Fussen or Grainau??
 

Hello everyone,

We are planning a Bavarian Christmas,and I am trying to pick our lodging. We are going for 4 nights, and I found an apartment outside of Fussen for 220 Euro total. I found an apartment in Grainau (5 km from Garmisch) for 420 Euro total. My heart was set on staying in Grainau. We visited in the spring, and I just thought the little town would make such a great base to explore the area, but 200 Euro is alot to save! ;) So, just looking for some input. We stopped in Fussen on our way back in the Spring to explore the castles,and yes, it was very charming. But Grainau would put us closer to the other day trips we want to do (Oberamgau, Innsbruck). Wouldn't Fussen add about another hour to these trips? I am all about saving $$, but we want to make sure we pick the perfect spot also. Thanks!

Hi bbrown1226,

I spent about seven weeks in a Ferienwohnung in Grainau before I moved into an apartment in Garmisch. I must say I didn't find it to be the most charming village -- I always look for that wonderful pedestrian zone lined with cafes and shops, etc, and Grainau lacks that.

Have you thought of Mittenwald? It's also very small and quaint, but it does have a pedestrian central street. It's also on the main line into Innsbruck, and it's only about 20 mins (by train) from Garmisch and all those connections. I spent Christmas there in 2007, and it was indeed magical (there wasn't a lot of snow that year, so they trucked in a few dumps' worth and built a snow bar anyway!). The cafes draped blankets on the outdoor seating so folks could sit outside and stay warm, and the place was just hopping. I attended a free concert in the church one night, also magical.

Good luck with the decision!

s

Thank you! I have thought about Mittenwald, but can't seem to find lodging! I will keep looking! Sounds lovely.

Hi again,

I found my Ferienwohnung at

www.mittenwald.de

Switch it to English, then go to "Accommodation" and then "Search available flats." It may be a bit late though for this year.

Good luck!

s

Ok, I just took a look at that Mittenwald site for 19-26 Dec for two adults, and there are 102 apartments available, rates around 40-50E per night.

Have fun!

s

Oh, yeah, we are 4 adults and 3 children! Not just the hubby and I this time! :)

I would endorse the recommendation for Mittenwald--a lovely town right in the Karwendel range and close to both Garmisch and Innsbruck which you wish to visit.

We stayed there last week, although in a hotel, but there seemed to be quite a few holiday rentals (ferienwohnungen). I think it would be wonderful to stay there over Christmas.

Mittenwald is my other fav besides Oberammergau! What a beautiful place! Good Luck!!

I found this ferienwohnungen for 75 Euro a night, but there isn't a ton of info. If you have time to look, any input?

http://www.fewo-raffaela-maderspacher.de/index.html

Also, is anyone familiar with the Hotel Post in Grainau? We can get 2 seperate apartments for 102 Euro after they take off the VAT. (we are military.) It just doesn't seem very quaint. Very basic looking.

The apartment is too far from the town's centre IMO. No idea about Hotel Post, sorry. But another vote for Mittenwald in general.

Try this one:
http://www.fellner-mittenwald.de/mittenwald.html
or this:
http://www.alpensonne.info/mittenwald.html

Why (the heck) Grainau? The next village, Ehrwald is just a few kilometers and very beautifully located in the valley on the "backside" of the Zugspitze. You'll also find better and cheaper lodging there. Grainau doesn't come close.

http://www.ehrwald.com/

It wouldn't be a "Bavarian christmas", but a tirolean one with "guaranteed" snow (1000m opposed to 750m).

Well, we are military and have access to the Edelweiss resort. We don't want to stay in Garmisch, but want to be able to use the spa/pool facilities in the evenings. There is an AMAZING hot tub at the resort, and the kids love the pool and a chance to take a language break and just hang out with some other American kids. It isn't a deal breaker, but would be nice since it will get dark pretty early in the evening.

It's about 12 more kilometers one way to drive to Garmisch from Ehrwald than from Grainau. Just that Ehrwald is so much nicer imho. But true, more driving on short days.

Hi bbrown,

We stayed twice (in '05 and '06) in Mittenwald at the Pension Schwalbennestl. Although we stayed in a room (just 2 of us) they do have appartments. We wouldn't hesitate to stay there again.

www.schwalbennestl.de/mittenwald.html

The website is only in German yet you can e-mail and correspond in English.

Paul

We stayed in Grainau primarily because we liked the hotel we found there, but spent most of our time in Garmisch-Partenkirschen. it's been a long time but I didn't find Fussen very interesting. I like Mittenwald and Oberammergau. I like Garmisch-Partenkirchen best among the group mentioned.

Hi again,

Ok, that (military) explains it! You actually can walk from Grainau to Sheridan Barracks in about 10 or 15 minutes -- well, from the very edge of Grainau.

The Hotel Post isn't located well, I think, for your plans. If you want a cozy location, you may want to be near the Obergrainau area; if you want to be close to Sheridan, you want to be near Schmölz area or near An der Wies or Loisachsstrasse (use google maps to see the town). Hotel Post isn't near any of these areas. The apartment looks fine (don't be put off by an under-developed webpage; these are truly mom-and-pop operations), but I would e-mail them and get the address and map it at google maps.

Well, good luck with your planning. If you plan to attend Chapel over Christmas, I'll see you there!

s

O.k, I think I may have found a place, but it is none of the choices above. ;) Anyone familiar with Walgau? I found a very quaint 2 bedroom apartment for 70 Euro a night. It is not within walking distance to any towns, but I am o.k with that. We are on a very strict budget (living in Europe for 3 years and taking FULL advantage of that! Traveling all the time!! :) ) Anyways, here is the website:

http://www.fewo-sperer.de/

Looks like it is about a 20-25 minute drive into Garmisch, and 10 minutes to Mittenwald. We can take a day trip to Garmisch and end the day using the pool for the kiddos, but then head back to our retreat. I would rather have cosy accomodations since we will be in our room for early evenings b/c of darkness/kids/weather.

It also is close to Seefeld and Innsbruck.

Hi again,

Yes, I know of Wallgau -- on the other side of Mittenwald. Well, it should be fine for your needs.

Have fun!

s

Looks good. There are also buses from Wallgau to Mittenwald - Garmisch ;-)

Good choice. :-)

I just wanted to give an update about our trip, and give a glowing recommendation for the guesthouse we stayed in:

http://www.fewo-sperer.de/

We have stayed in several ferienwohnuguns, and this was BY FAR our favorite!!! The owners are some of the sweetest people and really put so much effort into the details. For 70 Euro a night for a 2 bed-room apartment, we expected very basic lodging. Their website doesn't do it justice. Beautiful views of the Alps, a large field for the kids to play, and cozy touches made us feel like we were in our very own chalet. Wallgau is a cute charming town that was away from the more touristy Garmisch. We loved going back to "our village" each evening, and taking a nice evening walk around town. Overall, great trip! We will most likely be back!