Can you recommend a safe, convenient, affordable, and clean hotel to stay in Munich? This is a last minute excursion we are working in before going to Venice, Florence, and Rome.
Could anyone also recommend the best train lines to travel from Munich to Venice, Florence and Rome? I would like to get off the train for a few hours and roam around Venice and then head to Florence. Is this doable? What type of ticket do I purchase if I want to get off for a few hours?
Thanks for suggestions that will make this trip easier. This is my first time to Europe and I do not feel comfortable selecting a train due to the various range of prices and other factors. We want the least expensive means of transportation for going to one area to another.
Posted by
1221 posts
If you're okay with smallish, IKEA-like rooms, we were very happy with the Ibis Munich City West. Yeah, it's a chain and there isn't much in the immediate neighborhood, but usually 80-90 euros a night, a clean and spotless room, and you're essentially right on top of a U-bahn subway station that will get you to the Munich main train station in less than ten minutes, and Marienplatz and other core city attractions in not much more time than that. (My preference in bigger cities is to go a few minutes and subway stops from the core of town in the quest for a little quieter experience and a good neighborhood minimart for breakfast and snacks)
I've also heard good things about Motel One, which is a smaller German chain with a number of newer properties at very reasonable prices. They've got several locations in the Munich area. Again, think small and IKEA-like rooms.
Posted by
Green Bay
21162 posts
Well, train service between Munich and Venice is not that good. There are 2 direct trains every day, one is a night train that leaves Munich at 11:40 pm and arrives Venice at 8:24 am. The other is a day train that leaves at 11:38 am and arrives Venice at 6:10 pm, not very conducive to bopping around for a few hours and moving on. The next best is a train that leaves Munich at 7:38 am and arrives Venice at 2:40 pm after changing trains in Verona. That may be an option. Leave yourself at least 4 hours in Venice, you can stash luggage at the station. There are trains to Florence every hour at 25 past the hour, but the last one is at 7:25 pm and will get you to Florence by 9:30 pm.
My personal preference would be to spend at least one night in Venice. Four hours wandering from the station won't give you any feel for the place at all.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
"What type of ticket do I purchase if I want to get off for a few hours?"
You want to be sure to be on separate tickets. I agree that it's not a good plan to just be in Venice for a few hours. But if you want to do this, you MUST have one ticket from Munich to Venice, then a separate ticket from Venice to Florence. These tickets are only good for the particular train you booked; if you get on any other train, you will get a heavy fine.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32353 posts
For a "safe, convenient, affordable, and clean hotel to stay in Munich", you might have a look at either Hotel Royal or Hotel Uhland. Royal is VERY close to the station, while Uhland is about a 15 minute walk.
I definitely agree with the others that just going to Venice for a few hours will not be worth the effort. Even with a direct train (departs Munich 11:38, arrives Venezia S. Lucia at 18:10, time 6H:32M) you'd only have a few hours to look around. After that you'd need to add another two hours or so for the trip to Florence. It would be a long and arduous day, especially hauling luggage. Either spend at least can one night in Venice or skip it and go to directly to Florence.
Regarding which trains to use, I'd suggest using the bahn.de website for planning as it's an excellent source of information for trains throughout Europe. You can also use the Trenitalia website for trains in Italy. If you're using P-P tickets, you might buy your ticket from Munich to Florence / Venice at the EurAide office as they have English-speaking staff and they're very helpful. It's at desk 1 on the left in the Reisezentrum München Hauptbahnhof (main train station). If you decide to go directly to Florence, there will be at least one change of trains (Bologna or Verona). Be sure to do some homework on changing trains.
Again if you're using P-P tickets, you can buy tickets for the trips from Venice / Florence / Rome at stations in Italy, either using the automated Kiosks or the staffed ticket windows. The trains you'll most likely be using on those routes will be high speed Freccia trains, which travel at up to 300 kmH. Reservations are compulsory and are specific to each train, date and departure time. Be SURE to board only the train specified on your ticket or you'll face hefty fines which will be collected on the spot! If you use any Regionale trains (no reservations required), Buses or Metro in Rome, you MUST validate tickets before boarding on the day of travel, or again risk hefty fines.