How to travel from Munich to Innsbruck by train

During the day the trains depart from Munchen/Munich every other hour - in the odd hours

Final Destination: Verona or Bologna or Venezia or Innsbruck

All trains also call at: Munchen Ost, Worgl and Jenbach

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.

A choice of tickets

Four 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
Two types of non-discounted ticket - Flexpreis Europa and Flexpreis Plus 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 and Flexpreis Plus Europa tickets can be refunded at no additional charge.

The other key difference is that both types of Sparpreis tickets are only valid on the specific departures selected when booking, but both types of Flexpreis tickets live up to their name, as they can be used on any departure on your travel date.

Note that none of the tickets can be exchanged to a different departure.
There's no need for this to be available for Flexpreis Europa tickets, as they aren't train departure specific.
If you book a Sparpreis Europa ticket and want to travel by a different departure you can refund it and then use the travel voucher towards the cost of the new booking.
Super Sparpreis Europa tickets can't be exchanged or refunded.

The Sparpreis, Flexpreis and Flexpreis Plus tickets also include 'City tickets', which can be used on public transport between locations in Munchen city centre and Munchen Hbf.

Seat reservations

Seat reservations are optional on these trains when travelling as far as Innsbruck - take note if you will be using a rail pass.
They cost €4.90 when travelling in 2nd Class and €5.90 when travelling in 1st class.
Specific seats can be selected from seating plans - you don't have to accept the seat(s) that you will be automatically offered.

They are included within the cost of booking 1st class Flexpreis tickets and both 1st and 2nd class Flexpreis Plus tickets.

When booking Super Sparpreis, Sparpreis and 2nd class Flexpreis tickets, you have the option of purchasing seat reservations later.
It can be worth re-looking up a journey a week or two ahead of travel, because the DB website will indicate how busy a departure will be.
Though 2nd class tends to be busy on these EC trains, particularly in the summer months when the trains will be busy with rail pass users heading to Italy*

Booking on the DB website

You can find these direct trains more easily by making a proactive selection of 'Direct Trains Only'.

To see all the combinations of trains and journey options, some of which may be cheaper, take off the 'fastest connections' default.

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.

Booking from München Ost:

When making a booking online on DB Bahn, 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 Innsbruck 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.
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.

Using rail passes:

*Rail pass reservation fees don't apply on these trains when travelling between Germany and Austria, they're only compulsory when travelling on to Italy.

Final Destination: Innsbruck

These trains also call at: Garmisch and Seefeld in Tirol

Book early and save: No

Tickets will cost the same price if purchased at the same station immediately before departure.
Because these tickets for these journeys by RB (Regio trains) aren't discounted, if you'll be booking in advance, they're typically more expensive than the alternative express trains between Munich and Innsbruck.

If you do want to book online look for the trains that:

• are  usually scheduled to depart Munchen at around 08:32; 12:32 and 16:32.
• have 0 in the Chg. column
• have RB, REX in the Products column (the train becomes a REX train when it crosses the Austrian border)

Though you won't see these journeys on the DB ticketing service, if you DON'T untick the 'prefer fast connections' box when looking up the journey.