My wife and I are going to fly into Munich the first week of September. We will be doing a tour of the Alps and Dolomites for 14 days before returning to Munich. From there we plan to take a train to Florence, stay for several days and then on to Rome for several days before departing from Rome.
My question regards the train tickets from Munich to Florence. We need to be in Florence before 7PM so need to leave Munich 9 to 10 AM, based on the scedules I've seen.
Should I buy these tickets in advance of leaving the US or would I be able to get reservations in Munich once I first arrive (as it will be two weeks before my actual train departure)? Is there any cost advantage either way? Seems the sites that book Euro rail in advance must have some sort of service charge to make a profit.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
Use the German Rail query page for fares and schedules. Stateside ticket sellers make a profit off of full fare and usually don't offer you any of the lower fares that are available.
In this case, German Rail doesn't sell an online ticket all the way to Florence (exc a nt train, which isn't in the time frame you wanted). The train only goes to Bologna, and you would have to have a Trenitalia ticket from there. You can get a non-refundable Europa-Spezial Italien ticket to Bologna for as low as €53. A full fare ticket for the ES* from Bologna to Florence, purchased in Bologna would be €16,20 - total €69 about $103.
Right now, RailEurope shows that ticket for $78 plus $18 S&H, or $96. Take it!
German Rail used to have a direct train to Florence, and that fare, if they still had the train, would have also been €53 - $78.61, but no S&H.
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
There are 4 trains shown on the websites that depart Munich main station for Florence (7:30am, 9:32am and 11:30. There is a night train departing 21:03). You're looking at an 8.5hr-10.5hr. train ride depending on the run you select. You can easily get the tickets you need two weeks in advance of your travel to Florence. I see a fare of 96Euro on the Italian train site but it could be different at the Munich ticket window. RailEurope, a ticket broker, shows a fare of 109Euro with some restrictions. They also show a very restricted fare (no exchanges or refunds) for a low as 52Euro.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
I would object to your description of RE as a ticket broker. They are an arm of French Rail, definitely a ticket seller. As for getting your tickets at the counter two weeks in advance, you might not get the best prices. It pays to check out your options.
As for your options, you should consider the night train option. You will leave Munich late in the evening, long after any sightseeing you might do in Munich. Figure your cost of a hotel in Munich into the cost of your accommodations on the night train. Then you get into Florence in the morning, with time to see some sights in Florence before the day train would have arrived.
Looks like it could be a win, win, win situation.