Best Tips for Enjoying Munich on a Budget!
As a student, I worked and lived in Munich for two summers and often took trips back and forth to visit friends. Of course, one of these trips also included a visit to the ever-famous Oktoberfest in my fake dirndl! For anyone unfamiliar with the garment, a dirndl is a traditional Bavarian dress! While I always love visiting a new city, Munich is one that I like returning to again and again.
Munich is the capital of Bavaria and is the third-largest city in Germany. Despite it being a large city, getting around in Munich is a breeze. There is an excellent transportation system in place and there are lots of different tickets options to suit every traveller. Single trip tickets, day tickets, three-day tickets & family tickets can all be bought at any ticket vending machine or station ticket window.
Taxis are plentiful but expensive, so the best way to get around is by public transport and by walking! The best thing about buying a travel ticket is that you can use the same ticket for subways, trains, trams, and buses. There are four concentric fare zones in Munich but most, if not all your sightseeing will take place in Zone 1, which includes the city centre.
Where to Stay on a Budget
When I first arrived in Munich, my friend and I stayed in The Wombats Hostel, which was very chic and friendly and close to the city centre! While we both liked this hostel, we were on a shoestring budget and knew we had to find a cheaper alternative or pack our bags and fly home again!
While we were off galivanting around Munich, we got chatting to some Irish people who were living and working there at the time. We confessed that we were on a tight budget and they kindly recommended The Tent to us.
Initially, we were completely put off by the name and imagined ourselves shivering in a badly put together tent in some random field! Fortunately, we couldn’t have been more wrong! To help you imagine The Tent, picture - a gigantic dormitory, festival, fire-place, campsite and feel-good-place all in one! On our very first night there, we found ourselves drinking beers around the campfire, singing and exchanging stories with the most unique people from all around the world! The Tent is just a 15-minute tram journey away from the city centre and in my opinion, is one of the coolest and cheapest hostels in Munich!
If you do intend on visiting Munich for the Oktoberfest, be prepared for higher prices and make sure you book accommodation well in advance! When I visited the Oktoberfest, the Tent was already sold out, so I stayed in Wies'n Camp. This is a solid option for anyone trying to save their money for a few beers and pretzels! It’s just a 20-minute train journey to the Oktoberfest and they also have their own mini beer hall!
City Centre
Marienplatz is located in the city centre and is like the beating heart of Munich. It's always busy and there is plenty to see and do. It's easily accessible by train and is often the starting point for city centre excursions or shopping. It’s also home of the New Town Hall and Glockenspiel clock tower, where, every few hours, bells start to chime, and wooden figures begin to rotate. To be quite honest, I don’t think anyone is ever overly impressed by this show, but it still manages to stop crowds in their tracks. Anyway, whether you want to film the slow, spinning figures or save your gigabytes for selfies, Marienplatz is still a great place to check out!
Oktoberfest Tips on a Budget
Just a few steps away from Marienplatz is the Hofbräuhaus - one of the most famous beer halls in the world! This is a MUST VISIT for anyone wanting to enjoy a traditional, fun beer hall experience!
Where to Eat and Drink on a Budget
Munich has many beer gardens but the one that my friends and I enjoyed the most is the Chinese Tower Beer garden (Biergarten in Chinesischer Turm) in the English Gardens (Englischer Garten). In fact, we both loved it so much, we decided to get jobs there. This is an excellent place to chill and enjoy cold beers and traditional Bavarian food like Weisswurst (white sausage), Obatzda (a type of cheese), Pretzels, Leberkäse (meatloaf) and so much more!
Even if you don’t want to visit this particular beer garden, a trip to the English Gardens is still worthwhile! This big central park is a really cool place to hang out, whether you want to walk, cycle, run, swim or simply sit back and relax.
A small channel of the Isar River runs through this park and is known as the Eisbach. Although entry is not permitted, you will see plenty of swimmers letting the current drag them along the river— sometimes with beers in hand! You will also come across many experienced surfers enjoying the Eisbach’s permanent wave. Make sure visiting the Eisbach is on your Munich bucket list, because after all where else would you find people surfing right in the middle of a city park?
Cheap Pubs and Clubs
As the Tent was so cheap, we often had a few drinks there before heading into the city. Another good option is to visit other hostel bars such as Euro Youth and Jaegers. Not only is the drink a lot cheaper here than in other bars, but you’ll also meet some other great like-minded travellers.
If you are heading out in Munich and want to enjoy delicious snacks and cocktails in a laid-back atmosphere, then I would highly recommend Sausolitos Bar, especially during Happy Hour!! Amazing cocktails at half the price…What’s not to love?! This Mexican style bar is the perfect meeting spot to start or end any night!
I must admit, I tried my very best to immerse myself in German culture and to stay out of Irish pubs in Munich. But when the hurling was on and there was nowhere to watch the matches on TV, of course, I ended up inside in Kennedy’s Irish Pub! This pub has a great atmosphere and often has live music and karaoke nights! Killian’s Irish Bar/Ned Kelly’s Australian bar is also a great bar for live music!
Sightseeing on a Budget
If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, you can escape and relax on the top of Munich’s Olympia Turm. Standing at a height of 190 metres, the Olympia Turm is one of the highest towers in Europe and offers breath-taking views of Munich city. Entry is not that expensive and there are also lots of other fun things to do in the area such as visiting the aquarium or enjoying free open-air concerts!
Shopping
Not far from the Olympia Turm is the Olympia Einkaufzentrum! Boasting 135 stores, this is one of the biggest shopping malls in Munich!
There is so much to see and do in Munich that you are sure to find something to suit everyone’s interests. From BMW world to Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena, from Hellabrunn Zoo to the Deutsches Museum and from the Hofbrauhaus to Munich’s famous food market.
So, whether you want to take a week to enjoy Munich’s major attractions, a city break to the Christmas Market or a mad weekend to the Oktoberfest, Munich offers something for everyone and I’m sure you will not regret visiting Bavaria’s capital city!