“U-bahn” is a subway system, which provides a super-convenient way to move through Munich and Garching. Tickets can be purchased at the vending machines at U-bahn stations, but you might find it too complicated. So, here are some tips.
- You must buy tickets. Otherwise you will have to pay 60 euros.
- You need to validate your tickets. Use a small machine near the vending machine to put a stamp in your ticket before riding a train.
The simplest recommendations are:
- If you stay in Garching and plan to take U-bahn (rather than to walk), or stay in Garching-Hochbrück, buy “Kurzstrecke” (or “Streifenkarte” if you plan to ride U-bahn at least 10 times)
- If you stay in Munich, buy “Tageskarte” for München XXL
- If you plan to take trains with >=2 people, buy a group Tageskarte for München XXL
Here are more details:
- If you go only for 3 stations or less [e.g., Garching to Garching-Forschungszentrum, or Garching-Hochbrück to Garching-Forschungszentrum], buy “Kurzstrecke” (short trip; 1.40 euros).
- If you know that you will be buying Kurzstrecke 10 times, then buy “Streifenkarte”. This is a bundle of tickets, each of which is equivalent to the Kurzstrecke. You still need to validate it each time you use it. You pay 13.50 euros, which is slightly better a deal.
- You can also use Streifenkarte to go for longer distances. It is a bit complicated, so see this link for information.
- If you go to Garching from Munich, the travel area is too big for “Innenraum” (inner area) to be valid. You must buy a “München XXL” ticket.
- If you want to go to Garching from Munich and back, one-day ticket of “München XXL” is the cheapest (8.80 euros), even if you make only one round trip. So, go for a one-day ticket!
- Unfortunately “München XXL” is not available for three-day or four-day tickets, so do not buy them. You cannot use them to go to Garching.
- If you plan to travel as a group, buy a one-day group ticket. This is a great deal: one ticket can accommodate up to five people, but the ticket is cheaper already for two people. So, if you know that you will be traveling as a party of >=2 people, go for a one-day group ticket of “München XXL” (15.90 euros).
For other possibilities, including tickets for your bike and dog :), see below.
