Munich to Innsbruck: mainline or scenic route?
You've a choice to make when travelling between Munich & Innsbruck by train. The fast mainline route is scenic enough, but there's also an extra-scenic regional route via Garmisch-Partenkirchen, taking a bit longer.
Option 1, Munich to Innsbruck via
Kufstein - fastest & most comfortable
Option 2, Munich to Innsbruck
via Garmisch-Partenkirchen - the scenic regional route
Route map
Option 1, Munich to Innsbruck via Kufstein in 1h44 - the mainline route
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Every couple of hours, a comfortable EuroCity train links Munich Hbf with Innsbruck Hbf in just 1h44.
Some of these trains are on their way to or from Italy. This is the fastest & most comfortable option, using the mainline route via Kufstein. This route is scenic enough, as you can see in the route map above with scenic sections marked in green.
Munich to Innsbruck is 172 km (107 miles) by train via this route.
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Fares start at €18.90 in 2nd class or €27.90 in 1st class.
These are Sparpreis fares, specified departure only, limited refunds & changes to travel plans. These fares vary like air fares so book ahead.
The Flexpreis is around €42 in 2nd class, fixed-price, good for any train, cannot sell out, can be bought on the day.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
If you buy one ticket covering several people, only one name is needed to support the ticket. You print your own ticket (A4 paper, U.S. Letter size is fine) or you can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
Option 2, Munich to Innsbruck via Garmisch in 2h51 - the scenic route
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Fastest isn't always best. There's a slower but beautifully scenic route between Munich Hbf & Innsbruck Hbf using regional trains through the mountains via Garmisch-Partenkirchen. There's a departure every hour, a few of these regional trains now run Munich-Innsbruck direct, other departures involve a simple change of train at either Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Mittenwald or Seefeld in Tirol.
There's no catering on these regional trains, so bring your own food and drink.
Munich to Innsbruck is 160 km or 99 miles by train via this route.
Update: A bus is replacing the train between Garmisch-Partenkirchen & Mittenwald in most of 2023 due to major trackwork, until early December.
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The regular full-price fare is €37.30 in 2nd class or €61.20 in 1st class, fixed-price, cannot sell out, can be bought on the day.
However, int.bahn.de usually offers you a cheaper €27 Regio-Ticket Werdenfels plus Innsbruck ticket. With this, up to 3 children under 15 go free, a real bargain. This is also fixed-price, cannot sell out, can be bought on the day.
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Check train times & buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de, click Stopovers and enter Mittenwald as a stopover, leaving length of stay zero.
You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. No reservation or advance-purchase is necessary, you sit where you like on regional trains. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.
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Tip: Going south, the best views are on the right hand side of the train. Going North, the best views are on the left hand side. If you get any good scenery photos, please let me know!
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Tip: Read about the Mittenwald Railway here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mittenwald_Railway.
