Oh -- Also, Bob's suggestions are right on for a nice scenic drive and John is 100% you have not been to Neuschwanstein unless you hike to the bridge!!! Our BEST photos are from the bridge!<BR><BR>Lily

J, I just got castle tickets for Friday, July 5 (2 weeks and several days from now). I asked our hotel to get tickets for the earliest available tickets for the English tour. Here is what we got: Hohenschwangau @ 2:45 pm and Neuschwanstein @ 4:45. So try to book before you get to Europe. Good luck, Linda

Linda: Thanks for the heads up. I was wondering about the different preferred ways to buy and pickup the castle tour tickets? You mentioned having the hotel get the tickets - ? I suppose it's in order to have them available for easy pickup when you get there. Do you (or anyone?)know if you can order the tickets from their website and have the tickets available for pickup at the ticket office when you get there. Or, what might be a good way to handle buying and picking up tickets? Anyone? Thanks.

Larry, we ordered tickets over a website, giving a preferred time. They emailed back a confirmation. <BR><BR>When we got to Hohenschwangau (we arrived around 11:30 a.m.) we were able to snag a parking spot in a lot just below the ticket centre. We took our confirmation to the centre - there is a separate window just for advanced reservations, it had no line - and picked up our tickets. <BR><BR>In actual fact we arrived earlier than expected and so asked if we could have an earlier time than originally reserved. We were lucky - they still had room on an earlier tour, and we were able to change at no extra charge (to 1:20 p.m.)<BR><BR>It took us about 25 minutes to hike to the castle entrance area; we lunched at a nearby picnic spot while waiting for our 1:20 p.m tour. Note that your ticket will not work in the turnstiles until your tour number is displayed on a electronic board above the turnstile. <BR><BR>Look under twenj.net under Bavaria and under Neuschwanstein you should find other info, including the web site address.

Sue: Thanks. Good stuff. Since I've got your ear (assuming you're still around), can I get another thought or bit of info out of you? Did you tour both Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein? Our thoughts are more along those of Ed and Julie (the twenj.net site you pointed out) and do Neuschwanstein and Linderhof in one day. We'll be staying in Garmisch. You have any thoughts on this? Anyone? Thanks again.

Gina:<BR><BR>I always base in Garmish. I would go to Neuschwanstein in the morning and hit Shloss Linderhof on the way back! Very doable, and while your at it you can come back thru Oberamergau see the Weissekirch, and back to Garmish...that might be a bit tough!! but hey, its an idea!<BR>JOHN

Well Larry, I'll tell you how it went for us. We spent the previous night in Ottobeuren, which is northwest of Fussen near a place called Memmingen. I think it took around 90 minutes to drive from Ottobeuren (which, by the way, has a fabulous abbey.) Someone here is sure to tell you how far it is from Garmisch. <BR><BR>Like I said, we arrived around 11:30, and the timing of a 1:20 tour was just about perfect (you must pick up tix at least an hour in advance, to allow for hiking or other transport up to the castle.) The tour went till 2, we looked around on our own at some other stuff till about 2:30, hiked up to the bridge, jaw-dropped and snapped photos for a bit, then hiked our way down by 3:30ish.<BR><BR> Now, it was a hot day, and we decided to head for our nearby hotel, check in, and sack out on the balcony with the coldest drink we could find. Bear in mind this was only the 3rd day of our trip, and we needed to slow down a bit. I'm glad, therefore, that we didn't try to do Hohenschwangau as well. But yes, I suspect it's quite doable.<BR><BR>Others here have done it, but the tricky part about doing Linderhof on the same day is that I'm pretty sure that the same crowd problems apply. So you may also have to deal with the logistics of reserving tix for that one, and I'm almost certain you don't pick up the tix in Hohenschwangau but in Oberammergau (?) Someone here might know. Good luck in your plans.

I agree that the best views are exterior views. I stayed 3 days and went in both, but my favorite memory is the first time I saw them from a distance several years earlier.

Hi all. As for tickets to Linderhof, we will pick these up at the hotel. For Neuschwanstein, it's the ticket window at the castles. And thanks for the clarification that tickets must be picked up at least one hour in advance. I am very excited about our trip, and hope there are no more air or train strikes. Happy travels.

Excellent exchange of info on Bavaria for Dummies (like me, and probably other 1st timers who try to envision and plan up front something so far away). The Linderhof tickets still seem a bit unclear how to obtain. As Sue mentioned, the www.ticket-center-Hohenschwangau.de site doesn't handle Linderhof tickets. Linda says she will pick her Linderhof tickets up from her hotel. So, apparently there isn't a website or a way to get them before getting somewhere over there. Maybe a travel agent might know if otherwise. Anyone else got a idea or remember how you got your Linderhof tickets?

Ack! Larry, I'm sorry if I made it sound like a sermon from 'Bavaria for Dummies.' Actually, I was feeling a bit sheepish for having to confess that I conked out after seeing only one castle, when so many do two on the same day. (recommendation: if the temp is in the eighties, &&&& the thieves and leave the ***** backpack in the car before climbing that hill!)<BR><BR>Do you use 'google.com' ? Try a search there on Linderhof or Oberammergau, maybe you'll hav

Sorry, I sneezed : - ) <BR><BR>....maybe you'll have better luck. Bon voyage.

Sue (and others): Thanks so much for your inputs. I was really poking more fun at myself with the 'Dummies' comment, not you or others. All the shared insights and experiences are helpful and appreciated. John's was one that was good to hear (since he's traveled out from Garmisch - could probably ask him another question or two but will hold off).I've use google.com and search sites, which are good, and visited quite a few sites. They are all interesting, tho not much is said about where you buy Linderhof tickets. It sounds like you have to wait to get them when you arrive there at the castle, or maybe some local hotel/travel agents sell them.

Larry = got this from 'www.linderhof.de' and had to translate using Babelfish as it was in German<BR><BR>Guidance reservations: At present still no on-line reservation is possible. Please you download the Acrobat file and send yourselves you this filled out form by post office or by fax to the following address: Closing and garden administration Linderhof, Linderhof 12, D-82488 Ettal Linderhof telephone: +49 (0) 88 22/92 03-21 and 9203-0 fax: +49 (0) 88 22/92 03-11 Thank you for your assistance!

Hey, that's great Sue. You done good. I did look at that site, but perhaps the German language threw me. I'm not familar with Bablefish. Is that something helpful to have? Hey, I'm happy with what you provided, so you need not bother getting back to me - just curious. Thanks again.

Sue: Back at you again I'm still learning -- slowly -- understand that Babelfish is a translator program. But also, you had mentioned the google.com site which I had been to before but didn't realize it actually offered a translated version of the Linderhof site. It provided an email address for sending inquiries, so I have gone to them to see what they say. Again, thanks so much -- you've taught me a lot. Warm Regards, Larry

Just returned yesterday from a 15 day trip to Germany. We did Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein. We stayed in Fuessen at the Hotel Sonne. I had made reservations 15 days in advance via the ticket center web site www.ticket-center-hohenschwangau.de. Making the reservations is very easy on the web site. There are now English pages on this website. The cost for the reservations is Euro 1.60 extra per ticket, Euro 3.20 extra for both castles. You give your credit card on the web site to guarantee but you don't actually pay until you pick up the tickets. You request an entry time and they reply via email with your reserved time.<BR><BR>Since the web site says the first tour is at 9:00 that is what I requested. I received a confirmation for an 8:45 entry to Hohenschwangau, with the tour starting at 9:00. The confirmed entry time for Neuschwanstein was 10:50. As it turned out, the reservations were not really needed because there were only about 15 people on the first tour of the day through Hohenschwangau, but who was to know? There were a few more on the Neuschwanstein tour, maybe about 40, but still not too bad. On 6/17 it was clearly still before the high tourist season.<BR><BR>Addressing the parking early question, since my first ticket entry time was for 8:45 and the website and email confirmation both say to pick up the tickets at the latest 1 hour prior to entry time, we were arriving at the parking lot D (it looked like the only one open at that time) at 7:40. The gate was up but here was no one in the booth so I just drove right in and parked. When we left at about 1:30, there was a piece of paper on the windshield and the parking attendant came over to collect the 4 Euro parking fee.

Kurt: Great bit of info. Thanks for taking time to share. Sounds like you know how to improvise very well. The small number of folks there sorta a surprize, even if in June. September, when we go, there may be more I'd guess??? Still interesting info - thanks again. Larry

Larry, you were also asking about Schloss Linderhof. The day before our Hohenschwangau/Neuschwanstein tours we drove from Mittenwald near Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Fuessen. We decided to stop and see the Ettal monastery and Linderhof. After visiting Ettal, we drove the 15 or so minutes to Linderhof, parked and walked to the ticket window. I asked for an English tour and the woman said the next English tour was in 10 minutes and there was plenty of room. After we bought the tickets she said proceed directly to the castle to make the tour. It is nominally a 10 minute walk from the ticket window to the castle and we made it in about 6-7. Just as we entered through the turnstiles and into the entry foyer, the tour guide came out to start the tour. Only about 25 people there waiting. Another sparse crowd and no wait! Couldn't expect much better.

Very helpful Kurt. Thanks for sharing. I believe I have enough understanding now to give it a go: 1) Order the Neuschwanstein tix from their website at least 15 days in advance - request an early time around 9:00 a.m. 2)Get the Linderhof tix at the gate. Can't wait.