We want to go in late September 2016 from Munich (Octoberfest!) on a tour of Italy. We intend to stay at AirBnBs. Before we book them, however, we want to make sure that we can go to all these cities with the train. Which one is the best route? We have taken the train system in Northern Europe last year (France, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland), and know how easy and comfortable it is. Also, do you recommend getting the tickets online beforehand, or just winging it and getting the train tickets on the spot? (We got the ones last year online a year ahead, but once we got to the stations, we thought it might have been easier to get them on the spot - more flexibility and probably same price).
Posted by
Green Bay
20151 posts
What you should be worrying about now is finding a place to stay in Munich. If you can find somewhere, it will be at a premium. Trains are a cinch, But you will save a lot of money if you book nonrefundable tickets in advance, 3 months in Germany and 4 months in Italy. Plus, in Italy, big station ticket windows can get very busy, but you can buy spur-of-the-moment tickets out of vending machines.
Posted by
OP
7 posts
Thanks for the heads up. There are still some left, we just looked into it for Munich. We also looked into the train system and some of the regional trains can't be booked via internet, so I guess we feel safe just going there and buying them on the spot when needed.
We also took Rick's advice on how time is more worth than money during a vacation, so we're not wasting a lot of travel time going from Venice to Cinque Terre and then to Florence, but instead make a stop in Bologna which is on the straight way from Venice to Florence. Guess we'll need to come back another time to see the Cinque Terre.
New question: the host in Bologna says that his municipality needs a photo of our travel documents which we can email him. Is that legit? Does he mean our passports, or just our ID or drivers license? Also, for Italy, we don't need a visa or anything, coming from Germany, right?
Posted by
Fort Lauderdale, FL
1234 posts
Re: the travel documents, I have had to show my passport on arrival, but never was asked to email a copy before hand. I'd like to know the answer to that myself. Sounds a little fishy to me, hopefully others will chime in with their experiences.
Posted by
OP
7 posts
I just did a search here for Bologna and did not find any remarks regarding this issue. I also could not find any reference to that on wikitravel. These are the host's exact words: Bologna's municipality asks me to collect details from the guests' identity cards.
Can you please send me via email the pictures front to back of each guests' travel document?
Hopefully someone else can chime in. If I don't get any answers that this is normal, I guess I will ask AirBnB directly. Thanks so much!
Posted by
Green Bay
20151 posts
We also looked into the train system and some of the regional trains can't be booked via internet, so I guess we feel safe just going there and buying them on the spot when needed.
A train from Munich to Venice is not a regional train unless you intend to skip along with multiple changes. There is a direct EC train at 11:36 am. It is too early to book that one now. It can be booked 3 months in advance, but right now, the fare 3 months out is 118 EUR for 2, and the walk-up fare is 185.20 EUR for 2.
There is also a night train at 11:36 pm. The rest are connections through Verona. www.bahn.com
It is standard procedure to give hotels and legit airbnbs your passport info in Italy, so emailing an image of your passport ID page is pretty standard. All hotels I have been to photocopy that page on check-in. Sending it ahead saves time, especially an apartment rental.
Edit- No visa for Italy. It is included in the Schengen Agreement.
Posted by
Washington DC
27161 posts
For US citizens, I'm nearly certain a passport is what he means. I think the deal is that this is not a hotel, and there is no photocopier on the premises, so this is the simplest way for him to get what he needs. Better than handing over the passport on arrival and his having to take it somewhere else to get a copy made. I went through that in Bulgaria, and I almost forgot that I hadn't gotten the passport back. Could/would have left town without it if the apartment manager hadn't remembered.
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
ECB 87
Dep 11:38 MUENCHEN HBF (Germany)
Arr 18:10 VENEZIA S. LUCIA (Italy)
FR 9714
Dep 10:50 VENEZIA S. LUCIA (Italy)
Arr 13:25 MILANO CENTRALE (Italy)
IC 669
Dep 14:05 MILANO CENTRALE (Italy)
Arr 17:04 MONTEROSSO (Italy)
RE 21193
Dep 12:10 MONTEROSSO (Italy)
Arr 12:35 LA SPEZIA CENTRALE (Italy)
FB 9773
Dep 13:14 LA SPEZIA CENTRALE (Italy)
Arr 16:32 ROMA TERMINI (Italy)
Posted by
Dartmouth, NS, Canada
213 posts
In Italy I have found that many flat owners now have I-phones or small computers and simply snap a photo of your passport. One owner said he had never be asked about them by city officials but when he submitted the "city tax" he was required to match night/person stays with passport info.
Though I don't know if the information is ever deleted I find it less stressful then in the "old" days when you were required to hand in your passport at check in - the accommodation held it for the police to check that evening and then returned it to you the next morning - I always hated to sleep without my passport under my pillow! Now at least it doesn't leave my site.
Posted by
OP
7 posts
Thank you all for the info! Wow. that is great.
Sam, especially thanks to you. I think that's why he needs the passport info, makes sense. At least it doesn't feel fishy anymore.
Thank you also, David, for the train info. We are booking the train tickets from Munich to Venice online, but the others within Italy probably on the day of.