My husband and I are returning to Italy hopefully this year. We did Italy last year, and loved it. So, we want to do Tuscany and Cinque Terre for sure. But, we want to add another country to the trip. We have kicked around a number of options, but here is one I would like some feedback on. If we fly into Munich, how would we get to Switzerland and then on to Italy? Are there trains that run in the route shown in the subject line? Is this too much to do in 12 days? Any thoughts/feedback on this type of route, or suggestions on another? I imagine we would fly out of Rome.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19100 posts
I'm suspecting that either, 1) they want to fly to Munich to see Munich first, or 2) their frequent flyer miles will take them to Munich, but not to Zürich. Either way, flying would not be the best option unless, in case 2, they can book both flights on one ticket, one using miles, one paying extra.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
Twelve days (Q: Or is it really ten, if you factor in arrival and departure day?) is not a lot of time, and you propose to add two countries to Italy (Germany and Switzerland), not one. I suppose you can do that, but I wouldn't want to. It's about 6 hours bu train from Munich to Berne. Better to fly into Switzerland if that is what you want to see. Timetables at the German rail site. (The dates you want probably won't be scheduled yet but you can pick a day in April just to see what the trains are like.)
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19100 posts
A common mistake on the site is to look only at flight time and think flying is faster. But you can't ignore time to get from town to the airport (at least 40 min in Munich), time to check in, go through security, board (you should arrive at the airport 2 hrs ahead of time), actual flight time, deplaning, time to find ground transportation and get into the destination town. That's if there is a direct flight. If there are no direct flight, at waiting at the connecting airport for the next flight. The general rule of thumb is that if the train takes 6 hours or less, it's as fast as flying (and a lot less hassle). In the case of Munich to Bern, the Bern airport website shows only a few flight/day, mostly by Skyworks, which doesn't fly from anywhere near Munich. There are two flights/day by Air France, connecting in Paris and taking 6-8 hours for $700/p. You could fly to Zurich and then connect by train to Bern, but the flight is only a few minutes shorter and you still have all the transfer time and waiting time at the airport and the train to Zürich takes less than 6 hours (4h11m for EC 194). With sufficient advance purchase (3-92 days), you can get a Europa-Spezial fare from the Bahn website for €39/p. The Europa-Spezial fares are train specific and non-refundable so they would not be appropriate if you are landing and going directly to Bern, but I assume you will spend some time in Munich.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16359 posts
I think what Adam was suggesting was that they fly directly into Zürich from the US, not fly there from Munich. And if it is Switzerland that they want to add to their trip, I would agree. They can easily visit Bern from Zürich (about one hour away) and then take the IC to Milan via Spiez and Brig. Or go from Zürich via the Gotthard route. On the other hand, if it is Munich they want to see, it would make sense to skip the detour to Bern and Switzerland, and head straight south into Italy via Innsbruck to Bologna and on into Tuscany.