Every year we plan a few big trips together, Timothy and I. When we heard ÖBB’s proposal to launch Nightjet service to Brussels in December 2019 we jumped on the occasion and included a ride back home from Austria to Belgium on the Nightjet after our autumn Berlin, Czechia and Slovakia trip. However as we all know in early 2020 an annoying new coronavirus COVID-19, appeared and shook up travel all over the world. We changed our plans to an itinerary in ‘safe’ Germany including stops in Leipzig, Nuremberg, Regensburg, Munich, Lindau and Garmisch-Partenkirchen from where we would take a short train ride to Innsbruck to board our Nightjet back home.

After spending some nice time up and around Germany’s highest mountain, the Zugspitze, the time had come to move on to our final destination of the trip, Innsbruck. Once again we would be travelling on one of DB Regio “Karwendelbahn” bright red Bombardier Talent 2 units.

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Our service was inbound from Munich and the 2 units split in Garmisch, ours the front one continued to Innsbruck in Austria along the Mittenwald Railway while the rear unit continued to Reutte in Tirol on the Ausserfern Railway.

The Mittenwald railway is one of the more recent lines between Germany and Austria, having been built between 1910 and 1912. It was constructed from the beginning as an electrified railway, one of the first in Germany. While it still follows the Isar valley in Garmisch it climbs up to the Scharnitz pass before plunging down into the Inn valley at the other side of the mountains.

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Along the route we enjoyed some more spectacular views of the mountains. Upon approach to Innsbruck we first had to cross through a foggy valley before the view of the city opened up for us. It was also remarkable to be in a train that was higher up than the international airport in the valley.

Previously on this adventure

1. The delicious German state secret: dining onboard Deutsche Bahn.
2. VIDEO | Leipzig Hauptbahnhof.
3. Leipzig Bayerischer Bahnhof.
4. EAST GERMANY | Zeitgeschichtliches Forum, Leipzig’s GDR museum.
5. Hyperion Leipzig.
6. Leipzig.
7. By ICE from Leipzig to Nuremberg.
8. Nuremberg Transport Museum / DB Museum.
9. Novotel Nuremberg City Centre.
10. Documentation Center NS Party Rallying Grounds in Nuremberg.
11. Nuremberg’s Zeppelin Field with the Norisring.
12. Memorium Nuremberg Trials.
13. Nuremberg’s real-life Playmobil Imperial Castle.
14. You need at least two full days in Nuremberg.
15. DB Regio from Nuremberg to Regensburg.
16. Thurn und Taxis princely palace museum in Regensburg.
17. Eurostars Park Hotel Maximilian Regensburg.
18. Regensburg.
19. With Alex from Regensburg to Munich.
20. BMW Museum & BMW Welt in Munich.
21. Munich’s Olympiapark.
22. Sofitel Munich Bayerpost.
23. Deutsches Museum’s Verkehrszentrum or Transport Centre in Munich.
24. Deutsches Museum’s main site on Munich’s Museuminsel.
25. By train to Neuschwanstein.
26. Only 15 Minutes and No Photos in Schloss Neuschwanstein Castle.
27. Museum of the Bavarian Kings in Schwangau near Neuschwanstein.
28. Füssen in Bavaria, the gateway to Neuschwanstein.
29. Münchner Stadtmuseum – Munich City Museum.
30. MUNICH | Die Neue Sammlung – The Design Museum / Pinakothek der Moderne.
31. Five days and four nights in Munich, including Neuschwanstein.
32. By train to Lindau and Lake Constance.
33. Lindau at or in Lake Constance.
34. Hotel Bayerischer Hof Lindau.
35. Trainspotting at Lindau.
36. By train from Lindau to Garmisch-Partenkirchen via the Ausserfern railway.
37. Staying firmly on the ground in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
38. Mercure Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
39. Visiting Germany’s highest mountain, the Zugspitze.
40. Mountaineering in Germany part 2: The Alpspitz.
41. Nightjet Vienna/Innsbruck to Brussels, or how we got thrown off the train in Aachen.