Vienna to Munich - 15 Best Ways to Travel in 2024

Most travelers who need to get from Vienna to Munich choose trains. There are frequent connections between the two cities (both direct and with changes along the way), operating by three companies: Austrian Railways ÖBB, German Railways DB, and a private one, WESTbahn. All of them offer similar services and comfort, so choose the connection that works best for your itinerary. 

Vienna to Munich train travel time is a bit over 4 hours for the fastest connection using high-speed trains that can go up to 230 km/h. The first train departs from Vienna around 6 in the morning, the last at 10 in the evening. 

There is also a night train that we will discuss later in this Vienna to Munich guide.

Train stations in Vienna and Munich
OBB and DB trains depart from Wien Hauptbahnhof central train station and WESTbahn one from Wien Westbahnhof station. Both stations are easily reachable by public transport, which works very well in Vienna. 

You can get to Hauptbahnhof by the red metro line U1 (stop “Südtiroler Platz-Hauptbahnhof”) and to Westbahnhof by the orange metro line U3 and the brown metro line U6 (stop “Westbahnhof”). 

All the trains arrive at the main train station in Munich - München Hauptbahnhof - located in the central part of the city, not far from the Old Town. All the underground and suburban trains in the city area pass by this train station. Once you reach Munich, you can easily continue your journey to your final destination by public transport.

Vienna to Munich train tickets
Vienna to Munich train ticket price starts at €26 if you purchase it well in advance and can cost up to €105 on the day of departure. The most convenient way to get them is online at the websites of train companies (we linked to them above), but you can also get them the traditional way at the train stations. 

In Wien Hauptbahnhof, you can find the customer center on the right side when entering the building from the street level. Remember that the place can be busy, especially during peak hours, so don’t leave the purchase until the last minute. 

Since the Vienna to Munich train route is a popular one, it’s worth paying extra for the seat reservation to have the seat secured for the journey. For OBB/DB trains, it’s €3, while WESTbahn offers the seat reservation for free, included in the ticket. 

Vienna to Munich Eurail pass
If you are traveling around using Interrail/Eurail passes, you can also use it for the Vienna to Munich train trip - all three companies on this route accept it. You might only need to purchase a seat reservation for a small fee for a more comfortable journey.

Vienna to Munich trains
All the trains on the Vienna to Munich route are modern, with complimentary wifi and power sockets next to each seat. In OBB/DB trains, you can also expect a restaurant car, while in WESTbahn, there is a self-service bistro. 

Since the Vienna to Munich line is pretty scenic, be sure to secure a window seat to enjoy beautiful views along the way. 

Vienna to Munich night train
An interesting option for traveling from Vienna to Munich is a night train. Taking it would help you save time and money on accommodation. 

The EuroNight train departs from Wien Hauptbahnhof shortly after 11 p.m. and arrives in Munich after 6 a.m. The Vienna to Munich night train price starts at €39; you can choose between carriages with seats, couchette, and sleeping cars. 

The only catch of this connection is that it does not arrive at the central train station in Munich but at München-Pasing, from where you can take the suburban train to the city center.

An exciting way of traveling from Vienna to Munich is with the sightseeing transfer. This way, not only do you not need to worry about the practicalities of the trip between the cities, but you can also stop in impressive Salzburg along the way. 

Vienna to Munich transfer tours are made in comfortable minivans, in small groups of up to 8 people, so you can enjoy the experience to the fullest and have the full attention of the knowledgeable guide accompanying you. 

Vienna to Munich sightseeing transfer stop
The Vienna to Munich tour takes 10 hours. You will be picked up in the morning from your accommodation in Vienna. Once the whole group is together, you will start your journey towards Salzburg. 

There, you will spend a few hours sightseeing - you will see some of the city’s highlights, such as Mozart’s birth house, Salzburg Cathedral, St. Peter’s cemetery, and other beautiful sights. In Salzburg, you will also have some free time for lunch before continuing your journey towards Munich, where you will arrive some 2 hours later. 

In Munich, the tour will drop you off in the city center, near Marienplatz (in the private option, the drop-off to your chosen location is included in the price).

Vienna to Munich sightseeing transfer price
The Vienna to Munich sightseeing transfer is a great way to travel between the cities for those who want to see more than just the main spots and get to know the region better. You can add only a few extra hours to your journey to see magnificent Salzburg and learn all about the area from the guide. 

With prices starting at €85 per person, this is great value for money and probably the best way to travel from Vienna to Munich.

A good alternative to train connections is the Vienna to Munich bus. There are at least ten connections per day, between 1:10 a.m. and 11:45 p.m., with the travel time about 6 hours. 

The major company operating on this route is Flixbus, known for a variety of connections all over Europe. You can expect comfortable buses with enough legroom, power sockets next to each seat, and complimentary wifi. 

Vienna to Munich bus ticket
The Vienna to Munich bus price starts at €20 if you buy your ticket in advance and can jump up to €70 on the day of departure. The easiest way to purchase your Vienna to Munich bus ticket is through the Flixbus website. 

Once you have it, there is no need to print the ticket; it’s enough to show your confirmation to the driver when boarding the bus.

Bus stations in Vienna and Munich
In Vienna, all the buses depart from the Erdberg bus station, located a bit away from the city’s center but quickly reachable by metro orange line U3 (stop “Erdberg”). A few of the buses also stop at the central train station - Wien Hauptbahnhof - where you can get by the U1 red metro line (stop “Südtiroler Platz-Hauptbahnhof”). 

In Munich, you will arrive at the ZOB bus station (Hackerbrücke), only 10 minutes walking from the central train station. The Munich bus station is also served by numerous suburban trains - station München Hackerbrücke, so you can quickly reach your final city destination using public transport.

A quick way to travel from Vienna to Munich is by plane. There are six daily direct Vienna to Munich flights, operated by a collaboration of Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa. You can choose from departures at 6:30, 09:05, 13:15, 13:45, 17:40, and 19:50, so finding a connection that works for your itinerary shouldn’t be a problem. The flight time from Vienna to Munich is one hour.

Vienna to Munich flight price
Vienna to Munich flight price depends on when you buy your ticket and can vary from €76 to €400 shortly before the departure. It’s best to buy your ticket directly at the airline’s website, so head to either Austrian Airlines or Lufthansa websites to book your journey. Both websites offer exactly the same prices so it’s up to you which one you choose.

Airports in Vienna and Munich
Vienna Airport is easily reachable by train. You can choose between a direct City Airport Train departing from Wien Mitte station (travel time is 16 minutes, one-way ticket costs €14,90) or use the slower suburban train S7, also from Wien Mitte (travel time is 25 minutes, one-way ticket is €4,10). There are also RailJet trains departing from Wien Hauptbahnhof station twice per hour, with a travel time of 15 minutes. The ticket for this connection costs €4,40. 

To get from Munich airport to the city center, you can take the S1 and S8 S-Bahn trains to the central train station. They depart every 10 minutes, and the travel time is 40 minutes. The price for this connection is €14,80.

If you travel by car (either your own or a rental one) you can easily drive from Vienna to Munich. The shortest road distance between the cities is 420 km, but since you would use mostly highways, you can do this trip in a bit over 4 hours. But you can also use this opportunity to see some interesting places along the way and go on a Vienna to Munich road trip. 

It’s up to you how long you will spend on the road and where you will stop, but some places we can recommend are the picturesque Wachau Valley, Linz - an underrated third-largest city in Austria, Hallstatt - probably the most photographed town in Austria, or Salzburg - one of the most beautiful cities in Central Europe. 

You might even do a little detour and hop across the border to the Czech Republic to visit a fairytale-like town, Cesky Krumlov. 

Unfortunately, choosing a rental car can be a bit pricey, as returning the vehicle to another location costs extra. For a one-way Vienna to Munich rental car, you can expect at least €400, excluding petrol costs. The best option is to rent and return the car at the airports - this way, the selection is better, and the prices can be slightly lower.

If you would like to enjoy the comfort of driving but don’t want to drive yourself, you can use the Vienna to Munich private transfer option. You can hire an English-speaking driver who would take you in a comfortable car from your accommodation in Vienna directly to your chosen destination in Munich for around €500. 

You can also make an interesting Vienna to Munich road trip and, for an extra fee, add some interesting sightseeing stops along the way. Some of the most popular ones are the stunning Melk Abbey, the former Nazi concentration camp Mauthausen, the picturesque UNESCO town Hallstatt, Salzburg - the real gem of the region, or the Alpine German town Berchtesgaden. 

You can also choose the private option of the highly-rated sightseeing transfer described above. Not only will you travel smoothly and comfortably from Vienna to Munich, but you will also spend some time exploring beautiful Salzburg along the way. In the private option of the sightseeing transfer, the pick-up and drop-off are included in the price.

A popular way of traveling around Europe is car sharing. This can also be a good alternative for your Vienna to Munich trip, especially if you decide to go at the last minute and other popular options are either sold out or too expensive. You only need to connect with the driver, arrange all the details, like the pick-up place, and be ready to go. 

The most popular website used for planning carpooling trips is BlaBlaCar. Once you register, you are free to browse through available rides, and once you find one that works for you, get in touch with the driver. 

The price of a Vienna to Munich carpool trip is usually around €30, but what you pay depends on the driver who sets it. 

Vienna to Munich car sharing works best for last-minute trips. It’s best to look for rides only a few days before the departure (if you browse through the website earlier, don’t be discouraged when you can’t find many available rides, as they can show up until the last minute). 

BlaBlaCar also shows a few bus rides on the Vienna to Munich route - be sure to filter them out as they all go via Prague, making the journey so much longer (about 13 hours). 

While carpooling is a great option to travel around that also allows you to meet some interesting people along the way, make sure to read the fine print before booking the trip. Sometimes, the pick-up or drop-off locations are away from the center. With all the hassle of getting to or back from the designated point, it is not worth all the trouble of the fun journey ahead.

If you are short on money or simply like the thrill of adventure and unexpected travels, you can easily hitchhike from Vienna to Munich. Since both cities are well connected by the network of highways and are on a popular European driving corridor, finding a ride shouldn’t be a problem. 

The best place to start your Vienna to Munich hitchhiking is along the A1 highway, which goes through the city. You can take the U4 green metro line to Ober St. Veit, and across the street from the station, you will find the petrol station where you can ask for a ride towards Munich. If you are lucky, you will catch a ride all the way to your final destination. If not, good places to switch rides along the way are rest areas in St. Pölten or Ansfelden.

If you are a fan of traveling on two wheels, cycling from Vienna to Munich can be a great way of getting between the cities. The Vienna to Munich cycling path is scenic (although it can be a bit of a challenge with hilly parts) and offers some interesting stops along the way where you can relax and enjoy the beautiful regions of Central Europe. 

The most popular Vienna to Munich cycling route goes along the Danube, for the most part, where you can visit picturesque Wachau Valley, Linz, or Passau in Germany, among other great places. 

The total distance of this route is around 530 km, so that you would need some 7-10 days, depending on your speed and number of stops along the way.

Vienna to Munich bike tour
If you prefer to cycle from Vienna to Munich with a company, you can join the bike tour that covers the area. However, sometimes the bike tour doesn’t go all the way to Munich but ends in Regensburg in Germany, from where you can easily take the train (or continue by bike) to the capital of Bavaria. 

The Vienna to Regensburg bike tour takes eight days, covers a distance of 511 km, and is perfect for getting to know this beautiful part of Europe.

A more extreme option than cycling (but still doable) is walking from Vienna to Munich. You would need some three weeks to cover the distance between the cities, but in that time, you will be able to see some unique places, experience the authentic feel of Central Europe,and get to know the region in-depth. 

The best Vienna to Munich walking path would be along the Danube River, just like the cycling path. It is the easiest one terrain-wise and will also allow you to include some highlights of the area in your itinerary.

The fastest but also the most expensive way of traveling from Vienna to Munich is by private jet. Prices for chartering the plane for this route start at €6.500, so it is a luxury option available to only some people. Still, if you want to experience the lifestyle of the rich and famous, this is the way to go. 

Going from Vienna to Munich by private jet takes around 1 hour so altogether, with getting to and from the airport you can expect the travel time of about 3 hours.

If you are traveling with your own RV motorhome, getting from Vienna to Munich can be a real treat, with so many amazing places you can stop along the way. We’ve covered them all already in this article, so you know which spots you can look forward to during your trip. 

You can also expect a good infrastructure along the way, with numerous campsites to park for the night. Keep in mind that wild camping is not allowed in Austria (in Germany, it is tolerated by the law but is a bit tricky), and in the worst case, you may pay a fine of up to €14.500.

Getting from Vienna to Munich by motorcycle can be a great experience if you enjoy the freedom and power of this machine. The highways are great for testing the limits of your vehicle, but backroads can offer some fantastic views of the mountainous landscape that can accompany you all the way from Vienna to Munich. No matter which road you choose, you can be sure this will be a wonderful trip, packed with picturesque spots and excellent routes to take your motorcycle to.

Boat cruises are a popular way to spend holidays in Europe, and the Vienna to Munich route is among the most popular. However, the Vienna to Munich boat cruise only goes on the Danube River, so the last part of the journey will be by bus, which will take you to your final stop. There are numerous offers on cruises between the cities, so you can easily find the one that works for your holiday plans. 

Usually, the Vienna to Munich boat cruise takes eight days. Besides two grand cities at the beginning and end of your tour, you will also stop in the Wachau Valley, Linz, Passau, Regensburg, and Nuremberg. This is a great way to experience Central Europe and its highlights uniquely.

You can also use a private boat or even a hovercraft for the Vienna to Munich boat trip. Since you will need to cover a relatively large distance, you need to plan some stops along the way (if you try really hard, you can do this trip in one day, but it is not really recommended).

This might not seem like the most obvious option for getting from Vienna to Munich, but that’s how this route was traveled in the past, and you can definitely recreate it now. You would need at least five days to go from Vienna to Munich on horseback, but along the way, you can plan your stops in some scenic places to enjoy your journey to the fullest. Since this is a rather hilly area, it’s best to go along the Danube River for the easiest route.