Rather than hijacking the wonderful thread about lifts and gondolas, I thought it best to post here. (Several have given great suggestions, which has prompted this question.)

Here is the link to the Zugspitze excursion:

http://tinyurl.com/33987t

To make the roundtrip, they suggest taking the cogwheel train for one portion.

We have been on many cogwheels so that particular experience would not be new for us. But that glacier cable car at the end looks pretty awesome.

Would you suggest doing it their suggested way or taking the cable car to and from the Eibsee both directions?

Thank you.

I would take the cogwheel train plus cable car UP and the cable car down to Eibsee down.

The reason is that you can hop on the cogwheel train right in Garmisch at the main train station, relax and enjoy the scenery up to stop Rifflsee, slowly go up and thus can get used to the elevation (which is sometimes a problem for me), can even break up the journey at the Zuspitzplatt station where the cogwheel train ends and rest a bit, maybe walk on the glacier (?), then go up the rest by cable car.

Taking the cable car down to Eibsee means that you'll have some time to enjoy this beautiful lake in the afternoon, do a walk or have coffee in a rest./café by the lake, even can take better photos of lake plus Zugspitze in the afternoon than in the morning. Take the bus back to Garmisch (through Grainau).

That's what I did.

Ingo

We did it Ingo's way, then walked around the Lake. It's an easy, beautiful walk and well worth it, if you have the time.

Once more, I'm with Ingo;-)

We had a car and therefore parked at the Eibsee and took the cable car up and down. The views going up (and looking up) early in the morning were quite different from when we came down in the early afternoon (and looking down).

The walk around the lake, with the Zugspitze in the background, was scenic and enjoyable.

Thank you, one and all!

Tuck reminds me that I neglected to mention we will also have a car. I'm not sure that would change the plan, as we could still take the train from some convenient spot.

Ingo, thanks for the details. Relaxing at the Eibsee in the afternoon sounds like the perfect opportunity for an ice cream!

Hello there wanderfrau (Aren't you glad we had our GTG last weekend? Today it's so rainy.) Yes, a hike around the lake. Definitely something we'd enjoy!