Wondering if it’s possible to book an overnight train from Munich or Salzburg to either Milan or Florence? My 11 year old is wanting to sleep in a couchette (I did this as an exchange student back in the 90s and don’t have terrible memories). I haven’t confirmed any travel plans as of yet and travel will be in mid August, so train times aren’t yet available I don’t think. Just looking to see which of the cities listed would be the best route so I can start piecing the trip together. Our trip will be Zurich, Munich, Salzburg, Florence, Rome. Maybe not all in that order. We are a family of 4 with an 11 and 14 year old.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
5429 posts
You can check out the OBB Nightjet service from Munich.
Posted by
Uppsala, Sweden
6970 posts
Yes you can, there are night trains from both Munich and Salzburg to both Milan and Florence. Book at www.oebb.at
Posted by
Irving
3226 posts
There are direct trains from both the München (Munich) Hbf and Salzburg Hbf stations to Firenze (Florence) S.M.N. station: https://int.bahn.de/en. Fly in or out of Zurich and Rome.
Posted by
San Francisco
14975 posts
Keep in mind as you're planning the routes (day or night trains), Munich Hbf is a junction point for night trains.
From Munich Hbf on the night train you can go straight up north to Hamburg, Berlin via Hannover, the Rhineland, ie Düsseldorf, and eastwards to Vienna and on the Budapest.
In the '80s I did the night train route a few times between Paris and Frankfurt sitting in a compartment or the general area, I still do that option.
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8319 posts
I assume you're considering starting your trip flying into Zurich. Given your itinerary, flying into Munich might be a better option--skipping Zurich. While it's Switzerland, it's not in the Alps.
You can catch a train to Salzburg easily from Munich, and then take a train down to Innsbruck, thru the Brenner Pass and on into Italy.
I did take a night train once out of Munich, and I was aware of every stop the train made. Makes sleep difficult. And if you arrive at your destination the next morning, getting into a hotel earlier than mid-afternoon can be difficult.