Hello,

We would really love to visit this castle when in Munich. Any suggestions on whether we should take a tour or is it better to drive and buy an individual ticket and pick up an audio tour once at the castle so that we have more time to explore?

Unless I am not mistaken or it has changed, tour of the interior of Neuschwanstein (note the spelling) requires a guided tour. But I went in 2013 so perhaps things have changed where an audio guide is an option. And, last I heard, it requires timed entry (it did in 2013). Edit to clarify: our individual ticket included the guided tour.

Driving there is a matter of your preference. It does allow for more freedom to see the area than if you took a guided tour from Munich or public transport (which we did).

I was there in 2016 and I suggest booking tickets in advance. We had 3 days in the area and we couldn't get in the first day we were there. In this post covid world, I've discovered Europe to be much more crowded than before, so advance tickets are even more important. And as of 2016, the tours were still timed and guided.

Personally I find the interior of Neuschwanstein to be quite underwhelming, and the tours to be ho-hum at best. It's a relatively modern building, and it is intersting to learn about some of the latest advances in technology used in the castle, but it's never was a completed luxurious King's residence. The nearby Hohenschwangau I find to have a much more interesting interior.

To me, the enjoyment of visiting Neuschwanstein is either walking to the various nearby vistas, or hiking in the hills with the castle as a backdrop.,

The day tours from Munich are very long and most time is spent on the bus. Once in Fussen you're left to get yourself up to the castle via walking or standing in line forever for a horse drawn carriage. Then it's back down and onto the bus for the return.

I've taken the bus tour from Munich twice over the years and have also visited twice on my own via public transport from Munich to Fussen (train and bus).

I much prefer getting there and back on my own.

If you take the bus tour, they will arrange times and tickets to get into the castle.

If you go on your own, you'll need to book tickets to the castle yourself and make sure you arrive on time.

Unless things have changed since 2018, there is no audio tour, all tours of the interior are 'guided' with different time slots for different languages. These are very large groups - it's a bit of a mob scene.

Do they not have the bus/shuttle from Fussen from the train station to the castle anymore? My Mom wouldnt have been able to handle walking and we definitely did not take a horse carriage. I forget the bus numbers we took back then, but there was limited walking involved. Then again, we did the combined ticket of both Hohenschwagau and Neuschwanstein.

The bus meets the train or you can use a taxi to get to the ticket office. From there to the castle you either walk, take the bus or horse carriage.

To answer the O.P., if you are confident to do it on your own, it is possble. The castle is visited as a tour. Several per day are in English. If you don’t feel up to arranging the transportation and ticketing, then I would take an organized tour. I would get a tour that also includes his other palace, Linderhof, which is difficult to visit on your own, requiring bus transportation from/to Fuessen.

Do they not have the bus/shuttle from Fussen from the train station to the castle anymore?

The bus tour from Munich dropped us off in town - not at the train station - then we were on our own. At least this was the case when I last did it in 2018. I walked up, a friend never made it to the top as the line for the horse carriages was so long she missed her tour time slot.

All bus tours may not be the same however.

Thank you.

Good idea. It's a very side trip from Munich from what I'm reading. THanks.

The vistas look incredible from what I can see online. Hmmm, maybe I will skip the interior.. and see Hohenschwangau's interior instead. Do you know if they will charge to see the exterior of Neuschwanstein and to be on the grounds near the castle?

Yikes, this is something to consider. If you are on your own. I thought the tour would bring us right up to the castle or parking lot nearby. Thanks for the info.

Thanks for this. I am thinking of driving up there on our own. I'm leaning towards booking my own tickets online and arriving there early to take in the scenery.

As of 2016 you could still go near the castle and not inside.

Having been there several times, once with each of two kids who wanted to see the "Disney" castle inside I agree with j62 1000%. Each time we walked up to and down from the castle, me with Peggy Lee's song "Is That All There Is" running through my head.. OTOH Hohenschwangau was well worth it. One could visualize little Ludwig scampering about.

Thank you.

I’ve been 3 times all on a tour as I just was unsure of the timing for tickets. This was all before 2019.

The first time, we thought to meet our tour guide at one spot which was wrong. We raced up the hill on foot which wasn’t easy and missed our time slot by a few minutes. They allowed us in the next time slot and we met up with our group. We weren’t told about the Marienbrucke.

The second time we waited in the line for the carriage as my my sister has asthma and I didn’t think would make it up. I knew about the Marienbrucke so we had time to go there and back before our time slot. On the way back to the castle, I saw a bus stop. I always meant to look up that bus as it would have made it easier to get there and I don’t think we were told about it.

The third time, I was with my mom and no way was she going to make it up the hill. I knew to quickly get in line for the carriage. My friend decided to walk up. She had to wait for us and didn’t know to go to the Marienbrucke. She was kind of mad about it as when I got there, I took her. On the way back, there were no carriages. Luckily my mom was able to walk down and we didn’t miss the bus tour back to Munich.

If I were to go back, I would try to go on my own. I do think it would make my experience better as I’d try for that bus and I don’t really need to do all that other stuff the tour does again.

Thanks for this info. I think we will do it on our own.