We touched down at Munich's Franz Josef Strauss Airport bright and early, landing at Terminal 2 at 5:55 am. The city was still cloaked in darkness, with only a few shops beginning to open for the day. With no pressing itinerary, we decided to take a relaxed stroll through the airport.
Just outside Terminal 2, in the central plaza, we stumbled upon a McDonald’s. By 7 am, breakfast was underway. KJ opted for a meal reminiscent of Singapore’s big breakfast—bacon, eggs, and bread—but with a German twist that, according to him, easily outshone its Singaporean counterpart. The meal set cost €11.33 (SGD16.44).
I, on the other hand, went for a simple croissant paired with apple juice. The choice of drink was dictated by the self-order kiosk, which seemed to be having an off-day for tea lovers. Still, the croissant turned out to be a revelation. Both KJ and I left McDonald’s envisioning a croissant-filled adventure across Germany.
After breakfast, we set out to find the AirportPLUS-Ticket, our key to navigating Munich. For €27.50, we secured a group ticket that covered travel from the airport to the city centre and unlimited rides within Munich for the day. Interestingly, the group ticket was cheaper than buying two individual tickets, making it a smart choice for pairs.
Munich’s public transport system comprises the S-Bahn, U-Bahn, and trams, none of which have entry gates or barriers. However, ticket checks are random and strict, so validating your ticket at the blue machines before boarding is essential.
With our tickets in hand, we planned to tick off destinations beyond walking distance from our hotel in a single day. The agenda included BMW Welt, Olympiapark, and Nymphenburg Castle.
To reach Olympiazentrum, we took the S-Bahn to Moosach before transferring to the U-Bahn. Conveniently, BMW Welt was situated next to Olympiapark. The sprawling BMW Welt offered a free area for visitors, which proved to be a highlight of the day and a great place to explore.
Our day in Munich had only just begun, but the seamless mix of transport, iconic landmarks, and a hearty breakfast set the tone for an exciting journey ahead.
So, after checking out the BMW Welt museum, we decided to take a stroll in Olympiapark. But, wouldn't you know it, our luck—the first day in Munich, and it's raining cats and dogs. Poor KJ, it's his first taste of winter, and it's all cold and wet. To make matters worse, he forgot his fancy new gloves, and I had to hand over mine. Thank goodness I had the foresight to snag some heat pads from Decathlon before the flight. Those babies, along with the gloves, were KJ's winter survival kit.
The garden outside Nymphenburg Castle was stunning, even in the gloomy weather. But, let's be real, we weren't feeling up for venturing into the castle itself. Blame it on the bone-chilling wind and the fact that we had to juggle umbrellas while attempting to take some shots. KJ, the trooper, was even trying to swap lenses mid-shoot, and at one point, his umbrella decided to pull a Houdini act and flew away, leaving him soaking wet. Our bags and my jacket were definitely not waterproof. Cold and wet, we threw in the towel halfway. Fingers crossed for better weather tomorrow.
Post-Nymphenburg Castle, we hit up our hotel in a&o Munich Hackerbrucke. I have paid approximate €121,62 (SGD177.61) for 2 nights stay in this hotel. Now, this place was undergoing renovation, but luckily, they had some rooms ready for us. Our room looked spiffy new, except for the door. Weirdly, no kettle, no cups, no spoon, no mug for teeth brushing, and no phone in the room. KJ shrugged it off, saying it's a hostel, not a hotel, and that's why the basics were missing. To add to the charm, our room heater was not working. The maintenance folks gave it a shot, but no dice. They apologized, and our solution was to crank up the heat in the bathroom, hoping it would migrate to the bedroom and keep us warm. Sleeping in thermal wear and a beanie did the trick, though. Jet lag hit us hard, and we conked out around 6 pm. I woke up at 4 am to some distant party tunes. Sounds like there's a shindig happening somewhere.
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