The BIGGEST Mistakes Tourists Make in Munich

[@REALcatmom]

Doing research before traveling is always smart. I find that researching a destination is just as much fun as being there!

[@woltersworld]

I agree :) it gets me so excited for my trips

[@markeschen]

Great timing on the video. I'm going to be there in 8 weeks, and am really looking forward to the trip.

[@diamonddave2622]

Railway stations are good for emergency food and drink on a Sunday

[@bryanstotmeister6758]

Just returned from a week in Munich and agree with everything said here. We stayed at the Hotel Torbräu (close to Marienplatz) which offered a great central location to walk around. Munich is a wonderful city! Hit up the bratwurst/sausage place in the Viktualienmarkt; get a liter bottle of water at the local Rewe (grocery store) and fill it up for free in the Marienplatz water "trough" - the water comes from the Alps. We loved the Weisses Brauhaus (Tal 7 close to Marienplatz) and the bread at Julius Brantner. Can't wait to return.

[@MsTimelady71]

Munich was my favorite city in Germany. I think the right tour guide also helps. I did two tours with Radius Tours in Munich and did a Beer and Brewery tour with them. Our blond American guide was wonderful-can't remember her name but she was from Oregon but she made sure everyone mingled and got to know one another. I'd also recommend getting out of the Aldstadt and seeing the "real" Munich including restaurants. FYI-My guide didn't take us to the Hofbrauhaus because of the touristy vibe. There are better beer halls.

[@StevanMilesevic]

As for public transportation: it's not enough to just buy a ticket, you actually have to "cancel" that paper ticket in most cases by inserting it into one of the little blue boxes and have it stamped -- and only then is it valid! If you have a ticket that is not stamped it's the same as not having a ticket at all.

[@ЯрославКривич-ч4э]

I am so surprised. We had the same boxes in Russia, and we also stamped the tickets. But now we have a modern digital system of electronic tickets, and I can just put the ticket to the terminal. Ultimately, Moscow is one of the most modern and developed capitals in the world. And I'm really proud to live here.

[@StevanMilesevic]

@@ЯрославКривич-ч4э Many people are surprised by that. And confused. Which is why I pointed it put since not having a valid ticket comes with a 60 Euros fine. But yeah, for a modern western country Germany is quite backward in some areas, that's for sure.

[@calise8783]

@@StevanMilesevicIf you think Germany doesn’t also have digital tickets, you haven’t done your research. I live here and purchase all my public transport tickets digitally.

[@StevanMilesevic]

@@calise8783 I know that digital tickets exist, I never said they didn't. Here in Munich you'd have to use the MVGO app on your phone for those. Which is okay for people who live here, but in my opinion is way too much hassle for a tourist who just needs a ticket or two during their stay. So most of them (as well as many natives) just get some from the machine. And then they have to stamp them instead of being able to just use them. Which is inconvenient and confusing and stupid. And I don't need to do any research, I have been living in Munich all my life. Probably longer than you so don't be so condescending and smug.

[@acatismansbestfriend5719]

​@StevanMilesevic you are right. I am going in a few weeks and have seen this mentioned repeatedly but would love a video showing where the validation box is. What happens if we have only 5 mins between trains? Is it 1 ticket for both and once validated at the start it is validated for your next 3 trains?

[@Andrew-cg2zl]

great video. def cool places.

[@sollyolly9547]

Going to Munich for my birthday trip next year, looking forward to it already!

[@scott88]

Just got back from Munich. My third time there and first time in 6 years. I really missed it. I had such a good time, great weather, it rained one day while I was there but it was only for a little bit of the day. But that didn't stop me from having fun. Pro tip for the Glockenspiel...when its noon..you can walk behind it to avoid the huge crowd. Try other foods there as well. There is much more to food than just Bratwursts and Schnitzel. I ate some really good burgers, tacos, and doner kebabs (I think I ate them everyday for lunch) all at different locations.

[@arnodobler1096]

@@ЯрославКривич-ч4э BS

[@ЯрославКривич-ч4э]

@@arnodobler1096 Why do you think so? You don't believe me?

[@toddglantz2499]

We will be there next year in May. Can't wait and will definitely use this video as a learning experience

[@AS-oz6ep]

I wish this video existed a few years ago when I went to Munich.. because I definitely made some of these mistakes!

[@ChiaraVet]

Hey, Münchnerin here (not born here but been living here for 13 years already). About the cash, yeah, some small cash ist still necessary occasionally but at least some of the Christmas Markets like Tollwood are starting to get equipped to allow to pay with card. I still take some cash with me when i go there but not a big issue as it was pre-pandemic tbf.

[@cjedgerly]

I've been to Munich a few times, and my favorite time to visit is in May. I took a solo trip the first week of May 2023 and the city was pretty manageable as far as tourists are concerned. The only tour I did was an English language half-day guided tour of Dachau. And I highly recommend a day ticket for local transport or the regional transport card (I was able to do day trips south to the mountains!) - I have been ticket checked at least once each multi-day visit to the city.

[@sandiandgregh]

We’ve been to Munich a few times at Christmas/New Years and always enjoyed our visits. Planning and researching a trip is part of the fun. We’re already planning our trips for later in 2025 now. :)

[@ЯрославКривич-ч4э]

It's cool! Where are you going to travel this time?

[@johndornoff]

Thanks for tbe video Mark. My son and I plan to be in Munich in two years to visit the BMW museum (then over to Stuggart to visit the Porsche and Mercedes museum).

[@lf6872]

Thanks for the perfect timing on this heading to Munich to watch an NFL game in two days. I am eager to try other types of cuisine their just haven’t seen lists of restaurants to look out for other than German food. Any tips would be appreciated

[@abinashmishra329]

Just came back from Berlin. Some other suggestions. Go to a classical concert Try to see if Nena is performing in the city where you are visiting. She has other good hit songs besides “99 Luftballons” and she is still active at 64. Don’t be afraid to talk in German if you took the language in school. They appreciate it and will be happy to help you out more.

[@flothchtronk2068]

Another mistale: Taking the cab fron the airport to the city. Use public transoortation. Taxis are insanely expensive in Germany.

[@theprettybond159]

Hey I'm literally here currently. Nice

[@woltersworld]

Awesome! Have a big beer and a haxe for me :)😊

[@gregkrekelberg4632]

@@woltersworld OMG, the haxen are so good.

[@woltersworld]

@gregkrekelberg4632 i looooove haxe

[@Kumanosuke]

As someone who lives in Munich: The cars are more dangerous and annoying than the bikes. Bikes are fine and we finally need to make the city center carfree.

[@Seanocearbhaill]

Good timing. Going to Munich in 4 days

[@woltersworld]

Awesome! Have a great trip!

[@bahcsas]

@@woltersworld I'm going to Munich for the first time in 2 weeks. Thanks for the video!

[@CoDCharlie1]

Sort of piggybacking on one of your last points; if your trip and budget allow it, I would recommend renting a car and simply driving around southern Bavaria and the Tyrol region of Austria. The landscape and overall geography is pretty breathtaking and I am very grateful I did it. Plus, because of the mix of German, Italian, and Austrian culture the food is great; I had some pretty damn good pizza at a restaurant in Hall in Tirol.

[@rainerpick5491]

As long as you stay in Munich there is no need to rent a car. Travel inside town with public transportation, that avoids problems finding a place to park your car: That is either forbidden, expensive or far away from your destination.

[@SteveInNEPA1]

Thanks, Mark. My two grown nieces and I are doing a Christmas Market bucket list trip in December (Munich, Salzburg, Strousburg, Kolmar, Frankfurt), and also going to Neuschwanstein. Question: Do you have a few Bavarian Restaurants in Munich you recommend? I've been before, but it's their first time there. Thanks.

[@woltersworld]

Notvspecific places. We kind of explore different spots each time. But if you want a good beerhall with good food, or better food and dont want to leave the pedestrian zone downtown the Löwenbrau one on the pedestrian street was where i could always get a spot of my family trips

[@JDizzledum]

Don't buy a cheap cuckoo clock from a tourist shop (unless you are doing it as a kitschy thing)

[@neilgriffiths6427]

Other mistakes - of course, if you are a beer/lager drinker, then you have to have a full stein glass - but beware - German beer is pretty strong, and those glasses are BIG - I had three at the Hofbrauhaus, drinking as if I was drinking pints back in Britain - pretty soon my legs didn't work properly and the GF had to support me staggering back to the hotel - great night, but WATCH THE BEER! :)

[@zwiderwurzn5908]

Half a litre of beer fits into a normal beer glass - I think you can manage that 😉 If you go to a tourist bottling plant, they may only offer whole ‘Maß’ (= 1 litre).

[@davidlynch9049]

I guess it's strong if you are use to that Guinness swill 😉, but at 5%, it's not very strong. Three Maß, would make you wobbly because of the quantity.

[@zwiderwurzn5908]

One mistake that tourists often make is using the escalators: Please do not block the escalator, but stand on the right and let others pass on the left. Mark exaggerated a little: In restaurants, beer halls, cafés and pubs, using the toilet is free, that's what you're a customer of the establishment for. Don't forget to visit Nymphenburg Park (at Nymphenburg Palace) in winter. Not only is it a wonderful and peaceful place for a walk, but when the canals are iced over, you can also watch the locals curling. If you're a mountain person, you shouldn't miss out on a day trip to the Alps. Several hiking and panoramic points can be reached by train in an hour to an hour and a half. If that's too far for you, you can also go on a climbing tour with abseiling from the roof of the Olympic stadium. If you are a lake person, bathing spots at Lake Starnberg, Ammersee, Staffelsee and Tegernsee can be reached within half an hour to an hour by S-Bahn or train. You can also go on boat trips there (e.g. on a catamaran at Lake Starnberg) - but sorry, not in winter. And don't forget all the art museums. At the beginning of the 20th century, Munich was THE city of art alongside Paris!

[@davidlynch9049]

Having lived next to Nymphenburg park for years, I have never seen curling on the very thin iced over canals. 🤔

[@zwiderwurzn5908]

@@davidlynch9049 It's not every winter that the canals are so frozen that you can tramp on them (it's mainly played on the canal in front of the palace, not in the park). I can remember winters when people brought picnic baskets and thermos flasks of hot drinks as well as their ice sticks. But I always live here 😂

[@gregkrekelberg4632]

If going to a beerhall, don't sit at a stammtisch without permission. Folks were polite, but with a typical German delivery, "This is not done." These are reserved seating for clubs or regular groups of customers and they're usually marked with signs, so pay attention for them.

[@abinashmishra329]

Other mistakes: Not trying the international cuisine. Thai food, Chinese Food, and Döner Kebabs are awesome (it is easy to get saturated with German food early in the trip) Not visiting BMW Museum Not seeing the river surfers This is true for Europe in general. Not realizing that many countries don’t use air conditioning. If you don’t like hot weather, plan your trip for spring or fall. When reserving a tour group trip To Neuschwanstein Schloß, make sure the Höheschwangau Schloß and the Museum are included. With Dachau, make sure your kids (and you yourself) are mature enough to understand the Holocaust. If you’re not necessarily a beer drinker, try Fanta. Try Apfelschorle. Try currant juice (if you like cranberry juice).

[@victoriadell614]

So . . . Pram Mom = Soccer Mom? :-) Cannot wait to go to the Christmas markets in a few years. Thanks!

[@Vid.186]

Thank you! 👍

[@tobiojo6469]

Hey Mark, awesome video

[@williamewilkin5022]

Another mistake is assuming that all of Germany is Protestant.

[@willhovell9019]

Biggest mistake, going there 😜. Try Hamburg or Berlin, much more cosmopolitan and vibrant.

[@dorisschneider-coutandin9965]

You can have a whole table at Hofbräuhaus (or any other place like it), but you need to make a specific reservation for it in advance.

[@shaunsteele6926]

went to Munich about 20 years ago, as American college students we were only in Europe for two reasons: to get drunk and get laid. Munich did not disappoint.

[@franktozier3184]

Paying for the use of the toilet from my experience is common thru europe.

[@borstenpinsel]

Where isn't it common?

[@Elatenl]

@@borstenpinsel North America (US & Canada), Australia, Asia, Middle East, Africa (basically anywhere expect for Europe).

[@borstenpinsel]

@Elatenl right, in the US I haven't seen many public toilets in any city. Begging a store owner to use their toilet or having to buy something isn't my definition of a free restroom. Some parks in the US have free restrooms. Central Park NYC, LA beach. If you ignore the fixers and the urine puddles on the floor, it's overall a perfect 5/7 experience. Sanifair is a monopolistic arsehole company but by God I hope they build more 0.70€ toilets. At least they're cleaned more often in a day than the free toilets are cleaned in a month.

[@Elatenl]

@@borstenpinsel What are you talking about lol any fastfood chain has free toilets, they are at the corner of almost any street. Even grocery stores has toilets in the US like Walmart (oppose to Europe where grocery stores dont have it).

[@borstenpinsel]

@Elatenl exactly. These are not public toilets. You have to be a customer. Often there are locks on the door lol. Unlocks with a code on the receipt or they push a button behind the counter. This is even "less free than a McDonalds in Europe. I think you're mixing up "I have never been asked to pay for a visit to the loo" with "toilets are free" Ah yes, Walmart. I have been to one, because they are far away from anything. CVS and walgreens are ubiquitous but, you guessed it, no public toilets.

[@Luv2tickt]

Ahhh...the snow from last year. A friend and his wife got caught in that coming back from Austria! it's been said in the past but it SOOOOOOOO bears repeating: Do NOT think that Bavaria is Germany. It's a part of Germany that has IT's culture. Going up to Berlin they have THEIR culture. Going over to Kiel, they have THEIR culture, and so on. So make sure to visit those areas, it'll take more than a few trips of course, but you'll not be disappointed!

[@mbh3004]

In the early 2000s I took the train from Munich to the airport BUT I did not realize the train was going split at some point, with the front half going to the airport and the back half going elsewhere (like the Olympic village or Oktoberfest grounds). Luckily a kind German woman saw me with my suitcase and advised me to move to a forward car or I would have missed my flight! Does that still happen?

[@NicholasDeLuca-i7x]

IS FOLLOWING YOUR TRAVEL TIPS!

[@tribalpeacock]

South Africa awaits you❤🇿🇦

[@sharonpapkin8574]

Hofbrau Hak no It's only for tourist if you want the same beer just go to hofbraukeller in Wiener Platz like the locals do

[@coolpiraterapstar]

I am thinking of heading to Leipzig in the next year or so. Is it worth a trip?

[@Annae74]

Yes!!

[@ryanjohnson3031]

As an American living in Munich my 2 cents. Customer service is pretty bad in general - very good advice ordering asap. Can be super annoying flagging down the waiters. Hofbrauhaus is not really a tourist trap for me. It is a nice place very busy but the service is generally pretty good and the food is pretty good also. Get out of Marienplatz- there are beautiful areas such as Haidhausen and Schwabing that aren't packed with tourists. Also day trips such as Tegernsee and Neuschwanstein are musts for me. Also if you can get the Deutschland ticket it is 49 euros for all public transit per month will save you a lot of money just remember to cancel it as it is a monthly subscription.

[@woltersworld]

That 49 euro ticket is insane. Wish they had that when i loved there.

[@bastyaya]

Customer service is not different than in most other places in Europe. You're just used to sth different from the US with the tip begging waiters and waitresses.

[@Budicles]

Johnanneskirchen , ismaning is my place to go. Biased since my family was from there

[@Sirk1966]

We were there in 2022 for Oktoberfest, and we thought the prices were way cheaper than in the States. And we ( 4 of us ) walked into the Augustiner Festzelt on Friday night and found seats right away. Now Sat or Sun don't try it.

[@aaronhurst4379]

I honestly don't get why so many tourists get so enamoured by the chiming of clocks, whether it be in Munich, Prague or other cities known for having a historical clock tower lol

[@et1161]

The biggest mistake is visiting Munich, Neuschwanstein, Nurnberg, Rüdesheim, Heidelberg.😮 Germans go to other, unknown nice, but less crowded and cheaper places😊

[@StevanMilesevic]

They do but visiting the places you mentioned is by no means a mistake.

[@Tramptraveller]

❤❤❤

[@chadb7694]

Can you please comment on Konditorei? Are you safe just finding one and trying it out; how do you know which ones are better? TY

[@StevanMilesevic]

Most of those are pretty good and I really think you'll go wrong by choosing any of them for a good cup of coffee and often ever better cake. Do try to find an independent one that makes their own cakes though instead of the chain bakeries like Wimmer, Traublinger etc. With one exception maybe and that is Rischart. They even have one location at Marienplatz and they do have great baked goods. BTW, I live in Munich and have been living here all my life.

[@ulrike9978]

Yes, Rischart is good, Woerner´s (Marienplatz and near Sendlinger Tor) is great, too, Arzmiller near Odeonsplatz is a very traditional coffeehouse, but there is a number of other Cafés all over the city centre and you pretty much can´t go wrong with them. (For chain bakeries, Zöttl is also good, when it comes to cake, I think. Müller and Wimmer less so).

[@hape3862]

@@ulrike9978 Ich wollte noch das Café Glockenspiel empfehlen, bin aber nicht sicher, ob es noch existiert oder noch gut ist. Vor 30 Jahren hatten sie jedenfalls die beste Prinzregententorte!

[@ulrike9978]

@@hape3862 Wie habe ich das vergessen können? Ja, gibts noch, obwohl ich zur Prinzregententorte nix sagen kann. Frühstück ist jedenfalls super!

[@StevanMilesevic]

@@ulrike9978 Müller does have the best Brezn (Pretzels) though!

[@johnb5482]

From Denver I can fly direct to both Frankfurt and Munich. Which airport do you prefer?

[@waldogadellaa]

Frankfurt is very large, but is a 3 hour train drive by ICE away or some 400 kms by car.

[@davidlynch9049]

What city do you want to visit, Frankfort or Munich?

[@Kushanrajapakse]

Just got back from Bavaria, Austria, Italy, and Slovenia. We loved everywhere we went except Germany. It’s just not for me.

[@vermontmike9800]

Is there a smaller city in Germany that is great for first time visitors? For example, London is a must see for first time to Britain, but I found York to be much more enjoyable. Does Germany have something that is a similar experience?

[@woltersworld]

Bamberg, Harz Mountains, Freiburg, Lubeck, Luneburg, are a few.

[@vermontmike9800]

@ thank you, Sir.

[@ClaudiaG.1979]

bamberg, nuremberg, dresden is also very beautiful.

[@hape3862]

Augsburg! (Ok, I'm biased, but it's a nice town with over 2,000 years of history and Munich is only half an hour away.)

[@arnodobler1096]

Instead of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, visit one of the other towns on the Romantic Road, such as Nördlingen.

[@kessas.489]

3:44 Maybe in Bavaria, not in whole Germany!

[@ckhenson]

It's already snowing in Munich?

[@zwiderwurzn5908]

No. Yesterday sunny and 16°C (= 60°F), today foggy. Weather forecast for the next 10 days: sunny to cloudy, often with fog in the morning (typical for this time of year) and temperatures around 10°C (= 50°F). No precipitation expected.

[@StevanMilesevic]

Looks like Wolters World has been sitting on this video for about a year. 😉

[@kermitfrosch6559]

The day before yesterday we. had the first snowfall.

[@hermannschmidt9788]

Yeah, desperate tourists who forgot to stamp the ticket with one of those unobtrusive blue boxes in front of the escalators. I see that often and I am always sorry for them :-D Spontaneously going out to a nice restaurant in the center without a reservation is practically impossible, except maybe for some joints that are associated with breweries ("Augustiner" for example), and are hidden in the living quarters. I had a good laugh about the cyclists and moms with toddlers. So true! And don't you get in the way of any electric "Lastenfahrrad" (the SUVs of bikes)!!! 😀

[@davidlynch9049]

Many Germans don't bother with the stamp either. Tourists are almost always fit in without reservations.

[@Budicles]

Sharf senf ist besser mit brochen

[@ilcocco]

Wolter, thanks for the video. You made me decide not to visit Múnich... Ever.

[@AbeChang2]

Why do you keep acting like bicycles are more dangerous than cars? You are more likely to die in or from a car than a bike in every city on the planet.

[@japanneedsjesus]

🇪🇬🐪🌴

[@jbraue]

Every German who isn't a cyclist hates them too. It's us against them.

[@arnodobler1096]

There are as many bicycles as inhabitants in Germany.

[@nenadarkpaw]

My tip: Be careful of charismatic, wolf obsessed Bavarian Barons

[@woltersworld]

Noted 😀

[@jimdellavecchia4594]

Biggest mistake is expecting the Germans to laugh or have a sense of humor

[@kermitfrosch6559]

German humor is not superficial. It is sharp, sometimes even sardonically "spiced" and often socially critical in nature. It is similar to English black humor. That is why not everyone understands it. And no, we Germans may be very direct in our expressions. But we don't go to the basement to laugh. And we laugh a lot!

[@Blaqjaqshellaq]

Appeasing Hitler? (Seriously, when it comes to appeasement Neville Chamberlain gets too much blame and his predecessor Stanley Baldwin gets too little...)

[@gregengel1616]

So, what the hell are you doing here? I got that Germanism at least once a week for over a three-year period. I thought it was rude to begin with, but then just realized that that's just the way they talk.

[@arnodobler1096]

Sorry, but over-touristy and tourist trap are 2 different things for me!

[@woltersworld]

Yes. They are 2 different things for me too

[@arnodobler1096]

​@@woltersworld But you described it as such, didn't you? What does your wife think about split mattresses, she's slim?

[@user-ol2nk1wx9x]

before watching this, i hope #1 is "go to munich". spent two years there, never want to go back

[@hawkeye7704]

I find all your post so very negative.

[@woltersworld]

You must not be actually watching the videos.

[@Honkawsuzyamal]

Drinking too much?

[@woltersworld]

True

[@DT-wp4hk]

1. Not trying to take over the world after a few beers

[@joeterra.t]

Are you pondering what I'm pondering, Pinky? 🤔

[@DT-wp4hk]

@joeterra.t narf🤣.

[@MaxSilverstone-c3v]

The biggest mistake is coming to Munich

[@Sebelfisch]

The biggest mistake you can make, is to come to Germany in the first place 😅 Go to Syria or Afghanistan instead ;) Looks the same, but the food is better there 😂😂😂

[@arnodobler1096]

🤡

[@jackstone112]

biggest misake is going to germany XD no differnt then afghanistan XD

[@johnnytx45]

Quatsch!

[@bastyaya]

Shut up, Donald!

[@hermannschmidt9788]

Rubbish!

[@dorisschneider-coutandin9965]

WTF?

[@arnodobler1096]

Schmarrn