Flights to Munich — What to Expect
Munich Airport (MUC) is one of Europe's busiest and best-connected hubs, handling around 48 million passengers a year. It sits about 28km northeast of the city centre, and unlike some European airports that dump you in an industrial wasteland, MUC is genuinely well-run — clear signage, fast immigration for EU travellers, and excellent onward transport. Flights to Munich land here from virtually every major European city, plus long-haul routes from North America, the Middle East, and Asia. If you're hunting cheap flights to Munich from within Europe, you'll typically find the best deals flying into MUC rather than the smaller Munich-area alternatives, since budget carriers concentrate their routes here.
For flights from London to Munich, expect to pay anywhere from €50 to €180 return in economy when booking 4–8 weeks ahead — Ryanair, EasyJet, and Lufthansa all compete hard on this route, which keeps prices reasonable outside peak season. From Paris, Amsterdam, or Madrid, Munich flight deals regularly appear in the €60–€150 return range. Lufthansa dominates as the home carrier and often matches budget airline prices when you book early, with the added benefit of better luggage allowances. British Airways, Air France, KLM, Wizz Air, and Eurowings also serve Munich regularly. If you're flexible on dates, midweek departures — particularly Tuesday and Wednesday — tend to produce the lowest fares on most booking engines.
Best Time to Visit Munich
April and May are genuinely the sweet spot for visiting Munich. Temperatures settle around 18–19°C, the beer gardens reopen (a serious local event), and crowds at the Marienplatz and Nymphenburg Palace haven't yet hit their summer peak. You'll get long daylight hours and a city that feels energised after winter without the tour-group chaos of July. October is also excellent in the first two weeks — crisp air, golden foliage in the Englischer Garten, and a city that's slightly exhaled after Oktoberfest. September deserves a specific note: late September and early October means Oktoberfest, which runs for roughly 16 days straddling the two months. If you're going for that, book accommodation six months out minimum — prices triple and rooms disappear entirely. If you're not going for Oktoberfest, avoid those dates entirely unless you enjoy navigating crowds of six million people in lederhosen.
Summer (June to August) brings Munich's warmest weather — around 22–24°C — but also its wettest. June averages 13 wet days, and afternoon thunderstorms are common in July and August. It's still a good time to visit if you want outdoor swimming at the Isar river or the Eisbach surf wave, but expect queues at major museums and premium hotel rates. Winter (November to March) is cold and frequently snowy, with temperatures sometimes hitting -4°C or lower. That said, Munich's Christmas markets (late November to Christmas Eve) are among the best in Germany — the one at Marienplatz and the medieval market at Wittelsbacherplatz are both worth the cold. January and February are the quietest and cheapest months to visit, good for budget travellers who don't mind bundling up.
Getting Around Munich
From the airport, the S-Bahn S1 and S8 lines run directly to Munich city centre (Marienplatz or Hauptbahnhof) in around 40 minutes and cost approximately €13.60 for a single ticket. The Lufthansa Airport Bus also connects MUC to the city in 45 minutes for a similar fare. Taxis run around €60–€80 to the centre depending on traffic — not worth it unless you're splitting costs or arriving very late. Within the city, Munich's U-Bahn (underground), S-Bahn, trams, and buses form an integrated network that covers everything you'll want to visit. A day ticket (Tageskarte) costs around €9.20 for the inner zones and is good value if you're making more than three journeys. The MVV app handles ticketing cleanly. Munich is also very cycleable — the city has extensive bike lanes, and rental bikes are available through the MVGmeinRad scheme and several private operators for around €10–€15 per day.
Where to Stay in Munich
The Altstadt-Lehel neighbourhood puts you within walking distance of the Marienplatz, the Viktualienmarkt, and the main museums — expect to pay €150–€300 per night for a decent mid-range hotel. It's the most convenient base but also the priciest. Maxvorstadt, just north of the old town, is where the museums cluster (Deutsches Museum, Alte Pinakothek, Neue Pinakothek) and has a younger, more local feel with cheaper guesthouses from around €80–€120. Schwabing is Munich's traditional bohemian quarter — good restaurants, leafy streets, and the Englischer Garten on your doorstep. Mid-range hotels here run €100–€180. Budget travellers should look at Sendling or around Hauptbahnhof (the main train station), where hostel beds start at €25 and budget hotels from €60 — it's functional rather than charming, but the transport links are unbeatable. During Oktoberfest, add 100–200% to every price category across the board.
Top Things to Do in Munich
- Englischer Garten: One of the world's largest urban parks — bigger than Central Park — with beer gardens, a Japanese tea house, and the famous Eisbach river wave where surfers ride a standing wave year-round. Free entry, locals treat it as a living room.
- Marienplatz and the Glockenspiel: The central square is Munich's heart. The Neues Rathaus Glockenspiel performs at 11am and noon daily (also 5pm in summer) — worth watching once. The tower viewing platform gives you the best rooftop view of the city.
- Viktualienmarkt: Munich's daily produce market, running since 1807. Buy Weisswurst, fresh pretzels, and a Masskrug of beer at the central beer garden. It's touristy but the quality is real.
- Deutsches Museum: The world's largest science and technology museum, on its own island in the Isar. Genuinely fascinating even if you're not a science person — the mining section and the historic aircraft collection alone justify a half day.
- Nymphenburg Palace: The summer residence of the Bavarian monarchs, with baroque interiors and manicured gardens. The Palace Museum inside contains Ludwig II's sleigh collection, which is more impressive than it sounds.
- Hofbräuhaus and the beer garden circuit: The Hofbräuhaus is touristy by definition, but it's architecturally impressive and the beer is the real thing. For a more local experience, head to the Augustiner-Keller beer garden in Maxvorstadt or the Chinesischer Turm beer garden in the Englischer Garten.
Practical Travel Tips
Visas: EU and EEA citizens need only a valid ID card to enter Germany — no passport required. UK citizens (post-Brexit) need a valid passport but no visa for stays up to 90 days within any 180-day period. From 2026, UK and other non-EU visitors will need to register under the EU's ETIAS scheme before travel — check the official ETIAS website for current requirements as implementation timelines have shifted. Currency: Germany uses the euro (€). Card payments are widely accepted in Munich, but cash is still preferred at many traditional restaurants, market stalls, and smaller beer gardens — carry €20–€40 in cash as backup. Tipping: Not as rigid as in the US, but tipping 5–10% at sit-down restaurants is standard. Round up taxi fares. You tip directly to the server when paying, not by leaving cash on the table. Safety: Munich is one of the safest major cities in Europe. The main thing to watch is bicycle lanes — pedestrians who wander into them will be firmly corrected by cyclists. Pickpocketing does occur around Hauptbahnhof and during Oktoberfest, so use a money belt in crowded situations. Language: English is widely spoken in hotels, restaurants, and tourist areas. Learning a few German basics (Bitte, Danke, Entschuldigung) goes a long way in local neighbourhoods.
FAQ — Flights to Munich
How much do flights to Munich cost?
From most Western European cities, return flights to Munich typically range from €60 to €200 depending on the airline, booking window, and season. Midweek departures booked 4–6 weeks in advance usually yield the best prices. During Oktoberfest (late September to early October) and the summer peak (July–August), prices rise significantly — budget an extra 30–50% compared to shoulder season rates. Last-minute Munich flight deals do occasionally appear on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but during Oktoberfest you'll find almost nothing cheap under two months out.
Which airlines fly to Munich?
Lufthansa is the dominant carrier at Munich Airport and offers the most frequencies from across Europe and beyond. Budget options include Ryanair (from Dublin, London Stansted, and several other European cities), EasyJet (from London Gatwick, Bristol, Edinburgh, and others), Wizz Air (from Eastern European cities), and Eurowings. British Airways operates flights from London Heathrow, Air France from Paris CDG, and KLM from Amsterdam. For long-haul travellers, Emirates, Qatar Airways, and United also serve MUC directly.
What is the cheapest month to fly to Munich?
January and February are consistently the cheapest months for flights to Munich, with return fares from London sometimes dipping below €50 on budget carriers. November (excluding Christmas market weekends) and early March also offer low fares. The most expensive periods are late September and early October (Oktoberfest), July and August, and the Christmas market weeks in late November and December. If your dates are flexible, use Google Flights' price calendar view to spot the cheapest windows — a difference of three or four days can mean saving €50–€80 on a return flight.
How long is the flight to Munich from London?
Direct flights from London (Heathrow, Gatwick, or Stansted) to Munich take approximately 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours. From Paris it's around 1 hour 35 minutes, from Amsterdam roughly 1 hour 40 minutes, and from Madrid about 2 hours 45 minutes. All major routes from Western Europe operate as direct services — there's no reason to take a connecting flight to Munich from anywhere in Western or Central Europe unless you're chasing a specific deal.