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How to travel from München / Munich to Firenze / Florence by train
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München / Munich to Firenze / Florence by train
The only direct train service between München / Munich and Firenze / Florence is provided by the overnight Nightjet train, but it's also a straightforward and stunningly beautiful journey by day.
Take one of the daily EC trains through the mountains to Bologna and connect there for a high speed train on to Firenze/Florence
Routes you can take to go from München / Munich to Firenze / Florence
When travelling between most cities by train there is only one logical option, though on other journeys there is a choice between different trains or alternative routes. If different options are available you can use the info to decide which is best for you.
Choose one of the following options:
Looking for connections?
Route Information
Option 1: direct by night train
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
10hr 9min
Frequency
Nightly
Travel Info
1 x train per night
Purchase Tickets
OBB Guide
OBB is the national rail operator and its booking service offers journeys by express trains within Austria, as well as international journeys which don't involve making a connection outside of Austria.
It pays off to book online, as the discounted 'Sparscheine' tickets are only ever made available on the website, and when making international journeys to and from Austria, these Sparscheine tickets tend to be cheaper.
OBB can offer particularly good value for money when travelling with children on international rail journeys, but something to watch out for when travelling between Austria and Germany on daytime trains, is that reservations are an optional extra; but if you book 1st class tickets with the Germany railways website DB, the reservations are complimentary.
OBB often takes a unique approach to its booking path, but a key thing to keep in mind is that the first price you will see for any journey is that of a Second Class seat.
The costs of upgrading to first class, a reservation, or a sleeping cabin etc, is then added to this price.
DB Bahn Guide
DB is the national railway operator in Germany, so its website can be used for booking journeys by German express trains; the ICE and IC trains and it doesn't charge booking fees.
It also sells tickets for journeys by direct trains on all international routes from Germany regardless of whether DB is operating the train service.
It also sells an extensive range of end-to-end journeys which involve making connections both within Germany and in neighboring countries, but journeys between Germany and Britain cannot be booked on DB.
A key feature of DB website worth keeping mind is that it offers 1st class ticket purchasers complimentary seat reservations on journeys both within and to/from Germany.
Seat reservations for daytime in both 1st and 2nd class can also be booked separately from tickets.
Travel Information
Final Destination: Roma
The train also calls at: Bologna Centrale (arrives at 05:19).
This train will call at Munchen Ost station after it has departed from Munchen Hbf.
If the starting point of journey is in central Munich/Munchen (around Marienplatz), you'll have a quicker trip if you join the train at Munchen Ost.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
This train is USUALLY scheduled to depart from Munchen Hbf at 20:09 and arrive in Firenze S.M. Novella station at 06:18 - note the early arrival!
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open:
6 months ahead of the travel date on OBB*
3 months ahead of the travel date on DB Bahn
These trains are provided by Austria's national rail operator, OBB, they travel through Austria on this journey between Germany and Italy.
The train conveys:
- Compartment Seats (Sitzwagen)
- Couchettes (Liegewagen); 4 berths AND 6 berths
- Standard sleeping cars (Schlafwagen) with 3 bed, 2 bed and 1 cabins
- Deluxe sleeping cars with showers (Schlafwagen) with 3 bed, 2 bed and 1 cabins
Click the train button above for more info including the rail pass reservation fees:
Rail pass users:
Rail pass users must reserve before boarding this train.
However, these rail pass reservations can NO longer be booked online the DB website, but you can now book rail pass reservations without paying booking fees on the OBB website (OBB operates these trains).
Though the process for doing so isn't particularly obvious, hence this step-by-step guide.
Or you can avoid the booking fees by arranging the reservations when you arrive in Germany, by purchasing them at a Reisezentrum travel desk, which you will find in any hauptbahnhof.
Though it's best to do this at the first hauptbahnhof (city centre station) that you will arrive at, the later you leave booking your accommodation, the more likely it is that your preferences will be sold out.
Route Information
Via stations: Bologna Centrale
Option 2: travelling by day
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
from 7hr 30min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
up to 4 x connections per day
Purchase Tickets
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Trainline Guide
Other Ticket Providers
DB Guide
DB is the national railway operator in Germany, so its website can be used for booking journeys by German express trains; the ICE and IC trains and it doesn't charge booking fees.
It also sells tickets for journeys by direct trains on all international routes from Germany regardless of whether DB is operating the train service.
It also sells an extensive range of end-to-end journeys which involve making connections both within Germany and in neighboring countries, but journeys between Germany and Britain cannot be booked on DB.
On journeys within Germany and on most international journeys from and to Germany on trains operated by DB:
- For journeys by the express trains, EC. IC and ICE trains an adult (on German railways an adult is a person aged 15 and over) can take up to four children aged 6 - 14 with them at no additional charge.
- Tickets need to be booked for children aged 0 - 5, but there is no charge for them.
- Those aged 65 and over can take journeys at a discounted rate.
- Dogs, which are too large to be placed in pet carriers, require tickets which cost 50% of the adult rate.
When booking both types of the discounted 'Sparpreis' tickets seat reservations are an optional extra, so need to be added when booking if you want an assigned seat(s).
Travel Information
There are no direct daytime trains from München / Munich to Firenze / Florence, but the two or three EC trains per day from München to Bologna offer connections there into high speed trains on to Firenze S.M. Novella, the city's main rail station.
There are typically at least two high speed trains per hour on from Bologna to Firenze, including both the Frecce services operated by Trenitalia and the Italo trains - it is a comparatively short journey in terms of time on board, so it doesn't particularly matter which of these two services are taken.
However, because of the frequency of the trains on to Firenze / Florence, the ticket agents can offer multiple options which have the same departure time from München Hbf.
The longer journey times allow more time to make the connection between trains in Bologna.
Making the connection in Bologna Centrale
The train from München will arrive in the part of Bologna Centrale that is above ground, but the high speed trains use part of the station which is under ground and is also known as Bologna Centrale AV.
So when arriving at Bologna Centrale, you can use escalators, elevators or stairs, to descend into one of the passage ways beneath the tracks
The access to the AV station is at the opposite end of these passage ways to the main station buildings, further escalators and elevators are available, which lead down to the AV station concourse.
The additional daily option
The train which typically [departs München Hbf]/train-travel-info/journeys/from-munchen-munich-to-verona-by-train/) at around 11:30, has a connection in Verona, into a Frecce train on to Firenze / Florence.
This journey is made up of 1 change.
Train 1
Between München Hbf/Munich main station and Bologna CentraleYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
From early April Railjet trains will also begin to operate on this route.
These trains will also call at Munchen Ost after departure from Munchen Hbf.
If the starting point of journey is in central Munich/München (around Marienplatz, it will be a quicker trip if you join the train at München Ost.
Journey description:
The train journey between Rosenheim and Verona is one of the most incredible in Europe, but sit on the right of the train (when facing the direction of travel) to see the best of the stunning views.
Though the first of the scenic highlights, when the train follows the River Inn from Kuftstein into Innsbruck, is on the left.
But the most incredible part of the journey is that between Innsbruck and the border at Brennero.
in winter:
in summer: And as can be seen in these videos, the best of the views on this part of the train ride can be seen on the right.Though the fabulous views continue after the train exits the Brenner Tunnel and begins to travel through Italy.
Between Brennero and Verona the railway route primarily travels through a massive valley, by the River Adige and on this part of the journey, there are some great views to be had from either side of the train.
The train will reverse direction on departure from Verona and the part of the journey from there to Bologna, is actually exceptionally uninteresting.
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Train 2
Between Bologna Centrale and Firenze S. M. NovellaYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Multiple types of train operate on this route, but the journey time is only around 35 - 40mins.
These Italo trains take the same route as the Frecce trains
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings usually open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date - but this period of time is shorter when looking up journeys in August to October.
When looking up the journey on the DB website, you can use the tool which increases the minimum transfer time between trains, in order to see additional options.
A choice of tickets
Three types of tickets are available:
Two types of discounted tickets, which will be cheaper the further ahead you book - Sparpreis Europa and Super Sparpreis Europa
One type of non-discounted ticket - Flexpreis Europa.
A key difference between these types of tickets is refunds:
- Super Sparpreis tickets are cheapest, but they can't be refunded at all.
- Sparpreis tickets can be refunded for a fee, but the refund will be in the form of travel vouchers to be used for alternative / future journeys.
- Flexpreis Europa tickets can be refunded at no additional charge.
Travelling from Munchen Ost station:
When making a booking online on DB it uses ‘Munich (München)’ as a default for looking up journeys from the city in the ‘From’ box.
But it is possible to select München Ost as the ‘From’ station (you need to use the German spelling with the character (the umlaut) over the ‘u’).
You won’t save any money by booking from München Ost, but the departure time of your train from Munchen Ost will be on your ticket.
Booking agents, when looking up Munchen to Bologna journeys, will see that the fastest journey from Munchen is from Munchen Ost, so can assume that this is where you want to join the train.
So if you're using an agent confirm whether your ticket has been booked from Munchen Hbf or Munchen Ost; particularly if you do want to join the train at Munchen Hbf.
Making the connection:
In the very unlikely event of a delay to the EC train from Milano causing the booked connection on to Firenze /Florence to be missed, it should be possible to go the ticket desk at Bologna Centrale and have tickets re-issued for the onward train.
There is relatively new E.U. legislation which protects travellers against financial loss in the event of missed connections due to train delays, but it only applies to 'through tickets'.
Though the operators of the EC and Frecce trains have also signed up to Agreement on Journey Continuation (AJC) policy for when a traveller holds separate transport 'contracts' for an end-to-end journey involving more than one train.
So this agreement applies both when 'a bundle' of tickets / contracts is issued as the result of a single transaction - and if travellers have bought several different tickets for their journey, even from different sales channels/ticket providers.
As long as the passenger had planned enough connecting time to change trains (called “reasonable connecting time”), the AJC will apply.
So in usual* circumstances, if a delay to the EC train causes the booked connection to be missed, replacement tickets/reservations will be issued at Bologna Centrale.
*= But that new E.U legislation specifically states that in exceptional circumstances, the train operators do not need to issue replacement tickets - and the terms and conditions on the Trenitalia website reiterate this.
These exceptional circumstances specifically stated in Regulation (EU) 2021/782 of the European Parliament include:
- extraordinary circumstances not connected with the operation of the railway, such as extreme weather conditions, major natural disasters or major public health crises...
- ...the behaviour of a third party... such as persons on the track, cable theft, on-board emergencies, law enforcement activities or sabotage.
This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.
We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.
Instead of advertising or paywalls, your financial support will make a positive difference to delivering an enhanced service, as there’s a lot of ideas which we want to make happen.
So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please consider saying thank you.
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