The Brenner Railway: Munich & Innsbruck to Verona by Train
One of Europe’s most scenic mainline railway routes is the Brenner Pass in the Alps, along which trains run from Munich and Innsbruck to Bolzano and Verona in Italy.
Brenner Railway
One of the most scenic ways to travel from Germany or Austria to Italy is by train across the Brenner Railway.
Comfortable, direct daytime trains link Munich in the southern German state of Bavaria with Verona in Italy, and even beyond to cities such as Bologna and Venice.
These trains allow you to enjoy the fabulous mountain views of the Alps, as well as the impressive limestone cliffs and vineyards of the Adige Valley.
For a mainline railway and a major European transport artery, it offers scenery that easily competes with some of the true mountain railways in the Alps.
Scenery on the southern side of the Brenner Pass in the Adige Valley between Bolzano and Verona. ©AndyBTravels
About the route
From Munich, trains first travel via Rosenheim towards the Austrian state of Tyrol, offering some fine mountain views along the way.
After stops in Kufstein, Wörgl, and Jenbach, the train arrives at Innsbruck, the capital of Tyrol and a major junction station.
Here at Innsbruck Hbf, the railway line from north to south that we are travelling on meets the main west–east line along the spine of the Alps, linking Zurich with Salzburg and Vienna.
Innsbruck is considered the official start of the Brenner Railway, and from here the mountain scenery becomes truly impressive.
Next, the border station of Brennero/Brenner (its name being written in both Italian and German) marks the highest point of the line at 1,371 metres (4,498 ft) above sea level.
We are now in the Italian province of South Tyrol, where most stations have bilingual Italian–German names, such as Fortezza/Franzensfeste, Bressanone/Brixen, and, of course, the South Tyrolean capital, known as Bolzano in Italian and Bozen by local German speakers.
After stopping in Bolzano, the train continues down the Adige Valley towards Trento and finally Verona, which marks the end of the Brenner Railway.
Empty platforms at the train station of Bolzano. ©AndyBTravels
Alpine scenery. ©AndyBTravels
Different trains
If you want to travel by train across the Brenner Pass, you can choose from the following services:
The Railjet is arguably the most modern long-distance train across the Brenner Railway, and the only one with a dining car.
However, classic locomotive-hauled EuroCity trains are at least as comfortable and have the added advantage of allowing you to admire the views back along the railway from the vestibule of the rear coach, which isn’t possible on fixed-formation Railjet trains.
Finally, there are plenty of regional trains crossing the Brenner Pass, ideal for short distances and usually cheaper than EuroCity and Railjet services.
Search train connections and book your ticket through reliable booking website Omio.
Future services
In the near future, we may also see high-speed Frecciarossa trains across the Brenner Railway.
The Italian national railway company Trenitalia plans to launch multiple new train routes between Italy and Germany, including Milan to Munich and even Naples to Berlin via the Brenner Pass.
Classic locomotive-hauled EuroCity train of ÖBB, the Austrian Federal Railways, at the station of Verona Porta Nuova. ©AndyBTravels
Conclusion
One of the most scenic mainline rail routes in Europe is the Brenner Railway, running from Innsbruck in Austria to Verona in Italy.
Most long-distance services on this route are EuroCity or Railjet trains, connecting Munich and Innsbruck north of the Alpine watershed with Bolzano and Verona to the south.
