Munich Airport

Munich is Lufthansa’s second hub after Frankfurt and one of the best-run airports in Europe, consistently rated near the top for passenger experience. It handles a big connecting operation but manages to feel calmer than most airports its size.

The terminals

There are two terminals. Terminal 2 is Lufthansa and its Star Alliance partners, and it has an additional satellite building for extra gates, reached by an underground airside train — so a Lufthansa connection may involve a short ride out to the satellite. Terminal 1 handles many of the other airlines. Between the two sits the München Airport Center, a covered open-air plaza with shops and, in season, a well-known Christmas market. If your connection stays within Terminal 2 and its satellite, it is smooth; a cross-terminal transfer takes a bit more effort.

Getting into the city

The S-Bahn commuter rail is the standard route: lines S1 and S8 connect the airport to central Munich — the Hauptbahnhof and Marienplatz — in around 40 to 45 minutes. The two lines approach the city from different directions, so either works depending on your destination. The airport is about 30 km northeast of the center, so a taxi is a longer, pricier trip, though straightforward. The Lufthansa Express Bus is another option into the city.

Worth knowing

Munich is an easy, well-signed airport with good food and lounges, so a longer layover here is no hardship. It sits far enough from the city that a quick trip in on a short connection is not really worth it — the S-Bahn each way eats the time. In winter, snow can cause delays, but the airport handles it well. Check whether your Lufthansa flight uses the T2 satellite, and leave time for the airside train if it does.