Customs at MUC
 

I'm not bringing in dope or anything, but I always find the complete searches troublesome.

I anticipate bringing in traditional luggage - business attire and all - and a box of documents (in paper form) that i will use on business.

I've done int'l customs in the Caribbean without any trouble. Ditto even for PEK. My last European experience was SVO in 1993. Unspeakable parts of my body still remember the Yeltsin-era experience.

What is the currwnt climate at MUC - German thourougness, or will a 38 year old, properly dressed lawyer be wiaved on?

Thanks,

jfhscott

You were okay up until the lawyer part! :p

j/k - Have nice day!!

Haven't been in two years, but it was a non-event for me, early 50s, jeans, day pack and small carry on bag. But I'm not a lawyer :cool:

Just walk from baggage, past customs and out into the terminal. You don't have to fill out any documents, unless you have something to declare. In about 20 trips to Munich in the last few years, I've only been stopped once and that was because I had a large cardboard box on the luggage trolley, in addition to the rest of my baggage. I was motioned over to a room where the customs officer asked what I had in the box. I told him, 6 bottles of wine (CA & OR Pinot Noir) that I was bringing to help a friend celebrate their birthday. He just smiled and said, "O.K.". A couple of months later, I did the same thing and wasn't questioned. I'm going back in mid-December. BTW, MUC is my favorite airport in Europe. Terminal 2 is relatively new and very clean, bright and efficient.

There is only one country where I get hassled at customs every time - Canada. Whether I enter by land or air. Never any problem entering Europe, they just stamp my passport and send me on my way.

Same here. MUC is a delight to fly in and out of.

Mine too! :D

A HUGE change from the old concrete bunker, and a fitting tribute to a great Bavarian.

I have been known to spend hours shopping and dining in the central plaza area.

And that was me standing outside in the cold last week enjoying a chocolate gelato shortly after landing....

What else to expect from an exbayern :D

But you are right, never had any problems and the airport is great!

Concur with all. MUC is great. FRA is a different story. Lots of things are examined by hand--including one rather intrusive security agent who stuck his hand down my pants (yes, in the front and yes, I complained to his supervisor who shrugged).

A German security lady @ MUC made me take off my camera's lens and she looked through it to see if it's something prohibited...

I had a little trouble smuggling my Bulgarian girlfriend through, but that was due to misplaced luggage. Nice airport.

I went through MC on a MR March 2007 and had absolutely no problems with immigration or customs when arrivin in MUC. On my departure I had no problem with customs but did get 5 minutes of questions and my bags being searched a second time. The person checking documents at the gate simply couldn't believe a 1 night stay but after she looked at my itinerary I had no further problems and though I hate being asked a lot of questions this security person was polite and simply explained that all the questions were because of my unusual trip. Compareed to the UK where I get asked about whether I illegal drugs I would much rather deal with MUC security personell.

Moving this to the Germany (Travel) Forum

FlyinHawaiian, Co-Moderator
United Mileage Plus Forum

Been to MUC a dozen times over the past couple of years and have NEVER been stopped by customs.

Rest assured, even a lawyer will be waived on. This is Germany and not some other place with excited homeland security.

If I had to name an airport that I know of and that is convenient, MUC would be the first that comes to my mind! Don't worry, the usual behaving traveler should be fine!

Concur with the positive posts. Did a MR last weekend, BWI-ORD-MUC. MUC was a walk through customs, green line, nothing to declare. Security was tough, as it should be. Best airport in Europe IMHO.

I just read the other day, that MUC got an award for being the best airport in Europe for the third time in a row (they asked some thousand frequent travellers) and MUC was awarded being fourth best airport in the world!!

So if I'm doing a MR to MUC (actually 2, a week apart), is it best to tell them that's the point of my trip? The first is just 1 night, the 2nd 2 nights (so I can explore a little). These are Dec 2-3, then Dec 9-11.

Also--on the 2nd trip, I fly MUC-FRA (on LH) before an int'l connection to PHL (on US); will that just be domestic, if so will I make a 95 min LH to US connection in FRA?

I'm 38, of European descent, and will just have carry-on bags with me for both trips.

It's an awesome airport. For many of the flights I take, though, FRA has better frequencies (for LH), so I go through there. Fortunately our German office is in MUC, so I have an excuse to go through the airport every couple of months. ;)

No. Best not to mention it. I've had times where I've gone to MUC and left a day or two later for business. Passport control may give you a weird look. Just tell them that you only had a day to see the city.

Munich airport is just another example of the Bavarian term 'gemutlichkeit' (sp) as it applies to air travel.

The airport is very nice, very easy to negotiate and is a much better option than FRA (which is functional but ugly). I always try to pad my time there just a little so I can enjoy a weisswurst and a lager at the Airbrau restaurant between the terminals.

I can't say enough good things about Munich, Munich airport, or Bayern in general.

:D

MUC consistently receives honours as 'top airport in Europe' and one of the top in the world. But go back 18 years and it was a concrete bunker. I recall sitting in humid, sweaty terminal with an open ceiling above me and drips coming out from various pipes. (My earliest flight memory is 1972 at MUC during the Olympics, sitting on the tarmac, but we won't revisit that time...)

Amazing what was transformed from that to the current state. I have said before that I can easily spend several hours here - banking, shopping at the book store, having a gelato, using the post office, etc. This is what an airport should be, in my mind - somewhere where one can go to conduct business as well as fly...

my oldest memory, too
 

Oddly my oldest memory (of any sort) that I can recall to date certain is 1972's Munich events, also. Not that I was there, but I was barely 3 and recall the turmoil, in the context that a 3 year old might. I'm glad that so much has changed.

I thank all for all resonses to my inquiry.

Although, the Star Alliance terminal is much nicer than T1. My last few flights into and out of MUC have been on AF, out of the not-so-nice T1.

I have to say, though, that the Edeka supermarkt just across from the Airbrau is the largest supermarket I've ever seen at an airport. I shopped there several times to stock up on food and drink for my hotel before making a mad dash downstairs to catch the S-8 train into the city. Ah.....:cool:

Uhm... you do realize that the current airport, Franz Josef Strauss, was only opened in 1991, and was built from scratch on a new site? The previous airport, Riem, was Munich's historical airport, and was located MUCH closer to the city. The current convention center was built on the site of Riem.

yes, I do... I was comparing the former airport to the current airport. Hence the transformation.

I just went thru a few weeks ago with NO problems at all. I only saw a few people get pulled out of the line after retriving their cases. Just don't rush anything.

I wouldn´t tell them. If you got asked, tell them about a trip for sightseeing but don´t mention you´re going to leave the next day for home. A MR might be a good reason for an longer interview, as I doubt the typical Bavarian customs officer will have that much understanding for your "silly" travel patterns. Never forget - you´re in Germany ;)

Your MUC-FRA flight will be domestic. You neither have to clear immigration nor to show your passport at all. 95 min connection time will be more than enough. You may receive your boarding passes in MUC, so just head over to concourse B (or C), clear immigration and the extra security check.

Good news is, that the second security screening before entering the US boarding area is now history in FRA - at least for flights with LH. Have a look here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=758094

I´m 36, of European descent too and usually travel with a large suitcase. Sorry, I couldn´t resist ;)

This does remind me of a similar experience I had in MUC...

I had just arrived in Munich flying in from Delhi, and was continuing on to London (all on LH). I had about 3 1/2 hours layover in MUC, so I decided that instead of staying airside, I would walk around the airport for a bit, hit the Hofbrauhaus in the airport, maybe get a beer at the Airbrau...

Anyway, I had to clear Immigrations to do so. This is no problem, but the officer could not seem to comprehend why I would want to leave the secure area for just a few hours. He even looked at his watch and said "I guess you will have the time to go to the Hofbrauhaus" (I think he was referring to the one in central Munich.) But for a minute I thought he wasn't going to let me in.