This is an in-depth guide on how to use the S-Bahn to travel from Munich airport to the center of the city.
The S-Bahn is one of two means of public transportation connecting airport and city center. The other is the Lufthansa Airport Express Bus, which I discuss separately.
Two S-Bahn lines connect the airport and the city center: S1 and S8. Thinking of their routes as a circle, you could say that S1 is running clockwise and S8 is running counter-clockwise. Travel time to Munich’s central square, Marienplatz, is roughly 45-50 minutes, depending on which line you take.
What Is the S-Bahn?
The S-Bahn is a suburban rail system operated in many cities across Germany. All the lines go into the center of Munich, but then branch out in different directions. (For the curious, S-Bahn is an abbreviation for „Stadtbahn“, city rail, that was first used in Berlin.)
The S-Bahn mainly travels aboveground. Between Munich central station and Munich east station, however, it runs through a tunnel. It stops more frequently than a regional train, but less frequently than a city subway.
When travelling between the center of Munich and the Munich airport, the S-Bahn is the only train link. Unlike in other German cities, regional and long-distance trains originating in or approaching Munich, do not stop at the airport. There is, however, a regional train that runs from the airport to the city of Regensburg via Freising.
Should I Take S1 or S8?
This depends on where you want to go. If in doubt, check Google Maps or another mapping tool of your choice for the best way to reach your destination.
Both lines hit all the central stops on the S-Bahn corridor between Laim in the west and Ostbahnhof in the east. S8, thanks to its routing, also stops in Pasing, in the west.
If you just want to get into central Munich, I would suggest taking the first S-Bahn that comes along.
If you want to go somewhere on the northern part of U2, S1 might be a better choice. You will be able to connect to U2 at Feldmoching. This will be quicker than taking S8 to the central station and changing to U2 for a northbound trip.
Where to Catch the S-Bahn at Munich Airport?
At Munich airport, there is only one train station, and it only has one platform with two tracks. Both lines arrive at and depart from this platform. In the terminal buildings, follow the signs for the S-Bahn (a white S in a green circle).
Do check the information signs on the platform and the direction indicators on the train before boarding a train, as there are occasional local trains to and from other parts of Bavaria (e.g., Regensburg).
The S-Bahn trains, unless they are covered in graffiti or advertising, will typically say „S-Bahn München“ on the side of the carriages.
S-Bahn Tickets
You must have a ticket before going to the platform. You can buy it from the DB Navigator app (useful if you are planning to travel around Germany by train) or from a ticket machine. Ticket machines work in multiple languages and accept card payments. To note: if you are going into Munich (and not far beyond), you are travelling within the local transportation MVV network. The ticket machines at the airport, however, are DB ticket machines whose primary function is to sell you DB tickets – for the national train network.
Confusing? Yeah! Incomprehensible? No. Here’s how you do it.
Where Are the Ticket Machines?
In Terminal 1, the ticket machines are in the Munich Airport Center (Z area in the center of the terminal). You really cannot miss them, though the area can get pretty crowded. There is also a staffed counter, though I suspect the people are there to sell you train tickets to destinations outside of Munich. But if you really aren’t getting anywhere with the machines, approach them for help!
In Terminal 2, walk straight ahead from the arrivals hall towards Terminal 1. As you get to the doors opening onto the plaza, there are three ticket machines on your right-hand side.
If in doubt, look for the pretty big Sparkasse on your right. This is a bank that also has ATMs.
How to Buy A Ticket?
Approach a machine and you should see this:
The machine’s default setting is to sell you a train ticket to somewhere in Germany. So if you start to enter „Marienplatz“, you will get all sorts of suggested destinations – but not Munich’s central square. Bummer.
You might end up thinking this machine will, at best, sell you a ticket to Munich’s central station (München Hbf).
Don’t despair just yet. Go back to the start screen and select MVV offers, or perhaps the day ticket.
On the next screen, you are offered the whole menu of available tickets. For a point-to-point ticket to your destination, select „Start and destination“. For a trip to your accommodation in Munich and additional travel on the same day, select „Airport-City-Day-Ticket“.
(The CityTourCard will also give you access to museums and attractions. Calculate carefully whether it’s really worth the money. 😬)
Now that you are within the MVV network, the machine will let you select stops in Munich. In this case, I tried searching for Isartor, which is near Marienplatz.
Assuming you opted for a day ticket from the airport into town, you can now choose between a Single (one person) or Group (2-5 adults). Then proceed straight to payment, or add more tickets.
Airport-City-Day-Ticket are valid immediately. Just make your way to the platform and be on your way. For a point-to-point ticket, you can choose to have it validated for immediate travel. These tickets have a limited validity, so don’t make a 2-hour food break first!
All paper tickets that have not been validated for immediate travel must be inserted it into a small blue box that is placed by the stairs, escalators and elevators taking you to the platform.
What Ticket Should I Purchase?
If you just want to get to your accommodation and not take any additional trips on the same day, get a single-trip ticket for zones M-5 (€14.30 per person, as of September 2025).
If you arrive in the morning and you know you will be out and about on public transportation for the rest of the day, get a day ticket. For zones M-5 (= Airport-City-Day-Ticket), they cost €16.30 for an individual, or €30.50 for a group of up to five people (kids under 6 travel free, and between 6 and 14 years of age, two kids count as one adult). You can use this day ticket for however many trips you like in zones M through 5 until it expires at 6 AM the next day.
If you need to go somewhere in a zone beyond 5, choose the day-ticket button and select all the zones you need.
Note of Caution
The S-Bahn can be unreliable. Munich residents joke that there is a service disruption whenever it’s too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry, as soon as there is even one snowflake or one leaf on the ground … And seriously, there are frequent signal failures, door issues, electricity-line problems etc. But other times it works perfectly.
Personally, whenever I travel to the airport by S-Bahn, I allow extra time. I go out at least one train (20 minutes) earlier than I would have to. This is just to be on the safe side.
If you are travelling on a tight schedule, my suggestion would be to take the Lufthansa Airport Bus instead.
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