Day trips from Munich?

Is Salzburg a “must-do”? Our main interests will not be in museums, but rather the overall atmosphere, beauty and charm of the area>

To me Salzburg fulfills your desire of an overall beauty - a Baroque wonder thru and thru and to me that is Salzburg's lure and to me one of Europe's most gorgeous cities - and save a few main churches not many must sights - just wander around.

Regensburg is known for having the most historic old buildings of any city in Germany but to me it does not have the overall harmony that is so so unusual in Salzburg.

Do the Salzburg thing - she's a beauty. As PalenQ states, Salzburg is a city with great character and is made for wandering, rather than one of great monuments. It's funny but thinking now about my trips there I realize I am always walk around it with a satisfied grin in my face, sighing.

As for the other possibilities you list, Lindau would add the most to a variety of day trips but it is not "Alpine" at all and it is almost 3 hours from Munich by train.

Regensburg (try the sausage with the same name) is a good choice, as are Nurnberg (try the sausage with the same name), and Augsburg - at about 80, 70, and 30 minutes, respectively by direct train.

Yes. By all means, Salzburg is a must-see. Other day trips to consider from Munich. Dachau, Herren Chiemsee, Nuremburg and Augsburg.

You mentioned Lindau. I love its neighbor, Meersburg. Also, from Meersburg, you can take a trip over Lake Constance to Mainau, the flower island. A pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

Another vote for Salzburg. It is a people pleaser. A lovely town. The ancient fort above the city is a good viewpoint on the city. There are cute restaurants on the riverside in town. Plus, it is the perfect distance for a day-trip by train from Munich.

We also went to Fussen from Munich by train. It is a must-see for most people, too.

Be sure to ask if the Bayern Pass is still available. It makes those train trips very inexpensive, and I think it includes public buses to/from the train station. Someone here will probably know.

Thanks to all for these replies.

The Bayern Pass (Lander-Ticket)is available at a cost of 29 Euros and is good for up to five people traveling together for a full day anywhere in the state, provided, they use the local trains, plus, there some restrictions on week-days before 9AM. I'm not sure the Lander-Ticket will work to Salzburg (maybe on the RE trains) but our German Rail Passes do on all trains. We plan on using a mix of the Bayern Pass and Twin German Rail Pass.

Information on the Lander-Ticket can be found here http://bahn.com/i/view/USA/en/prices/germany/laender-ticket.shtml

The Bayern Ticket is also valid to/from Salzburg even as the last kilometers are technically in Austria.
But public transport IN Salzburg is not included.
The restrictions you cited are same. No trains before 9am on weekdays, regional trains only. On the main line Munich - Salzburg you can take any RE or RB train. Not allowed: IC, ICE, EC trains.

In Bavaria proper the ticket would also cover any other travel on any integrated transit system, e.g. the subways, buses and trams in Munich or in Nuremberg or the city buses in Regensburg.
You should also take a look at the discount booklet you can download for the Bayern Tickets. Most discounts are not that huge, but if you plan to visit any sights from that list you can save a few euros here and there.

Happy travels!