December Black Forest Day Trip by train from Munich

Not worth it.

First of all, the Black Forest isn't that close to Munich. It would take you several hours to get there, and during December, the sun goes down particularly early.

Second, the Black Forest, despite having great name recognition, is only one of about 50 low forested mountain ranges that criss-cross southern and central Germany. It's nice to see of you're in the area anyway, but if you need to travel more than an hour out of your way, you've probably passed at least one similar mountain range along the way. If you really want to see these kinds of mountains, the Bavarian Forest is much closer.

Third, the far more impressive Bavarian Alps are in Munich's backyard. They're even visible from certain points in the city on clear days. However, all but the lower slopes are usually snowed under by December.

Fourth, December is not a good time for hiking in Germany. You may not encounter snow (except in the Alps and near the summit of some of the higher mountains of the Black Forest). But more than likely, the atmosphere will be very damp, which means you won't see those stunning Technicolor vistas featured on travel videos. Instead, everything will look gray and hazy. And the ground will be extremely moist. Expect copious amounts of mud.

And by the way, the Black Forest is located entirely within the federal state of Baden-Wurttemberg, on the opposite side of the state from Bavaria, so one Lander ticket from Munich won't get you there.

Thanks, is there anywhere in the Bavarian Forest you particularly recommend? I see there are some topics on that so I will read those too.

We are stopping for a night in Innsbruck before arriving in Munich, so maybe it would be repetitious to make this day trip.

Even using ICE trains to somewhere like Freudenstadt, it would take at least 4 hours each way. Using local trains eligible for a Schoeneswochende ticket, it would be 6 hours each way. And there is very little daylight in December. I would cross this off the to-do list.
Substitute hiking in the Alps, just south of Munich. Mittenwald maybe? Werdenfels Ticket (19 EUR 1st person, 4 EUR each additional person) would work, especially on a weekend when you can get an early start, otherwise after 9 am.

If you take the regional route from Innsburck to Munich, you could stop in Seefeld, Austria, Mittenwald, Germany, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and Oberammergau.

As a day trip from Munich, think about taking the train south to Holzkirchen and visiting the area down there - Kochelsee, Bad Tölz, Tegernsee, Schliersee, or Bayrischzell.

The Bavarian Forest National Park is interesting if you don't already live in a nature preserve like Colorado. There are two perserves in the Bayerischer Wald, Lusen, in the south, and Falkenstein, in the north. In each of them, the animals are in large fenced enclosure, well separated from each other. You'll get plenty of hiking between enclosures.

The rail line, the Waldbahn, goes from Grafenau in the south to Bayerisch Eisenstein, on the Czech Border, with it's center and access to the rest of the rail lines in Zwiesel. The nature preserve, Falkenstein, is a stop on the northern part of the line; you can get there by train. The other preserve, Lusen, is larger, with a bigger variety of animals, but I think you will need to take a bus from Grafenau.

Both preserves are open year round and the trains are plowed and "grited" in the winter.

Bottom line, there are plenty of things to see and do in Bavaria, near Munich. You don't have to go all the way to the Black Forest.

Sarah,

You've had good advice, both on distance and the weather, but it sounds to me like you really want to visit some parts of the Black Forest on a trip from Munich.

What is it, exactly, that you want to see? What's the attraction? Let's see if we can find you what you want closer to where you will be....

The other preserve, Lusen, is larger, with a bigger variety of animals, but I think you will need to take a bus from Grafenau.

Most busses run from Spiegelau, halfways between Zwiesel and Grafenau.
Type in as destination "Nationalparkzentrum Neuschönau" at the DB site to find connections.

Thanks for all the replies! I think our night in Innsbruck will be good for scenery instead of traveling to the Black Forest. There is nothing in particular I was hoping to see there, so it seems too out of the way for this trip.

You can take a train right up the cliff above Innsbruck up to the level bit at the top where Seefeld in Tirol is, and can walk or hike part of the way back down to one of the train stations in the forest. Or get off a few stops early and hike up. I usually find up easier to down.

Or you can drive up to Seefeld, and then use the train right there for hiking in the forest or walking in the beautiful Tyrolean meadows.

Trains from Deggendorf do come into Zwiesel and then go to Spiegelau, and then Grafenau. I was staying in Zwiesel and took the train to Speigelau, but at that time of day, it was a somewhat long and convoluted trip with several bus changes. I see the trip from Grafenau is direct and quick, so it is an option.