Fly directly to Munich

After 20 years, Vietnam Airlines , the national airline of Vietnam, is opening a new direct flight to Munich (Germany), scheduled to begin on October 5th. Passengers flying to Munich on this inaugural flight will certainly still have time to enjoy Oktoberfest, the world's oldest and largest beer festival, which opens on September 21st in Munich and lasts for 16 days. Currently, Vietnam Airlines ' direct flights between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Frankfurt (Germany) are experiencing very positive passenger growth. International air travel is recovering. According to forecasts by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global aviation market will fully recover by the end of 2024. For the Vietnamese aviation market, after being severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath, the domestic market fully recovered in 2023, and the international market is on the path to recovery. According to the Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority, the total demand for air passenger transport in Vietnam in 2024 is estimated at approximately 84.2 million passengers, an increase of 15% compared to 2023 and 6% compared to 2019. Of this, domestic passenger transport is expected to reach approximately 41.5 million passengers, an increase of 3.3% compared to 2023 and 11% compared to 2019; international passenger transport is expected to reach approximately 42.7 million passengers, an increase of 15.8% compared to 2023 and 6.4% compared to 2019. The demand for transport by Vietnamese airlines is projected to be around 61 million passengers, an increase of 9.3% compared to 2023 and 10.9% compared to 2019.

In 2024, Vietnam Airlines maintained a stable operation of 12 round-trip flights per week to Frankfurt, an increase of 2 flights per week compared to 2019.

The market is expected to benefit from favorable conditions and positive signals from tourism development policies of localities within the country and many countries around the world , creating opportunities to enhance the exploitation of domestic and international flight routes. In addition, the research and opening of new routes by Vietnamese and foreign airlines also presents opportunities for market development.

The people of Munich enjoy themselves and relax in the park.

According to a representative from Vietnam Airlines, the route between Vietnam and Germany is one of the airline's highest-revenue routes. Preliminary statistics show that, for extended periods, the Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to Frankfurt routes have consistently ranked among the top five highest-revenue routes for the airline.

Vietnamese tourists experience bicycle rental services (similar to cyclo-rickshaws in Vietnam).

"To meet passenger demand, starting from October 5th, the airline plans to operate the Hanoi-Munich route with a frequency of 2 flights per week, departing from Hanoi on Fridays and Sundays, and from Munich on Mondays and Saturdays. The Ho Chi Minh City-Munich route will operate 1 flight per week on Mondays, and the return flight on Tuesdays. From December 2024, Vietnam Airlines plans to add one more flight between Ho Chi Minh City and Munich, departing from Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesdays and from Munich on Thursdays each week," a representative from Vietnam Airlines revealed. Thus, by the end of 2024 and throughout 2025, Vietnam Airlines will operate a total of 4 routes departing from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to the two major German cities of Frankfurt and Munich. 100% of flights will be operated using modern, wide-body aircraft, providing comfort for long journeys and being environmentally friendly.

Surfing in a park in Munich.

Previously, in January 2004, Vietnam Airlines began operating its first route between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Frankfurt with a frequency of 3 round-trip flights per week using Boeing 767 aircraft, with one transit point at Domodedovo Airport (Russian Federation). By expanding its routes to Germany, the airline hoped to contribute to boosting revenue, trade, investment, and tourism between the two markets. By June 2005, the direct Vietnam-Germany route was officially launched, with 3 round-trip flights per week using Boeing 777 aircraft.

The route between Vietnam and Germany is currently one of the highest-revenue routes for Vietnam Airlines.

With this route generating significant revenue, Vietnam Airlines always prioritizes its fleet. Since November 2015, the airline has operated the German route using Boeing 787-Dreamliner aircraft, one of the most modern and comfortable aircraft in the world. By 2019, the frequency increased to 10 round-trip flights per week (6 flights Hanoi-Frankfurt, 4 flights Ho Chi Minh City-Frankfurt). In 2023, the frequency increased by one more flight on the Hanoi-Frankfurt route, bringing the Hanoi-Frankfurt route to 7 round-trip flights per week, and from January 2024, the Ho Chi Minh City-Frankfurt route will be further increased to 5 flights per week. In 2024, Vietnam Airlines maintained a stable operation of 12 round-trip flights per week to Frankfurt, an increase of 2 flights per week compared to 2019. Vietnam Airlines has major and promising partnerships with German partners including Lufthansa and Deutsche Bahn, offering both international and domestic routes between the two countries. The results of the route-sharing agreement with Lufthansa in 2023 reached nearly 46,000 passengers, an 86% increase compared to 2022. The results of the agreement with Deutsche Bahn in 2023 reached over 25,000 passengers, a 195% increase compared to 2022. Munich is Germany's third largest city, after Berlin and Hamburg – one of the world's leading economies . While Berlin is famous for its cultural heritage and historical monuments, Munich possesses a beauty that is both ancient and modern. Considered the most livable city in Germany, Munich is famous for its Oktoberfest beer festival. Every afternoon, restaurants and beer halls in the center of Munich are packed with customers. A single mug of beer costs 7 Euros or more, quite expensive compared to Vietnamese beer, but many "beer enthusiasts" in our group agreed that Munich beer tastes distinctly different from many other good beers in European countries, well worth the money.

Vietnamese tourists enjoy traditional beer in Munich.

In Munich, visitors can explore Nymphenburg Palace, one of Germany's most impressive architectural masterpieces. It's also considered one of the most beautiful palaces in the world, boasting a unique and harmonious blend of royal architecture and a castle park. The palace attracts approximately 300,000 visitors annually. Built in 1664, it served as a summer residence for the German royal family. The original central building was a five-story, square structure, completed in 1675. Later, the palace was expanded and renovated, adding two long rooms next to the main hall, two buildings to the north, and two buildings to the south. The front of the central building was later renovated in the French style.

Inside the castle

Some rooms still retain their original Baroque decorations, while others were later renovated in the Rocoque and Classical styles. Inside the south wing is the famous art gallery, where the royal painter created portraits of 36 of the most beautiful women from all walks of life in Munich. Most famous are the portraits of Helene Sedlmayr, the shoemaker's daughter, and Lola Montez, the dancer and mistress of King Ludwig.

Nymphenburg Palace, one of Germany's most impressive architectural masterpieces.

“Munich has a diverse cultural history, boasts many ancient castles, and offers convenient access to other tourist destinations in the region, such as Austria, Salzburg (Austria’s most beautiful city), and the ancient village of Hallstatt, known as a fairytale land, one of the most beautiful medieval towns in Europe, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997. Munich is one of the two cities with the most vibrant nightlife in Germany. Munich is an economic and industrial center, famous for the BMW brand. This is not only a world-renowned luxury car brand and a symbol of the German automotive industry, but the BMW complex has also become a very popular tourist attraction. The BMW Welt showroom alone welcomes more than 2 million visitors annually,” said Benedikt Brandmeier, Director of the Munich Tourism Office.

BMW's headquarters is a building with four prominent spires, each resembling a car engine cylinder, and features the BMW logo on all four sides.

We also spent time visiting the 69,000-seat Olympic Stadium and the 291-meter-tall Olympic Tower, offering panoramic views of the bustling city of Munich. From above, the BMW Headquarters, a worthy icon of the city, stands out with its four prominent spires resembling four engine cylinders, each adorned with the BMW logo. As night falls, the shimmering lights emanating from within illuminate the BMW Welt, making it shine like a giant diamond—and indeed, it is the "diamond" of Munich's economy. With a collection of BMW cars so extensive that it could fill an entire encyclopedia, the BMW Museum is a must-see for any car enthusiast visiting Bavaria.

Bicycle rental service at the Olympic Stadium.

In the eyes of tourists, Germans are sometimes perceived as cold and lacking in humor, but after just a few short days in Munich, we found this to be a biased assessment. In reality, Germans are extremely hospitable and friendly. Experiencing a bicycle tour (similar to a cyclo in Vietnam) around Munich, the driver charmingly said "Hello" in broken Vietnamese, asked if we liked listening to music, then played the rap song "Đi về nhà" by Đen Vâu and "Cắt đôi nỗi sầu," even swaying and dancing along to the music in a very cheerful way. Throughout the long journey, he happily chatted, readily taking photos and videos for us with a bright smile always on his face. Source: https://nhandan.vn/bay-thang-toi-munich-post834554.html