Train from Monterosso to Munich

I don't see what safety issues there would be to change trains at 10pm at Florence SMN. Florence is not South Chicago.
In any case, you can use www.trenitalia.com and enter the info you need:
From MONTEROSSO
To MONACO Hbf.
Choose a date in the next 7 days.

Nice, but not going to Monoco. I have been in the Rome station late as well as well as others and would rather not. We are traveling from Monterosso al Mare to Munich.

Gretchen,

First of all, could you provide some details on why you're travelling at night? That's going to be about a 12 hour trip, and it probably would be easier to travel during the day. Which trains are you planning to use? Keep in mind that if you arrive in Munich very early in the morning, your hotel room may not be available so you'll have to store your bags somewhere and sightsee for a few hours.

As you'll be travelling with Rail Passes, you'll need to pay out-of-pocket for reservation fees for any trains in Italy where these are compulsory. Even with a Pass, failure to have valid reservations may result in hefty fines, which will be collected on the spot!

There are two routes you can consider for travel from Monterosso to Munich.....

1. Monterosso - Milan - Verona - Munich
2. Monterosso - Pisa - Florence - Munich

There are undoubtedly others but those seem to be the most common. Travel times vary between about 11.5 to 15 hours and changes from 2 to 7, so you can choose whichever you prefer. Check the bahn.de website for all the details.

Monaco (Italian)=Muenchen (German)=Munich (English)
Same city, different language.
Hbf=HauptBanhof (German)=Main Station

As a frequent single traveler, I see no safety issues at all. The most convenient train connections from Monterosso get you into Munich at 20:20 or 22:20, but you can be there by 18:20 if you're willing to leave at 7:30 a.m. There's plenty of activity in these train stations and on the streets around the Munich station at that time. How to Look Up Train Schedules Online gives you the DB train schedule link and tips for using it.

The Verona to Munich train has some spectacular scenery-I believe it travels through the Brenner Pass, which is very scenic. My daughter took that route when she met us in Venice a few years ago and loved it. In addition to the DB train web site, you might find this site useful:

http://www.seat61.com/international-trains/trains-from-Munich.htm

Thank you so much Ken. I will check in at the Hauptbahnhof in Munich as soon as we arrive to make reservations. I appreciate your response.

Gretchen,

Could you clarify whether you're starting your trip in Munich? It's not likely that you'll need reservations for trains in Germany, but that will depend on which trains you're using. The bahn.de website will show the details on all the trains, so you'll be able to check that online. The bahn.de website will also indicate which trains in Italy require reservations. Trains that are designated as "ES-xxxx" or "IC-xxxx" (the "x" are numbers) will require reservations and the website will indicate "Subject to compulsory reservation".

I'm not sure whether you'll be able to buy reservations in Munich for the Italian trains, but that may be possible. Hopefully one of the others can confirm that. Your best bet is probably to try the EurAide desk at the Munich Hbf. As I recall it's located at Desk 1 (first one on the left) in the DB Reisezentrum (ticket office in Munich Hbf). The agents speak English and will be able to provide lots of good information.

One point to emphasize is that reservations for Italian trains are specific to a particular train, date and departure time, so choose your travel times carefully when you buy them! You can ONLY use the train listed on the reservation. If you're found without a valid reservation for the train you're riding on, you may face hefty fines which will be collected on the spot!