Train from Zurich to Munich

Train from Zurich to Munich at a glance

Everything travellers ask about the train from Zurich to Munich in one place. SBB/DB EuroCity runs the route direct, with no change of train, with a journey time of about 3 hours 30 minutes over roughly 310 km, every 2 hours. Trains leave from Zürich HB and arrive at München Hauptbahnhof. Haqqi Tours offers the ticket in the class you choose and confirms the exact departure, the seat and the cost in the WhatsApp chat before any payment.

• Route: Zurich to Munich (about 310 km)
• Operator: SBB/DB EuroCity
• Journey time: about 3 hours 30 minutes
• Connection: direct train
• Frequency: every 2 hours
• Departure station: Zürich HB
• Arrival station: München Hauptbahnhof
• Classes: second class and first class
• Booking: form on this page, confirmation on WhatsApp, e-ticket by message

Electrified in 2020, the Zurich-Munich EuroCity now takes three and a half hours along Lake Zurich and through the Allgäu, with Swiss tilting trains on the route.

Cheapest train ticket from Zurich to Munich: how to pay less

A cheap train ticket from Zurich to Munich is not luck - it is booking the right seat on the right departure. Here is how we find it:

• Avoid the first and last trains of the day, which carry commuters and business passengers at higher fares
• Let us know if your dates are flexible - moving by a day, or by an hour, often halves the fare
• Ask about children's, youth and senior fares - most operators on this route discount them
• Book both directions together - a return or two singles, whichever comes out cheaper on your dates
• Choose a fixed-departure ticket if your plans are certain; flexible tickets cost more
• For families and groups, ask about group fares - four or more travellers often unlock a lower rate

Send us the form with your dates and we tell you which departure is the cheapest train from Zurich to Munich that day, and how much you would save by moving to the next one.

How to book train tickets from Zurich to Munich with Haqqi Tours

The easiest way to book train tickets from Zurich to Munich is to let us do it. The short form on this page asks only for the essentials; everything else - seat preferences, a pushchair, a bicycle, a connection later that day - you tell us by WhatsApp when we message you to confirm the seats and the price. We provide the ticket in your name, explain how boarding works at Zürich HB and stay reachable during the journey.

• Step 1 - complete the form: date, one-way or return, adults and children, class
• Step 2 - we message you through WhatsApp with the available departures, the seats and the cost
• Step 3 - you confirm the departure you prefer and we arrange payment in the same chat
• Step 4 - we issue the e-ticket and send it to you; we stay in touch until you arrive in Munich

Because a person books the ticket, not a machine, we can do the things a booking site cannot: hold seats together for a family, pick the coach nearest the luggage racks, choose a quiet carriage, or line up the Zurich to Munich train with a transfer from your hotel to Zürich HB and another from München Hauptbahnhof to your hotel in Munich.

Timetable of the Zurich to Munich train

Departures on the Zurich to Munich line are spread across the day (every 2 hours), all operated by SBB/DB EuroCity. Allow about 3 hours 30 minutes on board, and remember that as a direct train there is no connection to miss. Let us know on the form whether you prefer morning, midday or evening and we send the exact times for the date you travel.

We recommend booking a specific departure rather than an open ticket on this route: the fare is lower and the seat is guaranteed. If your day changes, we can typically move you to another train through the same WhatsApp chat.

Is there a direct train from Zurich to Munich?

Yes, absolutely. The train from Zurich to Munich is direct: you board at Zürich HB and step off at München Hauptbahnhof without changing. A direct train also means there is nothing to miss if the departure runs a few minutes late.

Departure: Zürich HB

The train from Zurich to Munich leaves from Zürich HB, in Zurich - zurich is Switzerland's largest city on its own lake, with Zurich Airport (ZRH) only about 10 km north of the centre, the Bahnhofstrasse and the old town on the river, and Lucerne, the Rhine Falls, Interlaken and the Alps all within reach by road or the excellent trains. Plan to be at the station about 20 to 30 minutes before departure: enough to find the platform on the boards, pass any ticket gate or security check the station uses, and board without hurrying. Getting there: Trains reach the Hauptbahnhof from the airport in about 10 minutes, ideal for a city hotel; Interlaken, Lucerne with luggage, or the ski resorts are where a private car or Sprinter earns its place.

• Cafés, kiosks and left-luggage are available at Zürich HB for early arrivals
• Haqqi Tours arranges a private transfer from your hotel in Zurich to the station on request
• Let us know which hall or level your train leaves from - big stations have more than one
• Arrive 20-30 minutes early; the platform is shown on the boards shortly before departure

Arrival: München Hauptbahnhof

You step off at München Hauptbahnhof, right in the city - close to Bogenhausen and Haidhausen and the Ostbahnhof. The S1 and S8 S-Bahn take about 40 minutes to the Hauptbahnhof and Marienplatz and suit a solo traveller; ski groups, families and anyone heading on to the Alps, Salzburg or Neuschwanstein find the car far simpler, and a Sprinter takes the ski bags. If you would rather not think about it, we book a driver to meet you off the train and take you to the door of your hotel.

Onward journeys from Munich - a connecting train, a ferry or a flight the same day - can be added to the booking; tell us and we time the Zurich to Munich train to fit.

Classes and what it is like on board the Zurich to Munich train

What is the train from Zurich to Munich like inside? Modern coaches with reserved seats, tables for two or four, racks for suitcases, sockets and usually Wi-Fi of varying quality. In second class and first class the differences are space and quiet more than anything else. Over about 3 hours 30 minutes the extra comfort of the higher class is worth it for some passengers and not for others; we tell you the cost of both and let you choose.

• Reserved seats with tables, power sockets and luggage racks
• Toilets in every coach; a café or bar coach on most long-distance services
• Wi-Fi on many trains on this route - useful for work, not reliable for streaming
• Quiet coaches and family areas on selected services - let us know when booking

Children, luggage and groups on the Zurich to Munich train

Haqqi Tours books family and group travel on this route all year round. Children's fares depend on age bands set by SBB/DB EuroCity, which we apply automatically; a pushchair folds into the luggage space; a table of four keeps everyone together. Larger groups - a school trip, a company, a wedding party - get seats reserved in a block and, where available, a group rate. There is no luggage allowance to worry about on the Zurich to Munich train.

Things to do in Munich after the train

The reasons travellers take the train to Munich are the BMW Museum and Olympic Park, the Deutsches Museum, Neuschwanstein Castle, two hours south, the Viktualienmarkt and Allianz Arena on match days. Munich is the capital of Bavaria and the gateway to the Alps, with Munich Airport (MUC) about 35-40 km north-east of the city at Freising; the Marienplatz and the beer halls are its centre, and the ski resorts, Neuschwanstein Castle, Garmisch, Salzburg and the Austrian Tyrol all lie within a couple of hours by road. Eat schnitzel and a beer in a garden, pork knuckle (Schweinshaxe) and Kaiserschmarrn while you are there.

We offer tours and transfers in Munich as well as the train ticket - one conversation, one plan for the whole trip.

Best time to take the train from Zurich to Munich

Oktoberfest in late September and early October fills every hotel, Christmas markets fill December, and the ski season runs into March; the A92 from the airport is slowest at the weekday rush. For the train itself, spring and autumn bring the best mix of availability and fares; summer and holiday periods sell out earliest, so book the Zurich to Munich train as soon as your dates are fixed. Winter services run normally, with occasional weather delays on mountainous or coastal stretches.

Train, plane or bus from Zurich to Munich?

Train versus plane between Zurich and Munich comes down to time and hassle: the train leaves from and arrives right in the centre, with no baggage limits and no queues; the plane may be quicker in the air but rarely door to door. Buses exist and are cheap, but for comfort and reliability the train is the option Haqqi Tours recommends first.

Return train from Munich to Zurich

We book the return leg from Munich to Zurich just as easily, and normally on the same confirmation. Booking both directions together lets us compare a return fare against two singles and choose the cheaper combination for your dates. Let us know the day you want to come back on the form and we send both directions with the cost.

How much does the train from Zurich to Munich cost?

The cost of the train from Zurich to Munich is not one number: it changes with the date, the departure time, the class and how far ahead the ticket is booked. SBB/DB EuroCity prices the seats in tiers, so an early booking on a quiet mid-week departure and a last-minute ticket on a Friday evening can be very different fares for the same train. That is why Haqqi Tours does not print a price on this page: we look up the live fares for your exact date and send you the real cost in the WhatsApp chat, with the options side by side.

What we do include in the price we send: the ticket itself in the class you chose, the seat reservation where the railway requires one, and our service - checking the timetable, booking, sending the electronic ticket and answering questions before and during the journey. There are no hidden extras added at the end.

Why book your Zurich to Munich train ticket with Haqqi Tours

Haqqi Tours is a licensed tour operator that books train tickets from Zurich to Munich all year round. We provide the ticket in your name, the seats you want, the cheapest fare for your dates, and a human on WhatsApp in Arabic and English before, during and after the journey. Around the train, we offer transfers, tours and hotel-to-station drivers in both cities. Send the form on this page; we message you with seats and the price; you decide.