Need help with Germany itinerary
 

We are planning to drive from Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany, to Salzburg, Austria as part of a trip in early August. Should we detour to visit Neuschwanstein Castle?

Depends on (1) do you have the time and (2) how interested are you in seeing it. Your call.

If you just plan a detour, i.e. squeeze Neuschwanstein in but want to arrive in Salzburg same day at night, it is technically possible.
But there is lots to see in between Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Neuschwanstein and between the castle and Salzburg (esp. if you took the German Alpine Road for the 2nd leg, scenic route on regular highways and byways) plus one night in Füssen after you visited the castle
You would probably get more out of it than by just taking the motorways half of that one day just to see that one castle.

Just a thought, Herren Cheimsee does not require a detour like Neuschwanstein does...

((B))

If you're looking to see a castle, you might look around Salzburg:

http://www.salzburg-burgen.at/en/

N'stein isn't really a castle but a late 19th-century royal residence dreamed up by a stage set designer to look something like a castle. The half-hour tour of the unfinished interior might be interesting if you are already into Ludwig or Wagner, or if you were going to spend a couple of days in the Füssen area and see other stuff too, but I wouldn't recommend the detour otherwise.

If I had 3 days to do R'burg - N'stein - Salzburg, then I would do it. Otherwise I wouldn't.

Thanks for your responses!

We can't spend an extra night along the way, and we are not committed to seeing Neuschwanstein (especially since it seems like the crowds will be huge in August). It's just that so many guidebooks suggest it as a "must see" and we thought our teens would like the excursion.

I will look into your other suggestions.

Unfinished? The tour is only in the finished rooms and there seemed to be many of them. In fact the quality, beauty and detail of the interior finish was absolutely stunning! The exterior is also beautiful as well.

I've visited many castles/palaces/royal residences in Europe and this one ranks right up there with the best of them. Burg-Eltz was a step below Neuschwanstein IMO, although many say it's the best of the best. We loved Neuschwanstein and I would detour to see it anytime!

Neuschwanstein is lovely but sometimes I wonder if the real reason to see it is to be able to weigh in on the debate of whether is was worth it. It wasn't built to function as a castle should function, it was a lark.

If you want to see one of Ludwig's castles, as someone mentioned, Herrenchiemsee is right along the way. It's not quite as "Disney" but it's beautifully furnished and it's a nice little boat ride out to the island.

Like Cowboy said, you could do it. It's not that many miles but your instincts were right, you'd spend a lot of time waiting in line for the groups of other tourist to move through. They only take so many at a time.

There's so many other things to see along your way to Salzburg where your time is better spent.

Enjoy your trip.

"Burg-Eltz was a step below Neuschwanstein IMO"

I don't see how these places are even marginally comparable. This is an apples-to-bowling-balls comparison at best, one that often gets made only because North Americans don't usually have much experience with castles.

N'stein was built as one man's fanciful, ostentatious, private home around 130 years ago. It's a domestic museum of sorts, an expression of Ludwig's personal passions and built to resemble a castle without the standard functionality of a castle. Germans call it a "Schloß" (palace), not a "Burg" (castle) because that's what it is. And unlike B-U-R-G Eltz, very little ever happened there (Ludwig lived there for a mere 6 months.)

Eltz on the other hand is a fortified castle built 850 years ago, a place that gives you a glimpse into nearly a millenium of European history:
http://www.burg-eltz.de/en/850-years-history.html

That said, N'stein might still be an interesting building to walk through for some, even if half the rooms are unfinished (and as Toucan explains, are NOT part of the tour, my apologies for the ambiguous sentence.) But it's not worth going out of the way for, IMO.

Russ, I agree with what you say about Eltz and it's a cool castle if you don't really think about it.

You're right too, that it gives one a "glimpse" into history.
It also tells us by it's position why it's been in the same family for so those 800 years. No one would want it.

It would have been impossible to defend and easy to lay siege to. Darn, if I were an invader, Burg Eltz would be the perfect place to feed my troops.

We stopped at Fussen one night to visit Neuschwanstein, for me its a great photo op' as you approach and from the bridge opposite. We didn't 'love 'the tour but now we know.