Relatively easy & scenic Alp train trip from major airport to Munich?

Milan to Verona to Munich.

DJ

I see reference to some scenic Alp trains, but don't see a direct train route to accomplish this...

The most scenic trips involve multiple transfers. I'd split up the trip into two days at a minimum and do: Milano - Tirano - Bernina Pass (break at Alp Grüm) - Samedan (overnight stay) - Albula Pass - Chur - Bregenz - Lindau - Kempten - Munich (the southern Lindau - Munich line runs alongside the northern edge of the alps and is way more scenic than the northern one through Memmingen).

The Brenner Pass route: whether you start in Milan or Venice, transfer for the north journey in Verona and pass through the Dolomites (Bolzano) and Innsbruck. You can find lots of articles on this, including youtube videos. Here is some basic info care of the Man in Seat 61 (options 2 and 3): http://www.seat61.com/international-trains/trains-from-Milan.htm#Milan-Germany.

Would you consider staying overnight at one of the towns along the way? The time of year of your RS tour may help you decide.

I have done this journey both north and south and seem to recall being on the right side of the trains in both directions. The views were great. Enjoy.

The Brenner Pass route

Well, to avoid disapointment, be aware that the Brenner train runs in the Adige valley which is the westernmost border of the dolomites aerea, and offers no view of the most prominent dolomite mountains (Sella, Marmolada, Langkofel etc.). Good mountain scenery is confined to the Trento - Innsbruck leg (approx. 3 hours).

Thanks, sla.

I love learning about new (to me) train routes/journeys. Think I will take a few lunch-time minutes to explore online. Smile.

You may want to look up the description of the route Milan - Bernina pass - Albula pass - Chur at the well known website of the "man in seat 61": http://www.seat61.com/BerninaExpress.htm#Bernina_Express_to_go_from_London,_Paris_or_Zurich_to_Italy
(northbound, step 2; don't miss the hints how to get a cheap ticket from the DB website!). You follow that route as far as Chur, from where you will have to make your way through Austria (Bregenz) to Lindau in Bavaria. Look up connections at www.bahn.com (I'd avoid connections going through Zürich; it's easier but a big detour and you will miss the last scenic leg of your journey from Lindau at lake Constance to Kaufbeuren in Bavaria).

We will be traveling in the June/July time-frame. I want to stick with trains, and would appreciate knowing of charming small villages on the route. Will these trains require advance reservation?

What is my best resource for checking out these train routes? I would appreciate your favorite link(s). I look forward to weekend research!

Thanks everyone - your help is so appreciated!!!

PS. I will definately check-out your above links, and am definitely interested in several overnights along the way. Any further tips are welcome! You guys are great.

What is my best resource for checking out these train routes? I would appreciate your favorite link(s). I look forward to weekend research!

The best (if british-centered) overview of train routes throughout Europe has the »man in seat 61«, quoted above. The best overview of train schedules in Europe is the website of the Deutsche Bahn: www.bahn.com.

Before you go into details, I'd suggest to get a railway map and to look up the possible routes from the international airports of Milan or Venice: http://www.probahn.at/streckennetz.asp?site=7 .

Concentrating on Milan, there are three principal options, ordered from west to east:

Milano - Chur - München.

(1) To avoid the long Gotthard tunnel und to get the best scenery, you would not go through Zürich but transfer from the train to the Postauto bus at Bellinzona, which goes over the St. Bernardino pass, and switch back to the train at Chur. (2) To make the last leg (Chur - München) as scenic as possible, youy would transfer at Chur or Sargans to local trains going through Austria (Bregenz) to Lindau in Bavaria (lake Constance) and take from there a regional train running through Kempten.

Overnight stay at Chur.

NB. To bring up that connection on the DB web site, deselect the »prefer fast connections« option and select »further options / intermediate stop« and request intermediate stops at Bellinzona and Chur.

Milano - Tirano - Bernina pass - Albula pass - Chur or Sargans - Bregenz - Lindau - München, as described in my previous posting.

Overnight stays at Samedan (or St. Moritz) and Lindau (lake Constance).

NB. the best online time tables for the swiss leg are those of the Rhätische Bahn (https://www.rhb.ch/de/service-souvenirs/fahrplan/online- fahrplan; presently availabe as far as March only; searching for June will deliver either no result or absurde ones including big detours).

Milano - Verona - Fortezza - Innichen - Spittal an der Drau - München.

Since the Brenner route (Verona - Brennero - Innsbruck) offers good mountain scenery only on the Trento - Innsbruck leg, I'd suggest to extend it with a detour through East Tyrol: (1) from the Verona - Brenner - train, transfer in Fortezza / Franzensfeste or Brixen / Bressanone to the eastbound train to Innichen / St. Candido in the heart of the Dolomiti di Sesto. (2) Proceed on the same line into East Tyrol to Spittal (the train runs in a vally between the southern and the northern range of the alps). From Spittal, transcending the northern range, you will end up in Salzburg and catch your train to München (there are some direct trains from Spittal to München, too).

Overnight stay in Innichen / St. Candido or Toblach / Dobbiacho.

You could also Google "scenic rail trips", adding the name of a country.

The Swiss National Tourist Office website has some information on scenic routes. Though let's face it, it's hard to find a non-scenic route in Switzerland.

I like the Golden Pass route from Montreux to Lucerne in Switerland. Montreux is a three hour train from Milan and an hour and five minutes from Geneve and nearly three hours from Zurich. Price flights and train tickets to see the cheapest and best timed route to get you to Montreux.

http://www.myswissalps.com/goldenpass

If you land in Milan, there are frequent trains to Montreux, spend the night there, then take the Golden Pass train and spend the night in Lucerne, then a six hour train to Munich.

I followed the Milan to Lucerne route with my family who loved it. We landed in Milan, visited the Duomo the same day, the next we took the train to Montreux and caught the Golden Pass and stopped in Interlaken. We broke up our trip in Interlaken. Then resumed to Lucerne. It depends where you want to stop and spend the night.

I have not experienced other routes so I cannot compare. Seeing how beautiful Switzerland is, I imagine there are several beautiful routes.