We are staying in Munich without a car. Is there an easy way to get to the Swiss alps from here? I don't really know what "seeing the Swiss alps" means my friend who lived here just said I need to see them lol :) Is there a destination I can go to an enjoy the scenery ?
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
You would be better off visiting mountains in Austria. You were looking at Innsbruck in an earlier post. Probably the fastest train connection you could make to a Swiss mountain area would be Munich-Luzern in 5 hours each way. (Appenzell is closer as the crow flies but takes longer by train.)
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19275 posts
I think the Illertal of the Oberallgäu (around Oberstdorf) and the Kleinwalsertal is a "little bit of Switzerland" and only about 2½ hours from Munich by train.
If you really want to go to Switzerland itself, the Berner Oberland is probably the epitome of Switzerland. You can get there in under six hours using the Bahn IC bus from Munich to Zürich and a couple of IC trains from there to Interlaken Ost via Bern. The Bahn sells advance purchase, train (or bus) specific ticket for this route for as low as 39€. There is also an EC train from Munich to Zürich, about a half hour slower.
Posted by
Firenze, Italy
1707 posts
Alps around Garmisch or Mittenwald, Germany, are as good as most places in the Alps, and Dolomites - in Italy but not so distant from Munich - are probably more attractive that any other place in the Alps.
Getting to Swiss Alps from Munich is not impossible - just a somewhat long trip as travel in the Alps is always quite slow.