The Alps Without a Car: How We Get Around by Train (and How You Can Too)

Updated October 2026

We’re a train-first family. 🚆 From our village of Kiefersfelden, right on the Austrian border, it’s a 5-minute walk to the station, and from there we can reach Rosenheim, Kufstein, Munich and Salzburg without the car. Coming from the States, leaving the car at home still feels like a little everyday wonder. The Alps are honestly one of the best places in the world to travel this way: trains climb into the valleys, buses meet the trains and cable cars start right in town.

Here’s how I’d plan a car-free Alps trip, country by country.

Why skip the car in the Alps?

• Snow and mountain passes. Winter tires, snow chains and closed passes are real things here from November to April.
• Tolls and vignettes. Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia need a vignette on highways, and some tunnels and passes cost extra.
• Parking. Popular villages fill up early, and some (like Zermatt) are car-free anyway.
• The view. On the train, the driver gets to look out the window too.

Which airport or city is the best gateway?

Bavarian Alps by train

From Munich, regional trains run to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Mittenwald, to Berchtesgaden (with a change), to the Tegernsee and Schliersee lakes, and down the Inn Valley to Rosenheim, Kiefersfelden and Kufstein.

Two tickets make this cheap:

• Deutschlandticket: €63 a month in 2026 (€66.80 from January 2027) for all local and regional trains and buses in Germany. It’s a subscription, so cancel by the 10th of the month. It also covers some cross-border routes, including to Kufstein and Salzburg. More in our sister site’s Deutschlandticket guide.
• Bayern-Ticket: a day ticket for regional trains and most buses across Bavaria, also valid to Kufstein and Salzburg Hbf. In 2026 it costs €34 for one person, plus €10 for each extra adult (up to five), and up to three children aged 6 to 14 ride free with a parent. It’s valid from 09:00 on weekdays and all day on weekends.

Neither ticket covers ICE, IC or EC trains.

Austrian Alps by train

Austria’s main line runs right through the mountains: Munich – Kufstein – Innsbruck, then on to Vienna via Salzburg, or west through the Arlberg tunnel toward Switzerland. ÖBB Railjet and EuroCity trains connect Munich and Innsbruck directly, and regional trains stop in the smaller towns of the Inn Valley.

• Tickets: buy ÖBB tickets online or in the ÖBB app. Sparschiene (saver) fares are cheaper if you book early and don’t need flexibility.
• Up into the valleys: Postbus and regional buses meet the trains. The Zillertal has its own railway from Jenbach to Mayrhofen.
• Guest cards: many Tyrolean regions give overnight guests a card with free local buses. Ask your hotel when you book.

Our neighbor across the border: Kufstein is a few minutes from us by train, with a fortress, a Christmas market and the Kaisergebirge mountains right behind town. It’s a sweet first taste of Tyrol, and easy as a day trip from Munich too.

Swiss Alps by train

Switzerland is the gold standard for car-free mountain travel. Trains, PostBus, boats and mountain railways are timed to connect, often to the minute.

The pass also gives up to 50% off many other mountain railways. If you’re staying in one place for a week, compare it with the Swiss Half Fare Card. For the famous panoramic routes, read Glacier Express vs Bernina Express.

Italian Alps (Dolomites) by train

Trains run from Munich and Innsbruck over the Brenner Pass to Bolzano/Bozen, about two hours from Innsbruck. From Bolzano and Bressanone/Brixen, regional trains and buses fan out into the valleys. In winter, ski buses link the Dolomiti Superski areas.

In South Tyrol, many hotels give guests a Südtirol Guest Pass, which covers regional public transport. Ask your hotel whether it’s included.

French Alps by train

Geneva is the easiest gateway. Annecy is reachable by train or a frequent bus from Geneva, and Chamonix by train via Saint-Gervais-les-Bains on the Mont Blanc Express line. The Chamonix valley has free buses for guests with the local guest card.

What about luggage?

Big suitcases are the one real downside of train travel. Here’s what helps:

• Stay longer in fewer places. Two or three bases are easier than a new hotel every night.
• Use station lockers. Bigger stations like Munich, Innsbruck, Salzburg and Zurich have lockers, so you can explore between trains.
• Send bags ahead in Switzerland. Swiss railways offer luggage forwarding between many stations, so you can travel with just a daypack. Check the SBB website for current prices and times.
• Ask your hotel. Many Alpine hotels will collect you and your bags from the local station if you tell them your train.

Three sample car-free routes

A week in Tyrol and Bavaria (great for families)

1. Munich, 2 nights
2. Garmisch-Partenkirchen, 2 nights (Zugspitze, sledding or hiking)
3. Innsbruck, 3 nights (Nordkette cable car, day trips to Kufstein and Seefeld)

Swiss Alps in 8 days

1. Lucerne, 2 nights (boat and Rigi, included in the pass)
2. Interlaken or Lauterbrunnen, 3 nights
3. Zermatt, 2 nights
4. Glacier Express to St. Moritz, 1 night, then the Bernina Express to Tirano

Christmas markets loop (December)

1. Munich
2. Innsbruck (13 Nov – 23 Dec in the old town)
3. Bolzano and Merano (from 26 Nov)
4. Back over the Brenner via Innsbruck and Kufstein

All the dates are in Christmas markets in the Alps 2026.

Tips for train travel in the Alps with kids

• Travel light. One suitcase per person and a daypack. Station elevators exist, but stairs are common in small towns.
• Sit on the view side. In the Inn Valley the mountains are on both sides, so just pick a window.
• Pack snacks. Regional trains rarely have a café car.
• Use the apps. DB Navigator, ÖBB and SBB Mobile show live delays and platforms.
• Allow buffer time. Connections usually work, but in winter I like 20 to 30 minutes for a change of train.

Read next

• Glacier Express vs Bernina Express
• The Alps in winter without skiing
• Destinations in the Alps

Pfiat di (take care),
Brian

Sources (checked 19–20 October 2026)

• Deutschlandticket price and validity: bahn.de/angebot/regio/deutschland-ticket; cross-border validity: bahn.de/faq/deutschlandticket-verkehrsmittel-ausland
• Bayern-Ticket prices and validity: bahn.de/angebot/regio/laender-tickets/bayern-ticket
• Swiss Travel Pass and Swiss Family Card: sbb.ch, myswitzerland.com
• South Tyrol public transport and Guest Pass: suedtirol.info
• ÖBB timetable: oebb.at

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