My husband and I will be spending Christmas in Bavaria and have a few days at the end our trip that we have not yet planned before flying out of Munich. We will have been in Garmisch for a week skiing and then will spend a day or two in Fussen to see the castles. We'd like to travel by train to Northern Italy from Fussen before flying out of Munich, we just don't know where to go. Any suggestions you have would be wonderful! I doubt we'll want to ski more, so we're looking for a town to spend a few days in with worthwhile sites nearby. Thanks for your help!
Posted by
Green Bay
20229 posts
Verona fits the bill.
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
How many days? You could travel via Innsbruck and Verona to Venice, then return to Munich by night train,
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19108 posts
The Dolomites are around Val Gardena. You can get there by bus from Brixen, which is about an hour from Innsbruck on the EC from Munich.
Posted by
Idaho, USA
7330 posts
G-P to Verona is 6 hours by train. The train from Fussen to Verona is about 8 hours. That's a long way round-trip if you're not able to fly back from Venice.
If you must fly back from Munich, would you be interested in Salzburg? It's 3.5 hours from G-P or 4 from Fussen. There's a lot to do in Salzburg (not sure about December events)
For Italy, you'll need to travel down past the Dolomites to really feel a change in scenery. The wonderful quaint villages in the Dolomites are in the area where borders changed back & forth, so there's still the feel of Austria/Germany chalets, etc.
Posted by
4541 posts
Fuessen to Verona is a long slog via Munich. I would look at other options not in Italy. It would be nice if they ran a fast train over the alps between Munich and Verona but they don't. I don't see how this train gets an EC rating, it stops all the time like a regional train.
Posted by
Columbus, USA
396 posts
My vote would be Salzburg over Innsbruck for the variety of activities available.
Posted by
30 posts
Bolzano is charming with interesting museums, restaurants and shops. It is close to the Val Gardena which has spectacular scenery. The food in this part of Italy is a great combination of Italian and Austrian. I think you would enjoy it.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32219 posts
Ashley,
If you want to visit Italy, Verona is definitely a good choice as it's on the main rail line through the Brenner Pass back to Munich. You could also consider Bolzano (which is even closer to Munich) or travel a bit further to perhaps Castelrotto (about an hour by Bus from Bolzano).
You might find it helpful to stop by your local Library to have a look at the guidebook for that area. That would be the best way to determine which place has the best range of "non-skiiing" options to fit your preferences.