Minneapolis to Munich Flights (MSP to MUC): Connections, Flight Time and Arrival Guide

Expect one connection, usually in Europe or at a Delta hub

As of recent schedules there is no year-round nonstop between Minneapolis-Saint Paul and Munich, so most trips connect once. The quickest routings use a transatlantic flight from Minneapolis itself followed by a short European hop. Delta flies nonstop from MSP to Amsterdam and Paris, and its partners KLM and Air France complete the trip to Munich in about an hour and a half. Delta also sells itineraries through Detroit or Atlanta, where it has its own Munich flights.

Lufthansa and United cover the Star Alliance side. Lufthansa flies to Munich from Chicago, Denver, Newark, Washington and Charlotte among other US cities, and United connects Minneapolis to those hubs, so a one-stop on a single ticket is easy to build. Condor has operated seasonal flights from Minneapolis to Frankfurt, which puts you a short flight or a fast train from Munich. Icelandair connects through Reykjavik with a stop that can be stretched into a stopover at no change in fare type.

The choice between a US hub and a European hub comes down to where you would rather spend the layover. Connecting in Detroit or Chicago means one long overnight flight and a short landing in Munich; connecting in Amsterdam or Paris means a shorter transatlantic leg and clearing Schengen immigration before your final flight.

Flight time and distance

The great-circle distance from Minneapolis to Munich is roughly 4,600 miles (about 7,400 km). A nonstop would take around nine hours eastbound, but with a connection your total journey is typically 11 to 14 hours door to door, depending on the layover. Most eastbound itineraries leave Minneapolis in the late afternoon or evening and arrive in Munich around midday or early afternoon the next day.

Westbound takes longer because of the headwinds: expect 12 to 16 hours in total, usually leaving Munich in the morning and arriving in Minneapolis in the afternoon or evening of the same day.

Leaving from Minneapolis-Saint Paul

MSP has two terminals that are not connected inside security. Terminal 1 (Lindbergh) handles Delta, United, American, Air France, KLM and most other legacy carriers; Terminal 2 (Humphrey) handles Sun Country, Southwest, JetBlue, Frontier and a few others. Check which terminal your first flight uses, because a mistake costs you a light rail ride between the two.

The Metro Blue Line light rail stops at both terminals and reaches downtown Minneapolis in about 25 minutes. Taxis and rideshares take 20 to 30 minutes from downtown outside rush hour. Security at Terminal 1 is centralised and can be slow in the late afternoon when the European departures leave, so arriving two and a half to three hours ahead of an international flight is sensible. Delta's nonstops to Europe board from the G concourse, a long walk or a tram ride from the main checkpoint.

Arriving at Munich and getting into the city

Munich Airport has two terminals joined by a central building. Terminal 2 is the Lufthansa and Star Alliance terminal, used by Lufthansa, United, Austrian, Swiss and their partners. Terminal 1 handles almost everyone else, including Delta, KLM, Air France and Condor. The walk between them is short and signposted.

The airport is about 30 km north-east of the city centre. Your options:

• S-Bahn: lines S1 and S8 both run to the Hauptbahnhof and Marienplatz, taking 40 to 45 minutes. The S8 approaches from the east and the S1 from the west, so either works for the centre; check which is better for your hotel.
• Lufthansa Express Bus: runs to the Hauptbahnhof and Schwabing in about 45 minutes, useful with heavy bags.
• Taxi: 35 to 50 minutes depending on traffic on the A9, and expensive for the distance.
• Rental car: easy to collect at the airport, and the right choice if you are heading straight for the Alps, Salzburg or the Romantic Road rather than staying in the city.

Munich is also a rail hub. From the Hauptbahnhof you can reach Nuremberg, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Vienna by direct train, and Deutsche Bahn's Rail&Fly or Lufthansa Express Rail tickets can be built into some itineraries.

Best time to fly and when to book

Munich's calendar is busy. Oktoberfest, which runs from mid-September into the first days of October, is the single biggest driver of hotel and fare pressure, and the city is full for the whole festival. Christmas markets fill late November and December. Summer, from June through August, is the general high season for Americans heading to Bavaria and the Alps, and it coincides with Minneapolis school holidays.

For softer fares and fewer crowds, aim for late April to early June or for October after Oktoberfest ends. Winter outside Christmas is quiet and cold, and a good time if your real destination is the ski resorts an hour or two south. Book three to four months ahead for Oktoberfest, Christmas or summer, and six to ten weeks ahead at other times.

Entry requirements and documents

Germany is in the Schengen area. US passport holders can visit for short stays without a visa, but two changes are rolling out: the EU's Entry/Exit System, which replaces passport stamps with fingerprints and a photo at the border, and the ETIAS travel authorisation, which will require an online application before travel once it becomes mandatory. Check the official EU travel site and the German embassy before you book. Your passport should be valid for at least three months beyond your planned departure from the Schengen area.

If you connect in Amsterdam, Paris or Frankfurt, you clear immigration there and arrive in Munich as a domestic Schengen passenger, which makes the final arrival quick.

Time zones and jet lag

Munich is seven hours ahead of Minneapolis for most of the year. Both places observe daylight saving time, but Europe changes clocks a few weeks apart from the US in spring and autumn, so the gap is six hours for short periods. Eastbound you lose most of a night, arriving at midday on little sleep; stay awake until a local evening bedtime and you will adjust in two or three days. Westbound is easier, as you arrive in the afternoon and gain the hours back.

What travellers on this route get wrong

The most common mistake is booking two separate tickets, one to a US hub and one across the Atlantic, to save money. If the first flight runs late you lose the second with no protection. Book a single itinerary. The second is assuming Munich is the right airport for every Bavarian trip; for Nuremberg or the northern part of the state, connecting to Frankfurt or Nuremberg itself may be quicker. The third is turning up at Munich's Terminal 1 for a Lufthansa flight home; Star Alliance departures are from Terminal 2.