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Explained: The Lufthansa Express Bus to Munich Airport

by Flight relatedGeneralKnow Before You Go

What is the Lufthansa Express Bus?

Lufthansa Express Bus is a bus shuttle service that connects Munich International Airport – Franz Josef Strauss with the city of Munich (Main Station).
This bus is one of four ways to get from the airport to the city. In this article I would like to show you how to use the Lufthansa Express Bus, how much it costs and if it is a good alternative to the other services.

1. Is the bus for Lufthansa customers only?

Although it may seem so, the bus is available to all travelers, no matter whether they arrived at Munich Airport on a Lufthansa or Star Alliance flight. It is run just by Lufthansa in cooperation with a local bus operator.

The bus is a convenient way to get from the airport to the city

2. How much does the bus cost?

The prices are quite fair and you can purchase a “return ticket”, so you can not only go to Munich but also get back to the airport. The return ticket is “open”, which means you can use the shuttle bus back to the airport when you want, while return tickets of the public transport always have a time limit (e.g. 3 or 4 days).

Here are the prices (including all taxes and fees) as of Jan. 2021:

These are the prices for an online purchase through the official Lufthansa Express Bus website. Of course you can buy tickets from the driver, but the tickets will cost additional 0.50 € (one-way) or 1.00 € (return). So the online purchase is not significantly cheaper than buying your ticket from the driver.

3. Where does the bus stop?

The bus has six stops in total. Two of them are located in the city of Munich. The other four are the different stops at the airport terminals.

3. How long does the bus take to Munich Main Station?

The bus uses the same route as the cars, so you’ll reach Munich downtown in about 40 minutes, depending on traffic.

5. Additional Information

You can find more Information about the Lufthansa Express Bus and purchase tickets online on the official website: https://www.airportbus-muenchen.de/en

5 travel predictions for Munich and Bavaria 2021

by Flight dealsFlight relatedhotel dealsKnow Before You Go

What will happen to tourism in the year 2021 in Munich and Bavaria?

The year 2020 was dominated by the Covid 19 pandemic. The global tourism industry came to an almost complete halt. Starting in the second half of the year, the situation in Europe recovered again, but tourism remained at a much lower level than before Covid. But how will things continue in 2021? How will Munich, Bavaria and Germany continue in terms of tourism? I dare to take a look into the magic crystal sphere and give a few predictions for tourism in 2021 and 2022:

1. Focus on local guests and guests from neighbouring countries

Although travel restrictions will be lifted as the corona pandemic fades away and international travel will increase again, the next years tourists from far away countries like the USA, Australia, India, China or Russia will only play a secondary role. Especially Germans and Europeans (especially from nearby countries such as Austria, France, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Scandinavia and England) will be the main target group of tourists. The hotel and restaurant industry will probably respond to this. In particular hotels, which have a special target group, e.g. Chinese or Russian guests will have to change their approach if required.

2. More expensive air travel

After international air traffic, and especially air travel, came to a complete standstill, the airlines reacted with drastic measures.

The majority of aircraft fleets were mothballed, sold or even scrapped. If the number of passengers now increases, this initially means a shortage of the available seats. Especially on popular travel routes, such as New York – Munich, Los Angeles – Munich or Bangkok – Munich, this will lead to a much higher demand for seats than available. After all, long-haul flights in particular are likely to be more expensive than short and medium-haul flights. This will have an impact on the number of long-haul travellers (see point 1).

3. expanding loyalty programs

The trend towards the creation of loyalty programs will continue. Something that was previously only operated by very large hotel chains now appears to have also arrived at the medium-sized hotel chains. Everywhere you can see the creation of new loyalty programs and the competition for frequent travelers.

But this development will probably also separate the wheat from the chaff. Because not every loyalty program is worth to be used. The Hotel chains will have to focus on providing members with a real advantage compared to “ regular travelers“, but at the same time not losing any money through free upgrades, and cash benefits.

At the same time, there may be so-called „fare wars“, which means that the hotels outbid each other with (free) additional services or more attractive rates. Travelers will also take a closer look at loyalty programs. Only those programs that really offer a benefit, much lower rates or where the collection of points, miles or nights does not degenerate into a mammoth task, are accepted. Programs that will not offer any value will probably be punished by the customers. Especially the trigger word „according to availability“ will surely play a big role here, because it makes a big difference for travelers whether a late checkout is guaranteed or just possible and in reality hardly ever available.

4. Increase in "couponing"

Flash-sales, discount coupons, black-something-sales will gain in significance. In order to avoid or at least to soften the possible oversupply of hotel accommodation (especially outside of usual vacation and travel periods), there will be special sales with coupons and similar things. Possibly this will also be combined with loyalty programs (see point 3).This will often result in very good prices for travelers. But here, too, the customers will have a close eye and hotels with „fake deals“ will have a hard time.

5. Flexible cancellation regulations

Especially in Germany, the topic of „travel cancellation“ was a huge issue. In 2019, Germans were in third place among the countries whose citizens travelled the most (1st place: USA, 2nd place: China, 4th place: UK). In 2020, the value of the trips booked probably totaled several hundred billion US dollars.

And then came Covid-19. Hotels closed, borders closed, flights were cancelled, and all travelers asked themselves „How do I get my money back?

When the travel market reopened slightly, hotels in particular responded with flexible cancellation options, sometimes until a few hours before arrival. Travellers are getting used to this and I believe the flexible cancellation policy will play a big role in the post-covid travel era.

Covid19-Crisis: German borders to be opened on june 15th.

by General

The Super 8 Munich West (by Wyndham)

[osmapper id="966"]

Adress: Landsberger Str. 270, 80687 Munich, Germany
Telephone: +49 (0) 89 558 983 70

Nearby Airports:

  • Munich International (MUC) – 40 km / 25 mi (ca. 30-45 min by car, 45-55 min by public transport)
  • Memmingen Airport (FMM) (aka Munich West) – 108 km / 67 mi (ca. 1 hour by car, 2 hrs. by public transport)

The Super 8 Munich West (by Wyndham) is one of two Super 8 hotels in Munich. The hotel is not located in the inner city, but has  a very good connection to the city centre as well as to Munich International airport, as the urban rail station is around the corner. The hotel has double rooms, a rather small lounge with a coffeshop and a quite huge breakfast room. The Super 8 is located in Munich’s west, a mostly residential district. It’s clear this hotel is made for business travellers and travellers on a budget.

There are only double rooms available, which can be also used for single occupancy. The hotel is mid sized compared to the number of rooms. All rooms feature en suite baths with a shower, a hairdryer, and bath amenities (bulk).

The Super 8 Munich West Hotel doesn’t feature a full restaurant, but there is a small coffeeshop in the lobby, where you can order a beverage and a snack. Ideal for business travellers to meet after a day full of work and have a drink before going to bed.

 

The Super 8 Munich West is a well rated business/mid-range hotel. It gets good ratings in the different portals:

  • Trivago: 8.3 out of 10.0 (Very Good)
  • Tripadvisor: 4.0 out of 5.0 (Very Good)
  • Hotelscombined: 7.8 out of 10.0 (Good)

What people like:

  • The close proximity to the urban rail station Laim (good connections to the city centre and Munich International Airport)
  • The breakfast
  • The cleanliness of the rooms and the good work of the housekeeping staff

What people dislike:

  • the loud and sometimes crowded breakfast room
  • visitors sometimes indicate that the reception staff is not always 100% polite and courteous
  • The lack of parking possibilities (on-street metered parking; too few parking spots available)

What to know:

  • The Super 8 Munich West doesn’t have a full restaurant. But you can order drinks and snacks at the lobby coffeeshop/bar.
  • The district around the hotel is a residential district so there are not as many possibilities to go out dining around the hotel as you would get at a more centrally located hotel.
  • Bar/coffeeshop
  • Restaurant
  • 24/7 reception
  • Free WiFi in rooms and lobby
  • Breakfast available (ca. 9 EUR / 10 USD per person and day)
  • Bath amenities
  • Iron/Board
  • In-room safe
  • Free coffee/tea
  • Air conditioning & heating
  • Cable/Satellite TV

Laim district:

Laim is located in the western part of the city and mainly a residential district. Additionally there are some industrial/commercial areas (mainly car garages, car dealers) along Landsberger Street. This street (also named Bundesstraße 2 – Federal Road No. 2) is a major road for commuters. So expect lot’s of rush hour traffic during weekdays.

Dining out:

restaurants and bars are available but limited. Most of the restaurants and bars can be found in Fürstenrieder Street.

The best options for dining out in walking distance to the Super 8 Munich West are a steakhouse (Asado), an Italian restaurant (Il Cortile), a Greek restaurant (Tou Bakali), and a Chinese restaurant (Hakeyo House).
Fast food options are also avilable. Within walking distance you will find Mc Donalds, Döner Kebab (Beste Döner) and a bit further a Subway.
Coffeshops: There is a coffeeshop (San Francisco Coffee Company – SFCC) ca. 350 metres / 380 yards from the hotel.

Supermarkets:

There are supermarkets within walking distance. You will find a REWE (normal supermarket) and an ALDI (discount supermarket) ca. 700 metres / 770 yards from the hotel near the commuter station.

Is the area safe?

Yes, the area and quarter around the Super 8 Munich West is generally a safe area. Yet its is not a prosperous quarter with wealthy inhabitants. Further uptown Landsberger Street (approx. 700 metres / 770 yards) there is a brothel and a nightclub/table dance club. This area might not be suitable for children and families during the nighttime.

The Super 8 Munich West (by Wyndham) is a good business/mid-range hotel. As it is located in Munich’s Laim district you can expect lower prices than for hotels in the inner city of Munich. Prices per double room start at ca. 55 USD per night in the low season and can reach approx. 150 USD in the high season. Of course there are some dates thoughout the year where Munich hotels are nearly fully booked (e.g. trade fairs). Prices can then rise to ca. 220 USD per room and night for the Super 8, too.

You can book directly via the official website:

Getting to the Super 8 Munich West is really easy. You can get there

  • By public transport
    The urban rail (S-Bahn) station „Laim“ is literally just around the corner. From there you have direct connections to the Main Station and City Centre (Lines S1, S2, S4, S6, S7 and S8) and Munich International Airport (Lines S1 and S8)
  • By taxi/limousine service
    Choose your favourite transport service and the driver will bring you to the hotel.
  • By (rental) car
    The hotel is quite easy to reach. Be aware that the parking situation is quite bad. Only on-street-parking (metered), but often you won’t find any free space.

I had the opportunity to fully test a standard double room with breakfast. To see if I would recommend this hotel read my full review about the Super 8 Munich West (by Wyndham).