As autumn approaches, so does the lure of Oktoberfest and this year, travellers can literally board a “beer train” to take them from Italy to Germany’s world-famous beer extravaganza.
Laid on for two special Oktoberfest dates by Italy’s state-owned FS Treni Turistici Italiani, the Munich Express, or Espresso Monaco, is a Bavarian-themed sleeper train – though sleeping may be the last thing on the agenda for passengers who will be greeted by draft beers, plus traditional Bavarian food, music and dancing.
Worrying about driving when planning to attend a beer festival can kill the fun, but as FS Treni Turistici Italiani points out in a press release, with a train journey, passengers can “Forget the stress of driving and unnecessary stops: with us, the fun begins as soon as you get on board.”
In addition to the lively on-board offer, the view outside will be a scenic one, with the Express departing the Italian capital, Rome, at 8:00 pm on Friday 26 September and Friday 3 October 2025, before passing through Florence, Verona, Bologna and, of course, the Alps. Other boarding points along the 16-hour route include Trento, Bressanone, Bolzano, Vipiteno, Fortezza, Colle Isarco, and Brennero.
Arrival in the Bavarian capital Munich is at 2:30 pm on Saturday, ready for an afternoon and evening of Oktoberfest indulgence, with the return journey leaving again on Sunday afternoon at 2:30 pm and terminating back in Rome at 6:30 am the next day – ready for a potentially brutal Monday morning back at work.
A range of sleeping accommodation is available for those looking to stay fresh, from single and double cabins to four-berth family sleepers. Fare prices start at €99 one-way.
Marking its 215th anniversary this year, Oktoberfest has its origins in the five-day-long wedding celebrations of Prince Regent Ludwig of Bavaria (later King Louis I) and his bride, Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen (for whom the Theresienwiese meadow where the festival takes place is named). Culminating in a horse race, the event proved so popular that it was taken on the following year as an annual fair by the Bavarian agricultural association. Interestingly, kiosks serving food and beverages were not introduced until eight years in, and the now-iconic servings of roast chicken were not seen until 71 years after the first festival.
These days, autumn beer festivals happen all over Germany, including an increasingly popular incarnation in Berlin, where, according to Thomas Cook’s Holidays Digital director Nicholas Smith, visitors can enjoy “the same Bavarian traditions but in a more accessible and affordable setting.”
Another alternative is Belgium’s Lambic Month, taking place near Brussels every autumn in Flemish Brabant’s Pajottenland, an area of Brueghel-worthy countryside, home to the characteristically tangy, naturally-yeasted lambic beer.
