Four lads, one car - Oktoberfest?

Daniel S

What's the cheapest way to drive to Munich? Has anyone here done it before?

I managed to get 5.6L/100km (combined) out of my 1.6 Focus so that's been putting ideas in my head. We're just not sure whether to fly or drive. Price will be the decider.

Redrocket

I havnt done the costs, but looked at driving before and the quickest route on a ferry looks like Rosslare - Cherbourg route, normally an overnight route. Maybe a boat leaves from Dublin also. Then it looks about 10-11 hours drive to Munich.

Flying, you can also fly to Menningen from Dublin, and get a bus to Munich from there.

Daniel S

Redrocket wrote: »

I havnt done the costs, but looked at driving before and the quickest route on a ferry looks like Rosslare - Cherbourg route, normally an overnight route. Maybe a boat leaves from Dublin also. Then it looks about 10-11 hours drive to Munich.

Flying, you can also fly to Menningen from Dublin, and get a bus to Munich from there.

Would Dublin to Holyhead and channel tunnel be faster than the ferry straight to france?

munchkin_utd

We drive munich - Ireland a couple of times a year and the main justification for us is being able to take luggage and saving a grand or more in car hire costs. It's not as cheap a spin as you'd think.
Still, If price is your only goal then the cheapest is to go via England. Ferries are cheaper, petrol costs a small bit more but you save on not paying any tolls. The only main negative is possibility of hitting traffic in England and the extra driving in general.
You can get a landbridge deal for €115 for car and driver plus €25 a head for subsequent passengers if ( a ) you're happy travelling midweek and ( b ) you forget the tunnel exists and be happy with a ferry crossing. If driving in one go the break for the ferry journey actually can fit in ok for a break and a bit of grub.
When working on doing a spin on the cheap you might try and be a little strategic and use the car to your advantage, i.e have your first and last days accommodation say an hour or 2 from munich, maybe camp in munich for the main stint which would save a clean fortune (but coming by car means you can bring your own or borrowed camping gear easily, and for free) .

munchkin_utd

Here's the link to stenas landbridge deal.
http://www.stenaline.ie/ferries-to-france/europe-by-car
It's actually €123 until 29th September for the initial car and driver midweek.
For munich it's marginally less driving to go via Dunkirk than Calais with dfds which is only available via stena.
Irish ferries do a very similar deal with the crossing from England to France provided by p&o from Dover to Calais.

Edit: here's the ferry times for Dover - Dunkirk
http://www.dfdsseaways.co.uk/ferry-routes/travel-information/timetables/#Dover-Dunkirk%20&%20Dover-Calais
Also, this can only be done over the phone as one booking. It's very straight forward, but you do need the names and dates of birth of traveling party.

Marcusm

Daniel S wrote: »

Would Dublin to Holyhead and channel tunnel be faster than the ferry straight to france?

Depends on where you're starting from. Cherbourg to Munich is probably 3 hours more driving than Calais to Munich. Holyhead to Folkestone/Dover is prob 7 hours total (although I'd do it more quickly). Ferry from Rosslare is 11 hours.

I'd say you could save half a day but more importantly you'd have more options timing wise with the Holyhead ferry.

Evenstevens

Would you not just fly to somewhere/anywhere in Germany or even Vienna and get a cheap train deal to Munich. When I lived there they used to have special rates at the weekend where if you took the slow trains you could go anywhere in the country for feck all.

Tabnabs

With Stena there is also Harwich to Amsterdam which would possible knock 2/3 hours off the driving at least.

Atlantic Dawn

When you factor in the price of the ferry, breaks in hotels overnight and tolls on your route it will work out alteast double the price of your average flights for 4 people to take the car instead of flights.

Bucklesman

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

When you factor in the price of the ferry, breaks in hotels overnight and tolls on your route it will work out alteast double the price of your average flights for 4 people to take the car instead of flights.

Seeing as Oktoberfest is a little over three weeks away, you'd have trouble getting average priced flights to Munich any time near Oktoberfest. Talking €500ish pp return. I can't see four lads over the landbridge being worse, especially if they car-camp.

Reckon OP's on the right track tbh.

munchkin_utd

There's flights 3 times a week from Shannon to Memmingen for 65 or 75 return even during the Oktoberfest which in all honesty could be your best bet, especially when the arrival is silly early - so you land in munich at breakfast time saving on one night accommodation.
Even adding in the 30 for the shuttle bus you're working out at 100 a head, which is 400 overall - and you'd pay that for ferry alone for 4 let alone a couple of tanks of fuel each way to get to munich and back.
So, if I were you I'd look into flying from Shannon to be honest.
(And that's from a fan of driving the route, BUT again , it suits us for longer stays and our situation that we need a car on the other end which can cost a packet to rent)

yabadabado

Return flights from Dublin to Munich can be got for around €150-€170 depending on travel dates ,which is very good value considering it only 4/5 weeks away.
Get a group train ticket from Airport into Munich HBF for around a tenner.
A lot less hassle than driving/ferry.

Redrocket

Other airports nearby are Vienna and Salzburg, I flew into Salzburg once cause it was cheap, and then a bayern ticket which is about 30 euros for 4 people from Salzburg to Munich. At the time it was dublin -> salzburg via ryanair.

intellectual dosser

Have you looked at parking the car in Munich? The Oktoberfest festival is very central - doubt you'd get it for free if you're staying close by.

ToxicPaddy

It's not cheap to drive especially with a fully loaded car.

I did a round trip to Brussels a few months back using the landbridge through the UK and by the time you add in fuel, ferries, food and time it cost me nearly €1k.. plus the added wear and tear on the car.

If you were going for a few weeks and needed a car, then it's fully justified. But for a few days it's not worth it.

Plus with the unmerciful hangover you four will have after a lot of alcohol, who would want a day and a half of driving straight after?? :P

finbarrk

Madness to be even contemplating driving. That flight from Shannon that munchkin mentioned is the way to go.