The third largest in Germany and the first in the federal state of Bavaria is Munich. The city, whose sights belong to different historical layers, is the capital of Bavaria. To visit all the remarkable places of the city, it is best to use the subway. However, this type of transport is not similar to Moscow or St. Petersburg. It is not enough to throw a token into the slot of the turnstile in order to then ride along any lines for at least a whole day.
In punctual Germany and the subway to match the national spirit. There are zones on which the ticket price depends. How many lines are in the Munich metro? How to find out the necessary station names? And how to understand at which station you need to get off in order to quickly get to the sights of the city? We will answer all these questions in this article.
Does a tourist need the subway for sightseeing in Munich?
CapitalBavaria is huge in size. But most of the sights are concentrated in Altstadt - the historical center of Dusseldorf. This is the Munich as it was at the time when it was surrounded by fortifications. Therefore, there is no need to rent a car for sightseeing in Altstadt. Parking is paid and expensive. The old city has been declared a car-free zone. Therefore, its sights will have to be explored on foot.
In terms of its size, old Munich is a small city (its sights are mostly built in the Baroque style). Fortified with Bavarian beer from time to time, it can be seen in a few hours. All you have to do is arrive at the Marienplatz metro station (lines 3 and 6).
Maria's Square is the heart of Munich. All tourist groups begin their acquaintance with the city from Marienplatz. In general, to see the Altstadt, you do not need to go down the subway. All attractions are within walking distance. But the museums of Munich are taken out of the historical center. Three world-famous Pinakotheks, the Glyptothek and other interesting collections of collections are compactly located in the Maxvorstadt district. You can also get to it by bus number 1000 - "Museinline", but the metro will be faster.
What you need to know about public transport in Munich
In the city, in addition to the underground metro, which is designated "U-Bann" (U-Bahn), there are also surface trains "Es-Bann" (S-Bahn), as well as buses and trams familiar to everyone. It is noteworthy that for all typespublic transport is valid single ticket. This is very convenient as it allows you to change from the Munich metro, whose scheme covers the entire city, to a tram, bus or Es-Bann.
All transport runs with purely German punctuality, minute by minute, as the schedule indicates. The metro starts running at four in the morning, and ends at one in the morning on weekdays (at 02:00 on weekends and holidays). And immediately after that, night buses and trams go on the route. So you can move around the city by public transport at any time of the day, ignoring expensive taxis. But it is important to know some of the features of such movement.
Munich metro areas
At every public transport ticket vending machine, at any subway station or stop, you can see a map of the city, on which four circles are superimposed. In the center, the color of the disk is white, a little further - green, then there is a yellow rim and, finally, red. These colors represent the zones. Moving between them affects the fare.
Munich Metro is also subject to zoning. Traveling two stations on the subway or four stops on the tram or bus will cost 1 euro and 40 cents. But the ticket is valid for an hour. You can not make the way back and forth on one ticket, you have to buy another ticket. There is one fare for moving around the white zone ("Innerraum"). If you cross two, three, or go to the distant suburbs of Munich, it’s completely different. Violationof these rules is subject to a fine of 40 euros.
Which ticket to buy if traveling in a group
Fares are also affected by how many people are traveling together. This is German know-how, it works both on German railways and in the Munich metro. The scheme is quite simple: the more people in the group, the cheaper the fare for one passenger. Such group tickets are called “Partner-Tageskarte” (for one day) and “Partner-City-Tour-Card” (there are for 1 or three days). The latter option gives you the opportunity not only to travel by public transport, but also to receive discounts on visits to more than sixty Munich attractions.
However, the number of partners in such a group should not exceed five people. A ticket for the day is not valid for twenty-four hours, but from the moment of composting until six in the morning of the next day. The cost of the "Partner-Tageskart" varies depending on the coverage of the zones: moving within one ("Innerraum") will cost 11 euros and 70 cents, 14.80 € - in "Ausenraum", 22.30 Є - for the whole city.
There is also such an option for those traveling with a group - a group ticket for three days. But it is valid only for the inner (white) zone of Munich. Such a ticket costs 27 euros and 10 cents.
How to get around the city as a lone traveler?
Germans actively use the discounts provided for groups. On social networks, they look for fellow travelers and go on excursions. In our case, this is not always possible. Whatwhat should a lone tourist do, what kind of tickets should he buy? The Munich metro is a special system.
It should be noted that about 90% of the city's attractions are located in the inner zone. Therefore, it is best to buy a "Streifenkarte" - a ticket consisting of ten stripes. Each gives the right to travel two metro stations or four stops by land transport. A ticket costs 13 euros, has no expiration date restrictions. Two strips should be composted within the inner zone, four strips outside it. Keep in mind that if you are under the age of twenty, you are en titled to benefits. You can move within the inner zone by spending just one bar.
Munich Metro
Strangely enough, the third largest city in Germany acquired its own subway relatively recently - in 1972. The opening of the subway was timed to coincide with the Olympics, held in Munich. But in the new U-Bann, even during its planning, all the amenities for people with limited mobility were provided. And this was appreciated by people who visited the old metro of Paris with its endless narrow stairs.
Munich metro stations are devoid of excessive decoration, but very functional. There are information boards, seats for waiting for the train. The trains run at intervals of five minutes at peak times and a quarter of an hour at other times.
Subway length
Munich Metro, whose scheme looks like a tangle of multi-colored lines with protruding ends, coversover a hundred kilometers. But only one branch goes outside the city - U6, which goes north to Garching.
Metro has a hundred stations. About 90% of the routes are underground. The Munich metro consists of six lines - you can get to almost all areas of the city. They differ in numbers (from one to six) and color.
Can I get lost?
Six lines, one hundred kilometers of tracks, the same number of stations involuntarily inspire fear: is it possible to get lost in the Munich metro? Its scheme seems confusing only at first glance. All six branches with the seventh under construction (it is already indicated in the plan) pass through the center. Most of the lines go through the railway station. For a tourist, this is extremely convenient, since you do not need to make any transfers if you are heading to the historical part of the city.
Outside the inner zone, the lines diverge with forks. Lines one and three follow to the Olympic Quarter. To Teresa's Meadow, where the Oktoberfest celebrations take place, four and five. But the castles of Nymphenburg and Bluttenburg are best reached by tram. From the nearest metro station Moosach (line 3) you will have to walk fifteen minutes or more.
How to validate tickets
At every metro station or ground transport stop there are ticket vending machines. The purchased ticket must be validated. Special machines are located on the platform of the station or at the entrance to it. There are no turnstiles in the subway. However, stowaways are caught by controllers. If you have already validated your travel pass and the deadlineits action (one hour for a regular coupon) has not yet ended, the second time you do not punch it. When entering the bus, you must present such a ticket to the driver.
Thanks to 100% equipment of the stations with elevators, travolators and escalators, as well as a well-thought-out transfer system, the Munich metro is considered one of the most convenient in Europe.
