cjtrav

Spending at least 3 days exploring the area including the castles, Zugspitz, Obergammergau, Innsbruck etc. We have a car we are picking up outside of Salzburg and are looking for a great base to explore that is picturesque, pretty easy to get to and someplace to come home to at night that we can wander the town, eat well and relax. Top contenders are Hall, Mittenwald and Reutte. Larger options are Innsbruck, Garmisch and Fussen. Would love some opinions about accessibility and accomodations. Mittenwald sounds great but is the road really twisty to come home to at night? Thanks so much for your help.

asps

Speaking frankly, not one of the places you name has a great nightlife. Innsbruck, as an university town, is a bit more lively than the other places, but still very quiet.
Reutte is not practical as a base. Considering your main destinations, Garmisch looks the most central place to reach the other ones (and Garmisch still feels more like a village than a town), with Oberammergau as a possible alternative.
The only stretch really difficult to drive is a short and extremely steep 1-mile ramp between Zirl and Seefeld. Going down direction Innsbruck is very easy to overheat your brakes. The road between Garmisch and Oberammergau is a little twisty but nothing to be worried about. The stretch between Garmisch and Mittenwald is much easier than it looks. Still, if you are headquartered in Mittenwald, you would have to drive it almost daily.

cjtrav

Thanks asps. I'm travelling with my 26 year old daughter so I should consider some sort of nightlife I guess but having travelled extensively with her, I know that we generally pack our days so full that coming home at night and having dinner and a few drinks is about all we have the energy for. I've been seeing a ton of praise for Mittenwald as a base. Most people have said that only Rick Steves likes Reutte and Innsbruck has too much traffic. Do you agree?

nytraveler

Traffic is in the eye of the beholder. I wouldn't say Innsbruck has any - within the meaning of the act (but then I'm from New York).

We have stayed there (right next to the old town) and liked it - and the sidewalks were not rolled up at 6 pm as in many places.

Have also stayed in Garmisch - which was quieter - definitely.

asps

Well, I am writing from Innsbruck now. Today traffic was at a peak, that is to say it was perfectly manageable (but I got stuck in a queue to access a parking silo). Innsbruck is my favourite town among the ones you write about, and staying in nearby villages like Igls, Lans or Aldrans is even better. Still, if you want to visit castles, Zugspitze, Oberammergau and Innsbruck, Garmisch makes more sense as it is at the very center of the area you limited.
Mittenwald is 20-25 minutes from Garmisch, it is way smaller (this means less choice in restaurant for the night, and frankly the way to spend the night in Mittenwald is sleeping); and in most cases you would have to drive all the way to Garmisch anyway. Innsbruck is quite good, but the drives to the castles, to Zugspitze (that is Garmisch) and Oberammergau are long. Reutte is good for accessing Hohenschwanstein but long drives to all other places.
I am assuming you are visiting in summer. Winter driving in the zone may be difficult (in this case you should choose a place and stick to it with short or no moves).

cjtrav

Thanks everyone. For a variety of reasons we chose Mittenwald. Just wanted someplace small and pretty to crash at the end of the day. I'm sure we'll be in bed by 10 so nightlife isn't really an issue. Thanks again for all the help.