bauma: Hotels & Where to Stay
3 Apr – 9 Apr 2028 Messe München 600,000+ attendees
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- Pay over up to 16 weeks
- Business invoices
- Free cancellation rooms
bauma 2028 returns to Messe München from 3 to 9 April, and nothing else in the trade-fair calendar comes close to its scale. The world's largest trade show of any kind draws over 600,000 visitors and around 3,600 exhibitors in construction machinery, building-material machines, mining equipment and components, filling all 18 halls plus a vast outdoor demonstration area in Munich's Messestadt Riem district. Attendees are overwhelmingly professional: fleet buyers, plant-hire operators, contractors, dealers and engineers from more than 200 countries, many closing seven-figure equipment deals on the stands. That volume of decision-makers descending on one city for a week means hotels along the U2 metro corridor and across central Munich sell out many months out, often at multiples of normal rates. This page pulls live, bookable rates for hotels sorted by real distance from Messe München, so you can compare what is actually available for bauma week and lock it in early.
Popular areas for attendees: Messestadt Riem · Altstadt (city centre) · Schwabing.
- Hotels curated by genuine distance from Messe München and the U2 line, not city-centre defaults
- Live 4-5 star rates for bauma week, compared in your own currency
- Free-cancellation options prioritised, so you can book before your stand or badge is confirmed
- Instant tax invoice for company expense claims and VAT recovery
Event at a glance
- Dates
- 3 Apr – 9 Apr 2028
- Venue
- Messe München
- City
- Munich, Germany
- Airport
- MUC
- Attendance
- 600,000+
Recommended Hotels for Business Travellers
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Reserve early and spread payments over up to 16 weeks.
Business invoices
Add company details during checkout.
Stay close to the venue
Hotels ranked by walking distance.
Flexible bookings
Pay Weekly available on free cancellation rooms.
Rates shown for the event window, Sun, Apr 2 → Mon, Apr 10 (arrive the day before, leave the day after) — or choose your own dates above.
Hotel rates near major event venues rise as the dates approach and the closest hotels sell out first. Booking a free-cancellation rate early locks the price with no downside.
On the map
The venue, your hotel options and where to eat — all in one view. Tap the map to explore it full screen.
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- The best hotels within walking distance of the venue
- Where to host clients for dinner near the halls
- How to beat the sold-out fair-week rooms
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Need to expense this trip? Business invoices available at checkout.
Where to eat during bauma
bauma and ISPO weeks fill Munich's tables fast. One three-star statement dinner, one proper beer hall for the team, and the gasthaus you can walk to from the halls.
JAN
Creative modern European
Maxvorstadt — U2 direct from Messestadt West (~25 min)
Jan Hartwig's flagship earned three Michelin stars within six months of opening — the ultimate client-dinner flex in Munich.
Tip: Reservations vanish around ISPO and bauma — book the moment dates lock.
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Tantris
French haute cuisine
Schwabing — ~20 min taxi from Messe München
Munich's legendary fine-dining institution in its iconic listed 1970s building — a statement venue for sealing a major deal during bauma week.
Tip: Tantris DNA next door (also starred) is easier to book, less formal.
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Augustiner-Keller
Bavarian beer hall · since 1812
Near Hauptbahnhof — U2 from Messestadt West (~20 min)
Augustiner from wooden barrels and a 5,000-seat beer garden — the real Bavaria for relaxed team dinners and international buyers.
Tip: Reserve the vaulted Lagerkeller for groups; beer garden is first-come.
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Spatenhaus an der Oper
Refined Bavarian
Altstadt, opposite the opera — ~30 min from the Messe
The white-tablecloth take on Bavarian classics — duck, schnitzel, Tafelspitz — with opera-house views. Tradition that still feels business-appropriate.
Tip: Ask for the quieter upper floor; open to 1am for post-teardown dinners.
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Gasthaus Der Biermann
Bavarian gasthaus · house Kellerbier
Alt-Riem — 800m from the Messe halls, walkable
A historic inn (roots to 1818) around the corner from the fairgrounds — schnitzel, Cordon Bleu and its own Kellerbier. The rare genuinely good walk-from-the-halls option.
Tip: Fills with exhibitors on show days — reserve for dinner.
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Man Versus Machine
Specialty coffee roastery
Glockenbachviertel — ~25 min from the Messe
Munich's benchmark independent roaster since 2014 — precise espresso and filter in a sleek coffee bar. The proper flat white before afternoon meetings.
Tip: Retail beans make low-effort gifts for coffee-minded clients.
Open in Google MapsAfter the halls close: Munich
Client dinner, team night out or a free day after bauma — bookable experiences in Munich, same account, same checkout.
While you're in Munich
Time a fair right and Munich hands you one of the great European nights out.
Oktoberfest
The world's biggest folk festival — if your fair overlaps, book a tent table early.
Find ticketsFC Bayern München
A matchday at the Allianz Arena is one of football's best-run spectacles.
Find ticketsOlympiahalle concerts
Munich's main indoor arena hosts touring headliners through the year.
Find ticketsFixtures recur each season; exact dates for your fair week are confirmed at ticket search.
Getting there
From Munich Airport (MUC)
- Take S-Bahn S1 or S8 into the city (roughly 35-45 minutes to Hauptbahnhof), then change to the U2 towards Messestadt Ost for the fairground stations Messestadt West and Messestadt Ost
- Total public-transport journey airport to fairground is typically 60-75 minutes; a single MVV ticket covers the whole trip
- A taxi from MUC direct to Messe München takes around 30-40 minutes outside peak traffic and is the fastest door-to-door option, at a fare roughly in the EUR 70-90 range
- During bauma, expect queues at airport taxi ranks in the morning; ride-hailing (Uber, FREENOW) operates in Munich but pickups at MUC are from designated zones
By rail via München Hauptbahnhof
- Munich Hauptbahnhof has direct ICE and international EC/Railjet services from Berlin, Frankfurt, Zurich, Vienna and Italy, useful given how tight bauma-week flights get
- From Hauptbahnhof the U2 runs directly to Messestadt West/Ost in about 20 minutes, with extra trains scheduled during bauma
- If you stay outside Munich (Augsburg, Rosenheim, Landshut are common bauma overflow bases), regional trains feed into Hauptbahnhof or Ostbahnhof with easy U-Bahn connections
- Ostbahnhof is one U2-adjacent alternative interchange (change via U5/S-Bahn links) that avoids the busiest Hauptbahnhof crowds
Getting around during bauma
Getting to Messe München daily
- The U2 metro is the workhorse: Messestadt West serves the west entrance and Messestadt Ost the east entrance, about 20 minutes from the city centre
- During bauma the U2 runs at very high frequency but is still crushed between 08:00 and 09:30; travelling before 08:00 or after 09:45 makes a real difference
- Ride-hailing and taxis to the fairground hit heavy congestion on the A94 and Riem access roads on peak mornings; allow extra time and agree drop-off at a specific entrance
- If you stay in Messestadt Riem itself, both entrances are walkable and you skip transport entirely
Around Munich
- Buy MVV tickets in the MVV or DB Navigator apps; a day ticket for zone M covers the fairground and the whole inner city
- The Deutschland-Ticket (monthly, all German local transport) is worth considering if you are also visiting suppliers elsewhere in Germany
- Taxis are plentiful but demand spikes around 18:00 when the halls close; evening restaurant districts like Altstadt and Schwabing are best reached by U-Bahn
- Expect heavier-than-normal road traffic citywide all week; driving to the fair is not recommended even though parking exists on site
Visa & entry
Visa-free / visa on arrival
- Citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and about 60 other countries can enter Germany visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period
- EU/EEA and Swiss nationals need only a valid ID card or passport
- By April 2028 the EU's ETIAS travel authorisation is expected to be mandatory for visa-exempt visitors: a quick online application with a small fee, valid for three years
eVisa / visa required
- Nationals of China, India, Turkey, South Africa, most of the Middle East and most African countries need a Schengen short-stay (type C) visa for business
- Apply at the German mission or its visa centre in your country; bauma-period appointment slots fill early, so apply as soon as the 6-month application window opens
- Germany's biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) registration applies to all non-EU visitors at the border, so allow a little extra time on first entry
Documents to carry
- Your bauma ticket or exhibitor pass confirmation, plus an invitation letter from Messe München or a business partner if you needed a visa
- Proof of accommodation and a return or onward ticket, which border officers can request
- Travel medical insurance covering at least EUR 30,000 is a formal Schengen visa requirement and sensible for everyone
Entry rules change; confirm current requirements with the German embassy or the official Federal Foreign Office website before booking.
First time at bauma?
- Buy your ticket online in advance and load it on your phone; the print-at-home/QR system lets you skip on-site queues that can be enormous on opening morning
- The site is huge, with 18 halls plus an outdoor area larger than many entire fairgrounds, so plan your must-see exhibitors by hall number the night before and wear serious walking shoes
- Arrive in Munich on the Sunday at the latest; Monday-Wednesday are the heaviest days for international buyer traffic
- Hotels near the U2 east branch sell out first, then the city centre, then everything within an hour's train ride, so book as soon as your attendance is likely
- Outdoor demonstrations of cranes and earthmovers run to a schedule; check the programme early because the popular ones draw large crowds
Insider tips from repeat attendees
- The final Sunday is by far the quietest day and exhibitors have more time for detailed technical conversations, though some senior staff leave by then
- Real networking happens at the exhibitor stand parties from late afternoon onwards, especially in the machinery halls; Bavarian stands often serve beer and food from about 17:00
- Food inside the halls is decent but queues peak sharply at 12:30; eating at 11:30 or after 14:00 saves half an hour
- Staying in Messestadt Riem or along the eastern U2 beats a fancier city-centre hotel for daily convenience, and you can still be in the Altstadt in 20 minutes for dinner
bauma travel FAQs
Where should I stay for bauma?
Messestadt Riem is the most convenient area, with hotels within walking distance of the halls. The city centre (Altstadt) and Schwabing are the best compromise between evening life and a direct U2 ride of about 20-25 minutes. Many attendees also stay along the S-Bahn network or in nearby towns once Munich fills up.
How much do hotels cost during bauma?
bauma week is one of the most expensive hotel periods in Munich's calendar, comparable to Oktoberfest. Rates commonly run two to four times normal levels, and budget properties near the fairground raise prices the most. Booking early matters more than hunting for late deals.
How early should I book hotels for bauma?
Serious attendees book nine to twelve months ahead, and exhibitors often block rooms even earlier. Free-cancellation rates let you secure a room now and refine plans later, which is the sensible strategy for an event this oversubscribed.
Which airport do I fly into for bauma?
Munich Airport (MUC) is the only airport for the city and has excellent global connections. From MUC, the S-Bahn plus U2 takes roughly an hour to the fairground, or a taxi takes 30-40 minutes. Some visitors fly into Frankfurt or Zurich and take a direct train to Munich.
Do I need a trade registration to attend bauma?
bauma is a trade fair but tickets are available to the general public as well as professionals; you buy them through the official bauma ticket shop. Exhibitor and press passes have their own accreditation processes, and business visitors needing a visa can request supporting documentation through the organiser.
Register for your attendee badge
Your entry badge is separate from your hotel — get it from the official bauma portal before you travel. We handle the travel; the event handles the badge.
EventEscapes is an independent travel platform and is not affiliated with bauma or its organizers. Dates and venues can change — verify with the official event site before booking travel.