So, finally got the overnight train from Venice to Munich booked. Now we(one adult, one youth, one senior) need just the shorter hops from Rome to Florence, Florence to Venice, Munich to Innsbruck, Innsbruck to Salzburg, Salzburg to Vienna. I went onto raileurope.com and for second class seats came up with an average of over $200 (US) per hop! The part from Salzburg to Vienna, which is 2 hours and 54 minutes, was $273 (that's for all of us). This seems rather steep to me since the overnight (7 hours) was 189 euros for the three of us. I've been told that's it's easier to get tickets when we are in country, but, good grief, this can't be the best prices. Just need a second class seat for these mostly 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hour trips. Please, please help.
Posted by
OP
Fresno
189 posts
Oh, we are traveling in July.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
Well, first, the train from Venice to Munich stops in Innsbruck. If you got out there, saw Innsbruck, and then went to Munich, you could save yourself some travel expenses.
There are sources of tickets online from European rail companies that are less than what RailEurope charges for the same connection, and there are often less expensive connections available that Rail Europe doesn't show.
Try looking for the Salzburg-Vienna leg at www.oebb.at (Austrian Rail).
Posted by
OP
Fresno
189 posts
I know about the stop in Innsbruck, but it's at 4 a.m. so we are going to go to Munich for a day or two then circle back to Innsbruck before we go on to Salzburg. I will try oebb.at. Any ideas about better fares for Italy? Thanks
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
First you complain about the cost, then you say you won't do something to cut it.
However, there is a thing called a Bayern-Ticket, which allows you unlimited travel on regional trains in Bavaria for a day, two to five people, for €27. With it you can go from Munich to Kufstein for €13,50 pP for two people, then with a DB std ticket from Kufstein to Innsbruck for 15,20. That's a little less than €30 pP. The fastest, and maybe cheapest way from Innsbruck to Salzburg is back through Germany (Rosenheim), €13,00 to Kufstein (this time from Austrian Rail), Bayern-Ticket for €13,50 pP to Salzburg.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
For your connections in Italy, buy your tickets there. If you buy the night before, you can get an "Amica" fare which is 20% off the std fare. Rome to Florence should be €28,90 pP by ES*; Florence to Venice, €25,80 pP. You can find these fares on the Italian Rail website.
Posted by
OP
Fresno
189 posts
"First you complain about the cost, then you say you won't do something to cut it."
I did? That's an interesting spin on my response.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
$273 "seems rather steep to me since the overnight ... was 189 euros for the three of us".
To put that in perspective, €189 is about $300.
But the $273 fare was from RailEurope. On the Austrian Rail site, you can get tickets for the same train, 2nd class, for €44,20 per adult. €44,20 is about $70 at todays CC conversion rate, so you are still paying $210, but at least it's less.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
Actually, you wouldn't cut the cost much by getting off at, and seeing, Innsbruck on the way to Munich. They don't charge less for the accommodation (reservation) on the night train to Innsbruck than they do to Munich, and you still have to travel between Munich and Innsbruck anyway. You pay €13 for the leg between Innsbruck and Kufstein by getting it from ÖBB in Innsb. vs €15,20 from DB in Munich, but you would have to get the Bayern-Ticket online. Then you would avoid the second, €13 fare from Innsbruck to Kufstein, because either Munich or Kufstein to Salzburg is the same, a €27 Bayern-Ticket. So, total, you are only paying €15,20 more pP to stay on the train to Munich.
And, BTW, you can get the Bayern-Ticket from an automat in Munich, but make sure you get one not only for the day you travel from Munich to Innsbruck, but also in advance for the Innsbruck to Salzburg day, since you don't want to have to get off in Kufstein to get it.