We will be spending 1+ week in Switzerland this July (Lausanne, Murren, Lucerne) then traveling by train to Munich. The train can either be direct, or via Innsbruck (approx 100 Euro extra for 2). For those who have done this trip, Is the scenery for the Innsbruck route worth the extra fare price?

Going via Innbruck as in through the Arlberg I assume...it is a pretty ride, for sure and certainly more interesting than the usual Zurich-Munich route IMO.

If you make separate bookings well in advance on the Austrian Rail site, you can get a discount fare of €19.00 for Zurich-Innsbruck and the same €19.00 fare for Innsbruck-Munich.

Booked well in advance on either the Swiss Rail site or the German Rail site, the best discount fare for a direct Zurich-Munich train is 60.00 CHF (€49.00). So if you play your cards right, it can be cheaper to go via Innsbruck.

Hi tdelony,

I live just south of München and travel to Switzerland about twice a year. I used to take the fast route -- but one time I went through Innsbruck and haven't gone the fast way again.

Yes, it really is worth the extra time and money. the first year i took it, I also took the fabled Glacier Express route through Switzerland, and I thought the trip through Austria was at least as picturesque. Yes, my thoughts were that the Austrians really need to market the route to attract more folks to it.

The train rolls through the Tyrolian Alps, so you get to see villages perched on mountainsides and rolling hills. It is really lovely.

Have fun on your trip!

s

Thank you all! - I booked the tickets already at a nice discount due to advance purchase.

Yes the scenery IMO and IME is dramatically better - lots of nice Alpine scenes vs ho-hum farmlands largely thru Lindau and Germany.

If you are going to be in Switzerland for one week and doing the trains you indicate and going to Austrian border then investigate the 8-consecutive-day Swiss Pass or Half-Fare Card - then use Austrian discounts if want or German ones (www.bahn.de) for that portion or the normal fare - but a Swiss Pass would cover travel in full - 100% to Murren and back down - unless you will be staying always in Murren this could be a good deal. and also for lake boats on Lake Geneva from Lausanne - great cruise is IME over to Evian-les-Bains in France, a spiffy spa town - Swiss Pass covers the whole route or of course trains around Lausanne like to the Brock Factory station to tour the Nestle Willie Wonka type factory - to wondrous Gruyeres - one of Europe's finest walled towns, etc.

And 100% coverage on Golden Pass train from Montreux to Interlaken - one of Switzerland's legendary scenic trains

And to Zurich of course and onto Buchs SG and the Swiss-Austrian border. Pass also valid for free entry at 400+ museums in Switzerland and city trams, buses - just about everything that moves in Switzerland besides cows!

Great sources of info on Swiss trains and the Austrian inland route, etc - www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.swisstravelsystem.com (link to Golden Pass train).

Well if you are not worry about for paying the few extra dollars then you should go to Munich via Innsbruck and the beautiful landscapes and scenery definitely worth the extra price.

Is the scenery for the Innsbruck route worth the extra fare price?>

50 euros each is it worth it? Probably not IMO simply because you will have seen lots of Alpine train scenery by then that IMO is way more scenic than the route thru Austria thru the Austrian Alps - yes that route is more scenic than the ho-hum direct route to Munich by Zurich but after being in Switzerland it may pale in comparison I think. Save time and money and get to Munich faster - a few hours more sightseeing time there.

If you take the Golden Pass from Montreux to Interlaken then that scenery will be IMO and IME every bit as scenic as the inland Austrian route! And trains in the Interlaken area going into the hills far more scintillatingly scenic!