If we were wanting to get to the Neuschwanstein Castle from Zermatt, what is the best way to get there and how long a trip is it? We will not have a car.

Hi manganfamily,

The trip is 8 to 10 hours in each direction.

Best to do it on your next trip -- or plan to spend 4 or 5 days in Bavaria to take advantage of being there.

Have fun as you plan!

s

You would almost undoubtedly have to travel by rail and via a somewhat circuitous route.

You really need to go to a site such as Googlemaps.com and input Zermatt and then Neuschwanstein (or at least Fuessen, the nearby town) so you can visualize the geography.

Just getting from Zermatt to the nearest more main rail line (at Visp) takes about an hour alone.

As swandav says, not a day trip destination and would only make sense if you planned to spend more time in the area.

Zermatt to Munich starts at 39 euros pre-booked 2-3 months ahead at www.bahn.de/en

Then you buy a local ticket at the station for a Munich-Fussen train then take the bus. www.bahn.de/en again.

No need to go all the way to Munich - you can change to the Augsburg-Fussen rail line well before Munich at buchloe and it only takes a tad over 4 hours not 8 from Zurich to Fussen this way - the only logical way - forget Munich. For lots of good info on trains check not only Man in Seat 61's commercial site www.seat61.com but also these info-laden sites: www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

From the Austrian border you can use the bargain Bavarian Lander Pass - up to 5 folks all for about 29-31 euros I believe but you can only take regional trains so would be slower.

Well, since we are obviously getting down to the local nitty gritty you can also take a taxi to Neuschwanstein instead of the local bus.

That "fast" route through Buchloe takes a <B>minimum</B> of <B>eight</B> hours.

Pal, I did NOT say it was 8 hours from Zürich to Füssen but 8 hours from Zermatt to Füssen -- which is what the op requested.

I really do wish you would read the posts before you comment on them.

s

This really is simply too far for a day trip. And once you have spent 8 hours in travel you need to coordinate times (and reserve in advance) for an English language tour. Agree that this only makes sense if you spend several days there.

Separately - Neuchwanastein is a new castle (built by Mad Ludwig in the 1860s) and IMHO famous largely because Disney modeled his castle on it. If you just want to visit a real castle there are many much older and more authentic ones close to you in Switz.

>If you just want to visit a real castle there are many much older and more authentic ones close to you in Switz.

For example just down the valley in Brig: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/a90f1/4/ (my page over on Virtualtourist) That one would be an easy (half-)day trip from Zermatt.

Or Sion, which actually has four castles not just one: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/a884b/

Swandav - my apologies and you are right - it was that I just first read Man in Seat 61's Zurich to Munich post and mixed up Zurich with Zermatt - I shuld have known you are usually, except with Interlaken, right on!

Sorry!

What do you mean with "best":
shortest, fastest, cheapest or most scenic itinerary?
Whatever you may choose for your routing, you will bypass tons of castles, many of them much more interesting than Neuschwanstein.

Usual, rather boring itinerary:
Zermatt dp 9.37 - Visp 10.45/57 - Zurich 12.58/13.16 - Kempten 16.30/34 - Pfronten Weissbach 17.18/38 - Fuessen 18.00/05 - Hohenschwangau Castles ar 18.15

More scenic itineraries:
Zermatt dp 7.52 - Glacier Express - Chur 13.34/14.21 - Scuol 16.15/30 - Postbus - Nauders 17.16/57 - Landeck ar 19.03
Landeck dp 7.15 - Nassereith 8.09/9.15 - Fernpass - Reutte 10.19 - taxi to Fuessen;
Zermatt dp 6.13 - Brig - Domodossola - Centovalli Express - Locarno - Lugano 11.33/12.05 - Palm Express - Lake Como - Maloja Pass - St. Moritz 15.45/16.02 - Scuol - Nauders ar 18.16
Nauders dp 6.52 - Landeck - Nassereith 9.15 - Reutte 10.19....;
Zermatt dp 8.52 - Glacier Express - Chur 14.34/15.12 - Feldkirch 16.09/47 - Kempten 19.14/51 - Ulrichsbruecke-Fuessen ar 20.54

many of them much more interesting than Neuschwanstein.>

that's a very subjective take - to me Neuschwanstein, given its q

quirky Ersatz history with Mad Ludwig to me was by far the most interesting castle inside and out I have been to in Europe and I've visited a zillion - a surprise at every turn - not your typical castle so purist castle snobs will have little of it - it is the world's most famous castle for some reason and according to the German tourist folks ranked as the #1 sight in Germany on lists I have seen.

I'm not saying I'd make a huge detour to see it but if wanting to see a neat castle that will not bore you as many if not most have me - Newuschwanstein is it.

https://www.google.com/search?q=newu...=1600&bih=1075

Not an ordinary castle - that said this is a very subjective thing with many, correctly in their view, considering Neuschwanstein a sham a fraud castle and not the real deal. I can appreciate that view but do not share it.

I t all depends on what you are looking for. Not surprised it is # 1 in Germany, which doesn;t have anything iconic like Eiffel Tower or Big Ben.

I studied history and to me - while I understand this one is very picturesque - I want the real deal - the old ones with a long history - and more representative of their era - rather than one focused on a single very erratic ruler of a minor country.

Chillon is the most intriguing and most interesting castle, imo:

http://www.chillon.ch/en/castle

s

The most interesting castle I ever saw is the Krak des Chevaliers, in Syria. Most cruisader castles are interesting, BTW.

nytraveler - one reason I love Neuschwanstein is its riveting history behind it - how Ludwig came to be called 'Mad' with his medieval castle building (Ersatz or fake or it may be for the times) - how he would go up to the Marienbrucke high above the castle and ponder the construction of his fantasy home- I can just picture him there and how he was finally stopped by being drowned just before the castle's completeion by Bavarian authorities lest he break the Bavarian Treasuruy - Herrenchiemsee, his Versailles I also love and to a lesser extent Linderhof (name?), etc.

But I understand folks who want the real deal too - to me the real deals often tend to be boring...so it depends on what turns you on.

Obviously everyone has different interests. But I would suggest that many tourists go there thinking is is a real ancient castle - not a modern duplicate by a lightly balanced ruler in the 1860s.