Paragkash

msnovtue,
You have a valid point.
A very good suggestion.
I was palnning to visit 3 Ludwig palaces in 3 days.
May be I was also like how you were as a child.

But it will be all the same.
Absorbing it all will be difficult.

Which one amongst the two, Herrenchiemsee and Linderhof, should I choose?
Both are on my route.
Munich, Berchtesgaden, Fussen.

Please help...

simplicitas

Purchasing the tickets online is the best option. You will skip the long queue. We went last summer and only visited Neuschwanstein. The best photo op. by far for that castle is on the foot-bridge, but there was construction on the schloss, so our photo lost some of its ambience when we were there. There is another good spot down below in the parking lot.
Munich is quite a drive from the castles (about 1.5 hrs.) and it is a twisty drive. This may be too much information, but the backseat passengers got a little carsick on this route. Fussen is only a few minutes away. The town is touristy, but super-quaint. So, just keep in mind, driving around the area is absolutely beautiful, but not exactly highway driving.

msnovtue

Hmm, Herrenchiemse vs. Linderhof....

I'm going to assume you're like me, and could happily spend hours at either palace. And I honestly couldn't choose one over the other...

So, I think what you might consider doing is basing your decision on those traveling with you, especially your teens. Specifically, what sort of things interest them, and how long is their attention span.

If they are genuinely interested in Ludwig II and the palaces, take 'em to Herrenchiemsee. It will blow their mind, plain and simple. I walked through the place with my mouth hanging open. Plus, if they're actually interested in and know something about Ludwig II, the museum is excellent and features a lot of his personal items. But it is definitely not the place for those with a short attention spand or those that get bored easily. The rooms are all in a similar style, and not particularly distinctive to the casual observer.

If you're dealing with short attention spans and perhaps a bit of typical teen disinterest, I'd recommend Linderhof. The interior of the palace itself is similar to Herrencheimsee, but a much "smaller dose", if you will. Plus, the setting is beautiful--big formal gardens right in the middle of a valley, with the Alps surrounding it. PLus, the outbuildings are very unusual and vary greatly. You have the Venus Grotto, the Moroccan House, the Moorish kiosk, and "Hundig's hut".

Finally, if you just can't decide, why not let the rest of the family do it? Get online, show them some pictures, explain a few of the differences, and let them vote on where they'd rather go.

here's the URL for info & pics on Herrenchiemsee, including a virtual tour:
http://www.herrenchiemsee.de/englisc...lace/index.htm

And here's the same for Linderhof: http://www.linderhof.de/

(Don't worry about ruining the surprise--the best pictures still don't even come close.)

Finally, if there's still some interest (and free time) in Munich, might I suggest a visit to Nymphenburg? Ludwig II was born there, and the palace itself is pretty neat. The more interesting thing I thought, though, was the Marstall museum, which features carriges belonging to the Wittelsbachs, including Ludwig's over-the-top carrige and sleighs. (info on the Marstallmuseum: http://www.schloesser.bayern.de/engl...s/ny_marst.htm)

Hope this helps!

Paragkash

Thanks Vttraveler, simplicitas, msnovtue,
for giving me some insight.
simplicitas, after these answers, I am really thinking about renting a car. Thanks for the photo op. parking lot clue.

msnovtue, thanks for the detailed discription.
I think after reading all that, I am more inclined towards Herrenchiemsee. We shall try to reach there a bit early and leave Linderhof for the last day, from Fussen. We'll take a call after seeing Neuschwanstein.

My wife and me both are architects. Both my daughters, I assume, are genetically inclined towards similar taste.
They are also fascinated by history and fantasy.

We visited 2 other fantasy castles last year, Pena palace-Sintra, Portugal and Segovia- Spain. We just loved both of them. Especially Pena palace was magical. We hope to get a similar if not better experience in Bavaria.

Which is the fastest way to reach Linderhof from Fussen?
The bahn.de sit shows a way that takes 2.30 hrs.
Actual driving time is 40 minutes.
I know that there is one route thro Austria, via Ruette which is closer.
Is there any public bus/ or a bus train combo that makes one reach there in about an hour?

Please help...

Dukey

Herrenchiemsee....the most elaborately decorated of all four "builds" as I mentioned earlier above. The Hall of Mirros is LARGER than the namesake at Versailles. The place is a palace...200 rooms and he spent what..fewer than 5 days there I believe.

The fountains out front are another interesting aspect..nothing like Versailles but interesting nonetheless.

Don't go there expecting to see a lot of tourists from the US...but you will see a lot of folks from Germany..some of them simply like to go to the various hotels over in Stock near the ferry dock and hang out on the front lawns.

Enjoy your trip.

msnovtue

Parakash,

I think your plan is a good one--day 1: Herrenchiemsee, day 2: Neuschwanstein & Hohenschwangau, and leave day 3 for a possible trip to Linderhof, but keep your options open. Plus, putting a day in between Linderhof & Herrenchiemsee is good--they're ultimately very different, but they're both decorated in a similar style.

That said, you're going to need a rental car. You can get to these places with public transport, but it's mostly buses (due to the mountains.) The buses just take too long, because of the many stops along the way.

As for getting from Fuessen to Linderhof/O-gau area, just keep in mind that for driving through Austria, you must stop a gas station near the border and buy a vignette or you run the risk of being stopped and ticketed with a fine.

I've personally never been that way-- I usually used GAP as a base and the drove 'up and around' to get to Fuessen. (and the only reason I went that way is because that's the way my German father went when we were there as kids.)

I will warn you that that way includes some very steep and fairly narrow mountain roads--they're in good condition, but still. Then again, I'd bet going the Austria has the same thing.

All in all, I think you've got a good plan--just keep day 3 as semi flexible, and keep other options in mind. I don't think Linderhof will take all day, so you might consider visiting Ettal (http://www.ammergauer-alpen.de/en/abbey-of-ettal.html) or even the Wieskirche (http://www.wieskirche.de/eframset.htm), which is on the UNESCO world heritage list.

Anyway, it sounds like fun!

Paragkash

msnovtue & Dukey,

Thanks for the info. again.
We are comimng from Mumbai, India.
We have right hand drive cars, like in the UK & unlike in Germany.

Driving in the Bavarian Alps is very exciting, but I hope we would be able to negotiate the winding roads out there.

With public transport, we have an option of stretching our day into late evenings ( Only by trains, as most of the bus services stop after 18.00 to 19.00 hrs.)

We may have to come back to Munich and then go to Fussen by train, which is a time consuming option.

pipsi88,

I do not follow Football, so would not be able to help you.
I think you will get a better response if you post a new thread under topic "Germany". Best luck.


Can anyone tell me how to reach Linderhof from Fussen by public transport...

Please help...

msnovtue

You can do it by public transport--but it will involve several bus transfers, and the trip is going to take at least 2 hours one-way. Basically, plan on spending 5 hours or more on a bus or train to get there and back. The DB site (www.db.de) can tell you all you need, but you can also look it up on http://www.rvo-bus.de/site/rvo__bus/de/start.html which is for the local bus service. (I prefer the DB site--it has the same info and is avaible in English.)

To give you an idea, here's a link to a search I ran for May 3-- the earliest option to leave is 8 AM: http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en?ld=212.200&seqnr=10&ident=5d.04729200.126749597 2&rt=1&rememberSortType=minDeparture&jumpToDetails =yes&HWAI=CONNECTION$C9-0!id=C9-0!HwaiConId=C9-0!HwaiDetailStatus=details!;CONNECTION$C9-1!id=C9-1!HwaiConId=C9-1!HwaiDetailStatus=details!;CONNECTION$C9-2!id=C9-2!HwaiConId=C9-2!HwaiDetailStatus=details!;CONNECTION$C9-0!id=C9-0!HwaiConId=C9-0!HwaiDetailStatus=details!;CONNECTION$C9-1!id=C9-1!HwaiConId=C9-1!HwaiDetailStatus=details!;CONNECTION$C9-2!id=C9-2!HwaiConId=C9-2!HwaiDetailStatus=details!;

That said... It's 45 minutes to an hour by car.

Is it really worth it to sit on a bus for 5 or more hours just to avoid driving??

Plus, I check on something because I remembered it being a problem when I was there... You'll be very limited on your return options, too.

Trains don't run much east to west in this area because of the mountains, so just about any train connection would send you through Murnau or Munich, both of which are *way* out of the way. Furthermore, the closest you could get by train is to Oberammergau; you'd still need a bus to get to Linderhof.

It just seems a horrible waste of you time to try to go by public transportation. It can be done, but I really urge you to go ahead and just rent a car for the 4 days you're there. The roads are in good condition, and if you're really uncertain, go ahead and pay the extra to get a automatic transmission.

I admit, I was somewhat terrified of driving in Germany--but that was mostly due to my German father, who taught me to drive in the first place. Once I was there and actually driving, I did just fine and had no problems. If you're worried, I can dig up a few websites I have on driving tips for Germany.

You don't need a super-duper Mercedes or Audi, either--I did very well with a VW Golf. (Even in the left lane of the Autobahn.)

Basically, tho, the trains tend to only run north-south around Fuessen/O-gau area, due to the mountains. That will leave you with buses, and it's going to take at least 5 hours out of your day just to get to Linderhof and back, no other stops.

Paragkash

msnovtue,

Thanks a lot.
A get your point.

I think I need to give it a go and rent a car.
I need to drive in the German Alps to get the monkey off my shpolder. I need to overcome the mental block.

I am quite OK with a manual drive.
I am not comfortable driving at night and I gues it gets dark a bit earlier and quicker in the mountains.

We will start really early in the day to reach anywhere in broad daylight.
Anyway, I do not intend to drive for more than 3-4 hours a day.

Thanks again.

parag

msnovtue

Sorry I didn't have better news...

I honestly think you'll be fine driving. You might take a look at this: http://www.gettingaroundgermany.info/auto.shtml --it's just some general tips and such for driving in Germany.

I am by no means an "expert driver", and it had been a few years since I'd driven a manual when I ended up driving in Germany. Despite a bit of a rough start (i.e. I killed the engine 3 times just trying to get it out of the parking lot), I survived.

Like I said before, I'm not familiar with the route that goes through Austria. I have been through the northern route (Fuessen-Steingaden-Echelsbacher Bruecke-Oberammergau) and it's not bad at all. In fact, I just looked at my old road atlas & checked on google, and the one tricky mountain part I remembered is between GAP and Ettal--you won't even go that way unless you want to go into Garmisch. The rest of the way is much more gradual climbs, and all the roads are in great condition--certainly a lot better than what we have here in the US.

Good Luck, and if there's anything else, feel free to ask!

Paul1950

Someone might have pointed this out already, but the drive through northern Austria to Linderhof via Reutte and along the north shore of Plansee is not mountainous, and it does NOT require the highway vignette sticker as it is not Autobahn. It's a easy and pretty drive. We stopped for lunch along the Plansee.

Paragkash

msnovtue,
Thnks for the useful information.
It would really help me in Bavaria. I hope that I have a peaceful and memorable journey.
I am thinking of renting a Volkswagen Polo or a Passat.

Paul1950,
Thanks for that peice of info. I had different kinds of reports. This just confirms that I will not need the Vignette.