Neuschwanstein Castle and Munich
 

My husband and I arrive in Munich at 6pm on a Friday and leave the next day for Salzburg. Not sure what time yet haven't booked train as of yet. This is in late November.

I know that night I want to do probably Hofbraehaus and Christmas market. The next day was hoping to see Marienplatz during day but also want to do Neuschwanstein castle but the tours are all full day tours.

What does everything recommend? Doing a guided full day and taking a late train to Salzburg? Do it on our own and try to leave super early and get back by early afternoon to see Marienplatz before we leave?

Open to suggestions!

It's easy to do on your own -take train to Fussen then taxi or buses the few miles out to Mad Ludwig's fantasy castle - trains take about 2 hours each way to Fussen from Munich. (For info on German trains - www.bahn.de/en - the bargain Bavaria Pass allows unlimited use of regional trains (like those to Fussen) all day for around 30-35 euros for 2 or more people - buy it at Munich stations - from machines or at ticket window. May be good for some buses Fussen to Hohenschwangau too??

I walked out from Fussen on nice footpaths thru some forests but you may not have time for that.

Be sure to book a tour slot online or face a potentially long line to get in -even in late November when I was there once -but leave time from when you get dropped off at the tourist-schlocked Hohenschwangau Castle area well below Neuschwanstein Castle to get to the Neuschwanstein high abvoe this area itself.

You can take horse-drawn carriages up from Hohenschwangau but which still leave you well below the castle entrance, a fairly strenuous uphill walk, or hop mini-buses that are quicker and dump you off well above the castle near the famous Marienbrucke - a bridge over a little valley right above the castle and one where Mad Ludwig famously would come to and ponder his fantasy castle being built - the bridge and view IMO are not to be missed- but the then downhill walk down to the castle entrance steeply descends (the site below says not suitable for physically challenged folks).

I hoofed it up and enjoyed it but a strenous uphill climb-downhill is a breeze.

This site has relevant info on accessing Neuschwanstein from Hohenschwangau and practial info on the castle: http://www.neuschwanstein.de/englisc...t/howtoget.htm

So time it all out and make a comfortable entry slot online.

Note if driving you still cannot go farther than Hohenschwangu and must leave your car in the vicinity.

And Hohenschwangau Castle -right by the parking area - was a boyhood home of Ludwig, built by his father on the ruins of an authentic medieval castle in the 1830s, so it too is an Ersatz (fake) medieval castle as is Neuschwanstein. Hohenschwangau Castle is worthy of a look too if time allows - don't think it's a problem to get in by just showing up.

Oh put your bags in a locker at Munich's main station -the Hauptbahnhof before taking train to Fussen.

Thanks! I see the link to book the castle tickets online but not sure if I can book now for November?

From the time you arrive in Fussen how long would you say to allow before booking return train? If we get in at 10am is a 2pm return train ok?

Lastly I'm terrified of heights, but this castle looks so beautiful. Are the paths secure? Sounds like bus up by the bridge, take photos on the bridge, am I going to be terrified? Lol.

When you say bags do you mean luggage or purse? I was thinking of going back to Munich then hop a train to Salzburg. Or should we try and do Fussen to Salzburg?

>>> Do it on our own and try to leave super early and get back by early afternoon

You cannot get back by early afternoon if you need to eat lunch.

www.bahn.com. If you take 653 train, you get to Füssen at 855. That would just hit the 1000 tour if you can get in. The tour is about 30 min. The most iconic view is not from the inside, but from the Marienbrucke which would add more time to the trip. However, you are suspended over high altitude, so this is not for you. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sc72GNsYAg...3%BCcke_01.jpg

1406 return train will get you back 1605 in Munich. You will not see Marienplatz during the day time. The sunset late November is around 1620.
https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/germ...h=11&year=2017

If you are arriving at MUC at 1800 previous day, then do Hofbrauhaus and Christmas market all after flying from NAS via LHR, will you be up for catching the 653 train the day after arrival?

There are luggage lockers at the Munich HBF station. If you want to cut time retrieving luggage before heading to Salzburg, take your luggage to Munich HBF in the morning and lock them up while visiting Neuschwanstein. Even if you take the tour, it probably starts at the Munich HBF and you sill have to take your luggage and store them at Munich HBF. Füssen to Salzburz train connects via Munich. Just look at www.bahn.com. There are a lot of lockers at Munich HBF. With tour if are ok not listening to the guide, you can doze off once you get on the bus until they drop you off at the base of the hill leading to the castle. With train, you still have to connect Füssen station to the bottom of the hill of the castle. They are more than 4km apart.

. Are the paths secure?>

Yes as I recall they are wide smooth paved paths - no problem.

The most iconic view is not from the inside, but from the Marienbrucke which would add more time to the trip.>

But this is IMO really neat to do - and minibuses from Hohenschwangau drop you there so just as quick about as walking or buggies-anway the view is camera-clicking:

https://www.google.com/search?q=mari...w=1745&bih=864

Note the Bavarian Lander Pass comes also in first class for just a few extra euros - and www.bahn.de/en seems to say these regional trains have first class too and IME regional trains can get crowded -like when I was going to Fussen a group of schoolkids swarmed on for a few stops (these trains also serve as school buses at times) and it was SRO in 2nd class but 1st class was mainly empty - glad I could get away from the mob.

http://www.munich-touristinfo.de/Bavaria-Ticket.htm

All about the Bavarian Regional Pass -also valid in Munich on metro, S-Bahns, trams, buses so can go from hotel to Munich Hbf -stash bags in locker and head out to Fussen.

Thanks guys!

I figure we will be super exhausted coming from The Bahamas after the layover at LHR, but I feel like if we come this far, we should do what we really want!

If we do beer hall and Christmas market/Marienplatz that night after freshening up and the next morning do the 7:51AM train arriving at 9:55am (our hotel is literally across the street from the munich central station).

If we get to Fussen at 9:55AM, is it even possible to try and do an 11:00AM or 11:30AM tour? If so, let's say 11:30AM, then the tour would be over by 12:00pm and then give what an hour and a half to go to the bridge take photos and get back to Fussen to catch the 2:06pm train putting us back in Munich at 4pm, get something to eat and grab our luggage from hotel front desk then head back over to munich central to get to Salzburg?

Am I over doing it? I don't really have much planned in Salzburg so I figure we will have two days there to relax.

Seems so if you take taxi to Hohenschwangau and then perhaps walk to the entrance if there is a line for the conveyances. I recall about a 15-20 uphill walk from the parking lot area to entrance. From Marienbrucke take mini-buses back down.

I too am afraid of heights but did not have a problem at N Castle. I must say you are planning quite a bit for your first two days. Luckily getting to NAS from anywhere on the island should not take too long but the flight to LHR must take 8-9 hours, than you probably have 2-3 hours at LHR to get through immigration etc, than about a 2 hour flight to MUC. Add another 1-1/2 hour to retrieve your luggage than take the train to your hotel and check in. Total time about 18 hours after you leave home, assuming you live in New Providence. Takes about 20 minutes to walk to Marienplatz from the Sofitel or Le Meridien or other hotel next to the main train station so you would have about an hour and a half at the Christmas market before heading to the Hofbrauhaus for a ?meal and drinks?, than back to your hotel. Its doable if you have a lot of energy and can get some sleep on your NAS-LHR flight. I, on the other hand would probably check into my hotel, wander over to a Beer Garden nearby, have dinner and a few drinks and get to bed early. Awake early the next morning to go to Neuschwanstein and return in the afternoon to go to the Christmas market and Hofbrauhaus. Take late train to Salzberg which is not that far away.

Tour buses obviously can't take passengers right to entrance - I wonder when bus tours descend on place do they have special shuttles to entrance? Or do they overload the regular shuttles - can't see many tour group members hoofing it up there.

Point is if in a hurry maybe plan to walk up from Hohenschwangau or face long lines for transports?

Seems like there should be some kind of elevators for physically challenged - like how do they make final approaches to castle entrance - special motorized chairs or what?

Thanks mjs! We are indeed traveling from New Providence (also after working probably 10 hours or so before departing for the red eye to LHR).

Now I'm debating if we should do two nights in Munich and just one in Salzburg!

Two nights in Munich for sure.

rather than one night in Salzburg why not just base in Munich and day trip to Salzburg?

Think of all the time relocating involves and it makes your Fussen day trip more leisurely.

Actually a red eye is good as it makes it more likely that you will get some sleep on your London flight. I also agree that it would seem better if you just stayed in Munich and did Salzburg as a day trip. Where do you plan to go after Salzburg?

Thanks all, that seems like a pretty good idea. I also get the Marriott associate rate so our hotel in Munich (and Salzburg) were a steal!

I am more terrified of flying than ANYTHING, so I don't tend to sleep on planes, even if a red eye lol.

So this is original itinerary:

1 night in Munich
2 nights in Salzburg
2 nights in Lucerne (hotel non refundable)
4 nights in Paris (my favorite city)
7 nights in London (my husbands favorite city)

Definitely up for recommendations though!

I think you should spend three nights in Munich with a day trip to Salzburg. If you cannot sleep on a plane you will be toast by the time you reach your hotel in Munich. Meridien most likely. Think about it. You awake at least an hour before you start work and than you work 10 hours and have to get to the airport about 2 hours before a red eye transatlantic flight. You than have at least 13 hours or more for two flights plus the LHR stop to MUC and you have to get to your Munich hotel. Calculating that your flight leaves NAS around 10-11pm and there is 6 hours time difference between NAS to MUC gives you almost 30 hours awake by the time you are checked into your hotel in Munich and you want to go out to tour?