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5 Lakes Near Munich for Car-Free Day Trips

By The Travel FieldbookPublished on Updated on 7 min read
Eibsee with the Wetterstein mountains beyond it
Eibsee near Grainau, looking north-east towards the Wetterstein range. (Armatus1995 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Edited)

From Munich Central Station, you can reach Lake Starnberg for a short waterfront outing or travel further for Chiemsee’s palace island and Eibsee’s mountain-backed shore. Starnberg and Ammersee suit a half-day, while the other three need a full day, with onward connections shaping how much time you spend beside the water.

Which lake fits your day?

CriterionLake StarnbergAmmerseeChiemseeTegernseeEibsee
Rail approach from Munich Central StationRB65 to Starnberg: about 19 minutesS8 to Herrsching: about three quarters of an hourRE5 to Prien: about an hour and a quarterRB57 + replacement bus to Tegernsee station: about an hour and a halfRB6 to Garmisch-Partenkirchen: about an hour and a half
Outward travel including land walksStarnberg waterfront: about 22 minutesHerrsching waterfront: about an hourPrien/Stock: about an hour and a half, including about 24 minutes walking; Herreninsel landing–palace: about 18 minutes; boat separateTegernsee town waterfront: about 2 and a half hoursEibsee lakeshore via bus 323: about 2 hours
One-way adult transport fares—S8 €16.80Rail —; boat €8.60—Rail —; bus €6
Final return departuresRB65 20:40 daily, year-round; later S-BahnS8 00:45 Mon–Fri; 01:05 weekends/holidays, year-round, after midnightBoat 18:15 daily except 24 December; 18:45 weekends/holidays through 11 October 2026 and from 1 May 2027. RE5 23:50 daily, 14 June–12 December 2026—Bus 20:10, conditional seasonal service: 1 May–20 September 2026; weekends 26 September–1 November 2026; daily 2–8 November 2026; weekends 14 November–12 December 2026. RB6 22:07 daily, year-round
Service patternRB65 approximately hourlyS8 every 20 minutes at weekends, year-roundRE5 approximately hourly; boats seasonalRegular RB57 at least hourly; works alter connectionsRB6 hourly; bus 323 hourly daytime when operating
Time to set asideHalf-day or longerHalf-day or longerFull dayFull dayFull day, conditional bus service
Island-palace admission——€14 adult island combination ticket; boat extra——

Choose Starnberg for the shortest approach, Ammersee for a shore visit, or Chiemsee for a palace and lake crossing. Tegernsee brings an alpine town setting but a substantial walk, while Eibsee offers mountain scenery beside the lake when its bus operates. The order follows the rail approach, not arrival at the water.

Allow extra time for connections before settling down beside the water. At Chiemsee, fit the boat between the mainland and island walks. For Eibsee, plan the return around the seasonal bus. Ammersee’s final trains leave after midnight, but an earlier departure keeps the outing within the same day.

If you would rather explore historic cities or other attractions than spend the day beside a lake, day trips from Munich by public transport offer a different choice of outings.

Lake Starnberg

Lake Starnberg is the simplest choice for a waterfront visit without an onward bus or boat. Walk the Starnberg promenade, pause beside the water and use the bathing lawns for a longer summer stay. Clear visibility can bring the Alps into view across the lake.

Take the RB65 from Munich Central Station to Starnberg station, running approximately hourly, then walk about 3 minutes to the waterfront. The regional arrival puts you beside the lake rather than leaving a lengthy approach. For a late return, distinguish the later S-Bahn services from the selected regional train.

A half-day gives you time for the promenade and a break, and swimming or a leisurely shore stay can extend it. Possenhofen and Tutzing are other places along Lake Starnberg, not extra stops you need to add to this outing.

Lake Starnberg beside the Seepromenade in Starnberg.
The Seepromenade runs along Lake Starnberg at Starnberg.
-wuppertaler · CC BY 4.0 · Edited

Ammersee

Ammersee suits a half-day on Herrsching’s promenade that can grow into a longer lake day. Stay on the shore for a walk and a break, or make swimming, sailing or a lake boat the main activity. You do not need a cruise to enjoy this visit.

The S8 takes you from Munich Central Station to Herrsching without a change, running every 20 minutes at weekends, year-round. From Herrsching station, the waterfront is about 7 minutes away on foot. That short approach leaves the shore as the focus of the outing rather than another transport connection.

Dießen and Utting are other communities around Ammersee, not required additions to the Herrsching visit. If you want an uncomplicated return to Munich, finish at the same shore and head back to Herrsching station instead of building a crossing into the day.

A boat landing on the shore at Herrsching am Ammersee.
A boat landing beside the Seepromenade at Herrsching, on the Ammersee.
Boschfoto · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Edited

Chiemsee and Herreninsel

Chiemsee is the full-day choice for a boat crossing to Herreninsel and the royal interiors of Herrenchiemsee’s New Palace. The palace’s Versailles-inspired rooms give the island visit a purpose beyond the shoreline. Leave room to walk through the grounds rather than treating the island as a quick stop between boats.

Herreninsel on the Chiemsee.
Herreninsel, the largest island in the Chiemsee.
Raboe001 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Edited

Take the approximately hourly RE5 from Munich Central Station to Prien am Chiemsee, with this service pattern applying from 14 June to 12 December 2026. Walk from Prien station to Prien/Stock boat landing and board a boat to Herreninsel. Prien/Stock is the mainland gateway for this visit, so return there before continuing to the railway station.

From the Herreninsel landing, walk to the palace through the island grounds. The island combination ticket includes the New Palace tour and other island museums, but the boat is a separate purchase. Fraueninsel is another Chiemsee island. Adding it would turn this palace-focused day into a broader lake outing.

Boats operate year-round, with seasonal timetables. In the autumn, winter and spring timetable from 21 September 2026 to 14 May 2027, daytime departures from Prien/Stock are hourly from 10:00 to 15:00, then every 30 minutes from 15:30 to 17:30. Allow time to reach the landing after your island visit: the final island boat, not the later mainland train, determines when you must leave Herreninsel.

Tegernsee

Tegernsee is a full-day outing for an alpine lake setting, shore walks and time beside the water. Keep the day at lake level rather than adding a mountain hike. Tegernsee town gives you a waterfront base, while Gmund and Rottach-Egern identify other parts of the lake rather than extra transfers you must make.

Aerial view across Lake Tegernsee from the south-east
Lake Tegernsee, seen from the south-east in the Bavarian Alps.
Carsten Steger · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Edited

Travel from Munich Central Station on the RB57 route via Schaftlach, changing to the replacement bus for Tegernsee station during the works. Outside the works, trains run at least hourly, with additional services at peak times.

From Tegernsee station, the approach to the promenade used for this outing is about 4.6 km, taking about three quarters of an hour on foot. Treat that as part of the day’s walking, not a quick station exit. A shore walk, a meal and swimming in suitable summer conditions give the visit room to unfold without another excursion.

Eibsee

Eibsee is the choice for an island-dotted lake beneath the Zugspitze, with the walk itself as the day’s main activity. Its turquoise water and mountain backdrop make a shore-level visit distinct from a summit excursion. Set aside a full day, and wear walking shoes for sustained time on lakeside paths.

The shore of the Eibsee beneath the Zugspitze, near Grainau.
The Eibsee lies below the Zugspitze near Grainau.
-wuppertaler · CC BY 4.0 · Edited

Take the hourly RB6 from Munich Central Station to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, then change to bus 323. The bus leg to Eibsee takes about 31 minutes, and from the stop, the shore is about 2 minutes away on foot. Leave time for the interchange before starting your lakeshore walk.

Summer bathing and cooler-season shore walking are different reasons to come, and neither requires a summit trip. If the mountain ascent matters more than the lake, Alpine day trips from Munich help you choose that outing instead of adding it to this day.

Bayern-Ticket for rail journeys

Second-class solo ticket
€34 online or at DB ticket machines
Each additional eligible adult
€10
Group limit
5 people
Staffed DB sales outlet surcharge
€2
Monday–Friday validity
09:00–03:00 the following day
Weekend and Bavarian public-holiday validity
00:00–03:00 the following day
24 and 31 December validity
00:00–03:00 the following day

The Bayern-Ticket is a regional return-journey option, not an all-inclusive lake ticket. Choose it for the journeys it covers and keep separate money aside for onward transport and attraction entry. Its weekday start matters if you want an early departure from Munich, while the longer weekend and holiday window gives you more freedom.

  • Lake Starnberg: the RB65 is covered.
  • Ammersee: the S8 is covered.
  • Chiemsee: the RE5 to Prien is covered, but the boat is paid separately.
  • Tegernsee: the RB57 is covered.
  • Eibsee: the RB6 to Garmisch-Partenkirchen is covered, but bus 323 requires a separate ticket.

Chiemsee boat passengers holding a Bayern-Ticket receive about a 10% discount on a separately purchased fare. Buy that boat ticket at the ticket office, not aboard the Chiemsee-Bahn, the local railway to the harbour. The discount does not turn the crossing into an included journey, and palace admission remains separate.

Sources & fact-checking

Checks against the sources below cover: services, fares and charges, and opening hours.

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