DD just finished up a month of study abroad in Florence. She is traveling for several weeks with a friend and they are now in Munich. They have only one full day left and have to make a choice: day trip to Salzburg and do the Sound of Music tour or a castle tour to see Neuchweinstein.

Need your advice.

MY

The LAST thing I would go to Salzburg for is that absurd IMO Sound of Music tour...what they will actually see is a panorama of Salzburg. The exteriors were filmed at Schloss Leopoldscron which is privately owned and not open to the public. That gazebo was closed at one point and moved somewhere. The cathedral they can see on their own..what else is there?

A trip to Fuessen for Neuschwanstein can also be made by train and then a transfer to a taxi or public bus. Whereas the exterior is iconic, the interior is forgettable. If they are going down there suggest they do Linderhof instead..it's a lot more interesting inside.

I would pick Neuschwanstein as something that was worth a visit before Hollywood created the image.

Salzburg is too far and SOM silly IMHO. I would head to Linderhof instead. We liked that almost as much as Herrenchiemsee and definitely better than Neuschwanstein.

I wouldn't do the Sound of Music tour, but I would go to Salzburg for the day. It is not too far, it is 1.5 hours by train. We do it twice a year.

It is a nice train ride and a beautiful town. They can walk from the train station to old town, passing through the Mirabell Gardens (which were in the movie).

Old town is pedestrian only and very nice to walk through and see the fabulous shops. They can see Mozart's house and go to the shop that sells tons of boxes of the "Mozart" chocolates.
The castle on the hill is a big attraction also.

Salzburg is definitely worth a day trip. If they want to do the tour, then they should go for it. It's their vacation. Take an early train, spend the day and then be back to Munich for the evening.

I wanted to add that if they do decide to go to Salzburg, the Munich rail station has a lot of nice items that they could get for their breakfast on the train.

I went to Neuscwanstein and found it very entertaining. I don't agree with the put downs of this Disneyland inspiration.

Neuschwanstein is iconic as I SAID earlier...NOBODY here is disputing that. But I do not think the INTERIOR which isn't the least bit iconic is nearly as interesting as Linderhof's.

Yeah, it is also "entertaining" on the OUTSIDE.

I'd vote Neuchweinstein and Hohenschwangau. Everyone who wants to see it should go see it and make up their own mind about it.

I say the same about Burg Eltz

Thanks all. I will pass this along!

Times up. Aren't chat rooms fun.

I would vote for beautiful Saltzburg w/o the tour. Neuschwanstein was one of those major disappointments you occasionally get when people tell you places are a "must see." Enjoyed Linderhof very much.

Do neither tour and go to Salzburg to see Salzburg

If the choice was either visit Fussen or go to Salzburg without the SOM tour, I'd vote with Aramis.

Actually, if it's open for discussion I'd vote go to Salzburg and go to Schloss Hellbrun while she's there. I can't think of a better place to be on a hot summer's day.

Thanks everyone. Last I heard they are going to Salzburg on their own. SOM is up in the air.

Tough choice.

Neuschwanstein is iconic and paired with hohenschwangau you get a glimpse of the ideal dreams of Ludwig's design and building with the actual look at what it was like for people who lived in castles.

Salzburg is famous for more than SOM. Tour the fortress above the city, the cathedral, mirabelle, Mozart's house and a lot more. Have a meal at Skt Peter's Stiftskeller or a beer at the Augustiner brewery. It is a charming town wih a lovely altstadt. Salzburg is an easy 1 1/2 hr trian ride from Munich.

Just got a brief report. They ended up going to Salzburg for the day and enjoying the sites and ambiance. DD loved it!

Ambiance is often underrated as a reason for visiting a destination. Not all of us are inveterate sightseers, or culture lovers.

There's a dozen places I get absolutely giddy about just by thinking of sitting in a market square or walking through the streets.

Daddy's coming Europe - you just hang on a little longer!

Leave DD alone and let her enjoy her trip.