When purchasing a single ticket for the MVV (Munich Transport and Tariff Association), you must pay at least the fare for

Zone M (Munich city area)
or
two zones outside Zone M must be paid.

If you pass through several zones during your journey, you only pay for each zone once – even if you pass through it multiple times.

Examples:

• Central Station (Zone M) → Pasing (Zone M/1)
  → Ticket for Zone M required.
• Gauting (Zone 1/2) → Feldmoching (Zone M/1)
  → Ticket required for Zones M and 1, as Zone M is passed through.
• Neuaubing (Zone M/1) → Maisach (Zone 2/3)
  → Ticket required for Zones 1 and 2, as Zone M is not passed through (e.g. via Pasing).
• Sauerlach (Zone 1/2) → Munich Airport (Zone 5)
  → Ticket required for Zones M to 5, as Zone M is passed through.

Some stops are located in two fare zones at the same time.
For example: Allach is in Zone M and Zone 1 (M/1).

This means that,
depending on the direction of travel, you can choose the cheaper zone – saving you money.

Examples:

• Journey from Allach to the main station:
  → A ticket for Zone M is sufficient.
• Journey from Allach to Altomünster:
  → A ticket for Zones 1 to 4 is required.

The validity of a ticket depends on the number of zones travelled through:

• Short journey (only a few stops):
  → valid for 1 hour
• Zone M or one to two zones (excluding Zone M):
  → valid for 2 hours
• From Zone M–1 or from 3 zones:
  → valid for 3 hours
• From zone M–5 or from 7 zones:
  → valid for 5 hours
• Children in zones M–12:
  → valid for 5 hours

Tickets must be validated (stamped) before the journey.

However, there are exceptions:

• Tickets from the bus or tram:
  → Already stamped on purchase, no further validation required.
• Tickets from Deutsche Bahn ticket machines:
  → You can choose between a stamped and an unstamped ticket.

Note on validation:
If the ticket says “validate here”, it must be stamped before the journey.

A short journey is a very short trip by bus, train or tram.

Valid as a short journey:

• A maximum of 4 stops after boarding.
• Of these, no more than 2 stops may be on the S-Bahn, Underground, express bus or regional train.
• Stops where the service does not stop are also included.
• Transfers are permitted, provided the total number of stops is not exceeded.
• Zone boundaries may be crossed provided the stop rule is observed.
• Maximum journey time: 1 hour from validation.

Special rules for municipalities outside Munich:

In municipalities outside the city of Munich, the following applies:

• Any bus journey within the municipal boundaries counts as a short journey – regardless of the number of stops or fare zones.

Example: A bus journey within the municipality of Fischbachau – even if it includes several stops – is valid as a short journey.

Payment for a short journey:

• One strip of the strip ticket can be validated (for adults or children).
• Alternatively: a single-journey short-distance ticket, most conveniently as an app or mobile ticket.

A return journey is a journey back to the starting point.

Example:

• Outward journey: from home to work in the morning.
• Return journey: back home in the evening.