Munich is a great town for a backpacker's base of operations, despite the added treat that it's a wonderful town to explore and enjoy. You can catch a train to pretty much anywhere from Munich, and it's a cheap, safe, friendly place to set as your home-base when on a train-based European adventure. For my part, I thought Munich was outstanding for this purpose. When staying in Munich, plotting my next move to Florence, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, or Copenhagen, I stayed at CVJM Jugen., and felt as if I was at home. The free breakfast in the morning was the perfect petite start to a wonderful day (the brie was especially tasty) and the accommodations were divine. The staff was attentive, friendly, and very helpful, and the fellow travelers always seemed to be very polite, and courteous. Only a five minute walk from the train station, and an easy stroll to the heart of old-town Munich, you really can't do much better than this place for what you're paying (about $35-$45 a night, American).
