We are flying into Munich in June and plan to visit Germany/Italy/Sicily by train.

Are trip will be for 14 days.

Need some direction. Can any one help me with this trip.

Sapi.

Hi S,

You have one too many destinations.

With only 14 days, you do not have time to take trains. Munich to Rome is about 10 hours; Rome to Palermo is between 10 and 13 hours.

Consider taking discount airlines, which can be found at www.whichbudget.com.

There are two discount airlines that link Rome and Palermo: Air One and WindJet.

If you insist on taking the train, check out the promotional fares (as low as 15 Euro Rome to Palermo) at
www.trenitalia.com.

I'm sorry but I disagree that with two whole weeks three destinations, as far apart as yours are, constitute "too many" especially if you are flying in/out on some sort of open jaw arrangement.

The train between Munich and Berlin does take ten hours and at least during the first third you'll get some great scenery through the Dolomites and over the Brenner Pass (10 hours out of two weeks I don't think is a "lot" of time to spend).

Check out www.airberlin.com to see if a faster mode might be more convenient...but do remain aware of intra-European airline flight checked luggage weight restrictions.

Some folks travel at a faster pace than others; because they do so doesn't make their travel any less satisfying or rewarding or valid than that of anyone else's.

Between Roma and Palermo, you can easily travel overnight, by either train or ship, so the journey will not take up any of your 14 days. There are overnight trains between Germany and Italy as well, or there are infinite possibilities, perhaps going through the Alps by day to northern Italy, then overnight to Roma.

I have heard that the overnight train from Rome to Sicily is hellish.

I would opt for a ferry, which I believe leaves from Naples, not Rome, and only if they have fully corrected safety issues that resulted in a fully-loaded ferry sinking some years ago, as I recall.

The best option is to fly.

Also, Sicily is best toured by automobile, even if you stick to the major cities and sites. If you just want to see Palermo, fine. But otherwise, bear in mind, trains in Sicily are very slow.

You might consider going no further south than Naples and enjoying the Greek influence there.

There are overnight ships from Civitavecchia to Palermo (www.gnv.it or www.snav.it) as well as from Napoli (www.tirrenia.it or www.snav.it).
The overnight trains to Sicily are similar to those elsewhere in western Europe, with sleeping cars and couchettes; the trains cross the Straits of Messina on a ferry, and you do not have to change trains or get out of bed.