asbury10

I plan to train in to Garmisch-P and rent a car to drive to Fussen. There seems to be better car rental options there than to train in to Fussen. I will eventually be connecting to a train in Garmisch-P anyway, to Vienna via Innsbruck. I'm spending a couple of night in Fussen and then one in G-P. Is the road from Garmisch-P to Fussen decent, or is it loaded with steep descents and switchbacks? The shortest route looks like it goes down into Austria and then back up to Fussen. Another route north from Garmisch, then west, then south to Fussen is possible, but looks longer. I suppose my Hertz rental car can go into Austria from G-P to Fussen. Anyone got any tips for driving in that area? thanks

KarenM

Make sure your rental car has the sticker for Austria. I hear the cops will pull you over and fine you if the car doesn't have that sticker. Also you might want to read this info before you rent:

http://gemut.com/

ira

Hi A,

Karen is correct. You must buy a sticker if you will be driving through Austria.

Go to www.viamichelin.com.

Enter Garmisch to fussen via Reutte.

You will see that this is a rather easy route.

Compare it to the B189 from Innsbruck to Reutte. The squiggles are the switchbacks.

Neopolitan

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but the sticker for Austria is only for major highways. The road we drove from Garmisch-P to Fussen was a very minor road and just dipped into Austria, no sticker necessary -- at least that was what we were told four years ago. Has that changed?

Zeus

You won't need the vignette (sticker) unless you go on the Austrian highways. The route to Fussen via Austria is on secondary roads. The car rental companies usually don't give you the vignette. You buy them at kiosks along the Autobahn. They aren't all that expensive. The 7 day version was 7.60.

The route itself is a lot of fun, but the road is a bit winding. It isn't particularly treacherous but if you've got kids or a wife that get carsick easily, it could get ugly.

I assume you're planning to see the Royal Castles when you get to Fussen? It's a good idea to get there as early as possible to avoid the lines in the parking lots and at the castles themselves. But on your way back, consider returning back through Austria and stopping in Reutte. There's some nice shopping there and gas is almost a dollar cheaper per gallon.

For a complete day, return via Reutte, but then head past the Plansee and on to King Ludwig's hunting Schloss, Linderhof just across the border back in Germany. The road is absolutely beautiful and interesting. It's narrow and twisty in spots, but there are no scary descents to worry about. The area is huge for hikers. You might actually see some wildlife.

After Linderhof you can make a brief visit to Oberammergau which is along the way. Nice wood-carvings and religious items, plus delicious cheese and local Schnapps. On the road back to Garmisch you'll pass the impressive Ettal Abbey which is also worth a brief visit. Across the street are a couple of well-stocked souvenir stands selling the delicious beer crafted by the monks.
I should tell you that the road from Ettal back down to Garmisch is a tad nasty. It's very well-maintained and is two lanes most of the way, but there are a couple of hairpin turns and some gorgeous views into the valley below. There are a number of areas to pull off and snap photos. And it's only for about a mile or two.

Nothing like the serpentine route you also might consider on another day going from Garmisch via Mittenwald down to Innsbruck (You would absolutely need the vignette on this route since you use the Autobahn near the end). In the area of Zirl you encounter very steep gradients and constant switchbacks, but it's great fun.

Zeus

I'm sorry Asbury, in my long-winded reply I forgot to direct you to www.mappy.com. Use that to plot your route. It's my favorite tool on the internet (I could make a cruel joke here ). If you want to try to route yourself through Linderhof/Oberammergau click on the tiny "Vias" symbol after you enter your starting and ending points on the "itinerary" section.

TuckH

If you take the 'back' road from Mittenwald up to and through the very scenic Leutaschtal and on to the 189 at Telfs, you'll have no need for the sticker; it's only needed on the autobahns. This road is quite 'decent'.

RufusTFirefly

We drove the road thru northern Austria along the Plansee thru Reutte. It's not at all bad. Doesn't get especially high and not terribly curvey.

You could stop at Oberammergau and Linderhof on the way to Fuessen--we opted to stay in Hohenschwangau instead of Fuessen. We could park at our pension and walk to the ticket center.

You can make your reservations to see Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangu castles in advance on the internet and I believe by phone as well--this avoids the lines.

http://www.neuschwanstein.de/english.../admission.htm

On the way to Hohenschwangau we ate at a pleasant restaurant overlooking the Plansee. Don't remember the name, but it was on the far western end of the lake where there was a little bay with people swimming and sunning--on the right of the road across from the lake.

On the leg from Reutte back into Germany, there is a short section that becomes a nice 4-lane highway--I don't know whether or not this counts as a major highway that requires the sticker. We didn't have one, but didn't see any police either.

Nlingenfel

Drove through Austria earlier this month. You do not need a sticker, unless you get on the Autobahn, but you do need visability vests inside your car. When we stoped at a service station to purchase the sticker, they had vests on sale. This is a new law.

Neopolitan

OK, I'm game and I'll ask.

What is a visability vest? Sounds like something you wear if hunting with a vice president.

asbury10

Wow. Thanks for all the good replies. I've got a better idea now. I live in the mountains of NC, and there are few curvy roads with switchbacks; I don't really get sick, but it just takes so long to get through some of those areas. It's good we have I-40!

ira

>On the leg from Reutte back into Germany, there is a short section that becomes a nice 4-lane highway--<

That's the part that requires the tax disk. Pay the 8E for the disk and avoid a possible 100E fine, in cash - on the spot.