Have you heard about Italy’s beer train to Oktoberfest?

Tourists from Rome can now avoid the airport lines and plunge into the Oktoberfest atmosphere directly from a new service introduced by Italian state-owned tourist railway company, FS Treni Turistici Italiani. The ‘Munich Express’, or ‘Espresso Monaco’, is a Bavaria-themed overnight sleeper train that makes the 16-hour overnight ride a pre-party experience.

Oktoberfest on wheels: Italy’s new beer train brings a party to Munich

Forget a stressful journey; this train is a party on rails. Along the way it winds its way through Florence, Bologna, Verona and the stunning Alps, passengers can indulge in freshly drawn draught beer, Bavarian folk music and good old-fashioned snacks such as sausages and soft pretzels.

The service is operating on two weekends of 2025 Oktoberfest: leaving Rome Termini at 8 pm on 26 September and 3 October. The train is arriving in Munich at 2.30 pm the next day, in time for the celebrations. Return services leave Munich on Sunday afternoons and return to Rome early on Monday morning.

Accommodation varies from standard seats to couchettes and sleeper cabins with private bedrooms for singles couples and groups. The service is convenient and cost-effective, with fares beginning at €99 one-way and a reduced rate of €89 round trip.

Although Munich is still the hub of Oktoberfest, other German cities such as Berlin are drawing an increasing number of tourists with their own take on the celebration. Thomas Cook states that numerous travelers are searching for Berlin’s Oktoberfest because it is cheaper and they can have a cost-friendly celebration. But for those travelling to Munich, the new Munich Express assures that the fun starts as soon as you board.

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