Munich to Innsbruck via Garmisch

It isn't the quickest way between the two cities, but taking the local service via Garmisch is a much more scenic route. The train takes you south from Munich past Lake Chiemsee and beyond to the famous ski resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Continuing south, the mountains begin to rise ever higher, the formidable Wetterstein chain forming the German-Austrian border

You pass through the pretty German village of Mittenwald, known for its violin-making and delightfully painted houses, then the Austrian town of Seefeld in Tirol, a popular resort for cross-country skiers, located on a plateau above the Inn Valley.

The descent into Innsbruck itself is the undoubted highlight of the journey, a perilous-seeming series of bridges and tunnels as the railway picks its way along the side of the steep valley like a mountain goat - you may have the unusual experience of sitting in a train, watching aeroplanes fly past below you as they take off or land at Innsbruck airport ...