 Poster: A snowHead
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Looking at doing a weekend trip to Soll in early March, flying into Munich. Return flight will be around 8pm on a Sunday. Would you take the train or hire a car ? Plenty of reports on here of traffic nightmares getting back to MUC on a Sunday, but some at least seem to have been roadworks related. Other reports say hire car is easiest. What's the current Snowheads wisdom ?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I took a train MUC-Westendorf a year ago, found it relatively painless (I don’t have skis or boots).
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Train to Kufstein and then taxi. Stress free journey, one change to Platform 8 usually at Ost Bahnhof (there are lifts). I have nearly missed flights on Sunday evenings.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@EricTheRed, I'd use Four Seasons transfers if they're running at times that suit.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@EricTheRed, I would drive. I prefer the train but getting back & forth to the airport is a bit of a pain. If train you first need to get an S8 to Ostbahnhof then a regional train (there are long distance trains too but they dont run as regularly and are always crowded) to Kufstein then a bus or taxi. Yes on a Sunday evening the traffic will be slow. When no traffic I can get to & from Scheffau in just under an hour (live on the east side of Munich not far from the airport). When it is busy it might take double that but still less than the train.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
| there are long distance trains too but they dont run as regularly and are always crowded |
The Verona / Bologna fast trains are every two hours. I usually have a meal in the Airbrau at Munich Airport and just wait until it's time to go. I use the DB Navigator app to book and it shows how busy trains are. I've never bothered reserve a seat but I think you can. I guess travelling with ski bags might be more of a pain but personally I travel light.
Going back on a sunday there are 15:02, 15:26, 16:02 or even, at a pinch, the 17:02 which gets you into the airport at 18:55.
@EricTheRed, what time does your outbound flight arrive at Munich? If it's late then car hire is definitely best. Later trains are slower and usually an extra connection.
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@Avabrunch, The EC trains are always full to overflowing. If you get on at Ostbahnhof especially with ski kit you either need a first class ticket or a reservation otherwise little hope of a seat ( even a reserved seat is not a definite as people will sit in them thinking they havent been taken and it can be very difficult to get people to move!). Much better to get on at Hauptbahnhof where the train starts. If you are only going to Kufstein better to get the regional trains (hardly any slower perhaps 5 minutes or so) which go every hour. Sadly the German train system is not as reliable as it once was, the EC trains get many complaints about delays. I use them to get to St Anton as much prefer the train to driving but not sure I would rely on them to get me back to the airport after a short weekend trip (even though I have a Deutschland ticket which gives me free travel on all regional trains including Kufstein & Salzburg). I use the S bahn to get to work and over the past year or so the service has not been brilliant to say the least. Plus there are the ongoing drivers strikes. Sounds all a bit like the UK 
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@EricTheRed,
I've done both to SkiWelt. You don't need a car once you are there so whatever is you preference really. You can take some very scenic routes down from Munich (I can recommend a few on-route stops). Also the more people you have in the car the better the costs stack up. Check the flight / train timings work before going for that option though. I think we got on a ICE once when we shouldn't have with the tickets we had. That would have been half term when all the local trains were rammed full.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Thanks all for the advice. Given all the above I think I'm leaning towards hiring a car. My outbound flight lands at Munich at 10am on a Friday and I reckon driving will maximise time on the slopes on Friday afternoon. I was watching the journey times from Soll to Munich airport on Waze and Google Maps yesterday afternoon and the worst it got was about 2:20. To be on the safe side I'd leave resort around 3pm for the 8pm flight, which is probably around the same time I'd book a taxi to Kufstein to get the train back.
| munich_irish wrote: |
| Sadly the German train system is not as reliable as it once was |
Sad to hear this. I spent 6 months in Munich as a student back in the 90s and exploring Bavaria and further afield at the weekends on the Schönes-Wochenende train ticket was a real delight.
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@EricTheRed, When I first got here the trains were very reliable but in the past 18 months the service has not been as good. There has been much whinging in the media about how unreliable it has all become. Given you are only going to be here for such a short time the car makes sense, different if you were spending a week. I agree aim to leave around 3 and you should be checking in around 5:30. On arrival with a bit of luck you should get in an afternoon's skiing (though you must be getting up very early for a 10:00 arrival in Munich from Dublin!). There are some cross country routes but they are slow and no quicker than the autobahn
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I did the drive last Jan for a weekend trip and it's an easy one. Only thing that caught me out was the fuel stop near the airport.... could not find one for love or money.... for a weekend the train is just too long.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Clearly the train, private transfer and hire car can all work well depending on your luck and timing, so the question for me has always been around luggage and number of people. If you have skis and a large bag/suitcase, or a wheeled ski bag, then hauling that onto 1-2 trains and then a bus or taxi from Kufstein is a major pain. The other factor is the location of your accommodation - if you are taking the bus from Kufstein and then have to walk to the other end of the village that's also a lot of hassle. With a single backpack-type bag, the train is simple.
Private transfers and a hire car are door to door. You can get stuck in traffic either way, but on a clear run it is 90 minutes door to door and a simple drive, and with the use of Waze or Google Maps you can avoid most queues unless they happen right in front of you, in which case you're close to the front and unlikely to be held up for more than 45 minutes.
On a short break, I prioritize time on the hill over cost and hire a car. If it gets me an extra two hours skiing on arrival day and another two on departure day it is worth it. For an 8pm flight, I'd be assuming a 2 hour journey and looking to drop the car at 6.30, and head straight for the bag drop and then security. Munich airport doesn't have 30 minute delays anywhere, except occasionally at the gate.
On a longer trip, the car also allows for some outings, e.g. Alpbach, Kitzbuhel, St Johann, or Steinplatte and of course if you are self-catering then it is useful to avoid lugging heavy stuff back from the shop
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@Gaz_H, there are three easy options for refilling a hire car on the way into Munich airport from the ring road, all cheaper than the on-site petrol station which people tend to miss when the stress levels rise. The stop at Eching is my preferred option.
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You know it makes sense.
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It is very easy to miss the petrol station at the airport when coming in from the autobahn (yes it is a bit more expensive). When you get to the actual airport and can see the train tracks and hangers to your right, there is an exit (overhead gantry has a sign "Tankstelle" with a petrol pump icon) take this then turn left at the junction and follow the signs to the petrol station next to a small roundabout (which is on the opposite side of the carriageway you drive in on, though you should be able to see it). You need to go back the way you came in to get back to the airport / car drop off areas.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Decision made, car it is !
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