Travel options from Munich to Venice
 

Hello everyone

My husband and i will be going to Munich in May and from there we shall be going to venice.

There are some low cost flights available from Air Dolomiti but they don't allow any check in baggage. Also flights take up a lot of day time hence we prefer night train from Munich to Venice. I went through the bahn.de website and found a night train available which leaves from Munich around 23:11 and reached venice around 8:25. We are planning to book seats either in a 4 person couchette or in an economy sleeper compartment.

However we heard from some of our friends who have travelled by night trains earlier that they did not find these trains safe.

So if anyone here has any experience of night trains could you please let us know if it safe for two people to travel with luggage? Also i would like to know if there are any better transport options from Munich to Venice without wasting much of day time.

Thanks.

Book a 2 berth compartment. You can close it by key and will be fine.
Robberies in couchette cars of international trains entering Italy are less frequent than in the past, but they cannot be completely excluded.
You may also be interested in the direct morning train (Munich dp 7.34 - Venice ar 13.56, with dining car for breakfast and lunch) as most of the itinerary is very scenic (through the Alps).

Have taken that train three times and always in couchettes and never a problem but get a private compatment for 2 - I was a single traveler so could not afford huge cost of private single and couchettes OK and rarely any problem but always chance of theft, etc. For lots on night trains check www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and BETS-European Rail Experts.

Details on your options here: https://www.seat61.com/international...m#Munich-Italy

I'd probably take the day train, I've done the Innsbruck to Venice leg twice and the scenery is really worth seeing, but I wouldn't worry about taking the night train.

Thank you for the suggestions. Also i have gone through seat61.com but as all of you have suggested i cannot find 2 bed sleeper cabin option on site. Minimum is 3 bed option .

My biggest worry about taking the night train wouldn't be the risk of theft (although my brother had his camera stolen on a night train) but knowing that I would be in a zombie state on arrival and wouldn't be able to access my Venice hotel room for several hours. Every time a night train makes a stop (Munich-Venice involves 9), the motion, sounds of brakes and station announcements wake me up.

I agree with thursdayd that the scenery on parts of the route are nice.

Where are you looking? Picking a random date in May bahn.de is showing both " two persons in Economy Double compartment " and " two persons in Deluxe Double compartment ". But it could be that those options are sold out for your date.

Since I travel solo, like PQ I travel in a couchette. I have mostly (not always!) slept well in night trains and this looks like a good one.

about sleeping well - this is varies widely from folks who are light sleepers to those who, like moi, who can, especially with some local vino, sleep thru anything. There is always a modicum of noise from inside and outside the train - like when trains stop at stations with PA announcements, brakes perhaps squealing, etc. And in multi-person compartments there is always the possibility of the loud snorer or folks coming and going to WC at night, etc. One reason to get a private compartment. You do not want to arrive wiped out so if a light sleeper maybe not a good idea.

But for a couple especially - bring any food and drink aboard and make a nice night of it. But young couples beware - a story I always like to tell how a good friend claimed his first child was conceived on a night train to Venice!

And if not having experienced Europe's mountains yes it is a scenic ride in daytime.

I see from your other thread on the same trip that you are visiting Innsbruck during the trip before U-turning all the way back to Munich. If you could have put Innsbruck at the end of your Germany-Austria trip, there is EC87 Innsbruck-Venice 13:24-18:10, that is 4 H 46 Min trip for 39.90EU. This cuts 2 hours off the travel starting from Munich.

Greg makes a good point (Thursdays said the same 2 weeks ago, BTW):
Don't backtrack to Munich several times.
You may either do
Munich - Fuessen - Garmisch - Munich - Salzburg (Berchtesgaden, Hallstatt) - Innsbruck - Venice
or
Munich - Salzburg (Berchtesgaden, Hallstatt) - Munich - Fuessen - Garmisch - Innsbruck - Venice
or
Munich - Fuessen - Garmisch - Innsbruck - Salzburg - Hallstatt dp 18.54 - Attnang 20.41/23.34 - overnight train with sleeping cars - Venice ar 8.24

The Nightjet train is perfectly safe in either couchettes or sleeper. Couchettes and sleepers have both a normal lock (which of course can be opened from outside with a staff key) and a security lock or chain (which can't). Indeed, the Comfortline sleepers used on this route have a card-key lock like a hotel which can only be opened by the sleeper attendant, not just by anyone who has got hold of a normal railway key.

A Nightjet is a great way to go, comfy, a unique European experience and it saves a hotel bill - see https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/nightjet.htm

Bring a bottle of wine with you plus snacks for a midnight feast and have a blast!

I'd never fly such a route - you really miss out on the journey experience. Indeed, the daytime ride through the scenic Brenner Pass with lunch in the restaurant car is a nhighlight, see https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-ro...city-train.htm

@PalenQ will remember not to get too cozy ;)
@Greg we were initially planning for Innsbruck but now we are not going to Innsbruck anymore. We shall be in Garmisch only hence taking train from Munich. Also don't want to waste day time in travelling, hence leaning more towards night train.

I am usually not one who thinks that most European team rides are scenic but in this case I would recommend a day train through the Alps. The direct route via the Brenner would be the easiest. I might however consider something different and go to Zurich as the ride is gorgeous and change in Zurich for the Gotthard to Milano than into Venice. It more time and money but lots of beautiful scenery.

Well Gotthard route is not as scenic as it was until the new Gotthard base rail tunnel was opened about a year ago - tunneling under a lot of nice scenery.

"now we are not going to Innsbruck anymore"

So you may check:
Munich - Fuessen - Garmisch - Munich - Salzburg - Hallstatt dp 18.54 - Attnang 20.41/23.34 - overnight train with sleeping cars - Venice ar 8.24

Waiing 3 hours for a late boaring night train from Vienna would not be my kind of fun.

" Waiing 3 hours for a late boaring night train from Vienna would not be my kind of fun"

There are restaurants around Attnang railway station.
The alternative would be to leave Hallstatt 2 hrs earllier, to backtrack to Munich and to wait there from 21.42 until 23.35 (departure time of the Munich - Venice nightjet)

i like doing a night train occasionally. i would only do it in a private 2-person cabin though. not so much worried about "safety" but to be able to get some sleep. i know it wouldn't work for me sharing a cabin with strangers!

Well if wanting to do night train yes plan be in Munich or Vienna the day of the train.

For single travelers staying in multi-person compartments could be nice as I've met so so many neat people in those couchettes. But I think couchettes are mainly for younger folks traveling in hostels, etc - which are similar to couchettes in bunks and noise, etc.