EC (Italy - Austria - Germany)

OBB (Austria’s national rail operator) provides the coaches used on these two routes:

(1) Munchen - Kufstein - Worgl - Innsbruck - Brenner - Bolzano - Trento - Verona - Padova/Padua - Venezia/Venice

(2) Munchen - Kufstein - Worgl - Innsbruck - Brenner - Bolzano - Trento - Verona - Bologna

So both externally and internally these trains are identical to Austrian IC trains.

On its domestic routes within Austria, OBB has replaced these trains on its top tier services with Railjets - but these older style of coaches are still used on these EC trains

It doesn’t mean that these trains aren't comfortable, the seating saloons are more spacious than on a typical high speed train.
Their old-fashioned layouts mean that virtually all of the seats line up with the windows, a big plus for the beautiful journeys that most of these trains travel on.

The 2nd class seats are usually only placed in open plan saloons, but in 1st class some coaches are open plan, - while others are in compartments with doors to a corridor.

As these trains are comparatively old, they lack state-of-the-art touches such as Wi-Fi - but as you will be glued to the windows most of the time, it won’t particularly matter.

Travelling between Austria/Germany and Italy (both directions):

When booking tickets for journeys between Austria/Germany and Italy, seat reservations will automatically be included, irrespective of whether you will be travelling 1st or 2nd class.

Travelling between Austria and Germany (both directions):

Reservations are now not included when booking 1st class tickets for journeys between Germany and Austria on the DB website

In 1st class and 2nd class (and for rail pass users in 1st class and 2nd class) they're available, but optional.
They can be added when making a booking or purchased separately either online or at the station.

If you have not reserved the availability of seats is NOT guaranteed - if need be walk through the train to find available seats.
The optional reservation fee in 1st or 2nd class for journeys between Austria and Germany is €4.

How rail passes can be used to travel by these trains depends on the journey that will be taken, as seat reservations are optional when travelling between Austria and Germany and for journeys wholly within those two countries, but they're mandatory when travelling between Italian destinations.

When travelling in either direction on the Brenner route taken by these trains over the Austria / Italy border paying a 'supplement' is required when using 'global' Eurail or InterRail passes.
The fees for the supplement are €15 in 1st class and €10 in 2nd class.
However, the supplement is not a seat reservation, so the seat reservations are an additional charge, buy they are optional.

Germany<>Italy

You can purchase the supplements on the Eurail reservation service or the InterRail reservation service - though you will be charged a €2 booking fee per reservation, per person.

If you book the supplement for journeys to Italy by these trains, at the Reisezentrum desk at Munchen Hbf (or at any hauptbahnhof in Germany), you won't be charged a booking fee, and can also add theseat reservation charges of €4.90 in 2nd class and €5.90 in 1st class

If you pay for the seat reservation online on the DB (German Railways) website, it won't include the supplement that's charged for journeys to Italy.
When you have boarded and occupied your reserved seat you can buy the supplement from the train conductor, but when doing so there is an additional charge of €5.

Austria <> Italy:

You can purchase the supplements on the Eurail reservation service or the InterRail reservation service

Or you can book the supplements for journeys to Italy by these trains, at the Reisezentrum desk at Innsbruck Hbf (or at any hauptbahnhof in Austria) - You won't be charged a booking fee and can also opt to pay seat reservation charges of €3.50 in both 1st class and 2nd class.

OBB also sells the supplements for these trains online, but the supplement is charged separately to the seat reservation, so you need to proactively also add the seat reservation when booking- and pay the additional cost of €3.50 in both 1st class and 2nd class.

Or you can board the train, find an available seat and then buy the supplement from the train conductor, but when doing so there is an additional charge of €5.

Though if you'll be happy to make connections on a longer end-to-end journeys, it's usually comparatively straightforward to avoid travelling to and from Italy on these trains.
There are alternative journey options when travelling to Austria or Germany from Bologna, or from Venice/Venezia.
And when travelling in the opposite direction from Munich and Innsbruck.

** Italy <>Austria or Germany:**

You can purchase the supplements on the Eurail reservation service or the InterRail reservation service though you will be charged a €2 booking fee per reservation, per person.

Booking at a Trenitalia ticket desk is a more expensive option, as in addition to the supplement costs you will also have to pay a €2 booking fee for using the ticket desk + the seat reservation will cost an additional €3.50 - as per the info on this page.
The supplements are not available from the Trenitalia ticket machines.

OR if you book the supplement on the OBB website, the instructions are here,, you will need to proactively also add the seat reservation when booking- and pay the additional cost of €3.50 in both 1st class and 2nd class.

If you'll be taking these trains from Verona Porta Nuova, or passing through Verona Porta Nuova, these supplements can also be booked at the Reisezentrum desk in Verona Porta Nuova station - won't be charged a booking fee, but will also have to pay seat reservation charges of €3.50 in both 1st class and 2nd class.

Travelling within Italy:

For journeys within Italy the supplement isn't required, but seat reservations are mandatory and they cost €13 in both 1st and 2nd class - which is the same cost as when using Eurail and InterRail passes on the high speed Frecce trains.
These fees are more expensive than when using Eurail and InterRail passes on Italian Intercity trains - so particularly avoid these trains if you have a rail pass and will be travelling within Italy to northern cities including Bologna, Bolzano, Padova/Padua, Venice/Venezia and Verona.

These trains have storage areas for non-folding bicycles, when boarding in Germany and Italy bike tickets must be purchased at the station prior to boarding, but when travelling from Austria they can be purchased online -add the bike reservation when booking tickets on the the OBB website.