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Help Me Get From Siena to Munich (or Innsbruck or Salzburg)

Posted by (Sacramento, California U.S.A.) on

The end of May 2016 we will be going from Siena to the Austrian Alps. We will be in the Alps for one week and plan to have a car. So, how do we get there? Fly? Train? I'm interested in the most frugal option, but not if it means spending 12 hours in transit.

I'm thinking if we go to Munich and get the car we will have the option to keep it when we go to Germany after our time in Austria. It's not definite that we will need a car there. Our plans are uncertain right now. We will likely visit family in Cologne and Hannover.

I appreciate any help I can get. Thanks!

Posted by
3951 posts

Check some possibilities on rome2rio.com. There is a 1+ hour flight from Florence to Munich for about $150 pp. You need to factor in the train from Siena to Florence. The train from Siena to Innsbruck takes 8+h and costs ~ $100pp. We've purchased an advanced international special fare going from Germany to Italy for about 39 euros pp a couple of years ago for a 7h train trip.

Posted by
4 posts

Please be aware that traveling between Germany/Austria and Italy is only theoretically faster by car than by train or even bus. Massive traffic jams are commonplace at any time other than completely off-season. We live in Munich and after becoming mired in traffic many times, have now changed to traveling only by train. My American friends who just traveled between Italy and Switzerland sat in traffic for many hours. This is the new norm in super-populated Europe, particularly car-happy Germany and Italy.

Posted by
10218 posts

Thanks Mona!

IntheStream, we will not be driving from Italy. It will be either a train or plane situation. I would have the same concerns about driving as you mentioned. Thanks for the reply.

Posted by
16893 posts

In addition to checking flights from Florence, Pisa is another nearby airport used by some budget airlines. Trains from Siena to Munich can currently be as fast as 10 hours with 2 connections, or you could get off the same train at Innsbruck, 2 hours earlier.

Posted by
4392 posts

Rome2rio is a great tool to see your options. And they're realistic, they add in the to airport and from airport transit times when listing flights. They CAN'T allow for the unpleasantness of getting through airports these days, however. I almost always vote for train.

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