Hello all,

At the end of May, my girlfriend and I will be flying to Munich where we will be spending 2 days then begin driving to Como, Italy for a wedding. We will have 3 days to make the drive and are debating on a route. We have already rented a car, so I am aware of the fees for returning it in a different country (We are flying out of Milan). We are choosing between driving to either Innsbruck, Austria and spending a day or so, then continuing our drive to Como by going though St. Moritz, Switzerland and into Italy. The other option is driving to Zurich, Switzerland, then driving down through the rest of Switzerland which will lead right into Como. We were also thinking about starting the drive from Munich by stopping in Fussen to see Neuschwanstein Castle.

So I guess my question is has someone made the drive from either Zurich or Innsbruck and which would you suggest? Please take into account which city you prefer and consider which route would be more scenic. We plan on taking a good 2 days to make the drive from either of the cities and would like for it to be a beautiful one.

Thanks

I would much rather spend a day in Innsbruck which is charming and has a lovely palace than zurich, which is primarily a business city, although with a cute old town section.

I am not a fan of Neuscwhanstein - but there are much more interesting castles of the same Mad Ludwig in the area - we prefer Linderhof over all the others.

Drive to the Castle country--perhaps stay in Oberammergau or Garmisch---and spend 2 nights in that area. Then drive via Landeck through the Engadine valley having lunch in ST. Moritz as you continue onto Menaggio on the west of Lago Como.

If you do decide to do Zurich route, spend 2 nights in Luzern. It is the best destination in that part of the world.

I have done countless times the drive from Innsbruck to Milan. My favourite itinerary is through the Arlberg pass, Liechtenstein, Chur and the St. Bernardino pass. It is an easy drive through scenic landscapes, you can even boast having been in another country (Liechtenstein deserves no more than a 15 minutes stop). You need both the Austrian and Swiss highway stickers for this route.

The shortest drive is through the Brenner and Verona. You would spare the Swiss highway sticker that is expensive; but as you going to Como probably the above itinerary through the Arlberg would be just a little faster.

I have done only once the Engadin itinerary through St. Moritz. In spite of being the shortest one, it is very very slow; there is a long stretch in Switzerland, just past the border, that looks very remote, the road is narrow (but neither dangerous nor scary) and you wonder if you are really getting lost in the mid of the Alps. It was a 7 hours drive (not including pauses), probably it would take longer to get to Como (the east side of Lake Como is much faster to drive than the west coast). When you enter Switzerland you will be asked if you plan to drive on motorways, you will reply you do not think so, so the highway sticker is not needed.

Innsbruck would be a good choice, IMHO better than Zurich. Another possible stop, a very underrated one, could be St. Gallen. Or any town in the Bodensee area.

I'd choose Innsbruck rather than Zurich as well, but have another suggestion. Day one drive to either Lindau or Meersburg, on Lake Constance. Both are very picturesque, and if you choose Meersburg and the weather is fine, rather than driving round the lake to head south, get a ferry across to Constance and drive from there to St Gallen. I'd spend the second night in St Gallen, and then drive down to Como on day 3 - an easy 3 hours or so. Meersburg is a pretty little town, with 2 castles, easy to wander around with lovely views across the lake. Lindau is an island that you reach via a bridge - also a charming place to stay, with easy walks along the edge of the lake. St Gallen is an old university city with a most wonderful old library (a UNESCO World Heritage site) that you can visit.

Thank you very much for the suggestions. We booked one night at least in Innsbruck and will most likely be driving towards Chur for the second or third night, depending on if we decide to stay in Innsbruck or anywhere in between. Any other suggestions for where to stay in the south of Switzerland other than Chur?

asps has given you very good options. If you are still looking for another I would recommend driving from Innsbruck to Luzern for 2 nights. From Luzern you have a 2-1/2 hour drive to Como ( via St Gotthard tunnel).

and it would have been so easy and less stressful to take a train from Munich to Innsbruck and then another train to Milan and rent the car there but that's OK. I wouldn't do any doubling back as some of the above have suggested. Look at a map.

And in terms of Ludwig builds and if you are driving then go the largest and most elaborately decorated build of all: the palace at Herrenchiemsee. It is right on the way from Munich to Innsbruck, too. You might even think about a stop in Salzburg.

Herrenchiemsee is also a much better choice than Neuschwanstein (we did visit it from Salzburg) and loved it. But it can take longer since it is located on an island in the lake (Chiemsee) and you have to not only wait for the ferry back and forth to the island but also coordinate with times for a tour in English (unless the German one works for you).