Getting More Oom-Pah-Pah Out of Munich

Young travelers passing through Munich, Germany, can get help exploring the city on a budget with a new English-language booklet published by the Munich Tourist Board called “Infopool: A Young People’s Guide.”

You can pick up copies at Munich Tourist Board offices for 75 cents, but in past I’ve found that similar publications have been given out for free.

You can find a Munich Tourist Office at the train station at Bahnhofplatz 2. It’s open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays and holidays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The booklet covers information on public transportation, accommodations, sightseeing, eating, night life, bike rentals, brewery tours, castles in the area, festivals, currency exchange and emergency telephone numbers.

The cheapest place to sleep in Munich is “The Tent,” an international campground with a tent that can accommodate up to 300 people. For $7 you get a pad to sleep on, a blanket and breakfast. For $9 you move up to a bunk bed.

The campsite also provides showers, a snack bar, cafeteria, an information booth and bike rentals. You can meet other travelers at bonfires or the beer garden. To get to the tent, take tram No. 12 at Botanischer Garten, then on foot turn right onto Franz-Schrankstr. The Youth Camp am Kapuzinerholzl will be open June through mid-September between 5 p.m. and 9 a.m.

Bavaria is one of the very few regions of the world where age restrictions are imposed at hostels affiliated with Hostelling International. With the exception of group leaders and families with at least one child under 18, only travelers under 26 can use the facilities.

The Hostelling International facility in Munich, called Jugendherberge, can accommodate 380 travelers. It’s located at As, Wendl-Dietrichstr. 20, tel. 011-49-89-13-11-56, and can be reached by taking tram No. 12, buses 33, 83, 177 or the U1 to Rotkreuzplatz. The fee for a dormitory bed is $13.

The HI Jugendgastehaus, at Miesingstr. 4, tel. 011-49-89-7-23-65-50, can accommodate 341 travelers. To stay in a room with 15 beds costs $14 per person; beds in rooms shared by three to four people cost $16; double rooms are $17 per person and single rooms are $19. Nonmembers pay an extra $3. Lunches and dinners at the hostels cost $5.

Older budget travelers who can’t stay at HI facilities and don’t want to rough it at “The Tent” can try Haus International at H7, Elisabethstr. 87, tel. 011-49-89-1-20-06-0. It accommodates up to 550 travelers and offers a heated pool, restaurant, bar, TV room and disco. To share a room with five beds costs $23. A double room is $29 or $40 with private facilities. A single room is $48 with private facilities. The hotel is near the U2 Hohenzollernplatz tram.

To eat cheaply, the guide will point you to some beer gardens that allow you to bring your own food. The gardens were started in the late 1800s by King Ludwig I, who allowed brewers to sell beer but not food in outdoor restaurants. Look for beer gardens that don’t have cloths covering their tables. If the tables are covered you are usually expected to buy the restaurant’s food.

Students who have international student identification can also eat economically at student cafeterias, which service hot meals at lunchtime. The booklet includes their locations.

You’ll also discover that many of the key tourist sites offer student discounts. At the Deutsches Museum, which is one of the world’s largest museums of technology and natural science, students pay only $1.50 instead of the regular $5 entrance fee.

Students also get the regular admittance fee of $3.50 reduced to $2.25 at the BMW Museum, which is at G1 Petuelring 130; tel. 001-49-89-38-22-3307.

Nonstudents will also find some tips to reduce their sightseeing costs, such as visiting one of Munich’s newest museums, the Museum of Mankind and Nature, which is free on Sundays and holidays.

Do research before you arrive. Knowing in advance that most of the museums and galleries are closed on Mondays will help you plan your itinerary. And if you want to partake in the biggest beer party in the world, Oktoberfest (which draws 6.7 million visitors), schedule your visit to Munich between Sept. 20 and Oct. 5 this year.

Izon is a Toronto-based freelance writer. She can be reached at https://www.izon.com