Audi Factory Tour at Ingolstadt

[AJH48]

I first did the Audi factory tour at Ingolstadt a few years ago, and was impressed. This week I did it again and the tour is even better - after a 10 minute slide-show setting the scene, there is a short bus ride to the "new" Audi A3 building, which they explain cost €240 million.

You are escorted by a guide, in a group of about 30, and can view the aluminium body parts being electro-welded by the latest generation of robots. This takes about an hour, then another bus ride takes you back to the older part of the site to see the engine, interiors, windows, wheels, etc. being fitted. All models of the A3 are produced on this line, with 3-door and 5-door versions in any required sequence. On the shift I saw, they were scheduled to make about 310 vehicles, of which 19 were 3-door, 220 were 5-door, 9 were electric, and the rest due by the end of the shift.

The complete tour takes 2 hours; the English language factory-tour starts at 11:30 am (Monday to Friday), book in advance by phoning Audi Forum +49 (0) 841 - 8 93 75 75, to get a Factory Tour Reservation Number, and pay €7 per person when you check-in 15 minutes before the scheduled tour. You probably walk about 3 miles altogether.

If anyone wants details of travel from Munich to Audi Forum at Ingolstadt by train and bus, with times and prices, do let me know. Check the Audi Forum website for details of factory closures, bank holidays, etc. See www.audi.com/aola/brand/en_lc/experience/audi_forum_ingolstadt.html

The friend who came with me is a BMW owner, and even he was impressed!

 

[leosayer1]

Thanks for the post.

I'm in Munich in July so won't miss this.

 

[Richy_C]

Good review thanks, sounds interesting.

 

[The Challinor]

My missus is going love this haha

 

[naughts4187]

I hope you asked why after spending 230m euros they can't stop the bloomin rattle in our cars!!

 

[Hyped]

Would be interested in the travel options from Munich if you can share here or via PM - partner and I are planning a trip across next year and Audi-Loving will be high on the agenda!

 

[AJH48]

MUNICH AIRPORT and getting to the City.
From Munich airport, take the S-bahn (metro system, line S8 or S1 to Munich Haputbahnhof (central station (always abbreviated Hbf), cost €10.80 per person. Buy a ticket from a machine at the airport (press the Union Flag symbol for instructions in English). The journey from the airport to Hbf takes about 45 minutes.
Alternatively, take the Lufthansa Airport Bus (serves both terminals, cost about €12 one-way, but you get a discount if you buy a return; takes about 40 minutes depending on traffic). Stops outside the north entrance to Munich Hauptbahnhof (central station)
You will probably need to stay at least one night in Munich. Directly across from the Munich Haptbahnhof north entrance, I have stayed at both the Deutscher Kaiser hotel and the Eden-Wolff hotel – both were excellent

GETTING FROM MUNICH TO INGOLSTADT AUDI FORUM.
Take a train from Munich Hbf to Ingolstadt Hbf – I got the 09:19 RE 4104, arrives Ingolstadt Hbf at 10:10. (You could take an ICE (Inter-City) train at 9:00 am but the fares are much higher). See www.bahn.de for train times, (again click the Union Flag for English instructions) and even book a ticket online. However, there is no price advantage in booking a Bayern day-ticket in advance.

The best option is a Bayern day-ticket at Munich Hbf – this includes the return train fare and buses in Ingolstadt. For one person it costs about €26, two people €30, and similar small increases for additional persons travelling together. It may be a few euros cheaper to buy from a machine, but I bought it at the railway ticket counter and the helpful Deutsche Bahn salesman printed out train times and bus times in English). (Be aware of the difference between the rail ticket counters (DB – Deutsche Bahn trains, and MVV - Munich Transportation. Allow some minutes to queue for tickets).

Make sure you take the train to Ingolstadt Hauptbahnhof (Hbf), and not Ingolstadt Nord – the north station is closer to Audi Forum, but local bus transport connections are nowhere near as good.

Right outside Ingolstadt Hbf train station, catch bus number 11 to Audi Forum (bus shows direction Audi AVG). The journey takes about 20 minutes, goes north towards Ingolstadt centre, crosses a bridge over the Danube, through the town centre and on to the Audi factory. Visitors alight at Audi Forum. (Be aware there are other Audi stops – look for Audi Forum). The buses have screens that show the next three stops, so you always know where you are. The bus stops at ZOB (Central Bus Station if you want to see other parts of Ingolstadt by bus, including the Designer Outlet Shopping Village a few miles outside the town). See the Ingolstadt transport web site for maps, bus-routes, ticket costs, etc: www.invg.de )

When you arrive at Audi Forum, the Factory Tour Reception is on the left hand side, about 200 metres from the bus stop. Across the piazza is an Audi gift shop upstairs, selling Audi clothes and merchandise, two very good restaurants, a bar/wine/coffee shop and the museum. There are ample toilets, lockers for shoulder bags and jackets, etc. Cameras are not permitted on the Factory tour, so you leave them (and mobile phones) in a locker, (€1 which is returned when you collect your items).

Bus 11 from outside Audi Forum takes you back through the town to Ingolstadt Hauptbahnhof (station) and there are about two trains an hour to Munich. At the station are coffee shops, a bookshop, toilets, seats, information office, etc. Slower trains take about 1 hour 5 minutes to Munich Hbf.

(Prices and times correct April 2015, but check online for current details). See also the Audi Forum website for details of factory closures, bank holidays, etc. www.audi.com/aola/brand/en_lc/experience/audi_forum_ingolstadt.html,
www.bahn.de for train times, prices and tickets.

Let me know if you have any questions! English is widely spoken in Munich, less so in Ingolstadt town

 

[Hyped]

Thanks heaps for the info!

 

[Audimad]

Did the factory tour in 2012. Drove there in our A5.

 

[stacey bear]

I know it's a few months away yet, in fact a whole 13 months but we are planning our road trip via Holland, with a night in Amsterdam, a night in Cologne, 4 nights in Munich, 1 night in Dusseldorf, then back home for my boyfriends birthday next November. How much in advance do we need to book our place on the tour? We are planning to take our/his 2001 S3 back home for a couple of hours .

 

[AJH48]

I phoned up about six weeks in advance, and booked for two people. They give you a reservation number, and you pay when you get to the Tour desk in Audi Forum. You may want to check on German Bank Holidays, and factory holiday closures.