Thomas Hudson

Gotta get from Munich to Venice. What are my options? I can slum it and I can roll FC... just depends on what there is to offer...

YVR Cockroach

There is a night train. CNL 363. Leaves Muenchen Hbf 2102 arrives Venedig 0638 the next day.

railways

There is also a day train - Munich dep 11:31. Venice arr 18:10.

If you have the time, I would take the day train - a very pleasant journey via Innsbruck through the Italian Dolomites.

Check out "Europa Spezial" fares on the Deutsche Bahn website for the dates you want to travel (from €39 second class, if you are lucky).

Thomas Hudson

Thanks... I will have a pretty thing with me and will be trying to make it a fun trip for her. IS FC worth the Marks/Lira/ Euro? If you would be so kind, could you tell me the basics of each class?

Thomas Hudson

Also, I went to the site and had issues getting fares. Seems like I have had this problem before from the US when I am not using my travel agent.

Track

What are the problems getting fares? Fares for the two direct trains (one by day and one overnight), which are jointly operated by DB/OeBB/Nordmilano, are shown on the DB website, and tickets can be bought on the internet - but Trenitalia will not sell these tickets. The other trains, requiring at least one change of train, are not run by the consortium but through an international railway agreement (DB/OeBB/Trenitalia). The DB website, however, will show fares and sell tickets for consortium trains as far as Verona, where you could buy a Trenitalia ticket to Venice.

RichardInSF

I just drove this route and it took 6 hours and a fair amount for tolls (although we made a few roadside stops). So 6 1/2- 7 hours for the train isn't bad. The drive is also scenic, especially the part through the mountains.

railways

The through day train Munich - Venice, and all other day trains between Munich and Italy (Verona, Bologna, Milan) - are operated by DB/OeBB. These are sold on the DB website for journeys to/from Germany, on the OeBB website for journeys to/from Austria, and on both websites for internal journeys within Italy. Le Nord is only part of the "consortium" in that its staff are required to run the trains (in Italian territory).

Thomas Hudson

Thanks for the info. Still not sure exactly what to expect in FC vs 2nd on these specific trains. Thoughts? I am leaning towards the day train so we can see some of the land. I assume the night train is not the best for sleeping?

thebkguy

Definitely do it during the day if you can. That particular route is beautiful (in my opinion) especially as you get into Southern Germany/Northern Italy. It'll be absolutely pitch black outside at night, and you'll be missing beautiful classic European scenery. I once spent an hour at the Kufstein station on that route just sitting quietly watching the sunset waiting for a train switch, and it was a memorable experience.

I don't know the pricing off the top of my head, but if you're traveling for leisure and you want to just have a relaxing and comfortable experience, and the price is affordable for you, spring for FC. There is nothing at all wrong with 2nd on trains on that route, but if your primary interest is maximizing the experience and the memory of it (vs sheer financial efficiency of getting from A to B, which can be easily had in 2nd) just bite the bullet and ride in First.

I have ridden FC on that route and it was very nice. But 2nd is very commuter/tourist friendly and isn't "steerage" quality or anything. It's just a normal seat, no frills, clean and reasonably comfortable. If you just stare out the window with an iPod for six hours you'll be fine.

Having said that - it's a half-day's trip, so it's nice to spread out in First, eat a sandwich from the bar, and just relax staring out a big window at the beautiful scenery flying by. If you're not planning on coming back soon, or if this is a one-time trip, go first. Soon you'll forget how much the tickets were, but you'll remember the experience fondly.

Either way, you're in for a beautiful trip, weather permitting.

railways

I travelled this route extensively in 2010, but not since the timetable change in December. This change introduced a slightly enhanced service, including the extension of a Munich - Verona train to Venice.

The trains are either operated by DB or OeBB trainsets. These are on fixed diagrams - in other words, the trainsets always operate the same trains: the Munich - Bologna - Munich train was always a DB trainset, and the Munich - Milan - Munich always an OeBB trainset, for example.

I'm not sure which company is operating the Venice train (hopefully someone else can help), but I can give you an insight of what to expect in first class:

DB trainset: open-plan seating, 1-2 across. Adequate legroom, but not very comfortable seats.

OeBB trainset: compartment coach, three seats opposite three, in each compartment. They also have three "business compartments". These are the same as first class, but with the middle seats taken out (and replaced by a table) - so only 4 seats in a compartment. On Austrian internal journeys, these compartments require the payment of a supplement, but not on these international trains - you can travel in them with a normal first class ticket. The OeBB reservation system always seems to leave these compartments unreserved. Sometimes the OeBB set will have an extra first-class car with open-plan seating.

On both, there is a selection of (Italian and German) newspapers, and you can order food and drinks from the restaurant car to be served at your seat.

I much preferred the OeBB version, because of the seating. (I always grabbed a seat in a business compartment).

Additionally, if you like a drink while watching the mountains go by:
on DB: the restaurant car serves Beck's beer on tap;
on OeBB: you can get a very reasonable small bottle (25 cl) of wine for only €3.20. (DB is nearly twice the price).

Edit: I dug out the old timetable from last year, and, looking at the equivalent trains in the new timetable, the Munich - Venice - Munich train will more than likely be operated by an OeBB set (unless things have radically changed).

Track

The Italians (at least Trenitalia) have been very difficult about the running of these trains. They wouldn't offer DB/OeBB paths south of the Brenner, then when the courts forced them to do so, they booked all the good paths and then never ran their own trains on them, then they wouldn't allow the Austrian multi-system locomotive to run into Italy, but then they had to, then they wouldn't allow the Milan train to run into Centrale station (it runs into a secondary station), then they wouldn't allow the Venice train to stop for passengers between Verona and Venice, and they wouldn't show the DB/OeBB trains on their station departure/arrival boards or on their schedules, and they wouldn't sell tickets for the DB/OeBB trains. The latest I heard was the Italians were trying to keep some of the proceeds from DB/OeBB ticket sales because of supposed debts from World War II! (How did they get access to the money?).
For a while they were protesting DB/OeBB sales on intra-Italian journeys, although the EU requires open access. Do you have any new information on this?

USAflyer

Are Eurail passes valid on the DB/OeBB trains from Italy? Are reservations required or necessary?

railways

Yes, passes are valid - no supplement or reservation necessary.

aau

How long would it take to get from MUC to the central train station? If I landed around 10:00-10:15, would I have time to catch the daytime train to Venice?