Train help Brussels to Munich & Munich to Venice
 

We are wanting to travel as mentioned in the topic. Would it be better to do an overnight train to not lose a day of sightseeing in Munich & then Venice due to time constraints? We are not interested in flying. Thanks for any help & advice.

Brussels to Munich - not a night train.

Munich - Venezia Santa Lucia - yes, the 21:03 departure from München Hbf, CityNightLine CNL 363 that gets into Venezia Santa Lucia at 06:38. Goes all the way.,

It has both the bunks called couchettes and the private cabins "roomettes" with fold-down beds. If you wish to sit up all night you can do it but only in 2nd class.

www.bahn.de

Sorry, I clicked too soon. What I meant re Brussels-Munich - no direct night train that goes all the way. But there is a combination that might work for you so that you save time and a night in a hotel:

Brux Midi (=South) lvg 19:28 arr. Cologne 21:15, switch trains (have dinner...)
Cologne lvg 23:48 CNL419 arr. Munich Hbf 07:16.

Also at www.bahn.de or at http://plannerint.b-rail.be/bin/quer...ld=IA&L=profi&

Thank you DalaiLlama. Let me ask for additional help. Itinerary for 2, June 2011. Paris-Brussels, Brussels-Munich, Munich-Venice, Venice-Florence, Florence-Cinque Terre & back, then Florence-Rome. I can get schedules on the bahn.de website but not prices due to travel between countries even with a current date. I looked at RailEurope website to get prices even though they have a substatial mark-up but was shocked at the price Munich-Venice. Would point to point tickets be better or a Eurailpass? I need help/advice with this as the airfare from here in the US to Paris & home from Rome is very high for June 2011. I'm trying to determine if this trip is within my means for next summer not counting lodging, food, various sighseeing/museum fees & misc. costs.

Would point to point tickets be better or a Eurailpass?>

Well with all those trains you should at least investigate getting a Eurail Select 4-country Saverpass - good in Benelux - Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg as one country for these purposes and Germany, Austria (lies between Munich and Italy) and Italy. And if over 25 this is a first-class pass so keep that in mind when comparing to the cheapest fares which are of course in 2nd class. My four decades of incessant European train riding makes me emphatically say that first class train travel is a whole lot more relaxed than 2nd class, and 2nd class is not all that bad - just smaller seats - more full train cars - less place for luggage, etc. And with the pass you can make you train reservations, where require like in Italy (but rarely in Benelux or Germany), as you go along - online discounts often must be booked weeks or months in advance to secure then are typically non-changeable and non-refundable.

the railpass would pay for the overnight train fare but not the optional sleeping accommodations - ICN trains i think do not really have any regular seating but sleeperettes - reclining seats that you must pay a nominal fee to book - very few overnight trains in Europe any longer have regular seats you can just board without reservations - all used to but few do now - but maybe the Munich to Venice overnight ICN does have them - it did not recently when i tried to book the cheapest seat - having to do a reclining seat, which was fine and included a small breakfast in the price to boot.

Anyway for loads of great info on European trains and passes i always highlight these info-laden sites - www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com - for schedules yes the www.bahn.de or German Rail web portal is the easiest i have seen for schedules all over Europe - and it should tell you exactly what type of sleeping accommodations exist on the ICN trains, whether Cologne to Munich or Munich to Venice. Munich to Venice is fairly scenic as it slices thru the Alps - Cologne to Munich relatively ordinaire IMO.

Timetables all over Europe change on Dec. 11. Some things change, some don't - but you can look at earlier dates to get some idea.

www.ferroviedellostato.it shows 89€ p/p or 178€ for two adults for the Munich 21:03 night train I gave you, train Euronight 485, if you just buy a ticket for two reserved 2nd class seats - they recline somewhat but it's not the same as stretching out, on either the couchettes or on a fold-down bed in the private sleeper cabins.

These are the services available on that train, on my randomly chosen date of Oct. 22:

Posti a sedere di 2ª classe

Vagoni letto di prima e seconda classe

Prenotazione obbligatoria in Italia

Treno con cuccette di 2ª classe

Treno con servizio carrozza ristorante

That's seating in 2nd class only, sleeper cabins of first and second class, reservations mandatory in Italy (meaning even if you only sit up all night, for the Italian portion you need a reservation), couchettes in 2nd class (the compartments with 4 or 6 bunks), and the train has a restaurant carriage.

On the next screen I select 2 Adult/Standard (meaning no pass or anything else, just regular fare), Vagone letto deluxe Doppio (sleeper cabin for two), and the total comes to 376€ for two.

I switch to Global Pass and it changes to 136€ for two, still sleeper. So that's just for the cabin - the ride itself is paid for by the pass.

So explore the pass option, I can't be sure that Global Pass here means a Eurail pass, but a good travel agent should be able to tell you.

With Global Pass, two reserved seats in 2nd class cost 18€ - that is simply the booking fee that, as you probably know, is not included in the cost of the pass.

Two adults, no pass, in couchette for 4, costs 230€, in couchettes for 6 it's 210€.

Two adults with a pass in couchette for 6 costs 50€, in couchette for 4 it's 70€.

Some people absolutely can't stand couchettes - the snoring and such of the others, the lying down with another bunk right above your nose, not even being able to pull your kees up, deter some. Others say "Hey, it's only a few hours, and my back will thank me as will my wallet" so they rough it...

I've done couchettes many many times, sleepers many times, too, but not as often since it costs a bundle, and I'm still here to reminisce about it... So it's up to you.

Luggage is a problem in couchettes - not much space, and theft is not unheard of.

This is roughly the span of your fares... Hope this helps.

Thank you both for the info as this really helps me with decisions. DaliaLlama & PalenQ your extensive info makes it easier for me. Thanks again.

Frankly, a LOT of the Munich-Venice route, at least as far as Verona, is quite scenic and IMO you would NOT be "losing a day of sightseeing" if you bagged the ni8ght train idea and took that 9 AM or so departure from Munich but up to you.

If you book well in advance (up to 92 days allowed) on the German Rail site, you can get a Saver fare as low as 78 EUR for Brussels-Munich day trains. Book the Munich-Venice CNL night train on the same site and get a Saver fare of 89 EUR for a bunk in a 4-person couchette or 119 EUR for a bed in a 2-person sleeper.