Munich International Airport, or its full title Munich Franz Josef Strauss International, is the largest airport in Bavaria, and the second busiest in Germany. If you’re going to be heading to Munich International Airport soon, read our comprehensive guide to make sure your trip goes without a problem!
Skytrax, the airline rating service, also review airports and Munich is the only airport in Europe that has a 5-star rating! The airport is relatively modern as it first opened its doors in the early ’90s. It replaced the Munich-Riem airport as the main Bavarian airport. Lufthansa uses the airport as a secondary hub and since its 2003 construction, use Terminal 2 exclusively with their Star Alliance partners. It is located some 30km away from Munich and is in fact much closer to the city of Freising which is just 10km away.
The airport has two main terminals, with a satellite terminal constructed a short distance from Terminal 2. An office, shopping and recreational centre, called the Munich Airport Center, connects the two terminals which passengers can walk between, or catch the regular shuttle service. All buildings are situated between the two runways that flank the airport to the north and south. Rail and road access is provided from the west with the Bundesautobahn 92 passing nearby.
Munich International Airport At-a-glance
Official Website: www.munich-airport.de
Airport Code: MUC
Terminals: 2
Address: Munich International Airport,
Nordallee 25,
85356 Freising,
Germany
Address for navigation system: Terminalstrasse Mitte,
85445 Oberding
Gate Checker: www.munich-airport.com/departure-260464
Terminal Checker: www.munich-airport.com/airlines-260674
Contact Number: +49 89 975 00
Timezone: GMT+1 October-March, GMT+2 March-October
Lost Property Contact:
Website: www.munich-airport.com/report-lost-or-found-item-839678
Email: fundbuero@munich-airport.de
Map: www.munich-airport.com/airport-map-261352 – A 3D interactive map that links to each terminal/area with a 2D interactive map.
WiFi: Free WiFi is available throughout the airport. The network name is ‘Free Wifi – Munich Airport’.
Apps: Munich Airport has an app available for both Android and iOS. The app is called ‘Passngr’ and provides information for Munich Airport, as well as Dusseldorf, Hamburg, and Muenster-Osnabrueck airports.
Munich Airport Facilities
The two terminal buildings and the satellite terminal house all the facilities you could need at an airport. If passengers have time, such as with a long layover, or early arrival, they can drop their hold luggage off and wander around the Munich Airport Center (MAC) which has plenty of options to entertain. The MAC Forum is the open-air area between both terminals but with a large covering to keep visitors dry.
Of course, travellers can find the usual offerings such as shopping, duty-free, currency conversion, ATM’s, restaurants, bars, free WiFi, and lounge areas. But visitors can also enjoy the Visitors Park which incorporates a Visitors Hill. The Visitors Hill, or Besucherpark, is an outdoor area where travellers can enjoy views of planes taking off and landing, three aircraft exhibitions, and a restaurant and bar to relax in. There is even a continent-themed playground for kids to explore before playing on the rope slide and mini-golf course. For adults, you may be interested in the only airport brewery in the world – Airbräu!
For those who have made their way to the terminal building, there is an additional viewing area in Terminal 2 that has a glass balcony. It is accessible landside so passengers can wait here with any friends or family that are there to say goodbye. Every year there is also a winter market in the MAC Forum which has a transformation into a festive-themed spectacle. This area has even started an annual surfing competition! All in all, there is plenty to keep travellers occupied when visiting Munich International Airport!
Those wishing to sleep at Munich Airport have a few options. For comfort and convenience, there are ‘Napcabs‘ in Terminal 2. These allow hourly rates for a bed and work area in a quiet cabin area. The minimum stay is 2 hours, which could be as cheap as €20 due to €10/hour rates from 10PM-6AM (€15/hour at other times). Although they are available 24 hours a day, they are only available for travellers who can get airside (i.e. after security) at Terminal 2. Otherwise, you can make use of the Hilton hotel which is between terminals, or the Novotel which is not far from Terminal 1. Terminal 2 also has several seating areas airside without armrests allowing passengers to sleep in the terminal on seats.
Shower facilities are plentiful, in particular for Star Alliance business travellers. Many Lufthansa lounges have shower facilities, as do the publicly available Airport Lounge World in Terminal 1, and the Emirates Lounge, also in Terminal 1. For those who don’t have lounge access, and don’t want to pay for it, passengers can make use of public showers for €15 (plus €20 deposit) in the MAC and Terminal 2. The facility provides towels, shower gel, and shampoo, and you get access for two hours. Travellers will need to exit the airside area to gain admittance so a visa may be necessary depending on your nationality.
Luggage storage is available at the airport for reasonable prices allowing passengers to explore the airport and MAC without being weighed down with luggage. There are two locations. One in Terminal 2 nearby to the tax refund area, and one at the service centre in Terminal 1 on level 3. It will cost €3.50 for a large item (up to 20kg) for 3 hours of storage, or €5 for 24 hours. Hand luggage storage is possible for €2.50/€4 per item for 3/24hrs. If you lose your luggage ticket, you will need to pay a €10 fee.
Munich Airport Terminal Layout
Terminal 1
The original terminal building is home to all the non-Star Alliance airlines except for Turkish Airlines. It is unlike Terminal 2 as it is not of a hub design and is instead divided into five ‘sub-terminals’ or Modules. These act as independent areas when airside (i.e. when travellers pass through security) so you cannot use facilities in Module A if departing from Module C. Schengen-area flights depart from Module A and Module D, with Module B and Module C handling non-Schengen services. The fifth module, Module E, handles incoming flights only.
Terminal 2
Terminal 2 is exclusively for the use of Lufthansa partner airlines, and those flying with the German flag-carrier are well looked after. The newer terminal boasts twelve Lufthansa lounges for its passengers and Star Alliance partners. Flyers who don’t benefit from lounge access can still enjoy a high standard of transit with the terminal operating as a hub. Travellers with connecting flights will find it easy to navigate as they arrive into the same area as departures.
Terminal 2 Satellite
Lufthansa partly funded the construction of the satellite building to avoid Terminal 2 becoming over-capacity. Nonetheless, Terminal 2 will carry out all baggage and check-in procedures before passengers move to the satellite terminal. Transportation is by automated shuttles running in tunnels between the two buildings. As passengers will be checked-in by the time they arrive at Terminal 2 satellite, all facilities in the area are for airside travellers only.
Munich Airport Connections
As the airport is some distance from Munich city itself, all transport options will take 40-60 minutes to travel between the two. Passengers can choose from several options to get to Munich, with public transport possible thanks to rail and bus. If looking to go further afield, getting to the nearby city of Freising will allow onward travel via regional train services provided by DB.
Bus: Lufthansa runs an express bus service between the airport terminals and the MAC, to Munich Nord and Munich Hauptbahnhof, the central railway station. The ticket costs €10.50 if booked online (or €11 from the driver) for adults and €5.50 online/€6 onboard for children (6-14). Returns are available for €17 online (€18 from the driver) and €11 online/€12 onboard for children. If travelling the full distance, it will take approximately 45 minutes. Buses run every 15 minutes and are available to anyone, regardless of the airline they are flying. Alternatively, local towns and cities are accessible by the local MVV bus services. For longer distance travel, Flixbus operate services from Terminal 2.
Car: Car hire is available for travellers from both terminals by accessing the Rental Center in the MAC complex between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. All major operators have a presence here as well as German company Buchbinder. Travel throughout Germany and central Europe is easy thanks to the nearby Autobahn 92.
For taxi services, it will cost roughly €70 due to the distance required to travel, if headed for Munich city. This price may be higher or lower depending on the traffic and time of day you go. A flat fare of €63 is in place for travel between Munich Airport and the New Munich Exhibition Centre and vice versa.
Rail: The Munich Airport Terminal station is underneath the MAC. There is a second train station at the nearby Besucherpark (Visitors Park) for any travellers staying at the Novotel. There are two S-Bahn services to Munich city which take around 45 minutes to travel the full rail length. The S1 line stops at stations on the west of the Munich, while the S8 stops at eastern stations. Departures are every 10 minutes or so. Tickets cost €11.50 when travelling to Munich Hauptbahnhof, the central railway station. If you have further onward travel by rail in Bavaria, consider a Bavaria Ticket from DB which allows reduced travel costs throughout the region.
Connections
One of the reasons that Skytrax has rated Munich Airport as a 5-star airport is due to the blisteringly quick connection times for passengers. It is just a 30-minute minimum for passengers to connect to their onward journey. These are for Star Alliance flights, and the low connection time is thanks to the input Lufthansa had in the construction of Terminal 2. That said, Terminal 1 connections are also a low 40-minute minimum.
In all cases, tickets booked with the airline directly, or through Online Travel Agents will have the minimum transit time already considered. If, however, you are performing a self-transfer, where you purchase separate tickets from two airlines, you may need to give yourself more time. When connecting between terminals, you can make use of the free shuttle bus which connects the two terminals which depart every 10 minutes. If crossing between non-Schengen and Schengen flights (i.e. arriving from Paris with onward travel to Bangkok), you will need additional time to go through immigration too.
Munich Airport Lounges
With Lufthansa having such a strong presence at Munich airport, it should be no surprise that those flying with Star Alliance have the choice of many lounges. In fact, there are a whopping twelve Lufthansa branded lounges to choose from, albeit with differing access levels (First Class vs Business). The airline host every lounge in Terminal 2. In addition, there are some non-airline lounges in both terminals, as well as Emirates and Air France lounges in Terminal 1. British Airways closed their lounge in 2018 leaving no Oneworld partner presence meaning Oneworld frequent flyers should look to the non-affiliated “Airport Lounge” brands for comfort.
Terminal 1 Lounges
Eurowings Lounge
Located near Gate A9
Airport Lounge Europe
Located near Gates D6/7
Airport Lounge World* (this lounge has shower facilities)
Located near Gate B10
The Emirates Lounge* (this lounge has shower facilities)
Located near Gate C5
Air France Lounge
Located near Gate D8
Terminal 2 Lounges (a * denotes non-Schengen)
Lufthansa First Class Lounge* (this lounge has shower facilities)
Located near Gate G21 and Gate H21
Lufthansa Senator Lounge (this lounge has shower facilities)
Located near Gate G28
Lufthansa Senator Lounge (this lounge has shower facilities)
Located near Gate G24
Lufthansa Senator Lounge* (this lounge has shower facilities)
Located near Gate H24
Lufthansa Senator Cafe Lounge
Located near Gate G28
Lufthansa Business Lounge (this lounge has shower facilities)
Located near Gate G28
Lufthansa Business Lounge* (this lounge has shower facilities)
Located near Gate H24
Lufthansa Delights to Go (not a full lounge, but provides snacks and a hot drink for your journey)
Located near Gate G19
Terminal 2 Satellite Lounges (a * denotes non-Schengen)
Lufthansa First Class Lounge (this lounge has shower facilities)
Located near Gate K11 and Gate L11
Lufthansa Senator Lounge* (this lounge has shower facilities)
Located near Gate L11
Lufthansa Senator Lounge (this lounge has shower facilities)
Located near Gate K11
Lufthansa Business Lounge (this lounge has shower facilities)
Located near Gate K11
Lufthansa Business Lounge*
Located near Gate L11