We are planning a June 08 trip to Italy for 2 weeks. I'm finding that airfare is about $1400 per. Should we fly straight to Rome, or would it be cheaper to say fly to another major city (Munich) and take the train to Italy? We had planned to begin and end in Rome, but I suppose we don't have to?!!?
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
You also need to factor in the value of the time you will lose by taking a train from Munich to Rome (assuming Rome is your destination). When you're talking about traveling to Europe remember: Time = money
Posted by
Knoxville, TN, USA
7209 posts
Munich is a very interesting city with lots to see and do. I would not view it simply as a cheap place to fly into and immediately train out. Spend some time there.
If you do decide on Munich and Rome, both Air Berlin and Air Condor (budget airlines) fly have direct flights from Munich to Rome.
Posted by
Virginia, USA
5516 posts
Hi Jill,
Do you want to visit Munich? Alternatively, is there another city in Europe that you would like to spend a couple of days in where you can get a less expensive flight? And can you get an inexpensive flight to Rome from that city.
For example, 2 years ago it was significantly cheaper ($500 less) for me to fly to London than Milan. I was able to buy a R/T ticket from London to Milan for less than $200. I was happy to have a couple of days in London, so I spent a couple of days on the beginning and end of the trip there and flew to Milan in the middle. The pros to this approach are that you get to visit 2 areas. The cons are that you do lose some time in-transit and you may not necessarily save as much as you think when you factor in the additional costs of train/bus/etc. I probably spent the $300 that I saved on the extra cost of being in London. However, since I'd rather spend my savings on hotel and meals than airfare, this was fine for me
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
It's a minimum of 11 hours by train from Munich to Rome. I love trains, but the only train I would choose for this route would be the direct night train which leaves Munich at 21:03 and arrives in Rome at 09:05. This would save you the cost of a night in a hotel and give you more daylight hours for sightseeing.
Booked well in advance at www.bahn.de, SparNight (discount) fares are as low as 69€ for a bunk in a six-person couchette, 79€ for a bunk in a four-person couchette, and 139€ for a bed in a two-person cabin. If cost is your primary concern, book the four-person couchette. If comfort and privacy are more important, book the two-person cabin.
Posted by
Indianapolis, IN, USA
143 posts
Check flying into Milan. It was the cheapest Italian city I could find to fly into (at least in October). Even if you are not interested in seeing anything there, it is easy to get to the train station from the airport (by bus for 5 or 6 euros), then catch a train - Venice, Florence, Bologna would all be a fairly short ride away (2-3 hours max).