Public transport in Munich

Since the fare system of Munich public transport has a reputation for being almost incomprehensible, here's how to cope with it. There are three types of tickets:
(a) Single tickets
(b) Tickets for one or three days
(c) Tickets which allow for multiple trips.
Types (a) and (b) can be obtained at several different prices, depending on the distance you want to travel. The city is divided into a number of so called ``zones'', the price of each trip depending on the number of zones one travels through. As a rule of thumb, you need a ticket for Tickets are sold at vending machines at all train and underground stations. The number of zones covered by a single ticket and by a one day ticket is indicated at the vending machine. If you buy a ticket of type (c) [which is the cheapest way of getting around in general], you buy a so called ``Streifenkarte'' at the vending machine. The machine provides you with a ticket showing strips numbered from one to ten. You will need to cancel 2 strips per zone (ie. 8 for going out to the airport and two for every trip within the city), counting from the bottom. The strips have to be cancelled before entering the platform of suburban trains or undergrounds or immediately after entering a tram or a bus. You cancel your ticket by counting the appropriate number of strips, folding them backwards and stamping it at one of the blue cancellation machines. Single tickets and one day tickets also have to be cancelled - just insert the ticket into a cancellation machine. Be aware of the fact that a one day ticket is valid only for the day at which it was cancelled, it is not valid for 24 hours (unless bought at midnight, of course).
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