My family of 4 is thinking of taking the train from Munich to Venice for the scenery, but it seems like most folks take this route during the evening. We are finding it is less expensive to fly in many cases, to say nothing of the time it will save us, so I am hoping someone can give us advise. Do we bother to take the long train ride to experience the scenery or should we just fly and have more time at our ultimate destination?
Posted by
Winnipeg
590 posts
We took the train during the day and the scenery is beautiful! There was a rail strike when we went and we had a few delays and unexpected stops, but it was nice travelling through the mountains. Just make sure to pack lots of food and drinks. You could buy them on board, but the food that they serve is pretty basic.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
There is a EuroCity (EC) train leaving Munich at 11:30, getting into Venice at 6:10 PM. That's 6h 40m.
You can't fly much faster, particularly since just getting to MUC takes 40 min. On top of that you have preboard time, flight time, finding ground transportation at Marco Polo, and getting into Venice. If you use a low cost airline like RyanAir, you fly into Treviso (but RyanAir doesn't fly from Munich). The bus service from Treviso gets to Venice 1½ hr after the flight lands. Expect flying from Munich to Venice to take 5-6 hours.
The 11:30 EC has a €53 fare possibility if you book in advance. Just the cost of transportation to MUC and from Treviso is over €15, so a low fare airline would have to get you there for about €38 to be competitive.
I would expect a leisurely trip over the Alps, particularly the scenic portion from Innsbruck to Brennero, to be much more relaxing than the hassle of flying.
Posted by
Bend, OR, United States
1167 posts
This again raises the issue of whether you are a "journey" traveller or a "destination" traveller. If your goal is to get from one big city to the next as quickly as possible you should fly. If your goal is to experience scenery and culture of a foreign country take the train. You will get insights of Germany, Austria and Italy from the ground that you will not get from 30,000 feet.
Posted by
OP
NJ, USA
5 posts
Many thanks for the great advise and different perspective on choosing travel.