We are spending Sunday night in Garmisch. On Monday we want to visit Neushwanstein and Hohenschwangau. If we left Garmisch at 8:00 am would we have time to visit Linderhoff and the other two castles and get to Munich airport by 7:00 pm? Don't want to rush too much but also don't mind a busy day. Your help would be appreciated.

If i were doing this and I HAD to be at the airport without fail i would find out the time of the FIRST tour at one of those locations and LEAVE at whatever time was necessary.

Are you aware that if you do take a tour of someplce like Neuschwanstein..and assuming you ARE going to take a tour, that not all of them are conducted in English?

Sorry, should have specified i would leave Garmisch in order to get there to be on that first tour of the day...are you willing to leave earlier than 8 in the morning?

IMHO you are trying to accomplish more than you will be comfortable doing.

Drive to Hohenschwangau, see Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles then make your way to Munich. The website for the castles is http://www.neuschwanstein.de/english/
If you buy the "King's Ticket" it covers both castles and you will get a pretty good sense of royal life in Bavaria.

Go to Viamichelin.com to decide which way to go. If you go the way that would take you to Linderhof you can make quick stops at Ettal Monastary and Oberammergau along the way.

Yes, you can do it--but it partly depends on what time of the year you're travelling. If April to September, then you can leave Garmisch at 8:15 or so to be sure you arrive at Linderhof at 9 AM opening time. We didn't do a tour, so that's up to you.

Then if you left at around 10:30 AM, you'd be in Hohenschwangau no later than 11:30 AM--you should easily be done in time to leave for Munich airport by 4:30 PM. Barring traffic accidents, weather issues, etc., and depending on what time you can pre-reserve English language tours online for Neuschwanstein/Hohenschwangau castles, that should be enough time.

A bit hectic, but doable.

As I recall, to get to Neuschwanstein we had to get tickets (and had lunch in the meantime) and waited for a bus that took us up the steep hill to the castle, then after the tour we had to wait for a bus to come back down. Then again, it was a drizzly day, and maybe we just didn't feel like walking. At any rate, it took a while, and it sounds to me like you're trying to do too much in one day (or at least in advance of having to be at the airport). I remember being more struck by the outside of N. and don't really remember the inside so much. If I were you I'd pick one of the three castles to tour and just look at the other ones from outside, and have a more mellow day. (We didn't make it to Linderhof, so I can't comment on that.) There was a great view of N. from a swinging bridge -- I don't remember whether we went there after paying to get in or if you can just wander there freely. I just googled it to make sure I didn't make that up and found a short youtube clip: http://youtube.com/watch?v=O8qRqLbYd...35&index=5

Okay, thanks for the replies thus far. I still have some questions. If we skip Linderhof, how much time to do we need to see Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau (ie 3 hours, 4 hours etc.) Knowing this would help me to plan what time we should make reservations.

Dukey,
I am willing to leave Garmish earlier than 8:00 am.

Jake1,
We will be traveling May 11 and 12 in this area.

As I recall the tours of the castles are about 30 minutes each. The question is when you are scheduled because you don't just wander through on your own. Then you have to have time to go up and down the hill on foot, by horse drawn carriage or by bus. You walk up the Hohenschwangau side.

The tours through Neuschwanstein are run every three or four minutes and you have to be there on time to match your ticket or you are out of luck. Poke around on their website and see if they give you detailed lists of when the English tours are.

It is possible to do a walk-by on Linderhof without actually touring the inside. It is a little drive off the road to Fussen and a little walk from the parking lot so factor in at least an hour.

The ViaMichelin.com website is pretty good about giving you driving times and directions.

As i read the michelin site it is about 1.45 hours to the airport. If we leave the castle area by 4:00 I would think that would be enough time. Our flight to Paris is at 8:45. Your thoughts?

Hi K,

> If we left Garmisch at 8:00 am would we have time to visit Linderhoff and the other two castles and get to Munich airport by 7:00 pm? Don't want to rush too much ...

What transportation are you using for this high-speed whirlwind of a visit?

Sorry, should have read further down.

I would skip Howhenschwangau rather than Linderhof.

Ira,

"What transportation are you using for this high-speed whirlwind of a visit?" a car!

Checking Michelin it is only about 30-40 minutes to Linderhof and then from there about 45 minutes to Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. What am I missing? I read alot of things on here and so many views and opinions that it makes it hard to figure what is and what is not realistic. That's why I'm asking, please don't attack.

Also for anyone else that has been there we were aiming for a 12:00 tour to Hohenschwangau and then Neuschwanstein.

The driving time is not much of a big deal for that first part of your trip.
It's the time you wish or have to spend at the castles. Neuschwanstein is a bit more hassle since it's not a "drive in" attraction, but requires a walk (or ride) up/down the hill.

Going back from Neuschwanstein to Munich airport is the only leg of your trip where heavy traffic is a factor. Munich's rush hour sets in by 4pm, and you want to avoid to get anywhere near the city center or the so called Middle Ring Road (Hwy B2R).

When you check viamichelin.com, it will show you a route from Neuschwanstein that goes straight north on Hwy B17 until it meets Autobahn A96. There straight East on A96 until it meets the A99 loop which you will follow clockwise to A92, which will you take to the airport. This is the best route which you should take.

Hi K,

I wasn't attacking.

It is a very full day.

Some folks have tried to do this by public bus.

Do try to at least drive through Oberammergau on your way to Linderhof.

>Checking Michelin it is only about 30-40 minutes to Linderhof and then from there about 45 minutes to Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. What am I missing?

You start at 08:00 and arrive Linderhoff for the 09:00 opening.

Finish the tour at 09:45.
See the gardens and the Grotto.

Out by 11:15.

Arrive parking lot at Hohenschwangau about 12:00

1:00 - 3:30 for tour of the two castles and the Marienbruck.

Off to MUC at 4:00 - arrive airport before 7:00 PM.

If you feel that you are rushed for time, drop Hohenscwangau, not Linderhof.

Enjoy your visit.

Ira,
I personally think it a coin flip on Linderhof vs Hohenschwangau. Both castles are interesting.

At Neuschwanstein, we were very happy to not only see the castle interior but also the surrounds: up to the Marienbruck, and down to riverbank. Lovely, but adds a couple of hours to the tour.

I'm getting the impression fom some of you that you now HAVE to take transportation up to Neuschwanstein? The last time I was there, about 15 years ago, we walked up. It took about 20 minutes. A nice little hike.

Ira and others,
Thank you for your replies. I feel like now I am getting an idea of how much time and what we can and cannot do. Again, thanks

Hi Z,

>I'm getting the impression fom some of you that you now HAVE to take transportation up to Neuschwanstein? The last time I was there, about 15 years ago, we walked up. It took about 20 minutes. A nice little hike.<

You are now 15 years older.

Would you still consider a 20 min hike up a steep hill fun?