Neuschwanstein from Munich
 

Our group of 14 will be taking the train from Munich to Neuschwanstein from Munich. I've read in Rick Steves to book tickets 4 hours after leaving Munich. We want to use the Bayern Ticket so we will leave Munich at 9:52am so a 2pm tour time. Would we have time to do both Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein castles or would we only have time for Neuschwanstein?

How are you planning to get from the station in Fuessen to the castle? Bus? taxi?

I THINK the two sites are about a 15-minute walk apart but I could be mistaken.

I think Neuschwanstein to Hohenschwangau is about 30min. There is a map showing the travel times by foot at http://www.hohenschwangau.de/837.html. I think these numbers are conservative and show the up hill timings.

More relevant question is when is the trip? Before April 1, the closing hours are about 2 hrs earlier. So after April 1, it is not difficult provided all can go up and down steep and quite long hills and steps. Another relevant question is, are you going up to the Marienbrücke to have a good view of the castle? This adds bus wait(if you don't want to walk up) plus 10min or so walking down from the bridge to the Neuschwanstein castle.

We will be there in June so for extended hours. On Bahn.com it shows there is a bus from Fussen to get us close showing arrival at 12:13 so we should be fine for the 2pm tour. Just didn't know if from 2pm to 5pm we would have enough time to do both castles as with the combo ticket I believe they schedule the tours 2 hours apart. I had not planned on Marienbrück. At least 12 or 13 of us our fine with the walking but a little concerned about 1 person in the group so trying to figure that out. I don't want the rest of us to miss out because of one person.

Just make sure that you sign up for tours in English (not sure of the timing/frequency of those) unless you are fluent in German.

Not sure of the logistics on foot - since we have only doe the area by car.

Have you looked into the possibility of a private tour by small bus rather than hustiling so many people - apparently one of whom may not be a strong walker - to several different places (to train, train to bus, bus to castle, walk to 2nd castle and then reverse the process)?

Ok, so you are thinking of the combo ticket.
There is a sequence requirement with this ticket. If you read the notice that comes with the Königsticket at http://www.hohenschwangau.de/550.0.html, it says "you will first visit Hohenschwangau Castle, then you will visit Neuschwanstein Castle."

You can use a horse carriage "most of way" to the Neuschwanstein, but there are still more steep climb after that. And of course, once you are in the castle, there are yet more steps and steps.