St. Louis to Munich Flights (STL to MUC): Connections, Flight Time and Getting into Munich

No nonstop, but St. Louis has a nonstop to Germany

No airline flies nonstop between St. Louis Lambert and Munich, so every itinerary connects once. St. Louis does have a transatlantic nonstop that helps here: as of recent schedules, Lufthansa flies St. Louis to Frankfurt several times a week. From Frankfurt, Lufthansa runs frequent short flights to Munich, so you can make the whole trip on one airline with a single change inside Germany.

If the Frankfurt flight does not run on your dates, the US hubs work well. Lufthansa and United both fly Munich nonstop from Chicago O'Hare, and United from Newark and Washington Dulles; a United or Lufthansa ticket from St. Louis can connect through any of them. Delta connects through Atlanta, which has a Munich nonstop, or through Detroit and New York JFK with a European partner. American connects through Chicago, Charlotte, Philadelphia or Dallas/Fort Worth with its partners.

You can also connect through another European hub, such as London, Paris, Amsterdam or Zurich, although a European connection adds a second security check.

Total travel time and distance

The great-circle distance between STL and MUC is roughly 4,800 miles, about 7,700 km. Via Frankfurt, the transatlantic leg takes about eight and a half to nine hours and the Frankfurt to Munich flight about an hour, so with a layover, plan on 11 to 13 hours in total. Via Chicago, Newark or Atlanta, the domestic leg adds one and a half to two and a half hours and the Atlantic crossing eight to nine hours, for totals of 12 to 15 hours.

Westbound, the Atlantic crossing is about an hour longer against the jet stream. You land in St. Louis on the same calendar day you left Munich, usually in the afternoon or evening.

Departing from St. Louis Lambert

Lambert has two terminals that are not connected airside. Terminal 1 handles Lufthansa, American, Delta, United and most other airlines, and international departures, including the Frankfurt nonstop, leave from there. Terminal 2 is Southwest's. The MetroLink light rail serves both terminals from downtown St. Louis in about 35 to 45 minutes, and a shuttle bus links the two.

The Lufthansa departure to Frankfurt leaves in the afternoon or early evening. Arrive two and a half to three hours ahead, because a single international flight means check-in can queue. For a domestic first leg in the morning, two hours is usually enough; check your bags through to MUC and confirm the tag.

If you connect through Chicago in winter, snow can delay flights at O'Hare. Choose a connection of at least two hours between December and March.

Arriving at Munich Airport and getting into the city

Munich Airport has two terminals. Terminal 2 is used by Lufthansa and its Star Alliance partners, including United; Terminal 1 handles most other airlines, including Delta, American, British Airways and Air France. The terminals are a short walk apart through the central area.

If you connect in Frankfurt on Lufthansa, you clear Schengen passport control in Frankfurt, and your Munich arrival is a domestic one with no further checks. If you fly a US hub straight to Munich, you clear immigration in Munich; queues for non-EU passports are usually manageable.

The airport is about 30 km northeast of the city:

• S-Bahn S1 and S8: commuter trains from the station beneath the central area to Munich Hauptbahnhof and Marienplatz in about 40 to 45 minutes, every ten to twenty minutes.
• Lufthansa Express Bus: to Hauptbahnhof in roughly 45 minutes, with space for luggage.
• Taxi: 35 to 50 minutes to the centre depending on traffic, and expensive for the distance.
• Regional trains and buses: connections to Regensburg, Landshut and Freising from the airport area.

A day ticket that covers the airport zone is usually better value than single tickets if you plan to travel around the city on your first day.

When to fly and when to book

Munich's busiest period is Oktoberfest, which runs for about two weeks from mid- or late September into early October. Hotels fill a year ahead and prices rise sharply, so book very early or avoid those dates. December brings the Christmas markets and another rise in demand. Summer is warm, with beer gardens and lakes, and fares from St. Louis are high in July and August.

May, June and late October are good months for weather and value, and January to March is the quietest time, cold but good for skiing in the nearby Alps. For Oktoberfest and summer, book four to six months ahead; for other months, six to ten weeks is usually enough.

Entry requirements and documents

As of recent rules, US passport holders can visit Germany and the wider Schengen Area for short tourist or business stays without a visa, with a passport valid for at least three months beyond the planned departure from Schengen. The European Union is phasing in its Entry/Exit System, which records fingerprints and a photo at the border, and the ETIAS travel authorisation is planned to follow. Check the German Federal Foreign Office and EU sources before you fly, because the dates have moved more than once.

Airlines may ask for proof of onward travel at check-in in St. Louis. Keep your accommodation details handy for the border officer.

Time zones and jet lag

Munich is 7 hours ahead of St. Louis for most of the year, with a brief 6-hour gap for a week or two each spring and autumn because the US and Europe change their clocks on different dates. The overnight flight lands you in Germany in the morning after a short night, and the first day is the hardest: stay outdoors, eat at local times and go to bed no earlier than mid-evening.

The return is gentler. You land in St. Louis in the afternoon or evening and most travellers are back to normal within two or three days.

What travellers on this route get wrong

The most common mistake is overlooking the Frankfurt nonstop, which often gives the shortest trip and keeps you on one airline. The second is planning a trip during Oktoberfest without booking hotels far ahead. The third is taking a taxi from the airport when the S-Bahn is faster in traffic and much cheaper. None is serious, but each costs time or money you would rather spend in Bavaria.