The title pretty much says it all. After 4 nights in Munich we'll go to Venice for 4 nights, then on to Florence. Which would you rather do- use up a whole day on the train, arriving around dinner time; or take the night train in a sleeping compartment (at the risk of sleeping poorly) and arrive in time for breakfast in the morning.
DH wants the night train because it will save the cost of one night in a hotel. I'm torn.
The title says Vienna, but your post says Venice. Which is it?
Just a thought: if you arrive in the AM, you may not be able to check in to a hotel until the PM, so need to take that and your luggage into account.
Generally if a train trip takes over 6 hours, people will recommend that you fly. Munich to Venice takes about 8 hours, have you looked into cheap European air flights?
Stan, thanks for catching that. Darn autocorrect- it does the strangest things.
We won't be flying to Venice. I abhor, hate, detest, and just plain don't like, flying.
Night: Rick has always been an advocate of sleeping on the train in order to have more quality time at your destination. If you're staying at an actual hotel in Venice, you should have no trouble leaving your luggage in the morning, even if the room is still occupied by someone else. While shared compartments are relatively cheap, a private double sleeper is not much cheaper than a night in a hotel; price options are displayed in a nice chart format when you start an order on the DB - German rail site.
Day: There are a couple of hours of nice mountain scenery on this route. The direct train departing at 11:30 and arriving at 18:10 really takes minimal effort (read a book, bring your own lunch onboard, try to reserve seats with a table). Earlier departures with a connection at Verona are not particularly difficult, either. While I can always use more time in Venice, your 4-night stay would still give you 3 full days there, which is more generous than some people's travel plans.
The direct EC from Munich to Venice take 6H36. Yes, it's more than 6 hours, but not more by much.
A few flights go directly to Venice in an hour, but getting to MUC takes most of an hour, so the total travel time gets close to 6 hours. Many flights don't go directly from MUC to VCE, but have a connection. Those connections, including travel to and from airports will make the trip longer than the train.
The trip over Brenner Pass is scenic. With advance purchase, the train ticket from Munich to Venice can be 39€, probably less than flying (just the S-Bahn ticket from downtown Munich to the airport is 11,20€).
I'd take the train.
That particular route MUC->VCE is well serviced by Air Dolomiti which is a quality airline. If you should decide to take that direct flight it's very short just about an hour and you'll be well taken care of on Air DOlomiti.
Hi,
Forget flying, take the train. Depends on you and hubby on the night train. I'd do the night train option...he's right.
If you should decide to take that direct flight it's very short just
about an hour
I'm always amazed at how the advocates of flying (I call them the fly people) can Blithely ignore all the other time consuming parts of flying. We don't live in airports, we have to get to them and that takes time (about 38 min in Munich). It takes time to get to the check-in, then go through security, then time to board the plane and wait for takeoff. Then one hour 'till you land in Venice. Then getting off the plane, waiting for every one else to get off first, then walking down the concourse to the terminal, then finding ground transportation, then another 15 minutes into Venice. NO, it's not about an hour.
And by the time you pay 11,20€ for get to the Munich airport and another 8€ to get from VCE to Venice, you've spent half of the 39€ train fare without paying for the flight.
I like flying (I'm a pilot), but Lee's right. The EC from Munich to Venice is a much more convenient, less stressful experience than taking the airline.
If the weather is good, there is enough scenery through the Alps to make the six-hour-plus daytime train ride worthwhile. Don't expect constant vistas of rugged, snow-capped Alpine peaks (though there are some majestic mountain views in the distance); rather, you'll mostly be traveling through narrow, scenic valleys with sheer, rocky cliffs on either side, seemingly endless vineyards, and villages and towns with a fascinating variety of architecture. If you are on the right-hand side of the train (southbound) you'll see the iconic mountains on the north side of Innsbruck; catch a glimpse of the stunning Europa Bridge a few miles south of Innsbruck; and the striking hillside Castello di Avio at Sabbionara. On the left side of the train is a good view of Castel Beseno perched on the hill above Calliano, and occasional views of the Dolomites south of Bolzano.
On the leg from Verona to Venice, though, there is not much to see from the train. By then you're re-reading your guidebooks and anticipating your arrival in Venice!
I'd take the day train because it is only 6.5 hrs. Not sure when the night train leaves or arrives but if the time is the same, 6.5 hrs would not allow me to get sufficient sleep (I am one who sleeps very well on trains and loves train travel in general). Bottom line, if you think you can get enough sleep on the night train take it. Otherwise take the day train and enjoy the down time.
Not sure when the night train leaves or arrives but if the time is the same, 6.5 hrs would not allow me to get sufficient sleep
That train ride takes 8:49. However, the train is shunted two times: it receives cars from the Vienna - Zagreb train in Salzburg around 1am and it gets an new locomotive in Villach just after 4am. So, prospects of an undisturbed sleep may be poor.
Keep in mind, when you take a night train with a sleeping compartment, you are not really saving the cost of a hotel room, you are paying for a cramped hotel room with bunk beds and a sink with shower and toilet down the hall that moves overnight from one place to another. Not sure if OEBB has first class sleeping compartments with toilet and shower en suite, but if they do it costs even more. It is more about saving time than money. We did a return trip a few years back when City Nightline went via Innsbruck and Verona. Got 4 full days in Venice with only 2 nights hotel stay there. Worth it? I guess it was good for the experience. Now we can at least say we did it. Not a great nights sleep. Best part: waking up and exiting the station with the Grand Canal right in front of you.
Lee: "the advocates of flying (I call them the fly people) " if you've ever read ANY of my comments you'll know I am a HUGE advocate of trains. I am anti rental cars and mostly anti flying. So that's why I prefaced my comment with "if you decide to fly". So please refrain from flying off the handle and blindly labeling people.
And no, I didn't say it's an hour from Munich to Venice...I said it's an hour direct flight. Good Grief!
Lots of interesting comments and opinions- food for thought. Thank you all.
For giggles, I priced out flights and times on kayak for Air Dolomiti. The cheapest prices were mid afternoon, so we wouldn't get to our hotel significantly earlier than if we took the direct day train. And with 22 inch loaded suitcases, we'd have to pay a lot more for checked baggage, so it ends up not being any bargain.
And some of you are right about the night train not being about cost savings (vs a night in the hotel). Once you add in the extra cost for a couchette, you aren't saving much. It's all about the time savings, and having the extra hours on arrival. OTOH, those extra hours won't be much fun if you're dragging around from a poor night's sleep. Years ( and years, and YEARS) ago, we would night train to Paris or Rome when we lived in Munich, and it was pretty good. Heck, they're even gave you a boxed breakfast in the morning! But we were much younger then.
I showed this thread to DH and we discussed it. I think we'll opt for the direct day train just to make everything simpler. Thanks again for all of your comments.
The most fun train trip I have ever taken was the trip from Munich to Vienna! We were a group of four, and took the early morning (around 6:40 if I recall correctly) no transfer trip. You get into Venice just after 2, so it's the perfect time to check in, and we even scored a 4 person compartment (1st class), so you had Alpine views on BOTH sides of the compartment!!!! So great! Take the day trip. It's really pretty and very relaxing.
A 6 1/2 hr train ride...a great way to spend a day! There is some lovely scenery on this route. You can pack your own picnic or buy on board - the OEBB has a decent cafe on board.
Long train rides are great for catching up on journals or blogs, a cat nap or two, planning your activities in your destination, meeting other travelers, and just general chillin'.
Enjoy!
Like someone said above, 3 years ago this used to be an 8 hour trip on the thru train. How can it be 6-1/2 now? Maybe they cut out some of the 800 stops there used to be. For me this was an endless rainy trip with no views in July, and first class compartments sat 6 not 4.
Like someone said above, 3 years ago this used to be an 8 hour trip on the thru train. How can it be 6-1/2 now?
The day train takes 6:39 (and has been taking so for many years), the night train takes 8:49, simply because it goes the slower route via Salzburg - Villach Udine and because it sits in the stations of Salzburg and Villach for a certain time. In Salzburg it has to wait for the Vienna-Zagreb train, the cars of which are hooked on it; in Villach the Zagreb carriages are split of again and the train gets a new engine.
The train is by far my preferred way to arrive in Venice---you walk our the door and have a gorgeous view of the Grand Canal hit you right in the face. I now arrange our trips to Venice (our favorite city) so we fly into someplace else and then travel there by train.
I say you made the right choice with the daytime train. We took a night train from Florence to Munich years ago and I will not do that again. Not only does it amount to a poor night's sleep, you have logistical problems with luggage at both ends--- checking out of one hotel before noon so you have to store luggage somewhere and then retrieve it before traintime. Then you arrive at the next destination too early to check in to your hotel (in most cases), so again you must store your luggage somewhere while you wait for check-in and a much-needed shower.
Easy decision for me: I'd opt for the night train with a compartment. I love them. If you have never taken a night train, you might want to try it to see if you are pro or con night train. There are those of us who sleep very well and have fun taking night trains.
Us too Wray - we're some of those night train people! We sleep just fine, get a compartment - deluxe if it is offered, bring a nice bottle of wine, eat on the train or bring a picnic - pure enjoyment.
Hi,
I have not taken this route at all. Because of that taking the day train would be the opportunity to see the landscape. If I had done this route by day previously , then I would certainly take the night train to squeeze out another day besides cutting out the hotel cost.
I took the CNL sleeper train from Munich to Venice last year and it was a great decision. As long as you get a bed and not just a seat. Paying for your accommodation and transportation all without missing any sightseeing time is money well spent. Not to mention I slept wonderfully on the train. I'll be back in Europe in August and have two sleeper trains scheduled.
