KenP

I will be driving from Garmisch to Fussen in late April. There are two routes to take. One appears to be a mountain route into Austria thru the town of Ruette. The other route goes north and stays within Germany. ViaMichelin suggests the German route. The Austrian route looks appealing due to the mountain scenery. Appears travel time is about the same. For those who have taken this drive, can you please provide your recommendation on which route you'd recommend? Thank you.

J62

Scenic drive also means twisty roads and lots of up and down, which makes for a less relaxing drive.

Since you'll be in Garmisch you'll get plenty of mountain scenery, without worrying about driving at the same time.

I recommend the German route.

jujubean

We just made the reverse of this trip in December after the huge snowfall in parts of Europe at Christmas. We took the Austrian route and had no issues - but of course, since we didn't take it, I cannot speak to the relative ease of the German route. We did enjoy our drive.

I think it really depends on your comfort level driving through mountain areas and ultimately what you want to see or do. If the journey is the thing - like it was for us - take the Austrian route. If you just want to get there with less fuss, go the German route.

bobthenavigator

I hope you plan to see Kloster Ettal, Linderhof, and Weiskirche as well. If so, your question is answered.

logos999

This has nothing to do with mountain driving at all. The Plansee route is nice and you'll be driving almost on the western shore of the lake most of the time, a few turns. The road through Lermoos is very scenic because of the valley. I'd use that road, no mountain driving either. Gas is cheaper there, so I'd fill up in Ehrwald. Turn left beneath that "strange" bridge, the gas station is about 100 meter from there. It's your cheapest option.

The name of the town is Reutte, not Ruette

norrisken

Is the goal to get there quickly or to do some sight seeing along the way. If you want to see Oberammergau, Ettal, Linderhof, the northern side of the Plansee, Lech Falls then I'd go G-P, Ettal, Linderhof (get a nice lunch there), Plansee, Lech falls, Füssen. Skip Reutte most days, way to busy. I find both drives to be beautiful and enjoyable.

persevere

We took the German route to Fussen a few years ago and enjoyed the beauty of it and the stops along the way back to Munich. We visited the Wieskirche, a church in Wies with a beautifully painted interior. Also, visited Oberammergau which was very picturesque (in fact I took a picture of 2 nuns drinking steins of beer with the backdrop being the beautiful paintings on the buildings. We stopped for a night in Aying (just south of Munich) at the Brauereigasthof Hotel, which is a delightful source of relaxation and has the oldest bowling alley next door and its own brewery. The drive presented no problems for us.

bardo1

If it is a round trip, I suggest both.

sumrcr

We made the loop from Hohenschwangau to Linderhof and back last March. The nothern route is definitely more scenic, especially in the snow. Wieskirke alone is worth the trip. Ettal Abbey and Linderhof are also must sees. The Austrian route got boring after a while, and driving through Reutte was actually depressing. The town is so unscenic, I am puzzled as to why Rick persists in recommending it. If you take the southern route, stay off the Austrian autobahn unless your vehicle has a vignette. The polizei were out in force that day, so we got on at one entrance and off at the next exit.

sumrcr

More: That was March '09, not last month. Also, I meant to say Rick Steves, not just Rick, but I think everyone will know that whether they read his books or not.

Cowboy1968

As logos tried to explain, there are actually THREE routes, not two:

1. The route through the Ausserfern valley with its pittoresque villages: leave Garmisch on B23 to Ehrwald/Austria, follow highway now numbered as B187 to Lermoos, B179 to Reutte and eventually to Füssen.
There are no spectacular "must sees" on this route, but the mountain vistas and the nice villages make it my favorite (and the aforementioned option to fill up cheap gas in Austria).

2. Plansee ("see" means lake in German) route. Leave Garmisch on B23/B2 northbound until B23 veers off towards Ettal. After Ettal follow signs for Linderhof castle to get on a not numbered road. Stay on that road all way to Reutte where you will hit B179 towards Füssen/Germany. This route lets you visit Ettal monastery, Linderhof palace, and has the most remote, rugged vistas once you entered Austria. Road is narrower than the others, but no mountain driving.

3. The route that stays in Germany. From Garmisch to Ettal as in route #2. Stay on B23, change to a not numbered road to Steingaden, and then go south on B17 to Füssen. This route has all the "must sees": Ettal, Linderhof castle (would be short detour), Oberammergau village, Wieskirche in Steingaden.

A final word on B179 in Austria. That highway is upgraded to something that may look like a motorway, but it isn't. You do NOT need an Austrian motorway toll sticker ("vignette") to drive on B179.

Cranachin

It was several years ago, but we did Cowboy1968's route #2 in reverse and found it to be quite an enjoyable trip. We had stayed between Reutte and Füssen, so it made perfect sense.

logos999

>tried to explain
I take those basics for granted. Anybody that posts this question has access to google maps and knows his/her options. Why always start from point zero.
Ehrwald /Lermoos in the evening with the lights going on and the churches illuminated from the outside has something enchanting.

I find that more relaxing than Oberammergau or the Wies.