The Munich hop on hop off bus review

We cannot deny the fact we love a city bus tour. They are brilliant way to get your bearings in a city and if you have limited time they are fantastic for getting you to the big sites, it gets you to the sights quickly and with little fuss. The hop on hop off Munich sightseeing tour was a great way to see Munich. Actually, it’s one of the best things to do in Munich in any season.

The Munich hop on hop off bus is great in the summer when it is boiling hot and brilliant in the winter when it is freezing cold. Wherever we go we try to go on at least one sightseeing tour to see the city quickly especially if we have limited time.

We try to go on the first couple of days to see places that we can then seek out for a longer visit or decide whether a place is worth going back for another longer visit. There have been a few times that the hop on, hop off bus has saved us lining up at a place and other times it has cemented a return visit.

Hop on hop off Munich bus tour is great for everyone

We had very limited time in Munich on our last trip during winter and we had some plans to see things we had missed on previous trips. So we thought the best way to stay warm in Munich in winter and see as much as we could was to get a Gray Line hop on, hop off bus for a Munich city tour. Even after visiting Munich four times we jumped at the chance to go on the Grayline Munich Bus Tour.

Where can I get my ticket to ride the Munich hop on, hop off bus?

We met the Munich City Sightseeing bus at Hauptbahnhof – Central Station and straight away I was impressed that the bus was already there waiting to start.

Next to the bus the guides were chatting to people about what the Munich city tour covered, the time it went for, how long the stops at each place where and what route that it would be taking on that day. You can ask any questions you have about the Munich city tour before you board.

As it was winter the routes were slightly different with fewer buses going between the stops. We were able to listen in to some of the conversations before showing our confirmation letter and getting our tickets printed.

Some of the stops on the city sightseeing Munich tour are:

Do I have to go to the main station to buy my hop on hop off Munich ticket?

No, you don’t! You can buy your tickets online right here or you can get one at any of the stops mentioned above and purchase your ticket onboard.

The printed ticket and the mobile version are both accepted. Just don’t lose your printed ticket. If you don’t have it you can’t board.

Munich hop on hop off bus gives you access to all the sights

We got a map once on board and decided to go straight to Nymphenburg Palace to see it in the snow as that was the longest route going that day. We were able to have a look at some of the places we went past as well and see if we would like to get off there after our first lap. Seeing Nymphenburg Palace covered in snow was our top of the list of things to do in Munich with kids in winter.

It was mighty cold in Munich in winter, so when those doors finally opened it was a mad rush to get on the Grayline hop on hop off bus, get a seat and most important of all get warm!

How long is a lap on the Munich city tour?

The full lap of the Grand Circle tour will depend on traffic but it take approximately 2.5 hours to get around. this will also differ if you get on and off during the lap.

What do I get with my hop on hop off ticket?

You get a pass to get on and off the Grayline hop on hop off bus for a full 24 hour period. You can get on and off the Grayline bus as many times as you like but it is only valid for the Grayline service.

What is special about the Munich Grayline hop on hop off bus?

There are so many things that stick out for me but the fact that is was a warm place for us to go in Munich in winter was a winner for the whole family.

Other things that make Gray line Munich city tour stand out

• No ear phones on most lines

• You have a live commentary in German and in English, just let the guide know when you board

• Enclosed top deck so the weather stays out in summer and in winter

• Air conditioning in summer and heating in winter

• Because there are guides on board you can get top tips for visiting Munich and all the extra special places to go from a local

The thing that really impressed me and that I noticed straight away was that the windows were clean. We would have to take pictures out of them as we went and the windows did not open. As 10 am rolled around we were off!

Munich attractions are waiting around every corner

There are so many places to visit in Munich. Finding the perfect place does depend on the season, so here we have some ideas for places to see in Munich in summer and places to visit in Munich in winter.

Places to visit in Munich in summer

Using the Gray line Munich hop on hop off to get between the top places to see in Munich is the perfect way to get around. Munich in summer is an amazing place. From beer gardens to Palaces Munich has some thing for everyone. These are some sights in Munich we recommend

• Nymphenburg Palace and surrounding gardens

• Marstall Musem at Nymphenburg Palace

• A local beer garden. They also sell soft drink and food if you don’t like beer

• City Surfer and ice wave

• Englischer Garden

• Marienplatz to watch the Glockenspiel or enjoy a coffee in the sun

• St Peter’s church for stunning views over Munich

• Neues Rathaus

All theses places have stops right near them for the Gray line tours Munich or they are easily walked to. You will need to check opening times and prices as they are not included in the purchase price of your Munich hop on hop off bus city tour price.

Places to visit in Munich in winter

Keeping warm in the cold in Munich is something we planned out well. The Munich city tour was the first aspect that we chose and then we chose indoor activities to complement that. Some great things to do in Munich in winter are

• Marienplatz for the world famous Christmas market

• Nymphenburg Palace and the Marstall Museum

• Munich Residenz

• BMW museum

• Viktualienmarkt

• Oktoberfest

There are also a number of Churches and Museums that you can check out as well.

Places to visit in Munich with kids

There are so many things to do in Munich with kids. Here we have some of the best that we have visited in Munich with our children.

• Deutches Museum

• Sea life Munich

• Olympiapark

• Hellabrunn Zoo

Munich is a family friendly city and while the above are aimed at kids they are great for adults too. We also took our kids to many of the churches and museums Munich has to offer with no problems. We even found that some places had special children’s activities to keep them happy during their visit

Our verdict on the Munich hop on hop off bus

I have an absolute love for the Grayline München Bus Tour. It came from 4 major factors for me.

• Those little headphones that you plug in, the ones that never work or don’t have your language or when you plug them in the volume is so loud you just can’t bear it?…These were not going to be a problem for us at all on the Grayline Munich hop on hop off  tour. We had a REAL LIFE PERSON speaking to us and her name was Heidi! She was absolutely magnificent

• The signs at the designated bus stops were easy to find and read. These can be a problem for some providers but we found them especially easy to idenitfy at all the stops we used.

• The Munich Gray Line bus was very clean. There was no rubbish left on it and the windows were easy to take pictures out of.

• The drivers for Gray line sightseeing tours Munich were very attentive to the passengers. There were a couple of times we saw people wave to the driver just up from a stop and they would happily wait for them to get there. I also saw that help for families with young children was very common with all the employees on the buses. I found Grayline Munich hop on hop off bus a brilliant day out with kids in Munich.

Thank you, Gray Line Munich Bus Tour for a fabulous day and for a wonderful afternoon exploring the top things to do in Munich.

There are so many great family activities in Munich that you can book for your next family holiday in Munich. Below are some of the top ideas for the best things to do in Munich.

• Ride the Munich Hop on Hop off Bus and see the city
• Get a Munich city tour card HERE for discounts all across the city
• Reserve your amazing Day trip to Neuschwanstein
• Oktoberfest (If it is on when you visit )
• Visit Allianz Arena Tour for all football lovers
• A Segway tour is fun for the whole family
• Book a Bike tour or rent Bike

Getting to Munich

Munich is the second biggest city in Germany and it is the capital of Bavaria.

• Flughafen München Franz Josef Strauß is 28.5 kilometres from the city centre.

• Munich is serviced by many international airlines and budget carriers. For cheap flights from with Europe check Veuling, EasyJet and Eurowings. You can check the prices of international flights to Germany with cheapOair. Domestic flights can be booked with Expedia

• Flughafen München, Franz Josef Strauß features flights to 248 destinations, making it the airport with the fifth-most destinations worldwide.

• The S1 and S8 S-Bahn lines connect the airport with the centre of Munich, with departures every 10 minutes. The airport is also easy and convenient to reach by bus from the Munich city centre

• Many international and domestic trains and bus service’s Munich terminating at Munich’s Central Station (Hauptbahnhof)

• You can book a rental car with AutoEurope and have it waiting for you at Munich Airport.

Getting around Munich

• Munich has an extensive public transportation system. It consists of a network of underground (U-Bahn), suburban trains (S-Bahn), trams and buses. Tickets can be purchased at the blue vending machines, found at U- and S-Bahn-stations, at many tram and bus stops and newspaper kiosks.

• There are different types of tickets: Single Tickets (called “Einzelfahrkarte”), Stripe Tickets (called “Streifenkarte”) and Day Tickets (called “Tageskarte”).

• Before first embarking, the ticket must be validated – insert the ticket into the small stamping machines posted at the entrances to U- and S-Bahn tracks or on trams and buses. It’s a € 60 fine if you are caught riding without a valid ticket.

• The Munich City Tour Card allows free use of public transport, plus discount and free admission to some of the best Munich sights.

• Another alternative for tourists is to buy a pass for the Munich Hop on hop off bus which takes you to all the sites in the city.

Where to stay in Munich

• Munich has accommodation options for every budget from Hostels, to apartments and hotels rooms.

• Hostels in Munich can start from as little as 20 euro’s a night for a shared dorm room.

• You can search Airbnb for their Munich accommodation offerings. If you have never used Airbnb before get yourself $50 credit by signing and booking a stay right HERE.

• Hotels in Munich generally start from around $100 a night for a double room and increase incrementally as the luxury rating rises towards 5 stars. Google states that 3-star averaging $144, 5-star averaging $469 for a night stay.

• You can compare and book your stay on Agoda, Hotels.com and Priceline

There is always something new to see in a city like Munich and after the sightseeing bus in Munich had ended we realised just how much of Munich we had totally missed. Thank you, Grayline hop on hop off Munich Bus Tour for showing us!