Confused by Munich public transport? Need an MVV zone map and current 2025 fares? We’ve got you — here’s the simple, saveable guide.

This cheat sheet breaks down the MVV (Munich transport association) in plain English: zones, tickets, apps, and the Deutschlandticket. Los geht’s!

How Munich Public Transport Works (2025)

Munich uses an honour-based system — no entry gates on U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams or buses. Random inspections happen often (yes, sometimes incognito). If you’re on a paper ticket, validate it at the blue stamp machine before boarding; app tickets don’t need stamping.

Munich Public Transport Ticket Stamp kurzstrecke
Make sure to validate your physical tickets with these stamp machines!

Fines are issued for the wrong or unvalidated ticket, so buy the right one for your zones and trip length.

Where To Buy Tickets (Fast + Foolproof)

MVV Journey Planner and the city’s app MVGO give you live routes, correct fares, and mobile tickets. MVGO also bundles sharing options (MVG bikes, e-scooters, and car sharing) — handy for first/last mile.

MVGO app showing Munich bike/scooter sharing and tickets
MVGO shows tickets, live departures, bikes, scooters & car sharing.

Also good: DB’s Navigator app for buying regional tickets and the nationwide pass. If you’ll travel beyond Munich regularly, pair MVGO with DB Navigator.

Munich Zones (MVV) — What You Need To Know

MVV is split into Zone M (the urban core) plus outer zones 1–12. Most city trips stay in M; Munich Airport is in Zone 5. The official zone maps mark each stop with its zone.

MVV zone map 2025 with Zone M and outer zones 1–12
Official MVV map. Airport = Zone 5.

Ticket logic in 20 seconds: More zones = higher price. Very short rides can use a Kurzstrecke (short-trip) ticket; otherwise buy a regular single, a day ticket, or one of the passes below.

Short Trip vs Single Ticket

Kurzstrecke covers up to 4 stops on tram/bus or 2 stops on U-/S-Bahn/Express bus (transfers allowed as long as the total stays within the limit). Anything longer needs a regular single ticket for the zones you cross. All singles are one-way; transfers are fine, backtracking isn’t.

Best Tickets & Passes (2025)

Deutschlandticket (D-Ticket) — the easy button if you’re here a month or doing frequent regional trips. Price 2025: €58/month (personalized, non-transferable). Valid on all local & regional transport nationwide (U-/S-Bahn, tram, bus, RB/RE). Not valid on ICE/IC/EC.

  • Day Tickets — Best for visitors who’ll take 3+ rides in a day inside Zone M (or M+outer zones).
  • Stripe (Streifenkarte) — Flexible, stamp as you go (paper) or use the digital equivalent in the app.
  • IsarCard — Weekly/monthly zones-based pass for heavy users who don’t need nationwide travel.

Deals Worth Knowing

Munich Public Transport Transport Therme Erding
Photo from MVV

Therme Erding Ticket: combo deal that includes transport plus timed entry to the spa/waterpark (upgrade on site for sauna areas). Great rainy-day plan — see our Munich in the rain guide for more cozy ideas.

Munich Public Transport Bayern Ticket
Photo from Deutsche Bahn

Current MVV Prices (2025)

Key fares to know right now (check the app before you ride):

  • Short-distance (Kurzstrecke): €2.00
  • Single ticket Zone M / 2 zones: €4.10
  • Children’s single (M–outer zones): €1.90
  • Stripe ticket: €17.80 (U21 stripe: €9.80)

Children & Teens

  • Under 6: travel free
  • 6–14: reduced child fares
  • U21 Stripe Ticket: discounted stripes for ages up to 20

Downloadable Maps (2025)

Grab the latest MVV network/zone PDFs from the MVV website — they’re easy to zoom on mobile.

Still Stuck? Ask Away!

Drop questions in the comments and we’ll help you pick the right ticket for your trip. And be sure to check out our Instagram & TikTok for more content coming up!