I need a day-time train from Munich to Rome in July. What's the easiest way to book it?
It seems the only direct change between Munich and Rome is the Citynightline (CNL) sleeper - bookable at bahn.de . Personally, I would use this option if I had to travel between these two cities.
If you want day-time trains, then it seems you'll have to make at least one change. eg:
EC85 dep Munich 09:31, arr Bologna 16:20
ES9596 dep Bologna 16:53, arr Rome 19:05 (Although you might not want to risk a 33min connection, if you're travelling on separate, and non-changeable tickets...)
or:
EC87 dep Munich 11:31, arr Verona Porta Nuova 16:57
ES9483 dep Verona Porta Nuova 17:55, arr Rome 20:50
It should be possible to check journey times on bahn.de . It seems that you can't book the whole journey on bahn.de, but you should be able to book Munich to Bologna/Verona, and then make the onward booking at www.trenitalia.com See www.seat61.com/Italy.htm for further advice on this.
www.voyages-sncf.com or www.raileurope.commight be able to sell a through ticket for this journey, but I suspect it would work out more expensive (although I haven't checked).
Quote:
Originally Posted by MilesDavis11
Is it possible to book a train with miles?
I have some Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou points, and AAdvantage Miles to spare.
Not as far as I know. Deutsche Bahn run their own 'bahn.bonus' loyalty programme, but I am not aware of any option to convert airline miles into bahnpoints.
As far as I know its only possilbe to book trains connecting to flights with miles and using Miles and More on Westbahn. So that looks bleak.
Through booking isn't availible online because the Germany-Austria-Itay EC trains are being run in compition* to Trenitalia by DB, ÖBB Italia, and LeNord. You should be able to book through DB.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KQ321
If you want day-time trains, then it seems you'll have to make at least one change. eg:
EC85 dep Munich 09:31, arr Bologna 16:20
ES9596 dep Bologna 16:53, arr Rome 19:05 (Although you might not want to risk a 33min connection, if you're travelling on separate, and non-changeable tickets...)
There is competiton on the Bologna-Rome route so prices are low if booked online. A half-hour connection isn't a huge risk IMHO, though I don't know how strick the Italians are about getting on the next train if you missed yours. You can always just plan in time in Bologna and book a later service.
EC85 dep Munich 09:31, arr Bologna 16:20 (ÖBB Italia €49[english] or DB €59 ) and
9943 dep Bologna 16:38, arr Rome 18:48 (Italo €20) or
ES9596 dep Bologna 16:53, arr Rome 19:05 (Trenitalia €19)
Quote:
Originally Posted by KQ321
EC87 dep Munich 11:31, arr Verona Porta Nuova 16:57
ES9483 dep Verona Porta Nuova 17:55, arr Rome 20:50
Same deal, booking sites and prices, but only Trenitalia is offering the second leg on this one, from €29.
*This compition is only theoretical except between South Tyrol and Verona and Bologna.
I would take the day train, personally, if it’s your first time. The scenery from Innsbruck down through the Brenner pass is great – without the clinical alpine-ness found in Switzerland. I love this part of Europe and recommend you to stop off if you can (for example, at Bolzano and take the branch line to Merano; otherwise at Fortezza for Brunico).
For the direct daytime journey from Munich to Rome, you will need to buy two tickets if you want to buy on-line. Note that DB/OeBB is streetwise enough to build in plenty of leeway into the schedules, so whether you take the 09:31 from Munich (changing at Bologna) or the 11:31 (changing at Verona) you should be fine. The critical points on these schedules are the border crossing at Brennero, and the locomotive change at Verona (for the Bologna train). If you are doing the transfer at Bologna for Rome, you can always book a later train (there are plenty) to be on the safe side.
However, I have missed a connection at Bologna on this journey and approached the “Frecciarossa” desk (completely separate from the main ticket office). They rebooked me without question on the next train. YMMV, but if you don’t speak Italian, and are undemanding and polite with your English, you may be sorted without too much of a problem.
Last edited by railways; Jun 22, 12 at 5:32 pm..
Reason: P1000
Would you recommend booking these trains in advance? Would it be easy to ask the concierge at our hotels for help booking the trains once we are there?
We will be traveling from Munich to Rome on July 10, and from Zurich to Munich on July 7.
Would you recommend booking these trains in advance? Would it be easy to ask the concierge at our hotels for help booking the trains once we are there?
We will be traveling from Munich to Rome on July 10, and from Zurich to Munich on July 7.
Thanks,
Buying tickets in advance is cheaper in this case.
You can buy both Zurich to Munich and Munich to Bologna tickets on the DB site. (Currently, there are fares for each of these journeys for €49 on the days you want to travel). Tickets can be printed off.
For Bologna to Rome, as ofto said, try trenitalia (the main Italian train operator) or italo (a new venture). I haven't had a problem with trenitalia, but there have been reports of US credit cards not being accepted - this may or may not have been resolved.
Would you recommend booking these trains in advance?
If you buy at the last minute (or want to have a fully-flexible ticket) you will end up paying 'full fare', which will be significantly more expensive than the prices quoted above.
However, if you already know which trains you want to be on (and presumably you do, as you have specific dates, and there are only a handful of connections each day), and you are willing to accept less-flexible fare conditions in exchange for a lower price, then you should book ASAP. This should be easy to do, on the websites mentioned.
I tried to book my train from Zurich to Munich this evening, and am left a bit confused.
I went through the entire process and never got to see the fare. I provided my credit card number and submitted my order request, and was told I'd receive an offer by e-mail that I then had to confirm by phone.
I've since received an e-mail confirmation, but still don't know how I am going to get my tickets and how much they cost. The only option on the order page was tickets by mail, but how are they going to arrive by "Mail" before July 3 when I leave for Zurich?
I tried to book my train from Zurich to Munich this evening, and am left a bit confused.
I went through the entire process and never got to see the fare. I provided my credit card number and submitted my order request, and was told I'd receive an offer by e-mail that I then had to confirm by phone.
I've since received an e-mail confirmation, but still don't know how I am going to get my tickets and how much they cost. The only option on the order page was tickets by mail, but how are they going to arrive by "Mail" before July 3 when I leave for Zurich?
Which website are you using, and which connection are you trying to book? It sounds like you are using sbb.ch - they should get in contact with you by email, and then, if you need a paper-ticket (as opposed to an self-print online ticket) it should be possible to arrange to collect it at the station in Switzerland.
However, if you book one of the direct Zurich-Munich trains on bahn.de, then it should offer you an online, self-print ticket.
MilesDavis11 - if you use the DB site for the Zurich - Munich and Munich - Bologna tickets, the fares available will be clearly displayed throughout, the process is fairly straightforward, and as KQ321 says, you should be given the option to print off online tickets.
I know I'm using the DB Bahn web site - I clicked the link in railways' post above.
Is the problem that I'm searching using street address of my hotels in Zurich and Munich? I'm not finding any direct trains. The best option I found had 1 transfer, using products S and EC from Zürich Hardbrücke Winterthur to Winterthur München Hbf. Throughout the entire process, it says, "Information about fares not possible."
I know I'm using the DB Bahn web site - I clicked the link in railways' post above.
Is the problem that I'm searching using street address of my hotels in Zurich and Munich? I'm not finding any direct trains. The best option I found had 1 transfer, using products S and EC from Zürich Hardbrücke Winterthur to Winterthur München Hbf. Throughout the entire process, it says, "Information about fares not possible."
What do I do?
Yeah, that's likely the issue. Ticekting both local (S-Bahn) and international trains in one ticket can get hairy.
DB will contact you very soon with the price, I bet. I doubt the offer will be as cheap buying the direct ticket from Zurich or Winterthur, since it likely won't include a discount ticket. You can always just go ahead and buy the direct train (don't use the hotel address) and decline (or ignore) the offer once you get it.
I know I'm using the DB Bahn web site - I clicked the link in railways' post above.
Is the problem that I'm searching using street address of my hotels in Zurich and Munich? I'm not finding any direct trains. The best option I found had 1 transfer, using products S and EC from Zürich Hardbrücke Winterthur to Winterthur München Hbf. Throughout the entire process, it says, "Information about fares not possible."
What do I do?
I would buy the ticket from your hotel in Zurich, to Zurich HB, locally. Then on DB book the connection from Zurich to Munich Hbf, or to the local station nearest your hotel (U-bahn or S-bahn) - it should be same price. You can still print off the ticket.
Direct Zurich - Munich trains leave at 07:16, 09:16, 13:16 and 18:16. You can get advance fares on these trains. (There are also indirect connections which take longer).
Currently, on July 7th, all four direct trains are showing €49 fares in 2nd class. If you can, find out the name of the nearest U-bahn (subway) or S-bahn (local train) station to your hotel. Plug this in as your destination. You should still get the €49 fare.
I know I'm using the DB Bahn web site - I clicked the link in railways' post above.
Is the problem that I'm searching using street address of my hotels in Zurich and Munich? I'm not finding any direct trains. The best option I found had 1 transfer, using products S and EC from Zürich Hardbrücke Winterthur to Winterthur München Hbf. Throughout the entire process, it says, "Information about fares not possible."
What do I do?
A peculiarity of the Deutsche Bahn schedule search it that it displays a connection via Winterthur (using S-Bahn to get to Winterthur and connecting to the EuroCity train there) as faster than the direct train from Zürich Hbf to München Hbf. It is nominally a few minutes faster (because of the time the train requires to navigate out of, or into, the Hauptbahnhof in Zürich), but not enough to use it if the Hauptbahnhof is your real starting point.
On the other hand, if you would be using the S-Bahn to get to the Hauptbahnhof, then taking the S-Bahn to Winterthur and connecting to the EC train there might make sense.
I booked the Zurich to Munich trip, so thanks for the help. Since I booked straight from the main train station it showed me the price and allowed me to print my tickets at home.
Now I need to book Munich to Rome on July 10. It sounds like Munich - Bologna, Bologna - Rome is the way to go, but which Bologna station should I look up? there appears to be 5 different ones: Centrale, Moskovkoe, S. Ruffillo, Borgo Panig, and Corticella...
Which is the best station to go through to connect to Rome? We'll stay and the St. Regis in Rome, so a destination in the city center would be best.
