We had our hotel (Hotel Mueller right below the castle) arrange for tickets. Sorry I can't answer some of your questions but your entry to the castle will be timed-helps with crowd control.

You can reserve tickets online, but then you need to pick them up at the ticket reservation center. As nini said the entries are timed so it does help with crowd control Here is a link about reserving online:http://www.ticket-center-hohenschwangau.de/english/eindex.htm

Thank you nini and jgg--rhyme time I've been reading about tickets to Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau and it sounds like you go to "H" first and then "N" or is that only according to Rick Steves? We did want to visit both of those castles, probably on the same day.

Can you tell me if it's only for visiting "N" that you need a timed entrance? I have looked at the site you included, jgg, but I didn't see any indication whether one tour transitions into the other. Thanks again for helping me, Deborah

Well, looking back at my notes it looked like we had timed entrances for both "H" and "N" two hours apart. So, our "H" entrance was for 9:15 and our "N" entrance was for 11:15. Not sure if you're required to do H first or if you're required to have entrances two hours apart. I'm guessing I'd read that it's best to do H first cuz you don't need to spend as much time there, and that gives you time to see it and still get up to N before your entry time up there.

jgg, thanks for taking the time to check your notes; that clears things up a bit. Do you have an opinion whether we can wait until we get to Fussen to decide which day we want to visit the castles and reserve online the day before? If the weather is nice on one of our three days we'd like to go up to the Zugspitze and I don't mind saving the castle for a rainy day. Thanks again, Deborah

The "N" castle tour is shorter than you may imagine. Don't forget, even though the outside is quite large, the inside was never completed. There are finished rooms to visit, but the tour moves you along at a snappy pace. You may not want to go on a rainy day either. We queued in the castle courtyard and to my recollection, it wasn't covered. Plus, the views out some of the windows are lovely! There is also the view and walk to the lookout bridge that you will want to visit which may not be the same if it is raining. Our family loved Neuschwanstein. We took a day bike tour of the valley which ended at the tour of the castle.

Have fun!

Mutti, I guess we will have to do a "no rain" dance for the three days we are in Fussen!! Thanks for giving your observations of the tour. Having fun is at the top of our must do list Deborah

On a holiday weekend I would not wait to book castle reservations only one day in advance. And, as Mutti notes, there is a lot of outdoor time involved in visiting both castles (walking the last bit, waiting for your tour time to be called, etc) , far more than indoor time (N tour is 35 mins inside, for example), and none of the outdoor areas are under shelter. And, yes, the views from the windows are lovely!

The only thing your 14 day museum pass does for you is get you cheaper entry. It doesn't impact reservation times, wait times, etc. You must make reservations in advance and you must pick up your tickets no later than 1 hour prior to your timed tour departure otherwise your reservation will be cancelled. Which sounds a bit draconian but given the millions of people a year that want to see these lovely sites it makes it all work like clock-work and enjoyable by all.

Thanks Kim, I was hoping it would be more like the Paris museum passes and we could be a "line skipper".

We were at dinner with friends last night that told us when they visited Neuschwanstein in May they had no crowds and they didn't remember needing reservations. Then we realized they were there in 1992!! Guess things have changed a bit in 20 years Deborah