, a five-kilometre-long easy hiking trail leads to the monastery. Or you can travel directly to the monastery mountain: A bus leaves from Starnberg, Tutzing and Herrsching. Once at the top, visitors are rewarded with monastery beer, hearty meals and a great view.
Also within easy reach: Ebersberger Forst (forest), Pupplinger Au (nature reserve), as well as the communities of Herrsching am Ammersee and Hechendorf am Pilsensee
Freising is a popular destination in the north of Munich and can be reached by S1 suburban train in 45 minutes without changing trains. The town was founded in 739 AD, making it the oldest town in Upper Bavaria. One of the most important sights to this day is Freising Dom (cathedral) – the prince-bishops ruled from the Domberg for over a millennium. And Pope Benedict XVI was consecrated here in 1951. Another sight in Freising is the former Benedictine monastery of Weihenstephan and the old town with its craftsmen's houses.
Also within easy reach: Tutzing, Erding, Wolfratshausen
To the mountains via suburban train – this is possible on the connection to Bad Tölz: With the S7 suburban train, you currently travel 45 minutes to Wolfratshausen and from there, it is another 45 minutes by bus. From December 2023, the entire district will be part of the Munich Transport Authority (MVV), which means that your ticket is also valid for the regional train to Bad Tölz. This is the starting point for magnificent hiking trails, like those to the Lenggries municipality, Wackersberg mountain or Kirchsee lake. If you want to stay in Bad Tölz, you can either explore the beautiful old town or go to Blomberg for a ride on the summer toboggan run.
Also within easy reach: The communities of Moosburg, Schondorf am Ammersee, Seeshaupt (on lake Starnberger See), and Munich Airport
Lake Tegernsee is a natural beauty from the last ice age and one of the most popular excursion destinations around Munich. It has recently become easily accessible by MVV public transport: You can now travel as far as Gmund on the regional railway in zone 6. The town is located to the north of the lake and is also known for its high-quality paper from the Büttenpapierfabrik Gmund. From here, you can easily reach all other places on the lake, such as Bad Wiessee, Kreuth and Rottach-Egern, with the Ringlinie bus - or you can walk along the Höhenweg to Tegernsee. Whether hiking on the Wallberg, taking a sauna in the lakeside sauna, stopping off at the Bräustüberl or boating on the shimmering green lake - Lake Tegernsee is a good idea at any time of year!
Also within easy reach: Bad Aibling, Iffeldorf
Rosenheim is the third largest city in Upper Bavaria after Munich and Ingolstadt - and can be reached in less than 40 minutes by train in Zone 7! If you are planning a day trip to Rosenheim or want to go on a cycle tour through the Chiemgau region, it is best to take the train. Rosenheim's old town attracts visitors with its pastel-coloured old buildings and historic arcades, the impressive onion domes and the changing exhibitions in the locomotive shed are well worth seeing. You can take a wonderful stroll through the city centre or enjoy nature between the Inn and Mangfall rivers, for example on the former state garden show grounds or in Mangfallpark.
Also within easy reach: Benediktbeuern, Tegernsee (city), Lenggries, Miesbach, Hausham
The train from Munich to Schliersee takes just under an hour - and you are already in another world. In summer, head to one of the beautiful lidos or the popular summer toboggan run, while in winter you can explore the pistes in the Spitzingsee-Tegernsee ski area. In spring and autumn, you can enjoy the Schliersee mountains on an extended hike followed by a stop at a mountain hut, take a break at the Vitalwelt or take a boat trip to the other side of the lake. Another great idea is to cycle around the lake on the mostly asphalted and easy lake trail: it takes a good half hour by bike and around two hours on foot.
Also within easy reach: Kochel am See, Fischbachau, Brannenburg
You used to need a train ticket for a trip to Lake Chiemsee, but now a ticket from MVV is enough! Because Bavaria's largest lake is now in zone 9 - and is now even cheaper to get to. With a day ticket, you can be in Prien in less than an hour and can travel on from here by bus, bike, the Chiemsee railway or even by boat. Many visitors come here for water sports, cycling or swimming, but Lake Chiemsee is also known for its cultural diversity: The Seeon Monastery, Fraueninsel and, of course, Herrenchiemsee Castle are all worth a visit. It only takes 15 minutes by boat from Prien to Herreninsel!
Also within easy reach: Bayrischzell, Bad Endorf
Skiing with the MVV ticket? That's possible in Oberaudorf! It takes around an hour by train to reach the pretty climatic health resort on the Austrian border. From the train station, it's about a quarter of an hour's walk to the Hocheck winter sports area - here, peaks, cable cars and ski slopes await, including one of the longest floodlit pistes in Germany! But Oberaudorf is also worth a visit in summer: you can go for a wonderful hike on Hocheck or visit the summer toboggan run and enjoy cycling, walking and exploring nature in the surrounding area.
Also within easy reach: Aschau im Chiemgau, Bernau am Chiemsee
The Austrian town of Kufstein is located around 90 kilometres from Munich and is one of the last destinations in the MVV area. The regional train, which can be used with an MVV ticket, takes around one hour and twenty minutes. Kufstein is best known for its medieval fortress, which towers above the town - you can easily reach it by taking the railway up to the Schlossberg. This is also home to the local history museum, which exhibits, among other things, arrowheads from the Ice Age that point to the historical settlement of Kufstein. For those who like it a little greener: the Wilder Kaiser nature reserve is perfect for hikers, climbers and ski fans.
