I will be arriving in Munich airport with my bicycle in a box (approx 140cm x 60 cm x 20 cm), can this be taken on the train to the city? (specifically the S1 or S8 trains)
3 Answers
With limitations, you are allowed to take the bicycle on the train, but I would not count on being able to bring the box if the bicycle is still packed, since it exceeds with large margins the allowed luggage size (no side longer than 90cm). If the bicycle is packed in a box, it might even be somewhere between very difficult and impossible to get it down to the train platform, as it may not fit in the elevators or be practicable on the escalators.
Ignoring the box, you can bring unpacked bicycles onto the train (S-Bahn and subways) except during the following hours:
- Monday to Friday: 6 am to 9 am (except on public holidays)
- Monday to Friday: 4 pm to 6 pm (except on public holidays) – not during school holidays
It is not allowed to bring bicycles in buses and trams.
In addition to the regular ticket, you will need a day ticket for your bicycle at a cost of 3€.
answered Aug 27, 2019 at 12:38
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So it might actually be easiest to assemble the bike at the airport and just carry the empty box with me. (It would seem to me though that as the box is not as long as the bicycle, that if I can get a bicycle to platform level at the airport, I could get the box down too). I carry a small dolly with me to walk the bicycle– paullbCommented Aug 27, 2019 at 13:05
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1I must admit that I just saw the 180cm. Are you sure that the other dimensions are only 60x20? Bicycle boxes are usually much larger. If so, the box is probably easier to manage than I assumed, regular size bicycle boxes are a real hazzle to carry and handle. It still exceeds the limits for allowable luggage size though. Commented Aug 27, 2019 at 14:56
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4@paullb The box you are linking to is almost 1m high, not just 60cm. That sounds like a minimum if you want to pack a bicycle and want to keep the wheels on the frame. If you take off the wheels, the box will likely have to be wider than 20cm so that you can pack the wheels and the frame beside each other. The suburban trains in Munich are usually not staffed, so there is likely noone there to check the size of your luggage. However, the trains to the airport have a high occupancy of passengers with much luggage, so you will probably be frowned upon if you occupy too much room. Commented Aug 27, 2019 at 16:06
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2Well, if you assembled the bicycle at the airport, you could ride on it to your Munich destination. It's pretty nice landscape – all flat, directly at the Isar river.– JankaCommented Aug 27, 2019 at 21:29
A boxed bicycle is bulky luggage not approved for transportation on the S-Bahn. While you might get away with it you should rather not count on it. Staff will have the final say on each individual case.
The MVG - operating Munich's S-Bahn - states (source, emphasis mine):
Für die Beförderung in unseren Verkehrsmitteln zugelassen
[..]
Übrige Sachen und Sperrgepäck
- Maximal zulässige Länge 90 cm
- Maximal zulässige Breite 80 cm
- Maximal zulässiges Gewicht 25 kg
- Sperrgepäck wird nur befördert, wenn dadurch keine weiteren Fahrgäste zurückgelassen werden müssen.
Roughly translating to:
Approved for transport on our vehicles
[..]
Other things and bulky luggage
- max length 90 cm
- max width 80 cm
- max weight 25 kg
- Bulk luggage is only carried if no other passengers need to be left behind.
So it would seem that a boxed bicycle is bulky luggage outside approved dimensions. By the same rules it would not be allowed to "just carry the empty box with me".
In addition to Tor-Einar Jarnbjo's answer MVG also states (source, emphasis mine):
Fahrräder ab 20 Zoll:
- Mitnahmemöglichkeit: Ja, in S- und U-Bahnen (außerhalb der Sperrzeiten)
Fahrrad-Tageskarte erforderlich: Ja
stets vorbehaltlich der Entscheidung des Fahrers!
or in English:
Bicycles from 20 inches
- Transportation option: Yes, in S-Bahn and U-Bahn (outside the restricted periods)
Bicycle Day Ticket required: Yes
always subject to the driver's decision!
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I've never seen an U/S-Bahn driver object to anything happening in the coaches - that is, unless you are blocking the doors.– BergiCommented Aug 28, 2019 at 1:24
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3... and I have, though that is annecdotal if you like. This answer addresses "the rules" which clearly state what is acceptable and what is not.– GhanimaCommented Aug 28, 2019 at 8:27
I have heard there are direct buses connecting the Munich airport with the city. These buses might have a luggage compartment in which you could put your boxed bicycle. You can check this: https://www.airportbus-muenchen.de/en/
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4Sorry, but "I have heard" and "might have" just doesn't sound like a solid travel advice. Commented Aug 28, 2019 at 6:39
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@DmitryGrigoryev Not posting any answer at all would be better, right? I shared the information I had, and also I provided a link to a relevant website. It is very likely that this option will work, but the OP has to do a bit of research to find a definite answer. There is nothing wrong or misleading in my answer. But since already two people downvoted it, I don't think I will post any other helpful travel hints on this Travel SE, simply because I do not want to get downvoted again under the pretext that my answer is not a solid travel advice.– SandraCommented Aug 28, 2019 at 14:31
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3@Sandra No need to be insulted, but yes, if you can't answer the question, not posting would probably be better. For suggestions, you can use the comment function. Since the web page does not explicitely state that you can bring bicycles, I know from experience that the buses don't have suitable bicycle racks, and the luggage compartments are not large enough and suitable for such bulky luggage, I would absolutely not assume that you can bring bicycles on these buses. Commented Aug 28, 2019 at 19:19