Munich to Venice by Train

There is an S-Bahn station at the airport. Trains take two different routes to the Hbf Tief (underground) station. The trip takes about 43 min. Then you have to come up to the ground level main shed of the Hbf. According to the Bahn schedule, your train should be on track (Gleis) 15, which is on the far side of the track area from where you enter from the S-Bahn station. It should take less than an hour to get from the airport to the train, but what if your flight is late arriving at MUC?

When you arrive, you will go through immigration (passport control), then go down to the luggage carousel, then out through customs (usually a "walk-through" if you have nothing to declare).

After customs, you walk out the front of Terminal 2 (assuming a non-stop flight from the US) and walk across an open courtyard to the large green S sign on the opposite side. Go down the stairs into the station and buy your ticket from the automat on the platform. (Alternatively, you can walk directly into the building at ground level above the station and buy your ticket from the DB or MVV counter. Take the next train to leave, regardless of which track. I've always been able to get to the station in less than an hour after landing, but I carry on and don't have to wait for my luggage.

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You may also find it helpful to have a look at THIS website which provides some photos of the Automat and trains. One other point to mention is that as I recall you'll have to validate (time & date stamp) your ticket prior to boarding the train, or risk a hefty fine. Hopefully Lee or one of the others can confirm that.

The trip from Munich to Venice travels through the scenic Brenner Pass, a trip I always enjoy. The train will stop for a short time at the border to change engines, but I can't remember how long it stops so probably not a good idea to get off and look around (there's not much to see at that stop anyway). I assume your destination station is Venezia Santa Lucia, and if that's the case you'll be right at the Grand Canal when you walk out the front door.

The train is run jointly by DB (German railways), ÖBB (Austrian railways) and Trenord (the Lombardy regional railway operator); Trenitalia does not run international trains over the Brenner anymore. The engine will likely be an ÖBB Taurus multicurrent, so there will be no need to change it at the border; the train staff will change but the stop will be short.

When I view schedules through DB, I see that they suggest a departure from the airport on S-Bahn line 8, and then a connection at Munich Ost station, instead of the main station (Hbf), although that's also an option. All the EuroCity trains departing Munich Hbf toward Venice also stop at Munich Ost station. (At Munich Ost, you tend to transfer between track 1 and track 8.) I hope you're not so committed to one departure that you've bought a nonrefundable (discounted) ticket for it (which becomes useless if you experience any significant flight delay).

What the Bahn website shows is the last possible train from the airport that you can get on and still caatch the EC to Venice. The 11:04 S8 stops at the Hbf at 11:45, too late to catch the EC, which leaves at 11:38. But it stops earlier at Ostbahnhof, at 11:35, which is early enough to catch the EC, which leaves leaves Ost at 11:47. If you were really delayed, that would be your last chance.

However, the EC only stops at Ost for a minute or two, so you have to be ready to board. If you have the time to go to the Hbf, you'll have more time to board the EC, which originates at the Hbf and sits there for a while before leaving. The S-Bahn that leaves the airport at 10:33, for instance, arrives at the Hbf at 11:17, giving you 21 minutes to find and board the EC.

Even if you come in an hour late and get to the S-Bahn station in an hour and 10 min, by 10:00, the 10:04 S8 will get you to the Hbf at 10:45, with almost an hour to wait for the EC. The 10:11 S1 will get you to the Hbf by 10:57, still with forty minutes to catch the train. The Hbf, with it's food court, is probably a nicer place to klll the time waiting for the train.

Although two S-Bahn leave the airport every 20 minutes, the S8 leaves 13 minutes after the S1, which leaves 7 minutes after the previous S8, so if you just take the next train out, you have a 65% chance of it being the S8.

WOW. ....just wanted to thanks to all for your input and rapid response. The information you have provided is sure to make my travels an enjoyable adventure. Again have a Happy Holiday!