Traveling from Munich to Rome through the Alps

You are planning a trip during a great time of year. Are you going by train or driving? Are you planning on one overnight in the Alps? A little more info will help us give you some ideas.

The most direct routes from Munich south to Italy will travel through the Brenner Pass and the Dolomites, which are also a great mountain experience. For instance, Bolzano is a stop on the main train line, 4 scenic hours south of Munich, and has a great pre-history museum, and from there you can connect by frequent local bus to the higher elevations.

If you plan a detour to Switzerland with the highest alps, that plan needs a few days. The train route through Innsbruck and westbound toward Switzerland gives you view of Tirolean Alps, as well. From Munich to Luzern (for instance) via Innsbruck is a 7-hour train ride.

jp,

I agree with the previous posts - some further information would be helpful.

The trip through the Brenner Pass that Laura mentioned is one I always enjoy. If you have a few days for that stop, in addition to Bolzano you could spend a few days in Castelrotto or Alpi di Siusi, which both have incredible scenery.

Denise, Laura and Ken, thank you for the previous posts. I'll try to give you a little more info. We're a group of 8. Five of us are retired, but 3 still have to return to work so there is a timeframe that we have to consider. We will arrive in Munich Sept 3 & must be in Rome by Sept 9. One overnight in the Alps might be all we can manage. We are having a planning session in January. One of the topics will be - Train or Car ??
We want to have a true "Alp Experience". One option is to leave Munich on the train, spend the day & night in Garmish exploring Mt Zugspitze and then traveling to Innsbruck & through the Brenner Pass. The other option would be to rent 2 cars and drive, but we have a few questions. Bolzano also sounds like a great stop...there are so many wonderful choices.
1. Can you rent a car in Germany and drop it off in Italy? Is there a substantial drop-off fee ?
2. What's the chance of icy roads or needing snow chains the first part of September ?
3. Are the Dolomites visible from the train route to Verona ?
Any information you offer will be appreciated.
Thanks again
Cathie ( mrs. Jp)

Hi Cathie and JP

I'm so glad that you are planning, and have sufficient time to work things out.

You said that this is your first trip to the Alps, so can I draw a conclusion that all or some or most of you have visited other parts of Europe previously?

The problem with a short stop in the Alps is that with all those tall mountains and lower valleys around the weather is very unpredictable. And the weather in one valley or on one mountain can be quite different from the next one over. Most weather apps and websites only give weather forecasts for the large nearby cities or towns which likely will be different up the hill. For example Zugspitze (no need to say Mt Zugspitze) will have different weather from Munich.

I always advise people who want to experience the Alps to have a minimum of one overnight and time on both days to be able to dedicate to the mountains - two nights is much much better.

You say you want a "true" alpine experience. What does that mean to you and your party? What do you see in your mind's eye? Heidi? Sound of Music? Alberto Tomba or Jean Claude Killy? Looking out a window at mountains in the distance or walking in fields or on trails or cliff edges?

Do you see yourselves eating dried sausage and alp cheese out of a backpack, or having a 5 star meal served on white linen on a panoramic train?

Help me out with those and I can help you out.

If only one of the 5 days between Munich and Rome is for the Alps what are your plans for the others?

The specific questions currently on the table:

1. Can you rent a car in Germany and drop it off in Italy?
   

Yes.

1a.Is there a substantial drop-off fee ?

Yes. And a number of other issues such as mandatory vignettes (toll stickers) for Switzerland/Lichtenstein/Austria and you will have to cross at least one of those between Germany and Italy; mandatory IDPs for all drivers in Austria and Italy, tolls, and a number of other costs.

1. What's the chance of icy roads or needing snow chains the first part of September ?

Practically nil.

1. Are the Dolomites visible from the train route to Verona ?

From a distance.

"2. What's the chance of icy roads or needing snow chains the first part of September ?" Exponentially approaching zero. I've seen snow fall in the high Alps during every month of the year, but the absolute earliest that I've seen snow accumulate at all in the lower valleys (ie, where you would drive) was late October, and even there it quickly melted.

Agree with Nigel- Alpine weather is too fickle. If you keep a flexible schedule, you can change course on the go as needed depending on weather. But if you try to lock in only a single day or night far in advanced without the benefit of a short-term weather forecast, you're rolling the dice that the Alpine weather gods will favor you with the clear views you paid so much to behold. If you're trying to reserve everything for the distant future, it's best to give yourself a buffer of three nights. That being said, September is usually the clearest month in the Alps, but cloudy weather and storms are far from rare.

"We want to have a true "Alp Experience". " Yes, explain further. A folksy stereotype kept alive only for the benefit of tourists, or the modern world Alps of the people who actually live there?

Hi Cathie,

Yes, drop off fee in Italy will be be expensive. Having 2 nights in the "alps" would be ideal. Yes, Garmisch, Mittenwald, Bolzano, the Dolomites (meaning the Val Gardena, a short detour between Innsbruck and Bolzano), plus Innsbruck, Brixen/Bressanone and Sterzing Vipiteno are all worthwhile stops along the way. For 1 overnight in the alps by train from Munich, I'd go with charming Mittenwald. The Karwendelbahn cable car trip in Mittenwald is half the cost of the Zugspitze, but still impressive. IF you could manage a 2 night stay, I'd highly recommend training from Munich to Ponte Gardena/Waidbruck via Innsbruck and taking the short bus ride to base 2 nights in the Dolomites, meaning the Val Gardena.

We went the Brenner pass and stayed in Verona at the end of that drive (but also a lot of other stops before ending in Rome).

Cathie,

Thanks for the additional information. A few comments to add......

As the others have mentioned, the charges for renting a car in Germany and dropping in Italy could be substantial (which of course would be doubled if you rent two cars). You may find it helpful to download the free Rental Car guide from Gemut.com and have a look at the section on page 9 titled, "Think Twice About International One-Way Rentals."

Other points to consider when driving in Italy.....

• EACH driver will require the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L.
• You'll have to be vigilant to avoid the dreaded ZTL (limited traffic) areas that are common in Italy, as there will be fines for each violation, which you likely won't know about until several months after you return home.
• In addition to the compulsory highway tax vignettes mentioned above, you'll also have tolls on motorways, high fuel costs, CDW charges and parking fees. In some places, obtaining fuel can be a problem on weekends, as only automated fuel facilities will be available and many of those require a "Chip & PIN" credit card.

Which transportation method to use will depend on exactly which places you choose to visit. Most areas are well served by trains, and using high speed trains (which travel at up to 300 kmH) will be an efficient use of your short and valuable holiday time.

Good luck with your planning!

Thanks everyone. Your advise is most helpful. Looks like we have more planning to do. I will probably be posting again in January asking for additional information. Have a merry
holiday and happy traveling.