Munich, Germany

Location: Munich, Germany

Time Frame: April, 3 nights and 3 days

Lodging

Type. We stayed at a hostel hotel.  This gave us a room with 6 beds (set up in a bunk bed style).  The hotel was called A&O City Hackerbruecke, and we booked through Expedia.com (which helped to ensure that we got the bed linens and towels included, as otherwise they are at an extra cost).

Cost. Total cost for the room for 3 nights was $400.  This included our bed linens and towels, but not breakfast.

Amenities. The room was pretty spartan (as expected at a hostel), but had 6 bunk beds, a bathroom, closet/lockers, a small table and chairs, and a small balcony.

Other. While the hotel itself was spartan, it was well located to several train/metro stations which allowed us to get to the city centre.  It also had several restaurants and stores nearby.  As it is a budget hotel that caters to large groups and students, there were several brochures in the lobby that helped us to get discounts on several tours in Munich.

Kid Friendly Rating: I would give this hotel one star (*) for kid friendliness.

Transportation

Driving. We drove from our home in Germany, and it took us around 6 hours. Driving in the area was the same as in any large city, and the hotel did not offer parking. But we found parking on the street near the hotel.

Public Transportation. There is a decent bus and train system in Munich.  We used the trains to get around or walked.  We were able to get a family day pass for the trains.

Walking. Munich was fairly pedestrian friendly.  We did several walking tours, and most of the city centre was pedestrianized.

Food

We brought our own breakfast foods and had lunch and dinner in town.  There was also a grocery store near the hotel which allowed us to stock up on essentials.

Fast Food. Munich is home to many of those restaurants which we know and love (McDonalds, Burger King, etc). They also have several that are more cultural. They also have a healthy supply of Kebab stands (yummy),  and other European style fast food options. We didn't have a problem finding places to eat (other than making up our minds).

Sit Down. There were a large variety of sit down restaurants ranging from casual cafes to upper crust fancy places. We had one dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe in Munich...which is very expensive.

Attractions

Free Walking Tour
Times: Daily, Marienplatz Start Point 10:45 AM & 1:00 PM

Costs: Free.

Comments: This tour helps you hit the main highlights of the city and is a great way to get your bearings if is your first visit.  We used this to help us navigate our way around and get more information about some of the sites.

The Third Reich Tour
Times: Monday, Thursday, Saturday, Marienplatz Start Point 10:45 AM

Costs: 
Adults: 12 Euro
Students: 10 Euro

Comments:  This was a way to see the "darker" side of Munich, once the capital of the Third Reich.  If you are interested in the history of World War II this is a great tour to take.  It wasn't too graphic, so children should be fine, but it is a lot of walking so be prepared.

Hofbraeuhaus
Times: Daily during normal business hours.

Costs:  Entrance is free, but buying a beer or food will cost you.  See the sites menu for costs.

Comments:  This is a very famous Braeuhaus (Brew House) in Munich.  You will see this on most guided walking tours of Munich.  If you have the time, why not sit down after your tour and have a pint and a pretzel?  Since it is a famous landmark, prices are higher, and it is very crowded.  It is not very kid friendly and the crowds can make for an unpleasant dining experience for little ones.

Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady)
Times: Sat-Thurs 7am-7pm; Fri 7am-6pm

Costs: Free

Comments:  You'll see this landmark on most of the walking tours.  The church was nearly completely destroyed during the many bombing raids on Munich during the Second World War.  In the entry way to the church you'll find the "Devil's Footstep" (which your tour guide, if you have one, will explain to you), which surprisingly is a women's size 11.  You can tour the inside of the restored church and marvel at its windows.  Why not stop and light a candle (which is our children's favorite ritual)?

Deutsches Museum
Times: 
The Deutsches Museum and the branch museums Flugwerft Schleissheim and Verkehrszentrum are open daily from 09:00 to 17:00, ticket presale from 9:00 to 16:00.
They are closed on:
01. 01. 2010  New Year
16. 02. 2010  Shrove Tuesday
02. 04. 2010  Good Friday
01. 05. 2010  May 1st holiday
30. 06. 2010  Closed until 11:00
01. 11. 2010  All Saints' Day
08. 12. 2010  Closed at 12:00
24. 12. 2010  Christmas Eve
25. 12. 2010  Christmas Day
31. 12. 2010  New Year's Eve

Costs: 

Day ticket for visitors aged 16 or over	€ 8.50
Combined ticket Deutsches Museum + Verkehrszentrum + Flugwerft Schleißheim (can be visited on separate days)	€ 17
Family ticket	€ 17
Family ticket reduced for owners of Munich Family Pass	€ 14

Comments:  This was a fun stop for the kids.  There is plenty of stuff for them to see and touch.  They even have a full on Children's museum, which welcomes the little ones to get hands on and have some fun.  We had to drag our children away screaming (not joking literally screaming).  There is also plenty of fascinating science for the grown ups as well. 

English Garden 
Times: Open daily, year round.

Costs: Free

Comments:  This is a nice outside activity to see.  You will likely pass it on your walking tour (if you take one).  There is even a river that runs through, where you can watch people surfing (yes I said surfing) in the rapids.

Marienplatz 

Times: Daily, Year round.

Costs: Free

Comments:  This is one of Munich's most famous places.  An open air square surrounded by Gothic buildings and shops.  See the giant clock in the square and gaze at the old town hall and new town hall.

Toilettes

When you travel with little ones, bathrooms are an important thing to be able to find. Europeans are generally not big on public restrooms.

Availability: Public restrooms can be found, but are scattered and not always easy to find. Your best bet is to make sure to make use of restrooms offered in the restaurants, museums, and other attractions that you visit. Most of the major attractions have restrooms.

Public/Private: Most available restrooms are actually going to be in some type of business, whether it is a restaurant or attraction.

Cost: Costs for restrooms can run from free to around 1 euro per person. Occassionally bathroom attendants will allow an adult to take a child into the restroom and only charge for one person (I did this with my kids, and even when I took both potty trained children, I usually only had to pay for me).

Nearby Amenities

Laundry: We did not see any laundry facilities in the hotel or near the hotel.  There were probably some in the downtown area.  Ask at your hotel or a tourist information point.

Groceries: There were several smaller grocery stores in town, as well as several large markets with produce, meat and other staples.

Review

Munich was a very interesting visit.  There was a lot of walking (partly due to the fact that we went on several guided walking tours), but plenty to see.  There was plenty of food options, and the kids had fun at the museums and outside parks along the way.

Trip Highlights

- walking tour
- Deutsches Musuem

Overall Rating

Munich is definitely a 5 star must see location.