dugi_otok

We had lunch at the Schloss Restaurant Hotel

Schlossrestaurant Neuschwanstein GmbH & Co. KG
Neuschwansteinstrasse 17
87645 Hohenschwangau
Deutschland

Telefon : +49 (0)8362 / 81110

It is on the road/path up to the castle. In this photo you can see the road with the 2 women walking up to the castle

http://www.schlossrestaurant-neuschwanstein.de/anfahrt/

More photos. One shows the castle in the background.

http://www.booking.com/hotel/de/schl...iewed#tab-main


Note. We actually stayed in the hotel with our teenage kids many years ago.Our room had the tower you see in the picture.

On the last trip 3 years ago I came with my son, his wife, and his two kids.This is when we had lunch after the castle tour.

http://www.schlossrestaurant-neuschwanstein.de/hotel/

phillyboy

raz - The line for tickets was fairly long - in the ticket office is a zig zag line-up affair with railings to keep it organized, and on the day we were there (it was a Monday), the line spilled outside the building. However, there were 5 or 6 ticket windows open and the line moved quickly and efficiently. It was maybe a half hour from when we arrived to getting our tickets.

I think the wait for a bus to Hohenschwangau, our first tour, was a bit longer - busses came every few minutes, filled up, and moved on.

raz1024

Thanks dugi - the hotel & restaurant look very nice - they even have availability - tempting to switch for our last night in GP area (though would be "shared bath" -not a fan, never know how many you have to share with... but rates surprisingly reasonable)-then we could do afternoon tours and be well positioned for our departure to Ulm the following morning - have to think on that one, as GP was the only place we are actually booked for 3 nights in a row...

I see you can use buses or horse drawn carriages for getting to the castles, but was thinking that by the time one waits to be transported, it could likely be walked in that time (if one is able), and from what I have read, it is a nice walk - I remember reading about doing the longer trail up to Neuschwanstein Castle - that it is quite nice - I was thinking that they said it took a half hour to walk up, but in the castle info, they note that the walk up is 40 min. - however, I think there are two ways to walk - straight up the path, or the longer route through the woods - am assuming this is the 40 minute walk...

You are all a huge help! Danke sehr!!

dugi_otok

<< Even with reserved tickets, we need to pick them up 1 hour prior to our booked time >> The 1 hr is for the Neuschwanstein tour. If you are taking the Hohenschwangau tour or both castle tour you need to pick up your tickets 1 half hour before your booked time.

<< then a 20-30 min. walk to get up to Schloss Hohenschwangau ......then another 40 min. walk up to Neuschwanstein Castle >> From the ticket booth Hohenschwangau is an easy 10-min climb...... and Neuschwanstein is a steep 30-min hike. If you want to minimize hiking to Neuschwanstein you can take a shuttle bus-$( leaves every few min just above the ticket office and to the left-did not run the day we were there due to rain the previous night) or a horse drawn carriage-$$ (just above the ticket office and to the right-impossibly long lines when we were there). Neither gets you you to the castle doorstep. The bus drops you off near Mary's Bridge (great view) leaving you a steep, 10 min downhill walk to the castle. Carriages are slower than walking and stop below the castle, leaving you a 5 min uphill hike.

Summary of your possible day
8:30 pick up tickets
9:00 tour Hohenschwangau
11:00 tour Neuschwanstein
12:00-13:00 Lunch Schloss Restaurant Hotel
13:30 Leave parking lot for drive to Wieskirche (near Steingaden )
14:00-14:30 tour Wieskirche
Continue drive
15:00 passing Ettal
15:50 passing Garmisch
16:15 arrive Mittenwald

Some options: Reserve a later castle tour and slip schedule or Reserve a later castle tour and skip lunch at Schloss Restaurant (have a bratwurst from a stand) and/or skip Weiskirche and/or skip Mittenwald.

<< tempting to switch for our last night in GP area >> This opens the door for many options, many are good. Before you select staying at the Schloss Restaurant Hotel I suggest reading the reviews on booking.com. We really enjoyed staying there, but that was 30 years ago.

raz1024

Thanks again for your input dugi!