Looking over the Bodensee near Lindau

Zürich / Zurich to München / Munich by train

How to take the newly improved rail journey from Zurich to Munich/München

Thanks to recently completed major construction work, including a new station in Germany, and the introduction of sleek tilting trains, there has never been such a fabulous rail service between Zurich and München/Munich.

Connect in München hbf for destinations in Germany without direct trains from Switzerland including Augsburg, Nurnberg and Leipzig.

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Routes

From Zürich HB / Zurich main station to München Hbf/Munich main station

Travel Information

Final Destination: Munchen

All trains also call at Zurich Flughafen/Airport and Lindau-Reutin

The train service between Zurich and Munich has been transformed for the better!
The entire route has been modernised which has enabled smart electric trains to be used for the service.
The 'Astoro' trains now used tilt when going around the curves on the track and this, combined with a new station in Lindau, where the trains will won't have to change direction, has shaved more than 40 minutes off the previous journey time.

This is a fascinating three country journey, because between St Margrethen and Lindau, the train will be travelling through Austria.
The scenic highlights are also on this part of the journey, as the railway is by the shore of the Bodensee, which can be seen on the left-hand side of the train.

6 x trains per day

Tickets

Book early and save: Yes

Online bookings open: 6 months ahead of the travel date

When making an online booking, check that you’re looking at booking info for the direct EC trains.

On the DB Bahn booking site look for journeys that have:

  • 0 in the Chg. column-
  • EC (and only EC) in the Products column.

Reservations will automatically be included if you book 1st class tickets on DB, but their optional when booking 2nd class tickets or travelling with a rail pass.

Where to book
Ticket Provider Approximate Cost
DB Bahn from €29

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.

SBB from €29

SBB Guide

SBB is the main national rail operator in Switzerland, but tickets for journeys by the other significant operators including BLS and SOB can be be booked on the SBB website.

SBB also sells tickets for journeys to many destinations which involve a combination of SBB trains and services provided by the many independent operators who serve the Alpine resort towns.
However, if you will be making a long-distance return day trip, look out for he possibility of SaverDay passes being cheaper than tickets.

Though if you download the SBB app, booking tickets on SBB's mobile services can be simper than using the website.
Also watch out for the fact that booking international tickets can be comparatively quirky.

Trainline from €29

Trainline Guide

SaveATrain from €29

SaveATrain Guide

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