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This page explains how to travel by train from Munich to other European cities and how to buy tickets the cheapest way. Train information is current for 2020.
Tip: For a beer or local Bavarian food before your train try www.augustinerkeller.de at Arnulfstrasse 52, on the north side of Munich Hbf.
Before you buy your
tickets...
Take a moment to read these tips for buying European train tickets. They answer all the usual questions, "Do I need to book in advance or can I just buy at the station?", "Can I stop off?", "Are there Senior fares?" and that old favourite, "Should I buy an $800 railpass or just buy a €35 point-to-point ticket online?". Click here to understand how far ahead you can buy train tickets.
European train travel
FAQ...
Munich to Berlin from €29.90...
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There really is no excuse for flying this route! From 10 December 2017 when a new section of high-speed line opens, Munich Hbf to Berlin Hbf takes as little as 3h58, city centre to city centre by luxurious ICE train with zero check-in to add. From city to city it's as fast as flying but less hassle, more comfortable and more civilised. The ICE train have power sockets at all seats, a bistro-restaurant car and some have WiFi.
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Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class if you pre-book. The flexpreis is around €130 if you buy on the day, 2nd class.
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Buy tickets at www.bahn.de and print your own ticket or simply show it on your smartphone or laptop screen. Booking now opens up to 180 days ahead, though much less when the mid-June or mid-December timetable change is in the offing.
Munich to Frankfurt, Cologne, Hamburg & other German destinations...
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Munich Hauptbahnhof is the main station right in the city centre, and all mainline trains leave from there.
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With only one or two exceptions, German trains are never reservation compulsory so you can always just turn up, buy a ticket and get on the next train without a reservation. However, if you do that you'll pay the highest-priced full-flex flexpreis. If you pre-book there are much cheaper sparpreis fares for €19.90, €29.90, €39.90 etc. for long-distance journeys, so buy in advance if you want to save money. Booking now opens up to 180 days ahead, though much less when the mid-June or mid-December timetable change is in the offing.
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www.bahn.de will book all German long-distance daytime trains and the Nightjet sleeper trains from Munich to Hamburg, Cologne & Dusseldorf. A seat reservation is usually optional, for a small extra charge. You print your own ticket or simply show it on your smartphone or laptop screen. Alternatively, tickets can be sent to any address worldwide for a small additional fee. I recommend registering when prompted, rather than booking as a guest, so you can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings.
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Bahn.de is easy to use, and should have no problem accepting overseas credit cards. I recommend registering when prompted, as you can then log into your account at any time and check bookings or re-print tickets. If you do encounter any problems with bahn.de you can also buy German train tickets at exactly the same prices with the same print-at-home tickets and the same lack of any booking fee at either Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com both of which have implemented a direct connection to DB's ticketing system - although neither site can do sleeper trains.
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See the train travel in Germany page for a beginner's guide to train travel in Germany, including how to buy tickets online or by phone and an explanation of the Lander tickets.
Munich to Rothenburg ob der Tauber...
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Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a much-visited Medieval town in northern Bavaria. Simply check times and buy a ticket at the German Railways site www.bahn.de. Avoid any departure shown as including a bus, go for departures involving IC or ICE to Nuremberg followed by regional trains, shown as RE or RB.
Fares start at €29.90 if you book in advance, you print your own ticket or can load it into the DB Navigator app & show on your smartphone.
Tip: Consider a stopover in Nuremberg - the city has a pleasant old town, a railway museum and the historic Party Rally Grounds. You can stop for several hours and still do the journey in a day.
Munich to Neuschwanstein, Bavaria's fairytale castle: See details here...
Munich to Berchtesgaden for Eagles Nest: See details here...
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ICE2 1st class. |
ICE2 2nd class. |
ICE2 at Berlin. More info about ICE |
Munich to London...
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See the London to Germany page for full details of the recommended routes, trains, fares & how to buy tickets.
Munich to Paris from €39...
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By direct TGV every morning...
An excellent direct TGV Duplex links Munich Hbf with Paris Gare de l'Est once a day leaving at 06:46 (06:22 on some dates, 06:23 on Sundays) and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 12:33 (12:05 on Sundays).
The train has a cafe-bar and all seats have power sockets. It uses the TGV-Est high-speed line across France at up to 200 mph. I recommend an upstairs seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.
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Other services through the day...
Many other departures are possible with 1 easy change in Stuttgart or Mannheim, check online at www.bahn.de. For example...
Munich Hbf depart 08:28, change at Stuttgart, Paris Gare de l'Est arrive 14:05.
Munich Hbf depart 10:28, change at Mannheim, Paris Gare de l'Est arrive 16:53.
Munich Hbf depart 12:28, change at Stuttgart, Paris Gare de l'Est arrive 18:05.
Munich Hbf depart 14:28, change at Mannheim, Paris Gare de l'Est arrive 20:05.
Munich Hbf depart 16:28, change at Stuttgart, Paris Gare de l'Est arrive 22:05.
All these departures use a superb ICE with bistro-restaurant car from Munich, changing onto either another ICE or an impressive TGV Duplex with cafe-bar for Paris. All trains are air-conditioned and all seats have power sockets. On TGV Duplex the best seats are upstairs, which is any seat number greater than 60.
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Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class. Prices are dynamic, so book ahead for the cheapest fares.
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Simply check times and buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de and print your own ticket or simply show it on your smartphone or laptop screen. I recommend registering when prompted, rather than booking as a guest, so you can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings.
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The Munich-Paris City Night Line sleeper train was sadly discontinued in December 2014.
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TGV Duplex at Paris Est. These impressive 200 mph double-deck trains link Munich & Stuttgart with Paris... |
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Cafe-bar on upper deck in car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks & microwaved hot dishes. |
2nd class seats on upper deck. There's a mix or tables for 4 and unidirectional seating. 360º photo. |
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1st class seats on upper deck, a club duo on the left, club quatre on the right. 360º photo. |
A TGV Duplex. The red near the door indicates 1st class, pale green indicates 2nd class. |
Munich to Nice, Cannes, Monte Carlo, Marseille, Avignon..
Option 1, by sleeper from Munich to Milan then a scenic coastal ride...
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Step 1, travel from Munich to Milan by Nightjet sleeper train leaving Munich Hbf every day at 20:10 and Milan Porta Garibaldi at 08:10.
Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €69.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €89.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €139.90 in a single-bed sleeper. Deluxe sleepers with en suite toilet & shower are also available. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment.
Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com (quickest & easiest to use, overseas payment cards no problem) or at Austrian Railways' own site www.oebb.at (same prices but a bit more fiddly). You print your own ticket.
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Step 2, travel from Milan to Monaco & the South of France by comfortable Thello train from just €15, leaving Milan Centrale at 11:10 and arriving Monte Carlo at 15:37, Nice Ville at 15:53, Antibes 16:13, Cannes 16:26 & Marseille St Charles at 18:31. Buy tickets for this train at either Raileurope.com or www.trenitalia.com. It's ticketless, you just quite the booking reference on board. Note that on Trenitalia, Monte Carlo is listed as Monaco-Monte Carlo. Plain Monaco is Italian for Munich! It's a lovely scenic ride along the Italian & French Riviera between Genoa and Marseille.
Option 2, by day trains with overnight stop in Verona - a scenic trip with mountains and coastline...
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Day 1, travel from Munich to Verona from €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class booked at either Raileurope.com or www.bahn.de. You can leave around 15:34 by comfortable EuroCity train through the wonderful Brenner Pass, arriving Verona Porta Nuova around 20:56, see the Brenner Pass scenery video here. All these trains have an elegant waiter-service restaurant car, so treat yourself to lunch or dinner as the mountains roll by! By all means take an earlier train for an afternoon or evening in Verona, for example the 09:34 or 11:34.
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Stay overnight in Verona. Hotels near the station with good or great reviews include the Sole Hotel Verona right next to the station, Corte Merighi Rooms & Breakfast, Novo Hotel Rossi, Guesthouse Verona or (a little closer to the centre but with fab reviews) the Relais Empire.
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Day 2, travel from Verona to Monte Carlo & Nice leaving Verona Porta Nuova around 09:32, one easy change in Milan's magnificent Centrale station onto an air-conditioned Thello train arriving Monte Carlo late afternoon and Nice Ville at 15:53, Antibes 16:13, Cannes 16:26 & Marseille St Charles at 18:31. Book this from €24.90 at either Raileurope.com or www.trenitalia.com. It's ticketless, you just quote the reference on board. It's a lovely scenic ride along the Italian Riviera between Genoa and Nice, through Savona and San Remo.
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Change in Marseille for Avignon, Montpellier, Perpignan. Allowing at least 45 minutes between trains in Nice book an onward ticket at either Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. An overnight stop in Marseille may be necessary.
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A Thello train to Nice about to leave Milan Centrale. See more photos & information about these Thello trains... |
1st class seats on Thello. More space per person than 2nd, with seats arranged 2+1 across the car width. |
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2nd class seats on the Thello train. Very comfortable, seat arranged 2+2 across the car width. |
The small cafe-bar counter on the Milan to Nice & Marseille Thello train serving tea, coffee, wine, beer, soft drinks and snacks. |
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Views from the train, along the Ligurian coast between Milan and Nice. Photos courtesy of Lucas Martin. |
Munich to Brussels or Bruges from €39.90...
Option 1, by daytime trains...
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Take a luxurious ICE train from Munich to Cologne and either another ICE or a Thalys high-speed train to Brussels. For example:
Leave Munich Hbf at 06:48, change at Cologne Hbf, arriving Brussels Midi at 13:35.
Leave Munich Hbf at 10:51, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Brussels Midi at 17:35.
Leave Munich Hbf at 12:51, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Brussels Midi at 19:35.
Leave Munich Hbf at 14:51, change at Cologne Hbf, arriving Brussels Midi at 21:35.
But times vary, so go online and see.
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Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares are dynamic, so book ahead for the best prices.
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You can buy tickets for both the ICE+ICE and the ICE+Thalys options at www.thetrainline.com, which can book you through from Munich to Bruges or anywhere in Belgium. Anyone from any country can use www.thetrainline.com, you print your own ticket.
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You can also book from Munich to Brussels, Bruges or elsewhere in Belgium at the German Railways website www.bahn.de, although this site cannot sell tickets for Thalys so will only show fares and sell tickets for Munich-Belgium journeys involving their own ICE trains between Cologne and Brussels. You print your own ticket or can simply show it on your smartphone or laptop screen.
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An ICE3M at Brussels Midi. More information about ICE... |
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2nd class seats on an ICE3M. Larger photo. |
1st class seats on an ICE3M. Larger photo. |
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Food is served on proper china with metal cutlery. I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier! See current month's menu. |
Restaurant car: This is the small 12-seat restaurant on an ICE3M. ICE3 classes 403 & 407 have a larger restaurant area. Larger photo. |
Option 2, Munich to Brussels by direct Nightjet sleeper train, twice a week - the comfortable & time-effective option...
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Starting 19 January 2020, ÖBB Austrian Railways will extend their existing (Innsbruck-) Munich-Cologne Nightjet sleeper train through to Brussels twice a week. Note that it won't be extended to Brussels from 2 July to 29 August 2020.
Advance information: From 13 December 2020 this Nightjet is no longer extended to Brussels. You'll need to change in Cologne, as per option 3 below.
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The direct Nightjet sleeper train will leave Munich Hbf at 22:52 on Wednesdays & Sundays, arriving Brussels Midi at 10:55 next morning.
The train has deluxe sleepers with 1, 2 or 3 beds & en suite toilet & shower, regular sleepers with 1, 2 or 3 beds & washbasin, and couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments. There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet information page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.
Between Mainz & Koblenz (06:04-07:05) the sleeper train runs along the scenic Rhine Valley past the legendary Lorelei Rock and many castles, mountains, vineyards & river boats. A real treat! The river will be on the right hand side.
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Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper.
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Buy tickets for this Nightjet sleeper train at either www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, plain English, international payment cards accepted, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at (a little more fiddly, has been known to reject some international cards, but no booking fee). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, but less than this when the mid-December timetable change intervenes. You print your own tickets or can show them on your smartphone.
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Change in Brussels for an Intercity train to Bruges, these run twice an hour, no reservation needed. You may be able to book through to Bruges as one ticket at www.thetrainline.com or www.oebb.at.
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2-berth regular sleeper with washstand. Larger photo. |
The toilet & shower in a deluxe sleeper... |
A Comfortline sleeping-car, as now used on the Austrian Nightjet train from Munich to Cologne. More information about Nightjet trains... |
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Austrian couchette car or liegewagen. Couchettes are the economical option, flat bunks with rug & pillow. |
6-berth couchettes, the cheapest option... |
4-berth couchettes, ideal for families... |
Option 3, by using the Munich-Cologne Nightjet sleeper - on days when the direct Munich-Brussels sleeper isn't running...
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Take the 22:52 Nightjet sleeper train from Munich Hbf to Cologne Hbf, arriving 08:15.
Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper. Deluxe sleepers with en suite toilet & shower are also available, there's a shower for passengers in regular sleepers at the end of the corridor, A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment.
There's a lovely run along the scenic Rhine Valley route in the morning between Mainz & Koblenz (06:04-07:05), past mountains, vineyards, castles, river boats and the legendary Lorelei Rock.
Buy tickets for this Nightjet sleeper train at either www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, plain English, international payment cards accepted, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at (a little more fiddly, has been known to reject some international cards, but no booking fee).
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Then take an ICE a high-speed ICE train leaving Cologne Hbf at 09:43 and arriving Brussels Midi at 11:35, fares from €19.90 in 2nd class or €49.90 in 1st class.
Book a Cologne-Brussels ticket using www.bahn.de and print your own ticket or load it into the DB Navigator app to show on your smartphone.
Munich to Amsterdam from €39.90...
Option 1, by daytime trains...
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Superb German ICE trains with bistro-restaurant car and power sockets at all seats link Munich Hbf with Amsterdam Centraal several times a day with one easy change of train, either in Hanover onto an InterCity train or at Frankfurt or Dusseldorf onto another ICE. Total journey time around 8h15, a relaxed chill-out journey with a good book and a restaurant car available for meals. For example...
Leave Munich Hbf at 05:47, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 13:28.
Leave Munich Hbf at 07:52, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 15:28.
Leave Munich Hbf at 09:51, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 17:28.
Leave Munich Hbf at 12:51, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 20:28.
Leave Munich Hbf at 14:28, change at Mannheim, arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 21:58.
Leave Munich Hbf at 15:51 (not Saturdays), change Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, Amsterdam Centraal arrive 23:28.
But times vary, so go online at www.bahn.de and see.
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Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares are dynamic, so book ahead for the best prices.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de and print your own ticket or show it on your smartphone or laptop screen. I recommend registering when prompted so you can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings. See suggested hotels in Amsterdam.
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An ICE3M arrived at Amsterdam Centraal. More information about ICE... |
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2nd class seats on an ICE3M. Larger photo. |
1st class seats on an ICE3M. Larger photo. |
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Food is served on proper china with metal cutlery. I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier! See current month's menu. |
Restaurant car: This is the small 12-seat restaurant on an ICE3M. ICE3 classes 403 & 407 have a larger restaurant area. Larger photo. |
Option 2: Using the time-effective Munich-Cologne Nightjet sleeper train...
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Step 1, travel from Munich to Frankfurt or Cologne by Austrian Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Munich Hbf at 22:52 and arriving at Cologne Hbf at 08:15 next morning.
This modern Austrian Nightjet train has an air-conditioned sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3-berth compartments with washbasin, plus three deluxe compartments with 1, 2 or 3 beds with private shower & toilet), couchette cars (4 & 6 berth compartments) & ordinary seats. The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee in the morning.
Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper. Deluxe sleepers with en suite toilet & shower are also available. There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment.
Book the nightjet at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, overseas payment cards no problem) or Austrian Railways own site www.oebb.at. Bookings can open up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
The sleeper train makes a lovely morning run along the scenic Rhine Valley between 06:04 & 07:05, past the legendary Lorelei Rock and many castles, vineyards & river boats. A real treat! the river will be on the right hand side of the train.
Tip: For a Bavarian dinner & beer before boarding, try www.augustinerkeller.de at Arnulfstrasse 52, just on the north side of Munich Hbf.
Tip: If you like, you can check the consist for this train, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using the excellent www.vagonweb.cz. Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Germany & click nj.
Advance information: I'm delighted to report that from 13 December 2020, this sleeper train will be extended run direct from Munich to Amsterdam, with no need to change in Cologne.
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Step 2, travel from Cologne to Amsterdam by luxurious ICE train leaving Cologne Hbf at 08:41 arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 11:28. Fares start at €19.90 in 2nd class or €49.90 in 1st class booked at www.bahn.de. You print your own ticket. See suggested hotels in Amsterdam.
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2-berth regular sleeper with washstand. Larger photo. |
The toilet & shower in a deluxe sleeper... |
A Comfortline sleeping-car, as now used on the Austrian Nightjet train from Munich to Cologne. More information about Nightjet trains... |
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Austrian couchette car or liegewagen. Couchettes are the economical option, flat bunks with rug & pillow. |
6-berth couchettes, the cheapest option... |
4-berth couchettes, ideal for families... |
Option 3, by daytime trains with overnight stop in Cologne. Comfortable & time-effective...
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Day 1, take a comfortable ICE train from Munich to Cologne. Trains leave every hour or so, for example you can leave Munich Hbf at 17:28 and arrive Cologne Hbf at 22:05, but by all means take an earlier train and spend a pleasant evening in Cologne.
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Stay overnight in Cologne. Starting with the cheapest, suggested hotels near to Cologne Hauptbahnhof with good reviews include the Breslauer Hof Am Dom, Hotel Domspitzen, CityClass Hotel Europa am Dom, Hilton Cologne, Excelsior Hotel Ernst am Dom.
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Day 2, catch a morning train to Amsterdam. For example, the 06:41 ICE3 train from Cologne Hbf arrives Amsterdam Centraal at 09:28, but by all means have a leisurely breakfast and catch a later train, they leave every couple of hours.
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Fares from Munich to Amsterdam start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class if you book as below...
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Buy tickets using the German Railways website www.bahn.de like this: Set up an enquiry from Munich to Amsterdam, but click Add intermediate stops and put Cologne Hbf in the via box with your desired stopover duration in the hh:mm box, say 10 hours. Why not allow more time for a wander round Cologne, visiting the cathedral right next to the station - you can add a stopover of up to 48h duration. Adjust the departure time and stopover duration to get earlier or later trains for each part of the journey with a longer or shorter overnight stop in Cologne. You print your own ticket or simply show it on your smartphone or laptop screen.
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Tip: If you have more time, take the scenic route along the Rhine Valley to Cologne, rather than the faster high-speed line. This takes an extra hour or so. Simply click Add intermediate stops again and enter Koblenz leaving duration as zero. You will now be routed via the twisting Rhine Valley line past castles, vineyards, river boats, and the legendary Lorelei Rock. Indeed, you could make Koblenz the stopover instead of Cologne if you like. See the Rails Down the Rhine page for more information, photos & video.
Munich to Luxembourg from €39.90...
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You can travel from Munich to Luxembourg by train in a single day from just €39.90, booked at the German railways website www.bahn.de. In the search results, look for journeys involving just one change at Koblenz. Avoid journeys involving two changes and a bus.
Munich to Zurich, Basel, Geneva & anywhere in Switzerland from €19.90...
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Air-conditioned EuroCity trains with comfortable Swiss carriages and an elegant Swiss restaurant car link Munich Hbf with Zurich HB with onward train connections to all other Swiss cities.
These direct EC trains leave Munich Hbf for Zurich at 07:14, 12:13 & 18:14. Journey time around 4h44 centre to centre.
This isn't the most frequent service in the world, so it's worth knowing that you can also travel from Munich to Zurich with 1 easy change at Stuttgart. This takes longer, about 5h33, but there are departures every two hours from around 05:41 to 17:47, on comfortable German InterCity (IC) trains. The Stuttgart-Zurich trains are usually excellent double-deck IC trains like these, with great scenery along the River Neckar. To check times & buy tickets via this alternative route, see tip 6.
2021 TIMETABLE ADVANCE NOTICE: From the timetable change on 13 December 2020, Zurich-Munich trains will be replaced by bullet-nosed ETR610 trains, frequency will be doubled to 6 trains per day each way & journey time cut to 4 hours, with further cuts in journey time to come.
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Check times & buy tickets from Munich to any Swiss town or city at www.bahn.de from €19.90 upwards in 2nd class or €49.90 in 1st class. You print your own ticket or simply show it on your smartphone or laptop screen.
You can book tickets from Munich to Geneva, Luzern, Bern, Interlaken, Zermatt, St Moritz or almost any station in Switzerland this way, at one inclusive cheap price if you pre-book, a lot cheaper than buying a separate onward ticket from Zurich at expensive Swiss domestic prices. I recommend registering when prompted, rather than booking as a guest, so you can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings.
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Tip 1: In the search results, avoid any departures shown as BUS as this is a long-distance bus not a proper train. When booking Munich to Zurich, click Add intermediate stops and enter Lindau Hbf in the via box, then it's easy to see the trains without having to weed out departures involving a downmarket bus. The EuroCity trains appear as EC in the search results.
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Tip 2, special first class panorama car - a real treat!
Each of the direct Munich-Zurich EuroCity (EC) trains currently include a Swiss Railways 1st class panorama car, as well as a regular open-plan 1st class car, see the photos below which show both types. The panorama car is great, with raised floor/seats and massive wrap-around windows. It can be used by any 1st class passenger at no extra charge, just find any empty unreserved seats. However, there's no way to get www.bahn.de to give you reserved seats in the panorama car, if you ask for a seat reservation it'll normally put you in the regular car. But here's the clever workaround!
Step 1, buy a 1st class ticket for a journey from Germany to Switzerland via one of these direct Munich-Zurich EuroCity trains at the German Railways website www.bahn.de, but don't add any seat reservations, just buy a cheap 1st class ticket without a reserved seat.
Step 2, now go to the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at and set up any enquiry from Munich to Zurich. But instead of clicking the red Munich>Zurich Single tickets and day tickets button, click the grey Munich>Zurich seat only (no ticket) button underneath. When the results appear, it may help to click SET MORE FILTERS and select Only Direct Trains.
Now select 1st class and click Reservation details. Now click on Open plan 1st class without seat preference and change it to Panorama car 1st class. Pay, then print your reservation. Bingo, you're reserved in the panorama car, and as ÖBB only charge €3 for a seat reservation, DB charge €4.50, I have just saved you €1.50, too!
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Tip 3: If you're interested, you can look up the formation of these trains at www.vagonweb.cz to see car numbers, seating plans & more photos. Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Germany, click EC then look for your specific train.
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Tip 4: Lindau on the banks of Lake Konstanz is a lovely town for a stopover, even of a few hours. You can add a stopover at no extra charge when you buy a cheap ticket at www.bahn.de simply by clicking Add intermediate stops, entering Lindau and the number of hours you want.
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Tip 5: I get a lot of people saying they want to use their Swiss pass 'to save money' between the border and their final Swiss destination, let's say Lucerne. But if www.bahn.de will sell you a cheap advance-purchase ticket from Munich to Lucerne from €39, exactly the same price as Munich to Zurich or Munich to the border also from €39, where's the saving? Check prices before wasting a day of an expensive pass!
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Tip 6: To find the more frequent route with a change in Stuttgart, go to www.bahn.de, click Add intermediate stops, enter Stuttgart as a via station leaving stopover duration as zero. Now click More means of transport and change both sectors from admit changes to direct connections. You should now see a departure every 2 hours with 1 change at Stuttgart.
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A EuroCity train between Munich and Zurich, at Zurich HB. |
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2nd class seating... Larger photo. |
Swiss restaurant car: Treat yourself! Larger photo. |
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Scenery from the train. Courtesy Discoverbyrail.com. |
Normal 1st class seating... Larger photo. |
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1st class panorama car... |
1st class seats in the panorama car... |
Munich to Venice, Milan, Florence, Rome & Italy from €39.90...
Option 1, by daytime EuroCity train via the scenic Brenner Pass...
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Every couple of hours, a comfortable EuroCity train run by German & Austrian Railways links Munich and Verona via the scenic Brenner Pass, see the Brenner Pass scenery video here. All these trains have an elegant Austrian waiter-service restaurant car, so treat yourself to lunch or dinner with a beer or some wine as the mountains roll by. More photos & information about these EuroCity trains.
Departures from Munich Hbf to Verona Porta Nuova are at 07:34, 09:34, 11:34, 13:34 & 15:34, journey time 5h24.
The 07:34 from Munich runs beyond Verona to Bologna Centrale on weekdays, to Venice Santa Lucia on weekends arriving 14:25.
The 09:34 from Munich runs beyond Verona to Bologna Centrale every day arriving 16:19. 28 May to 5 September 2020 it'll run to Rimini.
The 11:34 from Munich runs beyond Verona to Venice every day, arriving Venice Santa Lucia in central Venice at 18:25.
Change at Verona Porta Nuova for Milan Centrale.
Change at Verona Porta Nuova (or on the 09:34, at Bologna) for Florence SMN, Rome Termini and Naples Centrale.
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Fares from Munich to Verona or (on the direct trains) Bologna or Venice start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.
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To buy tickets from Munich to anywhere in Italy as one seamless transaction, use Raileurope.com as follows: Enter Munich to any destination you like in Italy. Click More options, enter Verona (any station) (or if taking the 09:34 from Munich and heading for Florence, Rome Naples, enter Bologna) and set stopover duration to 45 minutes. Then run the enquiry. Raileurope.com can be used by anyone from any country, all international cards accepted, you can pay in £ or € and you print your own tickets or show them on your smartphone screen. A small booking fee applies.
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Alternatively, you can buy tickets in two stages as follows:
Step 1, buy tickets for these direct trains at the German Railways website www.bahn.de and print your own ticket or simply show it on your smartphone or laptop screen. I recommend registering when prompted rather than booking as a guest, so you can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings.
Step 2, then buy an onward Italian ticket from Verona Porta Nuova or Bologna Centrale to Florence SMN, Rome Termini, Milan Centrale or Naples Centrale at either www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, the small booking fee will be refunded if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR) or Italian Railways own website www.trenitalia.com (more fiddly to use, requires Italian language place names, no booking fee, read this advice on using it first). I recommend allowing at least 45 minutes to change in Verona Porta Nuova in case of any delay.
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The restaurant car on a EuroCity from Munich, arrived at Verona. You don't need to book a table, just go along and sit down. Dining on the move as the scenery glides by is one of the pleasures of travelling on trains like this. More photos & information about these EuroCity trains. |
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Second class seats, mostly in 6-seat compartments with side-corridor like this, but some cars are open-plan saloons... |
First class leather seats. On a few trains you'll find 6-seat compartments too.... |
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Mountains on the Brenner route... |
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Vineyards, mountains and castles south of Brenner as the train heads for Trento & Verona... |
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Watch out for hilltop fortresses... See the Brenner Pass scenery video here. |
Option 2, by direct Nightjet sleeper train from Munich to Milan, Florence, Rome, Venice...
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There are two excellent Nightjet sleeper trains from Munich to Italy:
A nightjet leaves Munich Hbf at 20:10 arriving Bologna Centrale 05:20, Florence SMN 06:19 & Rome Termini 09:22, with a portion for Milan Porta Garibaldi arriving 08:10.
Another nightjet leaves Munich Hbf at 23:20 for Venice Santa Lucia, arriving 08:34.
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Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €69.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €89.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €139.90 in a single-bed sleeper. Deluxe sleepers with en suite toilet & shower are also available. There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet information page.
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Book the nightjet at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, overseas payment cards no problem) or Austrian Railways own site www.oebb.at. Bookings can open up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
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Dinner before boarding your sleeper? There's no restaurant car, so for a typically Bavarian dinner & beer or two before boarding, I recommend the www.augustinerkeller.de at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf.
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Tip: If you like, you can check the consist for these trains, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using the excellent www.vagonweb.cz. Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Germany & click nj.
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The Nightjet sleeper train from Munich, arrived at Venice Santa Lucia. See more nightjet information, photos & video. |
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2-berth deluxe sleeper. More info about Nightjet trains. |
...en suite toilet & shower. |
4-berth couchettes... |
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Sunrise as the Munich-Venice Nightjet crosses the causeway over the lagoon into Venice. Courtesy of Andreas Wiedenhoff. |
Munich to Sicily
Option 1, day train then sleeper...
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Step 1, travel from Munich to Rome by EuroCity train and Frecciarossa via the scenic Brenner Pass as shown in Munich to Italy section above, leaving Munich Hbf at 09:34 and changing at Bologna to reach Rome Termini around 19:25. Buy tickets as shown above.
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Step 2, take one of the two daily sleeper trains from Rome Termini direct to Messina, Taormina, Catania, Siracuse, Cefalu or Palermo as shown on the Trains to Sicily page, arriving next morning. You'll usually find one leaving Rome Termini at 21:05 (21:31 on some days) and another at 23:00. This train is shunted onto a ferry to cross the Straits of Messina, one of the few places in the world that trains go onto ships, and a unique experience, see the video here. Buy tickets as shown on the Trains to Sicily page.
Option 2, sleeper train then day train...
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Step 1, travel from Munich to Rome by Nightjet sleeper train as shown in Munich to Italy section above, leaving Munich Hbf at 20:10 and arriving Rome Termini at 09:22 next morning. Buy tickets as shown above.
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Step 2, travel from Rome Termini to Messina, Taormina, Catania, Siracuse, Cefalu or Palermo on the 11:26 Intercity train arriving in the evening, as shown on the Trains to Sicily page. This train is shunted onto a ferry to cross the Straits of Messina, one of the few places in the world that trains go onto ships, and a unique experience, see the video here. Buy tickets as shown on the Trains to Sicily page.
Munich to Barcelona & Spain from €79...
Option 1: Munich to Barcelona in one day, by high-speed trains...
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Step 1, take a direct high-speed TGV Duplex leaving Munich Hbf at 06:46 (06:22 on some dates, 06:23 on Sundays) and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 12:33 (12:05 on Sundays), from €39 in 2nd class or €69 in 1st class booked at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. You print your own ticket or simply show it on your smartphone or laptop screen.
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Cross Paris to the Gare de Lyon. Have lunch in Paris, ideally at the celebrated & historic Train Bleu restaurant inside the Gare de Lyon.
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Step 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by high-speed TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 15:08 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:46.
Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Book this at Raileurope.com (can be used by anyone from any country, print-at-home tickets) or www.thetrainline.com (can be used by anyone from any country, print-at-home tickets).
What's the journey like? See the photos & video on the Paris to Barcelona page. You'll pass the Chateau de Montfaucon on the river Rhone, Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Montpelier and Perpignan, the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks, with great views of the massive Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees, visible all the way from Perpignan to Girona.
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If you're going further into Spain, stay overnight in Barcelona. Suggested hotels close to Barcelona Sants station with good or great reviews include the Hotel Barcelo Sants (4-star, great reviews, directly above Barcelona Sants station itself, recommended), AC Hotel Sants by Marriott (4-star, just 50m from the station), Hotel Catalonia Roma (3-star), Hostal Baler (2-star), Hotel Transit (1-star), Meeting Point Hostel (inexpensive private rooms & dorm beds).
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Step 3, take a high-speed train from Barcelona Sants to any Spanish destination next morning, check times & book at Raileurope.com.
For Madrid: AVE-S103 high-speed trains link Barcelona Sants with Madrid Atocha every hour or two in as little as 2h30 from €35.
For Cordoba, Seville & Malaga: An AVE-S112 high-speed train leaves Barcelona Sants at 08:30 arriving Cordoba 13:12 & Seville Santa Justa at 14:02 with a separate portion going to Malaga Maria Zambrano arriving at 14:30.
Alternatively, or why not spend a morning in Barcelona and take the afternoon 15:50 AVE S112 high-speed train to Cordoba, Seville & Malaga arriving in the evening? Fares for all these trains start at €45.
For Granada: A direct AVE S112 high-speed train leaves Barcelona Sants at 06:50 arriving Granada at 13:15.
For Valencia & Alicante: EuroMed trains link Barcelona with Valencia & Alicante regularly through the day, for example one leaves Barcelona Sants at 08:15 Mondays-Fridays arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 10:55 & Alicante 12:45 or at 10:15 every day arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 12:55 & Alicante 14:48. Fares from €23.
Option 2: Munich to Barcelona with overnight stop in Geneva...
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Step 1, travel from Munich Hbf to Zurich HB on the 12:13 EuroCity train & onward by Swiss InterCity train to Geneva. You can book from Munich to Geneva from €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. Tip: In the search results, look for journeys marked EC, IC and avoid anything marked BUS. You print your own ticket or simply show it on your smartphone or laptop screen
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Stay the night in Geneva and enjoy a morning there. Hotels with good reviews near the station include Hotel Cornavin Geneve, Hotel Les Arcades, ibis Styles Geneva Gare.
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Step 2, travel from Geneva to Barcelona by train. Usually you'll find a TER regional train leaving Geneva at 11:30, change trains at Lyon Part Dieu (arrive 13:25, depart 14:28) onto a direct AVE-S100 high-speed train arriving Barcelona Sants at 19:33.
Fares start at around €69 in 2nd class.
Book this at Raileurope.com (can be used by anyone from any country) or www.thetrainline.com (anyone from any country, with seating options). You usually print your own ticket.
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What's the journey like? Between Valence & Barcelona you'll follow the same route taken by the Paris-Barcelona TGVs, see the photos & video on the Paris to Barcelona page. You'll pass the Chateau de Montfaucon on the river Rhone, Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Montpelier and Perpignan, the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks, with great views of the massive Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees, visible all the way from Perpignan to Girona.
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TGV Duplex at Paris Gare de Lyon. These 200 mph double-deckers link Paris with Barcelona. Watch TGV Duplex video. |
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Cafe-bar on the upper deck in car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks & microwaved hot dishes.. |
2nd class seats on the is upper deck. There's a mix or tables for 4 and unidirectional seating. 360º photo. |
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1st class seats on upper deck, a club duo on the left, a club quatre on the right. 360º photo. |
A TGV Duplex at Barcelona Sants. The red near the door indicates 1st class, pale green indicates 2nd class. |
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Mt Canigou & the Pyrenees... One of the highest peaks in the mighty Pyrenees, the 2,784m (9,137 feet) high Mt Canigou dominates the skyline on the right all the way from Perpignan to Girona, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canigou. More photos of what to see on the Paris-Barcelona train journey. |
Munich to Lisbon & Portugal...
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Travel from Munich Hbf to Paris Gare de l'Est by any suitable afternoon departure as shown above, from €39.90 booked at www.bahn.de.
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Stay overnight in Paris, see suggested hotels near the Gare du Nord & Gare Montparnasse.
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Travel from Paris Gare Montparnasse to Hendaye on the Spanish border by TGV then by Sud Express sleeper train to Lisbon as shown in the Paris to Lisbon section here.
Munich to Salzburg from €19.90...
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Trains link Munich with Salzburg at least twice an hour all day. However, there are three different types of train, Austrian railjet trains (marked RJX), EuroCity trans (marked EC), and slower regional trains marked M for Meridian. I'll explain each type below...
Option 1, by Austrian railjet or EuroCity train in 1h30...
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The express trains run every hour or so taking as little as 1h28. They are either a smart Austrian railjet train (RJX) with restaurant car, WiFi & power sockets at all seats, or a comfortable Austrian EuroCity train (EC) with restaurant car.
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These trains have dynamic pricing from €19.90 if you book in advance (specified train only, no changes to travel plans, limited or no refunds) rising to €34 (EuroCity) or €38 (railjet) standard price bought on the day and good for any train, reservation optional.
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Buy tickets & check train times at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. You print your own ticket or simply show it on your smartphone or laptop screen.
Option 2, by Meridian regional train in 1h47...
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The regional trains run every hour, branded Meridian and shown on www.bahn.de as 'M'. They take 1h47, but they're cheaper and more flexible than the express trains. They have one fixed-price flexible fare, around €32 one-way, good for any Meridian train that day, no advance reservation is necessary or possible, it cannot sell out. Turn up, buy a ticket, get on, sit where you like and go! You print your own ticket or simply show it on your smartphone or laptop screen.
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But for regional trains you'd usually buy a Bayern Ticket: In practice, you'd only ever buy a €32 full-price ticket for the Meridian trains if you needed to leave before 09:00 on weekdays, because at all other times it's cheaper to buy a Bayern Ticket which gives a day's unlimited travel on regional trains (including Meridians) across the whole of Bavaria including Salzburg, after 09:00 weekdays or any time at weekends. This costs just €25 for the first traveller + €7 for each additional traveller in your party up to maximum 5 people. For details & online sales see www.bahn.de/en/view/offers/regional/regional-day-tickets.shtml. This would even allow you to make a same-day round trip from Munich to Salzburg! You can buy a Bayern Ticket online and show it on your smartphone or laptop or you can buy at the station on the day.
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Pleasant Bavarian scenery between Munich & Salzburg... |
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Your first view of Salzburg will be from the train, right hand side. This is the view of the Fortress Hohensalzburg as the railjet crosses the River Salzach & approaches Salzburg station.... |
Munich to Hallstatt from €29.90...
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For Hallstatt, travel to Salzburg as shown above, then take a train to Attnang Puchheim for the local train to Hallstatt.
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Simply check times & buy a ticket from Munich to Hallstatt at www.bahn.de from €29.90, total journey time as little as 4h08. You print your own ticket. Tip: It's worth checking www.thetrainline.com as well, as this links to the Austrian system and can sometimes be cheaper.
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Hallstatt Bahnhof is on the other side of the lake from the town. A small local ferry called the Stefanie links Hallstatt Bahnhof (Hallstatt station) with Hallstatt Markt (Hallstatt town marketplace) in connection with most train departures, see www.hallstattschifffahrt.at for a timetable. You pay for the ferry separately at the quayside before boarding, about €3 per crossing,
Munich to Vienna from €29.90...
Option 1, Munich to Vienna by railjet train - the fastest way...
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Smart Austrian railjet trains run from Munich Hbf to Linz & Vienna Hbf at 06:23, 07:24, 09:30 then every two hours until 17:30. Munich to Vienna takes only 4 hours city centre to city centre, with a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class, €39.90 in 1st class or €54.90 in deluxe Business class if you pre-book. A reserved seat is optional and costs an extra €3-€4 - in business class seat reservation is compulsory but included in the fare.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de. You print your own ticket or simply show it on your smartphone or laptop screen.
I recommend registering when prompted, rather than booking as a guest, so you can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings.
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To book business class tickets at bahn.de, book 1st class then use the Show seats seat selection feature to select a seat in the low-density Business class car, usually seats 13-55 in car 27 - although they don't label it as business class so you have to engage brain! It should then add the €15 Business class upgrade to the first class fare when you pay. You can also buy using www.thetrainline.com.
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Tip: It's worth checking www.thetrainline.com as well, as this links to the Austrian system. Although fares also start from €29 I've often seen significantly cheaper fares on the Austrian system than bahn.de on the same date & train.
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A railjet to Vienna about to leave Munich Hbf... |
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Railjet first class, with black leather seats... |
Business class... |
The restaurant... |
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A railjet boarding at the impressive modern Vienna Hbf. More photos & information about Railjet trains |
Economy class on railjet, in open saloons with large windows. Some seats around tables, most unidirectional. |
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Pleasant Bavarian scenery between Munich & Salzburg... |
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This is the view of Salzburg's Fortress Hohensalzburg on your right hand side as the railjet crosses the River Salzach & approaches Salzburg station.... |
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Pleasant farmland scenery between Salzburg & Vienna... |
Option 2, Munich to Vienna by Meridian/Westbahn - slower, but more flexible, cheaper at short notice...
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The excellent fast railjet trains take just 4 hours with fares from €29.90 if you book in advance and commit to a specific train with limited refunds & no changes to travel plans allowed. What if you don't want to stay flexible & not commit to a specific departure way in advance? Or all the cheap railjet tickets have sold out as you've left it too late? On railjets, full-price paid on the day is around €100. Ouch!
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The solution?
Every hour a Meridian regional train runs from Munich Hbf to Salzburg, fare just €25 with a Bayern Ticket (not valid before 09:00 on weekdays) + €6 for each additional passenger. This connects with an hourly double-deck Westbahn train from Salzburg to Vienna Westbahnhof for €33.50 per person (€1 more if you pay on board).
The journey is slower at 4h28 overall but the cost is only around €58.50 in total any day, any train, even bought on the day. Worth knowing about if you need to stay flexible but affordable!
You can check Westbahn prices & times at www.thetrainline.com or www.westbahn.at, Meridian times & prices at www.thetrainline.com or www.bahn.de. The Meridians are the ones marked M in the search results.
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You can buy the Bayern Ticket at the station in Munich on the day or you can buy it online as shown here. The Westbahn fare can be paid to the conductor on board the train, or you can save €1 by using a Westbahn ticket machine at Salzburg station or by buying online at www.thetrainline.com. All these tickets have unlimited availability at these prices - they cannot sell out!
Munich to Innsbruck from €19.90...
Option 1, the fast mainline route in 1h44 from €19.90 booked in advance or €42.40 bought on the day...
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Every couple of hours, comfortable EuroCity trains link Munich Hbf with Innsbruck Hbf in just 1h44 Most of these trains have a restaurant car and are on their way to Italy. This is the fast comfortable option via Kufstein, and it's scenic enough.
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Fares start at just €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class if booked in advance, or around €42 full-flex in 2nd class bought on the day.
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You can check times and buy tickets at www.bahn.de. You print your own ticket or can simply show it on your smartphone or laptop screen.
Option 2, the slower but much more scenic route in 2h51 for €27 bought on the day, no prior reservation necessary...
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If you feel like something different there's another slower but very scenic route using regional trains every hour or two. Several regional trains per day now run direct from Munich Hbf to Innsbruck Hbf via this route, others involve one simple change at either Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Mittenwald or Seefeld in Tirol.
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The regular full-price fare is a fixed-price €36.60 in 2nd class or €60.10 in 1st class, unlimited availability, it cannot sell out. However, the system will usually offer you a cheaper €27 ticket, marked Regio-Ticket Werdenfels plus Innsbruck. With this, up to 3 children under 15 go free, a real bargain.
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You can check train times & buy tickets for this route using www.bahn.de if you click Add intermediate stops and put Mittenwald in the via box, or simply use this link to Bahn.de which I've set up for you. You print your own ticket. No reservation or advance-purchase is necessary, so alternatively you can buy tickets at the station if you like, for the same price, it cannot sell out.
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You sit where you like on regional trains, going south you'll find the best views on the right hand side of the train.
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You might like to read up on the Mittenwald Railway here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mittenwald_Railway.
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Busse? Nein Danke!Train tickets from €15 www.cd.cz... |
Munich to Prague from €15 - or €35 in 1st class!
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See the Munich to Prague by train page for details of the train service from Munich to Prague, now increased from 4 to 7 trains per day, now all air-conditioned with minibar & free WiFi in most cars.
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Buy Munich-Prague train tickets from €15 (around 386 Czech Koruna) in either direction at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz, for English change the Czech flag for the UK flag at top right. You print out your own ticket. Or go 1st class from just €35....
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Do not use the German Railways website www.bahn.de on this route, as it cannot sell the cheap €15 fares for these trains, only the more expensive Prague Special and expensive full-flex prices, and it tries to put you on the DB-run motorway railway-replacement bus, which of course you don't want, you want a train.
Munich to Český Krumlov from €16.55...
Option 1, via Plzen. Cheapest & easiest to book, but 2 hours slower than going via Linz.
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This is the cheapest route, although it's the slower one. For example, at the time I write this, you could leave Munich Hbf at 08:43 and arrive Cesky Krumlov at 18:57 all for just €16.55, with time for a Pilsner beer at the station bar in Plzen and for a wander round Ceske Budejovice!
Earlier and later departures are also available. The train from Munich to Plzen is a Munich-Prague Zapadni Express, see the photos & travel tips on the Prague-Munich page. This train is air-conditioned with a refreshment trolley, power sockets and free WiFi.
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Step 1, go to the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz, switch it to English and set up an enquiry from Munich Hbf to Ceske Budejovice.
Now the science bit: Before running the enquiry, click More options then Travel via and enter Plzen Hl.n. as a via station. I also recommend clicking Connection parameters then Transfers and reducing the maximum number of connections from 4 to 1.
In the search results, you should now see various departures with 1 easy change at Plzen Hlavni (Hl.n. = Hlavni = main station). Plzen - or Pilsen in English - is of course the city where Pilsner beer originates.
Cheap First Minute fares from Munich to Ceske Budejovice start at just €15, or about 367 CZK, a bargain. First Minute fares are limited-availability advance-purchase fares, they are only good for the specific train you book, limited or no refunds or changes to travel plans. If you buy at the station on the day you pay significantly more for a full-flex ticket good for any train.
Buy this and print out your ticket. You're now booked all the way from Munich to Ceske Budejovice on one ticket for one inclusive price. You now just need to add the local train from Cesky Krumlov to Ceske Budejovice...
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Step 2, now check train times from Ceske Budejovice to Cesky Krumlov at jizdnirady.idnes.cz/vlaky/spojeni. 10 minutes is plenty to change trains, if you miss it you can always have a coffee and catch the next one. The little green-&-orange GWTR local trains run every hour or so, journey time 44 minutes. It has luggage space, a toilet, power sockets and free WiFi, it's a leisurely journey on a winding single track branch line past farmland & forest.
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See more useful information about visiting Cesky Krumlov including photos & info on taxis from the station to Cesky Krumlov old town.
Option 2, via Linz. Significantly faster, but more expensive and must be booked in 3 stages rather than 2.
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This is the fastest and most direct route, with the swisher trains. For example, at the time I write this, you can leave Munich Hbf at 09:30 and arrive Cesky Krumlov at 16:57, all from €40, with time for a beer in Linz. Earlier and later departures are also available.
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How to check train times...
You can check train times from Munich to Cesky Krumlov using the German Railways all-Europe timetable at www.bahn.de. This holds timetable data for GWTR and for Czech, Austrian & German national railways (CD & ÖBB) so it'll show times for the whole journey, although it won't show fares or sell tickets. To buy tickets, read on...
Tip: I recommend at least 40 minutes between trains in Linz. When the search results appear, choose the departure you want and click Show details. If the interchange time is much less than 40 minutes, click Adjust the transfer time against the change of train in Linz and select Later departure from Linz, and at least 40 minutes.
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The journey...
Step 1, travel from Munich Hbf to Linz Hbf in 2h45 by swish Austrian railjet train with restaurant car, power sockets at seats & free WiFi.
At Linz Hbf, changing trains simply means stepping off one train, walking to another train and stepping on, but as you will be on separate tickets I'd allow at least 40 minutes between trains in case of delay.
Step 2, travel from Linz Hbf to Ceske Budejovice in around 2h02 by comfortable air-conditioned express, with power sockets at seats. There may be a refreshment trolley, but it's best to take you own food & drink for this bit.
At Ceske Budejovice you simply step off one train and walk to the other train, if necessary via the underpass between platforms. Changing trains only takes 3 minutes, if you miss one you have a beer and catch the next one.
Incidentally, Ceske Budejovice might sound more familiar by its former Germanic name, Budweis. That's right, where the name of the beer comes from! The town is worth a look around in its own right. Why not take an earlier train and have a wander into the old town?
Step 3, travel from Ceske Budejovice to Cesky Krumlov on the little green-&-orange GWTR local train. This runs every hour or so, journey time 44 minutes. The GWTR local train has luggage space, a toilet, power sockets and free WiFi, it's a leisurely journey on a winding single track branch line past farmland & forest.
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How much does it cost?
(1) Munich to Linz: Cheap Sparschiene fares start at €29. The price varies, book early for cheaper prices.
(2) Linz to Ceske Budejovice: Cheap advance-purchase fares called Sparschiene by ÖBB Austrian Railways or First Minute by CD Czech Railways start at just €9.
(3) Ceske Budejovice to Cesky Krumlov costs 40 CZK, about €1.55.
Sparschiene & First Minute fares are limited-availability advance-purchase fares, they are only good for the specific train you book, limited or no refunds or changes to travel plans - hence the advice to allow 40 minutes between trains in Ceske Budejovice! If you buy at the station on the day you'll pay the standard price which costs significantly more, but has unlimited availability and is good for any train that day.
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How to buy tickets...
(1) Munich to Linz: Buy tickets using either www.thetrainline.com (easiest, international payment cards no problem) or www.oebb.at (same prices, a bit more fiddly) and print your own ticket.
(2) Linz to Ceske Budejovice: Buy tickets using www.thetrainline.com, or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at or Czech Railways www.cd.cz and print your own ticket - buy from whichever is cheaper, they all sell tickets for the same trains. Booking should open 6 months ahead on oebb.at or 90 days ahead on cd.cz, less than this when the mid-December timetable change is approaching. But you only need to book weeks ahead to get the cheap fares, there's no need to book months ahead.
(1) Ceske Budejovice to Cesky Krumlov: The local trains on this line are now run by private operator GWTR, so you need to buy this ticket separately, either at the station at Cesky Krumlov on the day or simply hop on the train and buy from the on-board ticket machines which accept cash or (reportedly) contactless Visa & MasterCard. No reservation is necessary or possible, just turn up and go...
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See more useful information about visiting Cesky Krumlov including photos & info on taxis from the station to Cesky Krumlov old town.
Munich to Bratislava from €40...
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This is easy once you know you have to split the booking! First, go to German Railways www.bahn.de and book a smart Austrian railjet train from Munich Hbf to Vienna Hbf in just 4h00 from €29.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class. I'd also check prices at www.thetrainline.com, as this links to the Austrian Railways ticketing system so can sometimes be cheaper than the German system for these trains. More about railjet trains.
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Then buy a €11.20 ticket for the hourly Regional Express train from Vienna Hbf to Bratislava Hlavna at the station when you get to Vienna, no reservation necessary or even possible, and simply hop on the next hourly train to Bratislava Hlavna, journey time 1h06. You can check Vienna-Bratislava train times & price at www.thetrainline.com and buy a ticket online just to save time, a normal €11.20 ticket is good for any regional train that day. More about these Vienna-Bratislava trains.
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The hourly regional express train from Vienna to Bratislava Hlavna, about to leave from Vienna Hauptbahnhof. More about these Vienna-Bratislava trains. |
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Munich to Budapest from €39.90...
Option 1, by daytime railjet train:
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Smart Austrian railjet trains leave Munich Hbf for Budapest Keleti at 07:24, 09:30, 11:30 & 13:30 taking 6h50 city centre to city centre.
Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class, €69.90 in 1st class or €84.90 in business class (= premium first class) if you pre-book.
A reserved seat is optional and costs an extra €3-€4 (in business class it's compulsory and included in the fare).
The trains have a bistro-restaurant car, and in 1st & business class orders are taken and food served at your seat, so treat yourself to lunch or dinner. There are power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Look out for a great view of Salzburg citadel on the right as the train crosses the Rover Salzach approaching Salzburg station. See more information about railjet trains.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de and print your own ticket. I recommend registering when prompted, rather than booking as a guest, so you can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings.
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To book Business class tickets at www.bahn.de, book 1st class and use the Show seats seat selection feature to select a seat in the low-density Business class car, usually seats 13-55 in car 27 - although they don't label it as business class so you have to engage brain! It should add the €15 business class upgrade to the first class fare when you pay. You can also book at www.thetrainline.com which can easily book business class.
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A railjet to Budapest about to leave Munich Hbf... |
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Railjet first class, with black leather seats... |
Business class... |
The restaurant... |
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A railjet boarding at the impressive modern Vienna Hbf. More photos & information about railjet trains |
Economy class on railjet, in open saloons with large windows. Some seats around tables, most unidirectional. |
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Pleasant Bavarian scenery between Munich & Salzburg... |
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This is the view of Salzburg's Fortress Hohensalzburg on your right hand side as the railjet crosses the River Salzach & approaches Salzburg station.... |
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Pleasant farmland scenery between Salzburg & Vienna... |
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Between Vienna & Budapest it's largely flat, with more wind turbines than you can shake a stick at, allegedly over 200. This photo pretty much sums up that section of line! |
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The railjet has landed... A railjet has arrived spot on time in Budapest's historic Keleti station, built 1881-1884 |
Option 2, using the Munich-Budapest sleeper train Kalman Imre:
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The EuroNight sleeper train Kalman Imre leaves Munich Hbf at 23:20 and arrives at Budapest Keleti at 09:19.
It has a comfortable air-conditioned Hungarian couchette car & sleeping-car. The sleeper fare includes morning tea or coffee, see more information about the sleeper train Kalman Imre.
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Fares start at €49 in a 6-berth couchette, €59 in a 4-berth couchette, €79 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €139 in a single-bed sleeper.
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Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, overseas payment cards no problem) or Austrian Railways own site www.oebb.at. Bookings usually open up to 90 days ahead and you print your own ticket.
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Tip: For a Bavarian dinner & beer or two before boarding, try www.augustinerkeller.de at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf.
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Tip: If you like, you can check the consist for this train, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using the excellent www.vagonweb.cz. Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Germany & click EN, then look for Kalman Imre.
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The Kalman Imre, about to leave Munich Hbf. More information about the sleeper train Kalman Imre. |
2-bed sleeper. Larger photo |
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6-berth couchettes... |
4-berth couchettes |
Hungarian couchette car at Munich Hbf... |
Munich to Sighisoara, Brasov & Bucharest from €79...
Option 1, by railjet to Budapest and sleeper train Ister to Brasov & Bucharest... Easily booked online with cheap advance-purchase fares.
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Step 1, travel from Munich to Budapest by smart Austrian railjet train, leaving Munich Hbf at 09:30 and arriving Budapest Keleti at 16:19. Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. To check train times & fares and buy tickets online use www.bahn.de
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Step 2, take the EuroNight sleeper train Ister leaving Budapest Keleti at 19:10 and arriving Brasov at 09:53 & Bucharest Gara de Nord at 12:30 next day. This comfortable train has 4 & 6 berth couchettes and a modern air-conditioned sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, also deluxe sleepers with 1 or 2 beds and shower/toilet. Fares start at €39 with a couchette or €59 with a bed in a sleeper. There's no restaurant car so take a picnic and bottle of wine. There's great scenery through the Carpathian mountains beyond Brasov, a real treat.
Tip: If you like, you can check the consist for this train, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using the excellent www.vagonweb.cz. Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Hungary & click IC.
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To book the Budapest to Bucharest train, use the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, clicking 'EN' for English top left. You collect your tickets from the yellow self-service ticket machines at Budapest Keleti station.
Option 2, by railjet to Vienna and daily sleeper train Dacia Express to Sighisoara, Brasov & Bucharest.
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Take the 13:30 railjet train from Munich arriving at Vienna Hbf at 17:30, from €29.90 booked at www.bahn.de. You print your own ticket.
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A direct air-conditioned train called the Dacia Express leaves Vienna Hbf every day at 19:42 and arriving next day in Sighisoara 11:22, Brasov 14:05 & Bucharest Gara de Nord at 16:35.
It has modern & comfortable Romanian sleeping-cars (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments, including a couple of deluxe sleepers with shower & toilet) and couchettes (4-berth & 6-berth compartments). There's wonderful almost Alpine scenery through the Carpathian mountains between Brasov and Bucharest, a real treat...
You can book this train at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at which can sell cheap sparschiene fares from Vienna to Bucharest for as little as €49 with a couchette in a 6-berth compartment, €69 with a bed in a 3-berth sleeper, €89 with a bed in a 3-berth sleeper or €149 with a bed in a single-berth sleeper, all to yourself.
In the search results, look for the direct train marked D with no changes. If it says not available you can't book it, but if a sparschiene fare is shown you can. You collect tickets from an ÖBB ticket machine in Vienna.
Tip: If you like, you can check the consist for this train, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using the excellent www.vagonweb.cz. Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Austria & click D, then look for Dacia.
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The Dacia Express boarding at Vienna Hbf. Always book a couchette, not just a seat. Couchettes convert from bunks at night to seats for day use. |
4 or 6 berth couchettes. Larger photo. |
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A 1, 2 or 3-bed sleeper with washbasin. Larger photo. |
The sleeping-car of the Dacia Express arrived at Sighisoara. Sleepers convert from beds to private sitting rooms for day use. Courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry. |
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Enjoy breakfast in the bar-bistro eastbound, or an evening beer westbound, as a bar-bistro is attached in Romania to both the Ister & Dacia Express. Bar-bistro photos courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry. |
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Option 3, by daytime trains with overnight stop in Budapest...
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Day 1, take any railjet train you like from Munich to Budapest Keleti in 6h46 from €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class, booked at www.bahn.de.
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Stay overnight in Budapest. For an inexpensive hotel with great reviews right next to Keleti Station, try the Royal Park Boutique Hotel or the inexpensive Baross City Hotel just across the road or the Elit Hotel two minutes walk away. More hotels in Budapest
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Day 2, take a comfortable air-conditioned Intercity train from Budapest Keleti to Cluj, Timisoara, Sibiu, Sinaia, Brasov or Bucharest, check times & buy tickets from €29 at Hungarian Railways www.mavcsoport.hu, see advice on using mavcsoport.hu & how you collect tickets. It's an all-day daytime run right across Transylvania, see the Trains from Budapest page for full details.
Munich to Warsaw & Krakow from €39.90...
Option 1, by daytime trains via Berlin...
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You can travel from Munich to Warsaw in a single day from just €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class using a superb high-speed ICE train from Munich to Berlin then a comfortable EuroCity train from Berlin to Warsaw. Total journey is around 11h50, a long day but take a good book, a bottle of wine and put your feet up. For example,
Munich Hbf depart 07:52, change Berlin Hbf, arrive Warsaw Centralna at 19:29.
Munich Hbf depart 11:56, change Berlin Hbf, arrive Warsaw Centralna at 23:26.
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You can buy a ticket from Munich to Warsaw as a single transaction at the German railways website www.bahn.de. You print your own tickets.
Tip: Although you're covered for a missed connection with a through ticket, I recommend adjusting the Duration of transfer on bahn.de from standard to at least 40 minutes to ensure a robust connection in Berlin even if there's a delay. I have taken this into account in the times shown above.
Option 2, by daytime trains via Prague - cheaper, but takes a bit longer...
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Step 1, travel from Munich to Prague by air-conditioned express leaving Munich Hbf at 06:43 and arriving Prague Hlavni at 12:19. Book this from €15 in 2nd class or €35 in 1st class at www.cd.cz and print your own ticket. Have lunch in Prague.
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Step 2, travel from Prague to Warsaw by air-conditioned EuroCity train with restaurant car, leaving Prague Hlavni at 14:23 and arriving Warsaw Centralna at 22:18. Book this from €19 at www.cd.cz and print your own ticket.
Option 3, using the Prague-Krakow/Warsaw sleeper train - the time-effective option...
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Step 1, travel from Munich to Prague by air-conditioned express leaving Munich Hbf at 14:43 and arriving Prague Hlavni at 20:19. Book this from €15 in 2nd class or €35 in 1st class at www.cd.cz and print your own ticket. Have dinner in Prague.
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Step 2, travel from Prague to Warsaw by EuroNight sleeper train leaving Prague Hlavni at 22:15 and arriving Krakow at 06:22 & Warsaw Centralna at 09:40.
This train has a modern air-conditioned Polish sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, plus two deluxe 1 or 2 bed compartments with en suite toilet & shower, see the photos below. It also has a couchette car with economical 4 & 6 bunk compartments.
Book this from €29 with couchette at www.cd.cz and print your own ticket.
Option 4, using the Vienna-Krakow/Warsaw sleeper train - a similar time-effective option, a bit faster but a bit more expensive...
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Step 1, take a comfortable afternoon railjet train leaving Munich Hbf at 15:30 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 19:30. The train has a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. You can also take the 17:30 from Munich, but when catching a sleeper I'd play safe and take the earlier one with time for dinner in Vienna.
Book this train from €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class at www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.
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Step 2, take the EuroNight sleeper train leaving Vienna Hbf at 22:10 and arriving Krakow at 06:22 & Warsaw Centralna at 09:40.
This train has a modern air-conditioned Polish sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, plus two deluxe 1 or 2 bed compartments with en suite toilet & shower, see the photos below. It also has a couchette car with economical 4 & 6 bunk compartments.
Book this train at the Austrian railways website www.oebb.at. Fares from €39 with a couchette, from €79 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper. You collect tickets from the self-service machines at Vienna Hbf.
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Standard sleeper in evening/morning mode with seats folded out. |
Standard sleeper set up as a 3-berth. It can also be sold as a single or double. |
Deluxe sleeper, set up as a 2-berth, showing TV & wardrobe. |
Deluxe sleeper: En suite shower & toilet... |
Munich to Ljubljana, Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik from €39.90...
Option 1, by daytime trains, the wonderful scenic option...
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Use the German railways website www.bahn.de to check times & buy tickets from Munich to Lesce-Bled, Ljubljana or Zagreb:
The morning train leaves Munich Hbf at 08:17, this is smart Austrian railjet train from Munich to Villach on the Austrian/Slovenian border where there's a simple cross-platform 10-minute change onto a Slovenian & Croatian train to for Lesce-Bled, Ljubljana & Zagreb.
The afternoon train leaves Munich Hbf at 12:18, this is a direct air-conditioned train with restaurant car to Lesce-Bled, Ljubljana & Zagreb.
There's a third departure from Munich Hbf at 14:18 to Lesce-Bled & Ljubljana.
Fares start at just €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class if you book ahead. You print your own ticket.
The journey is wonderful, a chance to relax as you cross through the mountains of Austria, then between Ljubljana and Zagreb the train wends its way through the hills along the lovely River Sava, see the photos below. Highly recommended!
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Booking tip: If you don't see any cheap fares from Munich to Zagreb using bahn.de (for example, if it says No special fares available), try going to the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at and booking from Salzburg to Zagreb on the same train (it will leave Salzburg about 1h55 after leaving Munich), then using www.oebb.at again to add a ticket from Munich to Salzburg on the same train.
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Onwards to Split & Dubrovnik... There are daytime trains and a sleeper between Zagreb and Split, from where buses run to Dubrovnik, for details see here.
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Suggested hotels in Zagreb & Split, suggested hotel in |Ljubljana.
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The 08:17 departure is a smart Austrian railjet from Munich to Villach, on the Austrian-Slovenian border... This is a railjet about to leave Munich Hbf... |
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Railjet is Austrian Railways premier train... More photos & information about Railjet trains |
Economy class on railjet, in open saloons with large windows. Some seats around tables, most unidirectional. |
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Railjet first class, with black leather seats... |
Business class... |
The restaurant... |
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Through the Austrian Alps... Clinging to the mountainside high in the Austrian Alps, the railjet snakes along between snow-capped mountains, absolutely wonderful.,, If you use the morning train from Munich, there's a quick & simple cross-platform change of train at Villach onto a Slovenian & Croatian train called the Sava... |
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...along the Sava river in Slovenia. Now across the border in Slovenia, the EuroCity train runs along the pretty River Sava all the way to Ljubljana & Zagreb... |
Comfortable seats: The 2nd class seats in the Slovenian cars are arranged 2+1 abreast, the same as 1st class! |
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More lovely scenery along the Sava between Ljubljana & Zagreb... |
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The EuroCity train Sava, arrived at Zagreb. |
More scenery along the Sava between Ljubljana & Zagreb. |
Option 2, by direct Munich-Zagreb sleeper train, the time-effective option...
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An excellent Croatian sleeper train called the Lisinski leaves Munich Hbf at 23:20 and arrives Ljubljana 05:57 & Zagreb 08:35.
It has a smart air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments, and an air-conditioned Croatian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, see the Croatian sleeper video here.
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Fares start at €49 with couchette in a 6-berth compartment, €59 with a couchette in a 4-berth compartment, €89 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper, €129 with a bed in a single-bed sleeper.
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How to buy tickets: Book the sleeper at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, overseas payment cards no problem) or Austrian Railways own site www.oebb.at. Bookings can open up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
If neither site works for you, you'll need to book by phone. If you live in the UK call German Railways UK number, 08718 80 80 66.
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Tip: For a Bavarian dinner & a beer or two before boarding the sleeper, try www.augustinerkeller.de at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf.
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Onwards to Split & Dubrovnik... There are daytime trains and a sleeper between Zagreb and Split, from where buses run to Dubrovnik, for details see here.
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The sleeping-car on the Lisinski: The modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car of the Lisinski from Munich to Zagreb has 10 compartments with washbasin, each of which can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth room, with toilets at the end of the corridor. Above left, the sleeper arrived at Zagreb. See larger sleeper photo... |
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The couchette car on the Lisinski has modern air-conditioned 6-berth and 4-berth compartments. Above right, the westbound train is seen boarding at Zagreb. See panorama photo. |
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Wake up to scenery like this between Ljubljana & Zagreb, along the river Sava... |
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Option 2, to Split & Dubrovnik using the Budapest-Split sleeper train Adria, runs June-September...
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Step 1, take the 09:30 railjet train from Munich Hbf to Budapest Keleti from €39 booked at www.thetrainline.com. You print your own ticket. Make sure you allow at least an hour in Budapest between trains to be on the safe side.
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Step 2, travel from Budapest to Split by direct sleeper train called the Adria. This runs from mid-June to early September, leaving Budapest Keleti around 18:53 every evening arriving Split around 08:56 next morning. It has a comfortable Hungarian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments and a couchette car with 4 & 6 bunk compartments.
The fare is around €79 with couchette or from €92 with a bed in a cosy 2-bed sleeper.
Check to see if it is bookable online at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu. If not, you will need to book at the station or by phone with a ticketing agency in your home country.
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For Dubrovnik, take a bus from Split. There are buses every hour or even every half hour, run by several companies. Journey time between 3h45 and 4h35, fare around €13-€17. Buy a ticket at the bus station in Split.
Munich to Belgrade, Sofia & Montenegro...
By sleeper to Zagreb, then day train - The fastest option, especially as the Budapest-Belgrade line is currently blocked by track upgrading work...
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Day 1, take the excellent overnight Croatian sleeper train Lisinski leaving Munich Hbf at 23:20 and arriving Zagreb at 08:35.
It has a smart air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments, and an air-conditioned Croatian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, see the photos & sleeper video here.
Fares start at €49 with couchette, €89 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €129 in a single-bed sleeper all to yourself.
You can book this sleeper at the German Railways website www.bahn.de and print your own ticket. Or you can try www.thetrainline.com, which links to the Austrian Railways system and also offers print your own tickets.
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Day 2, travel from Zagreb to Belgrade by train. Until 4 October 2020 it leaves Zagreb at 11:03 and arrives Novi Beograd at 18:00 & Belgrade Centar at 18:07. From 5 October 2020 onwards it leaves Zagreb at 13:04 and arrives Novi Beograd at 20:17 & Belgrade Centar at 20:25.
This train has air-conditioned Serbian carriages with comfortable 2nd class seats, but no 1st class. There's no dining-car, so bring a picnic and some beer or wine.
The fare is around €29 bought at the station in Zagreb or paid on board the train, tickets cannot be bought online.
Tip: Although Belgrade Centar is slightly closer to the city centre, you have to rely on a single bus line. Trams 7 & 9 link Novi Beograd station with the site of the now-defunct old Belgrade station on the edge of the old city every 5-10 minutes so you may prefer to get off at Novi Beograd and take a tram, see the Belgrade station page for more information.
if you're going to Sofia...
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Stay overnight in Belgrade. I recommend the historic Hotel Moskva at the start of the main pedestrianised street through the old centre.
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Day 3, take a daytime train from Belgrade to Sofia, see the Belgrade to Sofia page for timetable, fares, tips & photos.
If you're going to Montenegro...
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A daytime and overnight train link Belgrade Topcider station with Podgorica and Bar over one of the most scenic lines in Europe, fare around €22 paid at the station on the day. For train times, fares & photos see the Belgrade to Montenegro page. Change at Podgorica for a bus to Budva or Kotor.
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The sleeping-car on the Lisinski: The modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car of the Lisinski from Munich to Zagreb has 10 compartments with washbasin, each of which can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth room, with toilets at the end of the corridor. Above left, the sleeper arrived at Zagreb. See larger sleeper photo... |
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The couchette car on the Lisinski has modern air-conditioned 6-berth and 4-berth compartments. Above right, the westbound train is seen boarding at Zagreb. See panorama photo. |
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Wake up to scenery like this between Ljubljana & Zagreb, along the river Sava... |
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Munich to Moscow & Russia...
Option 1, using the Warsaw-Moscow sleeper train, every day...
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Day 1, travel from Munich to Warsaw as shown above, and stay overnight. Spend the next day exploring Warsaw.
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Day 2 evening, travel from Warsaw to Moscow by Russian sleeper train, leaving Warsaw Centralna at 19:15 daily and arriving Moscow Belorussky at 16:58 next day. You can check times at the Russian Railways website www.rzd.ru.
This train uses impressive Austrian-built sleeping-cars with 4-berth compartments built in 2014, see photos of this type of sleeper here & see panorama photo inside one of these modern sleepers. Each compartment can be sold as 1st class 1-berth, 1st class 2-berth or 2nd class 4-berth. The train consist of two or three sleeping-car which start their journey in Prague. There's a bistro car in Poland and a Russian restaurant car is attached between Brest (on the Polish/Belarus border) & Moscow.
You can book this train by contacting reliable Polish train ticketing agency www.polrail.com - their booking system is at http://booking.polrail.com. Tickets can be collected in Warsaw or (at extra charge) shipped to any address worldwide.
Alternatively, you can book with Russian Railways at www.rzd.ru although it's a little quirky and may not accept some overseas credit cards.
Don't forget to arrange both your Russian visa & Belarus transit visa as the train runs via Belarus. See my important update about travel to Russia through Belarus.
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Option 2, using the new Berlin-Moscow Strizh sleeper train, twice a week...
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Step 1, travel from Munich to Berlin from €29.90 in as little as 3h58. For example, the 13:47 from Munich Hbf arrives Berlin Hbf at 18:25, but by all means take an earlier train and have dinner in Berlin. Book this at www.bahn.de and print your own ticket.
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Step 2, travel from Berlin to Moscow by direct Russian sleeper train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 20:08 on Mondays & Saturdays, arriving at Moscow Belorussky station at 21:24 next day.
This train is an articulated Spanish-built Talgo train branded Strizh (Russian for swift) which started running in 2016. It has ordinary seats, 2nd class 4-berth sleepers, 1st class 1 or 2 berth sleepers with washbasin and deluxe 1 or 2 berth sleepers with en suite shower & toilet. There's a restaurant & bistro car. See photo of 2-berth sleeper on this train.
Russian track gauge is 5', but most of Europe (including the UK) is 4' 8½", so at Brest on the Belarus frontier the Talgo train runs through a special gauge-changing shed and the axles automatically adjust to the new gauge. Once in Russia, the scenery is rolling hills, birch tree forests, and villages of small wooden houses. Approaching Moscow, you may glimpse the plaques on the station building marked '1812' and '1942' as the train passes through the small station of historic Borodino...
You can book the Berlin-Moscow train at the Russian Railways website www.rzd.ru and print your own ticket, it's a little fiddly but usually works, or you can easily buy it online with English language after-sales service if you need it, using the Real Russia online system here.
Don't forget to arrange both your Russian visa and Belarus transit visa as the train runs via Belarus. See my important update about travel to Russia through Belarus.
Option 3, via Vienna & Kiev, avoiding Belarus with daily departures...
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Step 1, travel from Munich to Vienna by comfortable railjet train, from €29.90 booked at German Railways www.bahn.de, you print your own ticket. For example, the 11:30 from Munich Hbf arrives Vienna Hbf at 15:30, but I'd take an earlier train for more time in Vienna.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Kiev by direct Ukrainian sleeping-car. leaving Vienna Hbf at 16:42 every day and arriving next day at Kiev at 17:21. Introduced in December 2017, this train has a Ukrainian sleeping-car with comfortable 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin.
The best way to buy tickets for this train is via reliable agency www.polrail.com, with tickets posted or couriered to you for a small fee. Polrail are based in Poland so charge in zlotys, but as they have access to Ukrainian ticketing system they are good for booking this train. You cannot currently book online with ÖBB although you could try emailing or calling their telesales via their website www.oebb.at. Feedback would be appreciated
Booked through Polrail:
Vienna to Kiev costs around €138 in a 3-berth sleeper €149 in a 2-berth sleeper, or €241 in a single-berth sleeper.
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Step 3, take one of the various Kiev to Moscow sleeper trains, for example train 6 leaves Kiev at 19:36 arriving Moscow Kievskaya station around 10:09.
The fare is around €92 with a bed in 4-berth kupé or €180 with a bed in a 2-berth spalny vagon.
You can ask www.polrail.com to book this for you too, or you can book tickets from Kiev to Moscow at the Ukrainian Railways site https://booking.uz.gov.ua/en/ booking from Kyiv to Moskva Kievskaya. You collect tickets at the station in Kiev. Feedback appreciated!
Munich to Lviv, Kiev & Ukraine...
Option 1, via Vienna, the recommended and easiest option...
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Step 1, travel from Munich to Vienna by comfortable railjet train, from €29.90 booked at German Railways www.bahn.de, you print your own ticket. For example, the 11:30 from Munich Hbf arrives Vienna Hbf at 15:30, but I'd take an earlier train and have more time in Vienna. The railjets have a bistro-restaurant car with draught beer on tap, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Lviv or Kiev by comfortable direct Ukrainian sleeping-car. leaving Vienna Hbf at 16:42 every day and arriving next day at Lviv at 10:14 & Kiev at 17:21. Introduced in December 2017, this train has a Ukrainian sleeping-car with comfortable 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, see the photos below. At Chop on the other side of the border the through sleeping-car is jacked up to have its wheelsets changed from European standard gauge (4'8½") to Russian gauge used in Ukraine (5').
Book the train from Vienna to Lviv or Kiev online at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at. This will only book one-way or round trip starting in Vienna because tickets need to be collected from an ÖBB station in Austria. They cannot be collected in Ukraine. Booking this way you pay no fee or mark-up, just the official fare. The sleeper has become popular, it can sell out.
If you have any problems or want a one-way ticket starting in Ukraine, you can also book the Vienna-Kiev train via reliable agency www.polrail.com, with tickets posted or couriered to you for a small fee. Polrail are based in Poland so charge in zlotys, but as they have access to Ukrainian ticketing system they are good for booking this train.
Booked through oebb.at:
Vienna to Kiev costs €80.50 in a 3-berth sleeper, €90.50 in a 2-berth sleeper or €152.90 in a single sleeper.
Vienna to Lviv costs €62.10 in a 3-berth sleeper, €70.10 in a 2-berth sleeper or €119.30 in a single sleeper.
Booked through Polrail:
Vienna to Kiev costs around €138 in a 3-berth sleeper €149 in a 2-berth sleeper, or €241 in a single-berth sleeper.
Vienna to Lviv costs around €120 in a 3-berth sleeper €129 in a 2-berth sleeper, or €207 in a single-berth sleeper.
Booked at the station in Ukraine, Kiev to Vienna costs around €80, Lviv to Vienna around €60, in both cases with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper.
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Boarding the Vienna to Kiev sleeping-car at Vienna Hbf. Photo courtesy of Helmut Uttenthaler. |
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The Vienna-Kiev sleeper about to leave Vienna Hbf... Courtesy of Helmut Uttenthaler. |
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The sleeper corridor. Courtesy Helmut Uttenthaler. |
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1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper compartment. |
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The Vienna-Kiev sleeping-car at Kiev Pass. Photos courtesy of Helmut Uttenthaler. |
Option 2, via Warsaw...
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Step 1, travel from Munich to Warsaw as shown above, either by daytime trains and staying overnight or by railjet and sleeper train. Either way, you then have a day to explore Warsaw.
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Step 2, an overnight train called the Kiev Express leaves Warsaw Centralna at 18:05 and arrives in Kiev at 11:00 next day. This train has comfortable Ukrainian 1, 2 & 3 bed sleepers with washbasin. There's no restaurant car, so take a picnic and perhaps some wine or beer.
The fare is around €46 in a 3-bed sleeper if you manage to book via the Ukrainian Railways website. If you have to book via Polrail it costs around €57 including a bed in a 3-berth sleeper, €66 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €110 in a single-bed sleeper all to yourself.
To buy tickets, first see if you can book online with Ukrainian Railways at booking.uz.gov.ua/en - but please, please, please read the important notes here which explain how to book this train using that website. If that doesn't work for you, book with reliable Polish agency Polrail at http://booking.polrail.com. Tickets can be collected in Warsaw or (at extra charge) shipped to any address worldwide. Polrail are also pretty good at arranging the return reservation back from Kiev as they have close contacts with Ukrainian Railways.
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To book onward trains from Kiev to Odessa & other places in Ukraine, see the Ukraine page.
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Boarding in Warsaw... |
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A sleeper compartment... |
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...with washbasin. |
Munich to Copenhagen from €39.90...
Option 1, by daytime trains...
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You can travel from Munich to Copenhagen by train in a single day from as little as €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class using superb German ICE trains with 1 easy change in Hamburg onto a smart Danish IC3 EuroCity train. For example,
Munich Hbf depart 06:15, change at Hamburg Hbf, arrive Copenhagen at 17:33.
Munich Hbf depart 10:21, change at Hamburg Hbf, arrive Copenhagen at 21:33.
Take a good book, sit back and enjoy the ride. The Hamburg to Copenhagen trains also call at Kolding (for Legoland) and Odense. See photos, tips & information for the Hamburg to Copenhagen intercity train. The trains have power sockets at all seats and the ICE trains have a bistro-restaurant car.
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Book from Munich to Copenhagen as one transaction at www.bahn.de.
Option 2, using the Munich-Hamburg sleeper train...
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Step 1, take the overnight Nightjet sleeper train from Munich to Hamburg leaving Munich Hbf at 22:52 and arriving Hamburg Hbf at 08:47.
Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper. Deluxe sleepers with en suite toilet & shower are also available. There's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment.
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Step 2, take the 12:53 Danish IC3 EuroCity train from Hamburg Hbf to Copenhagen arriving at 17:33. Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class.
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You can book this as one transaction at www.bahn.de, simply run an enquiry from Munich to Copenhagen with departure time set to 22:00, and look for the option with 1 change marked 'EN, IC' in the search results. You print your own ticket. If you have any problems, book each train separately.
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The late afternoon Hamburg-Copenhagen IC3 leaving platform 5 at Hamburg Hbf on a busy summer day. The yellow stripe above the windows indicates first class, located at one end of both 3-car units. More information about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey. |
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Boarding a Danish IC3 train at Hamburg Hbf... |
1st class seats on an IC3 train. Larger photo. |
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2nd class seats on a IC3 train. Larger photo. |
An IC3 train to Copenhagen at Hamburg. |
Munich to Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö or Oslo...
Option 1, by daytime trains with an overnight stop in Hamburg: Munich to Stockholm, Malmö or Gothenburg from just €39.90...
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Day 1, travel from Munich to Hamburg by direct ICE train in as little as 5h49. There are regular departures right up until early evening.
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Stay overnight in Hamburg. The Hotel Reichshoff Hamburg is just 200m from the station, features art deco-based design and gets great reviews. Other hotels next to Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget, private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf start at around £33 for one person or £49 for two people booked at www.hostelworld.com.
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Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen on the 08:53 Danish IC3 EuroCity train arriving Copenhagen 13:33.
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For Stockholm, take a 125mph X2000 train leaving Copenhagen at 14:10 and arriving Stockholm Central at 19:38.
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For Malmö or Gothenburg, Öresund Link trains run hourly from Copenhagen to Gothenburg in 3h53 and every half hour or better from Copenhagen to Malmö in 39 minutes.
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For Oslo & Norway, travel as far as Copenhagen, then take the overnight cruise ferry with bars, restaurants and en suite cabins to Oslo, she sails from Copenhagen daily around 16:30, arriving in Oslo around 09:45, see www.dfds.co.uk for times, prices & online tickets.
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How to check times, prices & buy tickets...
If you want to keep things simple, you can book the straightforward way. Go to www.bahn.de and book from Munich to Hamburg on day 1. Then use www.bahn.de again to book from Hamburg to Malmö, Gothenburg or Stockholm on day 2.
However, it's usually cheaper to buy just one sparpreis ticket from Munich to Stockholm, Malmö or Gothenburg from €39, which you can easily do if you pre-programme the overnight stop in Hamburg like this:
Go to www.bahn.de and enter Munich to Stockholm (or Malmo or Goteborg Central). Select a mid-afternoon departure time, click Add intermediate stops, enter Hamburg in the via box and a time of say 11:00 in the hh:mm stopover box. This will give you an 11-hour stopover in Hamburg. Click here for a link to bahn.de which I've set up for you. Adjust the departure time and stopover duration as necessary to get the trains you want.
If you're going to Norway, add a connecting Gothenburg to Oslo S ticket using either www.nsb.no or www.sj.se.
Option 2, by daytime trains with an overnight stop in Copenhagen: Munich to Stockholm, Malmö or Gothenburg from €39.90...
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Day 1, travel from Munich to Copenhagen by luxurious ICE & EuroCity train with one easy change at Hamburg Hbf.
You'll usually find departures from Munich at 06:15 arriving Copenhagen at 17:33, or at 10:21 arriving Copenhagen at 21:33. Take a bottle of wine and a good book and put your feet up!
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Stay overnight in Copenhagen... Hotels in Copenhagen near the station with good reviews: Nimb Hotel (5-star luxe), Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (5-star), Axel Guldsmeden (4-star), Andersen Bou]tique Hotel, First Hotel Mayfair (3-star), Hotel Ansgar (3-star), City Hotel Nebo (2-star).
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Day 2, if travelling to Stockholm: Travel from Copenhagen to Stockholm by 125mph X2000 train in around 5h11, there are regular departures. For example there's usually one around 08:20 arriving Stockholm Central 13:35, or have a leisurely breakfast and take a later one.
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Day 2, if travelling to Gothenburg or Oslo: Travel from Copenhagen to Gothenburg (= Goteborg Central) on any of the hourly Öresund trains, journey time 3h53. For Oslo, take the 09:27, change at Gothenburg and arrive Oslo Sentral (= Oslo S) at 17:51.
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How much does it cost? You can buy German Railways' sparpreis tickets from Munich to Malmö, Gothenburg or Stockholm for as little as €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. The fare varies, so book early for the best prices.
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How to check times & buy tickets...
If travelling to Stockholm or Gothenburg, go to www.bahn.de and book from Munich to Stockholm or Goteborg Central with a morning departure selected, but to see these cheap fares you must click Add intermediate stops, enter Copenhagen in the via box and a time of (say) 12:00 in the hh:mm stopover box. This will give you a 12-hour stopover in Copenhagen. Click here for a link to bahn.de which I've set up for you. Adjust the overnight stopover time as necessary to get the trains you want.
If travelling to Oslo, go to www.bahn.de and book from Munich to Gothenburg with a morning departure selected, but to see the cheap fares you must click Add intermediate stops enter Copenhagen in the via box and a time of say 12:00 in the hh:mm stopover box. Click here for a link to bahn.de which I've set up for you. Adjust the overnight stopover time as necessary to get the trains you want. Now add a connecting Gothenburg to Oslo S ticket using either www.nsb.no or www.sj.se.
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A Danish IC3 train at Copenhagen station... Hamburg-Copenhagen trains are now EuroCity trains worked by Danish IC3 units like the one above. |
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A 125 mph X2000 train from Copenhagen to Stockholm. |
2nd class seating on the X2000. All seats have power sockets for laptops & mobiles... |
Self-service buffet car on the X2000 to Stockholm. |
Munich to Oslo & Norway...
Option 1, via Hamburg & Copenhagen - by train all the way...
Option 2, Munich to Oslo via the Kiel-Oslo Color Line cruise ferry - the most comfortable way to Oslo...
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Step 1, travel from Munich to Kiel on any suitable train from €29.90.
Check times & buy tickets at the German Railways site www.bahn.de.
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Stay overnight in Kiel.
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Step 2, sail from Kiel to Oslo by luxurious overnight Color Line ferry, check times & buy tickets at the seat61 Ferry Shop or www.colorline.com.
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This photo is taken from the exit of Kiel station, so you can see how close the ferry is. It's a 5-6 minute walk across the harbour, with a street lift up to a connecting walkway which takes you to the ferry terminal. If you have reserved one of what Color Line call their "5 star suites", check in at the desk rather than the machines and you'll be directed to a special lounge to wait with free tea, coffee, juice, snacks & WiFi. You'll also have priority boarding of the ship. Photos courtesy of Andrew Leo. |
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Boarding the Color Line ferry to Oslo in Kiel... |
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A 5 Star Suite on the ferry... |
More cruise liner than ferry! The restaurant. |
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Wake up to this.... |
Munich to Helsinki & Finland...
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For Finland, you'll find ferries the best bet from either Travemünde in Germany to Helsinki, see www.finnlines.com.
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Then use www.bahn.de to find connecting trains from Munich to Travemünde from €39.90.
Munich to Athens, Corfu & Greece...
Option 1, Munich to Athens by train & ferry via Italy - the leisurely option with an Adriatic cruise thrown in...
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The best and most comfortable option is to pick up a ferry in Bari. The whole scenic and relaxing journey from Munich to Athens will take around 2 nights & 3 days, depending how the connections work out on your particular date.
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Day 1, travel from Munich Hbf to Verona Porta Nuova from €39.90 through the scenic Brenner Pass with a restaurant car for lunch & dinner. There are various departures, journey time 5h18, you can leave in the afternoon.
Check times, prices & buy online with German Railways at www.bahn.de.
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Stay overnight in Verona. Hotels near the station with good or great reviews include the Sole Hotel Verona right next to the station, Corte Merighi Rooms & Breakfast, Novo Hotel Rossi, Guesthouse Verona or (a little closer to the centre but with fab reviews) the Relais Empire.
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Day 2, take an early morning train around 07:50 from Verona Porta Nuova to Bari Centrale from €29.90 booked at either www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com. Make sure you allow at least 3 hours between between train arrival and ferry departure in Bari.
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Day 2, then sail across the Adriatic from Bari to Corfu, Igoumenitsa or Patras in Greece aboard a luxurious cruise ferry booked at www.superfast.com. She normally sails daily except Sundays at 19:30 arriving 13:00 next day (day 3). The ferry has bars, restaurants, sun decks, lunges, reclining seats and cabins, some with en suite shower & toilet. It's a lovely crossing, see the photos below.
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Day 3, Patras is a few hours bus ride from Athens. If you hunt for it, there's a bus/train combined timetable from Patras to Athens on www.trainose.gr but it's pretty hard to find.
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The Bari to Athens part of this journey is covered in more detail on the London to Greece page, just disregard the London to Milan part of the recommended journey!
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2 or 4-berth cabin with private toilet & shower. |
Relaxing on deck... |
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At sea, passing Cephalonia & Ithaca. This is what travel to Greece should be like! |
Option 2, Munich to Athens overland by train via Munich & Belgrade - a rail adventure across the Balkans...
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You can also travel overland by train from Munich to Athens via Belgrade & Thessaloniki. It'll take 3 nights, with the romance and adventure of an epic train ride through the Balkans.
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In Munich you pick up the London-Munich-Belgrade-Thessaloniki-Athens route explained in detail on the London to Greece page. Just disregard the London-Munich part.
Munich to Istanbul & Turkey...
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You can pick up the London-Istanbul route suggested on the London to Turkey page in Munich.
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See the London to Turkey page for details of how to book as far as Bucharest online. The last leg needs to be booked by phone at when you get to Bucharest.
Find
hotels in Munich & other cities
Other hotel sites worth trying...
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www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.
Backpacker hostels...
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www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.