The section that stops a week going wrong. Not what to see — what is open, what a ticket costs, and which rules carry a fine.
Transport is priced in rings
U-Bahn, S-Bahn, tram and bus are one network on one ticket, priced by concentric rings. Almost everything a visitor does is inside Zone M; the airport is not, which is the most expensive misunderstanding available here.
For anyone staying more than a few weeks the Deutschlandticket settles it: since 1 January 2026 it costs €63 a month and covers local and regional transport across the whole of Germany. Paper tickets must be validated before you board. Fares, zones and the airport routes.
Sunday closes the shops
German law keeps retail shut on Sundays and public holidays, with narrow exceptions for stations, airports and petrol stations. There is no Sunday supermarket run. On top of that, Bavaria has more public holidays than any other German state, several of them Catholic feast days falling midweek. The rules, and the exceptions.
Eating and drinking, as practice
The Wirtshaus is the institution: a tavern tied to one brewery where sharing a table with strangers is normal. Ask “Ist hier frei?” and sit down. The Viktualienmarkt runs on ordinary shop hours, so it is shut on Sundays like everything else.
Tipping is done by rounding up and telling the server the total, not by leaving coins on the table. The conventions in full.
Where to go next
- Getting Around — zones, passes, the airport
- Planning & Practicalities — hours, holidays, the year
- Parks & Outdoors — the Isar, the Englischer Garten, the lakes
- Moving to Munich — if you are staying
Fares and rules checked on 3 September 2026. German fares change every January; confirm before budgeting.