Hello, we will be taking a train from Vienna to Munich on June 29. We prefer to travel in the first class compartment. How soon can we buy our tickets. Can I buy them online from the US? About how long is the journey? Are high speed trains available? Thanks so much. This is the end of our trip and we are only going back to Munich to catch our flight the next morning. We will have already explored the same ares at the beginning of our trip so I am looking for the most efficient and pleasant way. Flights out of Vienna home were not available using points or I would have booked an open jaw flight. Thanks for all of your help!
Using the German Rail (Bahn) website for June 29, I see direct highspeed RailJet service from Vienna to Munich every two hours starting at 6:14 (exc 12:14). They take just over 4 hours. There are also connections using RailJets that don't go all the way to Munich and an RE from Salzburg to Munich. You can't purchase tickets online) from the Bahn until about late March (Online tickets go on sale 92 days before the travel date). When the tickets become available you can purchase them online from anywhere) and print them at home. The standard fare for the direct RJ will be €142,20/p in 1st class, €85,80/p in 2nd. There will also be train-specific Europa-Spezial tickets for a discounted fare. These tickets have limited refundability and start at €59/p in 1st class, €29 in 2nd class. The Europa-Spezial fares are "tiered". There are so many ticket at €59; when they sell out, the price goes up to €69, etc.
This is great info, just what I need. I was on an Austrian website since we are leaving from Vienna and I was having trouble getting info all the way to Munich. Probably my inexperience, but this sounds perfect! Any other details that I need to know? Is there a hotel close to the Munich airport that you would recommend? Does the train go all the way to the airport or will we need a taxi or bus? Thanks again.
There is an S-Bahn station in the middle of the airport. The trip from the Munich Hbf is about 40 min. So if you have sufficient time in the morning, you can stay in downtown. My last time in Munich I had a fairly early flight so I stayed in the town of Freising. You can get to Freising on the same S-Bahn that goes to the airport, although Freising is a branch off that line. From the Freising Bhf it is a short 20 min trip by bus to the airport. Here is a plan of all the commuter train lines (S-/U-Bahn) in Munich.
You can book discount SparSchiene tickets on the Austrian Rail site right now for 29 June. €29 for 2nd class and €49 for 1st class. Those fares may not be available for all departure times.