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Munich to Brussels in late March

Headed to Munich for a conference in late March. Afterwards we're considering traveling to Brussels--an 8 hour train ride
Is this a scenic enough route to spend the day on the train relaxing? Or should we just fly ?

Thanks for all opinions

Posted by
8889 posts

"Is this a scenic enough route to spend the day on the train relaxing?" - No, just fly.
Unless you want to stop and spend 1-2 nights somewhere on the way.

Posted by
19654 posts

You could route yourself to travel along the Rhine River between Frankfurt and Cologne to see the castles along the river as well as the gorge and the Loreley. When you buy tickets, specify a stopover (0 time) in Koblenz and your connection will be on that route. There is a connection leaving Munich at 9:28 with changes at Mannheim and Colgone that will get you to Brussels at 5:35 pm (about 8 hours). Right now, can be bought for 80 EUR per person. Or maybe plan an overnight in Cologne.

Posted by
2089 posts

Would turn the question to "why Brussels?". Forum might provide closer suggestions based on interests.

Posted by
321 posts

Hi Reba- I can think of several places where the weather will probably be better at the end of March, and it would take you about the same time to train or fly. Paris, Rome, Venice, Athens, Barcelona...

Have a great trip!!!

Posted by
2089 posts

Nobody knows what the weather conditions will be end of next month - neither temperatures nor rain / sun. Do not trust weather forecasts longer than 4-5 days in Europe, in some regions less (e.g. Germany 3-4 days or extreme Norway 1-2 days).

Posted by
11294 posts

I agree with MarkK. If you have a specific reason for going to Brussels, fine. If you're going just because you think it will be interesting, you'll probably be happier almost anywhere else (including other destinations in Belgium).

Posted by
3049 posts

I like Sam's answer. It's always a treat to travel along the castle portion of the Rhine, there's even a section in Rick's Germany book explaining the sights! However I wouldn't say the rest of the trip is particularly scenic overall.

That said, a reserved seat in an ICE is quite a relaxing experience. The airport in Munich is about 40 minutes away from the main train station there, so between getting yourself to the airport with 2 hours to spare, killing time waiting to board, and getting from the Brussels airport to your hotel, you're looking at about 5 hours door to door. It's up to you to decide whether the extra 3 hours is worth the hassle of airport security and the like. I'd probably take the train, all told.