How do you get from Munich to Venice?

Munich to Venice at a glance

Last checked 27 October 2026. Fares are approximate; dollar figures convert at our committed exchange-rate snapshot.

Planning more legs? Use the route finder.

Direct railjet over the Brenner (best for most)

Only two direct trains a day run all the way, jointly operated by ÖBB and DB. The Man in Seat 61's 2026 timetable shows RJ 81 leaving Munich at 07:23 on weekdays (arriving Venice 15:14; the weekend version arrives earlier) and RJ 85 leaving at 11:23, arriving 18:25. From the 13 December 2026 timetable change they move to 07:32 and 11:32. Northbound trains leave Venice at 11:35 and 15:35.

Along the way the trains call at Innsbruck, Bolzano, Verona, Padua and Venezia Mestre before ending at Santa Lucia, on the Grand Canal. From Santa Lucia, vaporetto lines leave from the quay outside the station.

Price: fares start at about €27.99 (≈ $31) in second class and €39.99 (≈ $45) in first and rise as quotas sell out, so book early. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead on ÖBB's site or app and on DB's international site; Trainline also sells them. ÖBB's cheapest fares are called Sparschiene; the basic version is non-refundable and tied to your train.

Seat reservations are optional but worth it in summer: ÖBB charges about €3 (≈ $3.3) in either class, cheaper than DB. Interrail and Eurail pass holders must pay a passholder surcharge for these trains to Italy.

Which side to sit on and what to expect

Sit on the right-hand side going south (left going north). That side gets the Inn valley after Kufstein, the climb up the Wipptal from Innsbruck, and the Isarco valley vineyards and castles between the Brenner and Bolzano.

The early train is better if you want an afternoon in Venice.

Engineering works: the Brenner line closes for planned maintenance most summers. In 2026 it closed from 18 July to 1 August, and the Munich-Venice railjets were diverted on a long detour via Tarvisio rather than replaced by buses. Check ÖBB's notices for 2027 closures before booking a July or August trip.

Changing trains: more options, same day

If the two direct trains do not fit, there are more railjets and EuroCity trains from Munich to Verona, and frequent Italian regional and high-speed trains from Verona to Venice; check Trenitalia or Italo for times. A change at Verona or Innsbruck gives you several more departures a day.

This is also the obvious way to break the journey. On our route we went from Munich to Verona for 2 nights, then Bologna for 4, then Venice from 31 July to 3 August 2023. Our Venice, Verona and Bologna itinerary and Verona in one day cover that order.

Night train

ÖBB's Nightjet network includes a Venice to Munich service: a third-party timetable updated in June 2026 lists NJ 236 leaving Venice at 21:05 and reaching München Ost at 06:01. Note that it uses München Ost, not the Hauptbahnhof. ÖBB suspended its Munich to La Spezia Nightjet for all of 2026 because of construction works, so confirm the Venice train runs on your date on the Nightjet site before planning around it.

Bus: FlixBus

FlixBus runs Munich to Venice from ZOB Munich (the central coach station at Hackerbrücke, one S-Bahn stop from the Hauptbahnhof). FlixBus's own route page gives a minimum of about 7 hours 15 minutes to Tronchetto, and some departures stop at Venezia Mestre station first, which is slightly quicker. Fares on aggregators range from about €27 to €65 (≈ $30–72).

Tronchetto is the car and coach island at the edge of Venice: from there the People Mover monorail runs to Piazzale Roma in a few minutes, and vaporetti go into the city. Mestre is on the mainland, about 10 minutes by train from Santa Lucia.

The bus uses the A13 Brenner motorway, which gets heavy summer-weekend traffic. Take the bus only if it is clearly cheaper or the trains are sold out.

Driving

It is about 550 km, roughly 5.5 to 7 hours depending on traffic, via the A8 to Rosenheim, the Inntal motorway to Innsbruck, the Brenner motorway (A13), and the A22 and A4 in Italy. In Austria you need a digital vignette (€12.80 (≈ $14.3) for 10 days in 2026, from Austria's official ASFINAG list) plus a separate Brenner section toll; Italian motorways charge a distance toll at the exit booths.

Germany has kept temporary checks at its land borders, including with Austria, into 2026, so expect possible slowdowns at the border and carry your passport. In Venice, cars stop at Piazzale Roma or Tronchetto garages, which are expensive; most people return the car in Mestre. Read our Italy ZTL driving guide before driving into any Italian city.

Arriving in Venice

If you are only visiting for the day, the Venice day-tripper fee may apply on certain dates; overnight guests pay the hotel's city tax instead. For where to base yourself, see where to stay in Venice and how many days in Venice; our Venice guide and Munich guide cover the two cities. Germany and Italy are both in Schengen, so there is no Entry/Exit System registration on this journey.

Frequently asked questions