So my wife and I are going to Europe next summer for the KSU football game in Ireland. We already have flights booked into VCE and returning home from DUB. We have our Airbnb booked in DUB and will book flights from MUC to DUB soon.

I would like to next book Airbnb in VCE and either a hotel or Airbnb in MUC. I haven't researched much for MUC yet at all. We will have 7 days to split between the 2 and take the train to get to MUC. I am trying to decide how to split them up. We are in our early 50's and won't be looking for anything too adventurous. Mostly just taking in the sites and having good food and drink. Will probably visit a winery. That type of stuff. My initial thought is to go 5 nights in VCE and 2 in MUC since day 1 will be a very lazy day as I don't sleep well on overnight plane rides. Will we be sorry that we only had 2 days in MUC or is that about right?

So you have seven days, actually 6 days when you take the one day for the train ride.Depending on what you like 2 days in Munich might be the absolutley minimum but possible. Here is a two day itinerary Munich in 2 days: Itinerary for a weekend trip - muenchen.de

As flyingfkb says, the train ride from Venice to Munich will take all day. However, that is a scenic train ride, through part of the Italian Alps, the Brenner Pass and then the Tyrol in Austria.

Personally, I'd split the trip with three days in Munich, three in Venice and one for the train ride. However, this does depend on what you are interested in doing. There's more than enough to keep me happy for a week in either Venice or Munich, especially if one includes day trips by train. If I were you, I'd just think about what sites in or near Venice and Munich I most want to see and select the number of days in each accordingly. However, you can't really go "wrong" here as there's lots to see in both cities.

One thing I'd consider as a possibility is that one can do day trips by train from both cities to world-famous sites. Padua is an easy trip from Venice. Neuschwanstein is a longer day trip from Munich but hundreds of people do it every day in the summer. Dachau isn't "enjoyable" but it's something you're unlikely to forget.

If you dislike walking to the different sites, Venice can be a tiring city. When I was there, I walked everywhere and it seemed to me that many locals who live or work in the old part of Venice did the same. Venice can also be jammed full of tourists in the summer in a way that Munich isn't.

Given the long train ride, for Munich, I'd get a hotel near Hauptbahnhof but if you do that, you should know that part of the area to the south of the station are a red light district. If I stay there, I use google streetview to make sure my hotel isn't next to a strip club or something. Having said that, I've stayed in that area several times and never had a problem.

As someone who doesn't live in Europe, my opinions can be out of date or even just flat out wrong. I always welcome correction from people with more up to date or accurate knowledge.

I agree with Lost. Just do the two cities. In Venice, you can do the side trip to Murano for the famed glass. In Munich, it is an ideal city to stroll, sit and eat and drink. The English Gardens (watch the surfers) is great, the Viktual market as well. I like Augustine Keller for a great outdoor beer garden, but there are others. The Deutsches Museum is amazing and can take several hours.

The area directly south of the train station has been cleaned up, we stayed at both the Aloft and the Meridian next door with teen kids. (Yes, there was a strip club around the corner, but you could barely notice). Further to the west of the train station still is slightly dodgy but nothing horrible. And two nice beer gardens in walking distance.

And given you will be in Dublin, I think the two cities are enough. Oh added bonus for staying near the train station is it is an easy train ride to the airport.

Thanks. I did book the Holiday Inn on points, but should be able to get enough Marriott points by the trip to switch to the Aloft if that will be a better location for us.

Minich is a very safe city for tourists. Even the not so nice areas are okay but they are normally not a place you see.

A follow up question or planning. I am trying to figure out all of the places that we will need to go through customs. I know we will after we land in Venice from the US. I assume that we don't have to worry about customs on the train from Venice to Munich. I also know that we will clear customs in Dublin prior to flying back to US. Making sure my assumption is correct about the train. But really wanting to know what to expect on the flight from Munich to Dublin.

Yes, immigraiton and customs on arrival at the airport at Venice (if you fly direct to Venice from the US) If you connect in Europe you will clear immigration at the connecting Airport but not customs. This will be done at your final destination in Venice.

No customs on your train ride between Venice and Munich. In normal times not even any border control on the train but with the current refugee situation in Europe I wouldn't be surprised that on the borders to Austria and Germany that there will be random checks on the train. Normally the officers just walk trough the train and take a look around and not bothering anyone. But just in case have your passport ready. And don't be alarmed it is normal that border police in Europe sometime looks a bit martial (at least that what I sometimes hear from people from the US when they see police with automatic weapons patrolling an European airport).

On your flight from Munich to Dublin no customs just passport control in Munich. Ireland is not part of Schengen.

In Dublin on your back to the US you will mostly go through the US pre-clearance (meaning US immigration and customs inspection will be done in Dublin) https://www.dublinairport.com/flight...a-preclearance

Just a heads up. During the previous refugee "crisis" back in 2015, Germany stopped trains from Italy crossing into Germany. Italy=>Germany trains were being diverted to Salzburg for immigration clearance for onward rail travel to Germany. I don't recall what routing trains from Italy had to take to get to Salzburg as I believe the route normally passes through Germany between Kufstein and Salzburg.

I remember fairly clearly as I was taking the CNL Rome to Munich, connecting on the ICE to FRA for a flight to CMB - all in a short space of time - and were concerned about making the connection at FRA. When we got to the DB lounge in Munich in the early morning, the lounge attendant asked where we came in from and was quite surprised to learn it was from Rome as travellers were delayed for several hours up until that day.

The current refugee situation is not comparable with the situation 2015. So no worries. Day trains via the Brenner run normally via Innsbruck-Kufstein-Rosenheim-Munich. No detour via Salzburg.

The CNL always runs via Salzburg because it does not take the Brenner crossing but crosses at Villach.

I stayed right across the street from the main train station in Munich and it was fine. That area is a bit grubby, like around most big stations, but nothing to worry about and in a very short walk you are out of it. The English Gardens and Deutches Museum have already been mentioned, they are great. Other attractions you might like are the Alte Pinotek which is a major art gallery, several palaces, and the BMW showroom and museum. If you are a car or motorbike enthusiast they are good. Public transport in Munich is excellent. Two days is enough for the city center, if you are staying longer you can make day trips to places like Mittenwald in the Alps or Regensburg.

This is easy. Spend as much time as you can in Munich and as little as possible in Venice.

Long gone now but the 2x I took the CNL north Italy=> Munich (and 1x south) it crossed into Austria at Steinach am Brenner. Never been woken up (even during the tail end of the refugee crisis) perhaps because my wife gave her Austrian passport to the carriage attendant.

An 8 hour rail trip at best. Groan. I find that I wanna get off the train in about 2 hours. Groan.

And, yes, I'd rather be in Munich than Venice

To each their own, if someone has interest in art, culture and history I would definitely choose Venice above Munich. I know many people despise Venice because of crowds, over tourism, tourist traps and so on, but it is undoubtably a unique/exceptional place in the world full of history at every corner and even in its decadency fascinates me every time I visit. Just go outside 100 meters of the usual ring Piazzale Roma, Station, Rialto, San Marco an the crowd disappears, you can still find decent drink/food and relax, sure July August can be very hot. Munich is a nice city, but not too different/special from other mittle European cities in my view.