Munich to Italy via the scenic Brenner Pass from €39.90...
Comfortable EuroCity trains link Munich, Innsbruck & Verona every two hours through the day, with one or two trains extending to & from Bologna or Venice. They are run jointly by ÖBB (Austrian Railways) and DB (German Railways). The trains are classified as EuroCity - a generic term used for quality trains across much of Europe - and they use comfortable Austrian air-conditioned carriages with an elegant Austrian restaurant car. They're spacious and comfortable trains which pass through the wonderfully scenic Brenner Pass between Innsbruck and Verona, see the photos & video below. Sit back with a glass of wine and enjoy the ride...
Travel tips: Which class to choose, saloon or
compartment, luggage, food & drink...
How to check train times, fares & tickets
Watch the video: Innsbruck to Verona via the
Brenner Pass...
What are the trains like?
Travel tips...
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Should you go 1st or 2nd class?
2nd class is absolutely fine, there's no need to pay more for 1st class unless you want to. There are no 'extras' in 1st class on these trains, paying for 1st class merely means more leg and elbow room, with seats arranged 2+1 across the car width (in open-plan cars) rather than 2+2, although that means there are solo seats and tables-for-two on one side of the aisle in 1st class which are great if you're travelling alone or as a couple. So look at the photos of each class above, what you see is what you get. 1st class is usually quieter with more laptops tapping, 2nd class is often busier than 1st class with more families and kids.
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Open-plan saloon or classic 6-seat compartment?
When you book you'll see a choice of a seat in an open-plan saloon or in a classic 6-seater compartment. Usually these trains have both types of car in both 1st & 2nd class. If you don't know what saloon and compartment means, look at the photos above as these show both types of car. I personally always prefer open-plan saloons especially when travelling solo or as a couple, they are more light and open, you get a better view out because you can see out diagonally through other windows than just your own, you can see out easily on both sides of the train and luggage storage is easier as you can slide bags between the seat backs. On the other hand, if you are travelling in a group or family of 5 or 6 people, occupying a whole (or almost a whole) 6-seat compartment can be great fun, the 6-seat compartments have a sliding glass door between the compartment and the corridor which you can shut (but not lock) giving you your own space.
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Seat reservation is optional on these trains, reserving a seat costs a few euros extra on top of the fare (the German Railways site now includes a free reservation if you go 1st class). If you choose not to reserve a seat you simply sit anywhere you like in any unreserved seat. A small tag above each seat shows whether or not that seat is reserved. I probably wouldn't bother reserving a seat if travelling solo mid-week in February, but it's a good idea if travelling on a busy Friday or Sunday afternoon, if travelling as a small group or family who want to be sure of seats together, or travelling at busy times such as Easter, Christmas or the summer holidays.
If you've already bought your ticket, but now want a reserved seat, you can make a seat reservation separately for a few euros at either the German Railways site www.bahn.de for journeys to or from Munich (look for the Seat only (no ticket) box right at the bottom of the page) or the Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at (select the train, click More services under the fares section then click Ticket already exists).
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Munich Hbf... If you're using Munich Hbf, see the Munich Hbf station guide which explains the layout of the station and good places for a beer, coffee or meal.
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First class lounges in Munich or Innsbruck... If you have a first class ticket for these trains, you can use the DB Lounge at Munich Hbf or the ÖBB Lounge at Innsbruck Hbf before or after your journey, with complimentary refreshments & free WiFi.
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Boarding your train... There's no check-in, just be on board the train a minute before departure time when the doors close...
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Luggage: Like any European train, you take your bags into the train with you and stick them on any suitable rack near your seat. There are overhead racks above your seat which take anything up to backpack size, or in the open plan saloon cars you can slide bags into the gap between back-to-back seats, see the photo below. Nobody weighs or measures bags, so no worries...
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Food & drink... The restaurant car serves meals, snacks, beer & wine. You do not need to (and cannot) reserve a table, just go along and sit down at any free table. Enjoying a waiter-served meal as the mountains glide past the window is one of the pleasures of rail travel, so treat yourself!
You are of course free to bring your own food and drink along to eat & drink in your seat, even a beer or bottle of wine if you like.
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WiFi & power outlets... There are power outlets at all seats, but no WiFi on these trains.
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6-seat compartment car, showing corridor... |
Table with a view... Enjoy the scenery over lunch with wine in the restaurant car. |
Times, fares & tickets...
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Fares from Munich to Verona or (on the one or two direct trains per day) Bologna or Venice start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.
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The German Railways website www.bahn.de can book tickets in either direction between Munich and Verona, Bologna or Venice.
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The Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at can book tickets in either direction between Innsbruck and Verona, Bologna or Venice. In both cases you print your own ticket.
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If your journey involves an onward connection within Italy (for example between Munich and Milan, Florence, Rome or Naples in either direction), the best way to buy tickets between Munich and anywhere in Italy is as one seamless transaction at www.loco2.com: Enter Munich to or from any destination you like in Italy. Click More options, enter Verona (any station) and set stopover duration to 45 minutes. Then run the enquiry and it'll source both tickets seamlessly through it's connection with both the German and Italian ticketing systems. Loco2 can be used by anyone from any country, all international cards are accepted, there's no booking fee, you can pay in Ł or €. You print your own tickets or show them on your smartphone screen.
Scenery & sights...
Between Munich and Innsbruck, the train runs through the Tirol, on a broad valley between tall mountains. Leaving Innsbruck, the train snakes through a narrow pass between the peaks, parallel with the impressive Brenner pass road. Watch out for Jodok, where the train does a 180 degree turn in a small valley, around the village and its pretty church and through the Jodok spiral tunnel, climbing all the way. South of Brenner itself, the valley widens out, with plenty of vineyards in evidence. Look out for hilltop castles and forts! Uniquely, in this part of Italy you'll find both Italian and German languages used.
Watch the video...