jlaughs

norrisken, I agree. Your pictures are beautiful and I can't wait to see the sights for myself!! Couple of questions --

1. Where are Lech Falls? You mentioned that they are on the way to Fussen, but from which direction? Coming from Austria?

2. You recommended having lunch at Linderhof. I just want to confirm, do you mean eat at the castle? Is there a restaurant there?

Thanks,
Judy

norrisken

Thanks for your very nice comments.
1. Lech Falls are on the way from Austria to Fussen on the B17. Its not a "must see" but its next to the road and very pretty. There are bathrooms by the bridge across the falls.
2. The restaurant is located to the left of the entrance to the Linderhof area, after the parking lot. You'll see a number of shops and snack places also. The food was excellent and the prices very good. I've eaten there twice.

Ken

jmw44

Ken, where is Plansee? I'm a lake/mountain person and I might have to add it to my 'to-do' list. J.

sandyd

Hi jlaugh...this is another vote to stay in GAP. My daughter and I did this trip in March 2004. We stayed at Gausthaus Fraundorfer (where every night they have Tyrolean slap dancing and yodeling) - the other small towns didn't have enough of a "nightlife" for my 24 yr. old daughter). In addition to being very close to the cog to Zugspitze (agree, you have to go day by day to assure a good view), GAP has a casino, lots of restaurants, and is easy driving distance to all of the sights mentioned in previous posts. We basically decided to "theme" our trip by following the life of zany Ludwig by visiting his castles. We also went to B-gaden and did the Saltmine Tour (great fun). On the way there (we reversed the trip you are doing), we also went to Ludwig's Herrechimsee, a beautiful venue. Don't miss Linderhof - the Venus Grotto is amazing. Wieskirche is also worth the trip. We did Oberammergau, Linderhof, and Wieskirche in one day. Both castles in Fussen and almost Zugspitze (cloudy) in another - Early in to the castles at Fussen. Check the schedule of the Z to assure you can make it. Have a wonderful time.

norrisken

jmw44,

The Plansee is in Austria. Its about 16 kilometers southwest of Linderhof on the L255 on the way to Ruette. Stop at a market in Garmisch in the morning and pickup some rolls and meat and cheese and drink. Head to Ettal and Linderhof and then take your picnic lunch by the Plansee. In summer be sure to take swimsuits. Oh and don't be surprised by people changing clothes and going topless.

Ken

Woyzeck

Have fun jlaughs! I did the Bavaria thing last Winter/Spring, and it was beautiful.

I know from experience how hard it is to make decisions when you get so much good information (especially here on Fodors). I agonized over my trip planning, and in spite of the pain, was thrilled with how it worked out. But honestly you don't have to go overboard. There is no ideal itinerary, and it seems like you have thought things through thourougly enough to make a variety of plans work to your advantage.

As for your original question, I personally found Oberammergau quite quaint and pleasant. I agree that GP is probably a more practical base, but Oberammergau is cuter and you might actually find more reasonably priced lodging there. Just my $.02

1. Yeah, it is a big deal. It's really expensive nowadays, but the view from the top is amazing. You should budget yourself adaquate time to get up to the top, spend some time contemplating life, and coming back down. I tried to squeeze it in as I drove by, and it took a lot longer.

2. Linderhof is amazing, but there isn't need to see ALL 3 if you have a tight itinerary. You could do Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein on one trip, or Neuschwanstein and Linderhof. Linderhof is probably more impressive, but Hohenschwangau would be very convienient and is nothing to scoff at. It is interesting to get the contrast between Hohenschwangau (where royal families actually vacationed) and Neuschwanstein (which was a fantasy castle that was never actually inhabited).

One great tip for Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau is to reserve tickets in advance online. You'll get fixed entrance times. This helped me shape my itinerary, and let my fellow travellers know that we had to get out the door early to get our tickets. There was no uncertainty about waiting in line or being late...

3. I think all three are perhaps too much. We did Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. We entered Hohenschwangau at 10 and Neuschwanstein at 12.30, meaning that we didn't get out of there until around 2.30. Keep in mind that the sun sets really early during the winter, so you don't have a lot of afternoon light to work with. Perhaps an early trip to Zugspitze would work well with an afternoon at one of the castles.

4. In the winter, lines at Neuschwanstein are less of an issue than in the summer. If you had to do it, I'd recommend the castle in the afternoon if you can get yourself a ticket in advance.

5. I wouldn't rule out GP entirely. THere are a lot of fans here. Oberammergau offers a lot as a quaint Bavarian village with woodcarvings etc. If I remember correctly, it was a very scenic 1 hr drive to Neuschwanstein. You could work the drives to your advantage down there. If you get a German atlas, they mark certain scenic routes, and I am pretty sure there is one between Oberammergau and Fussen.

Fuessen would be a good compromise as it is very convenient to the castles and offers some more quaintness than GP.

Again, all of this is my opinion. Please take it with a grain of salt and evaluate the sum of the advice.

Most of all, trust yourself. Refrain from overanalyzing. No one has had a perfectly planned trip yet. Be creative, and let us know what you did and how it went when you get back.

Gute Reise!

jlaughs

Thanks to everyone for your feedback. I can't tell you how many times I have typed G-P, then changed it to Fussen, then changed it back to G-P, only to change it once again back to Fussen. Everytime I read something about one area, I think "Aha! *That's* where I want to stay!". Then, I'll read something about the other area and . . . well, you get the idea. I had pretty much decided on G-P, then by BF said that he thought he might like to stay in Fussen more because it's a smaller town. But, he'd like more of a nightlife, so back to G-P. Ahhhhh!!!

I have a feeling that I won't go wrong in either place, so I may just start looking at lodging and go with the cheaper.

Thanks again everyone! Your feedback has been extremely helpful!

J_Correa

jlaughs - I do the same thing - decide where we want to stay and then read something else and change my mind. I have come to the same conclusion as you have. I don't think we will go wrong with whatever we choose

Planning is half the fun.