With family and lots of luggage to Munich Airport: parking without chaos

A family holiday does not begin on the beach but usually with a fully packed car: suitcases, pushchair, child seats, backpacks, snacks. At Munich Airport, the size of the site adds to this – long walks with tired children and luggage trolleys can quickly make the start of the holidays exhausting. With the right parking option and a good plan, it stays relaxed. This guide shows you what families should look out for.

Which parking option takes the most pressure off families?

Valet parking is the obvious choice for many families. You drive to the meeting point near the terminal, unload, hand over the car and go straight to check-in with the children and luggage. On your return, the car is waiting there again. No waiting at a stop, no reloading twice. Everything about the procedure: Valet parking at Munich Airport.

Shuttle parking is cheaper and quite manageable for families if you allow a little more time. Make sure there is enough space in the shuttle for the pushchair and suitcases, and state the number of people and any bulky luggage when booking. Tips in the frequently asked questions about the number of people in the shuttle and in the guide Shuttle parking at Munich Airport.

Start of the holidays: set off early

At the start of the Bavarian school holidays – and when other federal states are travelling at the same time – the motorways around Munich and the terminals are particularly full. Plan a more generous buffer than usual for the drive and expect waiting times at baggage drop-off and security. If you are travelling with children, you need more time anyway for toilet breaks, changing clothes or a quick snack. For the route, read the guide Driving to Munich Airport.

The right terminal

Munich Airport has Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Many holiday airlines and numerous other airlines use Terminal 1; Lufthansa and its partners mostly depart from Terminal 2. Check the terminal before you set off – with children, switching between terminals is particularly tiresome. More in the guide Terminals at Munich Airport.

Packing list for hand luggage with children

• ID cards or passports for all children
• A change of clothes for the little ones
• Snacks and an empty water bottle to fill after security
• Medication needed on the way
• Something to do while waiting: book, drawing things, headphones
• Wet wipes and tissues

Child seats, pushchairs and more

Many airlines carry pushchairs and child seats, some of them right up to the aircraft. The rules vary, so it is worth looking at your airline's conditions. If child seats stay in the car, record them in the photos at the handover. How to document the vehicle handover is explained in the guide Vehicle handover at Munich Airport.

A routine that works for families

1. The evening before: load the car, put the boarding passes on your phone, open the car park confirmation.
2. On the day of departure: set off earlier than necessary and plan a break.
3. Shortly before arrival: call the provider if requested – see the frequently asked questions about calling the provider.
4. At the meeting point: one adult takes care of the handover, the other of the children and luggage.
5. In the terminal: first drop off the luggage, then go through security together.

Returning with tired children

After the holiday, everyone is tired. With valet you collect the car at the meeting point; with shuttle parking you ride to the car park together. Put the children in the car first, then the luggage. For late return flights, the guide Late arrival at Munich Airport will help.

Bridging waiting times in the terminal in a child-friendly way

Once the car has been handed over and the luggage checked in, the most difficult part often begins for children: waiting. At Munich Airport there is plenty to see between the terminals and in the waiting areas – aircraft, baggage carts, display boards. Plan this time deliberately instead of seeing it as idle time. A small backpack for each child with their own snacks, a book and a game gives the little ones the feeling of being part of the journey themselves. Older children can look for the flight number on the display board or find the gate on the site plan.

Reducing luggage cleverly

Lots of luggage is often unavoidable with a family, but not every item has to come along. Check whether a cot, high chair or buggy can be borrowed at your holiday destination. Whatever does not travel does not have to be carried out of the car, through the terminal and back again at the destination. At the same time: whatever stays in the car – such as child seats for the drive home – belongs in the handover photos and should not contain any valuables.

When grandparents drop you off or pick you up

Many families in Bavaria have grandma and grandpa take them to the airport. That is a nice solution if the drive is easily manageable for them. But bear in mind: Munich Airport is a good distance outside the city, and picking you up after a late return flight in particular can be tiring for older people. A mixture is possible: being dropped off on the way out and using your own car on the way back – but then the car has to be taken to the airport beforehand. A car park booked in advance is often the simpler solution.

Safety and organisation at the handover

On holiday days the meeting point is busy. Do not let children stand unsupervised between moving cars. A tried-and-tested approach: first gather all the children and the luggage in a safe place, then one adult takes care of the handover. You deal with photos, keys and the report calmly while the other adult keeps the children occupied. Then you go into the terminal together.

Travelling with a baby

With a baby, special rules apply to baby food in hand luggage and to transporting pushchairs and infant carriers. Find out in advance from your airline. For parking, a baby above all means: plan even more time and as few changes as possible. Valet is often the most pleasant solution here, because the car is brought from the meeting point right up to the terminal and you do not have to change into a shuttle with an infant carrier.

Returning: order in the chaos

After the holiday, the suitcases are fuller and the children more tired than on the way out. So plan the return just as deliberately as the departure. One adult collects the luggage from the carousel, the other stays with the children. Only once everything is there do you contact the provider. At the car, first put the children in their seats, then load up. That way you avoid anyone getting lost in the crush at the drop-off area.

Checklist for families

• ID documents for all children packed
• Pushchair and child seats clarified with the airline
• Number of people and bulky luggage stated in the parking booking
• Snacks and things to do in hand luggage
• Meeting point in the terminal agreed for emergencies
• Provider's return times matching the return flight

The right parking duration for families

Families often underestimate the time on the day of return. Between landing and setting off come getting off the plane with children, a toilet break, baggage claim and possibly passport control. So book the return with a generous gap after the landing time. Better to state half an hour later and then call earlier than to book too tightly and get under time pressure. With the flight number in the booking, the provider can plan for delays.

Involving children in planning the trip

Children are more relaxed when they know what is happening. Explain beforehand that the car will be parked by a driver at the airport or that you will ride to the terminal in a small bus. For many children, the shuttle ride alone is a little adventure. Those who know what is coming whine less – and may even help carry their own backpack.

Parking for families via Friend-Park

On Friend-Park you compare valet and shuttle offers from affiliated providers and see supplements, for example for additional people, already included in the final price. Whether offers can already be booked at Munich Airport is shown on the page Parking at Munich Airport.