ICMA Official Arrival Date/Times

• Traveling within Europe:  arrive in Ochsenhausen before 5:00 pm, Wednesday, July 9 

• Traveling from overseas:  arrive at the Munich (MUC) airport, or Frankfurt (FRA) airport by 11:30 am on Monday, July 7 or Tuesday, July 8 

IMPORTANT: If you are coming from overseas, we suggest you arrive a day or two early to get over jet lag and settle in.

• The Landesakademie (the festival venue) can offer housing starting on Friday, July 7 or Saturday, July 8. If you choose to arrive early, it will cost an additional €42 ($45.67 currently) per night and includes all meals. Once you know your travel arrangements, you will need to notify the Festival Office (Kursbüro) ASAP with your flight information and intended date and time of arrival in Ochsenhausen. Space is limited, so do this as soon as you know your travel plans! Kursbüro email: kursbuero@landesakademie-ochsenhausen.de
• There are practice rooms available in the Kloster (Abbey) where you are staying if you arrive early.

• Plan a departure from Munich or Frankfurt airport in the afternoon on Friday, July 18, and the later the better. You are free to enjoy breakfast at the Kloster and then jump on a complimentary Landesakademie Shuttle to the Biberach or Memmingen train stations.
• You need to allow at least six hours from your shuttle departure time from the Kloster to the airport, and more time is far more comfortable.
  • Keep in mind that the shuttle takes 30 minutes, the train can take 2-3 hours, and you are supposed to arrive at the airport 3 hours early for an international flight.

• The dormitories supply linens (sheets and towels)
• Concert dress is all black (black shirts, black pants, black dresses, black shoes)
• There is a single clothes washer and dryer available for the use of everyone involved in the festival.  It is advisable to pack light, wash things in your dorm room sink each night, and dry them on a travel clothes line or hangers.
• Wifi is available, but often not in your rooms (the Kloster walls are thick)
• We will be collecting your WhatsApp info so we can communicate with you while in Ochsenhausen. If you haven’t downloaded the app, please do so.
• The Abbey is on a hill above the town and is 15-20 minute walk from the lovely town of Ochsenhausen.  There are shops in town to buy all necessities (toothpaste, shampoo, groceries, etc.).  Bring good walking shoes!  Also note that in the town of Ochsenhausen nearly all shops and grocery stores are closed on Sundays.
• We recommend bringing 100 Euros with you.  Also know that there are ATMs in the Munich Airport.  Certain US banks have relationships with European banks that will eliminate extra fees (often $5) on top of the exchange rate (e.g.. Bank of America and Deutsche Bank have a relationship that negates the extra exchange fee).  The two Deutsche Bank ATMs in the Munich Airport are near the baggage claim belts.   The cheapest way to exchange money is at an ATM that has a relationship with your personal bank - much cheaper than a Foreign Exchange Counter in the airport or elsewhere - so research this before traveling.   Many businesses in Ochsenhausen do not accept credit cards.  Please understand that three meals a day are provided by the festival, so the need for cash is only for your own recreation (treats, souvenirs).

There are several direct flights from the Eastern U.S. to Munich Airport (MUC), including from Charlotte, NC. From there, you can take an affordable train to Memmingen, using S-Bahns and regional trains like the RE and R lines. The trip takes about two hours if the trains are on time, but there are no high-speed ICE trains on this route. 

To check train schedules and buy tickets (if not included with your flight), use the Deutsche Bahn app: https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/db-navigator. 

Guest artist faculty will be flying into Munich Airport on Monday, July 7 and arriving that morning.  If you are nervous about German train travel, they would be happy to meet you at the Munich airport that morning (around 10 am)…but you should arrive before 9:15 am (at the latest) to do that.  If you would like to do this, please submit your request on this google form with your flight information. 

Arrival time window: Choose a landing time between 5:00am and 11:00am to match shuttle bus pick-up times. 

• If you miss the shuttle, you may need a taxi to the Kloster (this is very expensive). 

Customs & baggage claim: 

• After arrival, go through customs/immigration and pick up your bags (this can take about an hour). 

Finding the S-Bahn (light rail):

• Munich Airport has two terminals (1 and 2), with a huge atrium in the middle between the terminals called the MAC.  
• After you get through baggage claim and customs look for green circular signs with a large white S in the middle of them.  Those are signs that direct people to the S-Bahn.
• Though there are several places to access the station, perhaps the most straightforward is to walk through the terminal towards the MAC.  Once you reach the large atrium space of the MAC, you will see a large “outdoorish-looking” restaurant called AirBraü.  About 100 feet away AirBraü’s “outdoor” entrance you will see descending escalators with the distinctive green circular signs with the white S designating the S-Bahn station. 

Flight: Lufthansa, nonstop CLT to MUC 
Departs Charlotte: July 6, 6:30 pm 
Arrives Munich: July 7, 9:10 am 
Baggage & customs: About 1 hour 

Rail travel from Munich Airport to Memmingen 

• Depart Munich Airport Terminal (T): 10:51 am (S1 - München Leuchtenbergring) 
  
• Arrive at Munich Main Train Station (München Hbf - lower level, Platform 1): 11:45 am 
  
• Go up escalators to upper-level tracks 
• Take RE 96 – Lindau-Reutin 
• Depart Munich Hbf, Platform 28 
• Arrive in Memmingen Bhf/ZOB: 12:59 pm 
  
• Pick-up: By Landesakademie Shuttle at the pre-arranged time. 

Booking Train Travel (MUC to Memmingen): 

• Try to select trains with one transfer for fewer complications (delays, missed connections).
• Use the DB Navigator app to see routes and choose “fewer connections.”
• Track numbers may change due to repairs or other issues. Always check monitors at the station or use the app for updates.

Frankfurt Airport (FRA) provides more direct connections from hubs like New York than any other German airport. 

We highly recommend you book your train tickets from Frankfurt Airport (FRA) to Biberach well in advance.  On ICE trains, the best deals can be remarkably cheap when they first become available; three months in advance of the journey.  You may find a train ticket for 17€, as opposed to over 100€ the day of the journey. Certain airlines (Lufthansa) allow you to book your train ticket to Biberach along with your flight. It is a nice perk, but not mandatory. It will be high season in Europe and trains can be very overbooked, so it is wise to purchase your train tickets well before you leave the United States. 

Travel Steps Upon Arrival: (USA to FRA to Biberach) 

Landing time: Arrive between 5:00am-11:00am to match shuttle pick-ups. 

• If missed, you may need a local taxi to the Academy (very expensive). 

After arrival: 

• Go through customs/immigration and pick up your bags (about 1 hour). 

Finding the train station: 

• Exit baggage claim and look for signs to Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbahnhof (Fernbhf) for intercity train connections.
• The ICE train station is next to the airport, connected by corridors and escalators. 

Condor Airlines 

• Departure from JFK: July 6, 4:25 pm
• Arrival at FRA: July 7, 6:05 am 

Continue by Intercity (ICE) train: 

• Departure Frankfurt Ferbhf (train station): 8:51 am, ICE to Ulm
• Change/transfer in Ulm Bhf to the IRE or RE (regional) Train
• Arrival in Biberach, 11:40 am
• Pick-up by Landesakademie Shuttle in the afternoon 

Note: When booking the train travel on this route, be certain you get train connections with only one transfer. You can see this in the DB Navigator app and even select for “fewer connections.”  DB Navigator app:  https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/db-navigator. 

Costs of the rail trip from FRA to Biberach: Currently €48.90 (Super Sparpreis), but these cheap tickets vanish the closer you get to your departure date. 

Glossary of Terms: 

• U-Bahn: Underground train (subway), slowest with many stops. Runs above ground outside the city center.
• S-Bahn: Rapid city transit, similar to light rail. Fewer stops, ideal for cross-town or nearby travel.
• R/RE-Bahn: Regional trains that connect cities with nearby towns.
• ICE Trains: Fastest trains in Germany, can reach up to 200 mph. Includes other fast trains like IC (InterCity) and EC (EuroCity), but slightly slower. 

Other Terms: 

• Bahnhof: Train station
• Hauptbahnhof (Hbf): Main train station
• ZOB: Central bus station, usually next to the main train station
• Gleis: Track/Platform
• Ochsenhausen Kloster: 1700s abbey where ICMA activities are held (sleep, rehearse, perform).
• DB Navigator: Deutsche Bahn's app for exploring routes, buying tickets, and navigating to your destination. It’s essential for travel in Germany and across Europe. Download here. 

Train Direction: 

• Trains are identified by their number and destination. For example, IRE 3 may go to Lindau-Reutin or Ulm.
• If you're traveling from Biberach to Frankfurt, take IRE 3 Ulm.
• If you're traveling from Ulm, take IRE 3 Lindau-Reutin. 

The DB Navigator app will always select the cheapest option for you if you flip the toggle on “Show our best prices” on the Connections page.  

• Normalpreis Tickets are tickets at the normal price, and they are cancellable up to the day before travel.  They are good for any local train (U, S, R, or RE). In 2024 this option cost €39.20 from Munich to Memmingen. 
• If you are traveling in a group you can sometimes save a considerable amount of money by buying all the tickets together, usually with a Quer-Durchs-Land-Ticket, which allows unlimited travel within a German state within a certain time period.  The app will automatically offer that possibility if it exists. 
• If you are traveling from Munich, the app may offer a Bayern-Ticket, which is good for unlimited travel in single day on any local (U, S, R, or RE) trains.  They are good for solo travelers.  You can buy these on the day of travel, often cheaper than the Normalpreise tickets.  These are not cancellable.  In 2024 this option cost €29.
• If you are spending longer in Germany and doing extensive travel, there is an option that allows travel for a full month on every mode of transportation except the fast trains, such as ICE, IC, etc.  Any regional transportation is available to you (U, S, R, or RE) for a full month.  However, it is a subscription, so you must remember to cancel it by the 10th of the months to avoid being charged for months you are not using.  In 2025, it will be called the €59 ticket (formerly €9 ticket and €49 ticket). Contact Paul Sharpe if you want more information about this option - he has used it successfully for the past three summers, but there are many reasons using it is complicated.